Excitement in Valencia

In Madrid the weather has been fantastic this autumn. Unfortunately I have not been able to take much advantage of it since I’ve been busy working and studying. At least the course I’ve been taking is over now, but the sunny autumn has turned into cold winter. I shouldn’t complain really, we took a ride today and it is fantastic to be able to do that mid-December. The mornings are grim but during the day the temperature peaks at 12 degrees. Some weeks ago I was able to take a break from studying. Well, I had to, we had tickets for the final Moto GP race in Valencia.

Me watching the ducatis
Me watching the Ducatis

The expectations were huge and we were not disappointed. We had our seats on the blue grandstand, in between the Doohan corner and the Nieto corner thus having a splendid view of all the track from the first corner after the straight almost until the last corner before the straight. It was sunny and warm, out of the wind it felt like summer on the grandstand.

Great view,  first lap of the very exciting moto 3 race
Great view, first lap of the very exciting moto 3 race

The moto 3 was exciting since the three first on the grid also were aspiring for the championship. Maveric Viñales, Alex Rins and Louise Salom, all Spaniards battling through the race with massive support from the fans making the grandstand sway.

Maverick Vi?ales won the race and with that the championship
Maverick Viñales won the race and with that the championship

But this was not the only excitement in this race, further back in the line there was a group of riders continuously battling for positions and one of them was Ana Carrasco who finished 8th in the end. She is also the first woman to score a World Championship Point earlier in this season in Sepang. She has said herself in an interview earlier this year that she is not thinking of herself as a female rider, but as a rider. Nevertheless role-models like her make it easier for young girls to dare to try riding and/or racing. I look forward to following her career.

Keep an eye out for number 22,  that is Ana Carrasco
Keep an eye out for number 22, that is Ana Carrasco
Bunched up trying to get an advantage coming through the corner
Bunched up trying to get an advantage coming through the corner

The Moto 2 championship was already settled but nevertheless the race offered excitement. The champion Pol Espargaro went wide in a corner earlier on and the lead was taken by Nico Terol. Two years ago we saw him become Moto 3 Champion at Ricardo Tormo and now we saw him win the last race of the season. Arriving at the last Moto GP race of the season Marc Marcquez had a strong lead, 13 points ahead of Jorge Lorenzo. To win the championship Lorenzo would have to win and Marquez finish no better than 5th.

Exciting race even though it was unlikely to change the outcome of the championship
Exciting race even though it was unlikely to change the outcome of the championship

Well, not likely to happen bearing in mind the strong season Marquez had had. Nevertheless in the beginning of the race everything semeed possible and I could hardly breathe. The race was surely entertaining to the end and Lorenzo did a good race finishing first, even though it wasn’t enough to win the championship. Spanish triple on the Moto GP podium, and a double in Moto 2 as well as Moto 3. A good day for Spain.

Marques celebration starts Photo Courtesy: Christopher Calvert
Marques celebration starts Photo Courtesy: Christopher Calvert

When heading back to the centre the train was crowded, and later the metro was crowded. But amazingly enough I managed to glimpse two familiar faces on the platform. Of course events like this gathers bikers from all over Europe but I was not expecting to see two good friends from the Swedish Ducati Club, Gothenburg chapter. Fortunately, my fiancé and I had a few hours to spend before our train so we could all get together for a dinner and catch up. I know I say this often, but the Swedish Ducati Club is one of the things I miss the most from Sweden.

Exchangeing phone numbers and making dinner plans  Photo courtesy Anders Carlsson
Exchanging phone numbers and making dinner plans. Photo courtesy Anders Carlsson

Published by

Avatar photo

Åsa

I'm a passionate biker from Sweden. I love to travel, preferably on my motorcycle. Please let me know what you think of my blog! Post a comment or send an e-mail: asa@forza.greynorth.net

Comments: