KAWASAKI RACING
USA win with Villopoto and Baggett

Two of the three riders in the team which recorded the USA's seventh consecutive victory in the Motocross of Nations were riding Kawasaki. Ryan Villopoto was also the top individual at the event.

The Motocross of Nations, the annual event for national teams of three riders, is the largest event of the season and attracted teams from 36 nations to St Jean D'Angely in France.

Teams from the USA, France, Australia and Great Britain took the first four places in the final classification and no less than five of the twelve riders in these four teams were racing Kawasakis.

Ryan Villopoto, already the US champion in both Supercross and Motocross, led his country to victory with spectacular rides to third and first places to complete a magnificent hat-trick of success as he was also the individual winner of the Open class. Fellow Kawasaki rider Blake Baggett, riding in the MX2 class, had also headed his qualification race on Saturday, but crashes cost him places on Sunday; showing great fighting spirit, Blake fought back to record the decisive scores which ensured the team success.

Christophe Pourcel of the French team which finished runners-up was dogged by misfortune all day as a stone shattered his goggles in race one, while his drive for victory in his second race was ended by a tyre defect.

Great Britain, also with two Kawasaki riders in their ranks, missed the podium by just two points after terrible bad luck when newly-crowned US 250 champion Dean Wilson was handicapped by a wrist injury which only came to light two days before the event, but did not prevent him recording a top ten finish in his first race. World MX2 number three Tommy Searle switched to a KX450F for the weekend and put in two stunning rides on a machine he had first ridden just a few days before the event to twice cross the line in fourth position.

Tyla Rattray was another Kawasaki rider to lead his country, his third and fifth placed finishes on his race debut aboard a KX450F ensuring that South Africa finished sixth in the Nations classification.

Ryan Villopoto: “The first two races didn’t go as we wanted, but before the last moto the team told us that 1-2 would do. I had a really good start, I knew that Ryan was at the inside and would have also a good one, and we rode the way we do back home. It was a tough track for us; we don’t have tracks like this in the USA ! Our learning curve had to be really quick; we had to make adjustments to our bikes to get a good feeling. It was tough but we did it and that’s great ! This season has been amazing, it will be hard to beat ! I will work hard this winter and will try to give my best next year, I hope I will be even faster and stronger to come back to the Motocross of Nations again.”

Blake Baggett: “My Saturday was definitively better than my Sunday, but it’s a team race and both Ryans did well. We were a good team. I tried to salvage everything I could and put my head down to finish both races. The first moto was super muddy and the bike was really heavy; I lost the front wheel and crashed on an uphill. Then I had to take of my goggles, and it was hard. The second one I got a decent start behind Ryan; I took the same lines as him but came on a lapped rider, made a mistake and went in the fences. This was by far the most difficult track I ever raced.”

Christophe Pourcel: “Second place is not too bad and we’re pretty happy about it; we had a good team, so we spent a good weekend here. I was sad with the first moto, I got a rock in my lens and with the rain I couldn’t see anything so I had to stop for a new pair in the pits. We spoke with my team-mates and the manager before the last race, and we decided that Gautier would have first choice of gate so I was in the middle of the grid but I got a good start and passed Dungey for third, but my rear tyre came off the wheel and I crashed. I was lucky not to be injured!”

Tommy Searle: “I would have like to be on the podium but that didn’t happened. In the second race someone T-boned me on the first lap and I was nearly last but came back to fourth; I passed a lot of good guys and was happy with my riding. The track was rough but the bike was great; I really love the KX450F Kawasaki, it’s the best bike I ever rode. I was just riding it for five or six days before the Nations, and we didn’t have time to test or change anything on it, but it is such a great bike straight out of the crate ! I also like the KX250F which I will still be racing next year of course, but being strong on a KX450F gives me a lot of confidence for the future.”

Dean Wilson: "I hurt my wrist last weekend at Pala for the final AMA National, but it wasn't a big problem until I went practising on Thursday locally. It swelled up like a balloon and there is definitely something broken. I still had good speed but no luck today. There was a crash at the first corner in my first race and I had to ride from last to 9th, then in the second race I crashed twice when I was headed for a top result."

Tyla Rattray: "I really enjoyed riding the KX450F this weekend and two top five finishes prove that I can ride it well. I will be racing the KX250F again in the Supercross series, but I hope I will be able to race the KX450F in the outdoor Nationals next summer."

