Pic: MotoX Addicts |
With all the unpredictability in the Supercross of late, Ryan Villopoto delivered a dose of the familiar with a confident win for round 3 of the 2013 Monster Energy Supercross Championship at Anaheim II.
The race started with a holeshot from Jake Weimer, chased by last weekends winner, Justin Barcia. However, an uncomfortable landing in the rhythm section sees Barcia taking fall back through the field. His fate was sealed in lap 4 after casing the triple and smashing his face badly on the handlebars. A face filled covered in blood means a very understandable trip to the medical unit.
Before the end of lap 4, Trey Canard is leading the race, followed by Millsaps who is clearly trying to prove that his performance at the very start of the season was no fluke.
By lap 5, a hard-charging Poto storms past Millsaps with an aggressive pass and has hunted down Canard by lap 6. Even though RV steams into the lead, everyone is still got huge respect for Canard, who, this time last year, broke him back in an accident that still turns our stomach when we watch it. If he could finish on the podium then that would still be an incredible achievement.
By lap 12, Villopoto has extended his lead to nearly 7 seconds, with Millsaps and Reed duking it out for 3rd. Although Reed snatches the position on lap 15, Millsaps quickly reclaims it back only to slide out on a corner before the end of lap 17, gifting a podium place Chad Reed.
While this is going on, the much-maligned James Stewart falls on a corner where he cant put his busted knee out for support. He will eventually finish down in 12th.
There are no last minute changes over the final few laps. Canard stops RV from extend his lead any further to keep second and Chad Reed finishes 3rd in front of Millsaps who will still hang onto the red plate in Oakland thanks to a slender 3 point lead on the championship table.