Source: Tom Hobbs; Honda Racing
Barcia crowned 'King of Bercy'
Taking two of the three main events in the International Open class of the 28th annual Bercy Supercross was just enough for GEICO Powersports Honda rider Justin Barcia to earn the coveted title "King of Bercy." Barcia won Friday's opener and Sunday's finale at Palais Omnisports in downtown Paris, which together with a fifth-place finish on Saturday, earned him the overall crown by one point over fellow American Kyle Chisholm.
Unlike Friday's victory when he led from start to finish, Barcia had to work a little harder Sunday. Following an unpopular tangle with a French rider in an earlier heat that put him back in the pack, Barcia had the eighth gate pick in the main event, a marked disadvantage compared to the other top contenders. But when the gate dropped he powered to the front and took the first turn by a wheel. From there he simply rode a strong and error-free race, maintaining a two-second gap on Chisholm for all 15 circuits.
Justin Barcia, Geico Powersports Honda
"We came here to have fun and fun turned into winning. To leave here as ‘King of Bercy’ is unreal. I remember when Jeremy McGrath and Jeff Emig won this deal. James Stewart won it before, so did Chad Reed and my team manager Mike Larocco. It's awesome to have my name alongside those guys in the record books. All weekend long the starts were the difference. Guys were coming at me hard and were trying to take me out in the earlier races and one of them got me. I just had to keep my cool and focus on having the best start I could in the main event. It worked out perfectly.”
