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YAMAHA RACING
Cairoli extends lead with first Latvian win
Yamaha Red Bull De Carli's Tony Cairoli claimed his second MX1-GP event in the space of a week to extend his lead in the FIM World Championship to 57 points - more than one Grand Prix - with just five meetings left to run in the 2009 contest. The first ever trip to Latvia took place at the Kegums circuit and saw the stylish Sicilian race to 2nd and 1st positions in two sweaty but cloudy motos and watched by 32,000 spectators.
The tenth round of fifteen in the '09 schedule and the second of three GPs inside three weeks occurred within a presentable and well-structured circuit, 50km south-east of the capital city of Riga. A long, loose-soiled and technically difficult track awaited the protagonists of the MX1-GP category. The soft surface quickly became rough with many deep ruts and bumps littering the jumps, waves and rollers.
 Cairoli opted for a different tyre profile choice to his peers which hindered his launch from the start gate slightly but the 23 year old claimed worked better for him across the course. With inventive and effective lines through the whoops section and ripping through the long uphill waves, Cairoli made time and positions from inside the top ten in both races. He pushed leader Clement Desalle all the way to the line in the first moto in what was yet another exciting finale. The De Carli representative just missed the chequered flag by two tenths of a second and incredibly set his quickest lap on that circulation after almost forty minutes of racing. In the second outing he again built up his speed to pass riders such as Leok, Coppins, De Dycker, Philippaerts and Nagl to reach Desalle and sprint ahead with three laps remaining.
Cairoli has now won 8 motos from 20 and 4 grand prix from 10 in his first season in MX1-GP. He has 29 career victories and enjoys a gap of 57 points over Nagl in the standings with just 250 left to win.
Yamaha Monster Energy MX Team's Josh Coppins returned to the podium for the first time since his win in Bulgaria at round two. The New Zealander picked up his second piece of silverware this term thanks to his strength and resilience around the course; traits that he has not been able to call on in recent GPs. He took 4th place in the first race but it was his late charge to 2nd, equalling his best finish of the year, that really caught the eye and confirmed the 32 year old's presence on the podium, continuing his recent spurt of good form.
Team-mate David Philippaerts, who had made some suspension tests during the week, was 6th overall but was suffering in the wake of two days of illness in the lead-up to Latvia. The world champion started well in both motos but faded away from the battle for the top three in the second half of the races. He was 5th and 7th for his ranking.
Yamaha Red Bull De Carli's other rider Tanel Leok was competing at 'almost' a home Grand Prix and a decent section of the crowd certainly voiced their support for the determined Estonian. Sadly a reasonably-secure 4th position was lost two-thirds of the distance into Moto1 when the 24 year old crashed and lost three laps restarting his bike. A more assured performance in the second half of Moto2 dragged him up to 4th for 11th overall.
After Cairoli increased his margin in the table by 16 points in Latvia, Philippaerts needs to reduce a deficit of 58 points to catch his countryman and fellow 2009 Motocross of Nations team member. Coppins is 4th and 13 points behind the reigning number one. Leok is 7th. Yamaha can count on a 58 point lead in the Manufacturers standings with the YZ450F.
Round eleven, and the third race in succession, will take place next week at Uddevalla for the Grand Prix of Sweden and precedes a summer break for the rest of July.
Tony Cairoli, Yamaha Red Bull De Carli, 1st:
"I am really happy with this GP, for sure. When I first saw the track I thought it would be hard to win because I still need to learn how to ride forty minutes in the sand with the 450 but my technical ability was good here and my lines also so I did not get as tired as I thought I would. I did not start so well but I took it easy in the first few laps and slowly pushed more and more. I worked really hard this winter so I know I am in good shape and that helped me make that fastest lap at the end of the first moto and also win a lot of time in the second. I am making good results at an important part of the season."
Josh Coppins, Yamaha Monster Energy Motocross Team, 3rd:
"I was close to the podium last week in Germany so I knew it was possible here. For the six or so GPs before Teutschenthal I was struggling but I think I have fixed the problem and now I expect to be fighting up here for the rest of the season. I enjoyed the Grand Prix here and thought the track was pretty good."
David Philippaerts, Yamaha Monster Energy Motocross Team, 6th:
"My body is not 100% and today was difficult because it was hot and the track was very hard. I had good starts, good first laps and tried to push on from those but after the first half there was nothing left in the arms. I am not happy with the result but it is acceptable considering the week I have had. I should be better for Sweden."
Tanel Leok, Yamaha Red Bull De Carli, 11th:
"In the first heat I was not pushing hard and was just trying to stay consistent but I came to that corner and the rut was broken and I had lost a bit of concentration under braking. I turned into the corner and the front wheel went over the berm and I crashed. I couldn't restart the bike. I tried many times and it made me so tired. At the start of the second race the air felt different, harder to breathe. I could not find my rhythm easily but things were going better towards the end of the race. It was nice to race here with many fans from Estonia coming to watch; I just wish that first moto could have been different."
MX2 - Guarneri 5th at first Latvian Grand Prix
The Grand Prix of Latvia at the Kegums circuit represented the tenth round of fifteen in the FIM MX2-GP World Championship and Yamaha Monster Energy Ricci MX Team's Davide Guarneri took yet another top five finish (his fifth of the year) to keep pace with the front runners in the 2009 series.
The sandy track, not so far from Riga and the Baltic Sea, was physical, technical and very demanding thanks to the many bumps and deep ruts carved into the terrain. Stuffy conditions also made the going difficult for the riders.
Guarneri, who along with fellow countrymen Tony Cairoli and David Philippaerts was presented to the press as the representatives of Italy in the 2009 Motocross of Nations, wasn't able to banish his trend of posting one decent and then one average result across both motos. A mediocre start saw the 24 year old edging through from 13th to 7th place. A more determined and competent getaway in Moto2 saw him circulate mostly on his own in 4th for the duration. Guarneri has yet to finish outside the top seven this year on his YZ250FM but the podium still eludes him in 2009.
Team-mate Nico Aubin had a weekend to forget with mistakes in both motos leaving him with a DNF on his scorecard. The Frenchman was buried in the second half of the field in both starts and although a recovery from almost last to 11th was promising in Moto1 a crash in the second affair dumped him far behind his peers and forced his retirement.
