MX1

MX2

HONDA WORLD MOTOCROSS TEAM
Evgeny Bobryshev wins in Teutschenthal

Evgeny Bobryshev went 1-1 across both motos to take the overall victory at the Grand Prix of Germany in Teutschenthal.

Leading the first moto from start to finish, after getting the holeshot, Bobryshev took his first career GP win in dominant style. No one could keep with the pace of the powerful Russian, not even championship leader Cairoli, as he laid down the power of his CRF450R through the prototype Dunlop tyres.

In the second moto he did not have it all his own way, having to come through on the first lap before taking the lead. But this time Cairoli was not going to let him go, keeping on the rear wheel throughout much of the early stages. Cairoli was pushing so hard that he was beginning to make mistakes and he would fall whilst attempting a pass.

Bobryshev began once again to look comfortable at the front but Cairoli only lost a couple of seconds as he remounted and soon began to pressure once more. Coming into last lap, Cairoli was riding ultra-aggressive and gestured for a pass on one of the final corners. Bobryshev slammed the door shut and crossed the line in first to a huge cheer from the enthusiastic German crowd, to take his first overall Grand Prix win.

Team-mate Gonçalves also impressed on the day, going 7-4 for fourth overall, a solid performance from the reinvigorated Honda man.

Evgeny Bobryshev, Honda World Motocross
“I am lost for words, I don’t know what to say or how to feel right now. It felt so good out there, I went into this zone where everything just came together and the laps were just counting down. I would like to thank the whole team and everyone at Honda for their efforts and support, it has been amazing. This is the best moment in my career for sure!”

Rui Gonçalves, Honda World Motocross
“I am really happy with my performance today and felt like I began to rediscover my feeling with my riding. I have to say that I am also so happy for my team-mate Bobryshev, he rode awesome today and he deserved the win overall.”

HONDA RACING

Weather: Cloudy, bright
Temperature: Ambient 25 degrees C
Attendance: 40,000

BOBRYSHEV TAKES MAIDEN GRAND PRIX WIN

Honda World Motocross Team's Evgeny Bobryshev climbed the top step of the MX1 podium for the first time in his career thanks to a brilliant 1-1 scorecard on his works CRF450R in front of 40,000 people at the Talkessel circuit. The sun shone on the strong and irrepressible Russian at Teutschenthal for the Grand Prix of Germany and the ninth round of fifteen in the rapidly dwindling schedule of the 2011 FIM Motocross World Championship.

Bobryshev, who qualified with a decent second position on Saturday, made the most of recent tests and improvements to his factory machine the previous week to start brightly in both races and not only seized his first chequered flag in just his second MX1 season, but also claim the 'overall'. It was the team's first win at the bumpy and difficult German track since Brian Jorgensen posted identical results at the same Grand Prix in 2005. It was the first triumph for the Italian crew since 2008 and the first for Russia in MX1 (the first by any Russian rider in a GP for 31 years).

The 23-year-old (confirmed as a Honda rider for 2012 and 2013) beat World champion Tony Cairoli in the first moto and defeated the Sicilian again by the narrowest of margins in the second race. The grandstand finale between the pair made for a pulse-raising culmination to another entertaining MX1 event.

Team-mate Rui Gonçalves was feeling in better shape compared to Sweden last week, but is still missing an extra edge to his fitness through a blood disorder. The Portuguese managed to impress however with positive launches from the gate and rode to seventh and fourth, for fourth overall.

In contrast LS Honda Racing's Ken De Dycker had two poor getaways and had to assert himself in the opening laps to find positions from which to attack in the top ten. The Belgian, whose last Grand Prix victory came at Teutschenthal in 2010, was aggressive and enjoyed a spat in the first moto with Clement Desalle. He would finish sixth and then later earn a decent fifth to be the third CRF450R rider in the top six of the GP classification. Team-mate Shaun Simpson had cause for optimism thanks to 'top ten speed' on Saturday and then rode to eleventh and twelfth through the 35 minute and two lap sprints on Sunday.

In MX2 Swian Zanoni had more bad luck on the CRF250R, and an incident in the first moto led to a badly cut finger on his left hand. The gutsy Brazilian attempted the sighting lap for the second moto, but was in too much pain to consider going to the line.

Bobryshev is making excellent ground in the MX1 World Championship standings and now holds fourth, 36 points from third place. Gonçalves is seventh, De Dycker eleventh and Simpson is fifteenth. Round ten of the series will take place next week at Kegums for the Grand Prix of Latvia and will be followed by trips to Belgium, Czech Republic and the UK.

Evgeny Bobryshev (Honda World Motocross)
Race Result: 1st/1st  Championship position: 4th
"It is a really great feeling being there on top of the box and hearing the Russian anthem being played. Inside you are so excited you want to cry. I think the other riders who have won their first Grand Prix will understand me. I saw Tony coming with ten minutes to go and I knew he would be close so I was getting ready for that, I felt a bit nervous! I stayed strong though and was able to win the race. We did a lot of testing last week and we had some tough days on the bike, but I was able to feel more comfortable this weekend and enjoyed playing with the bike. I'm so motivated to get to Kegums now."

Rui Gonçalves (Honda World Motocross)
Race Result: 7th/4th Championship position: 7th
"It was OK today. We worked together this week with my doctor and physio and I felt better, if still not 100%. I'm happy overall, especially with the second moto, and was able to ride a bit more like I want. We will keep working on this problem now even though it will be difficult to say if everything will be OK for Latvia. I can say that I felt an improvement over Sweden so I hope it will go in the same way again."

