TEAM SUZUKI
DESALLE WINS VALENCE INTERNATIONAL MX1 CLASS

Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MX1 completed its first competitive motocross race of 2011 with victory in cold and wet weather conditions at Valence in France as Clement Desalle took victory with two wins and a third position and team-mate Steve Ramon was eighth overall.

The shallow hillside circuit just south of Lyon was battered by rain through Saturday evening and Sunday morning and forced a generous gathering of Grand Prix stars to take their opening meeting of the year with a degree of caution: Overtaking was difficult on a terrain chiselled into one line.

2010 MX1 World Championship runner-up Desalle, on the RM-Z450WS, roared away with the first 20-minute moto after obtaining the holeshot and working a lead of over 10 seconds from Ramon; equally comfortable in second place. But the works RM-Z450s could not formation-fly in the second race as Ramon was not as prominent out of the gate and even slipped off once on his way to 10th. Desalle was into first place by the second lap and didn't look back, even during two moments of brief pressure from Sebastien Pourcel.

In the third and final sprint of the day, Desalle was holding a comfortable second position but suffered rear brake trouble courtesy of an errant stone. In the final laps he had a small tumble and finished third. Ramon hit the mud in the opening phases and eased his way through the rest of the race distance.

"Yesterday we tried some new parts on the bike and it was good to try but I was not super-sure for this track so we kept with the same set-up we had before," said Desalle. "The results were good today because the track was very slippery and I struggled when the stone hit my rear brake in the last heat. I did not want to crash and hurt myself like last year."

"It wasn't too bad today," commented Ramon. "The first moto was OK with a good start even if I did have a bit of arm-pump. The track was really difficult because it was so slippery and hard to get any traction. The second moto start wasn't great and my rear brake was playing up so it was tricky on those downhills. In the third moto I was riding well and trying to push but the bike slid away and I lost a bunch of positions. My right elbow and hip were bothering me so I just saw the rest of the race out."

Suzuki's factory team will now remain in the southern region of France over the coming week for further tests and participate in a local event at Lacapelle-Marival next Sunday.

Valence International overall result:
1. Clement Desalle (Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MX1)
2. Steven Frossard (Yamaha)
3. Sebastien Pourcel (Kawasaki)
4. Shaun Simpson (Honda)
5. Gregory Aranda (Kawasaki)
6. Julien Bill (Honda)
7. Loic Larrieu (KTM)
8. Steve Ramon (Rockstar Energy World MX1 Team)
9. David Guarneri (Kawasaki)
10. Jonathan Barragan (Kawasaki)


YAMAHA RACING
Yamaha victorious in French MX season opener

The European motocross scene cranked into life last weekend with chilly and adverse weather conditions affecting the Valence and Starcross International races in France and Italy respectively. Steven Frossard won the Superfinal in France and was runner-up overall in MX1 in his first ride on the factory motorcycle. Bike it Cosworth Wild Wolf Yamaha’s Arnaud Tonus – another debutant on YZ machinery – claimed the MX2 division just south of Lyon for an all-round impressive list of results.

Steven Frossard was fighting a large quota of world championship peers with at least nine grand prix teams present at Valence. Rain lashed down Saturday night and through Sunday morning and although a persistent wind dried the muddy terrain in the afternoon the layout was greasy and one-line. Frossard – making his MX1-GP debut in 2011 – went 8-2-1 in the three sprints, finishing the day with the chequered flag and second overall to Clement Desalle.

“I hit the gate in the first heat so I had a really bad start,” he recounts. “It was hard to come back because the track was so slippery and dangerous. I was better in the second moto and when Pourcel crashed I moved into second but Desalle already had too much of a gap ahead; I also had a bit of arm-pump. I found it very easy to ride quickly in the last moto and this is a good start for me with Yamaha.”

At Valence Swiss Tonus gave the British Bike it Cosworth Wild Wolf Yamaha team a triumphant start to 2011 by setting a mean pace through the French ooze. The nineteen year old hit 1-3-4 results for a noteworthy start to his career as a Yamaha pilot. His fourth spot in the Superfinal was creditworthy considering it was against a split field of MX1 and MX2 machines and Tonus ripped the uphill start on his YZ250F.

