Courtesy of KTM
Jonathan Barragan's victory in Benelux means he is now second in the Championship with with 128 points, 15 points behind Yamaha's Antonio Cairoli.
KTM factory rider Jonathan Barragan of Team Silver Action rounded up a near perfect weekend for the Austrian manufacturer at the Benelux GP on Sunday when he took overall victory in the MX1 class following a double KTM victory in MX2.
The Spanish rider, who has been hampered by a deficit in training in the early part of the season due to a pre-season injury that is now no longer a problem. "I am strong and fit again and I can feel the difference," he said. So could his opponents on Sunday. Barragan made an amazing recovery in race one to come from the back of the pack to snatch third place then followed it up with a convincing win in the second moto.
Focused and concentrated
"I had a difficult crash in the first race but I managed to get back in the race. I had a good speed and good lines and because I stayed focused I was able to fight back from the back of the pack," Jonathan said. "Race two was much easier. I had a better start and was able to fight with (Steve) Ramon and (David) Philippaerts. I was able to stay focused and concentrated right up to the end. This is my first GP win of the season and I hope it will be the first of many."
Barragan said he is now looking forward to the hard pack track in Portugal and Spain and especially his home circuit at Bellpuig in Spain. "That is home for me. I know the circuit and I feel very confident. I'll have a lot of supporters and lots of motivation!"
Max Nagl was hit by another rider in Moto 1 and crashed in Moto 2 to finish 11th and 17th, respectively.
But what started as a great weekend for Red Bull KTM Racing's Max Nagl, when he won the MX1 qualifying race Saturday to start on pole for Sunday's MX1 GP, fortune turned against him on race day, proving that one can never underestimate the fickle nature of racing.
"I was really pumped, I had a good bike and I was very motivated," the German rider said. Nagl failed to get his characteristic blitz start in the first race and was battling with Barragan and Josh Coppins in the first corner when he was hit by a third rider and dropped back a lot of places. "After that I just wasn't riding well and I also felt very tired. Then I was fourth at the start of race two but I had a bad crash when I slipped the bike into neutral instead of into gear just before a big bump and it spat me off. Then I was dead last. First I pushed hard from the back to try to get back in the race and I was putting in some good lap times but suddenly I was completely tired and I don't know why," he said.
Courtesy of Yamaha
Antonio won Race 1 of MX1 and took third in Race 2 to maintain his position at the top of the points standings.
Yamaha Red Bull De Carli's Antonio Cairoli scaled a world championship podium for the second time in succession with the runner-up position at the Eurocircuit in Valkenswaard and the Grand Prix of Benelux for the fourth round of fifteen in the 2009 FIM series. The Sicilian keeps his position as leader of the standings and with a chequered flag in the first outing in Holland has secured three moto victories from the last four. He was joined on the rostrum by team-mate Tanel Leok who took third spot on the YZ450F, and with Yamaha Monster Energy MX Team's David Philippaerts in fifth and Josh Coppins in seventh, four Yamahas filled the top seven.
Several new jumps and sections had been added to the dark and rutted sand at the all-weather circuit near Eindhoven. The surface churned up and became rougher throughout the meeting, increasing the physical and technical demands of the two motos. The qualification heat on Saturday saw Coppins take third position but Cairoli and Philippaerts were victims of a first corner tumble and pile-up. Cairoli emphatically attacked the terrain from almost last to finish 7th while Philippaerts - restarting even further back - was 14th. Tanel Leok was 5th.
Race-day dawned overcast and damp thanks to rainfall during the night. Thankfully the conditions became brighter later on for the 20,000 spectators, and some fantastic racing lay ahead with up to six riders disputing podium positions at the end of an unforgettable and almost indescribable first moto.
Cairoli took his third chequered flag in succession when he emerged victorious from a frantic scrap in the final five minutes of the opening race that saw crashes for protagonists Steve Ramon and Marc de Reuver. Positions changed seemingly with every corner as the clock ticked down on the moto. Cairoli's achievement was all the more remarkable for the fact that he had broken three spokes on his front wheel on the third lap. Philippaerts -who led at one point - tired in the closing stages and was just beaten to 5th by Leok.
