World MX – Round 11 – Lommel (Belgium)
ROCK SOLID BARRAGAN TAKES THIRD CONSECUTIVE WIN AT EVENTFUL BELGIAN GP
LOMMEL (BELGIUM), 3 August 2008 – The Grand Prix of Belgium-GP Flanders was a great Motocross show entertaining a massive crowd of 27000 spectators throughout the weekend.
Jonathan Barragan took his third consecutive GP win courtesy of an incredible performance on the sand while Estonian Gert Krestinov wrapped up his maiden GP win after he celebrated his 18th birthday yesterday.
In this final round of the Veterans’ World Cup Toine van Dijk won the overall but the World Cup winner was home rider Peter Iven, third on today’s podium behind Jan Blancquaert.
MX1
AXO KTM Silver Action’s Jonathan Barragan is on a roll in this final part of the season as he took his third consecutive win –fourth of the season and of the career- today in Lommel. The Spaniard won the final moto and took second in the first one, where Martin Honda’s Marc de Reuver put together a fantastic performance to finish first. The second moto was tougher for the Dutchman who crashed when he was at the lead, handing it to Barragan and Max Nagl of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing. The latter was a solid third on the podium right behind Teka Suzuki WMX1’s Ken de Dycker. De Reuver and new series leader Steve Ramon rounded off the top five as David Philippaerts ended a bad day in tenth place.
Top five overall: 1. Jonathan Barragan (ESP, KTM), 47 points; 2. Ken de Dycker (BEL, Suzuki), 40 p.; 3. Maximilian Nagl (GER, KTM), 37 p.; 4. Marc de Reuver (NED, Honda), 36 p.; 5. Steve Ramon (BEL, Suzuki), 34 p.
MX1 RACE 1
De Reuver took an unexpected victory as both early leaders Ramon and De Dycker made mistakes and lost the first place. The Dutchman eventually battled it out with Barragan and despite making a mistake he secured the win from the Spaniard. De Dycker took a safe third from team mate Ramon, as the duo fought tooth and nail for the lead in the first half of the moto. Coppins rounded off the top five from Nagl as Philippaerts ended 15th after a first lap crash.
Top five: 1. Marc de Reuver (NED, Honda), 41:40.370; ; 2. Jonathan Barragan (ESP, KTM), +0:09.075; 3. Ken de Dycker (BEL, Suzuki), +0:12.520; 4. Steve Ramon (BEL, Suzuki), +0:13.904; 5. Joshua Coppins (NZL, Yamaha), +0:15.320
MX1 RACE 2
After Nagl and Barragan controlled the opening laps, De Reuver stormed to first and started to pull away with the lead until he crashed. Once he was back to the track it took him a few laps before getting back to his rhythm and he eventually ended tenth. Barragan made a final overtaking manoeuvre on Nagl to secure the victory from the German and De Dycker. Pourcel was fourth as Ramon and Philippaerts, who crashed in the final laps, rounded off the top six.
Top five: 1. Jonathan Barragan (ESP, KTM), 40:19.697; ; 2. Maximilian Nagl (GER, KTM), +0:02.470; 3. Ken de Dycker (BEL, Suzuki), +0:31.172; 4. Sebastien Pourcel (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:39.137; 5. Steve Ramon (BEL, Suzuki), +0:40.906
MX2
An incredible Gert Krestinov of Favor KTM Motorsport took his maiden GP victory after winning the final heat. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Rui Goncalves mounted on the second step of the podium for the first time in his career as he finished level in points with the Estonian. Team mate Tommy Searle was third overall despite three crashes in the final moto and Tyla Rattray, who also crashed in the final heat, was fourth despite he won moto one. Champ KTM team mates Jeremy van Horebeek and Joel Roelants rounded off the top six as Ricci Racing Yamaha’s Nicolas Aubin was seventh.
Top five overall: 1. Gert Krestinov (EST, KTM), 38 points; 2. Rui Goncalves (POR, KTM), 38 p.; 3. Tommy Searle (GBR, KTM), 37 p.; 4. Tyla Rattray (RSA, KTM), 36 p.; 5. Jeremy van Horebeek (BEL, KTM), 35 p.
MX2 RACE 1
Goncalves was the first to enter the first corner and led the first three laps; Rattray moved past him and did his own race to finish first from Searle. The latter had a tough start but worked his way up through the pack even though he was more than 21 seconds away from the South African. Goncalves took an incredible third in the final lap as he moved past both Roelants and Simpson who were fighting for third until the Portuguese’s comeback. After a mistake in the opening lap Krestinov recovered to eighth.
Top five: 1. Tyla Rattray (RSA, KTM), 41:33.589; ; 2. Tommy Searle (GBR, KTM), +0:21.537; 3. Rui Goncalves (POR, KTM), +0:34.953; 4. Joel Roelants (BEL, KTM), +0:35.986; 5. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), +0:41.914
MX2 RACE 2
The final heat started with the crash of Rattray, Searle and Simpson who all went down at the first corner. The trio restarted at the back of the pack while Krestinov worked his way through the top three moving past Eggens and early leader Aubin to take the lead and the eventual win. Rattray made it to fourth and was chasing Aubin for third when he crashed. After he restarted from 17th he just brought the bike home taking 10th. Aubin was second ahead of Van Horebeek and Goncalves, who did not take the best of the starts. Roelants and Searle, who crashed other two times, rounded off the top six.