The third member of the team Loic Larrieu was riding with a weak right wrist after his incident in Germany last week. The French teenager negotiated his second GP in sandy terrain and was 18th overall with 9 points in total.
Performing in front of some fans and friends Evgeny Bobryshev enjoyed his best meeting of the season so far for the Yamaha Van Beers team to finish 8th overall. The Russian was 10th and 9th.
After completing four days of riding this week Utag Yamaha.com's Zach Osborne attempted another comeback to GP action after suffering his broken left wrist in Portugal in May. The American felt uncompetitive after pushing to the maximum for 23rd position in the qualification Heat and will now restart his preparation and training and only return to world championship duty when he feels capable of making a difference to the MX2-GP pack.
In the championship standings Guarneri remains Yamaha's best hope of title success and keeps in 4th position, 5 points from the top three and 75 from the lead.
Round eleven will take place next week at Uddevalla for the Grand Prix of Sweden.
Davide Guarneri, Yamaha Monster Energy Ricci Motocross Team, 5th:
"This track was sandy but not really that deep and you could use your normal style. It was difficult out there because it was so rough with many square-edged bumps and holes. I felt fast and the podium should have been possible if I had made a better start in the first moto. I took some iron supplements this week and I feel the results. I believe I will be strong in Sweden also and I really want to fight for the win there. It is a good and competitive championship and now I am fourth. On the hard tracks I think I can beat Rui so a top three is for sure the goal."
Nico Aubin, Yamaha Monster Energy Ricci Motocross Team, 17th:
"I made two bad starts and in the first moto I made a mistake on the second corner and everybody passed me. I restarted 37th and came back to 11th, which was a good race but not where I wanted to be. In the second one I was in the second half of the group again and after three laps had a crash. I lost maybe one minute recovering and restarting the bike. I came back to the pits and then re-entered the race to try and make a rhythm before stopping again; not a good weekend."
Loic Larrieu, Yamaha Monster Energy Ricci Motocross Team, 18th:
"This track is not like Ernee! It was hard work out there. My wrist is a little bit sore but did not bother me too much. I still have to learn about GP speed at places like this."
Zach Osborne, Utag Yamaha.com:
"I did my best yesterday to get a result. I went out in the first practice and it was OK because the track was still smooth and I felt alright. As it began to get rougher then it got worse and worse for me. I slipped off in the qualifier and it did not affect my wrist but I could see that I was not ready to run at that pace with the strength I have in the wrist. It is a big disappointment for all of us because we are all paying for something that was not our fault. I was fifteen points down from the guy who now has the red plate when we had the accident and that is disheartening. Now we are just going to wait until I am 100% and we know I can win another race."
LS Motors-Honda
Moto win and podium for Desalle!
 Twenty-year old Clément Desalle continues to upset the MX1 pecking order. ‘MX Panda’ guided his CRF450R to an impressive victory in the first moto of the Latvian GP on the sandy Kegums track! In the second outing Clément was making an equally strong impression on the more than 26.000 enthusiastic spectators. Unfortunately the LS Motors-Honda suffered a clutch problem when leading the race and settled for fifth thus safeguarding his second overall position. The fast Belgian wrote some personal history in the process not only by claiming his fourth podium of the season, runner-up is also a career best for him. Desalle remains fifth in the MX1 standings, with only 5 points less than Josh Coppins in fourth place and 19 points away from second placed Max Nagl. The GP of Latvia was won by Tony Cairoli, with Coppins in third. In the MX1 constructors classification Honda currently holds third largely thanks to Desalle and his LS Motors team.
MX1 – ‘MX Panda’ and LS Motors-Honda achieve best ever result performance
Building on his solid reputation as an excellent qualifier Desalle showed his magic again in Kegums. After a decent start, Clément passed Philippaerts to claim third and successfully defended his position against Cairoli. More was to come on Sunday when ‘MX Panda’ had a good jump from the gate, immediately catching up on frontrunners Nagl and De Dycker. Desalle passed is fellow countryman De Dycker early and started to hunt down Nagl in earnest. Half race distance the Honda rider convincingly claimed the lead and went on to take the win. Ultimately double world champ Cairoli provided serious opposition, but Desalle kept his cool. It was the first Belgian heat win in quite some time in general -with De Dycker having snatched moto success in Bulgaria earlier this season- but even much longer for a French speaking Belgian rider with Melotte being the last in Valkenswaard 2004.
Desalle’s Latvian fairy tale continued to blossom in the second heat. Clément had another terrific start and didn’t wait this time to push to the front. He caught up with De Dycker on the opening lap and only one lap later he passed the Nagl. MX Panda started pulling away, building up to a fairly comfortable plus five second gap. However history was to repeat itself with Cairoli making fast progress after a mediocre start. By this point, with fifteen minutes and two laps to go, Desalle suffered a broken clutch cable guide forcing him to back off. Realising his points tally was sufficient for second the LS Motors-Honda rider didn’t take any risk and settled for fifth behind Cairoli, Coppins, De Dycker and Leok.
Clément Desalle ”I’m really happy with second, and even more with my first heat win of course! This is a great reward for myself, the team and my family who have worked hard to get me here. My speed was good so it was not so hard to control the race after I had passed Nagl. When Cairoli came back there was some pressure for sure, but I managed to keep my lead and it all worked out! Again I felt strong in the second moto, but I had this problem with my clutch. I was a little disappointed because of that because otherwise I would have been second behind Tony (Cairoli) but as well know that’s part of the game when you’re racing. I gained some points on Nagl and Philippaerts in the championship so that’s another positive.”
MX2 – Dennis ‘Crusty’ Verbruggen fights to seventh!
European championship success on the same track and his recent form provided Dennis Verbruggen with plenty of confidence ahead of the Latvian GP. The sandy, fast terrain 40 kilometres south-east of Riga certainly favoured his riding. Crusty posted the third time in Saturday’s pre-qualifying and finished ninth in the qualifying race. Grabbing his best start of the season Verbruggen created an excellent launch path for himself in the first moto. The CRF250R mounted rider ran as high as fifth, but lost a few places finally to come home eighth behind Italy’s Davide Guarneri.
