— Suzuki takes MX1 lead; Searle wins MX2
— FIM MX1/MX2 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND 09 SUNDAY JULY 1 UDDEVALLA, SWEDEN
— Weather: Changeable, showers / Temperature: 19 degrees C / Attendance: 22,000
Desalle doubles up in Sweden and grabs MX1 red plate
The rain was once again present this weekend and it made the Swedish Grand Prix be tougher and more demanding than usual. However, Clement Desalle and Tommy Searle proved once again their potential and they were on the top of the podium.
Christophe Pourcel obtained the second overall position, while Kevin Strijbos was for the second time this season on the third step of the rostrum. On the other hand, Antonio Cairoli and Evgeny Bobryshev got two DNF’s and David Philippaerts crashed in the first moto and he has a suspected fracture in both wrists.
In the MX2 class Jeffrey Herlings had a difficult second race and was second overall, while Dylan Ferrandis completed the top three.
Earlier in the morning it took place the second race of the UEM EMX125 and Tim Gajser dominated it again and obtained another round victory. Pauls Jonass was once again on the second step of the podium and Magne Klingsheim completed the top three.
MX1
Rockstar Energy Suzuki Clement Desalle was really satisfied with his riding today after obtaining a double heat victory and taking the red plate on his Suzuki machine. It was actually in Uddevalla when the Belgian lost the red plate from the likes of Cairoli last year, so Desalle will now focus on keeping on racing well and keep the red plate until the end of the season.
CP377 Monster Energy Kawasaki Pro Circuit’s Christophe Pourcel was second overall this weekend but it was not an easy Grand Prix for the French rider. Pourcel was not able to take part in the warm up this morning because he had stomach problems, but he then felt much better and he was ready to race the main heats. In the first race, he started leading it, but he had some problems with his goggles and dropped down to second. Later on, he was trying to catch Desalle, but his boot broke and got stuck in the foot peg of his bike, so he had to settle down with the second place. In the second moto Pourcel took the holeshot again, but Desalle was faster and the French crossed the finish line second again.
HM Plant KTM UK’s Kevin Strijbos obtained the second podium finish of the season, being third thanks to his 5-3 result. The Belgian rider admitted that he is feeling really good on his bike and he is improving week after week. In fact, Strijbos did not have a really good start in the first race, but he was able to move from fifteenth to fifth in a track where most of the riders had problems overtaking.
The fourth overall position was for Sebastian Pourcel, who managed to finish third in the first heat and sixth in the second one. The CP377 Monster Energy Kawasaki Pro Circuit rider missed the podium for just one point, but all in all, he was very satisfied to finish fourth, especially because it had been a long time since the French rider finished among the top three in a race.
Monster Energy Yamaha’s Shaun Simpson obtained one of his best results of the season in Uddevalla, completing the top five with a 4-5 result. The British rider did not have a good start in the first heat and started from an initial seventh position, but in the second race he was fourth at the start and he managed to overtake Leok during the first lap and he rode third for a few laps. However, Simpson made a mistake and crashed and had to settle down with the fifth place.
It was also one of the best weekends of the season for Tanel Leok, who succeeded in finishing sixth and fourth in today’s races. The Estonian did not have a good start in the first moto, but he moved from eleventh to sixth; in the second race he started third and he rode a solid moto finishing fourth.
Gautier Paulin could not find his rhythm today either and he could only finish seventh overall, followed by his teammate Xavier Boog. Ken De Dycker crashed at the start of both motos and he had to make a great effort to finish eleventh in both races, which gave him the overall ninth position. Mark De Reuver completed the top ten.
Rui Gonçalves, who finished seventh in the second moto, got a DNF in the first one because after he crashed with two laps to go while he was riding eleventh, he could not restart his Honda machine. His teammate Evgeny Bobryshev could not start the second moto because he crashed in the first heat while he was fourth, and he had a deep wound to the right elbow. The Russian needed four stitches and the doctor suggested him not to race the second moto to avoid having an infection.
Antonio Cairoli lost the red plate because he got two DNF’s today; in the first moto the Italian got a stone stuck in the front sprocket and the back wheel of his KTM was completely blocked. In the second race the Italian made a mistake and went out the track and he got his KTM stuck in the mud. In both occasions Cairoli spent a lot of time trying to get his KTM back on the track, but unfortunately the Italian had to surrender.
David Philippaerts crashed in the first race while he was riding fourth and the doctors diagnosed a suspected fracture in both wrists. The Italian is now in the hospital for further exams.
MX1 Race 1 top ten: 1. Clement Desalle (BEL, Suzuki), 40:52.302; ; 2. Christophe Pourcel (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:20.870; 3. Sebastien Pourcel (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:28.388; 4. Shaun Simpson (GBR, Yamaha), +0:31.762; 5. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, KTM), +0:38.980; 6. Tanel Leok (EST, Suzuki), +1:13.721; 7. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Kawasaki), +1:17.195; 8. Cedric Soubeyras (FRA, Honda), +1:22.736; 9. Xavier Boog (FRA, Kawasaki), +1:24.085; 10. Mark de Reuver (NED, Kawasaki), +1:35.661;
MX1 Race 2 top ten: 1. Clement Desalle (BEL, Suzuki), 39:05.450; ; 2. Christophe Pourcel (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:04.445; 3. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, KTM), +0:07.064; 4. Tanel Leok (EST, Suzuki), +0:23.936; 5. Shaun Simpson (GBR, Yamaha), +0:37.011; 6. Sebastien Pourcel (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:40.893; 7. Rui Goncalves (POR, Honda), +0:52.511; 8. Xavier Boog (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:53.034; 9. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Kawasaki), +1:16.098; 10. Davide Guarneri (ITA, KTM), +1:21.824;
MX1 Overall top ten: 1. Clement Desalle (BEL, Suzuki), 50 points; 2. Christophe Pourcel (FRA, Kawasaki), 44 p.; 3. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, KTM), 36 p.; 4. Sebastien Pourcel (FRA, Kawasaki), 35 p.; 5. Shaun Simpson (GBR, Yamaha), 34 p.; 6. Tanel Leok (EST, Suzuki), 33 p.; 7. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Kawasaki), 26 p.; 8. Xavier Boog (FRA, Kawasaki), 25 p.; 9. Ken de Dycker (BEL, KTM), 20 p.; 10. Mark de Reuver (NED, Kawasaki), 20 p.;
MX1 Championship top ten: 1. Clement Desalle (BEL, Suzuki), 348 points; 2. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 345 p.; 3. Christophe Pourcel (FRA, Kawasaki), 336 p.; 4. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Kawasaki), 315 p.; 5. Ken de Dycker (BEL, KTM), 257 p.; 6. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, KTM), 243 p.; 7. Xavier Boog (FRA, Kawasaki), 236 p.; 8. David Philippaerts (ITA, Yamaha), 212 p.; 9. Tanel Leok (EST, Suzuki), 201 p.; 10. Rui Goncalves (POR, Honda), 183 p.;
MX1 Manufacturers: 1. Kawasaki, 394 points; 2. KTM, 392 p.; 3. Suzuki, 358 p.; 4. Yamaha, 276 p.; 5. Honda, 255 p.; 6. TM, 58 p.;
— MX2
Team Floride Monster Energy Kawasaki Pro Circuit’s Tommy Searle obtained his fourth Grand Prix win of the season and he is now sixteen points behind Jeffrey Herlings in the point standings. The British rider was really satisfied with his performance and he admitted that he felt really comfortable on his bike today and he is very confident to keep on winning races. Searle started at the front in both motos, and although he won the second one without problems, in the first one he had to settle down with the second place because he had to enter the pitlane to enter his goggles while he was leading the race.
