FIM MX1/MX2 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP, ROUND 13, SUNDAY JULY 28, LAUSITZRING, GERMANY
— Cairoli and Herlings still unstoppable at sweltering Lausitzring
The EuroSpeedway of Lausitzring, located not far from Berlin, hosted the thirteenth Grand Prix of the FIM Motocross World Championship and despite the high temperatures, 16000 people attended the first ever Grand Prix at the Circus Maximus. Antonio Cairoli and Jeffrey Herlings handed another overall victory to KTM, while Clement Desalle and Ken De Dycker were second and third in MX1 and Jordi Tixier and Glenn Coldenhoff completed the MX2 podium.
Gautier Paulin crashed in the beginning of the first race when he was in the lead and he had to be taken to the hospital as he sustained a hefty concussion. The French rider is ok, but he will spend the night over in a local hospital near the track. Tomorrow Paulin will travel to France to have further exams and he might not be able to take part in the upcoming Grand Prix next weekend.
The final race of the fourth round of the EMX125 European Championship took place this morning at Lausitzring and Pauls Jonass obtained a comfortable victory ahead of Calvin Vlaanderen and Anton Lundgren. During the German Grand Prix also took place the opening round of the Honda EMX150 series and British Mitchell Lewis became the first leader of the championship after winning with great authority today. Italians Alberto Forato and Filippo Grigoletto completed the top three.
MX1
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Antonio Cairoli felt really good during the whole weekend and he admitted that it was thanks to the fact that he was finally able to do some physical training before the weekend. The Italian found the track quite demanding and whereas in the first race he could not catch Clement Desalle and had to settle down with the second position, in the second race Cairoli took the holeshot and dominated the heat until the chequered flag. At the end of the event Cairoli explained that he really likes racing in places with outstanding facilities like the ones at Lausitzring and he believes that the FIM Motocross World Championship needs to go towards this direction.
Rockstar Energy Suzuki World’s Clement Desalle finished tight in points with Cairoli but his 1-2 result made him finish on the second step of the podium. The Belgian rider explained that his start was not that good in the first moto, but he quickly found the good rhythm to take the lead and open a big gap with the rest of the riders. Desalle made several mistakes during the rest of the heat, but he succeeded to stay on two wheels and won the first race. In the second one he battled with Tommy Searle for the second position during a couple of laps, but in the end Desalle managed to open a gap with the British rider and started giving chase to Cairoli. However, Desalle could not catch the Italian and crossed the finish line second. Desalle is now second in the MX1 championship, but he is 108 points away from Cairoli.
The third overall position went for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Ken De Dycker after finishing fourth and third in today’s races. The Belgian admitted that he struggled a lot with the heat, but in the end he was able to obtain two solid results and made it to the podium. De Dycker enjoyed riding the German track but he explained that if it had not been so hot, he would have been able to do it much better. The Belgian is now third in the point standings.
CLS Kawasaki Monster Energy Pro Circuit’s Tommy Searle was a bit disappointed today as he missed the podium being tight in 38 points with De Dycker. In the first race Searle obtained a strong third place but in the second one he was only able to finish fourth. The British rider was second in the first lap of the second race, but Desalle was coming really fast from behind and after exchanging the second position several times, Searle could not follow the rhythm and dropped down to the fourth place.
Rockstar Energy Suzuki World’s Kevin Strijbos struggled once again with his starts but as usual he was able to make two incredible recoveries. The Belgian finished fifth in both races, but while in the first one he started from the seventh place, in the second one Strijbos had to move up from an initial thirteenth position. Kevin Strijbos is still fifth in the championship and Tommy Searle is now 22 points away from the Belgian.
David Philippaerts obtained the best result of the season this weekend by finishing sixth overall. In the first race Philippaerts got stuck behind Karro and Guarneri when his compatriot crashed, and the Honda rider was down in the nineteenth position. However, Philippaerts managed to recover his rhythm and crossed the finish line in the eighth place. In the second heat Philippaerts was fifth after the start and he did his best to hold such position, but in the end he finished sixth.
Joel Roelants did also really good today and finished seventh overall thanks to his 6-9 result, whereas his compatriot Jeremy Van Horebeek was only able to finish eighth this weekend. Milko Potisek fulfil his goal for the weekend as he finished ninth overall and Matiss Karro completed the top ten.
Home rider Max Nagl is still struggling with some problems in his stomach and the high temperature today did not help the German rider to do well in front of his home crowd. Nagl finished twelfth in both races and finished fourteenth in the Grand Prix.
Rui Gonçalves obtained the Get Athena Holeshot Award in the first race, but unfortunately he crashed when he was racing a strong moto in fifth. The Portuguese rider was forced to retire after hitting his head heavily in the crash and he did not take part in the second moto as he was being examined carefully.
