Steve Ramon picked up his fourth trophy of the season with third position overall through the sun and sand of Lierop for the Grand Prix of Benelux and the 14th round of 15 in the 2010 FIM Motocross World Championship.
The Belgian placed third in both demanding motos for his ranking and ensured the Rockstar Teka Suzuki World MX1 RM-Z450WS was part of the rostrum celebration for the 12th time this year.
Team-mate Clement Desalle was able to compete after his heavy crash on Saturday that required dental surgery and stitches in his lower lip but incidents in both races meant that he could end the meeting no higher than ninth in the MX1 category.
Some 12,000 spectators were able to bask in late summer weather but the temperatures meant extra work for the riders that had to deal with a terrain that quickly carved into an unrelenting sea of bumps, ruts and waves and that permanently unsettled the bike on every strength-sapping lap.
Ramon did well to race to a brace of top-three results, especially considering the lack of optimum preparation the former World Champion could bring to the event after straining his right groin two weeks earlier in Brazil. Only a small crash in the second moto prevented a better ranking.
Desalle had an eventful day after his accident on Saturday: Starting from a position on the outside of the gate, the 21 year old was clipped on the crowded rush to the first corner and went down. Charging from the back of the pack he pushed hard to reach a creditable 10th. Another early mistake in the second moto necessitated a flight once more and he was able to come back into the top 10 from last position to ninth.
Desalle is still second in the World Championship standings but the gap to David Philippaerts has reduced to 21 points with a maximum of 50 left. Ramon is fifth and needs 16 points to overtake Max Nagl.
The 15th and final round of the 2010 calendar will take place next week at Fermo for the Grand Prix of Italy. The racing schedule will not end there though as both Rockstar Teka Suzuki World MX1 riders will represent their country at the 64th Motocross of Nations in Denver on September 25th and Ramon will push for his seventh national title with the final round of the Belgian series occurring in Pierreux next weekend.
Steve Ramon:
"It was a hard weekend with a really tough track. The first moto was a struggle because I did not feel comfortable on the bike but I had a better rhythm in the second race until I crashed in the waves section around the back which interrupted things! I had to restart the bike and find my way back into the moto. Anyway, I am happy to be back on the podium because the last couple of weeks have been tricky with my leg."
Clement Desalle:
"It was a crazy weekend. The first two sessions were good but I had a big crash in the qualification heat. There is a double around the back and I wanted to do it but I caught my footpeg in the sand on the inside line and the front of the bike dipped, putting me straight into the ground. I don't know how I damaged my mouth. I think I must have gritted my teeth. I was lucky that my dentist is a fan of motocross and was here and I must thank him a lot because not many people would work as late as he did; I did not get to bed until 1.30. I didn't feel so bad in the morning. I knew I had to start well from a bad gate position but I had another bad crash on the first corner when someone touched my rear wheel. I tried to come back and managed 10th. In the second moto I was 15th on the first lap when the bike spun around and I couldn't catch it. I started last again. The sand tracks have not been good for me this year! I think I will sleep for three days now."
MX1 Moto1: 1. Maximilian Nagl (GER, KTM), 40:54.768; 2. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:02.648; 3. Steve Ramon (BEL, Rockstar Teka Suzuki World MX1), +0:04.809; 4. Tanel Leok (EST, Honda), +0:18.279; 5. David Philippaerts (ITA, Yamaha), +0:19.155; 6. Ken de Dycker (BEL, Yamaha), +0:55.986; 7. Rui Goncalves (POR, KTM), +1:02.442; 8. Marc de Reuver (NED, Suzuki), +1:07.547; 9. Davide Guarneri (ITA, Honda), +1:24.861; 10. Clement Desalle (BEL, Rockstar Teka Suzuki World MX1), +1:28.067.
MX1 Moto2: 1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 41:44.947; 2. Rui Goncalves (POR, KTM), +0:29.502; 3. Steve Ramon (BEL, Rockstar Teka Suzuki World MX1), +0:39.816; 4. Maximilian Nagl (GER, KTM), +0:47.706; 5. David Philippaerts (ITA, Yamaha), +0:59.719; 6. Marc de Reuver (NED, Suzuki), +1:12.696; 7. Tanel Leok (EST, Honda), +1:22.883; 8. Davide Guarneri (ITA, Honda), +1:38.141; 9. Clement Desalle (BEL, Rockstar Teka Suzuki World MX1), +2:09.180; 10. Joshua Coppins (NZL, Aprilia), +2:42.235.
MX1 Overall result: 1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 47 points; 2. Maximilian Nagl (GER, KTM), 43 p.; 3. Steve Ramon (BEL, Rockstar Teka Suzuki World MX1), 40 p.; 4. Rui Goncalves (POR, KTM), 36 p.; 5. David Philippaerts (ITA, Yamaha), 32 p.; 6. Tanel Leok (EST, Honda), 32 p.; 7. Marc de Reuver (NED, Suzuki), 28 p.; 8. Davide Guarneri (ITA, Honda), 25 p.; 9. Clement Desalle (BEL, Rockstar Teka Suzuki World MX1), 23 p.; 10. Joshua Coppins (NZL, Aprilia), 21 p.
MX1 World Championship standings (after 14 of 15 rounds): 1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 625 points; 2. Clement Desalle (BEL, Rockstar Teka Suzuki World MX1), 494 p.; 3. David Philippaerts (ITA, Yamaha), 473 p.; 4. Maximilian Nagl (GER, KTM), 463 p.; 5. Steve Ramon (BEL, Rockstar Teka Suzuki World MX1), 448 p.; 6. Tanel Leok (EST, Honda), 346 p.; 7. Ken de Dycker (BEL, Yamaha), 324 p.; 8. Xavier Boog (FRA, Kawasaki), 299 p.; 9. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), 270 p.; 10. Davide Guarneri (ITA, Honda), 267 p.
