Penrite Honda Racing duo Justin Brayton and Mitchell Oldenburg have topped qualifying in the SX1 and SX2 categories at the 2019 Monster Energy S-X Open Auckland, marking round four of the Australian Supercross Championship.
Three-time defending champion and current points leader Brayton stormed to the top spot with a time of 47.541s late in the session, edging out Dan Reardon for P1 – the CDR Yamaha Monster Energy rider posting a 47.728s time.
Making his first appearance in New Zealand, former AMA Supercross champion Jason Anderson (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing) was third on the timesheets with a fast-time of 48.113s.
Round three winner Luke Clout (CDR Yamaha Monster Energy) was fourth ahead of teammate Josh Hill (CDR Yamaha Monster Energy), while the top 10 was completed by Joey Savatgy (JGRMX Yoshimura Suzuki Factory Racing), Henry Miller (Raceline KTM Thor), Brett Metcalfe (Penrite Honda Racing), Lawson Bopping (Empire Kawasaki) and Jackson Richardson (Honda).
Image: Foremost Media.
Fan-favourite and dual AMA Supercross champion Chad Reed (Penrite Racing Mountain Motorsports Honda) was 13th on the timesheets, the number 22 completing just five laps as he deals with a pair of broken ribs.
In the SX2 category, Oldenburg went fastest once again with a blistering 49.228s lap, topping an impressive Kyle Webster (Penrite Pirelli CRF Honda Racing) in second, who recorded a 49.297s time.
Points leader Josh Osby (Raceline KTM Thor) was third after setting a 49.484s lap, while the top five was rounded out by American duo Chris Blose (Penrite Honda Racing) and Bradley Taft (Empire Kawasaki).
Defending champion Jay Wilson (Yamalube Yamaha Racing) was sixth ahead of Aaron Tanti (Serco Yamaha), as positions eight to 10 were fulfilled by Dylan Wills (Davey Motorsport KTM), Rhys Budd (Penrite Pirelli CRF Honda Racing) and Connor Tierney (Serco Yamaha).
Event organisers have confirmed live streaming will be available in Australia for tonight’s 2019 Monster Energy S-X Open Auckland, while a delayed broadcast will also be on offer.
The live stream will take place on the Kayo Sports platform from 5pm AEDT, which will deliver coverage of the entire night show at Mt Smart Stadium.
Alternatively, Foxtel subscribers will be able to tune into a delayed broadcast via Fox Sports (channel 506), which commences at 9:45pm. For New Zealand viewers, a live broadcast will be available on Sky Sports 5, starting from 7pm NZDT.
2019 Monster Energy S-X Open Auckland live streaming and broadcast times:
Kayo Sports live stream – 5pm AEDT
Sky Sports 5 (New Zealand viewers only) – 7pm NZDT
Fox Sports (channel 506 – delayed broadcast) – 9:45pm
CDR Yamaha Monster Energy’s Luke Clout was quickest in opening SX1 practice at the 2019 Monster Energy S-X Open Auckland, as Mitchell Oldenburg (Penrite Honda Racing) led the way in SX2.
Clout’s 47.528s lap-time edged American Justin Brayton (Penrite Honda Racing) for position by 0.095s, with Jason Anderson (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna) third.
Another US guest in Joey Savatgy (JGR Suzuki) was fourth, followed by Brett Metcalfe (Penrite Honda Racing) in fifth. Chad Reed (Penrite Racing Mountain Motorsport Honda) was 16th, still recovering from rib injuries sustained in Paris.
Image: Foremost Media.
The SX2 practice saw Oldenburg comfortably quickest, recording a 48.632s to lead Aaron Tanti (Serco Yamaha) by 0.896s with Chris Blose (Penrite Honda Racing) third.
Filling the top five was Jay Wilson (Yamalube Yamaha Racing) and Dylan Wills (Davey Motorsports KTM) respectively. Qualifying is scheduled to take place from 3:26pm NZDT.
Team Australia trails Team USA in the World Trophy standings following the penultimate day of Portugal’s 2019 FIM International Six Days Enduro (ISDE), while the Australian Junior World Trophy and Women’s World Trophy squads hold down first and eighth respectively.
Team USA extended its lead over Australia to 2m2s on day five, as Team Italy, Team Spain, and Team Finland completed the top five.
In the Junior World Trophy classification, Team Australia holds down a mega 8m39s advantage of second’s Team USA, while it’s Team Spain round out the top three. Team Portugal and Team Belgium are ranked fourth and fifth respectively.
Team USA controls the Women’s World Trophy class over Team Germany and Team Great Britain, followed by Team Sweden and Team Spain. Team Australia sits after both Mackenzie Tricker (KTM) and Tayla Jones (Husqvarna) were ruled out of the event.