A bad start for Cairoli kept him away from the front-running twosome of Jonathan Barragan and Leok, who flew from the mid-top ten to circulate in second place during what was a calmer Moto2. The Estonian would earn 3rd overall for his second podium of the season and his first since victory in Faenza. Cairoli made his way to 3rd while Philippaerts - who again was leading in the formative stages - was 6th.
It was not a happy day for Bulgarian GP winner Coppins who felt the harsh physical effects of a blood disorder and did not have the energy to be in contention negotiating the sand. The New Zealander had to be satisfied with 27 points and 7th place overall.
Cairoli continues to control the world championship and now has an advantage of 15 points over Barragan. With Philippaerts, Coppins and Leok filling slots 4th, 5th and 6th, YZ450F and YZ450FM machinery occupy four places in the first six. Yamaha also front the manufacturer's standings with a 31 point gap over their nearest rivals.
A trip across the Iberian Peninsula represents the next phase of the world championship. Round five takes place at Agueda for the Grand Prix of Portugal while the sixth race occurs one week later on the opposite coast at Bellpuig for the GP of Catalunya.
Antonio Cairoli, Yamaha Red Bull De Carli, 2nd:
"I was third in the first lap of the first moto and I tried to pass Steve Ramon but he almost crashed and stopped so I caught my front wheel with his footpeg. I could see the wheel was broken and I was pretty scared. I dropped back to 12th place because I wanted to see if I could keep on racing. I was not doing many jumps and nursing the bike but it was OK, and I increased the speed and pushed. I could pass Steve and then he had a big crash, and also Philippaerts. There have been a lot of things happening that I didn't expect this year in MX1. It was a surprise to win here but I am having a lot of fun on the bike and I want to keep it this way until the end of the championship. I was really happy to win that race. My second start was really bad and I had some contact with other guys in the first corner. I was riding well after that and passed a lot of people but I had some trouble overtaking Desalle for a few laps and that held me up. I wanted to reach Tanel but in the last minutes I was quite tired and just stayed steady to the flag."
Tanel Leok, Yamaha Red Bull De Carli, 3rd:
"I lost a lot of points in Turkey so this helps towards getting some back. I made some silly mistakes in the first moto but really that was the only negative part of the day. I am feeling good and fit and it showed in that second race. It has been really good to be riding and training with Antonio and I am happy with how things are going for me."
David Philippaerts
David Philippaerts took two sixth-place finishes at the Grand Prix of Benelux to be fourth overall in the Championship.
"I had some good times and felt fast at the beginning of the races but I felt tired towards the end as the track was pretty hard and the conditions were warm for the Benelux! Things are still going well and although this was a physically tough race, more than the others so far, I could take some good points and keep consistent. After twenty minutes of each moto here I had to ride conservatively because crashing would have been worse than losing another position."
Josh Coppins, Yamaha Monster Energy Motocross Team, 7th:
"I'm done, it was a tough weekend and I knew it would be like that before I arrived here. I have been suffering with a blood problem. We have been working on it and I had some injections but it hasn't helped. I want to get healthy and be able to actually battle with the guys instead of just surviving out there; that is the hardest thing, not the result but knowing that I can't affect the race. It is not fun to take a good start and then just hang on. There is still so far to go in the championship and the result is not as disappointing as the fact that I could do nothing at this GP. I will go for some tests tomorrow and will try to improve for Portugal."
Courtesy of Honda
Honda's Kevin Strijbos took seventh and fourth in the two motos for a respectable fourth overall at the Benelux GP.
The Grand Prix of Benelux at the sandy and difficult Eurocircuit in Valkenswaard, a short distance from the city of Eindhoven, saw Jonathan Barragan win the fourth round of fifteen in the FIM MX1 World Championship. For the first time this season a CRF450R was seen setting the pace at the front of the field thanks to CAS Honda’s Billy Mackenzie and Martin Honda’s Marc de Reuver but it would be De Reuver’s Martin Honda teammate Kevin Strijbos who would notch the best overall result with fourth place and his highest finish of the year so far.
The warm sunny conditions enjoyed by the riders in qualifying on Saturday gave way to dull overcast conditions on Sunday as 20,000 spectators flocked to the first of three MX Grand Prix events that will take place in the region this season. Those in attendance witnessed some of the most exciting races seen to date this season in which any one of seven riders could have taken podium positions. The finales to both
MX1 motos produced chaotic and unpredictable sprints.
