by Adam Wheeler
Racer X Race Report: GP of Belgium
Monday, June 18, 2012 | 10:00 AM
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The free-wheeling FIM Motocross World Championship locked on the brakes at the halfway point in Belgium with Tony Cairoli extending his MX1 advantage to almost an entire Grand Prix with eight left on the calendar thanks to his fourth win. Tommy Searle bagged his third victory of 2012 to further tighten the lonely vice of pressure between the Brit and Jeffrey Herlings for the MX2 crown.
Although he finished second on the day Herlings still holds the MX2 points lead.
Ray Archer photo
Bastogne filled one of the two vacant slots on the Grand Prix schedule that were still "To Be Determined" as the season drew near. The relatively short lead-time meant a vast turnaround of work for the organizers to prepare the venue. There was a feeling of “going back in time” at Bastogne both for the grassy paddock and the old school nature of the flowing, tree-lined track. The dark black mud only added to the sense of motocross back in the day.
After all the drama and upheaval in Portugal (and a correct but dramatic public vow of ‘zero tolerance’ to any further misdemeanours by the FIM) there was a muted atmosphere in Bastogne, not helped by the truly miserable weather on Saturday that brought a shower of rain practically every hour and coated the one circuit on the calendar that perhaps couldn’t handle it. After all the rain, passers by in the paddock felt like they were walking on banana skins through the mud, but the over-generous dose of water on Saturday – forcing the qualification heats to be cancelled – was a key element in the creation of the best surface of the year on Sunday so far with the soft dirt offering plenty of options and racing lines.
Another 1-1 performance helped Cairoli extend his points lead over Clement Desalle.
Ray Archer photo
Elder generations and fans of Belgian Grand Prix's have had to suffer the sight of a small Sicilian teaching lessons in sand riding to the world’s best over the last few editions at Lommel, and Cairoli – who bases himself in Belgium for stretches of the year and whose girlfriend, Jill, is Dutch – was in no mood to lower his shock value. The Red Bull KTM World Champion was immense at Bastogne to go 1-1 and effectively dealt with the renewed vigour of Rockstar Energy Suzuki’s Clement Desalle at his home event (2nd overall) and CP377 Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Christophe Pourcel (3rd) who nailed two good starts and was predictably fast where trajectories and rider expression were the orders of the day. “The track was awesome,” he said. “We had a lot of lines and we could pass and be aggressive, going inside or outside was good.”
Desalle had faced a lot of attention in the build-up to the first GP in his French-speaking side of Belgium for five years and according to some media colleagues didn’t handle it in the best way, but the Portuguese GP winner gave the 18,000 attendance good value for their money. In the MX1 class HM Plant KTM UK’s Kevin Strijbos proved there is still energy in the old muscles with a dogged fourth position. The former double championship runner-up is pouring scorn on the doubters that the KTM 350SX-F was the wrong move for ‘The Kid’. Honda World Motocross Team’s Rui Goncalves rode to fifteenth with a broken rib from Saturday that left him visibly barely able to talk through pain and Cairoli’s teammate Ken De Dycker kept his section of the crowd content with charges through to sixth overall despite an opening moto first turn crash. Kawasaki Racing Team’s Gautier Paulin made a terrible start in the second race and also slid to the ground on one of the fast and rutted open corners at the back of the circuit. The French MX1 rookie placed fifth.
Desalle would finish second overall via 3-3 moto scores.
Ray Archer photo
In MX2, the Searle-Herlings axis was unmovable from first position. There was a hint of another duel to the line in the first moto when Searle crunched a four second deficit to find the rear wheel of the KTM, but in what he described as almost a big crash, he lost sight of Herlings in a single lap. Herlings took the win, clearly not too affected by his pantomime role as villain in the past fortnight. Searle was faultless and measured in the second moto to keep the Dutchman at bay and Jeremy Van Horebeek won the mini Belgian contest against Searle’s Kawasaki teammate Joel Roelants for third. Monster Energy Yamaha’s Arnaud Tonus found good speed to finish fourth on his twenty-first birthday after a pair of mediocre starts and Max Anstie suffered an electrical problem on the warm-up lap of the first moto and then retired with further trouble in the second.
