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Typically hot, humid and sticky conditions
greeted the 125cc class on the grid at Sepang. The two men fighting
for the title, teammates Hector Faubel and Gabor Talmacsi started
the race from grid positions one and two. The race would surely
provide some real insight into how the championship would fall come
the finale at Valencia in two weeks time.
None of the riders currently competing in the 125cc class had won
previously in Malaysia. Faubel would be a strong bet, having
finished on the podium 8 times in the last 10 races having failed to
finish in the other two races in this period.
Away from the line and Pol Espargaro led the field from fourth place
down the straight, however he went in way to hot at turn one and ran
wide, relinquishing the lead to Pasini, followed closely by Simone
Corsi. Michael Ranseder crashed out of the race during the first
lap. Bradley Smith made a brilliant start from 15th to be riding in
eighth place early on.
Talmacsi and Faubel quickly restored order and made their way to the
front of the pack by the end of the first lap. Talmacsi was pushing
hard early, trying to break the field, something not easily achieved
in the ultra close, slip-streaming 125cc class.
Talmacsi’s effort wasn’t bearing much fruit, as Faubel behind him
was setting fastest laps of the race. Talmacsi could win the world
title here in Malaysia if he won the race and
Hector Faubel failed to finish in the top fifteen; this however was
an unlikely scenario.
A bit of a skirmish between Faubel and Pasini in third, resulted in
Pasini moving to second and allowed Talmacsi to pull a slight gap at
the front. Talmacsi was looking strong, edging his lead out
regularly to around two seconds with 15 laps to run. Faubel was
floundering in third while trying to find a way back past Pasini.
Pasini was clearly holding Faubel up as Talmacsi continued to set
fastest lap after fastest lap and continued to extend his lead at
the front. Meanwhile Corsi and Cortese began to close in on Faubel
in third.
Corsi demoted Faubel further down the order with 13 laps to
complete, the Spaniard, only one point behind his teammate Talmacsi
in the championship standings, really had his hands full at this
early stage of the race.
Corsi continued his charge and moved into second past his countryman
Pasini with 12 laps to go. A freight train had built up behind
Pasini consisting of Faubel, Cortese, Olive and Koyama. Talmacsi was
having no such worries at the front, some four seconds clear and had
no one to slow him down or rattle his cage.
With 10 laps to go the order of the top 10 was being headed by
Talmacsi by over five seconds from Olive, Pasini, Corsi, Faubel,
Cortese, Koyama and Gadea with another gap back to Espargaro and
Pesek.
The battle for second was extremely lively and heated. It would
prove be Hector Faubel’s worst nightmare as he had to deal with the
aggressive riding of the likes of Corsi and Olive while trying to
regain ground on his title rival Talmacsi at the front.
Positions in the chasing pack of seven riders were chopping and
changing regularly with the likes of Corsi, Olive and Pasini all
taking turns at setting the pace at the front. Talmacsi was now
eight seconds clear with eight laps to go; victory was all but
ensured, barring disaster.
The dicing in the fight for second was spectacular stuff, passes
being made at every twist and turn of the technical Sepang circuit.
Talmacsi, who was not involved in the fierce scrapping, was clearly
quicker than the rest, his gap now extended to over nine seconds.
Olive was looking strong in second, after starting from 10th; he was
having a brilliant ride. Olive’s teammate Pasini was tucked in right
behind him in third with Faubel another few tenths further back in
fourth. Behind Faubel was ‘the human wrecking-ball’ Simone Corsi,
whose presence would surely make Faubel nervous.
Meanwhile Espargaro and Pesek had latched onto the lead group at the
front, turning it into a fight between nine bikes, typical 125cc
madness taking place all over the Malaysian circuit.
Pol Espargaro, who was pushing hard to make progress through the
pack, crashed out of the race with four laps remaining, clearly
pushing it just a bit too hard.
Tomoyoshi Koyama had ridden a brilliant race after pacing himself
early on he was now running in fourth place in the closing laps and
looked a real threat for the podium places.
With three laps to run Talmacsi was home and hosed, Faubel was
perched at the front of the typical 125 freight train in second from
Olive, Koyama, Gadea, Pasini, Corsi, Cortese and Pesek was brining
up the rear of the group in ninth.
Olive and Koyama relegated Faubel to fourth place heading onto the
penultimate lap; the Spaniard would be desperate to regain the
positions to limit his point’s loss to Talmacsi at the front.
Koyama moved into second place past Olive over the course of the
penultimate lap, the Japanese KTM pilot had timed his race to
perfection. Onto the last lap and Talmacsi would cruise home to
victory by some eight seconds. The fireworks behind him though were
about to ignite.
Koyama had established a gap in second leaving the others to fight
for third and the final podium place. Faubel took over in third from
Olive early on the final lap and looked to set after Koyama in
second; however the Japanese rider’s gap looked pretty safe.
The best Faubel could now hope for was maintaining third place, he
was doing everything in his power to hold off the fiery competitors
behind him.
Talmacsi predictably took the checkered flag by seven seconds from
Koyama in second with Faubel able to cross the line in third. The
top ten was completed by Olive, Gadea, Pesek, Corsi, Pasini, Smith
and Masbou.
With his supreme and comprehensive win, Talmacsi extended his
championship lead from one point to ten. The title decider would now
take place in two weeks time at Faubel’s home track of Valencia,
Spain. Anything would be possible in the final race and would surely
prove to be a real nail biter.
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