Mackenzie, fresh from testing after the GP of Turkey two weeks ago and now pleased with the base set-up of his motorcycle, led the first half of the opening race from Marc de Reuver until warfare erupted within the group of five riders chasing the leaders across the rough and rutted sand. The Scotsman –still lacking full fitness - was swamped by his pursuers and De Reuver, who was fronting the pack by this stage, had his own moment of drama when he crashed, remounted and fought back from fifth to second at the flag.
Strijbos was adrift of the action and suffering with arm-pump but still took a strong seventh place finish.
Mackenzie was the victim of a first corner fall in Moto2 and a collision with Ken De Dyker later in the outing. His 14th place, together with his eighth in the first moto saw him classified eleventh. De Reuver was holding a steady position with the leaders until a surprising fall left the Dutchman concussed and unable to continue. Strijbos rallied from a first lap incident in which he was put off the track by a rider falling just in front of him blocking his line but he displayed skill and courage that pulled him through to a decent fourth spot by the finish line.
The second CAS Honda representative, Cedric Melotte, making his return to GP racing, scored twelfth place in Moto1 but he had pushed himself too hard and the Belgian did not make it the line for Moto2, the pain in his back unbearable; he will undergo a scan on his injuries this week.
LS Honda’s Clement Desalle was eighth overall with ninth and eighth place respectively.
Kevin Strijbos, Martin Honda, 4th:
“The first race was really difficult and I had some arm-pump. The first twenty minutes were OK but then I had a pretty big dip and could only pull it together in the last minutes. Nagl crashed on the first lap of the second race and I could not avoid him. I pushed hard to come back to wherever I could and even though I was tired in the final laps I just kept going and made some good positions. Things went quite well but did not really turn out the way I wanted. I am missing race time and I know I will keep progressing.”
Marc de Reuver had a solid second-place finish in the first moto, but hit a rut on lap 4 of Race 2 and was knocked-out.
“I don’t remember much to be honest. This was a good weekend anyway because I am not so confident at the moment and to be going for the podium was already a big lift. In the first race I was riding smooth and nice and just made one small mistake when the front end slipped out. I saw five riders pass me all going for first position and there was no way I was going to cool off from that! I went full gas and as hard as I could to get up near the front. The double over the back section was pretty dangerous Philippaerts didn’t jump it, Ramon had a big crash and I took second place when I decided to ‘go for it’ there. In the second moto I was hanging around the leaders and waiting to see what would happen when I went for a rut over the crest of the hill. The rest is pretty blank for me. Overall though I am quite happy.”
Billy Mackenzie, CAS Honda, 11th:
“This was an improvement and I feel much happier. We worked on the bike before this race and I realised I was going in the wrong direction with the suspension and I was losing confidence in myself and also the equipment. Anyway, we made some changes that have really turned things around and it felt good to lead a Grand Prix again. Now I just need to get some motos under my belt and we should be back up there.”
Courtesy of Suzuki
Ken de Dycker was in good form with fourth in Saturday's race and a hard fought ninth in Race 2.
Teka Suzuki WMX1's Ken De Dycker survived a tough meeting for the team with sixth position overall at a bright but cloudy Valkenswaard in Holland and watched by 20,000 spectators.
The Grand Prix of Benelux, round four of 15 in the FIM MX1 Motocross World Championship, was the first of three events in the 2009 schedule to take place within an hour's drive of the team's workshop in Lommel Belgium. The shallow but rough sand still provided a thorough test of skill, fitness and concentration.
The MX1 motos saw some fantastic entertainment with a group of six riders all squabbling for victory entering the final stages of the first race. De Dycker and Steve Ramon were among the pack. Ramon had been running inside the top four for most of the distance, but entering the crucial moments, he hit a kicker off the large and tricky double jump around the back of the circuit and was thrown head-first into the ground. Somewhat dazed, he managed to remount and finish the race in 13th but the impact to his head was evident with a swollen right eye as well as other pain to his left arm. De Dycker meanwhile was able to force his way to fourth.
The second moto was just as dramatic: De Dycker collided with Billy Mackenzie in the first corner and then flew past almost 20 riders in two laps to make up ground. His impressive speed on the RM-Z450 did not result in further promotion up the rankings once he reached the top 10 and ninth spot was the best he could hope for.
