MX1

MX2

EMX2

KTM RACING

Cairoli and Nagl finish 1-3 in the deep sand of Lommel
Tony Cairoli of the Red Bull Teka KTM factory team sealed a double moto victory to win the MX1 GP of Limburg in the tricky sands of the Lommel circuit on Sunday and team-mate Max Nagl made a great return to the podium finishing third, even if he is riding with a back injury.

Cairoli, like many of the leading riders, lives for at least part of the year near the traditional Belgian circuit and his fans were out in force to see him win both motos in classic Cairoli style. In both outings in the deep sand, the Italian world champion was fast out of the start but did not race without incident. Several small crashes aside and biting back the pain of a newly twisted knee, he then had the fans on their feet with excitement as he set out to hunt down the riders who passed him with the kind of determination that has already rewarded him with multiple titles.

Cairoli came from behind to win the first moto by 9 seconds ahead of Clement Desalle, his closest rival in the championship standings. Then in the second he crossed the line 3.5 seconds ahead of team-mate Nagl. Max was fifth in the opening moto.

While Tony’s season was slow in getting underway while he struggled to overcome some small injury problems, he now has a substantial 52-point lead over Desalle in the season’s standings and is now well placed to defend his MX1 world championship title. His consistency on the podium and his four GP wins so far this year have also contributed to KTM’s 43-point lead in the Manufacturer’s standings.

Tony Cairoli: “It’s nice to race here in Lommel, I have always said many times that I like to race here in the sand. We had the speed to win this weekend but I made it a bit harder because I made some small mistakes. I got the two holeshots but a couple of times I lost concentration.”

It was a particularly rewarding for the German rider Max Nagl who is riding with a back injury and after the next race in Loket in the Czech Republic will consult with specialist concerning a longer-term solution to the problem. Despite this, Max was very happy with his weekend’s ride. “I’ve been really looking forward to this GP because I know I am good in the sand. Since Latvia I haven’t been able to train at all because the doctor would not allow it. So I am really happy to be on the podium today. I got two good starts and I could also see I had the same speed as the top guys, even if Tony was faster.”

Red Bull Teka KTM MX2 factory riders 1-2-3 in Lommel
The Red Bull Teka KTM Factory Racing Team had reason to celebrate on Sunday when all three MX2 factory riders finished on the podium in the GP of Limburg. Jeffrey Herlings underlined his domination on the sand. Ken Roczen was close on his tail pipe and Jeremy van Horebeek, who has been plagued by injury this season made a great return to the track in third place.

The result was a triumph for the factory team and again underlined that Roczen and Herlings are not only streets ahead of the rest of the field this season, but also that team-mate van Horebeek, now fit again, is a top performer. The double moto win by the 16-year-old Herlings was proof that he is outstanding on the sand. He won at Valkenswaard, NL, at the beginning of the season and has now sealed the second pure sand surface race on the difficult Lommel circuit. While Jeffrey’s performance was not without mistakes and even small crashes, he was still able to dominate the track and attract admiration for his agility and skill in the deep soft sand.

Both motos were completely dominated by the three KTM riders. Jeffrey was the clear winner in the first moto crossing the line 25.8 seconds ahead of Roczen. But he did win the advantage when his team-mate came down hard in the final lap while in the lead and got hit in the stomach with the handlebars. Then, just as the fans wondered if Jeffrey had saved anything for the second moto he wrapped that up 18.1 second ahead of his team-mate. Jeremy van Horebeek was third across the line in both motos with a commanding gap of 18.87 seconds to the next rider in the first moto and 14.13 seconds to the fourth placed rider in the second.

Jeffrey Herlings’ mastery of the sand was all the more amazing because he was riding with badly bruised ribs and it wasn’t even sure on Friday if he would be able to ride. Clearly elated with the result he said: “This year I finally won; last year I was second. My ribs were really painful but I took very strong pain killers so this was an amazing weekend for me.”

Ken Roczen: I was disappointed after the first race because I crashed when I was in the lead on the last lap but actually I didn’t ride that well and I didn’t get into a good rhythm. When you don’t play with the track and get into a good rhythm it costs you a lot of energy and time. Jeffrey is the fastest on sand and it was good for me to see that I can stay with him a little bit.”

Jeremy van Horebeek said his result was “…the best present I could give to myself and to my team. This year I wasn’t able to prove so much because of my injuries but today I had two perfect starts and the first moto was okay but the second was very difficult in the last 10 minutes because I don’t have any race rhythm yet.” He also thanked team boss Stefan Everts for pushing him during the winter to practice on the sand and for all the tips he gave him. “Now I am really motivated. I like the track at Loket and want to go there an ride well and not make any mistakes,” he said.

After this weekend which saw riders contest the 11th round of the World Championship, the KTM factory team has celebrated 10 victories – six from Roczen and four from Herlings, underlining both the skills of the riders and the reliability and power of the KTM 250 SX –F machines they race. Roczen and Herlings are clear leaders in the standings with Roczen in first place with 490 points and Herlings 21 points behind. KTM also has a stranglehold on the Manufacturer’s Standings and are in the lead by 93 points.

For a complete change of pace, riders now contest the 12th round of the championship next weekend at Loket in the Czech Republic, which will offer them an entirely different surface than the soft sand of Lommel.

HONDA RACING

Weather: Overcast, cold
Temperature: Ambient 19 degrees C
Attendance: 23,300

GONÇALVES SO CLOSE TO PODIUM

Tony Cairoli owned the Grand Prix of Limburg in the sand of Lommel (Belgium) for the second year in a row in front of 23, 300 spectators and was almost joined on the podium for the first time this season by Honda World Motocross Rui Gonçalves for what was the eleventh round of fifteen in the 2011 FIM Motocross World Championship.