MX1 Race 1 top ten: 1. Clement Desalle (BEL, Suzuki), 39:51.482; 2. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:24.303; 3. Tommy Searle (GBR, Kawasaki), +0:49.505; 4. Ken de Dycker (BEL, KTM), +0:53.674; 5. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Suzuki), +1:03.417; 6. Joel Roelants (BEL, Yamaha), +1:08.995; 7. Jeremy van Horebeek (BEL, Kawasaki), +1:15.077; 8. David Philippaerts (ITA, Honda), +1:17.307; 9. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), +1:22.140; 10. Milko Potisek (FRA, Yamaha), +1:24.246;
MX1 Race 2 top ten: 1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 39:23.445; 2. Clement Desalle (BEL, Suzuki), +0:18.991; 3. Ken de Dycker (BEL, KTM), +0:36.843; 4. Tommy Searle (GBR, Kawasaki), +0:41.582; 5. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Suzuki), +0:44.381; 6. David Philippaerts (ITA, Honda), +1:06.379; 7. Matiss Karro (LAT, KTM), +1:16.462; 8. Herjan Brakke (NED, Yamaha), +1:19.671; 9. Joel Roelants (BEL, Yamaha), +1:19.830; 10. Shaun Simpson (GBR, Yamaha), +1:27.620;
MX1 Overall top ten: 1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 47 points; 2. Clement Desalle (BEL, Suzuki), 47 p.; 3. Ken de Dycker (BEL, KTM), 38 p.; 4. Tommy Searle (GBR, Kawasaki), 38 p.; 5. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Suzuki), 32 p.; 6. David Philippaerts (ITA, Honda), 28 p.; 7. Joel Roelants (BEL, Yamaha), 27 p.; 8. Jeremy van Horebeek (BEL, Kawasaki), 22 p.; 9. Milko Potisek (FRA, Yamaha), 21 p.; 10. Matiss Karro (LAT, KTM), 19 p.;
MX1 Championship top ten: 1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 611 points; 2. Clement Desalle (BEL, Suzuki), 503 p.; 3. Ken de Dycker (BEL, KTM), 479 p.; 4. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Kawasaki), 465 p.; 5. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Suzuki), 397 p.; 6. Tommy Searle (GBR, Kawasaki), 375 p.; 7. Jeremy van Horebeek (BEL, Kawasaki), 327 p.; 8. Maximilian Nagl (GER, Honda), 314 p.; 9. Rui Goncalves (POR, KTM), 230 p.; 10. David Philippaerts (ITA, Honda), 219 p.;
MX1 Manufacturers: 1. KTM, 623 points; 2. Suzuki, 531 p.; 3. Kawasaki, 512 p.; 4. Honda, 392 p.; 5. Yamaha, 244 p.; 6. TM, 174 p.;
MX2
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings had a perfect weekend at Lausitzring after dominating the qualifying race yesterday and wining both heats today. The red plate holder could not take the holeshot in any of the races, but he quickly moved to the lead and crossed the finish line of both motos with a comfortable advantage over the second classified. Next weekend Herlings will have the first opportunity to be proclaimed World Champion, so he is already looking forward to racing in Loket, Czech Republic.
It was not an easy weekend for his teammate Jordi Tixier who always suffers from stomach ache when it is so hot, but in the end he was very satisfied because he was able to finish second overall. In the first race he started fifth and after the first five laps he managed to overtake José Butrón and he was able to keep a consistent rhythm until the end of the race. With three laps to go Dean Ferris crashed while he was riding ahead of the French rider, so Tixier crossed the finish line third. In the second race Tixier took the holeshot and kept the lead during four laps, but he had to slow down because he was making a lot of mistakes and he was risking too much. Tixier crossed the finish line second, so he ended second in the Grand Prix.
Standing Construct KTM’s Glenn Coldenhoff was visibly emotional when he crossed the finish line and realized he was third overall and had just obtained his maiden podium in the FIM MX2 World Championship. The Dutch rider gave it all in both races and at the end of the second one he was hardly able to stand up. Coldenhoff obtained a consistent third position in the first race, but in the second one he had to fight hard with Max Anstie to keep the third position until the chequered flag.
KTM Silver Action’s José Butrón admitted that it has been a very tough weekend for him, but he was satisfied with his fourth overall position. In the first race the Spanish rider started third, but he struggled a lot to keep the rhythm and he was only able to cross the finish line in sixth. In the second race Butrón was determined to give it all and after a poor start in the twelfth position, he did an incredible recovery to finish fourth.
Rockstar Energy Suzuki Europe’s Max Anstie had one of the best weekends of the season by finishing fifth overall. The British rider did not have a good start in the first race, but he managed to move from his initial thirteenth position to a final fourth place. Anstie was fifth after the start of the second race and in the second half of the moto he exchanged the third position with Glenn Coldenhoff who was riding third. In the end Anstie made a mistake when he was third and he had to settle down with a ninth place. This weekend’s fourth overall position gives Anstie some extra motivation to face the upcoming weekends where he will give it all again to finish on the podium.
Dean Ferris was not really lucky this weekend even if he rode really well in both races. In the first one the Australian rider started second and at the end of the race Christophe Charlier overtook him and after four laps Ferris crashed and was only able to cross the finish line in ninth. In the second race Ferris started down in the tenth place, but he managed to find a good rhythm and crossed the finish line in fifth, which gave him an overall sixth place.
Jake Nicholls finished eighth in both races and ended seventh overall in the Grand Prix, followed by Christophe Charlier, who made an incredible first race finishing second, but he crashed in the first stages of the second race and a problem on his Yamaha forced him to retire.
Mel Pocock obtained the Get Athena Holeshot Award in the first race, but he crashed in the first lap and was only able to finish sixteenth. In the second race the British rider was sixth and finished ninth overall ahead of Harri Kullas.
