The Grand Prix of Benelux at the sandy and difficult Eurocircuit in Valkenswaard, a short distance from the city of Eindhoven, saw Jonathan Barragan win the fourth round of fifteen in the FIM MX1 World Championship. For the first time this season a CRF450R was seen setting the pace at the front of the field thanks to CAS Honda’s Billy Mackenzie and Martin Honda’s Marc de Reuver but it would be De Reuver’s Martin Honda teammate Kevin Strijbos who would notch the best overall result with fourth place and his highest finish of the year so far.
The warm sunny conditions enjoyed by the riders in qualifying on Saturday gave way to dull overcast conditions on Sunday as 20,000 spectators flocked to the first of three MX Grand Prix events that will take place in the region this season. Those in attendance witnessed some of the most exciting races seen to date this season in which any one of seven riders could have taken podium positions. The finales to both MX1 motos produced chaotic and unpredictable sprints.
Mackenzie, fresh from testing after the GP of Turkey two weeks ago and now pleased with the base set-up of his motorcycle, led the first half of the opening race from Marc de Reuver until warfare erupted within the group of five riders chasing the leaders across the rough and rutted sand. The Scotsman –still lacking full fitness - was swamped by his pursuers and De Reuver, who was fronting the pack by this stage, had his own moment of drama when he crashed, remounted and fought back from fifth to second at the flag. Strijbos was adrift of the action and suffering with arm-pump but still took a strong seventh place finish.
Mackenzie was the victim of a first corner fall in Moto2 and a collision with Ken De Dyker later in the outing. His 14th place, together with his eighth in the first moto saw him classified eleventh. De Reuver was holding a steady position with the leaders until a surprising fall left the Dutchman concussed and unable to continue. Strijbos rallied from a first lap incident in which he was put off the track by a rider falling just in front of him blocking his line but he displayed skill and courage that pulled him through to a decent fourth spot by the finish line.
The second CAS Honda representative, Cedric Melotte, making his return to GP racing, scored twelfth place in Moto1 but he had pushed himself too hard and the Belgian did not make it the line for Moto2, the pain in his back unbearable; he will undergo a scan on his injuries this week.
LS Honda’s Clement Desalle was eighth overall with ninth and eighth place respectively.
The MX2 class was won by Rui Goncalves, with Shaun Simpson second and Nicolas Aubin third. LS Honda’s Marvin Musquin claimed seventh overall through the sand and is now second in the world championship standings 15 points adrift of series leader Gautier Paulin.
In the MX1 table Honda’s highest runner is Desalle who is ninth and trails leader Antonio Cairoli by 57 points. Strijbos is tenth, De Reuver thirteenth and Mackenzie fifteenth.
Round five of fifteen will take place next week at Agueda for the Grand Prix of Portugal.
Kevin Strijbos, Martin Honda, 4th:
“The first race was really difficult and I had some arm-pump. The first twenty minutes were OK but then I had a pretty big dip and could only pull it together in the last minutes. Nagl crashed on the first lap of the second race and I could not avoid him. I pushed hard to come back to wherever I could and even though I was tired in the final laps I just kept going and made some good positions. Things went quite well but did not really turn out the way I wanted. I am missing race time and I know I will keep progressing.”
Marc de Reuver, Martin Honda, 10th:
“I don’t remember much to be honest. This was a good weekend anyway because I am not so confident at the moment and to be going for the podium was already a big lift. In the first race I was riding smooth and nice and just made one small mistake when the front end slipped out. I saw five riders pass me all going for first position and there was no way I was going to cool off from that! I went full gas and as hard as I could to get up near the front. The double over the back section was pretty dangerous Philippaerts didn’t jump it, Ramon had a big crash and I took second place when I decided to ‘go for it’ there. In the second moto I was hanging around the leaders and waiting to see what would happen when I went for a rut over the crest of the hill. The rest is pretty blank for me. Overall though I am quite happy.”
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