— FIM MX1/MX2 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND 06 SUNDAY MAY 5 AGUEDA, PORTUGAL
— Back to back GP win for Paulin – Ferris back on podium
The beautiful layout and challenging red dirt of Agueda hosted the sixth Grand Prix of the 2013 FIM Motocross World Championship where Gautier Paulin obtained his second overall victory in a row and Jeffrey Herlings dominated once again the MX2 class. The 15000 people who came to Agueda could also enjoy watching the final races of the EMX125 and EMX250 European 
Championships; Pauls Jonass won his race and increased his championship lead and Valentin Guillod won the first round of the EMX250 Championship.
MX1
Kawasaki Racing Team’s Gautier Paulin was very satisfied after winning his second Grand Prix in a row even if he could not win both heats of the Portuguese Grand Prix. The French rider started behind Antonio Cairoli in the first race but he managed to overtake him in the early stages of the heat and Paulin kept the lead until the chequered flag. After another good start in the second race Paulin tried to make the pass on Cairoli but this time the track was more demanding and he had to settle down with the second position.
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Antonio Cairoli missed the overall victory for only two points after finishing 2-1 in today’s races. The Italian took the holeshot in both heats and while he succeeded in dominating the second one from the beginning to the end, in the first one it was not possible for the Italian to overtake Paulin. Cairoli pushed really hard since the beginning to pass him back and in the last lap, when he was really close to Paulin, he suffered a big crash. Fortunately, Cairoli did not have any major injury and even if his KTM’s front break broke in the crash, he managed to finish the race in the third position. All in all the Italian was satisfied with his weekend and he admitted that he really enjoyed riding once again in the Portuguese track.
Rockstar Energy Suzuki World’s Clement Desalle started the weekend really well by wining the qualifying race, but things got complicated for the Belgian rider even if he finished on the third step of the podium. In the first race he started third but he struggled to find his rhythm in order to give charge to Cairoli and Paulin. In the end Desalle crossed the finish line second taking advantage of Cairoli’s mistake. Desalle had another good start in the second moto and this time he rode third behind Paulin most of the race. By the end of the heat the Belgian was really close to Paulin when he suffered a hefty crash. Desalle managed to get back on his Suzuki and finished the race fifth with a lot of pain on his neck and back.
The fourth overall position was for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Ken De Dycker who finished seventh and third in today’s races. He was very disappointed about his first race because he succeeded in having a good start but Desalle hit his back wheel and De Dycker had to fight from almost the back of the pack. The Belgian made an incredible recovery and finished 
seventh and in the second race he rode a solid moto and finished third.
It was not an easy weekend for CLS MX2 Kawasaki Monster Energy Pro Circuit’s Tommy Searle but he rode really well both motos and he finished fifth overall just one point behind De Dycker. During the first laps of race one a stone hit Searle’s finger and the British rider struggled to keep his rhythm but he obtained a consistent sixth position. After the race he was diagnosed with a broken finger, but he decided to ride the second race and he obtained an impressive fourth position.
Max Nagl was very satisfied with his riding this weekend as he improved significantly from the previous Grand Prix in Bulgaria. In the first race he had a good start and after battling with Van Horebeek most of the race, the German managed to overtake him and finished fourth behind Cairoli. In the second one he had a good jump off the gate but he touched with Searle and he had to shut the throttle to avoid a big crash. Nagl was ninth in the first lap, but he managed to overtake several riders to finish seventh, which gave him the overall sixth position.
Van Horebeek rode really well this weekend and he finished seventh overall just one point behind Nagl with a 5-6 result. David Philippaerts was eighth overall and Kevin Strijbos and home rider Rui Gonçalves completed the top ten of the Portuguese Grand Prix.
Evgeny Bobryshev, who suffered a big crash yesterday during the qualifying race, decided not to take part in today’s races, as his fractured fibula is not fully healed and the track was very tough today.