MX2 Race 1 top ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 39:47.667; 2. Christophe Charlier (FRA, Yamaha), +0:34.115; 3. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KTM), +0:42.729; 4. Max Anstie (GBR, Suzuki), +0:44.118; 5. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), +1:10.971; 6. Jose Butron (ESP, KTM), +1:19.279; 7. Dylan Ferrandis (FRA, Kawasaki), +1:21.692; 8. Jake Nicholls (GBR, KTM), +1:23.772; 9. Dean Ferris (AUS, Yamaha), +1:35.854; 10. Petar Petrov (BUL, Yamaha), +1:36.466;
MX2 Race 2 top ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 39:05.841; 2. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KTM), +0:54.401; 3. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), +1:05.710; 4. Jose Butron (ESP, KTM), +1:11.258; 5. Dean Ferris (AUS, Yamaha), +1:27.121; 6. Mel Pocock (GBR, Yamaha), +1:38.774; 7. Romain Febvre (FRA, KTM), +1:55.586; 8. Jake Nicholls (GBR, KTM), -1 lap(s); 9. Max Anstie (GBR, Suzuki), -1 lap(s); 10. Tim Gajser (SLO, KTM), -1 lap(s);
MX2 Overall top ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 50 points; 2. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KTM), 42 p.; 3. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 36 p.; 4. Jose Butron (ESP, KTM), 33 p.; 5. Max Anstie (GBR, Suzuki), 30 p.; 6. Dean Ferris (AUS, Yamaha), 28 p.; 7. Jake Nicholls (GBR, KTM), 26 p.; 8. Christophe Charlier (FRA, Yamaha), 22 p.; 9. Mel Pocock (GBR, Yamaha), 20 p.; 10. Harri Kullas (FIN, KTM), 19 p.;
MX2 Championship top ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 642 points; 2. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KTM), 483 p.; 3. Jose Butron (ESP, KTM), 416 p.; 4. Christophe Charlier (FRA, Yamaha), 365 p.; 5. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 362 p.; 6. Dean Ferris (AUS, Yamaha), 341 p.; 7. Jake Nicholls (GBR, KTM), 318 p.; 8. Max Anstie (GBR, Suzuki), 282 p.; 9. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, Kawasaki), 259 p.; 10. Petar Petrov (BUL, Yamaha), 238 p.;
MX2 Manufacturers: 1. KTM, 647 points; 2. Yamaha, 466 p.; 3. Kawasaki, 365 p.; 4. Suzuki, 306 p.; 5. Honda, 267 p.; 6. TM, 57 p.; 7. Husqvarna, 1 p.;
MXGP GERMANY – QUICK FACTS
Circuit length: 1500m
Type of ground: hand sand
Temperature: 37° C
Weather conditions: sunny
Crowd attendance: 16000
NEXT GP
After this outstanding event in a brand new track, the FIM Motocross World Championship is travelling to the old school track of Loket in the Czech Republic to celebrate the fourteenth Grand Prix of the season. The sixth round of the EMX250 European Championship and the fifth round of the EMX125 European series will also take place in Loket during the same weekend as the Czech Grand Prix.
— KTM Report
Red Bull KTM Factory riders put on a stunning display of riding on Sunday at Germany’s Lausitzring circuit to claim victory in both the MX1 and MX2 GPs and with all four riders on the podium.
Despite extreme conditions and searing heat at the temporary German circuit both Tony Cairoli and Jeffrey Herlings again were unassailable as they continue to charge towards their respective world championship titles. Cairoli claimed his ninth GP win this season while Wunderkind Herlings lived up to his nickname of “The Bullet” taking his thirteenth win from 13 GPS as he continues his quest to win every GP in 2013.
Cairoli’s Belgian teammate Ken de Dycker finished overall third in the MX1 GP and for the first time this season moves up to third in the points standings. Tixier was a strong second to Herlings and maintains his second place in the championship points.
Cairoli again in top form
The opening moto of MX1 saw Cairoli take second to Clement Desalle and the wily and much winning Italian was perhaps conserving his energy for the all-important second moto. He shot out of the gate and claimed the holeshot and while closely shadowed by Desalle in the early part of the race, he settled down to distance himself in small but telling time increments. When he charged the finish line he was just under 19 seconds in front of Desalle.
De Dycker 4-3 was enough to put him on the podium in third place and his pass on Britain’s Tommy Searle in the second half of the second moto was the determining factor. Searle was the pole man and had performed well all weekend but once De Dycker had overtaken, he then set about distancing himself.
Cairoli said he liked racing at the Lausitzring and described it as the track of the future, adding that such a facility would help to grow the sport and increase the interest in Motocross. “I liked the track. It was very technical with lots of jumps and the public could see a lot. My race weekend was perfect but in the first moto I lost a bit of concentration after (Gautier) Paulin crashed. l was getting a but tired so I didn’t want to take any risks because I want to take as many championship points as possible. Then I got a good start in the second race and I was able to pull away and make a good gap.”
De Dycker also said he liked the track this weekend. “I enjoyed it. There were nice jumps and it was technical and I’m happy to be on the podium again. I want to get stronger and be on the podium every week.”
Herlings dominates MX2
Herlings delivered another two astonishing motos, winning the first by 34 seconds and the second race, when most riders were suffering from the extreme heat, by a massive 54.4 seconds. He charged the physically draining track with freshness and exuberance and apart from the first five laps in the second moto, where teammate Tixier kept him in check in second place, he never looked threatened. Tixier had a comfortable 3-2 result for overall second and was joined on the podium by Glenn Coldenhoff of Netherlands to complete a KTM sweep. It was Coldenhoff’s first career MX2 podium. Jose Butron of Spain rode his KTM into fourth place and six of the top ten riders were on the Austrian-made sports motorcycles.
Herlings said he liked the track, which had been purpose built at the Lausitzring for this event. “It was wonderful. A cool track with big jumps and it was a lot of fun,” he said. “I took the two moto wins and hopefully I can do the same next weekend.” Herlings has his first chance to seal the MX2 World title for the second consecutive season next weekend in the GP of Czech Republic, should he continue to win both motos.
Tixier, who has been selected for the French Motocross of Nations team was happy to be second on the podium after a string of thirds in recent GPs. “I got a good start both times and I had a good speed,” he said. “My goal is to be out in front for a bit longer every weekend and this time I led the second moto for five laps and that was pretty good. I could have let Jeffrey past in the first lap but I didn’t want to do that because I am working on improving my speed, also for the coming seasons.”
Glenn Coldenhoff was also happy. “I worked really hard last winter and I’ve been fourth four times so now I finally made it happen in what was the toughest race of my career. I was really tired at the end but I’m so happy that I made it now.”
Team Manager Stefan Everts was also ‘super happy’ with the factory team. “Everything went great and we had all four riders on the podium. Jeffrey was outstanding with his double victory. Jordi had a tough first moto but he came through in the second when he tried to challenge Jeffrey. tony rode a very smart first race and he took the holeshot in the second and dominated the whole race. Ken was impressive in hot conditions, which we know don’t really suit him but he rode hard to get on the podium. We also have all four riders in the top three in the standings.”
The weekend also KTM’s Pauls Jonass of the Wilvo Nestaan JM Racing KTM Team take his fourth consecutive victory in the EMX125 class to maintain a perfect scorecard for the 2013 championship.