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings was second overall being first and seventh at today’s races. The Dutch rider rode second most of the first heat, but he was able to take the lead at the end of the race when Searle entered the pitlane to change his goggles. In the second race Herlings made a mistake in the opening lap and later on the race he crashed again, so he was only able to finish seventh.
Rockstar Bud Racing Kawasaki’s Dylan Ferrandis obtained his maiden podium this weekend in Uddevalla thanks to his 4-3 result. The eighteen-year-old rider took the holeshot in both motos and he managed to keep his rhythm until the end of both races, and he is now looking forward to racing the next Grand Prix to prove that he is able to repeat such result.
The fourth overall position was for Nestaan JM Racing KTM’s Jake Nicholls, who succeeded in starting at the front in both motos and he was able to ride two consistent races from beginning to end. The British rider started eighth in the first moto and finished sixth, whereas in the second heat he was third during the opening lap and he crossed the finish line fourth.
Monster Energy Yamaha’s Zach Osborne completed the top five of the Swedish Grand Prix on his first appearance in the FIM Motocross World Championship this season after his injury on his right shoulder. The American did not have a really good start in the first race, but he was able to move from eighth to fifth. In the second one, he crashed with Charlier when they were both fighting for the fourth position and Osborne had to settle down with the final fifth place.
The sixth overall position was for Jordi Tixier, who struggled a little bit with his starts this weekend. In the end the French rider was able to finish eighth in both motos.
Joel Roelants had a really good first race and he was able to finish third, but in the second moto he crashed at the start of the race and he had to fight from the 22nd position to finish 16th. In the end, Roelants was seventh overall.
Jeremy Van Horebeek was very unlucky in the first race because his KTM broke while he was riding third. However, the Belgian did a superb second moto, starting from the sixth place and moving up to second in the middle of the heat.
Glen Coldenhoff was ninth overall and José Butrón completed the top ten.
Christophe Charlier crashed at the start of the first moto and he had to restart from the very last position. The French rider was able to finish nineteenth in the first heat, and in the second one he ended sixth, which gave him the overall twelfth place.
It was a tough weekend for Arnaud Tonus, who could only finish 20th overall in the Grand Prix. In the first moto he had to enter the pitlane to change his goggles and he crossed the finish line fourteenth, but in the second one he had to pull out the race because his Yamaha had problem with his rear break.
Harri Kullas twisted his left knee and he could not finish the first race nor take part in the second one. The Finish rider will have a scan done tomorrow to see what the real damage is.
MX2 Race 1 top ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 39:51.669; 2. Tommy Searle (GBR, Kawasaki), +0:03.017; 3. Joel Roelants (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:53.378; 4. Dylan Ferrandis (FRA, Kawasaki), +1:05.289; 5. Zachary Osborne (USA, Yamaha), +1:17.557; 6. Jake Nicholls (GBR, KTM), +1:22.205; 7. Alexander Tonkov (RUS, Honda), +1:40.416; 8. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KTM), +1:41.138; 9. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), -1 lap(s); 10. Benoit Paturel (FRA, Kawasaki), -1 lap(s);
MX2 Race 2 top ten: 1. Tommy Searle (GBR, Kawasaki), 40:12.526; 2. Jeremy van Horebeek (BEL, KTM), +0:18.574; 3. Dylan Ferrandis (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:27.266; 4. Jake Nicholls (GBR, KTM), +0:29.925; 5. Zachary Osborne (USA, Yamaha), +0:51.319; 6. Christophe Charlier (FRA, Yamaha), +1:05.434; 7. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), +1:19.931; 8. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KTM), +1:23.237; 9. Jose Butron (ESP, KTM), +1:24.264; 10. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, Husqvarna), +1:34.735;
MX2 Overall top ten: 1. Tommy Searle (GBR, Kawasaki), 47 points; 2. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 39 p.; 3. Dylan Ferrandis (FRA, Kawasaki), 38 p.; 4. Jake Nicholls (GBR, KTM), 33 p.; 5. Zachary Osborne (USA, Yamaha), 32 p.; 6. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KTM), 26 p.; 7. Joel Roelants (BEL, Kawasaki), 25 p.; 8. Jeremy van Horebeek (BEL, KTM), 22 p.; 9. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 21 p.; 10. Jose Butron (ESP, KTM), 18 p.;
MX2 Championship top ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 403 points; 2. Tommy Searle (GBR, Kawasaki), 387 p.; 3. Jeremy van Horebeek (BEL, KTM), 330 p.; 4. Joel Roelants (BEL, Kawasaki), 263 p.; 5. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KTM), 243 p.; 6. Jake Nicholls (GBR, KTM), 237 p.; 7. Max Anstie (GBR, Honda), 199 p.; 8. Dylan Ferrandis (FRA, Kawasaki), 177 p.; 9. Jose Butron (ESP, KTM), 168 p.; 10. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, Husqvarna), 163 p.;
MX2 Manufacturers: 1. KTM, 424 points; 2. Kawasaki, 410 p.; 3. Yamaha, 261 p.; 4. Honda, 217 p.; 5. Suzuki, 186 p.; 6. Husqvarna, 168 p.; 7. TM, 11 p.;
— MX3
Competition day in Senkvice started under the blue sky and temperature was rising up fast. Organisers were watering the track since Saturday evening, so for this reason were track well prepared. Full starting pole of riders rushed on the track, which promised nice fights on a track. Matthias Walkner, red plate owner, wanted to enlarge his lead. But there was also Czech Martin Michek and Slovenian Klemen Gercar and these two riders ruined his plans. Martin Michek noticed very succesfull weekend, when he reached his first double in career.
