AMA National Motocross, Sacramento, CA: Round One: Alessi Flawless

The first round of the AMA Outdoor National Motocross Championship started out with a bang for Mike Alessi as the young Red Bull KTM rider collected a 1-1 in both motos.

In Sacramento, CA dark skies hovered over the track while the Red Bull KTM team prepared for the MX season opener. 40 riders lined the gates for moto one and as the gate dropped, Alessi grabbed the holeshot and checked out, while Zach Osborne, in his first pro motocross race showed maturity and determination, pushed his way to the front finishing a solid sixth. Nathan Ramsey was shoved to the back at the start but moved his way up to eighteenth where he finished. As the skies opened up and the rain came down, Jay Marmont was battling in the top ten until a rock smashed into his goggles, breaking the lens and giving him a severe black eye. Not one to give up he tried to continue but his eyesight was too poor, forcing him to pull off the track.

Moto two, Alessi was second off the line, closely trailing the leader to capitalize on any mistakes. That time came shortly when leader Josh Grant bobbled and fell at the end of the first lap and Alessi took over the lead, never to look back. On the wet and slippery track, Ramsey moved up to third place while Osborne was ninth and Jay Marmont was in the top twenty. With the rain now pouring down, the track was deeply rutted and treacherous. Ramsey crashed going up an uphill double, but continued on and finished ninth. Osborne ran into some bad luck as his clutch level broke off, forcing him to retire from the race.

"I had a perfect day today and led every lap in moto one," said an ecstatic Mike Alessi. "I’m trying to ride consistent and be patient because I learned last year that I have to be patient. It’s not smart to try to do it all in the first five laps."

RAMON TAKES 2ND PODIUM IN JAPAN

Team Suzuki rider Steve Ramon claimed runner-up position in the fifth round of the MX1 Motocross World Championship at a hot and sunny Sugo circuit for the Grand Prix of Japan this afternoon.

The Belgian lifted his second set of silverware for the squad after just five events and extends Suzuki’s podium streak to four successive races. He was fourth and second in front of 17, 500 sun-tanned spectators at another impressive Japanese Grand Prix.

23, 600 fans in total travelled to the venue located a few kilometres from the road racing circuit used in the past for World Superbike events and were treated to some riveting action facilitated by the excellent course. The Sugo soil had been meticulously prepared and the soft terrain soon carved into numerous racing lines. Rough and bumpy, the two MX1 motos were a fast but technical test in which speeds were similar and small mistakes ultimately costly.

Ramon was third at the end of the first lap after briefly passing Cedric Melotte for second spot but was reeled in by Ken De Dycker and Tanel Leok. The Belgian eventually managed to obtain fifth from Melotte on the last lap. After qualifying in fifth position, Kevin Strijbos had a nightmare start by getting boxed in around the first bend of the tight initial ‘S’ section. He then struggled to thread his way through the pack of riders ahead of him and finished a frustrated 12th.

Ramon tried to follow the escaping Stefan Everts in race two after having taking second position from KTM’s Jonathan Barragan but the World Champion proved superior in both events today. Ramon completed a fairly lonely ride but his second place represented his highest moto result of the year so far and assisted towards the same standing on the overall classification sheet. Strijbos was unlucky to get tangled with a falling Leok going through the tricky first corners but unveiled a completely contrasting performance to the first race by rising from last to fourth with an impressive rally. He emerged victorious from a spectacular four rider battle at one stage and sealed seventh overall with his efforts.

Strijbos has slipped to fourth in the World Championship standings and is only three points behind his team-mate. Suzuki is currently second in the Manufacturers points table.

Shinichi Kaga was 19th and a decent 11th, for 15th overall on the fuel-injected RM-Z 450.The team will visit the Suzuki factory on Monday before beginning the long trip back to Europe. The sixth round of 15 in the World Championship will take place at the Sevlievo circuit for the Grand Prix of Bulgaria on June 4th.

Steve Ramon:"My start was not so good in the first moto but I made some good positions in the first two corners. My riding was not great after that because I could not get into a rhythm and I saw that Stefan was pushing very hard at the beginning. I lost two places in the middle of the race but towards the end I was improving and could close the gap to Ken and Tanel, although there was no time to attack. Fourth was ok but it could have been better. "In the second moto I was hanging third and the whole race was tough for me; I had to work hard on the bike. To finish second overall is a good result. Stefan was too fast today and we will try in the next GPs to beat him but at this moment it is really difficult. I want to give many thanks to Suzuki and the team because they worked very hard to give me the best bike they can. This runner-up position also feels a little bit special because we are here in Japan. It has been a nice trip."

