All content © Bob MuIIins

JONATHAN BARRAGÁN GETS THE NEW GAS GAS EC NEAR THE PODIUM AT THE ITALIAN GP

The Gas Gas rider finished the Italian GP with a highly motivating fourth position on the second day, very close to the much hoped for podium for the new Gas Gas EC250, after overcoming an irregular first day where he finished thirteenth. Barragán is now placed ninth in the Enduro2 classification and in great spirits after the good feeling in Spoleto. He is more than ready to continue the fight for the podium in coming races.

This weekend has been one of contrasting results for the Gas Gas Enduro Factory Team and Jonathan Barragán in Spoleto. This was an Italian GP with two sides to it: the modest thirteenth position on the first day and a new, highly motivating fourth position on Sunday. A great way of finishing the third event of the World Championship, which leads us to hope for a highly desirable podium finish in the Enduro2 World Championship for the new Gas Gas EC250 and the rider from Madrid in the not too distant future.

On Friday afternoon, Jonathan Barragán made the fouteenth best time in his category in the Spoleto Supertest, the spectacular test which signals the start of some of the GPs. Here the Gas Gas Enduro Factory Team rider wanted to avoid complications and start the third event of the Enduro World Championship in the very best way.

The following day, Saturday, the Italian GP got fully into swing with a very demanding first day from the physical point of view, because of the tough course and specials and also because of the high temperatures over the weekend. Difficult conditions that made it hard work for Jonathan Barragán to get his pace in the first stages of the race. These times affected the overall results of the first day for the Gas Gas rider.

Barragán was forced to make up lost time, moving up from an inferior position finally ending the day in thirteenth place. This position was rather a disapointment to the rider from Madrid, depite the fact he had made good times in the latter part of the race.
However, this just spurred Jonathan Barragán on and poduced a complete change in attitude on Sunday. The Gas Gas rider showed how he could ride enduro. In contrast to the previous day, the Gas Gas Enduro Factory Team rider gave it all he had right from the word go, getting the fastest time in the special extreme and getting into fourth position, very close to the Enduro2 leaders, at the end of the first of three loops.

Sadly, a couple of falls put an end to Barragán's hope of getting what would have been his first podium finish of the season in the World Championship with the new Gas Gas EC250, after being so very close to exactly that in the previous GP in Puerto Lumbreras.

A thirteenth and a fourth place after the Italian GP have put Jonathan Barragán in ninth position in the Enduro2 classification and stimulate the rider from Madrid to make a fight for the podium in the next event in the World Championship, the Hungarian GP being held in Paradfürdo on the weekend of the 24th and 25th June.

Jonathan Barragán: “The truth is, that on the first day, especially on the first loop, things didn't go too well. Then we started to get better times, but I had problems with one of the laps on the extreme, and to be sincere, I am not too pleased with Saturday's result even though I had the same times on some specials as riders in front of me. Despite this we knew that on Sunday we could be much higher up and we started well from the first loop, making the best time on the extreme. We did an excellent first loop, which helped me get a fourth position, very close to the podium. However a couple of falls in the second loop stopped me from making up enough lost ground. I am very pleased with this second day because everything turned out ok and the bike has gone perfectly in what was such a tough race, as usual in the Italian GPs. We have kept up the pace like heroes and now is the time to think about the next event, with great enthusiasm to keep on improving”.