First Home GP for Young Gun Herlings at Valkenswaard

 FUNCHAL
(PORTUGAL), 21 April 2010 – Antonio Cairoli and team mate Marvin Musquin
of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing are currently heading the MX1 and MX2
series as the Championship is set to continue in the Netherlands, home
of 15 year old sensation Jeffrey Herlings, this weekend for round three
of 15.

At Valkenswaard last year’s MX1 winner Jonathan Barragan
will seek better fortunes as his first Kawasaki season has not yet
recorded a podium finish of the Spaniard. Nagl, Desalle, De Dycker and
Philippaerts complete the MX1 top five behind Cairoli.

In the MX2
class instead it will be time for 15 year old Jeffrey Herlings to show
his home crowd what he is capable of after narrowly missing out on a
moto win in Mantova. The Dutch sits in third behind Roczen.

Mats
Nilsson is set to continue his winning streak in the Veterans’ World Cup
after taking both heats in round one at Mantova.
 
MX1
Just
two weeks ago at Mantova Red Bull KTM Factory Racing MX1’s Cairoli made
history by winning the first ever Motocross MX1 Grand Prix with a 350cc
motorcycle in the likes of the KTM 350 SX-F. The Italian, who joined
the works KTM squad after winning the MX1 World Title at his first
attempt in 2009, leads the series with a single point advantage over
team mate Nagl, the latter on the 450cc machine.

The German did
not have a good weekend at Valkenswaard in 2009 as he finished 14th
while Cairoli was second on the podium. Furthermore Nagl just lost the
red plate and will be on fire to make up for both mishaps. Red Bull KTM
Factory Racing MX1 will finally line up all riders at Valkenswaard with
Portuguese Gonçalves coming back on board the second 350 SX-F after an
off season shoulder injury.

Last year’s GP winner Barragan, now a
Kawasaki Racing rider, seeks his first podium of the season and is
seventh place in the Championship. Being currently the best placed
Kawasaki rider, Barragan hopes to be the first of the Kawasaki Racing
trio completed by Boog and Pourcel –following Barragan in the point
standings- to give the manufacturer a top three finish in 2010.

Rockstar
Teka Suzuki World MX1’s Desalle is the third man in the MX1 series and
after two podium finishes the young Belgian looks for his first win
since he joined Suzuki at the end of 2009, his breakthrough year.

Yamaha
fellow riders De Dycker and Philippaerts complete the top five ahead of
sand master Ramon. Home rider De Reuver sits in 18th place ahead of
team mate Strijbos.
 
2009 MX1 PODIUM:
1. Jonathan Barragan
2.
Antonio Cairoli
3. Tanel Leok
 
2009 MX1 POLEMAN: Max Nagl
 
Photos available at www.motocrossmx1.com/gallery 
 
MX2
 
With
the Championship coming into Holland for the first time in 2010, 15
year old Dutch Herlings of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing MX2 is pumped to
be racing his first ever home Grand Prix this weekend. After taking his
maiden podium at Mantova and narrowly missing out on a moto win, the
local fans expect Herlings to challenge again Musquin for the win on the
Dutch sand.

So far Musquin has won all four heats and is well
settled into the Championship lead with a full score of 100 points. The
defending Champion managed to win his fourth consecutive heat in Mantova
only at the final lap, when he exploited a mistake of team mate
Herlings to move past.

Teka Suzuki Europe World MX2’s Roczen is
second in the Championship, sandwiched in between Musquin and Herlings.
Roczen has been hungry for a victory since round one and his attitude
will be the same in Valkenswaard where he hopes to place his works
Suzuki on top of the podium.

Kawasaki CLS’ Frossard sits in
fourth, just three points behind Herlings, while Swiss Tonus completes
the top five.

Taking a podium finish last year in Valkenswaard,
Simpson and Aubin need a solid result this weekend to improve on their
Championship standings.
 
2009 MX2 PODIUM:
1. Rui Gonçalves
2.
Shaun Simpson
3. Nicolas Aubin
 
2009 MX2 POLEMAN: Nicolas
Aubin
 
Photos
available at www.motocrossmx1.com/gallery 
 
VETERANS
 
The
second round of the FIM Veterans’ World Cup is set to take place in
Valkenswaard, another sand venue like Mantova where defending Champion
Nilsson took both moto’s. The Swedish Veteran took two wins last year at
Valkenswaard so he is again the first on the list of potential
candidates for a victory in round two.

Being currently second in
the standings, home rider Hendrickx was fifth at Valkenswaard last year
while Lheriteau, now third in the standings, ended a tough weekend in
tenth place.
 
TIMETABLE
Saturday: Veterans
Free Practice 9:25; MX2 Free Practice 10:00; MX1 Free Practice 10:45;
Veterans Time Practice 13:00;
MX2 Pre Qualifying Practice 13:35; MX1 Pre Qualifying Practice 14:20; Veterans Race 1 15:15; MX2 Qualifying
Race 16:05; MX1
Qualifying Race 16:55;


Sunday: Veterans Warm up 8:30; MX2 Warm up 9:00; MX1 Warm up
9:30; Veterans Race 2 11:15;
MX2 Grand Prix Race 1 12:10;
MX1 Grand Prix Race 1 13:10; MX2
Grand Prix Race 2 15:03;
MX1 Grand Prix Race 2 16:03.
 
 
LINKS
Youthstream
FIM 
Grand Prix of The Netherlands