“My start was amazing in the last moto and I got a lot of traction,” he said. “I was almost in front of the 450s so that was pretty cool. The track was really slick so my aim was just to stay on two wheels and there were people crashing around me. I fell twice in the second moto and was pushing a bit too much so I didn’t want any more mistakes. Overall this is a great way to start and the bike was strong; which gives me confidence for the coming races.”

Monster Energy Yamaha will see all six of their riders competing at Ponte e Egola, close to Florence, for the first Italian Championship round (of four) next weekend. Tonus is committed to the opening races of the British Championship, which begins in two weeks and will also see the first European outing of reigning champion Zach Osborne who returns from training in his native USA.


KAWASAKI RACING TEAM

Podium for Sébastien Pourcel
Several months after a podium result during the last round of the 2010 World Championship, Sébastien Pourcel started his 2011 campaign with a podium during the International Motocross of Valence.

As always team KRT was in Valence with all the other top teams, ready for this traditional opening race. Unfortunately the track was wet as the rain only stopped on Sunday midday, and it was easy to make a mistake on such a difficult layout. The small crash of Xavier Boog during the first heat seemed not important at all, but another rider hurt his leg; after several exams the X-ray revealed a crack in his left tibia, and Xavier will have to rest for several weeks. After this injury the team members were focused on Sébastien and Jonathan Barragan, and all were pleased to see how competitive Seb was who improved his results in each race; eighth, third and second. He confirmed he is back at his best level and scored a third position overall.

Racing for a top five result before the last heat, despite a damaged rear brake in race two, Jonathan lost all his chances when he crashed after the start of the super finale! He lost too much time when he stopped in the pits to change his gloves, and ended the weekend in tenth overall.

Sébastien Pourcel: “I’m happy with my results as they were better and better through the day, despite two small crashes in the MX1 races. After the second one I had pain in one leg and was not in the best shape for the super finale, but I got a great start and had my best result in this race with a second position. I have more power in my shoulders now and I can ride the bike as I want; I’ve no problems with my speed, but needs to work on the endurance. We also need to work on the bike, which is so powerful that I had pumped arms today. Now I’ve two races in England before the first GP, one international and one British championship round.”

Jonathan Barragan: “The first heat was good, I was fourth but in the second heat I had troubles with my rear brake when I was sixth. But the worst was in the third moto, I had a good start but touched another rider and crashed after a few corners; I had to stop in the pits to clean my gloves and goggles, then I came back in the race mainly to train. I didn’t want to take too many risks, the track was rough with some stones; but it was a good weekend, we change some settings on the bike and I’ve a great feeling with the 2011 KX450F-SR. Now I have three rounds of the Spanish championship to prepare the GP’s, and I’m confident.”

François Lemariey (team manager): “The hard work we did this winter is paying off, and we’re pleased with the results of Sébastien who was training alongside Yves Demaria. Jonathan was just back on his bike after a month in the USA, and he was unlucky to get a stone in his rear brake during the second race. But the worst thing is that Xavier will not be able to train for several weeks.”

Aranda fifth in Valence International
Team Rockstar Bud Racing Lovemytime Kawasaki was back in action this weekend in Valence.
Gregory Aranda and Davide Guarneri scored top ten results, while Ferrandis showed his speed in the MX2 class.

Starting the three races mid-pack Gregory was consistent and regular with a sixth, a sixth and a seventh position which secured him a fifth position overall. Racing for the first time on Michelin tyres, Davide suffered poor starts – sixteenth, eighteenth and twentieth – but recovered in all the races to finish ninth overall. Involved in the MX2 class Dylan Ferrandis was among the fastest three riders on Saturday, but on the wet track it was harder for him due to his size; third and seventh during most of the two races, he scores a sixth and a sixteenth position after several crashes and later retired in the super finale.

Gregory Aranda: “I’m pretty happy with the results, on Saturday I posted some fast laps but for the race a great start was too much important. I’m back on a bike since only three weeks and I want to take it step by step. I want to be fit for the first GP and not before, it would have been stupid to take too many risks as the track was rough with the rain. Now we move to Belgium where we’ll stay several weeks, we’ll come back just for the French Elite races.”

