Gautier Paulin celebrated his return to Honda machinery with a win and a second place at the first round of the Italian International Championship in Riola Sardo.
The first round of the Italian International Championship is firmly considered to be the main warm-up event to the MXGP season, it being the first opportunity the teams have to see their rivals in action. This year‰Ûªs first round in Riola Sardo saw the riders not only compete with each other but with the Sardinian weather too; the wind, rain and hail all made appearances throughout the day.
Gautier Paulin, in his first event since his return to Honda, was on top form in the deep sand. David Philippaerts quickly took the initial lead away from Max Nagl, before succumbing to exhaust issues that put him out of contention.
After this, all eyes were on the four-way battle for the lead between Paulin, Nagl, Van Horebeek and Cairoli. It was impossible to say which one would be in the lead at the chequered flag with their positions changing every lap. Despite Cairoli‰Ûªs reputation for being quick in the sand, it was Team HRC‰Ûªs Gautier Paulin who came out on top, taking the chequered flag just a whisker ahead of the KTM factory rider.
The main event of the day was the highly anticipated Elite race, where the top twenty MX1 and MX2 riders occupied the start gates. While Paulin found himself a few places behind in the start, Cairoli took the holeshot and started to open a gap to the Frenchman. Paulin put in a solid ride on his CRF450R in tricky conditions that saw him make his way up to second, earning him another well-deserved trip to the podium.
‰ÛÏIt's been a good start to the pre-season and considering I only had 20 minutes to get to know the track in the morning the team worked well to get me feeling comfortable and I felt happy with my speed and riding." Paulin reflected.
"This is my first time in Riola Sardo and I was happy to take the victory in the MX1 class even under these tough conditions, which is a great compliment to the team and bike.
"The Elite Class race was a little different as I had to come through the pack but made some good passes and then settled into a fast rhythm," he concluded
