Having recently returned from injury, the Frenchman has impressed for two rounds and left only crumbs this weekend for his opponents in Argentina.
Dominique Aegerter may have made the headlines after being crowned during the 11th round of Supersport this weekend in Argentina, the fact remains that the strong man of the moment in the category is indeed Jules Cluzel.
The Frenchman reigned supreme on the San Juan Villicum circuit, where he won all of the races held there since it was added to the calendar in 2018. In this sense, the GMT94 driver has honors his status as favorite and his track record at the foot of the Cordillera, even if the very start of the weekend was somewhat chaotic for him, with a fall in his third flying lap of FP1, which put him on the key for the rest of the session.
Two victories which conclude a weekend that got off to a bad start
But the Auvergne had resources, and this South American round in some way represented a beautiful parable of its season: difficult beginnings, followed by a magnificent resurgence which resulted in a return to the forefront and successes galore , with the highlight being this double on Argentinian soil, his first in the category.
"This was a perfect weekend. I started a little too hard, and crashed on my second lap on Friday, which caused me to miss the rest of the first free practice session », recalled the native of Montluçon after Race 2 on the microphone of the Superbike official website. « But afterwards we kept up the pressure in qualifying and during Race 1. During Race 2, Can Öncü attacked very hard, and frankly I can only congratulate him because he made big progress throughout the season as well as this weekend. It's incredible, we almost managed to win in the last four races, we are finishing a very difficult season in a very good way. »
San Juan, a circuit designed for Cluzel
It is true that Cluzel had a good time playing this weekend on one of his favorite circuits, where he truly crushed the competition, winning the Superpole with almost four tenths ahead of Steven Odendaal in second position (after having stuck to Manuel Gonzalez by almost nine tenths during FP2!).
Undefeated on the Argentinian route, the Frenchman recognized at the finish of the second event of the weekend that he was like a fish in water in the antipodes. " This track suits me perfectly. I really like being here, and I have to say that there isn't really any area that gives me any problems. I really feel very comfortable everywhere on this track. There are big braking points, and as I like that I have a rather advantage. The grip is good, the atmosphere is great, the weather is always sunny even if it can be quite windy. »
That kind of weekend 🤩
Thank you Argentina, see you next year 🇦🇷 #ARGWorldSBK pic.twitter.com/3k2KsFeu8Z
— GMT94 Yamaha (@GMT94) October 17, 2021
So, what can we hope for the last round, which will take place in a little over a month in Indonesia, on the Mandalika track which is still under construction? Modest and lucid, Cluzel does not see himself looking too good and assures that he will have to count on Dominique Aegerter, now freed from the weight of a title finally acquired.
Now fourth in the championship (he has just passed Philipp Öttl) but still a good distance from González (34 points separate him from the Spaniard to hope to appear on the third step of the final podium), the tricolor will nevertheless also be able to ride the peace of mind, with the relief of having finally exorcised his demons to make a thunderous return to the forefront.
" I have nothing to lose, all I have to do is have fun and attack to aim for the victory,” he asserts. “Mais il va falloir prendre garde aux adversaires, et notamment à Dominique, qui vient d’être titré et qui pourra donc se lâcher lors de cette dernière manche. Il faudra aussi voir qui est le plus rapide pour bien appréhender le circuit. Je suis vraiment impatient d’être là-bas, car c’est une nouvelle ambiance, un nouveau pays à découvrir. »
No regrets regarding the 2021 championship
Struck more than once by bad luck this season, Cluzel admits by his own admission that he has no regrets because he was not necessarily at the level of Aegerter and his team this year, even if it must be emphasized that he was not spared from the blows of fate, particularly during the previous rounds where he achieved the Superpole.
Thus, the Frenchman started from pole position in the first round run in Aragón, before being caught in the race by Niki Tuuli. More recently at Magny-Cours, he started again from first place, only to be the victim of a big accident at the end of the first lap and subsequently have to withdraw from the next meeting. .
Suffice to say that with this history we had the right to be worried when the Auvergne signed its third Superpole on Saturday in Argentina, but fortunately things went better this time than in the past, with at the end on the account a double which can allow him to envisage a bright tomorrow.
Towards a possible title in 2022?
Indeed, after having finished in second place four times in the Supersport championship (during his first season in the category in 2012, then in 2014, 2016 and 2018), the GMT94 driver intends to use this excellent end of the year as a launching pad for next year, why not finally win the title.
" I finally got back to winning, and to be honest in my mind it was really difficult, because I missed winning a lot,” he concedes. “The next step is to be World Champion. This is a goal I've only missed by a few points in the past, and due to some pretty unlucky situations. But this year we were not that strong, the strongest is the World Champion, Dominique Aegerter, and he fully deserves his coronation. »
If humility is part of the prerogative of Champions beyond their simple burst of speed, then there is no doubt that Cluzel has the caliber to win the title in the future.