Kevin Strijbos:"The day was good and bad. I had my worst and my best races of the season. In the first moto I could not find my lines and was too slow and I was not happy at all. My second moto start was pretty bad. Tanel fell in front of me and because I had my rear braking foot off the peg I could not turn the bike and I hit him. It was bad luck because I had a decent race after that and came back from last to fourth. My riding was better and the lines came to me whereas the first heat was just terrible."

Eric Geboers:"It is another podium for us but I am never enthusiastic until we are on the highest step. It is going to be difficult this year to get that win from what we have already seen so far! We had great support from Suzuki this weekend and the atmosphere around the team was much better after the second race compared to the first!"

Battle of the Champions

It was Polisport supported rider, Martin Barr Bike it / Dixon Yamaha who took the overall win at Round One of the Polisport / MCCNI Supercross series in Ireland on Wednesday evening.

The top rung on the podium was a hotly contested affair, with Wayne Garrett, Moto-One KTM, Gordon Crockard, Wulfsport Honda and Barr taking a win apiece.

The large crowd that was in attendance were treated to an evening of sunshine and handlebar bashing, highflying action, in both adult and youth classes.

The final race of the evening was the Russell’s Motorcycles Dash for Cash.

A La Mans style start saw local ace Phillip McCullough take the lead, the KTM rider held of Crockard and Barr for what equated to £100 per lap prize fund.

Round two of this series will be held at Tandragee Moto Park, on June 21st.

The full results will be posted on UlsterMotocross.com soon, although results alone will never relay the atmosphere, excitement and adrenaline fuelled racing throughout every class. Motocross recruited a large number of new fans on Wednesday evening at Ballymoney - well done each and everyone of you. Roll on Round two.

MX1 : Unstoppable Everts scores GP win 91

Yamaha Intur Sports Motocross team's Stefan Everts extended his run of victories at a hot and hard day of racing at the Talkessel circuit in Teutschenthal for the Grand Prix of Germany. The reigning number one boasts a perfect record this season and has now accumulated 91 career GP wins.

Everts had qualified in second position, only three tenths of a second away from pole position and used his decent pick in the start gate to make an effective start in moto1 and seized the lead on the opening lap. For the next 37 minutes the Belgian was unflinching and ignored pressure from Kevin Strijbos and his team-mate Cedric Melotte to record his fourth successive moto win. The Talkessel mud was dry and dusty after a long and sunny weekend. Overtaking opportunities were limited away from the main fast line but Everts had little need to worry as he showed his rivals the quickest route in front of 31,000 spectators.

The second moto was a similar affair and this time Tanel Leok was the challenger but Everts proved resolute. The 33 year old has now achieved four heat wins in a row and six Grands Prix. Cedric Melotte was unlucky not to confirm third position in the first race after holding the slot for eighteen of nineteen laps. The Belgian, who is still not 100% fit after a pre-season wrist injury, crumbled under pressure from Jonathan Barrgan and his gesture of frustration over the finish line, after losing his first top three finish five corners from the flag, aptly told the story. In the second moto he crashed on the second turn and another fall signalled the end of his afternoon. Special mention must go to Bike it Yamaha Dixon racing's Julien Bill who scored his best ever MX1 result after only four Grands Prix in the class with seventh position. Everts has extended his lead in the Championship by thirteen points and now heads Leok by forty. Melotte is currently 12th but only ten points away from fifth place.

The Grand Prix also represented the opening round of the FIM Women's World Cup. Yamaha's Livia Lancelot claimed second position overall after winning the first race and then taking the runner-up spot in race two. The French teenager claimed an exciting first moto of 20 minutes and 2 laps duration from main rivals Katherine Prumm and reigning Champion Stephanie Laier. Lancelot led the race from start to finish but endured bouts of sustained pressure from Laier and then Prumm. The 18 year old picked her way through backmarkers more efficiently on the last lap and took the chequered flag. Later in the day she had to follow a more ruthless Prumm but equalled the Kiwi's points total, only losing the top step due to the second race ranking.

The second and final stage of the Women's competition will take place at the Grand Prix of Sweden on July 2nd. The World Championships meanwhile will travel to Japan, Bulgaria, Italy and Great Britain before arriving in Scandinavia. The fifth round of the series will take place in two weeks time at the Sugo circuit in Sendai.

