— FIM MX1/MX2 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP, ROUND 15, SUNDAY AUGUST 18, BASTOGNE, BELGUIM
— Desalle delights home crowd as Ferris makes career milestone
The main races of the Belgian Grand Prix took place today in Bastogne and the 19000 people that crowed the Wallonie track could see their local hero Clement Desalle on the top of the podium, while Antonio Cairoli and Evgeny Bobryshev completed the top three. In MX2 Dean Ferris broke KTM’s winning hegemony by placing his Yamaha on the first step of the rostrum and Jordi Tixier and Glenn Coldenhoff were second and third respectively. 
Jeffrey Herlings followed the doctor’s advice and yesterday evening went straight back home where tomorrow will have some further exams on his left shoulder. The Dutch rider still felt a lot of pain today, so he fears he will need to stay away from his KTM longer than expected.
Pauls Jonass won the sixth round of the EMX125 European Championship, while Brian Hsu obtained his maiden podium of the season in second and Nicolas Dercourt ended third. In the Honda EMX150 European Championship Filippo Grigoletto won the final race and took the red plate of the series, while Enzo Toriani and Mitchell Lewis completed the top three.
— MX1
Rockstar Energy Suzuki World’s Clement Desalle achieved his main goal and won the Belgian Grand Prix in his front home crowd, something that he had never done before. In the first race he rode second behind Antonio Cairoli since the very beginning and when he tried to change the lines to catch him in the last lap, he made a mistake and he crashed. Fortunately for the Belgian, he could recover himself quickly and he crossed the finish line second. In the final race he reached the first corner behind Cairoli but Desalle managed to overtake him in the second turn and dominated the heat until the chequered flag.
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Antonio Cairoli could not win his title in Bastogne, but he finished tight in forty-seven points with Desalle. The Italian obtained the Get Athena holeshot award in the first race and he led until the end, but in the second one he could not catch Desalle and he had to settle down with the second position. At the moment Cairoli leads the championship with 90 points advantage over Desalle and there are a maximum of 100 points left to win, so it is very likely that the Italian will be crowned 2013 FIM MX1 World Champion already after the first heat of the British Grand Prix next weekend.
Honda World Motocross’ Evgeny Bobryshev was back on the third step of the podium after finishing fourth and third in today’s races. The Russian explained that he is back on his full training program and they have also changed some settings of the suspensions of his bike, so he is now feeling much better and he believes he can also be racing for the top three positions in the races to come. Today Bobryshev only missed to have good starts, as he started around the sixth position in both heats. However, he managed to find the good rhythm and the good lines to move up some places in the beginning of the race. The Russian made a mistake in the first race when he was riding fourth, but he succeeded to recuperate such position by the end of the race.
Rockstar Energy Suzuki World’s Kevin Strijbos was a bit disappointed with his fourth overall positions because he felt he could have finished on the podium today. In the first race the Belgian had a really good start in third, but he admitted that he had no feeling with the track, he struggled a lot to find the good lines and he lacked the confidence in himself to keep his initial position. Strijbos made several mistakes which made him finish seventh. In the second race he also had a good start, but he went too wide in the first corner and dropped down several positions, but this time the Belgian was able to push hard and he was even able to overtake Jeremy Van Horebeek to finish fourth in the race and fourth overall in the Grand Prix. 
The fifth overall position was for another Belgian rider; Jeremy Van Horebeek crossed the finish line fifth in both heats and he ended tight in thirty-two points with Strijbos. In the first race the Kawasaki Racing Team rider started around the twelfth place, but he was able to make an incredible recovery and he actually battled with Strijbos and Bobryshev during a long time for the fourth position. In the second race his start was much better, but he was only able to finish fifth again.
It was not a good weekend for Ken De Dycker, who was only able to finish sixth overall. In the first race the Belgian did not have a good start, but he succeeded to recuperate several positions very quickly, and after the first lap he was already sixth. De Dycker managed to move up to fifth after a couple of laps, but he then had a problem with his KTM and dropped down two positions. By the end of the race Strijbos was making quite a lot of mistakes in front of him and De Dycker passed him and crossed the finish line sixth. In the second race things were not much better for the Belgian and he ended eighth, which gave him the sixth overall position in the Grand Prix.
Tommy Searle had no good starts either and ended seventh overall after obtaining a 9-6 result. Shaun Simpson was eighth, and David Philippaerts, who managed to ride second during the first half of the secondrace, was ninth after crossing the finish line twelfth and seventh. Joel Roelants completed the top ten of his home Grand Prix.
