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

The Gas Gas factory team competing in the World Enduro Championship has finished the Grand Prix of Spain with an optimistic point of view, and they are now looking forward to the next race in Portugal . Having not been able to achieve a podium position, which has eluded the young Danny McCanney after a couple of falls in the Extreme and Enduro test, but eventually he finished fourth in the Junior category after a good showing in certain special tests. McCanney who has piloted the new EC 300 Factory Replica without any mechanical problems, holds the third position overall in the World Cup. In the same category, Diego ‘ El Toro ” Rojas has continued to improve and had finished in sixteenth position. The competitive Chilean rider seeks to improve race after race, and this time he was able to observe the difficulty of the Grand Prix series but managed to complete the event, something that in itself is an accomplishment.

The Gas Gas School of Champions program is paying off with the youngsters Esteban Lanz and Tomer Saphira, who have managed to reduce the gap to the front runners. The Chilean Lanz was 12th and Israeli Saphira 14th, and in this GP of Spain has earned their first World Cup points.

Danny McCanney:

“It’s been a long tough weekend in which I have not been able to reach the success I had been hoping for. I’ve gone to great lengths to try to achieve good results. The only thing I can be happy with is that I suffered no serious falls that could have injured me which would jeopardize the rest of the championship “.

Results Spanish GP, day 2

Junior
1.          Matthew Philips            58’52.77
2.          Giacomo Redondi            to 6.99
3.          Mario Román            to 10.10
4.            Danny McCanney (Gas Gas)            to 32.50
16.          Diego Rojas (Gas Gas)            to 4’48.70

Youth Cup
1.           Jamie McCanney            1:00’42.16
2.           Albin Elowson            a 15.22
3.           David Ciucci            a 49.10
12.            Esteban Lanz (Gas Gas)            a 4’41.43
14.            Tomer Saphira (Gas Gas)            a 6’27.53

Standings
Junior
1.         Matthew Philips            103 points
2.         Giacomo Redondi            98 points
3.            Danny McCanney (Gas Gas)            86 points
12.          Diego Rojas (Gas Gas)            22 points

Youth Cup
1.           Jamie McCanney            114 points
2.           Benjamín Herrera            95 points
3.           Albin Elowson            76 points
18.            Esteban Lanz (Gas Gas)            8 points
25.            Thomer Saphira (Gas Gas)            4 points

Round 4 of the Maxxis British Championship was certainly a quality event with great racing in both classes. Here’s what the riders had to say about it all.

Kristian Whatley: “I didn’t have such a good start to the day as after getting third I qualifying, I messed up superpole a bit. We made some adjustments to the shock and I was a lot happier going into race one where I got a reasonable start and came through a bit, but in the second race the start was a lot worse but I still managed to get up to third. Track conditions were very bad in the last race, but I was making places up when I lost my goggles. All I had to do was keep in front of Jonathan (Barragan) for the overall, but a back marker got in my way out the back of the track and he was passed, so I was third in the race and second overall”

Wayne Garrett – MX1: “Today’s been a bit better for me. I’m still not 100% happy with how it went; it’s progress and every round seems to get a little bit better. I ended today with two eighteenths and a crash in the second race which put me dead last. That made the second race tough and I just missed the points. All in all it’s not been a bad day, it’s lifted me a little bit after several hard weeks of racing, so I’ll just try to keep the momentum going and hopefully come the next round I can get top fifteens and heading for the top twelve.”

Lewis Tombs – MX2: “Today was a steady day, not bad. I did well in qualifying, got a good feel for the track and was fourth in the first part of qualifying. I dropped back to eighth in the super-pole, but it wasn’t a big drama. In the first race I had not such a great start, but managed to sneak round the inside corner and came out about eighth and kinda just stayed there and managed to get seventh. I’m very happy with that. In the second race had a good start again, made a mistake on the first lap, went down, went down again, and went down a third time, and was dead last. Managed to get back to fifteenth, which I knew meant I was riding good. The third race was real tricky, the weather made it really slick. Had a good start, was running fifth, but my lines weren’t good and dropped back to tenth, and worked my way past Trickett in the last couple of laps.”