Ken De Dycker (LS Honda Racing)
Race Result: 6th/5th Championship position: 11th
"You have to be really aggressive on the first laps, but it was hard to see when you were behind someone because of the dust and the roost. Once I got up to the leaders then it became really difficult because it wasn't easy to pass. I was stuck behind Desalle for a lot of the first moto and in some places I was quick and in others he was running away. I couldn't do anything about it. Another bad start in the second race, but I went hard in the first ten minutes. I then again could not make any seconds on the guys in front. I have to be happy with some more consistent results, but I am not where I want to be. If I can get the starts then I will be one of the first guys."

Shaun Simpson (LS Honda Racing)
Race Result: 11th/12th Championship position: 15th
"I feel it could have gone better. My goal this year is to push on for two top ten finishes and I've yet to do that, but on a positive note my speed was good yesterday and I was quite happy. My starts are still not good enough and that is a major factor of this MX1 class. I was about eighth on the first lap in both motos and struggling a little bit with my pace in the second race. I dropped back a bit but fought on and passed a few riders towards the end. It has not been a great weekend but at least two scores, close to the top ten and I need to take confidence and keep smiling!"

Roger Harvey, Honda Motor Europe Off-road Racing Manager:
"Naturally this is the best weekend of the year for us and everyone deserves credit. The team worked hard during the week and I believe it paid-off today even though Evgeny's performances could not have been better. It was a thrilling Grand Prix and we are elated right now. I think every rider did well today. Ken pushed hard, Rui the same considering he is not 100% and it was a better day for Shaun. It is exciting to think what we can do now for the rest of the season and having 'Bobby' confirmed with us until 2013 means we can signal our intent in the MX1 FIM World Championship."

KTM RACING

Roczen wins home MX2 GP in Germany
Red Bull Teka KTM rider Kenny Roczen made KTM, his team and 40,000 fans at the Teutschenthal circuit happy on Sunday when he took overall victory in the MX2 GP with a 1-3 moto result to surge further forward on the overall championship standings.

Factory team-mate Jeffrey Herlings finished fourth overall with a 2-4 moto finish and is still second behind Roczen in the championship.

The two KTM factory teenagers completely dominated the first moto finishing over 30 seconds ahead of the field but the second moto was much harder work. Herlings missed the start and found himself back at fourteenth and Roczen crashed in the first lap. Both riders then pulled out all the stops hunted down the rest of the pack. Within three laps, Herlings was back in second while Roczen was closing in on him in fourth place. Roczen waited his moment then, responding to the huge roar from the crowd, slipped past his team-mate and rode out the rest of the moto in third behind Gautier Paulin and Tommy Searle to seal another comfortable GP victory.

Roczen raced with a cold but still pulled off a thrilling performance for the massive crowd who came to the German circuit to support the young super star.

Roczen and Herlings again proved that they are in a class of their own in MX2 this weekend. team-mate Jeremy van Horebeek was unable to start on race day after a crash on Saturday put him in hospital overnight under observation. It was bad luck for the Belgian rider who has only just rejoined the team after another injury break. Jeremy was released from hospital on Sunday but returned to Belgium for more checks.

Ken Roczen: “Yesterday was good and today was even better. I won the first race and I got the holeshot in the second. Then I crashed in the first lap, I was back at 16th and it’s hard to pass on this circuit. I managed to come back to third and won the overall so I could make a bigger gap in the points to Jeffrey.”

Jeffrey Herlings admitted that although Teutschenthal was not his favourite track, he was still satisfied with his result. "I’m satisfied with my riding and although I finished behind Ken I was still able to keep up with the same speed and I didn't lose too many points. I also like the changes that they made to the track here," he said. "Now I go and train in the sand because we'll be racing in sand next weekend in Kegums and that's my specialty."

Young riders in the UEM EMX125 class also had their third round of competition in Teutschenthal, which saw a second and third podium place for KTM riders Samuel Bernadini of Italy and Tim Gajser of Slovenia. These riders are also second and third in the championship standings. KTM is ahead in both MX2 and EMX125 in the Manufacturer’s Standings.

Cairoli just misses victory in MX1 GP of Germany
A last corner battle between Red Bull Teka KTM’s Tony Cairoli and Russian Evgeny Bobryshev in the second moto of the MX1 GP of Germany had 40,000 fans at the Teutschenthal circuit on their feet and screaming. But when the championship leader tangled with a rut in the last corner the race and the GP went to the Russian.

Cairoli’s efforts, which netted him a 2-2 result for the two motos still added another 44 points to his bid to retain the championship title and he retained the red plate.

The Italian who rode this weekend with a special Pit Beirer Replica Helmet as a mark of respect for the head of KTM Motorsports, secured the holeshot in the all important second moto but then settled in behind the Russian in second place. The two riders engaged in some close encounters and several times Cairoli slipped back in the field, including when he got stuck behind a back marker in the last stages of the race. But Cairoli saved the best till last, shadowing Bobryshev and planning exactly where on the hard and at times slick circuit he would make his move. He delivered some typical magic in the final lap, manoeuvring into position to make the move on the Russian. Then he made a brief contact with the other bike and the moment was gone.