Gautier Paulin rode a really strong first moto and he finished third, but he decided to retire from the second race while he was riding ninth. The French rider almost crashed with Simpson and he preferred not to take any risks, as he is coming from a heavy concussion on his head.
Sebastién Pourcel struggled a lot today in the Belgian track and he was only able to finish seventeenth overall. 
MX1 Race 1 top ten: 1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 39:13.105; 2. Clement Desalle (BEL, Suzuki), +0:03.060; 3. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:28.705; 4. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), +0:31.436; 5. Jeremy van Horebeek (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:32.371; 6. Ken de Dycker (BEL, KTM), +0:39.778; 7. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Suzuki), +0:40.286; 8. Shaun Simpson (GBR, Yamaha), +0:40.852; 9. Tommy Searle (GBR, Kawasaki), +0:48.607; 10. Tanel Leok (EST, TM), +0:58.034.
MX1 Race 2 top ten: 1. Clement Desalle (BEL, Suzuki), 39:22.241; 2. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:22.296; 3. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), +0:24.930; 4. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Suzuki), +0:27.905; 5. Jeremy van Horebeek (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:28.518; 6. Tommy Searle (GBR, Kawasaki), +0:29.982; 7. David Philippaerts (ITA, Honda), +0:47.488; 8. Ken de Dycker (BEL, KTM), +1:20.260; 9. Joel Roelants (BEL, Yamaha), +1:22.047; 10. Shaun Simpson (GBR, Yamaha), +1:24.412;
MX1 Overall top ten: 1. Clement Desalle (BEL, Suzuki), 47 points; 2. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 47 p.; 3. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), 38 p.; 4. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Suzuki), 32 p.; 5. Jeremy van Horebeek (BEL, Kawasaki), 32 p.; 6. Ken de Dycker (BEL, KTM), 28 p.; 7. Tommy Searle (GBR, Kawasaki), 27 p.; 8. Shaun Simpson (GBR, Yamaha), 24 p.; 9. David Philippaerts (ITA, Honda), 23 p.; 10. Joel Roelants (BEL, Yamaha), 22 p.;
MX1 Championship top ten: 1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 690 points; 2. Clement Desalle (BEL, Suzuki), 600 p.; 3. Ken de Dycker (BEL, KTM), 542 p.; 4. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Kawasaki), 485 p.; 5. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Suzuki), 469 p.; 6. Tommy Searle (GBR, Kawasaki), 431 p.; 7. Jeremy van Horebeek (BEL, Kawasaki), 383 p.; 8. Maximilian Nagl (GER, Honda), 314 p.; 9. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), 276 p.; 10. David Philippaerts (ITA, Honda), 268 p.
MX1 Manufacturers: 1. KTM, 705 points; 2. Suzuki, 628 p.; 3. Kawasaki, 583 p.; 4. Honda, 466 p.; 5. Yamaha, 296 p.; 6. TM, 218 p.
— MX2
Monster Energy Yamaha’s Dean Ferris had a perfect weekend in Bastogne; yesterday he dominated the qualifying race and today he won the two races to obtain his first ever MX2 overall victory of his career. The Australian rider was able to have two good starts, and whereas in the first heat it took him a while to overtake his teammate Maxime Desprey who was leading the race, in the second one Ferris managed to make a quick move on Glenn Coldenhoff and he crossed the finish line first. The Australian was very happy with his overall victory, but he was also happy to have put his Yamaha on the top of the podium for the first time this season.
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jordi Tixier had a very difficult weekend but he was happy for having been able to finish second overall. In both races a stone hit his goggles, and whereas in the first one he could keep them on until the end of the race, in the second one he had to take them off after the first five minutes. In the first race Tixier started third, but he lost one position with his compatriot Christophe Charlier because a lot of dirt was going into his goggles, but once he could see better, Tixier passed him back and finished second. The Red Bull KTM Factory rider was very confident to face the second heat, but having to race without goggles made him finish fifth.
Standing Construct KTM’s Glenn Coldenhoff had a bittersweet weekend because after a very tough first moto, the Dutch
rider was able to obtain a strong second position in the final race. Coldenhoff admitted that he was not able to find the good lines and the good rhythm to ride with the front group and he could not stop the other riders to pass him and he finished eighth. However, in the second race he took the holeshot and he rode second behind Ferris during the whole heat. It is the second podium for Coldenhoff this season, so he is now looking forward to finishing among the top three in the last two Grand Prix.
