GP of the Netherlands 1

Click the following link for a 28-photo gallery of FIM race action from the Grand Prix of the Netherlands. Don't forget, if you're a Vital MX member, you can comment on any of the photos in the gallery. Not a member? Join now! It's fast and free.

We took a weekend field trip to The Netherlands to Check out the first FIM Grand Prix Motocross of the year, and got to watch a pair of dominating performances by Teka Suzuki's Ken de Dycker in MX1, and Red Bull KTM's Tyla Rattray in MX2. Both riders went 1-1 on the Dutch sand track at Valkenswaard.

The conditions were definitely tough out there, as Saturday rains added a ton of moisture to the track, giving it the consistency of a sandy soup/mud mix in the morning. Though it dried throughout the day, it didn't get any easier, with extremely deep ruts. Actually, though, considering some of the weather options (like the snow that had been predicted, but which hit London instead), it was actually rather nice. Scattered clouds, and temps probably in the 50s.

There will alway be inevitable comparisons between the U.S. National series that we normally cover, and the World Championship series, so here are some quick observations.

Equipment: We have to go with the GPs on this one. With no production rule, the teams can go as wild as they'd like with their bikes. Carbon subframes, exotic materials, non-stock frames, and a wider variety of brands of suspension and aftermarket goodies help give it the nod. Seeing added brands like TM and Aprillia is a bonus.

Field Size: This one goes to the U.S. The GPs use the European Championships as a feeder series, and limit the size of the field on the gate in the GPs to 30 riders. More riders than that try to qualify on Saturday.

Sound: The GPs get the nod here. Sure the field size is smaller, but they also use a lower db limit, and the smaller field size does have the added benefit of reducing the overall roar a bit. They're also working toward a dynamic sound test, which measures sound in a real-world situation, and uses transponders to match the sound to a particular bike.

Overall ambience: It is cool seeing fans waving their country flags, and cheerleading for their favorite riders. U.S. fans seem to come for the overall show...but we have to admit they'd probably look pretty silly waving a flag from California, Florida, or some other state. The mix of languages at the GPs is also interesting, though it makes us wish we'd paid more attention during language classes at school. Being multi-lingual is definitely a benefit.

But all in all it's not about whose version of motocross is better...we can appreciate similarities and the differences, and bottom line, it's about the competition, and about MX. There's good racing on both sides of the Atlantic, and we dig watching them both.

Want to see more? Click the link above to jump to the race coverage for the GP of the Netherlands, or any of the following links to check out the team intros (and close-ups of the equipment for Suzuki, KTM, Kawasaki, and Yamaha.

Results

Grand Prix of the Netherlands

MX1 Overall

MX2 OVERALL