Source: Team Gardner Racing.

Remy Gardner stepped on the podium for the first time this season, in round five of the CEV Buckler at Albacete Circuit. He fought hard for every single one of Sunday’s 19 laps to take third, in a nail biting finish to the end.

“I wanted that podium so much today,” said an elated Remy. “I wanted it for my fantastic team [Calvo], my family, and all the people who have helped me so much over the past few months.

“My fitness trainer Edu was here all weekend, and Randy and Dakota Mamola have been really supportive and helpful to get my head to a more organised place. I know I couldn’t have achieved this result today without the support of all these people and I can’t thank them enough.”

After qualifying on the second row in sixth place, Remy was well aware of the incredibly competitive field in front and behind him on the grid, and wanted to get a good start and pull away with the lead riders. He got caught up in a group of around eight riders in the first corner, and so he had a task ahead.

Taking his time and focussing his energy, Remy finally worked his way toward the front of this group, which included two of his teammates, Nicolo Bulega and Marcos Ramirez. Remy then started battling hard for fourth place, then finally third place.

“I didn’t have the power of some of the other bikes I was fighting with, so it was really hard work to keep that third place for the last five or six laps,” he added. “I kept loosing it on the straights and then had to fight hard to get back in front.

“On the last lap Manzi and Migno passed me down the straight putting me in fifth, and I knew I was going to have a fight on my hands for the podium. I firstly passed Manzi on the fourth corner under extreme breaking, and tried to pass Migno before the back straight to slip- stream him, but I couldn’t do it. I wasn’t going to give up though, because there were still some corners left.

“On the last corner Migno went a little wide on the entry, and so I shoved it up the inside to make it over the line just in front of both Manzi and Migno. It was really emotional for me after all the help I’ve been getting from everyone around me lately, and I was so happy to finally stand on the CEV podium,” Remy said.

The list of top 15 riders demonstrates the truly international flavour of the CEV Buckler, with competitors from Spain, France, Australia, Italy, Great Britain, Japan, Belgium and Malaysia.