Albion KTM's Matt Winstanley's British Motocross Championship campaign got off to a great start on Sunday, desp🌃ite being forced to retire from his third race after a heavy crash.

The opening round, at Canada Heights near Swanley in Kent, saw two strong rides from the Albion KTM rider, and he ended the day in joint fourth position, ꧙tied on 42 points with Australian Brett Metcalfe. Team-mate Antti Kallonen suffered a disappointing day, but finished all three races despite crashes and a technical problem that almost forced him miss his second race.

Young Winstanley got his KTM out of the gate well in race one, a second gear start gꦆetting him up with the leaders at turn one, and he held onto fourth during the early laps of the moto.

"The bike was working really well," he said, "I was looking for at least a top three finish, but then Vohland crashed and Sword broke down, and I thou🦂ght I was in luck. I managed to get around McCullough and I was in second position by lap eight."

The soft sand was starting to dig deep ruts on the approach to the jumps, however, causing the r𒆙ider to take more care on his lines.

"Patrick Caps was very fast, and he passed my with a couple of laps to go," Winstanley reported, "I thought that Metcalfe was a little further back than he was, but he jumped by me on the very last jump and caused me to fi🌺nish fourth."

Despit𝄹e another good drop from the gate, Winstanley lost the opportunity to go top three in race♔ two.

"Vohland and Sword were carrying so much more speed than me - they were battling hard," he said, "I tried to get onto their wheel 🌺tracks and stay with them as they came by me, but they were simply faster on the day than me. I did my best but could only finish sixth. I knew where I was slower and was looking forward to the final race of the day to get even."

Winstanley's day was to be over sooner than he would know, however, as he was forced to🧜 the inside of turn one during the start confusion, clipped the fence post and was then hit from behi♔nd by Billy MacKenzie.

"Billy's front wheel his my rear wheel," Winstanley remarked, having soldiered on for another nine laps, "He was carrying speed and flipped me ꦫoff the bike. I was virtually last and the bike was all twisted up."

Flying Finn Kallonen couldn't believe his eyes whe꧟n he first walked the Canada Heights track, complete with its concrete start ga▨te, and no opportunity to practice on it meant that he was a little nervous for his first championship race of the season.

"This was my first time on a concrete start gate, it felt so strange for me, I wasn't sure just how 🐈to handle it " admitted Kallonen, who made a poor start but fought his way through to fourth position, closing in on team mate Winstanley, in heat one.

"I had been struggling with my clutch in the sanꦦd, I stopped using it and focused on just riding well, it worked but on lap nine. Then, I caught my right leg on some rope lying by the track and I was pulled off my machine. I was dazed for a moment and had to get myself back on the bike. I just took my time, but I knew I had to finish the race. I was very disappointed to ඣonly take twelfth position."

His run of bad luc༒k was to continue as he was forced to pull off the starting grid as the 15-second board was raised for heat two.

"We had a small technical problem which we desperately tried to resolve, but the race started without me," Kalloneꦯn said.

As his race mechanics worked frantically, the bike eventually fired into life and Antti set off almost a full lap down. Putting in some of the fasteꦯst laps of the day, however, 🎃he was passing the slower riders within ten minutes, and was soon within sight of the points.

"I know that every point is worth fighting for," he said, "At the end of the season, one point mi♌ght be all that I need. I could never waste an opportunity."

Fighting back, he score🎃d two points, taking 19th position as the chequered flag fell after 14 laps.

After two strong rides, K♌allonen appro𝔍ached the final Maxxis Cup race with confidence.

"I knew it would be hardꦇ puttingᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚ my 125cc machine against the bigger bikes, but this time I knew how to handle the concrete start," he admitted.

As the field sped up the hill, Kallonen got some wheelspin and came out of turn one inಞ the mid-pack. Swallowed up by the more powerful four-stroke machines, he ended lap one in 16th position, but had lost a further two places by the end of the next lap.

As the ꦅrace settle down, Kallonen started to fight back, and soon was inside t▨he top ten and chasing the much more powerful machines up the steep hills.

"I knew I was the leading 125cc riders, but the American Vohland was trying hard to pass me," he recalled, "We changed positions a couple of times, but then I𓄧 made a big jump by him. I think we may have touched, but I got away and took eighth position. I was very happy with this race, ꦉas the first major race of the season are always a little nervous, I know what to expect next time so I can start preparing now."