Images by KTM, Honda, Monster Energy, Suzuki and Kawasaki

Cracking shots from the GP of Brazil and round 1 of the US Outdoors series from Hangtown, plus what the riders had to say about it all.

James Stewart: “I ended up going three-three for the day and I’m really happy about it, especially considering where we‘ve been for the last six months. With my knee and everything else that happened, I just wanted to come out of Hangtown with a top five. After the first moto, the third place was good and I got both holeshots on the Yoshimura Suzuki RM-Z450, which was pretty cool. So I was happy with third overall. I’m really happy with ‘three-three’ to start the season off. Next, we’ll go to Colorado and focus on getting better each weekend.”

Jonathan Barragan: “Not a good weekend at all; I didn’t have good speed and in the initial laps, I was simply losing the race every time. Now we have three weeks to the next GP, I will be aiming to get my confidence back.

“Riding in the top ten is my goal and I won’t give up, but I’m sorry to the team and everyone who is helping me, because my results are not what we’d hope from Jonathan Barragan. I know the talent is there, I just need to show I can do it.”

Christophe Charlier: “The track was different today! I made a good start but crashed after a jump on the first lap and one rider following landed on top of the bike. I managed to restart but was far behind and tried as hard as I could to come back and reached twelfth. It was good to save a few points. My start was pretty bad in the second moto but I kept going to be the fourth MX2 rider. I keep chasing the podium all the time and now I have ten more rounds to make it happen as much as possible. I want to reach the top three of the championship, this is my goal for the year.”

Broc Tickle: “I think I was around 28th in the first sections of the opening moto, made a bunch of passes and after the second lap, I was in 12th. Then, I lost the front end on lap three. It was a little bit of a bummer that I did that but got it back up, got it going and passed some guys. The guys that I was around already were way out in front of me, so I had some work cut out for me to try to get close to them, but I felt pretty good. I had somebody right in front of me and I wanted to pass them, so I gave ‘er an extra charge there and found some good lines toward the end of the race,” said Tickle. “My last five or six laps were my best laps of the whole race. That was really good. It showed that I was strong. I‘m a little bummed because I know where I should be. I normally shine a little better in Outdoors and I am in good shape, but we got the first one out of the way. We have 22 more motos and time to knuckle down, get in there and be around the top five. If you look at the first moto, for instance, my fastest lap was at the end, but the sixth-placed guy; his last five laps were way slower than mine. You know, the competition is deep this year and everybody is healthy right now. The goal for the team and for myself is to do the best we can do. We know where we should be and that’s around fifth to eighth every weekend. That’s where I should be every moto.”

Max Anstie: “It was a difficult weekend and we struggled. I think we had a good setting and set-up and I came into the weekend with good form but I didn’t have the power to push. I wasn’t tired but just not ‘firing’. We go back to the States for a week and I have some time to sort everything out before coming back to Europe and focus 100% for France. I felt more normal in the Superfinal because I was able to pass guys but still we have problems with the starts and we have worked on a few things but it is at the point now where I’m not sure how much practice we can do! We have all been working really hard and it is time now to sit back in the next three weeks and then let the results come. We just need a little bit of luck on our side.”

Clement Desalle: “After the big crash in Portugal I couldn’t really train like I wanted in the week and I could feel it this weekend. It is really positive to get up here on the podium because my feeling was not that perfect on the track, especially in the second moto where the weather and conditions seemed to get to me a little bit. I had a good battle with Max in the first moto and sometimes it was a bit frustrating. I had a small problem with my goggles and lost a second-and-a-half at one point but was able to fight back. We were together the whole race. I felt that the track was short for a 450. It was not that tricky because the speed wasn’t so high but there were a lot of jumps and waves and other stuff. The ground was good and I could control the power of the bike with plenty of traction so that was a positive thing. I think the track would be better if there were some simpler sections. We go to America now and this will be a different kind of training and hopefully a good experience.”

Kevin Strijbos: “I felt really good out there, especially in the second moto! We had a good weekend in terms of getting the set-up right and we made the right choice with my rear shock and then made another change for the second moto. I enjoyed that holeshot and I pushed really hard in the beginning because I knew I would need a gap over Tony when I saw he was in second place. Later on he came closer and closer and I got a bit tired, Tony passed me in a corner and I couldn’t really follow him and he made the gap quickly with just two laps to go. In the end I’m really happy to be on the podium again and to take the first one of the season. We worked really hard in the winter and I hope there will be more trophies ahead!”

Petar Petrov: ‘This was my worst weekend so far this season. All weekend I struggled to find the speed to get in the top 10. On top of that I had bad luck with the crashes in the starts and even while riding I never felt good. It was a hard and disappointing weekend but I hope France will be a turning point. We’ll go back to Belgium now and work hard for the next GP.”

Dean Ferris: “All day I struggled a bit with my intensity. In the first moto I just seemed to be riding around at the start but eventually warmed up and got going. My lap-times were good and I made ground but it was a case of too-little-too-late. Moto2…man, it was chaos. I was second in the class but then some 450s starting coming through, cutting me up and roosting everywhere. They’d overtake but then hold me up and ruin my momentum. Once I was in a group of 250s I started finding the speed again but then crashed. There is not much else to say. Now I’ll go home and train hard and try to find that little bit that’s missing. I need to close down the points in the championship. I need to make it happen.”

