Philippaerts victorious in France as Musquin wins home GP

Philippaerts back to victory in France as Musquin wins home GP

Coming back to victory in the venue where he took his maiden Grand Prix win, David Philippaerts experienced a good weekend in France where he topped the MX1 podium from Tony Cairoli and a hard charging Clement Desalle. Marvin Musquin took a home victory in the MX2 class.

Joel Roelants and Zach Osborne completed the MX2 podium as both soldiered on along the rough course, where rain had fallen overnight. Poleman Gautier Paulin ended eighth.

Steve Ramon and Frenchman Anthony Boissiere completed the top five in the MX1 class.

Jordi Tixier took victory in both motos as he topped his home podium in the EMX 125 class ahead of countryman Sulivan Jaulin and Pascal Rauchenecker.

MX1
A hard fought French Grand Prix marked Philippaerts’ comeback to the top of the podium where the Italian was missing since Mallory’s British GP in 2009. Yamaha Monster Energy Motocross’ Philippaerts battled it out with Desalle for an eventual third in moto one but stormed to the lead of heat two at mid race distance –again passing Desalle- and went on to take victory.

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing MX1’s Cairoli made it to a close second overall as he ended with as many points as Philippaerts. The MX1 series leader won the opening moto after a battle with Ramon but struggled in heat two, where he lost time in a battle for third with home rider Boissiere. Once Cairoli settled in third place Desalle was too far to be caught.

Rockstar Teka Suzuki World MX1’s Desalle rounded off the podium to take also second in the Championship, in between Cairoli and Philippaerts-former runner up Nagl is out with a broken left collarbone since yesterday. The Belgian was fourth in the opening heat after Philippaerts passed him but took a solid second in the final moto, where he also led for the first half.

Team mate Ramon took fourth overall ahead of TM Racing Factory’s Boissiere, being the best home rider at this French GP. Boissiere was seventh in moto one but challenged Cairoli for third in the final moto, setting the crowd on fire when he moved past the Italian but eventually settling for fourth.

Guarneri took the holeshot in moto two and was sixth overall while Pourcel was 11th. Team mate Boog instead was stopped by technical issues in moto one and ended a bitter 15th.

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MX2
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing MX2’s Musquin took his fourth consecutive Grand Prix win and sixth in seven Grand Prix events as he went on to dominate his home round in St. Jean. The MX2 Championship leader rode a perfect first moto, leading from lap one to the flag, then got rid of Simpson in the final moto to take another win. This is the second consecutive year that Musquin wins a home GP.

Nestaan JM Racing KTM’s Roelants took his second podium of the season courtesy of second overall. The hard charging Belgian recovered to fifth in the first moto but rode a strong second moto –despite a late crash- to take back third when Roczen crashed in front of him. The German, who had a difficult first heat, was making up for it in moto two as he recovered until third place but crashed again to drop down the field.

Bike It Cosworth Yamaha UK’s Osborne took his second consecutive podium after his first one from last weekend in America. The USA racer was an eventual third in moto one after Herlings exploited his mistake at the last corner before the chequered flag and moved past. Moto two was all about recovering after an early crash, with Osborne ending ninth for third overall.

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing MX2 team mates Simpson and Herlings rounded off the top five ahead of Tonus and Verbruggen. Home riders Paulin, Charlier and Frossard rounded off the top ten at the end of a difficult home Grand Prix.

WMC
Laier remains undefeated in France

Round four of the FIM WMX series marked the fourth consecutive overall win of Stephanie Laier, winning yesterday’s first heat and taking second today. Laier topped the podium from heat two winner Chiara Fontanesi and Larissa Papenmeier.

After winning yesterday’s first heat in the dry, Laier of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing struggled on the wet track today and crashed twice before starting her recovery paying the German with a second place in the heat. Laier extended her lead to 42 points.

Italian Fontanesi took a great start in today’s heat and went on to take a dominant win as her rivals struggled with finding lines. Fontanesi combined yesterday’s seventh place with today’s win to take second overall and climb back onto the podium after her first season podium in Bulgaria.

