How does Dani Pedrosa remember his first victory?

The rider from Castellar de Vallés remembers the best moments of his first victory in the Motorcycling World Championship.

·@26_DaniPedrosa “My first victory with Repsol was very special.”

The 29th of June marks 16 years since Dani Pedrosa’s first victory in a Motorcycling World Championship race. He won this race in 2002 at the Assen circuit, better known as the Cathedral of Motorcycling, in the 125cc category at just 16 years of age.

He secured his first World Championship victory with the support of Repsol, as Dani himself tells us, “My first victory with Repsol was the first of my sporting career. It was at the Assen circuit, but I had almost pulled off the victory a few weeks earlier at the Catalunya Grand Prix. I was just milliseconds away from winning, with Manuel Poggiali beating me at the finish line.”

For the Repsol Honda Team rider, winning in Assen, a difficult race due to the weather, meant he got revenge and brought the first in a long line of victories in his athletic career: “The truth is that in the Dutch Grand Prix, I got my revenge and won. It was really special, most of all because it had been a difficult day. It was cloudy and there were mixed track conditions. I remember that I started fast and was able to get away from the other riders. I was focused and determined that it was going to be my day. I was so certain that before I knew it, the race was over and I had won.“

Thankful to everyone who supported him

This first victory brought with it a great deal of happiness, particularly to those who had worked alongside the rider with so much determination at the start of his career. Dani Pedrosa remembered all of them when he was on top of the podium. “In front of me were all the people who had helped me. Ever since I was little, I had wanted to be a rider, and I remembered my family, Alberto, the sponsors… I remembered everyone who had supported me right from the start“, he stated.

Dani Pedrosa even had time to go and celebrate his victory with his friends, taking advantage of the fact that the Dutch Grand Prix was on a Saturday. “I remember it was a friend of mine’s birthday and we went to celebrate together. I’ve got some great memories of my first victory“, Dani recalled.

It was a day and a victory to remember, as it was only the beginning for a legend of motorcycling like Dani Pedrosa.