Brits in Nether Netherland
By TMX Archives on 6th Apr 07
YAMAHA started its GP era without Stefan Everts in style last Sunday as the 2007 FIM World Motocross Championship burst into life at rough, tough Valkenswaard, deep in the south of Holland.
Josh Coppins swept to a debut win in blue in MX1,and Toni Cairoli confirmed his determination to regain the MX2 titlewith a stunning double.
But there was heroes aplenty in red, yellow, greenand orange too, none more so than MX2 runner-up Tyla Rattray. ''Bull''bounced back from a momentous Saturday salto, which left the South African black and blue, to twice claim second to Cairoli.
The Brits were also right in the thick of it, butthe action was so turbulent that only Molson Kawasaki's GarethSwanepoel, with a maiden career podium, could be totally satisfied with his points haul: ''I just can'texplain how happy I am. I'm still rebuilding after my shoulder op andto get a podium here already gives me the confidence to believe I can mix it with Pourcel, Cairoli and Tyla for the title.''
Ken De Dycker only missed the MX1 podium by threepoints, but the CAS Honda leader had dominated qualification and ledrace one before fading, while James Noble was the only native Brit in the top ten at the end of the day, eighth on his debut for Multitek. It was a case of what might have been for Britain's Nations squad.
Carl Nunn had to withdraw from the race on Friday,Billy MacKenzie saw two probable top six finishes go up in smoke, andTommy Searle's KTM debut was turbulent to say the least - last to tenth in race one was followed bya horrifying mid-air collision with world champ Chris Pourcel as theydisputed second in race two.
Tom Church and Shaun Simpson both ran top tenbefore their days ended in misery, Mike Brown plugged away grittily tofinish the day tenth, Sean Hamblin got a score in the end on a track the like of which ''I haven'tridden since I was a kid'', Gordon Crockard persevered for a secondrace 12th, and Martin Barr got a first-ever continental GP score, but it could have been more.
WORLD MX1 MOTOCROSS CHAMPS
Rd 1 - Valkenswaard, Netherlands
1 Joshua Coppins (NZ - Yamaha) 25 + 22 = 47
2 Jonathan Barragan (E - Red Bull KTM) 16 + 25 = 41
3 Steve Ramon (B - Team Suzuki) 22 + 15 = 37
4 Kevin Strijbos (B - Team Suzuki) 18 + 18 = 36
5 Marc De Reuver (NL - Yamaha) 15 + 20 = 35
6 Ken De Dycker (B - CAS Honda) 20 + 14 = 34
SERIES STANDINGS after 1 (of 15) rounds: 1 Coppins47 points, 2 Barragan 41, 3 Ramon 37, 4 Strijbos 36, 5 De Reuver 35, 6De Dycker 34, 7 Nagl 25, 8 NOBLE 24, 9 Priem 19, 10 Brown 19, 11 Leok 17, 12 Nemeth 13, 13 Renet13, 14 MACKENZIE 12, 15 CROCKARD 10, 16 Meo 10, 17 Van Daele 9, 18 Leok9, 19 Desalle 9, 20 Pourcel 8, 21 Vanni 6, 22 Kovalainen 4, 23 Verhoeven 4, 24 Beggi 1.
NEXT ROUND: Apr 15 - Bellpuig, SPAIN.
WORLD MX2 MOTOCROSS CHAMPS
Rd 1 - Valkenswaard, Netherlands
1 Antonio Cairoli (I - DeCarli Yamaha) 25 + 25 = 50
2 Tyla Rattray (ZA - Red Bull KTM) 22 + 22 = 44
3 Gareth Swanepoel (ZA - Molson Kawasaki) 20 + 15 = 35
4 Christophe Pourcel (F - GPKR Kawasaki) 14 + 20 = 34
5 Erik Eggens (NL - Beursfoon Suzuki) 16 + 18 = 34
6 Kenneth Gundersen (N - Ricci Yamaha) 18 + 16 = 34
SERIES STANDINGS after 1 (of 15) rounds: 1 Cairoli50 points, 2 Rattray 44, 3 Swanepoel 35, 4 Pourcel 34, 5 Eggens 34, 6Gundersen 34, 7 Aubin 28, 8 Schiffer 27, 9 Boissiere 22, 10 Leuret 22, 11 Verbruggen 18, 12Seistola 17, 13 Searle 11, 14 Hamblin 9, 15 Van Horebeek 9, 16 Tarroux9, 17 Boog 8, 18 Monni 7, 19 Frossard 7, 20 Barr 5, 21 Van Vijfeijken 4, 22 Avis 4, 23 CHURCH 3, 24 Aranda 1.
NEXT ROUND: Apr 15 - Bellpuig, SPAIN.
For full report, results and pictures see T+MX NEWS, Friday, April 6, 2007.