— FIM MX1/MX2 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP / ROUND 03 SUNDAY APRIL 29 FERMO, ITALY
— Weather: Sunshine / Temperature: 21 degrees C / Attendance: 17, 000
— Pourcel and Herlings shine in Fermo
The 17,000 people present in Fermo were able to enjoy incredible racing in both MX1 and MX2 classes. Christophe Pourcel obtained his maiden MX1 victory of the season, whereas Jeffrey Herlings obtained his second GP victory this weekend in Fermo.
Although Antonio Cairoli was on the second step of the podium, his second heat victory made the crowd go crazy. Third overall was Clement Desalle and Gautier Paulin missed the podium for just one point due to his sixth position in the second heat.
Steven Frossard decided to take part in the first heat, but the pain on his knee was so intense that he decided not to take any risks and decided to call it a day.
Jeffrey Herlings went 1-1 in Fermo and he is now leading the MX2 championship with 30 points advantage. Michael Leib had a superb weekend and was on the second step of the podium, while Jeremy Van Horebeek completed the top three.
The negative part of the day was the two DNF’s of Tommy Searle and Joel Roelants in the first heats; Searle was able to take part in the second heat and finished second, but Roelants suffered a heavy concussion in the first heat and was not able to race the second one.
— MX1
Monster Energy Kawasaki Pro Circuit’s Christophe Pourcel obtained his maiden GP victory of the season and he is now third in the point standings 27 points behind Cairoli. In the first heat, Pourcel and Paulin exchanged the lead in several occasions. Pourcel even stalled the bike in the last lap, but he managed to start the bike again quickly, catch Paulin and cross the finish line in the first position. In the second heat, he succeeded in finishing second even being bleeding from his nose during the last laps after a rock had hit his face.
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Cairoli was only third in the first heat, but he took the holeshot in the second one and succeeded in keeping the lead until the chequered flag. After not having the best qualifying race yesterday, Cairoli was determined to do well today and hand a victory to his home crowd that had been cheering for him until the end. Cairoli is still leading the MX1 point standings with 17 points advantage over Paulin.
The third step of the podium was for Rockstar Energy Suzuki World’s Desalle thanks to his 4-3 result. However, the Belgian admitted that he is not fully satisfied with performance today and he needs to keep on working to try to conquer the first step of the podium in the upcoming Grand Prix.
Kawasaki Racing Team’s Paulin had an incredible first race and he actually missed the victory because he made a mistake in the last lap and Pourcel overtook him. In the second heat, Paulin crashed in the first corner and had to fight from the back of the pack to end sixth, which made him finish fourth overall.
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s De Dycker obtained another solid result in Fermo and completed the top five of the Italian Grand Prix. De Dycker had a bad start in the first heat and started from an initial twelfth position to finish seventh. However, in the second heat the Belgian started third and rode a consistent moto until the end.
Russian Bobryshev is much better from his thumb injury and he succeeded in finishing sixth overall in a track where he does not really feel comfortable. Strijbos, who finished tenth in the first heat after starting from an initial 16th position, was seventh in the second one and obtained a final seventh place.
Philippaerts was ninth and once again he was touched by bad luck; five minutes before the end of the first heat, the Italian made a mistake while he was riding fourth and he went down the floor. He managed to finish ninth but he hit his face heavily and had some vision problems in one of his eyes. In the second moto he finished eighth and obtained an overall eighth position.
Boog was ninth and Leok completed the top ten. After finishing 17th in the first moto Dean Ferris bounced back to a top ten finish in the second bout.