There were many people in the paddock who were betting for José Butrón to be fighting for the overall victory today, but in the end the Spanish rider was only able to finish fourth overall. The KTM Silver Action rider did not have a good start in the first race and he was only able to finish seventh, but in the second one he obtained a consistent third position. Butrón finished in front of Christophe Charlier, so he keeps on holding the third position of the championship with only two more Grand Prix to go.
Wilvo Nestaan JM Racing KTM’s Romain Febvre made a good performance this weekend and he obtained the overall fifth position. In the first race the young French rider started out of the top ten, but he was able to find the good rhythm to move up to the fifth place. In the second race he started fourth, and although Christophe Charlier overtook him in the beginning of the race, he was able to recuperate such position because his compatriot crash.
Monster Energy Yamaha’s Christophe Charlier was quite disappointed with his result today because he was also one of the clear favourites to fight for the first step of the podium. In the first race the French rider started fourth and he starred in a tough battle with Tixier and they exchanged the third position several times. In the end Charlier crossed the finish line third behind Tixier because Maxime Desprey moved from first to fourth. In the second race Charlier crashed when he was riding fourth behind Butrón and from then onwards he struggled to recuperate the rhythm and he ended seventh, which gave him the sixth overall place in the Grand Prix.
Maxime Desprey made the best performance of the season this weekend by finishing seventh overall. In the first race he obtained the Get Athena Holeshot Award and he was able to lead more than half of the race. However, the French rider got tired and he ended fourth. In the second heat, he could not start in the front and he struggled during the whole moto and finished eleventh.
Jake Nicholls was eighth overall, and Jason Clermont and Max Anstie completed the top ten. Young riders Jeremy Seewer and Tim Gajser ended eleventh and twelfth respectively.
MX2 Race 1 top ten: 1. Dean Ferris (AUS, Yamaha), 39:49.925; 2. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KTM), +0:02.250; 3. Christophe Charlier (FRA, Yamaha), +0:08.949; 4. Maxime Desprey (FRA, Yamaha), +0:12.991; 5. Romain Febvre (FRA, KTM), +0:17.462; 6. Tim Gajser (SLO, KTM), +0:22.893; 7. Jose Butron (ESP, KTM), +0:23.854; 8. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), +0:25.969; 9. Max Anstie (GBR, Suzuki), +0:34.420; 10. Jason Clermont (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:38.677.
MX2 Race 2 top ten: 1. Dean Ferris (AUS, Yamaha), 40:04.608; 2. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), +0:01.752; 3. Jose Butron (ESP, KTM), +0:15.570; 4. Romain Febvre (FRA, KTM), +0:17.751; 5. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KTM), +0:18.773; 6. Jake Nicholls (GBR, KTM), +0:19.838; 7. Christophe Charlier (FRA, Yamaha), +0:20.959; 8. Dylan Ferrandis (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:23.072; 9. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, Kawasaki), +0:33.329; 10. Aleksandr Tonkov (RUS, Honda), +0:39.377.
MX2 Overall top ten: 1. Dean Ferris (AUS, Yamaha), 50 points; 2. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KTM), 38 p.; 3. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 35 p.; 4. Jose Butron (ESP, KTM), 34 p.; 5. Romain Febvre (FRA, KTM), 34 p.; 6. Christophe Charlier (FRA, Yamaha), 34 p.; 7. Maxime Desprey (FRA, Yamaha), 28 p.; 8. Jake Nicholls (GBR, KTM), 25 p.; 9. Jason Clermont (FRA, Kawasaki), 20 p.; 10. Max Anstie (GBR, Suzuki), 20 p.
MX2 Championship top ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 692 points; 2. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KTM), 553 p.; 3. Jose Butron (ESP, KTM), 470 p.; 4. Christophe Charlier (FRA, Yamaha), 439 p.; 5. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 412 p.; 6. Dean Ferris (AUS, Yamaha), 409 p.; 7. Jake Nicholls (GBR, KTM), 370 p.; 8. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, Kawasaki), 306 p.; 9. Max Anstie (GBR, Suzuki), 302 p.; 10. Petar Petrov (BUL, Yamaha), 267 p.
MX2 Manufacturers: 1. KTM, 741 points; 2. Yamaha, 556 p.; 3. Kawasaki, 425 p.; 4. Suzuki, 326 p.; 5. Honda, 316 p.; 6. TM, 62 p.; 7. Husqvarna, 1 p.