— Rockstar Energy Suzuki MX1
Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MX1’s Clement Desalle won a moto and finished second in the second to earn his third runner-up classification of 2013 on the Factory RM-Z450 at today’s 13th round of the FIM Motocross World Championship at Lausitzring in Germany.
Desalle entered double figures for podium trophies for the season with his 10th spray of champagne and also consolidated second place in the MX1 championship after rival Gautier Paulin crashed out of action. The Belgian trailed the Frenchman by nine points entering the Eurospeedway event, but thanks to his 1-2 scorecard leaves with an advantage of 24 over Ken De Dycker.
The Lausitzring drew the series to a temporary, sandy and rough track hastily constructed over part of the motorsport oval surrounded by seating to accommodate 120,000 people. The first use of the arena saw a weekend figure of 16,000 enter the gates but with temperatures touching the mid-30s – and the Motocross of Nations just seven weeks away – circumstances conspired against a major turnout. Nevertheless, the riders encountered a gnarly and treacherous course that also provided some options thanks to ample width and line-choice.
Desalle enjoyed two positive starts: After a heavy crash by Paulin in the first moto, he was able to take control and produced one of his best performances of 2013 to keep Antonio Cairoli at bay and earn his third chequered flag. The ‘#25’ faced stiffer opposition from the World Champion in the second sprint and couldn’t catch the Sicilian. Although he tied on points, Desalle was second due to the Moto2 ranking.
It was a case of ‘fives all around’ for Kevin Strijbos: The Belgian took the same result in both outings for a repeat of the position in the overall classification. Strijbos fought hard in the second race after fluffing his start; and his lines and rhythm contained positive signs that the podium can again be reached before the end of 2013. Strijbos is also still fifth in the MX1 table ahead of Tommy Searle.
Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MX1 will travel south and slightly west this week as it crosses the border to Loket for the Grand Prix of Czech Republic and round 14 next weekend.
Clement Desalle: “My feeling was good on the bike today and even if my starts were not perfect I could still get into the top-four in the first laps. I got into first position in the first moto and – like I try to do all the time – found a good rhythm to make a gap; enough to be able to win. It was going well and I only made two mistakes. The track was a bit tricky but it was also good for riding because it was technical and not too dusty. I appreciate the fact that the ground was well taken care of, especially with the high temperatures. I knew the second moto would be difficult and Tommy Searle and I fought again but it was good and quiet this time. Afterwards I was behind Antonio and following his lines, staying in touch, but it was getting hotter and hotter and I just wanted to stay on two wheels. To take the points today and be second in the championship is good for me and the team but I’m sad for Gautier and it is not nice to see a rider down on the track for a long time. I hope he is OK. I’m happy to be up here on the podium but a bit disappointed to be second again. It is difficult to be concentrated and consistent to the end of the season but this is what we will aim for.”
Kevin Strijbos: “In the first heat I had a good start and was third but I had the same problem as the last few weekends where I was slow to find my rhythm. I dropped to ninth and then came back to fifth so the race ended quite well but it is a shame that I cannot really get going until the middle of the moto. I missed the start totally in the second race. It was difficult to come back and to pass but I managed some good laps and other people got tired. I was also struggling out there but could push for longer and found my way to fifth. I saw Tommy was fading and I tried to catch him but he was too far away in the end. Overall I think I can be quite happy with my GP; especially the second moto which shows I am in good shape.”
— Rockstar Energy Suzuki MX2
Max Anstie produced a thrilling performance in almost unbearable heat at the Lausitzring and the home Grand Prix for his German Rockstar Energy Suzuki Europe team – and came closer than ever to his first podium result on the factory-backed RM-Z250.
The Briton captured fourth place in the first moto and was part of an entertaining three-way dice for second spot in the second race until an untimely crash dropped him to ninth.
The 13th fixture of 17 in the FIM Motocross World Championship saw the paddock roll into the vast expanses of the Eurospeedway, some 160km southeast of Berlin. A temporary but fast, jumpy and technical sandy racing surface awaited the GP stars in the first of two back-to-back events with the Grand Prix of Czech Republic taking place at Loket next weekend.
Temperatures touching the mid-30s created a rough and intensely demanding stage but Anstie was able to excel and fill the role of protagonist.
Fourth place was obtained in the first outing of 35 minutes and two-lap duration with a now-customary charge back through the pack. The 20 year old recovered from a first-lap slot of 13th to reach the top four and his highest rank in eight Grands Prix. It was Anstie’s part in the battle with Jordi Tixier and Glen Coldenhoff that thrilled the 16,000 attendance later in the afternoon: He overtook the Dutchman and was making an assault for second position when he clipped his foot scaling the finish-line jump. Anstie almost saved the ‘moment’ but then ran off the track and crashed. He was able to remount and reach the chequered flag, bashed and bruised. Ninth place led to fifth overall and he holds eighth in the MX2 championship standings.
Trying to offer back-up was Jeremy Seewer. The young Swiss mounted the second RM-Z250 but the stuffy heat and longer races (two motos compared to one and 35 minutes contrasted to 25) against those found in the European EMX250 series proved a tough obstacle to supersede. Seewer posted points for 18th and 17th for 20th overall.
Julien Lieber made his first appearance at a Grand Prix since recovering from a right knee reconstruction. The young Belgian is expected to start riding his motorcycle in September.
Finally, Brian Hsu was ninth in the fourth round of the European EMX125 on his RM125 for his best finish of the season so far at the mid-point of the two-stroke feeder competition.
Max Anstie: “I don’t think I rode any differently to how I have been doing. Take me to any track, any place, any time and I will do my best. I think the difference was just being able to get out of the gate and going from A to B. I just kept plugging away in that second moto and got up to third. I went over the finish-line jump and hit my foot on the floor. I almost went over the bars and nearly saved it, but then just crashed my brains out. So it didn’t end well. Overall it is a half-decent result but I still want better.”