Dennis had another good start but seemed to lack some aggression in the early stages of the second outing. However the 21-year-old Belgian pulled himself together and quickly made headway recovering from 14th to 7th behind country man Joël Roelants. Verbruggen’s eighth and seventh culminated in a seventh place overall, making him the highest placed Honda rider of the event. He also replicated his team mate Desalle today in getting his best result of the season so far. The MX2 GP was won by the Portuguese ace Goncalves in forn of Frenchies Musquin and Paulin. Dennis Verbruggen is currently 18th in MX2 standings, equal on points with Sword.
Dennis Verbruggen “I was feeling fine all weekend and long and finally I managed the top ten result that I have chasing for a while now. My start in the first moto was awesome and that allowed me to climb up to fifth. (grinning) Maybe that was even a notch above my own expectations, because suddenly I encountered a stress attack! I dropped back to eighth, but I was consuming quite a lot of energy as well since I was so tensed. Again I had a good jump from the gate in the second moto and I was about tenth. After that I think I rode a bit too conservatively and lost some places because of that. Still I knew how Physical Kegums can be and the warmth made it quite uncomfortable as well so conserving some energy played to my advantage later on. I was able to catch up and finish seventh.”
KTM RACING
Red Bull KTM MX2 riders colour it Orange in Latvia with first and second
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing's Rui Goncalves rode a masterly second moto in Latvia on Sunday to snatch his third MX2 GP victory of the season and move into third in the championship standings. Team-mate Marvin Musquin was overall second.
 Goncalves ended the day with equal points with Musquin who won the first moto and was second to Goncalves in the second - but this time the GP glory went to the Portuguese rider. Musquin, also satisfied with his weekend, retains the coveted red plate and consolidates his lead in the world championship standings and now has a 49-point lead on second placed Frenchman Gautier Paulin.
The win for Goncalves, who was also on pole, was a huge confidence boost and he clearly enjoyed the conditions at the new world championship venue at Kegums in Latvia.
Rui Goncalves: "This was my third GP win and it was great to win here at this new track. It's the first time we have had a race here so it's a bit like going into the MX history books. I already had a very good impression of the track when I walked it on Friday and I knew I was going to enjoy the racing here. It was a bit soft on a hard surface and there were many lines. Now my goal is to keep riding like I did this weekend and to be on the podium as many times as possible. I am in a great team and I have a great bike and because of this I want to do my best."
Marvin Musquin: "It was a good weekend, a good result for me and also good for my championship points. This was a slippery track on a hard surface and it got quite bumpy but that did not worry me. My bike is strong and so am I. Even though I won the first race, I didn't expect an easy second race. I knew that Rui was very strong especially on this kind of track. I tried to catch him in the second but I could see his was fast so I tried to be happy with second place and not push too much. I don't have to be sad about coming second today."
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing's team boss Stefan Everts was delighted with having both of his MX2 riders on the podium. "It was a great MX2 result for us and I want to congratulate Rui and Marvin. Also Rui is now third in the standings and there is only 21 points difference between him and the second placed rider. I think he can catch him easily. Also this weekend we had four hole shots in four races That shows that KTM is the strongest at the start and this is a reason to thank the mechanics and the whole team for this great work."
KTM's Nagl fourth in first MX1 GP in Latvia
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing's Max Nagl of Germany rounded off a good weekend's racing with a third and sixth place in the two MX1 motos for overall fourth in Kegums, Latvia, the new World Championship venue.
Nagl picked up another 35 championship points for his efforts to move up the championship standings table into second place, just one point ahead of third placed David Philippaerts, which drew praise from team boss Stefan Everts. "We didn't manage to get Max on the podium this weekend, but we can't expect to do that every weekend. But we do have Max second in the standings and that is reason to celebrate," he said.
Max, already well known for coming out of the start gates at lightning speed, notched up yet another holeshot double and had a hard fight with Ken de Dyker in the first moto. He went on to be third in the first race but racing on the difficult new track, a sandy surface on a hard base, cost the slightly built German racer a lot of energy. By the second moto it was also deeply rutted and very tricky, presenting a whole new challenge to the riders. "Somehow I had a lack of energy in the second race," Nagl said. "Our bikes are very powerful and it's necessary to angle the power when you are riding on a difficult track like this. Still, I am now second. I am just one point ahead of Philippaerts, but second is second!"
The first ever MX1 GP in Latvia was held under hot and humid conditions that also cost the riders energy but the event was also well organised and presented and attracted an impressive crowd of spectators.
HONDA RACING INFORMATION
Weather:
Saturday – Cloudy, light rain 19C
Sunday – Overcast, bright 24C
Desalle so close to maiden MX1 GP victory
Round ten of fifteen in the FIM Motocross World Championship took place at the impressive Kegums circuit for the first ever Grand Prix of Latvia, where the premier class fell to the current championship leader Antonio Cairoli. Once more it was LS Honda’s Clement Desalle who emerged as the best of the Honda CRF450R riders, albeit in a depleted and injury-hit Honda off-road line-up. The Belgian almost clinched a first GP victory for himself, his team and for the manufacturer by going 1-5 in the two motos.
The long and wide layout of the Kegums track, situated to the south of Riga, presented the riders with a sandy, rough and technical test for the second grand prix of three in a three week sequence of tough MX world championship racing. Desalle quickly got to grips with the track lay-out and conditions in Saturday’s qualification heat to take third position on the gate for the races on but the general consensus among the riders was that the track was a demanding prospect on the Sunday.
In the first moto the 20 year old Desalle sprinted away from the field after surviving a collision with Ken De Dycker. He then weathered a strong attack from Cairoli on the last lap to win his first moto by just two tenths of a second.
For the second outing Desalle was again setting the pace and led for two thirds of the race before developing a clutch problem which disrupted his rhythm and he slipped back to fifth at the flag. The combined score was still good enough for Desalle to claim the second step of the podium as runner-up overall and deliver his fourth trophy of the 2009 season.
 CAS Honda relied solely on Bryan Mackenzie and the Scot finished outside of the points in the first moto after struggling with a twisted right ankle picked up during warm-up but gritted his teeth to post his best GP race result yet in four appearances with 13th place.
