KTM's Bernd Hiemer second in Castelletto; shares S1 championship
lead
KTM factory rider Bernd Hiemer shared the glory and the points
in the S1Grand Prix of Europe on Sunday but had to settle
for second place after rival Thierry van den Bosch stole victory
in the second moto in the closing stages.
The German racer won the first moto virtually from start to
finish and looked set to take the second. Repeating his very
good start in race one, Bernd led the way through nine of
the twelve laps in heat two and with a two-second lead looked
set to take the coveted red number plate as championship leader.
But van den Bosch made his move in the ninth lap when the
track was slippery and covered in mud from the earlier rain,
conditions that Bernd said made it impossible to hold onto
the front slot.
Hiemer confident after four races
"We started in the rain and that was ok, but when it
had almost stopped there was a lot of mud on the track and
it go incredibly slippery. We had a perfect setup for the
rain but when it got so slippery, I had to ease back and had
no chance to go on and win the race," Bernd said. "I
had some slight problems with my shoulder from a crash in
training a couple of weeks ago but I took some pain killers
and it didn't really bother me during the race. We've made
some slight changes with the bike but nothing major and the
team is working great together. I think we're all set for
an attack on the title!"
Equal points
The final result for the race held in Italy's Castelletto
di Branduzzo Motodromo was a first and second for Hiemer and
a second and first for the Belgian leader, who although each
now has 94 championship points, retains the red number plate
and the lead in the standings on the basis of his second race
result.Being out in front was the preferred rider position
on a wet day and muddy conditions on the circuit that was
revamped in the winter to offer riders a more flowing and
fast circuit. Despite blustery conditions and rain, the GP
was well attended by enthusiastic Italian fans.
Results GP overall
1. Thierry van den Bosch, France, Aprilia
2. Bernd Hiemer, Germany, KTM
3. Matthew Winstanley, Britain, KTM
4. Boris Chambon, France, TM
5. Christian Ravaglia, Italy, Yamaha
Championship Standings
1. Thierry van den Bosch, 94 points
2. Bernd Hiemer, Germany, KTM, 94
3. Matthew Winstanley, Britain, KTM, 76
4. Thomas Chareyre, France, Husqvarna, 63
5. Boris Chambon, France, TM, 57
25.05.2008
Eventful day for Pignotti in S2 World Championship
The S2 Grand Prix of Europe was an eventful one for KTM's
Attilio Pignotti, who on a day when the weather turned the
race into something of a lottery came in at seventh place
overall at Castelletto di Branduzzo in Italy.
Pignotti of Italy did not get away well in the first moto.
Rain and mud on the track surface made conditions slippery
and he crashed in the offroad section and only managed to
finish in twelfth place. He had a somewhat better start in
the second moto but an injury to his wrist in the earlier
crash meant he had problems being able to grip the controls.
He was able to bring home the KTM in sixth place in the second
race, rescuing seventh overall for another 25 championship
points. Pignotti is currently in fifth place in the standings
after the season's first four races. He will undergo x-rays
on Monday to establish the extent of his wrist injury.
Overall GP results S2
1. Davide Gozzini, Italy, TM
2. Adrien Chareyre, France, Husqvarna
3. Gerald Delepine, Belgium, Husqvarna
4. Christian Iddon, Britain, Aprilia
5. Luca Munutilli Italy, Aprilia
7. Attilio Pignotti, Italy, KTM
S2 Championship Standings
1. Davide Gozzini, Italy, 92 points
2. Adrien Chareyre, France, Husqvarna, 90
3. Christian Iddon, Britain, Aprilia, 67
4. Luca Munutilli Italy, Aprilia, 65
5. Attilio Pignotti, Italy, KTM, 63
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