Like Benistant, SDM Corse Yamaha EMX250's rookie Rick Elzinga is also adapting well to the highly competitive EMX250 class. The young Dutchman was able to achieve his short-term goal of a top-ten finish after he put in two stunning charges through the field from outside of the points, for a career-best race result in Race 1 with sixth position, and a hard fought 13th in Race 2 for ninth overall.
While Benistant and Elzinga celebrated their milestone achievements, SDM Corse Yamaha EMX250's Ruben Fernandez had to battle through the pain barrier after another rider took him out of fifth in Race 1. The 19-year-old Spaniard remounted his GYTR kitted YZ250F and fought hard to salvage 2-points for 19thplace. He was six places behind teammate Caleb Grothues, who finished 13th.
Despite suffering from a niggling shoulder injury, Fernandez bounced back in the final race for sixth, which gave him enough points to retain a place inside the top-five in the Championship Classification. He was 12thoverall in the round classification, while Grothues was 19th overall after a fall in the final race put a '0' on his score card.
SDM Corse Yamaha EMX250's Gianluca Facchetti tried to nurse an injury through the weekend but did not complete either of the two races. Benistant has moved into Championship top-ten, while Elzinga has moved up to 16th. The French round of the EMX250 and EMX125 Championships is always the most exciting race of the season for the France based MJC Yamaha team.
The round always sees a plethora of young French riders wild-card for the event which makes for fantastic racing. As the leader of the French Championship Junior 125cc class, MJC Yamaha EMX125's Florian Miot was confident in his ability to post a season-best result at the fourth round of the EMX125 Championship in Saint Jean d'Angely. The young Frenchman was quick right off the bat. He qualified second and managed to post a season-best finish with eighth in the opening race.
Determined to improve on his Race 1 result, Miot was flying on his GYTR kitted YZ125 in Race 2 in third-position before an unusual technical issue forced him to retire from the race.
After a disappointing end to their home round of the EMX125 Championship, the team is eager to line up at the next round, which will take place in Teutschenthal, Germany, on the weekend of June 23rd.
The next round of the EMX250 Championship will take place in Orlyonok, Russia on the weekend of June 9th.