Adam Sterry: “I struggled in qualifying but I was happy with coming back to 13th in the first race after coming from the back of the field, especially as it was so hard to pass on this track. I made a good start in the second race but went down trying to pass Mackenzie but I passed good riders to get back to 5th showing I can compete with the top boys. The third race I made a bad start and with the track really wet, I crashed twice while trying to fight my way through. I came home in 15th which was disappointing but I was glad to come away safe.”

Jonathan Barragan: “I liked the track and was happy with my riding today. Even when I crashed I caught the other riders again so I know I had the speed. I was happy to win overall and scored good points for the Championship and it was great for my confidence for Brazil.”

Graeme Irwin: ”It was a good day overall really, I rode well, but I just struggled to get the starts. It’s close [in the championship],  but it’s only half way through, and anything can happen.”

Luke Burton: ”I rung my bell pretty good in qualifying and I suffered from it all day. I couldn’t concentrate and string a lap together, but I didn’t want to let the team down.
My shoulders pretty sore, so I’m taking a couple of days rest, then preparing for Weston this weekend.”

Dan Thornhill: “Still looking for a little more luck to come my way, so far this year I have had a lot of issues to deal with. Felt nice this weekend at Milton on the new bike to put in a solid qualifying and know that my speed is there in the races. Grabbing two point scoring rides and a little mishap in the other moto I feel more confident moving on week by week with myself and the bike. With still plenty to improve on and a long season ahead I look forward the next coming rounds of the championship to show my potential.”

Brad Anderson: Today’s been one of the toughest days of my whole career; I just couldn’t get with it all day long. I had a 7th in the first race and then a 5th in the second which was ok and then the last race was bad. We are going to go away from here and sit down and try and work out how to go forward.

Jack Brunell: Practice started well and I got 12th and went into Superpole and put in a good lap and finished in 8th, so I was happy with that for my first British. First race I had a bad start and came through well to finish in 13th. Second race I got another bad start but rode a lot better and finished in 10th. Then in the final race it was so dangerous, that I just wanted to ride around and finish and got 14th and 13th overall so I’m really happy with that.

Dorren Coutts: Today has been a really tough day; I didn’t get a good time in qualifying and suffered bad starts in every race. I didn’t feel myself today and I’ve work to do before next weekend.

Ben James: I didn’t do so great in qualifying today, finishing 32nd. I had an ok start in the first race and finished 27th. Then in the second race it rained and track was slippery, which was better for me I had a better start and finished 22nd.

Jason Dougan (#85): The first race was ok, had a decent start, came through to fourth and then with four laps to go, something happened to the gearbox and I couldn’t finish. I’m happy with my riding though. In the second race I gated about fifth and managed to get to third and then wheel-spun off one of the table tops because of the rain. I had a big crash, landed on my head pretty hard and ended up with a concussion, so I was done for the day.

Tanel Leok (#40): The first two races were good, I had the win. In the last race we had a mechanical issue while I was second behind Aubin. I’m happy with the red plate, but we’ve lost a lot of valuable points, which is disappointing.

Lewis Trickett – MX2 #214: “Today started off rubbish; in qualifying I really struggled to get a lap in, just rode really tense, ended up twentieth in qualifying. In race 1, I was going good, was ninth, went down and ended up fifteenth, which was alright. In race 2, I was seventh and then had a failure on the exhaust so had to DNF, which really sucks and I’m really disappointed with that. I managed to pull myself together for the last race, had a good start and just rode smart because the track was really slippery and quite technical. I ended up tenth, not so bad. “

James Harrison – MX2 #153: “Qualifying was good, I never do well in qualifying. I got a twenty-third and was happy with that. In the first race I struggled a bit with arm pump because I was quite nervous before the race. I came home twenty-first; I was just outside the points which I was annoyed with. In the second race, went out there and tried my best to get points, was in seventeenth with one lap to go and my fork just fell apart. In the last race it rained and it was quite wet, and I rode decent and got sixteenth.”

Ben Putnam – MXY2 #11: “Qualifying was a bit of a shock really, I wasn’t going too well and then managed to put a quick lap in in the end. The first race was a reasonable, I scored a few points and ended sixth, and in the second race it started raining, I didn’t feel too confident, managed to get a good start and got a third, so I’m really happy. Just looking forward to the last round now, because it’s getting quite tight in the championship now.”

