Last weekend was the 3rd round of French Super Bikes. It was held in the South of France at the roller coaster circuit Ledenon, without a doubt being the most challenging circuit on the FSBK calendar. Scorching sunshine on the menu for the entire weekend adding a extra element to the already demanding task ahead.

FP1: Kyle used this session to relearn the track as only previously been to the circuit once in 2022 and FP2 got down to business with a 1 min 32.4 lap time resulting in being 3rd on the time sheets. In FP3 he showed further improvement setting a time of 1.31.8, a time under the lap record however finishing in P4 showed how much the competition had risen in 2023.

Qualifying would take place at the hottest time of day, 4pm, where the temperature had risen up to a little over 30 degree’s but a solid time of 1.31.9 early in the session would secure P3 leaving Kyle in a great position to battle for his first podium of the season.

Race 1 (15 Laps) got underway at the cooler time of 9.50am. Kyle got a strong start and for the first few laps held strong behind the leaders in 3rd, however a small mistake lead to him a second or so, retaining third position. Pushing hard for the next 12 laps was difficult as he was not able to catch the front group yet still pushing to the maximum due to riders chasing him from behind. Despite not being the most exiting race he stayed consistent finishing the race in P3, a great result and just a few seconds behind the winner.

Race 2 (15 Laps) Not a cloud in the sky and sun beating down on the riders whilst they wait for the lights to get under way. Another strong start and Kyle was quickly on the rear wheel of P2, a lap later and a perfectly excited move and Kyle found himself in P2. Kyle pushed hard lap after lap but the gap to P1 remained constant with both pilots lapping almost a second slower than race 1 due to the increased track temperature. With 2 laps to go, the rider in P3 had good late pace and was in pursuit, closing the gap to Kyle, however Kyle stayed focused and used the information on his pit board to ensure a solid last lap to secure P2 and his best result of the season.

Now Kyle has 2 days rest before heading to the South of Spain “Jerez” for RD 3 of the European Talent cup.