Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MX1 has completed
the 2011 FIM Motocross World Championship with Kevin Strijbos scoring
fourth position overall at a hot Fermo for the Grand Prix of Italy and
the 15th and final round of the series.
The Belgian used his
RM-Z450 to tie on points for the last step of the podium and was
disappointed to miss out with a decent tally of third-and-fourth places
through two steamy motos.
The steep Italian hillside at Fermo,
set in the shallow dips of the scenic landscape close to the Adriatic
Sea, provided a slick, hard-pack and rutted track. The high temperatures
and many jumps of the course meant a hard day's work for the riders at
this last appointment on the 2011 schedule.
Some 18,000
spectators found a slot on the slopes and watched as Strijbos set a mean
pace after bright starts on the factory RM-Z450 in both 35 minute and
2-lap outings. The former double Championship runner-up with Suzuki was
quick but just not quick enough to trouble Xavier Boog in the first moto
and Jonathan Barragan in the second and was bumped to fourth only
because of his second-race ranking. The result still represented his
best since joining the factory team for the last four rounds of the
Championship.
Cody Cooper pushed valiantly through the haze,
dust and up the hills and grabbed his first Grand Prix points with 16th
and 19th for 20th overall.
After an eventful season for Rockstar
Energy Suzuki World MX1, Clement Desalle has finished third in the MX1
standings although the Belgian missed the final three rounds through a
shoulder injury. Steve Ramon is 14th but is still recovering from his
injury sustained at round 11 in Lommel. Kevin Strijbos ends a year on
the RM-Z450 with 10th and will now represent his country at St Jean
D'Angely for the Motocross of Nations next week.
Kevin Strijbos:
"I
rode well today but I'm feeling a bit down about missing out on the
podium. I had a good jump out of the gate in the first race but I was
dragged outside a little bit. Anyway I made my way to third and at one
point I was pushing to catch Boog for second but then backed off a
little bit because I was feeling a little tired. I'm not sure what
happened at the start of the second; I think I had some wheelspin, but I
rode the whole moto believing I had third place so it was disappointing
to not make the podium."
Cody Cooper:
"As
I said last week it was a tricky decision to come and do these Grands
Prix because I knew I wasn't in the best shape; but now I go home with
some good endurance under my belt that's for sure. I had a good start in
the second moto because the bike has good power and it was awesome out
of the gate. I had some fatigue from the previous race but I did my
best. I'm real thankful to the team for the experience of coming here
and I'm glad I did it."
Moto1: 1. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Yamaha), 39:24.930; 2. Xavier Boog (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:11.779; 3. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MX1), +0:19.334;
4. Jonathan Barragan (ESP, Kawasaki), +0:36.361; 5. Anthony Boissiere
(FRA, Yamaha), +0:45.590; 6. Davide Guarneri (ITA, Kawasaki), +0:48.323;
7. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), +0:48.634;
8. Christophe Pourcel
(FRA, Kawasaki), +0:56.812; 9. Rui Goncalves (POR, Honda), +0:57.141;
10. Gregory Aranda (FRA, Kawasaki), +1:19.363. 16. Cody Cooper (NZL, Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MX1), -1 lap(s).
Moto2:
1. Christophe Pourcel (FRA, Kawasaki), 39:31.286; 2. Gautier Paulin
(FRA, Yamaha), +0:14.080; 3. Jonathan Barragan (ESP, Kawasaki),
+0:32.179; 4. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MX1), +0:37.472;
5. Xavier Boog (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:54.398; 6. Rui Goncalves (POR,
Honda), +1:10.394; 7. Anthony Boissiere (FRA, Yamaha), +1:22.599; 8.
Davide Guarneri (ITA, Kawasaki), +1:38.375; 9. Shaun Simpson (GBR,
Honda), +1:44.436; 10. Marcus Schiffer (GER, Suzuki), -1 lap(s). 19. Cody Cooper (NZL, Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MX1), -1 lap(s).
MX1 Overall result:
1. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Yamaha), 47 points; 2. Christophe Pourcel (FRA,
Kawasaki), 38 p.; 3. Jonathan Barragan (ESP, Kawasaki), 38 p.; 4. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MX1), 38 p.;
5. Xavier Boog (FRA, Kawasaki), 38 p.; 6. Anthony Boissiere (FRA,
Yamaha), 30 p.; 7. Davide Guarneri (ITA, Kawasaki), 28 p.; 8. Rui
Goncalves (POR, Honda), 27 p.; 9. Marcus Schiffer (GER, Suzuki), 20 p.;
10. Manuel Monni (ITA, Honda), 20 p. 20. Cody Cooper (NZL, Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MX1), 7 p.
Final MX1 World Championship standings: 1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 596 points; 2. Steven Frossard (FRA, Yamaha), 472 p.; 3. Clement Desalle (BEL, Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MX1), 461 p.;
4. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), 444 p.; 5. Maximilian Nagl (GER,
KTM), 439 p.; 6. Rui Goncalves (POR, Honda), 431 p.; 7. Xavier Boog
(FRA, Kawasaki), 347 p.; 8. Jonathan Barragan (ESP, Kawasaki), 326 p.;
9. David Philippaerts (ITA, Yamaha), 308 p.; 10. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MX1), 295 p. 14. Steve Ramon (BEL, Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MX1), 229 p.
ZECCHINA TAKES TWO-STROKE TITLE:
Italian
Simone Zecchina finally placed both hands - the left one containing a
broken finger - on the European 125cc two-stroke championship 'EM-X125'
at his home event at Fermo last weekend. The 17 year old guided his
RM125 to fifth position in the first moto on Saturday, which was enough
to guarantee the title ahead of Tom Gajser.
Zecchina, who made
three grand prix appearances on the factory-backed RM-Z250 for Suzuki
Europe MX2 as a substitute for Valentin Teillet, won three motos from 12
and finished in the top three nine times in what was the second year of
the series being run alongside the FIM Motocross World Championship. At
Fermo he was third overall. Swiss Jeremy Seewer was third in the final
standings of the competition.
Simone Zecchina:
"I
was a bit worried about my broken finger and how I would be able to
ride here but of course I am really happy to take the title and now
think about this season. It has been good in many ways and now I am
ready for the next step."
Final European 125cc two-stroke championship standings: 1. Simone Zecchina (ITA, Suzuki), 250 points;
2. Tim Gajser (SLO, KTM), 226 p.; 3. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Suzuki), 207
p.; 4. Samuele Bernardini (ITA, KTM), 185 p.; 5. Damon Graulus (BEL,
KTM), 170 p.; 6. James Dunn (GBR, KTM), 152 p.; 7. Brent Van Doninck
(BEL, KTM), 152 p.; 8. Luca Moroni (ITA, KTM), 128 p.; 9. Benoit Paturel
(FRA, Yamaha), 95 p.; 10. Dave Versluis (NED, KTM), 93 p.
9/11/2011 7:09pm
0 comments
To post, please join, log in or connect to Vital using your Facebook profile Login with Facebook.