Coppins and Cairoli back in the winning act in France

Yamaha Motocross Team's Josh Coppins and Yamaha De Carli's Antonio Cairoli both returned to the winner's circle today at a busy and warm St Jean d'Angely for the Grand Prix of France and the seventh round of fifteen in the FIM MX1 Motocross World Championship. The duo placed their YZ450FM and YZ250F machines on the top step of the podium in MX1 and MX2 respectively and to complete a perfect weekend also extended their leads in the world championship standings.

The track at St Jean had seen better days, even if the surrounding circuit infrastructure still remains one of the best on the calendar. The course itself consisted mainly of long uphill drags and downhill plunges and the dirt was hard-packed with precious few ruts or really technical zones. The high speed meant that many of the MX1 riders ran at a similar pace and rattled off the laps in the 35 minutes and 2 lap distances. The premier class provided more excitement for the 28,000 fans that enjoyed high temperatures and pleasant weather conditions.   Coppins was strong and authoritative on the first lap of the opening moto and the small gap he established in the formative minutes of the race helped him escape free from David Philippaerts to notch his seventh win from thirteen. It was the first '25' points for the championship leader since moto1 at Teutschenthal in Germany.

The 30 year old faced a harder test in the second sprint. He had to catch leader Billy Mackenzie and then tried to fend off the closing Steve Ramon but was soon grappling with the Belgian. Ramon's slightly quicker lines proved to be the difference at the end of a physically draining race and Coppins wisely eased his speed to confirm second spot and his fourth overall triumph from seven Grands Prix.

The New Zealander was able to take maximum profit of the fact that main title rival Kevin Strijbos was struggling with a knee injury and far from full fitness. Strijbos finished out of the points and did not start the second moto meaning that Coppins left St Jean with a 90 point lead over Steve Ramon.

Marc de Reuver was struggling for some confidence after entering the gate in seventeenth position after Timed Practice on Saturday. He started poorly in the first moto but began to move up the leader-board and was fighting for seventh place when he missed his rut on a downhill curve and crashed off the track. Shaken but unharmed the 24 year old was able to start the second race but could not feel comfortable and finished two laps adrift of the leaders in twenty-first. The Dutchman lies thirteenth in the standings.

The Yamaha Motocross Team will now make preparations to drive east across Europe to Sevlievo for the Grand Prix of Bulgaria next week. The eighth race of the year will bring the championship into its second phase.

Josh Coppins, Yamaha Motocross Team: "In Japan I tried for the victory but I know it is not possible to win every time so I will accept second or third. The main thing for me is to continue to work on my points lead and try to win some more GPs on the Yamaha. I knew Steve would be good. He has done a lot of races this season and is coming strong; he was too hard to catch in the second moto. I used too much energy on bad lines and once I changed my lines I did not really have anything left to give in order to catch him. Of course it is nice to win both heats, but in any case it is great to bag another GP! I feel sorry for Kevin and I know what he is going through as I had ten surgeries on my knees when I was younger with the same problem. I know it is not easy for him but he is a strong guy and a very good rider. It is a bit of a shame for the championship because I'm sure people would like to see it closer, however I am really happy with my situation in the standings."

Marc de Reuver, Yamaha Motocross Team: "The first heat did not start that badly, but I shut off too early and everyone passed me on the first turn. After four laps I was into a rhythm and was fast. I came up to eighth place but then I made a mistake. I got into the corner before the pits too hard and could not brake anymore. I went over the berm and off the track and crashed pretty hard. In the second heat I don't know what happened; I just did not have the confidence."