MX1 Race 1 top ten: 1. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Kawasaki), 39:41.179; 2. Clement Desalle (BEL, Suzuki), +0:20.053; 3. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:36.700; 4. Maximilian Nagl (GER, Honda), +0:41.427; 5. Jeremy van Horebeek (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:44.140; 6. Tommy Searle (GBR, Kawasaki), +0:46.236; 7. Ken de Dycker (BEL, KTM), +1:19.715; 8. David Philippaerts (ITA, Honda), +1:23.112; 9. Rui Goncalves (POR, KTM), +1:28.350; 10. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Suzuki), +1:30.680;
MX1 Race 2 top ten: 1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 39:56.650; 2. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:03.804; 3. Ken de Dycker (BEL, KTM), +0:08.306; 4. Tommy Searle (GBR, Kawasaki), +0:08.912; 5. Clement Desalle (BEL, Suzuki), +0:21.757; 6. Jeremy van Horebeek (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:23.805; 7. Maximilian Nagl (GER, Honda), +0:28.000; 8. David Philippaerts (ITA, Honda), +0:33.464; 9. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Suzuki), +0:39.969; 10. Shaun Simpson (GBR, TM), +0:51.773;
MX1 Overall top ten: 1. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Kawasaki), 47 points; 2. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 45 p.; 3. Clement Desalle (BEL, Suzuki), 38 p.; 4. Ken de Dycker (BEL, KTM), 34 p.; 5. Tommy Searle (GBR, Kawasaki), 33 p.; 6. Maximilian Nagl (GER, Honda), 32 p.; 7. Jeremy van Horebeek (BEL, Kawasaki), 31 p.; 8. David Philippaerts (ITA, Honda), 26 p.; 9. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Suzuki), 23 p.; 10. Rui Goncalves (POR, KTM), 22 p.;
MX1 Championship top ten: 1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 280 points; 2. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Kawasaki), 242 p.; 3. Clement Desalle (BEL, Suzuki), 227 p.; 4. Ken de Dycker (BEL, KTM), 217 p.; 5. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Suzuki), 183 p.; 6. Tommy Searle 
(GBR, Kawasaki), 180 p.; 7. Maximilian Nagl (GER, Honda), 132 p.; 8. Rui Goncalves (POR, KTM), 131 p.; 9. David Philippaerts (ITA, Honda), 112 p.; 10. Jeremy van Horebeek (BEL, Kawasaki), 109 p.;
MX1 Manufacturers: 1. KTM, 285 points; 2. Kawasaki, 242 p.; 3. Suzuki, 237 p.; 4. Honda, 188 p.; 5. Yamaha, 101 p.; 6. TM, 93 p.;
MX2
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings was very satisfied with his starts this weekend and he actually obtained his first Get Athena Holeshot after being the first one to reach the first corner of race one. Herlings dominated both heats since the beginning, but in the second one he made a couple of mistakes while he was leading. However, Herlings had such an advantage with the second rider that he could keep the first position and he crossed the finish line with over a minute difference with Dean Ferris who finished second.
Monster Energy Yamaha’s Dean Ferris was back on the podium after finishing sixth and second in today’s races. The Australian rider succeeded in having two great starts and rode next to Herlings during the first few corners of both heats, but in the first race he made a mistake when he was riding second and dropped down to the seventh place. In the second moto nothing happened to the Australian and he was able to ride a consistent race in the second position since the very beginning.
Silver Action KTM’s José Butrón obtained his third podium of the season in front of loads of Spanish fans that had travelled from Spain to support him. Butrón had a good start in the first race and he kept his initial third position until the chequered flag, but in the second heat he struggled to find his rhythm and he could only finish sixth. Butrón admitted that he was very happy for being on the podium again but his main goal now is to finish second of the Grand Prix.
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jordi Tixier missed the podium this weekend for just one point. The French rider was fifth in the start of the first moto and he quickly moved up to fourth but he then made a mistake and dropped down one position. Tixier was recuperating his rhythm when he crashed again and this time he went down to tenth. In the end the KTM rider recuperated some positions and he finished seventh. In the second race Tixier had a good start, but he could not overtake Ferris and he had to settle down with the third place.
Monster Energy Yamaha’s Christophe Charlier had another great weekend, but once again he was a little bit disappointed for having missed the podium – the French rider finished tight in 34 points with Tixier and just one point behind Butrón. Charlier was eighth at the start of the first race but he managed to finish fourth, while in the second race he succeeded in obtaining a consistent fifth place.
Glenn Coldenhoff was back again racing with the front riders this weekend but a big crash in the first race made him lose all the opportunities to fight for the podium. The Dutch rider struggled a lot to get the rhythm back and he ended thirteenth, but in the second race he was determined to give it all and he obtained a solid fifth position, which gave him the overall sixth place.
Mel Pocock finished eighth and ninth in today’s races and he finished seventh overall ahead of Jake Nichols and Alexander Tonkov. Max Anstie struggled again today on the Portuguese soil and he could only finish tenth overall.
Dylan Ferrandis had a really good start in the first race and he managed to finish fifth, but in the second moto a problem with the chain of his Kawasaki machine forced him to pull out. Ferrandis obtained an overall thirteenth position.
Alessandro Lupino, who finished on the podium in Bulgaria, crashed in the first race and he was only able to finish in the 21st position. In the second one he had still some pain due to his two broken ribs but he finished seventh which gave him the overall fifteenth place.
