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| Philippaerts podium at Loket one of three Yamahas in top five | | |  | The Grand Prix of Czech Republic at the hard and fast Loket circuit deep in the western region of the country saw Yamaha Monster Energy MX Team's David Philippaerts take 3rd position on his works YZ450FM as three Yamaha riders classified in the top five at the thirteenth round of fifteen in the FIM MX1-GP Motocross World Championship, attended by 21,000 people.
Light cloud and hot sunshine were the conditions for race-day but the quick, simple and slippery course close to the resort town of Karlovy Vary was still challenging by virtue of its tendency to punish mistakes. Lap-times were close and start positions important; it was tough for riders to gain time so the 35 minute and 2 lap motos became relentless sprints.
Philippaerts, competing at the venue where he was victorious in 2008, gained his second consecutive Czech trophy in his fifth podium ceremony of the season after intense skirmishes with team-mate Josh Coppins in the first moto and countryman Tony Cairoli in the second. The reigning world champion went 3-3 for his first rostrum appearance since the GP of France. |
|  | In 4th was Yamaha Red Bull De Carli's Cairoli. The Sicilian was struggling with a cold over the weekend and had to recover from a chaotic first corner in Moto1 when he was pushed wide and up onto the narrow banking next to the crowd. Slipping down to rejoin the pack he was submerged into the second half of the pack and had to use all his guile to rise to 6th, with team-mate Tanel Leok graciously moving over to allow the MX1-GP series leader to gain another position on the last lap. Cairoli was able to negotiate the opening turn in stronger fashion in Moto2 and after a substantial part of the race looking for a way to make a concrete move on Philippaerts -which he managed in the final ten minutes - was ultimately too far from leader Clement Desalle. Cairoli missed the podium for only the fourth time this year.
Josh Coppins was the last Yamaha representative in the first five and the New Zealander's 5th spot was earned with results of 4th and 5th positions. His tussle with Philippaerts for 3rd in Moto1 was entertaining and a goggle fault and near-miss on the first corner meant that he had to recover from mid-pack for his second race ranking.
Tanel Leok had an unlucky day and despite effective speed and courteous riding to finish 7th in the first race he suffered two crashes and a small problem with his rear brake to only make 15th later in the day for 12th overall.
Cairoli has a 45 point margin in the MX1 Rider's table. This means that the former double MX2 world champion can lift the premier class crown in his maiden season in a matter of weeks if he gains 6 points more than Max Nagl in Holland. Just 100 points remain up for grabs in the series and Cairoli has held the red plate since round three at Turkey. Philippaerts is 3rd and 30 points from Nagl but just 2 in front of Desalle. Coppins is 6th and Leok 7th.
Yamaha maintain their streak of a YZ machine on every Grand Prix rostrum to-date. A 53 point lead is currently held in the Manufacturer's standings with the possibility of the title being confirmed at the following race.
A small break now precedes the penultimate round of the FIM World Championship. Round fourteen will take place within the wide sandy straights of the Lierop circuit for the Grand Prix of the Netherlands in three weeks time. The final meeting will be at Canelinha in Brazil on the second weekend of September. |
|  | David Philippaerts, Yamaha Monster Energy MX Team, 3rd:
"I am happy with today. I like the track here at Loket and enjoyed the win last year. Since my last podium in France I have had some physical problems that took me one month to get rid of but now things are much better. It is hard to pass and I had good fight with Josh in the first moto, perhaps it went on longer than it should because I made a mistake. I had the same experience with Cairoli in the second race; any battle with Cairoli is always hard! He had some good lines and lap-times and looks as though he will be champion this year. This season has not been easy for me but we have two more GPs now and I want to get a top three position at least."
Tony Cairoli, Yamaha Red Bull De Carli, 4th:
"Today I had two really good starts but I did not expect Max to come so close to my wheel. I ran off the track and it was pretty dangerous because I was on a narrow ridge right next to the public. I jumped back down into the group and was back in 25th so I was passing as many riders as quick as I could, which was not easy at all. I finished 6th and have to thank Tanel because he moved over on the last lap and that was a nice gesture. In the second moto the same thing almost happened at the start and I just avoided the green fence. I had to brake and could not believe it when I was again in the middle of the group. Fortunately I had a good line in the second corner and came up the hill inside the top ten. I started to push and made ground but lost some time when I reached David. He was a bit slower than me but we had a good fight and it was enjoyable to race like that with him. When I was in second with just ten minutes to go Desalle was so far and it would have been risky to catch him. I have not lost too many points to Nagl and I hope in Lierop - with my good condition - I can push hard and try to have a decent race there. I had a cold at the start of the weekend but today was not so bad. I was struggling to cleanly breathe sometimes but it was not a major problem." |
|  | Josh Coppins, Yamaha Monster Energy MX Team, 5th:
"A tough day at the office. I rode pretty well and it got off to a good start. I had a decent battle with David there for a while, he passed me, made a mistake and I could get him back and finished fourth by the line. I was away really well in the second moto but Nagl hit me hard on the first corner. I got roosted and my tear-offs were rubbish from that point. I did the best I could to fight back but the goggle lens popped out and I was getting dirt and dust in my vision all the time. Overall I felt I performed OK here but just missed a break to get a better overall result."
