JET Racing rider Alex Salvini got his weekend off to a great start on Friday evening at the Polisport Grand Prix of Portugal's Akrapovic Super Test and ended it on a high this afternoon in Castelo Branco on this very same Super Test course, giving us a dramatic finale full of emotions.
Indeed it was the first time that the Super Test (a short and technical special where the riders run head-to-head) was organised as the final special test of a Grand Prix... and the idea paid off on all levels with a big crowd who came to enjoy the fight in the city center - a grand finale of a day disputed in the heat and dust of Portugal's tests.
But before reaching this final decisive special test, the riders had to draw on their reserves to overcome to get through the last day of this Iberian tour. And as is often the case in such tough circumstances, the retirement list was a long one; Honda's Mathias Bellino who had to give up mid-way through the race because of a painful hand, despite his excellent result yesterday.
Victor Guerrero broke his rear wheel, and local riders
Luis Oliveira and
Diogo Ventura, who had a knee injury. There were also DNFs for Finns Aitta and Leino and Suzuki Lunigiana rider
Manuel Monni.
As was the case yesterday, the top riders of EnduroGP started the race on a very high level, led by
Christophe Nambotin and
Steve Holcombe - who was seeking to make amends after his "average‰Û