Top five: 1. Gert Krestinov (EST, KTM), 40:41.049; ; 2. Nicolas Aubin (FRA, Yamaha), +0:25.053; 3. Jeremy van Horebeek (BEL, KTM), +0:26.226; 4. Rui Goncalves (POR, KTM), +0:27.149; 5. Joel Roelants (BEL, KTM), +0:45.602
IN THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS STANDINGS
Philippaerts lost the Championship lead for the first time since he took the red plate in Portugal. As he dropped down to second Ramon took the lead and Coppins remained third. De Dycker and Barragan round off a close top five with a maximum gap of 31 points from the top.
Top ten: 1. Steve Ramon (BEL, Suzuki), 362 points; 2. David Philippaerts (ITA, Yamaha), 360 p.; 3. Joshua Coppins (NZL, Yamaha), 345 p.; 4. Ken de Dycker (BEL, Suzuki), 336 p.; 5. Jonathan Barragan (ESP, KTM), 331 p.; 6. Sebastien Pourcel (FRA, Kawasaki), 306 p.; 7. Maximilian Nagl (GER, KTM), 290 p.; 8. Billy Mackenzie (GBR, Honda), 257 p.; 9. Tanel Leok (EST, Kawasaki), 245 p.; 10. Marc de Reuver (NED, Honda), 214 p.
Rattray is still on top of the MX2 Championship with Searle following from a 20 point distance. Injured Cairoli is third with Simpson and Goncalves rounding off the top five. Krestinov moved from 26th to 19th.
Top ten: 1. Tyla Rattray (RSA, KTM), 452 points; 2. Tommy Searle (GBR, KTM), 432 p.; 3. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, Yamaha), 357 p.; 4. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), 312 p.; 5. Rui Goncalves (POR, KTM), 279 p.; 6. Nicolas Aubin (FRA, Yamaha), 274 p.; 7. Jeremy van Horebeek (BEL, KTM), 232 p.; 8. Xavier Boog (FRA, Suzuki), 224 p.; 9. Steven Frossard (FRA, Kawasaki), 215 p.; 10. Manuel Monni (ITA, Yamaha), 203 p.
FIM VETERANS’ WORLD CUP
Toine van Dijk, the winner of the opening round in Bellpuig, took also the final round of the Veterans’ World Cup as he won both moto’s at Lommel. The Dutchman topped the overall from home riders Jan Blancquaert and Peter Iven, who became the eventual World Cup winner. Blancquaert took two second places as an injured Iven –he had a torn muscle in his arm- was third twice. British countrymen Greg Hanson and Dave Thorpe rounded off the top five.
Top five overall: 1. Toine van Dijk (NED, Suzuki), 50 points; 2. Jan Blancquaert (BEL, Kawasaki), 44 p.; 3. Peter Iven (BEL, Kawasaki), 40 p.; 4. Greg Hanson (GBR, CCM), 34 p.; 5. Dave Thorpe (GBR, Honda), 34 p.
Peter Iven is the new Veterans’ World Cup winner as he snatched the Title from defending Champion Dave Thorpe. The latter was a final third as Van Dijk moved up to second courtesy of today’s win. Jan Blancquaert and Greg Hanson rounded off the top five.
Top five: 1. Peter Iven (BEL, Kawasaki), 122 points; 2. Toine van Dijk (NED, Suzuki), 117 p.; 3. Dave Thorpe (GBR, Honda), 102 p.; 4. Jan Blancquaert (BEL, Kawasaki), 100 p.; 5. Greg Hanson (GBR, CCM), 85 p.