Stefan Everts: "I rode really fast today and I had to because Kevin chased me in the first moto and Tanel was right there in the second. It is better for me when I have some pressure and quick riders around. The young guys are getting better and physically stronger. They want to beat me for sure so I have to keep on working hard during the week. I am doing my best. It is good for the racing that we have these guys at the front and it makes it more interesting. The new Yamaha is so strong, not only for riding but also on the starts; I am making a lot of holeshots and this makes it so much easier to win the race."

Cedric Melotte: "The first moto was pretty good for me in comparison to the second. I took a good start and could keep the rhythm with Strijbos and Stefan. In the next race I crashed on the second corner and I tried to come back but the track was really fast. I fell again and hurt my neck. I stopped because I was not feeling too good. It is a pity because for the second GP I have made one decent moto and one bad. I am disappointed about this but I tried my best. I have to be more focussed for the next GP."

Carlo Rinadli: Team manager: "After the first moto we were optimistic of a good result for Cedric because we saw that he had the speed, even from Saturday's sessions. He was feeling good and proved it in that first moto so we were hoping for a strong result from both riders but unfortunately he crashed twice in the next race and he had to pull out. It is a pity for him because he needs some good results to get back his confidence. On the other hand, Stefan did very well again and established his pace over the other riders. It was difficult for him because the youngsters are pushing hard. He made two good starts and was very consistent with his speed; there is not much more to say! We made hardly any changes to the bike this weekend; just a few tweaks to the suspension and carburetion but nothing major."


MX2 : Mackenzie top finisher with fourth in Germany

The MX2 class of the Karcher Grand Prix of Germany was dominated by Christophe Pourcel who achieved his maiden overall success and Bike it Yamaha Dixon Racing's Billy Mackenzie was the top YZ250F pilot with fourth place after two hot and demanding motos.

The sunken-bowl landscape of the Talkessel circuit just outside of Teutschenthal presented a bumpy, sunshine baked and fast prospect for the Grand Prix stars. The track was typically rough and quick meaning that the starts largely determined the ranking and Pourcel enjoyed two holeshots that carried a significant advantage. 22 year old Mackenzie, from Edinburgh in Scotland, took results of sixth and fifth in the two 35 minute and two lap motos after battling with fellow Yamaha representatives Antonio Cairoli and Davide Guarneri in both heats.

World Champion Antonio Cairoli was fifth overall but his finishes of fifth and seventh hid a strong vein of courage. The Sicilian crashed in the warm-up and needed treatment for a sore back and neck. He could not maintain his usual pace and was effective only in fits and spurts. A poor start in the second moto prevented a better classification.

The Ricci Racing team were left lamenting their poor luck. Alessio Chiodi had taken his best finish of the year so far with a solid third in the first moto (after Tyla Rattray had crashed) and used all of his experience to make life hard for the works KTMs, who would eventually scale the podium. However a mechanical problem ten minutes from the chequered flag later in the afternoon meant a second DNF from eight motos run so far this season. His team-mate Kenneth Gundersen was seventh in race one. The Norwegian had recovered from the virus that affected him in Portugal but, like Cairoli, was restricted by bad starts. In the second race he was manfully diverting the attentions of Mackenzie from fifth position before a crash near the end of the moto, followed by another tangle one lap later, relegated him to 15th. The third member of the team, Guarneri - competing at the venue where he scored his first ever moto victory last year - was sixth in the same race where his compatriots foundered after an earlier DNF.

Mackenzie has finished in the top eight for the last six motos and this consistency has seen him rise to fifth in the World Championship standings just 14 points behind Cairoli.

The fifth round of fifteen in the 2006 FIM World Championship will take place at the Sugo circuit in two weeks time for the Yamaha-backed Grand Prix of Japan.

Billy Mackenzie, Bike it Yamaha Dixon Racing: "This is such a big improvement over Portugal and I am pleased to be the first Yamaha rider home. We have been testing a lot over the last few months and now we are at a place with the suspension whereby the bike is working really well. I have steadily moved up in the Championship and I really want to win a couple of races now; some of my favourite tracks are coming up."

Antonio Cairoli, De Carli Yamaha: "I had a lot of pain out there, especially in the second heat. My vision was also affected so I was taking a lot of risks. My neck and arms really hurt after a big crash this morning. Luckily for me nothing is broken and to take some points today was good."

Alessio Chiodi, Ricci Racing: "The bike started to make a funny noise with ten minutes to go and I suspected something was wrong. Three laps before the end it lost power and stopped. It is very disappointing to lose the podium because I was having a good race in that second moto. I also threw away some good points."

Kenneth Gundersen, Ricci Racing: "Today was crap. I was fifth in the second moto and made a stupid crash two laps before the end; it was bad luck again. In the first race I had a bad start and came back from 20th to seventh. At least my body feels better and I can only improve from here."