Tony Cairoli: “I am working on changing my riding style and I have to try to be a bit more focused on the first 15-20 minutes. I’m trying to be a bit more aggressive. But its getting better and I’m happy about my riding.

In race two, team-mate Max Nagl of Germany was in a good third, a position he was able to defend for most of the race even though he did eventually slip back to seventh, salvaging enough points for overall fifth on the day. Nagl said after the race that although he had been quite satisfied with his riding and his starts and felt he could keep up with the leaders, he got extremely tired in the second race and almost had to pull out. He met with the team after the race and they will now make some adjustments to the suspension settings ahead of next week’s race in Latvia.

TEAM SUZUKI

DESALLE BACK ON MX1 PODIUM
Clement Desalle was still able to use his weakened shoulders to lift a sixth podium trophy of the season as the Belgian battled across the rutted hardpack of Talkessel, Teutschenthal to take third place overall on his works RM-Z450 at the Grand Prix of Germany today.

Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MX1 was able to reflect on a successful ninth round of 15 in the FIM Motocross World Championship with Desalle barely adjusting his factory machine for the fast and undulating course and able to return to the rostrum after coping with small injury problems over the past two weeks. A large crowd of 40,000 created a lively atmosphere for the best-attended meeting of the season so far.

Two fairly decent starts and a smooth attack of the terrain and the riders ahead all hitting similar lap-times meant that Desalle was able to hunt for a healthy quantity of Championship points. A duel and victory over Ken De Dycker for fifth position in the first race was improved by a confident surge to third place in the second that put Desalle back on the box and signified a loss of only eight points to World Champion Tony Cairoli who is the sole rider ahead of the Belgian in the MX1 standings.

Team-mate Steve Ramon did not have the best GP and admitted he was not on best form as he rode to 10th and ninth for 10th place overall. The former World Champion had a crash in the second race that set him back.

Desalle trails Cairoli by only 18 points in the series' standings with trips to Latvia, Belgium, Czech Republic, UK, Germany and Italy remaining before the culmination of the season in September. Ramon is 10th but one point from eighth.

The Grand Prix of Latvia at the Kegums circuit will hold round 10 of the FIM series and will take place next week, meaning a trek east direct from Teutschenthal for the Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MX1 crew.

Clement Desalle:
"It was another difficult weekend for me. I was not feeling good after the qualification yesterday and it was hard with all the small injuries to keep a good feeling on the bike today. That is the key for me. If I can find the feeling and enjoy my riding then of course I will be fast. I'm not so happy with my current situation but it is good to come back on the podium!"

Steve Ramon:
"Not much luck today. I had a pretty good start in the first moto but I made two mistakes on the first lap and some guys passed me. I wasn't riding well today and didn't have the power to push. It was tough. The second moto was about a bad start, a crash, pushing to recover and then making mistakes! I crashed together with Schiffer and from that point I just tried to get as many points as possible. Of course I'm not happy but I did what I could."

TEILLET SHINES AT GERMAN MX2 GP
In only his second full event of the season, Valentin Teillet put a hard day in practice and qualification behind him to turn around his form at Teutschenthal for the Grand Prix of Germany today; the team's home event and also the ninth round of 15 in the FIM Motocross World Championship.

The 20-year-old finished a decent eighth overall and claimed seventh in the second moto run in front of a huge 40,000 crowd and in hot and stuffy conditions.

After a frustrating day on Saturday that meant the former European Champion had to enter the gate down in 20th position, Teillet was in determined mood and with a different sprocket, rear tyre and with one-or-two other modifications to the set-up of his RM-Z250, the Frenchman was able to make some decisive overtaking moves on a rutty track that was not easy for passing.

The first outing saw him cut through from a poor start to push up to 10th and that gave Teillet a vital shot of confidence across a weaving surface that has never seen the best of the flamboyant racer. A better placing at the launch of the second sprint elevated him into the mid-top 10 contention and he was able to pass Jake Nicholls for seventh by the flag.

Teillet, who has missed six rounds of the series through a shoulder injury, has now slotted into 21st position in the FIM World Championship standings.

Substitute rider in 2011, Simone Zecchina, was victorious in the third round of the European 125cc two-stroke series, for the second time this season and now fronts the table by four points from Samuele Bernardini.

Suzuki Europe MX2 will now press on east and to Kegums for the Grand Prix of Latvia next weekend.

Valentin Teillet:
"This is actually one of my best results for nearly three years. The start in the second race was better than the first but I rode strongly in both and it actually feels like an amazing day. I can take confidence from this. The speed is there and my physical condition is getting better. Yesterday I didn't like the track at all and there is something about this place that is not good for me; two years ago I didn't make any points here and last year was 15th twice! Today I found some grip and could ride like I wanted."

GAUTIER PAULIN
Gautier Paulin wins first MX2 GP moto for another podium result

Securing his 6th consecutive MX2 overall podium of the season, Yamaha Monster Energy racer, Gautier Paulin also won his first moto for 2011 in front of 40.000 spectators at the Talkessel circuit in Germany over the weekend.

The friendly Frenchman set fastest qualifying time on Saturday but looked stiff in his qualification race and could only manage 4th place for a decent pick at the gate on Sunday.

Paulin made a few mistakes on the opening  laps of race 1 and had difficulties with finding a fast race rhythm.  He moved past fellow Yamaha racers, Zach Osborne and Arnaud Tonus to secure a lonely 4th position till the end of the race.

