20th May 2012 – Beto Carrero, Brazil – 2012 World Championship

Strijbos celebrates milestone podium result

Kevin Strijbos finished third overall at a wet, muddy and difficult Beto Carrero for the Grand Prix of Brazil and the fifth round of the FIM Motocross World Championship. In taking his HM Plant KTM UK 350SX-F to the rostrum the Belgian not only captured his first trophy since 2007 but also gave the British team cause for celebration by marking their very first rostrum appearance in the premier class of the series.

Strijbos and the team flew to Brazil from Mexico and could not have encountered a more contrasting event in terms of organisation, presentation, climate and ultimately track conditions as the heavens opening on Saturday night and all through race-day morning.

A jumpy and narrow course, surrounded by two days of sold-out attendance in the five grandstands (crowd figure 42,000 for the weekend), became a sludgy mess of ooze, deep ruts and flying mud. Strijbos made a reasonable start in the first drawn-out moto of 35 minutes and 2 laps duration but had to sacrifice time and positions with a quick pitstop to change goggles and gloves. Freshly equipped the veteran then produced one of the performances of the meeting by charging from outside the top twenty to capture 5th by the chequered flag.

On a drier and rougher surface in the second outing Strijbos ensured that Beto Carrero will live long in the memory by plotting a course to 3rd position to snare the bottom step of the podium. It was a result that was in-the-making after good speed, fitness and increasing form in recent weeks. The finish was also a boost for KTM in having their flagship 350SX-F in the top three after such a tricky event.

Strijbos is now 7th in the MX1 standings and faces the fourth round of eight in the Maxxis British Championship next weekend at Milton MX Park in Northampton before consecutive Grands Prix in France, Portugal and Belgium.

Kevin Strijbos: “I´m really happy because all went really good. The track was very muddy, we didn’t make the warm-up and I didn’t know what to expect in the first race. I just tried to make a good start but it pushed me wide and I crashed in the first corner and stared in the last position. In the first lap I went inside of the pitlane to put new gloves on and I started last again, but then everything went well, I was riding good, I found really good lines and I managed to go up to fifth. So I was surprised about that and I wasn’t too tired, I felt very good before the second moto.
In the second race I just tried to take a good start again and it happened, I was fourth I think, or even third, then Clement passed me and I had some problems with my goggles, there was some sand inside and I could not see well, so this is why I needed to slow down a little bit because I could not pass Tanel. When Desalle passed me he then passed Tanel and I followed his lines and I could also pass him (Tanel).
My mechanic put in the pitboard that I needed to pick up on place, so when Clement passes Christophe I also passed him, so I was really happy for that. I didn’t know I was on the podium; I’m very happy to be on the podium because it has been five years now and I’m also happy for the team and also for Roger because he has done all his best to make it happen.”

Roger Magee, Team Principal:
“What a weekend for HM Plant KTMUK with our first podium of the 2012 season and our first podium ever in the MX1 class. I don’t know whether it is a coincidence, but I wasn’t present trackside for our first MX2 podium back in 2008! Earlier today before the start of proceedings in Brazil when I knew what the track conditions were going to be like due to the torrential rain, I sent Kevin Strijbos a text reminding him of his GP win at the last MXGP in Northern Ireland in 2007 at Moneyglass in very similar circumstances! Unfortunately Kevin was involved in a crash just after the start the first moto today that saw him recover from last place to 5th at the flag – a truly awesome performance. My thanks to all of the Team members and sponsors whose hard work and commitment over the past months have led to this memorable day.
Back in Europe, the team was unfortunate not to secure it’s second podium of the day when Natalie Kane was robbed of a runner-up position in the Women’s World Motocross Championship in Italy when a technical fault cost her second place in the second moto after finishing second to Championship leader Fontanesi in the opening encounter. This sport can be really cruel at times! The team now travels back to the UK for next weekend’s fourth round of the British Maxxis Championship where Strijbos will be looking to strengthen his lead in the MX1 Championship and Elliott Banks-Browne to chase down the leader of the MX2 class.”

Photos courtesy of Ray Archer

MX1 Moto1
1. Christophe Pourcel (FRA, Kawasaki), 44:47.275; ; 2. David Philippaerts (ITA, Yamaha), +1:29.145; 3. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Kawasaki), +1:43.349; 4. Rui Goncalves (POR, Honda), +1:47.125; 5. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, KTM), +1:49.116; 6. Ken de Dycker (BEL, KTM), +2:26.285; 7. Shaun Simpson (GBR, Yamaha), +2:43.169; 8. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +2:59.506; 9. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), -1 lap(s); 10. Matiss Karro (LAT, KTM), -1 lap(s).

MX1 Moto2
1. Xavier Boog (FRA, Kawasaki), 42:09.534; ; 2. Clement Desalle (BEL, Suzuki), +0:02.155; 3. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, KTM), +0:07.681; 4. Christophe Pourcel (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:32.074; 5. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:43.134; 6. David Philippaerts (ITA, Yamaha), +0:53.271; 7. Tanel Leok (EST, Suzuki), +1:02.910; 8. Rui Goncalves (POR, Honda), +1:03.333; 9. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +1:05.447; 10. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), +1:26.338.

MX1 Overall
1. Christophe Pourcel (FRA, Kawasaki), 43 points; 2. David Philippaerts (ITA, Yamaha), 37 p.; 3. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, KTM), 36 p.; 4. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Kawasaki), 36 p.; 5. Rui Goncalves (POR, Honda), 31 p.; 6. Xavier Boog (FRA, Kawasaki), 30 p.; 7. Clement Desalle (BEL, Suzuki), 30 p.; 8. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 25 p.; 9. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), 23 p.; 10. Shaun Simpson (GBR, Yamaha), 23 p.

MX1 World Championship
1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 203 points; 2. Clement Desalle (BEL, Suzuki), 179 p.; 3. Christophe Pourcel (FRA, Kawasaki), 172 p.; 4. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Kawasaki), 170 p.; 5. Ken de Dycker (BEL, KTM), 154 p.; 6. David Philippaerts (ITA, Yamaha), 142 p.; 7. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, KTM), 139 p.; 8. Xavier Boog (FRA, Kawasaki), 129 p.; 9. Rui Goncalves (POR, Honda), 110 p.; 10. Tanel Leok (EST, Suzuki), 107 p.

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