Lierop Hosts Final GP

MX GP Belgium

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www.motocrossmx1.com

FUNCHAL (Portugal), 4 September 2013 – The FIM Motocross World Championship has visited sixteen different venues, in fifteen different countries and has had three overseas Grand Prix – Qatar, Thailand and Brazil, but this weekend the Dutch track of Lierop will mark the end of what it has been another remarkable an exciting season. Although both MX1 and MX2 titles have already been decided, good racing is guaranteed this weekend because the top five positions of both championships are still to be decided.


Lierop will also host the final rounds of the EMX125cc and 250cc European Championships, and while Pauls Jonass was crowned as the 2013 EMX125 European Champion in Matterley Basin, UK, the EMX250cc series is still open. Valentin Guillod is leading the championship with a comfortable 12-points advantage over Jeremy Seewer, but anything can happen on the tricky sand track of Lierop. 

MX1 
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Antonio Cairoli has had almost two weeks to celebrate his seventh World Title, but he is now training again to give his best in Lierop and finish the season with a double victory. During the British Grand Prix the Italian explained how much he enjoys riding on the sand and his main goal of the weekend is finishing on the top of the podium, as he has missed the overall victory three times in a row. 

Rockstar Energy Suzuki World’s Clement Desalle has been the clear dominant of the last three Grand Prix, conquering the podium in Great Britain, Bastogne and the Czech Republic. The Belgian will ride once again to put his Suzuki on the top of the rostrum even if his runner up position of the championship is secured. 

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Ken De Dycker has been riding with an injured ankle in the previous Grand Prix and he has not been able to shine as he used to, but he has been able to keep the third position in the point standings. The Belgian is travelling to Lierop after having won the Belgian National Championship, so he proved that he is ready to finish on the podium this weekend. 

Kawasaki Racing Team’s Gautier Paulin is currently fourth in the championship, but Kevin Strijbos is just four points behind the French rider. Paulin was forced to miss two Grand Prix due to the big concussion he suffered during the German Grand Prix, so he lost the opportunity to finish second in the Championship. However, Paulin is not worried anymore about which position he will finish, as he is fully focused on being fully fit again and recuperate the physical condition he had before the unfortunate crash in Lausitzring. 

Rockstar Energy Suzuki World’s Kevin Strijbos was on the second step of the podium in Matterley Basin after finishing third in both heats of the British Grand Prix. The Belgian is just four points behind Paulin, so he will give it all this weekend to try to ride two consistent races and finish fourth in the MX1 point standings. 

Tommy Searle did not have the results he had expected at his home Grand Prix, but this weekend he will start from scratch again in order to try to finish on the podium. Jeremy Van Horebeek also missed the podium in the UK with a DNF in the first race, but with a second position in the second heat. Consequently, the Belgian rider, who is currently seventh in the championship – 55 points behind Searle – will give it all to obtain his maiden MX1 podium this weekend in Lierop. 

Max Nagl, who has missed the last three Grand Prix because he was suffering from the Epstein-Barr virus, might be back this weekend on his Honda machine. During the German’s absence, Evgeny Bobryshev has rode very consistent races and has finished on the third step of the podium at every Grand Prix. The Russian will try to do it again this weekend and try to move up to the eighth position of the standings – Bobryshev is currently ninth just two points behind Nagl. David Philippaerts completes the top ten of the MX1 championship. 

Rui Gonçalves, who fractured his C6 five weeks ago in Lausitzring, will be back on his KTM this weekend, and although he knows that it is going to be a tough Grand Prix, he is looking forward to be racing again with the best MX1 riders in the world. 

2012 MX1 Podium 
1. Antonio Cairoli
2. Ken De Dycker
3. Tanel Leok
2012 MX1 POLEMAN: Antonio Cairoli

All the Grand Prix Photos will be available here 

MX2
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings broke his shoulder blade during the qualifying race of the Belgian Grand Prix almost three weeks ago, but he had already obtained the FIM MX2 World Title in the previous Grand Prix in Loket, Czech Republic. The doctors advised the young Dutch rider to miss the rest of the season in order to heal the injury properly, but Herlings will be present in the paddock of Lierop this weekend to meet his fans and the media.

His teammate Jordi Tixier has not been very lucky in the last two Grand Prix and he missed the opportunity to be on the top of the podium, finishing second in Bastogne and eleventh in Matterley Basin due to a DNF in the first race. This weekend Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jordi Tixier has the last opportunity to ride for what it would be his maiden MX2 GP victory, so he will be fully focused to fulfil his goal. 

KTM Silver Action’s José Butrón has been riding safe in the last few races in order to keep the third position in the MX2 point standings. The Spanish rider has a comfortable advantage of 39 points over Christophe Charlier, so if he rides two consistent races as he has done in the previous Grand Prix, he will achieve his main objective of finishing third in the MX2 World Championship. 

Monster Energy Yamaha’s Christophe Charlier has not been very consistent in the last races and he missed the opportunity to be closer to Butrón in the point standings. The French rider won the second heat in Matterley Basin – his second victory of the season – but he missed the podium, as he finished eighteenth in the first race. Charlier is focused to ride two good motos in Lierop and finish the season on the podium. 

Standing Construct KTM’s Glenn Coldenhoff will be racing home this weekend after having obtained his maiden MX2 Grand Prix victory in Matterley Basin, UK. The Dutch rider was speechless after the British Grand Prix, but he mentioned that it would be a dream come true winning again this upcoming weekend in front of his home fans. 

Dean Ferris, who is currently sixth in the championship sixteen points behind Coldenhoff, won the first heat of the British Grand Prix and he was really close to win what it would have been his second Grand Prix in MX2, but a mechanical failure after a crash forced him to retire. The Australian knows how demanding the Dutch track will be this weekend, but he will give it all again in order to try to conquer the last MX2 podium of the season. 

Jake Nicholls travels to Lierop being seventh in the Championship and fully motivated for another podium finish. His compatriot Max Anstie, who finished third overall last year in Lierop, is eighth in the championship, but he will need a good result this weekend in Lierop to keep such position because the Italian Alessandro Lupino is just one point behind him. Dylan Ferrandis is completing the top ten of the MX2 World Championship. 

Romain Febvre will be another rider to look at this weekend, because even if he is down in the twelfth position in the standings, he will give it all this weekend to finish on the podium as he did in the beginning of the season before he fractured his fibula. 

2012 MX2 Podium 
1. Jeffrey Herlings
2. Jeremy Van Horebeek 
3. Max Anstie
2012 MX2 POLEMAN: Jeffrey Herlings

All the Grand Prix Photos will be available here
Photo above: Coldenhoff determined to win his home GP

 
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