MX1

MX2

EMX2

KTM RACING

Cairoli finishes second in the MX1 GP of Portugal
KTM factory rider Tony Cairoli rode two strong motos to finish second on the podium for the MX1 GP of Portugal in the first of two outings for the Red Bull Teka KTM Factory Team in the Iberian Peninsula. In the first moto Cairoli found himself back at around seventh at the start of the Agueda circuit, a location where he has always performed well. He worked his way through the pack in the first half of the race to sit comfortably behind the two leaders with a handful of laps to go. In typical wily Cairoli style he carefully plotted out the best place on the track to make a move on second placed Steven Frossard then made his move with three laps to go. Cairoli then turned up the throttle and went after Clement Desalle, edging wheel to wheel close to him over the nail biter last two laps. But he ran out of time and eventually had to settle for second place.

Cairoli’s start was much better in the second moto and he was well in the running for the top place as he was several times within a wheel’s distance from the leader Desalle but again would have needed another lap to settle the moto for him. His two second places still yielded 44 championship points and kept him in the running to retain his title. After the race he said he was gaining in physical fitness after having to cut back on training to recover from injury and was still feeling confident about the remainder of the season. Cairoli has had a lot of past success on the track at Agueda and said: “I like this track a lot. I have won four GPs and 11 motos here during my career, so actually it is one of my favourite GPs. But today it was pretty hard. It hasn’t rained here for a long time and there were a lot of strange bumps on the track where you can make a lot of mistakes.

While the GP turned out to be positive for Cairoli, his team-mate Max Nagl was not so fortunate. In the first moto he had an uncharacteristic bad start and then spent a lot of time trying to overtake Rui Gonçalves. The second was shaping up to be much better for the German rider but then he had a huge off on the downhill slope. The bike slid down and struck him and it was also damaged in the crash to the extent that he was unable to remount and continue the race. Max also hurt his thumb, which was badly swollen after the race. He was returning to Belgium on Monday to have it checked out by his doctor.

Herlings takes GP of Portugal; takes command of red plate
Dutch teenager and Red Bull Teka KTM factory rider Jeffrey Herlings came away from the MX2 GP in Agueda with 44 points, the overall GP victory and for the first time in his young career, the coveted red plate as championship leader.

But despite the continued success of the 16-year-old Dutch teenager, the day was less memorable for his team-mate Ken Roczen of Germany who after dominating the opening moto, came unstuck in the second, crashed hard and had to retire.

The first moto saw Roczen uncharacteristically missed the start from his pole position, while Herlings shot out of the gate like a bullet and surged ahead to put around seven seconds between him and the rest of the pack. Two thirds of the way through the race it looked like being a one man show, but in the end it just turned into a 1-2 KTM show. Roczen hit the gas, turned up the adrenaline and went after riders like a man possessed. One by one he brushed them aside as he carved away at the time advantage to his team-mate. Then he tucked in behind him in the final three laps and the race was on to see which one of the two young KTM factory riders would be the first to the flag. Herlings defended well almost up to the final lap but in the end it was Roczen who prevailed. The dominance of the two KTM riders was again obvious as they rocketed across the finish 25 seconds ahead of third placed Zach Osborne.

In the second moto, it was Roczen who hit the front in the early stages and it looked as though he was again going to dominate the race. Then a mistake on the bumpy track proved costly as he was pitched over the handlebars and landed hard on the dirt track, taking a blow to the chest and head. The German rider who has been attracting attention on both sides of the Atlantic then had no other option but to return to the pits, leaving the way open for Herlings to take control of the race. Jeffrey hung onto the lead until the final third of the race but came under strong attack by Tommy Searle, the only other rider who has won a GP so far this season. Searle had something to prove after registering a DNF in the first moto when his bike picked up a swathe of the green netting that marks the track. In the end Herlings took the cautious approach and settled for a comfortable second place, knowing both the GP victory and the red plate was safely in his hands.

Jeffrey Herlings: “I’m six points ahead of Kenny now and I have to keep it like that. It’s going to be really hard because Ken is in very good shape and he’s really fast, but all in all it was a good weekend for me. I’ll try to be cool, that’s the main thing I have to do to hold onto the red plate. It will be hard but I’m looking forward to the races next weekend and I hope to keep it.”

Ken Roczen on the other hand was in a lot of pain after his big crash. He was taken to the hospital by team officials for a full medical check but now has the all clear to stay on with the team as they remain on the Iberian peninsula to prepare for the GP of Spain next weekend.


KAWASAKI RACING

MX2 - Another moto win for Searle
Tommy Searle swept to another moto win at round six of the FIM MX2 World Championship at Agueda in Portugal, only bad luck denying the Kawasaki Team CLS rider a second GP victory in eight days.

The British rider was in outstanding form on the day before his 22nd birthday to run out a clear-cut winner of the second moto at the rugged track in the hills 20 miles from the Atlantic coastline after he had suffered wretched luck in the opening race as he was forced to retire with green net fencing entangled in his rear wheel. At the time of the incident Tommy, renowned for his strength in the later stages of each race, was just about to overtake team-mate Max Anstie for third place and set off after the leaders with every prospect of victory. Regrouping for race two Tommy gated third and, after allowing the well-watered track to dry out and become less slippery, charged through for a 16 second victory. He retains third in the championship series.

Max Anstie continued to impress during his debut GP season, narrowly missing the podium after two sturdy rides. Finally getting his starting technique sorted out again, the 18 year old held an early second in the opening moto before backmarkers hindered his progress and allowed two rivals to slip past on this, his first-ever visit to the Portuguese track. Not starting quite so well in race two, Max had to battle forward from an initial 10th to cross the finishing line 7th and the two scorelines have lifted him a place to 6th in the championship standings.

Kawasaki enjoyed yet more success with the KX250F model when Dylan Ferrandis of Kawasaki Bud Racing dominated both motos of the European MX2 championship round which was also on the programme at Agueda over the weekend. The French teenager has now won the last three races in the series to move up to fifth place in the standings despite missing the opening round in April due to injury.

