MX1

MX2

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KTM RACING

MX2 - Jeffrey Herlings triumphs at home in Valkenswaard
Young Dutch teenager Jeffrey Herlings rode like the devil throughout two motos on Easter Monday at home on Valkenswaard to be the dominant MX2 rider of the day and repeat his 2010 victory in the sands of this track. With Germany's Ken Roczen in second overall, the Red Bull Teka KTM Factory Racing Team had plenty to celebrate.

Jeffrey rode a superb and seamless first moto. He got away to a good start and the only rider to challenge him was Roczen who moved up to within a half a second of the Dutch teenager before making several small mistakes. Herlings needed no excuse to seize the moment and went on to take the victory by a massive 37.4 seconds to the collective joy of thousands of wildly cheering Dutch fans.

But it was in the second moto that the young Dutch teenager genuinely thrilled the crowds. This time it was championship leader Roczen who flew out of the start gates and immediately took the lead.  Knowing that a good start and a commanding lead gave him victory in the first moto Herlings then proceeded to systematically hunt down his German rival with everything he had. Then half way through the second lap he came off the bike after losing momentary control during an overtake manoeuvre and ended up in the sand. Jeffrey was back on his KTM 250 in a flash, turned up both the gas and the adrenaline and set off in furious pursuit.
 
Herling's chance to retake the lead came when the riders were about two thirds through the second moto and from that moment on, he poured on the pressure until he had built a commanding advantage. Jeffrey then enjoyed cruising home in the final two laps to win by a margin of 11 seconds. It was a masterly ride by Herlings and levels the overall GP wins to 1 each for him and Roczen, not only the two most talented riders in MX2 but also the greatest rivals. The stage is now set for some stunning races between these two, especially when they next meet on the track at Glen Helen for the USGP, where it will be Roczen who will enjoy the crowd support. The young German has been racing the AMA SX West Lites competition and has already attracted plenty of attention and a considerable fan base in the USA.
 
Jeffrey van Horebeek, the third member of the Red Bull Teka KTM MX2 Factory Racing Team is currently sidelined after injuring his shoulder in the Belgian national championship.
 
Jeffrey Herlings: "I am very happy I felt very comfortable on the bike and today I was the fastest guy out there on the track. And I'm pretty satisfied that I came away with two wins and it's also good for the championship. Now I'm only eight points behind my team-mate Kenny." The Dutch fans gave Jeffrey the star treatment and the young rider was mobbed wherever he went over the weekend.
 
While team mate Ken Roczen was clearly disappointed not to take the win he said he could still be satisfied with two second places and he was happy to be going to the next GP in Glen Helen in the USA as the holder of the red number plate.

"I did expect a bit more today but Jeffrey was going really fast and it was okay, also for the championship points," he said.

Ken now goes back to the USA where he will race again in the AMA SX Lites for several races in the run up to the USGP at Glen Helen.
 
Red Bull Teka KTM team boss Stefan Everts said he was "super satisfied" with the MX2 results.

"Coming into this GP we expected a great result today. This time there was a lot of pressure on Jeffrey because he won here last year and he showed something really great today, especially when he came off the bike and got on and back in the race so quickly.. Now we are 1 and 2 in the championship and in the next GPs we will see more fights between Ken and Jeffrey."
 
First EMX2 GP to KTM rider Michael van Wesel of Netherlands
Michael van Wesel performed well on the Valkenswaard sand to take the first EMX2 GP in front of his enthusiastic home crowd finishing with a 2-1 result to become the first to hold the red plate as championship leader.

"I had a bad start in the second moto and was back at 5 or 6 and the track is very rough. But I got back into it and had a good race. Now it's a dream to have the red plate," he said.

MX1 - KTM's MX1 factory riders double deliver in the sands of Valkenswaard
Red Bull Teka KTM factory riders Tony Cairoli and Max Nagl rode two masterly motos on the deep and tricky sands of Valkenswaard in the Netherlands on Easter Monday to deliver two consecutive moto victories and finish the day 1-2 on the GP podium.

The result, following on from a 1-2 in the MX2 class GP was proof of the depth of talent in the Orange factory team and underlined the qualities of the KTM 350 SX-F machine, ridden this year by both Cairoli and Nagl.
 
The performance was even more spectacular for Cairoli who was riding injured after hurting his knee in the first GP at Sevlievo, Bulgaria, and while he was clearly in pain and discomfort as he climbed onto the highest step of the GP podium, he never let it deter him from another triumphant ride.
 
The two riders split the results of the day's ride - Tony won the first moto and Max took third place. Then Nagl of Germany, also buoyed by the support of his new Belgian based fan club, whose members flocked over the border to support him, put in a great ride to take the second moto with his Italian team colleague finishing second.  While Cairoli won the MX1 title in 2010 on the newly released 350 SX-F machine, this is Nagl's first year on the new bike. In 2010 he rode the KTM 450 SX-F. The result moves Nagl up to second place in the championship standings, just five points behind the leader Steven Frossard with Cairoli in overall fourth with a 13-point gap to the leader.
 
It was the fifth time that Tony had won at Valkenswaard and the third in a row in MX1. He paid tribute to the enthusiasm of the Dutch fans and the way they support him.

"I am happy that this is the third time I have won in MX1 here but I did struggle a bit today. Normally this track is a lot of fun to ride but today I tried to be more careful with my injured knee and I tried not to put it on the ground so much. Today we could also close the gap in the championship points and I hope it's not too long before we get the red plate back again," Cairoli said.
 
Max Nagl said it had been a good weekend for him, including a great qualifying when he took the pole position but he had not been so confident in the first moto. "Then in the second heat I changed my strategy. I was leading after about 15 minutes so I was able to find my rhythm and find some nice lines on the track. That makes it easier," he said.
 
Team boss Stefan Everts expressed satisfaction with the performance of the two MX1 riders saying it had been a tough and physically hard GP. "I was mostly impressed with the comeback of Antonio. We knew he had a knee injury but he did better than we expected. He came back to win in the first moto after not having a very good start. Also in the first Moto Max was third and showing a good speed. Then it was the opposite in the second race when Max put in a nice performance and fought really hard to be in front," he said. 
 
In other related news, it was also announced at Valkenswaard that Cairoli has signed to stay with the Red Bull Teka KTM Factory Racing Team for another two years.
 
The MXGP at Valkenswaard attracted a huge crowd of followers on the Easter holiday weekend and the KTM riders clearly enjoyed chalking up yet another Orange victory on the traditional sandy track.