Davide Guarneri: “This race was important for me to test the bike in racing condition, discover new tyres, and work on the settings of the bike including suspensions. We had a dry track on Saturday and some mud on Sunday, I improved the results all day long even if I hit the gate at the start of the super finale. I came back from twenty second to tenth and I was feeling good in this race; we know what we have to work in the following weeks, and during the coming weekends we’ll have good opportunities to prepare the GP’s during the Italian Championship.”

Jacky Vimond: “If we just look to the results there’s nothing special to say, but it was a good weekend and we know that it’s not necessary to be ready for this race as the season will be long. Dylan was fast on Saturday, and he did some good things on the wet track on Sunday; we can see that the hard winter work is paying now. Concerning Gregory and Davide none of them took any risk; last year Greg was injured there, and Davide needs to discover his bike and the new tyres just a few weeks after a knee surgery.”


SHAUN SIMPSON
Simpson close to podium finish - Strong showing for Shaun at French International

Shaun Simpson came close to claiming a podium finish overall at the French International meeting held at Valence, as the twenty-two year old Scot placed in fourth spot, after a mechanical problem in the third and final moto cost him his rostrum position. Making his outdoor debut for the LS Honda team, Simpson was in a relaxed mood for the season opening event, with his main aim being a safe start to his 2011 campaign having been injured at the same meeting twelve months ago. Following a dry Saturday afternoon practice session, overnight rain that continued right through to the start of the first moto on Sunday saw conditions at the hillside French circuit change drastically.

Shaun used the pair of twenty-five minute free practice periods on Saturday afternoon to familiarise himself with the hard pack track and to make final adjustments to his four-fifty four stroke machine. With nothing at stake, Simpson circulated at his own pace looking at lines and getting a good feel for his new red mount. With no single outstanding lap, Shaun was quite content to sit just outside the top ten over night, with the threat of rain becoming a strong possibility.

As predicted the rain arrived as darkness fell, and continued for several hours leaving the track wet and greasy for Sunday morning's free practice session ahead of the later timed training period that would determine gate positions for the main races. In the absence of any official timings in the pit area, all the riders were not sure of their actual lap times and instead had to rely on the French commentator for any kind of relevant information. Despite this slightly bizarre situation, Shaun claimed fifth spot at the end of the session.

With the rain having all but stopped, the MX1 riders took to the gate for their first moto, with Shaun being amongst the leading runners as the pack sprinted uphill to the all important first turn. Holding an initial sixth place, Simpson kept himself out of trouble as other riders suffered in the difficult conditions. Some solid and sensible riding by Britain's leading MXGP rider saw him take third place at the end of the first twenty minute plus two lap encounter.

A change of gate positions for the second MX1 moto saw Shaun get blocked off as Barragan managed to get the jump on him this time out, and left Simpson with work to do on track that was now getting better by the minute thanks to the sun overhead. With a few more lines to choose from Shaun moved his way up the order with care and thought, managing to steal seventh spot come the flag and to leave himself with a real possibility of a podium place overall.

The third and final moto of the day brought together the leading MX2 riders and the best MX1 contenders for a closing shoot out. Learning from his earlier mistake Shaun got out of the gate well this time and was running inside the top four at half race distance before a stone struck and dislodged his rear brake pipe. Not realising this failure had occurred, Shaun ended up sliding off on one of the downhill sections, as he lost the front end in the bottom corner due to having to overuse the front brake to compensate for the loss of the rear stopper.

Although Shaun remounted and held a brave eighth place come the finish, this one piece of bad luck had cost him his podium spot overall, despite having ridden solidly and sensibly all day.

Speaking about his result Simpson said, "It would have been nice to have been on the rostrum first time out, but these things happen. Overall I am happy with my speed and my fitness, I felt good and so did the bike."

As the highest placed Honda rider on the day, Shaun continued. "Last year I left here injured and having only ridden one full race, so this time it feels great to be leaving here in good shape and looking forward to the next race. After today I know exactly what I need to work on, both in terms of my riding and with the bike over the coming weeks, so that we can be fully prepared for the first Grand Prix. All in all I could not be any happier."


KTM RACING
MX Valence fertile ground for KTM MX2 riders

Nicolas Aubin of France's KTM HDI Team got his season off to a strong start on Sunday when he took second place in MX2 at the international MX at Valence, France, one of the classic warm-up events before the start of the World Championship.