His cousin and British Champion, Billy, underwent successful surgery on Saturday, a reconstruction of his right thumb ligament which has prevented MacKenzie from exploiting his burgeoning talent to maximum potential. The Scot is expected to sidelined and out of competitive action for between six to eight weeks, possibly missing the rest of the season MX1 GP season.
Martin Honda was not present in Latvia after Mickael Pichon, substitute rider for Kevin Strijbos, completed a three race stint for his former team last week in Germany. Martin teamster Strijbos is still nursing his broken wrist and is not expected to race again until round twelve of the series, at Limburg on August 2. The Italian team will travel to Sweden next week with national rider Jonatan Dahlgren set to race one of their machines. Strijbos will be attending the Swedish Honda Academy for between 20-30 CRF150 riders on the Friday before the Grand Prix.
Desalle is now fifth in the world championship standings and just 18 points from David Philippaerts, who holds third position.
The eleventh round of the series, the Grand Prix of Sweden, will take place in Uddevalla next weekend, the last meeting before a three week summer break.
Clement Desalle, LS Honda:
“I was really happy to win that first moto, especially because the pressure was really on and it felt quite special. In the second moto my start was good and I was second behind Nagl. I went into the lead but after twenty minutes my clutch stopped working properly and the rest of the race was really hard. I lost a lot of time and was really disappointed; but what can you do? The track was good to ride and was fun but the hot conditions made it difficult.”
Bryan Mackenzie, CAS Honda:
“I had a great start in that second moto and came out of the first corner in the top ten and then just tried really hard. I was battling every lap right until the end. I was kept motivated by my mechanic calling me bad things on the pit-board! I was trying to make amends for the first race because I was really disappointed with that moto, so I just dug-deep.”
Roger Harvey, Off-road Co-ordinator, Honda Motor Europe:
“Obviously we were down to minimal representation this weekend but we have to accept that this is one of the harsh realities that can strike in motocross; injuries are just part of the scene. However full credit and congratulations to Clement Desalle who is having a great season so far and keeping the CRF where it should be. We hope to have some new faces in place for Sweden and then after the summer break be a little more of a presence in time for Lommel.”
JOSH COPPINS
Coppins on the podium in Latvia
Josh Coppins looks to be back on form as he powered his Monster Energy Yamaha through the Kegums sand to take 3rd overall in the first ever Latvian Motocross Grand Prix. After putting on an invigorating display last week in the German GP, to tie for 3rd place, ‘Lizzard’ arrived in Latvia this weekend self-assured of getting up on the podium.
In Saturday’s short qualifying race, Coppins got a reasonable jump out the gate, heading through the first turn just inside the top 10. With the top 5 riders all still within striking distance of this year’s MX1 championship everyone was pushing as hard as possible to get the best possible gate pick for the two Sunday GP races. Racing hard through the pack Coppins clawed his way into 6th place, securing a good starting position for Sunday.
As the gate dropped for the first moto on Sunday the crowd watched in awe as the MX1 ‘field of stars’ launched themselves into the first corner. It was de Dycker who got the early advantage, with Nagl right on him. Coppins at this point was in 7th position fighting hard for track position with World Championship leader Cairoli. By lap 4 the determined Kiwi had managed to get up into 5th place, before losing the battle to Cairoli and dropping back into 6th. The next person in the ‘crosshairs’ was team-mate Philippaerts, Coppins wasted no time in hunting him down and eventually getting past. ‘Lizzard’ continued his forward momentum to the very end, crossing the chequered flag in 4th position.
With the track getting really rough throughout the day and the temperature rising, race 2 was going to be a show of strength, and an ultra-fit Coppins knew these conditions would give him the upper hand on many of the riders. With a slightly better start this time, Coppins rounded up the opening lap in 5th position, as he settled into a good rhythm. On lap 5 ‘Lizzard’ started to turn up the pressure on the other riders, at a point where all except Cairoli looked to be tiring. Coppins looked fresh as he closed down and passed the competition one by one. By lap 14 Coppins closed in on Desalle and made the pass for 3rd, then just one lap later did the same to de Dycker to take over 2nd position and put himself on the podium for the Latvian GP.
“I enjoyed racing here in Latvia today” smiled Coppins. “My goal was to improve from Teutschenthal last weekend and I managed to do that today. I’m feeling strong and I know I have it in me to end off the championship with a fight. There are some tough tracks coming up which are going to sort the men from the boys – we saw it today as well. I’m looking forward to Sweden as well. I have one there before and will be focusing on a podium spot once again.”
Next weekend Josh Coppins and the Yamaha Monster Energy Team head to Sweden for Round 11 of the 15 round MX1 World Championship.
GAUTIER PAULIN
Paulin claims his 5th Podium of the season in Latvia
With the MX2 World Championship completing Round 10 of 15 in Latvia this past weekend, the championship series is on the home straight, but with that comes a handful of the world’s toughest tracks. Gautier Paulin and the Bud Racing Kawasaki Team have been consistently strong at every track in every condition this season, and as these tougher tracks approach Paulin and his team are looking to step up the pressure on the competition.
As soon as Paulin completed his first few laps in the Saturday free practice he could feel the improvements made throughout the week on his KX250F, inspiring his confidence for fighting this championship until the very end. In the short qualifying race, even with a poor start (rounding up lap 1 in 12th) Paulin was strong and pulled through to qualify in 5th place with relative ease.
All eyes were on the tightly contested MX2 class as the gate dropped for race one on Sunday. The usual suspect, championship leader, Musquin got the jump on everyone blasting his way to the front of the pack, with team mate Goncalves hot on his tail. Paulin was a little bunched in on the start, exiting turn one only just inside the top 10. The Bud Kawasaki rider soon settled into the race, putting in some blistering lap times as he fought his way through the pack. Within 6 laps Paulin had rocketed into 6th position, however from there it got difficult to pass and the rough circuit was taking its toll on all riders. Paulin kept pushing until the end, crossing the finish line in a hard earned 5th place.
The second race was a better start for Paulin as he trailed the KTM duo of Goncalves and Musquin through the first turn. Goncalves soon showed his strength on rough sandy circuits as he started to edge out a lead on Musquin in 2nd and Paulin close behind in 3rd. With the riders all racing at such a close level, the top 3 blasted out lap after lap on the relentless circuit, holding those same positions for the entire duration of the race.
