Motocross Performance Magazine Canadian Motocross news leader
After starting the season on two different continents, the teams and riders will be happy to return to the Netherlands this weekend for Round 3 of the FIM World Championships, the European Grand Prix at the Eurocircuit Valkenswaard. This deep sand track is located only 20 kilometers from the border of Belgium and the world renowned circuit of Lommel, a location known to many as the motocross mecca of the world. The racetrack in Valkenswaard is considered one of the crown jewels on the MXGP calendar and has been hosting GPs since the early seventies.
The three week layoff was the result of the Malaysian GP being cancelled, and the time off did not go well for a couple of serious championship contenders. Team HRC`s Gautier Paulin, who went 1-1 at the European Grand Prix last year, was injured in a practice crash in Belgium sustaining a fractured vertebrae and a broken rib. On the landing of a jump, the French rider’s front wheel hit a soft spot of the ground, which stopped the bike and sent him over the bars with his bike landing on top of him. His return to the series is unknown at this time.
Monster Energy Kawasaki`s MX2 rider, Dylan Ferrandis, had successful shoulder surgery and will be out until his doctor gives him the green light. After finishing runner-up in the opening GP of the season in Qatar and posting the fastest lap during the timed practice session in Thailand, the young Frenchman had an unfortunate crash during the qualifying race and flew back home to be examined.
Other riders kept busy by returning home to compete in their country’s national championships. Both Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Tommy Searle and Rockstar Energy Husqvarna’s Max Anstie were in Great Britain to compete in the Maxxis British Championship. Anstie had a perfect day going 1-1 in the MX2 class while Searle was completely dominant in MX1 winning both motos and besting his countryman, KTM’s Shaun Simpson, who finished second.
The three week layoff was welcomed by both Red Bull KTM’s Antonio Cairoli and Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Clement Desalle both of whom raced the first two GPs nursing injuries. Cairolli broke several ribs when he crashed while practicing right before the start of the season and Desalle has been racing with an arm that he broke in a pre-season race at the Valence International Motocross. Cairolli as well as his Red Bull MX2 teammate Jeffrey Herlings have been called the best sand riders in the world so expect some good results from them this weekend in the deep Dutch sand.
All eyes will be upon Red Bull KTM’s Jeffrey Herlings, known to his fans as “The Bullet,” this weekend as he attempts to get his 50th GP win in Valkenswaard and tries to win there for the seventh time in his home Grand Prix. “It’s no secret I have a good feeling at Valkenswaard,” Herlings said recently. “I have won there on six occasions and will be going for number seven this year. I will also have a chance to win my 50th Grand Prix victory. Valkenswaard is close to my home, and there are always a lot of spectators, so I think this year will once again be a great weekend.”
Herlings has been perfect this year winning a pre-season race at Hawkstone Park, then totally dominating the MX2 GPs in Qatar and Thailand, and then winning twice during the layoff, first at the Dutch Masters in Axel, and last weekend in the opening round of the Belgian National Championship in Moerbeke.
The defending MXGP Champ, Monster Energy Yamaha’s Romain Febvre, hasn’t wasted any time reclaiming the red plate and if we include the results of last year’s championship, the Frenchman hasn’t missed the podium in the last fifteen rounds of MXGP. Last year though, the MXGP of Europe in Valkenswaard was his worst result of the year where he finished seventh.
Team Honda Gariboldi’s Tim Gajser also had problems at Valkenswaard last year where he had one of his worst crashes of the season in qualifying, and then ended up in a pond during moto one and had more problems in moto two. This year, a few people questioned how Gajser would adapt to the 450, and at the young age of 19 probably thought it was a foolish move to jump up to the premier class. Regardless of what the bench racers were revved up about, Gajser has already proven he can handle the bigger bike with his dominating performance at the season opener in Qatar where he went 1-1 for the overall, and then again in Thailand where he finished 3-4 for second overall.
After posting the fastest qualifying time in Thailand, Team Suzuki’s Ben Townley’s post-race comments, where he called the tracks in Qatar and Thailand “not worthy of hosting a GP race,” were harshly criticized by the powers that govern the sport, (Youthstream’s Giuseppe Luongo). However, amongst his fellow riders and the teams, those comments were something that needed to be said. Instead of Luongo losing his cool and lashing out at Townley, maybe he should listen to the former World Champion and others who are only interested in the future of their sport. All riders believe the desire to grow the MXGP series and take it to all corners of the globe is good as long as they don`t compromise on the integrity of the sport. It`s a fine line to walk and I am sure that we have not heard the last of this.
Due to the Easter weekend holiday, qualifying races will be held on Sunday the 27th with the GP following on Monday the 28th. All races can been seen live on MXGP-TV.com