MX1 Race 1 1, Marc De Reuver, Honda, NED, 41’40.370 2, Jonathan Barragan, KTM, ESP, 0’9.075 3, Ken De Dycker, Suzuki, BEL, 0’12.520 4, Steve Ramon, Suzuki, BEL, 0’13.904 5, Joshua Coppins, Yamaha, NZL, 0’15.320 6, Maximilian Nagl, KTM, GER, 0’15.422 7, Sébastien Pourcel, Kawasaki, FRA, 0’54.062 8, Clement Desalle, Suzuki, BEL, 0’55.888 9, Billy MacKenzie, Honda, GBR, 0’57.210 10, Manuel Priem, Kawasaki, BEL, 0’58.543 11, Kornel Nemeth, KTM, HUN, 0’59.584 12, Aigar Leok, Yamaha, EST, 1’33.677 13, Patrick Roos, KTM, NED, 1’42.554 14, Cedric Melotte, Aprilia, BEL, 1’51.555 15, David Philippaerts, Yamaha, ITA, 1’59.985 16, Danny Theybers, Suzuki, BEL, 2’17.298 17, William Saris, Yamaha, NED, 2’30.997 18, Tanel Leok, Kawasaki, EST, -1 Laps 19, Marcus Schiffer, KTM, GER, -1 Laps 20, Bradley Anderson, Suzuki, GBR, -1 Laps | MX1 Race 2 1, Jonathan Barragan, KTM, ESP, 40’19.697 2, Maximilian Nagl, KTM, GER, 0’2.470 3, Ken De Dycker, Suzuki, BEL, 0’31.172 4, Sébastien Pourcel, Kawasaki, FRA, 0’39.137 5, Steve Ramon, Suzuki, BEL, 0’40.906 6, David Philippaerts, Yamaha, ITA, 0’42.976 7, Kornel Nemeth, KTM, HUN, 0’43.557 8, Joshua Coppins, Yamaha, NZL, 0’57.923 9, Aigar Leok, Yamaha, EST, 0’59.150 10, Marc De Reuver, Honda, NED, 1’16.595 11, Billy MacKenzie, Honda, GBR, 1’21.356 12, Bradley Anderson, Suzuki, GBR, 1’23.764 13, Tanel Leok, Kawasaki, EST, 1’30.584 14, Julien Bill, Honda, CHE, 1’33.928 15, Tom Church, Kawasaki, GBR, 1’47.989 16, Patrick Roos, KTM, NED, 1’55.287 17, Clement Desalle, Suzuki, BEL, 2’13.299 18, Danny Theybers, Suzuki, BEL, 2’16.552 19, Manuel Priem, Kawasaki, BEL, 2’19.833 20, Loic Leonce, Yamaha, FRA, -1 Laps |
MX2 Race 1 1, Tyla Rattray, KTM, RSA, 41’33.589 2, Tommy Searle, KTM, GBR, 0’21.537 3, Rui Goncalves, KTM, POR, 0’34.953 4, Joel Roelants, KTM, BEL, 0’35.986 5, Shaun Simpson, KTM, GBR, 0’41.914 6, Jeremy Van Horebeek, KTM, BEL, 0’46.263 7, Steven Frossard, Kawasaki, FRA, 1’20.468 8, Gert Krestinov, KTM, EST, 1’23.275 9, Davide Guarneri, Yamaha, ITA, 1’50.064 10, Matti Seistola, Honda, FIN, 1’58.396 11, Manuel Monni, Yamaha, ITA, 2’0.154 12, Nicolas Aubin, Yamaha, FRA, 2’6.038 13, Stephen Sword, Kawasaki, GBR, 2’19.383 14, Francisco Jose Millan, KTM, ESP, 2’22.476 15, Anthony Boissière, KTM, FRA, -1 Laps 16, Herjan Brakke, Honda, NED, -1 Laps 17, Jason Dougan, Suzuki, GBR, -1 Laps 18, Jordi Dominguez, Honda, NED, -1 Laps 19, Jake Nicholls, Suzuki, GBR, -1 Laps 20, Xavier Boog, Suzuki, FRA, -1 Laps | MX2 Race 2 1, Gert Krestinov, KTM, EST, 40’41.049 2, Nicolas Aubin, Yamaha, FRA, 0’25.053 3, Jeremy Van Horebeek, KTM, BEL, 0’26.226 4, Rui Goncalves, KTM, POR, 0’27.149 5, Joel Roelants, KTM, BEL, 0’45.602 6, Tommy Searle, KTM, GBR, 0’52.680 7, Matti Seistola, Honda, FIN, 0’55.224 8, Zach Osborne, Yamaha, USA, 1’3.425 9, Xavier Boog, Suzuki, FRA, 1’6.393 10, Tyla Rattray, KTM, RSA, 1’16.197 11, Anthony Boissière, KTM, FRA, 1’23.800 12, Shaun Simpson, KTM, GBR, 1’36.446 13, Davide Guarneri, Yamaha, ITA, 1’38.574 14, Dennis Verbruggen, Yamaha, BEL, 1’40.468 15, Manuel Monni, Yamaha, ITA, 1’41.873 16, Steven Frossard, Kawasaki, FRA, 2’1.046 17, Rob van Vijfeijken, Yamaha, NED, 2’1.451 18, Jake Nicholls, Suzuki, GBR, 2’13.075 19, Alessandro Lupino, Yamaha, ITA, -1 Laps 20, Herjan Brakke, Honda, NED, -1 Laps |
MX1 World Motocross Championship Standings 1, Steve Ramon, Suzuki, BEL, 362 2, David Philippaerts, Yamaha, ITA, 360 3, Joshua Coppins, Yamaha, NZL, 345 4, Ken De Dycker, Suzuki, BEL, 336 5, Jonathan Barragan, KTM, ESP, 331 6, Sébastien Pourcel, Kawasaki, FRA, 306 7, Maximilian Nagl, KTM, GER, 290 8, Billy MacKenzie, Honda, GBR, 257 9, Tanel Leok, Kawasaki, EST, 245 10, Marc De Reuver, Honda, NED, 214 11, Clement Desalle, Suzuki, BEL, 190 12, Manuel Priem, Kawasaki, BEL, 173 13, Julien Bill, Honda, CHE, 148 14, Kornel Nemeth, KTM, HUN, 139 15, Aigar Leok, Yamaha, EST, 118 16, Mike Brown, Honda, USA, 107 17, Marcus Schiffer, KTM, GER, 97 18, James Noble, KTM, GBR, 93 19, Tom Church, Kawasaki, GBR, 72 20, Steve Boniface, Honda, FRA, 63 1, Yamaha, 426 | MX2 World Motocross Championship Standings 1, Tyla Rattray, KTM, RSA, 452 2, Tommy Searle, KTM, GBR, 432 3, Antonio Cairoli, Yamaha, ITA, 357 4, Shaun Simpson, KTM, GBR, 312 5, Rui Goncalves, KTM, POR, 279 6, Nicolas Aubin, Yamaha, FRA, 274 7, Jeremy Van Horebeek, KTM, BEL, 232 8, Xavier Boog, Suzuki, FRA, 224 9, Steven Frossard, Kawasaki, FRA, 215 10, Manuel Monni, Yamaha, ITA, 203 11, Stephen Sword, Kawasaki, GBR, 178 12, Anthony Boissière, KTM, FRA, 174 13, Marvin Musquin, Honda, FRA, 173 14, Davide Guarneri, Yamaha, ITA, 153 15, Jeremy Tarroux, KTM, FRA, 140 16, Joel Roelants, KTM, BEL, 133 17, Gregory Aranda, Kawasaki, FRA, 101 18, Gautier Paulin, Kawasaki, FRA, 95 19, Carl Nunn, Suzuki, GBR, 73 20, Gert Krestinov, KTM, EST, 73 1, KTM, 519 |