Jeremy Seewer: “Things didn’t really go as I wanted because my fitness is not perfect. It was the same for everyone out there but that track was so tricky: sandy with many bumps. Not easy at all and in this heat 35 minutes is not my distance at the moment! My speed was OK and I think I could have easily been in the top 15 but I got tired. I just wanted to finish the race. I felt empty after just three laps of the second moto! My starts were good, and that was a positive. I know I need to work on my fitness for next year and I was a bit sick last week so I’m sure that played a part today.”
— Yamaha Report
A new and temporary motocross layout inside the Eurospeedway at Lausitzring for the Grand Prix of Germany was a compact, sandy and bumpy prospect for Monster Energy Yamaha at round thirteen of seventeen in the FIM World Championship. Joel Roelants took his factory YZ450FM to a personal best so far in 2013 with motos finishes of 6th and 9th for 7th overall in sizzling temperatures and humidity.
Demanding racing conditions were in place for the first in consecutive meetings in Germany and Czech Republic and a 16,000 crowd braved burning seats in the Lausitzring stadium section.
Roelants attacked the first moto with relish after finally reaching a point of fitness where the Belgian MX1 rookie was able to show some of his trademark tenacity and determination. Sixth place was fine reward for his efforts and perhaps should have been repeated in the second moto. ‘34’ felt the fatiguing effects of the terrain and the heat in the second race but continued pushing. A small crash saw him drop from seventh to tenth and he rallied back to ninth by the chequered flag. Roelants is now 13th in the championship standings and has a good platform to shine in the remaining events this season.
With Steven Frossard recovering from recent foot surgery promising French rider Milko Potisek was drafted into the team at a late hour as a replacement for the German fixture. The 23 year old registered a decent twelfth position in Saturday’s qualification heat race and then on Sunday ran in similar places. He gained a pleasing 10th in the first moto and then made a fantastic start into second spot around the opening corner of the second affair. Potisek showed a little of his GP inexperience by being swallowed by the pack in the first laps but then settled down and forged a path to 11th and 9th overall.
With just four meetings of the series remaining Monster Energy Yamaha hurry onto the fourteenth round next week as a renovated Loket circuit will once again host the Grand Prix of Czech Republic.
Potisek in Germany
Joel Roelants – “I finished sixth in the first race and it was only my physical condition that stopped me from doing better. I have had so many small injuries and sicknesses this year that I have only been able to train normally for two weeks and that’s the thing that is holding me back now. The bike is working well and I think if my fitness was better in the second moto then I could have finished top five but after three laps I already felt a bit tired. I had to go really deep and ran my own rhythm. I passed some guys and reached seventh but it took a lot of energy and I had a crash. I restarted and passed Simpson but I’m sure I would have been seventh, maybe sixth without the crash. That part was disappointing but my feeling was good today and this is something to build on. In the first Heat it was the first time this year when I wasn’t riding with some sort of handicap. I’m happy about that and I want to finish the year in a strong way.”
Milko Potisek – “I’m happy with tenth and eleventh today and I wanted more from the second moto because I started so well but I made a lot of mistakes in the first three of four laps. After that my rhythm was pretty good and to reach eleventh was OK. It was amazing, and a dream for me to ride that bike and I hope I can do it again.”
A YZ250F in Monster Energy colours was once again a major protagonist in the MX2 class of FIM Motocross World Championship as Christophe Charlier grabbed second position in the first moto at the Lausitzring for the Grand Prix of Germany and Dean Ferris finished sixth overall. The thirteenth round of seventeen in the series took place in stuffy and sweltering conditions and on a jumpy and bumpy new course constructed solely for the first MX event to occur in the motorsport complex 160km southeast of Berlin.
16,000 spectators braved the heat and just two months ahead of the 67th Motocross of Nations at Teutschenthal some 200km west. The German event was the first in a final six week dash for the championship with races in the Czech Republic, Belgium, UK and Holland left on the calendar.
Signs were good for Charlier after the first 35 minute and 2 lap moto on Sunday. The Corsican battled with Ferris for second position and his confidence on the YZ250FM was easy to deduce in the way ‘23’ attacked the wave section and the many churning lumps of the packed German sand. Charlier could do little about runaway leader Jeffrey Herlings but registered his seventh top three finish this year with aplomb. Ferris made a few mistakes and sadly lost third position after a fall demoted the Australian to 9th.
In the second moto it was Charlier’s turn to deal with misfortune. The recently turned 22 year old fell on the first lap with several other riders but then embarked on a startling performance from last position and a large distance behind the pack to reach twelfth place with no front brake lever. With two laps to go Charlier coasted to a halt as a broken radiator – also from the crash – left his engine dry and expired. Ferris on the other hand buried his YZ250F from a mediocre start to reach an impressive fourth. ‘111’ was also out of luck as rear brake fade caused him to lose a position to Jose Butron and finish 5th.
Dean Ferris in Germany
Elsewhere Mel Pocock was able to shine. The European Champion made a flying start in Moto1 that established him with the leaders around the opening turns but a fall towards the end of the lap dropped him into the pack and he could only arrive to 16th. The second outing was a different story. The Briton again started well and ran in the top five for almost the whole race. The hot conditions toiled on ‘119’ in the closing stages and he crossed the finish line with a well-deserved sixth and equalled a personal best at GP level. Maxime Desprey survived a big scare in the first moto but later crashed and retired. He made amends in the second race by scoring nine points for 12th.
Charlier is 4th in the MX2 Championship table and 51 points behind Jose Butron. Ferris is 6th and can still catch his French team-mate. Pocock lies 12th with MX2 rookie Desprey in 16th.
In the fourth round of the European EMX125 championship Frederik Van Der Vlist beat Nicolas Dercourt to fourth position in the battle of the YZ125s and the Dutchman is third and two points ahead of the French teenager in the standings at the halfway stage of the campaign.
Loket will once again entertain the Grand Prix of Czech Republic next week for the fourteenth event on the schedule.