Taking advantage of a recent engine update, Paulin, almost had the holeshot but he quickly took advantage of a mistake by Ken Roczen on the opening lap to move into the lead.  GP21 put the hammer down from the word go and pulled a decent lead in the early stages of the race.  He controlled the race from the front, keeping his lap times consistent and never put a foot wrong to take a well deserved victory.

“To be honest I battled with my riding on Saturday and could not ride how I wanted to.  We made some bike setup changes and I felt much better today.  I should have had a better result in the first moto and put myself in a position to win the overall.   The second moto was great.  That’s what we all work for and winning the moto has given the team and me and big confidence boost.  The next step is to win a GP of course and with the new engine improvements Yamaha has given me we are in a very strong position now.  I’m looking forward to Latvia this weekend” smiled Paulin.

YAMAHA VAN BEERS RACING
A top ten moto finish for Marc de Reuver in Germany

Marc de Reuver of the Yamaha van Beers Racing Team has scored a top ten moto finish at round nine of the World Championship Series in Teutschenthal, Germany. Marc was riding well in the practice sessions on Saturday. He set the 18th fastest time in the pre qualifying session and finished in 16th position in the qualifying race. In the first moto on Sunday he started the race around 15th position. In the beginning of the moto he managed to pass some more riders and worked himself up to 12th position. In the second part of the moto he got some pressure from the riders behind him. Marc lost two positions and finished the race in 14th position. In the second moto he started around 15th position again. In the first part of the race he managed to pass some riders and after a strong end of the race he finished the race in tenth position. Marc finished twelfth overall and sits in 20th position in the World Championship Standings.

Herjan Brakke didn’t score points in Germany. In the first moto he started his race in the back of the field. Because the track was still pretty fast it was difficult to overtake. Herjan tried everything he could but had to be satisfied with 25th position. In the second moto he took a better start and came out of the first corner in 20th position. In the beginning of the race things went well for Herjan till he made a crash. He dropped back to 34th position and had a lot of catching up to do. Herjan rode consistent lap times and finished the race in 21st position.

Petar Petrov qualified himself in 15th position in the MX2 class. In the first moto he took a pretty good start and had some nice battles around 15th position. In the middle of the race he worked himself up to 15th position and held on to this position till the chequered flag waved. In the second moto he took a really good start but unfortunately he collided with Ken Roczen during the first lap and by this collision his gear shifter got bent and because of this he had to retire from the race. Petar finished 20th overall and sits in 18th position in the Championship Standings.

YAMAHA RACING

Frossard takes another top three moto finish in Germany
Monster Energy Yamaha were able to see Steven Frossard take his factory YZ450FM to his eleventh top three moto finish of a rookie MX1-GP season at a packed Talkessel circuit in Teutschenthal for the Grand Prix of Germany today, the ninth round of fifteen in the FIM World Championship. 40,000 spectators basked in hot conditions and saw the Frenchman take a decent third position after passing local favourite Max Nagl on the last lap.

Considerable work had been done on the shallow climbs and drops of the Talkessel layout with two new sections and other small modifications to help reduce the speed and encourage better flow. The soft terrain of Saturday and Sunday mornings created a rutted surface but the narrow course was still difficult for overtaking.

Frossard sadly could not aim for his fifth overall podium of the year after hitting the gate at the start of the second moto. The Frenchman, who won a moto (his career first) and took second position at Teutschenthal in the MX2-GP class in 2009, was already less-than-100% after a crash on Saturday had given him a slight headache. He had to come back through the pack and another mistake when he stalled the bike and had to restart meant the second race could deliver no better than fifteenth for eighth overall.

David Philippaerts was left cursing his luck. The Italian experienced a problem with his rear brake in the first moto that caused him to slow his speed and cross the line in ninth. DP19, returning to the scene of his first MX1 Grand Prix victory in 2007 (and where he hadn’t dropped out of the top five taking third position in 2010), was undone by Frossard’s early jump in the second moto and also ran into trouble with the gate. The ex-world champions speed was impressive however to power through to eighth for ninth overall.

The third member of the Monster Energy Yamaha collective, Anthony Boissiere, crashed in the first moto and was too far behind the rest of the field to make much of an impression. The Frenchman managed fourteenth in the second outing.

Frossard is third in the MX1 standings and 40 points away from Antonio Cairoli at the top. Philippaerts is sixth and 32 from the top five. The third Grand Prix in three weeks will take place in the soft and rough setting of Kegums this coming weekend for the visit to Latvia.

Steven Frossard, 8th:
In the first moto my start wasn’t so bad and I was happy with how I could attack quickly. I was trying to pass Nagl for a long time and then Cairoli arrived. I pushed a lot at the end of the moto to get Nagl and could do it on the last lap. I was pleased with the race but I messed up the GP by hitting the gate at the start of the second moto. I was last and tried to come back but I wasnt feeling so good on the bike. Yesterday I crashed and hit my head and I felt tired in that second race. I was coming back through OK but then I made a mistake and stalled the engine. I had to push the bike down the hill to restart and ended up fifteenth. It is a bit difficult to accept because last week I won both motos and closed up with points for the championship. Now, like in Glen Helen, one mistake has caused me to lose a lot.

