Kevin Strijbos took the Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MX1 factory RM-Z450 to 11th position overall at a bright and warm British Grand Prix for the 13th round of 15 in the FIM Motocross World Championship.
The majority of the riding fraternity rightfully lauded Matterley Basin - surrounded by a healthy 26,500 crowd - as the best track seen on the calendar this season. The wide, grippy, line-laden and jumpy course invited the world's best to manipulate the terrain and created some great racing scenes.
Strijbos, representing the team alone after Clement Desalle underwent surgery on his broken left shoulder last week and will be out for the remaining two Grands Prix of the year, was unlucky to damage his goggles on the first lap of the first moto and upon entering the pits for new eyewear on the next circulation had to push back hard to reach 13th. The second race was stopped after 15 minutes after a big crash between Billy Mackenzie and Tanel Leok. Strijbos had been holding fifth position at the time and was closing on the top three. The re-run saw the Belgian claim eighth place by the flag and his classification was partially determined by a slow-speed fall when he lost control of the motorcycle exiting a corner.
The absent Desalle is now third in the MX1 Championship table and could very well remain in the top five thanks to his 90 point distance over Rui Goncalves in sixth with a maximum of 100 left to win. Strijbos is 13th with the injured Steve Ramon in 12th. Desalle will be substituted by New Zealander Cody Cooper this week.
The Grand Prix of Europe at the circuit of Gaildorf in southern Germany will represent round 14 of the series in a fortnight and immediately precedes the visit to Italy for the last event.
Kevin Strijbos:
"My riding was OK but the results weren't! In the first race I had a good start but a rock hit my goggles on the first lap and the lens fell out. I had to come into change and then worked up from dead last to 13th. It was OK but I was pretty tired. In the second race I was fifth when they red-flagged it. It was a shame because I was making ground. I had a crash on the restart when I got on the gas out of a new rut and the bike slipped away. After that I gave all I had and eighth was the best I could do. I feel that I have the speed for the top five. It was a shame I didn't get the chance to get up there."
MX1 Moto1: 1. Christophe Pourcel (FRA, Kawasaki), 40:35.710; 2. Steven Frossard (FRA, Yamaha), +0:02.198; 3. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:09.492; 4. Tanel Leok (EST, TM), +0:11.368; 5. Maximilian Nagl (GER, KTM), +0:28.223; 6. Rui Goncalves (POR, Honda), +0:45.513; 7. Billy Mackenzie (GBR, Kawasaki), +0:48.209; 8. Davide Guarneri (ITA, Kawasaki), +0:50.811; 9. Brad Anderson (GBR, Honda), +0:53.186; 10. Anthony Boissiere (FRA, Yamaha), +0:56.013; 11. Xavier Boog (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:56.746; 12. Gregory Aranda (FRA, Kawasaki), +1:00.278. 13. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MX1), +1:04.001.
MX1 Moto2: 1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 41:03.052; 2. Steven Frossard (FRA, Yamaha), +0:10.675; 3. Christophe Pourcel (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:27.600; 4. Jonathan Barragan (ESP, Kawasaki), +0:35.024; 5. Maximilian Nagl (GER, KTM), +0:39.874; 6. Carlos Campano Jimenez (ESP, Yamaha), +0:42.526; 7. Brad Anderson (GBR, Honda), +0:45.116; 8. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MX1), +0:53.694; 9. Anthony Boissiere (FRA, Yamaha), +1:10.209; 10. Shaun Simpson (GBR, Honda), +1:21.384.
MX1 Overall result: 1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 45 points; 2. Christophe Pourcel (FRA, Kawasaki), 45 p.; 3. Steven Frossard (FRA, Yamaha), 44 p.; 4. Maximilian Nagl (GER, KTM), 32 p.; 5. Brad Anderson (GBR, Honda), 26 p.; 6. Jonathan Barragan (ESP, Kawasaki), 25 p.; 7. Anthony Boissiere (FRA, Yamaha), 23 p.; 8. Davide Guarneri (ITA, Kawasaki), 23 p.; 9. Rui Goncalves (POR, Honda), 22 p.; 10. Carlos Campano Jimenez (ESP, Yamaha), 21 p.; 11. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MX1), 21 p.
MX1 World Championship standings (after 13 of 15 rounds): 1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 554 points; 2. Steven Frossard (FRA, Yamaha), 472 p.; 3. Clement Desalle (BEL, Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MX1), 461 p.; 4. Maximilian Nagl (GER, KTM), 410 p.; 5. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), 387 p.; 6. Rui Goncalves (POR, Honda), 371 p.; 7. David Philippaerts (ITA, Yamaha), 308 p.; 8. Jonathan Barragan (ESP, Kawasaki), 279 p.; 9. Xavier Boog (FRA, Kawasaki), 272 p.; 10. Ken de Dycker (BEL, Honda), 268 p.; 11. Tanel Leok (EST, TM), 247 p.; 12. Steve Ramon (BEL, Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MX1), 229 p.; 13. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MX1), 225 p.