MX2 Race 1 top ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 39:53.240; 2. Jake Nicholls (GBR, KTM), +1:18.848; 3. Jose Butron (ESP, KTM), +1:21.605; 4. Christophe Charlier (FRA, Yamaha), +1:27.979; 5. Dylan Ferrandis (FRA, Kawasaki), +1:30.999; 6. Dean Ferris (AUS, Yamaha), +1:35.904; 7. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KTM), +1:37.301; 8. Mel Pocock (GBR, Yamaha), +1:40.715; 9. Max Anstie (GBR, Suzuki), +1:50.274; 10. Petar Petrov (BUL, Yamaha), -1 lap(s);
MX2 Race 2 top ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 40:30.592; 2. Dean Ferris (AUS, Yamaha), +1:08.304; 3. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KTM), +1:10.100; 4. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), +1:13.897; 5. Christophe Charlier (FRA, Yamaha), +1:20.092; 6. Jose Butron (ESP, KTM), +1:27.409; 7. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, Kawasaki), +1:32.973; 8. Alexander Tonkov (RUS, Honda), -1 lap(s); 9. Mel Pocock (GBR, Yamaha), -1 lap(s); 10. Elliott Banks-Browne (GBR, KTM), -1 lap(s);
MX2 Overall top ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 50 points; 2. Dean Ferris (AUS, Yamaha), 37 p.; 3. Jose Butron
(ESP, KTM), 35 p.; 4. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KTM), 34 p.; 5. Christophe Charlier (FRA, Yamaha), 34 p.; 6. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 26 p.; 7. Mel Pocock (GBR, Yamaha), 25 p.; 8. Jake Nicholls (GBR, KTM), 25 p.; 9. Alexander Tonkov (RUS, Honda), 22 p.; 10. Max Anstie (GBR, Suzuki), 22 p.;
MX2 Championship top ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 300 points; 2. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KTM), 219 p.; 3. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 183 p.; 4. Jose Butron (ESP, KTM), 178 p.; 5. Christophe Charlier (FRA, Yamaha), 171 p.; 6. Dean Ferris (AUS, Yamaha), 152 p.; 7. Max Anstie (GBR, Suzuki), 150 p.; 8. Jake Nicholls (GBR, KTM), 129 p.; 9. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, Kawasaki), 123 p.; 10. Mel Pocock (GBR, Yamaha), 112 p.;
MX2 Manufacturers: 1. KTM, 300 points; 2. Yamaha, 213 p.; 3. Suzuki, 172 p.; 4. Kawasaki, 160 p.; 5. Honda, 107 p.; 6. TM, 21 p.; 7. Husqvarna, 1 p.;
— MX3 – Walkner Dominates in Troyan
The 2013 Motocross MX3 World Championship is heating up as the current MX3 world champion Matthias Walkner returns to his winning ways, taking two from two race wins at the magnificent circuit of Troyan, Bulgaria.
MX3 Race One
Top qualifier Klemen Gercar got off to a brilliant start in race one, claiming the holeshot and the early lead. Gercar was in command for most of the race but in the closing stages was up against a tough challenger in the form of Matthias Walkner. Walkner didn’t get off to the best of starts, making his race more difficult than it needed to be, but the Austrian was determined to fight until the finish in order to take his first victory of the season. Meanwhile Klemen Gercar managed to finish the race comfortably in second ahead of a consistent Timur Muratov in third.
Riders Martin Michek and Pier Filippo Bertuzzo had a fierce battle for fourth tossinng back and forth the position but in the end it was Michek who won out forcing Bertuzzo to settle for fifth.
MX3 Race Two
Fresh off his win in race one Matthias Walkner came out swinging in race two, taking the holeshot and dominating from start to finish ahead of Martin Michek who rode comfortably the entire race in second. Meanwhile behind them Pier Filippo Bertuzzo and Christian Brockel engaged in a fierce battle for the third position but in the end it was Bertuzzo who managed to acquire and hold the third place forcing Brockel to settle for fourth ahead of Klemen Gercar in fifth.
After round two of the FIM Motocross MX3 World Championship Klemen Gercar is for the first time ever in his career the red plate holder, one point ahead of last year’s champion Matthias Walkner. The red plate holder leading into this round Gert Krestinov will drop back to third after his problematic weekend here in Troyan.
MX3 Race 1 top ten: 1. Matthias Walkner (AUT, KTM), 35:06.578; 2. Klemen Gercar (SLO, Honda), +0:06.706; 3. Timur Muratov (RUS, KTM), +0:08.410; 4. Martin Michek (CZE, KTM), +0:14.316; 5. Pier Filippo Bertuzzo (ITA, Yamaha), +0:16.518; 6. Tomas Simko (SVK, KTM), +0:59.262; 7. Christian Brockel (GER, KTM), +1:15.319; 8. Petr Michalec (CZE, Honda), +1:18.865; 9.