Scott Elderfield – MX1 #160: “Qualifying started off not too good. In the first race I thought I’d use the inside and it didn’t pan out. I got boxed in and ended up last, but came back through to eleventh which wasn’t too bad really. In the second one I started off on the outside and got a pretty good start and came through and ended up with a good position seventh which was not bad. In the last one I got a good start and kept pushing and managed to end up fifth by passing Waterman on the last lap. I’m pretty pleased.”

Steven Lenoir – MX2 #685: “This was a good weekend; in the first race I just could not pass Nev and got bad arm pump, so I had to slow down and finish fourth. I was pretty upset to be honest. In the second race got the holeshot and fought with Elliott for the lead all race long and I was happier with the result; I wanted to win badly. The last race, with the rainy conditions, was definitely mine. I managed to pass people really quickly in the first corners and when I was in the lead, I was really focused to not make any mistakes. I won, so I’m really happy tonight. The bike, the team, everything’s been brilliant for a few weeks now and the work’s definitely paid off.”

Images by Rick Blyth, Kevin Reid, Norris Racing, Stefan Paetow, STR KTM, Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha, Kawasaki

Adamson started the weekend by falling off in timed practice but after a trip to the pits still managed fifth fastest time.  His weekend didn’t get much better in the races, suffering a broken chain and numerous crashes.  He did, however, keep his AAA / Bikesport Newcastle KTM upright for long enough for him to win the fourth race en route to fourth place overall.  This is his first BYN win which many had been predicting.

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

David won Round 1 of the series, a British Extreme Championship, back in February. Rounds Two and Three were super sprint events, which are held over 8 laps each day. The special tests were held on an excellent hard packed surface which had a little bit of everything from fast MX tracks, to woodland and endurocross.

David started Day 1 by winning the first test by 16 seconds from Jordan Rose, he then extended his advantage winning all 8 tests throughout the day and took the win by 1 minute and 8 seconds from Rose, with Danny McCanney 3rd, just 2 seconds behind.

For Day 2, the test was altered in a couple of places by organiser Paul Edmondson, which made the test about 15 seconds longer. David was on a mission again, winning the first test by 16 seconds from McCanney and winning the remaining 7 tests, extending his lead to 52 seconds at the finish. It made it a very successful and enjoyable weekend ahead of the next EWC events, in Spain and Portugal, in a couple of weeks time.

David Knight:
I can honestly say I have really enjoyed this weekend. Rogershill is an excellent venue and gave me the perfect opportunity to give myself and the Honda a good shakedown before the European part of the EWC.

The test itself was pretty fast going, using both MX tracks, a little woodland, endurocross and fast open going. From the first test on Saturday I felt good but improved every lap, getting more comfortable and more confident as the day went on. It was good having Danny and Jordan there too as we all pushed hard and it made it really enjoyable as there was no rest during the 8 minute special test.

I changed some things on the bike during the day which is perfect as you see straight away if it is good or not. Some things we tried were an improvement and some things were worse. For Sunday we took the good things from the previous day but also tried forks with a different setting and straight away they had a better feeling so I stuck with them and didn’t touch a thing. My times again got better and better and my best time on Sunday was three seconds slower than Saturday, but the changes to the track made the test 15 seconds longer so really I knocked about 12 seconds off Saturday’s time which on that type of test is massive as it was so fast.

All in all I’m very very happy with how it went, I pushed hard all weekend, didn’t make any big mistakes and won all 16 tests, the bike is great I’m getting more confident race by race and now hopefully I can get a podium in the next GP.

Thanks to my sponsors and to Fast Eddy Racing for an excellent and fun race weekend and I can’t wait for the next round at the end of June which is a 3 hour race. It’s great having a championship with a mix off events like this.

One might not expect it, but the Dutch are rabidly enthusiastic about their motocross racing. Their tracks are almost without fail in deep sand, as one can expect of a country, a great portion of which once formed part of Neptune’s domain. Now the uninitiated might thing that if you’re going to race off road, deep sand is the place to be. After all, it’s less forgiving than concrete hard ground, right? Not quite. You see, it’s like this. Deep sand likes to impede forward progress. A track made of the stuff forms deep ruts and bomb holes, so much so that no two laps on a sandy track are quite the same. Even the crashing is less forgiving. If you crash on a hard track, you will collect enough roasties to brag that you’ve been worked over with a power sander, that much is true, but in sand, if you crash, you stop suddenly. Very suddenly. Sand racing is very much an acquired art.