MX1 Race 1 top ten: 1. Christophe Pourcel (FRA, Kawasaki), 40:45.152; 2. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:00.807; 3. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:10.841; 4. Clement Desalle (BEL, Suzuki), +0:45.920; 5. Xavier Boog (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:46.277; 6. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), +0:49.834; 7. Ken de Dycker (BEL, KTM), +0:57.051; 8. Shaun Simpson (GBR, Yamaha), +0:59.812; 9. David Philippaerts (ITA, Yamaha), +1:04.282; 10. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, KTM), +1:07.930;
MX1 Race 2 top ten: 1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 39:48.505; ; 2. Christophe Pourcel (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:09.147; 3. Clement Desalle (BEL, Suzuki), +0:15.265; 4. Ken de Dycker (BEL, KTM), +0:20.222; 5. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), +0:31.310; 6. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:42.169; 7. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, KTM), +0:54.334; 8. David Philippaerts (ITA, Yamaha), +1:02.716; 9. Rui Goncalves (POR, Honda), +1:05.010; 10. Dean Ferris (AUS, Kawasaki), +1:06.052;
MX1 Overall top ten: 1. Christophe Pourcel (FRA, Kawasaki), 47 points; 2. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 45 p.; 3. Clement Desalle (BEL, Suzuki), 38 p.; 4. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Kawasaki), 37 p.; 5. Ken de Dycker (BEL, KTM), 32 p.; 6. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), 31 p.; 7. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, KTM), 25 p.; 8. David Philippaerts (ITA, Yamaha), 25 p.; 9. Xavier Boog (FRA, Kawasaki), 23 p.; 10. Tanel Leok (EST, Suzuki), 20 p.;
MX1 Championship top ten: 1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 133 points; 2. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Kawasaki), 116 p.; 3. Christophe Pourcel (FRA, Kawasaki), 106 p.; 4. Clement Desalle (BEL, Suzuki), 105 p.; 5. Ken de Dycker (BEL, KTM), 95 p.; 6. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, KTM), 76 p.; 7. Xavier Boog (FRA, Kawasaki), 72 p.; 8. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), 69 p.; 9. David Philippaerts (ITA, Yamaha), 69 p.; 10. Tanel Leok (EST, Suzuki), 62 p.;
MX1 Manufacturers: 1. KTM, 133 points; 2. Kawasaki, 129 p.; 3. Suzuki, 115 p.; 4. Yamaha, 94 p.; 5. Honda, 89 p.; 6. TM, 12 p.;
— MX2
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Herlings won both heats but it was not an easy victory for the Dutch rider. In the first heat, he was able to keep the lead from the beginning to the finish line, but by the end of the heat Herlings started feeling that his bike was having some problems. In the second moto, Herlings and Searle’s wheels touched and the Dutch lost the front break but he managed to go from eleventh to first.
The second overall position was for Monster Energy Yamaha’s Leib on his second appearance in the FIM Motocross World Championship this season. The American did an incredible first race moving from 15th to third and in the second moto he led the race until the last three laps, where he was overtaken by Herlings and Searle. Leib is very grateful towards Monster Energy Yamaha for having given him such opportunity and he admitted that his near future is still uncertain at the moment.
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Van Horebeek obtained his first podium finish of the season after being second and fourth in today’s races. In the first heat, the Belgian was riding comfortably in the second position when he suffered a heavy crash, but he managed to recover himself quickly and finished the race second. Van Horebeek admitted that he struggled a lot in the second moto to finish fourth, as he was suffering a heavy headache caused from the crash in the first moto. The Belgian is now second in the point standings.
His teammate Tixier was fifth overall today in Fermo and he has moved up to the sixth position in championship and he is now only two points behind Anstie. Tixier had some difficulties in the first race and he was only able to finish seventh, but in the second one he obtained a solid fifth place.
KTM Diga Racing’s Butrón completed the top five of the Italian Championship thanks to his 9-7 result. The Spanish rider had two really good starts and in the second moto he even led the race during the first meters. Butrón has been riding in the front in Sevlievo and this weekend in Fermo during the first laps, but he is missing a little bit of consistency to fight for the podium finish.
Charlier obtained a solid overall sixth position in his first appearance in the FIM Motocross World Championship after his foot injury and Ferrandis finished seventh overall. The French young rider, who was the runner up of the 2011 UEM EMX2 championship, had a really good start in the first heat and finished fifth, but in the second one he was involved in a crashed at the start and he could only cross the finish line in the 12th position.
Anstie was eighth and Searle and Lupino completed the top ten.
It was a disappointing weekend for Searle, especially after having won the qualifying race yesterday and having so high expectations for this weekend. In the first heat he crashed on the opening lap and his bike was so damaged that he had to pull out and in the second one, Searle’s and Herlings’ bikes touched at the start and he had to fight from almost the last position up to the second final place.
