LIEROP (THE NETHERLANDS), 7 September 2008 – Excitement continued in the FIM Motocross World Championships as the series just saw its penultimate round get underway in Lierop under mixed weather conditions and in front of 35.000 spectators.
Home rider Marc de Reuver won in front of the massive crowd as Ken de Dycker and Max Nagl rounded off the podium. David Philippaerts remained the series leader courtesy of two gutsy races as runner up Steve Ramon lost points on the Italian as he finished a bitter eighth.
Tyla Rattray took another GP win to increase his points lead over team mate and runner up Tommy Searle, second on today’s podium. Nicolas Aubin rounded off the top three and moved up to third in the Championship.
The Women’s World Championship ended today with Livia Lancelot taking a clean sweep as the French rider won both the overall and the Title to become the first ever Women’s Motocross World Champion. Steffi Laier took second in the GP and in the Championship.
 Click for a larger image. |
The Dutch flag waving on top of the podium courtesy of Marc de Reuver’s impressive performance
MX1
Martin Honda’s sand specialist Marc de Reuver took the first ever GP victory on his favourite ground and no other place was better than his home round in Lierop. Winning heat one, De Reuver had a tough time in the final heat as Teka Suzuki WMX1’s Ken de Dycker won to seal the second overall position. On the other hand De Reuver crashed twice but won courtesy of a strong recovery. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Max Nagl rounded off the podium ahead of Yamaha Monster Motocross’ David Philippaerts and team mate Joshua Coppins. Steve Ramon had a tough time and could only manage to finish eighth overall.
Billy Mackenzie sat out of the GP because yesterday’s crash in practice caused him unbearable pain to the rib area.
Top five: 1. Marc de Reuver (NED, Honda), 45 points; 2. Ken de Dycker (BEL, Suzuki), 38 p.; 3. Maximilian Nagl (GER, KTM), 38 p.; 4. David Philippaerts (ITA, Yamaha), 36 p.; 5. Joshua Coppins (NZL, Yamaha), 33 p.
 Marc de Reuver showed great sand riding skills today. |
MX1 RACE 1
De Reuver took victory in heat one after displaying great sand riding skills; the Dutchman felt the pressure of a hungry De Dycker who crashed in the final laps while chasing De Reuver for first. Once De Dycker crashed Philippaerts found himself in second but Barragan, who crashed in the opening laps while chasing early leader Nagl from second, eventually moved past for the runner up spot ahead of Philippaerts. Coppins rode solid to take fourth ahead of Nagl, who crashed with 13 minutes to go. Ramon dropped to seventh after a good start while De Dycker ended eighth.
Top five: 1. Marc de Reuver (NED, Honda), 40:03.592; ; 2. Jonathan Barragan (ESP, KTM), +0:08.025; 3. David Philippaerts (ITA, Yamaha), +0:11.507; 4. Joshua Coppins (NZL, Yamaha), +0:20.570; 5. Maximilian Nagl (GER, KTM), +0:22.773
 Despite fighting for the Championship in these remaining two rounds David Philippaerts put in two gutsy motos. |
MX1 RACE 2
An eventful final moto ended with De Dycker on top of the classification from Nagl and De Reuver. The latter put together two impressive recoveries; the first one after he crashed into Barragan, who had previously crashed, and the second one after he crashed when he was at the lead. For the first time in his career Priem led a moto but a mistake saw the Belgian drop down to ninth. Nagl confirmed his solid self by taking second and the same goes for Desalle, finishing fourth ahead of Philippaerts and Coppins. The latter gave victory a go when he stormed to De Dycker’s tail in the final laps but a mistake and a crash hampered his final result. Ramon ended eighth ahead of Priem.
Top five: 1. Ken de Dycker (BEL, Suzuki), 40:14.189; ; 2. Maximilian Nagl (GER, KTM), +0:04.653; 3. Marc de Reuver (NED, Honda), +0:13.630; 4. Clement Desalle (BEL, Suzuki), +0:14.733; 5. David Philippaerts (ITA, Yamaha), +0:16.478
MX2
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Tyla Rattray took a step closer to the Title by winning the GP of Benelux with a double moto victory. Team mate and runner up in the Championship Tommy Searle took second while Ricci Racing Yamaha’s Nicolas Aubin completed the podium at the end of two hard fought motos. Other Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider Rui Goncalves and KTM UK’s Shaun Simpson rounded off the top five ahead of Gert Krestinov and Matiss Karro, both authors of superb performances.