Dean Ferris – “Today was a bit bittersweet because I threw away the first moto and there could have possibly been a podium for me today. I have thrown away a couple this year and it is a bit disappointing. Anyway, I carved through the pack really quickly in the second moto. I got stuck behind Lupino for a while but his bike expired and that made it easy for me. With five laps to go I felt the rear brake fade. Butron was six or seven seconds behind me and when he caught up there was not much I could do. Since the changes we made to the set-up before Finland my pace has been right up there. We’ll move on a try to get on the box again next week.”
Christophe Charlier – “I had a great feeling with the bike here and that good start in the first moto helped towards the second position. The start was not the same in the second race and the crash finished any chance of the podium. I had to ride without a brake and reached twelfth in those hot conditions. It was really hard and I’m disappointed we could not finish.”
Mel Pocock – “I proved that I can ride top five in the world and be up there with the leaders. I am not unfit but I’ve been making a few mistakes in the last weeks and getting frustrated with myself. I made two mega starts, which I’m pumped about, and I didn’t feel like I was riding over the limit. It was alright. I was waiting for the heat to get me. It is just so hard in temperatures like this and I’m sure I struggle more because I’m ginger! I think I can take confidence from today and hope to carry on doing stuff like this.”
— Honda Report
The Eurospeedway at the Lausitzring usually accommodates the drone of cars and bikes around the asphalt of the motorsport facility built in 2000. On this occasion and for the thirteenth round of seventeen in the FIM Motocross World Championship the German site southeast of Berlin echoed to the sound of 450 and 250cc four-stroke motocrossers. It was Antonio Cairoli who celebrated MX1 victory at the fourth Grand Prix in five weeks and Gariboldi Honda’s David Philippaerts was the top CRF450R runner with a decent sixth position overall for a season-best classification.
With the MotoGP at the Sachsenring (only 100km away) occurring two weeks previously and the 67th Motocross of Nations set to take place at Teutschenthal on September 29th this particular region of Germany has been overloaded with first class motorcycle sport of late. Some severe summer temperatures – over thirty degrees both days – may also have had an impact on the final weekend attendance figure of sixteen thousand.
The freshly constructed motocross layout covered Turn 1 of the tarmac course and offered a fast, bumpy and sandy racing surface, lined with some spectacular jumps. Philippaerts excelled in the tough conditions. The former world champion responded from a bad start that saw him almost outside the top twenty in the first moto of thirty-five minutes and two laps duration. The Italian fought hard to gain positions and diligently progressed up to eighth place. A better launch in the second race and superior fitness compared to some of his rivals led to sixth spot and equalled his highest result achieved on three other occasions this year. DP19 also moved up one rank in the MX1 World Championship standings to tenth.
Philippaerts resisted the challenge from the factory Honda World Motocross duo of Evgeny Bobryshev and Max Nagl who both struggled with their endurance, fitness and stamina. Bobryshev was thirteenth at the end of the day with a scorecard of ninth and fourteenth positions despite some bright starts and early speed. Nagl was competing at his home event (indeed it was branded ‘Circus Maximus’) and has been suffering recently with stomach problems. A poor start and crash in the first moto delivered twelfth position and the German only just reached the chequered flag in the second affair – after briefly pulling into the pits for a dowsing of cold water – for another twelfth and fourteenth overall. Respectively, the pair sit eighth and eleventh in the MX1 points table.
British youngster Mitchell Lewis was the first ever winner of the Honda 150F European Championship; the first of three events which offers the unique opportunity for teenagers to compete on the world stage and at Grand Prix tracks with the versatile and reliable CRF150 learning ‘tool’. Sixteen entrants came to the Lausitzring to participate and inaugurate Honda Motor Europe’s initiative to assist young talent in their efforts to shine in front of the best teams and most influential personnel of the sport.
The Grand Prix of Czech Republic will take place at the traditional circuit of Loket next weekend where a remodelled start straight and other layout changes will provide a revised challenge across the stony hard-pack for the MX1 and MX2 stars.
David Philippaerts: Race Result: 8th/6th Championship position: 10th
“A really good day and I think my best of the season. I am very happy because the track was so difficult; many bumps and many crashes with a lot of bike problems also because of the heat. I was more pleased with the first moto because I started back in nineteenth place and worked my way up to eighth. In those conditions it was a good performance. My start was better in the first moto and I passed Roelants on the first lap and then later Bobryshev. Being sixth overall and near the leaders is pretty good on a non-factory bike…we can leave Germany with a smile!”
Evgeny Bobryshev: Race Result: 9th/14th Championship position: 11th
“I have problems in the heat and so it just didn’t go to plan today. I had a bad jump in the first race. I got up to fifth, but then I started to overheat, so my lap times dropped off. On the last lap David (Philippaerts) was catching me, I tried to push but my body just felt so empty. I felt like I was going to pass out. I just had to finish. I had a good start in the second race, and the speed was okay as I was with the front group but again at the thirty-minute mark I was completely empty. I entered the pits to have some water put over my body but of course I lost a lot of places for that. I’m disappointed as the speed was there for the top five but I just didn’t cope in the heat and after the race I was struggling to see straight or recover quickly. I know it’s a point I need to improve – and I know everyone is frustrated – but I want to thank my team. We have to keep our heads up and keep moving forwards.”
Max Nagl Race Result: 12th/12th Championship position: 8th
“It was a really difficult home GP for me. I expected more – and even with the sickness I had in the last few weeks – I was feeling a lot better coming into the race. I know with the hot weather it was the same for everybody, but it was just so difficult. In the first race I hit Van Horebeek and had a crash after a few laps, and although I made back some positions, the result wasn’t so good. My recovery for race two was actually okay and I made a few good passes. Then I was just getting hotter and hotter, which made me so tired. I knew the second moto would be tough, so I made a plan with my mechanic before the race that I’d come in and be covered with cold water to cool my body down. That’s what we did, and I regained some places within a few laps, including van Horebeek, who was struggling too. If I hadn’t stopped I don’t think I would have finished; I know it’s not a good solution to stop in the race, but it was the best plan we could make to get some points.”