The Lommel sand did not disappoint with its hard technical and physical demands and the constantly shifting terrain punished the slightest miscalculation or lack of conviction. As per the norm for a Grand Prix event at the venue – that will host the 2012 Motocross of Nations – the surface was as much of an obstacle for the riders as their fellow rivals on the track.

Gonçalves pushed all the way to the final seconds of the first race of thirty-five minutes and two laps and his effort on the works CRF450R was rewarded with third position ahead of Steven Frossard by just two hundredths of a second at the flag. The Portuguese didn’t have the best start in the second affair, but again increased his pace at a vital stage of the moto and moved up to fourth spot. The former MX2 championship runner-up entered the last lap knowing his position would ensure him his first MX1 podium, but a mechanical problem and the occasional cruel luck of motorsport intervened and he was unable to make the finish.

A classification of thirteenth meant seventh overall and Gonçalves had to accept a slot that was three places behind team-mate Evgeny Bobryshev (fourth). Fresh after notching his third podium in a row and fourth from the last five events in Latvia two weeks ago Bobryshev (who resides in Lommel when outside of his native Russia) was ultimately denied more success after a first turn crash in the opening moto. The 23-year-old had to fight through the field to reach sixth, but was able to run with the leaders and even front the second outing when Cairoli made a mistake and lost control. ‘Bobby’ would eventually seal third in the second sprint.

LS Honda’s Shaun Simpson breached the top ten with ninth position overall and was content with his speed across the Lommel lumps. Despite bad starts – and his involvement in the first moto crash with Bobryshev (that also claimed team-mate Ken De Dycker) – the Scot rushed up to eleventh and seventh in the motos for one of his better performances of what has been a tough rookie term in the premier class. De Dycker was performing in front of his home fans and at the site where he tasted victory in 2009. The first moto tumble (and two more spills) left the tall Belgian with a sore neck and shoulders, but the adrenaline was pumping and he rode strongly to reach twelfth behind Simpson. In the second moto a duel with Clement Desalle for fifth eventually became a race of attrition to claim eighth, meaning tenth at the end of the day.

Swian Zanoni missed the event in the wake of his wrist dislocation two weeks ago in Latvia. The Brazilian rookie is also expected to sit out round twelve of the MX2 campaign and is hopeful of a return to action on the CRF250R for the British Grand Prix in the middle of August.

The World Championship standings show that Evgeny Bobryshev is thirty-four points from third and twenty ahead of Max Nagl. Gonçalves is sixth and one ahead of David Philippaerts. De Dycker lays eighth and Simpson fourteenth.

Round twelve of the series will take place next weekend at the fast, hillside venue of Loket for the Grand Prix of Czech Republic.

Evgeny Bobryshev (Honda World Motocross)
Race Result: 6th/3rd Championship position: 4th
“It was really hard work today. The track was better in the first moto when it was a little bit more flat. I had good lines and good speed and it was just a shame that I had to work hard to come back from that crash. I was something like thirtieth and found my way to sixth. I led the second race when Tony crashed, but - oh man - the track was much worse. It was unbelievable. I had used a lot of energy in the first moto and had something for only the first fifteen minutes, after that it was easy to lose the speed and the rhythm. I was really tired at the end and Nagl came close. I thought I would take a breath and go again but when it came to it there was nothing left! I’ll have to see what I can do in the rest of the GPs.”

Rui Gonçalves (Honda World Motocross)
Race Result: 3rd /13th Championship position: 6th
“It was a tough GP and physically it was really difficult. I had two good starts. I was not up the front, but moved quickly with the leading guys. On the last lap Frossard slowed down a lot and wasn’t aware that I was so close. I just got him at the finish line and was really happy with third. I felt strong and was riding well and did the same in the second moto. I made some good positions and was comfortable in fourth when the bike started to lose power and stopped with a few corners to go. I have to be happy with the way I rode and everyone saw that I performed today. The result was the only disappointment!”

Ken De Dycker (LS Honda Racing)
Race Result: 12th/8th Championship position: 8th
“It was a bad day. I crashed at the start of the first moto and went down another two times. In the last one I hurt myself and didn’t have a good feeling and found it hard to focus for the second race. In the beginning it was OK, but at the end I lost power in my arms and was finished pretty quickly. The track was really rough and even though it was the same for everyone I wasn’t good enough.”

Shaun Simpson (LS Honda Racing)
Race Result: 11th/7th Championship position: 14th
“I’m frustrated because looking at the lap-times I had the speed to run at least in the top five. In the first moto I started well until Bobryshev crashed in front of me and I hit his bike. In the second moto I crashed with Boog and went down and was dead-last again. If I had have got away with the front guys then I feel I could have run with them. I’ll probably be stiff tomorrow but I loved the track I am impressed with my fitness and haven’t done much sand riding since Latvia. I hope I can keep a smile on my face next week!”

Roger Harvey, Honda Motor Europe Off-road Racing Manager:
“A physically tricky weekend for the guys and some tough luck for us in places. Rui can shine on terrain like this and he did it today, proving that he is in great shape. It was a shame about the second moto but these things do not happen often and we just have to accept it. Bobby was so strong and is riding with that extra confidence thanks to the results of recent weeks. He has made such good progress this year and it is exciting to see what he can do every time we come to a Grand Prix. Ken and Shaun missed a bit of fortune for what was a home GP for LS Honda but Shaun was very capable in the sand and Ken gave all that he had. There were plenty of positives we can take from this event here in Belgium and onto Czech Republic now where we hope we can climb the rostrum again.”

