Yamaha’s Romain Febvre ran unhindered to his second pole position of the season at a windy, dusty and polemic Loket circuit for the Grand Prix of Czech Republic today. The Frenchman passed holeshotter Rockstar Suzuki’s Glenn Coldenhoff and escaped to claim first spot in the gate for the motos on Sunday.
Febvre is leading the inactive Tony Cairoli by 41 points and is a further 66 ahead of HRC’s Gautier Paulin. With the Red Bull KTM World Champion out of action for two rounds of the six remaining in 2015 in order to let his left arm fracture heal, Febvre insists that the forced absence of his principal rival for this year’s crown has neither pleased him nor affected his approach to the Czech Grand Prix and the Belgian round taking place at Lommel next week.
“I don’t like it if someone is injured, whether it is Cairoli or someone else. Jeffrey [Herlings] crashed just before our race and it is not nice,” he said referencing the accident where the former MX2 World Champion suffered a dislocated right hip in a collision with Jordi Tixier during the MX2 Qualifier. “I didn’t change anything just because he [Cairoli] is not riding. I do what I need to do…and nothing will change.”
Febvre easily looked the most formidable at the Czech hillside venue on Saturday although HRC’s Evgeny Bobryshev headed Timed Practice and Jeremy Van Horebeek was also the happiest he has been with the feeling on the YZ450FM for several meetings. Gautier Paulin might have run to second place but Coldenhoff was also sprightly and Shaun Simpson was inventive with his lines on a track with many restrictions for passing until the Brit’s rear tyre started to fade.
“It is not my favourite track because it is ‘old school’ with not many jumps but I’m used to this sort of grip,” said Febvre, who is chasing his fifth GP victory of the year. “It is not easy but better for my riding style.”