YAMAHA RACING

MX1 - Frossard leads the world after heroic Dutch GP
Monster Energy Yamahas Steven Frossard somehow buried the pain of a strained collarbone ligament at a sunny Valkenswaard to finish fourth overall and lift the red plate as leader of the MX1-GP FIM World Championship. After only his second event on the works YZ450FM Frossard classified behind team-mate David Philippaerts the Italian scoring third place and walking the podium for the first time since the Brazilian GP last August but now leads the series by five points.

A fall while heading towards pole position on Saturday left Frossard in pain come warm-up on the morning of race-day and even in doubt as to his participation for the motos. 35,000 people had taken advantage of the second round of fifteen in the FIM contest occurring over the Easter holiday weekend. With some treatment and strapping Frossard took to the start gate and benefited from two bright getaways to run among the leading group for both sprints. He disputed the win with Tony Cairoli in Moto1 and finally took second and then was two laps away from the final step of the podium in Moto2 except a slip landing off the finish-line jump saw the 23 year old run into the fence. Frossard passed the chequered flag in fifth place.

David Philippaerts was not sharp enough at the opening of Moto1 to be in contention for the top three but nevertheless rode strongly to obtain fourth. In Moto2 more intent from the first lap pushed the Italian into the battle for the lead and his third position was enough for the rostrum ceremony after Frossards late misfortune.

The third member of the Monster Energy triumvirate, Anthony Boissiere, was 13th overall with 15th and 13th positions and was not assisted by a first moto crash at the start.

In the formative championship standings Frossard is the first Frenchman in six years to front the MX1 table. Philippaerts is fifth and 22 points in arrears.

Monster Energy Yamaha will next grace the international stage with back-to-back Grand Prix events in USA and Brazil. The Americas phase of the championship will begin on May 15th with the trip to Glen Helen in California.

David Philippaerts, Monster Energy Yamaha, 3rd:
It was difficult here because the lines changed every lap and it was possible to lose or make two-three seconds each time. In the first moto I was too relaxed at the start of the race and the others made a break. So in the second one I tried to push more in the beginning and it was better. I'm really happy for me to be back on the podium. We have all worked a lot for results like this.

I'm really happy to get the red plate, especially because after the crash yesterday I had a lot of pain in my collarbone and it was difficult to ride; the warm-up was impossible this morning. I spent time with my doctor and trainer and with some massage and strapping I was ready to try the races. I had a really good start in the first moto and it was quite easy to stay focussed after that. My goal was to stay in fourth in the next heat and make the podium but my hand slipped off the handlebar after a jump and I crashed. I could still manage fifth and it feels great to have the red plate after a Grand Prix in the sand. For me it was easier to ride the 450 here. I could play with the bike and I felt really good on my race-bike today.

Anthony Boissiere, Monster Energy Yamaha:
Today was very difficult. I was not in the top ten because in the first race I crashed in the second corner and it was hard to come back. I was fifteenth and took thirteenth in the second moto which was a bit better but I was tired in that one. The track was really bumpy! I will try to be better for the GP in the USA.

MX2 - Two Yamahas in Dutch GP top four
The ever-changing and swirling sand of Valkenswaard presented a difficult and technical challenge for the Grand Prix of the Netherlands and the second round of fifteen in the FIM MX2-GP World Championship. Under day-long sunshine and the glare of 35,000 holiday-making spectators, Bike it Cosworth Wild Wolf Yamahas Arnaud Tonus finished 4th overall while Monster Energy Yamahas Gautier Paulin defied odds to earn an excellent 5th.

Track conditions and an unusually intense climate created an energy-sapping racing environment for the MX2-GP riders. Paulin, steering the prototype fuel-injected YZ250FM, had to take painkillers to erase discomfort of a suspected twisted torso muscle from Saturday. The Frenchman could barely complete the warm-up session but bravely entered the two motos and produced an exceptional set of rides to 5th and 6th; at one stage he battle for third spot in the first race.

While Paulin exceeded expectations Arnaud Tonus was also displaying yet more improved speed and skill in the sand. The Swiss fought back from a so-so start in Moto1 to find his way to fourth and was only two circulations from an overall podium finish deep into Moto2 until fatigue caused a small slip and he was pipped to the line and a trophy - by Tommy Searle.

Monster Energy Yamahas Harri Kullas had a consistent day with two seventh positions and the same overall ranking and was one place higher in the event standings than American Zach Osborne on the YZ250F who had to recover from a poor start in Moto2 to climb to eighth. Kullas team-mate Christophe Charlier was eleventh. The Frenchman, who underwent laser therapy on a broken bone in his right hand crashed exiting the first corner of Moto1 but started brilliantly in Moto2 and ran as high as third before feeling the pace and dropping back to tenth.

Tonus, Paulin and Osborne are fourth, fifth and sixth in the championship table respectively and are within seven points of each other. Kullas is ninth with Charlier eleventh.

The MX2 series will recommence with the U.S. Grand Prix at Glen Helen in southern California on May 15th. The American trip

Gautier Paulin, Monster Energy Yamaha:
The track was tough and very hard physically. I didn’t start so well but I got some good points today and did the best job I could. We will see a little bit what has been the problem now and hope to be fully ready to go for America.

Arnaud Tonus:
It seems like I feel good on the sand now! It was two tough motos but the first one was great and to finish fourth on the sand was really good for me. I pushed really hard to fight back and did the same in the second moto. When I reached third in front of Tommy that was great but I started to feel tired and made a small mistake that led to a crash. Im disappointed that I missed the podium but the results were good.

Harri Kullas, Monster Energy Yamaha:
First race I was able to catch Aubin and then had a really good battle with Roelants to win seventh place. I wasn’t so tired and could push hard in the last laps. I had a great start in the second moto and when Herlings crashed on the first lap I was second. I found my rhythm and Tonus and Searle were really fast. I concentrated on my speed and focussed on attacking Paulin in the last laps. I was close but made a mistake with four laps to go and he had a few more seconds on me, so it was really hard to go for sixth. I had a virus after Bulgaria and it took some time to get healthy again, nevertheless this was a consistent race and I hope we can have a good GP at Glen Helen.

Zach Osborne:
It was a pretty good result considering my past history on the sand. It was nothing brilliant but it was a solid day of riding. For me this was the hard one out of the way until we get to Lommel. We can keep on trucking and build some momentum going into America. My fitness is really good and in that second race I must have passed twenty guys. Overall this is something solid to lean on. My sand riding is getting better and I know more about what I need for my set-up on the bike now.