Off the track, Ryan Villopoto’s presence at what was his first glimpse of a Grand Prix gathered the predictable amount of attention and led to the supercross champion allegedly paying lip service to a term racing the series in the not too distant future. Whether Villopoto, Dean Wilson or any other AMA star fancies the challenge of trying to win a world title the fact remains that several riders have left Europe and managed to succeed on American shores but there have not been too many exports that have shown the Grand Prix campaigners the fastest route, certainly from the last generation. It is an interesting quandary that might just catch the fancy of an individual who has won all there is to claim in the U.S.
Tommy Searle took the overall in Belguim, but was unable to pick up any points on championship leader Jeffery Herlings.
Ray Archer photo
“We don’t get to come to Europe very often and when we do we are always focused on racing so its nice to enjoy it, hang out and do things that we normally can’t do when we’re racing,” said RV, who was enjoying an injury-induced during-the-season vacation.
“I didn’t go to Lommel. I actually went to visit Stefan Everts at his house and see all of his trophies and bikes. It was really cool to take in all of that. He was racing a long time and to see a collection like that is pretty amazing. Belgian beer? Yeah I found it pretty good two nights ago!”
He also went on the record about all the rumours of a possible shot at being considered for Team USA at Lommel on September 30th. “I’ve heard that they want me to race the Nations but as of right now I haven’t started riding yet and might be able to in the first week of August. So a couple more weeks. I don’t know how it would work but I assume I’ll have to race some U.S. Nationals to be in the running to go. We’ll see. It is very up in the air and there is no real plan.”
In an area that is so synonymous with the United States’ history as part of the European theatre of the second World War, America’s presence on the Bastogne soil on this occasion was non-existent this time. But there were some signs of hope that both Zach Osborne (improving frm a shoulder injury) and Michael Leib (Epstein Barr virus) could be back in the paddock by round nine in Sweden in two weeks or round ten in Latvia in mid-July.
Supercross champion Ryan Villopoto was on hand to take in the action.
Ray Archer photo
MX1 Moto1
1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 40:20.568;
2. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:02.127;
3. Clement Desalle (BEL, Suzuki), +0:04.944;
4. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, KTM), +0:31.016;
5. Christophe Pourcel (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:36.324;
6. Xavier Boog (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:37.570;
7. David Philippaerts (ITA, Yamaha), +0:43.854;
8. Sebastien Pourcel (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:50.218;
9. Tanel Leok (EST, Suzuki), +0:51.123;
10. Ken de Dycker (BEL, KTM), +0:53.502;
MX1 Moto2
1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 40:19.194;
2. Christophe Pourcel (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:04.597;
3. Clement Desalle (BEL, Suzuki), +0:09.786;
4. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, KTM), +0:10.625;
5. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), +0:36.754;
6. Ken de Dycker (BEL, KTM), +0:42.862;
7. Tanel Leok (EST, Suzuki), +0:44.952;
8. Davide Guarneri (ITA, KTM), +0:52.345;
9. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:53.004;
10. Xavier Boog (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:55.722;
CP377 would finish third on the day via 5-2 scores.