Husqvarna Enduro Racing Team’s Daniel Sanders still leads the individual outright results ahead over Spaniard Josep Garcia (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and American Taylor Robert (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing).
Australians Lyndon Snodgrass (KTM Enduro Racing Team), Luke Styke (Active8 Yamaha Yamalube Racing) and Fraser Higlett (Husqvarna Enduro Racing Team) now sit in positions eight, nine and 10, while compatriots Josh Green (Active8 Yamaha Yamalube Racing) and Michael Driscoll (Active8 Yamaha Yamalube Racing) are ranked 13th and 17th, while Matt Phillips (KTM) has been ruled out of the event.
Following the DNFs of Tricker and Jones, Jessica Gardiner (Yamaha) sits fourth in the Women’s outright standings.
Sanders still controls the E3 division, with Higlett, Green and Driscoll taking up spots four, five and eight in the E2 category. In E1, Snodgrass and Styke are third and fourth respectively.
FP1 pacesetter Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) made it double trouble for his rivals on Friday at the Gran Premio Motul de la Comunitat Valenciana, topping the timesheets again in the afternoon for dominion on Day 1. He has a tenth and a half in hand over fellow Yamaha rider Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), with World Champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) placing P3 so far.
Fabio Quartararo
After a chillier start, conditions were slightly warmer in the afternoon and allowed some riders to head out and post their best times of the day early in FP2, one of whom was Marquez as he sat on top of the standings in the opening exchanges.
Marquez and Viñales had got the better of Quartararo’s FP1 time fairly early on and leap-frogged the Rookie of the Year on the combined times, with Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) putting in some impressive laps to claw his way up to P2 overall with around 10-minutes left to play as well. But the clock was ticking down and that meant a shuffle on the way.
Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) moved himself into the top 10, Jack Miller (Pramac Racing) and Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) took P2 and P3 on the combined times respectively and at this stage, FP1 leader Quartararo hadn’t improved. So it was instead Viñales who first displaced Marquez from P1, but the Frenchman was on a charge and made his first gains to get up into second and then go top with an even better effort.
That sees Quartararo top so far from Sepang winner Viñales and Champion Marquez, with Miller in fourth at the end of the day despite a crash – and the Australian was second in FP1.
Fabio Quartararo – P1
“It feels good to make such an improvement from one year ago at the test when I was in P17! It shows our progress and it’s a reward for our effort, and we’ll continue to work in the same way going forward. We know that time attacks are one of our strengths, but we’re not quite there yet on race pace. We need to work on the bike and find a good strategy to improve tomorrow. We’re not far away, but we’ll try our best tonight to find the issues and fix them.”
Fabio Quartararo
Maverick Viñales – P2
“I‘m quite happy, because I think we made a good start. It was a good Friday, and I‘m feeling great on the bike as always. For sure, we still have to improve some points, but I think the rhythm is there, and that‘s the most important. I think we are on a good level, and for sure we can further improve, so we’re going to try and give it everything tomorrow. We have to work more on the tyres, because it didn‘t feel great, especially during the time attack, so we will work a little bit more on that area.”
Maverick Viñales
Marc Marquez – P3
“I’m happy with today as we were able to accomplish a lot. Today the times were really close, which can happen at a small and tight circuit like Valencia. Our work today was about the race, finding our pace and understanding the tyres more – a typical start to our weekend. Tomorrow we will have a chance to do the time attack and focus more on Qualifying. We also worked on a couple of other things outside of this to be a little be more ready for the future. A busy day!”
Marc Marquez
Jack Miller – P4
“We did a good job today. The feeling with the bike is very good. It’s a shame about the crash. I went on track to test the hard tyre but at turn 2 I lost the front. I tried to make an extreme “save” but… I’m not Marc Marquez. The feeling is still very positive.”
Jack Miller
Morbidelli takes P5, ahead of Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar). The two-time premier class race winner got the better of rookie team-mate Mir in the end, but not by much as the number 36 ends Friday in seventh.
Franco Morbidelli – P5
“We worked well today, and I’m happy with the pace we’ve found so far. Of course, there’s always room to improve, but from the morning to the afternoon we definitely went in the right direction and found something positive. The goal now will be to make a similar step to tomorrow morning to be even closer to the front. We’re there or thereabouts so far, with Fabio first and me fifth, and hopefully we can keep the level high tomorrow and fight for the podium come Sunday.”
Alex Rins – P6
“I felt quite good today, both FP1 and FP2 went well. We changed the setup a little bit after the morning session and I’m pleased with how it worked out. We still need to improve a bit for tomorrow, but we feel ready. It will be important to be in Q2, everybody is very close together on times so it will be a competitive day.”