Gautier Paulin: “This track is nice to ride, and I had a good feeling on Saturday. Unfortunately another rider came across me and I had to close the throttle at the start so I had to pass a lot of riders to qualify in third place, but I set good lap times and that gave me confidence for a top result on Sunday. Today my start in the MX1 race was not so good and I again had to pass a lot of riders to finish fourth, again with the fastest lap time. In the Superfinal it was difficult to pass -my start was better but there were many ruts and I had to settle for fourth position.”

Max Nagl: “The riding has been great all weekend. I had a good start in the first heat; I was able to pass some guys in the first few laps and finish second behind Tony. I was really happy and proud with this result for everyone, including myself, the team and the mechanics. I had a good recovery before the second heat, which I needed, as the first race was tough with Clement pushing me nearly the whole race. In the second moto I had a good gate jump, but they had ripped the start and I got kicked up a bit when I hit a big lump of mud going down the straight, which cost me a few positions. To finish fourth on the same points is nice, but I am disappointed to have missed the podium of course. When we get back I’ll be taking a few days off to rest, and then we’ll make a plan for the training to try and be prepared for France with the aim of a podium again.”

Evgeny Bobryshev: “In warm-up I was feeling better than yesterday and I tried to push to find the limit with the leg. In the first race I had a bad start and I was really fighting with my bike because I had arm-pump; I was thinking about my leg in the turns, so I was braking early, and the whole race I struggled. I was very disappointed, and in the second race I wanted to improve. I had a bad jump from the gate, but then I held the speed around the first corner and got into seventh. I was quite happy, as I had good speed in the beginning; after the first race I had told myself I needed to block out the pain. I was fighting well, passing a few riders, but Tommy put me down in a corner, so it was difficult to come back. It was very narrow here, which made it tough to pass, but I’d like to say thanks to my team, to Honda Brazil for making such a fantastic job at this event, and everyone who has been behind me. The organisation here is fantastic, the crowd is loud and supportive, so I’ve had a good weekend. Now I am going to be working even harder in the week with a few races before France to try and get more confidence with a bit more speed to come back strong.”

Rui Goncalves: “The start was great and I was able to ride on my own level. I’m definitely satisfied on the super final. Naturally I am a bit disappointed on my start in the first moto, but very happy about the holeshot in the super final.”

Alessandro Lupino: “ Since I broke two ribs at the Italian GP I haven’t been able to train normally, and as a result my physical condition is not at his best so here in Brazil it was not a good weekend for me. In the MX2 race I already got arm pump after two laps, and in the Superfinal I lost time when Pocock crashed in front of me at the second corner. I now have three weeks to recover and I will go in Holland to train; we are nearly at the halfway point of the season, and I want to race top five in France to give the team the results they expect.”

Dylan Ferrandis: “ On Saturday the track was nice to ride, but it was so flat that everyone was going fast and the qualifying race was boring; my start was not so good and I could only qualify thirteenth. In the MX2 race I got a great start and was third in the first corner, and was still fifth when I crashed. I recovered to sixth place again and battled with Tixier, Pocock and Butron until I had to take of my goggles and finished eighth. The start of the Superfinal was a disaster; Coldenhoff crashed and I got his handlebar in my rear wheel! I recovered from last place to ninth, but I was expecting more.”

Jimmy Decotis: “ This is definitively a crazy place with such great fans. The track was one of the better ones I have faced since I started racing the GPs and I feel I have made progress since Portugal. Everyone is working hard to achieve this and I scored points in both races here. My speed is better, but I still need to improve my fitness so that I can keep the pace for the entire forty minutes. But I’m sure it will come soon.”

Gautier Paulin: “ This track is nice to ride, and I had a good feeling on Saturday. Unfortunately another rider came across me and I had to close the throttle at the start; I had to pass a lot of riders to qualify in third place, but I set good lap times and that gave me confidence for a top result on Sunday. Today my start in the MX1 race was not so good and I again had to pass a lot of riders to finish fourth, again with the fastest lap time. In the Superfinal it was again difficult to pass; my start was better but there were many ruts and I again had to settle for fourth position.”

Jeremy Van Horebeek: “ I was happy with my rhythm and my lap times this weekend, but again I found it difficult to get a good start and we need to find a solution so that I can challenge for the podium. I had a good feeling on the bike; I had the speed to be regularly in the top five and I fought back well in all of my races. I know that with some good starts the results will be different. We have three weeks to prepare for the French GP, and I want to thanks the team for the support they have given us on this long trip to Brazil.”

Tommy Searle: “ I struggled all the weekend with my broken finger. I couldn’t ride since Portugal but before I got here I did not think that it would make such a difference! I’m weak in my shoulders and I got tired. In the MX1 race I had a good start, but on the second lap I crashed and lost many positions. It’s good that we now have two weekends free; I need to recover and then get back on the bike to be ready for France. I know that my speed is OK, I just need to be fit again.”

Ken Roczen: “It feels great to get a win here,” remarked Roczen. “I felt confident coming into this race and just knew I needed to get a good start to make it happen. I was able to improve my start in the second moto and hopped into the lead early on. Baggett challenged me for a while but I am glad my conditioning paid off and I was able to get my first overall. I am so thankful to the entire Red Bull KTM team for building me a great bike.”

Tony Cairoli: “I was looking forward to racing this GP. I like the track and the people really cheer for you. Its very special to win here and to put on a show for these people.” He dedicated his 58th career win to the memory of Marco Simoncelli, the Italian road racer who lost his life in a racing accident in 2011. “I am going to give this trophy to his father” Cairoli said. Simoncelli raced with the #58.