Tanel Leok, Yamaha Red Bull De Carli, 9th:
"My speed and my feeling was good on this track but I had really bad luck today. My start could have been better in the first heat and it was difficult to pass. I started better in the second moto but around the second corner Aranda was on the inside of me and pushing wide and I slid out. I ended up with a lot of people and bikes on top of me. I tried to get going but nudged the back wheel of Priem and went down again. When I restarted I was coming through but had to stop to take out a stone from the rear brake! It was a nightmare race." |
| | 2009 GP of Czech Republic 09/08/2009 | | Pos. | Rider | Manu. | Nat. | Total Time | | 1 | Maximilian Nagl | KTM | GER | 39'02.888 | | 2 | Clement Desalle | Honda | BEL | 0'10.188 | | 3 | David Philippaerts | Yamaha | ITA | 0'21.531 | | 4 | Joshua Coppins | Yamaha | NZL | 0'22.734 | | 5 | Gareth Swanepoel | Kawasaki | RSA | 0'23.854 | | 6 | Antonio Cairoli | Yamaha | ITA | 0'25.147 | | 7 | Tanel Leok | Yamaha | EST | 0'32.151 | | 8 | Ken De Dycker | Suzuki | BEL | 0'47.271 | | 9 | Gregory Aranda | Kawasaki | FRA | 0'51.509 | | 10 | Manuel Priem | Aprilia | BEL | 0'55.829 | | 11 | Julien Bill | Aprilia | CHE | 0'59.347 | | 12 | Carlos Campano | Yamaha | ESP | 1'11.154 | | 13 | Jason Dougan | CCM | GBR | 1'15.252 | | 14 | Tom Church | CCM | GBR | 1'16.420 | | 15 | Filip Neugebauer | Kawasaki | CZE | 1'17.303 |
| Pos. | Rider | Manu. | Nat. | Total Time | | 1 | Clement Desalle | Honda | BEL | 39'40.072 | | 2 | Antonio Cairoli | Yamaha | ITA | 0'16.564 | | 3 | David Philippaerts | Yamaha | ITA | 0'24.609 | | 4 | Maximilian Nagl | KTM | GER | 0'29.833 | | 5 | Joshua Coppins | Yamaha | NZL | 0'33.593 | | 6 | Steve Ramon | Suzuki | BEL | 0'40.831 | | 7 | Gareth Swanepoel | Kawasaki | RSA | 0'52.202 | | 8 | Ken De Dycker | Suzuki | BEL | 1'03.342 | | 9 | Gregory Aranda | Kawasaki | FRA | 1'11.859 | | 10 | Loic Leonce | Aprilia | FRA | 1'19.504 | | 11 | Carlos Campano | Yamaha | ESP | 1'25.676 | | 12 | Tom Church | CCM | GBR | 1'27.297 | | 13 | Manuel Priem | Aprilia | BEL | 1'30.070 | | 14 | Filip Neugebauer | Kawasaki | CZE | 1'34.452 | | 15 | Tanel Leok | Yamaha | EST | 1'35.395 | | 19 | Rob van Vijfeijken | Yamaha | NED | -1Laps |
| Rider Standings | 09/08/2009 | | Pos. | Rider | Manu. | Nat. | Points | | 1. | Antonio Cairoli | Yamaha | ITA | 503 | | 2. | Maximilian Nagl | KTM | GER | 458 | | 3. | David Philippaerts | Yamaha | ITA | 428 | | 4. | Clement Desalle | Honda | BEL | 426 | | 5. | Joshua Coppins | Yamaha | NZL | 409 | | 6. | Ken De Dycker | Suzuki | BEL | 409 | | 7. | Tanel Leok | Yamaha | EST | 347 | | 8. | Gareth Swanepoel | Kawasaki | RSA | 218 | | 9. | Jonathan Barragan | KTM | ESP | 215 | | 10. | Manuel Priem | Aprilia | BEL | 178 | | 11. | Aigar Leok | TM | EST | 167 | | 12. | Steve Ramon | Suzuki | BEL | 153 | | 13. | David Vuillemin | Kawasaki | FRA | 150 | | 14. | Gregory Aranda | Kawasaki | FRA | 143 | | 15. | Tom Church | CCM | GBR | 105 | | 17. | Carlos Campano | Yamaha | ESP | 100 | | 27. | Rob van Vijfeijken | Yamaha | NED | 37 | | 38. | Lauris Freibergs | Yamaha | LVA | 12 | | 49. | Davis Livs | Yamaha | LVA | 4 |
| Manufacturer Standings | 09/08/2009 | | Pos. | Manufacturer | Points | | 1. | Yamaha | 571 | | 2. | KTM | 518 | | 3. | Honda | 461 | | 4. | Suzuki | 426 | | 5. | Kawasaki | 272 | | 6. | Aprilia | 211 | | 7. | TM | 172 | | 8. | CCM | 140 |
