Kallio second at Le Mans despite wrong choice of tyres

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Poorly chosen tyres prevented Mika Kallio from producing his second consecutive win in the 125 cc class of the Road Racing World Championship.
     
"Our engine troubles are over, and I now have the fastest bike in the field", Kallio commented over the phone from Le Mans, France, where the season's fifth Grand Prix event took place on Sunday.
      "However, we made a mistake when choosing the tyres. After the morning rain we resorted to profiled intermediate tyres, but the track dried surprisingly fast in the sun", Kallio reported. Most other front-row riders took a slight risk and started the race with slick dry-weather tyres.
     
Kallio, who started sixth on the grid, got a dream start and immediately took the lead. "Simultaneously I noticed that our tyre choice was way wrong. While the track kept getting drier, I thought that I might as well say goodbye to any hopes of a podium finish today", Kallio explained.
      But the damp start of the race also meant that many of Kallio's rivals slid out and had to retire from the race. Italian Mattia Pasini, who started from pole position, was among the early fallers.
      Kallio, in turn, had no problems staying on the track, and his Red Bull KTM managed surprisingly well against bikes with slick tyres.
      The reigning world champion Thomas Lüthi (Honda) of Switzerland and the current series leader Alvaro Bautista (Aprilia) of Spain managed to get past the Finn, but on the last lap Bautista's bike suffered a mechanical failure and he could only finish fourth. Hence by finishing in second spot behind Lüthi, Kallio managed to narrow down Bautista's lead in the championship table.
      "Luck was on our side for once", Kallio commented.
      "I also heard that Lordi won the Eurovision Song Contest for Finland, and it would have been nice to complete the weekend by producing another victory for Finland here at Le Mans as well."
     
Bautista remains in the lead in the championship standings. The Spaniard has collected 99 points to Kallio's 78.
      Kallio believes the difference will narrow down some more in two weeks' time. "The Mugello track in Italy is fast and our powerful engine will definitely benefit from that."
     
With the points earned in Le Mans, Kallio has now gathered more world championship points during his career than any other Finnish RR-rider before him. Kallio now has 567 career points, against legendary Finnish riders Teuvo Länsivuori and the late great former World Champion Jarno Saarinen, who managed to rustle up 556 and 498 points respectively.
      Kallio modestly noted that the comparison does an injustice to the earlier stars - today's bike racers score more points for winning and finishing in the top places than in the old days.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Mika Kallio takes first win of the season in Shanghai (15.5.2006)

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