Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1125433
VOLUME 56 ISSUE 22 JUNE 4, 2019 P43 to get better at those first laps. But I built every lap. I got better and better and shaved off some points. My riding was pretty good, but I had a bunch of stupid mistakes that I probably shouldn't have taken. Just feel more solid than I did last weekend, for sure, though." GasGas North America's Dan- iel Blanc-Gonnet was second in Sunday, but fourth on Saturday. "There was one launch on section 10 that was pretty in- timidating, so I knew the points were going to be really tight," said Blanc-Gonnet."I was riding a little nervous on the first loop each day, but I improved every loop. On Sunday, when I finished second, I had a 12, 11, and a four for my three loop scores. I didn't launch that gap until the last loop. When I got to that section 10 on the last loop, and I only had two points, I'm like, 'I have to do it now.' So I did it and it went easier than I thought. I didn't make that many mistakes, just little things here and there. Almost every dab was needed. I think that's why I was able to do well, because I only took the needed dabs. It wasn't anything stupid." Finishing third and sixth was Venezuelan Champion David Av- endano. On Saturday, the Vertigo rider made few mistakes and rode well for third. On Sunday, a few mental blunders set Avendano off and he never recovered. On Saturday, Rookie Pro Josh Roper turned in some great rides to finish with 41 points, putting the FactoryONE/Sherco rider into fifth ahead of Alex Meyers (FactoryONE/Scorpa) and Alex Niederer (GasGas North America) on Saturday. On Sunday, Roper once again finished fifth. Alex Niederer (GasGas North America) was fourth on Sunday, bettering his seventh-place finish on Saturday. "Saturday was kind of a dis- appointing day, but all in all my riding was good. It was just small mistakes that really hurt me big time," said Niederer. "I started off Sunday with a couple of silly points, and then a five in sec- tion ten and that kind of really skewed my score just because it was one section that changed a lot of things. But fortunately, a lot of guys were fiving that the first loop. My second loop was really solid. No fives at all. Unfortu- nately, I had to take a three in a section that I cleaned previously, so I couldn't knock any more off but still had eight points. Then the last loop I was clean all the way to section four, and then I had two fives in a row. Then I just took a couple of stray dabs and ended up with fifteen. Made it through section ten with just a one, so I kind of ended my day on a good note. Got out on a one and cleaned 11 and cleaned 12." Shan Moore PRO Saturday 1. Pat Smage (Shr) 2 2. Karl Davis Jr. (Sco) 28 3. David Avendano (Ver) 29 4. Daniel Blanc-Gonnet (GG) 30 5. Josh Roper (Shr) 41 6. Alex Myers (Sco) 48 7. Alex Niederer (GG) 49 8. Sam Fastle (Shr) 65 9. Andreas Niederer (Bet) 77 Sunday 1. Pat Smage (Shr) 0 2. Daniel Blanc-Gonnet (GG) 27 3. Karl Davis Jr. (Sco) 30 4. Alex Niederer (GG) 35 5. Josh Roper (Shr) 37 6. David Avendano (Ver) 42 7. Alex Myers (Sco) 44 8. Andreas Niederer (Bet) 57 9. Sam Fastle (Shr) 65 Karl Davis Jr. was the next- best rider after going 2-3 over the weekend.