Teka Suzuki Europe World MX2’s Papenmeier completed the overall podium. The German was fourth yesterday but made up for that today with a third place finish which she collected despite a crash.

Diga KTM’s Franke was fourth overall ahead of De Mol. After taking second yesterday, Lancelot struggled a lot today and could do no better than 13th. The French ended sixth overall.

—  KTM Report

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Marvin Musquin snapped his 12th career GP victory on Sunday in front of his home crowd to receive a massive reception from the fans at Saint Jean D’Angely many of whom joined in for a rousing rendition of La Marseillaise as the reigning world champion stood on the top step of the podium.

Marvin took both holeshots and then rode two exceptional motos in what was certainly difficult conditions after a big storm in the early hours of the morning turned the hard pack, 1590 m track into slippery mud. Although conditions improved as the day went on riders had to negotiate deep and difficult ruts on the course.

Marvin Musquin: “It was the best weekend for me. Like in Glenn Helen I took really good start twice. It was not easy to pass so the start it was important for me to take the holeshots. I felt very confident on my bike and it was perfect for me to win here with my fans and in front of the French people. My bike was really strong for my starts and everyone in the team worked hard for me so it’s very good for the championship,” Musquin said. Marvin will keep his track time up to scratch next weekend with a ride in the French championship before going to the next GP in Germany in two weeks time.

Good weekend for Simpson and Herlings
Musquin’s Factory teammate Jeffrey Herlings was second in the first moto and got a good start in the second before the front end of his bike came out of a rut, dug into the soft soil on the edge and spat him off in the opening laps. He fought his way back through the pack to finish in the points finishing fifth to teammate Shaun Simpson’s overall fourth. Both riders picked up 31 points for their efforts on the French track but Simpson was ranked in fourth and Herlings fifth by virtue of his stronger finish in the second moto.

Shaun Simpson: “Saturday was really hard and fast and dusty and I was already fifth in my qualifying heat race. That was good for today because it’s important here to have a good start. I was finding my rhythm and the track was really difficult after the rain last night and there was really only one line. I had a big crash with Ken Roczen and that cost me a lot of time and energy to get back in the race. It was difficult but I managed to get back to twelfth. My riding was good, so was my speed and my lap times were up with the leaders. I was in front after the first corner in the second heat then Marvin passed me and I followed him for a few laps. I rode an easy race in the second moto. I had one bad race and one good race today and a lot of people had that so I didn’t lose too much in the championship and I am still fifth.

Jeffrey Herlings: “My first heat was very good. I was second behind Marvin at the start and I held onto second place for most of the race before I got passed by Osborne. But I passed him back again in the last corner so I was second over the finish line. I didn’t have such a good start in the second moto. I was about tenth, but I got up to third in the first lap before I had a big crash. After that I was right back in the pack and had to fight my way back. In the end I was just one point short of a podium place. That was bad luck but it’s still good for the championship. I’m feeling good, I am strong and the bike’s working well. I’ve got the speed so I just have to keep up the hard work,” Herlings said after the race. The young Dutch rider, who only turned 15 in September of 2009, is in his first year with the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team.

Commanding lead for Musquin
Marvin now has a commanding 71-point lead on second placed Ken Roczen in the championship standings and is well on his way to successfully defending his 2009 MX2 world championship title. The KTM factory riders have now won 13 of the 14 motos so far held this year, giving the Austrian sports motorcycle specialists a dominant 81 point lead in the Manufacturer’s Standings.

Jordi Tixier dominates EMX 125 class also in France
France also hosted a round of the newly inaugurated EMX 125 championship, an occasion for young French KTM rider Jordi Tixier to continue his charge towards the title and to show his lskills to local fans. With three of the seven rounds now completed Tixier has a perfect scorecard, having won every moto and this weekend was no exception. He is now 40 points clear of second placed young Austrian KTM rider Pascal Rauchenecker, who was third today.. This is a new competition that gives younger riders the chance to show their skills in an intermediate motor category before graduating up to the MX2 category.