Ray Archer photo
MX1 Overall
1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 50 points;
2. Clement Desalle (BEL, Suzuki), 40 p.;
3. Christophe Pourcel (FRA, Kawasaki), 38 p.;
4. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, KTM), 36 p.;
5. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Kawasaki), 34 p.;
6. Ken de Dycker (BEL, KTM), 26 p.;
7. Tanel Leok (EST, Suzuki), 26 p.;
8. Xavier Boog (FRA, Kawasaki), 26 p.;
9. Sebastien Pourcel (FRA, Kawasaki), 23 p.;
10. David Philippaerts (ITA, Yamaha), 22 p.;
MX1 World Championship standings after 8 of 16 rounds
1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 345 points;
2. Clement Desalle (BEL, Suzuki), 298 p.;
3. Christophe Pourcel (FRA, Kawasaki), 292 p.;
4. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Kawasaki), 289 p.;
5. Ken de Dycker (BEL, KTM), 237 p.;
6. David Philippaerts (ITA, Yamaha), 212 p.;
7. Xavier Boog (FRA, Kawasaki), 211 p.;
8. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, KTM), 207 p.;
9. Rui Goncalves (POR, Honda), 169 p.;
10. Tanel Leok (EST, Suzuki), 168 p.;
MX2 Moto1
1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 39:30.417;
2. Tommy Searle (GBR, Kawasaki), +0:11.415;
3. Jeremy van Horebeek (BEL, KTM), +0:16.442;
4. Joel Roelants (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:20.759;
5. Jake Nicholls (GBR, KTM), +1:05.664;
6. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KTM), +1:10.608;
7. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, Yamaha), +1:21.703;
8. Jose Butron (ESP, KTM), +1:25.784;
9. Mel Pocock (GBR, Yamaha), +1:33.831;
10. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, Husqvarna), +1:42.311;
Although he finished second on the day Herlings still holds the MX2 points lead.
Ray Archer photo
MX2 Moto2
1. Tommy Searle (GBR, Kawasaki), 39:20.529;
2. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), +0:13.020;
3. Jeremy van Horebeek (BEL, KTM), +0:44.315;
4. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, Yamaha), +0:50.890;
5. Joel Roelants (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:51.762;
6. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KTM), +1:21.534;
7. Dylan Ferrandis (FRA, Kawasaki), +1:28.099;
8. Jake Nicholls (GBR, KTM), +1:41.428;
9. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, Husqvarna), +1:45.612;
10. Jose Butron (ESP, KTM), +1:46.020;
MX2 Overall
1. Tommy Searle (GBR, Kawasaki), 47 points;
2. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 47 p.;
3. Jeremy van Horebeek (BEL, KTM), 40 p.;
4. Joel Roelants (BEL, Kawasaki), 34 p.;
5. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, Yamaha), 32 p.;
6. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KTM), 30 p.;
7. Jake Nicholls (GBR, KTM), 29 p.;
8. Jose Butron (ESP, KTM), 24 p.;
9. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, Husqvarna), 23 p.;
10. Mel Pocock (GBR, Yamaha), 21 p.;
MX2 World Championship standings after 8 of 16 rounds
1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 364 points;
2. Tommy Searle (GBR, Kawasaki), 340 p.;
3. Jeremy van Horebeek (BEL, KTM), 308 p.;
4. Joel Roelants (BEL, Kawasaki), 238 p.;
5. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KTM), 217 p.;
6. Jake Nicholls (GBR, KTM), 204 p.;
7. Max Anstie (GBR, Honda), 191 p.;
8. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, Husqvarna), 152 p.;
9. Jose Butron (ESP, KTM), 150 p.;
10. Dylan Ferrandis (FRA, Kawasaki), 139 p.;
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Actually Pourcel had a very bad start in the first moto, he was way behind, I think around 13th in the first few laps. The track was awesome, multiple lines, great racing.
Villopoto ran one lap on his red plated number one Kawasaki, no helmet, hat and glasses, jeans and sweater.
I'm not a big fan of 'Poto here in the States, but if he honors the Red, White and Blue in the Grand Prix series it would do us very proud! Do it RV!!! How about in 2014?
I would be very disappointed if Vilo decided to contest the GP´s.
Firstly, he would want, and quite rightly so, a big bag of cash, which Longuo would be only too happy to provide via Kawa, or even directly under the table, in order to give the series a boost. It would be a stab in the back of the other riders who are paying to ride in the series and who are trying to get the system overturned. Slowly but surely, resistance is building to Longuo´s thieving ways, but with Vilo entering the series he (Longuo) would once again gain the upper hand. The low life piece of dog excreater is ripping the riders off big style, just like the mafia gangster he is.
