MXoN 2021: Team GB's Ben Watson shines in tough opening Mantova race
By Andrew Hill on 26th Sep 21
Team GB's Ben Watson was the shining light in miserable conditions as the first points-paying motos got underway at Mantova for the 2021 Motocross of Nations.
The Monster Energy Yamaha factory rider finished third behind Thomas Kjer Olsen and Tom Vialle in a mud race where MXGP and MX2 riders battled the rain-soaked circuit.
Swiss rider Arnaud Tonus grabbed the holeshot before being hauled in by several riders. It was Spain's Butron who made the early running while Watson was in sixth.
At the back, Team Italy's Tony Cairoli tangled with Team Netherlands Glenn Coldenhoff before they could even make it to the second straight. The pair came together and went down dropping them to the back.
Team GB's Conrad Mewse had an excellent qualifying race but his start in this moto left him just outside the top 20 and he found it impossible to move through the field.
Up at the sharp end of the action, the conditions still allowed some overtaking and Vialle made a move for the lead only to drop the bike and lose several positions.
By lap four, the Frenchman had regained some of those lost positions, while Olsen had passed unlikely leader, Latvia's Karlis Sabulis who would eventually finish in 10th. A lap later and Watson finds his way past Tonus for fourth.
On lap six, Vialle passes Sabulis to take command of second place while Cairoli had to come into the Goggle Lane dropping him even further back.
By now tough conditions made it so difficult to pass, despite this, Watson caught Sabulis for third place and he then checked out on Tonus behind.
That was the last of the significant moves on track Vialle had to dispense with his goggles, which meant he was never going to catch TKO, and Watson brought his works Yamaha home safely in third.
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