Ken De Dycker: “I was struggling with myself this weekend and I didn’t feel like I had any power. Now I will concentrate on training in Belgium and Italy to get ready for the next GP.”

Jeffrey Herlings: “Now I will make it my goal to win every GP. It’s very tough to race the Super final. With 40 riders on the track from both MX1 and MX2 anything can happen, especially at the start.”

Mel Pocock: “This is the best GP I have been to in my life. There is so much atmosphere here and I cannot wait to come back next year. The track was awesome and the preparation also. I got a mint start in the first race and pushed forward in the final stages to make sure of my personal best. In the next moto I had a great start and was the second MX2 rider in the first corner but then Van Horebeek went down and took me with him; I was so pissed off. I came back from last to eleventh in MX2 but it was a shame. I got held up by the 450s. Not really with the MX2 guys because I could pass them quite easily but the 450s were faster in different places. It was hard work but this is by far the best GP I’ve been to.”

Maxime Desprey: “The first moto was great. My start was pretty average but I had a good rhythm and settled into a decent pace to finish eleventh, so I was happy with that. The best thing was that I could recover from a bit of a dip because I had a few laps with some mistakes in the middle part of the moto. The Superfinal was really difficult with the 450s but today was OK.”

Images by KTM, Kawasaki, Yamaha, Honda, Suzuki

Round 6 of the world motocross champs in Portugal was gnarly and the final Supercross round of 2013 ended with a little German kid fulfilling his dream.

Ken Roczen: “I am so happy for this championship. It is the biggest championship I have ever won. I am so thankful for everyone on my team that has stood behind me this whole season and believed in me from the beginning. I finally got a great start and was able to get out front,” stated Roczen. “It felt great to see that number one plate on my bike while I was racing. It feels so great to get this win and my championship in the same night. This is really unforgettable.”

Dean Ferris: “This actually feels better than the first podium in Qatar because I was really sick there and couldn’t really soak up what it meant. This one is a bit more special. I’ve been coming back from injury and battling forward for the past six weeks and I’m pretty much fully fit now. I was in a tough battle throughout that whole second moto and that is probably the fittest I have ever felt in a Grand Prix. I actually messed up my start in the first moto and somehow ‘made it happen’ through the first two turns to end up second behind Jeffrey. I had broken away from third and had a few seconds over them when I had a silly tip-off in the turn before the step-up. It took me a while to get the bike up because the clutch lever was stuck in the ground. I was trying to keep it running. After that I couldn’t really get forward any more because there were about seven riders all going the same speed. I was pretty tough on myself afterwards because I had thrown away a lot of points and could have been a comfortable second but moto two was much better. The start helped and I tried to push hard to break away but must have made a big mistake somewhere because Tixier got very close for around fifteen to twenty minutes and it was very cat-and-mouse. Near the end he started being a bit defensive because Coldhenhoff was right with him and that gave me a bit of a gap. I was chasing my lap-times and watching the pit-board but I didn’t even know I was on the podium until I finished so it was a nice surprise with a 6-2.”

Marvin Musquin: “I gave it everything I had in the East 250SX main, and just came up a bike length short of the win. I was very tired in the shoot-out race after fighting so hard in the main so I wasn’t able to battle with my teammate for the win. I am happy that I was still able to get on the podium and I am very happy for Ken and his championship.”

Gautier Paulin: “It’s been a great result today and I’m really happy with my second MX1 victory and being able to battle with Cairoli. I feel I still have some room to improve and we are continuing to work hard with the team who are supporting me in every way possible. I want to continue with these results and be fighting for the victory at every GP.”

Max Nagl #12: 7th overall “In the first heat I had a really good start. I had a battle with van Horebeek and some other riders, which I could pass, and I finished fourth so I was really happy with that race. I was a bit tired, but not destroyed and I had a good recovery between the races. In the second moto I started quite well, but Tommy was on the right of me on the gate and his start was just a little better than mine. He wheelied, and we got stuck with my handlebar and his elbow, so I had to shut the throttle, otherwise we would have had a big crash. I braked early and turned inside, but I was only 14th, so there was a lot of work to do. In the first few laps I was really aggressive, and I’ve never passed so many riders in such a short time. I was pumped with that and with my riding, especially as they were fast riders I was getting by. I was following Philippaerts for some laps and he was pushing really hard. He made a mistake, so I passed him, but I was really tired. I had to just survive to the end, as there was too much of a gap to catch anyone, but from behind they were still pushing. The track was really gnarly with so many bumps, and it was incredibly difficult. From Bulgaria I’m pleased we could make an improvement; we changed my training programme to improve the speed and explosive aggression, which has worked. We need to continue in this way and do some long motos for the physical condition, but we are going in a good direction. We had some new engine parts this weekend from the factory and a new Termignoni exhaust, which has given us some more torque and made the bike even better, so everything is going in a good direction.”

Evgeny Bobryshev # 777: DNS “I was trying to ride yesterday and today, but I had a big crash in qualifying. I tried again in warm-up this morning, with the hope I would be okay, but there was quite a lot of pain. The track was so rough with deep lines, and it was a big risk for me to continue. We decided to stop, as I don’t want to make the injury worse and continue racing week-by-week with injury. For me it’s more important to come back stronger and be able to fight at the front, rather than riding at 30% just trying to get one point while risking making things worse. Brazil is an important race for Honda, and the goal is to go there. I’m going to be working as hard as I can to be able to come back strong for that race.”