KAWASAKI RACING

MX2 - Another podium for Tommy Searle
Tommy Searle of Kawasaki Team CLS again mounted the podium at round two of the FIM MX2 Motocross World Championship at Valkenswaard in the Netherlands.

Both Tommy and team-mate Max Anstie had qualified well on Sunday, but neither had the best of luck in the long sweeping first turn during the points-scoring races, run on Easter Monday to attract a massive Bank Holiday crowd.

From 7th place on the opening lap of race one Searle moved relentlessly forward to third place on the 6th of 20 laps, but the gap to the riders in first and second places was too great and, on the hottest day of the year so far, Tommy sensibly concentrated on consolidating his third placed finish whilst conserving energy for the second tough moto still to come. A better start gave promise of a challenge for victory, but the luckless Brit was delayed at the second corner when a rider ahead of him dislodged a hay bale and Tommy again had to battle up the leaderboard to third whilst his main rivals opened up an advantage. Third by the 7th of 20 laps, he again concentrated on making this place secure and his good judgement was proven as he again finished third.

Anstie was quickly through to 5th place in the opening moto, but a slight error cost him several places as he slid to the ground before remounting a challenge which brought him all the way back to 7th before a badly rutted take-off caused him to mistime a jump into a corner and his bike flew into the crowd, fortunately without serious injury to anyone. Rejoining the race a lap down, he battled on to finish 10th. After a much better start in race two the teenager, 18 on the day of the GP, had the leaders in his sights through the second combination of jumps until a collision with another rider left him on the ground and forced to re-enter the race in last position. Refusing to give up hope, Max tore through the pack and had no difficulty to follow leader Jeffrey Herlings as they scorched past one rider after another until Max was back into the top ten; in the final laps Anstie proved his strength to re-pass Herlings, unlap himself and narrowly fail to catch the 8th placed rider.

Tommy Searle: "My starts were not so good and that cost me. You need a very different technique on a sandy surface and they just don't have tracks like this in America where I have raced for the last two years. The second start was better than the first but then another rider dislodged a hay bale right into my path at turn 2. By the time I got to third place, the first two were already long gone, so I knew that was the best I could hope for. The track was really rough by the end of the day and you had to ride smart. Tonus was pushing really hard in race two, so I let him pass me; I would have passed him back anyway before the end, but he saved me the trouble when he made a mistake. Now I head back to California for a couple of weeks before the US GP; I have a house there, so I can chill out at home and relax for a week before preparing for the race. I'm only 10 points from the championship pace and, with 13 GPs to go, there's still plenty to play for."

Max Anstie: "I'm a little bit frustrated because there was a lot more in this race for me; I proved that already yesterday when I finished third in the qualification race. I crashed twice in the first race. The first time I just slipped off, but the second time my bike went into the crowd and hit my practice mechanic after I went over a berm in a corner I was jumping into and that cost me a lot of time. I got a great start in the second race and was right on the leaders until I got tangled up on the second straightaway and that meant I was in last place. I never gave up trying and when Herlings lapped me, I was easily able to run his pace. He was getting tired at the end, but I was still strong, so I unlapped myself and nearly caught Osborne for 8th. My fitness is good, my speed is coming and I head back to our home in California to get ready for the Glen Helen GP; I aim to be on the podium there!"

MX1 - Frustrating Easter for Kawasaki MX1 riders
Kawasaki's MX1 riders had a frustrating day in the Dutch sand of Valkenswaard on Easter Monday as a series of bad luck spoilt their chances in the second round of the FIM Motocross World Championship.

A good result during the qualification race was always going to be necessary to challenge for victory in the points-scoring races and a series of mishaps kept all of the Kawasaki riders out of the top ten during the 20 minute sprint.

After two turbulent points-scoring races David Guarneri of Kawasaki Bud Racing was the highest scorer of the Kawasaki quartet with a hard-fought 19 points. The Italian had arrived at the Dutch sand circuit in pain from a hefty mid-week crash and needed painkillers before each race; he gritted his teeth to finish 12th and 11th to end the day ninth in the championship.

After his magnificent podium performance at the opening GP Jonathan Barragan of the Kawasaki Racing Team was expected to consolidate his championship challenge but the Spaniard never settled all weekend and in the end had to concentrate on damage limitation as he chased through the pack from troubled opening laps to score 18 points and retain a top seven ranking in the series.

Great things had been expected in the Dutch GP from Jonathan's Kawasaki Racing Team colleague Xavier Boog, but the Frenchman was pushed off the track at the first corner of the qualification heat and, his bike damaged in the incident, he was forced to line up for the GP from the outside gate, a severe handicap at the Dutch track. Xavier never gave up to salvage 11 points as the need to pass slower riders continually interrupted his rhythm.

Ben Townley of the Kawasaki CLS Team had only made a last-minute decision to return to GP action a few days before the race as his recovery from a serious concussion earlier in the year appeared to be progressing faster than expected. But the Dutch track proved even more brutal than in previous years following a long dry period and after a tough first race for 19th position the New Zealander and his team decided to sit out race two rather than risk endangering his recovery process.

The Kawasaki riders now look ahead to the US GP at Glen Helen in California in three weeks time when Gregory Aranda of Kawasaki Bud Racing will rejoin his colleagues on the championship trail following a successful knee operation.

Davide Guarneri: “I crashed this week during a practice session in Belgium, and my ribs were painful. After the first practice session the doctor taped them up and it was much better, but my qualifying race was tough as I was involved in a crash at the start. I finished 22nd, so I had a bad choice of gate for the GP and inevitably had two bad starts today. I finished twelfth and eleventh and that’s not too bad in the circumstances. That’s not fantastic but the championship is long, it’s important to be consistent and those points could make all the difference at the end of the year; I needed to take painkiller before each race, but I was tired and had a lot of pain during the last few laps of the second moto.”

Jonathan Barragan: “I simply never found a good rhythm this weekend; that was not good for my confidence and made it difficult to be really focused on my riding. In the first race I crashed in the second corner and faced a tough ride to come back from last place to thirteenth. But my speed was good, better than in the second race; I was tired after that tough first race and couldn’t do better than tenth. For sure it’s not what I was expecting but it’s important to score points in both races even when you're having a bad day. I’m looking forward to the next GP in the USA; I went training there during the winter; it’s a nice track and I like it.”

