Team Suzuki’s Kevin Strijbos and Steve Ramon repeated their runner-up and third positions respectively from Bulgaria last week at a sunny and breezy Montevarchi circuit for the Italian Grand Prix today. The seventh round of the 2006 FIM MX1 Motocross World Championship took place in front of 25,000 spectators and witnessed another excellent performance from the team and the works RM-Z450s.
On a hard, flat and dusty surface and in front of a bustling and noisy crowd that packed the small and tight surrounds of the Montevarchi circuit located in the Tuscan countryside, Strijbos was a strong runner-up to perennial winner Stefan Everts in the first moto. The 20 year old had kept within two seconds and touching distance of the leader for a number of laps until a small mistake, when he lost traction exiting a cambered turn meant that he conceded the tow and spent the rest of the moto trying to shave distance from a seemingly invincible cushion. Eventually the gap extended to seven seconds as the pace slackened in the final two laps.
The track was not an easy place for passing and the riders were struggling for grip but Strijbos launched a more potent threat to Everts in the second moto and even passed the World Champion briefly midway through the 35 minute and two lap race. Everts was shackled slightly with a cracked exhaust but was still able to drop the hammer and leave Strijbos in second.
Steve Ramon was handicapped by an average start in the first moto and needed two thirds of the 21 lap duration to deprive Cedric Melotte of fourth. A similar story occurred for race two except Honda’s Javier Garcia Vico was the 26 year old’s victim.
Strijbos has now risen to second in the World Championship. He lies a mammoth 89 points behind Everts, who has won all seven races to-date, but importantly eight points ahead of Kawasaki’s Tanel Leok.
The third Grand Prix in three weeks and round eight will take place next weekend at the new Matterley Basin circuit in Great Britain.
Kevin Strijbos:“I am happy with this GP. My speed was almost enough to run with Stefan and hopefully we are getting a little bit closer. It was hard work on this track but I was riding well. I found that I could push harder in the second moto. I managed to lead for one corner but Everts passed me back quickly. I rode my own race and was satisfied to be second twice. I am second in the Championship now which is another positive. It is hard to say how we can beat Stefan. I think he has the edge over us in certain sections of each track and we will have to work to match him if we at least want to beat him.”
Steve Ramon:“The race was difficult for me because my starts were not that good today. My speed was OK but I really had to push at the beginning of the race to try and catch the leaders. Kevin and Stefan had already gone and it was so hard to close the gap. Being fourth twice is ok today because I had a tough weekend.”
MX1 Moto1: 1 Stefan Everts, BEL (Yamaha) 39:58.623,
2 Kevin Strijbos, BEL (Suzuki) 40:06.179,
3 Ken De Dycker, BEL (Honda) 40:14.293,
4 Steve Ramon, BEL (Suzuki) 40:19.599,
5 Jonathan Barragan, SPA (KTM) 40:22.049,
6 Javier Garcia Vico, SPA (Honda) 40:22.908,
7 Tanel Leok, EST (Kawasaki) 40:26.484,
8 Cedric Melotte, BEL (Yamaha) 40:44.243,
9 Julien Bill, SUI (Yamaha) 41:00.362,
10 Pascal Leuret, FRA (Honda) 41:04.133
MX1 Moto2: 1 Everts 40:26.487,
2 Strijbos 40:35.170,
3 Leok 40:53.315,
4 Ramon 41:07.469,
5 Garcia Vico 41:13.094,
6 Jorgensen 41:33.848,
7 De Dycker 41:39.642,
8 Leuret 41:43.946,
9 Manuel Priem, 41:50.084,
10 Marvin Van Daele, 41:50.237.
MX1 Overall Classification:1 Everts 50,
2 Strijbos 44,
3 Ramon 36,
4 Leok 34,
5 De Dycker 34,
6 Garcia Vico 31,
7 Leuret 24,
8 Jorgensen 18,
9 Bill 17,
10 Freibergs 16.
MX1 World Championship Standings (after 7 of 15):1 Everts 342,
2 Strijbos 253,
3 Leok 245,
4 De Dycker 231,
5 Ramon 227,
6 Barragan 166,
7 Leuret 147,
8 Jorgensen 120,
9 Priem 120,
10 Melotte 118.
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