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Motocross ace Josh Coppins leads the Italian All-Comers championship at midway point, scrambling to a water-logged second place in today’s round two at Bosisio Parini.
The international Honda star survived constant rain and bike-swallowing mud to take his second straight podium.
“I was the quickest rider when the mud was wet and sloshy yesterday, but it started to dry this afternoon and that gave the big four-strokes an advantage with their pulling power,” said the 24-year-old New Zealand expat.
“At the end one of them out-pointed me on the day, a Czech guy called Kadlecek.
“But I was conscious I had the lead in the championship so I was being careful not to get out of shape, especially in the second moto when Kadlecek got ahead of me.”
Coppins, European-based, has amassed 78 points on his factory-backed Berni Honda CR250, three ahead of the Yamaha of Italian Alessio Chiodi who was third today.
Carrying the red colours of his world championship team Berni Honda Racing in its home championship, Coppins said he targeted today’s race in the Alps as a points-earner.
“I really want to win this championship for my team … it’s important to them and me.
“Plus it helps me sharpen up for the world champs starting later this month.”
The event was effectively the second of four rounds after an earlier race was cancelled.
“I thought that was going to happen today too,” Coppins commented.
“We were delayed several times while officials inspected the track, and frankly some parts of it were pretty bad.
“At one stage they altered the circuit in mid-race, just chopped a bit out. I’ve never seen that happen before.”
The third round of the Italian Assoluta championship is held next weekend at Castaglioni del Lago, the grand prix circuit where Coppins will contest a round of his world championship this summer.
The world championship starts at Valkenswaard in The Netherlands on 24 March and continues over 12 rounds to September.