Race 1
First race in sunny Senkvice seemed very interesting just from the beginning. After start Slovenian Matevz Irt, second in qualifying, took the holeshot, but he did not hold his leading position for a long time. Austrian rider Michael Staufer and Czech Martin Michek hang on Matevz and they both made his ride more complicated. Due to this Irt made a mistake and Martin Michek with Staufer went to the front. In addition Martin Michek took Staufer over too. Martine saw checkered flag as first.
Rider Klemen Gercar from UFO Racing Team worked hard on second place. Klemen didn´t started satisfyingly,but his brave, technicall and fast ride pushed him to the front. Klemen used his speed for making places and he jumped on second place. Slovenian in Czech team assigned next podium and important points to overall championship standings.
Michael Staufer, who lead first race for some time was slower than motivated Michek and Staufer let him go. After several laps Klemen Gercar was second, who passed Staufer. But until the end Michael was defending his position and he came to finish line with his KTM on third place.
Another Slovenian Matevz Irt, who took holeshot, payed for his mistake. Few laps after start he felt down in standings. Then he started riding harder and he obtained in the end fourth place. Gap between him and Michael Staufer was only two seconds.
Finnish Honda rider, who tried to make a podium since beginning of the season, wasn´t enough lucky again. We are writing about Antti Pyrhonen. Track in Senkvice is not one of his favourite surfaces. On this hard pack circuit was Antti slower than first four riders and he had to be satisfied with his fifth place.
Austrian Gunter Schmidinger was before this race on second place in overall championship standings. Only a few points on third place was UFO Racing Team rider Klemen Gercar. Gunter Schmidinger had some bad luck on Senkvice´s track. In first race he obtained only sixth place. Another Czech rider Petr Bartos was breathed on his back for all the race. Petr had excellent start in top three, but he made a mistake and went only to seventh position.
Red plate owner Matthias Walkner is used to make a bad starts, especially here in Senkvice. All of this mirrored on final result, when he came to finish on eighth place. On the last two places in top ten were riders from Poland – Lukasz Lonka and teammate of Klemen Gercar – Czech Petr Michalec.
Race 2
The weather was prepared for the second race more harder conditions. Sun heated the air to tropical temperatures and riders entered race with expectations. Martin Michek wanted to repeat his first place. He did not start bad, when he was riding on third. Right motivated Martin was riding behind Matevz Irt and Matthias Walkner. Irt made a mistake in race again and then started fight between Walkner and Michek. Double lured Martin Michek for better performance and nobody could stop him. Nice ride and overtaken of Matthias Walkner brought to Martin Michek first double in his career.
Martin Michek: “It was very nice to win here in Slovakia. The track and conditions were harder, but I won two times, made my first double and with this all I am totally satisfied. Now I again started to train hard and I hope, that on a podium I´ll be until the end of season.”
It was noticed, that Matthias Walkner was riding a few laps on first place. Matthias looked on first place fearless and self-confident, but Martin was against his plan. Matthias was not able to defend leading position and in finish he was second.
Slovenian, Klemen Gercar, UFO Racing Team rider, had nice first race. In second was his goal identical. In this case start for him meaned problem, when he was riding on tenth position. It seemed bad, but he did not give up until the end. Nice performance in second race meaned for him third place and second overall.
Finnish rider Antti Pyrhonen was ready to improve his reputation in second heat. He started fine and he moved through some riders. Before the end he was riding on fourth place. Two riders were trying to catch him, but he watched his fourth.
Another Czech rider, Petr Bartos started in second ride good again. Petr teased on fourth placed Antti for many laps, but he was unsuccessful. Antti rode in better position and finally Petr was closing top five riders.
For Czech teams wend weekend in Slovakia really good. Second rider of Czech UFO Racing Team Petr Michalec noticed comfortable sixth position at least. Peter even took over one of the best Austrian riders – Gunter Schmidinger, so it meaned for Austrian seventh place.
Dmitryi Parshin is in this time absolutely recovered from his injury. Everybody could see it also on his races. Today in second race he got eighth place. In addition Michael Staufer had great first race, but second race turned. Michael came to finish with his KTM on nineth position and in race two tenth place occupied young Frenchman Levy Batista.
MX3 Race 1 results – 1. Martin Michek (CZE, KTM), 35:37.551; ; 2. Klemen Gercar (SLO, Honda), +0:13.305; 3. Michael Staufer (AUT, KTM), +0:15.390; 4. Matevz Irt (SLO, Suzuki), +0:17.709; 5. Antti Pyrhönen (FIN, Honda), +0:27.564; 6. Günter Schmidinger (AUT, Honda), +0:31.584; 7. Petr Bartos (CZE, KTM), +0:47.303; 8. Matthias Walkner (AUT, KTM), +0:51.369; 9. Lukasz Lonka (POL, Honda), +0:55.240; 10. Petr Michalec (CZE, Honda), +1:01.826
MX3 Race 2 results – 1. Martin Michek (CZE, KTM), 34:28.160; ; 2. Matthias Walkner (AUT, KTM), +0:03.179; 3. Klemen Gercar (SLO, Honda), +0:14.164; 4. Antti Pyrhönen (FIN, Honda), +0:19.447; 5. Petr Bartos (CZE, KTM), +0:24.404; 6. Petr Michalec (CZE, Honda), +0:27.852; 7. Günter Schmidinger (AUT, Honda), +0:33.329; 8. Dimitry Parshin (RUS, Honda), +0:40.307; 9. Michael Staufer (AUT, KTM), +0:51.951; 10. Levy Batista (FRA, KTM), +0:54.327
MX3 overall results – 1. Martin Michek (CZE, KTM), 50 points; 2. Klemen Gercar (SLO, Honda), 42 p.; 3. Matthias Walkner (AUT, KTM), 35 p.; 4. Antti Pyrhönen (FIN, Honda), 34 p.; 5. Michael Staufer (AUT, KTM), 32 p.; 6. Petr Bartos (CZE, KTM), 30 p.; 7. Günter Schmidinger (AUT, Honda), 29 p.; 8. Petr Michalec (CZE, Honda), 26 p.; 9. Roman Morozov (UKR, Yamaha), 18 p.; 10. Matevz Irt (SLO, Suzuki), 18 p.
