Lierop hosts the last Grand Prix of the 2013 season
Friday 06 September: Although both MX1 and MX2 titles have already been decided, good racing is guaranteed this weekend because the top five positions of both championships are still to be decided.
Lierop's sand track 2012
The FIM Motocross World Championship has
visited sixteen different venues, in fifteen different countries and has
had three overseas Grand Prix – Qatar, Thailand and Brazil, but this
weekend the Dutch track of Lierop will mark the end of what it has been
another remarkable an exciting season.
Lierop will also host the final rounds of the EMX125cc and 250cc
European Championships, and while Pauls Jonass was crowned as the 2013
EMX125 European Champion in Matterley Basin, UK, the EMX250cc series is
still open. Valentin Guillod is leading the championship with a
comfortable 12-points advantage over Jeremy Seewer, but anything can
happen on the tricky sand track of Lierop.
MX1
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Antonio Cairoli has had almost
two weeks to celebrate his seventh World Title, but he is now training
again to give his best in Lierop and finish the season with a double
victory. During the British Grand Prix the Italian explained how much he
enjoys riding on the sand and his main goal of the weekend is finishing
on the top of the podium, as he has missed the overall victory three
times in a row.
Rockstar Energy Suzuki World’s Clement Desalle has been the clear
dominant of the last three Grand Prix, conquering the podium in Great
Britain, Bastogne and the Czech Republic. The Belgian will ride once
again to put his Suzuki on the top of the rostrum even if his runner up
position of the championship is secured.
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Ken De Dycker has been riding with an
injured ankle in the previous Grand Prix and he has not been able to
shine as he used to, but he has been able to keep the third position in
the point standings. The Belgian is travelling to Lierop after having
won the Belgian National Championship, so he proved that he is ready to
finish on the podium this weekend.
Kawasaki Racing Team’s Gautier Paulin is currently fourth in the
championship, but Kevin Strijbos is just four points behind the French
rider. Paulin was forced to miss two Grand Prix due to the big
concussion he suffered during the German Grand Prix, so he lost the
opportunity to finish second in the Championship. However, Paulin is not
worried anymore about which position he will finish, as he is fully
focused on being fully fit again and recuperate the physical condition
he had before the unfortunate crash in Lausitzring.
Rockstar Energy Suzuki World’s Kevin Strijbos was on the second step of
the podium in Matterley Basin after finishing third in both heats of the
British Grand Prix. The Belgian is just four points behind Paulin, so
he will give it all this weekend to try to ride two consistent races and
finish fourth in the MX1 point standings.
Tommy Searle did not have the results he had expected at his home Grand
Prix, but this weekend he will start from scratch again in order to try
to finish on the podium. Jeremy Van Horebeek also missed the podium in
the UK with a DNF in the first race, but with a second position in the
second heat. Consequently, the Belgian rider, who is currently seventh
in the championship – 55 points behind Searle – will give it all to
obtain his maiden MX1 podium this weekend in Lierop.
Max Nagl, who has missed the last three Grand Prix because he was
suffering from the Epstein-Barr virus, might be back this weekend on his
Honda machine. During the German’s absence, Evgeny Bobryshev has rode
very consistent races and has finished on the third step of the podium
at every Grand Prix. The Russian will try to do it again this weekend
and try to move up to the eighth position of the standings – Bobryshev
is currently ninth just two points behind Nagl. David Philippaerts
completes the top ten of the MX1 championship.
Rui Gonçalves, who fractured his C6 five weeks ago in Lausitzring, will
be back on his KTM this weekend, and although he knows that it is going
to be a tough Grand Prix, he is looking forward to be racing again with
the best MX1 riders in the world.
MX2
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings broke his
shoulder blade during the qualifying race of the Belgian Grand Prix
almost three weeks ago, but he had already obtained the FIM MX2 World
Title in the previous Grand Prix in Loket, Czech Republic. The doctors
advised the young Dutch rider to miss the rest of the season in order to
heal the injury properly, but Herlings will be present in the paddock
of Lierop this weekend to meet his fans and the media.
His teammate Jordi Tixier has not been very lucky in the last two Grand
Prix and he missed the opportunity to be on the top of the podium,
finishing second in Bastogne and eleventh in Matterley Basin due to a
DNF in the first race. This weekend Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jordi
Tixier has the last opportunity to ride for what it would be his maiden
MX2 GP victory, so he will be fully focused to fulfil his goal.
KTM Silver Action’s José Butrón has been riding safe in the last few
races in order to keep the third position in the MX2 point standings.
The Spanish rider has a comfortable advantage of 39 points over
Christophe Charlier, so if he rides two consistent races as he has done
in the previous Grand Prix, he will achieve his main objective of
finishing third in the MX2 World Championship.
Monster Energy Yamaha’s Christophe Charlier has not been very consistent
in the last races and he missed the opportunity to be closer to Butrón
in the point standings. The French rider won the second heat in
Matterley Basin – his second victory of the season – but he missed the
podium, as he finished eighteenth in the first race. Charlier is focused
to ride two good motos in Lierop and finish the season on the podium.
Standing Construct KTM’s Glenn Coldenhoff (pictured above) will be racing home this
weekend after having obtained his maiden MX2 Grand Prix victory in
Matterley Basin, UK. The Dutch rider was speechless after the British
Grand Prix, but he mentioned that it would be a dream come true winning
again this upcoming weekend in front of his home fans.
Dean Ferris, who is currently sixth in the championship sixteen points
behind Coldenhoff, won the first heat of the British Grand Prix and he
was really close to win what it would have been his second Grand Prix in
MX2, but a mechanical failure after a crash forced him to retire. The
Australian knows how demanding the Dutch track will be this weekend, but
he will give it all again in order to try to conquer the last MX2
podium of the season.
Jake Nicholls travels to Lierop being seventh in the Championship and
fully motivated for another podium finish. His compatriot Max Anstie,
who finished third overall last year in Lierop, is eighth in the
championship, but he will need a good result this weekend in Lierop to
keep such position because the Italian Alessandro Lupino is just one
point behind him. Dylan Ferrandis is completing the top ten of the MX2
World Championship.
Romain Febvre will be another rider to look at this weekend, because
even if he is down in the twelfth position in the standings, he will
give it all this weekend to finish on the podium as he did in the
beginning of the season before he fractured his fibula.