Suzuki Europe MX2's Valentin Teillet is eager to arrive in Latvia this weekend for just his third appearance on the factory-backed RM-Z250 this season since recovering from a shoulder injury. The 10th Grand Prix of 15 in the FIM Motocross World Championship will see the flamboyant Frenchman tackling the soft and rough course of Kegums just one week after picking up a positive eighth position overall at Teutschenthal in Germany.
The former European Champion is sailing an upward curve of form since returning to action at the Grand Prix of Sweden two weeks ago. Teillet turned around his speed and approach from qualification on Saturday last weekend to confidently run in the top section of the leaderboard on race-day. It was a decent confidence boost from which the talented racer can really launch into the last phase of the 2011 term.
Now Teillet is hoping for further improvement on his two previous visits to Kegums where he scored 14th (2009) and 12th (2010) in what will be just the third edition of the event. A flat, rough and grippy terrain awaits the German team, although the state of the surface could change considerably if the forecasted rain arrives for practice and qualification.
"The plan is to go back to France because I haven't been there for quite a few weeks," said Teillet after the motos in Germany. "So I will have a few days with my family to recover and get ready for Latvia. Kegums is a bumpy track and physically demanding but I quite like it. The first time we went there it was sandy and then last year it was harder but the jumps are nice and I hope it won't rain otherwise it will get very sandy! My aim now is to work hard on my starts and get those better for the GPs ahead."
Changeable weather conditions are predicted for the weekend with the change of showers on Saturday afternoon and sunshine on race-day.
MX2 World Championship standings (after 9 of 15 rounds): 1. Ken Roczen (GER, KTM), 396 points; 2. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 377 p.; 3. Tommy Searle (GBR, Kawasaki), 328 p.; 4. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Yamaha), 319 p.; 5. Zachary Osborne (USA, Yamaha), 265 p.; 6. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, Yamaha), 256 p.; 7. Max Anstie (GBR, Kawasaki), 215 p.; 8. Harri Kullas (FIN, Yamaha), 197 p.; 9. Nicolas Aubin (FRA, KTM), 192 p.; 10. Christophe Charlier (FRA, Yamaha), 170 p. 21. Valentin Teillet (FRA, Suzuki Europe MX2), 45 p.