Other KTM rides to make an impression in the MX2 category were French rider Jordi Tixier who finished just off the podium in fourth place, Joel Roelants of Belgium in seventh and Kevin Fors of Belgium who was tenth giving riders on bikes from KTM's Mattighofen, Austria, factory four of the top 10 places in the final shakeout. Best KTM rider in the MX1 class was Frenchman Loic Larrieu at seventh.
 
Also present for what was an excellent opening competition practice was Red Bull Teka KTM Factory Racing's Steffi Laier, who was only one of two women riders to tackle the competition along with a field of competitive men. The other members of the Red Bull Teka KTM Factory Racing Team will launch their 2011 campaign at the first round of the Italian National Championship next weekend.
 
Steffi, reigning WMX World Champion, overcame problems with arm pump during Saturday's free practice and had her best ride was in Race 1 where she was 5th at the start and finished 10th on a muddy track. Steffi was consistently putting in lap times 1.5 seconds faster than the only other woman on the track, her arch rival Livia Lancelot of France. Steffi was classified 20th in MX2 at the end of the day.
 
The hardpack track that was dry for Saturday's practice was more of a challenge on Sunday after steady overnight rain that continued until midday on Sunday leaving the surface slick and only offering the riders a selected choice of lines.


MATISS KARRO
KARRO PODIUMS AT SEASON OPENER

Change alert. You know how our brains tend to auto-complete familiar ideas of phrases. Laurel and ....... . Bacon and ..... . Salt and .... . In motocross racing terms, MVRD has been associated with Suzuki for the longest time. Yet now it has changed. It is now MVRD Honda. Repeat after me. HOOONNNNDAA. The red one. Mark Chamberlain had made the decision to colour the real estate next to his truck fire-engine red and he and his crew have been craftily spannering away at their new machines over the holiday period to bring them to a top state of tune.

Meanwhile, a few degrees (in temperature as well as latitude) to the East, Matiss Karro was considering his options for the 2011 season. His 2010 season was solid, yet did not provide the sizzle and fireworks that looked everyone knows is there and ready for the unlocking. Maybe a change of colour was just what was needed. A few late night internet ramblings later, the decision was made and the Latvian boarded the plane en route to the USA for some testing - and shake down sessions.

Almost immediately, positive reports began filtering through. Matiss had rediscovered his muse, it seemed. He was comfortable and in full control on his new mount, and the speed was right up there. Training is training though, and racing is racing, so it would be wait and see for the first few races of the season to see if the early season from translated into good results.

Matiss' first race outing on the Honda was scheduled for Valence in the South of France, a traditional venue for season-opener events. The track in the heart of an industrial estate plays host to many of the world's top riders year after year as the protagonists, hungry for some action after a long layoff, crawl out of the woodwork to come test their mettle and that of their opponents.

The Latvian guided his MVRD Honda to seventh in the qualifying session against some of the top protagonists he is likely to meet in this year's MX2 world championship series. In the first race, he had to wade his way thought the field after a bad start. His new found love affair with the red machine kept blossoming, and it was as if he had been on the bike for yonks. In fact, he had made his MX2 class debut on a Honda when he crawled of the 85cc bike a few years ago, so in a sense, things had come full circle.

Ironically, a better start in the second race yielded a worse result for Matiss, He was involved in a few pitched battles, and claimed sixth spot. It was in the Superfinal that His Curliness came to his full rhythm, though. The top 15 finishers of each of the MX1 - and MX2 classes get to contest the Superfinal crown, and this time he would have to cross swords with the bluebeards of the MX1 class too. This time the metaphorical gears clicked in place , and the young man mixed it with the heavyweights. He finished 5th overall, the second MX2-class bike home, and along the way he posted lap times that put him in the company of the big names of world championship motocross, such as Ken de Dycker, Jonathan Barragan, Steve Ramon and Evgeny Bobryshev. He also headed all of these riders home, and his sterling performance in the Superfinal race was good enough to hoist him onto the overall podium with third place.

Matiss knows as well as anyone that it is early days yet and that many riders are still shaking out the cobwebs from their bikes and brains. He has served early notice though that he is ready for battle, and he is sure to approach his next races with some extra bounce in his step .