Just a few days before the opening round of the FIM Motocross World Championship in Qatar, Jordi Tixier and Dylan Ferrandis both won an MX2 International race to finalize their GP preparation.
Just a week after their podium in Valence, the two Frenchman of the Monster Energy Kawasaki MX2 Racing Team got another strong result and will fly confident to Qatar on Wednesday. Jordi already winner in Hawkstone Park (Great Britain) earlier this month won the MX2 class at the Starcross in Mantova (Italy), while Dylan dominates his class in Lacapelle International (France) for his second race of the season.
Hopefully Mantova is a sandy layout, as the rain never stopped in the night and on Sunday morning. The track was practicable for the races, and with two fifth and a third overall Jordi won the MX2 classification on his practice bike. “The track was OK even if there were some deep ruts, and it was a very good practice even if we won’t find these conditions next weekend. I had a very bad start in the first race and came back from 15th to 5th, then I was unhappy with my second race but we changed some settings on the bike and the third heat was much better. I got a great start in third and had the same lap times as Bobryshev; I can’t say that I’m happy with my weekend as I struggled in the second race, but we again learnt something and that was better to race there than to practice alone” said Jordi who is ready to defend his number 1 plate.
The weather was better in Southern France, but Dylan took cold earlier in the week and was not in his best shape at Lacapelle Marival. The track was nearly perfect on Sunday afternoon for the races, after a rainy Saturday, and Dylan scored a second, a third and a fourth position overall to win the MX2 classification. “It’s never easy to race when you’re sick, but I did it and the results are pretty good even if I didn’t had so much energy for the third moto. I rode consistent this weekend; second and third overall of the first two races, and each time first MX2 rider, I got the holeshot in the last race and that was a very good feeling. Finally I finished fourth and second MX2 rider, but got the overall win; now it’s time to recover and be ready for Qatar, where I celebrate my first heat win last year” explained Dylan.
Xavier Boog was also racing in Lacapelle on his Bud Racing Kawasaki Monster, and after his second place in Valence last weekend he got another second position. Back on green this season, the former French Elite champion is ready for the opening round of the French series, next weekend in St Jean d’Angely. “Once more I got a couple of great starts this weekend and that’s very important; with a fourth, a second and a third position I got the second place overall, and feel confident for the French series. The bike is nearly perfect, we didn’t change any settings on Sunday and I had a very good feeling. Now let’s go to the French series, it will be a perfect opportunity to prepare my comeback to the GP’s as I will join the World Championship in Arco di Trento after the first three rounds of the French series,” revealed the likeable rider from Alsace. His teammates Maxime Desprey and Nicolas Dercourt, who will enter the European MX2 series, finished fourth and ninth overall in the MX2 class with a fifth position in the second race as best result for Desprey. Both Desprey and Dercourt will also race the French Elite Championship next weekend in St Jean d’Angely.