Motegi; Hodgson and Xaus In Top Ten
Added on Sunday, September 19th, 2004 by Carole Nash Editor
Motegi; Hodgson and Xaus In Top Ten
Today the d´Antin MotoGP riders comfortably achieved their objectives for the Japanese Grand Prix, with Hodgson and Xaus both finishing amongst the top ten in a difficult Motegi race.
The race was conditioned by a multiple crash in the first bend which saw off many of the favourites, but neither Rubén nor Neil got involved, successfully ending a weekend in which both riders had got stronger throughout.
NEIL HODGSON:” It was a very difficult race. I got away well and saw the crash on the first lap and was a little shocked because I crashed in the warm-up and I didn’t want to go into the gravel again. The first five laps were tough because the bike felt heavy and I wasn’t efficient enough on the brakes, but it got better as I picked up the rhythm, although the race became boring after I passed Rubén.
I was riding all alone and it was hard to maintain my concentration. Eighth is a good result and I’ve picked up some good points and more experience, and the satisfaction from having completed a difficult race in the heat.”
RUBÉN XAUS: ” We knew it was going to be a tough one today, and that’s how it was. I got a bad start, and possibly I missed the big crash because of that, because I got into the bend late and I could see the people flying. Luckily I didn’t get involved and on the first laps it was hard for me because I had a completely different set-up. I couldn’t find my rhythm and I couldn’t resist those who were trying to get pass me because I didn’t want to make any mistakes. Lots of people crashed but I was calm because the important thing is to pick up points for me and the team. I finished in the top ten at the end and I’m still learning that that’s the most important thing.”
LUIS D´ANTIN: ” I think we’ve got a good result today, both the riders and the team and that means we’ve collected some valuable points. The race was hard and notable for many reasons, but we exceeded our expectations at an event where we knew it was going to mean a lot of hard work, because neither Neil or Rubén had ridden here before in Motegi. Now we go to Qatar, and that’s important for us because we could say that it’s like our fifth home Grand Prix.”
