Prado takes off in Agueda a "backpack full of rocks"

The Spanish George Pradowho returned to savor the triumph at the World Championship of the queen category of motocross (MXGP) at Portuguese Grand Prixwas removed from the Agueda circuit “a backpack full of rocks” and face the next challenges of the competition with optimism and hope.

The rider from Lugo, double universal champion in the MX2, has not won a grand prix since July 25, 2021, when he won in the Czech Republic before a legend like Italian Antonio Cairoli.

Since then, for one thing or another, due to physical or athletic problems, he has only been able to win one heat in Latvia and another in Germany in the last edition of the World Cup, but they haven’t given him a chance to climb the top of the podium. He finished fifth overall, only somewhere better than his debut season in the premier class.

In the current edition of the World Championship, including GasGas, Prado won the second round of the inaugural test in Great Britain and the first in Italy, but he was also unable to win the grand prizes, which went to Slovenian Tim Gajser (Honda) , triple world champion and favorite for the title, who also scored a third date in Argentina.

None of the first two classifieds of the final championship, Dutchman Jeffrey Herlings and Frenchman Romain Febvre, the great contenders were Gajser, Prado and Frenchman Maxime Renaux, first at the 2021 MX2 World Championship. The Slovenian leads the overall standings with 186 points, 21 more than the Spanish and 42 more than the French.

Prado’s victory in the Portuguese GP, which was even attended by his grandparents, ended Gajser’s streak, although the Slovenian once again showed his tremendous power in the second race without giving the Galician a chance, who there is no other option to get the second. put on the race to clinch victory over the weekend and end his winless streak.

“This is the first win of the season. I was super excited. I seemed to be carrying a backpack full of rocks on my back and it was something that didn’t roll me over ”, admits the Spanish rider, who is convinced that this victory will help him loosen up” of a little more “.

“Although we didn’t shoot one hundred percent of my potential, I think we’re going to be there. We’re working hard, but now it’s time to return our batteries and we’ll meet at the next grand prix to see if we can do it again, ”said Prado, who also leads the‘ Holeshot ’classification. . (the fastest of the starts passes the first curve) with four points.

The fifth round of the World Championship, the Trentino Grand Prix (Italy), will be held next Sunday at the Ciclamino circuit in Pietramurata.