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| KTM's Cairoli
the king of MX1 in Loket as he moves closer to the
world title |
| Red Bull KTM's Tony Cairoli scored
his 35th career GP victory powering his KTM 350 SX-F
into at 2-1 result in the two motos on the hard pack
circuit in Loket on Sunday. It was the first time that
KTM had won a MX1 GP on the Czech circuit since it
became part of the GP calendar in 2004. |
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Cairoli took a comfortable holeshot in the
first moto and held onto the lead until lap 11 when Tanel Leok
slipped by. In typical fashion, Cairoli played the waiting
game until the last two laps then went on the attack but was
unable to gain the advantage on the Estonian racer. His second
place still extended his championship lead to 81 points as he
went into the second moto.
Double holeshot for Tony
Tony immediately seized the advantage and the holeshot in the
second moto and while he stuck to the lead for the duration of
the race it was not without challenges from the likes of
Clement Desalle, second to Tony in both the second moto and
the championship standings. Places third to fifth in the
second moto, also toughly contested by Red Bull KTM teammate
Max Nagl of Germany, were all very hard fought, especially in
the last laps with riders reluctant to yield any advantage on
the deeply rutted track.
Visibility problems
Tony said later that he had had some visibility problems in
the last stages of the first moto. "I had some problems
with my goggles and I didn't see so well. I was having a
problem with the tear-offs and Tanel (Leok) passed me. Then I
got the problem fixed and I tried to attack in the last part
of the race but this is a track that it's very difficult to
overtake. The second heat was nice because I had a great start
and I got the holeshot. I knew that Clement (Desalle) was
behind me so I tried to pull away and make a gap and I managed
to do this in the last 10 minutes." When asked if he
would like to close up the championship title in the next race
in Brazil, Tony said he was just trying to concentrate on
winning each race. "It would also be okay to do it in
Lierop," he added.
Return to speed and form for Max Nagl
Max Nagl who finished fifth in the first moto was in the thick
of the action and was able to finish fourth in the second moto
for a total of 34 championship points. The German member of
the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team is fourth in the
championship standings and with 150 points still up for grabs
in the remaining three GP's is still in with a realistic
chance of finishing in the top three.
Max Nagl: for sure I wanted to finish on the podium but
the important thing was that my riding was good and my
physical condition is back where it should be. I managed to
finish fifth in the firs moto then I had a big battle with Rui
(Goncalves) in the second and it took me a long time to get
past him. This is a difficult track and there is only one line
in most of the corners and straights. Normally I like these
conditions but anyway today the speed was there and that's
important. I can still finish third in the championship and I
closed the gap to Philippaerts so it going well." There
is now only 12 points separating Max and third placed David
Philippaerts of Italy.
Goncalves on the upwards curve
Teammate Rui Goncalves of Portugal is steadily improving in
form and results and also had a solid race day at Loket. The
Portuguese rider finished with a 10-8 result for overall
eighth in the GP and can now look forward to lots of support
when he goes to Brazil for the next round.
Rui Goncalves: I didn't have such a good start in the
first race but I tried to work my way through the pack. O was
feeling good all weekend and I came with a good result from
Lommel, which was good for me. In the second moto we made some
adjustments on the bike for it was better for me at the start.
I was in the top 10 but then half way through the race I
stalled the bile and some guys passed me. I finished eighth
but it could have been sixth. For the next races I will just
try to keep improving and to do my best,
MX1 Results
1 Tony Cairoli, Italy, KTM, 22-25—47
2. Clement Desalle, Belgium, Suzuki, 20-22—42
3. Tanel Leok, Estonia, Honda, 25-16—41
4. Steve Ramon, Belgium, Suzuki, 15-20—35
5. Max Nagl, Germany, KTM, 16-18—34
Other KTM
8. Rui Goncalves, Portugal, KTM 11-13--24
Championship Standings
1 Tony Cairoli, Italy, KTM, 531
2. Clement Desalle, Belgium, Suzuki, 447
3. David Philippaerts, Italy, Yamaha, 394
4. Max Nagl, Germany, KTM 382
5. Steve Ramon, Belgium, Suzuki, 376
Other KTM
Rui Goncalves, Portugal, KTM 177
Manufacturer's Standings MX1
1 KTM, 560
2. Suzuki, 497
3. Yamaha, 448
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| 35th career GP win for KTM's Tony
Cairoli |
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| Cairoli in the heat of the battle |
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| Max Nagl still in the running for
overall third |
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| Goncalves in form ascendency |
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| KTM's Musquin on
top in Loket in MX2; 78 point lead in championship
standings |
| Red Bull KTM's Marvin Musquin of
rode a triumphant second moto on the hard pack circuit
at Loket in Czech Republic on Sunday, all the time
locked in a two-way dogfight with Germany's Ken Roczen.
