KTM riders went into the first 125 cc GP of the 2008 racing season hopeful of good results but came away at the end of the first ever night race empty-handed.
Team Onde 2000 KTM rider Raffaele de Rosa seemed set for a podium finish for the bulk of the 18-lap (96.84 km) race on the Losail Circuit in Qatar. But he pushed a shade too hard in the battle for second place and crashed out of the race with four laps to go.
Unlucky day for de Rosa
Best KTM rider at the end of the night race was de Rosa's Onde 2000 KTM teammate Pablo Nieto of Spain who rode to eighteenth position. Red Bull KTM 125 rider Randy Krummenacher had also aimed much higher after a promising final practice session, but ran into handling and grip problems again to finish in twenty second place.
Hard race for Krummenacher
"That was a hard battle indeed," Krummenacher said after the race. "It was tough enough to even stay on the bike. I really had a good feeling yesterday, and even in the warm-up session for the race, everything seemed to be all right. But after the start, I hardly recognized my bike because it was so difficult to keep the cornering lines, especially going into the turns!"
Heat of the battle
"Of course, we are all a bit disappointed about what happened in the 125 cc race," KTM Technical Director Harald Bartol said. "Raffaele de Rosa rode very well within the leading pack. He defended himself and KTM against stronger opponents, because Aprilia was a bit stronger today. Then he had one of those accidents that can happen in the heat of the battle - that's racing!"
Results
1. Sergio Gadea, Spain, Aprilia, 38:09.444
2. Joan Olive, Spain, Derbi, 38:10.376
3. Stefan Bradl, Germany, Aprilia, 38:11.104
4. Mike Di Meglio, France, Derbi, 38:11.215
5. Scott Redding, Britain, Aprilia, 38:11.263
18. Pablo Nieto, Spain, Onde 2000 KTM, 38:42.335
21. Lorenzo Zanetti, Italy, ISPA KTM Aran, 38:46.140
22. Randy Krummenacher, Switzerland, Red Bull KTM 125, 38:46.198
Not Classified
Raffaele De Rosa, Italy, Onde 2000 KTM at 3 laps
Tomoyoshi Koyama, Japan, ISPA KTM Aran at 10 laps
Images - Kirn F. (KTM)
