Terol laments the podium that slipped away

Jack&Jones Team rider Nico Terol thought he had secured himself a third successive second place in Saturday’s race at Assen, following his podium finishes at Mugello and Catalunya, but ultimately it was not to be for the 20 year-old.

Terol had ridden well throughout the race but on the last lap he and Julián Simón almost clashed on the chicane and the former was forced to ride across the run-off path which features on that part of the Assen track and emerged in front of Simón - to take second place on the finishing line behind racewinner Sergio Gadea.

However, following warnings to the riders from IRTA before the TT that the riders should not try to gain an advantage via that specific Assen run-off route, Race Direction later deemed Terol to have benefitted unfairly from the move and handed him a 20 second penalty, relegating him to fifth place.

Terol was disappointed to have ultimately missed out on another podium but expressed his satisfaction with how he had performed earlier in the race, “I was really pleased with how things had gone. In the warm-up I could see that I had a really good pace so I decided to try and get ahead of the rest of the group at the front. Julito (Simón), Sergio and I built up a really big gap, which was great.”

“On the last lap Simón and I were fighting for the win but we both got it wrong on the chicane and I had to cut through the corner. When I came back on I let Sergio go through as best as I could and I followed him because I thought I had not gained any positions overall. I was really happy to have got a third consecutive second place, which shows the good work we are doing.”

On hearing the news of his penalty, however, Terol added, “They are the ones in charge (Race Direction) and we have to accept it. I don’t agree that I gained an advantage but they think I did. There’s nothing I can do about it now other than put it right in the next race.”