Sturla Fagerhaug steals dramatic win in first 2009 Red Bull Rookies Cup2009-05-03 09:31Sturla Fagerhaug of Norway rode a masterly tactical race to snatch victory in the closing stages of the first of two Red Bull Rookies Cup races being run on the Jerez GP circuit in Spain this weekend. Fagerhaug made his move from sixth to the front of the pack just as the front runners were engaged in infighting in the final stages. South African Matthew Scholtz was second and Danny Kent of Britain took the minor places. The race was packed with drama from start to finish and was eventually decided over six laps after a restart of the initial 15-lap race that was red flagged following an accident that saw Briton Harry Stafford and French rider Florian Marino on the ground. Stafford was taken by ambulance to hospital with a broken collarbone and severe concussion but Marino escaped injury. It in fact it was a second chance life for Sturla. He had a disastrous start and dropped back two rows from his third row on the grid when he let out the clutch and the rear tyre slid sideways. "I didn't believe it when the race was restarted but you never want to see anyone get hurt so none of us were happy about it." The Norwegian rode with his head right up to the closing stages. He kept clear of possible conflict in the jockeying for positions as a whole bunch of riders had a potential podium in their sights. He made his move at just the right moment and the race was his for the taking. "I was determined to get some good points and I saw the pack was not getting away. I started to realise that I really could get a good result but I never thought of winning it until the last lap when I saw I could do it," concluded Fagerhaug. Scholz, who had an amazing start initially, was one of the victims of the blustery conditions on the Jerez circuit when the wheel took his front wheel away. Japanese rider and pole sitter Daijiro Hiura was another victim of the windy conditions and in the ensuing crash damaged his KTM RC125 and was unable to be on the grid for the restart. Results Race One Jerez Sturla Fagerhaug, Norway, KTM, 11:40.024 2. Matthew Scholtz, South Africa, KTM, 11:40.335 3. Danny Kent, Britain, KTM, 11:40:406 4. Alexander Kristiansson, Sweden, KTM 11:40.503 5. Joshua Hook, Australia, KTM, 11:40.670 Source: KTM-Sportmotorcycle AG Click here to visit our forums to discuss this story |
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