10th June 2012 – Agueda, Portugal – 2012 World Championships
Kane takes first GP moto victory
The Grand Prix of Portugal represented the seventh round of sixteen in the FIM Motocross World Championship and also the third outing for the European EMX125 two-stroke series at Agueda but HM Plant KTM UK were spreading their talents across the continent. In the fifth round of eight in the FIM Women’s World Championship Natalie Kane defied muddy and incredibly difficult conditions in Slovenia to post the team’s first ever Grand Prix moto victory.
The Irishwoman beat championship leader Chiara Fontanesi and would just miss out on the overall triumph by finishing second to the Italian in the second moto but the result has put the talented racer second in the standings with three rounds remaining. The opening affair at Orehova Vas was cut short after four laps due to the adverse racing conditions but Kane had already forged her way to the front and done the necessary to celebrate her first ’25 points. She now sits 63 behind Fontanesi but with six motos still to run and including her home event at Matterley Basin in mid August.
In Portugal James Dunn grabbed an equally encouraging result on the 125SX-F by finishing third overall and lifting his first trophy in the competitive junior feeder series into the European MX2 category.
The premier MX1 class of the FIM Motocross World Championship saw Kevin Strijbos nursing a slight leg injury and also battling indifferent starts on what was initially a wet Agueda circuit but a stiff breeze and afternoon sun would dry the bumpy and loose red soil. The Belgian rode to 15th and 10th to be 13th overall.
Elliot Banks Browne continues to battle small injury niggles and several meetings with the Portuguese terrain didn’t help his cause in the search for effective points last Sunday. The youngster clearly has the pace to be troubling the top ten of the leaderboard but is in need of a dose of fortune to get his season moving on the right track.
Strijbos is eighth in the championship standings and just 14 points from further promotion. HM Plant KTM UK will travel to Bastogne this week for round eight of the FIM contest and the Grand Prix of Belgium.
Kevin Strijbos: “It was another difficult weekend for me. On Saturday I got a small surgery in my hamstring and it was really painful. On Sunday morning it was still stiff but I had a good start in the first heat. I made a mistake getting into a turn, which was too wet and I slipped with both wheels. It was a stupid mistake that it cost me a lot of places. I was happy with my riding in the beginning of the race and I think I could have finished in the top seven. In the second moto I got a better start and by the end I could pass Simpson and Boog and I was very happy about that. I finished tenth, which is not the place I want but we have to deal with it. Next week I hope to do it better, especially because it will be my home Grand Prix and I will try to put a good result for my fans.”
Elliott Banks-Browne: “It was a very bad weekend for me; I got an injury last week and this weekend I could not get into it. I go back home now and I’ll try to come back and do a lot better because I should be riding among the top ten every weekend, but at the moment it’s not happening. “
James Dunn: “In the qualifying I was third, so I was very happy because I normally struggle with the qualifying. The first race was quite wet and I was in third when I crashed but I came back to fourth, so it was a good race. Today in the second race I got a decent start and I went to second but Tim had already checked out. I was second the whole race and I got third overall, my first podium in the series. I want to give a big thank to HM Plant KTM UK to help me out and get me to these events.”
Roger Magee Team Principal: “We’re thrilled for Natalie and of course it is great for the team to have their first victory at world championship level. She has been getting better and faster and this should give her confidence to take Fontanesi all the way for the title. James Dunn provided us with another reason to be cheerful this weekend and he is now fifth in a packed 125cc series. In MX1 Kevin got some points on the board today from some mediocre starts. It just wasn’t meant to be for him and the same can be said for Eliott who needs to get more out of the qualification heat for a better slot in the gate. He has the speed but just requires a bit more luck.”
Photos courtesy of Ray Archer
Results
MX1 Moto1
1. Clement Desalle (BEL, Suzuki), 40:04.024; ; 2. Christophe Pourcel (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:06.155; 3. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:16.903; 4. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:23.550; 5. Ken de Dycker (BEL, KTM), +0:41.323; 6. Jonathan Barragan (ESP, Honda), +0:43.183; 7. Xavier Boog (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:45.298; 8. Sebastien Pourcel (FRA, Kawasaki), +1:13.177; 9. Matiss Karro (LAT, KTM), +1:16.143; 15. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, KTM), +1:39.479
MX1 Moto2
1. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Kawasaki), 39:04.520; ; 2. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:00.484; 3. Clement Desalle (BEL, Suzuki), +0:25.785; 4. Christophe Pourcel (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:29.957; 5. Ken de Dycker (BEL, KTM), +0:31.550; 6. Rui Goncalves (POR, Honda), +0:33.435; 7. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), +0:38.248; 8. Tanel Leok (EST, Suzuki), +0:43.679; 9. David Philippaerts (ITA, Yamaha), +0:48.689; 10. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, KTM), +0:50.250.
MX1 Overall
1. Clement Desalle (BEL, Suzuki), 45 points; 2. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Kawasaki), 43 p.; 3. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 42 p.; 4. Christophe Pourcel (FRA, Kawasaki), 40 p.; 5. Ken de Dycker (BEL, KTM), 32 p.; 6. Xavier Boog (FRA, Kawasaki), 24 p.; 7. Rui Goncalves (POR, Honda), 22 p.; 8. Jonathan Barragan (ESP, Honda), 22 p.; 9. Tanel Leok (EST, Suzuki), 21 p.; 13. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, KTM), 17 p.
MX1 World Championship
1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 295 points; 2. Clement Desalle (BEL, Suzuki), 258 p.; 3. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Kawasaki), 255 p.; 4. Christophe Pourcel (FRA, Kawasaki), 254 p.; 5. Ken de Dycker (BEL, KTM), 211 p.; 6. David Philippaerts (ITA, Yamaha), 190 p.; 7. Xavier Boog (FRA, Kawasaki), 185 p.; 8. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, KTM), 171 p.; 9. Rui Goncalves (POR, Honda), 156 p.; 10. Tanel Leok (EST, Suzuki), 142 p.
EMX125 Overall
1. Tim Gajser (SLO, KTM), 50 points; 2. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, KTM), 42 p.; 3. James Dunn (GBR, KTM), 40 p.; 4. Simone Furlotti (ITA, Suzuki), 34 p.; 5. Davide Bonini (ITA, KTM), 31 p.; 6. Magne Klingsheim (NOR, KTM), 31 p.; 7. Anton Lundgren (SWE, KTM), 29 p.; 8. Joel van Mechelen (NED, KTM), 23 p.; 9. Iker Larranaga (ESP, Suzuki), 22 p.; 10. Alessio Della Mora (ITA, KTM), 19 p.
EMX125 Championship
1. Tim Gajser (SLO, KTM), 150 points; 2. Davide Bonini (ITA, KTM), 106 p.; 3. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, KTM), 102 p.; 4. Magne Klingsheim (NOR, KTM), 97 p.; 5. James Dunn (GBR, KTM), 84 p.; 6. Anton Lundgren (SWE, KTM), 76 p.; 7. Henry Jacobi (GER, KTM), 75 p.; 8. Riccardo Righi (ITA, KTM), 55 p.; 9. Iker Larranaga (ESP, Suzuki), 55 p.; 10. Jaap Corneth (NED, KTM), 51 p.
Event Gallery