Tommy Searle: “It was a day of mixed fortune today. I felt that in the second moto I rode my best race of the year; that was great. But I'm really disappointed about the first race; I made one small mistake but it cost me so much ! I usually try to stay away from the edge of the track as much as I can, but my back wheel slipped as I went for a pass and I got some green fence in my wheel. It’s frustrating as it probably cost me 25 points. The track was good; they put some water down for the second moto but I was happy with my riding. I felt so good in that race, and was really having fun on the bike.”

Max Anstie: "It’s my first time in Agueda and I really liked the track. In the first race I had a very good start, was pushing forward and was having a good race with some guys, but I lost my rhythm at mid-race when I got caught up with some backmarkers, but I still finished fourth. The second race I made a really good jump at the gate but I wheelied and lost some valuable positions. The track was very wet on the first lap and I lost a lot of ground to the guys in front; once the track dried a little, I had a strong ride to come back seventh. The top guys are really close and there’s not so much difference between finishing in third or eighth position, the top riders are really close; it’s all about the start, and I’m looking forward getting out of the gate well again in Spain next week.”

Dylan Ferrandis: “I knew that I could win in the European series and I did it; I’m so happy to win the two races here. On Saturday the track was rough, but for the second race on Sunday it was perfect and I had a lot of fun. It’s great to be back at the top as I lost one month of racing at the start of the year with my broken wrist; I wasn’t ready for the opening race in Valkenswaard, and had a DNF in France but now I got three wins in a row. My goal now is just to win every race. I am still quite a few points from the points leaders and am not thinking about the title but, if I keep winning, perhaps it is still possible after all."

MX1 - Boog best Kawasaki again
Xavier Boog was again the highest-placed Kawasaki rider in the Portuguese round of the FIM World MX1 Championship at Agueda, with a seventh position.

The French rider of Kawasaki Racing Team Europe had qualified in fifth place on Saturday and repeated this performance in the opening GP moto on Sunday to raise hopes of a podium finish, but a hectic start to race two left him downfield in 14th position. Nevertheless Xavier battled hard to gain five places before the end of the race for his second top ten finish of the day.

Spanish team-mate Jonathan Barragan was unfortunate to become involved in a collision at the start of the opening race. His bike trapped below those of two other riders, he was dead last by the time he could rejoin the race but battled decisively to finish the race 13th. Jonathan made a much better start in the second race to complete the first lap eighth, but the depth of talent in MX1 GP racing is such that he found himself still holding that position at the chequered flag.

After several weeks battling injuries Davide Guarneri of Kawasaki Bud Racing returned to the top ten with a battling race to 9th in the opening moto after completing the opening lap 15th. The Italian had high hopes of an even better score after gating 9th in race two and had already advanced to 8th before he accidentally hit a track marker post with his hand, the resultant pain forcing him to pull out of the race.

Team-mate Gregory Aranda had initially planned to miss this GP, but, as his appointment for an operation on his wrist had to be postponed for a week, he decided to try to race. Unfortunately the pain was too great and he had to withdraw from both races after only a few laps.

Ben Townley of Kawasaki Team CLS is another rider to have been battling injuries this season and the New Zealander withdrew from the GP after practice when it became apparent that he was not yet fit enough to compete safely.

Xavier Boog: “I’m not happy with my riding as I didn't do justice to the great bike; I am too stiff on the bike in the races and didn’t ride relaxed like I did during the practice sessions or the warm up. My first start was pretty good; I was fifth and kept this place for the entire race. At the second start the riders around me had a better jump and they blocked me, so it was impossible to take the inside at the first corner as there were too many riders coming together. The track was rougher for the second race but I liked it and I was able to come back from fourteenth to ninth. But I know that I could do better ... and that’s frustrating for me and the team.”

Jonathan Barragan: “I was involved in a crash at the start of the first race; somebody hit me from behind and my bike was on the ground under two others. My riding was not so bad and I came back from last to thirteenth, but in the second race I didn’t feel so comfortable with the track and finished eighth. Next week we go to La Bañeza, and it will be a new layout for everyone; I have raced a couple of Spanish championship there, but they have changed the track so it will be new for me too.”

Davide Guarneri: “I was riding much better again this weekend, and I fought from sixteenth to ninth in the first race and was close to the other leaderboard riders. My second start was better and I was soon ninth behind Barragan, but when I made a move on him I hit a wooden post with my hand. It was so painful; I tried to carry on but it was impossible to hold the handlebars so I had to retire. I was happy to be back in the top ten and now I just hope that my hand will not be too painful this week.”

Gregory Aranda: “As there was no possibility to have surgery to my wrist this week, the team asked me to race here. We knew that it would be difficult, and it was even worse than the previous GPs. In each race I had to stop after a few laps, and I don't think that anybody has ever been so happy to be going to hospital than I am. I will have surgery on Wednesday, and then I must rest for two weeks before riding again. If everything goes to plan, that means that I will be back in Sweden.”

Ben Townley: “This is a tough decision to stop riding at the moment, but I’ve accepted that I’m not in a position to race at a competitive level, both physically and mentally. I’m so thankful to the team for understanding my situation and for supporting me in every way possible. Having been through the difficult times that I have been in over the last few months it is clear to me that I need to be 100% prepared both on the physical side and on the mental side. At this stage I am not, and I don’t want to put myself at risk until I can race without having any doubts.”


HONDA RACING
Weather: Sunshine, slight breeze
Temperature: Ambient 25 degrees C
Attendance: 13,000

Second podium of 2011 for Bobryshev

Clement Desalle claimed his third Grand Prix victory of 2011 at Agueda in Portugal today in what was the sixth round of the FIM Motocross World Championship. The Belgian was joined on the MX1 podium by Honda World Motocross team’s Evgeny Bobryshev, who celebrated his second trophy of the campaign with the factory CRF450R.

13,000 fans surrounded the sun-beaten track that was full of undulations and kinks and evolved into a bumpy and demanding course as the fine dirt took on its own rippled form. The clear skies ensured a fine climate, but the temperatures were not too punishing thanks to a generous breeze.

Bobryshev led a sizeable period of the qualification heat on Saturday until a mistake entering a downhill turn robbed him of a first potential pole position. The British Champion altered his mindset for Sunday and a steady performance to a brace of fourth positions was enough for his second spray of champagne both of the season and of his career.