Cairoli second on the podium in Saint Jean D’Angely; equal points with winner Phili
Red Bull KTM factory ace and reigning world champion Tony Cairoli had to settle for second step on the podium on Sunday at the French MX1 GP in Saint D’Angely but still finished with equal points to winner David Philippaerts, also of Italy.

Tony, who leads the championship standings by 61 points from Belgian Clement Desalle, took second place with his 25-20 result after Philippaerts won the second moto. In the case of equal points, the rider with the best results in the second race prevails. The KTM factory rider was sporting in defeat saying he was pleased that it was two Italians on the podium.

Pole for Tony; qualifying crash for teammate Nagl
The Italian superstar started on pole after a strong win in Saturday’s qualifying on the French hard pack surface, an occasion that also saw his teammate Max Nagl crash and incur a fractured collarbone, which ruled him out of a start in Sunday’s race. Nagl went straight to Belgium for treatment and will undergo surgery on Monday. Doctors are hopeful that if there are no complications, he will be able to ride in the German GP.

Outstanding first moto
Cairoli got the holeshot in the opening moto and never looked challenged on his way to the finish. But the track became increasingly difficult and deeply rutted as the day went on after a thunderstorm in the early hours of the morning turned it into a mud bath. Tony got caught in traffic at the start of the second moto and turned the race into a nail biting finish as he just failed to get past the Belgian Desalle in the final lap to finish second overall behind Philippaerts.

Tony Cairoli: For sure I’m disappointed that I missed the GP victory but it’s good for the championship. I have a big (points) gap now and I can take control of the racing. I just want to be consistent and take a lot of championship points. For sure it’s nice to win the GP but sometimes it just not possible. I’ve already won seven heats and I want to keep going this way. For most of the track we only had one line so it was hard to pass if you have a bad start. This is not really my favourite track but it was a good weekend for me. I won the qualification and the first moto and I was second overall.”

More championship points for Goncalves
Rui Goncalves, the third in the trio of KTM factory riders finished with 16 championship points in thirteenth place overall. Goncalves missed the two opening GPs while he was convalescing from shoulder surgery and has been working on consistently picking up points

A big crowd of French fans flocked to the St. Jean d’Angely track for the event, which in 2010 makes its comeback into the series calendar and is due to host also the 2011 FIM Motocross of Nations.

Laier wins fourth consecutive WMX GP in Saint Jean D’Angely
Red Bull KTM Racing’s factory rider Steffi Laier battled mud and track mayhem in the second moto of the WMX GP in Saint Jean D’Angely, France to be second across the line, sufficient after her win in the first moto on Saturday to give her a fourth consecutive GP victory.

But it was not all plain sailing for the German rider who faced very different conditions that her ride on Saturday after a big thunderstorm turned the hard pack French track into nothing short of a mud bath. Steffi started on pole and managed to skate around a multiple rider crash on the opening hill but came unstuck herself going down the descent. Mud caked bikes were difficult for the women to pick up and Steffi found herself back in the middle of the pack when she rejoined the race.

Eventful second race
In the style that has made her the world champion and secured her a factory ride, Steffi cut her way through the mud and moved up to fourth place in lap 2. One lap later she was lying third and then second with clear track ahead on the next lap but she still had little chance of catching the ultimate moto winner, Italy’s Chiara Fontanese.

Laier extends her championship lead
When asked after the race if she had expected to do well in France, especially against her French rival Livia Lancelot, Laier said. “Yes and no. I knew that I was strong but something happed to almost everyone in the second race. There were lots of crashes and I also crashed twice but I didn’t expect that she would not do well here. It’s good for me because the (points) gap is now quite big. I think, and I hope I can do the same at my home GP in Germany.

Steffi can now go confidently to her next GP at home in Germany in two weeks time in a strong position to defend the world title she won in 2009. KTM also has a commanding 56 points lead in the manufacturer’s standings.