Steven Frossard crashed and injured in the second moto. After he was taken to the hospital to remove a brake peg that penetrated the lower part of his body Frossard is now ok. The fracture to his fibula will prevent him to race Faenza and the Red Bull MXoN as the new French Team’s line up will be announced soon.
Top five overall: 1. Tyla Rattray (RSA, KTM), 50 points; 2. Tommy Searle (GBR, KTM), 44 p.; 3. Nicolas Aubin (FRA, Yamaha), 38 p.; 4. Rui Goncalves (POR, KTM), 38 p.; 5. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), 30 p.
 Tyla Rattray took his second consecutive win today. |
MX2 RACE 1
Rattray won a hard fought first moto which started with Goncalves on the lead; the Portuguese tried to pull away and set quite a good pace until Rattray and Searle caught up with him to move past eventually. In the final laps Searle chased down Rattray but crossed the chequered flag in second. Goncalves was third ahead of Aubin as Roelants rounded off the top five. Karro took ninth after spending the first laps in the top five while sand specialist Gert Krestinov was twelfth after a couple of crashes.
Top five: 1. Tyla Rattray (RSA, KTM), 41:04.886; ; 2. Tommy Searle (GBR, KTM), +0:00.614; 3. Rui Goncalves (POR, KTM), +0:15.176; 4. Nicolas Aubin (FRA, Yamaha), +1:06.469; 5. Joel Roelants (BEL, KTM), +1:07.909
 A strong Nico Aubin rounded off today’s podium. |
MX2 RACE 2
Krestinov took an early lead then Rattray moved past to take a dominant win from Searle, who tried once again to come closer to the Championship leader. Again Aubin worked his way up to third after a troubled start while Goncalves and Krestinov rounded off the top five. Latvian Karro ended eighth after having ridden with the front runners in the early stages.
Frossard and Roelants crashed at the end of the opening lap and the Frenchman ended to the hospital with a broken fibula and part of a brake peg inside the lower part of his body. The peg was successfully removed and the rider is now ready to recover.
Top five: 1. Tyla Rattray (RSA, KTM), 41:13.223; ; 2. Tommy Searle (GBR, KTM), +0:13.301; 3. Nicolas Aubin (FRA, Yamaha), +0:53.892; 4. Rui Goncalves (POR, KTM), +1:02.155; 5. Gert Krestinov (EST, KTM), +1:08.807
 Tyla Rattray pulled away from the rest of the field in heat two. |
IN THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS STANDINGS
Philippaerts lifted his Championship lead to 477 points, 14 more than runner up Ramon. De Dycker is third ahead of Barragan and Coppins.
Top ten: 1. David Philippaerts (ITA, Yamaha), 477 points; 2. Steve Ramon (BEL, Suzuki), 463 p.; 3. Ken de Dycker (BEL, Suzuki), 452 p.; 4. Jonathan Barragan (ESP, KTM), 419 p.; 5. Joshua Coppins (NZL, Yamaha), 415 p.; 6. Maximilian Nagl (GER, KTM), 394 p.; 7. Sebastien Pourcel (FRA, Kawasaki), 392 p.; 8. Tanel Leok (EST, Kawasaki), 337 p.; 9. Billy Mackenzie (GBR, Honda), 293 p.; 10. Marc de Reuver (NED, Honda), 277 p.
Rattray leads the MX2 standings with a relatively safe 33 point cushion in between himself and Searle. Big news is that Aubin, Simpson and Goncalves are now rounding off the top five as the trio moved past injured Cairoli. Though the three riders are spread in just 16 points which could lead to a change in the forthcoming GP in Faenza.
Top ten: 1. Tyla Rattray (RSA, KTM), 596 points; 2. Tommy Searle (GBR, KTM), 563 p.; 3. Nicolas Aubin (FRA, Yamaha), 381 p.; 4. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), 367 p.; 5. Rui Goncalves (POR, KTM), 365 p.; 6. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, Yamaha), 357 p.; 7. Steven Frossard (FRA, Kawasaki), 289 p.; 8. Xavier Boog (FRA, Suzuki), 283 p.; 9. Jeremy van Horebeek (BEL, KTM), 277 p.; 10. Manuel Monni (ITA, Yamaha), 259 p.