‘Bobby’ was actually part of a fine sight for the Italian team and CRF450R fans around the world as he chased holeshotter and earlier leader Rui Gonçalves for the first seven of the twenty-one laps in race two. The team-mates set the pace at the front and across the rough ground until conceding to the superior speed of Desalle and reigning world champion Tony Cairoli. Gonçalves, competing on home turf and at the venue where he notched an emotional MX2 victory in 2009, sent the crowd into rapture with his efforts and a career-best third place in the second moto. The former MX2 world championship runner-up was seventh in first moto and therefore placed fourth in the final ranking of the Grand Prix for the factory team’s best weekend of 2011.

LS Honda Racing’s Ken De Dycker continued his surge of powerful riding and promise by finishing sixth overall. The Belgian was sixth on both occasions, but felt that his second moto recovery from a first lap slot of twelfth was the better outing. Team-mate Shaun Simpson struggled for top ten pace across the red terrain and was twelfth at the conclusion of both thirty-five minute and two lap sprints.

In the MX2 class Swian Zanoni was not riding in an effort to let his hand (injured at the U.S. Grand Prix) recover strength and the small fracture to fully heal. After a break from Grand Prix duty the young Brazilian will attempt to steer his CRF250R in Spain next week.

Bobryshev is still Honda’s top ranked rider in the FIM Motocross World Championship standings. He holds fifth place and is ten points in front of Gonçalves in sixth. De Dycker is twelfth and two positions and thirty-three points ahead of Shaun Simpson.

The schedule moves swiftly on this week and the paddock will re-form at La Bañeza in northern Spain for round seven next weekend.

Evgeny Bobryshev (Honda World Motocross)
Race Result: 4th /4th Championship position: 5th
“It feels very good to be on the podium again and to see that Russian flag going up the pole. Yesterday I was making too many mistakes. I was leading the qualification heat and I had a lot of pressure from the others behind me. I made a silly crash so I thought a lot about my riding Saturday night and just wanted to be consistent today and that’s what happened. I want to keep on doing my best. Tracks are different for people every weekend; sometimes you can be fast sometimes not so much. I am working week by week at the moment, but tomorrow I go home to Holland with a smile on my face.”

Rui Gonçalves (Honda World Motocross)
Race Result: 7th / 3rd Championship position: 6th
“It was a good day and the second moto was really good. I swapped bikes for that race and it helped me get the holeshot. I had a good pace at the beginning and rode a strong speed at the front. I managed to stay there for a while. Cairoli and Desalle were a bit quicker, but I kept third. I’m pretty happy but I want to keep on working and focus on the next GP.”

Ken De Dycker (LS Honda Racing)
Race Result: 6th /6th Championship position: 12th
“It was quite good out there. I didn’t feel tired this week and came through the GP well. I couldn’t get a rhythm going in the first moto to push hard. The second moto was much better and if you can find the lines here then things get much easier. The track was rough. The results were an improvement on France and I hope we can keep on going up.”

Shaun Simpson (LS Honda Racing)
Race Result: 12th/12th Championship position: 14th
“Consistent results, but not what I wanted; two top tens is always the goal. On a positive note that is the first time I’ve come away from Portugal with two point-scoring results. I have not been on the pace this weekend. My starts weren’t so bad, but I lacked a bit of speed and energy. The track was very one-line. The soil was weird. It had been prepared well, but it ended up being ‘follow the leader’, there was another line option, but it wasn’t faster. You had to make positions by scratching plastic a little bit. I’ve gained a place in the championship; that’s not much, but at least its something. We will work towards next week now and try to keep smiling!”

Roger Harvey, Honda Motor Europe Off-road Racing Manager: “Naturally we are delighted to see Evgeny on the podium for the second time this year and he is progressing with his riding and development. This is only his second season in MX1 and he displayed a mature approach to the motos after that moment of panic yesterday. Our bikes were strong at the start – another positive thing and full credit to the team for their work – and watching Rui getting the home fans all excited was quite special. Ken and Shaun did their best on a rough track and De Dycker in particular is building up his form and results. Off to Spain next for a track that hardly anyone has seen so it should be interesting.”


STEVE RAMON
A mixed day for Ramon in Portugal

Following a tough French GP last weekend Steve Ramon headed to Agueda in Portugal this weekend looking to make amends and claw back some vital World Championship points.

Looking immediately comfortable on the exciting circuit Ramon posted some blistering laps in practice, and cruised to an easy 6th position in the Saturday qualifying session, securing a good gate pick for Sunday.

Once again lady luck was not on the side of the Belgian Champ as a mediocre start saw him fighting through the field. On lap 3 things got worse, whilst trying to make a pass into 9th position Ramon went down hard, dropping him down to 24th position by the time he got going again. Scrapping for every possible point Ramon pushed back to 15th position in the moto.

Race 2 would see a better start for the ‘Bomb’ as he powered the number 11 Suzuki around lap one in 7th position. Racing hard every lap Ramon looked super smooth and fast as he clawed his way into 5th position, which he held to the end.

Steve Ramon: ‘The first race my start was bad but I felt good and I was picking up through the field quickly. On the back of the circuit I had a good line into the rhythm section but as I jumped in the bike kicked sideways. I nearly held it, then the last jump flicked me again and I was down. All I could do was try and scrape back some points. Race 2 was a better start, and at the midway point I was really starting to close down the leading group, but with a few laps remaining the leaders started to keep the gap, but anyway I was happy with my pace in that race. Now we head to Spain, I hope I can get 2 good starts there and run further up front from the beginning.”


HONDA WORLD MOTOCROSS TEAM
Bobryshev returns to podium in Agueda with Gonçalves close behind

Honda World Motocross riders, Evgeny Bobryshev and Rui Gonçalves finished third and fourth respectively in the overall classification of the GP of Agueda, Portugal. The result marks a second podium for Bobryshev this season and an equal best result of the season for Rui Gonçalves.

What’s more is that in both motos, the riders aboard the official Honda World Motocross Team CRF450R grabbed the holeshot, Bobryshev in the first moto, Gonçalves the second.

