RAMON AND DE DYCKER 2ND AND 3RD ON LIEROP GATE
Source: Suzuki
Sep 7, 2008 - 9:30:10 AM
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The timed qualification session for the 14th round of the FIM MX1 Motocross
World Championship - the Grand Prix of Benelux held at the Lierop circuit in the
Netherlands - was a successful one for the Team Teka Suzuki WMX1 riders Ken de
Dycker and Steve Ramon who qualified in second and third positions on their
factory RM-Z450s.
With the going at the sandy 1.8km Lierop circuit being
so deep and rough most of the top contenders decided to do the bare minimum
number of laps in an attempt to save energy for tomorrow's pair of gruelling 35
minute plus two lap points-paying motos.
After sitting in first and
second for most of the session, Dutch sand specialist Marc de Reuver eventually
bettered De Dycker's time to take pole position from the 24-year-old Belgian
rider. While Ramon was content with third, De Dycker attempted to go even faster
around the ever roughening circuit but only succeeded in almost equalling rather
than bettering his time.
"I knew that De Reuver was going to be fast here
and he showed it in the qualifying session but I proved that I can consistently
run fast laps - I did four good laps in the qualifying session that were all
less than half a second apart," said Ken. "The track is good, it's deep sand and
that's what I like - it's getting rough now and that's good for me. I think
tomorrow it's going to be a really hard race and a battle for sure, I'm just
going to give it everything I've got because I know I'm fast enough to win -
we'll just have to see what happens."
Reigning MX1 World Champion Steve
Ramon is equally confident of success around the circuit where he wrapped up his
first MX1 title last year. "The track's the same as it always is here with deep
sand and deep bumps - it's going to be a tough race tomorrow for sure," said
Ramon. "In the qualifying session I did very few laps because I want to save my
energy for tomorrow. I only did two fast laps and that was good enough for third
which I'm happy with. Tomorrow I'm going to go for the victory; it's going to be
tough because I know that De Reuver and De Dycker are fast. But I will try my
hardest and we will see where I end."
The forecast rain didn't arrive at
the Lierop circuit and conditions currently couldn't be any better. Latest
forecasts show that rain is again forecast for tomorrow and the ambient
temperature should be a little cooler at around 18 degrees
Celsius.
MX1 Timed Practice: 1 Marc de Reuver (Honda -
NED) 1:57.145, 2 Ken de Dycker (Suzuki - BEL) 1:58.617,
3 Steve Ramon (Suzuki - BEL) 1:59.098, 4 Marcus Schiffer (KTM -
GER) 2:00.087, 5 Jonathan Barragan (KTM - ESP) 2:00.186, 6 Josh Coppins (Yamaha
- NZL) 2:00.550, 7 Sebastien Pourcel (Kawasaki - FRA) 2:00.838, 8 Tanel Leok
(Kawasaki - EST) 2:01.042, 9 Max Nagl (KTM - GER) 2:01.145, 10 Clement Desalle
(Suzuki - BEL) 2:01.990.
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