Cardus showing great performance in wet conditions despite crash
Argiñano Racing Team rider Ricky Cardús, riding with a helmet honouring his uncle who won twice at Le Mans, showed a great overall performance in wet conditions at the French Grand Prix, finishing already the morning warm up in an excellent fourth positions before starting the race from 15th position on the grid. The race quickly became a question of staying on the bike and just as in the Moto3 class before, many riders fell prey to the treacherous conditions, including Ricky.
The technical crew of ARG managed to give Ricky Cardús a very competitive bike this weekend, each time he felt better on it and was able to convert the tips of sporting director Ginés Guirado on track.
The first corners of the races were difficult, but Cardús stayed consistent and alert. He made up positions and his pace was very similar to that of the riders in front. In the sixth lap he went wide and lost a couple of places which he didn’t just make up agaain, but in the next seven laps he gained seven positions in total and placed himself in eighth position. But at that moment he made a small mistake, trying to pass a rider at an inopportune moment. On the thoroughly wet track of Le Mans those little mistakes came at a high cost.
Ricky was sliding out of the corner with sparks flying which set fire to the surplus gasoline in the tank. Ricky tried to lift the bike up and rejoin the race, but then realized the bike was on fire, which he quickly put out with his hands. The damage to the bike wasn’t big, but trying to continue Cardus saw that the throttle was destroyed and he had to finally give up.
It’s been another race in which the ARG Team came close to the points. The rider is happy with the available material and the work with his crew chief Gorka and the rest of the team – Amaia, Joan, Dani and Alex – has the desired effect. The home race at the Grand Prix of Catalunya – the headquarters of the team are just few kilometres from the track – will again spur on the motivation of everyone involved in the project.
Ricky Cardús: “I did one of the fastest laps in the race and I rode very comfortable, but in one corner Kallio went a little wide and eager to pass him I opened the throttle too early. In the wet it’s like this, the same for everyone. I made a mistake that I have to learn from, I have to be smarter from now on. We are fighting aggainst very experienced people. We are working to be in front and this is what we do, find our rhythm and focus on the race. We are ourselves surprised with the performance of our bike and many others must be surprised as well. Nobody bet a Euro on it, they told us we’re crazy. It’s a bike that gives back a lot of information and is very easy to ride. Let’s see if ahead of Catalunya we can improve the aerodynamics, because in terms of chassis we are competitive.”
Source: Argiñano Racing Team
