The Blusens Avintia team paid in the race the consequences of starting grid positions far from the front row of their riders Toni Elías and Kyle Smith at the Indianapolis GP. Today, at the start, Elías gained a position while Kyle got rid of three opponents.
However, in those positions so far from the head of the race it was difficult to ride with the desired pace having to constantly watch a lot of riders, due to the equality in this class. Both riders showed their ability, but riding so far back limits a lot the possibility of a good result. Toni fought with a group formed by Kent, Di Meglio, West, Krumenacher and Cardús and, in the last part of the race, he rode in times that were similar to the first ones.
Finally he crossed the finish line in eighteenth position, undoubtedly paying the consequences of starting so far back. Kyle was also able to ride in good times and perceptibly improve his yesterday’s lap times, but he never was comfortable with the set-up of his bike. Despite this, a highly motivated Smith pushed to the maximum in order to achieve a good result but he was not able to avoid falling when he lost the front wheel in the fast corner at the end of the straight.
Unfortunately, the loss of the support of Kyle Smith’s main sponsor and the impossibility of the rider to face the economic commitments with the Blusens Avintia team have caused that, despite the excellent relationship between the rider and the team, Kyle is replaced by Dani Rivas, the CEV rider from Galicia. Dani will travel to Brno and race the remaining GPs until the end of the season. All the members of the Blusens Avintia team wish good luck to Kyle Smith for the future.
24 Toni Elías (18th +0.27.420):
“I have not done a great start and later I have been locked in a bottleneck of riders in the first turns. This happens when you start so far from the first rows! After a few laps I have been able to ride with a good pace but immediately I have remained with a group in which I have ridden until the end of the race. Towards the end of the race I was riding as the head race men and that is positive. And it is because from the beginning I keep the same pace, which means that if we can reduce this difference that we have at the start of race, we can be there. On the first laps I can not be as fast but after, from the middle of the race, we work well. Neither the team nor I like to be in this situation but the advantage is that we are close and we will continue working to get through the bad patch”.
9 Kyle Smith: (NC):
“We have been progressing during the weekend and this is positive for me, but I have never managed to feel at ease with the bike. Knowing more and more the track and the desire to do it well is what has allowed me to improve my times and my pace, but I have had to make a great effort because the set-up did not permit me to ride at ease. During all the weekend I have been forced and I have not enjoyed riding. In these circumstances, when you push to the maximum, it is easy to fall”.
Avintia Racing Press Release