MX2 Race 1 top ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 40:06.301; 2. Jeremy van Horebeek (BEL, KTM), +0:16.652; 3. Michael Leib (USA, Yamaha), +0:21.834; 4. Jake Nicholls (GBR, KTM), +0:27.065; 5. Dylan Ferrandis (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:34.091; 6. Harri Kullas (FIN, Suzuki), +0:36.761; 7. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KTM), +0:40.763; 8. Christophe Charlier (FRA, Yamaha), +0:43.712; 9. Jose Butron (ESP, KTM), +0:48.831; 10. Nikolaj Larsen (DEN, Suzuki), +1:03.412;
MX2 Race 2 top ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 39:49.655; ; 2. Tommy Searle (GBR, Kawasaki), +0:03.234; 3. Michael Leib (USA, Yamaha), +0:17.454; 4. Jeremy van Horebeek (BEL, KTM), +0:28.991; 5. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KTM), +0:32.368; 6. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, Husqvarna), +0:34.819; 7. Jose Butron (ESP, KTM), +0:40.922; 8. Max Anstie (GBR, Honda), +0:57.391; 9. Christophe Charlier (FRA, Yamaha), +1:04.357; 10. Petar Petrov (BUL, Suzuki), +1:16.502;
MX2 Overall top ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 50 points; 2. Michael Leib (USA, Yamaha), 40 p.; 3. Jeremy van Horebeek (BEL, KTM), 40 p.; 4. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KTM), 30 p.; 5. Jose Butron (ESP, KTM), 26 p.; 6. Christophe Charlier (FRA, Yamaha), 25 p.; 7. Dylan Ferrandis (FRA, Kawasaki), 25 p.; 8. Max Anstie (GBR, Honda), 23 p.; 9. Tommy Searle (GBR, Kawasaki), 22 p.; 10. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, Husqvarna), 22 p.;
MX2 Championship top ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 144 points; 2. Jeremy van Horebeek (BEL, KTM), 114 p.; 3. Tommy Searle (GBR, Kawasaki), 109 p.; 4. Joel Roelants (BEL, Kawasaki), 85 p.; 5. Max Anstie (GBR, Honda), 80 p.; 6. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KTM), 78 p.; 7. Dylan Ferrandis (FRA, Kawasaki), 73 p.; 8. Jake Nicholls (GBR, KTM), 69 p.; 9. Harri Kullas (FIN, Suzuki), 65 p.; 10. Michael Leib (USA, Yamaha), 61 p.;
MX2 Manufacturers: 1. KTM, 144 points; 2. Kawasaki, 132 p.; 3. Honda, 84 p.; 4. Yamaha, 83 p.; 5. Suzuki, 73 p.; 6. Husqvarna, 60 p.; 7. TM, 5 p.;
– Kawasaki Report
Christophe Pourcel gave Team CP377 Monster Energy Kawasaki Pro Circuit victory in only their third GP when he won the Italian round of the FIM World MX1 Motocross Championship at Fermo.
After finishing 1-2 at the previous weekend’s Bulgarian GP, Pourcel and fellow Kawasaki rider Gautier Paulin of the Kawasaki Racing Team again showed dominant form in Italy. They were both more than two seconds per lap faster than the opposition during the timed Pre-Qualifying session the previous day and followed this up with a runaway 1-2 win in the Qualification race before quickly moving to the front of the pack in the opening GP moto. Again their vivid duel took them clear of the pack with Pourcel emerging the winner by less than a second after they had passed and repassed each other in the closing stages of the race. Unfortunately Paulin slithered to the ground at the first corner of race two and had to be content with sixth place at the finish despite a storming ride through from last position, but Pourcel was again prominent and, despite the handicap of blood streaming down his face after he was hit on the nose by a rock, he crossed the line in the wheeltracks of the moto winner to clinch the overall GP victory. This was not only the first victory for the CP377 team, but also the first personal win in the world championships for Pourcel since 2007, his most recent full season of GP racing; that win, also in Italy at the Faenza facility, was in the MX2 category so today’s win was his first overall success in MX1.
Pourcel’s elder brother Sebastien also maintained his renewed show of speed as he made it three Kawasakis in the first five in the Qualification race, but he too took a rock on the nose on race day and sadly had to withdraw from both races. Paulin’s KRT teammate Xavier Boog’s gating skills deserted him for the weekend, but he had an impressive charge from 13th to nearly snatch fourth place at the chequered flag in race one before a fall restricted his scoring potential in race two.
Christophe Pourcel: “I was confident already when we arrived here in Italy. We had the bike set up really well from the race last weekend in Bulgaria and I immediately felt comfortable on this track. My Kawasaki got me out of the gate well in both races and I won the first race after an exciting battle with Gautier Paulin. I was sitting comfortably in second place in the second moto and was optimistic that I could win that race too, but a rock hit me on the nose a few laps from the end; blood was streaming down my face so I decided it was wiser to settle for second place as this would secure the overall GP win. We’re a young team and it’s great to win already at our third GP to confirm the potential we showed in Bulgaria.”
Gautier Paulin: “I had a good rhythm in the first moto but I made too many small mistakes; I nearly passed Christophe several times, but I always made a mistake and even after I did take the lead with two laps to go I went wide in a corner and lost the race. I ruined my second race by crashing at the start; I recovered to sixth place but I want to be on the podium every week. We’ll continue to work for that, and the speed we showed this weekend confirmed our results from Bulgaria.”
Xavier Boog: “I need to work on my starts ! In both motos I started in the pack and am making life tough for myself. I found a good rhythm and good lines in the first race to nearly snatch fourth place Desalle, but I wasn’t riding smoothly in the second race and I even crashed once.”
Sébastien Pourcel: “I had a good feeling on Saturday, and it was great to qualify in fifth position. My first start was not so good, and during the opening lap a stone hit me on the nose. I lost a lot of blood and eventually had to stop. In the second moto I felt tired after just a few laps; possibly this was the result of the incident in the first race, and I pulled in rather than taking risks.”
