Nordstrom Graaf stands atop Portuguese podium

The Honda 150 European Championship riders gained more experience earlier today, as a challenging surface put the skills that they have acquired thus far to the test. A considerable amount of water hit the Portuguese circuit prior to the second moto and put a lot of emphasis on throttle control.

Anton Nordstrom Graaf was unfazed by those conditions, however, after completing a series of sighting laps to start proceedings. A faultless outing allowed him to take advantage of an issue that Andrea Adamo encountered and claim his first victory of the season. That result, when paired with his runner-up finish from the first encounter, gave him the overall victory also.

The fact that Nordstrom Graaf adapted to the conditions as the race progressed was a large part of his success. The Swedish star recorded his fastest lap right at the end, along with the quickest time of the race in sector four, and now trails Adamo by eight points in the series standings. A puncture restricted Adamo in the second half of the race, hence why he had to settle for third and second overall on the day.

Adamo still led more laps than anyone else in the twenty-minute moto, as he slid into first position entering turn two and immediately established an advantage of three seconds. Nordstrom Graff and Luis Outeiro still prevailed in the second half, despite that. Outeiro improved on his ranking from moto one, much to the delight of those who travelled to Agueda, but now faces a deficit of nine points in the standings.

Kjeld Stuurman concluded a consistent weekend with another fourth place and occupied the same position in the overall classification. Toa Kishi took a step forward also to record a season-best finish of fifth. Lynn Valk, Nikolay Malinov, Magnus Vassgaard, Milan van de Bunte and Rasmus Moen completed the top ten.

The CRF150R riders will undoubtedly face their toughest challenge yet at the beginning of August, as the third round of the Honda 150 European Championship will take place in the bottomless sand of Lommel. An additional training camp will take place prior to that to ensure that the riders have the tools to tackle the event.

Andrea Adamo:

“I had a good weekend. I had a good feeling with the track and my bike. I won the first race, but then during the second race I had a puncture. I am very happy, because I am the leader of the championship. Thank you to my sponsors and family.”

Gordon Crockard:

“We had a new winner, Anton Nordstrom Graaf! It was great to see. I think he deserved the win. Andrea Adamo was leading and it looked like the result was going to be the same as yesterday; he was strong, fast and looked good. Unfortunately, he received a rear-wheel puncture and lost two positions. Luis Outeiro was second place and I am very happy for him. I am sure that he felt a lot of pressure – he had a big fan club here. It was the first time that he has dealt with that situation.

“I was pleased with everyone, as they all did very well. We had a different winner, but it was not Andrea’s fault really. Maybe he rode over a rock and did not know it? That was sad to see, but it was fantastic that Anton was awarded the win for being the first guy over the line. That is what it is all about.”