Frantisek Smola (CZE, KTM), +1:33.521; 10. Joan Cros (ESP, Suzuki), +1:39.487;
MX3 Race 2 top ten: 1. Matthias Walkner (AUT, KTM), 34:54.628; 2. Martin Michek (CZE, KTM), +0:06.263; 3. Pier Filippo Bertuzzo (ITA, Yamaha), +0:14.506; 4. Christian Brockel (GER, KTM), +0:19.946; 5. Klemen Gercar (SLO, Honda), +0:33.855; 6. Gert Krestinov (EST, Kawasaki), +0:41.549; 7. Tomas Simko (SVK, KTM), +0:48.111; 8. Petr Michalec (CZE, Honda), +0:49.941; 9. Timur Muratov (RUS, KTM), +0:53.922; 10. Frantisek Smola (CZE, KTM), +1:11.817;
MX3 Overall top ten: 1. Matthias Walkner (AUT, KTM), 50 points; 2. Martin Michek (CZE, KTM), 40 p.; 3. Klemen Gercar (SLO, Honda), 38 p.; 4. Pier Filippo Bertuzzo (ITA, Yamaha), 36 p.; 5. Christian Brockel (GER, KTM), 32 p.; 6. Timur Muratov (RUS, KTM), 32 p.; 7. Tomas Simko (SVK, KTM), 29 p.; 8. Petr Michalec (CZE, Honda), 26 p.; 9. Frantisek Smola (CZE, KTM), 23 p.; 10. Ardo Kaurit (EST, Yamaha), 20 p.;
MX3 Championship top ten: 1. Klemen Gercar (SLO, Honda), 72 points; 2. Matthias Walkner (AUT, KTM), 71 p.; 3. Gert Krestinov (EST, Kawasaki), 65 p.; 4. Martin Michek (CZE, KTM), 62 p.; 5. Timur Muratov (RUS, KTM), 60 p.; 6. Mike Kras (NED, Suzuki), 45 p.; 7. Filip Neugebauer (CZE, Kawasaki), 42 p.; 8. Ludvig Söderberg (FIN, Honda), 40 p.; 9. Pier Filippo Bertuzzo (ITA, Yamaha), 38 p.; 10. Kasper Lynggaard (DEN, Yamaha), 34 p.;
— EMX
The sun was beaming here in Agueda scorching the already orange dirt and welcoming round two of the EMX125 Championship and round one of the EMX250 Championship where riders Pauls Jonass and Valentin Guillod claimed victory.
EMX250
The new race format was welcomed with open arms as the EMX250 put on an exhilarating display of racing. In the early stages of the race it was Damon Graulus who took the all important holeshot and led the opening lap followed by a charging series of riders in the form of Tim Gajser, Valentin Guillod, Jeremy Seewer, Ceriel Klein Kromhof and Micha-Boy De Waal.
The war had officially begun and positions were changing lap by lap, in the early stages it was Tim Gajser who claimed the lead, looking fierce and in form but his pace was matched by the hard chargers that were to follow him. The top five put it all on the line, with every one of them wanting a piece of the podium.
Coming into the middle stages of the race, Valentin Guillod had upped his tempo and managing to find a way around last year’s champion Tim Gajser leaving the Slovenian to deal with the persistent pressure of Damon Graulus, Jeremy Seewer and Ceriel Klein Kromhof. With two laps to go the riders came into an immense amount of lapped traffic adding an extra challenge to the already challenging race.
Unfortunately for Tim Gajser lady luck was not on his side as he ran into trouble dropping him back to eighth position. Meanwhile Damon Graulus was wanting more charging after Valentin Guillod. With one lap to go Graulus had taken over the lead but didn’t hold it for long as Guillod was determined to take home the race win. As the chequred flag waved it was Valentin Guillod who claimed victory followed by Damon Graulus in second, Jeremy Seewer in third, Ceriel Klein Kromhof in fourth and Micha-boy De Waal in fifth.
EMX250 Final: 1. Valentin Guillod (SUI, KTM), 29:02.174; 2. Damon Graulus (BEL, KTM), +0:08.884; 3. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Suzuki), +0:09.955; 4. Ceriel Klein Kromhof (NED, KTM), +0:18.166; 5. Micha-Boy De Waal (NED, KTM), +0:34.859; 6. Jordan Booker (GBR, Kawasaki), +0:48.802; 7. Benoit Paturel (FRA, Husqvarna), +0:50.484; 8. Tim Gajser (SLO, KTM), +0:52.621; 9. Benoit Jamet (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:59.722; 10. Magne Klingsheim (NOR, Yamaha), +1:01.693;
EMX20 Championship top ten: 1. Valentin Guillod (SUI, KTM), 25 points; 2. Damon Graulus (BEL, KTM), 22 p.; 3. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Suzuki), 20 p.; 4. Ceriel Klein Kromhof (NED, KTM), 18 p.; 5. Micha-Boy De Waal (NED, KTM), 16 p.; 6. Jordan Booker (GBR, Kawasaki), 15 p.; 7. Benoit Paturel (FRA, Husqvarna), 14 p.; 8. Tim Gajser (SLO, KTM), 13 p.; 9. Benoit Jamet (FRA, Kawasaki), 12 p.; 10. Magne Klingsheim (NOR, Yamaha), 11 p.;
EMX125
The EMX125 saw Henry Jacobi fastest off the gate, claiming the lead on the opening lap. Although a good start always helps, the race was never going to be easy for Jacobi as he had the championship points leader Pauls Jonass right on him. Jonass sat patiently on the back wheel of Jacobi, but after two and a half laps he made a pass and didn’t look back. As the race went on, the third place rider of Nicolas Dercourt began making a charge, catching the second place of Henry Jacobi but couldn’t find a way around him. As the duo Jacobi and Dercourt came into lapped traffic, Jacobi took the advantage with open arms putting a little breathing space between himself and the French rider leaving Dercourt to give up the fight and finish an easy third.
