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Third place for Philippaerts at MX1 Czech Grand Prix

In Offroad

31 luglio 2007

David Philippaerts rode two solid MX1 motos in difficult conditions at the motocross course in Loket, Czech Republic on Sunday for a third overall for the KTM Red Bull Racing Team.

The Italian rider got away well in the first heat and was fifth at the conclusion of lap five. "Many riders were crashing so I decided not to take any unnecessary risks and try to finish up with the front runners," he said. His efforts paid off and he came home second for a promising start to the day.

David also had a good start in the second moto but the rain that persisted throughout the race made it heavy going for the riders. He then slid into the soggy ground when his leathers got caught in the cladding of the bike. "After that, it was very hard to pass," he said, and was forced to settle for ninth place and overall third.

    Fortunately the shoulder injury that has plagued him in recent races and kept him off his bike until last Wednesday responded well to treatment before each of the motos on Sunday. Philippaerts, who has announced he will be leaving the KTM factory team at the end of the current season, told journalists that he still had the goal of finishing in the top three at the end of the season. "KTM has always been very supportive and this would be a way of thanking them for their efforts," he said.

In a day where wet conditions made it difficult to stay on the bikes, Philippaerts' fellow KTM factory rider Jonathan Barragan of Spain was also short on luck. In second place after the start of race one, Barragan slipped into a straw bale and dropped back to fourth. Then he tangled with Belgian rider Steve Ramon resulting in damage to the bike that made it impossible to continue. Although Barragan rode to an excellent third place in the second moto, his efforts were not good enough to bump him up to more than overall ninth.
Barragan now plans to go to Belgium to train with KTM team boss Stefan Everts ahead of the next two races.

David Philippaerts is currently fourth in the MX 1 standings with 312 points. Barragan has 292 points and is in sixth place.

MX1 Results
1. Kevin Strjbos, Belgium, Suzuki
2. Sebastien Pourcel, France, Kawasaki
3. David Philippaerts, Italy, KTM
4. Tanel Leok, Estonia, Kawasaki
5. Julien Bill, Switzerland, Honda
9. Jonathan Barragan, Spain, KTM