YAMAHA VAN BEERS RACING TEAM
Mixed fortunes for the Yamaha van Beers Racing Team in Lommel

The Yamaha van Beers Racing Team had mixed fortunes at round eleven of the World Championship Series at Lommel in Belgium. Petar Petrov qualified himself in sixth position on Saturday so things were looking really positive for the young Bulgarian before race day started. In the first moto he took a good start and came out of the first corner in eight position. He found his rhythm straight away and managed to work himself back up to sixth position. In the closing stages of the race he managed to keep the pace high and passed another rider to finish the race in fifth position. In the second moto he started around 13th position. In the beginning of the race he made some passes and moved up into ninth position. Petar was riding a consistent race till he made a crash and dislocated his shoulder. He was forced to retire from the race and didn’t score points. Overall he finished in 13th position and after eleven rounds he sits in 16th position in the championship standings.

Marc de Reuver started the weekend with a lot of self confidence. In the first free practice session he set the second fastest time. In the pre qualifying session he posted the 11th fastest time and he qualified himself in seventh position. In the qualifying heat he came out of the start in sixth position. He found his rhythm straight away and worked himself up to third position. He held on to this position for some laps but than he made a mistake and dropped back to sixth position. A lap later he lost another position and finally he finished the race in seventh position. The first moto started with bad luck for Marc. Straight after the start he got hit by another rider and crashed. Marc had to come back from the back of the pack and passed one rider after another. In the middle of the race he had worked himself back up to 11th position. Unfortunately he crashed twice in the second part of the race and because of this he decided to retire from the race. In the second moto he got a poor start and came out of the first turn in about 25th position. During the race he gave everything he had and worked himself back up to eleventh position. In the final lap he moved up a position and finished the race in tenth position. Overall he finished in 14th position and after eleven rounds he sits in 18th position.

Herjan Brakke had bad luck in his qualifying heat on Saturday. He was riding in 13th place in the beginning of the race but unfortunately he crashed in the second part of the race and hurt his hand a little bit. Herjan lost a lot of positions and finished the race in 31st position. In the first moto he took a really good start and went into the first corner in tenth position. In the beginning of the race he held on to this position but after some laps he lost his rhythm a little bit and lost several positions. In the middle of the race things started to go better again and finally he crossed the finish line in 15th position. In the second moto he took a good start as well and came out of the first turn in tenth position. In the beginning of the race he lost two positions and dropped back to twelfth position. Soon after he made a big mistake and dropped back to 17th position. Herjan fought his way back up to sixteenth but got passed in the second part of the race and finished the moto in 17th position. Overall he finished in 17th position and after eleven rounds he sits in 27th position in the world championship standings.

YAMAHA RACING

Frossard comes through Lommel sand for 5th overall
Monster Energy Yamaha had to deal with the hardest track of the 2011 FIM Motocross World Championship at Lommel for the Grand Prix of Limburg and Steven Frossard was able to face the immense bumps, ruts and shifting sand to finish fifth overall on his factory YZ450FM.

23,300 spectators travelled to the eleventh round of fifteen in the series despite the cool and cloudy conditions. Frossard was pipped to the line for third position in the first moto by just three hundredths of a second after misreading the proximity of Rui Gonçalves entering the last lap. The Frenchman had ridden a decent race and was tussling for the lead with Clement Desalle at one stage. He was part of a breakaway trio involving his two main peers for the 2011 crown: Desalle and Antonio Cairoli. A poor launch in the second race saw Frossard on the attack but the track was at its roughest all weekend and he managed fifth by the flag.

David Philippaerts came to Lommel nursing a sore left knee after an incident while practising on Wednesday. The Italian was also smacked in the limb by somebody during the first race but was able to capture seventh place. Protecting the joint, the former world champion was in for a drawn-out set of motos and could not apply his usual powerful style to the sand. He was ninth in the second affair for 8th overall. He expects to be in better shape for the visit to Loket next weekend where DP19 was a previous winner on the YZ450FM.

Third MX1 rider Anthony Boissiere was another to battle the sand and collected 16th overall with finishes of thirteenth and eighteenth. Frossard did not gain any points on Desalle or Cairoli this weekend and lies third by 11 from the Belgian. Philippaerts holds seventh with Boissiere down in fifteenth.

The Grand Prix of Czech Republic at Loket will take place this week for round twelve and precede trips to the UK, Germany and Italy during August and September.

Steven Frossard, 5th:
Like most of the riders I feel tired! I had a good race in the first moto. I was very focussed and riding easily. I could play with the track and had some fun. I made that mistake on the last lap by not realising how close Gonçalves was to me and it was a disappointing way to finish a decent moto. In the second one I had a bad start and when I saw Cairoli and Desalle at the front I pushed really hard on the first laps and I think maybe too hard. I was searching for energy and wanted the top five but it was a really hard race. I have never seen the track like this before. It was more like enduro than motocross; very, very difficult. Overall I think the weekend went quite well.

David Philippaerts, 8th:
I feel tired! This week I couldn’t really train, on or off the bike because of my leg. Today was very hard because I was trying to avoid putting too much pressure on the leg and there were so many bumps to cope with. Gonçalves had some bad luck today, which helps with the world championship points, and I believe the tracks coming up Loket, Great Britain and Fermo will be good for me. I hope my luck can change! I think the leg will be better next week. I couldn’t use the muscle much this weekend and I hope it will be easier in Loket. The track was unbelievable in the second moto. It was almost impossible to open the gas in some places. Ninth is not a great result but considering the injury it is not too bad.

Anthony Boissiere, 16th:
Wow, a really hard GP and I did the best I could in each race until physically I could not give any more. I was pleased with the first moto but the track was rougher and bumpier in the second race and it got to a point where I just wanted to make the finish.