Meanwhile, Canadian Kade Tinkler had climbed his way up from an average start into the fourth place position; this was no easy feat, as around lap five he found himself engaged in battle with Joel Van Mechelen. Van Mechelen put up a good fight but after the pass had been made, tired back to seventh place allowing riders Calvin Vlaanderen and Riccardo Righi to take home the fifth and sixth positions.
EMX125 Final: 1. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), 30:29.862; 2. Henry Jacobi (GER, KTM), +0:10.869; 3. Nicolas Dercourt (FRA, Yamaha), +0:22.000; 4. Kade Tinkler (CAN, Suzuki), +0:35.795; 5. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, KTM), +0:39.858; 6. Riccardo Righi (ITA, KTM), +0:45.004; 7. Joel Van Mechelen (NED, KTM), +1:01.199; 8. Tomasso Sileika (LAT, KTM), +1:17.597; 9. Frederik Van Der Vlist (NED, KTM), +1:27.174; 10. Emanuele Facchetti (ITA, KTM), +1:31.497;
EMX125 Championship top ten: 1. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), 75 points; 2. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, KTM), 54 p.; 3. Nicolas Dercourt (FRA, Yamaha), 50 p.; 4. Henry Jacobi (GER, KTM), 49 p.; 5. Frederik Van Der Vlist (NED, KTM), 48 p.; 6. Anton Lundgren (SWE, KTM), 47 p.; 7. Riccardo Righi (ITA, KTM), 46 p.; 8. Kade Tinkler (CAN, Suzuki), 43 p.; 9. Ivan Baranov (RUS, KTM), 25 p.; 10. Lorenzo Ravera (ITA, KTM), 21 p.;
— Yamaha Report
Three Monster Energy Yamaha riders filled positions in the top seven of the FIM Motocross World Championship Grand Prix of Portugal at Agueda today and Australian Dean Ferris was able to take his pacey YZ250F to third place overall for what was the sixth round of seventeen in the series.
Hot sunshine bathed the 15,000 attendance at the impressive and popular venue south of Porto and the decent weather – combined with excessive watering from the circuit organisers – formed a bumpy, rough and difficult hard-pack. The physical demands of the surface meant it was one of the hardest circuits this season.
Ferris picked up his second trophy of 2013 after posting results of 6th and 2nd in the two motos. ‘111’ could have even made a valid plight for the second step of the box had it not been for a slow speed crash in the first race that caused him to drop from a fairly comfortable runner-up slot. After impressing on his Monster Energy Yamaha debut at Qatar Ferris is now at full fitness in the distant wake of his collarbone break prior to round three and looking to expand his collection of silverware from sixth in the MX2 table.
Christophe Charlier is still waiting for that first champagne shower. The Corsican was fifth overall and just one point away from the rostrum as he continued his consistent but oh-so-near trail of results. The former European champion was fourth after a bad start in the first moto and then rode mostly alone to fifth place in the second outing for another sufficient points haul. ‘23’ is currently fifth in the standings on the prototype YZ250FM and just 12 points from the top three.
Mel Pocock was seventh overall for one of his best classifications of the season so far. The reigning European champion was satisfied with two bright starts from a gate spot of 23rd (courtesy of a fall in the Saturday qualification race) and rode to 8th and 9th in the motos. His bullish charge into the top ten in the second sprint was eye-catching and reversed a trend from recent GPs where the Brit has struggled in the closing stages. Maxime Desprey’s 14th and 12th positions represented his second highest points haul of his maiden grand prix term.
The Grand Prix of Brazil at Beto Carrero (for the second year in succession) will constitute round seven of the championship and take place in two weeks time.
Dean Ferris
“This actually feels better than the first podium in Qatar because I was really sick there and couldn’t really soak up what it meant. This one is a bit more special. I’ve been coming back from injury and battling forward for the past six weeks and I’m pretty much fully fit now. I was in a tough battle throughout that whole second moto and that is probably the fittest I have ever felt in a Grand Prix. I actually messed up my start in the first moto and somehow ‘made it happen’ through the first two turns to end up second behind Jeffrey. I had broken away from third and had a few seconds over them when I had a silly tip-off in the turn before the step-up. It took me a while to get the bike up because the clutch lever was stuck in the ground. I was trying to keep it running. After that I couldn’t really get forward any more because there were about seven riders all going the same speed. I was pretty tough on myself afterwards because I had thrown away a lot of points and could have been a comfortable second but moto two was much better. The start helped and I tried to push hard to break away but must have made a big mistake somewhere because Tixier got very close for around fifteen to twenty minutes and it was very cat-and-mouse. Near the end he started being a bit defensive because Coldhenhoff was right with him and that gave me a bit of a gap. I was chasing my lap-times and watching the pit-board but I didn’t even know I was on the podium until I finished so it was a nice surprise with a 6-2. In the off-season I knew I could be a podium guy and hopefully now with some confidence I can establish myself as a regular.”
