Roberts Talks Win
I
t's been a rollercoaster 12
months for Joe Roberts. Hav-
ing learned last summer that
he'd missed out on a MotoGP
seat for 2025, his Moto2 title
challenge was extinguished
when he broke the scaphoid
bone in his left wrist in October.
Recovery was slow. And the
28-year-old realized the class
had evolved in his absence.
Throw in an enforced crew chief
change, due to Mario Martini's
health concerns, and it's under
-
standable why the American
endured a slow start to the year.
Yet Roberts was back to his
best in Czechia over the week
-
end, where he claimed a third
Grand Prix victory. Cycle News
spoke to the Californian after
Sunday's win.
On his latest win…
"The last four races I've really
been finding my feeling back on
track," Roberts said. "I almost
feel better than last year when
I was in my best form. A lot of
things in the team have turned
around, and I'm very excited for
the rest of the season."
On the past year…
"It's been a tough 12 months,"
Roberts admitted. "Last year,
we showed our full potential.
Injuries that were my fault really
set us back. As a rider, you build
a lot of confidence going into
the next season. We knew what
I could do in this championship.
But I had a rude awakening at
the first test. Not only has the
level gone up. My wrist was just
not there. I couldn't ride the bike
the way it needs to be ridden.
"The style in Moto2 has
changed compared to last
year—now it's much more about
how you use the rear tire com
-
pared to the front. The front tire
is smaller [for 2025] and more
on the limit, especially with the
softer rubber we get on the rear.
I feel I had to slow down every
-
WIND
IN THE
P58
Joe Roberts sprays the bubbly after a
watershed performance at Brno. The Moto2
title may be out of reach this year, but he still
harbors dreams of the MotoGP big time.