Paulin 5th and three YZ250Fs in Lommel top ten
The Grand Prix of Limburg at the Lommel circuit represented the eleventh round of fifteen in the FIM Motocross World Championship and Monster Energy Yamahas Gautier Paulin was able to finish 5th overall on the prototype YZ250FM and head the first of three Yamahas in the top ten of the MX2-GP class.

23,300 spectators surrounded the roughest, bumpiest and most demanding circuit of the season to-date and the large ripples in the Belgian sand were especially tough on the quarter-litre motorcycles, as much as the conditions were physically draining for the riders.

Paulin, winner of the last sandy Grand Prix of 2010 at Lierop, was confident in attacking the terrain but was without luck in two long and hard 35 minute and 2 lap motos. In the first race he fought with Tommy Searle for fourth place until both collided exiting a turn and Paulin had to recover his machine, restart and regain ground to finish seventh. In the next outing a setback on the first lap meant another push to cross the line in fifth.

Harri Kullas lamented incidents around the opening corners of both races that gave the Finn a tough ask to reach ninth and eighth for seventh overall. The youngster was a little disappointed with the result but his riding and capability in the sand was pretty decent and consistent.

Bike it Cosworth Wild Wolf Yamahas Arnaud Tonus was ninth and left Lommel feeling a little dejected after making a special effort before the Grand Prix to hone his potential in the sand. Several crashes and frustration with being unable to find an effective rhythm cast the stylish Swiss to tenth and eleventh. Zach Osborne missed the Grand Prix and was back home in the United States waiting to see if the torn labrum of his left shoulder will require surgery or not. The Virginian injured the joint in an accident at the sixth round of the British Championship (he was defending the MX2 crown in 2011) at Foxhill the previous weekend. There is no definitive period of recovery established yet for the injury.

Also on the sidelines in Lommel was Christophe Charlier. The Frenchman was nursing a weak right shoulder after stretching ligaments two weeks ago at the Grand Prix of Latvia. The 2009 European Champion will ride for the first time since the Kegums crash this week and is expecting to be fit for Loket come the weekend.

In the Championship standings Paulin is fourth and 27 points behind Tommy Searle. Osborne and Tonus are now tied on fifth. Kullas is eighth and Charlier eleventh. Round twelve will take place next weekend on the fast hardpack track of Loket for the Grand Prix of Czech Republic.

Gautier Paulin, 5th position:
I don’t really feel tired or empty. I am a bit disappointed because everyone was working hard and it didn’t really happen for us today. I felt very good on the track and was riding well. I was coming back strong in the first moto when Searle hit me and we crashed. I lost a lot of time to start the bike and meant I could do not better than where I finished. For the second moto I had a really good start but then had crash on the first lap. I was again coming back well but the track was changing into a row of bumps and you had to have a good rhythm. The track was destroyed and the ramps of the jumps were like Trial! Finally I finished fifth.

Harri Kullas, 7th position:
I am a little bit disappointed with the position seventh overall which was not so good. My starts were horrible. I was OK out of the gate but in the second corner of the first moto one guy pushed me wide and over the berm so I lost a load of positions. My riding was OK and the track was flatter in the first race, so I came back to ninth. Again I had problems in the second corner of the next moto as someone lost control in front of me and I had nowhere to go. I finished the race with eighth and my condition was OK. The track was a bit difficult. The GP overall was alright but could better.

Arnaud Tonus, 9th position:
The weekend has been pretty terrible. I was doing OK on Saturday and felt good on the track but something went wrong in the first moto. I don’t know why but I couldn’t really do what I wanted and was much lower than I know I am capable. In the second moto I crashed four times I think. It was one of the toughest races of the year but we knew it would be like that and I had been working hard to prepare. I thought I was ready but it didn’t work out.

KAWASAKI RACING

MX2 - Max Anstie so close to the podium in Belgium
Kawasaki Team CLS teenager Max Anstie narrowly missed the podium at the Belgian round of the FIM World MX2 Motocross Championship; it was the GP rookie's fifth 4th-placed finish of the season.

Already during qualification on Saturday Max had confirmed his pace as he scorched through the pack to finish third and on race day he was again clearly one of the fastest riders on the track but suffered terrible luck at the awkward second turn which left him fighting through the pack in both races. He made a tremendous start in the opening moto, but as the high-speed start layout narrowed down dramatically at turn two Max found himself squeezed out and was forced off the track into the netting. Recovering forcefully he stormed through onto the rear wheel of the rider in third place before a riding error lost him a couple of places again; again showing tremendous speed he had nearly caught up to third again by the finish. In race two Max encountered yet more misfortune at the dreaded second turn and was forced off the track by a wayward rival; he recovered from nearly last to again almost catch the rider in third place, but, exhausted by the efforts of two hard-races in the energy-sapping sand, was forced to settle for another fourth place in the end. The 36 point haul has lifted Max to within ten points of fifth in the championship with four GPs of the 15 round series still to be run.

Team-mate Tommy Searle, Kawasaki's leading rider in GP motocross, had a frustrating weekend as he underestimated the severity of the sandy Lommel track which he had not ridden for several years. Whilst his championship rivals have established suitable settings as they have raced at the track regularly in recent years, Tommy, who has raced in the USA for the past two seasons, was never comfortable on the ever-changing surface. Aware that mistakes could hamper his challenge for a series medal, the Brit rode conservatively by his own high standards to ensure that he lost no ground to his closest rival, a task which he achieved admirably and he goes to the last four GPs still holding down a bronze medal position, 27 points clear of his next rival, in the championship.