—  Yamaha Report

First victory for 2010 YZ450F and Philippaerts

A packed 30,000 crowd at the St Jean D’Angely circuit in western France witnessed Yamaha Monster Energy MX Team’s David Philippaerts notch his first victory of the 2010 FIM MX-GP World Championship and also obtain the maiden ‘spurs’ for the innovative fuel injected’10 YZ450FM. The resilient Italian celebrated his first tread of the top step of the podium since the 2009 British Grand Prix at Mallory Park.

The Grand Prix of France, round seven of fifteen in the FIM contest, presented a difficult test to the riders. The heat and humidity of Saturday led to thunder, lightning and brief showers Sunday morning; the effect on the track was to significantly soften the terrain creating a muddy and rutted first race and then a tough prospect for the bikes and riders in the second moto when afternoon sunshine dried and hardened the terrain.

Philippaerts – benefitting from some tests and positive allocation of the team’s resources to optimise the set-up of his factory YZ450FM during the week – was a member of a thrilling four rider fight for podium slots in the first moto. The 25 year old changed positions constantly with Clement Desalle and beat the Belgian to 3rd by the finish line, setting the fastest lap on the way.

The duo reignited their feud in Moto2 but this time it was for the lead and was less frantic. Philippaerts pushed through on the new top section of the circuit and then never looked back. After two pole positions and two previous podium appearances this season, France represented the 2008 world champion’s fourth career win for Yamaha.

Yamaha Monster Energy Ricci MX Team’s Ken De Dycker was 7th overall with finishes of 9th and 6th. The classifications hid the amount of determination that the strong Belgian put into his riding after two poor starts meant a lot of hard work on a surface that was not easy for overtaking.

Philippaerts gained some positive momentum in the MX1-GP standings and now hold 3rd position, just 4 points behind Desalle. De Dycker is 6th and 10 points from another slot.

Round eight will take place in two weeks time at the natural and fast layout of Teutschenthal for the Grand Prix of Germany and will commence a period of three back-to-back races with Latvia and Sweden following hard upon.

David Philippaerts, Yamaha Monster Energy MX Team: “I am really happy. Today we had two very good motos and I had a great race with Desalle in the first. I think we passed each other six or seven times and it was fun fighting out there. In the second race I overtook him quickly and for sure when you are in the lead it is easier! They had cleaned some parts of the track after the first moto and it was better for jumping and also a bit faster. We worked very hard this week after America, together with Fabio now helping both riders and the bike was really nice and was great to ride. Ohlins is working well; the bike is new and the combination is new and of course we needed to focus on that. We have a good direction now. Thanks to my sponsors and especially my doctor, who helped with my bad back after America.”

Ken De Dycker, Yamaha Monster Energy Ricci MX Team: “It was difficult today and I am not really that happy with my starts because they determine so much at this track. The second race was better than the first but it was still very risky to overtake and there was only a good opportunity when someone in front you made a mistake. You really had to use a lot of energy and line-up the move five corners beforehand. I might race in Belgium next weekend. We will have to see.”

Second consecutive podium for Osborne

Bike it Cosworth Yamaha’s Zach Osborne used the agility of the 2010 YZ250F to negotiate some deep and hard-forged ruts at St Jean D’Angely to seal his second consecutive podium result with 3rd place overall at the Grand Prix of France. The talented American was a proactive force on a difficult circuit surrounded by 30,000 spectators.

Morning thunder storms had delivered a quota of rain that softened the French terrain and with MX1-GP, MX2-GP, 125cc two-stroke European series and FIM Women’s World Championship entrants all ploughing a course across the valley layout the course became rutty and unsettling for the motorcycles.

Osborne’s YZ250F coped admirably in the first 40 minute moto when he held second position for the second half of the sprint after passing Jeffrey Herlings. The runner-up of the USGP last week was undone however on the final corner as he hesitated behind a backmarker and the Dutchman pounced to relegate the 20 year old to 3rd. All hopes of a trophy seemed to have vanished on the first lap of Moto2 with a crash leaving Osborne near the rear of the pack and 28th on the first lap. A fantastic attack and trawl through the pack pulled the rider up to 9th and ensured his prize.