– Yamaha Report –
The Yamaha Monster Motocross Team endured one of their hardest and most dramatic days of the 2008 FIM MX1-GP world championship as Josh Coppins finished 7th and David Philippaerts 10th through the notoriously heavy and difficult sand of the Lommel circuit for the Grand Prix of Belgium and the eleventh round of fifteen in the current campaign.
Arguably one of the toughest tests for man and machine on the GP calendar, the rough and absorbing sand in central Belgium was suitably demanding, and the racing conditions were not helped by occasional light showers. 27,000 spectators saw two action-packed MX1 motos in which constant position changes took place thanks to varying race speed across the bumps and crashes and mistakes due to fatigue and miscalculation.
It was not a good day for series leader David Philippaerts who took 15th and 6th and described the track as the hardest he has ridden. A racing incident with Ken de Dycker led to the Italian falling to the floor on the first lap and the YZ450FM also being clipped from his hands from a passing rider when he was trying to restart. Philippaerts regained ground to fifteenth place before another error ruined his work. Google-less, he made his way back to fifteenth and lost the red plate to Steve Ramon for the first time since round three in Portugal by just one point.
In the second moto he fought with title rival Ramon – both riders falling in the latter stages as tiredness took hold – and crossed the finish line behind the Belgian, meaning that he trails the world champion by two points with four Grand Prix and eight motos remaining.
The team’s best placed rider was Coppins but the Kiwi was unsatisfied with his results of 5th and 8th. The 31 year old was sick entering the weekend and felt unprepared for the test ahead. He started around the top ten in the opening race and pulled through in strongly and typical style by the end. Like many riders he struggled in the second moto and lost any chance of a top five overall finish after colliding with Billy Mackenzie and falling.
Yamaha Van Beers Aigar Leok took his sixth top ten finish of the season with 9th place in the second moto and was 11th overall.
In the championship standings Yamaha still head the manufacturers table by 7 points. Philippaerts has a slender deficit to Ramon while Coppins is only 17 points away in 3rd.
The Yamaha Monster Motocross Team will only have a few days to recover from their exertions in Belgium with the Grand Prix of Czech Republic at the Loket circuit, round twelve of fifteen, due to occur next weekend.
Josh Coppins, Yamaha Monster Motocross Team, 7th:
“I had Flu coming into the weekend and it was a bit frustrating knowing I was approaching the hardest race of the year not in the best shape. Overall it was a pretty average GP in terms of riding and fitness but in terms of the championship points it was not the end of the world. To try and be champion I have to be better than this. One is example is the move I tried to make on Billy in the second moto. I went for it but ended up taking him down. It was a bit silly and because I was so tired I miscalculated; so sorry to him. The first moto was OK and I came through a bit at the end but in the second I felt I could only go at ¾. I wasn’t surprised by how much of a hard test this track would be. Normally my strength is one of my positive points but this GP I could not keep at my maximum. We go to Loket next and I am looking forward to a hard-pack start. Right now I just want to ride better and hopefully feel 100% going into the race.”
David Philippaerts, Yamaha Monster Motocross Team, 10th:
“What a hard day. I crashed too much and this track was unbelievable. For me it was the hardest track of them all. In the first moto I changed my line in the corner and De Dycker came across and hit my front wheel. There was no time to react. I was so tired in the second that I could not save the bike when the front wheel started to go. I am second in the championship but it is more or less the same and there are four GPs to go. A lot of riders made mistakes today and when you go down in the sand it is hard to recover.”