Carlo Rinaldi, Team Manager, Yamaha Motocross Team: "Like I have said a few times in the past I am very happy and sad at the same time. Happy because Josh was riding at a level that we all know he is capable of and easily won the first moto. In the second moto his lines perhaps weren't that great but he was able to finish as the runner-up. It was a great jump for the championship, especially because - and unfortunately - Kevin had a problem. It is a sad day for Marc. We are really trying to work with him but it looks like he is missing something. We are trying to lift him up and will continue to do our best."   Circuit Length: 1560 Temp: 28 Crowd: 26000 Weather: Sunny     2007 GP of St Jean d’Angély, France 10/06/2007 Race 1 - 23 Laps Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Total Time 1 Joshua Coppins Yamaha NZL 39'7.170 2 David Philippaerts KTM ITA 0'9.603 3 Steve Ramon Suzuki BEL 0'15.878 4 Sébastien Pourcel Kawasaki FRA 0'22.818 5 Billy MacKenzie Kawasaki GBR 0'24.787 6 Jonathan Barragan KTM ESP 0'27.354 7 Mike Brown Honda USA 0'28.635 8 Tanel Leok Kawasaki EST 0'30.757 9 Maximilian Nagl KTM GER 0'43.369 10 James Noble Honda GBR 0'49.896 11 Kornel Nemeth Suzuki HUN 0'52.658 12 Manuel Priem TM BEL 0'58.629 13 Gordon Crockard Honda IRL 1'5.047 14 Aigar Leok Yamaha EST 1'10.863 15 Julien Bill Honda CHE 1'15.292 16 Marvin Van Daele Honda BEL 1'35.402 17 Ken De Dycker Honda BEL -1 Laps 18 Bradley Anderson Yamaha GBR -1 Laps 19 Alessio Chiodi Aprilia ITA -1 Laps 20 Cyrille Coulon Honda FRA -1 Laps

Race 2 - 23 Laps Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Total Time 1 Steve Ramon Suzuki BEL 39'35.456 2 Joshua Coppins Yamaha NZL 0'4.252 3 Tanel Leok Kawasaki EST 0'11.142 4 Billy MacKenzie Kawasaki GBR 0'13.298 5 David Philippaerts KTM ITA 0'13.914 6 Jonathan Barragan KTM ESP 0'22.373 7 Mike Brown Honda USA 0'25.936 8 Manuel Priem TM BEL 0'38.659 9 Sébastien Pourcel Kawasaki FRA 0'41.125 10 Marvin Van Daele Honda BEL 0'41.899 11 Julien Bill Honda CHE 0'42.218 12 Kornel Nemeth Suzuki HUN 1'16.340 13 Pierre A. Renet Honda FRA 1'20.339 14 Aigar Leok Yamaha EST 1'29.918 15 Clement Desalle Suzuki BEL 1'42.357 16 Julien Vanni Honda FRA 1'48.091 17 Christian Stevanini Yamaha ITA -1 Laps 18 Neville Bradshaw Honda RSA -1 Laps 19 Marko Kovalainen Honda FIN -1 Laps 20 Cyrille Coulon Honda FRA -1 Laps

Rider Standings 10/06/2007

Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Points 1. Joshua Coppins Yamaha NZL 321 2. Steve Ramon Suzuki BEL 231 3. Kevin Strijbos Suzuki BEL 211 4. David Philippaerts KTM ITA 186 5. Sébastien Pourcel Kawasaki FRA 184 6. Jonathan Barragan KTM ESP 173 7. Mike Brown Honda USA 169 8. Tanel Leok Kawasaki EST 159 9. Billy MacKenzie Kawasaki GBR 154 10. Ken De Dycker Honda BEL 150 11. James Noble Honda GBR 139 12. Manuel Priem TM BEL 125 13. Marc De Reuver Yamaha NED 115 14. Maximilian Nagl KTM GER 107 15. Kornel Nemeth Suzuki HUN 99 16. Gordon Crockard Honda IRL 78 17. Aigar Leok Yamaha EST 71 18. Marvin Van Daele Honda BEL 65 19. Pierre A. Renet Honda FRA 46 20. Thomas Allier Kawasaki FRA 45

Manufacturer Standings 10/06/2007

Pos. Manufacturer Points 1. Yamaha 321 2. Suzuki 274 3. KTM 239 4. Kawasaki 225 5. Honda 216 6. TM 125 7. Aprilia 4

RACE REPORT 10/06/2007 Cairoli keeps Pourcel from home victory

De Carli Yamaha's Antonio Cairoli dominated both MX2 motos from start to finish ahead of Frenchman Christophe Pourcel and Tyla Rattray in the seventh round of the FIM MX2 World Championship at St Jean d'Angely for the Grand Prix of France. 28,000 fans enjoyed cloudy but later on bright and very warm temperatures.