Yamaha Monster Energy MX Team’s Gautier Paulin had a good and bad home grand prix. The 20 year old was superlative to seal his first ever pole position on Saturday. Mistakes through the first race – including two crashes while tussling for 8th place, one on the last lap leaving him 14th – were eradicated for Moto2 where he rode to a decent 4th for 8th overall to be the second-best Yamaha rider on the day.

Yamaha Monster Energy Gariboldi’s Christophe Charlier returned from his hand injury to post 9th at his first home Grand Prix and had his team buzzing with excellent speed to obtain 5th in the first moto and return from virtually last after a first-lap second moto crash to take 11th. Team-mate Harri Kullas was 11th. The Finn struggled to get rid of a light-concussion and fatigue from the trip to the USA during the opening phases of the weekend but made two bright starts for 11th and 8th. Yamaha Monster Energy Ricci MX team-mates Alessandro Lupino and Loic Larrieu were 13th and 20th overall respectively.

Osborne is 6th in the World Championship standings and needs just 6 points over Shaun Simpson to break into the top five. Kullas is 11th, Charlier 13th, Lupino 14th and Paulin 15th; despite missing the first four Grands Prix.

In the fourth round of seven in the FIM Women’s World Champion Yamaha 3C Racing’s Chiara Fontanesi aced her second podium of the season and won the second moto for her second career success (her first on the YZ250F). The Italian teenager was 2nd on the rostrum (a third career trophy) and now holds 4th spot in the standings.

The Grand Prix of Germany at Teutschenthal will represent the eighth round of fifteen and will take place in two weeks time.

Zach Osborne, Bike it Cosworth Yamaha: “I made really hard work for myself in the second moto with a fall on the first lap so I was really surprised that I could get back on the podium. If the track had been as fast as it was yesterday then it would not have been possible to make up so much time. I have good speed and my fitness is also where I want it to be and the bike is working great; when all those come together then the results appear. I didn’t triple up the hill on the last lap of the first moto because I was a bit afraid of landing on the lapper and I didn’t think that Herlings was that close. I am a pretty aggressive rider normally and I am in good shape so that allowed me to attack the track in the second race. I just had to do what I could and I put everything into that ride.”

Gautier Paulin, Yamaha Monster Energy MX Team: “I had a bad start in the first moto which was totally my fault. The track was really muddy and it was sticking to my boots and bothering the leg that I broke recently when I was landing from jumps or had the footpeg clogged; I was wary of it. I made mistakes and crashed twice, once with Tonus, and then on the last lap when I tried to overtake him again but went too hard into an off-camber rut and felt through the other side. It was a shame because my goal was to get on the podium but clearly that result made it impossible. The classification was not there for me today but my riding feels like when I am training and I am playing with the bike; so that is good. I had the best lap-time of the MX2 class in the second moto two laps before the end, at 37 minutes, so after two months of injury this proves that my fitness is good. I am going to push really hard in the next weeks to try and get on the podium and win some GPs as soon as possible.”

Harri Kullas, Yamaha Monster Energy Gariboldi: “I am really happy about this weekend because I left the USA with a small concussion after that bridge fell on me, I was tired all week and couldn’t concentrate on Saturday but it all came good today. I had a decent night’s sleep and a better feeling on the bike. I had two good starts in the top ten and was riding smart and doing my best. Finally I won 11th overall which I was pleased with and now I will get some rest and prepare to be 100% in Germany.”

Christophe Charlier, Yamaha Monster Energy Gariboldi: “I am happy to come back from my hand injury in this way. I was fifth for a long time in the first moto but then had a small crash and Roelants passed me. I started well in the second moto but then had another accident on the first lap and was so far behind. I just concentrated on taking as many riders as I could and was really pleased to reach 11th. My first home GP was fun and the crowd cheered me on every lap which felt special.”

