Honda’s pre-season preparations continue throughout Europe

Honda World Motocross riders Rui Gonçalves and Evgeny Bobryshev took part in their second race of the week at the third round of the Italian Championship in Cingoli. Conditions were tough but both riders showed well, narrowly missing out on the podium positions. Looking to build on an impressive win last time out, Bobryshev went 4-3 across both motos while team mate Gonçalves improved on his Faenza performance with 9-5 finishes.

In the UK, LS Honda Racing’s Shaun Simpson contested the Hawkstone International at the ‘home of British motocross’. The hard charging Scot started well with 5th in the first moto and improved with a solid 4th position in the second to take 4th overall. Simpson went one better with a podium in the super final, which saw the top 20 riders from MX1 and MX2 riders competing.

Simpson’s LS team mate, Ken De Dycker, was on top form on the continent as he dominated the second round of the Dutch Championship in Halle. Big Ken took the double victory in the MX1 class, cementing his superiority early on by winning the first moto by nearly a minute!

Rui Gonçalves, Honda World Motocross:  I was riding more confidently than Faenza but still felt tight on the bike and was tensing up a lot in the first moto, so finding hard to get into my rhythm. Between motos I didn’t really change anything on the bike, just worked on resolving what I was doing wrong and finding my focus. It worked as I felt much smoother in the second moto and was able to get a better result.

Evgeny Bobryshev, Honda World Motocross:  Honestly I was not too happy with my riding today but I am pretty pleased with the result considering. I found the conditions hard with real deep, deep ruts. It just been raining so hard this week...this is not how Italy should be is it!? I do feel like I have now clicked with the bike and feel like it is becoming my bike.

Shaun Simpson, LS Honda Racing:  I like it at Hawkstone as the place has been good to me in the past but I wasn’t really getting on with the surface if I’m honest. It was soft and loose on top but with a hard base underneath that was pretty slippy. Nevertheless my results kept improving as the day went on and when I got the start I was comfortable holding good pace at the front.

Ken De Dycker, LS Honda Racing:  It was important to go out and get good results but what is more important is to get a good feeling before the start of the world championship. This was my last race before the season starts so I was concentrating on getting everything right with the bike and the settings and I look to carry this forward into the season ahead.