Pourcels' whitewash!
By TMX Archives on 18th Jul 07
THE Pourcels are not the first brothers to each win in motocross, but they are the first to each win a GP on the same day!
Twenty-two year-old Sebastien simply ran rings round the MX1 opposition to win both motos at Faenza, Italy, on Sunday, while 18-year-old Christophe finally turned round his season with a second moto defeat of Toni Cairoli in race two to take the MX2 overall on the tie-break.
Mike Brown held UK pride high with his second podium of the season, Billy MacKenzie overcame a disappointing first moto to end the day fourth with a forceful third in race two, and Ken De Dycker had been third in the MX1 opener, while Tommy Searle and Gareth Swanepoel made top ten overall in MX2. Jason Dougan showed he is at home on hardpack with a ripping ninth in the opener, and there were also points for James Noble, Gordon Crockard, Carl Nunn, Stephen Sword and Tom Church but neither the heat nor the untechnical track was exactly made for the Brits.
As Noble commented: It's like riding a hilly motorway!''
MX2
THE home crowd came to celebrate another Cairoli victory, and after the first moto it looked like they would get their wish.
Pourcel led for ten laps, but a couple of poor laps mid-moto let the chasing series leader pounce, and that was that.
The Brits were buried on lap one.
Jason Dougan and Shaun Simpson were the highest-placed UK regulars in ninth and 10th on lap, but the Scot was soon dropping back and out after his Wulsport Kwacker bogged and he was thrown over the bars, breaking his right wrist and landing in the Clinica Mobile, where he was soon joined by Tom Church.
Church had advanced from 18th to break into the top ten in a forceful ride but, with temperatures in the high 90s, a trip to earth proved disastrous. The sudden lack of air flow left him in a state of collapse and, though he wobbled to the finish to earn three points, Tom was soon on a drip and a definite non-starter for race two.
Dougan, meanwhile, wav-ed the flag, running eighth for much of the moto before losing out to a charging Markus Schiffer just before the end: I concentrated on riding consistently in the heat, but I must admit I started to feel it in the last couple of laps. But Schiffer was on a charge and he might have caught me anyway.''
WORLD MX2 MOTOCROSS CHAMPS
Rd 10 - Faenza, ITALY
1 Christophe Pourcel (F - GPKR Kawasaki) 22 + 25 = 47
2 Antonio Cairoli (I - DeCarli Yamaha) 25 + 22 = 47
3 Tyla Rattray (ZA - Red Bull KTM) 20 + 20 = 40
4 Pascal Leuret (F - Martin Honda) 16 + 18 = 34
5 Rui Goncalves (P - Silver Action KTM) 14 + 13 = 27
6 Tommy SEARLE (GB - Red Bull KTM) 10 + 16 = 26
SERIES STANDINGS after 10 (of 15) rounds: 1 Cairoli 486 points, 2 Pourcel 384, 3 Rattray 358, 4 SEARLE 311, 5 Leuret 304, 6 Swanepoel 245
NEXT ROUND: Jul 29 - Loket, CZECH REPUBLIC.
MX1
IT was no surprise when Mike Brown holeshot moto one, after all he leads away one moto at every GP, and the 35-year-old American was still in fourth at the finish.
The elder Pourcel had gated second and quickly attacked, moving away as the American went through a couple of difficult early laps: I grew up riding tracks like this, and I'm also used to the heat, but my forearms pumped-up a little in the early laps. Once I settled down, it was OK, but Pourcel was gone and Ken had passed me too.''
The Swedish GP winner chased Pourcel hard, without ever getting close enough to challenge for another victory, and in the end joined the rest of the leaderboard, bar the Frenchman, in falling to Coppins' second half charge.
I didn't want to do it that way, but there was nowhere to pass,'' admitted the Kiwi. I just didn't focus well at the start and tried starting further back from the gate than usual, looking for better drive. It was a mistake. I soon realised that I wasn't going to get anywhere until the others got tired, so I waited for the 25 minute mark and then attacked.''
The tactic worked, polesetter Jonathan Barragan, even further back, was doing the same to pip his teammate David Philippaerts for fifth.
WORLD MX1 MOTOCROSS CHAMPS
Rd 10 - Faenza, ITALY
1 Sebastien Pourcel (F - GPKR Kawasaki) 25 + 25 = 50
2 Joshua Coppins (NZ - Yamaha) 22 + 22 = 44
3 Michael Brown (US - CAS Honda) 18 + 18 = 36
4 Billy MacKENZIE (GB - Kawasaki Europe) 12 + 20 = 32
5 Jonathan Barragan (E - Red Bull KTM) 16 + 16 = 32
6 Ken De Dycker (B - CAS Honda) 20 + 11 = 31
SERIES STANDINGS after 10 (of 15) rounds: 1 Coppins 445 points, 2 Ramon 338, 3 Pourcel 285, 4 Philippaerts 278, 5 Barragan 272, 6 Brown 255
NEXT ROUND: Jul 29 - Loket, CZECH REPUBLIC.
For full report, results and pictures see T+MX NEWS, Friday, July 20, 2007.