| Aubin rues luck at Loket | | |  | The thirteenth round of fifteen in the 2009 FIM MX2-GP World Championship saw Yamaha Monster Energy Ricci MX Team's Nico Aubin come close to possibly his best result of the season at a hot, fast and slippery Loket circuit for the Grand Prix of Czech Republic. An audience of 21,000 witnessed the second GP in a week for the paddock as the series winds towards it finale. Aubin was running as high as second place in the first moto before a mechanical problem halted his progress. The Frenchman scored 5th in the next moto to place 13th overall. Yamaha's highest finisher was 3C Racing's Manuel Monni with 8th place in the ranking.
Aubin, competing at the track where he took first and to-date only Grand Prix victory in 2007, was a strong candidate for the podium as he confidently moved into second place during the first half of Moto1, sadly he would be unable to finish. An off-track excursion on the first lap of Moto2 left him adrift of the top three but he rode solidly for 5th spot and his second highest finish from the last seven GPs. |
|  | MX2 Italian champion Monni battled to his 8th overall thanks to 7th and 12th positions. He was ahead of countryman and second Yamaha Monster Energy Ricci MX Team rider Davide Guarneri. The Italian had two crashes on Saturday that left him virtually last in the gate and at a significant disadvantage for the starts, which were vital across a layout that was hard for overtaking. Guarneri persisted to 12th and 14th places.
Utag Yamaha.com's Zach Osborne was another individual cursed with misfortune. The American was hit in the early stages of both motos and left stranded down the field. He was 25th overall. Yamaha Monster Energy Ricci MX Team Loic Larrieu was twenty metres from 10th place in Moto1 until a freak fall in sight of the line caused him to drop seven positions and subsequently retire in discomfort from the second race.
Guarneri is the highest-ranked YZ250FM rider in the competition and with 373 points inhabits 4th place in the table. Aubin is 8th and level on points with Monni.
Round fourteen of the series and the penultimate meeting on the calendar will occur in three weekend's time in the sand of Lierop for the Grand Prix of the Netherlands.
Manuel Monni, Yamaha 3C Racing, 8th:
"This is a not a bad result but I would normally expect better on a fast track like this. I found the circuit different to previous years; the ground was more slippery and it was tough. My starts were not great and I struggled to find a rhythm. I really want to end the year well with a good position in the championship."
Nico Aubin, Yamaha Monster Energy Ricci MX Team, 13th:
"I was up to second place in the first moto before we had an engine problem; there is not much you can do about it! For sure I was disappointed. I had a better start in the second moto but the small group of riders in front of me made some mistakes in the rhythm section on the first lap and I ended up running off the track. I then had to chase Teillet but it was hard to pass and I didn't want to take too much of a risk, so I finished fifth. Lierop is next and I like this track, so I have big hopes for this GP."
Davide Guarneri, Yamaha Monster Energy Ricci MX Team, 14th:
"I had two bad crashes on Saturday and was last in the gate. It was tough to get good positions at the starts. I did not want to stop so I kept on pushing but did not feel so comfortable. It would have been great to keep ground with Paulin today but he was like another rider compared to Saturday!"
