Cairoli and Herlings ready to claim the Title in Faenza

FAENZA (Italy), 7 September 2012 – The FIM Motocross World Championship is getting to the end of the 2012 season and this weekend it will be celebrated the penultimate Grand Prix of the year in Faenza, Italy. After three years absence in the calendar, the Italian track in the Romagna region may be the scenario where KTM claims both MX1 and MX2 World Titles thanks to Antonio Cairoli and Jeffrey Herlings.

The Grand Prix of Europe will be full of emotions, because it will also host the last rounds of the UEM EMX125 and EMX250, and whereas Tim Gajser has already obtained the EMX125 Title, the UEM EMX250 championship is still open, although Mel Pocock is the clear favourite to claim the European title.

MX1
It has been a long time since Antonio Cairoli does not race at Faenza for the World Championship, but he is looking forward to it, as he may obtain his sixth FIM Motocross World Title racing in front of his home crowd. The Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider is 76 points ahead of runner up of the series Clement Desalle, so the Italian just needs to finish in front of the Belgian at the Grand Prix of Europe to be proclaimed the 2012 FIM MX1 World Champion.

Rockstar Energy Suzuki World’s Clement Desalle comes to Italy after undergoing one of the toughest weekends of the season at Lierop. The Belgian was sixth overall and he struggled a lot with his injury on his hand, in fact, Desalle is not fully recovered for this weekend, so he will do his best to have fun on his Suzuki and keep the second place of the championship.

Kawasaki Racing Team’s Gautier Paulin moved up one position in the point standings of the championship after his performance in Lierop and he is now third, 48 points behind Desalle. Finishing among the top three was one of Gautier’s goals of the season, so the French rider only needs to ride consistently in the last two Grand Prix in order to fulfil his main goal for this 2012.

The last two Grand Prix have been very difficult for his compatriot Christophe Pourcel, who had a small fracture on his shoulder from a crash at Matterley Basin during the British round. In Lierop he could not finish the first race and he did not enter the second one, so we hope the French rider is better from his injury to see him racing in Faenza this weekend.

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Ken De Dycker finished second overall last weekend in Lierop and he obtained really valuable points and closed the gap with Pourcel in the MX1 point standings. The Belgian is just six points behind Pourcel, so De Dycker may be able claim the fourth place of the championship after the MXGP of Europe this weekend.

Kevin Strijbos is sixth in the point standings, followed by Xavier Boog and Tanel Leok, who obtained his maiden podium of the season last weekend and he is now ready to race for a top five result. Rui Gonçalves is ninth in the championship and Shaun Simpson is completing the top ten.

After he announced his retirement from the FIM Motocross World Championship in 2010, Josh Coppins will be back wearing the Monster Energy Yamaha colours to take part in the last two Grand Prix of the FIM Motocross World Championship. The New Zealander comes back to Europe after winning the Australian Title, so he is determined to proof that he is still able to race at the level of the best motocross riders in the world.

All the Grand Prix Photos availablehere

MX2
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings had one of his best performances last weekend in his home Grand Prix at Lierop, but the Dutch rider faces now one of the most crucial weekends of the season and even of his career. Herlings has 65 points advantage over Tommy Searle, so the only thing that would stop Herlings to win the 2012 FIM MX2 World Title would be if the British rider scores minimum 16 points more than him at the GP of Europe.

Team Floride Monster Energy Kawasaki Pro Circuit’s Tommy Searle has had some days off after the Dutch Grand Prix and he is now focused in winning both races in Faenza in order not to lose any chance of keep on fighting for the Title in case Herlings undergoes any misfortune this weekend. Searle has still in mind the two DNF’s he had in Sweden, so he knows that anything can happen and he will be not give up until the end.

Third in the point standings is Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeremy Van Horebeek, who finished second last weekend in Lierop. The Belgian rider has been very consistent this season, but he is still fighting for his main goal, which is being on the top of the podium. Van Horebeek has still two chances left to accomplish his goal, so he will be giving his best in these last two Grand Prix of the season.

Nestaan JM Racing KTM’s Jake Nicholls moved up to the fourth place of the MX2 point standings and he is now 20 points ahead Jordi Tixier. The British rider could not finish among the to top five last weekend in Lierop, but he is determined to have good starts again in Faenza and ride among the top three to finish on the podium.

Joel Roelants from Team Floride Monster Energy Kawasaki Pro Circuit is still fifth in the MX2 point standings, but he will not be able to defend such position this weekend because he is still recovering from the crash he suffered in Matterley Basin. Jordi Tixier is sixth in the standings with the same points as Roelants, so the French rider may recuperate the fifth place of the championship.

Max Anstie, who obtained his maiden podium of the season last weekend in Lierop, is seventh in the MX2 standings, Dylan Ferrandis is eighth, and Jose Butrón and Alessandro Lupino complete the top ten.

All the Grand Prix Photos availablehere

TIMETABLE
Saturday:EMX125 Free Practice 7:50; EMX250 Free Practice 8:30; MX2 Free Practice 9:30; MX1 Free Practice 10:15; EMX125 Qualifying Time Practice 11:00; EMX250 Qualifying Time Practice 11:45; MX2 Pre-Qualifying Practice 13:15; MX1 Pre-Qualifying Practice 14:00; EMX125 Race 1 15:10; MX2 Qualifying Race 16:10; MX1 Qualifying Race 17:00; EMX250 Race 1 17:50.

Sunday:EMX125 Warm up 8:00; EMX250 Warm up 8:30; MX2 Warm up 9:00; MX1 Warm up 9:30; EMX125 Race 2 10:15; EMX250 Race 2 11:10; 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 Europe

Photo: Antonio Cairoli looking forward to claiming his sixth FIM World Title in Faenza this weekend