TOM VIALLE GRIT-231 250MX

TOM VIALLE | GRIT-231 | 250MX

KTM's Tom Vialle aspired to rekindle his ways of victory, as we'd seen with glimpses of his riding style thus far amongst his campaign throughout the United States. The number 128 was extremely talented and would again compete for a top-tier position while working alongside Marvin Musquin, at the Ironman National. Following a solid practice effort, Vialle's leap from the initial launchpad would be stellar - where he immediately moved into a runner-up position after scrubbing the tunnel jump before the largest elevation change. Once into second, Tom would seek to overtake the number seventy-five of Ryder DiFrancesco, who held the lead for nearly the first ten minutes of action. However it was an out-powering maneuver amongst the rollers (beneath the catwalk) in which Vialle lessened his airtime to the inside, and made the pass on Ryder D. Now into the lead, the number 128 would maintain the first-place designation for a brief while before being pursued by Jo Shimoda. The French rider corralled the lead position until the halfway point, where Shimoda would sweep from outside to inside amongst the switchback section, pushing the KTM rider into a second-place standing. He would hold the runner-up registry before being passed by Haiden Deegan on lap ten - competing with the rookie for as long as possible, while managing the gap over Kawasaki's Austin Forkner. Vialle would flourish amongst the ruts of this Crawfordsville circuit, and as Seth Hammaker and Forkner would quarrel over a position behind him, Vialle was focused on nothing but the racetrack ahead of him. With only a few seconds separating he and Haiden Deegan, it would be a rather close pursuit between the two adversaries while contesting for the checkered flag...but ultimately Vialle was cemented in third, prior to exiting the raceway. Not long thereafter, would the second moto of the afternoon begin, with Tom Vialle being listened in an eighth-place residency to begin the segment. He would pass both, Jalek Swoll and Haiden Deegan prior to the second circuit concluding, indicating that the French rider was on a promising trajectory to begin this latter afternoon quest. Occupying fifth by lap four, he had also passed a fellow KTM rider (i.e. rookie Julien Beaumer) and sought to then surpass Justin Cooper if possible. But the championship contender was riding extremely well, and after pacing the Yamaha combatant, it would be Ryder DiFrancesco who was next to be overtaken. The Kawasaki rider was surpassed, which preceded an unfortunate mistake on behalf of Levi Kitchen - which resulted in a third-place standing being secured by the eleventh circuit. However, a hard-charging effort on behalf of Deegan in the closing moments, would propel the rookie ahead of the number 128 once and for all...leaving Vialle for fourth, when passing the checkered flag. Nevertheless, a solid effort was displayed on behalf of the Frenchman - generating another overall podium performance, prior to heading into the SMX playoffs.

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