TONUS RACES TO SIXTH AT TRICKY FRENCH MX2 GP

Arnaud Tonus equalled his second-best result of the season with sixth overall at a rutty and very technical St Jean D'Angely circuit for the Grand Prix of France and the seventh round of 15 in the 2010 FIM Motocross World Championship.

The Teka Suzuki Europe World MX2 team saw their Swiss rider score eighth and fifth positions in the two motos in front of a rousing 30,000 attendance while Ken Roczen suffered incidents in both races to place 12th. Third rider, Larissa Papenmeier, posted her second consecutive podium finish on the RM-Z250 for the fourth round of seven in the FIM Women's World Championship.

The busy St Jean circuit was battered by thunder storms Sunday morning that softened the hard-pack into sticky, clumpy mud and also meant that the terrain formed deep and technical ruts courtesy of the Grand Prix hosting four categories through the weekend.

Tonus had a hard battle with Gautier Paulin in Moto1 and the pair even collided and crashed in one corner as they disputed eighth place. Tonus was able to get the better of the Frenchman and used his positive feeling across the rough terrain to set a decent speed in the second race where he entered the top five.

Roczen had a crash with Shaun Simpson early in the first sprint of 35 minutes and 2 laps when the pair tried to occupy the same rut. By the time the German re-started he was far behind the field but carried on circulating to take some points for 16th. In the second race he had another coming-together, this time with a backmarker that dropped the teenager from third to ninth and he eventually crossed the finish line in seventh.

Papenmeier endured the track at its wettest in the second moto for the women that kicked off the race-day programme on Sunday. Having posted a fourth place on a dry and dusty Saturday, the German went one better for third and a safe podium with the same rank. 'Lare' is fifth in the Women's series, tied on points with Chiara Fontanesi in fourth.

Roczen remains second in the MX2 standings but faces a gap of 71 points to leader Marvin Musquin. Tonus is seventh and 18 points from the top five.

Teka Suzuki Europe World MX2 will be in action next week in Aichwald for the third round of the German ADAC Masters Championship, which will serve as a decent warm-up for their home Grand Prix at Teutschenthal the following weekend and site of Roczen's first victory in 2009.

Ken Roczen:

"This is disappointing because again I feel a bit unlucky. In the second moto I clashed with a lapped rider, who I thought was going to let me through on the outside but then he came across and hit me. In the first race I wanted to pass Shaun and went for the wide line from the top of the hill but both lines in that section went into one rut and we collided. I stretched my back a little but I was fortunate that it was nothing more serious. We have a German championship race now next weekend and then onto Teutschenthal."

Arnaud Tonus:

"It has been a good day; my rhythm was decent out there and I was able to get near the top five again, which was good for me. In the first moto the first corner was hectic and I came out around 12th but from then it was difficult to pass. I crashed once with Paulin while we were having a good battle but was able to finish eighth. I made a better start and first lap in the second moto and was quickly near the front so things were a bit easier. It was a good race even though I got a little bit tired near the end and Paulin got me."

Larissa Papenmeier:

"I am really happy to be back on the podium. In the first heat I finished fourth, which wasn't that good but the second heat was tough because the track waaas so difficult so I was pleased with third. I think that was the worse mud race I have ever had because it was so sticky and heavy."

MX2 Moto1: 1. Marvin Musquin (FRA, KTM), 41:30.100; 2. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), +0:08.720; 3. Zach Osborne (USA, Yamaha), +0:09.484; 4. Steven Frossard (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:14.335; 5. Joel Roelants (BEL, KTM), +0:36.026; 6. Christophe Charlier (FRA, Yamaha), +0:41.906; 7. Khounsith Vongsana (FRA, KTM), +0:54.909; 8. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, Teka Suzuki Europe World MX2), +0:56.484; 9. Jeremy van Horebeek (BEL, Kawasaki), +1:33.645; 10. Dennis Verbruggen (BEL, KTM), +1:41.634; 16. Ken Roczen (GER, Teka Suzuki Europe World MX2), -1 lap(s).

MX2 Moto2: 1. Marvin Musquin (FRA, KTM), 41:06.189; 2. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), +0:02.416; 3. Joel Roelants (BEL, KTM), +0:03.229; 4. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Yamaha), +0:11.461; 5. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, Teka Suzuki Europe World MX2), +0:32.782; 6. Dennis Verbruggen (BEL, KTM), +0:40.222; 7. Ken Roczen (GER, Teka Suzuki Europe World MX2), +0:48.027; 8. Harri Kullas (FIN, Yamaha), +0:52.270; 9. Zach Osborne (USA, Yamaha), +0:57.310; 10. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, Yamaha), +0:58.860.

MX2 Overall Result: 1. Marvin Musquin (FRA, KTM), 50 points; 2. Joel Roelants (BEL, KTM), 36 p.; 3. Zach Osborne (USA, Yamaha), 32 p.; 4. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), 31 p.; 5. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 31 p.; 6. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, Teka Suzuki Europe World MX2), 29 p.; 7. Dennis Verbruggen (BEL, KTM), 26 p.; 8. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Yamaha), 25 p.; 9. Christophe Charlier (FRA, Yamaha), 25 p.; 10. Steven Frossard (FRA, Kawasaki), 25 p.; 12. Ken Roczen (GER, Teka Suzuki Europe World MX2), 19 p.

MX2 World Championship standings (after 7 of 15 rounds): 1. Marvin Musquin (FRA, KTM), 318 points; 2. Ken Roczen (GER, Teka Suzuki Europe World MX2), 247 p.; 3. Steven Frossard (FRA, Kawasaki), 230 p.; 4. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 228 p.; 5. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), 201 p.; 6. Zach Osborne (USA, Yamaha), 195 p.; 7. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, Teka Suzuki Europe World MX2), 183 p.; 8. Jeremy van Horebeek (BEL, Kawasaki), 173 p.; 9. Joel Roelants (BEL, KTM), 170 p.; 10. Jake Nicholls (GBR, KTM), 143 p.

Women's Overall Result: 1. Stephanie Laier (GER, KTM), 47 points; 2. Chiara Fontanesi (ITA, Yamaha), 39 p.; 3. Larissa Papenmeier (GER, Teka Suzuki Europe World MX2), 38 p.; 4. Maria Franke (GER, KTM), 38 p.; 5. Marielle De Mol (NED, Yamaha), 31 p.

Women's World Championship (after 4 of 7 rounds): 1. Stephanie Laier (GER, KTM), 192 points; 2. Livia Lancelot (FRA, KTM), 150 p.; 3. Maria Franke (GER, KTM), 141 p.; 4. Chiara Fontanesi (ITA, Yamaha), 137 p.; 5. Larissa Papenmeier (GER, Teka Suzuki Europe World MX2), 137 p.