Behind in the points for the first time this season coming back Spain with his literal home crowd behind him in the town he grew up and a track named after him, Jorge Prado had ALL the pressure last weekend – and yet again he delivered.
Not only did he deliver three race wins, he passed Herlings AND Gajser in the qualifying race at the halfway mark when he just dropped the hammer and had enough of following. He held Febvre at bay in race one and did the same with Gajser in race two. Whatever way you try to look at it, this was as straight up as it gets. Prado is putting the puzzle together better than anyone else, the intensity in the opening laps is better than anyone else and his ability to pass is maybe the best it’s ever been. Prado went from hitting the gate to 13th before the red flag came out in the second moto, underlining his sharp decision making to make passes, he’s wasting no time getting to front.
He has NO weakness and that’s despite Herlings, Gajser and Febvre upping their pace. Herlings was the fastest man on the track near the end of the second moto in Lugo, he was hauling ass – but he couldn’t find that pace early in the race! Gajser inched up to Prado in race two after starting seventh but crashed late when it came time to really attack and Febvre got away second in race one and couldn’t quite stay with Prado.
They are all going extremely quickly and the intensity in Lugo was HIGH with Vlaanderen also joining the party in an really impressive ride, but they still could not beat Jorge Prado. Whatever the questions, Prado still has the answers and, when he spoke to Geoff Meyer from MXLarge, Prado said he was fine with Gajser 1-2 seconds behind him: ” I didn’t want to push my limits, or the limit of the bike,” said Prado. “So, if Gajser was a second and a half behind. If he was getting closer, I just speed up a bit.”
That’s confidence and poise under pressure. Prado, despite the high pace, feels he still has a bit in reserve if he needs it, those guys are getting quicker too and he might need more in the future, but it seems like he’s ready and waiting for them when they challenge. It’s like he’s saying, “Let’s see what you’ve got, because I’ve got more when you’re ready to battle!”
14 points down and he comes away with the red plate within one round. Normal service is resumed, they are all chasing Prado again. The kid is special right now.
