SEASON-BEST RESULT FOR NAKANO AS DE ANGELIS CRASHES ON LAP
ONE
Shinya Nakano picked up his best result of the season so
far in the Dutch TT, where he crossed the line in a creditable
eighth place. The Japanese rider got a great start and chased
the leading group over the opening laps, before settling for
a solid points score at the legendary track.
Alex De Angelis suffered entirely different fortunes as he
was forced to retire following a first-lap crash. The San
Marino youngster escaped without major injury but did damage
the little finger of his left hand.
Shinya Nakano (8th): “I’ve finished
ninth for the last three races and our objective today was
to improve on that! Eighth place isn’t a fantastic result
but the most positive thing about this race was the start.
I got away really well and managed to get straight into a
good pace. Unfortunately after a few laps my rhythm dropped
off and I lost positions, from fourth back to seventh. I would
have liked to finish higher but I’m still happy because
eighth isn’t bad and I think we’ve taken a step
forward today.”
Alex De Angelis (DNF): “I started
quite well but Valentino and De Puniet crashed in front of
me coming onto the back straight and I had to slam the brakes
on, allowing a couple of riders past. In the next corner I’d
barely opened the throttle when the bike lost grip and threw
me into the air. It was probably the tyre that wasn’t
up to temperature and I just lost control, the rear came around
and I crashed. Luckily I’m not hurt and I’m looking
forward to the next race.”
Fausto Gresini - Team manager: “I
am satisfied with Shinya’s race today, he showed some
improvement with a very determined start and in general he
did a good job. I’m not happy about Alex’s result
though – it is never good to crash on the first lap,
especially after crashes at Barcelona and Donington. He always
shows great potential in practice but hasn’t been able
to carry it through to the races recently, so maybe it is
time for a more careful approach.”
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