The hard, fast and flat layout in western France near the coastline did not lend itself to great racing with many MX2 riders circulating at the same speed and only slight mistakes allowing any significant position changes. This meant that both Grand Prix motos of 35 minutes and 2 laps duration were tough mental tests for the elite and the heat and humidity added a harsh physical edge.

Cairoli enacted a familiar formula to viewers of the 2007 MX2 championship so far. The Sicilian is in red hot form and led both races from the first corner until the last. Moto1 was an uncomplicated affair for the 21 year old, who won the '06 edition of the French meeting at Ernee last September. He had a twenty second lead over Pourcel before the first third of the distance had passed. In the second sprint Pourcel - willed on by his many fans in the crowd - got close to the Yamaha ace but was never in a position to draw level or think about an overtaking move. Cairoli simply increased his pace and then stretched his lead over a period of four crucial laps that sapped the resolve of his French rival.

Cairoli's sixth win from seven was also his fifth double moto display of supremacy this season. His 64 point advantage in the world championship prior to the French celebration has now climbed to 70 over current world champ Pourcel.

Team Ricci Yamaha's Kenneth Gundersen was forced to enter the Last Chance qualification period on Saturday after a fall together with Shaun Simpson left him far behind the top twelve bracket in the first session. The Norwegian, who was suffering from stomach cramps, was at a disadvantage, starting from 25th place in the gate and could only ride to 16th both times in his weakened state for 17th overall.

His team-mate Nicolas Aubin was keen to put on a good show in front his home fans and growing legion of supporters. He had won all three motos at a French national race the weekend prior and had trained hard for St Jean. The youngster was the next highest placed Yamaha rider after Cairoli with fifth overall. He was sixth and fifth after two average exits from the gate.

The third member of the team, Davide Guarneri, was also restricted by a fall in the qualifying race on Saturday that left him behind Gundersen in the nether regions of the start line. The Italian rode reasonably well however and apart from a faulty gate and small crash in the second moto gained several positions in both outings to place tenth overall. He charged to fourteenth in Moto2 and kept overtaking his peers right up until the flag.

Cairoli's team-mate Matteo Bonini got away well in both motos and briefly ran as high as second in Moto1 but ended with twelfth overall and a best result of eleventh.

Yamaha's MX2 representatives will not have to wait long for the eighth Grand Prix of the year with the Bulgarian round taking place at the excellent Sevlievo circuit next weekend.

Antonio Cairoli, Yamaha De Carli Team: "It was really important to win here and I really enjoyed it. It was a positive day for the championship and I cannot have any complaints. The second moto was great because I wanted to battle with Christophe and the first race had been quite boring. I had to push hard the second time because he was very fast and I enjoyed the challenge to make a gap. It is looking good for the championship now but I still want to win more GPs."

Kenneth Gundersen, Yamaha Ricci Team: "If I was riding well then I think the top ten might have been possible today but I had such bad stomach cramps. I've been throwing up and needing the toilet a lot. I could ride two laps OK but then I was fighting to just finish so it has not been a very good weekend to say the least."

Nicolas Aubin, Yamaha Team Ricci: "Yesterday I had a good lap time in free practice but could not place high in the race because I struggled with starts. I got away alright in the first moto but I got pushed to the outside and then I had to come back. I didn't have the best rhythm. I really tried but could not pass Searle at the end. In the second race the gate moved before the start and some riders touched it. It threw my concentration and I was at the back in first corner but had a good first lap and then found some decent lines and passed riders everywhere. It was a lot of fun! After a disappointing Japanese GP we worked a lot and now I am back to a decent level."

