The Grand Prix of Italy brought yet more spoils for Jeremy Van Horebeek and for Yamaha Factory Racing as the Belgian raced to second position overall on the works YZ450FM and celebrated his ninth consecutive podium appearance at this tenth round of the FIM Motocross World Championship. 35,000 spectators turned the Maggiora circuit into a noisy and atmospheric MXGP fixture and a decent part of the applause was for DP19 Yamaha’s David Philippaerts, who with fifth position overall placed two Yamahas in the final top five in Italy.
The historic and recently renovated location was dry and fast on Saturday but rainfall through the evening meant a slick, rutted and softer prospect for the vast hills and jumps of the course on raceday. Van Horebeek set out his intentions for the weekend from the very first practice session. Proudly baring the YZM400F dedicatory livery, JVH set the fastest lap in each timed period and then sealed his very first pole position in the premier class to cap a perfect ‘set’ on Saturday.
Sunday dawned grey and initially wet but grew hotter and drier as the day wore on. Van Horebeek made a promising start in the first moto but an error dropped him from third to fourth and from there he had to work hard to catch Steven Frossard and eventually rise up to second place to Antonio Cairoli. For the second outing Jeremy slotted behind Cairoli and applied pressure in the opening laps but could do little about the world champion’s speed on home soil. He eased his way to a 2-2 scorecard and closed to within three points of Clement Desalle and second place in the MXGP championship standings.
Philippaerts was competing at a circuit only kilometres from his home. Yamaha’s last world champion enjoyed veracious support from the crowd and only just lost out in a race long battle with Shaun Simpson for eighth position in the first moto. During the second he again engaged with Simpson, but this time for fifth place and for the same ranking in the overall classification. The battle went down to the last lap and the 2008 MXGP/MX1 World Champion held firm for his best finish of the season.
Bike it Yamaha Cosworth’s Rui Gonçalves was competing a week after a heavy fall in Portugal that left him with a painful back and neck. The veteran was in too much pain to complete the first moto but some more effective medicine for the second allowed him to score some points with eleventh spot. The former MX2 championship runner-up was fifteenth overall in MXGP.
Teutschenthal comes back to the Grand Prix calendar after hosting the 2013 Motocross of Nations at the end of last summer. The popular venue close to the city of Halle will again be the focal point for German fans this coming weekend and round eleven of the campaign, as well as the final race meeting in June.
Jeremy Van Horebeek
“I tried to win today because I felt really good all weekend long. I wasn’t just racing Tony but all those fans as well! It was not easy at all. I was flying but he was just better in the second moto. Once he was gone I just kept smooth and safe. Again I am really happy to be on the podium and I am getting closer: soon I want to win! For every weekend that I don’t get that victory then I am working harder and harder. I’m feeling really fit and it’s a good sign. I want to say a big thanks to the team manager, my boss – Michele Rinaldi – and the whole crew for making those vintage colours. It was really nice and didn’t add any pressure at all.”
David Philippaerts
“I’m so happy. I stayed a bit calm on Saturday because I had a big crash here last year and I know it is a difficult track. It was a busy day! I had many sponsors and fans coming to the team. I relaxed more on Sunday and I started the motos very well: in fourth and second places. I kept ninth in the first race and I was happy because I could see the lap-times were good. In the second moto I was right at the front and could keep the pace. Simpson pushed me so hard for fifth but today I was stronger than him. I didn’t finish this race last year so this is a big improvement. It was a great day for the team.”
Rui Gonçalves
“A tough weekend. I had a big crash last weekend in the Portuguese Championship and I am just happy that I am on my feet. It was a hard week and my back and neck is not so fresh. I was in bed until mid-week but despite being sore I did not want to miss the GP. It was a matter of working with the painkillers. In the first moto I could not stand it. I was riding tight and it was not safe. For the second moto we tried some different medication and it worked a bit better. In these kinds of conditions you need to be loose and flowing, so it was not the best scenario. It feels like every time we get better we suffer a setback but I wont give up and I’m looking forward to Germany and recovering even more. I cannot thank the team enough for staying behind me and through the difficult moments. We will try for a better result in Germany.”