So much then for the theory. Tanel Leok is not a newbie in sand racing. He is a former dutch motocross champion, and one can assume therefore that he is fairly familiar with the requirements of going fast on this kind of terrain. The square-jawed hard man of motocross made the short trip form his Belgian base to Gemert to participate in the Dutch Championship event.

It was no surprise when the name that flashed at the top of the timing screens during qualifying belonged to one T. Leok. With the best gate pick, the Estonian got a good start in race one, checking out the lay of the land from third position. It was not long before he moved into the lead. With the luxury of open air ahead of him, he soon opened up a seemingly unassailable lead. on his Route 77 MVRD Honda. A few laps later, though, the bike starting producing noises that sounded for all the world as if it was the Costa Concordia being parked on the rocks by its captain. Not wishing to create total mayhem in the engine internals, Tanel headed for the pits, and his race was run.

After some quickfire repairs by his crew, Tanel was ready for race two. He blasted himself into proceedings in second spot, but it was not long before he got the better of Scotsman Shaun Simpson and again shot into the lead. He was now in full Estonian Express mode. This time he hoped to hold the lead in hand until the very end. Disaster very nearly struck again as he crashed hard with the race approaching its end. Fortunately, his lead was postal district-sized by now, and he could remount and still claim victory with a 14 second margin.

Tanel was desperately disappointed at having been forced to retire from a leading position in race one, which robbed him of a certain overall victory on the day. Still, a race win, a fastest qualifying time and the fastest lap in both races sort of gives an indication that he was in the hunt, speed-wise. As it was, he finished seventh overall for the day, which also represents his championship standing, seeing as he missed th first round of the series.

Tanel and Team are heading for the Southern tip of Europe next to participate in the Portuguese Grand Prix at Agueda.

It’s been a busy weekend in the world of off-road sport here in Europe and across the pond in the US of A. Here’s what the riders had to say about their racing at various events around the world.

Steven Lenoir – French Championship: “It’s been a great day for me. Two 35-minute motos on a difficult, rutted track is just what I needed in preparation for the next round of the British Championship at Milton Park. I’ve been working hard on improving my starts and it paid off today, I nearly holeshotted the super-final against the 450′s! A big thanks to my team, they’ve been working really hard to produce me a fantastic bike.

Danny McCanney – National Off Road Championship: “That was a very good, enjoyable, event. I made it difficult for myself by crashing on a tight off-camber corner in the very first run. My back brake was bent backwards so I had no brake for the rest of the run and lost 30 seconds on David straight away. After that my pace was good and I was unlucky to just miss out on the runner-up. On day two I was on average just 5-seconds behind David on each lap, except one where I overshot a corner. So again I was very happy with my speed.

“The event was great training for the coming three weeks as well, as the going was hard pack, dry and dusty so with the upcoming Spanish championship this weekend and then the two EWC rounds in Spain and Portugal I’m well prepared.”

Broc Tickle - Salt Lake City Supercross: “It was a solid start in the Main until I went down,” said Tickle. “I was riding ninth and about to pass Andrew Short but skipped over a couple of the whoops and crashed pretty good. So I got up, got in behind Trey Canard and just started picking guys off that I had lost positions to earlier.”

Josh Hill - Salt Lake City Supercross: “I got a decent start in the Main and made a few quick passes to gain some spots. I got up into the top-10 early and that helped. The race start was so hard if you were starting outside of the first few gates because it was such a short straightaway and tight left-hand turn. Guys would just bang into each other. Riders with the first eight gate picks chose the inside. It was a battle.”

Jake Weimer – Salt Lake City Supercross: “It was not the result I wanted,” said Weimer. “I have a big fanbase at this race, growing up pretty close to here, and I felt good for the main event. I got a great jump but that all went away when we all came together in the first turn. I did my best to come through, but it wasn’t how I wanted to end the night.”

Tyla Rattray – Salt Lake City Supercross: “The day started off good,” said Rattray. “But I tangled with guys off the start and came around last. It was really hard to pass on the track because the dirt was slippery due to all the pebbles and rocks. Eighth was as far as I could get. I’m looking forward to Vegas.”