Joan Mir – P7
“I feel especially good here. During the last race in Sepang I suffered physically, with my lungs, because of the humidity but here I am back at 100% and I feel better. The team are working really well, and the bike is feeling nice. We will continue working tomorrow, but things are going in a good way.”
Alex Rins and Joan Mir
Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) impressed in P8, with late times from Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) and Johann Zarco (LCR Honda Idemitsu) seeing them grab a top 10 place in ninth and tenth respectively.
Aleix Espargaro – P8
“Here in Valencia I felt at ease straight away. The characteristics of the RS-GP adapt well to this track, as we had already confirmed in recent years. Despite the good performance, it was not a simple day. It is very cold and that is especially problematic for the front tyre. The goal now is to aim for the best possible result in qualifying tomorrow. On a track like this, overtaking is not easy, so starting at the front is fundamental.”
Aleix Espargaro
Andrea Dovizioso – P9
“This afternoon we had a few setbacks that prevented us from completely getting through our work load, but in any case we were able to get inside the top 10 and this is positive. At the moment, Viñales and Marquez have a better pace than all the other riders but our immediate target is to get in behind them and see what sort of margin we have for improvement. It will also be important to make the best tyre choice because for the moment the situation for the race isn’t very clear”.
Andrea Dovizioso
Johann Zarco – P10
“I’m happy with the day, happy to finish in the top 10, that’s great. I was pretty happy at the end of the session with the soft tyre to make a huge step with the lap time, it really helps a lot to be in the top 10. It means that we did good work right from the morning. We tried to save the good tyres, but at the same time work on the bike to give me the possibility to control it better and ride with better feeling. It showed that work was good, because when we put on the soft rear tyre I immediately improved the lap time. It was positive, but I think we can go even faster.”
Johann Zarco
Zarco’s temporary team-mate Crutchlow was the man to lose out as he ended the day in 11th.
Cal Crutchlow – P11
“The first session this morning was freezing and by the end it was really windy. In the afternoon it was really windy and it got colder as the sun went in which is not great for these bikes. It would be a fantastic race if it was ten degrees hotter. It would make it a lot easier and a lot more manageable. It’s a difficult circuit on the best of days, let alone when it’s as cold as this weekend. With the braking here, there’s not much feeling in the tyres, so it’s tough.”
Cal Crutchlow
He’ll be a big name hoping to improve in FP3, and perhaps the biggest name has the same task ahead of him on Saturday: after crashing in FP1 at Turn 4, Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) was unfortunately in the gravel again in FP2. This time it was the fast right-hand Turn 10 that caught ‘The Doctor’ out and thankfully the nine-time World Champion was ok, but the same couldn’t be said for his YZR-M1.
Valentino Rossi – P14
“Fortunately, I‘m OK. The first crash was quite ’light‘ but the second one was a bit heavier. Here in Valencia it‘s always dangerous on the right side of the tyre, especially in these conditions, because it‘s very cold, it‘s wintertime. This morning I made a mistake, I pushed too much already on the first lap and I crashed. The crash in the afternoon we understand less, because it was already after seven laps or so, but this is the way it is. But I‘m OK. It‘s a shame, because before the crashes I was quite strong. My pace wasn‘t too bad. We need to work on the bike to decide on the right tyres, but the most important thing is to try to make a good lap tomorrow in FP3 to be in the top 10, and then we‘ll see.”
Valentino Rossi
Rossi was 14th and will be aiming to leap-frog Michele Pirro (Ducati Team), Danilo Petrucci (Ducati Team) and Crutchlow as a minimum before qualifying…
Jorge Lorenzo (Repsol Honda Team) ended his final Friday in the sport in 16th, but just 0.012s off Francesco Bagnaia (Pramac Racing) ahead of him.
Jorge Lorenzo – P16
“After yesterday I had to try and just focus on today, to get into a normal mindset for the race weekend. I was able to do this and we had quite an OK day today, we were closer to the top than in previous races even if our position is not a lot better. We were only 1.1 second from Quartararo at the end. Tomorrow our goal is the top 15 but maybe we can push for Q2 if we make some more improvements. There’s still some work to do on our overall pace, but I think we can keep gaining.”
Jorge Lorenzo
Iker Lecuona, who replaces injured Miguel Oliveira for the season finale, did his first laps aboard the KTM RC16 today and improved in each outing and concluded his premier day in the MotoGP category just 0.227 seconds behind Syahrin.
Iker Lecuona – P23
“It was quite a different day in the office today. Overall, I’m really happy. I was a bit scared before the first run in FP1, because I didn’t know how the bike will feel on this track. But I’m very satisfied, I managed to improve with every lap and finished just 2.379 seconds behind the fastest rider and lost just a few tenths of a second on Hafizh, so I can’t wait to get back on the bike tomorrow.”
