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EMX, MXGP OF SWITZERLAND - Frauenfeld, Switzerland, 25 Sierpień 2024

Mathis Valin confirms the EMX red plate with a moto win

Bud Racing Kawasaki's Mathis Valin rebounded in style in the second moto of the Swiss round of the FIM European EMX250 Championship to rebuild his series points-lead with a stunning victory at a muddy Frauenfeld.

The French teenager, who celebrated his eighteenth birthday the previous weekend, got the decent start he needed as competitors faced sticky conditions after heavy overnight rain, and he quickly moved forward from fourth to second already on the opening lap to give chase to his main championship challenger. He had already closed down his rival as they hit the first lappers as early as lap four and cleverly chose an advantageous line through traffic to sweep around for the lead two laps later. Withstanding the pressure he built an advantage which he could defend despite having to discard his goggles for the last ten minutes as the leaders encountered a never-ending string of tailenders. Such was the pace of leaders that only four other riders remained on the same lap at the finish with victory for the Kawasaki rider by nearly four seconds. The moto win secured second overall over the weekend - his seventh podium of the series - and significantly he rebuilt his championship points-lead to eleven points with two rounds remaining.
 
Mathis Valin: "I came here to win. Yesterday was difficult after the crash at the start, so today I wanted to get my revenge! I did it and we kept the red plate, so that was a perfect way to respond. Lata got the early lead today but I could soon catch him. I love the rain and the mud, and I could pass him and resist his challenge to the finish. I even rode my best lap at the very end so I'm proud about that. I had to throw away my goggles after ten minutes as they were damaged; I was concerned to take a stone behind the lappers but everything worked out OK."
 
Bud colleague Benjamin Garib continues to build after a difficult start to the season. The Chilean again gated superbly to exit turn one third and, after quickly surrendering two positions in the difficult conditions, settled down to bring home a lonely fifth, one of only five riders not lapped by his teammate. The effort secured him fifth overall and the weekend points-haul lifts him into the series top-ten, just five points shy of seventh.
 
Benjamin Garib: "The conditions were hard today after the rain but I rode smart and stayed on two wheels. It was actually tougher yesterday with the heat; I felt more relaxed today. I've been really consistent these last few weekends so let's keep on training hard and keep the results coming."
 
Bike It Kawasaki MX2 Racing Team's Billy Askew made a good start from his outside gate to hold down a secure twelfth place for the first two laps before a fall and mud-covered gloves saw him pushed back to twentieth. But the English teenager showed his tenacity to fight back to seventeenth at the finish. He has now climbed to twentieth in the series points-standings despite missing four rounds of the series earlier in the year.