With many Aussies showcasing their skills abroad in a range of disciplines on-track, our latest column focuses on how they’re faring battling it out, this month we have Miller, Agius, Kelso, Roulstone, Gardner, Bayliss, Power, O’Halloran, Cannon and Owens…
On-Track
Jack Miller – MotoGP
It was a case of what could’ve been for Jack Miller at Le Mans. After banking a solid 11th in the Sprint, the Sunday race, which was ultimately won by an incredible Johann Zarco, was one that got away from the Aussie. Amid the chaos of the opening laps, those who had gambled on slicks initially looked to have made the right choice – until the rain intensified. Moving up to 13th on lap three, Miller was on it, carving his way through the field with impressive pace on the wet tyres.
Disaster then struck for Miller at the end of lap six when he was violently thrown off the bike in a nasty highside, just when the stars appeared to be aligning for the #43.
“This one is tough to digest. We had the right strategy, I gambled, trusted the forecast and I was right. Staying out there at the beginning was tough, all the bikes on slicks were coming by, but I knew there was going to be a crossover where I could have started to recover. I was trying to nurse it and do all the right things,” he lamented.
“It hurts, because I don‘t understand what went on. It had started to rain a little more, like I was hoping, came to the last corner, did the same thing as the laps before, but I lost it, had a highside, and that was it. Don‘t know if it was because of bumps or different patches of asphalt, but I am devastated because we had done everything right. I am gutted for the team, also considering that Johann at that time was behind me.”
Read last month’s Aussie’s Abroad here...
Senna Agius – Moto2
Heading into the main dance on Sunday dissatisfied with his 14th in qualifying, Senna Agius was fired up and ready for battle. But, despite producing a tidy showing, the long lap penalty he was handed for taking a shortcut at turn nine ruined his hopes of a quality result.
To his credit, the 19-year-old crucially showed dogged determination to fight back to get into the points, adding two more to his tally ahead of the British Grand Prix by virtue of his 14th.
“A tough race! I did my best to catch up after the long lap, but I made a mistake. I didn’t give the rider who overtook me enough time to get past me again. That’s why I had to take a shortcut and got a long lap penalty. After that, I just tried to score as many points as possible,“ reflected Agius.
“Unfortunately, Le Mans was not an easy weekend. I’m pretty annoyed about how the race went for us. But I tried not to give up. We just have to stay strong and keep focusing because we are working really well. We just need to find some consistency with the feeling. So, we need to stay strong and restart at Silverstone and hopefully have another good weekend there.”
Joel Kelso – Moto3
Having logged third in qualifying to earn a coveted front-row start, this was a terrific sign that Joel Kelso would go on to enjoy a brilliant race at Le Mans.
Kelso duly took command from the start, wasting little time in flexing his muscles and showcasing the pace and precision of a true frontrunner. Even though he was holding firm in the lead for the majority of the bout, a last-corner incident with David Munoz unfortunately robbed him of what would have been a richly deserved maiden Moto3 victory.
Jose Antonio Rueda capitalised on this skirmish, as Munoz and Kelso initially crossed the line in second and third respectively. A post-race penalty was then given to Munoz to promote Kelso to P2.
While the outcome was heartbreaking, his standout performance once again reinforced his status as a genuine title contender.
“P2. Well, what could have been. Led the whole race but just came up short at the end. Honestly, I’m really happy with how the weekend went (except for the last two corners). Another podium on the board and even more fire in the belly to chase that first race win. Massive thank you to my team for all their hard work, it’s going to pay off soon,” he insisted.
Jacob Roulstone – Moto3
Finishing 13th in Moto3 at Le Mans marked a solid result for Jacob Roulstone as he continues to regain his rhythm after recently returning from injury.
Extracting the positives from this one, which included fighting back from P18 to bag some vital points, Roulstone was, however, left to regret getting off to a poor start in this stacked category, which conditioned his race.
“Will take the points to end the weekend here in Le Mans. P13 – ups and downs over the weekend, but we have made progress. Huge thanks to the team as always for the hard work each day. It was awesome again to race at Red Bull KTM Tech3’s home GP. The record crowd of 311,000 over the weekend was incredible,” he stated.