Benoit Paturel: “I never felt comfortable on the track, even if I did the fourth fastest time in my group. I had a bad start in the qualifying race, but I tried to push hard but I only could finish eighth, which put me in the middle of the grid. I had to start between position 15 and 20, but I could not find my rhythm and stay in touch with the guys in front of me. As at the Italian GP or the MX of European Nations, I think I wanted to do too much and this blocked my mind, I have to work on this mental aspect. The championship level is as high as expected, but I think I’m able to ride at the same pace as the leaders. ”

David Herbreteau: “It was a tough weekend, in a very competitive championship. In the qualifying race I crashed twice, I was stuck a long time under my bike and this caused a bad starting position. On Sunday my start was not too bad, but I got stuck behind a crash at the first corner. Then during the race I had a very good rhythm and I was happy with my pace. Starting so far behind it was hard to do better than fifteenth.”

Rui Goncalves: “This weekend was not an easy one. My expectations were different than the outcome and of course I am disappointed that I wasn’t able to give a better result for my home crowd, I try get better from race to race and since we started so good, I’m sure that we will be back on track again, even though the result wasn’t what I would have wanted this weekend. I am very fortunate to have my team fighting with me. We discuss the race together and find solutions together and the feeling is very good – we push towards the same direction. My first start was good and I was even able to gain a few places during the first round. When half of the moto was done, I started to loose my rhythm due to arm pump, so I simply sat back a little bit and didn’t flight so hard against it this time. Naturally I lost a few places, but I wanted to see if it was easier to get back to the rhythm by controlling the problem in stead of trying to ignore it. And considering all it seemed to work and I was able to finish ninth.”

Tommy Searle: “We struggled a little bit to find the right bike settings this weekend, but we got there in the end and I was setting the best lap times for most of the second race. In the first moto I took a stone on the middle finger of my left hand; the ligament was broken so the race was tough but I managed to finish sixth. I was wondering if it would be OK for the second race, but the pain subsided after a couple of laps and I was able to charge to fourth place. The track here is always demanding, but it was much more difficult in the tight corners with a 450 than with a 250, particularly with my hand injury.”

Jeremy Van Horebeek: “I have mixed feelings about today, as I could have got better results, even if it was my best GP so far. I got two very good starts; in the first race I had some troubles with my arms, I’m not used to racing near the front this year but I finished fifth and was happy with this result. We made some changes to the front brake between the races as I had the feeling that something was not adjusted to perfection but in the end it was worse and I had no front brake after twenty-four minutes. But I showed everyone this weekend that I’m more and more comfortable on the 450, and I’m sure that I will get soon some top results.”

Santtu Tiainen: “I was quite happy about my riding on Saturday but I just got a bit unlucky today. In the second corner I sort of got stuck with Matiss Karro and twisted my knee. It was really, really painful! Still I managed to finish the race almost normally. We iced the knee in between the races and I received a painkilling injection. However the doctor adviced against starting in the second moto, franky it would have been stupid as well. I will get some more examinations done tomorrow, hopefully the damage will be okay.”

Christophe Charlier: “In the first race my start wasn’t good and I paid for this because it was hard to overtake away from the main line, which was the fastest. In the second moto I was away better and I was fifth and on my own for most of the time. I’m one point away from the podium; so close again. I’m getting impatient now and I want a trophy. The track was difficult today; very bumpy and extremely hard to overtake. Anyway another top five and I’ll keep looking at the overall picture of the championship positions.”

Nikolaj Larsen: “Already during free practice yesterday I went down and landed pretty hard. I tried to race but the pain was unbearable. Luckily the scan showed no broken bones, so probably It’s just a serious compression. I won the first round of the Danish championship two weeks ago and my speed was quite good in Germany last week so I was really looking forward to this GP. I’m really bummed about the situation but this is just part of racing.”

Dylan Ferrandis: “ I had a good feeling with this track right from the first practice session, and I qualified in fifth place. My start in the first race was great; I raced top six all race to finish fifth, even though I had some discomfort from pumped-up forearms as it’s the first the this season that I have been racing at the front of the pack. My second start was not as good but I made a lot of good passes on the first lap and had just passed Charlier before he jumped on my bike and my chain was broken with the impact. It’s frustrating, but I feel that I’m improving and I will soon be battling for podium results.”

Max Anstie: “Everything went well yesterday and I put in good times and we were third in both timed sessions; even when I went down in the qualification heat I was able to get up and move my way through. In both races I just felt like I was struggling. We didn’t get out of the gate and I don’t know why because we have been working so much on the start – it is all I have been doing during the week. On the track I felt like I was coming through OK but having to push very hard to pass. I made a few mistakes and went down in the second moto when I clipped some guy in the air. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time for a few moments today and it set me back. A shame; it could have been a much better weekend.”

Jeremy Seewer: “I’m happy with third in the first race but for sure the win would have been nicer. We have seven races to go so it was a solid way to start. I know I can do better and my goal is the title; top three overall for sure. I have to look towards Ernee and the Grand Prix of France now. The track was completely different today; yesterday it was dry and hard and because of the watering, it was deep and with many ruts. I didn’t struggle but there was just one good line in the morning and it was difficult to pass another rider.”

