It was 'fives' all round for Kevin Strijbos as he guided the factory RM-Z450 to fifth place overall with a brace of fifth positions at a warm but cloudy Gaildorf circuit in southern Germany for the Grand Prix of Europe and the 14th -and the penultimate - round of the FIM Motocross World Championship today.
Some 22,000 fans surrounded the shallow dips and tight turns of the layout that was not generous with valid overtaking opportunities and was also a difficult test of traction and concentration for the riders thanks to the tough and bumpy dirt.
Strijbos started well in the first moto and slotted into fourth position that soon became third spot when Steven Frossard crashed out. The Belgian, feeling no ill effects from his tweaked left knee, was caught by local favourite Max Nagl and World Champion-elect Tony Cairoli in the final five laps but was a comfortable distance ahead of Rui Goncalves. In the second outing, Strijbos came around the first lap just inside the top 10, but set about his task with determination and rose to sixth before demoting Xavier Boog and again reaching fifth.
New Zealander Cody Cooper rode to 26th position on his debut outing in the MX1 class and on the RM-Z450. The Australian Motocross National series campaigner is missing track and race time but was able to digest the speed and demands of Grand Prix racing and hopes to be more on the pace come the season-closer.
The absent Clement Desalle is third in the MX1 standings. Strijbos is 12h. Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MX1 will head south to Italy and the Fermo circuit for the final round of the 2011 series next week before moving back up and to France for the Motocross of Nations.
Kevin Strijbos:
"It was good today. In the first race I had a good start and at one point I was third. The race was 'kinda over at that point because there was a huge gap to Boog and I was just on my own. I had been focussing on Frossard but with him gone I lost some of the speed in the corners and went a bit too slow; for that Nagl and Tony caught me and I felt tired by the end. At the second start I ramped the gate but passed a load of riders in the first corners. I knew it would be a long race but I focussed on my rhythm and it went well. I couldn't ride last week with my knee but it didn't bother me too much here."
Cody Cooper:
"It was an awesome experience in terms of being with the team and riding the bike but I guess I'm not that fit! It was good to come over and race. I wasn't sure about it in the beginning because I'd been on holiday since the end of the Aussie nationals and we run three twenty minute motos there so the format is different. I didn't want to let the team down and just tried to have fun. I felt a bit better in the second moto as I had crashed in the first. It was real hard-pack here and these guys are fast for sure."
MX1 Moto1: 1. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), 40:06.778; 2. Xavier Boog (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:00.354; 3. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:09.171; 4. Maximilian Nagl (GER, KTM), +0:12.185; 5. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MX1), +0:16.518; 6. Rui Goncalves (POR, Honda), +0:33.809; 7. Davide Guarneri (ITA, Kawasaki), +0:40.387; 8. Gregory Aranda (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:41.969; 9. Tanel Leok (EST, TM), +0:45.443; 10. Anthony Boissiere (FRA, Yamaha), +0:47.522. 26. Cody Cooper (NZL, Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MX1), -1 lap(s).
MX1 Moto2: 1. Christophe Pourcel (FRA, Kawasaki), 39:34.517; 2. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:43.529; 3. Anthony Boissiere (FRA, Yamaha), +0:46.324; 4. Rui Goncalves (POR, Honda), +0:52.126; 5. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MX1), +0:55.870; 6. Xavier Boog (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:57.195; 7. Shaun Simpson (GBR, Honda), +1:05.920; 8. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), +1:09.531; 9. Gregory Aranda (FRA, Kawasaki), +1:10.368; 10. Maximilian Nagl (GER, KTM), +1:20.780. 21. Cody Cooper (NZL, Suzuki), -1 lap(s).
MX1 Overall result: 1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 42 points; 2. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), 38 p.; 3. Xavier Boog (FRA, Kawasaki), 37 p.; 4. Rui Goncalves (POR, Honda), 33 p.; 5. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MX1), 32 p.; 6. Anthony Boissiere (FRA, Yamaha), 31 p.; 7. Maximilian Nagl (GER, KTM), 29 p.; 8. Christophe Pourcel (FRA, Kawasaki), 25 p.; 9. Gregory Aranda (FRA, Kawasaki), 25 p.; 10. Shaun Simpson (GBR, Honda), 24 p. 26. Cody Cooper (NZL, Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MX1), 0 p.
MX1 World Championship standings (after 14 of 15 rounds): 1 Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 596 points; 2. Steven Frossard (FRA, Yamaha), 472 p.; 3. Clement Desalle (BEL, Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MX1), 461 p.; 4. Maximilian Nagl (GER, KTM), 439 p.; 5. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), 425 p.; 6. Rui Goncalves (POR, Honda), 404 p.; 7. Xavier Boog (FRA, Kawasaki), 309 p.; 8. David Philippaerts (ITA, Yamaha), 308 p.; 9. Jonathan Barragan (ESP, Kawasaki), 288 p.; 10. Ken de Dycker (BEL, Honda), 268 p.; 11. Tanel Leok (EST, TM), 259 p.; 12. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MX1), 257 p.; 13. Steve Ramon (BEL, Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MX1), 229 p.