Martin Davalos – Salt Lake City Supercross: “I was really excited for the main event because I felt good all day,” said Davalos. “The bike was working really good and I charged to the end to get on the podium. I’m happy but I feel like I could have been battling for the win had I got a better start. The whoops were super tricky this week and really separated guys.”

Zach Osborne – Salt Lake City Supercross: “I had a great day, actually,” Osborne said. “Up until I fell in the main everything was going really well. That kind of turned the whole deal. I just need to soldier-up and fight for a great finish in Vegas. I have nothing to lose and I plan to just go for it and try to get up on the podium.”

Eli Tomac – Salt Lake City Supercross: “I started the race second but just blew the race in the whoops,” said Tomac, who leads the category with four victories this year. “It was a section that just got me almost every time around. There were a couple of passes where I got through them ok, but there were others where I got wild and out of control. I was like, ‘I can’t completely throw this thing away,’” he said. “I just started doubling and hopping and skipping.”

Jason Anderson - Salt City Lake Supercross: ”My win tonight was good. I got a good start and led the whole Main Event, which is something I’ve never done. I was stoked to do it here in Salt Lake. It was a good race for me. I got my first podium here last year, which was my first time here. To get my first win this year, I’m happy and super excited. I usually just go crazy. Just being calm and putting in my laps made the difference. The whoops were gnarly tonight, I definitely didn’t ‘wanna crash the last lap in them, but once I made it through them, it was like sigh of relief. It was a good night.”

Ryan Sipes – Salt City Lake Supercross: ”The weekend was rough. I’m a little disappointed in myself. It’s taking me a while to get back in the racing mode. I get out there and I ‘kinda just lock up. I’m not flowing and I’m not riding nearly as good as I do at the practice track. If I could ride like I practice, I feel like I could be in the hunt for wins. It’s not happening right now. Hopefully I can work on some stuff this week and make it better in Vegas.”

Davi Millsaps – Salt Lake City Supercross: “I gave it everything I had. I seriously had nothing left in me when I crossed that finish line. I was so happy to see the ‘checkers.’ Ryan Villopoto ran a good last half-of-the-season and I ran a bad one. It was a great run and it was fun racing against those guys. Definitely congratulations to Villopoto. He rode like a champion. It was a learning year for me as I’ve never been in the front, never had the points lead, let alone having this many podiums. All-in-all it’s been a good season so far and I’m definitely looking forward to next year.”

Ryan Villopoto – Salt Lake City Supercross: “Every lap of that race was intense. I knew for those guys (Dungey and Millsaps) it was all or nothing when I was out front and I had to be smart. At the beginning of the season, we had a bit of a deficit to make up, and we had to chip away as the season went on. I have a great support system behind me, with Thor being a big part of my program, and we never wanted to seem defeated but go at it one race at a time, hoping things would turn around and it did. I am so grateful to have Thor on my side as a great sponsor and happy I was able to bring them another championship.”

Luke Norris – British Masters: “Fortunately I did enough to finish 6th overall and I’m now lying 3rd in the championship which was a bonus. Not the weekend I was hoping for but I learnt a lot and I’m looking forward to the first European 250 Championship race this weekend in Portugal.”

Round 5 of the 2013 World Motocross Championship took place in Bulgaria this past weekend in front of 22,000 fans packed into the Sevlievo circuit.

There was a changing of the guard in MX1 with Tony Cairoli relegated to second place by Gautier Paulin of Kawasaki. Unfortunately in MX2 nobody got near the dominant Jeffrey Herlings who continues his push towards a 100% win season.

Here’s what the riders had to say…

Max Anstie: “I felt strong. Each week we are improving and I’m learning about the bike and the team and they are learning about how I feel. We are getting better and stronger but we just need to figure out the gate. We got out of it in Qatar and Thailand but I had a poor qualification position and we paid the price for it today and had to push through. It made it a little bit difficult. I’m really looking forward to Portugal and also Brazil. It is about time we got on the podium now.”

Petar Petrov: ‘I’m satisfied I could finish the two motos in a decent spot, but I’m not happy with the result and my riding. This wasn’t what I had in mind. I could not find the right pace and made too many mistakes. I know I can do better. The aim is to keep working now and get into that top 10. It’s possible and I will do everything I can to make it happen.’