SUZUKI RACING
SUZUKI VICTORIOUS AT 65TH ‘NATIONS

Rockstar Makita Suzuki's Ryan Dungey was again part of a victorious Team USA that claimed the prestigious Chamberlain Trophy at the Motocross of Nations for the seventh year in a row today.

The 2011 AMA Supercross and Motocross runner-up and former double Champion helped his country to the top step of the podium in a close finish to the 65th edition, run under showery skies and in front of a noisy, passionate and cosmopolitan 68,000 crowd at St Jean D'Angely in France.

Dungey scored second and third in his two motos to win the MX1 class and assist enormously with the points score for the defending Champions. It represented his third appearance in the Stars and Stripes colours and now involves a perfect 100% record. The rutty hard-pack was even more difficult when intermittent heavy showers made the dirt rough and slippery. Conquering the conditions for a landmark achievement was Dungey's team-mate Brett Metcalfe whose seventh and 10th positions in the MX Open category hoisted Australia onto the podium for the first time ever in the history of the competition.

RM-Z Suzuki machinery was prevalent throughout the field in the three classes. Taking the factory RM-Z450 Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MX1 motorcycle to fifth in MX Open - just ahead of Metcalfe - was Kevin Strijbos. The former double World Championship runner-up began the last moto of the day with a chance to elevate Belgium into yet another podium slot but a bad start meant he could only secure 11th to compliment his fifth place captured earlier on. Belgium was still fifth by the end of the day with several of their top riders, including Clement Desalle and Steve Ramon, injured on the sidelines.

Marcus Schiffer was 11th overall in MX Open and was pleased with a confident run to 13th in his first race although he struggled slightly with his physical condition in the second. Team Germany was without luck - even if Ken Roczen did very well to win MX2 - and filled seventh place.

Yoshi Atsuta, always a popular addition to the international paddock and fondly remembered for his grand prix days in Europe, rode well in tricky conditions to walk away from the French event with eighth in MX1. The Japanese ploughed across the bumps for 13th and 17th positions that were the best results for Japan as they occupied 13th in the final ranking.

Ryan Dungey:
"I think each and every win is amazing and it was cool to pull it off. There was a little bit of rain and the track was tough but I'm really excited to get this one. The first race was tough. I felt good at the beginning and was closing in on the lead but when the rain came down it was really slippery. Chad Reed was riding well and got away. I made a mistake but kept it up. When it starts getting muddy and slippery then the bike gets heavy and it was tough-going."

Brett Metcalfe:
"We came here Friday for the press conference and it almost felt like we were the laughing stock, like 'here comes Team Australia again, a great team but they'll probably take seventh again like every year'. To finally get that out of the way and get on the podium is awesome for Australian motocross."

Kevin Strijbos:
"The first race was pretty good. I had a good start and was riding well. Sometimes I felt I was a little bit faster in places but passing was so hard but overall it was OK. For the second moto I went to the inside but it just didn't happen. I blew it there. I was 15th or 16th and it was difficult to overtake the others. The crowd was going insane and it was fun to race here. I think we cannot be disappointed with fifth; it is pretty much what we expected even if we did have a chance of the podium before the final race - if I made a good start! The bike really suits me and I've enjoyed these last few meetings. I want to thank the team for all their help and I hope I can find something good for next year soon. I know I can make top five in the World with the Suzuki."

Marcus Schiffer:
"My first heat was really good. I had a good start and managed 13th. In the beginning I pushed a little bit too hard because the Americans came through and I wanted to go with them. I had a bit of arm-pump but the result was OK. I'm not happy with the second heat because I stopped the bike going up one hill and was completely last. I couldn't find the rhythm and for the first time this season I had muscle cramps that were so painful; it was difficult to ride! Overall I'm happy because it was tough for our team with the bad luck with Max being injured and Danny crashing out of the last race."

Yoshi Atsuta:
"It was OK today and I really enjoyed it. I had quite good starts in both motos but those guys are very quick! I struggled a little bit because there were so many ruts and it was a high-speed track. My riding is getting better but I need a bit more time. Now we go back to four more races in Japan and my goal is to get the Championship again. I am behind Akira Narita by 19 points and I will push hard to try and pass him."

HONDA RACING
Honda men shine at MXoN

In what was shaping up as a crazy, unpredictable day’s racing, affected by persistent showers and tough on-track conditions, the end result had a rather inevitable feeling. Team USA reigned supreme and took their seventh consecutive Motocross of Nations title.

