Belpuig Spain – 17th May 2009 – World Championship

Red Bull KTM UK saw both of their riders notch points in both motos at a dry, dusty and rough Bellpuig circuit for the Grand Prix of Catalunya and the sixth round of fifteen in the FIM MX2 Motocross World Championship. Jake Nicholls was the highest finisher and courtesy of his 12 point haul claimed 12th in the overall classification.

The teenager grabbed 17th and 13th for his second consecutive double moto score in a week, despite a fairly poor qualification heat that left him low down in the start gate for Sunday. There was less good news for Stephen Sword who crashed on the first corner of the heat on Saturday and a sore back limited his possibilities for the races.

Mercifully Bellpuig was dry and sunny, the complete opposite of the severe conditions that flooded the 2008 edition of the event. Nicholls started well in the first moto and was circulating just outside the top ten but admitted that his rhythm was not the most effective and he didn’t settle until late into the race. He enjoyed a better run later in the afternoon after a courageous first lap.

“I had a disastrous heat on Saturday which meant that I did not have a good pick in the gate,” Nicholls said. “I actually had a good start in the first moto but I wasn’t riding well by my standards and I wasn’t enjoying myself until about four laps from the end. I was fighting the track and felt like I was going to crash all the time. I managed to keep going merely through heart until I sorted myself out and found some lines. In the second one I was far back off the line and went balls-out on the first three corners; the wild approach worked as I gained a lot of positions. I was quite far up and pushed on from there. My fitness was mega and I kept plugging away, only really suffering from some sore hands but 13th was OK after a tough start.”

Despite an attempt to alleviate his discomfort on Saturday evening Sword was clearly struggling with the jumps and uphill sections of the track and finished out of the top twenty in the first moto but was able to secure 12th place in the second outing thanks to a brighter start and an escape from an opening corner pile-up.

“The crash really set me back,” he said. “My back was locked solid and at this place, with many vertical take-offs, I couldn’t scrub with the bike and felt pretty uncomfortable. We just need a change of luck at the moment.”

Sword is 17th in the standings and 28 points from the top ten while Nicholls is slowly gaining momentum and is 20th with 42 points.

Red Bull KTM UK now has a free weekend before Mallory Park hosts their home race with the British Grand Prix in two weeks time. Nicholls will head to Holland and the Rhenen circuit to contest an international meeting this Thursday.

Results

mX2 Race 1 top ten: 1. Rui Goncalves (POR, KTM), 39:21.424; ; 2. Jeremy van Horebeek (BEL, KTM), +0:01.818; 3. Xavier Boog (FRA, Suzuki), +0:05.871; 4. Davide Guarneri (ITA, Yamaha), +0:06.426; 5. Steven Frossard (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:07.891; 6. Ken Roczen (GER, Suzuki), +0:07.954; 7. Anthony Boissiere (FRA, KTM), +0:24.346; 8. Manuel Monni (ITA, Yamaha), +0:29.578; 9. Marcus Schiffer (GER, KTM), +0:33.182; 10. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, KTM), +0:34.051; 17. Jake Nicholls (GBR, Red Bull KTM UK); 23. Stephen Sword (GBR, Red Bull KTM UK)

MX2 Race 2 top ten: 1. Anthony Boissiere (FRA, KTM), 39:35.739; ; 2. Ken Roczen (GER, Suzuki), +0:02.240; 3. Jeremy van Horebeek (BEL, KTM), +0:05.212; 4. Nicolas Aubin (FRA, Yamaha), +0:06.794; 5. Rui Goncalves (POR, KTM), +0:09.792; 6. Steven Frossard (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:10.777; 7. Davide Guarneri (ITA, Yamaha), +0:19.102; 8. Xavier Boog (FRA, Suzuki), +0:20.462; 9. Marvin Musquin (FRA, Honda), +0:29.925; 10. Marcus Schiffer (GER, KTM), +0:36.699; 12. Stephen Sword (GBR, Red Bull KTM UK); 13. Jake Nicholls (GBR, Red Bull KTM UK)

MX2 Overall top ten: 1. Jeremy van Horebeek (BEL, KTM), 42 points; 2. Rui Goncalves (POR, KTM), 41 p.; 3. Anthony Boissiere (FRA, KTM), 39 p.; 4. Ken Roczen (GER, Suzuki), 37 p.; 5. Xavier Boog (FRA, Suzuki), 33 p.; 6. Davide Guarneri (ITA, Yamaha), 32 p.; 7. Steven Frossard (FRA, Kawasaki), 31 p.; 8. Nicolas Aubin (FRA, Yamaha), 28 p.; 9. Marcus Schiffer (GER, KTM), 23 p.; 10. Manuel Monni (ITA, Yamaha), 20 p.; 12. Jake Nicholls (GBR, Red Bull KTM UK); 16. Stephen Sword (GBR, Red Bull KTM UK)

MX2 Championship top ten: 1. Marvin Musquin (FRA, Honda), 184 points; 2. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Kawasaki), 181 p.; 3. Davide Guarneri (ITA, Yamaha), 179 p.; 4. Rui Goncalves (POR, KTM), 166 p.; 5. Xavier Boog (FRA, Suzuki), 141 p.; 6. Steven Frossard (FRA, Kawasaki), 136 p.; 7. Nicolas Aubin (FRA, Yamaha), 126 p.; 8. Zach Osborne (USA, Yamaha), 100 p.; 9. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), 97 p.; 10. Jeremy van Horebeek (BEL, KTM), 89 p.; 17. Stephen Sword (GBR, Red Bull KTM UK) 61 p; 20. Jake Nicholls (GBR, Red Bull KTM UK) 42 p

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