Kawasaki riders suffered bad luck in the Italian round of the FIM World MX2 Motocross Championship at Fermo in Italy, but fought back defiantly to stay in contention for the title.
After his stunning victory one week earlier in Bulgaria Tommy Searle was again expected to dominate in Italy and indeed the Englishman and his Floride Monster Energy Kawasaki Pro Circuit teammate Joel Roelants continued their run of success with a 1-2 scoreline in the qualification race. Searle gated well, but was knocked to the ground at the second corner by another competitor’s out-of-control bike. Searle’s bike was severely damaged but he battled relentlessly forward until he held eighth place and had every prospect of a podium finish but the radiator had been damaged in the impact and once all of the coolant had escaped the bike inevitably stopped. Searle was again on the receiving end of rough justice in race two when he was knocked off entering the first turn and again had to fight through the pack from last position; after an amazing ride he crossed the line just three seconds behind the winner. Roelants crashed heavily soon after he had set the fastest MX2 lap of the day as he advanced to third place in the first race; suffering from blurred vision and headaches he was unable to start race two. Despite their bad luck Searle and Roelants still hold third and fourth places in the world standings and, with 13 of the 16 rounds of the series still to be raced, have plenty of time to turn around the misfortune which dogged them in Italy.
Dylan Ferrandis of Team Rockstar Bud Racing Kawasaki took his first GP holeshot in the opening race and the teenage rookie battled with the other leaderboard men for 40 minutes to secure fifth place at the finish, his best ever GP result to date. Later in the day he showed character to fight his way through the pack to finish 12th after being involved in a big crash at the first corner. Teammate Valentin Teillet bravely tried to race just one week after suffering severe injuries in Bulgaria but the pain proved too great and he had to withdraw from racing in Italy after just a few laps.
Tommy Searle: “I feel that I’m in the best shape I have ever been in my life, and our results yesterday proved how good our Kawasaki is. We had some really bad luck today. In the first race someone hit me in the second corner; the radiator and the pipe were smashed and the front disc bent but I still had hopes of coming through to second until the radiator was completely empty and the bike inevitably stopped. I got another good start in race two, but Herlings came over so hard on me and hit my front wheel; there was nothing I could do about it and many riders crashed into me. His action was stupid and dangerous. I came from dead last to second and nearly caught the winner even though I could hardly see anymore because my goggles were filled in.”
Dylan Ferrandis: “I was so pumped to get the holeshot in the first race ! This weekend I had a good feeling with both the bike and the track, and I pushed really hard to stay with the top riders; I was so happy to finish fifth. I’m not quite sure what happened at the start of the second race, but there was a big crash with several other riders. I didn’t lose too much time and fought back to
twelfth, so it was a good weekend for me.”
Valentin Teillet: “After my big crash in Bulgaria I worked with Jacky Vimond at a swimming pool all week to recover, and my condition improved enough that we took the decision to come here to Italy. I tried to race but it was too much painful; I still have a hematoma in my back and some pain on my lung, but for sure I will be ready for the next two GPs in South America.”
— Suzuki Report
Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MX1 blasted back into the winner’s circle as Clement Desalle scored third position overall at a sunny and scenic Fermo for the Grand Prix of Italy and the third round of the FIM Motocross World Championship today.
As 17,000 spectators found a vantage point around the steep slopes of the hard-pack, rutted and tricky terrain on the Adriatic coast, Desalle struggled to get comfortable on the track during Saturday’s practice and qualification schedule and filled eighth place in the gate for the GP motos. The Belgian seemed inconsistent with his pace and feeling on the dirt during the first race that was run in pleasant early summer temperatures. An incident when he collided with David Philippaerts required a swift recovery of the RM-Z450 but he secured fourth place by the flag.
The deep ruts and technical level of the circuit increased through the afternoon and Desalle was in better form to chase Christophe Pourcel and score third position in the second moto that gave the 22 year old a one point advantage over Gautier Paulin the final standings.
Tanel Leok, still not 100% fighting fit due to the injury with his lower left leg and ankle, again was hesitant with his starts but was able to feel more positive about his form and potential after Fermo. The Estonian rode to a brace of 11th positions for 10th overall.
In the MX1 points table after three rounds Desalle is fourth and 28 away from red plate holder Antonio Cairoli. Leok is 10th. Having closed two races back-to-back the team still has a full workload in the coming days as The Grand Prix of Mexico, followed by a trip to Brazil, will take place on May 13th and 20th.
Clement Desalle: “I’m not so happy because when I ride the bike I like to have fun and I didn’t enjoy myself this weekend. I found the track difficult, especially compared to when I won here in 2010; it felt like you were on the edge of making a big mistake all the time. I must keep working because I know what I can do. I will keep positive.”
Tanel Leok: “In the first race my riding was pretty good actually and I came through from the back. In the second one I was making so many mistakes on the first lap I didn’t know what I was doing and I killed my speed. I was fighting the track a little bit. I’m happy this one is over and we have a little break now where I can heal myself up and get ready for Mexico. Overall my feeling on the bike is getting better and this is a good thing.”