MXGP BELGIUM – QUICK FACTS
Circuit length: 1550m
Type of ground: intermediate ground
Temperature: 24° C
Weather conditions: changeable; sunny but with some showers during all day
Crowd attendance: 19000
NEXT GP
The FIM Motocross World Championship its getting to its end and the upcoming week will be a special one because it will be celebrated the MXGP Festival in Matterley Basin, UK. During the 22nd, 23rd, 24th and 25th August up to eleven classes will race the unique British track of Matterley Basin and the MX1 and MX2 riders will take part in the sixteenth Grand Prix, the penultimate of the season.
— Yamaha Report
Monster Energy Yamaha’s Dean Ferris will remember the 2013 Grand Prix of Belgium for a long time. The 23 year old Australian not only celebrated his first FIM Motocross World Championship victory but dominated the weekend on his YZ250F with Pole Position and wins in both MX2 motos. 19,000 spectators entered a temperate and cloudy Bastogne for the fifteenth round of seventeen in the current campaign. It was the site for the seventh podium result for YZ250F technology this year and Yamaha’s first triumph in 2013.
The tree-lined Sans Souci layout presented a quick and rutty course with the fine soil producing a slick and ‘attackable’ surface. Occasional showers partially helped soften the terrain, contain the dust and alternate areas of grip. Ferris collected his second Pole Position of the season with a good start and duel with world champion Jeffrey Herlings on Saturday. When the Dutchman crashed and subsequently ruled himself out of the meeting with a dislocated shoulder Ferris eased to the top spot and first pick in the gate.
The first Grand Prix moto saw all four Monster Energy Yamahas circulating in the top five as Maxime Desprey aced the holeshot and led the first three-quarters of the distance. The French rookie was unable to keep Ferris at bay until the chequered flag however and dropped back to (still) a career-best fourth place. Christophe Charlier was a solid third for three YZ250F in the first four slots. Misfortune for European Champion Mel Pocock who crashed out of the leading sect and had to retire with a damaged machine. The Brit then also had to stop in the second affair after becoming involved in a first turn pile-up.
With Ferris already toasting a first ’25 points’ the Aussie confidently strode away in the second race after dealing with the early attentions of Glen Coldenhoff. In a faultless and controlled run ‘111’ made sure of his achievement in some style. Charlier did not have the edge of speed that he displayed earlier in the day and a fall ruined his momentum. He crossed the line in seventh place – for sixth overall – and just in front of Desprey – seventh overall for a very strong weekend – to stay in touch for the battle for third place in the MX2 Championship.
Bastogne was home to the sixth round of eight in the European EMX125 series and Nicolas Dercourt shone on the YZ125 with third place and a cool podium finish one week after a similar result in the FIM Junior World Championship. The French teenager is now second in the series standings.
The MX2 class title might have already been won but the final podium positions are still up for grabs and Charlier current stands 4th on 439 points and 31 from Jose Butron with 100 left to win. Ferris is 6th and only 3 away from Coldenhoff in 5th. Mel Pocock holds 13th while Desprey retains 16th.
The FIM Motocross World Championship will speed into its final phases in the coming three weeks with Grands Prix in Great Britain and Holland bringing the calendar to a close before the 67th Motocross of Nations (with Christophe Charlier and Dean Ferris both set to represent their countries) taking place at Teutschenthal in Germany on September 29th.
Dean Ferris – “It was a perfect weekend really and it was key to get two good starts here which is what I did. The first moto was tough and it took me a long time to get around my team-mate. My goggles were finished and as soon as I passed him I threw them off and that was a relief for me. I clocked out some good lap-times and controlled the race. In the second moto I immediately passed Coldenhoff and we jostled for the lead a little bit until I could drop the hammer and make a gap of around seven seconds. I managed that the whole way and nothing crazy happened and I didn’t make any mistakes. The track seemed to suit me both days. When Jeffrey [Herlings, world champion] went home last night I think all of the guys in MX2 thought they would give it a really good go today and I’m proud that I took both motos. I’ve won a GP now so the ‘monkey is off the back’ and I think the Matterley Basin track up next will be good for me. I haven’t raced there but was a spectator in 2011 and there are plenty of ruts and hopefully I can carry this form into next weekend. It is special that we broke the KTM streak in the class and gave Yamaha our first win of the season, so I’m also proud of that. I am one of four Australians to be on a GP podium and also to win and to be in the record books with Reed, McFarlane and Leisk is pretty special. At the beginning of the year I had a goal of winning a grand prix. I knew I’d be super-stoked if it happened and I’m pumped that I actually got one.”
