1,306 days later, Tom Vialle returns to winning ways in the Grand Prix paddock. During the weekend in Frauenfeld, the Honda HRC rider claimed his very first victory in the premier class during the third Grand Prix of the season. But the French rider didn’t have it easy after a difficult Saturday. On Sunday, Vialle managed to bounce back and secure an almost unexpected Grand Prix win. He explains:
“I had a very bad Saturday,” explained Tom Vialle in Frauenfeld. “Not many people know this, but my foot got stuck between the sprocket and the chain during the qualifying race. I was trapped and had to get off the bike to try to free my foot. Then I managed to get going again and worked my way back up to 10th position, and unfortunately I crashed after contact with Ruben Fernandez. It really wasn’t ideal, especially in Switzerland, because the first corner is very tight. I think I was 18th on the starting gate, which was way too far outside for the start, so I was a bit worried. The sprocket went into my boot and cut my foot, but fortunately it wasn’t deep. It was a bit painful to walk, but once my foot was in the boot, I didn’t really feel anything. It wasn’t a problem for riding. It was a tough Saturday, and it was really great to be able to bounce back on Sunday.”
Sunday looked set to be complicated for Vialle, starting 18th on the gate for the races. But the Honda HRC rider got an excellent start in the first moto and quickly pulled away, while his main rivals — Lucas Coenen and Jeffrey Herlings — both having chain issues in the same rut one after the other.
“In the end, I got a bit lucky, because it rained on Sunday and they really worked the start straight, so in the first moto I got a good start. I was able to commit well into the first corner and had good grip on the outside. If it had been dry, I wouldn’t have been able to do that. I won the first moto, it was really incredible — I led from the first to the last lap and felt great. The track was really tricky, and in those conditions, getting out front and leading the race makes things easier because you have a clear track and can ride at your own pace. It was great.”
Starting far back in the second moto, the French rider had to push hard to come back to sixth place — a comeback that would allow him to secure his first MXGP Grand Prix victory, which he only realized after crossing the finish line.
“My second start was really bad, I was around 20th. I passed quite a few riders in the first laps, then I crashed. From there, I managed to come back to sixth place. I had to attack for the whole moto. I didn’t know I had won the overall. I wasn’t looking at my pit board every lap. I thought I might get on the podium, because I knew Lucas and Jeffrey had problems in the first moto. So it was really incredible to win. It’s not often you can win a GP with 1–6 finishes in the motos, but it worked for me, and that’s all that matters.”
Despite his victory, Vialle is not the rider leaving Switzerland with the most points. After scoring no points on Saturday, the Frenchman collected 40 points on Sunday — two fewer than Tim Gajser and Maxime Renaux over the whole weekend.
Tom was the virtual championship leader after the first moto, but the red plate remains in the hands of Lucas Coenen, who dominated the second race. Seven points now separate the two riders heading into Sardinia, while 23 points currently cover the top six in the championship.
