Bud Husqvarna - Lacapelle Marival French MX Report

Coming into the second round of the French Elite Championship as series leader, Benoit Paturel again finished on the podium. Following his third place finish, he now sits second in the overall standings.

Perfect track conditions at Lacapelle Marival for the second of five rounds of the championship saw Benoit Paturel wear the red plate on his Husqvarna Factory Junior Team by Bud. Having set the fastest time during qualifying, Benoit also got the holeshot and led the early stages of the MX2 race. However, after 15 minutes of racing, the reigning French champion Valentin Teillet passed Benoit for the lead. The Husqvarna rider held the same pace as the leader until he fell, damaging his handlebar and injuring his elbow. Dylan Ferrandis took advantage and passed Benoit for second. The start of the Super Final is always difficult for MX2 riders against the bigger MX1s, but Benoit managed to keep the same pace as Teillet for the whole race, finishing thirteenth overall.

Best 125 rider and ninth overall in qualifying, David Herbreteau confirmed his performance from Romagné. Only twenty ninth at the second corner, he was sixteenth at the end of the first lap and gained another couple of positions in the remainder of the race. On the soft terrain however, he suffered from excessive fuel consumption and ran out of fuel before the end of the race. The team has three weeks until the next round in which to solve the problem that was only detected in race conditions.

Benoit Paturel: “Again, I had good sensations today, and I I'm pleased with my performance. At the first start I made a risky decision but it paid-off as I took the holeshot. I got into my rhythm at the start, but I started to ride tight and Valentin (Teillet) passed me. I hit the ground all by myself, stupidly, and bent the handlebar, but I managed to save the day with a third place finish. In the Super Final I got an average start with the 450s and settled in behind Valetin, until I fell on the last lap. I'm looking forward to the Italian GP, although my main objective is still the European Championship that starts next month, the bike is working great and I feel very good riding it.”

David Herbreteau: “I felt good on the bike all weekend, we worked on the setup during the week, and I feel comfortable on it. The first start was average, but I managed to recover to fourteenth place when I had a problem with the bike, so I had to retire. I am disappointed, but I had plenty of battles with the MX2 riders who have more experience than me in the MX2 class. Despite my injury during the winter, I'm in good physical condition, and with Bud Husqvarna we get along well, and the bike works well. I feel ready for the start of the 125 European Championship.”