With everything at stake for the two riders and the GP
victory going to the first across the line, neither
gave any ground in their fight for glory. |
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Musquin's second place in the first moto gave
Red Bull KTM's French factory rider the GP victory and broke
his string of bad luck in earlier visits to the Loket circuit.
He now leads the championship standings by 78 points as he
consolidates his position in defending his 2009 MX2 world
championship title.
Dislocated shoulder for team's Jeffrey Herlings
But while Musquin's victory was reason for the Red Bull KTM
Factory Racing squad, there was also concern for its youngest
rider Jeffrey Herlings who went down hard while in third place
and suffered a dislocated shoulder. The 15-year-old Dutch
rider, who was third in the opening moto was still ranked 11th
overall in the GP results but after moving into third place in
the standings after race one, then again slipped back to
fourth at the end of the day.
Hard challenges in first moto
Musquin's toughest rival on the Loket circuit on Sunday was
Ken Roczen of Germany who was out in front from the drop of
the gate of the first moto, hotly pursued by a blaze of Orange
as Red Bull KTM's Shaun Simpson, Jeffrey Herlings and Marvin
Musquin, sandwiched by KTM rider Joel Roelants in fourth place
fell in behind. Musquin had lost a bunch of seconds when
Steven Frossard crashed in front of him in the early stages
but settled down to get back in the action. He had a
spectacular battle with teammate Herlings in the middle of the
first race till the team's 15-year-old rookie stood aside and
let the championship leader through. Marvin then successfully
took on Simpson but by then Roczen had widened the gap and he
had to settle for second.
Marvin Musquin: I am very happy to be in first place on
the podium. Today it was very close with Ken Roczen. He was
very fast and this track is very difficult. I pushed very hard
in the second moto to win the GP and it's very good for me and
my team and the championship.
Steady improvement for Simpson
Simpson is showing steady improvement and seems to have put
his health problems behind him. Again on the ascendency, the
Scotsman registered a 5-6 result for overall fifth in
both Sunday's GP and in the current championship standings.
Confused with the change of schedule on Sunday, Simpson missed
some of the morning warm up and said he struggled to find his
rhythm and was a bit tighter going into the first race than he
would have liked to be. He was hampered when other riders when
down in front of him. "There was a lot of water on the
track but my riding was solid. It might have been possible to
finish top three except for the crashes but I made some good
points for the championship," he said.
Jeffrey Herlings: "It was a rough weekend, also
with the rain on Saturday. I got a good jump out of the gate
in the first moto and I stayed in third place for a long time
before I got passed by Marvin. In the second moto I was fifth
or sixth at the start and then one of the riders crashed in
front of me and I went down and dislocated my shoulder. Now I
will have my arm checked by doctors in the Netherlands. I hope
the injury heals quickly and I will ride again when I am 100%
fit."
EMX125 title to Jordi Tixier
KTM rider Jordi Tixier of France wrapped up a near perfect
Orange race day on the Loket circuit in the Czech Republic on
Sunday winning the EMX125 championship title and the GP to
complete a clean sweep by KTM riders of all events. Tixier won
both his races to be in an unbeatable position in this new
class for up and coming talent. The young Frenchman has so far
won 11 of 12 races this season and takes the tile with one
round still in hand.
