Add Tom Vialle to the record books as a winner in Monster Energy AMA Supercross, as the French Red Bull KTM rider rolled to a commanding win at Daytona on Saturday night. Vialle mentioned early in the evening that the rainy and sandy conditions felt familiar to his days training in Europe, and that experience certainly showed.
The bigger question is, following a third-place finish last weekend at AT&T Stadium in Texas and this victory, is Vialle ready to win on a more traditional supercross track? He's looking forward to finding out that answer himself.
Tom, brilliant run here in Daytona getting it done. You had to work for it too and, battle Cameron McAdoo for the lead which you did, and you were able to pull it off. Do you think that the track conditions were similar to what you've dealt with in Europe, in your, in your races over there?
Tom Vialle: I mean, it was pretty tough. I started like around eighth or sixth and then I passed pretty quickly and I was behind Cameron, and he was riding pretty good. So I tried to stay in it and he actually did a mistake in the rhythm. That’s where I could pass him. But, yeah, the track was kind of sandy. I didn't feel so good in the heat race. But, somehow, like in the main event, I rode pretty well and when I passed [for] first it was pretty nice and I just had a clear track and I could ride my own lines.
Before the Detroit opener, we kind of talked about last year being such a learning experience, everything from the race, the schedule, the track, the environment, everything. Just talk us through how have things changed for you in your second year?
Yeah, you know, last year was only my first year and it was pretty tough. To be honest, I kind of struggled a little bit and I feel way more safer on the bike, I would say. I kind of enjoyed riding supercross way more this year. Today was supercross but not really. So I wanna go back to a normal supercross and see what we can do. I got P3 last weekend, but I wanna fight like for the win on, let's say on a normal supercross. That's really my goal for the next weekend.
I think last year here, if I'm not mistaken, you had a good start, but you kind of crashed out early. Did you do anything different? Like bike setting wise, training, anything different or was it just that you've just grown as a rider from last year's race here?
Yeah, I mean, I got my experience, of course, on the track but it was way different than last year. This year was way more sandy and it was kind of more like an outdoor track. Last year I think I had a shot and I crashed like, two or three laps in or something. I just had a way better year this year and I'm pretty happy to do it.
I think you and Cameron [McAdoo] didn't do the sight lap, right? Just walk me through that process.
I mean, I didn't really get a great start. Actually, I think Cameron was a little bit better than me. But I just didn't wanna get my tire dirty and I didn't wanna slide on the gate. They fixed actually a little bit of the track, so actually the first lap wasn't too bad.
Did you do anything you change anything from the heat race to increase the speed or was it kind of the same and you just had different results?
No, the bike was the same. Each race the track was way different. It was a little bit faster, but I feel like it was way more muddy [for the heat]. They kind of spread the [dirt around] track and all the dirt and the mud was on the track. By the main it was more like, more like slow. So I kind of like when it was slower and more technical the track. So I didn't change anything. I just actually felt the best all day doing the main.
With a third and a first, you've got an average finish of second over the last two weeks. You take out the Detroit thing and you are now in the points battle. Has that set in yet? What’s the momentum carrying forward?
Yeah, of course. I mean, after the, the crash in Detroit, it was nice to be back on the podium. But the championship is still long. I think we are pretty tight. So it's nice to be kind of back [in it] and we're gonna keep on training and keep on fighting for the rest of the races.
