HEAT 1
1. Ramon, 2. Strijbos, 3. De Dycker, 4. Priem, 5. Breugelmans, 6. Van Daele, 7. Leok, 8. Philippaerts, 9. Renet, 10. Theybers

HEAT 2
1. Ramon, 2. De Dycker, 3. Strijbos, 4. Priem, 5. Priem, 6. Philippaerts, 7. Leok, 8. Breugelmans, 9. Salaets, 10. Van Nooten

HEAT 3
1. De Dycker, 2. Ramon, 3. Leok, 4. Priem, 5. Strijbos, 6. Breugelmans, 7. Philippaerts, 8. Salaets, 9. Theybers, 10. Godrie

OVERALL BEERVELDE - UNITED TELECOM TROPHY
1. Steve Ramon 72 pts, 2. Ken De Dycker 67 pts, 3. Kevin Strijbos 58 pts, 4. Manuel Priem 51 pts, 5. Tanel Leok 50 pts, 6. Sven Breugelmans 45 pts, 7. David Philippaerts 45, 8. Danny Theybers 34 pts, 9. Kristof Salaets 30 pts, 10.  Jurgen Van Nooten 27 pts.

Team Suzuki
NEW SUZUKIS DOMINATE IN BELGIUM

In deep and difficult conditions at the opening round of the Belgian United Telecom Trophy series at Beervelde, Team Teka Suzuki WMX1 riders Steve Ramon and Ken De Dycker dominated proceedings on their all-new RM-Z450s.

Reigning MX1 World Champion Ramon was in dominant form on the day winning the opening two motos after leading from start to finish. An uncharacteristic bad start from the Belgian rider in moto three saw him have to battle through the pack to chase home his team mate De Dycker in second.

"The track was really tough today but the club did a good job to make it rideable," said Ramon. "My racing went pretty good - I had two good starts and each time I was able to make the break early on. I had a bad start in the final heat and De Dycker was simply too far away to reel him in. You really needed to focus today because even a slight mistake could have some serious consequences."

De Dycker's day was a little more difficult as anyone not out front soon found them covered in sticky Beervelde sand that played havoc with their goggles. But grabbing the lead on the first lap from Kevin Strijbos in moto three, he was able to run away with his first win of the day to notch up a 3-2-1 scorecard for second overall.

"Finally everything went perfect in the last heat," reckoned De Dycker. "I had a good start and was able to attack right away and win easily. It's too bad I messed up the start in my other two races. In heat one I had to throw away my goggles which didn't help but all in all it was a pretty good day."

Currently fighting fit and in dominant form Team Teka Suzuki WMX1 now head to Valkenswaard in Holland for round one of the MX1 World Championship on April 6th.



Kawasaki Racing Team MX1
Kawasaki Racing Team back to full strength in Beervelde

Kawasaki Racing Team’s Manuel Priem and a rejuvenated Tanel Leok mix it up in Belgian National
season opener at Beervelde.

Overcast and damp conditions greeted the Kawasaki Racing Team who were at full strength for the first time since the Valence International for the opening round of the Belgian national championship at Beervelde.

With Leok ready to race again after his early pre-season shoulder injury and the ever-improving Manuel Priem looking more and more settled on the factory KX450F-SR the team were hoping to continue the improvement they’ve shown in recent weeks and the riders did not disappoint. Manuel led the way in qualifying finishing in 4th spot while a tentative Tanel eased his way back into race mode posting a fine 6th position and within three seconds of the fastest rider on the two-minute plus lap.

With Priem working on finding the optimum power delivery for the KX450F-SR in recent weeks it was no surprise to see both KRT riders in the top-10 from the start in moto one. While Priem worked on chasing down Ken De Dycker for third, Leok moved up from 8th to 6th only to lose a place in the closing moments of the 20-minute plus one lap race. Priem stayed a satisfactory 4th unable to pass De Dycker even though he set faster laps for much of the moto.

Moto two once more saw Leok and Priem get their factory Kawasakis off the line well with Manuel 5th and Tanel in 6th position. Both riders moved into the top five where they looked set to end the race until Manuel made a rare mistake - getting stuck in some deep mud - on the last lap dropping from 3rd to 6th behind his KRT team-mate.

On a much rougher circuit for race three both KRT riders once more gated in the top 10, progressed to the top four then proceeded to battle for the final podium spot. Improving more and more with each second spent on the KX450F-SR Leok actually finished the race just five seconds short of the winner Ken De Dycker in a thrilling battle which had the crowd on their toes. Priem was able to stay 4th throughout the race once more proving his amazing fitness by setting his fastest lap of the race in the closing half.