David Philippaerts, 9th:
My luck doesn’t change! We had another brake problem in the first moto and then at the start of the second Steven was next to me and started to go. He hit the gate and mine did not drop so I also got caught. I pushed back as hard as I could and reached eighth with some good lap-times. The track was pretty easy in some ways, which meant the times were very close. There were many people here today and this was crazy! It was like a Motocross of Nations.

Anthony Boissiere, 17th:
I did not feel so good here; tired and unable to do much on the bike. I had a crash in the first moto and lost a lot of time to restart and in the second, well, the result was so-so. I need a few days rest now to try and get some energy and hopefully be better for Latvia.

Paulin continues podium streak and nails first moto win at Teutschenthal
Monster Energy Yamahas Gautier Paulin finished runner-up in the Grand Prix of Germany at a heavily rutted and sweltering Talkessel circuit in Teutschenthal and took the prototype YZ250FM to its first chequered flag of 2011 with victory in the second moto.

The Frenchman prevented local hero Ken Roczen from going for a double race win in front of a massive 40,000 crowd at the historic venue and in doing so collected his sixth podium in a row; a run of form better than anyone else in the fiercely competitive class. Teutschenthal provided its usual rutted and hardpack test. The snaking layout was not easy for overtaking and lap-times were tight.

Paulin made a few mistakes on his way to a lonely fourth in the first moto but started excellently (profiting from some engine upgrades after recent tests) in the second and when Roczen slipped off negotiating the first lap, GP21 was free to drop the hammer and establish a race-winning advantage. Despite the push of Tommy Searle to reduce the gap Paulin controlled the lead and confirmed Yamahas first race triumph of 2011. He filled the second step purely due to Roczen’s better overall points haul.

Bike it Cosworth Wild Wolf Yamahas Arnaud Tonus was fifth overall and one position in front of team-mate and fellow YZ250F rider Zach Osborne. The Swiss was unlucky to lose a little bit of ground and not break into the top five (he was sixth) in the first moto after his handguard prevented the clutch lever from extending properly and effected the performance of the engine in the closing stages of the race. In the second sprint a fantastic start in second position was ruined by a crash on a downhill section and Tonus had to recover his composure to make fifth.

Despite taking fifth and sixth Osborne was struggling. The American was confirmed to be suffering from the energy-sapping Epstein-Barr virus on Thursday. The British Champion ended the Grand Prix vomiting over his motorcycle through the exertions of the weekend. He will now make a call over his condition with regards to participation in upcoming meetings.

Monster Energy Yamahas Harri Kullas was tenth overall and the third YZ250F rider in the top section of the leaderboard; the Finns rides to thirteenth and eleventh restoring some confidence. Team-mate Christophe Charlier crashed in the first moto but still captured ninth. A fall on the first corner of the second moto saw the Frenchman hit by other riders and he retired with a painful neck and back.

In the world championship standings Paulin is fourth and has closed to within 9 points of Tommy Searle. Osborne is fifth and nine points ahead of Tonus while Kullas and Charlier hold eighth and tenth respectively. The Grand Prix of Latvia at Kegums takes place next weekend but is not the final event in July for the Yamaha world championship collective. A break of one week will precede the Grand Prix of Limburg in Belgium at the end of the month

Gautier Paulin, 2nd:
Finally I won my first moto and I didn’t expect it here because it was a hard weekend and during the qualification race I was riding tight. The team did a great job for me and we made some changes to the balance of the bike and the suspension and it was better for Sunday. In the first moto I made a big mistake and caught my footpeg doing a scrub. I nearly went over the bars and had to get my foot back around and on the bike correctly! I had a great start in the second moto and was behind Ken when he made his mistake. I knew I had the advantage and had to win the race. I pushed hard to make it happen. We are second on the podium and the first three-four riders are very strong but we are working hard. The upgrades we had for the engine helped me with the starts and also exiting the corners. It was an improvement for sure so I have to give big thanks to the team for this.

Arnaud Tonus, 5th:
It has been a good weekend overall. I had a good race on Saturday. The first race saw a decent start and nice rhythm but then we had a small problem with the bike when the hand-guard came up and was stopping the clutch lever from going out fully. I did what I could from that point. I was up in second at the beginning of the second moto, which was amazing, but I made a small mistake. I was a bit disappointed and found it hard to get back in the race. After twenty-five minutes it was much better and I could catch Zach and pass him but it was a tough one. Ive been consistent for the championship but this was a missed chance. It was great to see so many people here and a noisy crowd like that.

My plan this morning was just to go out in the first moto and give all I could for as long as I could. I was fine with ten minutes to go and then I tired a little bit. In the second race I was riding OK but didn’t have that extra speed. I ended up being sick all over the bike. We will take it day-by-day now and see how I feel. Today I was able to ride at a pace for the top five but to be honest the track was not super-physically demanding; on a rougher surface we will have to see.

Harri Kullas, 10th:
It was a difficult race because the track was hard. There were some ruts so it was quite nice to ride but everyone was very fast and it was hard to make any difference. I was slipping around a lot in the first few laps of the first moto but then I found my rhythm and made some positions. My speed was OK and consistent by the end. I was second at the start of the next race but everyone went at me on the first lap. I was hesitating a bit because of the watering and didn’t want to crash. I was hanging onto the top ten when Anstie came past and tried to stay with him. Overall it was better than last week but I still need to do more. Anyway I hope I have turned a little corner and I think I can get my confidence back.