— Kawasaki
CLS Kawasaki Monster Energy Pro Circuit’s Tommy Searle missed his first podium on the tie-break at the thirteenth round of the FIM MX1 Motocross World Championship, held at the Lausitzring in Germany.
Tommy Searle just misses podium in Germany
The Englishman felt immediately at home on the track which had been built in five days inside turn one of the German road racing track and, after setting fastest lap in Pre-Qualifying, he defied all comers to collect his first win in a qualifying race since moving to the MX1 GP class this year. Although he gated well in both motos on race day, Tommy got caught up with other riders through the vital opening turns each time and spent both races chasing the leaders. Although as physically fit as anyone the Englishman was not used to the extreme temperatures as the mercury hit 38 degrees Celsius each day and eventually had to slacken his pace a little in the closing laps. His 38-point haul was his best this year and moved the Brit significantly closer to fifth in the standings.
Gautier Paulin of the Kawasaki Racing Team had completed a Kawasaki 1-2 on Saturday and the Frenchman set a tremendous pace to lead for six laps of the opening GP moto before crashing over a berm. He suffered severe concussion and was kept in hospital overnight for observation, but should be able to contest next weekend’s Czech GP. The resultant loss of points has dropped Gautier from second to fourth in the series, but has fond memories of the Loket track he will race next week, having scored the second GP victory of his career for Kawasaki at the hillside track in 2009.
KRT teammate Jeremy Van Horebeek had an unfortunate crash during the qualification race and, having damaged the bike, was unable to finish and had only 25th choice of gate. He advanced forward from the inevitable midpack starts to finish seventh in race one and thirteenth in race two. Although this was his lowest GP score since April, the Belgian moved up one place in the standings to seventh.
Tommy Searle: “I’m disappointed to miss the podium, as I scored the same number of points as the third man today. I had a good weekend with a third and a fourth place; I never scored so many points this year in one GP and it’s a lot better than the last three GPs. The first race was good, unfortunately in the second race I had a small crash when I was in third not so far from Desalle. On Saturday I won the MX1 qualifying race for the first time, but today my starts were not as good. It was really hot for the races; I didn’t felt so bad in the first race but in the second one I felt the heat and didn’t ride as good as I should in this race.”
Jeremy Van Horebeek: “I never felt really comfortable on this track, and after the crash during the qualifying race I lost some confidence. I was in sixth position when I crashed pretty hard in a rhythm section; the bike was damaged and I had to start today from the twenty-fifth gate. My starts were not really good and I was in the pack in both races and struggled to pass; I came back to seventh in the first race, but in the second one it was tough with the heat and I couldn’t do better than thirteenth. It’s my worst result since Holland, but I’m already focused on the GP in the Czech Republic next weekend.”
Rockstar Bud Racing Kawasaki’s Dylan Ferrandis recorded a seventh placed moto finish in difficult conditions at the thirteenth round of the FIM World MX2 Motocross Championship in Germany.
Seventh place for Dylan Ferrandis in Germany
The French teenager showed tremendous speed in the opening moto on the artificial track at the Lausitzring to move forward relentlessly from a fifteenth place to snatch seventh place at the finish, and, having proved his liking for the stifling hot conditions, he was looking forward with eager anticipation to the second moto but, after an excellent start, another rider crashed into him and his bike was damaged too severely in the ensuing melee for him to continue, thus stifling an excellent opportunity for Dylan to move back into the series top ten.
Teammate Jason Clermont continued to progress during his rookie GP season but was most unfortunate to lose eleventh place in the opening moto after his bike was damaged in a collision. Unperturbed by this misfortune he advanced into the top ten in race two, but had to surrender a number of places to more experienced riders in the closing laps to finish fourteenth. Nevertheless he is closing in rapidly on a top twenty world ranking despite missing the early rounds of the series.
Alessandro Lupino of Team CLS Kawasaki Monster Energy Pro Circuit had a most unfortunate weekend as incidents beyond his control caused him to end the day pointless and surrender his eighth place in the series standings. In the first moto he was battling through from a poor start when a collision with another rider left him dizzy, and he again had to stop in race two after advancing to a strong sixth position.
Dylan Ferrandis: ”It was really hot today for the race. My first start was average but I had a good rhythm in the first few laps and came back to ninth, then in the last fifteen minutes I passed Nicholls and Ferris to score a seventh position, which was not so bad. The second start was better, but during the opening lap another rider made a mistake in a corner and ran straight in my bike; I crashed and some other riders jumped on my bike, it was impossible to continue as the bike was damaged. It’s frustrating as I felt physically ready for this second race; I enjoyed this track, the organisers did a good job to prepare it.”
Jason Clermont: “It was tough weekend with the weather, and after a crash in the qualifying race I was only twenty second on the grid. I got a good start in the top ten in both races, and I was more aggressive during the first laps. I was racing eleventh in the first moto when I had some electrical problem with my bike; I think the damage occured when another rider touched me. My second race was going well as I raced in tenth position for twenty minutes, but I used too much energy to stay in this group and during the last few laps I lost several positions. I’m happy with my speed, now I need some more good starts to get a better result in Loket.”
Alessandro Lupino: “It was a bad weekend for me, as I retired in both races. In the first moto I was sixteenth after a bad start when I collided with Febvre on the fourth lap; his bike hit my head and I couldn’t see anything for a few seconds, so I went back to the pits. My second start was good; I was in sixth position for a time and took it easy but then I had some problems and had to stop. Let’s hope that Loket will be dry; the track is fun to ride even though the start is even more important there.”
— EMX 125
It was a battle against the elements here at the spectacular EuroSpeedway Lausitzring, Germany for round four of the FIM EMX 125 Championship. The combination of plus thirty degree temperatures and a rough sandy circuit were going to be huge factors in the result of today’s Final. Despite the challenge, Wilvo Nestaan JM Racing KTM’s Pauls Jonass was not at all phased as he went on to dominate the Final ahead of yesterday’s ‘Group B’ top qualifier KTM Bodo Schmidt Motorsports Calvin Vlaanderen and Swedish Anton Lundgren.