Zach Osborne, Utag Yamaha .com, 25th:
"In the first race I had a decent start but was T-boned by Schiffer on the first lap. Everyone was going the same pace out there so it was hard to come through. In the second race I managed a whole lap and a couple of corners before I was taken out again. When I got up I did not have a front brake lever so it was pretty gnarly doing the rest of the race like that. I want to apologise to the team for the results but I got some more time on the bike to try and come back to the pace and fitness that I know I can run." |
| Circuit Length: 1630
Crowd: 21,000
Weather: Sunny Last Years Winner: Tommy Searle | | | 2009 GP of Czech Republic 09/08/2009 | |
| Pos. | Rider | Manu. | Nat. | Total Time |
| 1 | Ken Roczen | Suzuki | GER | 39'15.961 |
| 2 | Marvin Musquin | KTM | FRA | 0'05.598 |
| 3 | Rui Goncalves | KTM | POR | 0'06.420 |
| 4 | Gautier Paulin | Kawasaki | FRA | 0'17.945 |
| 5 | Xavier Boog | Suzuki | FRA | 0'21.079 |
| 6 | Valentin Teillet | KTM | FRA | 0'23.027 |
| 7 | Manuel Monni | Yamaha | ITA | 0'28.750 |
| 8 | Stephen Sword | KTM | GBR | 0'32.980 |
| 9 | Joel Roelants | KTM | BEL | 0'34.937 |
| 10 | Arnaud Tonus | KTM | CHE | 0'39.048 |
| 11 | Jake Nicholls | KTM | GBR | 0'48.689 |
| 12 | Davide Guarneri | Yamaha | ITA | 0'55.292 |
| 13 | Matiss Karro | Suzuki | LVA | 0'59.215 |
| 14 | Cedric Soubeyras | Honda | FRA | 1'08.608 |
| 15 | Jeremy Van Horebeek | KTM | BEL | 1'10.929 |
| 17 | Loic Larrieu | Yamaha | FRA | 1'16.575 |
| Pos. | Rider | Manu. | Nat. | Total Time |
| 1 | Gautier Paulin | Kawasaki | FRA | 40'16.555 |
| 2 | Xavier Boog | Suzuki | FRA | 0'03.669 |
| 3 | Rui Goncalves | KTM | POR | 0'04.985 |
| 4 | Valentin Teillet | KTM | FRA | 0'12.512 |
| 5 | Nicolas Aubin | Yamaha | FRA | 0'23.197 |
| 6 | Jeremy Van Horebeek | KTM | BEL | 0'28.303 |
| 7 | Joel Roelants | KTM | BEL | 0'37.799 |
| 8 | Arnaud Tonus | KTM | CHE | 0'39.236 |
| 9 | Ken Roczen | Suzuki | GER | 0'39.556 |
| 10 | Jake Nicholls | KTM | GBR | 0'44.187 |
| 11 | Steven Frossard | Kawasaki | FRA | 0'49.593 |
| 12 | Marvin Musquin | KTM | FRA | 0'51.548 |
| 13 | Yohei Kojima | Suzuki | JPN | 0'55.241 |
| 14 | Davide Guarneri | Yamaha | ITA | 0'56.933 |
| 15 | Matiss Karro | Suzuki | LVA | 1'01.085 |
| Rider Standings | 09/08/2009 |
| Pos. | Rider | Manu. | Nat. | Points |
| 1. | Marvin Musquin | KTM | FRA | 452 |
| 2. | Rui Goncalves | KTM | POR | 423 |
| 3. | Gautier Paulin | Kawasaki | FRA | 415 |
| 4. | Davide Guarneri | Yamaha | ITA | 373 |
| 5. | Ken Roczen | Suzuki | GER | 306 |
| 6. | Steven Frossard | Kawasaki | FRA | 294 |
| 7. | Joel Roelants | KTM | BEL | 248 |
| 8. | Nicolas Aubin | Yamaha | FRA | 245 |
| 9. | Manuel Monni | Yamaha | ITA | 236 |
| 10. | Xavier Boog | Suzuki | FRA | 235 |
| 11. | Jeremy Van Horebeek | KTM | BEL | 209 |
| 12. | Marcus Schiffer | KTM | GER | 172 |
| 13. | Arnaud Tonus | KTM | CHE | 155 |
| 14. | Loic Larrieu | Yamaha | FRA | 151 |
| 15. | Anthony Boissière | KTM | FRA | 147 |
| 20. | Evgeny Bobryshev | Yamaha | RUS | 102 |
| 21. | Zach Osborne | Yamaha | USA | 100 |
| 25. | Alessandro Lupino | Yamaha | ITA | 56 |
| 30. | Mel Pocock | Yamaha | GBR | 32 |
| 43. | Deny Philippaerts | Yamaha | ITA | 6 |
| Manufacturer Standings | 09/08/2009 |
| Pos. | Manufacturer | Points |
| 1. | KTM | 559 |
| 2. | Kawasaki | 484 |
| 3. | Yamaha | 444 |
| 4. | Suzuki | 422 |
| 5. | Honda | 320 |
| 6. | TM | 14 |
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