Iker Lecuona
MotoGP Combined Times
Pos
Rider
Bike
Time/Gap
1
F.Quartararo
YAMAHA
1m30.735
2
M.Viñales
YAMAHA
+0.148
3
M.Marquez
HONDA
+0.239
4
J.Miller
DUCATI
+0.265
5
F.Morbidelli
YAMAHA
+0.464
6
A.Rins
SUZUKI
+0.495
7
J.Mir
SUZUKI
+0.545
8
A.Espargaro
APRILIA
+0.570
9
A.Dovizioso
DUCATI
+0.616
10
J.Zarco
HONDA
+0.634
11
C.Crutchlow
HONDA
+0.698
12
D.Petrucci
DUCATI
+0.720
13
M.Pirro
DUCATI
+1.030
14
V.Rossi
YAMAHA
+1.040
15
F.Bagnaia
DUCATI
+1.133
16
J.Lorenzo
HONDA
+1.145
17
P.Espargaro
KTM
+1.170
18
T.Rabat
DUCATI
+1.424
19
K.Abraham
DUCATI
+1.543
20
M.Kallio
KTM
+1.732
21
A.Iannone
APRILIA
+1.833
22
H.Syahrin
KTM
+2.152
23
I.Lecuona
KTM
+2.379
Moto2
Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) wasn’t hanging around in FP2 as he set a new lap record to sit over half a second clear on Day 1 at the Gran Premio Motul de la Comunitat Valenciana. The South African’s 1:34.622 was unmatchable on Friday afternoon, with Augusto Fernandez (FlexBox HP 40) and Fabio Di Giannantonio (MB Conveyors Speed Up) getting the closest but still over half a second back.
For Binder, it was suns out, guns blazing as the KTM rider laid waste to Johann Zarco’s previous lap record set in 2016, making a serious statement of intent in his final Friday in the intermediate class – despite a wobble just beforehand. Will anyone be able to catch the South African on Saturday? It certainly seems a tall order…
Behind Fernandez and rookie Di Giannantonio, fourth went the way of Sam Lowes (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2), with the Brit putting in a late lunge to displace Stefano Manzi (MV Agusta Temporary Forward). Manzi had an incredible day on track, topping FP1 and completing the top five overall – with an improved lap.
Tetsuta Nagashima (ONEXOX TKKR SAG Team) was sixth after initially proving Binder’s closest challenger earlier in FP2, with Jorge Navarro (MB Conveyors Speed Up) in P7 on home turf. Mattia Pasini (Tasca Racing Scuderia Moto2) put in a solid day for eighth overall, with Tom Lüthi (Dynavolt Intact GP) facing an uphill struggle in ninth: he’ll need to beat Binder on Sunday if he’s to finish the season second overall…
Nicolo Bulega (Sky Racing Team VR46) was tenth and the second fastest rookie, although he’s out of the fight for Rookie of the Year – ensuring ‘Diggia’ an advantage in that battle so far as the next man in the running is Jorge Martin (Red Bull KTM Ajo) in P15. Marcel Schrötter (Dynavolt Intact GP) took P11 ahead of Luca Marini (Sky Racing Team VR46).
So where’s the reigning Champion? Alex Marquez (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) ended Friday in 13th, but the gaps behind Binder were infinitesimal. He’s within four tenths of Fernandez but 11 places further back, although he is in line for a provisional place in Q2, as is Lorenzo Baldassarri (Flexbox HP 40) in P14.
Moto2 Combined Times
Pos
Rider
Bike
Time/Gap
1
B.Binder
KTM
1m34.622
2
A.Fernandez Spa
KALEX
+0.576
3
F.Di Giannanto Ita
SPEED UP
+0.671
4
S.Lowes
KALEX
+0.706
5
S.Manzi
MV AGUSTA
+0.730
6
T.Nagashima
KALEX
+0.734
7
J.Navarro
SPEED UP
+0.774
8
M.Pasini
KALEX
+0.787
9
T.Luthi
KALEX
+0.802
10
N.Bulega
KALEX
+0.911
11
M.Schrotter Ger
KALEX
+0.919
12
L.Marini
KALEX
+0.958
13
A.Marquez
KALEX
+0.965
14
L.Baldassarri Ita
KALEX
+0.977
15
J.Martin
KTM
+1.020
16
E.Bastianini
KALEX
+1.072
17
J.Dixon
KTM
+1.280
18
A.Locatelli
KALEX
+1.380
19
B.Bendsneyde Ned
NTS
+1.407
20
X.Vierge
KALEX
+1.420
21
D.Aegerter
MV AGUSTA
+1.424
22
R.Gardner
KALEX
+1.553
23
J.Roberts
KTM
+1.570
24
M.Bezzecchi
KTM
+1.621
25
S.Chantra
KALEX
+1.809
26
P.Oettl
KTM
+1.887
27
L.Tulovic
KTM
+1.987
28
D.Ekky Pratam Ina
KALEX
+2.540
29
T.Marcon
NTS
+2.642
30
A.Norrodin
KALEX
+2.860
31
X.Cardelus
KTM
+3.233
32
S.Kelly
KTM
+3.236
Moto3
Jaume Masia (Mugen Race) was fastest on Day 1 at the Gran Premio Motul de la Comunitat Valenciana, the KTM man heading rookie and fellow Valencian Sergio Garcia (Estrella Galicia 0,0) by just 0.069 on Friday. Marcos Ramirez (Leopard Racing) rounded out the top three, only another 0.086 in arrears.