Aside from fantastic starts, consistency was the order of the day, following and incident-packed Qualifying Race that saw both riders lined up in compromised gate positions. In the first moto Bobryshev settled into 4th while Gonçalves advanced through to 7th by race end. Out front Cairoli and Desalle would duel for first position with the spoils eventually going to Desalle.

In the second it was Gonçalves who powered away from the gate and into a comfortable lead, a lead he would maintain for the first nine laps, in front of team-mate Bobryshev holding tight formation. As the moto developed, Desalle and Cairoli would once again come through but the Honda mounted riders held strong in 3rd and 4th; positions that earned them 3rd and 4th in the overall classification.

For the rapidly improving duo, podium positions are now readily within reach, and it shouldn’t be long until race wins are on the Agenda.

Rui Gonçalves, Honda World Motocross: “The second moto, to lead the race for nearly 10 laps in front of my home crowd was a great feeling. Every time I came past they were going crazy. The first moto could have been better but I am happy with 4th overall and felt that I showed my speed in the second moto. This weekend has been pretty full-on with the home media and all the fans but I have enjoyed every minute of it!”

Evgeny Bobryshev, Honda World Motocross: “I am really happy to go back to the podium and really happy with the way I rode today. After a crash in the Qualifying Race my aim was to be consistent and it has paid off. It has been a good event for me and I have improved in the championship as well, so overall it has been a really positive weekend. I look to carry it on next weekend in Spain and would like to be back on the podium again.”


GAUTIER PAULIN
Gautier Paulin on the podium in Portugal

Yamaha Monster Energy racer, Gautier Paulin, has secured his third consecutive podium of the season, this time in Agueda, Portugal for round 6 of the FIM Motocross World championship.

The talented Frenchman, steered his Yamaha YZ250F to a reasonable start in moto 1 but lost touch to the leading trio early on in the race when he went into the back of Osborne and crashed. After finding a good rhythm Paulin put in a last minute charge to close down Max Anstie and Zach Osborne. In a last lap dash he tried all he could to pass Anstie and it was a photo finish with Anstie just getting the advantage.

A better jump in moto had Paulin in the top 6 on lap one. He pushed hard to make up a few positions and with Ken Roczen crashing out in mid-moto Paulin quickly moved past Osborne for third spot to secure second overall for the GP.

“I’m always happy to be on the podium but I am disappointed that I could not get a good  start and run with the guys up front. I proved in the first moto after I had a crash that I could run the same lap times as the leaders. I want to make it happen now and I feel really good on the bike. My next goal is to fight for GP wins,” said Paulin.

With no break afforded for the GP riders, round 7 of the 15 round series will take place in La Bañeza, Spain, a new location on the FIM MX World championship calendar.


TEAM SUZUKI

DESALLE AND SUZUKI DOMINATE AGUEDA
MX1 Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MX1's Clement Desalle posted a perfect scorecard of 1-1 on his works RM-Z450 for his third overall victory of the season at a sunny Agueda circuit for the Grand Prix of Portugal and the sixth round of 15 in the FIM Motocross World Championship.

Thirteen thousand spectators entered the tight and compact circuit south of Porto and were able to see the Belgian defeat Antonio Cairoli and Evgeny Bobryshev by controlling two exciting 35 minute a 2 lap motos.

After recording his third pole position of the season with a confident success in Saturday's qualification heat, Desalle tackled arguably the roughest and most technically difficult terrain of the year so far in confident fashion.

Under sunny skies the 22-year-old led the first moto from start to finish in spite of pressure from Steven Frossard and then Cairoli in the closing stages. In the second, he had to be patient for seven of 21 laps to draw up to the machines of Bobryshev and Gonçalves but was soon facing an empty track. Once more, Cairoli was the pursuer in the final laps but Desalle dealt admirably with the pressure to record his sixth moto triumph from 12 in 2011 (four more than his nearest rival).

Steve Ramon slipped off his machine entering the waves section in the first moto and pulled his left groin. Bearing the discomfort for the second sprint the former World Champion was able to complete a steady 40-minute trek for fifth place and eighth overall.

Desalle has now led the MX1 series standings for the last three rounds and for five of the six to-date and he was able to stretch his lead over Cairoli from six to 12 points. Ramon is 11th and nine points from brand-mate Kevin Strijbos and the top 10.

The final event of three back-to-back races will take place next weekend as Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MX1 make the relatively short journey across the border to La Bañeza for the Grand Prix of Spain.

Clement Desalle: "It was good to win and I'm happy with the result but I'm not that pleased with some mistakes I made. Tony was getting close to me both times but I stayed focussed and didn't want to crash. I wasn't tense and I knew what speed I could do. It was good to get more experience of being at the front and learning from the pressure! I had to pass Rui and Bobryshev in the second moto but I took my time because I didn't want to have to take any risks. I looked for opportunities and there wasn't many because the track was very rough and stony. I am still leading the Championship, but we will think about this more at the end of the season!"

Steve Ramon: "One bad race and one not so bad. In the first moto my start was OK but in the waves section around the back I made a mistake. I was going on the outside to get some speed to do the first double but somebody came up the inside and just blocked the face of the jump. I went sideways and it was a big one. I stretched my groin and it was pretty painful. The second moto was better but the track was really tricky. Nagl went down in front of me and so did Philippaerts. You had to be really focussed. I tried to close to gap to Bobryshev in front but I started to get stomach cramps near the end. I don't know why; maybe because of the impact from the earlier crash. It was tough to handle and that was it for today. I did my best. The track next week will be completely new for me. I haven't even seen a picture so it will be interesting."

ZECCHINA CONTINUES SUZUKI MX2 STEPS
Simone Zecchina took another step in his motocross education at the highest level by taking the RM-Z250 of the Suzuki Europe MX2 squad almost into the points at a warm Agueda circuit for the Grand Prix of Portugal.

A crowd of 13,000 came to the facility south of Porto for the sixth round of the FIM Motocross World Championship and although the agreeable climate created a pleasant event, the track itself was rough, demanding and difficult for overtaking. The layout represented another tough lesson for the Italian teenager on his second appearance of three for the GP team. Number '12' rued two mediocre starts, and in the first moto his part in a crash in the formative stages meant that he showed good resilience to push his way back to 23rd. In the second race, the rookie tried hard but did not have the power to last the entire distance at the speed he wanted to carry.

