HThe course at the Kleine Gete is often compared to the Citadel of Namur and this comparison is certainly not unjustified. The beautiful course with a whole bible of history immediately made for an interesting qualifying series.
In this qualifying series we saw the fastest of the time training Jeremy Delincé crash into the first corner together with Marc De Reuver. Both started last and penultimate, but Jeremy Delincé fought his way up place after place and showed that his fastest time in time training was no fluke. In the very strong field of participants he finished eleventh, De Reuver no longer went for a result and drove a few more fast laps.
To the front where Kevin Strijbos took the “holeshot” ahead of Evgeny Bobryshev, Ken De Dycker and Shaun Simpson. Meanwhile, Kevin Strijbos and Evgeny Bobryshev separated from Ken De Dycker, Shaun Simpson and Tanel Leok, among others... Both leaders fought a short duel in which the Russian came out on top, thus winning the qualifying series ahead of Kevin Strijbos and Jeremy Van Horebeek, who, after a very mediocre start, had fought past Ken De Dycker, Shaun Simpson, Tanel Leok and Romain Febvre.
First heat MX1 – BMMX Orp-Le-Grand
In the first series of the Inters MX1 we got a holeshot from Marc De Reuver, but the Dutchman quickly had to give up a few places to Ken De Dycker, Evgeny Bobryshev and Jeremy Delincé. A little later Jeremy Van Horebeek and Kevin Strijbos passed Marc De Reuver. Jeremy Van Horebeek immediately started chasing and passed his namesake Jeremy Delincé. Kevin Strijbos appeared to have difficulty following Jeremy Delincé, but when the Suzuki rider simply left the circuit a few laps later, it was clear that there was more going on than just "not being able to follow".
In the meantime, we had gotten a smart solo from Ken De Dycker at the front and behind that we had a “collapsing” Evgeny Bobryshev who was rolled up by Jeremy Van Horebeek. The latter was so fast that he almost caught the bulging Ken De Dycker at the finish. In the last lap we also saw a very irritated Marc De Reuver who gave away his fifth place to Shaun Simpson.
1. Ken De Dycker
2. Jeremy Van Horebeek
3. Evgeny Bobryshev
4. Jeremy Delincé
5. Shaun Simpson
6. Marc De Reuver
Second heat MX1 – BMMX Orp-Le-Grand
Shaun Simpson was the quick starter, the Briton took the holeshot ahead of Ken De Dycker and Jeremy Delincé. However, after a quarter of the match, Ken “Keeno” De Dycker was fed up with the British lead and took over from Shaun Simpson. Behind it, both Jeremys were involved in a duel. Jeremy Van Horebeek, who again did not have the best start due to a fall, won this match and immediately moved through and over Shaun Simpson to second place.
What we then saw was something to lick our thumbs and fingers. Ken De Dycker and Jeremy Van Horebeek made it a fantastic spectacle between the two of them with some great attempts by “de Jerre” to wrest the lead from his MXON teammate. But it was Ken De Dycker who came out on top. With this he not only takes the final victory in Orp, but hypothetically secures himself this year's Belgian title.
1. Ken De Dycker
2. Jeremy Van Horebeek
3. Shaun Simpson
4. Jeremy Delincé
5. Steve Ramon
6. Petar Petrov
7. Kevin Fors
8. Nick Triest
9. Marvin Van Daele
10 Tanel Leok
Text: Matthias Van Eeckhoven – Photo: Frederik “Vepix” Van Eeckhoven