Kevin Fors: ‘Due to the injury I haven’t trained in the last weeks, so I didn’t know what to expect going into the GP. I have no pain anymore so that’s good. My weekend went alright. I’m happy with the speed I had, but I noticed I miss some hours on the bike. Unfortunately that crash spoiled my second moto… It was a good training anyway, so now I can build up again towards Portugal.’

Clement Desalle: “I’m happy to take my first podium in Europe! I had some bad luck in the last two grands prix and I was disappointed about that so it feels good to be back. I had some good starts and I’m happy about that and was with Kevin for most the day. Some moves were really close and we had to be careful! It was a good battle for sure and we rode together for almost every lap. I tried some stuff to pass him in the first moto but then had two laps of making mistakes and he made a gap. I concentrated again and got close and then passed him but he came straight back; I didn’t expect him to come so close. Anyway, no crashes, good fighting and this result feels good.”

Kevin Strijbos: “It was good today. I got most of it right in the first race; at the end my team-mate passed me and I could get him right back, so I was happy with that. In the second race I felt OK, got a good start but Tony ran wide, hit the berm and I had to slow down a little bit so not to hit him. I was fourth and stayed there the whole time! I was pushing hard but on the fifth lap a rock hit my goggle and the lens popped out, and that was about it. I couldn’t get close to Clement and every time I did I had sand in my face and it was flying around when I was going over the jumps. I wasn’t happy about that but overall it has been a good weekend. I had good speed for the podium and now I’ll work a bit more to try and make it happen in Portugal.”

Alessandro Lupino: “It’s so nice to be on the podium, the first one in my career! I didn’t know that I was on the podium, and didn’t expect that as I finished only eighth in the first race. I have a great feeling with the team and my bike, but in the previous GPs I couldn’t show that and it was difficult to accept it. I had some better starts today, in the top ten in race one and top five in race two and that makes things much easier, but I must still work to improve my starts even more. I had to take some pills for the pain as I broke two ribs last week; it was painful during the first ten minutes but then it was OK.”

Valentin Teillet: “On Saturday it was pretty tough as my shoulder is not so strong, so I was satisfied with eleventh in the qualification. I felt a lot better today. In the first race I got a good start and then could keep my rhythm to finish third; that’s a great reward for my work with Jacky Vimond. I was in sixth position in the second race but I crashed on a downhill, I not quite sure what happened but I lost too much time to get back on the track to continue with the race. I will go to the doctors for them to look at my shoulder again this week as I never felt confident with it all weekend, and I want to understand why.”

Dylan Ferrandis: ” I lost so much time with the crash at the first start that it was difficult to come back, but the second moto was much better. I feel that my speed is coming back, but I must get better starts and stay focused during the entire forty minutes. I will continue to work hard together with the team to get back to my best form; it is less than two months since I was able to start riding my bike again.”

Jimmy Decotis: “I got a good start in the first moto, but I crashed in the first lap and then it was tough. The second moto was no better and it’s very frustrating. The team are doing everything they can so it’s all down to me; I don’t know yet what I’m doing wrong but I will keep on working and working. We now have one weekend off from racing and I will work together with the team to improve my results; that’s what it’s all about.”

Gautier Paulin: “It was a very good weekend, and it was great to race head to head with Antonio Cairoli as it had been difficult to accept him winning so many races in the earlier GPs. I had a great feeling with the track and my Kawasaki right from the first practice session, and today I got two good starts. I got the holeshot in the first moto and won, then in the second I learnt a lot racing with Antonio. It’s great to win a GP, the first one for me this season; I have now scored four podiums including this GP win in the first five GPs and look forward to yet more victories in the races still to come. The KRT team is working well and we know where we can improve yet further; and I want to thanks all the people who are working with me.”

Jeremy Van Horebeek: “I’m happy to be back in the top five; it’s so great to do some good motos. I’m still not at my best as I couldn’t train this week due to my shoulder injury, and the last ten minutes of both races were tough. But it’s great to be back near the front; I have been so many times on the podiums in the MX2 class and now I want to be there in MX1. I had a great feeling right from the first practice session this weekend, and now I’m confident as we have two weeks before Portugal; I will have time to work, and for sure I will be stronger there.”

Tommy Searle: “ The first moto was OK, nothing special to say and fifth was not so bad. My starts were not so good as last week and we need to work on that point. My second start was pretty average and then I had a crash early in the race; I went down after a mistake and then it was hard to comeback from fifteenth to eighth; it was just a difficult weekend, I rode well at times but not consistently and I must keep working on that.”