A chilly day was at least a sunny day at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo, with the gaps in Moto3™ predictably and tantalisingly close. That continued outside the top three with the man in fourth only 0.089 in arrears, and that man was impressive wildcard Xavier Artigas (Leopard Impala Junior Team). From European Talent Cup winner in 2018 to third overall – as a rookie – in the FIM CEV Repsol Moto3™ Junior World Championship this season, the Spaniard is on a serious roll.
The same can be said of three-in-a-row winner Lorenzo Dalla Porta (Leopard Racing) too. Aiming to become the first to take four Moto3™ victories in a row on Sunday, he began his final race weekend in the lightweight class in fifth and only 0.019 off Artigas. Romano Fenati (VNE Snipers) was only another 0.020 off in sixth. Andrea Migno (Mugen Race) and Niccolo Antonelli (SIC58 Squadra Corse), the latter improving from P24 in FP1, were seventh and eighth respectively.
Thanks to a late lap and despite a crash at Turn 6 – his second of the day – John McPhee (Petronas Sprinta Racing) ends Friday in ninth, with Tony Arbolino (VNE Snipers) rounding out the top 10 as he aims to take second overall from home hero Aron Canet (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team). Canet was 12th, pipped to P11 by rookie Raul Fernandez (Valresa Angel Nieto Team).
Albert Arenas (Valresa Angel Nieto Team), who crashed on Friday, lost out on P12 to the tune of just two thousandths, with Celestino Vietti (Sky Racing Team VR46) currently the last of the provisional Q2 graduates in 14th despite two crashes for the Italian rookie.
Ayumu Sasaki (Petronas Sprinta Racing) was another who crashed in FP2, as well as Makar Yurchenko (BOE Skull Rider Mugen Race).
Moto3 Combined Times
Pos
Rider
Bike
Time/Gap
1
J.Masia
KTM
1m39.612
2
S.Garcia
HONDA
+0.069
3
M.Ramirez
HONDA
+0.155
4
X.Artigas
HONDA
+0.244
5
L.Dalla Porta Ita
HONDA
+0.263
6
R.Fenati
HONDA
+0.283
7
A.Migno
KTM
+0.346
8
N.Antonelli
HONDA
+0.370
9
J.Mcphee
HONDA
+0.441
10
T.Arbolino
HONDA
+0.472
11
R.Fernandez
KTM
+0.499
12
A.Canet
KTM
+0.501
13
A.Arenas
KTM
+0.565
14
C.Vietti
KTM
+0.635
15
D.Binder
KTM
+0.640
16
S.Nepa
KTM
+0.644
17
F.Salac
KTM
+0.697
18
C.Oncu
KTM
+0.712
19
K.Toba
HONDA
+0.713
20
M.Yurchenko
KTM
+0.748
21
D.Foggia
KTM
+0.767
22
C.Tatay
KTM
+0.814
23
T.Suzuki
HONDA
+0.831
24
J.Kornfeil
KTM
+0.868
25
A.Lopez
HONDA
+0.992
26
K.Masaki
KTM
+1.034
27
A.Ogura
HONDA
+1.050
28
J.Alcoba
HONDA
+1.263
29
R.Rossi
HONDA
+1.275
30
T.Booth-Amos
KTM
+1.322
31
A.Sasaki
HONDA
+2.239
MotoE
Eric Granado (Avintia Esponsorama Racing) set the fastest FIM Enel MotoE World Cup lap of the weekend to claim E-Pole at the Gran Premio Motul de la Comunitat Valenciana, with the Brazilian back on the front row for the first time since Germany. Cup standings leader Matteo Ferrari (Trentino Gresini MotoE) and Free Practice pacesetter Bradley Smith (One Energy Racing) will join him on the front row for Races 1 and 2, with the Cup finely poised at the season finale.