Remy Gardner – World Superbike
Despite a DNF in race one, there were plenty of positives to take from Remy Gardner’s weekend at Most, as he notably claimed an excellent sixth place in the Tissot Superpole and capped it off with an outstanding fifth in race two.
Blasting off the line rapidly, the #87 made many key passes to kick off proceedings in the second stanza. Powering up to fifth before maintaining his momentum, the 27-year-old admirably navigated the remainder of the race to secure fifth.
“What a way to end the weekend! The sprint race didn’t go well, I wasn’t feeling great on the bike, but we kept pushing and stayed focused on race two. That made the difference – I felt much better and could fight with the front group. I had a great start, which helped me get into a good position early. The pace was strong, and I stayed close to the podium group for most of the race. In the final five laps, I managed to open a gap and secure fifth place. A really strong top-five finish,”explained Gardner.
Oli Bayliss – World Supersport
PTR Triumph’s Oli Bayliss rode to an accomplished ninth in race one in the challenging World Supersport class. Starting 17th, he fought his way up to duke it out for sixth, but a late mistake saw him slip to ninth, in a race where he clinched his best finish since the season opener.
Wanting to keep the ball rolling for the second encounter, this contest was disappointingly shattered by two long lap penalties. But he did, however, recover valiantly to grab 12th.
“I’m a bit disappointed after that one. I was feeling really good on the bike and the pace is showing. Two long laps didn’t help us at all, so really kicking myself. We’ll try again in Misano to maximise our potential. Thanks to my team and sponsors,” Bayliss said.
Gaining crucial confidence and performing at a level nearing his best, there was much to like about his efforts at the Czech round. The upcoming round in Italy should be pivotal in his quest to get back to where he knows he belongs – slugging it out at the front.
Luke Power – World Supersport
Venturing to Most with fond memories after picking up a good result last year at the venue, Luke Power’s Czech outing began with tremendous speed in the wet. Although the Motozoo ME AIR Racing MV Agusta ace crashed while laying down a heater, thankfully he didn’t further hurt himself.
He then continued on his path to recapture his groove following his shoulder injury, with 18th in qualifying and race two, which was a more than respectable effort by the Aussie all things considered.
“It was a rollercoaster of emotions, I guess, is the best way to describe the weekend in Most. On the upside, I was happy with Friday. I had a big crash at the start of qualifying, but the team did a fantastic job to fix the bike so I could get back out. I was able to secure P18, which is not the best grid position, but considering I had crashed twenty minutes before, it was good. I want to say a big thanks to the team,” Power commented.
“Saturday was a bit of a downer. I made a good start and made up places in the first five laps. The pace honestly wasn’t bad. Unfortunately, I encountered an unexpected drop in the tyre. I don’t really know why, but this is racing. I finished the race, which wasn’t easy, but at least we finished and got some data. On Sunday I didn’t make a good start, and the first two laps were difficult. I recovered and had good pace towards the end of the race. We fell short of finishing in the points, but our speed at points in the race was as fast as those in the top ten. I will regroup for Misano. I am confident in myself, and I am confident in the team and proud of how we worked. It’s coming together, but it’s a world championship, so it’s not easy – the guys here are fast.”
Off-Track
Jake Cannon – EMX250
It’s been a month full of learning and ups and downs in EMX250 for Jake Cannon, with brutal weather, bad luck, poor starts and crashes ensuring he’s struggled to get the outcomes he desires.
After an unsatisfactory 32nd and 15th in Portugal and Spain respectively, the talented Australian will now shift his focus to the next event in France, the home GP for his Bud Racing Kawasaki Team, in his pursuit of some much-improved results.
Liam Owens – EMX250
Registering a pair of 12ths in the two EMX250 races in May so far has been a decent return for the young Aussie. Progressing nicely with his Cat Moto Bauerschmidt Husqvarna squad, highlights have come in the form of his sixth in the opening moto in the mud at Portugal, P3 in qualifying in Spain and a masterful fourth in the first Spanish race.
Frustratingly, his disqualification in the second moto in Lugo for an issue in the goggle lane cost him and cancelled out his 11th, meaning he was forced to settle for 12th overall. Annoyed about being unable to put everything together for a complete weekend, all the signs are promising that he’ll translate his speed into results sooner rather than later.