On a day that very much required an overall team effort to take victory, the Honda men at least had a strong showing in the individual battles. Australian Chad Reed piloted his Two Two Motorsports Honda to the first moto win of the day (MX1 + MX2), ahead of Roczen and Dungey. Honda World Motocross rider Evgeny Bobryshev (Team Russia) also impressed, dueling with the very best from the AMA series before he was hit in the face by a rock, stopping him in his tracks and dropping him out of sixth position.

In the second moto of the day (MX2 + Open) it was Paulin who took the win ahead of Herlings and Villopoto. Honda’s Brad Anderson (Team Great Britain) would come home in 12th, earning his team valuable points in the ensuing podium battle.

So it was all set up for a grandstand finish in the final moto of the day (MX1 + Open), with Team FRA, USA, GBR and AUS all in with a shout of the overall spoils. Honda man Bobryshev would throw out another spoiler early on, taking the holeshot ahead of a field of the world’s best. However, the Americans would come through and take up a 1-2 positioning, with Villopoto leading Dungey.

From here the result was inevitable, and it became a fight for the remaining podium positions between FRA, AUS and GBR. Honda men Reed and Bobryshev would duel intensely for sixth, with the Russian coming out on top. However this battle would prove incidental as Reed’s strong finish across both contested motos would prove enough to help Team Australia to their first ever MXoN podium, behind Team USA and Team France. Team Great Britain and PAR Honda’s Brad Anderson would narrowly miss out, finishing fourth overall.

KTM RACING
USA takes 7th Motocross of Nations title at Saint Jean d’Angely France

Team USA pulled out all the stops in the final race of the three-race series to finish 1-2 and steal the Chamberlain Trophy in their seventh consecutive win in the Motocross of Nations and deprive host country France of the victory. Team Australia finished in third place.

KTM congratulates all riders especially Red Bull KTM factory rider Marvin Musquin who returned from the USA at the end of the AMA MX outdoor season to ride for second placed Team France in the 65th edition of this annual MX face-off.

Marvin Musquin: “For sure it was a bit disappointing  (to finish second) but overall it was a good weekend for me. We went into the last race with a three-point lead but the US team is very strong. It was a good feeling to be back in France and to race at Saint Jean d’Angely and it was a great atmosphere with all the French fans so finishing second is also okay.”

Roczen and Herlings shine at MXoN
But while the big guns from the US, managed by the legendary Roger De Coster, the team boss of Red Bull KTM in the USA, may have been victorious, KTM riders Ken Roczen and Jeffrey Herlings certainly raised eyebrows with spectacular rides in their respective races. Roczen, KTM’s recently crowned youngest ever MX2 World Champion had two spectacular rides on the KTM 250 SX-F finishing second in race one, even beating US rider Ryan Dungey to the chequered flag – and Dungey was on a 450 machine. Just 40 minutes later Roczen returned to the track to finish fourth, again against the Open class. In the absence of his Red Bull Teka KTM factory team-mate Max Nagl, who couldn’t compete because of injury, Ken was successful in vaulting Team Germany into seventh place overall.

Ken Roczen: For sure it was a good weekend for me especially in the firs race. I got a good start and was around seventh and from there I was able to finish second. I even got close to Chad Reed (eventual winner). I also had a good start in the second race but then I twisted my knee and I broke my goggles and that brought me down a bit but I did have a good battle with Villopoto .”

Similarly, KTM’s 17-year-old Dutch rider Herlings had two great rides on the KTM 350 SX-F in the Open class registering a 2-9 result in races two and three to give his country ninth overall. Herlings, who finished second to Roczen in the MX2 World Championship is much better acquainted with his 250 SX-F but as the strongest rider in Team Netherlands assumed a leadership role and contested the open class on the KTM 350 SX-F.

Jeffrey Herlings: The first moto went really well and I led for a long time and finished second which was a great result. I didn’t get a good start in the second moto but I came back from about 20th to finish second. The riding was good and I felt good and I really think I cold have finished in the top five. I’m looking forward to next year already!”

Although it was a top day for the two young stars of the Red Bull Teka KTM Factory Team, luck did not ride with KTM’s Tony Cairoli of Italy, the newly-crowned 2011 MX1 World champion. He went down hard in the opening race, broke his handlebars with the impact and had to retire. After injuring his hand he was also unable to finish the second race.

Tony Cairoli: yesterday we were very happy with second in qualifying then today I had a good start in the first race but there was some soft mud in the first corner and I went down. I got back in the race and I was in 16th place and riding well and really pushing, maybe a bit too much and I crashed again and damaged the bike and hurt my hand.”

