Press Release

DESALLE AND SUZUKI 2ND IN SPANISH GATE

ocscottie
6/19/2011 12:17am

Rockstar
Energy World MX1's Clement Desalle was metres away from vying for his
fourth MX1 Pole Position of the season at a short, hard-pack and stony
La Baneza for the Grand Prix of Spain and the seventh round of 15 in the
FIM Motocross World Championship this afternoon. 

The
Belgian didn't require any refinement to his factory RM-Z450 to tackle
the circuit that clocks in at just 1400m (several hundred less than the
FIM stipulated maximum). In breezy but sunny and warm conditions Desalle
closed to the back of Antonio Cairoli in the Qualification Heat but
wasn't able to draw near enough to the Sicilian in order to pass. 

Many
riders commented on the stony nature of the dirt and the long and deep
ruts in the twisty layout that didn't allow for generous overtaking
opportunities. 

Steve
Ramon ended the day content with his adaptation to the terrain and a
conservative performance to ninth in the qualification sprint. The
Belgian altered the engine set-up on his RM-Z450 and was able to find
his groove across the solid dirt despite a problem with his eyewear. 

Increased temperatures are predicted for the Grand Prix motos tomorrow. 

Clement Desalle: 

"I
had a good start in the heat race but I came upon Nagl in the way again
and couldn't avoid touching his wheel. I found some good lines to reach
Antonio but then made a few mistakes. I pulled him in again but when we
reached the slower riders it was impossible to think about overtaking
with the time left. It is so difficult to pass here because the track is
so narrow." 

Steve Ramon: 

"I'm
not really feeling so comfortable on the track but I'm riding well and
we didn't change much on the bike, so I just need to get used to it. We
modified the engine to make the engine delivery stronger and I could
feel the difference with the all-round performance. The bike is working
really well. I had a good start in the heat but then had a problem with
my goggles. It was difficult to see the lines and keep smooth because
dirt kept falling in my eyes. The track is short and tough with deep
ruts and lots of stones. I will hope for a good start tomorrow and see
what we can do." 

MX1 Qualification Heat result: 1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 23:41.498; 2. Clement Desalle (BEL, Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MX1), +0:02.506;
3. Maximilian Nagl (GER, KTM), +0:14.166; 4. Rui Goncalves (POR,
Honda), +0:22.543; 5. Xavier Boog (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:27.712; 6. Steven
Frossard (FRA, Yamaha), +0:30.041; 7. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda),
+0:31.707; 8. Davide Guarneri (ITA, Kawasaki), +0:33.265; 9. Steve Ramon (BEL, Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MX1), +0:35.509; 10. Shaun Simpson (GBR, Honda), +0:36.303;
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