The 10-lap race was declared wet, meaning the 16 R3 bLU cRU riders had to start with identical Pirelli SCR1 rain tyres on the Dutch track, which was registered at a chilly 16 degrees Celsius. Polesitter Mario Salles took the holeshot into the first turns, but Cameron Swain stayed close and was able to make a couple of passes on the Brazilian. Unlike Barcelona where Gonzalo Sanchez took a huge advantage over the field, the riders remained tightly packed. By the second lap of the race the sun was out and Swain started to lose his feeling with the wet tyres, dropping a few places, while others felt more comfortable with the drying track. Salles saw his chance to make a break and pulled seven tenths of a second on his rivals, but Takumi Takahashi, Eduardo Burr, Dawid Nowak and Sanchez were all climbing up the standings.
The race was thrown wide open with five laps to go when the charging Salles and Sanchez collided at Turn 15. Both riders went to the medical centre, with Salles suffering contusions to his ankle and arm and Sanchez reporting leg pain.
The crash was deemed a racing incident with no further action taken and both riders are expected to take the start in Sunday’s Race 2.
The red flag was shown shortly after the incident, and with two-thirds distance having been completed the result was declared. Using his experience and cool-headed approach Vich had climbed into the lead during the drama and he took his first victory of the season. Japanese rookie Takahashi slotted into a superb second and Nowak completed the podium in third.
The Netherlands’ Indi Schunselaar scored points at home in tenth.
Race 2 will take place at 11:50 CET on Sunday April 21st and you can watch it LIVEright HERE
Marc Vich, Race 1 Winner
“I didn’t know if I could get a victory here, before the race I checked my phone and it looked like it wasn’t going to rain much during the race and we had to start with wet tyres. I knew if I pushed in those early laps the tyres could get a bit worn out, so I waited carefully and when I saw the other riders dropping back, I began to push and kept a good rhythm until the end. I’m happy to win, but I would much prefer to win seeing the chequered flag and not the red flag. Tomorrow looks less wet, and I have some confidence knowing that I won even in the tough conditions today.”
