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Paul DeCouto had a successful trip to the U.S. where he won a motorcycle race and placed third in two others.

Things didn't start off too well for the rider who had his first event rained out at Carolina Motorsports Park in Charlotte, North Carolina.

DeCouto said even though there was no racing, he managed to get in some practice laps on his 1,000 CC bike to get it up to a higher speed.

That paid off while racing at Summit Point in Maryland.

"I won on the 1,000. Because I'm a heavier guy....the power to weight ratio is better for me.

"It was crazy. I couldn't believe it. It was so unbelievable and such an exhilarating feeling. I had to really concentrate because my mouth started to dry out because of the anxiety.

"I had to really focus on staying smooth and not going any faster because you start to make mistakes at a higher speed."

While it was a thrill to win, DeCouto also managed to finish third in spite of a mechanical failure on the last lap.

"I was battling for third place. When I came around the last turn my throttle cable broke on the bike. Once it broke I knew what to do and I wasn't that far from the finish line. I reached down and pulled the cable. I yanked on it and kept shifting."

He also won cash for the first time for his other third place finish - $250 - not nearly enough to retire on, but a nice payoff for his talent.

DeCouto said he plans on going away a couple of more times this season in between regular race weekends at the Southside Track.[[In-content Ad]]

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