autofreak
12-25-2008, 05:42 AM
Marco Simon celli sealed his world title with a hard fought win at Valencia. The Italian came under serious pressure from Mika Kallio who was determined to win KTM's last 250 GP but the Finn slid off on the final lap while just a few yards behind the leader. Kallio remounted to finish mh. Yuki Takahashi had been right with the leaders until the final few laps, when he was unable to run their pace. Nevertheless the Japanese finished second. Kallio led the early stages, duking it out for the lead with fellow KTM rider Julian Simon as the pair was chased by veteran Roberto Locatelli, Alex Debon, Alvaro Bautista and Simoncelli.
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The world champion took the lead at one-third distance and was never passed, though Kallio and Takahashi gave him no room to breathe. Bautista claimed the final podium finish, thanks to another unlucky race for KTM - a few laps before Kallio crashed, Simon's KTM broke. It was Simon's second mechanical in as many races. Bautista's race was typical for the Spaniard, who always seems to struggle to ride fast with a full fuel tank. He only really came alive during the latter stages of the race, finally moving into third when Kallio fell. Locatelli took fourth, Kallio's team-mate Hiroshi Aoyama was fifth. Debon crashed out of sixth spot with six laps remaining.
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The world champion took the lead at one-third distance and was never passed, though Kallio and Takahashi gave him no room to breathe. Bautista claimed the final podium finish, thanks to another unlucky race for KTM - a few laps before Kallio crashed, Simon's KTM broke. It was Simon's second mechanical in as many races. Bautista's race was typical for the Spaniard, who always seems to struggle to ride fast with a full fuel tank. He only really came alive during the latter stages of the race, finally moving into third when Kallio fell. Locatelli took fourth, Kallio's team-mate Hiroshi Aoyama was fifth. Debon crashed out of sixth spot with six laps remaining.