Christophe Charlier – “In the first race I had a good start and worked towards a solid third. I had to fight to fourth in the second moto but then had a crash. I found it difficult to pass the other riders and keep my rhythm. I lost what points I gained in the first moto but racing can go like this. I am now focussed on what I have to do next week in England. Everything is still possible in this championship.”
Maxime Desprey – “This was my best Grand Prix yet. In the first race I took the holeshot and I was first for around twenty-five minutes; it was pretty crazy! I tried not to make any mistakes but near the end it was a bit more difficult with a lot of pressure from the guys behind. Anyway I finished fourth and that’s my best result. In the second race my start wasn’t so bad and I was behind Tixier for a long time. I tried to pass him but started to get a bit tired by the end. The whole weekend was a good learning experience and I’m happy.”
19,000 spectators packed the Grand Prix of Belgium and the fifteenth fixture of the FIM Motocross World Championship as Monster Energy Yamaha’s Joel Roelants rode to tenth position overall on his works YZ450FM. The Ardennes location was typically scenic and rural but the soft dirt of the layout provided a bumpy and slick track that was complicated further by infrequent spells of light rain.
Roelants home Grand Prix did not begin in the best way with a tumble in Saturday’s qualification heat forcing a retirement and a lowly pick in the gate for the motos on Sunday. From this adversity the Belgian responded in determined and aggressive style. ‘34’ pushed to the fringes of the top ten in the first race of 35 minutes and 2 laps duration and a battle with Tanel Leok eventually ended with eleventh place. In the second outing Roelants set a better speed in the latter half of the moto. His fitness and condition showed as he gained two positions in the closing stages and was less than two seconds from relegating Ken De Dycker to ninth spot. With 11-9 Joel grabbed the last overall slot near the top zone of the leaderboard and is twelfth in the world championship standings.
Milko Potisek, in his third and most likely final appearance on the YZ450FM as a substitute for Steven Frossard, was thirteenth in the final MX1 listing and was happier with his second moto result of eleventh, that was two places higher than his efforts in the first sprint.
JK Racing’s Shaun Simpson was the best YZ450F pilot on the day with a strong performance and classification of eighth for the Belgian GP. Monster Energy Yamaha will now look to the final two meetings of the year and Grands Prix at Matterley Basin (Great Britain – also the second ever MXGP Festival with eleven categories competing on the same weekend) and Lierop (the Netherlands).
Joel Roelants – “In the first Heat I took a pretty good start but had to come right from the outside. I was around seventeenth and passed some guys on the first lap to reach the top ten. I spent the whole race fighting with Leok and he had some better lines and I was struggling slightly. I was too slow at the start of the second Heat and towards the end it went better this time and I could pass Simpson and Potisek and was really close to De Dycker. The second moto was OK. The track was really good today with some nice jumps and corners. It was pretty stony but overall pretty good.”
Milko Potisek – “It was a good weekend and I’m happy with the second moto. My goal was to finish in the top nine and I didn’t manage that, so a little disappointed even if my riding was good and I have to be satisfied. This was my last race with Monster Energy Yamaha and the Rinaldi guys so I’m a bit sad about this but I want to say a big thanks for giving me the chance to ride these three Grands Prix.”
— FIM MX1/MX2 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP, ROUND 14, SUNDAY AUGUST 4, LOKET, CZECH REPUBLIC
— Herlings becomes MX2 World Champion and Desalle wins the MX1 GP
The main races of the Czech Grand Prix took place today in Loket under a very changeable weather. The day started with more than thirty degrees and the sun was shining, but by the middle of the first MX1 race it started to rain heavily. The following races were not much affected by the rain and Jeffrey Herlings was able to celebrate his second FIM MX2 World Title with his Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team and his Dutch fans after the second race, whereas Clement Desalle obtained his second overall victory of the season.
In MX1 Kevin Strijbos and Evgeny Bobryshev completed the podium, while Antonio Cairoli finished fifth overall behind Ken De Dycker. In MX2 Christophe Charlier managed to be on the second step of the rostrum and Aleksandr Tonkov obtained his maiden podium in the FIM MX2 World Championship by finishing third overall.