Firing out of the gate was Team MJC’s Nicolas Dercourt followed by the red plate holder Pauls Jonass and Anton Lundgren. Jonass was in no mood for games passing Dercourt immediately and going on to lead the race unchallenged from start to finish. Meanwhile, Lundgren was on the attack, eager to find a way around Dercourt. Dercourt did his best to hold onto the second place, but with KTM Bodo Schmidt Motorsports Clavin Vlaanderen closing in, Lundgren was forced to make a move and fast. On lap five both Lundgren and Vlaanderen got around Dercourt engaging in an intense battle of their own. Around mid-race Vlaanderen found the opening he had been waiting for and took over the second position dropping Lundgren back to third.
Coming into the closing stages of the race Nicolas Dercourt was again under attack, this time from Kemea-Reytec v/d Laar Yamaha’s Frederik Van Der Vlist who was trying to redeem himself after a bad start saw him outside the top ten. After finding new lines and making good passes throughout the entire race, Van Der Vlist soon got around Dercourt to take over and finish fourth forcing Dercourt to settle for fifth. Finishing in sixth was KTM Sarholz Racing Team’s Henry Jacobi who was flying the flag high for Germany. Despite having a terrible start the German youngster battled hard to bring home a sixth place finish at his home round.
After round four, Wilvo Nestaan JM Racing KTM’s Pauls Jonass holds on to his perfect score and will be looking to keep his momentum going next weekend in Loket, Czech Republic for round five of the EMX125 Championship.
EMX 125 Final top 10: 1. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), 29:09.699; 2. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, KTM), +0:10.457; 3. Anton Lundgren (SWE, KTM), +0:18.274; 4. Frederik Van Der Vlist (NED, Yamaha), +0:34.973; 5. Nicolas Dercourt (FRA, Yamaha), +0:38.425; 6. Henry Jacobi (GER, KTM), +0:40.196; 7. Davy Pootjes (NED, KTM), +0:44.112; 8. Tomasso Sileika (LAT, KTM), +0:52.811; 9. Brian Hsu (GER, Suzuki), +0:53.253; 10. Mika Kordbarlag (GER, KTM), +0:58.799;
EMX 125 Championship standings: 1. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), 125 points; 2. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, KTM), 94 p.; 3. Frederik Van Der Vlist (NED, Yamaha), 88 p.; 4. Nicolas Dercourt (FRA, Yamaha), 86 p.; 5. Anton Lundgren (SWE, KTM), 83 p.; 6. Henry Jacobi (GER, KTM), 77 p.; 7. Riccardo Righi (ITA, KTM), 62 p.; 8. Kade Tinkler (CAN, Suzuki), 48 p.; 9. Tomasso Sileika (LAT, KTM), 35 p.; 10. Ivan Baranov (RUS, KTM), 34 p.;
— EMX 150
A spectacular new circuit has been built on the infield of the world famous Lausitzring EuroSpeedway this weekend in order to host round thirteen of the FIM Motocross World Championship. While the astonishing track has been the talk of the pits, it’s not the only thing this weekend that will be turning heads. Honda in conjunction with Youthstream and FIM Europe have created the EMX150 European Championship where selected riders from all over the world will come to race a standard CRF150 for their chance to etch their name into the history books and take home the first ever EMX150 European Championship title.
In the Final it was Danish Michael Joergensen who took an outstanding holeshot ahead of yesterday’s top qualifier Mitchell Lewis and Italian Filippo Grigoletto. Joergensen put up a decent fight and managed to lead lap one but the tables soon turned coming into lap two when there was no holding off the wrath of the flying duo Lewis and Grigoletto. After taking the lead British Mitchell Lewis began knuckling down leaving Grigoletto to deal with an attack from Italian Alberto Forato. Forato was quick to pass his fellow countryman Grigletto and then went on to set his sights on the front runner Lewis. Lap four saw Forato put in a hard charge and close the gap on Lewis who was riding solid out front but young Italian seemed tired and opted to settle for second.
After the first fifteen minutes there was no denying the extreme plus thirty degree Celsius heat here in Lausitzring was playing its part. Soldiering on to take the first ever EMX 150 Championship Final win was British Mitchell Lewis ahead of the two Italians Alberto Forato and Filippo Grigoletto. The holeshot receiver Michael Joergensen battled through the heat to finish fourth ahead of another British rider Ethan Winchester.
EMX 150 Final top 10: 1. Mitchell Lewis (GBR, Honda), 25:39.287; 2. Alberto Forato (ITA, Honda), +0:11.282; 3. Filippo Grigoletto (ITA, Honda), +0:20.882; 4. Michael Joergensen (DEN, Honda), +0:31.004; 5. Ethan Winchester (GBR, Honda), +1:11.261; 6. Eric Englund (SWE, Honda), +1:13.139; 7. Luca Pepe Menger (GER, Honda), +1:38.744; 8. Lucas Ankjaer (DEN, Honda), +1:59.655; 9. Shana Van Der Vlist (NED, Honda), +2:04.057; 10. Bennet Schaefer (GER, Honda), -1 lap.
EMX 150 Championship standings: 1. Mitchell Lewis (GBR, Honda), 25 points; 2. Alberto Forato (ITA, Honda), 22 p.; 3. Filippo Grigoletto (ITA, Honda), 20 p.; 4. Michael Joergensen (DEN, Honda), 18 p.; 5. Ethan Winchester (GBR, Honda), 16 p.; 6. Eric Englund (SWE, Honda), 15 p.; 7. Luca Pepe Menger (GER, Honda), 14 p.; 8. Lucas Ankjaer (DEN, Honda), 13 p.; 9. Shana Van Der Vlist (NED, Honda), 12 p.; 10. Bennet Schaefer (GER, Honda)
