STRIJBOS TAKES 2ND CAREER POLE
 The
Grand Prix of Italy saw Team Suzuki's Kevin Strijbos quick
off the mark by capturing his second ever pole position in
Timed Practice onboard the RM-Z450.
Overcast morning skies at the pleasant Mantova circuit for
the fourth round of the FIM MX1 World Championship broke to
deliver occasionally hot sunny spells and the track - a combination
of fine dirt and packed sand - became rougher as the practice
and qualification activities chiselled the terrain lining
the jumpy layout.
21 year old Strijbos was ninth in the first run of the day
but switched tyres on both wheels, changed a sprocket and
also adjusted the spring on the throttle for a heavier response
- enhancing his control through the bumpy ruts - and then
glided to the second fastest time in FP2. He notched his pole
lap quite easily with less than 10 minutes remaining in the
Timed Practice.
"I feel good and everything came together for three
or four fast laps; I was quite comfortable out there,"
the Portuguese Grand Prix winner commented. "In the morning
I had some problems but we sorted them out and I feel confident
for tomorrow. My knee is not bothering me at all.
"The track is nice, there are more jumps and it is a
lot of fun," he added.
Steve Ramon picked his lines early and was fourth in the
classification after the first practice session. The Belgian
dropped back to ninth after being denied a clear run in the
second outing and finally registered a lap to place fifth
at the end of the afternoon.
"I pushed really hard for a good lap and fifth is ok,"
the former World Champion offered. "It is important to
get a gate near the inside here so I am happy with where I
am. If I am honest I expected a little bit more from myself
today but the riding was good enough."
The weather forecast for tomorrow points towards sunny conditions
and further high temperatures.
MX1 Timed Practice: 1. Kevin Strijbos (BEL,
Suzuki), 1:53.777; 2. Tanel Leok (EST, Kawasaki), +0:00.927;
3. Marc de Reuver (NED, Yamaha), +0:01.472; 4. Sebastien Pourcel
(FRA, Kawasaki), +0:01.529; 5. Steve Ramon (BEL, Suzuki),
+0:01.559; 6. Kornel Nemeth (HUN, Suzuki), +0:01.678; 7. Joshua
Coppins (NZL, Yamaha), +0:01.686; 8. Ken de Dycker (BEL, Honda),
+0:02.210; 9. Jonathan Barragan (ESP, KTM), +0:02.281; 10.
Manuel Priem (BEL, TM), +0:02.317.
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