MX3 championship standings – 1. Matthias Walkner (AUT, KTM), 261 points; 2. Klemen Gercar (SLO, Honda), 234 p.; 3. Günter Schmidinger (AUT, Honda), 227 p.; 4. Martin Michek (CZE, KTM), 219 p.; 5. Antti Pyrhönen (FIN, Honda), 213 p.; 6. Matevz Irt (SLO, Suzuki), 173 p.; 7. Michael Staufer (AUT, KTM), 167 p.; 8. Petr Bartos (CZE, KTM), 135 p.; 9. Lukasz Lonka (POL, Honda), 128 p.; 10. Ludvig Söderberg (FIN, Honda), 100 p.
— WMX
Women´s schedule for Sunday included two races. Temperatures rising up again to tropical heat and only riders with best condition could competed. Heat and dust examined skills of all girls on starting ramp. As always, red plate owner was before this race Chiara Fontanesi and she wanted to continue in this tradition. Everything in Fonta MX Racing team went well and Chiara could continue on her winning stroke. She made double in Senkvice.
Race 1
Fonta MX Racing Team was celebrating in Senkvice, Slovakia again. This team rider Chiara Fontanesi is unstoppable in this season and any rider could passed her. Her weak point are starts, but this weekend everything changed. Her weak point transformed to strongest and holeshot went to her account. From start until the end she was leading and enlarging gap to second rider.
HM Plant KTM Team rider Natalie Kane had some smaller problems with her bike in qualifying race. His disatvantage was making place on start on Sunday. In addition she started fast and in first tabletop she flew on fifth place. She is one of the riders, who can endanger Chiara and she started to do that. Chiara was leading far in front, so it was pretty hard to catch her. Natalie finally decided to keep second place.
Italian rider Francesca Nocera wasn´t so good in qualification in comparision with the race. After start she make a good position and she was riding behind Kane´s back. Kane was faster than Nocera and Francesca knew that. Third place looked good for her and she defended third.
Nice ride in qualification had German rider Anne Borchers. She obtained second place,but race is completely different. For a while she was riding second, but Francesca and Kane were faster, so Anne moved on fourth place. This position she held until the end of a race one.
In good condition and well riding is in this races Suisse rider Virginie Germond. Virginie was trying to lose another rider behind her for a few laps. Finally she did it and fifth place went to her. Team Dragon moto rider Virginie lost ten secs to fourth Anne Borchers.
Justine Charroux was rider, who was attacking position of Virginie. In final she crossed finish only four seconds behind her on sixth position. Dutch rider Britt van der Wekken obtained last year third position here in Senkvice. Aim for this year was repeat it at least. Britt had bad start and it meaned for her bad result on this fast track. Britt finished on seventh place.
Britt´s compatriot Marianne Veenstra was riding on seventh position. Marianne had slower ending laps and she felt to eighth place. Selina Schittenhelm from Germany and Kimberley Braam from Netherlands were closing first top ten riders. In qualifications tenth rider Jana Antosova obtained in race only eleventh.
Race 2
Who else than Chiara Fontanesi could dominate in WMX FIM World Motocross Championship rounds. Chiara had again great start and her fast ride, nice jumps over the waves and tabletops brought to her first place. Chiara was making also small show to spectators and they pushed her to the front.
Chiara Fontanesi: “I am happy with this weekend again. Finally I took the holeshot and after that went everything easier. I won both races, so again 50 points. When I will come home, I will again train hard to be better and to win more races.”
HM Plant KTM UK woman rider Natalie Kane again wanted to invade Chiara´s position. Natalie hurt herself in one of the corners and due to pain she took slower rythm. But not so slow to obtain back positions. Also in this condition she was able to made a second place.
As in the first heat, second race went on the same way. Francesca Nocera started nice on fourth position. Rider in front of her was Anne Borchers and motivated Francesca wanted to make second podium place this year. Francesca disturbed Anne all the time and finally she took Anne over and she obtained third place.
Anne Borchers revealed that she will be satisfied with top five. Her ride looked better than for top five. She was fast, well prepared on this type of track and in the end Anne with her Suzuki grabbed fourth place. In finish she did not hide her happiness.
It looks like a copy of first race, but Suisse rider Virginie Germond had again little problems with French rider Justine Charroux. Virginie is a skilled rider and her sure ride secured fifth place for her. This weekend was successful for Virginie too and she is ready to repeat it in next race.
Justine Charroux was finished on the same place and same situation as in the first race. She finished behind Virginie Germond, but for this time only 3 secs. It means, she carried home sixth place. Britt van der Wekken is next rider, who repeat first race result. Dutch Honda rider Britt did seventh position from thirty riders.
Several seconds behind Britt was riding next one Dutch rider Marianne Veenstra. Blonde, tall rider Marianne achieved eighth place and seriately third Dutch rider Kimberley Braam saw checkered flag as nineth rider. Top ten riders closed German Selina Schittenhelm.
WMX Race 1 results – 1. Chiara Fontanesi (ITA, Yamaha), 24:05.294; ; 2. Natalie Kane (GBR, KTM), +0:34.372; 3. Francesca Nocera (ITA, KTM), +0:44.341; 4. Anne Borchers (GER, Suzuki), +0:59.371; 5. Virginie Germond (SUI, Suzuki), +1:10.193; 6. Justine Charroux (FRA, Yamaha), +1:14.884; 7. Britt van der Wekken (NED, Honda), +1:25.973; 8. Marianne Veenstra (NED, KTM), +1:33.263; 9. Selina Schittenhelm (GER, KTM), +1:39.681; 10. Kimberley Braam (NED, Kawasaki), +1:43.915
WMX Race 2 results – 1. Chiara Fontanesi (ITA, Yamaha), 24:15.710; ; 2. Natalie Kane (GBR, KTM), +0:39.994; 3. Francesca Nocera (ITA, KTM), +0:49.078; 4. Anne Borchers (GER, Suzuki), +0:50.314; 5. Virginie Germond (SUI, Suzuki), +1:02.728; 6. Justine Charroux (FRA, Yamaha), +1:05.387; 7. Britt van der Wekken (NED, Honda), +1:15.695; 8. Marianne Veenstra (NED, KTM), +1:23.646; 9. Kimberley Braam (NED, Kawasaki), +1:33.134; 10. Selina Schittenhelm (GER, KTM), +1:40.442
WMX overall results – 1. Chiara Fontanesi (ITA, Yamaha), 50 points; 2. Natalie Kane (GBR, KTM), 44 p.; 3. Francesca Nocera (ITA, KTM), 40 p.; 4. Anne Borchers (GER, Suzuki), 36 p.; 5. Virginie Germond (SUI, Suzuki), 32 p.; 6. Justine Charroux (FRA, Yamaha), 30 p.; 7. Britt van der Wekken (NED, Honda), 28 p.; 8. Marianne Veenstra (NED, KTM), 26 p.; 9. Kimberley Braam (NED, Kawasaki), 23 p.; 10. Selina Schittenhelm (GER, KTM), 23 p.
