Mediocre German GP for Elien De Winter

Photo: CDS

The German GP has been a cornerstone for the women’s series for some time now. This time the home crowd had even more to cheer about with three German lasses (Laier, Papenmeier and Franke) capturing the podium! LS Motors-Honda rider Elien De Winter was not so happy in former East-Germany. The experienced WMX rider from Denderleuw, Belgium came home 12th overall after 10th and 12th place finishes. She drops one place in the world standings to ninth, seven points adrift from Marielle De Mol. De Winter an aspiring physiotherapist heads back to her books preparing for her upcoming exams, but she’ll be back on track in a fortnight for the sixth round of the WMX series in Uddevalla. In Sweden Elien will be joined by American guest rider Ashley Fiolek. Kickash is currently in great shape, having won all fourrounds of the WMA series in the US so far!

Elien De Winter “Practice went okay, but I couldn’t string together a fast lap in qualifying due to traffic. So tenth was not too bad, and we were all very close to each other anyway. I was only one second off from Chiara Fontanensi in sixth. My first race was no good at all. I reacted too slow at the gate and on top of that my first few laps were not very inspired either. Setting up a good rhythm was simply impossible, however things changed for the better on Sunday. Again I didn’t exactly have the snap when the gate dropped but still I dove into the corner around fifth place. I lost some ground in the opening stages, but at least my riding was better for the remaining laps.”

Desalle keeps the momentum going

Photo: CDS

Saturday’s qualifying race earned ‘MX Panda’ fifth on the start gate, but the CRF450R mounted rider couldn’t capitalize on his position come race day. First moto saw him starting outside of the top ten and history repeated itself in the second moto when Desall got boxed in. Still Desalle battled through the pack to catch up with the leading riders in both races. Unfortunately he just came up short of claiming his fourth overall podium of the season. In a do or die move in the ultimate metres of moto two Clément heroically tried to repass Coppins but crashed in the process. Desalle walked away unhurt, but suffered a painful wrist. Honda, severly hit by injuries, is currently third in the MX1 manufacturers standings largely thanks to the efforts of

Desalle.

Clément Desalle: ”This has been really a tough weekend! In spite of the modifications to the Talkessel it’s still challenging to overtake. My start in the first heat was pretty bad, but I climbed up from 12th to sixth. Half race dtistance I ran into some trouble with my goggles. For some silly reason the film got stuck so that affected my vision badly. Philippaerts passed me, but I was able to get in front Tanel Leok on the last lap. The second race was very similar to the first, where I didn’t have the best of starts but I could come back anyway. I was on Philippaerts rear wheel by the end of the moto, but Coppins repassed me right before the finish. It was unfortunate, but also a bit typical for this GP...”

Freecaster pre-race show with Elien De Winter!

Photo: CDS

Today LS Motors-Honda's WMX rider Elien De Winter was featured on the Freecaster.TV pre-race show with Lisa Leyland and Stefan Everts. Elien was joined by the Irish up and comer Nathalie Kane.

You can check the video here: http://freecaster.tv/mx/1008351/wmx-pre-race-show-from-the-mx-gp-of-germany?page=5

LS Motors riders ready to head East

Photo: CDS

This weekend’s GP of Germany not only marks the ninth round of the 15-round FIM Motocross World Championship, Teutschenthal also marks the fifth round of the 7-round Women’s motocross World Championship. It’s the first race in a string of three events that sees the series traveling East, with Latvia and Sweden following back to back to the German Grand Prix. The fast and hard pack Talkessel track just outside Leipzig offers spectators excellent viewing conditions due to the many elevation changes and bowl-type layout. In contrast it’s reviewed with mixed emotions by the riders because it’s very fast and overtaking can be difficult.

Clément Desalle will be keen to get back on the podium in Teutschenthal, after what was a disappointing French GP for the young Belgian. Desalle was clearly one of the fastest riders in the MX1 class but he was only rewarded with fourth place, tied with Tanel Leok. Still Desalle managed to climb one spot in provisional standings, he’s currently fifth, only one point behind Josh Coppins and eleven points behind third placed Max Nagl. MX Panda continued to show great form this weekend at the Belgian championship race in Kester where he was runner-up behind De Dycker, but in front of GP stars Coppins, Leok and Cairoli.