Mino Raspanti, Racing Manager, Yamaha Monster Motocross Team:
“We knew this weekend would be difficult! Josh was pretty good in the first moto except that his speed was so-so in the first moments of the race but his pace was like the leaders by the end. In the second he was around seventh and doing OK but then came together with Billy when he tried to overtake. He had been really ill during the week so honestly I am happy with what he did today; especially because he took some points away from first position in the championship. David was unlucky with the first moto crash and it was always going to be a very hard and difficult way back from that. We have seen him make some very good recoveries but this was a different scenario. 15th was not good for the championship but it was not a complete disaster with the amount of races we still have. Both Ramon and David exchanged mistakes in the second moto but the result insured that he is not far away at all even if the red plate is gone for the moment. It was a complicated weekend for the bikes as well and we did not have any problems, which was great, and the mechanics and the team worked really hard.”
Aubin 7th overall at Lommel but continues progress
Nico Aubin now holds Yamaha’s main hopes for places of honour upon the YZ250F in the MX2-GP World Championship after the unfortunate injury sustained by reigning number one Antonio Cairoli two weeks ago in South Africa, and the Frenchman responded to his new role with a good showing to 7th position overall and a second moto finish of 2nd place through the demanding sand of Lommel.
The eleventh round of fifteen saw the Yamaha Ricci Racing rider tackle the punishing bumps and ruts of the deep sandy circuit for the Grand Prix of Belgium. Aubin fought hard in the first moto under changeable skies and occasional light rain and made a valiant attempt to steal 6th position on the final lap but his last-gasp effort did not pay off and he fell, losing ground to 12th.
An excellent start and holeshot in the second sprint saw him lead briefly before settling into a decent and lonely second place behind surprise winner Gert Krestinov. Aubin finished as runner-up and was content with his speed. If his gamble in the opening race would have worked, then he would have claimed overall victory.
Team-mate Davide Guarneri was pleased with 10th place in the final classification and handled the physically and technically difficult conditions well considering the weakness of his right knee that misses a ligament. The Italian scored 9th and 13th and is contemplating surgery on the joint after the Grand Prix of Czech Republic next week.
An impressive Grand Prix debut was had by America’s Zach Osborne. The 18 year old made his first world championship turn for the Utag Yamaha.com squad and could not have picked a harder venue for his baptism! Osborne acquitted himself well though and was holding a top ten position on the YZ250F in the first moto until a mechanical problem ended his participation. In the second race he resumed his speed and gave the team their best finish of the season with a decent 8th spot.
World Champion Cairoli was in attendance at Lommel as the Sicilian has an apartment only a few kilometres from the circuit. Still on crutches the 22 year old visited the Grand Prix and was in good spirits, commenting that he hopes to start cycling in the next two weeks.
The De Carli team were solely represented by Alessandro Lupino with Matteo Bonini still not recovered from his hand injury. The teenager grabbed two points for 19th place in Moto2.
Although out of action Cairoli is still 3rd in the world championship standings and 45 points ahead of fourth position. Aubin is 6th and 5 points away from further promotion. Guarneri is 14th.
Round twelve of fifteen (meaning the first of just eight motos remaining) will take place at the Loket circuit next weekend for the Grand Prix of Czech Republic.
Nico Aubin, Yamaha Ricci Racing,7th:
“I am quite happy with this week because I made two good starts and physically I felt good; so I am coming back to a level that I want step-by-step. The crash in the first moto means that I have to be a bit disappointed with this GP overall, because I rode well in the second race and the podium would have been possible. Still this is something good to build on.”
Davide Guarneri, Yamaha Ricci Racing, 10th:
“This was a really hard track, sometimes it felt like Enduro! There was obviously an advantage for the Benelux riders here, and for me it was hard but then again not so bad; I finished both races and had a good ride in the first moto. I had to take it easy in the second moto because I am not 100% with my knee. Still this is one of my best results in the sand. I will hear from my doctor this week so Loket could be my last race as I want to have surgery and get a good winter of training done ready for 2009.”
Zach Osborne, Utag Yamaha.com, 14th:
“I just did my best today. The track was almost indescribable as to how deep, rough and hard it is to ride on. I have never experienced anything like that or fought so hard for a race position. I wanted to put in a good finish for the team because they have been working so hard to get things right for me and I wanted to give them something back for it. I did not know what to expect here but people tell me that the circuit in Loket should be a bit more regular. The set-up is so professional at the world championship and everyone wants such a good image for the sport. I think this is definitely the premier motocross racing series in the world.”
– KTM Report –
Clean sweep of MX2 for KTM riders at Belgium’s Lommel
KTM riders tackled the soft heavy sand of Lommel on Sunday at the MX2 GP of Belgium and came away with the top sixth places.
The two races delivered breathtaking action with race two shaking up the Red Bull KTM factory riders and championship leaders Tyla Rattray and Tommy Searle who were involved in a pile up in the opening minutes. Both fought their way heroically back into the action but it was KTM supported rider Gert Krestinov of Estonia who snatched the overall victory. Second place went to Red Bull KTM’s Rui Goncalves of Portugal while team-mate Tommy Searle was third, narrowing the gap on championship leader KTM’s Tyla Rattray by just a single point.
