MX2 GRAND PRIX RACE 2
After feeling Pourcel's pressure in the opening moto, Cairoli knew he had to open up another early gap and so he did. After he lead the pack into the first corner, Tony flew away from runner up Pourcel, who once again came closer and closer from half race distance.The duo was separated by two and a half seconds once they made it to the finish line, as they left a consistent Tyla Rattray in third, forty seconds behind.The South African lost vital time fighting first with Leuret, then with Guarneri; once he got rid of them both, Leuret begun to chase Guarneri for fourth, and made to pass at lap twelve.With the Frenchman in fourth, Guarneri had to settle for a safe fifth ahead of team mate Nicolas Aubin, who moved in front of Tommy Searle with five laps to go.
IN THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS STANDINGS
Even with a third place on the podium, Josh Coppins made to add seven points to his MX1 Championship lead. Kevin Strijbos is still second, and Steve Ramon is still third, but he reduced his gap from 42 points to 35. Also Ken De Dycker kept his fourth place in the standings, but Sebastien Pourcel is dramatically close, and there is only one point between the two now. David Philippaerts jumped up to seventh, but he is tide in points with Marc De Reuver, eighth.
In MX2, Antonio Cairoli is followed by a new runner up, Christophe Pourcel, but the Frenchman has 66 points less then the Italian. Tyla Rattray dropped down to third, but he is just one point behind Pourcel, and will try to close the gap in Japan. Pascal Leuret moved past Tommy Searle, to come back to fourth ahead of the British.
FIM WOMEN'S MOTOCROSS WORLD CUP-SUCCESS FOR LARISSA PAPENMEIER
Larissa Papenmeier was starting from pole, and made the most of it by winning the opening round of the Cup on home soil, in front of Kawasaki Elf Team Pfeil's Maria Franke and GPKR's Livia Lancelot. Larissa raced her Honda to a thrilling victory in the opening moto, to settle down for fourth in the final heat, as the seventeen year old had some troubles in finding her lines.Maria Franke rode to a safe fourth in moto one, but made up for it with a second place in the last moto. KTM Germany's Stephanie Laier won it, after she had a mechanical failure in the first heat.A very consistent Livia Lancelot -who is still suffering from a collarbone injury she picked up in the winter- rode her new Kawasaki to two third places, but was aiming much higher this weekend.On the other hand, last year's World Cup winner Katherine Prumm finished fourth overall, with a fifth and a second place finishes, even if she crashed in both heats.Larissa Papenmeier is now leading the Cup's classification, and Maria Franke follows her with a three point gap. Livia Lancelot is third, tied in points with Franke, and Katherine Prumm is fourth. 2005 World Cup winner Stephanie Laier is eighth, as Marianne Veenstra completes the top five.
SILENCE TO REMEMBER THE PEOPLE WE LOST
Today, before the start of the MX2 opening moto, all the FIM Motocross World Championship collective stopped for a minute of silence, as this week FIM President Vito Ippolito lost his wife Angela. Youthstream offers their sincere condolences to the Ippolito family.In this unfortunate week, also Impeco's Project Manager Pierluigi Matta passed away; the Motocross community lost one of their members, but he will always be alive in their thoughts.
WHAT'S NEXT
After such a breathtaking GP, there is a week break for the whole series, that will then head to Sugo for the Japanese Grand Prix, scheduled on May 27. On the other hand, the FIM Women's Motocross World Cup will enjoy a longer break, and will restart in Uddevalla on July 1.
The German Grand Prix will be broadcast delayed on:
SPORT ITALIA: Monday May 14, MX1 Race1 14:00-15:00, MX1 Race2 15:30-16:30 CET
EUROSPORT WORLD: Sunday May 13, MX1 Race1 23:00, MX1 Race2 00:00 - Monday May 14, MX1 Race1 6:45, MX1 Race2 7:45, MX2 class 16:00, MX2 class 22:45 - Thursday May 17, MX2 class 17:30 GMT
AMERICA ONE: second Tuesday after the GP MX2 Race2 and MX1 Race2, N/A (check http://www.americaone.com)
GAORA: MX2 Race1 and Race2, MX1 Race1 and Race2, N/A (check http://www.gaora.co.jp)