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Mark Watson Takes European Quadcross Win in Cingolio, Italy
2010 Goldspeed Quad European Championship - Round 3 - Cingoli - May 16,2010

Mark Watson - KTM 505SX ATV Team  KTM UK - Desertmartin

#85 Mark Watson took the win in Cingoli

United Kingdom (5/19/2010) - Mark Watson made the 2700 mile round trip from his Alston base to the Italian province of Macerata well worth the effort at the weekend, taking his maiden race win at round three of the 2010 GOLDSPEED EMX Quad European Championship in Cingoli.

Promoted by Moto Club “A. Fagioli” at the superb “B. Tittoni” circuit on the outskirts of the picture perfect town, the event was given a reprieve from the incessant rain and fog which had prevented any practice and qualifying sessions on Saturday, but which had left the circuit in a less than optimum condition for racing on Sunday.

Mark Watson - KTM 505SX ATV Team  KTM UK - Desertmartin

Mark Watson enroute to his 1st overall for the day

With practice limited to just one forty minute qualifying session on Sunday morning, Watson quickly showed that he had the circuit dialled in on the D3 DWT Motoworks KTM, posting a qualifying time that gave him 5th pick of gate with just 1.7 seconds splitting the top five. A superb start to the opening of the three twenty-five minute plus two-lap motos saw Watson slot in to 2nd around the first corner before moving in to the lead halfway around the lap, gradually pulling away from the ensuing pack to take the chequered flag for his first ever European race win by a comfortable nine second margin.

Gating just inside the top five for the start of the second heat, Watson quickly began to make his way towards the front despite the circuit having dried out win one racing line, settling in to 3rd by the end of the opening lap and moving up to 2nd three laps in. Setting a blistering pace as he chased down the leader, Watson closed the gap and was challenging for position at half distance when he got pushed off the racing line and in to the deep mud at the side of the circuit, dropping to 9th as he got underway. Quickly getting back up to speed and reeling in the riders in front, Watson moved in to 8th with one lap to go to take the chequered flag after thirty-two action packed minutes for thirteen hard-fought points.

Mark Watson - KTM 505SX ATV Team  KTM UK - Desertmartin

Watson did not have a good final heat of the day with a broken axle but he still moved up to 9th in the points chase and is very hopeful for a win in Poland

After a poor start by his standards for the final heat of the day saw him gate just outside the top ten, Watson quickly found his rhythm around the 1.1 mile hillside circuit and began to pick his way through the pack, moving up to 8th after three laps before slotting in to 7th as the race approached the fifteen minute mark. Now involved in a five rider battle for position and circulating at a furious pace, Watson made his move on one of the uphill doubles scattered around the spectacular circuit only to have his axle break on landing, Watson’s day prematurely but with enough points in the bag to take 9th overall on the day and promote him one position in the series to 9th.

“It’s been a bittersweet day for me” commented a disappointed Watson afterwards, “I’m overjoyed with the first race result and taking my first European race win, but I know that I was a strong contender for the overall win. With all the rain that we had the track ended up drying out in one line around most of it with deep mud at the sides that could suck you in, and while battling for the lead in the second heat I got pushed in to the loose stuff and lost a lot of places. I got a poor start in the last one, but I was lapping quicker than any of the other riders in the group that I was in and was able to use a few new lines to pass, the axle breaking is just one of those things that you cannot factor in but is still a bitter pill to swallow. I know that my speed is really good and with the D3 DWT Motoworks KTM working really well I know that an overall win is within my grasp, so for now I’ll re-focus on preparations for Poland and round 4 at the beginning of June where I’ll be aiming to take my first overall win.”

2010 Goldspeed EMX Quad European Championship ATV Results
  • Race One
  • 1st – Mark Watson D3 DWT Motoworks KTM
  • 2nd – Matthieu Ternynck
  • 3rd – Nicola Montalbini
  • 4th – Romain Couprie
  • 5th – Jason Macbeth
  • Race Two
  • 1st – Nicola Montalbini
  • 2nd – Davy Brems
  • 3rd – Matthieu Ternynck
  • 4th – Jason Macbeth
  • 5th – Paul Holmes
  • 8th – Mark Watson D3 DWT Motoworks KTM
  • Race Three
  • 1st – Nicola Montalbini
  • 2nd – Romain Couprie
  • 3rd – Matthieu Ternynck
  • 4th – Paul Holmes
  • 5th – Jason Macbeth
2010 Goldspeed EMX Quad European Championship ATV Points
  • 1st – Romain Couprie 194
  • 2nd – Matthieu Ternynck 167
  • 3rd – Jason Macbeth 139
  • 4th – Joe Maessen 137
  • 5th – Jan Vlaeymans 132
  • 9th – Mark Watson

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