Honda CRF250 R mounted Dennis Verbruggen will be on the hunt for a top ten result this weekend. His best result in Teutschenthal so far was 14th overall in 2007. “ The 21-year old has gradually improved since the start of the season. Dennis is regaining his speed and confidence after a troublesome kickoff, and shows a more than decent rhythm lately. Verbruggen says: “Sunny weather in Germany would be nice after all the mud we had in Kester last weekend! I’m quite happy with my riding for the moment, the bike works great and I’m happy with the support I received from the team when things weren’t going so well. I just need needs better starts to show what I’m capable of.”

LS Motors-Honda’s WMX rider Elien De Winter is lying eighth in the championship, although she’s having a difficult season after her preparation was severly hampered by injury. However De Winter showed flashes of her pace in Ernée and aims to continue her rise of performance in Germany. Elien posted her best result of the season last year at the Talkessel track coming home sixth and she knows the track well because the WMX ladies already visited Teutschenthal in 2007 and 2006 as well, making the German round one of the ‘classics’ of the series together with Uddevalla. De winter: “Actually most of the girls know the track well, so it’s going to be one where we fight on equal terms! The weather forecast for Saturay looks rainy, but I’m not too bothered because most of the time we have to ride on a watered track anyway. I quite like the track, but getting a strong start will be very important.”

On Saturday night De Winter will be one of the guests of the Freecaster.tv pre-race show presented by Stefan Everts and the lovely Lisa Leyland.

Interview with Clément Desalle

Photo: CDS - Words: Tom Jacobs

One thing is for sure, Clément Desalle is a versatile racer like few others. The talented Honda rider feels at home on any soil and in spite of his age he has a wide experience on a variety of tracks. With Teutschenthal this weekend ‘MX Panda’ gets to ride a track he’s very familiar with. Not only has he raced GP’s on the ‘Talkessel’ he participated in a few German nationals as well. Desalle in fact grabbed an ADAC MX Masters podium in Teutschenthal two years ago. An encore of that feat at GP level is not unlikely given Desalle’s recent form. Or can Clément immediately follow the footsteps of Mickael Pichon (on the picture next to Desalle), the last Honda mounted MX1 rider to win the German GP? The iconic Dane surprised friends and foes alike with a shock double heat win in 2004...

What’s your take on the track in Teutschenthal?

Clément Desalle: “It’s a track that doesn’t seem to change a great deal over the years. So we all know what to expect! I heard they have made minor modifications this year so that will be interesting. Teutschenthal is obviously hard pack so it’s hard to make the difference, but I’m sure we’re going to have fun with the track.”

Teutschenthal is a special track for you as well?

Clément Desalle: “Absolutely, it’s the place where I got my first ever GP point in 2006! That’s something I won’t

forget, because getting your first point in GP’s is something to rememember for every rider.”

In Ernée you slid off twice in a short amount of time. Was this a typical case of overeagerness and a

youthful lack of experience?

Clément Desalle: “I didn’t have a great start in the second race, but I knew I had the speed to push to the front quickly. So after my first mistake I went down twice, the second crash right after the other. Still I don’t think that’s a case of lacking experience. It’s just one of those things that can happen in a mechanical sport. David Philippaerts made mistakes in Ernée as well, and there’s a guy with plenty of experience! So if even the Worldchampion went down, it could happen to anyone, don’t you think? Man, Ernée on Sunday was just one of those

days you want to forget as quick as you can!”

Since the French GP you ticked another box on the list of milestones, by taking you’re first pole pole

postion. I guess now the waiting for your first heat and GP win has now really begun?

Clément Desalle: “(smiles) Obviously it’s cool to get your first pole position, and the Lovemytime award but winning a GP is something different alltogether. In the end it’s more symbolic when you win a pole, because it doesn’t earn you points and you have to start all over again on Sunday. As far as winning goes that’s just part of the expectations that start to build with people. That’s natural I guess, but Id on’t feel any pressure because of that. Will I win before this season is over? No one knows, and I can’t predict when it will happen, all I know is that I will push as much as I can to make it happen.”

You’re the first privateer in the MX1 World Championship. Don’t you think it’s a pity not to be on a

factory team?

Clément Desalle: “No, it’s not such a big deal really. Besides it was my own choice to ride for a private team! I’m having a good time with LS Motors-Honda and they’re working hard to give me the best possible equipment. In the end there isn’t such a big difference either. On the positive side riding for a privateer team allows you to ride more carefree as well, there’s no pressure to reach a fixed objective. The team just wants me to do my best.”