Zecchina and Suzuki Europe MX2 will next be in action at La Bañeza for the Grand Prix of Spain this coming weekend. Valentin Teillet is scheduled for a return to action for the Swedish round at the beginning of July. The same event will also host the second meeting of six in the European 125cc two-stroke series; a contest that Zecchina currently leads.

Simone Zecchina: "My starts were not good but I was quite pleased with how I could keep going and finish the race near the top 20. I couldn't get a good rhythm going in the second moto and after 25 minutes I was finished. Physically I felt better than I did in France and I am learning a lot about what I need to do. Spain will be my last GP with the team but I hear the track is quite 'Italiano' so that should be good for me."


YAMAHA RACING
Frossard fifth under Portuguese sun Monster Energy Yamahas Steven Frossard walked away from a heavy-hitting Agueda circuit and the Grand Prix of Portugal with fifth position overall on his works YZ450FM. The winner of the French round collected some decent points after a first moto finish of third, although he was limited to seventh later in the day after a lacklustre start from the gate.

Excellent weather covered the weekend and crimsoned the 13,000 attendance. The tight circuit was another hard test for the riders with the distinctive red dirt becoming very rough and demanding; penalising errors and forming the kind of squared-edge bumps that draw so much energy and concentration.

Frossard was nursing some discomfort with his right thumb after a small tumble in the qualification heat on Saturday. A bright start in the first moto helped the Frenchman terrorise the rear wheel of leader Clement Desalle but entering the final stages he was powerless to Tony Cairoli’s attack and passed the chequered flag in third. A poor gate later in the afternoon signified a busy stretch of work for the MX1 rookie but he fared well, arriving to seventh before being unable to gain further ground.

Frossard also saw the spill suffered by team-mate David Philippaerts. The Italian lost the front end of his machine in a descent while climbing the top ten and in the resulting crash cut his elbow and hurt his ribs. Earlier in the day DP had suffered another fall in the formative stages of the first moto and was forced to retire. It was a hard weekend for the former world champion and his 2011 title hopes.

Anthony Boissiere had a technical problem in the first moto that caused a DNF but he adjusted to the track in the second affair and took thirteenth, despite nursing some pain from his accident in France last week.

The winners of back-to-back events had to forego the podium on this occasion but Frossard has created distance between himself and Max Nagl (who crashed and injured his right hand) in the MX1-GP world championship standings. He is now third by 21 points. Philippaerts is seventh with Boissiere in fifteenth.

Monster Energy Yamaha will move east and across the border to La Bañeza this week for the Grand Prix of Spain and round seven of the series. The inauguration of the small facility south of Leon will represent the third of three consecutive meetings and precedes a small break in the calendar before another three-race stretch.

Steven Frossard: It was a bit difficult this weekend with my finger because the track had many hard bumps. It was hard for me on the downhills and also in the waves. I took a really good start in the first moto and went from fifth to second. I tried to catch Desalle but then Cairoli arrived and he was faster. I had been a bit too aggressive and was getting some arm-pump. It wasn’t easy to ride smooth and quickly after that. Anyway it was a good heat for me. I was a bit too tense at the start of the second race because I had the bad launch from Saturday in my head. I made a mess of it and tried to fight back but after twenty-five minutes I saw David crash and decided to consolidate, not go too crazy and focus on making the finish.

David Philippaerts: I’m very disappointed. I tried to push today but the track was very difficult and if you made a mistake then you paid for it and I did. I took the outside line to make the triple in the first moto and found Gonçalves who had changed his line when I was in the air. There was not much that could be done but it was a big crash. In the next race I made the little jump down the hill but I lost the front end, like I did in France. My arm needed a few stitches and I have some pain in my ribs but it could have been worse.

Another MX2-GP podium double for Yamaha
For the second week in a row two MX2-GP podium places were filled with YZ250F technology as Monster Energy Yamahas Gautier Paulin finished second overall at a sunny and demanding Agueda for the Grand Prix of Portugal while Bike it Cosworth Wild Wolf Yamahas Zach Osborne defied sickness to earn third place.

After a weekend full of activity with the European MX2 series again supporting the MX1 and MX2-GP classes the red Agueda terrain was almost brutal in terms of the rough bumps and ruts that were carved into the surface. 13,000 spectators travelled to the event and watched the MX2 field exercise restraint for when and how they could attack the terrain.

Paulin picked up his second trophy in the space of a week after two reasonable starts on his factory YZ250FM and pushed through to fifth and third positions, even in spite of a small crash while trying to pass Osborne in Moto1. The Frenchman was so close to snaring fourth on the last corner of the first moto but was just unable to relegate Max Anstie, denied by the width of a wheel. At the second start he passed both of his fellow Yamaha riders to defend a lonely third.

Osborne was also able to replicate his rostrum celebration from the Grand Prix of France, this time in third spot. The American was impressive to third and fifth considering that he was sick with a cold, cough and sore throat. Behind the consistent British Champion was team-mate Arnaud Tonus in fifth. The Swiss went down heavily at the top of the steep step- up triple on the first lap of the first moto and spent the rest of the 35 minute and 2 lap duration finding precious few places to overtake and reach a noteworthy eleventh. In the second race Tonus chased down Osborne for a fine fourth place.

Christophe Charlier was sixth for his best finish of the season. The Frenchman was flighty on the short Agueda hills and a bad start to Moto1 saw the former European Champion needing to recover from as low down as thirty-second. Charlier gained confidence from his rise to eighth in spite of an injured finger on his left hand. In the next race a better getaway saw him running alone in sixth. Team-mate Harri Kullas was tenth and ninth for tenth overall and was left lamenting two more incidents and his inability to launch from the gate in the leading pack.

Osborne is fourth in the MX2-GP world championship standings and 26 points from Tommy Searle. Paulin is two points behind his brand-mate with Tonus, Kullas and Charlier in seventh, eighth and tenth respectively giving Yamaha presence in half of the top ten of the table.

The FIM Motocross World Championship will move onto La Bañeza for the Grand Prix of Spain next weekend. The seventh round will end a small busy period of the calendar. The riders and teams have only one free weekend before another intense three-week stretch with races in Sweden, Germany and Latvia to come.