—  Team Suzuki

Rockstar Teka Suzuki World MX1 played a major role in an immensely-entertaining Grand Prix of France at a cloudy-then-sunny St Jean D’Angely which resulted in Clement Desalle picking up his fifth trophy of the season on the factory RM-Z450WS with third place at the seventh round of 15; and Steve Ramon also running at the front to claim fourth overall.

A bumper 30,000 attendance at the hillside circuit created a special atmosphere typical of the French round of the FIM Motocross World Championship. A hot and sunny day of practice and qualification on Saturday changed to a morning of thundery showers, causing the track to soften and create a rut-laden course that was technical and difficult to negotiate, especially with regards to overtaking. After lunch, belated sunshine dried the terrain significantly-hardening the lines and bumps.

Ramon and Desalle were two of a four-rider group jostling for the lead in an exciting first moto. Ramon stalked World Champion Antonio Cairoli and overtook the Italian before being pegged-back after two laps after failing to cut a path through a batch of backmarkers. Second position was still the Belgian’s best moto finish since round three in Holland. Behind him Desalle and David Philippaerts were having an intense struggle for third place which the 20 year old just lost in the closing stages.

In the second sprint, Ramon was not able to mark the same kind of rhythm and circulated on the fringes of the top five to score fifth and miss the overall top-three by two points. Desalle and Philippaerts again waged war but the Italian was faster over the gnarly layout and Desalle opted for a safe second spot which confirmed his podium appearance.

With Max Nagl falling and breaking his collarbone and Desalle again showing consistency, the Belgian is now second in the World Championship standings, 68 points adrift of Cairoli and seven ahead of Philippaerts. Ramon is fifth and certain to move up past Nagl if the German does not return to action in two weeks.

Ramon will contest the second round of the Belgian Championship at Kester next weekend while Desalle is expected to compete at Aichwald for the third round of the German ADAC Masters. In two weeks time, it is the Grand Prix of Germany, round eight of the FIM competition, at Teutschenthal.

Clement Desalle: “The first moto with David was really good. We passed each other many times and it was good fun and a good show. In the second moto my start was not so bad and I had some fast lines on the first laps but David was so quick. I did not want to take any big risks on a track like that because I found it really dangerous. I feel good about my results, just a bit disappointed about missing points in Holland. I will keep on doing my best.”

Steve Ramon: “Yesterday I said a podium would be difficult but in the end it was possible and I came very close. In the first moto I was riding well and had some good lines but the problem was the lapped riders: Cairoli was in front of me and I could follow him without too much trouble but the backmarkers were holding us up and I knew the others were coming close. I passed Cairoli and was feeling great on the bike, really smooth, but again the backmarkers played their part because I had about two or three in front of me around the back section and they would not move. Cairoli took advantage of that and passed me back. I was a bit angry about that and just had to accept it. I was happy with second place even though the win was my goal. In the second moto the start was not bad but I wasn’t feeling as comfortable as in the first race and was struggling to come to the front. Overall it is good that I am up there again after the last few weeks; it was a pity not to bbbbe on the podium but I will look to the next one.”

— HRC Report

The Grand Prix of France at St Jean D’Angely was watched by a mammoth 30,000 crowd who braved morning thunder storms and hot afternoon sun to see David Philippaerts win the seventh round of fifteen in the 2010 FIM Motocross World Championship while LS Motors Honda’s Davide Guarneri was the best CRF450R rider with sixth position overall.

Stuffy and humid conditions on Saturday at St Jean, near La Rochelle on the west coast, gave way to stormy showers Sunday morning that created an extremely rough and deeply rutted course. After a muddy and slippery first MX1 moto of 35 minutes and 2 laps the sun arrived and started to dry the track making the lines and chiselled terrain technical and challenging.

