Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MX1 team riders enjoyed their free weekend in different ways before knuckling-down for the pressurised business of facing their home Grand Prix with the Belgian stop of the FIM Motocross World Championship this weekend at the Sans Souci circuit in Bastogne.

While Kevin Strijbos was enjoying holeshots and podium glory at Balen in the Belgian Championship, Clement Desalle was partially escaping the scene with a marshalling role in a local 12-hour Enduro event!

Desalle - a comprehensive winner of the Czech Republic Grand Prix almost two weeks ago at Loket - rewarded himself with a small deviation from his usual training programme and joined some friends for a trip through the Wallonie woods. "It was good fun," he said. "I took the motocross bike out quite a lot during the day and then switched to the Enduro bike for some good light in the night. It was something a bit different and it wasn't so hot."

The facility at San Souci should be far-more set for Grand Prix action this weekend compared to the site's rushed set-up 10 months ago. The earthy and largely flat layout benefitted from copious rainfall in the build-up to its FIM World MX Championship inauguration last summer, and judging by the decent current long-term forecast, the natural watering will be in short supply this week with sunshine and temperatures of 21 degrees predicted.

"It is that type of ground and soil that the rain really helped the track become quite technical and interesting last year," said Desalle, who goes to Bastogne in hot form. "I'm looking forward to it. I enjoyed the racing in 2012 and to get the same results as Loket will be the goal for an ideal weekend."

In the wake of five Grands Prix in seven weeks, Strijbos headed straight from his second position at Loket into the Balen sand and was again runner-up - to MX2 World Champion Jeffrey Herlings. The recently-turned 28 year old (on Tuesday) was a strong fourth as a semi-privateer rider at San Souci last June.

The circuit benefits from a new hard-standing paddock, trackside seating and improved spectator access.

MX1 World Championship Standings (after 14 of 17 rounds): 1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 643 points; 2. Clement Desalle (BEL, Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MX1), 553 p.; 3. Ken de Dycker (BEL, KTM), 514 p.; 4. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Kawasaki), 465 p.; 5. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MX1), 437 p.; 6. Tommy Searle (GBR, Kawasaki), 404 p.; 7. Jeremy van Horebeek (BEL, Kawasaki), 351 p.; 8. Maximilian Nagl (GER, Honda), 314 p.; 9. David Philippaerts (ITA, Honda), 245 p.; 10. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), 238 p.