Kevin Strijbos and Steve Ramon will wheel out their works RM-Z450s for the final Grand Prix of the season this weekend with the trip to the Ernee circuit near the city of Rennes and the French round of the 2006 FIM MX1 Motocross World Championship. Last year’s Motocross of Nations venue will be hoping for similar bumper crowds for the 15th event in this year’s campaign that will be mainly notable as the last meeting in former Suzuki World Champion Stefan Everts 18-year and 10-title winning career.
Team Suzuki will be looking to emerge from Sunday’s race programme having sealed top three positions with both of their riders. Strijbos currently lies second and Ramon third, having scored 13 podium results between them in the 14 rounds run so far. Suzuki is also currently second in the manufacturers standings.
Steve Ramon will be going to Ernee still not 100% fit after his heavy crash three weeks ago in Northern Ireland but pleased to have wrapped up his second Belgian title in three years last weekend with sixth place at Pierreux. The former World Champion will now be expecting to confirm third spot in the FIM standings. He holds a 20 point margin over countryman Ken de Dycker with a maximum of 50 to win and will need to out-score Strijbos by 37 in order to steal the runner-up position at the last moment.
“Ernee is not a bad track and I was riding well there at the Nations last year,” he said. “It is the last Grand Prix of the year so obviously I want a good result even if I am not yet fully fit. Second place in the Championship was my goal and things were looking good before the crash in Ireland,” he added. “However now I just want to concentrate on taking that third place.
“Winning the Belgian Championship again was nice but the World Championship is always top priority. The best thing about it was giving something back to my fans, who have supported and followed me to every national race.”
Strijbos has been busy in the last week riding and testing the new RM-Z250 in preparation for his MX2 role for Team Belgium. The 21 year old also competed at Pierreux and scored three top ten positions.
“I am happy with the bike pretty much right out of the crate,” he said. “ We have added some factory suspension and adjusted the carburetion settings but apart from that it is the production model and I am pleased with how it feels. I am looking forward to riding it at the Nations.”
Located on the side of a gully with a wide spectator banking opposite providing a natural amphitheatre, the track boasts some spectacular drags up and down the principal slope. The course is not one of the most scenic on the calendar but the 100% views for the crowd remain a popular feature. The layout is narrow in some sections and combines hairpins turns with short ninety degree corners for a twisty test.
The absence of a Grand Prix in 2005 still saw Ramon and Strijbos leave the French venue with pleasant memories after their performances helped the Belgian team to third position at the Nations. The pair will again represent their country next week at Matterley Basin in the United Kingdom for the 60th edition of the tournament.
According to latest forecasts a rainy weekend is predicted in northern France.
MX1 World Championship Standings (after 14 of 15 rounds):1 Stefan Everts (Bel), 689,
2 Kevin Strijbos (Bel), 491,
3 Steve Ramon (Bel), 454,
4 Ken De Dycker (Bel), 434,
5 Tanel Leok (Est), 405,
6 J.Barragan (Spa), 338,
7 Joshua Coppins (Nzl), 293,
8 Manuel Priem (Bel), 267,
9 Pascal Leuret (Fra), 247,
10 Cedric Melotte (Bel), 224.
Manufacturer’s Standings: 1 Yamaha 689,
2 Suzuki 561,
3 Honda 538,
4 Kawasaki 420,
5 KTM 416.
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