WMX championship standings – 1. Chiara Fontanesi (ITA, Yamaha), 291 points; 2. Natalie Kane (GBR, KTM), 222 p.; 3. Britt van der Wekken (NED, Honda), 200 p.; 4. Justine Charroux (FRA, Yamaha), 174 p.; 5. Francesca Nocera (ITA, KTM), 171 p.; 6. Marianne Veenstra (NED, KTM), 169 p.; 7. Anne Borchers (GER, Suzuki), 160 p.; 8. Virginie Germond (SUI, Suzuki), 125 p.; 9. Joanna Miller (POL, KTM), 119 p.; 10. Kimberley Braam (NED, Kawasaki), 103 p.
— Suzuki
Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MX1’s Clement Desalle raced to his first double moto victory and his second triumph of the season at the Grand Prix of Sweden today. The factory RM-Z450 rider was also able to walkaway after a dominant display across the wet, loose and muddy terrain of Uddevalla with the red plate as the new leader of the MX1 FIM Motocross World Championship.
More than 22,000 spectators attended the ninth round of 16 in the series and were able to scale the rocks situated next to and above the curling racetrack despite yet more rainfall and changeable conditions. The Swedish soil was slimy and slippery for the opening motos and away from a single racing line the ground was not easy to judge or tackle. Sunshine arrived later in the afternoon but the terrain still forced a cautious approach.
Desalle made a few mistakes in an action-packed sprint to third position in Saturday’s qualification heat. The Belgian banged his right knee in the proceedings but the incident had no lasting effect for the two 35 minute and two-lap motos on Sunday. After dealing with the good starts and threat from Christophe Pourcel in both races, Desalle set his own rhythm for a first ‘perfect’ 50 points since the 2011 Grand Prix of Portugal. The haul and race incidents for Antonio Cairoli gave the team the added bonus of being able to seize control of the MX1 championship by three points.
Tanel Leok finished the day with sixth position overall. Although the Estonian was not too happy with his riding to sixth and fourth positions, the second moto result represented his best of the season so far and showed how the former GP winner can set a decent pace if he enjoys a positive launch from the gate.
Both RM-Z450 racers hold slots in the top nine of the MX1 FIM World Championship standings. Desalle is now just ahead of Cairoli and 12 points in front of Pourcel while Leok is currently ninth and 11 away from further promotion.
Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MX1 will now have a week to prepare for an intense trip to the east with Grands Prix in Latvia and Russia set to occur on July 15th and 22nd.
Clement Desalle: “It’s a good result today and also a good situation with the Championship. I am happy with my riding. I feel confident and could do what I wanted on the bike and this was just as important to me. It was a bad day for Tony Cairoli and a good one for me, and it was a bit strange to get the red plate like that but these things can happen in a mechanical sport and I have also had some bad luck this season. We are doing the best that we can and I don’t want to speak about the Championship too early. I just go as fast as I can and in the best shape possible. Every small detail that helps you feel better on the bike or can win you time is really good and my team is so professional when it comes to this and they have so much experience so I have to say thanks to them. We have done some testing and we are trying to improve further and I think some of the work we did last week helped me today.”
Tanel Leok: “It was OK today. Sixth and fourth is not so bad and I’m quite happy with the result overall but my riding wasn’t too good in the second race. I could still make fourth place but I was struggling and making mistakes. I was too tight and doing stupid things. I felt like I could do much better and could have been closer to the leaders. I had an OK start in the first moto but it was very tough to make passes on the track when it was that wet.”
Damp and difficult conditions again lay in store for Rockstar Energy Suzuki Europe on FIM Motocross World Championship duty as the Grand Prix of Sweden at Uddevalla kicked off the second half of the international racing campaign for the German crew.
Armed with their factory-backed RM-Z250s Petar Petrov walked away from the ninth round of 16 in the series with 16th place overall.
An audience of 22,000 braved the rolling clouds and showers and scaled the slippery rocky hill next to the relentless layout north of Gothenburg to check out the best the MX1 and MX2 classes had to offer. The track held up reasonably well through the heavy rain of the weekend but the soft and shallow dirt tended to form a single dry line that made overtaking a risky task. The ground ranged from rough and bumpy to greasy and deceptive in the various looping sections of the course.
Petrov showed good speed during Saturday and real promise to trouble the upper echelons of the MX2 leaderboard. The Bulgarian battled through the watery mud to secure 11th place in spite of a crash that saw him slither back into the reaches of the top 20. The youngster could not do any better in the second race after a fall with other riders at the start and then a frustrating collision with a backmarker in the wake of working his way to 15th. He passed the flag with 18th spot.
Harri Kullas suffered some bad luck on Saturday after catching green fencing in his rear wheel during the qualification heat that caused him to retire and contemplate a lowly gate position for Sunday. The Fin’s fortunes did not improve during the first moto where he caught and twisted his left knee. He painfully retired and will now undergo a scan at the Ortema medical facility tomorrow to determine the extent of the damage and the required course of action.
With half of the calendar now consigned to the statistics sheet both Rockstar Energy Suzuki Europe riders are staring at 11th (Kullas) and 12th (Petrov) positions in the MX2 standings. Kullas is 31 points from moving up to 10th (25 count for a moto victory) and Petrov needs one point to rise above his team-mate.
Trips to Kegums (Latvia) and Semigorje (Russia) constitute the team’s Grand Prix commitments for July with the back-to-back events kicking off on July 15th.
Petar Petrov: “I feel horrible about today. The weekend was going so well until the races! In the first moto I got a bad start and then I came up to 10th or 11th and tried to pass Tixier but then I crashed. I came back from 18th to 11th and my riding was good. I went down at the start of the second moto but came back strongly until I ran into a lapper. It seems I am missing good luck these days and I am ‘down’ right now. Today could easily have been two top-10 results because I had the speed to do it. A shame.”
Harri Kullas: “I just twisted my knee in that first moto because the track was slippy and it was difficult to see. I had a lot of pain right away and I really don’t know what I have done. We will have more information tomorrow.”
— Honda
An overcast and slushy Uddevalla circuit was the setting for the Grand Prix of Sweden and Honda World Motocross’ Rui Goncalves steered his factory CRF450R to thirteenth position overall at what was the ninth round of sixteen in the 2012 FIM Motocross World Championship. Twenty-two thousand spectators flocked to one of the staple fixtures in the series – having hosted a Grand Prix every year this century – and saw Clement Desalle take victory in the premier MX1 class for the second time this season. Honda were best represented by Honda France HDI MX Team’s Cedric Soubeyras in eleventh place.