After the first eight riders had given their all over one flying lap of the Circuit Ricardo Tormo, it was Jesko Raffin (Dynavolt Intact GP) who led the way with a 1:41.218, the Swiss rider making a huge leap forward from his place on the practice timesheets. He was 0.8 clear of Sete Gibernau (Join Contract Pons 40), but the next man up was Xavier Simeon (Avintia Esponsorama Racing) and the Belgian closed the gap to 0.192 despite his ongoing recovery from injury. Hector Garzo (Tech 3 E-Racing), currently second overall, then found time in the last split to move himself into provisional P2 too…
Next up, however, came Granado – and it was a stunner. After three splits the Avintia rider was 0.4 up on Raffin’s time and by the line, 0.666 was the margin. The best lap of the weekend so far piled the pressure on the remaining two riders: Cup leader Ferrari and title contender Smith. Could they compete?
Ferrari was up first having finished P2 in Free Practice, and the Italian put in a solid performance but said he wasn’t out to run risks – and he took second overall. That left only Smith, the fastest in practice, but the Brit was already two tenths off Granado’s best after the first sector. Could the British rider pull it back? Not quite, but in the end, the number 38 was at least able to go 0.085 quicker than Raffin to slot himself onto the front row – something that could prove pivotal come Saturday and Sunday.
Josh Hook rounded out the top ten ahead of Sete Gibernau.
There was a change of overall individual winner on day five, with Spain’s Josep Garcia finally putting a stop to the winning ways of Australian Daniel Sanders – Husqvarna.
Josep Garcia
“I’m delighted to finally get an outright win in this FIM ISDE,” said Garcia. “I’ve been pushing hard all week, but Daniel always had the edge. Today things came good and I got it done. I gave my best in every test and only made one mistake, which helped a lot. It was quite slippery this morning due to the rain and mud, but as the day progressed conditions improved a lot. It’s been a tough FIM ISDE so far – I think everyone will be happy to see the finish line tomorrow.”
Josep Garcia – Image by Dario Agrati
The end of this year’s FIM ISDE may now be in sight, but the penultimate day of racing in Portimao pulled no punches for those battling to reach the finish line of the ninety-fourth edition of the FIM’s longest-running motorcycle race. A new course for day five – Crossing the Barocal – tested the spirits of the weary competitors with a multitude of gravel and rocky trails, mixed with early morning muddy special tests due to overnight rain.
Taylor Robert – Image by Dario Agrati
For the third day running, the United States positioned themselves as the team to beat in Portugal. Although unable to split Garcia and Sanders at the head of the overall individual field, seeing three of their four riders place inside the top-six overall ensured another team win. In doing so it lifts them to a two-minute and two-second lead over their Australian rivals heading into the traditional motocross races on day six.
Taylor Robert – Image by Dario Agrati
In the battle for the final step of the podium, Spain – thanks to the efforts of Garcia – beat Italy by over two-minutes. However, with the Italians ahead of the Spaniards by four-minutes and thirty-seconds, they remain favourites to take the bronze medal tomorrow. Finland hold fifth overall, but now head France by two-minutes-thirty-seconds.
Kailub Russell – Image by Dario Agrati
2019 ISDE Day 5 World Trophy Classification Overall
USA
Australia +2min02.52s
Italy +11min57.30s
Spain +16min29.22s
Finland +21min15.45s
France +23min45.58s
Germany +37min55.15s
Sweden +38min28.91s
Portugal +46min35.22s
Belgium +68min14.78s
2019 ISDE Day 5 Junior World Trophy
Sitting eight-minutes and thirty-nine-seconds clear of their closest rivals the United States, RecoveR8 Team Australia look poised to win back the FIM Junior World Trophy title they last held in 2015.
Lyndon Snodgrass
“It’s been another good day for the team and we’re now within touching distance of winning the FIM Junior World Trophy,” said Australia’s Lyndon Snodgrass. “With the lead we’ve got it does help to ease the stress at this stage in the race, but you still have to remain focused on the job in hand. Although we’re nearly there, one problem is all it takes to lose out. Tomorrow the goal is to play safe and secure the title.”
United States were fastest today, but not by enough to properly trouble the Australian’s ahead of tomorrow’s motocross races.
Team USA – Image by Dario Agrati
Spain, third quickest on day five, are comfortably set in third. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, they should deny host nation Portugal – in fourth – the chance to finish on the podium.
Fifth overall, Belgium look to claim one of their best results in recent memory – if they can keep Chile at bay.