Living a dream, Krestinov says
“Things started going well for me yesterday,” said the 18-year-old Estonian rider. “I feel like I am living a dream after taking the victory today. I did make a few mistakes in the first race and I couldn’t manage better than eighth but then I went out and won the second race.” Krestinov said he is quite at home on sand as he rides in similar conditions in Estonia. It is his second year in GP but he was taken out of action after he broke his leg at the German GP last season. “Now I hope to carry on and to stay with KTM. I really like the bike,” he said.
Best result for the season for Goncalves
“For sure it was my best result for the season so far,” said second placed Rui Goncalves, who said he hoped the result was a reward for KTM and his team who have supported and believed in him throughout the season. “In race one I took the holeshot and found some good lines, but just wanted to stay focussed and not take any risks. The second race was very different. There were a lot of crashes and it was quite messy. I wasn’t going so well but I managed to close the gap.” Rui ended the day with the same points tally as Krestinov who took the top podium because of his victory in the second race.
Searle fights to the finish
With the fever that comes with a true fight for the title, Searle, the British teenager also made it an all or nothing race from the back after the opening incident and despite several crashes was still on the podium in the final shakeout. “I didn’t have such a good start in the first race,” Tommy said. “Then I had problems at the gate in the second and then I was involved in the crash in the first corner. I managed to close down the gap in the second but I crashed again and stalled the bike and made another mistake in the final lap. But even if I did make some mistakes, I still managed to gain a point on Tyla.” The two Red Bull KTM factory riders have established a significant lead in the championship standings, especially now that third placed Antonio Cairoli is out with a knee injury.
Easy win in first race for Rattray
Rattray had an easy win in the first race and made a good start in race two but when van Horebeek went down directly in front of him in the first corner he was unable to avoid the crash. After the pileup in the opening stages Rattray tore his way through the tricky soft sand from the back of the pack to fourth place. He seemed certain to come out of the incident with the most points when the loose surface grabbed his front wheel, spilling him off this bike and suddenly the South African was back at seventeenth place. He put in a super human effort to finish in fourth place just behind Searle and rescue enough points to hang onto the red number plate. “I managed to close the gap after the crash in race two but then I stalled the bike and couldn’t finish any higher in the order and lost some valuable points. Now I just plan to put my head down and work very hard for the rest of the season,” he said.
Team boss Stefan Everts said it had been a very good weekend all round for KTM. “It was a pity that our riders crashed and couldn’t finish with a better result but I am happy for Rui’s second place because he is a hard fighter and worker.” He also acknowledged Tyla as “the best rider and fighter on the circuit today.”
Barragan continues in top form to snatch overall MX1 victory in Belgium
Jonathan Barragan of KTM Silver Action on Sunday proved that Spanish riders are completely at home in the soft heavy sand of the Lommel motocross track, notching up yet another overall MX1 victory.
Barragan, who was on top of the podium for the third consecutive GP and his fourth win of the season has now thrown down the gauntlet and is within range of catching the championship leaders in what is shaping up to be a nail biting finish. At fifth in the standings, he is just 31 points behind the leader Steve Ramon with still 200 points up for grabs from the eight remaining races.
Test of physical fitness, Barragan says
“Today I started well and I had a good speed so I am riding with a lot of confidence. I pushed quite hard in the first race but after the start of the second race I decided to pull back a bit to conserve my energy and I think this allowed me to go on an win and take the overall victory,” Barragan said. “Some people were surprised that a Spanish rider could win on sand but I think the track conditions are not as important as my physical condition. This year I have been focussed on the bike and the settings and working with my team and this has worked out very well for me.”
Nagl still hoping for top five finish at end of season
Red Bull KTM factory rider Max Nagl, now completely free of the virus that tempered his performance in the first half of the season is also brimming with confidence and is back on the podium in third place following his second place in South Africa. Nagl, who lives very close to the Lommel circuit said he had ridden over to the track on his bicycle but “was too tired to ride home again” after the tough races on Sunday. “It was my goal to finish in the top five at the end of the season and that now seems possible,” the German rider said. “My team has done a very good job with the bike and for sure its one of the hottest in the paddock.” Nagl was also happy with the changes to the Lommel circuit. “There are good jumps and the corners are much better. This is a track that suits me,” he said.
KTM team boss Stefan Everts also paid tribute to Barragan’s victory and said that Nagl showed his true potential, especially in the second race. “The fight for the MX1 title is not over yet and we still have one big sand race coming up,” he said.
– HRC Report –
Honda Martin’s Marc De Reuver narrowly missed out on a podium position at the Grand Prix of Belgium despite riding his factory CRF450 to a first moto victory. Marc remounted from a crash in moto two to finish in 10th place which meant he unfortunately missed finishing third overall by just one point.
The Grand Prix of Belgium always promised to be a tough race as the sandy wastelands of the Lommel circuit – that’s situated on the edge of the Belgian town’s industrial area – offered an ever changing rough and rutted deep sand surface that made it both very physically demanding and also very difficult for the riders to find a good rhythm.
