
Like some of the stereotypical aspects of Switzerland the fifteenth round of nineteen of 2017 MXGP at Frauenfeld demanded clockwork precision and provided some actions scenes that were delectable as the country’s famous chocolate. For the second year in a row this ram-packed fixture on the Grand Prix slate was another sterling and memorable occurrence and was stamped by a noisy 40,000 attendance and hot sunshine. On this fantastic stage Kemea Yamaha’s Benoit Paturel broke the floodgates by securing his first ever Grand Prix win in the MX2 class.
Scarred, jagged and forcing a committed approach, Frauenfeld was as technical as they come and mixed some speedy sections with big jumps; a recipe for racing that the fans wedged into the grandstand seating thrived on. The vibe reached fever pitch as local heroes Jeremy Seewer and Arnaud Tonus won the first MX2 and MXGP races respectively.
Friday’s heavy rainfall helped contribute to the testing surface but the dirt ripples were an invitation to the determination and skills of Paturel who burned months of frustation and inconsistencies to run second to Seewer and then win a close contest with Thomas Covington to claim the chequered flag and overall honours.