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Valin Battles to Top-Ten Finishes at Matterley Basin
Kawasaki Racing Team MX2’s Mathis Valin delivered two strong performances at Matterley Basin, securing a pair of top-eight finishes for ninth overall in the British round of the MX2 FIM Motocross World Championship.
In the opening moto, the young Frenchman quickly turned a 12th-place start into eighth on the first lap. He held steady in a tightly packed field until a small mistake on lap ten caused him to overshoot a corner and drop a position. Valin quickly regrouped and reclaimed eighth just one lap later, finishing the race only six seconds behind fourth place.
In race two, Valin launched his KX250-SR to an impressive start, rounding turn one in fifth after briefly sitting in second. A crash by another rider in his line through the wave section forced him to take evasive action, costing him several positions. Undeterred, he mounted a strong comeback to seventh and spent much of the race in a close battle with the defending champion. In the final laps, Valin pulled away from the rider carrying the #1 plate, capping off a determined ride. He now advances to 15th in the championship standings.
Mathis Valin:
“My start wasn’t the best in the first moto, but I made good passes early and was battling with the top guys. In the second race, my start was a lot better, but I went into the first turn a little too fast and ran wide. Still, I found a good rhythm and fought with the title contenders like De Wolf. I’m feeling stronger and now I can push for two full thirty-five-minute motos.”