Race Report...

Qualifying
I always look forward to the Des Nations. It's a one off race with the pride of riding for your country but it's also alot of fun and always has a great atmosphere. This year was no different and I was really enjoying the circuit. One thing I was also relishing was being up against my Aprilia team mate Thierry VanDen Bosch. VDB is the king of Supermoto and this was the first time I would be up against him. It was rule Britannia though as I qualified in top spot ahead of Italys Davide Gozzini and then VCB for France, showing just how mega competitive the S2 class is!
Finished: 1st

Qualifying Race

Matt and Sam had already done a great job in the 2 previous races to mean I had no pressure for my race. I got the holeshot and VDB came through half way around the first lap. I got him straight back and as I turned into the next corner I could feel something pushing me from behind before I heard scraping. It was VDB and he had crashed into me and put himself out of the race. It was then down to myself and local hero Davide Gozzini to fight it out and thats exactly what we did. It was an amazing battle and we traded the top spot lap after lap and corner after corner until some terrible backmarker meant I lost 4 seconds in a single lap and I had to settle. However team GB managed to qualify 2nd overall which would give us 2nd and 18th grid positions for the following day.
Finished: 2nd

Race 1 (Open vs S2)

I started from the back position for the first race (18th) and got an absolutely mega 1st lap and was in 5th. I then got past my team GB team mate Matt Winstanley and was in a group of 4 riders with myself, Delepine, Gozzini and VDB all fighting it out. It was another great fight and we were all making some mega passes ad re-passes and getting faster and faster as the race went on. Then as we rounded the fast chicane I clipped the kerb with my footpeg and went down. I got back up again but couldn't manage better than 6th. It was disappointing after starting so far back and being up with the leaders.

Finished: 6th

Race 2 (Open vs S1)

Before the 3rd and final race we were in a close fight for the final podium poisitionand so the GB manager asked if I would give up my 2nd poisition start and try to once again come through from 18th. I was a decision that was hard to make as I really wanted the best opportunity to win but I also wanted to do whatever was best for the team. In the end I decided I would go once again from the back. Just like in the previous race I came through really well. by the 2nd lap I was in 5ht and could see the leaders just a cople of seconds up the road. As I came through the off-road on the 2nd lap I missed a rut on one of the corners. It was no real problem until I caught another pieve of earth that sent me headed stright for a track marking pile of tyres. It was too late for me to miss them so I tried to jump them but that really really didn't work! I came back round in 17th and all through the race I had to work really hard to pass as both myself and the bike had taken a big beating but I eventually managed to make it bac to 6th position by the finish. I was really sad to have fallen in both races after being so strong but the pace from the weekend was brilliant so I'm really pleased about that and the best thing is that team GB got on the podium for the 2nd year in succession

Finished: 6th