Gautier Paulin: I really feel good on the bike now, aggressive and fast and physically I can train and prepare like I want. I’m just missing the good starts now to get right at the front and be fighting for the lead. The championship will change and it is impossible to say what will happen, if you see today Ken had a crash and did not finish. I hope we can be strong and consistent for the rest of the season and try to regain a few of the points we lost. I am looking forward to being stronger every week.

Zach Osborne: Yesterday I thought two top ten finishes would be a good result. I got off to a good start and overall made some decent points today. I was able to charge the whole way in the first race but in the second after twenty-five minutes I was struggling to hold onto what I had. I tried to go with Gautier as long as I could to separate myself from Tonus; that would have given me second overall but third is not bad. We made some modifications to the bike after St Jean and they worked for me with two good starts. I need to get strong now for Spain next week.

Arnaud Tonus: I’m quite happy with the GP and especially the second moto. Saturday was also good with third in the qualification race. To almost have the holeshot yesterday was a big improvement for me! The track was tough and it was hard to find a good setting with the suspension and tyres because the ground was changing with every lap and it was slick and bumpy. I felt confident so I was disappointed with that big crash in the first triple step-up. After that it was difficult because I had broken the front brake and it wasn’t working any more but by finishing eleventh I saved some points. In the second moto I got better and better with my rhythm and in the end I was close to Paulin for third. It feels like a long time since I had a good feeling at a GP so I’m happy.

Christophe Charlier: Butron crashed into me yesterday and I hurt my finger so it wasn’t the best start to the Grand Prix and at the beginning of the first race I couldn’t believe it. I just rode as hard as I could and was really happy with the places I made. With a good start in the second one I kept a good pace and although I was on my own I was in positions where I think I should be.

Harri Kullas: We need to change something because my starts were really bad. In the first race I was around fifteenth and made a mistake and crashed. I came from last to tenth, which was OK but I’m not happy with yet another mistake. In the second moto I made the triple but came out hitting the high wall there and stalled the bike. I was twelfth but came back to ninth. Too many crashes in the last races and I’d made it hard for myself.


LS HONDA RACING
De Dycker takes fighting sixth in Portugal

Building on his recent form Ken De Dycker managed two sixth places today in Agueda during the Portuguese Motocross Grand Prix, the 6th round of 15 in the championship. Fellow LS Honda Racing rider Shaun Simpson finished just outside the top-10 in twelfth place.

Contrary to previous editions the Agueda track was blessed with warm weather and glorious sunshine. With a 3rd and 8th place during free and pre- qualifying practice De Dycker showed he was ready to tackle the slick, red dirt for the qualifying race. With a steady fourth, only 13-seconds behind race winner Desalle, Ken didn’t disappoint. Simpson was equally consistent to claim a well-deserved 8th.

In front of 13.000 enthusiastic fans Keeno produced a strong recovery from a mid-pack start around 16th place to come home 6th. De Dycker had his eyes set on fifth placed Xavier Boog near the end, but he ended the opening sprint right on the Frenchman’s tail. Simpson had a decent start, and circulated in 7th in the opening lap. Unfortunately Shaun couldn’t keep up with the fastest riders and had to settle for a slower pace. He crossed the line in 12th position.

De Dycker suffered another mediocre start in the second moto. Still the hard-charging Belgian provided plenty of entertainment with an inspired push from 12th in the opening lap to 9th after five laps. The CRF450R mounted LS Honda teamster used all his power to guide his bike on the rough and demanding course to score his second sixth place of the day. Again Ken kept pushing right until the end, clawing down on Steve Ramon’s advantage, but De Dycker ran out of time.

After a decent start, around 10th place, Simpson dropped some places eventually to claim another 12th. On a positive personal note; it was the first time the Brit came away from Portugal with two point-scoring results.

Ken De Dycker: “It was quite good out there. I didn’t feel tired this week and came through the GP well. I couldn’t get a rhythm going in the first moto to push hard. The second moto was much better and if you can find the lines here then things get much easier. The track was rough. The results were an improvement on France and I hope we can keep on going up.”

Shaun Simpson: “I have not been on the pace this weekend. My starts weren’t so bad, but I lacked a bit of speed and energy. The track was very one-line. The soil was weird. It had been prepared well, but it ended up being ‘follow the leader’, there was another line option, but it wasn’t faster. You had to make positions by scratching plastic a little bit. I’ve gained a place in the championship; that’s not much, but at least its something. We will work towards next week now and try to keep smiling!”


YAMAHA VAN BEERS RACING
World Championship points for Petar Petrov and Herjan Brakke in Portugal

Petar Petrov and Herjan Brakke of the Yamaha van Beers Racing Team have scored World Championship points at round six of the World Championship Series at Agueda in Portugal. Petar Petrov finished in 15th and 17th position respectively and scored ten World Championship points. Herjan Brakke finished in 20th and 17th position in the motos and went home with five world championship points. Unfortunately Marc de Reuver twisted his ankle in the first moto and had to sit out the rest of the day.

Petar Petrov started around 20th position in the first moto but during the first lap he made several passes and came by start/finish in 17th position. Soon after he worked himself back up to 15th position. During the race he changed positions several times but he stayed consistent and finished the first race in 15th position. In the second moto he started in the back of the pack. Petar started a charge back trough the field and after several laps he worked himself back up into the points. Petar kept the pace as high as he could and managed to move up some positions in the second part of the race to finally cross the finish line in 17th position. Overall he finished in 17th position and after six rounds he sits in 17th position in the World Championship Standings.

Marc de Reuver had bad luck today. In the first moto he twisted his ankle and was forced to retire from the race. Between the motos Marc decided to sit out the second moto and to come back when he is fully recovered from his ankle injury which he sustained at round three of the Belgian Championship Series in Kester.

Herjan Brakke started the first MX1 race inside of the top twenty. After several laps he was riding in 18th position but some laps later he dropped back to 19th position and because of a small mistake he dropped back out of the points. Herjan kept fighting and managed to pass a rider in the second part of the race to finish in 20th position and with this position he scored one World Championship point. His start in the second moto was better and at the end of the first lap he came by start/finish in 15th position. In the beginning of the race the pace was a little bit to high for Herjan and this cost him some positions. After several laps he was riding in 18th position and soon after he worked himself back up to 16th position. With still some laps to go Herjan lost a position but kept pushing till the end and finished the race in 17th position. Overall he finished in 20th position and after six rounds he sits in 32nd position in the World Championship Standings.