Christophe Charlier: “Not good starts! Afterwards it was very difficult to pass the other riders but I’m happy with the classification because I saved the race from being a disaster. I really want a podium because every time I am so close. I have the speed and now I need to improve one or two small things to be right up there.”

Dean Ferris: “In the first moto it was unfortunate I crashed but all day, all weekend, I didn’t really feel comfortable on this circuit. It is obviously not my favourite. We went better in the second one considering I got a really bad start. I clicked away the laps and caught up. I’m disappointed I couldn’t run with the leaders but the bike was fast…I got more points than I did last weekend in Italy but oddly I feel more satisfied with last Sunday! All-in-all I’m healthy now so at least I can go home and practice!”

Max Nagl: “I was feeling good all weekend. I had a good start in the first one and got the holeshot, but I just went too wide and almost ran out of track. I struggled in the first lap and lost some positions, but I was coming back to fifth and trying to get by Searle. Tony passed me in the last few laps and I was sixth. The riding was good, but the result was not that special. I messed up the start in the second heat; I went a little bit, but I had to stop again and then the gate dropped, so I made a mistake and just got it wrong. I could catch some guys, but I pretty much stayed the whole race behind Rui. I just couldn’t get by him, because I didn’t want to make that aggressive pass that would maybe make us crash, and I couldn’t find any other way. I got stressed and I destroyed myself; I was so tired that with a few laps to go I had a crash in a turn, as I just lost the bike, and I fin ished 11th. I am really, really disappointed. My lap times are pretty good, but I have to improve my riding, especially at the beginning and I need to be more aggressive with the passing.”

Mel Pocock: “Today I worked out that I’m really fast for about 25 minutes and then in the last ten I am making small mistakes; I need to iron this out. In the second moto I managed to get a holeshot and that’s the first I’ve had at a GP so I’m pumped about that…I didn’t realise the holeshot award was only for the first race! I was running in fifth and was sat there quite nicely until the bike started to lose power. I brought it into the pitlane and as I did that it turned itself off. Two weeks to go now and I will be working hard to try and sort out those final fifteen minutes.”

Matiss Karro: “I wasn’t so happy with my first race. I started well but I wasn’t relaxed enough and was riding too tight. I lost some positions on the first few laps but managed to settle into a decent pace in the middle of the race and hold onto 13th until the end. Can’t say much about the second race; the bike stopped and there was nothing left for me to do but go back to the truck.”

Rui Goncalves: “I am happy with the second moto, seventh is a good result, I had a good fight and I didn’t give up, which paid off. I can’t thank the team enough for the support they’ve given me. We will work on the problems I had in the first moto next week in Belgium and the focus is now to have two consistent motos in the next race. I will travel home a few days early to see my family, before the next GP in Agueda.”
Maxime Desprey: “I had a bad start in the first moto and finished fourteen, so that wasn’t too bad because my riding was OK. The second race was difficult because I was far back again and after pushing for a while I felt dead! I want to train and try again in Portugal. I liked the track but it was difficult at the end with the bumps coming through.”

Joel Roelants: “I feel satisfied. I took eleventh and thirteenth places so I got some points, more than I expected. In normal conditions this is not a good result but I made something today and now we will work hard in the two weeks before Portugal. My starts weren’t the best and if they had been better then the results could have been higher but I have to be satisfied because at the beginning of the weekend I had no idea how the Grand Prix would go.”

Jeffrey “The Bullet” Herlings: “So far so good! Its never easy, I’ve been making some mistakes but luckily they didn’t happen on a Sunday so far. I haven’t lost a moto yet and I keep on charging. For the moment the only one who can stop the bullet is the bullet himself.”

Jordi Tixier: “Sure I enjoyed that, I got a good start and I tried to push to stay in front of Jeffrey. It’s my goal to be at the maximum and in the front. Jeffrey is a pretty good rider – the world champion in 2012. Now I just want to give my best all the time and if I can stay in front of him for 10 laps the next time, i will. I just want to learn from him because it is good for me and we’ll see what happens.”

Tony Cairoli: “I have 2 GPS where I didn’t win. My goal was always to be on the top spot but hopefully I will be able to do my best in the next GP and things will go better for me.”