Despite the physical nature of the track and the fact he was riding with broken bones in his left foot it was De Reuver who powered his factory Honda CRF450 through the deep ruts and bumps to first place in timed qualifying. Able to set a lightning fast lap at the very start of the session the lanky Dutchman then sat back and watched as the world’s best off-road racers failed to better his time for the remainder of the 30-minute timed session. De Reuver’s teammate Julien Bill was Honda’s next best qualifier in 13th position with CAS Honda’s Billy MacKenzie 14th and Frenchman Steve Boniface 21st.
Starting from the inside of the gate De Reuver didn’t get the best of starts in the first moto but was able to turn tightly in turn one and make up a lot of ground as the rest of the pack drifted wide. Biding his time and riding consistently around the ever roughening and increasingly technical circuit Marc concentrated on picking off the riders in front of him one by one and finally took over at the front of the pack at the 30 minute mark. Briefly passed back by a battling Barragan, Marc picked up the pace even further and moved back into the lead which is where he remained unchallenged until the end.
MacKenzie started strong and ran third for two laps behind the early leaders before losing his rhythm and starting a backward slide through the pack as arm pump took hold. Unable to pick up the pace Billy had to be content with a ninth place finish.
Julien Bill fought hard for the full 35-minutes plus two laps but couldn’t move into a points-paying position while Boniface twisted his knee on lap two and had to retire for the day as the pain proved to be too much.
De Reuver, MacKenzie and Bill all started inside the top 10 in moto two. De Reuver was able to power through the pack and out into the lead within six laps this time which is where he stayed until the 30 minute mark. Then with the win looking like it was in the bag De Reuver made a mistake in a rhythm section and crashed hard. A little bit dazed by the fall and a little bit bruised and battered it took Marc a good while to restart his machine and the energy lost as well as the physical damage picked up in the fall caused the Dutchman to slow his pace and he finally slipped back to 10th place.
MacKenzie meanwhile found himself in seventh and looked to be the strongest rider on the track as the moto entered its final third. Badly roosted by a lapped rider which damaged his roll-off system MacKenzie had to remove his goggles and this broke his rhythm slightly allowing Coppins to close in. On lap 14 Josh went for an overly aggressive crash which saw both riders end up in the dirt – MacKenzie remounted and toughed it out to an 11th place finish.
Bill made amends for his poor first race performance by challenging hard in moto two until he ran out of energy late in the race and ended up losing several places to finish 14th.
In the championship standings MacKenzie strengthens his hold on eighth place while De Reuver consolidates 10th and Bill stays 13th with Boniface still 20th despite not increasing his score in Belgium.
The FIM MX1 Motocross World Championship continues next weekend with round 11 that will be held at the fast and hardpack Loket circuit in the Czech Republic on August 10.
Marc De Reuver – Martin Honda
“Three weeks ago I broke my foot here in Lommel without crashing and so I was not sure if I was going to ride here or not but on Monday the doctor took off my plaster and I went practicing mid-week with a brace on and it felt okay.
“I was riding well all weekend and yesterday in qualification I took pole position which was very surprising to me. In the first heat I just took my time because I knew it was going to be a hard race – I just kept my rhythm and I won. It was quite easy!
“In the second moto I took the lead and I was pulling away. I was thinking that this was going to be my GP but then in the rhythm section near the pit boxes where I was double-doubling, on one lap I doubled the first jump okay and then on the second the bike just kicked me really hard. I crashed over the handlebars and then it took me a very long time to restart the bike. When I crashed I hit my head and when I got going again my vision seemed to be blurred, I was already very tired from the race and also restarting my bike so I just rode around until the end – I was very disappointed not to win the GP.”
Julien Bill – Martin Honda
“In qualifying the track was still fast with some good lines but today it was just so rough, there were no places to rest and it was really hard to find the right lines. I made a very bad start in the first race and the pace I was running with the guys at the back of the pack was just too slow – I was just really struggling and I scored no points. In the second race I made a very good start and I was pushing hard for the first 15 minutes and I was fighting inside the top 10. In the last 10 minutes I was really, really tired and I lost some places and I finished 14th. It’s not great for me but still it’s some points.
“Next weekend we’re back on hardpack and that’s awesome for me. I’m really looking forward to racing at Loket, it’s fast and has some big jumps and I really like it – I’m looking forward to getting some good results there.”
Billy MacKenzie – CAS Honda
“In the first moto I just battled with the bike for the whole race, my lines were terrible and I couldn’t find a flow around the track at all and the one thing you need in sand is to get a rhythm and I just didn’t have it. I just kept on battling and I was quite lucky that two guys had a problem on the last lap and neither of them finished which bumped me up to ninth.
“In the second race I was able to push hard for the whole race, I passed Josh Coppins and I could see all the other guys in front of me and I felt good. I was thinking that towards the end I’d be able to dig deep and push past them because I had good lines, my bike was working well and I was riding well too. I came up to a couple of lapped riders and they filled me in really badly. I think the sand must have gone behind the film because it wasn’t clearing when I pulled my roll-offs and so I had to lose my goggles.
“I lost my rhythm a little bit and Josh started to catch me a little bit – I could see him getting closer – but I didn’t want to change my lines because the outsides were working well. Anyway he came on the inside of me and he was committed to his line and I was committed to my line and we came together pretty hard and we both went down – it was just a racing accident. After that I was physically done in and I felt delusional. I had sand in my eyes which wasn’t helping because my vision was blurry and so I was missing lines and swapping all over the track – it was one of the craziest GPs I have ever done and I’m going to feel its effects all week.”