Xavier Boog: “When your weekend didn’t start well, it’s always makes the entire GP difficult, but I was expecting better than a 17th and a 14th position. In the qualifying race I had a good start but in the first corner I was pushed to the outside and went over the green fence; a few seconds later I crashed and damaged the bike, so I had the last gate on the grid. It was impossible to have a good start from this gate, and I was never able to build a good rhythm as I was continually catching up slower riders as I worked my way forward. I’m frustrated but I want to thank the team; for the last two weeks they worked so hard in the sand, and I think that we have one of the best bikes in the MX1 class.”

Ben Townley: “Two weeks ago I never expected to be at this race as I am still recovering from a heavy concussion earlier this year but last weekend I raced in the UK, and I was happy enough how my riding was progressing that I decided together with the team to come here to Valkenswaard to race. But the track was much rougher than I could have imagined. I rode carefully during the first race but still I was tired at the finish. We had to be realistic and decided not to race the second moto, but it was a good decision to come here; I know where I am at the moment, and together with the team can work out our programme for the next few weeks.”

HONDA WORLD MOTOCROSS TEAM - THE RACES

Rui shows his potential in Valkenswaard

Rui Gonçalves showed true potential in the sand of Valkenswaard and has proved that he has now developed a good feeling with the Honda CRF450R, having been adapting to riding 450cc machinery since his move to the Honda World Motocross Team at the end of 2010.

The first moto was marred with mistakes from both riders, which cost them the chance to fight for the top spots. Having got the holeshot, Bobryshev struggled to get into the groove early on and was past on the first lap by 3 riders. Team mate Gonçalves did not get a start and was caught up on the fringes of the top ten. As the moto developed, a mistake from Gonçalves saw him drop out of a promising 7th position as he was beginning to look threatening. Likewise, a stall from Bobryshev saw him drop from 6th to 10th, a position he was unable to better come race end.

A spirited charge from Gonçalves towards the end of the moto saw him catch and pass Honda counterpart Ken De Dycker for 6th position, and then move onto the back wheel of Clement Desalle. However, running out of laps he was not quite able to position for the pass, eventually finishing only 0.180 seconds behind.

The second moto saw Rui take the holeshot and move into a commanding lead for the early part of the moto. Philippaerts began to apply the pressure and put in a hard pass for the lead. The pass pushed Rui off line and with it he lost his momentum and rhythm. In the same lap he was passed by 2 riders, including eventual race winner Max Nagl, and was shuffled back to 5th in the coming laps as he regained his composure.

As his rhythm returned, Rui once again began to threaten, catching Frossard in front before the Frenchman made a mistake and promoted him to 4th, a position he would hold until the end.  For Bobryshev it was a moto to forget as fatigue began to set in. He would finish in a slightly distant 7th. A good result but not what was targeted by the rapidly improving Russian.

The team leave Valkenswaard with 5th (Gonçalves) and 8th (Bobryshev) positions overall. Another solid weekend’s work, but the ambitious outfit have set their targets high and will be on the hunt for podiums in the U.S.

Rui Gonçalves, Honda World Motocross:
“I am a bit disappointed with the final result because I felt I rode good. The first moto was tough coming from a not so good start but in the second I got the holeshot and was leading for many laps. When Philippaerts put a pass on me it knocked me out of my rhythm for a few laps and I lost some positions.. I came back strong but it was this point in the race that was really important and cost me. 5th overall is good but I of course want to do better.”

Evgeny Bobryshev, Honda World Motocross
“It was strange day to be honest and even though I have been training really hard it is different when you turn up on race day. I think I may have peaked too soon and taken a bit too much out of myself in the Sunday. Things just didn’t really go my way but the season is long and I will be back stronger in the U.S. and for Brazil. I know my speed is good and my conditioning is improving every time I get on the bike. I feel I will grow stronger and stronger throughout the season.”

ROCKSTAR ENERGY SUZUKI WORLD MX1

DESALLE 6TH AT VALKENSWAARD MX1

Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MX1's Clement Desalle completed a mature and steady display to finish sixth overall under glaring Dutch sunshine at Valkenswaard for the Grand Prix of the Netherlands and the second round of 15 in the 2011 FIM Motocross World Championship.

The talented Belgian could not repeat his thrilling victory obtained at the season-opener in Bulgaria two weeks ago but was able to secure a top-five position in front of 35,000 spectators and score valuable points on his Factory RM-Z450. Only 12 months ago, the 21-year-old fell early in the first moto and suffered a dislocated shoulder: Mindful of this incident - and how the double DNF blighted his excellent charge for the 2010 MX1 crown - Desalle played a sensible game across the rough and wavy sand.

Two reasonable starts saw the 2010 championship runner-up adrift of the leading group but still a threatening presence on a technical surface that witnessed varying lap-times and fluctuating gaps between the front-runners. Desalle held-off Rui Gonçalves in a close finish to score fifth in Moto1 and then rode to sixth in Moto2 for his overall ranking.

Team-mate Steve Ramon had a tougher weekend: The former World Champion was struggling for stamina in demanding conditions and hasn't been 100% fit since suffering illness two weeks ago. The Belgian was unable to rise higher than 8th and 12th for 10th by the end of the afternoon.

Desalle is third in the World Championship standings after two events and trails Steven Frossard by just seven points. Ramon is 10th.

Away from the track, the riders and team were able to get cool and refill at the Rockstar Energy Rig, making the first of 10 appearances this season.

Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MX1 is in action this coming weekend for the second round of the Belgian Championship at Beervelde and will be travelling over the Atlantic to California for the U.S. Grand Prix on May 15th.

Clement Desalle:
"For sure this is not my best day today but at least I could take some points and it is much better than last year! I felt that I had to take some risks in order to go faster after the first 15 minutes of the race and it is not my style to go like that: I rode with my head and was smart. It was unbelievable to have this weather here in April and it made the GP hard. We have the Belgian Championship this week then a free weekend before going to America."

Steve Ramon:
"Difficult day: I'm really tired. I was feeling low already after a few laps of the second moto and I think I need to see the doctor and take a few blood samples to see what is going on with my body. It is not normal that the energy isn't there. I have tried to prepare myself well for this GP but I don't know what to say. It has not been an easy couple of weeks with feeling sick and being on medication, so we have to make some checks."

