Tanel Leok poles while Steve Ramon looks forward to tomorrow's Title chase
The FIM Motocross World Championship riders took their first steps on the sandy De Herselse Bossen today on a dry surface. Tanel Leok (EST, Kawasaki) conquered another pole in the MX1 class, improving on the difficult qualifying of last year, when the Estonian finished only seventh fastest. Current leader Steve Ramon (BEL, Suzuki) was third fastest. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, Yamaha) marked his comeback to MX2 with a stunning qualifying heat victory – the thirteenth of the season - in the first qualifying heat, while Gareth Swanepoel (RSA, Kawasaki) won a hard fought second heat, battling with second placed Erik Eggens (NED, Suzuki).
Katherine Prumm (NZL, Kawasaki) posted a brilliant lap to secure the pole, ahead of Marie Romlin (SWE, Yamaha), while series leader Livia Lancelot (FRA, Kawasaki) was fifth fastest.
MX1
Tanel Leok of Kawasaki Racing was the quickest rider on the 1750 metre long track, as he posted a solid lap in the middle of the session to clinch his second consecutive pole after Donington, and fifth of the season. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Suzuki) of Suzuki was a brilliant second fastest today, after Donington’s podium last weekend, and will aim high tomorrow, when his team mate Steve Ramon can clinch the 2007 Title. Ramon, who was World Champion in 2003 in the 125cc class, is now leading the standings in front of an absent Joshua Coppins (NZL, Yamaha). Ramon will start his quest for glory from the third spot of the grid, ahead of a "new" Marc De Reuver (NED, Yamaha). The Dutchman, who is well known for being a sand specialist, has almost resurrected after a difficult GP of Great Britain, where he sat out of the final heat. With a last minute lap, TM’s Manuel Priem (BEL, TM) clinched the fifth place on the grid, snatching it from David Philippaerts (ITA, KTM) who dropped down to sixth. Sebastien Pourcel (FRA, Kawasaki), who, like Strijbos, still has a chance of grasping the Title, will be starting from the bottom of the top ten.
Qualifying Class MX1:- Leok, Tanel (EST, Kawasaki), 2:00.537
- Strijbos, Kevin (BEL, Suzuki), 2:00.694
- Ramon, Steve (BEL, Suzuki), 2:00.778
- de Reuver, Marc (NED, Yamaha), 2:00.988
- Priem, Manuel (BEL, TM), 2:01.209
- Philippaerts, David (ITA, KTM), 2:01.642
- de Dycker, Ken (BEL, Honda), 2:02.346
- Mackenzie, Billy (GBR, Kawasaki), 2:02.688
- Pourcel, Sebastien (FRA, Kawasaki), 2:02.937
- Nagl, Maximilian (GER, KTM), 2:03.132
- Leok, Aigar (EST, Yamaha), 2:03.525
- Salvini, Alex (ITA, Yamaha), 2:03.943
- Nemeth, Kornel (HUN, Suzuki), 2:04.016
- Noble, James (GBR, Honda), 2:04.671
- Brown, Mike (USA, Honda), 2:04.792
- van Daele, Marvin (BEL, Honda), 2:05.026
- Theybers, Danny (BEL, Suzuki), 2:05.097
- Melotte, Cedric (BEL, Aprilia), 2:05.592
- Roos, Patrick (NED, Yamaha), 2:06.409
- Barragan, Jonathan (ESP, KTM), 2:06.508
- Renet, Pierre A. (FRA, Honda), 2:06.538
- Coulon, Cyrille (FRA, Honda), 2:06.574
- Saris, William (NED, Yamaha), 2:06.947
- Kovalainen, Marko (FIN, Honda), 2:07.069
- Freibergs, Lauris (LAT, Yamaha), 2:07.312
- Desalle, Clement (BEL, Suzuki), 2:07.487
- Bill, Julien (SUI, Honda), 2:07.827
- Potisek, Timotei (FRA, Honda), 2:07.841
- Jones, Mark (GBR, Kawasaki), 2:08.465
- Chiodi, Alessio (ITA, Aprilia), 2:08.515
- Schröter, Dennis (GER, Suzuki), 2:08.849
- Smith, Wayne (GBR, Honda), 2:09.119
MX2
Antonio Cairoli of Yamaha De Carli made a stunning comeback to the MX2 class, after his first time out MX1 win last weekend, and dominated the first qualifying moto. In the second qualifying heat, Gareth Swanepoel of Molson Kawasaki and Erik Eggens of Beuersfoon Suzuki battled it out for the first place, which was eventually taken by the South African. Eggens brought the bike home with second, as Rui Goncalves (POR, KTM) did in the first heat, after having lead the first two laps.