Ken de Dycker: “I mostly don’t like the track because its really fast an, easy, so you need a good start and even then it’s still hard .. So it was a struggle the whole weekend.”

Jonathan Barragan: “I never really got into the groove today but I didn’t give up and managed to make some passes and gain some valuable points. I’m still not where I want to be but I will keep working hard and hopefully have some good races in Portugal in two weeks’ time.”

Images by Kawasaki, Yamaha, KTM, Suzuki, Honda

With all the best Endurocross riders present from both Europe and the USA, it was going to be a very big battle indeed!

David went into the race pretty confident, that all changed after a few laps of practice however. Having felt comfortable straight away on the fast flowing track, he landed hard jumping some logs bending his wrist back aggravating an injury he received in Argentina a few weeks ago. Deciding to tape his wrist, David went out and rode a few laps in the second practice which helped a little but with the track consisting of lots of logs and jumps, it wouldn’t be ideal. With a hot lap to decide the starting order, David pushed hard, but deciding not to take any risks and hurt his wrist anymore, still qualified a brilliant 3rd behind the USA riders, Cody Webb and Mike Brown.
With a few hours break before the semi final and final event, the time was well spent with the doctor icing the wrist, taping it up and taking pain killers to try and help as much as possible.

In the semi final, David made a great start, rounding turn one in second, but by now the organizers had heavily watered the track making it like an ice ring. With all the riders crashing and making mistakes it was a tough race but needing only to make the top five, Knighter placed second to qualify 3rd for the main event. With the start going to be crucial for the 10 lap main, David took the holeshot on his Honda and led for the first 3 corners until Blazusiak passed him for the lead. With David deciding to ride his own race, he settled in nicely and at the end off lap 1, was 3rd as Cody Webb also passed him. Blazusiak and Webb were having a great scrap with David not far behind then with Webb making a mistake David caught him and passed for second. For a lap they had a good fight then David got stuck in the rock hill and Webb got away again. The race was very intense and at the end David finished a great 3rd getting an X-Games medal at the first go which was a great way to end the competition.

David Knight:

“Well it’s definitely been a great first time here in Brazil, after the long flight out, Nick and myself had to build a new bike that we borrowed from Honda Brazil, putting my suspension, handlebars on it etc. Then literally it was straight into practice to run it in. I felt really good straight away and then just over-jumped a big log and bent my sore wrist back and I honestly thought that was me done! I rode a couple of laps slowly and then came in. After 20 minutes it was second practice and just hitting the logs like you need to was really bad but landing the jumps was almost impossible. I taped it up for the hot lap and was really surprised to get the third fastest time as I didn’t jump into the water hole and also rode the logs pretty slow to save my wrist as best I could. Doubtful if I could race I saw the doctor and he gave me a big dose off pain killers, iced my wrist and then taped it up really heavily so it was a case of hoping for the best.

The organizers had also watered the track really heavily, way too much as it turned to an ice ring for the semi and main event. In the semi I started well but like everyone else couldn’t believe how slick the track was, I made lots of mistakes but so did everyone, and being one off the only riders on a 450 was also tough as 10hp would have been more than enough, not 60hp. I was real happy with second behind Browny. Then the main event I just decided to ride my own race, and that was made easier by taking the holeshot. Taddy passed me on lap 1, as did Cody so I just tried to stay as close as I could. I struggled to use the inside line on the rocks as it was hard to use the clutch with my wrist but this is where I was loosing time. Cody made a mistake and I passed him back but the 2 stroke seemed really good and I struggled to stay near him. I knew by lap 6 I just had to stay out of trouble and third was mine so just rode the race out, but it was really tough, physically and mentally. Taddy turned it around by winning the main as he struggled all day long, Cody rode brilliant all day but just made a couple of silly mistakes and that cost him the win as he was riding faster than anyone and I just rode steady really from when I hurt my wrist.”

I just tried surviving as best as possible and was really really happy to come away with third place and a medal.

Just a big thanks to Honda Brazil for lending me a bike, also Metzeler tyres as I used stock sixdays enduro tyres against all the other guys who are on special super soft endurocross Dunlops, also the organizers for inviting me and Nick. Again the bike was great and I didn’t really have to change much on a standard 450. Now to get my wrist sorted for the EWC.