Desalle's dirty double: Valence International
By TMX Archives on 18th Feb 15
Clement Desalle dominated a rain-soaked Valence International motocross in France, the Belgian romping to double race wins as he continues his preparations for the imminent GP campaign.
Xavier Boog proved to be the MX Panda's only real opposition but Scottish slugger Shaun Simpson came home a solid third in rapidly deteriorating conditions.
Standing water forced a shortened programme meaning there was no Superfinal. MX2 double race winner Pauls Jonass – Red Bull KTM's replacement for world champion Jordi Tixier – went home with a big Latvian grin on his face, clearly happy not to be lining up against the MX1 boys.
The hillside track was under water after two days of heavy rain and with nothing at stake – and with the opening MXGP in Qatar only two weeks away – for many GP regulars it was just a training exercise, albeit one in stark contrast to the desert dirt and floodlights which await.
Desalle and Kevin Strijbos started race one side-by-side at the first turn but Desalle cut tight and almost took his fellow Belgian's wheel as the pair scraped the tyre banking. Strijbos was left searching for his roll-offs at the crest of the first downhill.
"I couldn't see a thing for a few seconds,” he said. "I almost lost my front wheel so I was cautious which let Boog down the inside. Just getting close to Boog kept filling in my goggles, there was so much water everywhere and off the race line it was impossible. I just had to stay in sight and wait for a mistake – when it's like this it's a lottery. I'm not planning on taking any risks before the GPs kick off.”
FOR FULL REPORT AND PICTURES SEE TMX NEWS FEBRUARY 19 (ISSUE 1959)