BEURSFOON SUZUKI MOTOCROSS TEAM

Determination gets rewarded for Mike Kras at GP of Germany
By: Michiel Janssens / Beursfoon Suzuki MX Team

A day filled with bad luck during the Saturday program for the Beursfoon Suzuki team, seemed to be followed with more of the same during the first heat on Sunday. Early on in the qualify session Mike got tangled up with another rider which left him with a damaged bike. Karma wasn't on Mike's side when he crashed hard in the start of the first heat, the rider behind Mike couldn't avoid him and rode into his back.. The medical crew was right there on hands. Mike left the carnage without big injuries but had to leave the battlefield in pain. Revenge in the second heat resulted in a nice heat race where Mike came back from a 26th place to a beautiful 16th place. 5 Championship points were on hands for Mike Kras at the end of the weekend, which was a nice result after the bad luck early on.

Saturday:
During mornings training and pre-qualifying sessions Mike couldn't get into his rhythm, besides this Mike had some bad luck going into the first lap of the qualification heat. A minor start dropped him into 25th position when a few seconds later another rider rode into Mike's front fork protectors causing them to break. Not being able to ride with a broken front fork protector – Mike went into the pit lane and did not finish this heat.

Sunday:
Heat 1:
Mike got tangled up with some riders during the start of the first heat which resulted in a massive crash where Mike got hit in the back by the rider behind him. The medical crew was right there on hands and had to support Mike. This meant the end of the first heat for Mike.

Heat 2:
The outside position at the start gate made it not easy for Mike to get up in front of the pack, which made him start the race from the 26th place.. Immediately he could set a high pace on the technical and hard track and could pass some riders right in the beginning of the race. After the first half of the race Mike came through in 18th place and closed in on the riders in front of him. Fully committed, Mike kept on charging until the end of the race, some nice passes on his opponents resulted in a 16th place finish for the second heat.

LS HONDA RACING
De Dycker on the pace in Teutschenthal

The 2011 Grand Prix of Germany, the ninth round of the FIM MX1 World Championship, has been a productive day for LS Honda riders Ken De Dycker and Shaun Simpson. In front of an enthusiastic 40.000 strong crowd De Dycker and Simpson respectively finished sixth and eleventh overall today in Germany. Keeno’s points haul saw him finish one point down from fourth. Honda World Motocross colleague Evgeny Bobryshev rode his CRF450R tho his first ever Grand Prix victory.

The fast and undulating terrain of the Talkessel circuit was suiting Simpson’s riding perfectly on Saturday. Shaun posted the fastest time in free practice and confirmed his intentions with a great qualification moto finishing seventh, Ken De Dycker was ninth. While De Dycker had a mediocre start outside of the top ten, the tall Belgian once again demonstrated his ability for cranking out fast laps. Ken made swift progress to climb up to seventh after three laps. He also passed David Philippaerts for sixth, but couldn’t make his pass on Desalle stick. The number 9 LS Honda crossed the line only 25 seconds behind race winner Bobryshev. Team-mate Simpson had a decent start, but lost valuable time on the first two laps. Once the double British MX of Nations team member found his rhythm he rode a solid race in 11th place.

Shaun grabbed a great start pointing his CRF450R in fifth down the spectacular first right-hander. Unfortunately Shaun couldn’t make the best of his start and dropped back to eighth after the opening lap. Simpson didn’t have the consistency he had in the first sprint and dropped down to 14th. However a string of trusty 2’08” laps pushed ‘Braveheart’ back up to 12th behind guest rider Brad Anderson. Another poor getaway from De Dycker called for gutsy riding in the opening stages.
The winner of the 2010 German Grand Prix responded with class, charging hard from 14th to 5th. Ken still occupies 11th in the standings, but he is making good ground as he is only three points shy off Jonathan Barragan in 8th place. Shaun is now 15th, six points behind 14th place.

Ken De Dycker: “You have to be really aggressive on the first laps, but it was hard to see when you were behind someone because of the dust and the roost. Once I got up to the leaders then it became really difficult because it wasn’t easy to pass. I was stuck behind Desalle for a lot of the first moto and in some places I was quick and in others he was running away. I couldn’t do anything about it. Another bad start in the second race, but I went hard in the first ten minutes. I then again could not make any seconds on the guys in front. I have to be happy with some more consistent results, but I am not where I want to be. If I can get the starts then I will be one of the first guys.”

Shaun Simpson: “I feel it could have gone better. My goal this year is to push on for two top ten finishes and I’ve yet to do that, but on a positive note my speed was good yesterday and I was quite happy. My starts are still not good enough and that is a major factor of this MX1 class. I was about eighth on the first lap in both motos and struggling a little bit with my pace in the second race. I dropped back a bit but fought on and passed a few riders towards the end. It has not been a great weekend but at least two scores, close to the top ten and I need to take confidence and keep smiling!”

KAWASAKI RACING TEAM

MX2 - Another podium for Tommy Searle in Germany
Tommy Searle had two hard-charging rides in the German round of the FIM World MX2 Motocross Championship at Teutschenthal to record his sixth podium finish of the season.