2019 ISDE Day 5 Junior World Trophy Classification
Australia
USA +8min39.20s
Spain +27min28.97s
Portugal +74min50.34s
Belgium +80min40.88s
Chile +81min24.62s
Canada +123min24.94s
Italy +137min32.95s
France +259min10.67s
GBR +269min14.93s
Women’s
With the United States now comfortably out front in the FIM Women’s World Trophy classification, it is looking likely that two of the FIM ISDE’s coveted trophies will find a home in America this year. If the trio of Rebecca Sheets, Brandy Richards and Tarah Gieger deliver the goods, it will mark a debut class victory for the United States.
Germany look set to finish as runners-up in the category, with Great Britain also poised for a medal result with third. Sweden and Spain are fourth and fifth respectively, while Portugal round out the top-six.
2019 ISDE Day 5 Women’s World Trophy Classification
USA
Germany +8min35.22s
GBR +18min18.88s
Sweden +35min34.47s
Spain +41min04.50s
Portugal +53min18.19s
Canada +63min08.16s
Australia +234min55.69s
Enduro 1
As the outright individual winner on day five, Josep Garcia powered his way to a fifth consecutive Enduro 1 day victory in Portugal. Sweeping all seven special tests for the third time this week, the Spaniard looks all but assured of the overall class win thanks to a six-minute-and-twenty-three second lead.
With one day remaining, second placed Ryan Sipes from the United States has built his advantage over Australian Lyndon Snodgrass to thirty-five seconds.
Holding third overall and twenty-nine seconds up on compatriot Luke Styke, Snodgrass is the best placed Junior rider.
2019 ISDE Day 5 Enduro 1 Individual Classification Overall
Josep Garcia KTM Spain
Ryan Sipes KTM USA
Lyndon Snodgrass KTM Australia
Luke Styke Yamaha Australia
Eero Remes Yamaha Finland
Enduro 2
The Enduro 2 class saw one of the day’s closest battles with the United States’ Kailub Russell narrowly beating team-mate Taylor Robert by seven-tenths-of-a-second for the win.
Robert, however, will sleep well tonight knowing he has got a one-minute-and-twenty-two second lead over Russell for the category win.
Italy’s Davide Guarneri remains third overall, with Australian’s Fraser Higlett and Josh Green fourth and fifth respectively.
2019 ISDE Day 5 Enduro 2 Individual Classification Overall
Taylor Robert KTM USA
Kailub Russell KTM USA
Davide Gauarneri Honda Italy
Fraser Higlett Husqvarna Australia
Joshua Green Yamaha Australia
Enduro 3
Daniel Sanders topped the Enduro 3 class for the fifth day in a row. The Husqvarna rider also made it his fourth clean sweep of special test wins. Placing second and third to Sanders, Great Britain’s Danny McCanney and Steward Baylor strengthen their footing on the final Enduro 3 podium entering day six.
Daniel Sanders – Image by Dario Agrati
2019 ISDE Day 5 Enduro 3 Individual Classification Overall
Daniel Sanders Husqvarna Australia
Daniel McCanney TM GBR
Steward Baylor KTM USA
Rudy Moroni KTM Italy
Angus Heidecke KTM DEU
Women’s
The Enduro Women’s category saw Brandy Richards fight back to take the day win over Germany’s Maria Franke , with Great Britain’s Jane Daniels third.
However, finishing just nine-seconds behind Richards, Franke still controls the class lead. With Richards and Daniels second and third respectively.
Australian Jessica Gardiner and Spain’s Mireia Badia complete the top five.
Maria Franke – Image by Dario Agrati
2019 ISDE Day 5 Women’s Individual Classification Overall
Maria Franke KTM DEU
Brandy Richards KTM USA
Jane Daniels Husqvarna GBR
Jessica Gardiner Yamaha Australia
Mirela Badia Husqvarna Spain
FIM Enduro Vintage Trophy
The FIM Enduro Vintage Trophy marked another overall victory for Italy’s Mario Rinaldi – KTM. Almost mirroring yesterday’s results, Italy took the top-four overall positions on the second day of EVT competition. Today, Giovanni Sala – KTM took second, with Maurizio Casartelli – Puch third and Stefano Passeri – KTM fourth. France’s Philippe Barthomeuf – Cardel rounded out the top five.
What’s Next…
The ninety-fourth edition of the FIM ISDE concludes tomorrow with the traditional motocross race, now to be held at the Kartódromo Internacional do Algarve (KIA).