Uddevalla provided its usual test of fast and tight turns with a number of undulating jumps and sections. The shallow, loose top soil was slippery in places and rough and rutted in others. With the rain the dirt was watery and muddy in the first moto, but afternoon sunshine helped dry the course to an extent. The rocky hillside adjacent to the layout provided the majority of fans with a superb birds eye view of the action.
Honda World Motocross team were desperately unlucky at the event where Honda unveiled the brand new 2013 CRF450R to the press and European eyes for the first time and Evgeny Bobryshev signed a contract extension for a further two years to remain in red.
Goncalves was hampered with problems in Saturday’s qualification when he was hit by another rider and suffered machine damage. The Portuguese barely finished the qualifying heat with twenty-third position. Still nursing a painful rib, Rui started badly in the flooded first race on Sunday and plotted a course back to the fringes of the top ten until his bike stopped and hesitated to restart only corners from the flag. Goncalves did end the weekend on a positive note by battling his way to seventh in the second outing.
Bobryshev began the meeting in strong form with a confident run to second place in Saturday’s qualification heat. The Russian therefore earned second pick of slots in the gate for Sunday, but after three laps of the first race crashed on one of the steepest and fastest sections of the track and badly gashed his right elbow. ‘Bobby’ needed four stiches in a painful wound and elected against worsening the injury in the second sprint.
LS Honda’s Jonathan Barragan crashed in both motos, but recovered composure and ground to finish in twelfth and thirteenth positions for twelfth overall.
Honda’s leading trio inhabit positions in the top fourteen of the MX1 standings. Goncalves is tenth, Bobryshev thirteenth with Barragan just behind. In the MX2 class Max Anstie suffered two crashes with his CRF250R in the qualification outing on Saturday, but fared slightly better in Sunday’s races. The Briton picked up points for a thirteenth place finish in the second moto and now holds seventh in the points table.
Round ten of the FIM Motocross World Championship will take place at Kegums in two weeks for the Grand Prix of Latvia.
Rui Goncalves: Race Result: DNF / 7th Championship position: 10th “The first moto was tough to take. I didn’t have such a great start, but I tried to make my way past some guys on the first lap and unfortunately I went down and lost all the ground I had won. I needed to work hard to catch back up to eleventh and just two corners before the flag the bike stopped so I could not finish. This is a mechanical sport and there is not much we can do in this case. For the second moto the team worked really hard to get the bike ready for the start. I didn’t get away so well again, but pushed to make some passes and it was a good race. The track was really slick so you needed to stay focussed all the way and that’s what I did. It has been a tough beginning to the season and things haven’t gone my way yet with all the injuries and bad luck, but I want to thank the team for all their work and support. I hope things will turn my way soon because this has been the toughest start to a racing year ever.”
— Kawasaki
Christophe Pourcel shrugged off sickness to move closer to the series pacesetter with a brave second place in the Swedish round of the FIM World MX1 Motocross Championship at Uddevalla.
The elegant leader of Team CP377 Monster Energy Kawasaki Pro Circuit has already proved his ability in damp condition earlier in the summer but he had to call on all of his physical reserves to twice finish second after sickness had prevented him from sleeping during the previous night. His personal resiliance and the reliability of his Kawasaki KX450F have resulted in the Frenchman moving significantly closer to the series pacesetter and he now trails the points leader by just 12 points, while his brace of second places has moved Kawasaki to the head of the Manufacturers series.
Elder brother Sebastien came desperately close to making it a double podium for the Pourcel family as he continues to rebuild his career after two injury-affected seasons. Sebastien chased his brother home in third place in the opening moto, but was just edged out of an overall GP podium with a solid ride back to sixth place after finding it difficult to find his rhythm during the early laps. The result has helped him to move yxet closer to the series top ten.
The Kawasaki Racing Team experienced a frustrating weekend as both of the team’s riders found it difficult to display their known form. Gautier Paulin never felt comfortable on the rain-affected track and after a series of riding errors had to be content with seventh overall from 7-9 moto finishes. Nevertheless he consolidated his fourth place in the standings. Xavier Boog crashed several times during the two motos and had to be satisfied with eighth overall from 9-8 motos; he retained his seventh place in the standings but closed the gap to fifth place in the series.
Christophe Pourcel: “I’m happy with my second place; I was sick last night so Clément was a little bit faster this week-end. I got two holeshots but then I had to deal with my stomach troubles and my goggles in the first moto. My goal was to be on the podium and I achieved it once again. Consistent is the key in the series and we are now only twelve points from the leader with seven more races to go.”
Sébastien Pourcel: “It was great to battle with the leaders in the first race, and I was so happy to collect a podium finish ! The track was rough but I didn’t make any mistakes in that first moto. My second start was not as good as the first one, and it took me several laps to find my rhythm. I missed the podium by one point, but it’s the first time this season that I have finished both races in the top six so I go home happy this evening.”
Gautier Paulin: “I never had a good feeling with the track all weekend, and when it’s rough like it was here you must be confident. My first start was OK but I went wide in the first corner and lost several positions, then in the second race I didn’t make such a good start and I also made a couple of mistakes. I will continue to work hard; the season is not finished and we saw today that things can change very rapidly in the course of a single weekend.”
Xavier Boog: “I’m not satisfied with my results at the moment; I have been finishing between sixth and tenth place in the last few races and that’s not what I’m looking for. I qualified in twelfth after a crash, and today I had some more crashes. I will have to regroup this week, and then get back into training to prepare for Latvia and Russia.”
Tommy Searle raced to his second consecutive GP victory in the ninth round of the FIM World MX2 Motocross Championship at Uddevalla in Sweden to move relentlessly closer to the series pacesetter.
The British leader of Team Floride Monster Energy Kawasaki Pro Circuit dominated both motos in changeable weather conditions, only desperate bad luck denying him a double victory as he was forced to pit for fresh goggles during the opening rain-affected moto before charging back to miss victory by just three seconds. He underlined his physical strength and the power of his Kawasaki KX250F with a clearcut victory in the second moto; it was the fifth consecutive GP in which he has won the energy-sapping second race. The victory moves Searle to within 16 points of the championship pacesetter with seven GPs of the 16 round series remaining.
He was joined on the podium for the first time by Dylan Ferrandis of Team Rockstar Bud Racing Kawasaki after the French teenager took the holeshot in both motos and showed great resiliance just one month after injury to post 4-3 moto finishes in the demanding conditions.
