HOLICE (CZECH REPUBLIC), 7 June 2009 – Julien Vanni (Honda) is back. The Championship leader won in Czech Republic after he was without the podium on the last two World Championship events. Alex Salvini (Husqvarna) was second, home rider Martin Zerava (Honda) finished top three.
It was the first time that Holice hold the FIM MX3 World Championship event. The event was great organized and everybody was content with the weekend. Specially with the first race, where home UFO Racing rider Martin Zerava won. After the solid start he progressed to the leading position and the crowd of spectators was supporting him in every corner. Husqvarna Tecno B riders Alex Salvini (Italy) and Christophe Martin (France) were following him, they finished top three. Championship leader Julien Vanni (Honda) from the Team MB finished just behind them at the fourth position.
Before the second race black clouds started to come and it was raining first half of the race. Julien Vanni came in front at the slippery first corner of the start. Zerava was riding second but he crashed. He finished sixth in the second race, so he probably lost the overall home victory. Riders had several problems with visibility, as they mostly threw off their goggles because of the water. Pierre Alexandre Renet (Suzuki) from the team Bodo Schmidt overtook Salvini and in the rest part of the race he was fighting with Vanni for the win. Vanni was riding strongly on the first position, because his wish to take the podium was too big. As French rider said, his Honda bike was perfect prepared and he wanted to repay the effort of the team with the first place.
Vanni was the overall winner of the fifth MX3 event. Salvini was second and Zerava third. Renet was fourth and Christophe Martin finished top five. After five events Vanni is leading the Championship with 203 points, Renet is still second with 186 points, Salvini has 182 points at the third position.
Sixth event for the FIM MX3 World Championship will be next weekend in Troyan, Bulgaria.
RIDER
1st JULIEN VANNI (FRANCE): »I am glad to finish on podium, because I missed it at last two events and I lost some advantage in front of my rivals. I am not too satisfied with the first race, I was only fourth. After that I had a better second race and I won the event, what is great. Thanks to my team, I have a perfect bike and they prepared the proper settings for that race track.«
2nd ALEX SALVINI (ITALY): »I have been competing here in Holice for the first time and immediately I got the right feeling on the race track. Yesterday I took the pole already in one of the first laps of the Qualifying Practice. The team made a great job, everybody put a lot of effort to prepare the bike for those difficult conditions. I am not very satisfied with the first race today. I made some mistakes and I crashed two times. In the second race I had different problems. Water came into my goggles and I continued without eye protection. This was very difficult. I lost a point to Vanni but I gained four points of advantages in front of Renet, what is good.«
3rd MARTIN ZERAVA (CZECH REPUBLIC): »This weekend was difficult for me. It was my home event and everybody had been expecting top result. Yesterday I crashed bad in the Qualifying Practice, I did not feel good after. I did not have much time for recovering but today it was much better. I won the first race in front of home spectators and I think this is the best feeling for every rider. In the second race I crashed, finished only sixth but the important is that I finished on podium.«
RESULTS
1st Race Top 10: 1. Martin Zerava, Honda (Czech Republic), 2. Alex Salvini, Husqvarna (Italy), 3. Christophe Martin, Husqvarna (Italy), 4. Julien Vanni, Honda (France), 5. Jan Zaremba, KTM (Czech Republic), 6. Pierre Alexandre Renet, Suzuki (France), 7. Gregory Wicht, Honda (Switzerland), 8. Saso Kragelj, Yamaha (Slovenia), 9. Nicolai Marcher Hansen, Suzuki (Denmark), 10. Antti Pyrhonen, Honda (Finland)
2nd Race Top 10: 1. Julien Vanni, Honda (France), 2. Pierre Alexandre Renet, Suzuki (France), 3. Alex Salvini, Husqvarna (Italy), 4. Alvaro Rico Lozano, Yamaha (Spain), 5. Antti Pyrhonen, Honda (Finland), 6. Martin Zerava, Honda (Czech Republic), 7. Tomas Bucenec, KTM (Slovakia), 8. Christophe Martin, Husqvarna (France), 9. Matevz Irt, Honda (Slovenia), 10. Alexander Ivanutin, Yamaha (Russia)
Overall Top 10: 1. Julien Vanni, Honda (France), 2. Alex Salvini, Husqvarna (Italy), 3. Martin Zerava, Honda (Czech Republic), 4. Pierre Alexandre Renet, Suzuki (France), 5. Christophe Martin, Husqvarna (France), 6. Alvaro Rico Lozano, Yamaha (Spain), 7. Antti Pyrhonen, Honda (Finland), 8. Jan Zaremba, KTM (Czech Republic), 9. Alexander Ivanutin, Yamaha (Russia), 10. Nicolai Marcher Hansen, Suzuki (Denmark)