With a 4 / 3 result Paulin took 3rd overall for the day, maintaining his 2nd place in the MX2 World Championship Standings.
“We are all working hard in the Bud Racing Team and we proved today on different track conditions that we are competitive. We made some good improvements with the bike last week, both engine and suspension and we will continue to search for every possible improvement. I still need to get out the gate better in both motos and fight for the lead from the start of the race. My physical condition is strong and I know I can do well in the sand.” commented Paulin.
TEAM SUZUKI
DE DYCKER FIFTH IN LATVIA
Teka Suzuki World MX1's Ken De Dycker scored fifth overall at a warm but cloudy Kegums circuit for the Grand Prix of Latvia. The Belgian registered results of seventh and third with the RM-Z450 at the 10th round of 15 in the 2009 FIM MX1 Motocross World Championship.
The 25 year old flew to his third pole position of the season yesterday across a technical and rough course that mixed many rollers and jumps with ruts and bumps. A crowd of 32,000 cheered on the eastern European element of the riding fraternity and sunny and stuffy conditions made the second moto especially a heavy physical drain.
Starting from first pick in the gate De Dycker tussled for the lead on the first two laps with Max Nagl before a racing collision with Clement Desalle caused a crash and dropped him to 15th spot. Although De Dycker was feeling less than 100% physically, he pushed up to reach seventh by the flag. For the second sprint, De Dycker was able to run with the leaders, alternating between second and third positions before confirming his seventh top-three result of the year - from a possible twenty - at the end of the 35 minutes and 2 laps.
De Dycker has accumulated 298 points in the World Championship standings and needs 11 more than Desalle to climb from sixth to fifth in the table.
Teka Suzuki World MX1 now travels north to Uddevalla for the Grand Prix of Sweden and round 11 of the series. The Scandinavian meeting will represent the last international race for the Belgian crew until their home event in Limburg on August 2nd.
Ken De Dycker - 5th:
"More than the crash I was worried about how I was feeling during the first moto. I wasn't ill, but had no strength or energy. I took it easy for the second moto and it was better. I will go home now and see what the doctor says. I think I have some low levels and we will see if I can get things fixed for Sweden."
CAS HONDA
CAREER BEST FOR MACKENZIE IN LATVIA
CAS Honda’s sole representative at this weekend’s inaugural Motocross Grand Prix of Latvia, Bryan Mackenzie, scored a career best finish with 13th place in the second moto, following a retirement from the first race due to injury for round ten of the FIM World MX1 Championship.
In yesterday’s qualifying Mackenzie demonstrated a masterful start from 21st on the gate to shoot to the front of the pack, before making a few mistakes in the opening stages and crossing the line in 13th position at the end of lap one.
The 24-year-old Scottish rider soon found his rhythm and fought his way back to tenth in the following few laps of the 20-minute plus two-lap moto around the sandy Latvian track. On lap six and seven Mackenzie lost two positions and settled into 12th place where he remained until the chequered flag, which put him in good stead for today’s Grand Prix races.
However, in warm-up this morning, the CAS-Honda pilot twisted his right ankle and aggravated an old injury, leaving him in a considerable amount of pain ahead of the opening moto.
In race one Mackenzie didn’t get the best of starts, and came round in just 18th position at the end of the first lap. On lap five of the 35 minute plus two-lap moto Mackenzie caught his foot again, which caused him to crash, and although he tried to battle on, the unbearable pain in his ankle got the better of him, forcing him to retire on lap 10.
A bitterly disappointed Mackenzie received treatment from the Clinica Mobile post-race and he was determined to make amends in the second moto. The CAS Honda-pilot displayed another superb start, almost clinching the holeshot from Max Nagl by launching his CRF450R off the gate and into line for the tight first turn.
Mackenzie emerged out of the first few corners in sixth place and settled into 10th at the end of the opening lap. On lap five the CAS Honda-rider lost a place to Jason Dougan, but continued to push hard in the hot and humid conditions to retain his position. In the closing stages Mackenzie engaged in a tough three-way battle for 12th with Gareth Swanepoel and Lauris Freibergs to cross the finish line in a career-best 13th position.
Bryan Mackenzie #121: Race one: DNF Race two: 13th
“This weekend has definitely been a big improvement for me. I’m not one for doing one-off fast laps, so our pre-qualifying positions have given us a lot of work to do in the previous races. I got a good start in yesterday’s qualifying heat, then got two good laps in, which is another area I’ve been trying to improve, before finding my rhythm with some of the quicker guys. Unfortunately this morning halfway through warm-up I caught my foot in a rut and twisted it, which aggravated an old ankle injury. In the first race I was hoping I could ride through it, but I tweaked it again and crashed, which made it unbearably painful, so I had to pull in. I felt really angry with myself, as that’s the first DNF in a very long time that’s been my fault. I had some treatment from the Clinica Mobile before the second race, and some pain relief, which worked well. I got another good start, although I went a bit too hot into the first turn, to come out in the top ten. I just pushed really hard, didn’t rest at all during the whole race and I was kept motivated by my pit board. I wanted to make amends for the first race, so I dug deep and tried as hard as I could to achieve a career best finish at this level.”
Neil Prince: CAS Honda Team Manager
“We’ve seen another big improvement with Bryan’s performance this weekend and he did a good job today. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to attend the race, but I’ve kept in close contact with Bryan and the team throughout all of the sessions. His starts and first few laps of all of the races have made a big difference, because it’s much easier to find a good pace when running further up the field. It’s a shame he pulled out of race one, but he definitely made up for it in the second moto. Hopefully he can rest his ankle this week and continue making progress like this for the race next weekend in Sweden.”
Stuart Summers: Bryan Mackenzie’s Chief Technician
“Bryan has definitely moved forwards in the last few weeks, especially with with his qualifying, and this makes the job easier on race day. The first race was a bit frustrating, but the treatment he received obviously worked for the second heat. He got a really good gate in the second race, before making a little bit of a mistake into the first turn. He came out around about eighth, which is a lot better than we’ve seen in the last few races. He dropped back a few positions halfway through, but fought for the whole race and stayed strong in the last few laps to hold onto 13th place, which considering he’s in a bit of pain, was a good performance.”