A week after a positive outing in Bulgaria, Rockstar Energy Suzuki Europe was back in action under warm sunshine at Fermo for the Grand Prix of Italy today as 17,000 spectators saw Harri Kullas take his factory-backed RM-Z250 to sixth position in the first moto and recover from an early fall to ride to 14th and leave the rough and rutty venue with 11th spot overall in the MX2 class.
The Italian hard-pack of Fermo was defined by many downhill and uphill sections as the steep hillside layout pushed the demands of the MX2 equipment to the maximum. Several technical parts of the track and battled-scarred corners helped vary the difficulty of the course.
Kullas started brightly and blasted away near the top five in the first 35 minute and 2-lap dash. He was part of a six rider group vying for third spot at one stage but settled into an effective rhythm and was satisfied to classify sixth one week after a similarly-encouraging performance netted the Fin fifth in Bulgaria. A mistake on a freshly watered track in the opening phases of the second race meant that the top 10 was a major ‘ask’ considering the ground Kullas had lost, but he persevered to reach 14th.
Alongside him in the awning, Petar Petrov was doing his best to deal with the physical and technical demands of the racing surface that was becoming heavier work with the passing laps. The Bulgarian was pretty consistent once he found his flow and eliminated some of the errors that were restricting his pace. Thirteenth and 10th still represented his best joint points-haul of the season so far and he rested in 12th.
Jorge Zaragoza picked up a superb debut podium result on the RM125 in the European 125 two-stroke championship at the Grand Prix of Bulgaria last week but the Spanish teenager was devastated when his Italian run ended before it had even begun: A slip on just his second lap in practice led to a cleanly broken right wrist and an estimated recovery period of four weeks.
There is a chance Zaragoza could be fit in time for round three of seven in the EMX125 series, which takes place on June 10th at Agueda in Portugal. The MX2 element of the team however has only a few days respite before freight needs to be prepared and travel arranged for the South American stint of the Grand Prix calendar. Trips to Mexico and then Brazil will constitute rounds four and five.
Harri Kullas: “The first race was really good and my starts now are much better. Like Valkenswaard I didn’t feel 100% here and a bit like I was running on ’empty’. I was sixth for almost all the race and a couple of guys passed me near the end but Roelants vanished and I managed to find sixth again. The speed was OK. I was pushed wide at the second start and I was lucky I didn’t crash. I was thinking that I had to be smart because the track had been watered but I still went down! I passed some guys and came to 14th but then had a problem with my goggles and I was disappointed with that. It was my mistake and it meant I couldn’t push as much as I wanted. Sixth and 14th is not so bad but it could be better. I still had a great feeling on the bike.”
Petar Petrov: “I was making mistakes out there and I’m not happy about this but there are some positives from this GP because I worked hard and my riding turned out OK. My start wasn’t so bad in the first moto but I had to put my head down to come back to 13th while in the second race I had a top-10 start, lost some places and then came back to 10th. It was a similar story in both parts of the day really. The track was a bit weird and sketchy. The ruts were really hard and you paid for any mistakes. You had to be calm out there. If you were aggressive then you crashed.”
– KTM Report
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing put in a strong weekend of racing in Round Three of the of the MX1 and MX2 World Championship in Fermo on Sunday coming away from Italian track with two red plates and Jeffrey Herlings and Tony Cairoli as championship leaders.
The day started well with Dutch teenager Jeffrey Herlings snapping a double moto win in MX2 on the KTM 250 SX-F to top the podium ahead of American Michael Leib and factory teammate Jeremy van Horebeek.Herlings has now surged 30 points clear in the standings with van Horebeek in second place while UK rider Tommy Searle slips to third after failing to pick up any points in the first moto.
While Herlings had it all his own way in the opening race on the KTM 250 SX-F, the second was much harder for him. After crashes and confusion at the start of the race he then had to go on the charge from back in the field.
Herlings got down to business and picked off riders in front of him until he hit the front in the closing stages. In the process he was also able to hold off a charge from rival Tommy Searle who was out to regain points after coming away from race one empty-handed. Van Horebeek also looked strong on the difficult hard pack surface that broke up into deep ruts and bumps as the day progressed and led for the first half of race two. The rookie member of the three-man factory team, Jordi Tixier of France also picked up valuable points to finish fourth overall and is now sixth in the standings.
Meanwhile Cairoli rounded off a good day on a track that is not his favorite on the KTM 350 SX-F with a 3-1 result for overall second. The popular Italian rider, who finished third in the opening MX1 moto came out in race two determined to treat his home town fans to a display of top riding on the KTM 350 SX-F. The wily Italian didn’t disappoint. He hit the front as soon as the gate dropped, secured the holeshot and to the delight of the dedicated fans, led throughout the entire race.