“Conditions were pretty good today and the riding also went well but the track was really hard," explains Priem. "In the second heat I got stuck in the mud three turns from the finish - that caused me to miss the podium by a whisker. In heat three the pace lay a bit lower and I was able to follow Leok and use his lines after he’d passed me. I am pleased with the progress I've made - especially my three good starts."

Despite being in a little bit of discomfort Tanel Leok was pleased with his comeback. "Everything went okay today so that was a real relief because it was my first big race after my shoulder injury! I managed to enjoy myself although the shoulder still felt a little bit sore. However I can ride through the pain so it should be fine for the GP in Valkenswaard."

The Kawasaki Racing Team travels to Valkenswaard in the southern half of the Netherlands next weekend for the opening round of the MX1 world championship where team riders Manuel Priem and Tanel Leok will both be looking for top five finishes.



SHANNON TERREBLANCHE
RACE PODIUM IN BELGIAN CHAMPIONSHIP EVENT FOR TERREBLANCHE

Motocross racing is a passion in Belgium. Unimaginably so. Relative to its size a population, the world's diplomatic capital arguably has the highest per capita number of motocross fans in the world. Every weekend thousands of fans stream to a variety of races in various federations, and with a learning school this tough, it is no surprise that many of the true greats in the history of the sport have either been Belgian, or have based themselves there. The reputation of Belgium as a motocross powerhouse exists despite (or maybe because of) the fact that many Belgian motocross tracks resemble nothing so much as a maize patch. In the weekend gone by, however, were it not for the heroic efforts of the staff of Meganck-Collewaert, the track for the first Belgian championship event would have resembled nothing so much as a rice paddy. Some persistent rain soaked the entire region under centimetres of water, but the sand recovery company achieved the seemingly impossible, and presented a rideable track.

The good and the great of Belgian motocross descended on Beervelde between Antwerp and Gent for the first of the Big Ones in Belgium, the United Telecom Belgian Championships. Coming as it did just a week before the first GP of 2008, there was great interest in the event, and the plentiful rain leading up to the race could dampen all but the spirits of the motocross faithful. "Never mind", the weather man said. "there will be sunshine and mild temperatures to cheer you all." In the time-honoured tradition of weather men over the ages, he was wrong. Intermittent batches of rain and a sniping wind gave the lie to the prediction, but the racing went on as scheduled.

With team-mate Erik Eggens doing the honours at a home race in Emmen, Holland, Shannon Terreblanche was the sole representative of the Beursfoon Suzuki team at the Belgian event. The South African was aiming for a good result in the race, having set a top finish in the Belgian series as one of his goals for 2008. Already during the combination training-qualifying session, it was clear that this track was a meanie. Well -prepared as it was, the conditions were going to play a role, and the track quickly carved up and developed ruts that would do any canal builder proud. Because of this, the track rapidly became strewn with stranded riders, and getting in a clear lap proved difficult. Shannon was hampered on several laps and could only post the 12th fastest qualifying time.

All dreams of a good overall result on the day went up in smoke (or maybe steam) right at the start of the first race. Charging down the start straight, the handlebars of the Suzuki got entangled with those od another bike, and it took the two riders a good while to separate themselves and get going. Shannon soldiered on, despite the fact that the early accident had robbed him of all his rhythm. He clawed his way well into the points and was lying 15th position when the treacherous conditions again reared up and bit him. After a hairy moment, he shot off the track and crashed hard into the track railings, numbing and bruising his upper arm. With all the work left to do again and time running out, he set off to recover what he could. Yet again his never-say-die attitude stood him in good stead. After a race that he would really rather forget, he managed to eke out 3 points with his 18th place finish.

Shannon was a picture of determination in race two. This time the Suzuki rounded the corner inside the top 5, and the race was on. Let it be said that, with Shaun Simpson in devastating form, the race was always going to be for second place. The Scotsman has hit a purple patch in the early part of the season, and has established himself as one of the dark horses for world championship glory. Be that as it may, Shannon had the bit between his teeth. After a brief battle, he disposed of Belgian Kenny Vandueren and set off in pursuit of Pascal Brons. A fierce three way battle ensued between Shannon, Brons and Jeremy Van Horebeek for the second spot, with Van Horebeek finally gaining the upper hand, and Shannon coming home in third position, just a second or so adrift.

The disappointment of the first heat was now somewhat dampened, and Shannon was elated at having achieved a podium finish in the first race of the championship. He now occupies ninth position in the championship standings, only 10 points adrift of the third placed rider, and with every prospect of substantially improving on his ranking.

"It was a difficult day," he said through mud-caked teeth after the race. "The track was so rough, and you had to concentrate every second not to crash or get stuck. There were riders all over the place, so it was important to look ahead and not get caught up with them. I'm happy with the podium in the second race. Once I got to the front, I could maintain the same speed as the front guys, except for Shaun, who was gone."