Notes: CAS Honda’s Billy Mackenzie underwent surgery on his injured right thumb yesterday to repair the detached Ulnar Collateral Ligament and is now recovering at home in the UK. It is not yet known when he will return to the racetrack, but he will be replaced by American rider Matt Boni at the Grand Prix of Sweden next weekend.
KAWASAKI RACING
MX2 - Paulin back on the podium
For the fifth time this season Bud Kawasaki’s Gautier Paulin claimed a podium result, with third place in the first ever Grand Prix of Latvia while Steven Frossard obtained mixed results.
Latvia has been the first independent republic, and former part of the Soviet state, to ever host a Motocross World Championship event. Located fifty kilometres from the capital Riga, the sandy track of Kegums was one of the most difficult that riders had to face so far this season and both races on Sunday were tough on this demanding and technical layout.
Well-placed on the gate with a second and a fifth position during Saturday’s qualifying Heat, Steven Frossard and Gautier Paulin both enjoyed the layout and confirmed with strong results their improvement on sandy surfaces.
Posting some fast laps early in the first race, Frossard was the main rival for KTM riders Musquin and Gonçalves, who split the lead during the opening circulation. Third, then fourth behind Roczen and again up to third when he passed Gonçalves, Steven lost one slot in the last five minutes and missed the podium with fourth position. Paulin didn’t have such a good start and came back from tenth to fifth after a strong ride.
 Both Steven and Gautier started the second race in the top five. Arriving to third right behind Gonçalves and Musquin during the first lap, Gautier put some pressure on the leaders but later made a few mistakes and then secured a lonely third position which offered him a podium, the first since Great Britain one month ago. Steven unfortunately crashed in a fast section on the fourth lap, while he was following Paulin. Landing on his head, Steven wasn’t injured but came back in the pits with some pain. Team-mate Loic Rombaut also had a crash on Saturday, but rode safely in both races to add some more points to his card; he is currently twenty sixth in the series standings, while Gautier Paulin and Steven Frossard are second and fifth, respectively 49 and 107 points behind series leader Musquin with five more GPs to go.
Gautier Paulin: ‘Already during the first practice session I had a great feeling with the bike and the track; that was a good start for the weekend. Everyone knows that I don’t like to take risks to post a fast lap, and I finished the pre-qualifying session in eleventh position; on Saturday my goal is to qualify among the top five, and that’s what I did. This morning I felt good during the warm-up, but my first start was not so great and I had to push before I came back to fifth; I spent a lot of energy during those twenty five minutes. My second start was much better; I had a good line inside the first corner and passed three riders during the opening lap to follow Rui and Marvin. I stayed close for a couple of laps, but later made a few mistakes when my third position was secured. I had a lot of fun this weekend, and I’m happy for the team and myself to be back on the podium. We’ve improved the bike, suspensions as well as engine; everyone is working hard in the team, they are all behind me and I will fight for the title until the last race.’
Steven Frossard: ‘Yesterday I had a good feeling with the track, I was surprised to ride smoothly and fast without spending too much energy; I had good lines and finished second in the qualifying race. Today was different, I didn’t felt so easy; I had a good start in the first race, but I pushed too hard to keep a good rhythm and I got tired. After another good start I was studying the lines at the beginning of the second race, when I did a mistake after the pit lane. I lost control of the bike and crashed on my head. I had to retire and that’s not good for the championship as I lost points to Gonçalves and Guarneri. I will try to recover those next week in Sweden. On the other hand I’m happy with my riding in sand, I’ve improved my style and have a better feeling; we’re working for three weeks now with Thierry Godfroid and we’ll continue in order to prepare for Lommel and Lierop.’
Loic Rombaut: ‘Once more I scored some points in both races and that’s positive as I had a big crash on Saturday during one of the practice sessions. The track was strange and it took me time to get used to it, and I had pain in my body after the fall. Today I had decent starts and that helped me to score points; I rode safe, didn’t take any risks and scored a few points but now I expect better results in the following races.’
Fred Lavergne (Chief mechanic Team Bud Racing): ‘ It’s nice to be back on the rostrum, we missed it twice with a fourth place in France and Germany. The races were difficult with a rough track, many riders failed and Gautier was strong in both heats. He proved with a good start in the second race that he was able to follow the KTM riders; Musquin is always leading the series, it’s up to us to reverse the situation. I think that Gautier made a new step this weekend, he is more confident and we’re working hard to give him the best material. The track was nice on Saturday, it was rougher Sunday afternoon but the strongest riders were all in front of the pack.’
Philippe Vandevoorde (Manager Team CLS): ‘ We discovered in Latvia a track, let’s say ‘for men’ and we were happy to see that both Steven and Gregory can ride fast on sandy layout. Steven had a good start in the opening race, but he struggled to find the best lines and he got tired after twenty minutes, losing a podium position. He got another good start in the next race, and took a strong rhythm when he crashed on a rough section. Fortunately he didn’t injured himself, but he had some pain in his lower back and will have some exams on Monday.. Loic had a big crash yesterday, it was necessary for him to take it easy and we told him to have fun on the bike; he scored twice a few points, that was the goal today.’
MX1 - Top ten for Swanepoel
Gareth Swanepoel scored a tenth position this weekend in Latvia, and he is currently tenth in the standings, just a week prior to the Swedish Grand Prix.
A few weeks before the Belgian (Lommel, August 2nd) and Dutch (Lierop, August 30th) rounds of the series, the riders had again a good opportunity to ride again on a sandy track. A brand new venue for the series, Latvia was a successful event with nice facilities, a huge crowd and a perfect track located 50 kilometres from Riga, the capital of the country. Clouds and showers were part of the program on Saturday, but the weather conditions were ideal for the races.
Happy to be back on a sandy track, Gareth Swanepoel had a crash during the first practice sessions but recovered to post the seventh fastest lap in the pre-qualifying practice, two places ahead of Gregory Aranda. The qualifying race was tougher for both. They scored a ninth and a thirteenth respectively; although the pair improved their speed during the warm-up on Sunday, with a second position for Gregory and a fifth for ‘Swanie’.
