DESALLE FIGHTS BACK TO 10TH AT MAGGIORA MX1
Hot and humid weather opened the Grand Prix of Italy at Maggiora and Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MX1's Clement Desalle and Kevin Strijbos fought through practice and qualification to get accustomed to the bumpy and hard-pack track; scoring 10th and 13th positions for the start gate tomorrow.
Maggiora welcomed back the FIM Motocross World Championship for round nine of 17 and the first slice of Grand Prix action this century. The circuit used a re-modelled layout but still featured some of the steep uphill sections and banked curves that made the old course once one of the most famous in Europe.
Desalle was sharp out of the blocks on his RM-Z450 and set times in pre-qualification that placed him right at the peak of the timing screens. The 20 minute and two-lap heat race to determine the start line positions was a dramatic affair and two incidents; one a crash when he was hit to the ground by Jonathan Barragan meant a fight back through the pack. He eventually crossed the finish line with 10th for the wide gate tomorrow.
Strijbos failed to find his groove around the inclines. The Belgian adjusted numerous parts of his set-up but wasn't able to get comfortable or reach a level of speed where he was content with his laps. The former championship runner-up will be able to use warm-up tomorrow morning in order to aim for the best result possible.
Clement Desalle:
"Really bad luck, my start was not perfect also, but there was a problem on the second corner and I was pushed out into the fencing. I restarted last and tried to come back. I was around 10th and I took the inside line into a slow corner and Barragan hit my rear wheel. I lost a lot of time. I came back again but it was hard and not good at all. That's two bad qualification heats now and I just have to hope for a better day tomorrow."
Kevin Strijbos:
"My riding was so bad today. There is not much I can say really and I don't know why. We changed a lot on the bike but no luck. I am really trying but I cannot pass people and riding so terribly. Another day tomorrow and I need to improve."
MX1 Qualification Heat Results: 1 Gautier Paulin (FRA, Kawasaki), 24:21.430; 2. Tommy Searle (GBR, Kawasaki), +0:04.218; 3. Ken de Dycker (BEL, KTM), +0:19.837; 4. Maximilian Nagl (GER, Honda), +0:22.550; 5. Xavier Boog (FRA, KTM), +0:25.120; 6. Davide Guarneri (ITA, KTM), +0:26.229; 7. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:27.093; 8. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), +0:28.779; 9. Jeremy van Horebeek (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:39.359; 10. Clement Desalle (BEL, Rockstar Energy Suzuki), +0:41.490; 11. Jonathan Barragan (ESP, KTM), +0:45.595; 12. Billy Mackenzie (GBR, Yamaha), +0:49.020; 13. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Rockstar Energy Suzuki), +0:53.663.
