MX-GP: Philippaerts scores first podium for ’10 YZ450FM

David Philippaerts marked a small landmark in Yamaha's MX1-GP history
when he took the innovative rear-slanting fuel injected 2010 YZ450FM to
3rd place overall through the rippled and demanding sand of
Valkenswaard for the Grand Prix of Netherlands. 22,000 spectators
witnessed the third round of fifteen in the '10 FIM World Championship
and saw the former World Champion gain a holeshot in the second moto
and fill the role of protagonist at this vibrant meeting.

After demonstrating the required speed but falling foul of
some misfortune in the first two rounds, Philippaerts was finally able
to get his hands on a 2010 podium trophy. The 25 year old moved from
8th to 3rd in the first moto and chased down the figure of Steve Ramon,
demoting the Belgian in the last three laps to secure 2nd and his first
top three finish of the year from five motos up until that point. The
factory Yamaha Monster Energy MX team representative led the first two
laps of the second affair after exiting the tricky 'S' section of
opening corners and then took part in an entertaining dice with Antonio
Cairoli, Steve Ramon, Max Nagl, Tanel Leok and Evgeny Bobryshev among
others. Philippaerts was just edged out of 3rd place to 4th by Leok on
the last lap but had done enough to scale the rostrum.

Yamaha Monster Energy Ricci Motocross Team's Ken De Dycker - a former
GP winner at Valkenswaard - was 6th overall but had problems getting
comfortable and with setting a consistent speed across the sand. The
tall Belgian pushed as high as second place in the first moto but a
small crash caused him to lose positions and he eventually made it to
the flag in 6th. For the second race he was part of the same group
vying for podium contention along with Philippaerts although lacked the
force to rise higher than 7th by the end of the 35 minutes and 2 laps.

Philippaerts is 4th in the World Championship standings
and 19 points behind Max Nagl in 2nd spot. De Dycker is right behind,
with 5th, and stares at a 6 point deficit to his Italian brand-mate.

In the second round of the Veteran's World Cup, champion
Mats Nilsson controlled proceedings on his YZ450F to collect his second
consecutive win and assert a clear 18 point lead in the standings.
Round three of six will take place at Glen Helen for the US GP at the
end of May.

The fourth round of the world championship will be
entertained by the distinctive red soil of Agueda for the Grand Prix of
Portugal on May 9th.

David Philippaerts, Yamaha Monster Energy MX Team, 3rd:


"I am really happy today but I made mistakes in Bulgaria and Mantova so
this should not have been my first podium of the season; mistakes are
part of the sport and today things went well. In the second moto I was
pleased to get the holeshot and lead at the start. I was riding good
but the track was very difficult and bumpy. I did not want to crash so
I was not pushing over the limit. Leok passed me on the last lap but it
was OK; I still made it up on the podium."

Ken De Dycker, Yamaha Monster Energy Ricci MX Team, 6th:


"The whole weekend was tough. I had some pain in my right arm and it
was difficult to hold on at times. I had arm-pump from the first lap of
the first moto and could not get into the corners like I wanted; it was
hard to be consistent. I was more relaxed in the second moto and could
fight a bit more but again struggled near the end. We can only hope for
better in Portugal."