SHAUN SIMPSON

Sick day for Simpson

Shaun Simpson LS Racing Honda continued his tough introduction to the FIM MX1 Motocross World Championship with just a mere five points to show for his battling efforts at the energy sapping Valkenswaard circuit. The twenty-three-year-old Scottish rider made reasonable starts in both of Monday's main races, but each time faded as he failed to find his rhythm in the deep Dutch sand. The first moto saw Shaun drop back to twentieth, whilst in race two he crossed the line in an equally disappointing seventeenth spot.

A good showing at the opening round of the Belgian domestic championship last weekend in similar conditions meant that Shaun had headed to the second Grand Prix of the 2011 series with renewed confidence after having struggled to convert his speed to actual results at the first GP in Bulgaria just a week earlier. Mid week adjustments to the LS Racing Honda CRF450R assured Simpson that they had found a good set up ready for the Dutch GP.

Sunday's initial free practice session seemed to confirm Simpson's thoughts as he placed seventh with a time just under one minute and fifty-five seconds following his eleven lap stint. The young Scot carried this momentum into the pre-qualifying practice period and this time claimed tenth position despite having gone over two seconds faster than his best morning performance.

This was to give Shaun a reasonable gate pick for the twenty minute plus two lap qualifying race that would determine starting positions for Monday's two main motos. Simpson completed the first lap in eighth spot before giving way to his team-mate Ken De Dycker and reigning World MX1 Champion Toni Cairoli. From this point on Shaun rode a controlled race to hold a consistent tenth place as he took the flag, which put him in good shape ahead of the main action.

A lowly twenty-first position in morning warm up for Simpson was to signal the start of a bad day for the rookie MX1 rider, as his campaign proper once again failed to get underway in the manner in which the LS Racing Honda teamster had hoped. Both thirty-five minute plus two lap encounters brought a similar story for Shaun, as each time he made a promising start before dropping back through the pack as he tired on each occasion.

Utterly disappointed, Shaun had little to say post the second moto, "It's definitely a day I want to forget as soon as possible. There are no excuses, I simply tired badly in both races and was physically sick at the end of both races too. I don't want to dwell on today, instead I just need to start to work on the next race, next weekend when hopefully I can have a better day."

Simpson will contest the second round of the Belgian series next Sunday, where he will look to build on the third spot he secured at the opening event of the domestic championship earlier this month.

HONDA RACING

Weather: Hot sunshine
Temperature: Ambient 26 degrees Celsius
Attendance: 35,000

Gonçalves breaks into Dutch GP top five

Under hot sunshine a 35,000 crowd watched Toni Cairoli win the MX1 Grand Prix of the Netherlands at Valkenswaard as Honda World Motocross team's Rui Gonçalves was the best CRF450R runner at the second round of fifteen in the FIM Motocross World Championship with fifth place.

The Portuguese rider was able to produce a decent set of motos across the dark sand where he had previously been a winner in the MX2 class in 2009. The Dutch terrain grew predictably rough and bumpy and provided numerous line choices and some entertaining racing. Gonçalves rode to sixth position in the opening heat of thirty-five minutes and two laps and finished just ahead of LS Honda Racing's Ken De Dycker with Honda World Motocross team's Evgeny Bobryshev making the top ten with tenth place.

The second sprint saw Gonçalves produce an excellent start and set the pace as leader for the opening third of the moto before being swamped by a chasing pack of riders. The former MX2 world championship runner-up was able to improve his rhythm by the final throws of a very physically demanding contest and crossed the line in fourth, thanks in part to a fall by Steven Frossard. Bobryshev, fielding his '777' number, was seventh and his combined points total was good enough to place him eighth in the final standings. De Dycker took eighth at the second time of asking to collect seventh overall. The powerful Belgian was still not fully fit after his crash two weeks ago in Bulgaria that left him with a painful back.

LS Honda Racing's Shaun Simpson classified down in twentieth overall and was beset by fitness issues that left the former British Champion powerless to tackle the sapping sand.

In the MX1 class standings Gonçalves is sixth on 62 points and ten away from fourth spot. Bobryshev is eighth (on 52) with De Dycker fourteenth and Simpson sixteenth. Honda were able to chart the progress of young Brazilian Swian Zanoni in the MX2 category and the rookie came very close to his first championship points in 2011 and as a full-time member of the GP paddock with results of twenty-seventh and twenty-first on the CRF250R.

The U.S. Grand Prix at Glen Helen in California constitutes the third round of the 2011 schedule and will take place on May 15th.

Rui Gonçalves (Honda World Motocross)
Race Result: 6th/4th Championship position: 6th
"It was quite a good GP. A positive weekend. In the first moto I wasn't really into the rhythm in the first laps and dropped some places down to tenth. I picked it up and started to feel better so I made up positions to sixth and was on the rear wheel of Desalle. I went into the break pretty happy with the second part of that moto. I made a great start in the next one and led for the first twenty minutes or so, but I left the door slightly open through one of the corners around the back and Philippaerts went through. I couldn't stay in my line and went over the berm and that's when another two guys went by. I lost the rhythm and dropped from first to fifth. I needed two or three laps to get going again. At the end Frossard went down and I was able to take another place. It is good to come out of this feeling as fit and healthy as I do."

Ken De Dycker (LS Honda Racing)
Race Result: 7th/8th Championship position: 8th
"Tiring day! I was making too many mistakes and didn't feel 100% from the crash in Bulgaria. The muscle in my back was getting very tight and that made it hard to stand-up. The result was OK but not really want I wanted, it was so hard today. Now I hope to rest to get back into better shape."

Evgeny Bobryshev (Honda World Motocross)
Race Result: 10th/7th Championship position: 14th
"I had a good start in the first race, but I made too many mistakes in the first laps and I was using too much energy because I was so tense on the bike. I was fighting the track and then I stalled the bike and lost three positions. It was hard to come back into a rhythm after that. I was disappointed with tenth. I wanted better in the second moto but started badly and although my riding was better than the first race it was still not really my speed. The motos felt really long today and I hoped with every lap that the guy would hold the board out to say there were only two laps left! We will try to forget this race now and put in some good training for the U.S. Grand Prix."

Shaun Simpson (LS Honda Racing)
Race Result: 20th/17th Championship position: 16th
"I didn't feel so good in the heat race, without any lines, although I was able to take tenth position. I got two reasonable starts running in the back-end of the top ten and then just faded badly and I don't know why. I felt very tired and was actually sick after both motos, which is something I've never experienced before. I just went so deep into my reserves. I was not in positions where I want to be battling and had no energy to do anything about it. I need to go back home and rest-up and find a bit of extra speed and fitness from somewhere."