Steve Boniface – CAS Honda
“I hurt my knee on the first lap of the first moto today – I twisted it and it got pretty swollen right away. I was going pretty well and I jumped really far on one of the jumps and landed in the soft sand, I tried to race on through the pain but it was just too much. The pain didn’t go away between motos so I made the decision not to race the second moto and risk damaging it even more. I’ll be seeking medical advice tomorrow and hopefully it will be nothing too bad.”
– Suzuki Report –
Belgian Team Teka Suzuki WMX1 rider Steve Ramon finished fifth overall and gained the series lead in the 2008 FIM MX1 World Motocross Championship with a solid performance at his home GP at Lommel while his team mate and countryman Ken De Dycker finished second overall on the day.
Already rough and technical during Saturday’s qualification session, the Lommel circuit got even more difficult on race day. While this should have played into the hands of reigning MX1 World Champion Ramon, a few uncharacteristic errors made during the day kept him from making a podium appearance but an otherwise solid performance did see him turn a nine point deficit into a two point championship lead.
Ramon traded the lead with De Dycker for much of moto one before losing the front end in a long right hand corner and crashing on lap 13. Taking some time to dig his handlebars from the deep sand, he got going again in fifth place but struggled to return to full speed as debris from the fall caused his throttle to feel strange. Able to make a move on Pourcel before the finish, Ramon finally finished fourth and moved into the series lead ahead of David Philippaerts who’d tangled with De Dycker and crashed early in the race.
Ramon powered his factory RM-Z450 to an awesome holeshot in race two but lost the lead on the opening lap as Jon Barragan and Max Nagl set an unrealistically-fast early moto pace considering how rough the track had become and the length of the moto ahead.
While battling with Barragan for second on lap 10, Ramon slid from the racing line and crashed into the soft sand losing several spots as he remounted. Chasing Philippaerts hard in a scrap for fourth place, he benefitted when the Yamaha rider crashed allowing Ramon to increase his series lead by one more point.
Although physically and mentally drained at the end of the long and tiring weekend, Ramon was satisfied to have finally taken the championship lead in front of his home fans at his home Grand Prix.
“I took a good start in moto one and I was riding well until I crashed,” said Ramon. “After that it was difficult to get my speed and rhythm back especially with the track being so rough. I was happy to finish the race fourth because I know that I could have done better but yeah it was still good to take the series lead.
“I knew race two was going to be tough because of how rough the circuit looked on the sighting lap. I got another good start and took the holeshot this time. I didn’t hold on to the lead for long though because Nagl and Barragan were very fast in the beginning. My riding was going okay and I tried to follow the leaders but I crashed. I got going again and I could see Philippaerts in front of me and I knew it was important for me to get by him.
“Luckily for me he crashed but then two corners later I hit neutral going into a corner and stalled the motor. It took a long time to start the engine again because my legs were tired but I managed to get going ahead of Philippaerts and pulled away before the finish to end up fifth in the race and fifth overall.”
Despite not enjoying the circuit as much as he thought he might, De Dycker acquitted himself well on the tough technical circuit. Not grabbing the best of starts in either moto, he was forced to power through the pack in his own unique style. By finishing third in each moto De Dycker was able to secure second overall on the day.
“The track wasn’t really how I expected it to be today and I didn’t like it so much really. It was very fast with lots of small bumps which is not what Lommel is normally like.
“I didn’t get such a good start in moto one and I had to use a lot of energy coming through the pack in the early laps but it was good to lead the race. Then I made one or two mistakes because I wasn’t concentrating so much and they were able to come back by me but to finish third was not too bad.
“In the second moto I got another not-so-great start and then in the fourth or fifth corner I crashed but I was up and away quite soon. It was a hard race and so I just took my own rhythm to ensure that I could keep going until the end of the race.
“My intention coming into this race was to take points from the leading riders in the championship and I’ve done that so I’m quite happy.”
As well as creating extra difficulties for the riders the unrelentlessly-deep sand and heavy nature of the Lommel circuit mean that technical solutions to the potential problems of extra fuel consumption and the additional heat created by the extra load on the engines must be considered. This meant the Teka Suzuki WMX1 team technicians made certain changes to their factory RM-Z450s for this race as General Manager Sylvain Geboers explained.
“This is the first time we’ve raced a Grand Prix in this type of conditions for a good few years so after extensively testing fuel consumption with Ken De Dycker – because he is the largest consumer of fuel in the team – for this race we have fitted a fuel tank with one litre more capacity.
“The heavy conditions also put extra strain on the engine and this can raise the temperature significantly so to combat this the bikes are fitted with larger radiators – the riders might lose a little bit in comfort but it’s important to us to cross the finish line. Aside from that the only real change is to the final drive ratio which is shorter than normal due to the heavy conditions.”
The MX1 World Championship series continues next weekend with the Grand Prix of the Czech Republic that will be held at the fast and exciting Loket circuit.