Earlier in the morning Valentin Guillod dominated the EMX250 Final race, while Jeremy Seewer and Mike Kras finished second and third. Nicolas Dercourt obtained his first ever victory in the EMX125 European Championship, ahead of Anton Lundgren and Calvin Vlaanderen. Pauls Jonass was only able to finish fourth after a poor start out of the top ten.
— MX1
Rockstar Energy Suzuki World’s Clement Desalle had a very strong day and managed to dominate both races from the beginning until the chequered flag. The Belgian rider admitted that he was very happy with his riding and he explained that in both races he was able to find really good lines to make good laps to open a big gap with the rest of the group. It was a really strong weekend for Desalle and he is now second in the championship ninety points behind Antonio Cairoli, but thirty-nine points ahead of Ken De Dycker.
It was also a strong weekend for Kevin Strijbos who managed to finish second and fourth in today’s races. The Rockstar Energy Suzuki World rider obtained the Get Athena Holeshot award in the first race and he rode a consistent moto in second even if he exchanged the position with his compatriot Ken De Dycker by the middle of the race. In the second race Strijbos admitted that he misjudged the start and he could not start with the front group; the Belgian explained that he struggled in the beginning to find the good lines and decided to ride safe, but by the middle of the heat he pushed hard to pass De Dycker and in the last lap he overtook Tommy Searle.
Honda World Motocross’ Evgeny Bobryshev was very satisfied with his performance today and he even admitted that it felt like his first podium because it has been very hard for the Russian to be back racing for a podium finish after struggling with his injuries. Such situation made Bobryshev even stronger and he proved it this weekend by obtaining two good starts and crossing the finish line fifth and third. Bobryshev will be able to follow his full training program in the upcoming days, so he hopes to do well in the races to come.
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Ken De Dycker did not feel really comfortable today in the Czech track and even if he gave it all he missed the podium for just one point. The Belgian was eighth after the start of the first race, but he managed to move up to fourth by the end of the opening lap. Afterwards, De Dycker passed Jeremy Van Horebeek and Kevin Strijbos, but by the end of the race he could not hold the position and finished third behind Strijbos. In the second moto De Dycker’s start was much better and he battled for the third position with Bobryshev in the first few laps, but he could not keep the rhythm and he was overtaken by Searle and Strijbos and crossed the finish line sixth. 
It was not an easy weekend for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Antonio Cairoli who was only able to finish fourth and seventh in today’s races and he ended fifth overall in the Grand Prix. The Italian admitted that he was very disappointed with his riding and he explained that he was not able to find a good rhythm and he decided to ride carefully because he was not feeling comfortable. In the first race Cairoli stalled the bike in the opening lap and went down to the seventh place, but he managed to recuperate some positions and he crossed the finish line fourth. In the second race he crashed with Van Horebeek when they were battling for the second position and Cairoli went down to the fourteenth position, but he succeeded to finish seventh.
Tommy Searle was not able to fight for a podium finish this weekend and he had to settle down with the sixth overall position. In the first race the British rider was sixth after the start, but Simpson got his leg stuck in Searle’s back wheel and he had to stop his Kawasaki. Simpson was able to continue the race and Searle restarted in the thirteenth position. The British rider finished eighth and in the second race he obtained a solid fifth position.
