VRD Igol Experiences did everything they could to get to the end of the 6 Hours of Most. It wasn’t enough for them to finish as classified in the final race of the 2021 FIM Endurance world championship, but their determination won Yannick Lucot’s team the Anthony Delhalle EWC Spirit Trophy.
When they got to Most for the final of the 2021 FIM EWC, VRD Igol Experiences were the only team still in a position to compete with Yoshimura SERT Motul for the title.
As in the other races of the season, VRD Igol Experiences followed their race strategy, which took them to 7th place just behind the factory teams. The strategy had enabled them to be in 2nd place overall in the provisional standings. But a mechanical issue with the Yamaha 333 – the first this season – wiped out the efforts of Florian Alt, Florian Marino and Nico Terol four hours into the race in the Czech Republic. The engine failure put paid to their chances of winning the FIM Endurance runner-up spot.
Rather than throw in the towel, Yannick Lucot’s team made a last-ditch effort. With the engine not working, Florian Alt undertook to push the bike for an entire lap in order to cross the finish line at 5pm, be classified and collect a few important FIM EWC championship points.
Florian Alt did indeed cross the finish line of the 6 Hours of Most, but VRD Igol Experiences had not completed enough laps to be classified. The rules state that a team has to complete 75% of the laps done by the winner. BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team, the winner at Most, did 215 laps. VRD Igol Experiences needed another 14 laps to finish as classified.
Their determination to get to the finish of the 6 Hours of Most, whatever it took, won VRD Igol Experiences the Anthony Delhalle EWC Spirit Trophy.
VRD Igol Experiences also deserve credit for their progress in the world rankings. For their third season in the FIM Endurance world championship, Yannick Lucot’s team finished 4th in the overall standings.
The Anthony Delhalle EWC Spirit Trophy is awarded by a jury at every FIM EWC race in memory of the sporting spirit of Anthony Delhalle, the Suzuki Endurance Racing Team rider who passed away in March 2017.
Original Source [ FIM EWC ]