Searle’s teammate Joel Roelants had been the sandwich in a Kawasaki 2-3-4 finish in race one and the Belgian appeared to be a serious candidate for his first podium finish since the two opening GPs of the season until dirt affected the braking mechanism and he was pushed downfield after stalling the motor twice. Despite the difficulties he set the fastest lap of the race and has consolidated his fourth place in the series.
Benoit Paturel was promoted from the European championship series for the weekend to replace injured Bud teamster Valentin Teillet and the French youngster acquitted himself well in his maiden GP to grab points in both motos with tenth and seventeenth placed finishes.
Tommy Searle: “I got to the front quickly in both motos and had the races under control but my goggles steamed up in the first race and I lost something like ten seconds in just a couple of laps because I couldn’t see the lines. There are far too many lappers to ride without goggles so I had to pit for fresh ones. I just ran out of time to catch Jeffrey again, but it was the right decision – for the result and for my health ! I got past Dylan (Ferrandis) quickly in race two and just focused on riding smooth laps. Of course I would have liked to win both motos, but ironically I actually gained more points on Jeffrey today than if I had gone 1-1 and he 2-2. I’ve been confident all year; I just have to stay focused.”
Dylan Ferrandis: “I wasn’t expecting a podium this weekend as the track was pretty rough with the rain, and I didn’t feel as comfortable as usual. But I got the holeshot in both races and that made the difference! It felt good to lead for several laps, and then when Searle, Van Horebeek and Herlings came up on me I let them pass as they are racing for the title. It’s great to get my first podium here, especially as it is only one month since I was injured in France and I hope to get some more top five finishes before the end of the season.”
Joel Roelants: “I had a good start in the first race and rode my own pace to get third position. I rode well in the second race too; I was about seventh at the start and I was sure that I could get another podium, but I got mud in my rear brake and stalled the motor a couple of times because of it.”
Benoit Paturel: “My goal this season is the European MX2 title, but Bud called me up to replace Valentin (Teillet) for my first ever GP. This morning the track was nice during the warm up, but for the races it was not so good with the rain. In the first moto my start was not so good, but I found a good rhythm and came through the field to tenth. My start was even worse in the second race and I could only finished seventeenth; now I need to concentrate on the next round of the European MX2 in Latvia.”
— Yamaha
Monster Energy Yamaha saw Shaun Simpson battle for a podium position and record his highest finish of fifth overall in just his second season in the premier MX1-GP class at an overcast and rain-hit Uddevalla for the Grand Prix of Sweden. 22,000 spectators came to the ninth round of sixteen in the FIM Motocross World Championship and the furthest trip north in Europe for the series. The Swedish dirt was slippery and difficult to attack after inclement weather through the weekend but Simpson was able to shine in the conditions.
The Briton was drafted into the Rinaldi-led section of the team to steer the full factory YZ450FM vacated by Steven Frossard in the wake of the 11 championship runner-ups recent knee operation. The former British Champion and reigning Belgian Champion made a bright start by fighting for third position in Saturdays qualification heat and equalled a career-best fourth place at the flag. It was a sign of the speed to come.
On Sunday he followed team-mate David Philippaerts in fifth position for half of the moto. The Italian suffered a crash over the rutted table-top jump in the middle of the track and the impact unfortunately led to an initial diagnosis of fractures to the wrists he broke last summer. The former world champion went to hospital to have further scans and an indication to the full extent of the damage. Another examination will take place in Italy tomorrow. Simpsons subsequent fourth position represented brighter news for the team and the Scots highest MX1 race finish to-date.
In the second moto the 24 year old made a great start and his form on the drying and technical course placed him in firm contention for a maiden MX1 podium finish. It was while 24 was in third spot that he hit a long rutted section of the track in a different gear and briefly slipped to the ground. He quickly remounted and held fifth position for the rest of the moto to secure the same ranking overall.
Monster Energy Yamaha now have another brief respite from the spotlight of the FIM World Championship before facing journeys to Latvia and Russia on July 15th and 22nd.
Shaun Simpson: What can I say? Coming into this weekend I guess it was a bit of a surprise that I switched awnings but it was a move that suited everyone. Unfortunately David got injured today so it looks like Im the only rider at the moment on the YZ450FM. From my side it was easy to come over and Fred has done a great job getting the bike ready for me. I feel comfortable, fast and safe. I dont think I could have expected much more from today. Almost a podium and Strijbos was riding very strongly in the second moto but to come away with a 4-5 was good enough and I was riding well enough to deserve it. Im looking forward to the rest of the season and this is something really good to build on. I made a good start in the second moto and thought can I hold it? and before I knew it I was pulling away with the top two and I said right, lets get stuck into them but I think it will take me a couple of weekends to get back into that mindset of running with the leaders. I was racing out there with a smile on my face.
Bright comeback for Osborne with 5th place in Sweden
Monster Energy Yamaha were able to count on the three original stars of their 2012 line-up at a damp Uddevalla for the Grand Prix of Sweden. The ninth round of sixteen in the FIM Motocross World Championship saw Arnaud Tonus and Christophe Charlier joined by Zach Osborne for the first time this season and the trio consistently strived to set the pace throughout the weekend. Osborne starred in the muddy conditions and captured fifth position overall.
A crowd of 22,000 flocked to the high rocks and fences of Uddevalla and although rainfall and dark skies obscured the event the fine soil of the jumps, dips and shallow hills of the racetrack held up quite well. It was a muddy Grand Prix and terrain was swampy, greasy and rough while overtaking remained difficult away from the main racing line.
Osborne made a welcome return after rehabbing from collarbone and shoulder surgery that was a consequence of a pre-season crash. The American was in lively form for his maiden Grand Prix appearance of the year and rode from fifteenth to fifth position in Saturdays qualification heat. The same speed was in evidence during the first moto on Sunday where he chased down and passed Jake Nicholls to breach the top five. The former British Champion could even have looked at a podium finish as he hunted the top four in the second race but a collision with team-mate Christophe Charlier cost both riders time and Osborne was adrift in fifth spot again until the flag.
Charlier had recovered sufficiently from his dislocated shoulder at the Grand Prix of France to be able to throw his leg over the prototype YZ250FM and gained momentum with each session of the Grand Prix. A mistake and crash cost the Frenchman time in the first moto and he collected eighteenth. A better launch in the second sprint saw the ex European Champion vying for attention in the leading group until his run-in with Osborne. Charlier still picked up sixth for twelfth overall.