KTM riders in other prominent teams were Matt Moss, the 2011 Australian MX Lites champion for Team Australia in third place, Joel Roelants for Team Belgium in fifth place and Jose Antonio Butron for Team Spain which finished eighth overall. Around 35 nations competed in the MxoN.

MXoN competition format
The Motocross of Nations is made up of three separate races – MX2 and MX1, MX2 and Open and MX1 and Open. Each team fields three riders who each compete in two races. The team may discard their weakest result and the team with the lowest aggregate score is the winner.

KTM scoops annual awards
The Motocross of Nations weekend in France was also the occasion for the Annual MX Awards ceremony where KTM and its title winning factory riders picked up an impressive collection. Joining KTM’s MX1 and MX2 World Champions on the podium was ten-year-old Jorge Prado from Spain who won the FIM 65 cc Junior World Championship title on his KTM. Factory Team boss Stefan Everts collected the FIM Women’s Motocross World Championship award won by Steffi Laier who was unable to be present because she is currently in the USA. KTM also picked up the MX1 and MX2 manufacturer’s titles and the MX1 and MX2 team awards.

TEAM AUSTRALIA
Aussies secure first-ever podium at 2011 Motocross of Nations

Team Australia has created history, claiming third at the 2011 FIM Motocross of Nations (MXoN) in St Jean d’Angely.

In a brilliant performance by the Chad Reed-led Australian team, the Aussies held off a determined Great Britain to secure the third and final podium position.

Joined by fellow Aussies Brett Metcalfe and Matt Moss the team finished two points clear in third position, behind France and 2011 winners, USA.

Returning to MXoN action after missing last year’s event, Reed did not miss a beat and set Australia on the right path with an outstanding win of the MX1 + MX2 Race.

In one of the great performances by an Australian at the MXoN, Reed claimed the holeshot and fought off the challenges of American Ryan Dungey as the heavens opened on the track.

The two-time Supercross World Champion proved his quality in the outdoor arena, mastering the conditions to take the chequered flag and putting Australia in the box seat for podium success.

Metcalfe built on the efforts by Reed, recording a seventh in MX2 + Open Race, but Australia languished in 19th needing nothing short of a miracle to pull off a podium finish heading into the all-important MX1 + Open Race

Reed was again outstanding to finish seventh, while Metcalfe recovered from a late fall to cross the line in 10th to secure Australia third place and a spot on the final podium.

A jubilant Brett Metcalfe said securing the podium finish was a piece of Motocross history he was proud to be a part of.

“Every time you come over to Europe the Nations is massive,” Metcalfe said.

“It's just good to be part of Team Australia and represent our country, and it's just awesome to get that Monkey off our back and finally feel like we are a strong country for Motocross so it's great."

YAMAHA RACING
Paulin shines in front of mammoth crowd at Motocross of Nations

One week after his sensational debut MX1-GP victory on the Monster Energy Yamaha YZ450FM at the Grand Prix of Italy Gautier Paulin sent a 68,000 crowd into rapture at St Jean D’Angely for the 65th Motocross of Nations. The Frenchman won the second of three motos at the shower-hit, hardpack and heavily rutted circuit on the west coast and helped his country to second position overall, almost defeating the powerful Team USA.

Paulin faced intense scrutiny from the public and press over the two days at the traditional season curtain-closer and also some moral support from team-mate Steven Frossard who was originally selected for a strong French trio but who had to withdraw in the wake of a lung infection. ‘GP21’ responded to the goodwill from the spectators who seemed to cheer emphatically with his every throttle-twist and started well to head Jeffrey Herlings and win the moto that placed the MX2 and MX Open categories together. Paulin pumped the air repeatedly after crossing the line in first place and to a volume of noise unheard in 2011.

The tall grand prix winner saw Team France’s chance of overall success evaporate when Christophe Pourcel had a technical problem in the next race but Paulin still had to rally to eighth place to secure the runner-up position for his crew and army of fans. He was also second overall in MX Open.

Arnaud Tonus wore his Bike it Cosworth Wild Wolf Yamaha colours for Switzerland and some excellent starts on the YZ450F were restricted with the MX2 British Champion feeling sick since Thursday and lacking peak fitness to operate at the highest level. The stylish youngster was still tenth and thirteenth and seven overall in MX Open just ahead of Gareth Swanepoel who was also armed with a YZ450F and pushed South Africa to sixth; the same as his best classification.