Swian Zanoni (Honda Brazil)
Race Result: 27th/21st Championship position: NA
"I'm really happy to be here and have been training for this opportunity. Most of my riding has been on tracks that are a bit harder than this sand and I found it difficult today. I kept going though and my goal is to keep on improving."

YAMAHA VAN BEERS RACING TEAM

Mixed fortunes for Yamaha van Beers Racing in Valkenswaard

The Yamaha van Beers Racing Team had mixed fortunes in their home Grand Prix in Valkenswaard. Marc de Reuver finished 11th in the first moto but crashed out in the second race. Petar Petrov stalled his bike in the first moto but came back strong in the second moto to finish in 11th position. Herjan Brakke came close of scoring points in both heats but finally finished in 24th and 21st position.

Marc de Reuver started the weekend well on Sunday. In his qualifying heat he rode a consistent race and crossed the finish line in eight position. In the first moto he took a good start and came out of the first corner inside of the top ten. In the beginning of the race he worked himself up to ninth position but soon after he made a big crash and dropped back to 13th position. Marc came back strong and in the closing stages of the race he worked himself back up to 11th position. In the second moto he took a better start and he went into the second turn in fifth position. In the second lap things went wrong for Marc in the wave section. He lost control over his Yamaha and crashed out of the race. Marc was in a lot of pain and went back to the paddock. Because he didn’t score any points in the second moto he finished 15th overall. After two rounds he sits in 17th position.

Herjan Brakke crashed in the start of the qualifying heat and had to come back trough the field. During the race he passed several riders but unfortunately he crashed again in the closing stages of the race and crossed the finish line in 36th position. In the first moto he took a decent start and went into the first corner inside of the top twenty. Because the pace was really high in the beginning of the race he dropped back to 23rd position. In the second part of the race things started to go better for Brakke and he worked himself back up to 22nd position. A crash in the closing stages of the race ruined his chances of scoring points and he finally finished the race in 24th position. In the second moto he crashed in the start and had to charge back trough the field. Herjan was riding well and after some laps he had worked himself up to 21st position. In the rest of the race he tried everything he could to pass the 20th place rider but despite his effort he had to be satisfied with 21st position. 

Petar Petrov took a bad start in his qualifying race and had to come back from 27th position. During the race he passed a lot of riders and qualified himself in 19th position. In the first moto he started the race just outside of the points but this wasn’t for long because in the beginning he worked himself up to 19th position. Disaster struck the young Bulgarian rider because he stalled his bike and because of this he didn’t score points in the first moto. In the second moto he started the race in 18th position but came back strong and crossed the finish line in 11th position. Petar finished fifteenth overall and sits in 20th position in the World Championship Standings.

Next Sunday the Yamaha van Beers Racing Team will participate in the third round of the Dutch Open Championship Series at Varsseveld.

LS HONDA RACING

Solid seventh for De Dycker

The Dutch Grand Prix at the dry and challenging Eurocircuit in Valkenswaard, saw LS Honda Racing riders Ken De Dycker and Shaun Simpson scoring points in every moto. Unfortunately both riders never made an impression that lives up to their potential. De Dycker, fresh from a brilliant win in the Belgian Championship last week finished seventh and eighth to claim seventh overall. Simpson, who struggled with his fitness in the hot and energy-sapping conditions, scored only 5 points, coming home 20th overall.

Honda-mounted Evgeny Bobryshev took the holeshot in the opening moto with Frossard and Nagl in tow. De Dycker took a good start just behind the frontrunners and quickly made his way into fourth passing Bobryshev and Philippaerts. While Frossard was leading the pack, the race started heating up with Nagl, Cairoli and Keeno in pursuit. However Ken lacked the strength to keep up with the fastest guys, lost contact with Cairoli and eventually started to fade to seventh place. After a consistent 10th place in qualifying, both the team and Shaun had their eyes set on two steady races for Sunday. It was not to be as Shaun made a mediocre start and untypically couldn’t charge to improve on his 12th position in the opening stage of the moto. Simpson could only muster one point.

Motivated to bounce back after a disappointing first sprint, De Dycker and Simpson lined up for the second race. While Shaun had a better start this time, Ken had a lot to make up after a mid-pack start. The 26-year-old Belgian steered his CRF450R in no time into the top-10, claimed seventh by the third lap but once again the demanding conditions and pain in his back took their toll. Ken had to let Bobryshev by to cross the line in eighth place. While ‘Braveheart’ circulated in an encouraging ninth place after two laps, the former Valkenswaard MX2 moto winner started to tire quickly losing ground lap after lap. Simpson picked up 4 points for his efforts

Ken De Dycker: “What a tiring day! I was making too many mistakes and didn’t feel 100% from the crash in Bulgaria. The muscles in my back were getting very tight and that made it hard to stand up. The final result was okay but not really want I wanted, it was so hard today. Now I hope to rest to get back into better shape.”

Shaun Simpson: “I didn’t feel so good in the heat race, without any lines, although I was able to take tenth position. I got two reasonable starts running in the back-end of the top ten and then just faded badly and I don’t know why. I felt very tired and was actually sick after both motos, which is something I’ve never experienced before. I just went so deep into my reserves. I was not in positions where I want to be battling and had no energy to do anything about it. I need to go back home and rest-up and find a bit of extra speed and fitness from somewhere.”

TANEL LEOK

Leok ninth in Dutch GP

It is strange how you can often see fro a distance if someone is in a determined mood. An irate customer on his way back to the shop to return a product that failed for the second time in a row. A rugby winger on his way to the try line. A parent about to hand out a clip to an obstreperous child. You get the picture. When the TV cameras focused on Tanel Leok as he made his way through the field in the last race of the Dutch motocross GP, you could see the same thing. Determination. In buckets. It simply oozed out of him.

Let us roll back a day though, and take the race weekend to its beginning. Due to the Easter Weekend, the race was held on Easter Monday, and not on Sunday, as is the norm. The battleground was prepared at Valkenswaard, scene of so many GP races over the years. Tanel posted the third fastest time in the first free training session, and in the qualifying session, stopped the clocks with the ninth fastest time, a harbinger of things to come. His qualifying race did not run as smoothly as he would have hoped, He recovered from a bad start, and after struggling for a few laps to get by former team-mate Ben Townley, he only finished 14th in the race.