Tonus had a day to forget after initially setting lap-times on Saturday that placed the Swiss as a rider in contention for a trophy. A fall on the first lap of a soaking first moto, pitting to change goggles and another slip meant the current MX2 British Champion had to be content with points for fourteenth. A decent start in the second race was foiled by a sticking rear brake and unfortunately signalled the end of his participation.
Monster Energy Yamaha are next in action for the Grand Prix of Latvia at Kegums on July 15th where Mel Pocock will suit-up and attempt to win the second round of the European EMX250 series at Kegums. The Grand Prix of Russia at Semigorje will take place the following weekend.
Zach Osborne: It went pretty good. To come out and do two 35 minutes plus 2 lap motos for the first time since almost this time last year was really positive. Two fifth positions and two pretty solid rides I had a little crash with Charlier in the second moto otherwise I might have been able to go for the podium but its all good. Weve got two weeks until Latvia so hopefully I can go back and work on my fitness some more and keep building up. I thought I wouldnt be able to last as long as I did because I couldnt do anything for the first six weeks after my operation but I was able to go really deep in the second moto. I was trying to catch Jake [Nicholls] but I reached a point where I was toast. Anyway, its been a pretty good day.
Arnaud Tonus: It was a tough day but Im thankful not to have any injuries because I had a few crashes and the track was pretty gnarly. I felt good here, and its shame as my speed was there. In the first moto I had a decent start but made a mistake. I got stuck in the mud and crashed. From there it was hard to come back and I had to stop for more goggles. I then fell off again! It was a hard race but at least I had some points. The start was not too bad in the second moto eighth or something but then I had a problem with the rear brake. Something blocked it. I came in and it freed for two corners but then happened again. Bad luck like that can happen. Today was a shame but it was a good day for Zach and positive to see a result like that for the team.
Christophe Charlier: I was only able to ride once before coming here and I was a little nervous before the first practice how my shoulder would feel. I was happy because after each session I was feeling faster and more comfortable on the bike. On a few jumps I was coming up a bit short sometimes and my arm was fine. I was a bit unlucky in each race and in particular the second one after the crash with Osborne. Without that I believe I could have reached the top three or four.
— KTM
The KTM factory riders went to Uddevalla looking forward to a part sandy track that should suit them but once again the rain turned it into a battle with the mud that ended in disaster for the team’s Tony Cairoli in MX1 and a difficult two races for Jeffrey Herlings in MX2.
First out on the rain soaked track were the MX2 riders and Jeffrey Herlings found himself with much to do after his rival Tommy Searle got away cleanly and took a handy lead. Herlings found himself right at the back after the start of the opening moto and the sand specialist then had to battle through the mud to get within striking distance of Searle. Then almost at the end of the race the British rider was forced to return to the pits and Herlings, who by then was in second, grabbed the lead. Searle quickly returned to the track and was gaining ground on KTM’s Dutch teenager. But time ran out of him and Herlings went on to take the flag.
For MX2 teammate Jeremy van Horebeek, things also did not pan out well in the opening race. He dropped out two thirds into the race and had to wheel his mud-covered bike back to the pits.
A similar fate struck KTM’s MX1 championship leader Tony Carioli two thirds of the way through his opening MX1 moto when he picked up a stone that lodged hard in the chain, locked up his back wheel and forced his to retire, leaving the glory to his rival Clement Desalle of Belgium. Kevin Strijbos was the best KTM finisher at five in the opening MX1 moto while Cairoli’s factory teammate Ken de Dycker of Belgium made a heroic dash from the back of the field to finish in a creditable eleventh.
The second MX2 moto was also a problem for Herlings who crashed and found himself right at the back of the field in lap one. Meanwhile van Horebeek was lapping very fast times eventually finished second in the moto. Herlings battled his way through the pack to eventual seventh and still managed to claim second overall even if his points lead in the championship was clipped back to 16. Van Horebeek’s second place the second moto was enough to give him overall eighth even though he had a DNF in race one. The third team member Jordi Tixier of France finished overall sixth and picked up good points to stay in fifth position in the standings but he said he struggled to have a good feeling on the Uddevalla track and had difficulty recovering from two bad starts in the mud.
Jeffrey Herlings: “I was good at the start of the first moto and worked my way up to second to pass Tommy and win. In the second I was unlucky and had a crash with my two teammates at the start. I got back to sixth then I had another crash that put me right back in the field. I managed to get back to seventh but I think more was not possible. I lost some points but I hope to make them up in the next round which is a sand track.”
Jeremy van Horebeek was philosophical about his DNF in the opening race, simply saying that it is a mechanical sport and such things can happen but in reality he had been running in a good third with only minutes to go when the bike broke putting him out. “I put that aside and focused on the second race. I had a bad start but I worked my way up to second. I felt good and I had a good pace,” he said.
Meanwhile Cairoli was back on the track for the second MX1 moto and settled into sixth place in the opening laps. Then disaster struck when he ran off the track and buried his bike up to the foot pegs in the quagmire of mud that track grooming machines had pushed to the side of the track. There was no alternative for the championship leader but to retire. Teammate de Dycker also crashed again in the opening stages leaving a lot of work to get back into the points.
Cairoli admitted that he had never had a “double zero” in his great racing career but was also philosophical about the first race incident dismissing it simply as something that can happen in Motocross. “In the second I made a little mistake on the landing of the jump but then I got stuck in the mud on the side of the track. It’s a shame when you are in good shape and the bike is running well when you can’t get back into the race. But now I am motivated for the next races and I will go on the attack and try to win back the red plate,” the five times world champion said.
KTM spirits were lifted however with Strijbos powering home on the KTM 350 SX-F to finish overall third. Cairoli’s double DNF also cost him the coveted red plate, which he will try to reclaim when riders meet again for the next round in tow week’s time in Kegums, Latvia.
Team Manager Stefan Everts: “This was one day that everything went wrong but we have put in so many good races for so many years that sooner or later this was going to happen. I think we are a really strong team and they are all willing to fight back. Tony lost the ride plate but we know his capabilities and he’s relaxed so it’s just going to make MX1 really interesting again. We also had some bad luck in MX2 but Latvia is in two weeks, the season is long and I don’t thing we have lost anything on the championships.”
MX1 Team Manager Claudio de Carli: “What happened today was unfortunate and bad luck for Tony but such things are just part of our sport. We cannot blame anyone because no one is to blame and we don’t need to find any solutions because there are no big issues.” He added though that he hoped the team could help Ken de Dycker with the problems he was having with his starts. “He is putting a lot of effort into his racing and if we can get the difficulty sorted out with his starts, then I am sure he can be on the podium,” de Carli said.