It was also a good day for his current teammate Ken de Dycker of Belgium who has stepped into the factory team to replace the injured Max Nagl of Germany. De Dycker is looking increasingly comfortable of the KTM 450 and his strong fourth place finish in the second moto put him at overall fifth in Fermo. The Belgian rider is also currently fifth in the championship standings.
Cairoli comes away from Fermo with a cushion of 27 points lead as riders now take a one-week’s break before reconvening in Mexico on May 13th for Round Four. Mexico is the first of two legs in the Americas and is followed by Round Five in Brazil.
Earlier in the day young Slovenian KTM rider Tim Gajser also had another convincing double victory in the EMX 125 class and now has a maximum of 100 points from four races. KTM riders took the top five places in the class this weekend.
Jeffrey Herlings MX2 : “I had a little bit of luck in the first moto and I went on to win by 15 seconds from Jeremy so it was a solid result. Then I took the holeshot in the second moto but I got cleaned out by Tommy (Searle). We both went down and came back from pretty much last place. I tried to push as hard as I could, I went into the lead and made it happen. So today I got 28 points on Tommy and that was good.”
Jeffrey van Horebeek MX2 : “I came out of the gate in second in both motos and in the first race I was behind Jeffrey till mid way. We had a big lead and then five minutes before the end I had a crash in the whoops and I hit my head pretty hard. I was dizzy but I still managed to finish second. I didn’t feel so good between the motos but I wanted to give the team the podium so I worked hard in the second moto. I was leading for a few laps but my head was hurting and then I had to drop the pace. Now I am second in the championship and I’ve never been there before.”
Jordi Tixier MX2: “I took a good start in the first race and I was fifth and finished seventh, which was not so bad. Then many people crashed at the start of the second race but I managed to finish fifth behind Jeremy so it was a good weekend for me. I liked the track but it had many bumps and lines and there was also a lot of crashes.”
Tony Cairoli MX1: I had a good start in the first heat and I was second but I was not so happy with my riding in the beginning. I made a few mistakes and I dropped back to 5-6 . Then after 10-15 minutes I found my rhythm and closed the gap on the front guys but I was a bit tired so I stuck to my third place. In the second race I also had a good start and I tried to make some good laps at the beginning of the race. I was also happy with how things went in the second race and I did a pretty good job.”
Ken De Dycker MX1: “I didn’t have a good start in the first moto and I didn’t find my rhythm or any good lines. But the second moto was much better. It was easier for me and I was more relaxed so there was not so much pressure. I didn’t expect more from this GP because its not one of my favorites.”
– HRC Report
The Grand Prix of Italy, round three of sixteen in the 2012 FIM Motocross World Championship took place in the scenic rolling hills of Fermo next to the Adriatic Sea and Honda World Motocross’s Evgeny Bobryshev steered his works CRF450R to sixth position overall. The premier MX1 class was owned by Christophe Pourcel, who triumphed in front of a 17,000 strong crowd that enjoyed hot and sunny conditions throughout the weekend.
The majority of the spectators had a tough climb to any vantage points as the hard-pack track is sprawled over the side of a steep hill, creating some daunting downhill drops and climbs for the riders as well as some fast and spectacular obstacles.
Bobryshev was still bothered by the right thumb he dislocated three weeks previously at the Grand Prix of the Netherlands, but was once more determined to accrue as many points as possible as the injury heals. The Russian again needed painkillers to get through the two 35 minute and
2 lap motos and found the tighter sections of the track tough to deal with, but it is becoming easier for ‘Bobby’ to reach the chequered flag with better speed. In both races he made reasonable top ten starts and then ploughed a course to sixth and fifth positions for his overall ranking.
Rui Goncalves was struggling after pulling a groin muscle during the opening practice session on Saturday. The Portuguese could not push or attack the course in usual fashion and had to dig deep into his reserves to take twentieth and ninth for fourteenth overall. The former MX2 world championship runner-up was so drained towards the end of the second race that he was vomiting over his bike.
Jonathan Barragan is dialling-in his LS Motors Honda and continued to find a more effective setting with the recently acquired Showa suspension. The Spaniard did not have the best of days in Italy. Fourteenth place after a crash in the first moto was followed up by a DNF after two spills in the second sprint. He ranked nineteenth in the final classification.
Max Anstie, who celebrated his eighteenth birthday on Wednesday, was again the star campaigner for Honda on the CRF250R in MX2. The Brit collected eleventh and eighth positions after less than ideal starts and walked away from Fermo with eighth overall.
Bobryshev is making ground in the MX1 standings and now rests eighth with sixty-nine points. Goncalves is twelfth with fifty-four and Barragan needs to build some momentum from sixteenth. The fourth round of the FIM Motocross World Championship will take place in Guadalajara for the Grand Prix of Mexico on May 13th.