Valkenswaard is not at all far from the Leok race base in Belgium, and after the qualifying proceedings, Mr and Mrs Leok could take an easy home for a nice meal and some rest in preparation of race day. Tanel again posted the third fastest time in the warm up session, proving that there is nothing wrong with the factory TM in the speed stakes. Tanel got forced wide in the first turn of race 1, and as the pack streamed around the track for the first lap, he was in 14th position. He quickly got by German Marcus Schiffer, and started his March forward. The going was tough - you don't find the normal weekend warrior on your way to the top 10 of a GP race - but he claimed one position after the other. After accounting for Shaun Simpson, Martin Barr and Marc De Reuver, he finally made it into the top 10. With a couple of laps left to go, he pounced on a mistake of former house mate Evgeny Bobryshev, and rode to a hard-fought ninth place.

The second start was again not copybook stuff, and another close encounter of the bumpy kind with another rider left Tanel even further down the field. It took him a lap just to break into the top 20, and again he had all the big names ahead of him, with a mountain of work to do. It was halfway through this race that the camera zoomed in on the TM mounted rider in full Estonian Express mode. He was homing in on former world champion Steve Ramon and GP winner Jonathan Barragan. Although a great amount of acreage separated the riders initially, Tanel homed in with speed, and passed Ramon with the greatest of ease. The cameraman scarce had time to blink before Barragan also fell to a Leok attack, and another hard ride netted the Estonian his second ninth place for the day.

On the face of it, ninth may not look at the greatest result, and Tanel himself was not entirely happy with the weekend's result. Bear in mind, however,. that the MX1 class is stacked with top level talent like never before, with several former world champions and GP winners all vying for top honours, and the picture falls into perspective.

With a busy household buzzing in the background, Tanel reflected on the day. "It could have been better," he said in his understated way. "I didn't have the best starts, and in the second race, I wasn't sure how I would last. My last blood test results showed some deficiencies which explains why I get tired quickly and could not train properly. Once I got into my rhythm, though I was OK, and from the middle of the race onwards I actually felt stronger. I could pass Ramon and Barragan in the last half of the race, and make up a few points."

Tanel has now moved up to eleventh in the world championship standings. He will leave to the USA early to acclimatise himself for the US GP in a few weeks' time.

STEVE RAMON

A tough Valkenswaard GP for Ramon

Steve Ramon took part in Round 2 of the 2011 Motocross World Championship yesterday, held at the challenging Valkenswaard circuit. With Ramon being a superb rider in the sandy and rough conditions he looked forward to a top result, but unfortunately it was not to be.

The weekend was filled with frustration for the ‘Bomb’ as he was still suffering with the after affects of illness and medication that physically held him back.

With two difficult motos Ramon walked away from a disappointing weekend with 10th overall, which places him 10 in the World Championship Standings.

“I really don’t know what to say, I just physically had no burst of power in my body today. In the first race I got behind Desalle early on and I was catching him and felt like I would be able to really move into a good position, but actually lap after lap I could just feel myself draining power, and I don’t know what was causing this. I need to get to my doctor on Tuesday and see why what is causing this. In the end I just had to try and ride smooth and conserve power, but that is really bad when the whole field of riders are giving it everything they have. I am disappointed, especially because I know I can run up front if I am at 100%.”

Steve Ramon will now prepare for Round 3 of the GP series, which takes place in California (USA) on the 15th May, before heading off to Brazil.

BEN TOWNLEY

Townley happy to be back at the GP’s

Ben Townley couldn’t have picked a more demanding track than the ‘Euro Circuit’ to make his return to Grand Prix Motocross racing. Much to the delight of his dedicated fans, the New Zealander was all smiles as round 2 of the FIM World championship kicked off in unusually hot conditions over Easter weekend.

Although Townley’s return was earlier than expected, the CLS Pro Circuit Kawasaki team had realistic expectations for the Kiwi. However, a gruelling and demanding Valkenswaard track took its toll on even the fittest riders and Townley’s lack of bike and race time was evident.

“I really didn’t expect to be here in Valkenswaard but after racing the British championship last week the team and I discussed our options and we decided that we had to start at some point and this has been a good yard stick. The track was much rougher than anyone expected and with the change in weather and hot temperatures, it really created extreme conditions for my first GP back.   It’s tough to race for 19th position knowing that I should be up front but its where I need to start and I’ve got to build from here,” explained an optimistic Townley.

Townley opted to sit out the second moto, a decision supported by his team.

“I definitely need more time to prepare and really appreciate the understanding and support that the team has given me. It’s also great to be back in Europe and seeing all my fans and friends has given me extra motivation to pick myself up off the ground. I’m realistic in my goals and there is so much more work to do but I look forward to the challenge and will do my best to get back to where I should be.”

With a two week gap in the GP calendar, Townley is looking to build on his race fitness before heading to California for round 3 of the 15 rounds series at the Glen Helen raceway on the 14-15 May.

PROPPA.COM KTM

With a last-minute notification by Youthstream on Wednesday confirming a sole entry for the team, Proppa.com KTM made the journey to the famed Eurocircuit in Valkenswaard in the Netherlands on the weekend.

With Easter weekend shifting proceedings along by a day, Saturday was spent enjoying the blazing sunshine and preparing Martin Barr's bike for the qualifying sessions on Sunday.

Although Easter Sunday morning started early for the EMX2 and Veteran classes, the MX1 class found itself starting its work in earnest in the scorching afternoon for their qualifier; rider Martin Barr ended in fifteenth place after battling with world championship veterans Anthony Boissiere and Steve Ramon in eleventh for much of the qualifier and only dropping back with a few laps to go.

On Easter Monday, temperatures dropped a few degrees, but the day continued with weather normally only seen in July. The first race saw Barr get off the start and through the first two corners in thirteenth, finding himself in eleventh after the first lap thanks to some aggressive manoeuvres. For the rest of the race, he held his own, fighting off the likes of Kevin Strijbos, Marc de Reuver and Davide Guarneri. Only with the lap board out were De Reuver and Guarneri able to make passes, pushing Barr back to thirteenth. The second race did not go to plan at all. Trouble brewed when the bike used in the first race had to be substituted at the last minute. A start in twelfth soon showed that something was wrong when Barr uncharacteristically dropped several places each lap, rather than holding or improving his position. With the track getting rougher every lap and his safety at stake, he made the hard decision to pull off, earning a disappointing thirty-third place and no points at the chequered flag.

After the results were collected, it was discovered that even with only one race under his belt, Barr had in fact been the highest-scoring British rider in the MX1 class, as well as the highest non-factory KTM rider at the round. With a seventeenth overall and a twentieth place in the overall world championship, he earned himself praise from several riders in the championship paddock with his consistency and his ability to keep several world championship veterans at bay.