Ducati opted to leave well enough alone with the 2020 XDiavel S. The Italian performance cruiser retains the same liquid-cooled, 1,262cc Testastretta V-twin engine from the previous year, a superbike-derived, Desmodromic Variable Timing system-enhanced mill that owners have come to love for its punchy kick and seemingly endless power. Complemented by a fully adjustable, Diamond Like Coating-treated fork, a spring-preload- and rebound-damping-adjustable shock, antilock-equipped Brembo braking components, and sticky Pirelli Diablo Rosso II tires, the XDiavel S has proven an incredibly responsive and nimble on-road performer. “The XDiavel handles surprisingly lightly for a long, long motorcycle with a big, fat 240mm-wide rear tire,” testers reported after sampling the original model in 2016. That’s not the type of comment you often hear about a machine with a sub-30-inch seat height, forward-mount controls, and a relaxed riding position.
For 2020, Ducati rolled the Monster 1200 S into a paint booth and applied a fresh black-on-black color scheme—a striking combination of gloss and matte—giving the Testastretta 11° V-twin an even more assertive presence. Mechanically, however, this liter-plus streetfighter remains unchanged from the previous model year. That’s not at all bad though. The 803, 821, and 1,198cc Monsters are some of Ducati’s most popular models, and the 1200 S is the patriarch of the family, a true naked-bike steamroller at home on boulevard or back road. There’s a great top-end rush, fully adjustable Öhlins suspension front and rear to keep this nimble handler well-composed, and Brembo four-piston M50 calipers up front for responsive, reliable stopping performance.
Harley-Davidson and the electric motorcycle, two things that not so long ago would have been completely antithetical to one another. But for 2020, Harley-Davidson has lived up to the promise it made in 2014, releasing the all-electric LiveWire to the public. Priced just shy of $30K, the LiveWire, with its H-D Revelation motor and 15.5 kWh battery, breaks from the traditional petrol-powered V-twins that made The Motor Company an icon; so too the sport aesthetic. But as Harley-Davidson pushes to remain relevant in an evolving market, change is inevitable. The LiveWire is no design curio but an impressive performer with instant torque—a claimed 86 pound-feet—Showa suspension, Brembo brakes, and a roster of electronic aids, including selectable ride modes, traction control, cornering ABS, rear-wheel lift mitigation, and drag-torque slip control.
Make light of a situation with some of these flashlights.DC Irwin/Unsplash
Nowadays, cellphones conveniently have flashlight capability, but it drains the life out of its battery. How are you going to be able to make an emergency phone call or text if your phone’s battery is dead? It is wise to keep a good ol’ flashlight close by to light the way in this situation, but they are also useful around the house in the event of a power outage, at the campsite, or in the garage when you light up the space around your car’s belt drive. Flashlights from Anker, GearLight, and MagLite can brighten your world.
Anker Bolder Rechargeable LC40 Flashlight
Dusty, dry, or wet conditions, the Anker Bolder LC40 flashlight can assist in many dark places.Anker
The Bolder rechargeable LC40 flashlight from Anker is one great illuminating option to brighten your space with its 400-lumen LED. While it does not have the 900 lumens of the Anker LC90 flashlight in this list, the Bolder has adjustability with the high, medium, low, strobe, and SOS modes. In medium mode, this flashlight is claimed to last 20 hours on the 3350mAh battery. If the flashlight does start to lose juice, you can recharge it using the micro USB cable. Maintain your hold on the flashlight with the anti-slip finish. Rest assured that if it does drop, it is shock resistant and is built with a durable aluminum casing.
GearLight S1200 LED Flashlight
Focusing the beam or opening it up to light a larger space makes the GearLight a perfect option for the campsite.GearLight
A tight beam or a flood of light, the GearLight S1200 LED flashlight has the capability to narrow the beam or spray in a wider spectrum depending on your needs. The GearLight, too, has five modes (high, medium, low, strobe, and SOS). Water-resistant and durable with an aluminum body makes this flashlight appropriate for the rainy roadside emergency (because it always happens to rain when your tire decides to blow, right?).
Maglite LED 3-Cell Flashlight
Drop resistant and water resistant, the Maglite is another durable flashlight for your everyday use.MagLite
With an illuminating distance of 412 meters (~1,351 feet) this Maglite LED flashlight is a good one to have in your house, garage, or car’s glove box. Eighty hours of run time on high power make it a long-lasting light to keep around. Replaceable D cell batteries are the power source. This modern torch is available in blue, gray, red, silver, and camo.
Anker Bolder Rechargeable LC90 Flashlight
SOS or strobe modes are available in addition to high, medium, or low to suit your illumination needs.Anker
The 900 lumens pack a bright punch at the campsite with the Anker Bolder rechargeable LC90 flashlight. Zoomable capabilities allow you to focus in or spread light out. IP-65 rating ensures it is dust tight and water resistant for different conditions. After the six hours of battery life (in medium mode) has been used, recharging the tool is done by plugging in the micro USB cable into the port and power source.
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