Evgeny Bobryshev: Race Result: 6th / 5th Championship position: 8th – “For sure this was much better today – with my thumb – compared to Bulgaria. Last year this track was really hard for me; I could not get around! This was much better and I’m thankful that the GP was earlier in the year compared to the end of the summer like in 2011. In the first race I felt the heat and was a bit dizzy, but in the second it was cloudier and cooler and better for me. I was battling with Philippaerts and then kept the pace. I couldn’t close the gap to De Dycker for fourth because I was struggling a bit in the second section with the tight corners.”
Rui Goncalves: Race Result: 20th / 9th Championship position: 14th – “The weekend started badly because I put my foot down in a rut and it went backwards and I felt a crack in my hip. We went to the medical centre and made a check up and it was too early to tell if there was any damage. I got taped up and tried to do my best and just about survived through Saturday. In the first moto I couldn’t hold onto the bike and it felt like I had no power. There was not much I could do in the right turns because I couldn’t stick my foot out and if I had to then there was a lot of pain. It was tough. I had a medium start in the second race and it took me a few laps to get in the rhythm because I didn’t manage a good speed in the first moto. I had to go through the pain and in the last two laps I was digging so deep to catch David, but then I started to puke because I was ‘empty’. At least I got some points and now I will go home and try to sort out what is going on and hope it won’t be too long.”
Jonathan Barragan: Race Result: 14th / DNF Championship position: 16th – “I felt better with the suspension here, with the change to Showa, and although I found myself far back in the first moto my riding was easier and faster. I started well in the second moto, but then touched with Desalle in the first corner. I was fighting back through when I had another crash and wasn’t able to pick up the bike and continue. We’ve made the bike better and now I need to bring my side to the equation.”
– Yamaha Report
The Grand Prix of Italy at the Fermo circuit close to the Adriatic Sea was the scene of round three in the FIM Motocross World Championship and a second weekend of action in succession for the MX2-GP division of the Monster Energy Yamaha team. It was also the stage on which Michael Leib was able to shine in the second of two outings as a replacement rider on the factory-backed YZ250F. He not only finished as runner-up for a personal best GP result but also secured Yamaha’s first trophy in the category this season.
17,000 fans enjoyed sunny weather conditions with occasional light clouding and the Italian hard-pack track was a typical mixture of a challenging hilly layout, rutty corners and big jumps. Leib was in fiery form in the first moto when he recovered from a mid-pack start to rise all the way through the field to third position. The American sprained his knee in the exertion but still set-up the first part of a podium display.
In the second moto Leib nailed the start and proceeded to build up a lead of almost twelve seconds over his pursuers. In the final laps he was unable to contain the pace of Jeffrey Herlings and Tommy Searle – and is not quite physically ready for 35 minute and 2 lap motos having left the short sprints of AMA Supercross – but another third place was good enough to crown an excellent day.
Christophe Charlier made his debut as a factory rider and with the YZ250FM after recovering from his broken right foot. Charlier used an aluminium plate for protection and also buckled up a larger-sized boot. The weekend began well enough with lap-times in practice that placed the Corsican in the top five. The former European champion made a few mistakes in the two motos and was hit off the prototype machine on the first lap of the second race but his speed and confidence was clear to see. Charlier scored eighth and ninth for sixth overall.
Mel Pocock notched sixteenth in the MX2 ranking for his third Grand Prix appearance for the team in what is due to be a season of European and British Championship racing priorities. The 20 year old DNF-ed the first moto after a blameless crash left his bike in tatters. A mature approach to the second race and refusal to be beaten by the deteriorating track let the Briton take a decent eleventh.
Monster Energy Yamaha now face two trips outside of Europe in the coming weeks. Rounds four and five will take place in Mexico and Brazil starting with the trip to Guadalajara on May 13th. Charlier is the only confirmed representative for the crew at this stage with injured riders Zach Osborne and Arnaud Tonus continuing their recovery and rehabilitation schedules.
Michael Leib: “I got the opportunity to come over here for two weeks and ride a good bike and the goal was to do exactly what I accomplished today. It is not everyday you can achieve a highly set aim like that, especially one other people think you cannot reach. I proved myself and it was a very emotional feeling. I’ve had pretty good success in supercross and I was starting to build myself up. Today was a day where I wanted things to come together and they did. The first moto was one of the best I’ve had in a professional race and I have to thank Steve Dixon for giving me the chance and the equipment.”
Christophe Charlier: “I feel happy. This was my first GP of the season but we worked hard over the winter so it was easy to find the right setting and the feeling came quickly here. It was good to be back in the GPs. I took it a bit easy because I didn’t want to do any more damage to my body but I made mistakes and I think without these I would be able to go for the top five and then with good starts also the top three. I have two weeks now before the next race so I will do some light training and will look forward to Mexico.”