Both riders started the opening race mid-pack, as Greg was eleventh and Gareth sixteenth after one lap. Circulating tenth and twelfth at mid race distance, they earned some positions during the last ten minutes to finish eighth and ninth. The first part of the second heat looked similar to the previous one with the Frenchman thirteenth and the South African eighteenth, on a demanding track. Aranda again twisted his sore ankle and retired during the fourth circulation, while Swanie scored a twelfth position for another overall top ten.
Neither David Vuillemin nor Florent Richier were able to finish a race in Latvia; David struggled with the track and retired during the qualifying Heat, while Florent finished twenty second for his first ever GP outing on a sandy course. On Sunday both pulled in early; Florent had a great start and was briefly fifth in the first race when another rider hurt his sore ankle and forced him to retire three laps earlier than David. The former US contender, disappointed with his performance, didn’t enter the second heat.
Gregory Aranda: ‘I had to rest this week with my sore ankle, so I was surprised with my lap-times during the sessions as I didn’t feel so fast on the bike. The qualifying race was more difficult. I only got a good rhythm in the last part of the race to finish thirteenth. I had the same problem during the first heat, I had good lines only in the second part of the race and I came back to eighth. I was happy with this result, as I don’t really like sandy tracks! In the second race I was battling with Swanepoel when I twisted my ankle again, it was painful and I stopped. But I’m happy with my first heat; I was not expecting such a good result on this kind of track. Now I will have daily treatment to my ankle and after Sweden I will take a short break before the final round of the French series.’
Gareth Swanepoel: ‘I was really impressed when I arrived here, the track was awesome and all weekend I was fast with top ten results in all the sessions. I finished ninth in the qualifying race as well as the opening race today; that’s the goal now to be always in the top ten. The second race wasn’t as good, I had a really bad start and I had some pain in my lower back as I over-jumped a jump during the first race. Physically it was a difficult weekend, the track was demanding and yesterday I had a huge crash where I hit my head; I’m learning at every race, learning in a hard way but still learning and I’m back in the top ten of the championship. This week I will take it a little easy to keep some energy for next weekend in Sweden.’
Florent Richier: ‘I never rode on the sand before this weekend as there are no sandy tracks in Germany where I’m used to competing. I didn’t feel comfortable on Saturday, the qualifying race was tough but today I rode better during the warm-up. I was more comfortable and got a great start from the outside gate; I came to fifth position but when he passed me Philippaerts was aggressive and hurt my ankle. I had already pain as I twisted this ankle on Saturday so I retired. Then I tried to ride the second heat but it was too much to bear. I will be back in GPs for Loket. I’m not ready to race in Lommel or Lierop as you need to practice hard in winter time to be competitive on these tracks.’
Martin Van Genderen (Team manager KRT): ‘It’s a new track, nobody had information but we found a good course and very good organisation. Swanie enjoyed this sandy track and felt comfortable but he had some bad starts. He came back successfully in the top ten of the first heat and then to twelfth. He did a good job, maybe he could have some more points with better starts but that’s motocross. He is now in the top ten of the championship and we worked all for this. Florent had a very good start in the first race, but he had trouble with a sore ankle after a crash during the practice sessions.’
JEREMY VAN HOREBEEK
Tough Latvian MX GP for Van Horebeek
With 2009 seeing the first ever Latvian MX Grand Prix, Jeremy Van Horebeek and the KTM Factory Junior Team headed to the sandy Kegums circuit this past weekend. With a tough world championship campaign to date, not helped by injury, the ‘Jerre’ is working harder than ever, looking to get himself back onto the podium, a place where he has stood twice this year.
Van Horebeek felt good straight away on the sandy circuit, a terrain that favours his aggressive and attacking style. In the pre qualifying practice session the ‘Jerre’ was super fast, posting a lap time of less than 0.2 of a second off the current World Championship leaders fastest time.
In the qualifying race Van Horebeek was running in 6th position and fighting hard to get further towards the front when he crashed, leaving him sidelined from the race, and at the bottom of the qualifying sheet.
As race one got underway on Sunday it was a poor start for Van Horebeek as he powered through turn one outside the top 20. Settling into a rhythm, bad luck struck the Belgain once again on lap 2 when another rider collided with him, taking him down hard and putting him out of the race.
Lining up for race 2 the ‘Jerre’ was in a lot of pain, but determined to turn his weekend around and salvage some points. The start was appalling yet again as Van Horebeek rounded up lap 1 in 22nd position. Racing hard Van Horebeek grit his teeth and put on a charge to get through the pack. With a superb ride, the KTM Junior Factory rider fought his way back up to finish the race in 11th place.
Jeremy had a chat with us after the second moto: “Another rough weekend for me. I was fast on the circuit and I know I should have had two top 5 results, but I crashed out of qualifying so had a terrible gate pick for the races on Sunday. Then in the first race I got hit by another rider which has re-aggravated my shoulder injury from earlier in the year. I will rest up this week and hopefully be strong for Sweden.”
TANEL LEOK
DISAPPOINTMENT FOR LEOK AT LATVIAN GP
It never ceases to amaze us. For a country of less than 1.5 million people, Estonia makes a far more than proportional contribution to top level motocross, both on the track and on the sidelines. At international races in every far flung corner of the world, the sinimustvalge, otherwise known as the Estonian tricolour, is always very much in evidence, usually at the end of a pole long enough to bring down fighter planes, and equally usually in the firm grip of a burly, no-nonsense motocross fan. In fact, the blue-white-black flags, caps, scarves, jester hats and whatever else else you can think of is usually present in such abundance that one might be tempted to think that fully 40% of the Estonian Gross National Product is focused on the manufacture of patriotic paraphernalia.
If the fans from the Baltic country make their presence felt in races as far away as England and Spain, one can well imagine the fever pitch of excitement of a motocross Grand Prix were to come to the back garden of Estonia, as it were. And so it came to pass, in the words of the classic storyteller, that on 28 June 2009, the first ever motocross solo Grand Prix touched down at Kegums, Latvia. From Friday afternoon, the Estonian fans started arriving in droves, all bearing their national insignia, and armed mentally and spiritually (and we use the term in the broadest sense of the word), to support their heroes on the track.
