Coppins back in the groove ahead of motocross Spanish Grand Prix

Yamaha Monster Motocross Team’s Josh Coppins is ready to lift his push for the 2008 MX1-GP World Championship up a gear this weekend at Bellpuig for the Grand Prix of Spain and the second round of the series after almost two weeks of training and further recuperation from his broken toes. The New Zealander has spent ten days at the home of former world champion Jacky Vimond in the south west of France and has been clocking up track kilometres that he desperately missed in the wake of his injury several weeks before the start of the GP campaign in Holland. Coppins took a brave sixth position at Valkenswaard and insists that the time spent riding and training with coach Vimond, has been a positive experience ahead of the trip to Spain. “I have ridden more in these past two weeks than the five before Valkenswaard. It has been really helpful both physically and mentally. I felt that I was not prepared at all for Holland but now I am actually looking forward to going to Spain,” said the 31 year old who dominated both motos at a rain-hit 2007 Spanish Grand Prix. “My foot has been getting better and even though I have not been able to run or swim yet we are now at a point where I do not need to wear a special boot when I’m on the bike.” “Last year was obviously an awesome race for me, two comfortable moto wins, you can’t ask for more than that,” he added reflecting on his Bellpuig victory. “I like the track when it is a bit wet, technical and rutty as opposed to hard, dusty and fast. I am interested to see what I will be capable of this weekend. Going into Valkenswaard I wasn’t even that sure if I could finish and I took sixth place which I was very satisfied with. The championship will begin for me in these next few races.” Meanwhile team-mate David Philippaerts – after recovering from a cold – was trying to squeeze in riding sessions back at his home near Milan but constant showers across northern Italy did not assist his cause. The 24 year old captured fifth position on his debut with the YZ450F in the sand of Valkenswaard and now heads to several circuits that are a little more to his taste. “Bellpuig is a good track and I quite like it because it is similar to places we have in Italy,” he remarked. “The GP last year was quite strange because the practice was cancelled on Saturday because of rain and we only rode on Sunday. There was not much time to see the different lines coming up.” “I feel 100% now and I’m looking forward to the race,” he enthused when pressed about the illness he suffered in the wake of the first round. “We did not escape the rain in Italy and I was out riding only three times so I hope it keeps dry in Spain; when it rains it helps those Belgians!” Bellpuig, close to the city of Lleida in the west of Catalunya, in the north-east region of Spain, has been the traditional home of the Grand Prix since the turn of the century. The hillside setting involves some steep and spectacular set-ups/downs and can offer a fast layout when dry. Yamaha have won three out of four MX1-GP events there from 2004 and the year that the class was established. The forecast for the weekend predicts overcast skies although decent temperatures with a maximum of 23 degrees.