This week we want to keep you up to date with what’s happening here at Gas Gas. And have we got great news for you! News from both the factory and from our riders, who have already started to spread our enthusiasm in their respective national championships in Spain, Italy, Germany and the rest of Europe. This enthusiasm only adds to our satisfaction of the fact that we are achieving our objectives in our renovated factory in Salt. Yes, you’ve guessed it, our production plans are going ahead as proposed, and by the end of March, the first Gas Gas machines are going to be rolling of the production line. We feel a great sense of pride. We’re going places!
The truth is that we are still working hard, really hard. In fact, nearly all of you have had the chance to see what are going to be our new models for 2017, thanks to the Press Kits for the new Gas Gas TXT 300 Racing and Gas Gas EC 300 Racing. You’ve seen them, and they’re looking gorgeous!
Our factory and offices are buzzing with activity. In the last few days we’ve had meetings with our importer in France, Fred Forjeaud and with our importer in Germany, Ronald Mäerz. We are so pleased to see them again! Our importers are our ambassadors!
This week, John Shirt, Gas Gas Trial importer for the UK, paid us a visit and has just been re-named Enduro importer. Well done John and good luck! We would like to take this opportunity to thank our previous importer, Dean Clements of Clements Motor UK, for his hard work and professionalism.
On the other hand, as we have already mentioned, our riders are bringing us great news from their respective countries. Most of the national competitions are under way. In Spain, Arnau Farré stepped onto the TR1 podium, the category for the very greatest trial masters. The young rider from Vilanova del Segrià in the north east of Spain is making gigantic strides as is his teammate Marc Riba who took third place on the podium and is now in second place in the Spanish TR2 Trial Championships where two rounds have already been disputed. The Valencian,Víctor Palomares, supported by Gas Gas in the National Championships, rounded off a good weekend for our riders with a fourth position in TR2.
The trial competitions started in Mallorca and in Antas, Almería, Jonathan Barragán and Diogo Ventura were doing the same with Enduro in a complicated opening round, characterised by rocks and dust. The current Spanish Enduro champion finished third in the topmost category. Jonathan is so competitive that only victory is good enough for him. But we can tell him to relax. We know that he will get there soon as this is just the beginning. Diogo came fourth in E2. And we can say the same to the Portuguese rider too. We know that all the hard work from the Gas Gas Factory Pons Team and all the team members will be rewarded with good results in the near future.
We have also received excellent news further from our shores. The young Franz Kadlec has given us reason to celebrate with a magnificent second place in the Bielefeld Indoor Trial. The British rider Mike Brown, who was there too, achieved a sixth place after his complete recovery from a serious knee injury suffered at last year’s Japanese GP, which of course is a great relief to all of us.
Matteo Grattarola put on a great performance in the ‘Due Giorni Della Brianza’. A fresh victory for the Team Spea Gas Gas rider in the Italian championships, from where he already treasures six indoor and five outdoor titles. What a champ! And the good news just keeps on coming Matteo! And we mustn’t forget to congratulate Claudio Favro for his part in the good work.
And last but by no means least, a victory and third position for Sam Haslam and Alexz Wigg, first and third classifications in the first round of the ‘S3 Parts ACU National Trials Championship’ in the UK. We just love to see the red gear of the riders from JST Gas Gas on the podium. Great work by Shirty’s boys in the UK!