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Desalle quickest in Loket Mud - Czech MXGP
News Saturday 07th August 2010 By Suzuki
Rockstar Teka Suzuki World MX1 will enter a Grand Prix gate in first place for the fourth time this season after Clement Desalle steered his works RM-Z450WS to the fastest time through wet and muddy conditions at Loket for the 12h round of 15 in the FIM Motocross World Championship.
The Czech Republic round of the series was blighted by a persistent rainfall over 48 hours which flooded the site and created a softer, slower and more technical course from the hillside hard-pack.
Desalle, chasing his 10h podium result of the year, became the category's best qualifier in 2010 so far with his fourth pole time; achieved at the venue where he claimed his first career victory in 2009. The Belgian skilfully negotiated the mud on his works machine (adorned with small modifications to offer the best protection against the water) and headed the timing screens for the majority of the sessions after the programme was changed and the qualification heats scrapped in order not to further punish the layout.
Steve Ramon was holding a slot in the top three before finally being nudged to fifth in the MX1 classification. The berth is still positive for the long start-straight and a premium will be placed on a decent exit from the gate tomorrow for the 35 minute and 2 lap motos that are predicted to occur under brighter skies.
Clement Desalle:
"It is good to have pole position in the gate and I felt fast right away on this track. It started to dry in the Timed Practice and I was able to make another lap. I am really motivated to win here again and I will do my best to make it happen. It will be better if it is not raining but I'm ready for whatever the conditions."
Steve Ramon:
"For sure the conditions are a bit different to what we normally find here. It is slippery but there are not many lines and the ruts are very worn and bumpy. It is not easy. Timed Practice went OK and fifth is a good position for the start."
MX1 Qualification: 1. Clement Desalle (BEL, Rockstar Teka Suzuki World MX1), 1:53.881; 2. Tanel Leok (EST, Honda), +0:00.889; 3. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Suzuki), +0:01.070; 4. Ken de Dycker (BEL, Yamaha), +0:01.120; 5. Steve Ramon (BEL, Rockstar Teka Suzuki World MX1), +0:01.473; 6. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:01.780; 7. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), +0:01.959; 8. Nicolas Aubin (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:02.322; 9. Davide Guarneri (ITA, Honda), +0:02.687; 10. Rui Goncalves (POR, KTM), +0:02.796.
Ken Roczen will start a sodden Grand Prix of Czech Republic and the 12 round of 15 in the FIM Motocross World Championship with sixth position, one spot ahead of team-mate Arnaud Tonus. The teenagers negotiated a Timed Practice session instead of a qualification heat at the wet and muddy course of Loket on their fuel-injected Teka Suzuki Europe World MX2 RM-Z250s after the Saturday schedule was altered to preserve the weather-bashed track in the case of more poor metrological treatment.
The hard-pack formed into one line and became slower, bumpier and more technical after the small town of Loket and the surrounding region had become rain-lashed in the days preceding the Grand Prix. Both riders experimented with different tyres in the search of optimum grip but we finally content with their race set-ups.
Roczen's best effort was over 1.5 seconds from the pole time but Tonus was close with less than a tenth-of-a-second away from the German. Brighter, drier and warmer conditions are predicted for race-day tomorrow.
Ken Roczen:
"The track is better than I thought it would be but my qualification performance was not that good. I was on the pace but just couldn't get a better lap on the clock. The weather was really poor today and we can only hope that the rain will finally stop and we can concentrate on the races tomorrow."
Arnaud Tonus:
"Considering all the rain we've had the track is not so bad. There is only one line so it was important to stay-on and be focussed for one flying lap. My fastest attempt was not bad and OK for the gate. I like this track and I hope it will be a bit better tomorrow. We tried a few different tyres but nothing special and the bike is more or less the same from last week. We already made a good step before Lommel with the engine and I'm sure it will help tomorrow with the starts."
MX2 Qualification Heat classification: 1. Steven Frossard (FRA, Kawasaki), 1:56.548; 2. Marvin Musquin (FRA, KTM), +0:00.225; 3. Jeremy van Horebeek (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:01.123; 4. Zach Osborne (USA, Yamaha), +0:01.285; 5. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), +0:01.299; 6. Ken Roczen (GER, Teka Suzuki Europe World MX2), +0:01.695; 7. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, Teka Suzuki Europe World MX2), +0:01.774; 8. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), +0:02.042; 9. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Yamaha), +0:02.180; 10. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, Yamaha), +0:02.569.
