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JOSH SECOND IN ITALY
Motocross ace Josh Coppins has pulled off an astonishing comeback ride to take second in today’s Italian Grand Prix, consolidating second place overall in the world championship.
Knocked down by another rider on the first lap, the expat Kiwi put in the ride of the race to charge from 13th position and pass his Honda teammate Pit Beirer on the last lap.
Dedicating his podium position to his good friend, New Zealand car racer Ashley Stichbury who died last week, Coppins extended his championship lead over Beirer to six points after five of 12 rounds.
Today’s grand prix victor, reigning champion Mickael Pichon of France, is 17 points ahead.
The home grand prix event at Castiglione in sun-baked Umbria north of Rome turned into a Italian celebration for fans of Coppins and Beirer’s Vismara Honda team, based just half an hour up the autostrada in Tuscany.
“It’s great to win for the home crowd of Fabrizio Berni’s team and have both red shirts on the podium,” said 25-year-old Coppins as the champagne sprayed. “It was certainly a tough race and when I came round after one lap to see a pit board saying 13th place … well I thought there was no way I’d be joining Pit on the podium. “But I figured I had to just put my head down and concentrate on riding fast, and gradually I overhauled the riders one by one.”
With two laps to go Coppins was still 10 seconds adrift of Beirer, but with the crowd on their feet and the Italian commentator screaming the Kiwi’s name, he hauled in the German as he had in the previous two events.
“Pit was riding well but clearly he was tired by this stage and I saw a gap, made the pass and was able to make it stick,” Coppins explained.
Runaway champion last season, Pichon later admitted he was feeling pressure from Coppins’ strong, consistent riding in this, the glamour 250 class.
But Coppins was nonplussed.
“I’m not thinking about the points, I’m just taking the races as they come and looking to win a grand prix soon,” said the Motueka-born pro racer.
Coppins’ young compatriot Ben Townley races this 125 Grand Prix this afternoon local time, but after a heavy fall yesterday he again crashed in this morning’s warmup ride and goes to the startline with several injuries.
The sixth of 12 rounds in the season is in Austria in a fortnight.
Points after five of 12 rounds:
World 250 championship:
1 Mickael Pichon (France) Suzuki, 113 points; 2 Josh Coppins (NZ) Vismara Honda 96; 3 Pit Beirer (Germany) Vismara Honda, 90; 4 Kenneth Gundersen (Norway) Kawasaki 82; 5 4 Fred Bolley (France) Yamaha 69; 6 Jamie Dobb (England) KTM 66; 7 Jussi Vehvilainen (Finland) Honda, 65.
Constructors:
Suzuki 113, Honda 100, Yamaha 94, Kawasaki 87, KTM 73, TM 37, Husqvarna 20.