The next race is the big one, the first MX2 Grand Prix at Valkenswaard.



Grand Prix Kawasaki Racing
GPKR riders reach the podium in Belgium

The Grand Prix Kawasaki Racing Team headed to Beervelde in Belgium for some national championship action just one week before the first grand prix of the season

In Beervelde for the opening round of the Belgian championship Kevin Strijbos made an exceptionally strong comeback with third place overall.

The racing conditions were not good in Belgium but the club did a good job to prepare a decent layout for the riders. Kevin Strijbos was back in action after being sick one week earlier and despite his lack of racing he was able to battle for the win. Runner-up in the opening heat, he collided with Philippaerts in the next one but still scored a strong 3rd position. Kevin got the holeshot in the last race then made a couple of mistakes to finish 5th and 3rd overall.

Kevin Strijbos: “The track was rough and it was important to be careful on the bike - especially so close to the first GP. I’m happy with the first two races where I had a good speed and never gave up but the last one was more difficult. I felt tired and couldn’t go as fast as I would have liked but it was a good training before Valkenswaard.”

Patrick Geladé: “It was an important event for Kevin who didn’t race a lot in the pre-season with injuries and illness. Kevin showed that he has good speed, he got some great starts with the bike and it was important for his confidence. For sure he is a little bit late in his preparation and didn’t do so much testing yet but we are all convinced that the base is strong enough for the first GPs.”



TANEL LEOK
LEOK MARKS RETURN TO COMPETITION WITH RACE PODIUM IN BELGIUM

The weeks leading up the the first GP of the 2008 motocross world championship season have been agonisingly frustrating for Tanel Leok. The Estonian Express was on a mental high coming into the season, and his speed was right where it left off at the end of 2007, which means blazingly fast. A thundering crash at the international event in Valence left him with a shoulder injury, sidelining him for more than a month. Tanel then had to play the fine balancing act known to sportsmen (and particularly so motorcycle racers) the world over. On the one hand the injury has to heal and loading the shoulder too early could aggravate the situation, on the other hand he has to achieve race fitness before the first world championship event.

After a few tentative training sessions, Tanel got back up to full speed, and finally decided to give the nod to participation in the first Belgian Championship event in Beervelde. The event was substantially curtailed due to the plentiful rain that fell the week before, and the organisers moved heaven and (mostly) earth to ensure that the 3 top classes could still race, whilst the support classes were cancelled.

Tanel and Factory Kawasaki team-mate Manuel Priem were both in attendance, as was fellow Kawasaki rider Kevin Strijbos and a host of other top class riders, including reigning world champion Steve Ramon. Tanel is never one to be fazed by illustrious racing company, but he was still taking it easy in the training session and posted the 6th fastest qualifying time.

Steve Ramon pulled the gang into the first corner in race 1, and Tanel rounded the turn in 10th position. In the shortest time, he worked his way to 8th position, and for the major part of the rest of the race, he spent his time trying to find a way around Belgian Marvin Van Daele, who has found a definite burst of speed in the last few races. The track was rough and rutted beyond the power of words to describe it, and in the end, Tanel opted for the safe option rather than risk a passing manoeuvre on a dangerous spot, and crossed the line in seventh position.

Tanel was lurking with intent in 7th position at the start of race 2. The inordinately heavy track and the well known punishing style of the rider conspired to make the bike steam in protest, but the Kawasaki held out and moved ever forward. Tanel moved by David Philippaerts, and on the very last lap overtook team-mate Priem, who has settled onto the factory Kawasaki with great finesse. The net result was a fifth place for the Estonian.

With his girlfriend Karoliin and young son Sebastian looking on, Tanel saved his best effort of the day for the last race in the afternoon chill. He started off in 8th position, but this time did not waste any time in getting the better of riders like former MX3 world Champion Sven Breugelmans. The track was claiming victims left, right and centre, with holes and ruts big enough to swallow entire armies. A few more leading riders, including Strijbos, came into Tanel's gun sights, and as the race wound down, the commentators went into a frenzy as Tanel hauled in world champion Ramon at a rate of knots. Ken de Dijcker was safely placed for the win, but the charge for second was very exciting as Tanel gobbled up around 3 seconds out of Ramon's lead per lap. In the end it was just not enough, and he ended in third position, just shading the world champ.

If the intention was to give the shoulder a thorough workout and gain race rhythm, the day was an unqualified success. Tanel finished fifth overall for the day, and he was happy that the shoulder had healed properly. "I' happy with how the shoulder healed," he said. "I had good movement and little discomfort, and I think it should be ready for Valkenswaard."

The factory Kawasaki team heads for Valkenswaard on its doorstep next for the GP season kick-off.