Hot sunshine greeted the 12th round of the FIM Motocross World Championship at Loket for the Grand Prix of Czech Republic, but the MX1 qualification heat wasn't quite so bright for Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MX1 as Clement Desalle slipped off his RM-Z450 on two occasions to eventually finish 15th and Tanel Leok recovered from a bad start and - although the Estonian rode well - could not classify higher than 12th.
The fast, natural and slippery layout close to the spa town of Karlovy Vary was hard-pack and slippery; lacking in ruts and huge bumps due to the warm and dry conditions. Overtaking was tricky because of the similar pace of the riders and even more emphasis was placed on the start of the 20 minute and 2 lap qualification race.
After having taken 10th and sixth in the practice sessions Desalle gave himself a tough job in the afternoon sprint by falling on the first corner. The Belgian regained positions but another mistake cast him down to 15th by the flag. Leok was on the pace and attacking the inclined curves with relish but a problem launching out of the gate meant his good work could only deliver 12th spot.
The slots on the gate are not vital for the two 35 minute and 2 lap motos tomorrow as the wide approach and long start straight will reward good timing and horsepower. A positive start is almost essential however for any thoughts of an overall podium result.
Clement Desalle:
"I made a fast lap at the end of pre-qualifying but for some reason it was not recorded. My start was not so bad in the heat race and I think I was in the top five in the first corner. I had a small crash and had to start again from last. Again I made a few mistakes and hit Barragan's wheel and went down. It was a bad day. I don't really care about the position but my riding wasn't great. Things just didn't work out today and tomorrow is another day. I will do anything to make a good start tomorrow because it is hard to overtake."
Tanel Leok:
"I feel good. My riding was fine and the bike is working well but I think we had a small issue on the start because the power dipped. We might need to look at the settings and the mapping for tomorrow. The start will be everything for the motos because if you are outside the top 10, then it will be very tough to make the first five. I'm feeling positive though because I made good ground this afternoon."
MX1 Qualification Heat: 1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 24:07.209; 2. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, KTM), +0:17.652; 3. Sebastien Pourcel (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:26.703; 4. Rui Goncalves (POR, Honda), +0:27.525; 5. Ken de Dycker (BEL, KTM), +0:29.713; 6. Shaun Simpson (GBR, Yamaha), +0:30.547; 7. Cedric Soubeyras (FRA, Honda), +0:31.604; 8. Maximilian Nagl (GER, KTM), +0:32.585; 9. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:33.436; 10. Xavier Boog (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:35.586; 11. Marc de Reuver (NED, Kawasaki), +0:36.269; 12. Tanel Leok (EST, Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MX1), +0:36.690; 13. Christophe Pourcel (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:40.412; 14. Jonathan Barragan (ESP, Honda), +0:48.522; 15. Clement Desalle (BEL, Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MX1), +0:50.106.