Brian Hsu: “My physical condition was good today but I had a stomach ache from the middle of the moto. I just kept going and tried to get as far as I could. I didn’t like the single moto final so much: It means just one chance. There is no second moto or second opportunity. Anyway, I’m enjoying the RM125 because there is plenty of power. With the 85 I was pushing the bike! I like the 125; it’s great for learning.”

Alessandro Lupino: “I felt good on the bike this weekend and had a good feeling with the track but I was unlucky and didn’t get the results I deserved. In the qualifying race I finished tenth even though I crashed on the last lap, but my start in the first race was not so good. However I fought back to seventh but then I missed a rut and crashed hard; it was tough to continue, as I was seeing stars for a few seconds. I went to the medical centre between the races and the examination showed that there is something wrong in my lung; maybe I have some water inside and I will go for further consultation this week. I was not feeling 100% for the second moto, but nevertheless I finished seventh.”

Jason Clermont: “I only tested the bike a few hours before coming here, and it was great to come back to the GPs on a good bike. I had good lap times in the races, but I need to improve my starts, to be faster in the corners and be more aggressive during the first few laps to get better results. I came from a long way back in both races to score points each time, and this was a demanding track to race for my return to the GPs.”

Ryan Dungey: “I just want to thank the Red Bull KTM Factory Team for their continued support this season. We were able to finish third overall in the championship, which is still something to be proud of. We will now focus on our next goal which is to defend our 450 Motocross Championship.”

Jimmy Decotis: “I’ve worked hard with the team since Bulgaria, but again this weekend I had difficulty with the track. I had the worst place on the grid and crashed during the opening lap of race one, then in race two I started last and finished twenty-first; for sure it’s not what I and the team are expecting but we’ll continue to work until we get there.”

Jeffrey Herlings: “This weekend I did my best and I worked hard on my starts. I took the three holeshots and was leading in every lap. The speed was unbelievable. I was as fast as the MX1 guys so I couldn’t ask for more.”

Jordi Tixier: “I struggled at some places on the track so I was not so happy with my riding. I missed the podium by one point but I didn’t get hurt when I crashed, I made some good points for the championship and I’m ready for the next GP in Brazil.”

Tony Cairoli: “Paulin was trying to attack all the time but I was still able to win. It’s a shame it wasn’t enough to win the GP but it was still good for the points and the championship.”

Clement Desalle: “What can I say? In the first moto I had good speed but I struggled the whole heat. I wasn’t relaxed and couldn’t find my rhythm. It was not so good, but also not so bad to finish third. In the next moto I was fourth at the start but it was the same thing: I was stuck behind Paulin and found it really difficult to pass. I couldn’t find a way, and Cairoli was just ahead. In the last two laps I said to myself ‘it’s now or never’. I did a good lap-time and got really close to Paulin but had a big crash in the braking bumps and now I have pain everywhere. I picked up the bike and could finish the race but my neck and back is painful. I was in the medical centre and they said I was OK but if tomorrow it is worse then I will go for a scan on Tuesday. I just went into that jump a bit faster than previous laps and the bumps kicked me over the top. I can’t remember if the bike hit me or not. It was a hard track but I liked it. I’m disappointed because I felt like I could win the GP. The two guys were just in front of me. Anyway, I did my best and I can only hope for some more fortune in the next races.”

Kevin Strijbos: “A bad weekend overall and I couldn’t get going with the track. Yesterday I had arm-pump and had it again after the first lap of the first moto. I just rode around for the 40 minutes and couldn’t pass riders that I normally would do in one corner. I was so angry after that race. We tried a new shock for the second moto and it was better and I had less arm-pump but couldn’t find any aggression. I really don’t know why. A bad GP: I expected a lot coming here because I’ve had some decent results in the past. I know the track gets rough and I can be good on it, but today was not my day.”

Ken DeDycker: “Now I need to be better for the next race but I have a good bike and I am not scared of any track. I know if I get a good start I can run with Tony and all the other guys.”

Tanel Leok (#40): “In the first race I felt good and was riding good in ninth but then I stalled the bike and couldn’t get it starting again. When I got it going, I was seventeenth and could only fight back to thirteenth. In the second race I couldn’t find a rhythm and I wasn’t happy with myself. One moment I was seventh and suddenly eleventh where I stayed following Simpson around.”

Jason Dougan (#85): “I came together with someone on the third turn and bent the bike up in the first race, continued but decided to stop as the bike was losing power. I didn’t have a great start in the second race and rode average for seventeenth; I’m still not 100% and have a lot of work to do.”

Arminas Jasikonis (#77): “The weekend wasn’t so good. In free practise I was seventeenth, but that was bad because I couldn’t get used to the track. The qualifying race was going not so good as well either. With two laps to go I was passing another rider, I crashed with him and broke my hand. I hope to be back on the bike as soon as I can.”

Images by Ray Archer, KTM, Kawasaki, Suzuki, CDS, Sarah Gutierrez, Monster Energy, Yamaha and Honda

The sun was certainly shining in Portugal and that means one thing – Monster Girls in abundance.

What a final round in Vegas – Ken Roczen adds to his trophy cabinet with the West 250sx title and Marvin Musquin finishes runner up in the East Coast series.

Here’s our gallery from the Sam Boyd Stadium.