MX1 Race 1 top ten: 1. Clement Desalle (BEL, Suzuki), 40:13.885; 2. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Suzuki), +0:17.258; 3. Ken de Dycker (BEL, KTM), +0:36.119; 4. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:40.733; 5. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), +0:46.263; 6. David Philippaerts (ITA, Honda), +0:49.981; 7. Joel Roelants (BEL, Yamaha), +0:55.559; 8. Tommy Searle (GBR, Kawasaki), +1:02.663; 9. Tanel Leok (EST, TM), +1:04.210; 10. Shaun Simpson (GBR, Yamaha), +1:06.423;
MX1 Race 2 top ten: 1. Clement Desalle (BEL, Suzuki), 39:52.449; 2. Jeremy van Horebeek (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:11.241; 3. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), +0:15.502; 4. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Suzuki), +0:18.634; 5. Tommy Searle (GBR, Kawasaki), +0:19.929; 6. Ken de Dycker (BEL, KTM), +0:43.766; 7. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:46.632; 8. Shaun Simpson (GBR, Yamaha), +0:49.173; 9. Tanel Leok (EST, TM), +0:50.415; 10. David Philippaerts (ITA, Honda), +0:53.086;
MX1 Overall top ten: 1. Clement Desalle (BEL, Suzuki), 50 points; 2. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Suzuki), 40 p.; 3. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), 36 p.; 4. Ken de Dycker (BEL, KTM), 35 p.; 5. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 32 p.; 6. Tommy Searle (GBR, Kawasaki), 29 p.; 7. David Philippaerts (ITA, Honda), 26 p.; 8. Jeremy van Horebeek (BEL, Kawasaki), 24 p.; 9. Shaun Simpson (GBR, Yamaha), 24 p.; 10. Tanel Leok (EST, TM), 24 p.;
MX1 Championship top ten: 1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 643 points; 2. Clement Desalle (BEL, Suzuki), 553 p.; 3. Ken de Dycker (BEL, KTM), 514 p.; 4. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Kawasaki), 465 p.; 5. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Suzuki), 437 p.; 6. Tommy Searle (GBR, Kawasaki), 404 p.; 7. Jeremy van Horebeek (BEL, Kawasaki), 351 p.; 8. Maximilian Nagl (GER, Honda), 314 p.; 9. David Philippaerts (ITA, Honda), 245 p.; 10. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), 238 p.;
MX1 Manufacturers: 1. KTM, 658 points; 2. Suzuki, 581 p.; 3. Kawasaki, 547 p.; 4. Honda, 428 p.; 5. Yamaha, 271 p.; 6. TM, 198 p.;
— MX2
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings was crowned 2013 FIM MX2 World Champion today in Loket after he dominated both heats with superb authority. The Dutch rider was very happy to have won his second FIM MX2 World Title and he was extremely happy to have it won surrounded by so many Dutch fans who had travelled to Loket to support him. Herlings said that he will keep on racing in the MX2 class until the end of the season and he is fully motivated to win all the Grand Prix and set another record in the History of the sport.
Monster Energy Yamaha’s Christophe Charlier was again on the podium this weekend thanks to his two strong results; in the first race he was fourth and in the second one he finished second. Charlier admitted that he had been working really hard with his team to improve his starts and he actually proved it today by starting with the front group in both heats. The Monster Energy Yamaha rider is still fourth in the championship, thirty-one points behind José Butrón, and Charlier said that he is now determined to do well in the upcoming races and fight for the third place of the championship.
J-Tech ESTA Motorsports Racing’s Aleksandr Tonkov obtained his maiden podium in the FIM MX2 World Championship after finishing third and forth in today’s races. The Russian explained that Loket is not his favourite track, but he was able to take two good starts and ride consistently until the finish line. However, Tonkov explained that he struggled a lot with pain on his shoulder and knee due to the big crash he suffered on Saturday, and by the middle of the first race he raced with no brakes, but he managed to keep his initial third position until the end.
CLS Kawasaki Monster Energy Pro Circuit’s Alessandro Lupino missed the podium for just three points, but once again he showed he has the talent and the speed to be fighting for a the top three positions. In the first race started around the seventh place, but by the end of the opening lap he was already third. The Italian managed to find the good lines to keep a consistent rhythm and he overtook Tonkov and he crossed the finish line in the second position. However, Lupino crashed at the early stages of the second heat and he had to push hard from the tenth position to finish eighth and obtain the overall fourth place in the Grand Prix.
It was a difficult Grand Prix for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jordi Tixier, who was only able to finish fifth overall. Before travelling to Loket the French rider knew that the Czech Grand Prix would not be an easy one for him, so all in all he was happy with this result. In the first race Tixier had a big crash when he was riding fifth and scratched all the right side of his body, but he did not lose any position as he had a comfortable advantage with his pursuers. The KTM rider managed to keep the fifth place until the end of the race and in the second moto he also ended fifth, but this time he had to recover from his initial seventh position.
Dylan Ferrandis had a difficult qualifying race yesterday due to a mechanical problem, but today he finished seventh in both heats and he ended sixth overall. Jake Nicholls struggled once again with his starts today and after starting eighteenth and thirteenth, he was able to cross the finish line ninth and sixth, which gave him an overall seventh position.
Petar Petrov was once again riding among the top ten and this time he finished eighth overall, ahead of José Butrón and Dean Ferris.
José Butrón was fully motivated to do well this weekend and he actually proved it by obtaining the Get Athena Holeshot Award in the first race and obtaining a strong third position in the second moto. However, in the first heat Charlier touched Butrón when they were battling for the third position and the Spanish rider crashed and had to enter the pitlane to fix his clutch. Butrón entered the race again, but he had a small crashed and was forced to retire because he had a problem in his front wheel.
