The Dane emerged fourth leaving the first turn in the opening moto and with an exhilarating outside run through turn two he built momentum to storm into second on the charge uphill into the main arena.
Settling down without risk on the rock-hard track through the early laps he joined the 2020 world champion in pulling clear of the chasers and maintained the pressure, his final effort through the last three laps pushing the duo to ever-faster laps.
The gap was less than a second entering the final lap and the Kawasaki rider closed in relentlessly until a heart-stopping moment four corners from the chequered flag saw him run slightly off the side of the track but still score a career-best second-placed moto finish.
The GP podium looked a distant prospect on the opening lap of moto two as he was closed down entering the first turn to find himself down in thirteenth position.
Overtaking did not prove easy through the early laps in a high-speed train but the Dane was on a mission after breaking into the top-ten at the twenty-minute stage and with a series of breath-taking passes and the fastest lap of the race – almost a second faster than anybody else - he finally clinched the sixth place he needed for the overall podium just six corners from the finish.
After third and second in the two previous rounds the effort brought him his third consecutive podium and he is now a solid third in the championship standings after five rounds of the series.
Mikkel Haarup: “Getting a podium three times in-a-row is unbelievable. In the first moto I made a very good decision at the second corner to give myself some positions and be second straight away on the first lap. There’s more pressure at the front but I felt more at home to be up there this time; I tried to push on, and if I had felt I had the opportunity for the win I would have taken it, but I couldn’t quite make the pass. The inside gate didn’t work the second time but I worked my way up to sixth with that pass on the last lap to give me the podium. I was so focused on my own riding I didn’t actually realise it was for the podium - I just wanted the point for the championship - but this one feels good, not just for myself but for everyone in the team. Now we have a weekend off so I will go home, recover and come back with full energy for Latvia. “
Photos & Words: Kawasaki EU
