Lancelot for Valence
By TMX Archives on 7th Jan 09
WORLD Ladies Champ, Livia Lancelot, will line up against the boys at Valence next month.Keen to present a world champion in each class the event will feature separate races for 250s and 450s with a Superfinal showdown in a format promoted so successfully for several years at Hawkstone MC Valence has found the perfect solution to Tyla Rattray's defection stateside with their national heroine. Livvy' already contested the international two years ago and, although lapped by the leaders, held her own with the back-markers, and she won the national support race there the year before that, so it will be interesting to see how she gets on this year.
MX1 champion David Philippaerts, Rinaldi Yamaha team-mate Josh Coppins (last year's winner at Valence), Max Nagl, the Martin Honda duo of Marc De Reuver and Kevin Strijbos, Suzuki's Steve Ramon and Ken De Dycker, and the Aprilia team of Julien Bill and Manuel Priem are confirmed to face the French elite of Sebastien Pourcel, David Vuillemin, Gregory Aranda, Pierre-Alexandre Renet and Christophe Martin in MX1.
With 30 riders on the line in each class, Livvy will have to contend with most of this year's title candidates in MX2. Shaun Simpson and Rui Goncalves start for KTM, Nico Aubin and Davide Guarneri for Ricci Yamaha, Steven Frossard and Loic Rombaut for CLS Kawasaki, Marvin Musquin and Jason Clermont for NGS Honda and Xavier Boog and Ken Roczen for Inotec Suzuki. Add Anthony Boissiere, the man who would have won the Nations for France if he hadn't punctured, Arnaud Tonus, Joel Roelants, Pascal Leuret and Euro champ, Valentin Teillet, and its a class line-up.
What is noticeable is the absence of British riders other than Simpson, who will be down in southern France with the KTM factory team for their annual photo shoot.
The race at Valence will be on February 21/22. There will be free training on Saturday and a full programme on Sunday for 25 Euros admission fee. The track is just a few miles from the city centre, on the edge of the local industrial estate.