The Ricardo Tormo Circuit in Valencia, Spain played host to a star-studded final round, which featured appearances from three MotoGP™ riders, a roster of glitzy prizes and high drama than had all in attendance on the very edge.
Before the lights went out for race one, 2013 Moto2 World Champion and Red Bull KTM Factory rider Pol Espargaro took to the stage to offer the finalists tips on how to attack the Phillip Island Circuit, the scene of the first of the evening’s two races. Having dominated the intermediate class outing there in 2012, the Spaniard was better placed than most do so.
From the first lap, trastevere73 heeded Espargaro’s advice, storming into an early lead from pole position ahead of adrianDP26 (Team Suzuki ECSTAR). The early exchanges were akin to the recent Australian Grand Prix, with as many as ten riders contesting the leading positions. But reigning champion trastevere73 eventually broke clear, demonstrating his trademark consistency from the first lap to the end to win by 2.033s.
The drama came thick and fast behind. A mistake on the fifth lap demoted AndrewZh from second to fourth. But the championship’s form man fought back to put maximum pressure on adrianDP26 for second. The Team Suzuki ECSTAR rider would crack under pressure, crashing at turn one on the final lap, handing a crucial second to the Ducati Team man with Cristianmm17 close behind in third.
The double points on offer in the final round meant trastevere73 led AndrewZh by just 6 points going of the final race. Cristianmm17 ensured it was a three-way fight until the end, 21 points back.
