Jordi Torres takes an excellent 9th in debut Assen race

Twenty-four laps lay ahead for the Moto2 riders at 1:20pm local time, when the seventh round of the World Championship began.

Although Pol Espargarò was on pole position, plenty of riders behind him were contenders for victory. Scott Redding got ahead of him early and attempted to break away, as the two title favourites battled for the lead. Espargarò led the way from lap nine, and would eventually win out in a tussle with Redding that lasted until the final lap. Dominique Aegerter took third place on the podium, after overcoming Johann Zarco, Esteve Rabat and Mika Kallio.

Today Jordi Torres made his racing debut at Assen, in what was always going to be a tricky race. He got off to a good start from fifteenth on the grid, but conceded seven places on the opening lap. The MAPFRE Aspar rider was able to hold his nerve and start a comeback from lap seven onwards. A few adjustments to his bike yesterday allowed Torres to enjoy the contest, and he moved up the order from 22nd to 9th by the end of the race –adding seven points to his overall tally.

Teammate Nico Terol also completed a modest comeback, starting from 25th on the grid and crossing the finish line in 18th. The Spaniard showed patience and was pleased with his riding on the final five laps of the Dutch TT. He will now put a difficult weekend behind him and focus on a test in Argentina –the next appointment on his calendar.

9th Jordi Torres:
“I started well but I was not able to defend my position on the first few corners. I have to learn to control the situation with new tyres as they get up to temperature. I also need to be a little more decisive. After losing several positions on the early laps, when the race began to calm down I started to move up the order. Halfway through the race I began to make a comeback and I had a great time. I gained a lot of experience and I managed to be incisive in the second half of the race. This was the first time for me racing in Holland, the weather wasn’t helpful, but in the end we are happy with the result. I think we managed to increase our performance throughout the weekend.”

18th Nico Terol:
“It was a tough weekend, like in Barcelona. Personally I learn a lot from the hard times, I just want to look forward now and keep working to redress this situation. I am convinced that this learning experience will help me in the coming races. Yesterday I didn’t find the best setup, whereas today, on the last five laps, I enjoyed riding. The bike has a good base setting, but I’ve lost my way a little with so many changes. Next week we are going to Argentina to test, and it comes at the right time. I’m not under any pressure, I hope to enjoy riding and find what I need to get back on the right path. You have to be calm, reset and look for the spark that worked so well in races like Austin and Mugello.”

Source: Aspar Media