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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1544888
WIND IN THE P56 and another series newcomer, Gary Birtwhistle, who was repre- senting Royal Enfield, which was also making its FIM Flat Track Championship debut. Sharing the lead with Bell at the halfway mark, Bailo's second victory of the afternoon—this time at the expense of Svedik and van Meer—moved him into a clear lead, as Tonelli won from Bell and Boughen and Krajcovic led home Dijkstra and Bonnici. With the top 10 riders fol - lowing the heats transferring directly to the Grand Final and the next 10 contesting the Last Chance Heat, tensions were running high as Svedik led home van Meer and Krajcovic. Neave then picked up his second win of the afternoon, this time ahead of Bell, who also booked his place in the Grand Final along with Tonelli and Bonnici, before Boughen led home Bailo for a second time, with Dijkstra's third ensuring he also progressed. After finishing one-two in the Last Chance Heat, Ohorodnik and Dutch racer Stef Hamstra (KTM) took their places along - side the automatic qualifiers for the 12-lap Grand Final. Gate selections for the Grand Final saw the Ducati pair lining up side by side on the outside of the front row of the 12-rider field, with Boughen in gate five and Neave in gate six. Boughen launched into the lead around the opening turn, chased by Tonelli, Neave and Bailo. Tonelli moved to the front at the end of lap one, but on the third lap, he was passed by Boughen, who had little time to relax as he immediately faced a fresh challenge from Bailo, with Neave clearing Tonelli midway through the 12-lap race. Remaining fully committed to the outside line, Boughen re - peatedly held his nerve as Bailo looked to make an inside move stick, and when Neave caught the front pair on lap eight, the battle was firmly joined. The ninth lap saw Boughen move decisively ahead of Bailo, who found himself under threat from Neave looking to follow through on the same line, and their battle enabled Svedik to close in and make it a three- way scrap for second place. However, the Czech rider Svedik exceeded track limits at the start of the last lap as he went too wide, and briefly Neave held second place before Bailo retook the position—before the Span - iard's late bid to catch Boughen saw him fall short by just over a tenth of a second. That meant it was celebra - tions for Boughen and the Ducati camp, with Bailo second and Neave third. "I don't really know how it feels!" Boughen said. "It's only my fourth go on flat track and I'm just having fun; that's what I came here to do, and the results are what they are. I'm really happy, and I just want to keep improving, keep riding my bike, and keep having fun." Svedik was disqualified for his track-limits transgression, which elevated Bell to fourth place while Krajcovic salvaged fifth ahead of Tonelli. Hamstra, van Meer, Bonnici and Dijkstra completed the top 10. After a three-week break, the series heads to Terenzano in Italy on May 30 for round two. CN FINAL (Top 10) 1. Ashton Boughen (Duc) 2. Gerard Bailo Pelegrin (Zae) 3. Tim Neave (Duc) 4. Jack Bell (Tri) 5. Ervin Krajcovic (KTM) 6. Daniele Tonelli (TM) 7. Stef Hamstra (KTM) 8. Menno van Meer (Hon) 9. William Bonnici (Suz) 10. Maikel Dijkstra (KTM) Despite the best efforts from Gerard Bailo (17), Ashton Boughen (522) won round one in his and Ducati's FIM Flat Track debut race.