BEURSFOON SUZUKI
Beursfoon Suzuki takes points in Grand Prix of Portugal

The GP of Portugal got Mike Kras some progression and 5 World Championship points. A decent GP that can be improved with some extra speed in the opening laps in the future rounds of the world championship. In the European Championship the team got represented by the Danish dynamite Rasmus Jörgensen. He went out and took a 14th and a 16th position in his races. He knows he has got the speed for a top-10 finish but needs to make it happen.

Qualification: Intense weather conditions on the Saturday training and qualification sessions in Agueda, Portugal. The worst start scenario for Mike Kras when passing the pit lane the first lap in 33rd position. Through the qualification heat he made his way up to 23rd position. Rasmus on his side was showing a good pace during the training session of the European Championship early in the morning. The qualify heat worked out good as he finished in 8th position.

Heat 1: A better scenario for Mike Kras this time as he came around in 16th position. An early mistake right in the second lap made him drop back to a 25th position. Definitely not the place he was looking for. A consistent pace throughout this moto made him come back to a satisfied 19th position. After being in 8th position in the first few laps of the first heat, Rasmus made a few mistakes, which made him drop back into 12th position. Getting chased down by a few riders he had to defend and conquer his position.. He just could not keep the pace he had in the beginning so he finally came across the finish in 14th position.

Heat 2: A rougher track brought Mike into 20th position as he came around for the second lap in this second heat. Good lap times and a high level of self-confidence got converted into an 18th position with just a couple of seconds behind on a top-15 ranking. He would not let go this position until the end of the heat. A position that gave him an extra 3 points in the GP of Portugal.

The second heat of the European Championship in Agueda would start off in 16th position for Rasmus. Already two laps later he could swap this position into a 13th. Being in this place with only 4 laps to go, Rasmus made a small crash in a right hand corner just after the finish line section and got back into the race in 17th position. He lost his momentum and concentration, which he picked up again with only 2 laps to go and resulted in a last lap move into 16th position.

Mike Kras: The rougher the track, the better the riding went. I just need to take my pace to another level in the beginning in order to get a top-15 finish. I am happy with the 5 points and the progress I made in this GP.

Rasmus Jörgensen: It was a decent weekend for me. I showed once again that I have got the speed in qualifying and training sessions but now I need to make it happen in the heat races. My first heat was not good, but in the second heat I could pick up a good pace after a small crash and pushed it to the end. I am looking forward to Spain and aim for a top-10 finish out there.


BEN TOWNLEY
Townley non-starter at Portuguese GP

CLS Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki racer, Ben Townley will not start the Portuguese GP today in Agueda at round 6 of the FIM Motocross World championship. The likeable New Zealander has been battling to find his form both physically and mentally after a series of injuries delayed his come- back to GP motocross earlier this year.

“This is a tough decision to make but I’ve accepted that I’m not in a position to race at a competitive level, both physically and mentally. I’m so thankful to the team for understanding my situation and for supporting me in every way possible. Having been through the difficult times that I have been in over the last few months it is clear to me that I need to be 100% prepared both on the physical side and on the mental side. At this stage I am not, and I don’t want to put myself at risk until I can race without having any doubts,” commented BT.

Team Manager Jean Jacques Luisetti is supportive of his MX1 representative: “I understand the position that Ben is in. We don’t want him to take any risks whatsoever and we know that he has the capacity to be a top GP rider, and I think everyone has seen in St Jean what he is capable of. Next week we will discuss how we will continue the rest of the racing season.”

Townley will return to his base in Belgium where he will take time to assess his 2011 MX GP racing plans together with the team.


TANEL LEOK
LEOK NINTH IN PORTUGUESE GRAND PRIX

Tanel Leok has struck an encouraging vein of consistency lately. After two “away” Grands Prix in the USA and Brazil respectively that are best consigned to the “forget-it- fast” bin, he bounced back with a steady stream of top 10 results in the Grands Prix of France in Portugal respectively. The Estonian came into the French GP carrying a foot injury, but rode to two tenth places in the heats nonetheless for 10th overall.

A week later, the GP circus headed even more South to Agueda in Portugal. Agueda has hosted motocross Grands Prix for a number of years now, and has become a steady feature on the motocross world championship calendar. When Tanel rolled into the venue for the umpteenth time, there were therefore no surprises for him, and he was ready for action. The track at Agueda is not for the uninitiated – its challenging triple, step-ups and stomach-churning drop-offs provide a severe challenge to the riders' skills, and with an MX1 class stacked brimful with talent, racing to a good result was never going to be a simple affair.

Tanel started his weekend of well, and posted the sixth fastest time in the pre-qualifying practice. He had a less than brilliant start in the qualifying race, but maintained his composure well to bring the bright blue TM home in 13th position. This gave him a decent, though not perfect gate pick for Sunday's races. He started off in 12th position in race one, and made good a few positions during the course of the race. He kept his head about him and rode the race out in 10th position.

A duff start kept Tanel lower in the rankings at the outset of race 2. He was fired up for another top 10 result, though, and was in full Estonian Express mode as he made up position after position. He rode a stronger race than in the first heat, and from deeper down the 32 strong field, he worked his way up to 10th position again, for his fourth top 10 finish in as many races.

A steady day's worth of work netted the Estonian ninth overall and a handsome addition to his points tally. He has now broken through the triple digit mark in his 2011 points tally, and still holds 13th position in the world standings.

“I can feel that things are improving all the time,” he remarked after the race. “Last week I was carrying a foot injury, but it is fine now. The team have been working hard on some technical improvements on the bike, and I have been working hard on my riding. Both in France and here in Portugal I had strong second races, and I hope to be consistently in the top 10 now and work towards race results closer to the top 5.”

