Press Release

STRIJBOS TO STAND IN FOR INJURED RAMON

ocscottie
8/3/2011 1:06pm

Rockstar
Energy Suzuki World MX1 will count on the services of former rider
Kevin Strijbos for the remaining four rounds of the FIM MX1 World
Championship after the injury to Steve Ramon at Lommel last Saturday. 

Strijbos
will make a timely return to the factory team on the RM-Z450 at Loket
this weekend for the Grand Prix of Czech Republic and round 12 of 15 in
the series. It was at the hard-pack and fast course in 2005 that
Strijbos gave the works machine its very first overall GP victory. 

Strijbos
has a long association with the team and also Suzuki (four years with
GRP) and was the perfect candidate to help fill the awning next to
Clement Desalle for the remaining GP events in Czech Republic, UK,
Germany and Italy. With Ramon's blessing, Strijbos was able to test the
bike yesterday (Tuesday) and will again represent the Belgian crew after
twice finishing as World Championship runner-up while wearing its
colours. 

"This is a
great opportunity for me," he said. "I've had a few bad weekends this
season and also some other problems and this is a fantastic chance to
show that I can still produce the goods, so I want to thank the team for
picking me. 

"I
went to the workshop in Lommel yesterday and everything was exactly like
it was before," the 25 year old added. "Nothing had changed and it was
like coming home. I hope I can repay some of the faith this weekend." 

Loket
has been a regular part of the FIM calendar since the start of the
century. After the deep and loose sand of Lommel last weekend, the
slippery and stony Czech hard-pack is a different test altogether for
the Grand Prix elite. The track is notoriously difficult for overtaking
thanks to the fast, scenic and spectacular layout, sprawled over the
side of a hill overlooking the town of Loket and a short distance from
the small Spa city of Karlovy Vary. 

Clement
Desalle (pictured) notched his seventh podium result from a possible 11
last Sunday in Limburg. The 22 year old returns this week to the venue
where he scored his first Grand Prix victory in 2009. "I hope to return
to my usual training schedule this week," he said after the Limburg
round last Sunday. "So a bit of recovery, exercise and some riding. I
think we will start the journey to the track on Thursday or early
Friday. 

"Loket is a
nice track but I hope they have done some work there because last year
there were not many lines," he said. "I hope we find a layout where we
can have some fun and good racing. I felt good on the bike in Lommel and
I think if you have that feeling there, then you can have it almost
anywhere." 

The
long-term weather forecast indicates that the Grand Prix of Czech
Republic could be a wet one with cloudy conditions and showers predicted
for both Saturday and Sunday. 

MX1 World Championship standings (after 11 of 15 rounds): 1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 466 points; 2. Clement Desalle (BEL, Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MX1), 414 p.;
3. Steven Frossard (FRA, Yamaha), 403 p.; 4. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS,
Honda), 369 p.; 5. Maximilian Nagl (GER, KTM), 349 p. 6. Rui Goncalves
(POR, Honda), 309 p.; 7. David Philippaerts (ITA, Yamaha), 308 p.; 8.
Ken de Dycker (BEL, Honda), 250 p.; 9. Xavier Boog (FRA, Kawasaki), 235
p. 10. Jonathan Barragan (ESP, Kawasaki), 233 p.; 11. Steve Ramon (BEL, Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MX1), 229 p.
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