WHAT’S NEXT
The 2008 season will come to an end next weekend at the SIDI Grand Prix of Città di Faenza at Faenza, Italy. Both the MX1 and MX2 Titles will be decided there.
THE EVENT’S SCHEDULE
The Grand Prix was broadcast live on:
• EUROSPORT 2 (Pan Europe) : MX1 Race 1 at 13:00 and Race 2 at 16:00 CET
• MOTORS TV (Pan Europe): MX2 Race 1 at 12:00 and Race 2 at 15:00 CET
• SPORT ITALIA (Italy): MX2 Race 1 at 12:00 and Race 2 at 15:00 CET
• VRT (Belgium): MX1 Race 1 at 13:00 and Race 2 at 16:00 CET
• GALAXIE SPORT (Czech Republic): MX2 Race 1 at 12:00 and Race 2 at 15:00 CET
• ART (Pan Middle East): MX1 Race 2 at 16:00 CET
• SPORT TV (Slovenia): MX2 Race 1 at 12:00 and Race 2 at 15:00 CET
• EUROSPORT WORLD (PAN ASIA): MX1 Race 1 at 11:00 GMT
• RED BULL TV (Austria): MX2 Race 1 at 12:00 and Race 2 at 15:00; MX1 Race 1 at 13:00 and Race 2 at 16:00 CET
• MEDIAZONE (Worldwide): MX2 Race 1 at 12:00 and Race 2 at 15:00; MX1 Race 1 at 13:00 and Race 2 at 16:00 CET
• TRANS 7 (Indonesia): MX2 Race 1 at 12:00 and Race 2 at 15:00; MX1 Race 1 at 13:00 and Race 2 at 16:00 CET
• SPORT TV (Portugal): MX2 Race 1 at 12:00 and Race 2 at 15:00 CET
The Grand Prix will be broadcast delayed on:
• EUROSPORT 2 (Pan Europe): Monday September 8; MX1 Race 1 at 10:00, Race 2 at 15:00 and at 17:00 CET
• MOTORS TV (Pan Europe): Sunday September 7; MX2 Race 1 at 21:00 and Race 2 at 21:55. Monday September 8; MX 2 Race 1 at 05:00 and Race 2 at 05:50. Tuesday September 9; MX1 Race 1 at 21:00 and Race 2 at 21:55. Wednesday September 10; MX2 Race 1 at 01:00 and Race 2 at 01:50, MX1 Race 1 at 07:00 and Race 2 at 07:50; MX2 Race 1 at 14:00 and Race 2 at 15:50; MX1 Race 1 at 14:55 and Race 2 at 16:40 CET
• SPORT ITALIA (Italy): Sunday September 7; MX1 Race 1 at 23:30. Monday September 8; MX1 Race 2 at 00:30 CET
• EUROSPORT WORLD (Pan Asia): Sunday September 7; MX1 Race 1 at 15:30 and at 21:00; MX1 Race 2 at 17:30 and at 21:45. Monday September 8; MX1 Race 1 at 03:00 and at 08:00, Race 2 at 08:45 and at 23:15; MX2 Race 2 at 18:15. Tuesday September 9; MX2 Race 2 at 00:00, at 08:15 and at 21:30; MX1 Race 2 at 07:30 and at 20:45. Wednesday September 10; MX1 Race 2 at 04:30 and at 10:30; MX2 Race 2 at 05:15, at 11:15 and at 19:00 GMT
• AMERICA ONE SPORTS (USA): Second Tuesday after the GP; MX2 Race 2 at 21:00; MX1 Race 2 at 22:00 USA Eastern Time
• GAORA (Japan): MX2 Race 1 and Race 2; MX1 Race 1 and Race 2 N/A CET
LINKS
Youthstream
FIM
KNMV-Koninklijke Nederlandse Motorrijders Vereniging
Stichting Mac Lierop
Someren
Information, photos and results are online at www.motocrossMX1.com, the official website of the FIM Motocross World Championships.
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