FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE
On the coast of the Black Sea lies Orylonok, the track where the 8th stage of FIM Motocross World Championship was held on June 8 and 9. The circuit is known to be one of the fastest and most dangerous stops on the calendar, athletes often reaching unbelievable speed which sporadically results in dramatic crashes. This weekend was no exception. Fortunately, the Latvian Pauls Jonass made little to no mistakes which allowed the youngster to place 7 amongst the MXGP crew.
During the qualification race on Saturday, Pauls was in 8th position for a while, then climbed up to the No.7 spot, but afterwards got passed by a couple of competitors and finished 10th. After the race the athlete admitted to having “raced quite carefully to avoid any unnecessary mistakes and trying to pick the best lines for the races on Sunday”.
On Sunday, when the air temperature reached 3o dergees Celsius, the first of the final motos was started off seemingly hopelessly for Pauls as he struggled to get a good start. Nonetheless, in his own unique manner, the Latvian managed to be amongst the Top10 riders, where he stayed throughout the whole moto, finishing 7th. Jonass started the second final heat more skillfully, being amongst the Top5 guys in the first lap, and, despite being passed afew times during the race, he still ended up finishing 6th.
“I am pleased with my performance today, when after two solid motos we came through in 7th place for the GP overall. I felt good, which is why even the heat couldn’t bring me down,” he says laconically, adding that he is more than ready for the upcoming MXGP in Latvia.
“I reckon that I will be able to surprise my supporters and fans in a good way this weekend, when I will, of course, try to fight for the highest places on the podium as well as earning more points for the overall standings,” tells the athlete, being in the No.11 spot in the championship overall standings at the moment.
As noted, the next round of FIM Motocross World Championship will be held in Kegums, Latvia, on June 15 and 16. The local support will be crucial for Pauls, so see you all on the weekend!
Written by Nikola Serge
Image by Juan Pablo Acevedo