Max Anstie: “This is the first track this season that I really knew before coming here, as I rode there many times when I was younger. I love Belgium. It’s the place where my best friend Lionel lives; he has been looking after me for many years and I have many other friends here too. All of my family was here also this weekend and there were many British fans to support us; I felt good all the weekend. It’s a shame that once more I finished so close to the podium, but I lost too much time at the second corner in each race. My first start was really good, I nearly got the holeshot next to Jeffery (Herlings) and Ken (Roczen) but in the second corner I ran off the track behind the green fence and had to come back from eleven to finish fourth. My second start was not so good and at the second corner another rider pushed me onto the bank and I got stuck ! I was 21st at the first split but I worked so hard to come back to fourth again, and nearly got third but I was so tired that I crashed and had to settle for fourth again.”

Tommy Searle: “'This GP was tougher than what I was expecting. I don’t ride in the sand so much but usually I just come to Belgium a week before the race and that's enough. But here I struggled with myself and a little bit with the bike. I was happy with the settings of the bike when I rode during the week but here the track conditions were very different; we made a lot of changes during the weekend to help me to feel more comfortable on the bike, but I just wasn't my normal self and went six and six. It was not a devastating day but it’s not great for the championship; I just did what I could as I didn’t want to crash and lose any points over Paulin. I rode the entire weekend under my limit; it was so easy to make a mistake here.”

MX1 - Top ten finishes for Boog and Barragan
Xavier Boog and Jonathan Barragan of the Kawasaki Racing Team each recorded top ten finishes in the eleventh round of the FIM MX1 Motocross Championship at Lommel in north-eastern Belgium.

Neither the Frenchman nor the Spaniard could be ranked as a sand expert, but each performed admirably at this, the toughest sand race of the season. Boog held eighth pace for many laps in the first moto before a number of local sand specialists came charging through. Sensibly maintaining a pace at which he felt comfortable, Xavier dropped to eleventh place at one stage before his tactics paid dividends and he moved back into the top ten three laps from the finish of the energy-sapping race. After crashing on the opening lap of race two Xavier had to fight his way back through the pack and managed this so effectively that he was back to twelfth position at the finish. The hard-earned points see the Frenchman advance to ninth in the championship.

Barragan made an even better start in the opening moto to hold down fourth place for the first few laps before the local sand experts started to exert pressure and by the chequered flag the Spaniard was down to ninth position. Two crashes during the opening lap of the second moto meant that Jonathan was soon a lap down on the leaders, but he then settled into an excellent rhythm to match the pace of the podium riders as he raced back to an eventual thirteenth position. The points gained also saw him move into the top ten in the championship standings.

The Belgian race was an unfortunate one for the Kawasaki Bud Racing duo of Gregory Aranda and Davide Guarneri. The Frenchman Aranda, so unlucky with injuries this season, suffered a dislocated shoulder already on the opening lap of racing, whilst the Italian Guarneri never settled on the sandy track, crashing in both races. He did however show spirit to return to the fray in the second race to complete the full distance.

Xavier Boog: “It’s the first time that I have finished both races during a GP here at Lommel; it was tough but I was determined to score points twice today and I succeeded. In the qualifying race I made a good start to secure eleventh place and today I rode consistently in the first moto, but then I crashed at the beginning of the second race. I recovered to twelfth, but the last few laps were pretty difficult as I felt tired. For sure I wasn't feeling confident in the corner where I crashed and got injured last year, but now I know that in the sand you must stay always focus. The track was rougher than usual; even for the first practice session on Saturday there were deep ruts before the jumps and that was pretty dangerous.”

Jonathan Barragan: “I got a great start from the thirteenth gate in the first race, and was fourth for two laps. Then some sand specialists passed me, but I was still seventh until Philippaerts and Leok passed me during the last ten minutes. At the second start I crashed in the second corner, and again one lap later; I was soon lapped by the leaders but I followed Nagl for the rest of the race to come back to fourteenth, while Nagl finished second. It’s difficult to understand why I didn’t find this rhythm earlier.”

Gregory Aranda: “There’s not so much to say about this race, as I crashed during the opening lap of the first race and dislocated my shoulder. I can’t move my right arm at the moment, and on Monday I will have an examination to find out if some nerves or muscles have been damaged. But I hope to be in Loket next week.”

Davide Guarneri: “It’s one of the worst weekends I ever had, as I struggled from the very first practice session and then crashed in both races. I wanted to finish the second moto, even though I was a long way behind after my crash and couldn’t expect any points.”

LS HONDA RACING
Mixed emotions for Simpson and De Dycker

Ken De Dycker raced his LS Honda CRF450R to 10th in the 2011 MX1 World Championship round at Lommel, Belgium, hoisting himself up to 8th in the championship as a result. Team-mate Simpson enjoyed one of his strongest races so far in what is his MX1 rookie season. Braveheart captured 7th and 11th to finish ninth overall today.

The fictional ‘Dr. Evil’ character from the Austin Powers movies wouldn’t blink once to send motocross riders into the Sahara desert. Back in the real world GP riders only have to cope with Lommel (where they actually have their own Sahara nature reserve) which is without a doubt one of the toughest and most punishing sand tracks in the world! Shaun Simpson and Ken De Dycker call this gruelling and energy-sapping venue their home race. So the LS Honda men were clearly looking forward to the GP of Limburg. De Dycker flew to pole in free practice and confirmed his speed with third position in pre-qualifying practice. The eventful qualification race saw Keeno place fifth while Simpson finished 12th only 0.702 of a second behind France’s Xavier Boog.

The opening moto on Sunday was a spirit-crushing experience with both Simpson and De Dycker stuck in the soft ruts behind the crashed Bobryshev at the start of the race. To make things worse Ken also needed to unwind some plastic track bannering before he got going dead-last. Still Shaun and Ken attacked the treacherous sand hungry to place just outside the top ten, respectively in 11th and 12th. De Dycker briefly ran as high as ninth but he crashed twice, leaving him with a sore neck and shoulders.

