An expectant crowd will gather at the fast and 'old-school' motocross circuit of Teutschenthal this weekend for the Grand Prix of Germany where Teka Suzuki Europe World MX2 will be hoping for a repeat of their sensational 2009 victory on home turf.
The eighth round of 15 in the MX2 series will see Ken Roczen and Arnaud Tonus primed to do battle on their RM-Z250 motorcycles across the hard Teutonic terrain with Roczen set to make a return to the venue where he marked an emotional first triumph as a 15 year old and in just his fourth Grand Prix appearance in '09.
Thanks to his success 12 months ago, Roczen became the youngest winner of an MX2 Grand Prix; a distinction he still holds despite the victory of another 15 year old - Jeffrey Herlings - this year. The former 2010 World Championship leader (holder of the red plate after round three in Holland) would savour another set of spoils in front of what will no doubt be increased fervent support for the flamboyant teenager this weekend.
Roczen has weathered some misfortune in recent events in Catalunya, USA and France and knows the time has come to try and apply pressure to current series leader and World Champion Marvin Musquin who has forged a 71 point gap in the standings. With 25 points for a moto win and a possible 400 still up for grabs, the title chase is still far from over for the 16 year old who is only in his first full World Championship season.
Tonus has impressed the team with his progression, determination and demeanour in his maiden term with the German crew and will seize the coming weekend to try and break into the overall top 10 for the first time at Teutschenthal. The teenage Swiss is a steady seventh in the points table with possibilities to move up to sixth and certainly better as Germany launches the first of three consecutive events with Latvia and Sweden following hard upon.
"When we look at the Championship now then we have to be happy," offered Team Manager Thomas Ramsbacher. "We are on the right path to achieving the goals we set ourselves pre-season with a top-three for Ken and top-seven-or-eight for Arnaud - and that is a big thing at this stage in the season. We have had some highlights and some tough moments and I hope that Ken might get a bit more luck in the second half of the year so it will be easier for him to get the results he deserves.
"We have three very good riders this season and Roczen gets attention in quite a few places because of the impact he has made so far so I don't think the extra fuss surrounding a home GP will affect him too much," he added. "I just spoke to him today and he sounded really relaxed and had been riding and was looking forward to the weekend; this is the rider we know and I firmly believe he will take all the good parts of riding in front of a crowd that supports him and use them to his advantage."
Teutschenthal has an association with World Championship motocross that stretches back almost 40 years. The Talkessel venue has been a staple part of the MX1/MX2 calendar since the creation of the new classes in 2004. The fast and natural layout submerged in rolling fields adjacent to the small village is an acquired taste, with the quick banked turns and dips-and-weaves of the hard-pack course dividing opinion. Talkessel is just one example of the diversity of the World Championship circuits with a trip into technical, soft loam next week at Kegums.
It will not only be Roczen who is under the attention and glare of a partisan public. Teutschenthal will host the fifth round of seven in the FIM Women's World Championship and Larissa Papenmeier chases her third podium of the season. The small but lively number '2' will no doubt enjoy an intense fight among fellow countrywomen Steffi Laier and Maria Franke and thhhhe goal will be surely to repeat or better her runner-up result from the same event in 2009.
The weather forecast for the weekend predicts bright but cloudy skies.
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 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.
