For the Grand Prix of Spain at Talavera de la Reina this weekend, the Honda Gariboldi Racing team will field two bikes once again, as Spaniard Jorge Zaragoza makes his debut alongside Tim Gajser.
Jorge Zaragoza fractured a vertebra just before the start of the season, forcing him to miss the first five races of the year. During this time, the team have fielded just one bike for Gajser, apart from at the Grand Prix of Trentino when Frenchman Sullivan Jaulin stood into make his Grand Prix debut with the team.
Since then Zaragoza has been in recovery and training, and climbed aboard the CRF250RW again two weeks before Arco, meaning he’ll have just six weeks of seat time before his home GP.
Gajser meanwhile is hoping to bounce back from a bruising round in The Netherlands, and replicate both his winning form in Arco when he took his inaugural MX2 victory and his performance in Spain last year when his gutsy fight for second place in race two captivated the crowds.
Giacomo Gariboldi, Team Principal
“I think we go back to a track which he likes very much. Hard-pack, so I think it will be good for him to go back on the podium. Also in Spain we have Jorge Zaragoza who will make his debut for us in GPs. He has been on the bike two weeks before Arco so he will make six weeks training before the race. He won’t be 100 per cent fit for sure but I’m sure it will be enough for him to race at this level. I think it will be an interesting race for the team.”
Tim Gajser, no.243
“It’s hard pack, so I like it! Last year was really good, and I really like the track, so we’ll see. Last week I raced in the Slovenian championship and won both motos, and more training. After Arco, the victory gave me more motivation to train and to push, but the result in Valkenswaard has to give you even more. It’s sport and bad weekends can happen to anyone, but it makes you want to push even harder to get back to where we should be.”
Jorge Zaragoza, no.101
“I’m really looking forward to getting on the bike and making my first Grand Prix with Honda Gariboldi. To make my comeback at home with the Spanish fans will be something really special and I just want to get my season started.”