In spite of a bad start Simpson showcased his talent as a sand rider in the second sprint. The 23-year old Scot rode smoothly, showing off some great lines. Simpson climbed up from 19th to 7th behind Steven Frossard. Team mate De Dycker enjoyed a better start now. While the former British MX1 champ entertained his home crowd battling Clément Desalle and circulating in fourth by half race distance, Ken couldn’t maintain his speed and dropped back to capture 8th at the finish line.

Shaun Simpson: “I’m frustrated because looking at the lap-times I had the speed to run at least in the top five! In the first moto I started well until Bobryshev crashed in front of me and I hit his bike. In the second moto I crashed with Boog and went down and was dead-last again. If I had have got away with the front guys then I feel I could have run with them. I’ll probably be stiff tomorrow but I loved the track I am impressed with my fitness and haven’t done much sand riding since Latvia. I hope I can keep a smile on my face next week!”
  
Ken De Dycker: “It was a bad day. I crashed at the start of the first moto and went down another two times. In the last one I hurt myself and didn’t have a good feeling and found it hard to focus for the second race. In the beginning it was OK, but at the end I lost power in my arms and was finished pretty quickly. The track was really rough and even though it was the same for everyone I wasn’t good enough.”

TEAM SUZUKI

DESALLE PODIUMS AT HOME MX1 GP
Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MX1 toasted a successful home Grand Prix with Clement Desalle finishing runner-up overall and lifting his seventh trophy of the season at Lommel for the GP of Limburg and the 11th round of 15 in the FIM Motocross World Championship.

Some 23, 300 spectators surrounded arguably the hardest and most technical track this year. The Belgian sand was an immense test of fitness, resilience and machine capability.

Desalle made two decent starts on his dependable factory RM-Z450 Suzuki under cloudy skies and chilly conditions and led virtually all of the opening 35 minute and 2 lap moto. The Belgian weathered resistance from eventual winner Antonio Cairoli and Steven Frossard until the final three circulations when the speed of the Italian was too much to contain. Desalle made sure of second place and then followed up the result with a good battle against countryman Ken De Dycker in the second race. The track was far rougher and consisted of a series of brutal bumps but the 22-year-old was able to defeat De Dycker and capture fourth for his overall ranking.

The podium appearance was a welcome relief for the team that suffered the shock of Steve Ramon's heavy crash and hospitalisation during qualification on Saturday. The former World Champion hit the sand headfirst and initially lacked sensation in his limbs. The condition was caused by spinal shock and fortunately the consequences did not involve any broken bones and only nerve damage in his neck and other scrapes. Ramon will be moved from the local hospital to another unit closer to his home tomorrow (Monday) but the signs are initially positive for his recovery.

With four rounds of the campaign remaining (Czech Republic, UK, Germany and Italy) Desalle is still second in the standings and 52 points behind Cairoli, 11 ahead of Frossard. Ramon is 11th. The 12th meeting of the season will take place in Loket - the site of Desalle's first GP win in 2009 - near the German border, next weekend.

Clement Desalle:
"After Latvia I used the break to try and recover and it helped. I was confident coming here and I just wanted to feel good on the bike and with my shoulder. On Saturday I was happy with the way it was going, especially on a difficult track like this. Physically I am improving all the time. It felt good to be leading but it is a strange race here because there are so many lines and you can lose time on one lap and then make it back the next. I'm happy to make a good result in Belgium but second is not a win! Every rider knows a big crash like Steve's can happen at any time and it is something you try to put out of your head. When I saw him on the ground not moving for three laps yesterday it was hard to take and makes you think about your life but we have to take it out of our minds in order to ride the bike again."

Sylvain Geboers - Team Owner:
"Steve has undergone some good treatment already. He can feel all of his body and was bending his legs and even wanted to watch the race from his hospital bed. He will move hospital tomorrow to one that is closer to his home and where he had attention after the neck injury in 2009. He has less pain now but is obviously very sore and fragile. Realistically I don't think we can expect to see him racing again this season but the main objective has to be a full recovery and good health."

TEILLET FIGHTS TOUGH BELGIAN MX2
Valentin Teillet endured a hard Grand Prix of Limburg in the impossibly rough sand of Lommel in Belgium to finish 17th overall at the 11th round of 15 in the FIM Motocross World Championship.

The Frenchman tackled the ruts, bumps and changing-lines of the terrain and pushed to the maximum on his RM-Z250 but was unable to complete a third race in succession inside the top 10.

Cold and grey skies covered the largely flat and busy venue where a crowd of 23, 300 spectators filled the banks of the circuit that will host the 2012 Motocross of Nations. Teillet struggled slightly through the practice sessions and qualification heat and was hoping for better on race-day but the sand was too-tough to conquer with even the smallest mistakes costing time, energy and ruining 'rhythm'.

Teillet gated well and was contesting the fringes of the top 10 when a crash dropped him to14th by the end of the first sprint of 35 minutes and 2 laps. The former Euro Champion was undone by a lack of energy reserves in an even more demanding second race where he focussed on reaching the chequered flag and picked up 16th.

Teillet has moved into the top 20 of the MX2 World Championship standings and rests 19th with four rounds remaining: The first of which will take place this coming weekend at Loket for the Grand Prix of Czech Republic.

Valentin Teillet:
"In the first heat I had a good start and was fighting for 10th place for the first 20 minutes but then I had a crash and had to restart the bike. I finished 14th, which I was not so happy about. At the start of the second race I started outside the top 10 but after about 15 minutes I felt really tired. I had nothing left. With 16th position I think that today was one to forget! I am really looking forward to Loket now."

