Christian Vidal: My only goal is to win the championship

Yesterday, at the end of the second Superbike race, the third race of the European Junior Cup was held, the one-make cup contested with the KTM Duke 690, which has no fewer than 23 participants, of whom seven are Spanish, and which until yesterday also had Christian Vidal as its leader. We were able to talk with him on Saturday after the timed practice sessions.

The rider from Mallorca explained to us what this championship is like, very different both in organisation and in the type of bike used from the one he rode last year, the Kawasaki Ninja Cup under the umbrella of the Spanish Speed Championship. This is what he told us:

Last year you raced in the Ninja Cup within the CEV, and among other results, you got a podium in Albacete. What made you decide to race in the European Junior Cup and not stay in the CEV?

Christian Vidal: The main reason is that this cup is cheaper, since we cover the costs ourselves. On the other hand, the result in the Kawasaki cup doesn’t matter much, because even if you finish first you get no prize. In this championship, if you finish first, the prize is racing next year in Superstock 600. That was really the main reason we decided to change category. Logically, the Ninja Cup bike was the better bike, but our idea in this championship is to win it so that we can go back to competing with 600s in this European series that runs alongside the Superbikes.

What differences are there between the standard KTM Duke and the one you use in this European Junior Cup?

CV: The only difference is the exhaust, which is completely different. The handlebar is also flatter, and you notice it a bit because the bike is very tall and doesn’t feel like a racing bike. We also run slick tyres. Everything else is the same, standard.

If you manage to win the championship and move up to Superstock 600, is your aim to stay in this championship in the future until you reach Superbikes, or do you have in mind returning to a championship like the CEV, riding Moto2 or Stock Extreme?

CV: My idea is to stay in this World Championship. If I do well in the 600s I’ll move up to Superstock 1000, and if I do well there too, I’d look for a place in the World Supersport Championship.

You train with Lorenzo Competición in Palma de Mallorca. How has that school’s method helped you improve your riding and develop as a rider?

CV: Before I was with Chicho, I was a very inconsistent rider. I could go very fast but I also crashed a lot. I had many problems with crashes. Since I’ve followed the method I’ve become a more consistent rider; race after race my results kept improving, which has helped me a lot, because even without being at the front of the championship I was able to finish fifth overall, with just one good result. And in this championship, after two races (Monza was cancelled), we’re first in the standings. What I’ve noticed most is how consistently I get results. I’ve also improved on crashing, since since I’ve been with him I’ve crashed only three times, when before I was crashing around eight times a year. And this year, touch wood, I haven’t crashed yet. Before I was much more reckless, and now I’m more focused when it comes to setting my lines.

Tomorrow you’ll start sixth on the grid, since you had some trouble with a rider who wasn’t as clean as he should have been. How are you planning the race?

CV: The problem with these races is that they’re very short, we only do 8 or 6 laps. Tomorrow it’ll be 8, and you can’t afford mistakes because the race is so constrained. The idea is to get off the line very aggressively into the first corner and try to get in ahead of them, so they move aside to avoid the contact that always happens. I don’t usually get involved in this kind of trouble; in the previous race I preferred to go around the outside and pass them one by one, but in this race I’m going to be a bit more aggressive to go for the win. I’m putting the championship on the line, and staying in the lead is very important, because if it rains I’m at a disadvantage compared with the other riders, especially the foreign ones.

So with so much parity, is it common to have to throw your elbows out to make a gap for yourself?

CV: I normally never do it, I’ve always been very fair, but that’s no longer enough, given what they’re doing to me and that I’m fighting for the championship. In the previous race they elbowed me seven times and I had to put up with it, but after what I saw in practice, where they didn’t even let me do a single lap just to find my own rhythm, I’ve decided to change my mindset for tomorrow’s race and try to win. If they don’t eat you alive, there are only six races left, counting this one.

Good luck for tomorrow’s race, and in your search for a sponsor who can keep helping you fulfil your dream.

CV: Thank you very much, and let’s see if we meet on the podium tomorrow.

Finally, and in a very entertaining and interesting race, two groups formed: one with the Austrian Lukas Wimmer and the Spaniard Javier Orellana, and another with Gastón García and Christian Vidal himself, who didn’t get away as well as he expected and had to fight back from his sixth place on the grid.

Wimmer dominated practically all eight laps, but made a rookie mistake by coming back onto the track before the finish line to celebrate the win, and was overtaken by just 0.040 thousandths by Orellana, who had tucked in behind him on his KTM. In the end it was Gastón who joined them on the podium, Vidal being unable to pass him on the finish line, and he finished off the podium by just 0.029 thousandths.

With these results, the standings are now led by Javier Orellana with 46 points, one more than Lukas Wimmer. Christian Vidal drops to third with 39 points. Gastón García is 7th, while Miguel Aranda is 19th and Sergio Manzaneque 21st.

Photos | David Gómez (Plusmoto) and worldsbk.com