Christophe Charlier
“In the first race my start wasn’t good and I paid for this because it was hard to overtake away from the main line, which was the fastest. In the second moto I was away better and I was fifth and on my own for most of the time. I’m one point away from the podium; so close again. I’m getting impatient now and I want a trophy. The track was difficult today; very bumpy and extremely hard to overtake. Anyway another top five and I’ll keep looking at the overall picture of the championship positions.”
Mel Pocock
“To be honest I feel like I have made a big step. In the last few GPs I feel like I have been dropping off a little bit in the last ten-fifteen minutes. I said in Bulgaria that I would go away and work hard and I’ve been pounding out the forty minute motos. I believe I have made an improvement. I made it tough for myself yesterday by crashing in the qualifying heat and having a 23rd gate pick, which wasn’t what I needed, but I still managed two good starts. I worked my way through the pack and I’m happy with 7th overall because I do believe it is a step forward.”
Maxime Desprey
“The first race was difficult because of my bad start. I pushed to gain some positions and it was hard work. The second race start was better and I’m happy with my riding because it was a tough and very physical track. Overall I’m pleased with the day and it was good training!”
Roelants nearing better fitness after Portuguese Grand Prix
Monster Energy Yamaha’s Joel Roelants continues to feel his way back into top level Grand Prix competition after scoring points across the Agueda circuit in Portugal and one of the hardest circuits seen in the FIM Motocross World Championship this year. The sixth round of seventeen took place in hot and sunny conditions and in front of 15,000 people; the Belgian was able to take 12th and 14th on the factory YZ450FM.
The deep ruts and plentiful bumps of the distinctive red dirt at Agueda meant a punishing test for the premier MX1 class. It was on this surface that MX1 rookie Roelants tried his best to rise through the classifications of both 35 minute and 2 lap motos only three weeks after suffering a slight concussion at the Grand Prix of Trentino.
Although not a protagonist on this occasion the former MX2 GP winner was able to complete full race distances and will now look to the Brazilian round at Beto Carrero in two weeks for further improvement.
Joel Roelants
“A bad day and not much more to say. The first heat was OK but in the second I couldn’t find any rhythm and was riding terribly. I think the reason for this is because I haven’t been able to do any training for a couple of weeks, since the crash in Italy, and I think you could see this today. I hope now I can look forward to the next race and try to prepare better and fully.”
— HRC Report
Gautier Paulin was able to celebrate his second Grand Prix victory in a row across one of the hardest tracks seen this season in the FIM Motocross World Championship at Agueda in Portugal. Under hot and sunny skies at the venue south of Porto, Honda World Motocross team’s Max Nagl was satisfied with his performance to finish sixth overall in front of fifteen thousand spectators (weekend figure) for what was the sixth round of seventeen in the campaign.
Good weather in the region and over the duration of the weekend meant the Agueda terrain was hard and bumpy. Watering at key moments through the busy schedule (with European EMX250 and EMX125 series also part of the race programme) helped soften the ground into a succession of ruts and lumps; overall the track was rutty, fast and technical.
Nagl was able to score fourth and seventh positions in the thirty-five minute and two lap motos and his rate of progress around the course, against some of his rapid peers in the premier class, gave the German cause for encouragement. He had completed the previous Grand Prix in Bulgaria frustrated with his inability to attack the leaderboard and worked on this issue during the small respite before round six to emerge a more demonstrative figure in Portugal. His steady pace from a first lap position of fifth to eventually secure fourth in the first moto was a bright springboard for the GP. A mediocre launch in the second moto saw ‘12’ charging to fill a top ten slot. He pushed up to seventh before tiring slightly in the closing stages.
Team-mate Evgeny Bobryshev limped into the paddock determined to gain some race time after sitting out the two previous meetings with a fractured right tibia. The powerful Russian gritted his teeth over the jumps and suffered a tumble in the qualification race on Saturday that thankfully did not result in further injury but meant that ‘777’ would have to postpone his Grand Prix return. ‘Bobby’ did not enter the motos on Sunday and now has a further week to prepare for the next appointment in Brazil.
Honda Gariboldi’s David Philippaerts was pleased with eighth in the final MX1 listing in Portugal. The Italian, a former winner at Agueda, was ‘eighth across the board’ with the same positions in both motos. Philippaerts fought through the reaches of the lower top ten with Ken De Dycker in the first outing and then was close to the holeshot at the start of the second race. The ex world champion held off Nagl for long stretches of the distance until an error forced him off the course through the tricky waves section. Philippaerts tried to attack his brand-mate again in the closing stages but had to accept eighth by the chequered flag.