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Desalle, chasing his 10h podium result of the year, became the category's best qualifier in 2010 so far with his fourth pole time; achieved at the venue where he claimed his first career victory in 2009. The Belgian skilfully negotiated the mud on his works machine (adorned with small modifications to offer the best protection against the water) and headed the timing screens for the majority of the sessions after the programme was changed and the qualification heats scrapped in order not to further punish the layout.
Steve Ramon was holding a slot in the top three before finally being nudged to fifth in the MX1 classification. The berth is still positive for the long start-straight and a premium will be placed on a decent exit from the gate tomorrow for the 35 minute and 2 lap motos that are predicted to occur under brighter skies.
Clement Desalle:
"It is good to have pole position in the gate and I felt fast right away on this track. It started to dry in the Timed Practice and I was able to make another lap. I am really motivated to win here again and I will do my best to make it happen. It will be better if it is not raining but I'm ready for whatever the conditions."
Steve Ramon:
"For sure the conditions are a bit different to what we normally find here. It is slippery but there are not many lines and the ruts are very worn and bumpy. It is not easy. Timed Practice went OK and fifth is a good position for the start."
MX1 Qualification: 1. Clement Desalle (BEL, Rockstar Teka Suzuki World MX1), 1:53.881; 2. Tanel Leok (EST, Honda), +0:00.889; 3. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Suzuki), +0:01.070; 4. Ken de Dycker (BEL, Yamaha), +0:01.120; 5. Steve Ramon (BEL, Rockstar Teka Suzuki World MX1), +0:01.473; 6. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:01.780; 7. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), +0:01.959; 8. Nicolas Aubin (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:02.322; 9. Davide Guarneri (ITA, Honda), +0:02.687; 10. Rui Goncalves (POR, KTM), +0:02.796.
Ken Roczen will start a sodden Grand Prix of Czech Republic and the 12 round of 15 in the FIM Motocross World Championship with sixth position, one spot ahead of team-mate Arnaud Tonus. The teenagers negotiated a Timed Practice session instead of a qualification heat at the wet and muddy course of Loket on their fuel-injected Teka Suzuki Europe World MX2 RM-Z250s after the Saturday schedule was altered to preserve the weather-bashed track in the case of more poor metrological treatment.
The hard-pack formed into one line and became slower, bumpier and more technical after the small town of Loket and the surrounding region had become rain-lashed in the days preceding the Grand Prix. Both riders experimented with different tyres in the search of optimum grip but we finally content with their race set-ups.
Roczen's best effort was over 1.5 seconds from the pole time but Tonus was close with less than a tenth-of-a-second away from the German. Brighter, drier and warmer conditions are predicted for race-day tomorrow.
Ken Roczen:
"The track is better than I thought it would be but my qualification performance was not that good. I was on the pace but just couldn't get a better lap on the clock. The weather was really poor today and we can only hope that the rain will finally stop and we can concentrate on the races tomorrow."
Arnaud Tonus:
"Considering all the rain we've had the track is not so bad. There is only one line so it was important to stay-on and be focussed for one flying lap. My fastest attempt was not bad and OK for the gate. I like this track and I hope it will be a bit better tomorrow. We tried a few different tyres but nothing special and the bike is more or less the same from last week. We already made a good step before Lommel with the engine and I'm sure it will help tomorrow with the starts."
MX2 Qualification Heat classification: 1. Steven Frossard (FRA, Kawasaki), 1:56.548; 2. Marvin Musquin (FRA, KTM), +0:00.225; 3. Jeremy van Horebeek (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:01.123; 4. Zach Osborne (USA, Yamaha), +0:01.285; 5. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), +0:01.299; 6. Ken Roczen (GER, Teka Suzuki Europe World MX2), +0:01.695; 7. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, Teka Suzuki Europe World MX2), +0:01.774; 8. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), +0:02.042; 9. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Yamaha), +0:02.180; 10. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, Yamaha), +0:02.569.
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