ALEKSANDR TONKOV
INJURED TONKOV RELINQUISHES EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD

After a brilliant start to his 2011 European Championship motocross campaign which saw him secure the lead in the series, Aleksandr Tonkov suffered a severe setback when injury kept him from any participation whatsoever in the Portuguese round of the series. The Russian teenager met with misfortune very early in during the event at Agueda. In the early laps of the practice session, he over-jumped a big obstacle when his wrist overextended. Pain spasms shot through his body, and it was immediately clear that any further participation in the weekend's race activities would be completely out of the question.

The initial diagnosis was that the injury was not too severe, and Aleksandr offset the disappointment somewhat by serving as co-commentator to Ulf Simon in the German broadcast of the event. Despite German not being his home language, Aleksandr acquitted himself well of his task, and provided plentiful expert insights into the rigours of top level motocross racing, the technical difficulties of the track, and the main protagonists.

Aleksandr returned to Italy for a more thorough check-up, and the news was not what he had hoped for – he had indeed suffered a fracture and will be out of action for at least twenty days. This means that he will miss the Spanish round of the series as well, further loosening his grip on a leading position in the series. Although his voice was heavy with disappointment when he conveyed the news, Aleksandr was philosophical about the turn of events.

“I was really hoping that I could still ride in Spain, and after the initial diagnosis, I though there was a 50-50 chance,” he said.

“The news was bad and I am disappointed, but this is racing, and these things sometimes happen. I know that I will lose more points to the leaders, but I will focus on coming back strong and getting the best possible result at every race.”

Aleksandr has dropped to third in the European Championship standings with a 29 point deficit on series leader Dylan Ferrandis.

QUALIFYING

TEAM SUZUKI

DESALLE GRABS THIRD MX1 POLE AT AGUEDA
Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MX1's Clement Desalle displayed what is now becoming a ruthless streak in qualification for the third time from six events in the FIM Motocross World Championship by earning Pole Position for the Grand Prix of Portugal.

The Agueda circuit, 80km south of Porto was dry, bumpy, slippery and challenging but the Belgian made a minor modification to his front suspension, set the second best lap-time in pre-qualification and then claimed victory in the Qualification Heat. Desalle shrugged off the presence of Max Nagl and applied a lot of pressure to the rear wheel of Evgeny Bobryshev until the Russian made a mistake and crashed.

Desalle picked up his third Lovemytime award to add to the spoils taken in the USA and France last week. Team-mate Steve Ramon also adjusted his front forks to deal with the quest for smoother lines. The Belgian made a reasonable start but did not feel completely prepared to push harder from the sixth position he held in the Heat sprint.

The sunshine and bright conditions are predicted to continue for tomorrow's race-day and the first leg of two events on the Iberian Peninsula.

Clement Desalle: "I'm feeling confident. It is a good track but different to previous years. You have to be careful because even the slightest mistake will put you on the floor. There doesn't seem to be as much traction as in the past, you really have to concentrate. I was coming closer and closer to Bobryshev in the race when he made that strange crash. We went one click different on the front fork but the bike has been good all day."

Steve Ramon: "My riding was OK for today. We had a small problem with the bike in timed practice and I had to use the second one. Everything was back to normal for the race and the Heat was OK but I didn't feel so comfortable. I couldn't push that much. The track is difficult and bumpy. We still have a little bit of work for tomorrow morning and the warm-up."

ZECCHINA CONTINUES MX2 LEARNING CURVE
Suzuki Europe MX2's Simone Zecchina continued his learning curve in the FIM Motocross World Championship by pushing towards some rapid lap-times on the RM-Z250 at a slippery and bumpy Agueda circuit for the Grand Prix of Portugal.

Only a small slip on the third lap of the MX2 Qualification Heat under the Portuguese sunshine prevented the Italian teenager from being able to rise higher than 26th and earn the same gate pick for Sunday.

Agueda presented some difficult challenges. Normally a meeting that sees some rainfall, the skies remained clear and the soft dry terrain churned into hard ripples. Zecchina set times reasonably close to the top 20 and is optimistic of some more Grand Prix points in his second appearance of a planned three for the team.

Simone Zecchina: "I'm finding it difficult here. My start wasn't good in the heat race and I had a small crash on the third lap. The set-up of the bike is fine and the suspension is ready but it was the rider who was not good. I think it is possible to make some points tomorrow if I can get out of the start. The motos felt very long for me last week but now I am confident I can be stronger for a longer period in the race."


HONDA RACING
Bobryshev crashes out of lead in Agueda Qualifying Race

Evgeny Bobryshev’s Qualifying Race for the GP of Portugal did not go entirely to plan. A finish of 7th was salvaged after a small crash cost him the chance of going for the victory.. Team-mate Gonçalves was also on a rescue mission after first corner contact left him with reduced stopping power from the front disc of his Honda CRF450R. A finish of 11th was well earned by the Portuguese.

Both riders got the drop at the start, Bobryshev powering to the holeshot, while Gonçalves rounded the first few turns, emerging in 3rd. However Gonçalves would instantly notice that something was not right and at the first heavy downhill braking area it was apparent that the front brake disc was damaged during the melee of the start.

Out front Bobryshev had bolted and put a gap of around two seconds on the rest of the field by the end of lap 2. However, a charging Clement Desalle was beginning to apply the pressure as the 20 minutes + 2 lap moto reached half distance. As Desalle closed the gap a small mistake from Bobryshev during a section of downhill waves would put him to the ground. He remounted but could only muster 7th position come the finish. Desalle would take the moto victory.

Gonçalves persevered with his heavy braking problems but was powerless to defend throughout the moto and slipped from a promising start to 11th. But a qualifying position of 11th could have been a lot worse under the circumstances and tomorrow is a new opportunity to impress in front of home fans.

Rui Gonçalves, Honda World Motocross: “I had no front brake for the whole race. There was contact off the start and the front disc got bent. There was no stopping power at all and on the downhill braking sections this cost me a lot. It was frustrating and I am hoping for better in front of my home fans today but will look forward to tomorrow.”

Evgeny Bobryshev, Honda World Motocross: “I crashed man, what can I say. It was a stupid mistake but I just got caught out coming through the downhill waves and lost it! I was leading at that point so I am really disappointed. Desalle was coming quick behind me and I lost my rhythm but I am happy with my speed this weekend so far and tomorrow is another day.