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Romain Febvre Digs Deep in Italy
Romain Febvre of Kawasaki Racing Team MXGP fought back from a start crash at Pietramurata in northern Italy to maintain fourth place in the FIM World MXGP Motocross Championship points standings.
After his overwhelming victory in Qualifying the previous day the Kawasaki leader sprinted confidently from the gate in Race 1 to turn tight at the first corner, but his joy was short-lived as another rider tagged his rear wheel and the Frenchman went down at the bottom of a pile of riders and machines. By the end of the opening lap he was already on the edge of the points-scoring positions but further progress proved difficult as a single race-line developed. With two laps remaining he took over the 12-placed position he held to the checkered flag. A clean run through Turn 1 in Race 2 augured well as Febvre raced in the top-three throughout the first half of Race 2 before surrendering one position mid-moto. He remains fourth in the series points standings heading to round five in Portugal in two weeks' time.
Romain Febvre: "It was a very tough Sunday with a crash at the start of the first moto. I can’t blame myself as another rider crashed on me and I couldn’t do anything about it; I was under several bikes and started the race dead-last. With 40 riders on the track it’s a big challenge to pass them, especially as there were less lines than on Saturday after they flattened the track. It wasn't easy to pass, but that’s racing; I didn’t get a single clear, fast lap in the traffic. My second start was good but I couldn't find my rhythm at first and made a few mistakes; when I found my lines I had the same speed as the riders in front of me but, as I wasn’t faster, I couldn’t join them."