Barcia gets busy for Bercy win No.2

Paris continues to thump to the sound of supercross and a full-capacity 11,000 Palais Omnisports de Bercy on Saturday night were treated to another American face-off between factory Honda team-mates Justin Barcia and Trey Canard with the all-action Barcia banging his way to victory number two in the French capital.

A harder, faster mould of dirt that threads its way at speed through the corridors of the famous Parisian venue lay in store on Saturday and Bercy rookie Canard, recovering from sickness, was full of intent to halt the rampage of his Honda nemesis. ‘The Duck’ owned the eliminator chase but conceded the Superpole award to works Kawasaki and Monster Energy star Gautier Paulin. Barcia edged the start in the main event and the two AMA supercross aces started to reel off the fifteen laps.

The Joker Lane barely separated the duo and the decisive moment of the night was a late block pass by Barcia to close Canard’s line into the finish section with two laps to run. The riders touched and Canard was momentarily sent into the barrier giving ‘51’ the break he needed for his second chequered flag on the bounce.

“I wasn’t really feeling it tonight but I get excited when I get aggressive!” said Barcia. “I just want to make sure of the deal tomorrow and get the job done.”

Andrew Short was a distant third and remembered to hit the compulsory Joker Lane (which he missed on Friday night), meaning it was a full Stars and Stripes celebration on the box. Teenager Cooper Webb defied a last corner attack by Paulin to seal fourth place on his first visit into the Bercy cauldron of noise.

The 2013 edition of Europe’s biggest Supercross extravaganza wraps on Sunday afternoon. If Canard wins then Barcia just needs to follow in second place to make sure of his second King of Bercy title.