Ciarolli is Longuo´s paid sucker at the moment, and with him coming to the end of his useful (to Longuo) life, the douchbag is obviously looking for the next one.
Vilo, don´t sell out to the dirtbag. Think of your fellow MX riders and help them rid our sport of the bloodsuckers like Longuo.
hey europe, whatever lets you feel good about your second rate series...dont you guys watch the mxdn clinic we put on for your riders every year? oh wait, on rare occasion one of your teams will win one if the u.s. has a rider sit out for whatever reason...so feel good about that too.
i think RV doing a full gp season would be great for the sport....if he was defending ama champ...like he said world champs go race the ama and more often than not you guys kill em!! the usa always say its because you are better riders....
RV could end the debate...how happy would you guys be a....defending ama champ wins world title at 1st attempt!!!......
truth is he wont....just like the world champs dont because its a live style change new tracks wether dirt people teams homes.....
what i do believe is a true champion would of one everything....JMB still the only guy who can say i beat everyone on any track any heat any rain anywhere!!
please RV the sport needs a new JMB. dont race for the bucks race for the titles.
if the world championship is 2nd rate......how is KROC able to race your best lites guys on tracks they already know in conditions they have growen up with??? how??? you slate em because there not american....didnt see no12 kill em in france!!!!
even rv got beat by two mx2 guys on bikes they never normaly ride!!!
refriedscott: I think you drank too much, just think about how bigger is the USA compared to the whole Europe, would that mean something or not? If you don't like the GP's just don't watch'em, easy as that, leave your comments somewhere else, one doesn't have to be so smart to understand it.
@refriedscott untill you have been to a GP shut up. I've been to a few nationals and countless MXdN's and GP's and I can tell you that the GP's are no second rate series. As far as spectating and camping and the whole event they make the nationals look like a small club race. I guess they are just different. Have you got any actual experience or just a big mouth?
He is a kid, like that other rapauni jean bla bla bla, they talk crap
truth is if you take top 4 riders from mx1 mx2 lites and open there all crazy fast and on any given day could beat the other!!! and just incase you think im saying this because im not american .....my fav rider is RV!!
I think it would be awesome to see RV in the GPs. I hate it when guys just camp in one series for years and years b/c it is easy money for them: McGrath, Carmichael, Stewart would rather beat up the same ol guys or sit out and not race at all in the case of MC or JS. I am not hating on these guys, I don't blame them but I think their "legend" would be enhanced by doing a stint overseas. Anyways, I doubt RV will go overseas - but it is fun to dream
PS - that list by MXLarge cannot be serious. The fastest guys are in US right now - I agree with "the true" list. Searl, Anstie, Osbourne could not cut it in the US and went to EU for a second chance.
The 250's were way faster than the 450's on that track because of how tight and flat it was... Which is why Cairoli's bike was a huge advantage and why Stribjos did so good.... Cairoli's bike is an advantage on almost all GP tracks which is why he does so well... I think that especially Pourcel but also Desalle would be more successful on national tracks... Pourcel has a 40% win percentage on national tracks and only a 9% win percentage on GP tracks
The speed of US and GP guys are basically the same. In fact the GP's have deeper talent 1-10.... Supercross teaches American riders to ride that pace from the gate drop to the finish while GP guys feel their way into the competition...
Particularly right now, the 450 class is pathetically weak... Dungey could stop every few laps to shotgun a beer and still win
"Cairoli is definitively the best euro rider since Everts, no doubt about it, in GP's he's one the fastest, one of the most technical, and the most regular"
I can't believe what he wrote: for the first time in his life he admitted that a European rider can go fast on a dirt bike, incredible.
