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Team Teka Suzuki WMX1 dominated proceedings in front of 26,000
spectators during round one of the FIM MX1 World Motocross
Championship at Valkenswaard in the Netherlands.
Team riders Ken De Dycker and Steve Ramon finished first
and second overall on their aluminium-framed, Electronically
Fuel-Injected RM-Z450s to lead the individual rider and manufacturer
title chases after the first of 15 rounds.
Moto one was a dream start to the season for De Dycker who
led every lap on the way to victory. Dominating the race from
the front, he set his fastest lap of the race on lap three,
which was just under 1.3 seconds quicker than any of his opponents.
Easing off the pace in the closing laps, De Dycker allowed
the second place rider Max Nagl to get no closer than seven
seconds behind on his way to victory.
Ramon started the defence of his MX1 World Championship with
an eighth placed start and steadily eased his way through
the pack by using some very innovative race lines and consistently
great lap times to snatch third place at the finish from David
Philippaerts.
Moto two saw De Dycker dominate from start to finish once
more while Ramon battled to fourth after an which meant the
Suzuki men were able to place first and second on the podium.
"It was a really good day for me. In fact it couldn't
have been any better," claimed De Dycker. "It's
the first time I've taken a double victory and it's the first
time I've ever had the lead in the World Championship. I've
got to thank the team because they work hard but I also work
hard too and this win today is the result of our joint efforts.
I had no problems in either race except on the last lap of
the second race when I was thinking about winning maybe a
little bit too much and my arms pumped up."
Despite finishing second on the day, Ramon was far from happy
with his own performance. "I've been sick all week with
flu and I struggled to concentrate out on the track,"
he said. "I didn't get a good start in the first race
and I found it difficult to pass because I couldn't find a
good rhythm, I wasn't riding smooth and I was fighting against
the track. So I finished third after I passed Philippaerts
on the very last jump.
"The second moto was even worse for me. I was riding
badly but I finished fourth in the race and second overall.
Being on the podium is a good result for me and the team even
though I'm not so happy with my riding."
The second round of the Motocross World Championship will
take place on April 20 at Bellpuig in Spain although Team
Teka Suzuki WMX1 will participate in the next round of the
German National ADAC MX Masters series at Furstlich Drehna
on April 13.
MX1 Results:
MX1 Moto 1: 1 Ken De Dycker (Suzuki - BEL)
40:34:767, 2 Max Nagl (KTM - GER) +0:07:745, 3 Steve Ramon
(Suzuki - BEL) +0:38:467, 4 David Philippaerts (Yamaha - ITA)
+0:38:772, 5 Manuel Priem (Kawasaki - BEL) +0:55:614, 6 Josh
Coppins (Yamaha - NZL) +0:57:506, 7 Kevin Strijbos (Kawasaki
- BEL) +0:58:590, 8 Marc De Reuver (Honda - NED) +1:22:566,
9 Kornel Nemeth (KTM - HUN) +1:31:608, 10 Billy MacKenzie
(Honda - GBR) +1:40:716.
MX1 Moto 2: 1 Ken De Dycker (Suzuki - BEL)
40:21:042, 2 Billy MacKenzie (Honda - GBR) +0:08.194, 3 Jonathan
Barragan (KTM - ESP) +0:17,689, 4 Steve Ramon (Suzuki - BEL)
+0:26.506, 5 Max Nagl (KTM - GER) +0:30.358, 6 David Philippaerts
(Yamaha - ITA) +0:57.488, 7 Josh Coppins (Yamaha - NZL) +1:05:791,
8 Manuel Priem (Kawasaki - BEL) +1:16:539, 9 Kornel Nemeth
(KTM - HUN) +1:28:810, 10 Aigar Leok (Yamaha - EST) +1:36:497
World Championship Standings (after 1 of 15): 1
Ken De Dycker (Suzuki - BEL) 50 points, 2 Max Nagl (KTM -
GER) 38, 3 Steve Ramon (Suzuki - BEL) 38, 4 Billy MacKenzie
(Honda - GBR) 33, 5 David Philippaerts (Yamaha - ITA) 33,
6 Manuel Priem (Kawasaki - BEL) 29, 7 Josh Coppins (Yamaha
- NZL) 29, 8 Kornel Nemeth (KTM - HUN) 28, 9 Kevin Strijbos
(Kawasaki - BEL) 21, 10 Jonathan Barragan (KTM - ESP) 20.
Manufacturer World Championship Standings (after
1 of 15): 1 Suzuki 50 points, 2 KTM 42, 3 Honda 35,
4 Yamaha 33, 5 Kawasaki 29, 6 TM 3.
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