After a ninth-place overall finish at Benelux, Suzuki's Steve Ramon is seventh in the points standings with 100 points.
Less than half an hour before the start of Moto 2 Ramon opted to compete. To the former World Champion's credit he even managed to lead the sprint for four laps until the pain from his accident earlier in the day meant he had lower his speed in the final quarter of the race and was seventh by the end of play.
In the World Championship standings De Dycker is third and 19 points from Antonio Cairoli at the top of the table. Ramon is seventh with 100 points and 43 away from first place.
The team now have another break from World Championship action before making the journey south through Europe to Portugal and Agueda for round five of 15 at Agueda. The Grand Prix of Catalunya at Bellpuig in Spain takes place one week later.
Ken De Dycker - 6th:
"Not everything went like I hoped. I didn't have enough strength to last all the way through both heats. I had a fall yesterday that did not help my back. In the first race I was looking for smooth lines and had some good lap-times. In the second, Mackenzie came along side me at the start and pushed me down. I had to ride really hard at the beginning because I knew the leaders would be long gone but I paid the price for it."
Steve Ramon - 9th:
"Of course it feels good to have come away from here with some points because half an hour before the second moto I did not know if I was going to ride or not. I made a choice to ride and things were going pretty well in the beginning but I was in a lot of pain and when it started to get worse I had to slow down. The jumps were hard and once you slow then you lose your rhythm and the laps become even more difficult. I think it is a pity the way the weekend went: One mistake in coming up short over the double in the first moto proved very costly. I was following Marc through the ruts and got a kicker on the jump that pitched the bike forward and I went over the bars. I smashed my head pretty hard."
Courtesy of Kawasaki
The sand of Valkenswaard was totally dry this weekend and the track had undergone some transformations with a mixture of hard and soft sections which complicated the rider’s job. Many of MX1 and MX2 contenders crashed during the fourth round of the world championship, and unfortunately Sébastien Pourcel was one of the main victims as the French rider dislocated his right shoulder.
After a promising performance in Turkey two weeks ago Sébastien was expecting to climb another step in his recovery at Valkenswaard before a break in the series which would have meant some more rehab time for his left shoulder injury sustained in December. However, during the opening lap of the second practice session on Saturday the KRT representative was surprised by a soft and deep section of sand, crashing at low speed but damaging his right shoulder. The Frenchman visited the hospital in Eindhoven for a check-up and then went back home with the dislocation confirmed.
With a fifteenth position in the qualifying race David Vuillemin was the best ‘green rider’ on Saturday, three places ahead of Gareth Swanepoel while Gregory Aranda crashed at the start and collected twenty third position on the gate. The opening lap of the first moto was not a good one for the Kawasaki riders as Swanie and David were both involved in a pile-up. Gregory was thirteenth among a strong field of riders when he fell on the fifth lap, damaging his ankle and coming back to the pits. David also retired as he was too far behind to expect any decent result. Gareth was on the fringe of the points when another rider crashed in front of him and took the South African rider to the ground.
Both Gareth and David hoped for better in the second moto. Vuillemin didn’t get a great start but never gave up and came back in the points. Twenty-fourth and twenty-fifth after one lap, they moved together in the classification to score twelfth and thirteenth positions, while Gregory retired with a sore ankle.
Gareth Swanepoel: ‘That was another really hard weekend. In the second race I had no front brake after the crash. Luckily in the deep sand it is not about such hard braking into the corners but it was still hard to try ride without it. I do not feel 100% healthy and it is frustrating because the bike is just so good I just wish I could have done it justice today.’
David Vuillemin: ‘I was in the top twelve at the first start but in the third corner Noble made a mistake and took several of us to the ground and his bike landed on top of me. I lost time to restart on the bike and I retired after two laps as I was so far behind everyone. My second start was pretty good but De Dycker and Nagl collided in front of me, and I couldn’t pass them; I came up to twenty-fifth after one lap and recovered to thirteenth which is not so bad on this track. Last time I raced here was ten years ago and I didn’t score any points then. For sure this sand is different than the practice tracks where we trained since last Thursday. Now we’ll be back on hard tracks, it will be necessary to get good results in Portugal to recover the points we lost here.’