About the lap times: keep in mind the conditions of the track, which was getting more and more difficult. Anyway, regarding Pourcel, in my opinion he has some healthy problems, he is not fit enough to race both motos at 100%, I have been carefully watching him and sometimes I don't recognize the old Pourcel in him, I am sorry about that. The championship is not over and in my opinion Desalle and CP will make up points soon. No need to say that the MX1 offers incredible racing this year, while the MX2 is definitely poor.
I don't think you can blame the track deteriorating for the laptimes... Sure it got rougher but the track was obviously better for a smaller bike...
I don't see what Pourcel does that would indicate that he has trouble putting two motos together.
Did you see the motos? I did, all of them. He has those moments, which last a few minutes, in which it happens he loses speed, positions, and then he starts to push again. I saw this a few times this year. Definitely he can holeshot almost every moto, if he were like the old CP only Cairoli could beat him, like he already did in the past.
About the lap times, maybe the small bikes suited this track better, maybe, I don't know, anyway it was one of the best this year.
so does everyone else... aside from two DNF's he is doing good... He hates most of those tracks and loves most national tracks... He was the same guy in 2006 and 2007...
so does everyone else... aside from two DNF's he is doing good... He hates most of those tracks and loves most national tracks... He was the same guy in 2006 and 2007...
To beat the best here and in Europe would lay claim as a true world champ. Would love to see Ryan do it!
As much as I don't like Jeffrey Herlings, he is the most incredible rider in the world! Granted maybe not as fast as your top AMA guys on hard pack, but sand is the real test of rider and machine and he by far the best at that!
Just hoe he shows up the MXoN this year and puts a point across to all those people who say GPs are no good! Cause if he shows up Dungey won't be the fastest KTM!
As for Searle give him a break he was injured and on a bad team in the AMA, but he still got some good results on the podium! I saw him and Deano practicing on the 250s and they were exactly the same pace! Can't argue with that!
As Euromike mentioned.. Luongo is biggest ass*le making life difficult for the privateer and only giving a handfull of riders the opportunity to make it big times...
And true.. RJ did mention it back in the days.. But his wrist was just too scre*ed up... And Glover, well, he did it for the big money back then with KTM... And the bike sucked as well...
However.. RV will first stick it out till 2015.. And wrap up many, many championships.. And try in 2016.. Only 28... That would be cool!And if he wins... He could claim to be the very best.. (In my opinion he already is!)
i think you guys over there never sore the best of tommy searle....it wasnt that he couldnt cut it......the team was a train wreck!!! ktm didnt have the sx setup they didnt have the people...and tommy didnt know either....and then he got hurt..add to a private law sue over contract for his 2nd yr and u have a american dream turn nightmare.... in the open race at the nations he went from 24th to 4th takin reed and afew other ama boys running same laps times as rd and rv up front...
max anstie was geting very fast in sx....racing with tc jw before breaking himself...so i dont agree that they didnt cut it or that they were 2nd rate...just didnt go there way
Anstie has been disappointing, no doubt about it. I still don't understand why he can't podium every week-end, he mainly struggles to have a good start.
Searle has been on a 250F for 6-7 years, he is as fast as Herlings except on sandy tracks, he can still win this title.
totally agree manes.....tommy needs herlins to dnf though....if you look at the points...and say ts got 2nd at the moto he dnfed he would be 4 points down if he had won the moto he was leading when his break failed as well he would be 2 points up....all if and buts i know but.....tommy has had some shit luck.
anstie has 1 big problem...his dad!!!! he would still have his pc kawasaki and be top 4.....that honda is under powered...think his done 2 gps with a stock motor!!!.....again all ifs and buts.....what i do know is herlins needs 2 be cleaned out lol
I think Anstie's father is not showing up at the GP's anymore. His Honda will improve soon, the Gariboldi team is a great one.
About Searle, well his bike broke due to a previous fall of his. Same thing that happened to Pourcel in USA. Anyway the two guys are on the same level, it's all about the following tracks, some of them are sandy.