Fairclough takes final Honda team victory

Brendan Fairclough wrapped up Team G-Cross Honda's final victory with a win in Motril, Spain for a round of the Andalucia Cup. The team recently announced it would be coming to an end.

The race took place on a recent Sunday in sunny 20 degree (Celsius) temperatures with more than 200 other competitors, including reigning European Champion David Vazquez of Barcelona. Motril has become a true center for downhill racing in Southern Spain and his home to one of the country's top young riders, Ruben Garcia.

In the morning's race, British rider Tom Deacon, who lives in Spain, took the win by half a second ahead of Fairclough and then Vazquez. However in the second race Deacon had a problem and wasn't able to improve on his time, whereas Fairclough pushed to find another two seconds on the rocky and dry two-minute course, and in so doing, won the race.

"That was a lot of fun that race. I don't get to race on that type of surface often. The locals here are really into their racing which is great to see," said Fairclough. "It's hard for me to imagine that this was the last time I will ride the Honda. It has been an amazing experience this year and I'm really happy to have been part of it".

"Damn, Brendan smoked me today!" said Vazquez after his defeat. "Actually, the times were all really close and you couldn't make a single mistake on this course. I had a great run in the second race and just enjoyed being down here. I love it when I come down here, I might have to look for an apartment here; it feels like home now!"

Back in 2004, Greg Minnaar took Honda's first race win outside of Japan. The race was also in Spain as a round of the Andalucian Cup held in the southern coastal town of Motril.