Images Olaf Thode

Jeffrey Herlings unsurprisingly completely dominated MX2 at the sixth round of the world championship this afternoon at scorching Agueda but there was a small upset in MX1 as Kawasaki’s man on form Gautier Paulin defeated Tony Cairoli for his second straight GP win with a superb and self-assured 1-2 finish to the Sicilian’s 3-1.

Paulin appears to have really found a new level in recent weeks and went to war with Cairoli in the opener. The Italian led initially but Paulin reeled him in and made a pass around the halfway mark and controlled the race from there on out in some style. Cairoli put in his usual late charge as the two-lap board went out but the championship leader made a rare mistake on the last lap and suffered a heavy over the bars fall on a step-down that he was lucky to get up from. His front brake was ripped off and as Paulin streaked home for the win, Tony limped home for third behind Clement Desalle.

Cairoli led from gate to flag second time out, sitting a second or two ahead of Paulin the whole way, but the big Frenchman rode cool and collected all moto despite race long pressure from Clement Desalle and was guaranteed the win when Desalle went over the bars in a big way two laps from home. He remounted shaken and dropped to fifth behind Ken De Dycker and a charging Tommy Searle but was still good enough for third overall behind Paulin and Cairoli.

Searle was the man on the move late in the second moto, showing impressive fitness and great line choice and his advancing fourth, less than half a second behind De Dycker, secured him a strong fifth overall for the weekend as an off-song Max Nagl, fast-starting Jeremy Van Horebeek, David Philippaerts, Kevin Strijbos and home race hero Rui Goncalves rounded out the top ten.

MX2 was dominated by Herlings even more badly than at previous GPs. The KTM kid is really hitting his stride and so far ahead of the competition is he that his focus is to beat the 450 lap times, not his MX2 rivals. He won by just over a minute and quarter in the opening heat and a minute and ten in the second in what was a simply sensational display of other worldy skill.

Behind Herlings however the racing was the best it’s been all year in MX2, as a gaggle of riders fought line astern in both motos over the final podium spots.

It was Monster Yamaha’s Aussie import Dean Ferris who prevailed for second overall courtesy of a 6-2 that could easily have been 2-2 had he not fallen in the opening moto. His incredibly impressive second moto ride landed him his second podium of 2013 and best ever GP performance, just edging out the ever-improving Jose Butron, third overall for the second consecutive GP.

It could so easily have been Jake Nicholls celebrating another podium finish after he scorched to a superb second in the opening mot but mechanical problems whilst in a prime position in moto two forced him to slow drastically for the second half of the race and drop all the way back to 18th, robbing him of what looked like a nailed-on podium.

There were strong rides from other Brits too, notably Mel Pocock, a strong seventh in MX2 after two hard rides through the pack, and Jordan Booker in the EMX250 opening round, who rode strong and smart in a crash and DNF-filled race to finishing an impressive sixth.

Results

MX1
1 21 Paulin, Gautier FRA MCM Kawasaki 25 22 47
2 222 Cairoli, Antonio ITA FMI KTM 20 25 45
3 25 Desalle, Clement BEL FMB Suzuki 22 16 38
4 9 de Dycker, Ken BEL FMB KTM 14 20 34
5 100 Searle, Tommy GBR ACU Kawasaki 15 18 33
6 12 Nagl, Maximilian GER DMSB Honda 18 14 32
7 89 van Horebeek, Jeremy BEL FMB Kawasaki 16 15 31
8 19 Philippaerts, David ITA FMI Honda 13 13 26
9 22 Strijbos, Kevin BEL FMB Suzuki 11 12 23
10 999 Goncalves, Rui POR FMP KTM 12 10 22

MX2
1 84 Herlings, Jeffrey NED KNMV KTM 25 25 50
2 111 Ferris, Dean AUS MA Yamaha 15 22 37
3 17 Butron, Jose ESP RFME KTM 20 15 35
4 911 Tixier, Jordi FRA FFM KTM 14 20 34
5 23 Charlier, Christophe FRA FFM Yamaha 18 16 34
6 259 Coldenhoff, Glenn NED KNMV KTM 8 18 26
7 119 Pocock, Mel GBR ACU Yamaha 13 12 25
8 45 Nicholls, Jake GBR ACU KTM 22 3 25
9 59 Tonkov, Alexander RUS MFR Honda 9 13 22
10 14 Anstie, Max GBR AMA Suzuki 12 10 22

EMX250
1 92 Guillod, Valentin SUI FMS KTM 25 25
2 171 Graulus, Damon BEL FMB KTM 22 22
3 91 Seewer, Jeremy SUI FMS Suzuki 20 20
4 63 Klein Kromhof, Ceriel NED KNMV KTM 18 18
5 28 De Waal, Micha-Boy NED KNMV KTM 16 16
6 114 Booker, Jordan GBR ACU Kawasaki 15 15
7 142 Paturel, Benoit FRA FFM Husqvarna 14 14
8 243 Gajser, Tim SLO AMZS KTM 13 13
9 751 Jamet, Benoit FRA FFM Kawasaki 12 12
10 100 Klingsheim, Magne NOR NMF Yamaha 11 11

EMX125
1 141 Jonass, Pauls LAT LAMSF KTM 25 25
2 29 Jacobi, Henry GER DMSB KTM 22 22
3 411 Dercourt, Nicolas FRA FFM Yamaha 20 20
4 151 Tinkler, Kade CAN FMI Suzuki 18 18
5 10 Vlaanderen, Calvin NED KNMV KTM 16 16
6 997 Righi, Riccardo ITA FMI KTM 15 15
7 118 Van Mechelen, Joel NED KNMV KTM 14 14
8 131 Sileika, Tomasso LAT LAMSF KTM 13 13
9 188 Van Der Vlist, Frederik NED KNMV KTM 12 12
10 666 Facchetti, Emanuele ITA FMI KTM 11 11

Three-time Portuguese GP winner Clement Desalle and MX2 king Jeffrey Herlings dominated qualifying at a sun-baked Agueda this afternoon but there was mixed luck for the British contingent in all classes.