Monster Energy Yamaha’s Carlos Campano had a very good first outing wearing the colours of Spain by taking ninth but a crash in the second meant he restarted far behind the pack and could only work his way up to nineteenth. Spain were eighth and former MX3 World Champion Campano was ninth in the MX Open list.

The last meeting of the season was the scene of a special occasion as Yamaha Motor Europe were delighted to present Team Owner Michele Rinaldi with a cake to celebrate the former world champion’s twenty year association with the company.

Gautier Paulin:
“It was an amazing feeling to win that race. I got the holeshot and made a mistake but kept calm and could win the moto, which was really good for me. I couldn’t make it happen again in the second moto and made many mistakes in the first laps, so I’m not happy about that. When I saw Christophe was out I felt quite low. It was difficult to have this in my mind and if he was hurt or not because the waves was a fast and slippery place to crash. When I saw that we could still be second I began to get really motivated again and pushed to the finish.”

Arnaud Tonus:
“Practice went well and I had a good feeling with the bike; it was a lot of fun on the 450. I’ve been sick since Thursday so I knew I would be struggling. I did what I could but already from the qualification race on Saturday I felt flat after ten minutes. I had a great start in the first moto and was fourth but crashed after three laps which was a shame because I had a good rhythm. I came through to tenth and felt alright on the 450. My start was terrible in the second moto and again did all that was possible. It could have been better today but with the fitness I had it wasn’t too bad.”

YAMAHA VAN BEERS RACING TEAM
Herjan Brakke finishes ninth in the MX des Nations with Team Holland

Herjan Brakke of the Yamaha van Beers Racing Team finished inside of the top ten with the Dutch MX des Nations Team at St. Jean d’Angely in France. In the first moto Herjan crashed in the start and had to come back from last position. Herjan gave everything he had and finished the race in 29th position. In the second moto he took a poor start and came out of the first corner around 30th position. During the race he passed several riders but in the second part of the race he lost some positions as well and finished the race in 26th position. Finally he finished in ninth position with the Dutch MX des Nations Team.

The circuit of St. Jean d’Angely was in perfect shape when the practice sessions started on Saturday. Herjan found his rhythm straight away in the free practice session and set the 16th fastest time. In his qualifying heat he was riding in eighteenth position for almost the entire race. In the middle of the race he lost a position and dropped back to nineteenth position. It didn’t took him so long to get this position back and finally he crossed the finish line in eighteenth position. His Dutch team mate Donny Bastemeijer finished in 20th position in the MX2 class and Jeffrey Herlings finished seventh in the open class. With these results the Dutch Team finished sixteenth overall and this was enough for qualification for the race on Sunday.

Because of a lot of overnight rain the track circumstances were a lot different in the warm up session on Sunday morning. Just before the start of the first moto it started to rain again. Herjan’s first moto started with bad luck. He crashed in the first corner and had to start a charge back trough the field. He tried to pass as many riders as possible. This wasn’t so easy because the level was really high. Despite this he managed to pass several riders and finished the race in 29th position.

In the second moto he took a poor start and came out of the first corner around 30th position. His riding went really well in the beginning of the race and he managed to work himself up to around twentieth position. Unfortunately he lost some positions as well in the second part of the race and he finally finished the race in 26th position.

Overall he finished in ninth position with the Dutch MX des Nations Team. Next weekend the Yamaha van Beers Team will participate in the penultimate round of the Dutch Open Championship Series at Markelo.

QUALIFYING

MONSTER ENERGY
The 65th Monster Energy Motocross of Nations begun at St Jean D’Angely with a wall-to-wall crowd getting in the mood and reigning champs Team USA – with Monster Army stars Ryan Villopoto and Blake Baggett – sweeping the board in the qualification heats to earn the ‘force of nature’ that was the American motocross crew’s unanimous pole position.

Hoards of fans got into the spirit of the biggest international off-road racing event in the world by getting out the costumes, colours, flags and even transportation; as one band of UK followers circulated the vast facility in western France armed with rickety Honda Cubs scooters. The groups come from everywhere: U.S., Thailand, Morocco, Eastern Europe, South America and even a mass of passionate MX supporters from Kuwait. The French ‘Tricolor’ was not quite outnumbered in the sea of faces but this was truly a cosmopolitan show down.

