António Maio was in the spotlight once again at a round of the Portuguese Cross-Country Championship (CNTT), finishing the Baja TT Sharish Gin ninth overall on a Yamaha Ténéré 700, with which he won the Trail class.
The fourth round of the CNTT, held on the Alentejo tracks of Reguengos de Monsaraz, Mourão and Portel, was marked by a very tough course, made even harder by the extreme heat throughout the weekend. António Maio kept up a consistent pace and got the Yamaha Ténéré 700 into the overall Top 10. He finished the second selective section with the seventh-best overall time, which moved him up to ninth place at the finish.
"Another Top 10 with the Yamaha Ténéré 700. It was a tough race. Saturday was very technical, more difficult for my bike and for what we're used to. On Sunday the race was faster and more flowing, somewhat dangerous, which is normal at this time of year in Reguengos. I kept a steady rhythm and ended up seventh in Sunday's selective section and ninth overall. I think it was an excellent result and it leaves us very happy, because there are still many races left in the championship. Baja Portalegre is just around the corner and we have some extra motivation going into that race," said António Maio.
His participation in the Baja TT Sharish Gin also had a particular feature, as António Maio combined competing with his professional duties as a major in the Guarda Nacional Republicana (GNR). During the weekend, he took part in a awareness-raising event aimed at motorcyclists, as part of the helmet blessing initiative in Fátima.
The event was organised by the GNR through its National Traffic Unit. Balancing his professional work with racing required demanding logistics, with the rider travelling mid-event directly from the Alentejo to Fátima, then making the return journey so he could be present for the rest of the Baja TT Sharish Gin.
"This weekend the helmet blessing took place in Fátima, and the Guarda Nacional Republicana was running awareness-raising events for motorcyclists through the National Traffic Unit, where I'm an instructor. So I had to leave the race as quickly as possible to be there on time for the event, and everything went well. I got back to Reguengos quite late, but that's life when you're not a professional rider: work is the priority and sometimes we have to do this juggling act. But it all went well and I'm happy to have carried out all the tasks I had over the weekend," concluded António Maio.
The rider returns to competition on 15 to 17 October for the Baja Portalegre 500, one of the most important races on the national Cross-Country calendar.
Official Press Release