HONDA WORLD MOTOCROSS TEAM
Gonçalves and Bobryshev denied Lommel podium by the narrowest of margins

Rui Gonçalves and Evgeny Bobryshev came within a whisker of making it a double Honda World Motocross podium at the GP of Limburg in Lommel, Belgium this weekend.

In the first moto, Bobryshev crashed heavily on the first turn and after tangling with Honda counterpart, Ken De Dycker, was left virtually dead last. Out front Rui Gonçalves was making steady progress through from sixth to just outside the top-three. Bobryshev was like a man possessed, charging through the field with unrelenting intensity. By lap 7 he had made it through to eight position and set about reeling in Barragan, taking over 5 seconds from him in only one lap. Both Barragan and Philippaerts had nothing for the powerful Russian and he quickly despatched them both to take sixth. However, the front five had gapped and there was no catching them by moto end.

Gonçalves was impressing once again, putting together a solid ride at the sharp end. He had moved past Max Nagl and had his sights on a top-three position but it did seem unlikely with time running out. Pushing hard right to the end, he would catch Frossard on the very last corner and pass him on the run in to the line, taking third place by 4/100ths of a second, behind Cairoli and Desalle.

In the second moto, Bobryshev was free from drama at the start and lead for the first three laps. Gonçalves also established himself in a strong position, running just outside the top-five in the early stages. Bobryshev had slipped to second, whilst Gonçalves had elevated himself to fourth and at one point both Honda riders were running in virtual overall podium positions. It was all so promising but in the final laps it unravelled.
 
Bobryshev was passed for third by Max Nagl – his superhuman efforts in the first moto taking their toll. Gonçalves however was running in fourth, a position that would have earned him third overall and would have given him his first podium of the season. As he entered the last lap the celebrations tentatively began but just as it looked as though he had it in the bag, a mechanical engine issue saw him grind to a halt with less than half a lap to go. It was a devastating blow for the Portuguese but he will take consolation from the fact that he showed his true potential in the ruthless sand of Lommel and still earned valuable championship points.

Bobryshev’s 6-3 would earn him fourth overall, while Gonçalves had to be content with a 3-13 to earn seventh overall. Antonio Cairoli went 1-1 to take the overall GP victory.

Rui Gonçalves, Honda World Motocross
“I am absolutely devastated to miss out on the podium today because I felt I rode good, maybe the best I have all season and I don’t think I came away with what I deserved. I have to say that up to this little blip, I have been so happy with the team and with the bike, and with how I have been progressing in the last rounds. This is all a really positive sign for the future and I will put this behind me and look to the next one.”

Evgeny Bobryshev, Honda World Motocross
“I gave everything I had out there today and had nothing left in the tank by the end of the second moto. Coming back in the first moto really took it out of me and I just couldn’t hold on to second position. It was so tough out there but I was feeling in the mood and I am a little disappointed not to make the podium but that’s the way it goes.”

BEURSFOON SUZUKI MOTOCROSS TEAM
Mike Kras narrowly misses top-10 classification at Grand Prix Lommel

Last weekend the sand pit of the Balendijk in Lommel got transformed into the arena of the Grand Prix of Limburg. A home Grand Prix for the Beursfoon Suzuki team with its sand specialist at service Mike Kras lined up for the MX2 class. A strong impression in the first race as Mike caught up from 19th to 11th position. Mike confirmed it's good shape with a 14th position on the heavy track in the second heat. This performance got rewarded with 17 World Championship points which put Mike in 11th overall position of the Grand Prix being his best result of the season so far.

Saturday:
A very good day for the experienced pro sand rider Mike Kras as he took his Suzuki to some fast lap times through the deep ruts. The better start position for Mike Kras in the qualification session did not have a positive influence on his start. Being in 19th position with a good pace on board of his Beursfoon Suzuki, he closed the gap to the top-15. Lap by lap he increased the pressure and used the maximum power of his Suzuki. With only two laps to go he was able to make the move into 15th position.

Rasmus Jörgensen on the other hand did not have his best weekend in Lommel. He had a good feeling in the training session but as the track got rougher every session he struggled later in in the qualification. Being in last position due to an unfortunate crash, he had to fight for a possible qualify. He did not get to qualify in his heat so he had to make it happen in the last chance timed practice. A 7th position was enough for Rasmus to qualify for the Sunday's race.

Sunday:
Heat 1:
A hell of a first race for Mike Kras in the sandpit of Lommel. From a 16th position, the Beursfoon Suzuki rider got ready to make his way up to a top-10 position. Halfway the race we could find a strong riding Mike Kras in 12th position. With only two laps to go Mike pushed through to the 11th position which was good for 10 points.

The same scenario on Sunday for Rasmus in his first heat as he crashed in turn two. Starting dead last he could comeback to the 25th position but did not take any points.

Heat 2:
Mike immediately took a good 12th position had good prospects for a top-10 the overall classification in the GP of Lommel. A good race for Mike who kept that 12th position till there were some mistakes made just past halfway moto two. He dropped back to 14th position but managed to get back into rhythm after this dip with just 3 laps left. Some tough battles delivered but no places gained resulted in a 14th position.

Rasmus was just not having his day in Lommel this weekend. He was able to come back from 27th to 20th position during this second heat. Only he made a big crash as he went for a double jump in the back section of the track. He cased the jump and got cross lined by another rider, resulting in a crash and DNF.

Seventeen points for Mike and the Beursfoon Suzuki team in its home Grand Prix of Lommel. With an 11th overall classification he missed a top-10 ranking with only 3 points. This makes it the best result for Mike Kras in the 2011 World Championship up to now. He will be training hard pack tracks this week to prepare for the next round of the the World Championship series in Loket this coming weekend.