Behind Philippaerts and the other podium sitters, Tony Cairoli and Clement Desalle, Italian Guarneri posted his best overall result of the season (and of his MX1 career and with Honda) with sixth place. The number ‘39’ CRF450R was circulating near the front of the pack in both races, at times together with team-mate Tanel Leok, and crossed the finish line with fifth and eighth respectively for his overall ranking.

Catalan GP winner Leok entered the event feeling the initial effects of Tonsillitis and was not at 100%. Despite two reasonably good starts the determined Estonian rode at his own pace in Moto1 to take the chequered flag in sixth place and followed that with ninth second time out to claim eighth overall.

Gareth Swanepoel was the third Honda rider in the top ten. The South African had twisted his right ankle in the USA but rode courageously and even aced a start in the first moto to appear in the top three around the opening corners. ‘Swannie’ persevered racing to 11th and 13th respectively in the two motos to take an overall 10th place at the end of the day. CAS Honda team-mate Evgeny Bobryshev could not find his rhythm over the bumps in the first sprint – taking 13th – but was more effective in the second affair, pushing for a top ten classification until a broken cable brought his race to a stop.

Martin Honda’s Jimmy Albertson remained in the USA after the Grand Prix in Glen Helen, California, last weekend for blood tests on his back injury. The 21 year old now has a week to further recover before considering a return for the German round at Teutschenthal on June 20th.
Team-mate in the MX2 class Alessandro Battig did not register any points.

In the MX1 World Championship standings Leok is eighth and still ahead of Guarneri and Bobryshev in ninth and 10th respectively. Swanepoel is 15th.

The eighth round of the 2010 series – that will tip the campaign into its second half – will take place in two weeks time at the fast and natural layout of Teutschenthal for the Grand Prix of Germany.

Davide Guarneri, LS Motors Honda: “My speed was not great but the points and results were OK. The ruts were really long and hard today and not like in sand where they move. I was not riding that well and had a few moments of bad luck when as soon as I made a mistake someone passed me! To finish sixth in the GP is good for me and when you see you are up there with the leaders then you want more of the same. I am a bit pissed off because I lost a few positions through choosing a bad line and I hope I can do better next time.”

Tanel Leok, LS Motors Honda: “I have been a bit sick this week and have been taking medicine for tonsillitis since Thursday. It was not the best preparation for this GP and I am disappointed because I really like the track. My start was good in the first heat but I lost my goggles on the third lap after a stone hit the roll-off and that made things much harder. In the second race I was up there again but I was getting tired and had to do the best I could.”

Evgeny Bobryshev, CAS Honda: “The track was slippy in the first moto with a lot of ruts. I was struggling a bit and was stiff on the bike. I finished 13th and there is not much I can say because I was really slow! The second race was drier and much better. I was quicker and I had a bad moment because I crashed and lost four positions but then I was able to regain those four places with some really good lines until we had a problem with the bike. I stopped on one corner and I was there for about three laps kicking to restart. Neil came over and saw that a rock had hit one of the cables and it had separated; so there was not much we could do.”

Gareth Swanepoel, CAS Honda: “I had been working hard on my starts in the week and it paid off in the first moto. I was passed by a couple of guys going up the hill but settled into eighth place. After about twenty minutes I got really tired but managed to find a second wind. In the second race the start wasn’t the best and I took too long to get going again and made a mistake stuck behind Soubeyras. I think I came back to 13th. So, overall not such a good day but pretty consistent for these kinds of conditions. I twisted my leg quite badly last week and it was still bothering me a little bit so I will see the doctor tomorrow.”

Roger Harvey, Off-road Manager, Honda Motor Europe: “Not a bad weekend for us and to watch both LS Honda riders up near the front across a difficult track was great to see. Davide struggled a little bit but not as much as Tanel who was ‘under the weather’. Swannie was bothered by his leg but it was encouraging that his work on the starts paid off with a good launch in the first moto. Boby had some bad luck but never gave up in typical style. We hope Jimmy Albertson will be back with us in Germany and overall, for this Grand Prix, we were pleased that three of our four CRF 450Rs on the track finished inside the final top ten.”