The start was of great importance on the high-speed German raceway and Searle, the Kawasaki Team CLS leader, did not have the best of luck in the early stages of either moto. He did manage to forced his way through to third place by the end of the first full lap in the opening moto, but the leaders had already established a gap and the Brit wisely settled down to secure his third place on a hot humid day when physical condition would play a role in the second moto. Sadly Tommy's recent string of bad luck followed him at the start of that race as he was hindered by another rider at the second corner and lost a number of places. Riding with tremendous verve he was able to slice through the field to finish a superb second, clearly outpacing his major rivals in the closing stages but not quite able to pull back the race-long leader. He remains third in the championship standings.

Young team-mate Max Anstie, in his rookie GP season, has never previously ridden many of the tracks and inevitably spends much of practice and qualification finding the most suitable settings and learning the tracks. Teutschenthal is one of the tracks which the English teenager had never ridden before this weekend and a 15th place in the qualification race gave him a poor choice of gate at the start of the GP motos, a severe handicap on this particular track where the first corner layout heavily favours the riders with the best choice of gate. Keen to anticipate the fall of the gate Max found himself running into it in the opening moto and a wheelie left him well down the field on the opening lap of racing and could only recover to 18th place by the finish. A better start in race two was the basis for the teenager to push forward into the top ten and thus retain his seventh place in the championship standings.

Tommy Searle: “Usually I take some time to settle down in the first laps of a race and that is what happened in the first race. I got through quickly to third place, but the leaders were setting a really fast pace so I had no chance to catch them again when I settled into my rhythm. The second race was more difficult, but it was the best I have ridden for a long time. It started when Jeffrey Herlings made a mistake in the second corner and unfortunately I was right behind him. I couldn’t do anything except wait, so I was maybe seventeenth at the first split, but I was really fast and pushed really hard. I was happy with my riding and felt comfortable on the bike. I was able to push hard for the entire race. I think I had saved some energy in the first race so I was able to push until the end and take a good second place. This track has never been my favourite; it's always tricky and a tough track so I’m happy with this podium.”

Max Anstie: “I had a tough day on Saturday, as I have had all season on tracks which I do not know. It inevitably takes me time to learn the tracks, but we never stop working to improve the results. Qualifying was not so good, and that’s so important today to get a good position on the grid. In the first race I hit the gate and then did a wheelie so I had to come from a long way back and it was difficult to get into a good rhythm passing those guys back there. In the second moto I never gave up and I passed a lot of guys to get into the top ten; for sure with a better start it could have been a top five. It was hot today, but that was not a problem for me even if the track was tough. There were many ruts, but that’s the same for everyone.”

MX1 - Barragan leads the way in Germany
Jonathan Barragan of the Kawasaki Racing Team led the green challenge in the German round of the FIM World MX1 Motocross Championship at Teutschenthal.

Bad luck continues to dog the Spaniard as a painful knee injury sustained during the Saturday practice session hampered him throughout the weekend, but he gritted his teeth to secure a hard-earned eighth in race one and even break into the top six in race two, the 28 points helping him advance two places in the championship standings to eighth.

Team-mate Xavier Boog had a frustrating weekend on a track he normally rides so well. The Frenchman took a long time to settle down as the dirt was much softer than usual and, when he finally started to show his usual form in the second moto, a single slip cost him many places as his bike lay in the middle of the track and he had to wait for the field to go past before he could retrieve it. His recovery to seventeenth place brought just four points, not the reward his hard ride deserved.

Gregory Aranda of Kawasaki Bud Racing continues to fight his way back to fitness after a recent operation on his arm, and the extremely rough track made this even harder, but the Frenchman doggedly stuck to the task to score in both motos despite having to start from a poor gate after the camera fixed to his helmet during qualification had slipped and prevented a better result.

Italian team colleague Davide Guarneri suffered three crashes on Saturday, but fought back defiantly on Sunday to finish twelfth in race one and hold down ninth in the second encounter until his leg was hit by a rock and he was forced to pull off the track.

Ex-champion Christophe Pourcel made a last minute decision to return to the GPs for the first time in four years for Kawasaki Team CLS, but a lack of race time on his new bike was soon evident and, although he was able to show his potential with a sixth-placed finish in qualification on Saturday, the Frenchman encountered difficulty with a track which was becoming rougher and rougher and wisely decided to withdraw from the racing until he has had more opportunity to get acquainted to his new bike.

Jonathan Barragan: “I had a good speed this weekend and took some good points, in fact I had a good feeling all weekend. I like this track but on Saturday I almost crashed during a practice session; I put my leg on the ground and then I had pain in my knee. The start is so vital here but in the first moto I was able to make some good passes to finish eighth. The second race was even better with a sixth placed finish. Now I will move to Belgium to prepare for the next races in sand, normally I am good on these tracks so I am optimistic of good results there.”

Xavier Boog: “For sure my results are not what I was expecting from this weekend. I came here confident as I got great results here last year, but the track was a little bit different, softer than before, and I was fighting the track all weekend. I never really got into the first race, but I made a good start in the second race in the top six but then I crashed on the second lap. The bike was in the middle of the track, and I lost a lot of time to get back to it; I had to come back from thirty fourth to seventeenth; that’s not many points but it was important to finish the race.”

Gregory Aranda: “They asked me to carry the on-board camera during qualification yesterday and I didn't feel comfortable with my helmet. I only qualified in nineteenth position, so both starts were not very good but I came back from twenty sixth to sixteenth in the first race. The second one was better. I had a good rhythm and found some better lines to finish thirteenth. But I never saw the track so rough in the past ! Now we’ll continue to train in Belgium; I know that I’m not fit enough after several weeks without training due to my surgery.”