GAUTIER PAULIN
Paulin endures tough Lommel GP

A treacherous and demanding Lommel sand circuit welcomed over 20,000 spectators for round 11 of the FIM MX world championship in Belgium over the weekend. Yamaha Monster Energy racer, Gautier Paulin, was disappointed with his 7-5 result but still gave his all aboard the YZ25FM machine.

Qualifying in third position in timed training and fifth in the qualification race, Paulin was set for a good starting position come moto 1. The Frenchman rounded the first lap in sixth and set his sights on Tommy Searle when the two collided exiting a sandy turn and went down. Paulin recovered to seventh determined to make amends in moto 2.

As the gate dropped for the final moto he grabbed a superb start and just missed out on the hole-shot to Ken Roczen but then threw away his advantage when he crashed on the first lap. Paulin quickly recovered and set a blistering pace, rocketing to fourth position but then he lost his rhythm and a spot to Max Anstie to end fifth.

“After winning in Lierop last year I expected to do well here in Lommel and the team have put in a great effort for this race but it did not happen for us. I felt strong in both motos but crashed with Tommy in moto 1 and then crashed myself in moto 2 which I am disappointed with. We have to now focus on Loket next weekend. I have won there before so that should give me some more motivation,” explained Paulin.

QUALIFYING

HONDA WORLD MOTOCROSS TEAM
Bobryshev recovers to third in restarted Lommel qualifier

Evgeny Bobryshev made an excellent recovery to third position in Saturday’s restarted qualifying heat for the GP of Limburg in Lommel, Belgium.

In the first running, Bobryshev lead for nearly 10 minutes before the red flag came out after a serious crash from Steve Ramon and called a halt to proceedings. Forced to re-rack the gate for the second attempt, Bobryshev did not quite get the flying start as in the first but came through from fifth position to adopt second by the end of lap one.
 
A small crash on lap 3 whilst pushing hard would see him drop to seventh but from there he would put in a fine charge back through to the front three positions by race end. A late challenge from Desalle was comprehensively repelled and third place was his as he passed the flag behind Cairoli and Frossard.
 
Team-mate Gonçalves struggled of the start, getting consumed mid-pack as they rounded the first turn. From there he found his rhythm and came back through into the top-10, finishing a solid ninth.

Evgeny Bobryshev, Honda World Motocross
“It was a bit disappointing to get red-flagged when I was leading but Ramon was down in a difficult area of the track. I understand why they stopped the race and I hope that he is OK. In the second my start was not so hot but I came through into second before I crash. I was pushing and the front just grabbed. Again I came through so I am happy with that and with my speed.”

Rui Gonçalves, Honda World Motocross
“I didn’t really get the start and got caught up midfield. It was really rough out there but once I found my lines I started to come back through and moved into the top-10. A top-10 finish in qualifying is OK but I will be looking for better tomorrow for sure.”

TEAM SUZUKI

DESALLE 4TH IN LOMMEL MX1 QUALIFYING
Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MX1's Clement Desalle recovered from two small slips during the MX1 Qualification Heat in the bumpy sand of Lommel to secure fourth position in the gate for tomorrow's Grand Prix of Limburg and the 11th round of 15 in the FIM Motocross World Championship.

Team-mate Steve Ramon was hospitalised after crashing at high speed on the opening lap: The Belgian hit the ground head first and was originally taken for scans lacking feeling in his legs and arms. Thankfully the former World Champion was starting to regain sensation in his limbs at the time of undergoing an MRI on Saturday early evening. He appears not to have broken any bones and to have only suffered nerve damage in his neck.

The Lommel sand - lit by a dark, overcast and cold sky - was as treacherous as ever and the constantly shifting ruts, bumps and lines punished the smallest moments of indecision or error. Desalle was third and sixth fastest in Free Practice and the Pre-Qualification session and then started with the holeshot at the first time of asking for the Qualification Heat. Ramon's fall brought proceedings to a halt.

Desalle launched from the gate brightly for the restart but dropped his works RM-Z450 on two occasions while challenging for a top-three placing. The three-time Grand Prix winner this season was finally able to establish a decent tempo to cross the finish line in fourth.

Clement Desalle:
"Not so bad today but obviously with the sandy track everything becomes a bit more difficult. The break between the Grands Prix helped with more recovery and I'm quite pleased with the riding and the race today. I made a couple of mistakes but I was able to catch up quickly at the end so I feel pretty happy. I will try to do my best tomorrow... and avoid more crashes! We hope everything is OK with Steve."

TEILLET BATTLES TO 13TH IN LIMBURG MX2
Suzuki Europe MX2's Valentin Teillet endured a hard day's work in the rough sand of Lommel for the Grand Prix of Limburg and ended the qualification heat for the 11th round of 15 in the FIM Motocross World Championship with 13th place.

The Frenchman struggled to find an effective speed to cut through the wavy terrain but was encouraged after the 20 minute and 2 lap qualification heat as he began to establish a rhythm; and ended the sprint with a better feeling.

The overcast skies and chilly conditions were a change to recent excellent weather for the Grand Prix fraternity but with the physical and technical demands of the sand, a reprieve from high temperatures was welcomed. The surface is as much of a challenge as the rivals in the gate next to Teillet but the former European Champion remains hopeful of another top-10 finish after tomorrow's 35 minute and 2 lap motos.

Valentin Teillet:
"It was a difficult day and it started badly with 17th in the qualifying practice; this is not my position and I was expecting better. I have been riding in the sand but not too much since my injury. I was lucky with a good start in the qualification heat and couldn't really get a rhythm going for the first five-or-six laps but afterwards I was stronger towards the end of the race. I feel good on the bike and the RM-Z250 is working really well in the conditions. It was me that needed to be better today."