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We all know how mental of an athlete Christophe Pourcel is, and this weekend reiterated our way of thinking towards the Frenchman. A seventeeth place start in the first moto saw the Husqvarna rider appearing to daydream of ratatouille and baguettes, rather than focusing on line choice and gain- ing ground. Working through midpack, the tearoffs continued to fly, as he tried to dodge as much
of the California roost as he could. An unfortunate mistake on lap 5 would show him plummeting to bottom of the field, and finish 29th. Christophe decided to play for keeps in moto two, with his top five start showcasing his business like mentality for the laps that ensued. Swapping paint with Justin Barcia, he quickly moved into third place and began to zone in on the two front-runners. Appearing as though the Husqvarna had an auto-pilot setting, Pourcel searched feverishly for the smoothest line around the shadow- spotted race track; but was unfortunately overtaken by Trey Canard when doing so, sending himself back to fourth and in battle with his teammate. With Anderson nipping at his heels and applying a crushing amount of pressure, the Frenchman would surrender as well to his fellow brother in arms. However, the sliding of positions would come to a halt here, as Pourcel would remain near the sixth position for the rest of the moto’s entirety. Finishing a remarkable, seventh (thirteenth overall), the Husqvarna team has high hopes for the former champion, and looks to propel forward in the following weeks.
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