TOM VIALLE GRIT-225 250MX

TOM VIALLE | GRIT-225 | 250MX

KTM's Tom Vialle was reaching a new level in regard to his speed in the United States, and the mentality of the French rider was full of confidence as practice began in Michigan for round five of the AMA Pro Motocross Championship. Eventually climbing as high as seventh in practice, there would be little to deter the outright speed of the former MXGP standout as gate(s)s fell for the opening segment of 250cc classification. He would be just behind Ryder DiFrancesco in the initial moments of the first moto, where they would reside (via third and fourth-place positions) for round four minutes of competition, when they approached the finish-line tabletop. It was then, when Vialle would begin the split-lane(d) switchback on the outside, and launched over the latter roller (believing) that Ryder would stay within the left side of the final corner...but there was a bit of miscommunication between the two opponents, as they accidentally jumped into one another when leaping into the finish-line face - sending them scattered in both directions, and off of their motorcycles! It was then a race to see who could climb aboard their machine(s) the fastest, with Vialle then beginning his march forward from (roughly) the ninth-place position. Though the battle between he and opponents like Jett Reynolds would be intense, but Vialle was holding his own amongst foreign soil while surging past the halfway point. Vialle's lap-times reflected that he was on a solid trajectory, and with passing Daxton Bennick in the closing moments, the KTM rider eventually was finalized in ninth prior to exiting the raceway. There was little time to waste prior to beginning the second moto though, and as the gate(s) eventually fell for the final battle of the afternoon, it was Vialle who quickly worked his way into a third-place position. He was steadfast behind Haiden Deegan at this point, where for fourteen laps, he remained focused on the rear wheel of the Yamaha rider! Nothing could stand in his way, but as they began to near the end of the moto, it was apparent that Vialle was finding quite the flow on this rutted Red Bud circuit; so much so, that Deegan began to notice and hear the engine of the KTM rider! It would be on the outside line of the initial downhill in the Pro Section, where Vialle's aggressive instincts would surpass that of the Yamaha rider - where a seemingly never-ending charge would allow him to emerge second, as he pummeled braking bumps on his KTM motorcycle! The determination was incredible by the French rider, and eventually allowed him to obtain second as the checkered flag waved; which granted him fourth overall, in the final standings!

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