Davide Guarneri, Yamaha Team Ricci: "The gate did not drop in the second moto and I started last. I tried to push in the beginning but I had a small crash. I lost my rhythm and tried to take a few points but it was not a great result. In the first moto I started quite well but Saturday qualifying, being down in 26th, did not help me today. I pushed and my speed was good and I reached eighth. I think with the pace I had then the top five would have been possible if I had got away well. I am still getting over the ankle injury so to finish every moto and every GP as high as I can in the points is OK for now."   Circuit Length: 1560 Temp: 30 Crowd: 28000 Weather: Sunny     2007 GP of St Jean d’Angély, France 10/06/2007 Race 1 - 23 Laps Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Total Time 1 Antonio Cairoli Yamaha ITA 39'10.262 2 Christophe Pourcel Kawasaki FRA 0'19.907 3 Tyla Rattray KTM RSA 0'26.214 4 Pascal Leuret Honda FRA 0'31.346 5 Tommy Searle KTM GBR 0'37.424 6 Nicolas Aubin Yamaha FRA 0'48.313 7 Jason Dougan Suzuki GBR 0'56.978 8 Davide Guarneri Yamaha ITA 0'58.474 9 Gareth Swanepoel Kawasaki RSA 1'0.262 10 Tom Church Kawasaki GBR 1'2.358 11 Matteo Bonini Yamaha ITA 1'9.704 12 Rui Goncalves KTM POR 1'11.314 13 Carl Nunn Yamaha GBR 1'11.589 14 Xavier Boog Yamaha FRA 1'12.025 15 Matti Seistola Honda FIN 1'20.422 16 Kenneth Gundersen Yamaha NOR 1'43.854 17 Jeremy Tarroux Yamaha FRA -1 Laps 18 Anthony Boissière Kawasaki FRA -1 Laps 19 Sean Hamblin Suzuki USA -1 Laps 20 Jake Nicholls Suzuki GBR -1 Laps

Race 2 - 23 Laps Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Total Time 1 Antonio Cairoli Yamaha ITA 39'51.369 2 Christophe Pourcel Kawasaki FRA 0'16.066 3 Tyla Rattray KTM RSA 0'24.009 4 Pascal Leuret Honda FRA 0'27.649 5 Nicolas Aubin Yamaha FRA 0'31.096 6 Tommy Searle KTM GBR 0'32.163 7 Gareth Swanepoel Kawasaki RSA 0'49.268 8 Anthony Boissière Kawasaki FRA 0'59.265 9 Carl Nunn Yamaha GBR 1'2.553 10 Tom Church Kawasaki GBR 1'16.396 11 Xavier Boog Yamaha FRA 1'19.979 12 Rui Goncalves KTM POR 1'21.894 13 Matteo Bonini Yamaha ITA 1'48.756 14 Davide Guarneri Yamaha ITA -1 Laps 15 Jeremy Tarroux Yamaha FRA -1 Laps 16 Kenneth Gundersen Yamaha NOR -1 Laps 17 Matti Seistola Honda FIN -1 Laps 18 Jake Nicholls Suzuki GBR -1 Laps 19 Gregory Aranda Kawasaki FRA -1 Laps 20 Sean Hamblin Suzuki USA -1 Laps

Rider Standings 10/06/2007

Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Points 1. Antonio Cairoli Yamaha ITA 342 2. Christophe Pourcel Kawasaki FRA 272 3. Tyla Rattray KTM RSA 258 4. Pascal Leuret Honda FRA 209 5. Tommy Searle KTM GBR 206 6. Gareth Swanepoel Kawasaki RSA 173 7. Nicolas Aubin Yamaha FRA 165 8. Kenneth Gundersen Yamaha NOR 149 9. Matti Seistola Honda FIN 125 10. Anthony Boissière Kawasaki FRA 111 11. Marcus Schiffer KTM GER 90 12. Carl Nunn Yamaha GBR 89 13. Tom Church Kawasaki GBR 87 14. Davide Guarneri Yamaha ITA 70 15. Xavier Boog Yamaha FRA 63 16. Dennis Verbruggen Yamaha BEL 62 17. Matteo Bonini Yamaha ITA 60 18. Steven Frossard Kawasaki FRA 58 19. Sean Hamblin Suzuki USA 57 20. Manuel Monni Yamaha ITA 55

Manufacturer Standings 10/06/2007

Pos. Manufacturer Points 1. Yamaha 342 2. Kawasaki 283 3. KTM 277 4. Honda 209 5. Suzuki 120