Leok and Roczen determined to stop Cairoli and Musquin
With just three Grand Prix’s to go before the end of the FIM Motocross World Championship, this weekend’s Grand Prix of Brazil in Campo Grande will present Championship leaders Tony Cairoli (MX1) and Marvin Musquin (MX2) the first chance to grab the 2010 Title but both know the chase is still open and the opposition is not yet settled into the runner up spot. The event’s schedule will be anticipated of one hour in order to respect the Brasilia time zone (GMT -3).
Clement Desalle chases Cairoli for the top spot in the MX1 class and a return in Brazil, where the Belgian won in 2009, is a confidence booster for Desalle. David Philippaerts is third in the Championship with Max Nagl closing in from the fourth place. Steve Ramon completes the top five.
In the MX2 class it is Ken Roczen putting the heat on leader Musquin, with the young gun from Germany sitting on the second position. Steven Frossard is third with Jeffrey Herlings fourth, but the latter will not head to Brazil as a shoulder injury from the latest round in Loket marked the end of his debut season in the category.
Last year’s Grand Prix of Brazil in Canelinha marked the successful comeback of the FIM Motocross World Championship to the country following an absence of 10 years.
MX1
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing MX1’s Cairoli is on a mission to hand KTM their first MX1 Title since Heinz Kinigadner took the Title in the 250cc class in 1985. The Italian, who is onboard the revolutionary KTM 350 SX-F, has won the latest three Grand Prix’s to increase his advantage over runner up Desalle. The two are now separated by 84 points with a total of 150 points up for grabs and Cairoli sees his first chance to wrap up his fourth World Title already this weekend. Last year at Canelinha a knee problem hampered Cairoli’s performance.
Being currently in second place, Rockstar Teka Suzuki World MX1’s Desalle knows he will have to give his best if he wants to cut the gap from Cairoli. Desalle came out victorious of last year’s Brazilian Grand Prix and is hungry to add more wins to his current record of two, the Belgian having finished on the podium other eight times for a total of ten podium appearances – as many as Cairoli.
More than 50 points away from Desalle is third placed Philippaerts of Yamaha Monster Energy Motocross. The hard charging Italian will head to Brazil to make up for a bitter Czech Grand Prix and defend his position in the Championship, which riders such as Nagl and Ramon are looking at since their top five finishes in Loket.
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing MX1’s Nagl wishes to make the most of a difficult season –he was second in the Championship until he broke his collarbone in France- by taking an eventual third place. Nagl is now 12 points behind Philippaerts and has positive memories of last year’s trip to Brazil, when he took third on Canelinha’s podium.
Rockstar Teka Suzuki World MX1’s Ramon is also close to the top three, the Belgian currently holding fifth place in the Championship. The two time World Champion is only six points behind Nagl and was second in Canelinha last year.
De Dycker follows Ramon in sixth while Tanel Leok is making up ground courtesy of his latest podium and heat win at Loket. The Estonian is followed by Boog, making his return to racing after Lommel’s knee injury, while fellow Honda riders Bobryshev and Guarneri complete the top ten.
For 14th placed Gonçalves of Portugal Brazil is now the chance to make up ground on the opposition after losing the MX2 Title to Musquin last year at Canelinha.
Among the fastest wild card riders are Brazilians Balbi and Garcia.
MX2
Marking his comeback to victory in Czech Republic, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing MX2’s Musquin leads the MX2 World Championship since Portugal and with a current advantage of 78 points from runner up Roczen he holds a chance to collect his second Title in Brazil – as he did in 2009 at Canelinha by winning the overall.
Teka Suzuki Europe World MX2’s Roczen instead will try and get as many points as he can among the 150 the Championship can still pay. The 16 year old German is 78 points behind the French leader Musquin and needs to do a good performance in Brazil if he wants to keep on fighting for the Championship.
After obtaining his maiden GP victory in Sweden, third in the Championship Kawasaki CLS’ Frossard has not been able to be back on the podium even being the poleman in the Bonver GP of Czech Republic. Last year the French was third in Brazil, so Campo Grande might bring him back to the top three and cut the 45 points difference from runner up Roczen.
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing MX2’s Herlings is fourth in the Championship but the crash in the second moto during the Bonver GP of Czech Republic put an end to his 2010 season. The 15 year old Dutch rookie will need surgery on his right shoulder, but will have enough time to recover and be back in the following season and proof that his two GP victories were not eventual ones.
His team-mate Red Bull KTM Factory Racing MX2’s Simpson completes the top five and this weekend’s GP gives him the opportunity to climb up one position in the Championship standings and be closer to the top three leading riders. The Brit has shown that he has good starts as well as good speed, but he is still working on his rhythm to be able to start and finish among the top five riders.
American Osborne will debut in the Brazilian soil in the FIM Motocross World Championship and will try to make his come back to the podium and enter the top five in the standings of the series. Seventh in the Championship is Van Horebeek, eighth is his compatriot Roelants and ninth is Swiss Tonus, but among them there are only nine points difference. Completing the top ten is the Finish Kullas.
Among the nine Brazilian riders in the MX2 class there is Mariana Napoles Balbi who rode with the MX1 boys last year in the GP of Brazil and managed to finish 24 overall. Brazilian Vilardi and Lima were the best classified last year and they will both ride to improve their 17 and 18 overall positions obtained in Canelinha.
| MX1 Championship | MX2 Championship |
| 1. Antonio Cairoli KTM ITA 531 2. Clement Desalle Suzuki BEL 447 3. David Philippaerts Yamaha ITA 394 4. Maximilian Nagl KTM GER 382 5. Steve Ramon Suzuki BEL 376 6. Ken De Dycker Yamaha BEL 309 7. Tanel Leok Honda EST 290 8. Xavier Boog Kawasaki FRA 276 9. Evgeny Bobryshev Honda RUS 270 10. Davide Guarneri Honda ITA 213 1. KTM 560 |
1. Marvin Musquin KTM FRA 527 2. Ken Roczen Suzuki GER 449 3. Steven Frossard Kawasaki FRA 404 4. Jeffrey Herlings KTM NED 391 5. Shaun Simpson KTM GBR 329 6. Zach Osborne Yamaha USA 313 7. Jeremy Van Horebeek Kawasaki BEL 302 8. Joel Roelants KTM BEL 298 9. Arnaud Tonus Suzuki CHE 293 10. Harri Kullas Yamaha FIN 254 1. KTM 576 |
