Philippaerts and Coppins braced for season finale
After a three week hiatus the factory Yamaha Monster Motocross
Team now prepare for an intense culmination to the 2008 FIM
MX1-GP World Championship with the first of the three final
Grand Prix taking place in three weeks this weekend just outside
the city of Dublin. Series leader David Philippaerts holds
a 7 point advantage over world champ Steve Ramon with team-mate
Josh Coppins 35 points from the lead in third spot with a
total of 150 still to be won. Trips to Holland and Italy will
close the campaign.
Philippaerts, emphatic victor of the Czech Grand Prix three
weeks ago, has split his time during the break between Italy
and his Belgian base. The 24 year old spent a week training
in the Italian mountains before heading back to northern Europe
for the Bilzen International in Belgium last weekend. Going
up against world championship rivals Steve Ramon and Ken De
Dycker, Philippaerts finished second, only one point away
from first place and ahead of defending number one Ramon.
“I am 100% ready for racing and excited for the next
three weeks,” said the Italian who has fronted the championship
for nine of the twelve GPs held so far. “I had some
good training time in Italy even though we went up to the
mountains and the weather was very strange, I even saw snow
in the middle of August! We then came back to Belgium and
Lommel and had the International last weekend. I was happy
with my riding. I should have won the first moto as I was
leading easily but a silly crash meant that I finished second.
A bad start in the second saw me third and then I won the
last race.”
“It feels like a long time we have had off and now
I am keen to get to Ireland,” he added.
Josh Coppins has been busy over the break. The German Grand
Prix winner took 3rd and 2nd positions overall in the fourth
and fifth rounds of the Belgian Championship over three days
at Balen and Orp-Le-Grand and then dominated the Ken Hall
International in the UK last weekend, beating a host of GP
peers on the way. The Kiwi has been working hard to ensure
he is in peak form entering this crucial stage of the world
championship but knows he faces a hard charge to the title.
“I started the year on the back foot because of the
injury and since then I have been gaining ground and then
losing it for one reason or another; all along the way there
has been a bit of pressure to keep in contention,” he
said. “Thirty five points is quite a lot and I feel
like the pressure has eased for these last three races. The
championship is not impossible but it will be difficult. I
just want to go out there and have fun and race hard. I felt
a bit down after Loket so I kept busy over the break and I
feel good for Dublin and the next two GPs.”
The team have had some time to recollect before the heaviest
spell of the calendar begins. After the three Grand Prix races
– in which they will try to convert Yamaha’s current
14 point lead in the Manufacturer’s standings into a
title success - they have only one week’s pause before
both of their riders are likely to be representing their countries
at the 62nd Motocross of Nations at Donington Park in the
UK.
“We have not done any tests during the break as we
already rolled out some engine modifications in the Czech
Republic,” said Racing Manager Mino Raspanti. “We
possibly have some work ahead for the GP at Lierop, which
will be another sandy event.”
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