Press Release

Maximum-difficulty Lommel awaits Honda World Motocross Team


Lommel!
It has been said that Lommel cannot be truly mastered only survived.
The gruelling deep sand provides arguably the toughest test for man and
machine on the Grand Prix calendar and both Evgeny Bobryshev and Rui
Gonçalves will need to bring their A-game to the GP of Limburg this
weekend (30-31 July) if they are to continue their climb in the
championship standings.

 

After a string of podiums and a first career win in Germany, Bobryshev currently sits in 4th position in the overall standings, 36 points behind 3rd-place man Steven Frossard. Gonçalves sits in a comfortable 7th position
but in recent weeks has closed the gap on the two men in front as he
sets his sights on a top-five overall position. He is currently 10
points behind David Philippaerts (6th) and only 30 behind Max Nagl (5th). With a potential 50 points up for grab, both these deficits can realistically be turned around in just one race weekend.

Located
in northeast Belgium – the heartland of European motocross – Lommel is
used by many of the Grand Prix protagonists as a training facility
throughout the year. Although most of the top riders know their way
around extremely well, the prospect of two 35min +2 lap motos at full
race speed is a daunting one for even the toughest competitor.

 

However,
the Honda World Motocross team have worked hard in perfecting the sand
set-up of the CRF450R, as have Dunlop with the MX11 rear, manufactured
in France, and in testing a front sand tyre prototype version which will
be used by the team this weekend. This could well give them the edge
over the rest of the field.

Evgeny Bobryshev, Honda World Motocross
“Lommel
I do not like. I really don’t have a good feeling racing there, well
that is how it has been in the past. It is good for training, for
working on conditioning and for practicing on technique but racing there
is a different story. The type of sand there is really particular and
it can cause many crashes when you are pushing hard. I am hoping that
this year I can turn it around and make it my track. I rode good at the
German Masters last week, taking the overall, so I am feeling in good
form going into this one.”


Rui Gonçalves, Honda World Motocross
“Lommel
is probably the track where I train the most through the season. A lot
of riders are based in Belgium and so use the facility throughout the
week, not just getting ready for the GP but as part of their year-round
training. It is really deep sand and is a real test for your physical
conditioning. It is one of the places that a 35min +2 lap moto seems
like a long time but I am fit and I know what I can do there. I had fun
riding at the Evert’s race in the week I had off and even won the 150cc
race there. I am enjoying my riding at the moment and looking to carry
this on into the weekend.”
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