MX2 GP Results
1 Marvin Musquin, France, KTM, 22-25—47
2. Ken Roczen, Germany, Suzuki, 25-22—47
3. Gautier Paulin, France, Yamaha, 15-20—35
4. Jeremy van Horebeek, 18-16—34
5. Shaun Simpson, Britain, KTM, 16-15—31
Other KTM
11. Jeffrey Herlings, Netherlands, KTM, 20-0—20
MX2 Championship Standings
1 Marvin Musquin, France, KTM, 527
2. Ken Roczen, Germany, KTM, 449
3. Stephen Frossard, France, Kawasaki, 404
4. Jeffrey Herlings, Netherlands, KTM 391
5. Shaun Simpson, Britain, KTM, 329
MX2 Manufacturer's Standings
1 KTM 576
2. Suzuki, 473
3. Kawasaki, 424
EMX 125 Results
1 Jordi Tixier, France, KTM 25-25--50
2. Sulivan Jaulin, France, Yamaha, 20-15—35
3. Jason Clermont, France, Husqvarna,12-22—34
4. Arnaud Aubin, France, Yamaha18-16—34
5. Pascal Rauchenecker, Austria, KTM 7-20—27
Championship Standings
1 Jordi Tixier, France, KTM, 295
2. Yohan Lafont, France, 187
3. Sulivan Jaulin, France, 180
4. Samuele Bernardini, Italy, KTM, 171
5. Yerki Janvier, Belgium, 147
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| Musquin on top and in front at Loket |
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| Herlings in top form but crash
dislocates shoulder |
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| Shaun Simpson on upward curve and now
fifth overall |
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| Jordi Tixier take EMX 125 with one
round in hand |
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| Well deserved victroy for Jordi
Tixier |
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| 08.08.2010 |
| Lancelot tops a
three way KTM podium in WMX in Loket |
| KTM-supported rider Livia Lancelot
of France was the dominant woman on the tricky
serpentine track at Loket in the Czech Republic on
Sunday. She scored a 3-1 result to take victory in the
GP in the penultimate round of the Women's Motocross
Championship. KTM riders Maria Franke and championship
leader Steffi Laier joined her on the podium. |
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Lancelot, who had to sit out the second half of
the 2009 season after a shoulder injury and is riding a KTM
for the first time this year, was naturally delighted with her
performance.
Livia Lancelot: "For sure I am very happy. Even
though it is not much for the championship it was still a
great weekend for me because for the first time I felt great
on the bike and even if I had problems in practice I could
still win the race and the GP. Now I will try to win again in
Fermo (Italy). I don't really have any hopes for the
championship but vice champion is still not so bad!"
The women, who raced their first moto on Saturday, had a
battle with the circuit after heavy rain deluged the track,
turning the stony, hard pack course into a mud bath. It was
Germany's Maria Franke who prevailed in Saturday's difficult
conditions, taking victory in front of Red Bull KTM factory
rider Laier Steffi with Lancelot in third place.
39-point lead for Steffi Laier
Sunday morning saw the track dried out and it was Laier who
took the holeshot in the second moto but she was hampered by
pain in her arm and had to concede to Lancelot and settle for
two second places, making her one point shy of overall Livia
and Maria, each with 45 points. Steffi now has a 39 point
cushion going into the last round, which will be at Fermo
Italy and while anything is still possible with 50 points
still available, the Red Bull factory rider is the favorite to
retain the title.
Laier looking forward to a possible three way sweep of
titles for KTM
When asked if she had considered the possibility that she
might be able to settle matters here in the Czech Republic,
Steffi said: "I did think maybe I might be able to wrap
up the championship here I thought it would be better to do it
in Italy. I hope that Tony (Cairoli) and Marvin (Musquin) are
going to win the MX1 and the MX1 titles and then we can all
celebrate together."
Commenting on her arm problem, the German rider added: "I
woke up this morning with a small problem but I thought it was
just muscle pain but it really started to bother me during the
second heat. The doctor said it is swollen and the nerve is
blocked and it feels heavy and a little stiff."
WMX Results
1 Livia Lancelot, France, KTM, 20-25—45
2. Maria Franke, Germany, KTM 25-20—45
3. Steffi Laier, Germany, KTM, 22-22—44
4. Larissa Papenmeier, Germany, Suzuki18-16—34
5. Francesca Nocera, Italy, Honda, 16-14—30
Other KTM
6. Natalie Kane, Britain, KTM, 12-15—27
9. Sara Petterson, Sweden, KTM 13-10—23
WMX Championship Standings
1 Steffi Laier, Germany, KTM, 274
2. Livia Lancelot, France, KTM, 235
3. Maria Franke, Germany, Suzuki, 218
4. Chiara Fotanesi, Italy, 204
5. Natalie Kane, KTM, Britain, 185
Manufacturer's Championship
1 KTM, 289
2. Suzuki, 220
3. Yamaha, 215
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| Reason to celebrate: Livia Lancelot |
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| Laier on the attack |
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| Livia enjoying the moment |
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| Another class performance from Red
Bull KTM's Steffi Laier |
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