Team Suzuki Press Office – June 13.
Stuffy air and changeable weather conditions at Maggiora helped set the scene for the Grand Prix of Italy and round nine of 18 in the FIM MXGP Motocross World Championship as Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MXGP’s Kevin Strijbos rode to seventh place in Saturday’s Qualification Heat.
The Belgian made a decent return to GP duty after suffering with right wrist and thumb problems in recent months. The 29 year old used his works RM-Z450 to set the third fastest time in Free Practice and then clock the fifth-quickest lap in Timed Practice. Strijbos, who tweaked his bike set-up for maximum traction around the Italian hills and narrow hard-pack, felt no adverse effects of the hassle with his hand and took part in a frantic scrap for a top-five position during the Qualification Heat race. The quartet included Rockstar Energy Suzuki Europe’s Glenn Coldenhoff who started well and was fifth on his RM-Z450 for a personal best in his rookie MXGP year.
Strijbos will now roll into the gate with the seventh-pick on Sunday and perhaps in markedly-different racing conditions as heavy rain started to fall on Maggiora late Saturday afternoon.
Strijbos’ return to the Suzuki fold was timely with Clement Desalle struggling with his right shoulder and left knee after his French Grand Prix practice accident two weeks ago. The Belgian travelled to Maggiora satisfied with the condition of his upper torso but was troubled by a small problem with the MCL of his knee and looked a shadow of his normal self in the two practice sessions Saturday morning. Desalle finally made the difficult call to withdraw from the meeting and will now also probably miss the Grand Prix of Germany at Teutschenthal next weekend.
Kevin Strijbos:
“Quite good today. The most important thing is the wrist and it was fine. From the first practice I felt good on the track and it was not that rough. My starts was good in the qualification race but I think Bobby [Evgeny Bobryshev] came into the first corner way too hot and took Paulin down and also went into me; otherwise I would have been second or third. I made some passes and was happy with that but then Charlier crashed in front of me and I hit him and went down also. I was around fourteenth or fifteenth and came back to seventh. My riding was good and I was happy with that. We made some changes to the bike and was happy there also. Hopefully it will stay dry for the motos and we can have some good battles.”
Clement Desalle:
“I came to try and actually my shoulder is OK. It is not 100% but it would have been alright to ride…but I’m not comfortable with my knee. I’m following my doctor’s advice because he said if I feel good and comfortable then I should ride but if not, then it was better to rest as I could make it worse. Honestly, to fight to be 16th or 18th is not so good. It is a hard decision but it is like this. My personal goal will be for next year and the future.”
MXGP Qualification Heat: 1. Maximilian Nagl (GER, Husqvarna), 24:42.694; 2. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Yamaha), +0:04.702; 3. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), +0:07.624; 4. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), +0:09.534; 5. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, Rockstar Energy Suzuki), +0:13.588; 6. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Honda), +0:14.956; 7. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Rockstar Energy Suzuki), +0:15.640; 8. Romain Febvre (FRA, Yamaha), +0:16.548; 9. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, Honda), +0:23.868; 10. Todd Waters (AUS, Husqvarna), +0:24.551.