Mel Pocock: “On Saturday morning I did not gel with the track at all and I was hating life but I got out of the gate in the heat and had a solid ride to twelfth, so I was happy with that. I had a blinding start in sixth for the first race and as we went over the finish line jump and down the hill Lieber cleaned-out about five of us. It put me down, bent the bars and damaged the bike. I couldn’t carry on and I was bummed-out. It is the first race I’ve pulled out of in years. I had an amazing start again in the next race and was drag-racing with Michael down the straight. I was right up there but coming into a rutty downhill section I got cross-rutted, caught my foot and it dragged me off the bike. The crash went on for ages. I rode a strong race after that and passed a few riders to get to eleventh. My three GPs are over now and I’ve done my job. We’ve had three different tracks and the last two are not really good for my style so I think I’ve done pretty well and it’s prepared me for the European races and brought some more speed to my British Championship effort, hopefully.”
Philippaerts defies discomfort to finish 8th in Italy
Monster Energy Yamaha were able to count on the brave efforts of David Philippaerts at a sunny and well-attended Fermo circuit for the Grand Prix of Italy and the third round of the FIM Motocross World Championship. The Italian was hit in the face by a rock on the last lap of the first moto that left the former world champion with a badly bruised right eye. Despite the handicap Philippaerts took his factory YZ450FM to ninth and eighth positions for eighth overall.
17,000 spectators scaled the steep hill opposite the historic town of Fermo as the curling, rutty and difficult-to-judge Monterosato layout hosted the Italian stop on the Grand Prix calendar for the third year in succession. Philippaerts managed to finish both motos for the first time after tweaking his knee in 2010 and then missing the event in 2011. Competing in front of a passionate home support Philippaerts could have had fourth place in the first moto but was hit to the ground in a racing incident with Clement Desalle. ‘DP’ broke his goggles in the accident and this led to his misfortune with the stone late in the race. With impaired vision he still attempted the second moto and emerged from a difficult outing with full credit for eighth spot.
Team-mate Steven Frossard tried practice and the qualification heat on Saturday but after experiencing some pain in his recently operated right leg decided to retire from the race. The Frenchman, in action only five days after keyhole surgery to remove his right anterior cruciate ligament, again entered the gate on Sunday however the demands of the circuit and the conditions were too much on this occasion and with such a short window since his bad luck seven days previously in Bulgaria.
Shaun Simpson looked to be maintaining his consistent and steady start to the season with a run to eighth place in the first moto. The Scot suffered with his starts and after becoming tangled with Gautier Paulin around the first corner of the second outing was robbed of his rear brake. Simpson fought up to fifteenth spot but was skirting a fine line on the downhills and through missing a line halfway through the race he crashed and had to retire after hitting his chest.
The MX1 FIM World Championship standings hold Philippaerts in joint eighth with Simpson eleventh and Frossard thirteenth. Consecutive Grands Prix in Mexico and Brazil now await the Monster Energy Yamaha squad starting with the journey to Guadalajara on May 13th.
David Philippaerts: “I was happy for the first part of the race because I started in eighth and came back to fourth. My times were good and I was close to the leaders. On one lap Desalle wanted to pass me on the outside and we crashed together. I broke the goggles so I took them off and then pushed the rest of the race. On the last lap one rider close to me opened the gas in a corner and a stone hit my eye. I couldn’t see anything for half a lap but took ninth. I was seeing double on the first lap of the second moto but I wanted to try. I got up to seventh but was struggling and almost crashed twice because I was seeing six or seven lines on the jump not three or four! Eighth is not my position…but it is what I have to accept. Maybe the team will have some more luck in Mexico because I think we are overdue some!”
Mino Raspanti, Team Manager: “Steven is a really strong guy and I think he knew already before coming here that the Grand Prix would be very difficult but it is typical of him that he wanted to try. It was only five days after the operation. It might be easier for him in Mexico but the knee is a delicate and special part of the body. We will see.”
Shaun Simpson: “I think there are loads of positives to take from this weekend. I felt really good and I was pumped for the second moto. Paulin went down in the first corner and I caught my rear brake on his rear tyre and it bent it round. So I had no rear brake from the get-go and managed to reach fifteenth and was looking at twelfth. I should have been up around eighth, like in the first moto, if it wasn’t for the run-in on the first turn. Coming down that big hill I missed the line I usually take and couldn’t catch it. I over-corrected myself on the jump and landed on a haybale. I did a full front-flip and landed on my back and my lungs deflated for a minute! I thought I had hurt my ribs but everything is fine. Overall I need to work on my starts because I am not getting out of the gate at all. I don’t feel that I’ve had a top fifteen start yet. At least I am going forwards whereas last year I was starting better and going backwards. I feel great on the bike. I’m eleventh in the championship again but I should be higher.”