Glenn Coldenhoff did not have a good weekend in Loket; in the first race he did not have a good start but he made a good recovery from the thirteenth position to the final sixth place. However, in the second moto he got a stone inside the radiator hose and he was forced to retire, so in the end Coldenhoff obtained an overall fourteenth place in the Czech Grand Prix.
Max Anstie crashed in the beginning of the first race when he was seventh and he could not finish the race nor take part in the second one because he suffered a bad gash – down to the bone – on his right elbow and he required a hospital visit to have the wound cleaned and treated.
MX2 Race 1 top ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 39:38.058; 2. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, Kawasaki), +0:37.903; 3. Aleksandr Tonkov (RUS, Honda), +0:47.805; 4. Christophe Charlier (FRA, Yamaha), +0:52.989; 5. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KTM), +1:07.729; 6. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), +1:14.265; 7. Dylan Ferrandis (FRA, Kawasaki), +1:17.832; 8. Petar Petrov (BUL, Yamaha), +1:18.835; 9. Jake Nicholls (GBR, KTM), +1:20.211; 10. Maxime Desprey (FRA, Yamaha), +1:26.473;
MX2 Race 2 top ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 40:27.757; 2. Christophe Charlier (FRA, Yamaha), +0:20.606; 3. Jose Butron (ESP, KTM), +0:29.951; 4. Aleksandr Tonkov (RUS, Honda), +0:34.661; 5. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KTM), +0:37.893; 6. Jake Nicholls (GBR, KTM), +0:40.315; 7. Dylan Ferrandis (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:57.314; 8. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, Kawasaki), +1:06.995; 9. Dean Ferris (AUS, Yamaha), +1:09.821; 10. Petar Petrov (BUL, Yamaha), +1:11.697;
MX2 Overall top ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 50 points; 2. Christophe Charlier (FRA, Yamaha), 40 p.; 3. Aleksandr Tonkov (RUS, Honda), 38 p.; 4. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, Kawasaki), 35 p.; 5. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KTM), 32 p.; 6. Dylan Ferrandis (FRA, Kawasaki), 28 p.; 7. Jake Nicholls (GBR, KTM), 27 p.; 8. Petar Petrov (BUL, Yamaha), 24 p.; 9. Jose Butron (ESP, KTM), 20 p.; 10. Romain Febvre (FRA, KTM), 19 p.;
MX2 Championship top ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 692 points; 2. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KTM), 515 p.; 3. Jose Butron (ESP, KTM), 436 p.; 4. Christophe Charlier (FRA, Yamaha), 405 p.; 5. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 377 p.; 6. Dean Ferris (AUS, Yamaha), 359 p.; 7. Jake Nicholls (GBR, KTM), 345 p.; 8. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, Kawasaki), 294 p.; 9. Max Anstie (GBR, Suzuki), 282 p.; 10. Petar Petrov (BUL, Yamaha), 262 p.;
MX2 Manufacturers: 1. KTM, 697 points; 2. Yamaha, 506 p.; 3. Kawasaki, 401 p.; 4. Suzuki, 306 p.; 5. Honda, 305 p.; 6. TM, 59 p.; 7. Husqvarna, 1 p.;
MXGP CZECH REPUBLIC – QUICK FACTS
Circuit length: 1586m
Type of ground: hard pack
Temperature: 34° C
Weather conditions: changeable; sunny in the morning and heavy rain and cloudy during the rest of the day
Crowd attendance: 22000
David Philippaerts rode once again among the top ten riders and his 6-10 result made him finish seventh overall. Jeremy Van Horebeek crashed when he was riding in fourth and a mechanical problem forced him to retire. However, he did an excellent second race and his second position made him finish eighth overall. Shaun Simpson was ninth and Tanel Leok completed the top ten.
2012 FIM MX3 World Champion Matthias Walkner, who is now third in the MX3 standings, took part in the Czech Grand Prix and he finished thirteenth overall. The current red plate holder of the MX3 series Klemen Gercar, who has been racing for 24MX Honda Racing in the last Grand Prix, ended seventeenth, and Martin Micheck, who was supposed to take part in the Czech Grand Prix, was ill during the whole week and he decided to take some rest and safe some energies for the upcoming MX3 round which is taking place at Matterley Basin during the MXGP Festival.