Naturally, the greatest percentage of the support was directed at Tanel Leok, Estonia's best-ever motocross export. The Estonian Express, with two GP victories to his credit and a seventh ranking in the current world championships, carried the hopes and dreams of his countrymen on his shoulders, and a (near) home GP victory would surely be the stuff of fairy tales. We mentioned before though, that Estonia as a nation can stand its ground in top level racing, and also Aigar Leok, Rannar Uusna and Indrek Magi could bask in the cheers of their countrymen.
Tanel, being his inscrutable self, gave nothing away of the pressure that he may have felt with such a weight of expectation hovering over him, but on Saturday, he came out with guns blazing. He posted the third fastest time in the qualifying practice, and now the tension was high for the qualifying race, the first opportunity that many of his fans would have of seeing him race in a world championship qualifier. He charged into third position off the start on his bright blue Red Bull De Carli Yamaha, and after neatly disposing of reigning world champion David Philippaerts, he rode to an easy second place behind the monstrous Ken De Dycker, who had a bullet start.
Whereas earlier in the season, Tanel on occasion appeared to have left his starts packed away in the camper, the mental boost of seeing a sea of Estonian flags fired him up properly on this occasion, and he was in the thick of the action in race 1. He started off fourth, but soon bullied his way into third. A few laps later, he lost a spot again as team-mate and runaway championship leader Tony Cairoli snuck past, but things were still looking distinctly positive. Then a gasp rose round the track as the front wheel of his bike pushed in a corner and he went down. The crash was not heavy, and he was up like a rubber ball, but it was just one of those occasions on which the bike resolutely refused to restart. Tanel cut a very forlorn picture as he kicked and kicked, all the while seeing the minutes tick by. The heat of the exertions was getting to him, and eventually he removed his helmet to catch a breather. The bike finally fired up, but by then he had lost far too much time, and the disappointment was carved out on his face.
After having regrouped between races. Tanel was fit and rearing to go again as the starter called the riders to attention for the second race. A somewhat lesser start this time, but still he was in the top 10. Initially he seemed stuck in an awkward rhythm, but with waves of sound from frenzied spectators following him around the track, he seemed to gather courage in the second half of the race. He passed Philippaerts again, and put a number of riders t the sword to move up to fourth position at the end of a tough race.
Naturally, Tanel was not all that pleased with how the day turned out. He had definitely envisioned a far different result at his first "home" GP. Nevertheless, you play the cards that you are dealt with, and the positive part of his outing is that he had done enough to maintain seventh position in the world standings.
Needless to say, after the race Tanel scampered off to his home village of Somerpalu where the family will host the annual Somerpalu motocross this Tuesday. After that, it is off to the beautifully spectacular track of Uddevalla in Sweden for the Swedish GP.
TEAM SUZUKI - QUALIFYING
DE DYCKER ON LATVIAN MX1 POLE
Teka Suzuki World MX1's Ken De Dycker secured his third pole position of the season, making him the most proficient rider from the new qualification Heat system so far in 2009, and first pick in the gate for the Grand Prix of Latvia and round 10 of the FIM MX1 Motocross World Championship tomorrow.
The presentable Kegums circuit, 40 kilometres south-east of Riga, provided a soft and sandy test with a long track composed of many jumps and rollers. The terrain became rougher as the day wore on and De Dycker - after experimenting with different tyre choice - revelled in the conditions, setting the fastest time in pre-qualification practice and then dominating the Heat in a cloudy and cool climate.
The Belgian started well and sprinted away from local hope Tanel Leok to claim the chequered flag comfortably by more than seven seconds.
Ken De Dycker - 1st:
"I had a good start and made a lot of time through the whoops. I rode every lap smooth from the beginning and the race went really well. I think the motos will be different tomorrow because the track will get rougher. I like it here. It is rough and rutty with many jumps. Tomorrow I will try to do my best, push harder every lap and hope for a similar result."
KTM RACING - QUALIFYING
Goncalves first and Musquin third in MX2 qualifying for first ever GP in Latvia
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing's Rui Goncalves exacted revenge on Saturday in qualifying for the first ever MX2 World Championship round in Kegums, Latvia charging to victory and pole position. Team-mate Marvin Musquin finished third.
Rui's pole position will give him the confidence boost he needs after several luckless weekends that followed back-to-back on to successive GP wins in earlier rounds. The Portuguese rider topped the podium for the GP's at Valkenswaard and then at home in Agueda, Portugal.
Tomorrow's race will not be easy on the track that is a new experience for all riders composed of a soft layer on top of a harder surface that offers many choices of lines, a fact already recognised by the two KTM factory riders.
Rui Goncalves: "On this track, anything can happen. It will be a very tough race and there will be many guys out there that will want to win. My team-mate Marvin will also be pushing. But I think that this is a track that suits me well and I'm looking forward to a good result tomorrow."
Musquin, the latest recruit to the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team has had a grip on the points and the red plate of the championship leader settled for third qualifying spot on the brand new circuit.
Marvin Musquin: "I think this track will be good for me. I twice had the best lap time in practice sessions but then in the qualifying I missed the start a bit. My tyre slipped and I was back at fourteenth. Then I had to catch up work my way up through the others. It was difficult to pass so I decided to settle for third and come home safely.
Riders experienced mild temperatures and occasion light rain, conditions that are expected to continue for Sunday's race.
KTM's Max Nagl set for a good race in Latvia
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing's Max Nagl is feeling confident ahead of the first ever round of the MX1 World Championship being held in Kegums, Latvia on Sunday after finishing fifth in the Qualifying Race on Saturday.
Riders face a difficult track at this new venue, which is a soft sand surface on a hard base that offers a number of lines and will mount challenges for even the most experienced and skilful riders in this year's championship.
Nagl, KTM's only MX1 factory rider while Spaniard Jonathan Barragan of Team Silver Action is still on the injured list, got away in qualifying with his usual flair but a mistake at the first corner cost him the lead. The German still remains positive ahead of Sunday's race and says he likes this new track.
Max Nagl: This is a nice soft track and I like that. I had good times in the timed practice and finished second. Then in the Qualifying Race I got away well and took the holeshot but I went wide into the first corner and four other riders passed me. After that my riding was not so good and I didn't seem to be able to get into a good rhythm."
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