TNT Sports pundit Sylvain Guintoli hailed Johann Zarco’s MotoGP victory at Le Mans, describing his success as a “fairytale.”
Zarco secured his first win on the Honda to win in front of the adoring home crowd, earning his second career MotoGP triumph.
He became the first French rider to win his home Grand Prix since 1954, completing the job in front of a record-breaking crowd.
At the forefront of the celebrations was fellow countryman Guintoli, who heaped praise on Zarco and the occasion.
“We’ve been waiting for this for such a long time,” he admitted post-race on TNT Sports.
“Motorcycle [racing] as a sport in France has grown so much in the last 25 years.
“And now we’ve come to this pinnacle of the motorcycle racing, the biggest attendance ever, more than 300,000 over the weekend, and we get a French winner. It was a thriller as well!
“The race was unreal, I’ve lost my voice, I don’t know what to say!
“It’s like a fairy tale, and I want to say a big thank you to Johann [Zarco] for making it happen.”
Zarco’s win didn’t come easy – he was nearly caught up in the Turn 1 chaos on the first lap, but the right tyre gamble paid off as he cruised to a comfortable victory, winning by almost 20 seconds.
The 34-year-old continued to showcase Honda’s upward trajectory, delivering the Japanese marque its first win since Alex Rins’ success at COTA in 2023.
As a result of his success, Zarco sits in sixth place in the championship, two points behind VR46 Ducati rider Fabio Di Giannantonio.
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