It’s on the sandy track of Valkenswaard, not far from Eindhoven, that the Motocross World Championship kicks off this weekend in the Netherlands. With both MX2 riders in the top ten of the series after this opening round team Rockstar Bud Racing Kawasaki did a strong performance and was pleased to see Livia Lancelot on the podium of the Women GP.
All the team, including Dylan Ferrandis and Valentin Teillet, expected a difficult start to the championship as they recover from early season injuries and couldn’t train so much in the sand before the event. But both youngsters showed great character to secure strong results in qualification – eighth place for Valentin and fourteenth for Dylan – and later in both races. With great starts thanks to their powerful Bud Kawasaki, Valentin and Dylan scored twice top ten results. Ninth and tenth after he stalled his engine in race two, Valentin finished ninth overall right behind his teammate. Dylan rode strong in both races, and battled for a top six result against some sand specialists during half of the second race.
The Women World Championship also kicks off in Valkenswaard, on one of the most demanding track. Livia Lancelot crashed pretty hard during a practice session; riding with a broken finger and occasional spells of dizziness she dominates the qualifying race, and then scored twice a podium result. Second of the Grand Prix, she will enter next weekend the GP of France in Castelnau de Lévis.
Dylan Ferrandis: “I was expecting a tough GP, and my goal was to do a top ten there as I am still not totally recovered from my injuries. But my Kawasaki gave me two great starts and then I rode smart; for sure the next tracks will be even better for me.”
Valentin Teillet: “This was the first time I have raced here, but I know the track’s reputation and rode a little tense in the first moto. I had a great start in the second race, but then I stalled the engine in the first corner and had a tough fight back through the field. My shoulder was still painful but I now have a free weekend before the next GP and I’m confident I can do even better there.”
Livia Lancelot: “I had a big crash during the practice session yesterday and it was not certain if I could race at first as I broke a finger and was a little dizzy so this was a great result for me, particularly as my main goal this year is the X-Games in California.”
Jacky Vimond: “It’s a good result, and a strong reward for all the staff including the mechanics who worked hard to be ready for this event. We didn’t really know what to expect due to the rider’s injuries, but both reached our common goal with a top ten result. They all did clever races, and didn’t took too much risks on this track; for sure they will be stronger on hard tracks such as Bulgaria or Italy.”