On the track the country colours of the bikes and three best riders from 35 nations had to follow the American trio of Baggett (MX2), Villopoto (MX Open) and Ryan Dungey (MX1) with only Dungey facing some opposition from MX1 world champ Tony Cairoli. ‘MXoN’ rookie Baggett aced MX2 without a hitch, even ahead of team-mate and AMA champion Dean Wilson (the Scotsman was third due to a bad start).

AMA 450 Champion Villopoto was so quick that he had a three second gap before the end of the first lap. “I was a bit late off the gate so we can improve that for tomorrow,” he said, worryingly for his rivals. “I knew I’d be a bit better than most riding MX Open but that’s not to say tomorrow the other guys won’t show up.”

“I got the best start of my life,” said Baggett clearly loving his first trip out to Europe. “Dungey gave me a few pointers and line advice beforehand and I went for it.” “There are a lot more people than I expected here,” he added on the first day vibe “when I went past they made more noise than the bike.”

Three motos mixing the classes (MX1 and MX2, MX2 and MX Open and MX1 and MX Open) with the five best results of the riders going towards the final tally will decide the destination of the historic Chamberlain Cup and the imposing Monster Energy trophies tomorrow afternoon.

The first silverware was handed out last night however as the paddock came together for a Pit Bike race in an MXoN format. Watching on, Steven Frossard, Gautier Paulin and a ton of other riders joined a crowd a few hundred strong as Monster Energy kicked off the racing in some style.

SUZUKI RACING
DUNGEY LEADS SUZUKI AT MX OF NATIONS

A warm but cloudy St Jean D'Angely hosted the first day of the 65th Motocross of Nations and Ryan Dungey was part of a dominant performance by reigning champions Team USA as the 2010 AMA SX and MX number one took his RM-Z450 to pole position by winning the MX1 class.

The American completed a convincing 20 minute and 2-lap heat race by defeating World Champion Tony Cairoli and securing what would be the first of three victories for the 'Stars and Stripes' in front of a big and appreciative crowd at the hard-pack hillside venue.

Riders spent time on suspension settings and tyre choice to optimise grip for the stony French terrain that was in good shape for the biggest off-road motorcycle race there is.

While Dungey topped the results sheet in MX1 there were other RM-Z450s doing the business for the 36 Nations entered into the competition: Kevin Strijbos participated in an entertaining spat with Gautier Paulin and Davide Guarneri for second place in the MX Open Qualification race. The Belgian notched the best finish for the three-man team with fourth and holds a decent chance of a top-three classification in his category for tomorrow. Brett Metcalfe was fifth in the same outing for Australia and just two seconds behind the former World Championship runner-up by the flag.

Yoshi Atsuta was representing Japan and although the team had to start from second-to-last place in the gate, thanks to some bad luck in the official 'Nations ballot this morning, the ex Grand Prix rider set a decent speed to take 11th in MX1. Yoshi-san has not ridden at St Jean for five years but still knew his way around the French slopes. Japan made the cut for the 'Nations with the 18th and the penultimate automatic slot. Suzuki Europe MX2 was able to watch Swiss youngster Jeremy Seewer take the same rank on the RM-Z250 in the third event of the day.

Bright weather conditions and a packed St Jean racing facility are the predictions for the final race-day of the season.

Ryan Dungey:
"Practice went good and we made a couple of small changes - a few clicks - for the rest of the day and when the track dried, it worked out. I took the holeshot, made some good laps and felt comfortable. We'll see how it plays out tomorrow but I'm feeling good."

Brett Metcalfe:
"It was good but I need a better start. The result was OK but I need to be better than that tomorrow. I found it difficult to pass on that track but the bike was working great after a few small adjustments. We will pick it up tomorrow."

Kevin Strijbos:
"I had a good launch from the gate but I think I had some wheelspin because I lost drive in the first metres. I was in eighth but riding went good and I was aggressive in the first laps. I got behind Paulin and Guarneri and was close enough to get into positions to pass but couldn't make any stick. It was difficult to make a good move out there. Anyway it is fun to ride at the 'Nations that's for sure. I think the French are one of the best public we have in the sport and I'm looking forward to tomorrow."

Yoshi Atsuta:
"It went alright today. I had a bad position on the gate but the engine of the bike is really strong and I could pull out of the start. I was around seventh or eighth and then behind Barragan the whole time. I did the best I could and I didn't crash, so I was happy! It is a long time since I've been here but the track is mega. It is not like we have in Japan where it is 'stop-go stop-go'."