Nagl has moved up to seventh in the MX1 championship standings but faces a gulf of forty-eight points to Tommy Searle and further promotion. Philippaerts is ninth and just ahead of Jeremy Van Horebeek. The FIM Motocross World Championship will now shift overseas for the third non-European event of the season with the Honda-backed Grand Prix of Brazil taking place at the Beto Carrero facility for the second year in a row on May 19th.
ax Nagl – Race Result: 4th/7th Championship position: 7th
“The first heat was great and I had a really good start. I battled with Van Horebeek and some others and I could pass them to finish fourth. I was really happy with that race. I was a bit tired but made a good recovery before the second moto. My next start was quite good but Tommy Searle was next to me and he was just a little bit better and my handlebar got stuck with his elbow. I had to close the throttle otherwise there would have been a huge crash. I got on the brakes early and turned inside on the first corner and came over the jump in fourteenth or something like that. In the first four or five laps I was really aggressive and I don’t think I have passed as many people as that in such a short time. I was really pumped at that moment and very happy. I was behind Philippaerts for a while and he was really pushing hard. He made a mistake and I went through but then I ran out of energy and just had to survive until the end. Nobody was in front of me – there was quite a distance to the next guy – and people were still charging behind. The track was really gnarly with many bumps and ruts; it was difficult.”
David Philippaerts: Race Result: 8th/8th Championship position: 9th
“I’m feeling better every race and was riding well today. We made a couple of changes to the set-up in the morning, which worked straight away and I could set the third fastest lap-time in warm-up. My start wasn’t great in the first moto and I was tucked behind Leok but then he crashed and I could move up and pass Goncalves. I rode with De Dycker for most of the race and finished eighth, which I feel is ‘my position’ at the moment. I had a great start in the second moto and was in second place but I don’t have the speed to go with the likes of Antonio [Cairoli] and Paulin. It was difficult for a little while but I found my position in the second group and was seventh for a long time in front of Nagl on the factory bike. I just made a small mistake in the waves and ran off the track, causing me to lose a position. I tried to catch Nagl again but our lap-times were similar. Anyway I’m happy with eighth again. This was a positive and consistent GP and now we go to Brazil; a nice country where I enjoy racing.”
— KTM Report
Reigning MX2 World Champion Jeffrey Herlings of the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team continued on his storm course of multiple victories at the weekend when he took his sixth GP win of the 2013 season in Agueda Portugal to be unbeaten in any race so far.
It was the young Dutch rider’s twenty-second career victory and he finished far ahead of the fiend in both motos. Factory teammate Jordi Tixier was not quite so fortunate on the technically difficult track at Agueda but pulled back enough in race two to finish fourth overall and still sits second behind Herlings in second place in the World Championship.
Meanwhile in MX1, Tony Cairoli continued the defense of his title finishing second overall with a 3-1 result for the two motos and extended his ownership of the red plate. Teammate Ken de Dycker finished fourth in the GP and is fourth in the championship points.
Herlings strong in MX2 opener
Herlings rode another attacking racing in his opening MX2 moto, grabbing the holeshot and never looking back until he got to the flag. He was one minute 18 seconds ahead of the rest of the pack and had lapped up to 14th place. Teammate Tixier was not so lucky, twice coming unstuck and hitting the dirt on the unpredictable and very technical dirt track.
The opening MX1 moto was also full of drama with De Dycker crashing in the early stages after being hit by the wheel of Clement Desalle’s bike. But Cairoli took the holeshot and led for the opening laps before being passed by Gautier Paulin. The two riders then engaged in a cat and mouse game that lasted right up to the final lap. With Desalle in third place, Cairoli knew he needed to go for the win and spectators at the Portuguese circuit were expecting one of his classic last lap attacks. Just as he was setting himself up to pass, he changed lines into a new rut and hit a large concealed stone. Cairoli flew over the handlebars and had to scramble back up the slope to retrieve his KTM 350 SX-F, only to discover that his clutch lever and front brake were wrecked in the spill. In the meantime Desalle had shot past to take second but the Italian managed to still bring the bike home in third carrying the broken cable in his hand. Still able to raise a smile, Cairoli said at the end of the moto: “It was a big crash but luckily I’m not hurt. I’ve never had anything like that happen before.”
Teammate Ken de Dycker managed to make a good recovery from his crash and advanced from dead last to seventh at the end of the opening MX1 moto.
Herlings strikes again in second moto.
Clearly taking no prisoners, Herlings had a ripping, winning, if not faultless race in his second MX2 moto. As the track got rougher and more rutted, he made two mistakes but had such a leading margin to the rest of the field, he simply remounted his KTM 250 SX-F and stayed at the front of the field. “This weekend I did my best and I worked hard on my starts. I took the three holeshots and was leading in every lap. The speed was unbelievable. I was as fast as the MX1 guys so I couldn’t ask for more,” Herlings commented”
Although teammate Tixier had a better race in the second MX2 moto he was still not happy with his weekend. “I struggled at some places on the track so I was not so happy with my riding. I missed the podium by one point but I didn’t get hurt when I crashed, I made some good points for the championship and I’m ready for the next GP in Brazil.”
Cairoli strong in second MX1 moto
A committed Cairoli grabbed the holeshot in his second moto and immediately distanced himself from the hard charging Paulin and Desalle. He stayed in front for the entire race and his 3-1 result was enough to give him second place in the GP and more points for the championship. “Paulin was trying to attack all the time but I was still able to win. It’s a shame it wasn’t enough to win the GP but it was still good for the points and the championship,” Cairoli said. He also said he thought Paulin had improved a lot on last year and now considered him his main contender for the MX1 title.