MX1 boasts a slightly improved grid of 26 this weekend (5 now that Evgeny Bobryshev’s attempted return to action after a broken leg proved unsuccessful) and Desalle made short work of holeshotting Gautier Paulin when he found his rhythm a few laps into the MX1 heat and controlled proceedings with a confident swagger at his favourite track. He took a solid win by six-seconds over Paulin and KTM’s duo Ken De Dycker and Tony Cairoli - the six-time champ pulling back through after a small first lap fall after coming together with Desalle on the opening lap.

Tommy Searle rode to a steady seventh to set him up with a solid gate position for the main races but there was no luck whatsoever for TM’s Shaun Simpson, who was involved in an opening lap collision that forced him out of the race before it even began.

MX2 was all about Jeffrey Herlings again. Setting he fastest lap times of anyone all day, KTM’s championship leader cleared off to the tune of 38-seconds over team-mate Jordi Tixier and Christophe Charlier. Behind the lead trio only one Brit figured in the top-10, Suzuki’s Max Anstie, who finished an advancing sixth but only after a tussle for position with Jake Nicholls early in the moto saw Nicholls hit the deck and forced to ride back through the field to 11th.

Elliott Banks-Browne fought arm pump as he struggled to 17th and Mel Pocock crashed out of the a top-five spot early on and rode a lonely race to 19th, but they made the cut at least unlike EBB’s KTM UK team-mate James Dunn who again fell foul of the 108% rule and will watch from the side lines tomorrow.

There were some superb qualifying performances from the Brit boys in the packed-out EMX championships though. Nathan Watson rode to a fantastic third in the A group of EMX2, followed home in fifth by the extremely impressive Lewis Trickett, whilst Jordan Booker, Ryan Houghton and Adam Sterry all comfortably made the cut in the tough B group with good top-10 rides and Nicholas Adams and Michael Eccles both scored top-10 in EMX125.

Tomorrow is set to be a scorcher and hopefully MX1 will be too. Only a miracle will stop Herlings winning by a country mile.

Results

MX1
1. Clement Desalle
2. Gautier Paulin
3. Ken De Dycker
4. Antonio Cairoli
5. Tanel Leok
6. Max Nagl
7. Tommy Searle
8. Jeremy van Horebeek
9. Joel Roelants
10. David Philippaerts

MX2
1. Jeffrey Herlings
2. Jordi Tixier
3. Christophe Charlier
4. Glen Coldenhoff
5. Dylan Ferrandis
6. Max Anstie
7. Jose Butron
8. Alexander Tonkov
9. Dean Ferris
10. Alessandro Lupino

Hot on the heels of his super RBPN win, MBO Sport Yamaha rider Kristian Whatley was again successful at the weekend as he topped the Pro MX1 charts during round two of the AMCA Wulfsport British Masters, staged at the iconic Foxhill circuit in Wiltshire.

On the gas right from the off and after posting the fastest qualification time,Kristian then blasted to a brace of very strong moto wins.Over in Pro MX2,the very rapid Graeme Irwin and Neville Bradshaw shared the victories.However with Irwin also suffering a moto two DNF,it was Bradshaw who took home the overall spoils.On another weekend of top class Masters action,Bradley Wheeler(Pirelli MX2) and Harry Kimber(Putoline Mini-Masters SW85cc) were the only other riders to join Whatley on a maximum points score.Incredibly Wheeler after eight completed races in the Masters series is yet to suffer defeat,what a record.

Back to the those Battery Energy Drink supported Pro clashes though,and what a treat the opening MX1 contest served up!!.Doubling up,it was Putoline Honda star Neville Bradshaw who led the charge with Brad Anderson, Whatley,Josh Waterman,Luke Hawkins and Jamie Law in tow.Two laps in and Ando had hit the front but his joy was to be very short lived!!.Entering a Foxhill rut and with now Whatley and early leader Bradshaw right on his rear fender,the chain flicked off his Kawasaki’s rear sprocket.With Whatley sharing that same rut and forced into evasive action it thus allowed a surprised Bradshaw back into pole position!!.Whilst Brad frantically hooked his chain back on,dropping right back to 22nd in the process,at the front and within a further lap Whatley was moving smartly past Bradshaw and into the lead!!.From here onwards,Whatley controlled all the way to the chequered flag and take the win from Bradshaw as Graeme Irwin took a super 3rd after initially gating 10th and then earlier being forced to fight off the very determined duo of Waterman and Hawkins.In a class encounter,Ross Rutherford,Gert Krestinov,Law, Ashley Wilde and Scott Elderfield were all right in the mix throughout.