Davide Guarneri: “I crashed three times during the practice sessions yesterday so I didn’t felt confident for the qualifying race and only earned the fifteenth gate pick. My speed was good today, but it's difficult to start from that far out; I managed to fight through to twelfth in the first race and was running ninth in the second race until I started making mistakes which lost me some time. And then I got hit on the leg by a rock; it was so painful that I had to retire.”

Christophe Pourcel: “It was nice to be back in the GPs, even if the tracks are so different from those in the US. I qualified in sixth position and got twice took a top ten start, but in the first race I got hit by too many stones on my upper body and retired. The track was very different for the second moto, and our settings were not working as well as I would have liked; we’ve only been testing a few hours since I came back from USA last week, and I need to work more with the team to set up the bike to my style and the European tracks.”

QUALIFYING

HONDA WORLD MOTOCROSS TEAM
Bobryshev second as Gonçalves returns to form in Teutschenthal qualifier

Evgeny Bobryshev has continued on from his second place overall in Sweden last weekend to finish 2nd in Saturday’s Qualifying Race in Teutschenthal, Germany. Team-mate Gonçalves finished 5th to mark a return to form for the Portuguese.

Both Honda riders got away well once again, within the top-five, as Gonçalves lead the way in 2nd in the early stages. A charging Bobryshev would soon put a pass on Frossard for 3rd and then moved for a pass on his team-mate for second. He would close the gap on Cairoli in front before settling into his rhythm and into a comfortable second place, a place he would hold for much of the race distance. It was really only Bobryshev who could match the race pace out front of Cairoli and he crossed the line with a healthy margin over third place man, Philippaerts.
 
Gonçalves also held a consistent pace throughout much of the moto, sitting pretty within the top-five. Having succumbed to a pass from both Frossard and Philippaerts, he then began to close the gap Frossard in the closing stages. The time would however run out before he could position for a pass and he was forced to settle for fifth.

Evgeny Bobryshev, Honda World Motocross
“I am feeling comfortable running at the front and feeling confident in my riding. My speed is good and my condition is strong. It was very hot out there which was a factor and could be a factor tomorrow if it doesn’t cool down but I feel as though I can go good.”

Rui Gonçalves, Honda World Motocross
“Yeah it was good out there. I felt more relaxed on the bike and that showed in my pace. I did not feel like I was fading towards the end, which has been a problem in recent races but I now feel strong again. I am looking forward to tomorrow’s motos and continuing on from today.”

TEAM SUZUKI

SUZUKI MX1 CLOSE TO GERMAN TOP-10
Steve Ramon and Clement Desalle raced a heavily-rutted and new Talkessel circuit in Teutschenthal, Germany to take 11th and 12th positions during MX1 Qualifying for the ninth round of the FIM Motocross World Championship today.

A deluge of rain this morning helped soften the old dirt and the historic layout featured some notable changes to corners, sections and jumps for this year's Grand Prix. Harsh sunshine soon dried the terrain, but the formation of deep ruts and bumps chiselled the course into a one-line affair.

Ramon opted not to make any changes to the set-up of his factory RM-Z450 and rode a steady Qualification Heat of 20 minutes and 2 laps to take 11th-pick in the gate for tomorrow's two Motos. Just behind was Desalle: still nursing the shoulder injuries of the last two weeks, as well as further aggravation of his left forefinger. The Belgian exercised caution across the track - surrounded by a strong turnout of public across the slopes - but knows a better start is crucial for positions tomorrow. Desalle also elected against making any changes to his factory RM-Z.

Rainfall is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon.

Steve Ramon:
"Not so good; not so bad. It is a difficult track with some new sections and jumps. This morning the dirt was really soft and big ruts quickly came through and it was not easy. I was a bit cautious in the first practice and found some good speed in the Timed Practice, where only one second separated the top nine. The race was hard and the start wasn't great. It is difficult to find good lines and I hope tomorrow I get a decent start."

Clement Desalle:
"It was better than last week but still not perfect. I was careful in the morning and then with the way the track changed I also did not take any risks. It is not easy because of the big ruts and I'm not sure I really like the changes. I did some more damage to my finger today, so that is bothering me now. Anyway, we will try our best tomorrow. We have a good setting with the bike so there was no reason to switch anything."

TEILLET AIMS FOR MORE IN GERMAN MX2
Two crashes and a period of frustration during a sun-kissed Qualification Heat for Suzuki Europe MX2's Valentin Teillet means that the Frenchman will enter the gate at Talkessel, Teutschenthal for the Grand Prix of Germany in 20th position.

The changes of the sections, corners and jumps and churned-mud of the layout was a strange prospect: It offered mainly one racing-line but is a technical challenge thanks to the heavy ruts. Rain early Saturday morning meant that the surface was soft for first practice, but it rapidly hardened with sunshine throughout the day.

Adjusting the RM-Z250 for a little more drive in the spongy conditions, Teillet pushed hard to find his speed and placed 12th in both Free Practice and Pre-Qualifying practice. In the heat race, he hit the ground on two occasions and admitted he needs to raise his game for a circuit at which he has never had much luck.

Valentin Teillet:
"A tough day; too many crashes, and I just always seem to have trouble finding a rhythm here. I have ridden this track for many years and it changed from being very soft and wet, to hard and very rutted. I need to think and find something for tomorrow because I was not good enough out there today."