De Dycker salvaged a fourth place in race two and fourth overall in MX1, advancing one place after Clement Desalle crashed in the final stages of the second moto. But he said he didn’t have a good feeling all weekend and was nervous about making mistakes at the track broke up. “Now I need to be better for the next race but I have a good bike and I am not scared of any track. I know if I get a good start I can run with Tony and all the other guys,” he said. MX1 & MX2 riders now have a two weeks break and race next in Brazil.
The Portuguese venue also played host to the EMX 125 and EMX 250 classes and KTM riders took 1-2 in both classes. Pauls Jonass of Latvia took a decisive win in the EMX 125 Round 2 with Germany’s Henry Jacobi takings second. Swiss KTM rider Valentin Guillod and Belgium’s Damon Graulus (KTM) took the top two spots in the EMX 250s.
Young KTM factory rider Pauls Jonass, a former 85 cc World Champion, said it was a good feeling to be 21 points ahead in his championship after only two rounds. “My next (EMX125) race is in Latvia so it’s my home race and its good to be going there with the red plate. Maybe I will have some pressure racing in front of the fans but I hope I can make good races,” he said.
— Suzuki Report
Rockstar Energy Suzuki’s Clement Desalle was one of the three fastest riders in the premier MX1 class of the FIM Motocross World Championship at a hot and sunny Grand Prix of Portugal.
The Belgian finished third overall at Agueda for the sixth round of 17 in the series, in front of 15,000 spectators, after battling with Gautier Paulin and Antonio Cairoli in both motos on his factory RM-Z450. Desalle survived a heavy second moto crash while trying to pass Paulin for second place to be able to spray champagne for the fourth time in 2013.
Agueda was a brutal mix of speed, bumps, ruts and forced concentration. The physical and mental demands throughout the two 35-minute and two-lap motos meant it was one of the hardest tracks of the series so far. Desalle came into the weekend as one of the favourites for victory thanks to success in the previous three visits to Agueda. Signs were positive on Saturday as he secured his first pole position of the season, but the terrain was heavily watered through Saturday evening and it meant a deeper and rougher course for Sunday where a single, quick racing line was prevalent.
Desalle had two good starts and together with Paulin and Cairoli set a frantic pace at the front. The 23 year old was frustrated in the first moto with an inability to overtake and a lack of comfort across the Portuguese dirt. He was able to finish second after Cairoli crashed in the closing stages. In the second affair he trailed Paulin for practically the entire distance as Cairoli led. A valiant attack on the penultimate lap cost him when a longer landing from the table-top nearest the crowd threw him into the braking bumps and pitched him off the saddle. Nursing pain in his back and neck Desalle was able to retrieve the bike and motored around the final lap-and-a-half to take fifth.
Team-mate Kevin Strijbos had a weekend to forget. The Belgian was not able to find a groove with the devilish hard-pack and the combination of mediocre starts and heavy arm-pump problems in the first moto eroded his capabilities for a top-five result. The Belgian struggled to 10th in the initial outing and a change of rear suspension helped improve his feeling for the second sprint. A better placing of ninth meant the same spot in the final MX1 ranking.
Desalle is third in the MX1 table and just 15 points behind Paulin while Strijbos is fifth and three points in front of Tommy Searle.
Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MX1 will now immediately prepare for freight with the factory RM-Z material due to be shipped to Beto Carrero where the Grand Prix of Brazil will entertain round seven of the FIM Motocross World Championship on May 19th.
Clement Desalle: “What can I say? In the first moto I had good speed but I struggled the whole heat. I wasn’t relaxed and couldn’t find my rhythm. It was not so good, but also not so bad to finish third. In the next moto I was fourth at the start but it was the same thing: I was stuck behind Paulin and found it really difficult to pass. I couldn’t find a way, and Cairoli was just ahead. In the last two laps I said to myself ‘it’s now or never’. I did a good lap-time and got really close to Paulin but had a big crash in the braking bumps and now I have pain everywhere. I picked up the bike and could finish the race but my neck and back is painful. I was in the medical centre and they said I was OK but if tomorrow it is worse then I will go for a scan on Tuesday. I just went into that jump a bit faster than previous laps and the bumps kicked me over the top. I can’t remember if the bike hit me or not. It was a hard track but I liked it. I’m disappointed because I felt like I could win the GP. The two guys were just in front of me. Anyway, I did my best and I can only hope for some more fortune in the next races.”
Kevin Strijbos: “A bad weekend overall and I couldn’t get going with the track. Yesterday I had arm-pump and had it again after the first lap of the first moto. I just rode around for the 40 minutes and couldn’t pass riders that I normally would do in one corner. I was so angry after that race. We tried a new shock for the second moto and it was better and I had less arm-pump but couldn’t find any aggression. I really don’t know why. A bad GP: I expected a lot coming here because I’ve had some decent results in the past. I know the track gets rough and I can be good on it, but today was not my day.”