Even with the second race a disappointment, team principal Steve Turner was positive in his look back over the weekend: "We had a problem with Martin's race bike just before the start, he jumped on the spare bike, which also had a problem pretty much after the first lap and it was too dangerous for us to continue. It's a bit of a shame, but we can take a lot of positives from his first race, which was pretty awesome. He showed how good the bike is and how fast he is.

“We're really happy with those points we got for being 15th; it showed that he should be on this stage. All in all, I'm happy with the weekend, shame we didn't double up with two good results, but we'll learn, move forward, and live to fight another day."

Martin Barr: "I was looking forward to the weekend, this being my first Grand Prix since 2008. In the qualifier I got a really good start, kept fighting all the way through and ended up 15th. Race 1 this morning was really good, I had a brilliant start and just hung in there, passed Simpson and kept pushing. I was around 11th and got a bit tired in the last couple of laps and De Reuver and Guarneri got by me and that put me down to 13th; it's one of my best results in a Grand Prix. Race 2 didn't quite go to plan, I got a really good start and was up in there. We'd switched to the spare bike and it developed a problem. I had a few big moments when I was trying to push forward, and it was just getting dangerous. I pulled out of that one before anything did happen. I'm going to take all the positives away from this weekend, I had the pace to run up there. I'm really happy to have been the first Brit home in the first race and I wanted to do it in the second race again, but that didn't happen. Hopefully I can get an entry for France and do it all again."

GAUTIER PAULIN

Paulin soldiers through painful Dutch GP

Round 2 of the FIM MX World championship held at the ‘Euro Circuit’ in Valkenswaard has been a painful outing for Yamaha Monster Energy racer, Gautier Paulin. The 21-year-old sustained strained his mid to lower back muscles during the Sunday qualification race and was in a lot of discomfort going into the first Moto on Easter Monday.

The Frenchman managed to fight through the pain on an intense and demanding circuit and was in a podium position for half of the race until he could no longer bear the pain and relinquished his podium position to Tommy Searle.

Paulin once again had to block out the pain in moto 2 and was well placed in 4th before Arnaud Tonus and Belgian sand specialist Joel Roelants caught and passed the Yamaha rider.

“I’m really disappointed about my back,” explained Paulin “I obviously strained it during the qualification race because I could hardly sleep on Sunday night and even the slightest movement hurt. We worked on the muscles before the races but I still had a lot of pain and had to try and block it out of mind. This was not the easiest track to be riding defensive on and I was really looking forward to getting a good result. We have some time now to check the problem and to be ready for Glen Helen in 3 weeks.”

ROCKSTAR ENERGY SUZUKI WORLD MX1

DESALLE 6TH IN VALKENSWAARD MX1 GATE

Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MX1 sweated through a hard day of work at the Valkenswaard circuit as the first day of action at the Grand Prix of The Netherlands took place in sweltering conditions and Clement Desalle was able to finish sixth in the MX1 Qualification heat.

The Belgian rode a steady 20-minute and two-lap race on his factory RM-Z450 across a sandy track that was deceptive in terms of the technical challenge it offered. The soft waves, bumps and berms became rough with four different categories competing at the second round of 15 in the FIM Motocross World Championship, but the shallow terrain often revealed hard and unforgiving ground making the surface difficult to judge.

Desalle ran inside the group fighting for a top-five position and finally eased his way through the closing stages of the sprint to take sixth - sufficient for a positive pick in the gate for the motos on Monday. Steve Ramon was ninth after recovering from a first lap fall and spent the earlier sessions searching for the best set-up to effectively tackle Valkenswaard.

More good weather is predicted for bank holiday Monday and the last European Grand Prix before the back-to-back visit of the Americas at the beginning of May.

Clement Desalle:
"It was pretty dangerous out there because the ground was very soft but then hard underneath and the grip just kept on changing. I took time to find some confidence around the track because it was a bit hard to find a rhythm. My position for the start is OK. It looks like it will be hot again tomorrow but it will be the same for everyone."

Steve Ramon:
"The day was not so good. I'm struggling a little with the set-up and the balance of the bike and the track is not easy. I'm glad they flattened some of the bumps on the jumps because it was a bit dangerous. The heat race went OK except that I lost the front wheel and crashed on the first lap. The pack was still quite close together so I had to go all-out to make up some positions. In the end I rode a good pace and tried my best to finish where I did."

HONDA WORLD MOTOCROSS TEAM - QUALIFYING

2-3 for Honda World Motocross Team in Valkenswaard qualifier

Honda World Motocross riders Evgeny Bobryshev and Rui Gonçalves finished Sunday’s Qualifying Race in 2nd and 3rd position respectively, setting themselves up for prime gate pick for Monday’s main event in Valkenswaard, Netherlands.

Bobryshev, known as ‘Bobby’ in the paddock, had been flying in the morning sessions, posting 2nd quickest time in Free Practice and quickest in Pre-Qualifying Practice, but it was team mate Rui Gonçalves who got the drop on him at the start of the 20 minutes + 2 laps qualifying moto.

Following the melee of the start, Rui rounded the second turn 1st but could not hang on to it, completing lap one in 3rd position. Bobby could not find his rhythm early on after a difficult start from the inside number one gate which saw him crowded out in turn two and shuffled back through the top five.

As the moto developed, a small error from Rui on lap seven was capitalised on by his charging team mate who took 3rd position. Rui did not loose much time and continued in hot pursuit of his Honda counterpart, in racing formation.

As the moto reached it’s climax, leader Steven Frossard fell whilst negotiating tricky braking bumps and 1st position was taken by eventual race winner Max Nagl. Frossard’s mistake also elevated Bobby and Rui into their finishing positions of 2nd and 3rd, only five seconds adrift of the leader.

Rui Gonçalves, Honda World Motocross:
“That was good! I am a bit annoyed with myself because I made a mistake and let Bobby past but I was coming back at him towards the end of the moto and did not feel tired at all. For sure it will be more difficult tomorrow with two 40 minute motos but my conditioning is good.”

Evgeny Bobryshev, Honda World Motocross:
“I actually found myself feeling a bit tired towards the end of the moto as I was pushing really hard in the middle. Over one lap I can be really fast, like I was in practice but I need to put together many consistent laps tomorrow in the motos. I have been training really hard in the sand so I think it will be OK.”