SUZUKI MX1 DUO ON FORM FOR GERMANY

Team Suzuki MX1 riders Kevin Strijbos and Steve Ramon head to Germany this weekend for round four of the FIM MX1 World Championships at Teutschenthal, both on form and set to improve on their top-seven positions.

A Suzuki rider has been present on the podium at the last two Grands Prix and both Kevin Strijbos and Steve Ramon have both collected silverware. Strijbos is currently fourth in the series, one point from third and 16 from second spot. With Sebastien Tortelli out injured for two months, there is a real possibility that the team could leave eastern Germany with a top-three berth prior to the trip to Japan in three weeks.

Strijbos is enjoying some good form at present after his runner-up position in Portugal and victory last weekend at a Belgian International in his home town of Wuustwezel with 1-3-1 scores in the three motos. "It was a good race. I had some arm-pump in the first moto and although I won, it was not easy," the 20 year old said. "We changed the suspension for the rest of the day and we did not have any more problems. I crashed at the start in the second race and came from last to third and then in the last moto I holeshotted and was gone. I was happy to win because I had a lot of fans there.

"After the podium in Portugal and the race in Belgium, I am feeling confident for this weekend," he continued. "Teutschenthal is a fast track and it is not that complicated. We should see quite a few riders grouped together and I don’t think it will be that easy for Everts this time. Again it will be important to take a good start to be with the front guys."Steve Ramon is back to full fitness after his high-speed crash in Portugal that caused him to DNF the second moto and leave the circuit with a damaged shoulder and bashed head.

"I had to rest for a week after hitting my head but I went practicing last Sunday and everything is fine now, " he commented. "I was disappointed about the GP in Portugal mainly because I lost a lot of points and dropped to seventh in the Championship. With Tortelli crashing out, I could easily have been third now."I want to be ready for Teutschenthal and take a good result to be right back up there. The track is nice to ride and there is more grip when it is a little wet. Everybody is fast around that circuit so the start is crucial again; we’ll see how it goes," he added.

The Talkessel circuit in the small town of Teutschenthal houses a grippy and fast course that features many undulations and inclines within its ‘bowl’ setting. The German circuit holds the rather unusual honour of hosting two Grands Prix for different countries; specifically the East German GP in 1971 (250) and West German 500cc race in 1993.The team gained a podium result at the venue 12 months ago thanks to Joel Smets but Strijbos missed the event due to injury. Steve Ramon was 10th overall but came third in the second moto.

The weather forecast for the weekend predicts sunny and warm conditions although there is a chance of showers on Friday.

MX1 World Championship standings (after 3 rounds of 15): 1. Stefan Everts, BEL 142, 2. Tanel Leok, EST 115, 3. Sebastien Tortelli, FRA 99, 4. Kevin Strijbos, BEL 98, 5. Jonathan Barragan, SPA 97, 6. Ken de Dycker, BEL 97, 7. Steve Ramon, BEL 83, 8. Cedric Melotte, BEL 66, 9. Pascal Leuret, FRA 65, 10. Manuel Priem, BEL 53.

DE DYCKER STRENGTHENS HIS GRIP ON MAXXIS BRITISH MOTO X CHAMPIONSHIP

CAS Honda rider Ken De Dycker scored a resounding double win this afternoon (30 April) at round three of the Maxxis British Moto X Championship at Matchams Park, Hampshire.

De Dycker, who now has a resounding 13 point lead over his nearest rival Stephen Sword, demonstrated his superior riding skills at the 1.4km track. In both races the Belgian rider got away with the top six and smoothly made his way through the pack to win both races.

Wulfsport Honda’s Gordon Crockard was unfortunate in the first moto of the day when he got tangled up with the pack on the opening lap, however Crockard rejoined the field and finished in sixth place. In the second moto Crockard got a clean start and finished on the podium in third.

James Noble finished on the podium in the first race with a third place finish, but was unable to duplicate the result in the second. He was knocked off his bike and landed the other side of the bales, however, undeterred the RWJ Honda rider fought back and finished in fifth place.

PAR Honda rider Mark Jones just missed out on a podium when he finished in fourth place in the first moto.

In the MX2 class Wayne Smith scored a well-earned fifth and sixth place finish at the demanding track and now lies in fifth in the Championship standings.

Honda Off-Road Manager – Roger Harvey: "We have had a good day today and we are delighted that Ken won both races. Hopefully we can now keep the results rolling and see another Championship come our way."