MX-Panda now fourth!

Photo: Ray Archer

One would almost forget that the weekend started off on the wrong foot for Desalle. He crashed early in Saturday’s qualifying race in the wavesection. TM’s Aigar Leok went down in front of Clément and it was too late to avoid him. Luckily ‘MX Panda’ managed to get going again, contrary to Leok himself. However his GP chances received a heavy blow because the LS Motors-Honda star had to continue with bent handlebars and only managed a miserable 21st position on the gate as a result.

Cool, calm and collected Desalle made the best of the situation powering his CRF450R skilllfully through the first corner, thus putting him near the front of the pack. Settling into third place Clément never looked back even when he came under serious pressure from Cairoli. The second moto saw a slightly less effective start, although Desalle took the fifth place before the end of the opening lap. The Ufo-sponsored rider remained close to Philippaerts (third) and De Dycker (fourth) for most of the race, but settled for fifth in the end.

Clément Desalle ”I’m glad I was able tot turn my chances around after a disastrous qualifying race! The track was not in a great shape either on Saturday, but conditions got better as the weekend went along. In general I’m quite happy with the GP, because I was able to climb up another spot in the championship. I was third in front of Cairoli in the first moto, but in the second race my start was not so good. I was staying close to De Dycker and Philippaerts. Then I had a small battle with De Dycker for fourth but then I lost contact again. I started making up ground on them onceagain but then I made a mistake and settled for my position.”

Heat 1: 1 Nagl (DUI-KTM), 2 De Dycker (B-Suzuki), 3 Clément Desalle (B-LS Motors-Honda), 4 Cairoli (ITA-Yamaha), 5 Philippaerts (I-Yamaha), 6 Coppins

(NZ-Yamaha), 7 T. Leok (EST-Yamaha), 8 Aranda (FRA-Kawasaki), 9 Swanepoel (RSA-Kawasaki), 10 Bryan Mackenzie (GBR-Honda) / Heat 2: 1 Cairoli (ITA-

Yamaha), 2 Nagl, 3 Philipaerts, 4 De Dycker, 5 Clément Desalle (B-LS Motors-Honda), 6 Leok T., 7 Coppins, 8 Vuillemin, 9 Swanepoel, 10 Bill

GP of Sweden classification: 1 Nagl 47, 2 Nagl 43, 3 De Dycker 40, 4 Philippaerts 36, 5 6 Clément Desalle (LS Motors-Honda) 36, 6 T. Leok 29, 7 Coppins 29, 8 Swanepeoel 24, 9 Bill 19, 10 Bryan Mackenzie 18

MX1 World Championship standings; 1 Cairoli 428, 2 Nagl 375, 3 Philippaerts 363, 4 Clément Desalle (LS Motors-Honda) 345, 5 Coppins 343, 6 De Dycker 338, 7 T. Leok 299, 8 Barragan 215, 9 Swanepoel 175, 10 A. Leok 167

Victory ad for Kegums win

Honda produced a victory ad to celebrate Clément Desalle's heat victory in the Latvian GP. Nice touch! Check the corporate Honda site here http://world.honda.com/WMX/2009/10latvia/ for more on our Baltic success.

PS A bit strange to see Cairoli being featured on the podium photo at thi above mentioned site! It's only when you open it that you see the Panda. Anyway, again congratulations Clément, let's push for the next milestone!

All at LS Motors-Honda

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...”

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.”

Hard-charging Desalle misses the podium

Photo: CDS

Clément Desalle dominated Saturday’s (dry) qualifying race in Ernée. However, the treacherous weather conditions on Sunday didn’t favour the young Belgian’s chances. But even in these difficult conditions 'MX-Panda' proved to be one of the best MX1 riders of the moment. In the fist heat he even finished fourth without goggles. In the second heat he would end up sixth despite three crashes. Desalle finished fourth, on equal points with Tanel Leok, in the overall of the GP. Clément is now fifth in the World MX1 classification, trailing only one point behind Josh Coppins. The GP was won by Max Nagl, who ended up second behind Desalle in Saturday’s qualifying race.

Clément Desalle: "I had a fairly good start in the first heat. But almost immediately I had a problem with my goggles and I had to throw them away. It was really tough to ride without goggles in rain and mud. I ended up fourth but I couldn’t be happy with that. I didn’t have a good start in race two, laying in 6th or 7th. Maybe I wanted too much and that meant that my back wheel just stepped out. I remounted rather quick and was able to pass Cairoli and Leok, but after that I slipped twice. That meant I had to come back from 13th. Finally I would finish sixth. Top five wasn’t too bad after all. But it feels like a bit of a missed opportunity. I really feel I could have done better."

MX Panda podiums again!

Photo: CDS

LS Motors-Honda rider Clément Desalle took third in today’s GP of Great-Britain, the seventh race in the FIM MX1 world Championship. More than 35.000 people witnessed how Desalle was one of the pace setters at the technical and demanding track filled with jumps. Unfortunately the 20-year old Belgian come up one point shy off Germany’s Max Nagl, while world champ Philippaerts won the GP. However ‘Panda’ is gaining momentum in world standings closing in on both fifth placed De Dycker and fourth placed Josh Coppins, rescpectively four and five points away.

Desalle clearly felt comfortable in the UK, in spite of the elevated temperatures, many ruts and bumps the Mallory Park venue had in store. Clément’s Saturday performance in qualifying was just a sign of things to come, because he bounced back twice from crashes but managed to come home sixth. Desalle saw his first heat efforts rewarded with second place, climbing up from sixth and finishing 3.5 seconds behind Philippaerts. Again Desalle climbed up from sixth to third in the second moto but a crash set him back to where he started. However Desalle managed an impressive comeback guiding his CRF 450R ahead of Coppins, Pichon and Mackenzie, only second placed Philippaerts remained out of range.

Clément Desalle: "Finishing second only one point behind Nagl was quite disappointing! Especially because my speed was so good. It’s a shame about the mistake I made in the second moto because I’m sure there was more to come. On the other hand, I’m happy with my championship standings and closing in on De Dycker, Coppins and Barragan."

MX Panda consistent in Istanbul

Photo: CDS

Two ninth places in the heats meant an eighth place overall in the Turkish GP. Desalle was quick out of the gate but crashed on the opening lap. From nineteenth he worked his way up to eighth, passing established riders like De Reuver, McKenzie and Vuillemin in the process. While doing so Desalle posted the fastest lap times. In the final laps however Clément couldn’t withstand the pressure from Coppins and had to settle for ninth. After another excellent start Clément lost a couple of places. He would again end the heat as ninth. Italian Antonio Cairoli won the GP ahead of Steve Ramon and David Philippaerts. In the World MX1 points standings Desalle is now ninth. The LS Motors-Honda rider is not only the sole private entered rider in the top 10 but also the youngest.