Teka Suzuki World MX1 rider Steve Ramon finished second overall and tied on points for victory at Orp-le-Grand for the fifth and penultimate round of the 2009 United Telecom Belgian Championship on Sunday.
The Belgian was runner-up and two positions ahead of team-mate Ken De Dycker on the RM-Z450 as the latter still has a chance of winning the series.
In bright conditions on a loose terrain, Ramon rode to 1st, 2nd and 3rd positions in the three 20 minute motos and only lost his first win of the season due to the ranking of the final sprint. "It was a good day, a technical track and we had some exciting racing," he commented. "I felt good on the bike again and I am only a bit disappointed that I did not take the overall win. In the last moto I started badly and someone made a mistake in front of me around the first turns. I was around 15th after that and knew that to win the day would be difficult. Anyway, the meeting gave me some confidence for Brazil."
De Dycker had some technical trouble in the first Heat when a stone briefly caused a malfunction to his front brake. He then gated poorly in the second race but enjoyed a tense and action-packed duel with Clement Desalle in the last outing to collect his fifth chequered flag of the national campaign. His score-card of 6th, 6th and 1st meant that he was 4th overall and keeps 18 points adrift of standings leader Desalle with one round, three motos and 75 points remaining.
"A stone caused a problem with the brake in the first moto and I had to come back from last to sixth, I then started badly in the second race and finally had a good win in the last one," he recollected. "I managed to give Desalle some of the treatment he normally gives the other riders! The championship is still possible but for reasons connected with the series, winning the title is not a huge priority anymore. Now I am looking forward to the last GP of the year."
The Belgian team had already prepared freight and plans for the sole flyaway Grand Prix of the 2009 term, at the new Canelinha circuit in Brazil, for the 15th and final round of the FIM MX1 Motocross World Championship this week.