Although Matt Moffat grabbed the Pro MX1 moto two holeshot,that man Whatley was quickly in control and there he remained to earn himself another winners cheque.Right from the off,a very determined Anderson gave chase, being just over six seconds down at the flag as Bradshaw got home in 3rd,Irwin 4th and Hawkins after starting 10th taking a fine 5th.The ride of this moto though came from Krestinov who blasted from 16th on lap one and thus earn a storming 6th ahead of Law,Moffat,Waterman and Elderfield.After his double victory in the Masters R1 at Preston back in March,young Nathan Watson finished 11th in moto two following an opening race DNF.

Not enjoying the best of Foxhill fortunes,Watson was also forced out of the opening Pro MX2 contest on lap two when holding 4th spot behind Graeme Irwin,Bryan Mackenzie and Nev Bradshaw.With Watson out,the impressive Lewis Toombs moved up the leaderboard.At the front though there was no stopping the very rapid Heads and All Threads Suzuki pilot Irwin who blasted to a big victory,nine seconds ahead of a titanic,full throttle tussle for 2nd in which Bradshaw just edged out Mackenzie.Completing the top ten in moto one were Toombs,Lewis Tricket,Adam Sterry,Robert Davidson,Matt Moffat,Dan Thornhill and Jamie Skuse.

Bradshaw was certainly very quick out of the blocks in Pro MX2 moto two as he led the charge with Irwin,Watson, Mackenzie,Sterry and Thornhill giving chase whilst AMCA Championship rider Ryan Morris was right in the mix and holding a super 8th.Three laps in and Irwin slipped back to 4th as Mackenzie moved up to slot into 2nd with Watson 3rd.That leaderboard was to then change yet again as Irwin’s Suzuki ground to a halt,thus signalling the end of his participation.Up front with Bradshaw in total control and cruising, all eyes were now focussed on the battle for 2nd as Mackenzie and Watson locked horns.Lap seven,and Watson scorched past the Scotsman but could he now catch the runaway leader Bradshaw??.Well,the young HM Plant KTM UK rider gave it a real go,dramatically closing the gap to finish just two seconds down at the flag.As Mackenzie took 3rd,Toombs had another super ride to bag 4th and with it the final podium spot.Also impressive was young Sterry in 5th as Moffat took 6th,Luke Norris 7th and Lewis Gregory,campaigning a 125cc two-stroke Yamaha 8th.After his fine start,Morris was also in the frame with 9th whilst a notable non-scorer in this race was Thornhill who disappeared from proceedings on lap five when holding 8th.

After taking a great 7th overall in the Pro MX2 class, young Robert Davidson also competed in the GSP Race Products Youth MX2 class.In this contest although Robert did take the overall win, he also had to share the moto wins with Liam Knight who matched his score for score. Taking a 3rd overall was Curtis Blamey ahead of round one victor Jamie Ellis, Loukas Maggio and Chase Neale.

Despite having recently switched from Suzuki to KTM machinery,Tyron Cleaver got the combined Putoline Mini-Masters contest at Foxhill off to a flyer by taking victory in moto one.In the BW85cc class,eventual overall winner Joe Jeffries was first past the post in moto two before Jay Hague took control for maximum points on Sunday.As Cleaver went on to claim the second step on the podium,Hague had to settle for 3rd following a disastrous 26th place finish during moto one.In the Putoline SW85cc clashes,Harry Kimber was the star performer with a perfect maximum points haul as Ben Burridge and Archie Osmaston were the next best.

Another doubling up rider, Daniel Hutchinson, took the top slot in the Muk Junkie Amateur MX1 contest although unlike round one at Preston, he did not totally dominate. On day one at Foxhills, Joe Jones was the double moto victor before sitting out Sunday’s racing to concentrate on his Pro MX1 duties. So with Jones absent and although Hutchinson then scored both wins, there was still to be plenty of great MX1 action with Chad Yarranton, Alexander Hussey, Luke Meredith and Jake Alsop right in the mix. On the podium it was Yarranton and Hussey stand alongside Hutchinson.

Having recently switched to KTM machinery, Dan Thornhill tried out his new mount by competing in the www. Goggle-shop.com Amateur MX2 contest on day one, duly bagging both moto victories. However Dan then switched his attention to the Pro MX2 competition for the Sunday program so it was George Clarke and Adam Wells who now stepped forward to blast to the moto victories. In the overall standings, Wells with a very solid 2/2/3/1 card took the top step on the box ahead of the equally consistent Richard Cannings who was struggling with a collarbone injury and Clarke. Zac Stealey, two-stroke TM ace Charles Statt and Jack Drogan completed the top six.

What a contest the Pirelli MX1 class proved to be, including an incredible finish to moto three!!. After working his way up from 5th, eventual overall winner Shaun Scrivens looked set for another victory until crashing on landing from the final uphill jump thus allowing both Anthony Miller and Chris Povey through. Throughout the weekend, Povey on his 250cc two-stroke Suzuki had proved to be a serious contender, chasing Scrivens all the way. Whilst Scrivens were made to work very hard, what can you say about Pirelli MX2 winner Bradley Wheeler who was again simply superb!!. Winning all four clashes in style and romping to victory, Wheeler left Aidan Wigger to claim 2nd and Steve Turvey 3rd.

Full Results HERE

Report and Images by Mike Wood

Cool shots from last weekends AMCA events from around the country. This week’s image comes from round 2 of the AMCA championship from Frocester, Sidecar craziness from Sproxton and race action from the Macclesfield MXC event at Warmingham Lane.

Images by Mike Wood, Mark Stead and Andy Johnson.