MX2 Qualifying Race 1
 Antonio Cairoli (ITA, Yamaha) / Photo by: Jörg Domanowski / realmx.comRui Goncalves had a storming start and lead the first two laps, but Tony Cairoli never let the Portuguese go and stayed on his tail until he found an open door. Once the two time Sicilian World Champion moved up to the lead, he rode his own race to finish first at the chequered flag. Goncalves cruised in second place, keeping third placed Matti Seistola (FIN, Honda) behind in third, with a gap of almost twenty seconds. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, KTM) rode to fourth, recovering from sixth place, as Davide Guarneri (ITA, Yamaha), who won his maiden GP at Namur but did not race Donington because of a strained groin, dropped down from third to an eventual fifth. Qualifying Class MX2 1st Race:- Cairoli, Antonio (ITA, Yamaha)
- Goncalves, Rui (POR, KTM)
- Seistola, Matti (FIN, Honda)
- van Horebeek, Jeremy (BEL, KTM)
- Guarneri, Davide (ITA, Yamaha)
- Boog, Xavier (FRA, Yamaha)
- van Vijfeijken, Rob (NED, KTM)
- Gundersen, Kenneth (NOR, Yamaha)
- Church, Tom (GBR, Kawasaki)
- Simpson, Shaun (GBR, Kawasaki)
- Bobkovs, Aigars (LAT, KTM)
- Monni, Manuel (ITA, Yamaha)
MX2 Qualifying Race 2
After a storming start, Dutchman Rinus Van Der Ven (NED, KTM) lead the pack into turn one, followed by a very motivated Gareth Swanepoel, who is always at ease on sandy tracks. Swanie took the lead before the end of the opening lap, and tried to pull away from the rest of the field, while Van Der Ven dropped the pace and ended tenth. Tommy Searle (GBR, KTM) was the first to try and chase the South African leader, but he was passed by sand master Erik Eggens, from Holland.
Eggens rode solid until he reached Swanepoel’s tail, then the two battled it out for the eventual win, with Eggens using every possible line to overtake his rival. After two separate attacks, Eggens was very close to Swanepoel, but the latter was first at the chequered flag. Tommy Searle brought the bike home with third, ahead of Nicolas Aubin (FRA, Yamaha) and Dennis Verbruggen (BEL, Yamaha). The latter made an impressive recovery from fifteenth to fifth, after a disastrous start. Shannon Terreblanche (RSA, Suzuki) was cruising in fifth but dropped down to seventeenth for a technical problem. The South African eventually qualified via the last chance, like Jeremy Tarroux (FRA, KTM).
Qualifying Class MX2 2nd Race:- Swanepoel, Gareth (RSA, Kawasaki)
- Eggens, Erik (NED, Suzuki)
- Searle, Tommy (GBR, KTM)
- Aubin, Nicolas (FRA, Yamaha)
- Verbruggen, Dennis (BEL, Yamaha)
- Nunn, Carl (GBR, Yamaha)
- Hamblin, Sean (USA, Suzuki)
- Schiffer, Marcus (GER, KTM)
- Kras, Mike (NED, Suzuki)
- van der Ven, Rinus (NED, KTM)
- Boissiere, Anthony (FRA, Kawasaki)
- Reynders, Stuwey (NED, KTM)
MX2 Last Chance Qualifying Practice:- Avis, Wyatt (RSA, KTM), 2:07.626
- Tarroux, Jeremy (FRA, KTM), 2:08.086
- Krestinov, Gert (EST, KTM), 2:08.111
- Bonini, Matteo (ITA, Yamaha), 2:08.327
- Karro, Matiss (LAT, Honda), 2:08.890
- Terreblanche, Shannon (RSA, Suzuki), 2:08.951
FIM Women's Motocross World Cup
Defending Champion Katherine Prumm, who is currently second in the Cup with one single point gap from leader Livia Lancelot, secured the pole ahead of Swedish Marie Romlin. Prumm rode solid on the sand, in this maiden appearance of the Cup on such a ground, and was more than five and a half second faster than Romlin. Natalie Kane was third fastest ahead of first round winner Larissa Papenmeier (GER, Honda). Series leader Livia Lancelot rounded off the top five ahead of Maria Franke (GER, Kawasaki).
Qualifying Womens MX World Cup:- Prumm, Katherine (NZL, Kawasaki), 2:27.711
- Romlin, Marie (SWE, Yamaha), 2:33.281
- Kane, Natalie (IRL, Yamaha), 2:33.307
- Papenmeier, Larissa (GER, Honda), 2:33.750
- Lancelot, Livia (FRA, Kawasaki), 2:34.018
- Franke, Maria (GER, Kawasaki), 2:34.746
- Veenstra, Marianne (NED, Honda), 2:35.993
- De Mol, Marielle (NED, Yamaha), 2:37.872
- Wagemans, Brenda (BEL, KTM), 2:37.986
- van Wordragen, Nicky (NED, KTM), 2:37.988
- Seidenberg, Jenny (GER, KTM), 2:38.100
- Adriansson, Sandra (SWE, Suzuki), 2:38.140
- De Winter, Elien (BEL, Honda), 2:39.895
- Fransoo, Natascha (GER, TM), 2:43.437
- Sjöberg, Sofia (SWE, Honda), 2:44.063
- Adriaanse-Goetheer, Karin (NED, Yamaha), 2:47.139
- Bartova, Jana (CZE, KTM), 2:47.642
- Johansson, Sofia (SWE, Honda), 2:47.743
- Jenzer, Jeannine (SUI, Kawasaki), 2:48.426
- Simenstad, Mari (NOR, Yamaha), 2:48.522
- Irmgartz, Kim (GER, Suzuki), 2:48.626
- Pol, Mirjam (NED, Honda), 2:49.556
- van der Wekken, Britt (NED, Suzuki), 2:51.693
- Dufrene, Blandine (FRA, Honda), 2:53.703
- Pedersen, Mie (DEN, Suzuki), 2:54.456
- Rye-Holmboe, Katrine (NOR, KTM), 59:59.999
- Rommel, Stefanie (GER, KTM), 2:59.163
- Paull, Sophia (GBR, Yamaha), 3:01.260
- Staman, Steffany (NED, Kawasaki), 3:04.738
- Piladze, Inga (LAT, Kawasaki), 3:14.310
- Martinez Fenollar, Laura (ESP, Kawasaki), 3:15.395
- Gonzalez Rodrigues, Mabel (ESP, Kawasaki), 3:17.098
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