Keeno looks back on a successful GP
Red Bull-KTM rider Ken De Dycker piloted his KTM SX-F 450 to a fourth place this afternoon during the Bulgarian GP in Sevlievo. The 27-year-old Belgian is currently fourth in the MX1 World Championship. Frenchman Gautier Paulin won the GP ahead of Christophe Pourcel and Antonio Cairoli. De Dycker became the first Belgian.
Keeno qualified fifth on Saturday. His fast lap times confirmed that he was at least as fast on a hard surface as he was in the sand of Valkenswaard two weeks ago. During the qualifying sessions the circuit was difficult and muddy in places. Today, on the other hand, the surface was dry, a lot harder and dusty. The warmer temperatures on Sunday helped the Bulgarian GP achieve a record attendance in terms of public interest. The Bulgarian fans saw how Max Nagl's replacement was around 10th place immediately after the start of the first heat. Despite his regularity and speed, De Dycker experienced how difficult it is to get back to Sevlievo and to find alternative lines. After Ken had skillfully dealt with Rui Gonçalves and Evgeny Bobryshev, he ended up in seventh place. That was also the position in which he ended the match.
In the second moto Keeno got off to a much better start, allowing him to persevere and achieve his best result of the day. The 'Beer from Lubbeek' threw in the towel from the start. From seventh place on the opening lap, De Dycker continued to an impressive third place five laps later. His sensational rise did not seem to be over yet, as Ken caught up with Paulin and Pourcel. Halfway through the race he had to bow to teammate Antonio Cairoli who reclaimed his third place. While he maintained contact with the five-time world champion, De Dycker completed the rest of the 35 minutes plus 2 laps neatly and finished fourth.
Ken Dycker: “Things went reasonably well during qualifying, although I didn't have the best start. As the match progressed, however, I got into my rhythm better and better. All in all, fifth place wasn't that bad. Especially because in Sevlievo there is only one line almost everywhere. My start during the first race today could also have been better. It was not possible to make up more than a few places. When I ended up behind Boog, I hesitated a bit too long and lost my rhythm. At the end of the heat Xavier was still able to clear a gap because I lost a lot of time trying to overtake the doubled riders.
The second series went much smoother. I felt good on the bike, and gradually the circuit offered more opportunities for overtaking. This time I got off to a good start, so I got going straight away. After 10 laps, when I was third, I made some mistakes. I lost a place to Cairoli, but in the end I'm very satisfied with this moto. This is certainly a result that we can build on for the next major prizes. This week I will spend another week in Rome with the Red Bull-KTM de Carli team in preparation for the Italian GP.”
MX1 Race 1
1.Christophe Pourcel (FRA, Kawasaki), 39:09.159; ; 2. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:05.667; 3. Clement Desalle (BEL, Suzuki), +0:07.718; 4. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:08.467; 5. David Philippaerts (ITA, Yamaha), +0:20.631; 6. Xavier Boog (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:21.770; 7. Ken de Dycker (BEL, Red Bull-KTM), +0:36.027; 8. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), +0:44.249; 9. Rui Goncalves (POR, Honda), +0:44.410; 10. Gregory Aranda (FRA, Yamaha), +0:57.539;
MX1 Race 2
1. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Kawasaki), 39:17.879; ; 2. Christophe Pourcel (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:02.427; 3. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:23.189; 4. Ken de Dycker (BEL, Red Bull-KTM), +0:26.379; 5. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), +0:29.251; 6. Sebastien Pourcel (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:29.975; 7. Xavier Boog (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:31.978; 8. Tanel Leok (EST, Suzuki), +1:05.762; 9. Shaun Simpson (GBR, Yamaha), +1:07.483; 10. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, KTM), +1:08.192;
GP of Bulgaria final score
1. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Kawasaki), 47 points; 2. Christopher Pourcel (FRA, Kawasaki), 47 p.; 3. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 38 p.; 4. Ken de Dycker (BEL, Red Bull-KTM), 32 p.; 5. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), 29 p.; 6. Xavier Boog (FRA, Kawasaki), 29 p.; 7. David Philippaerts (ITA, Yamaha), 24 p.; 8. Clement Desalle (BEL, Suzuki), 23 p.; 9. Shaun Simpson (GBR, Yamaha), 22 p.; 10. Sebastian Pourcel (FRA, Kawasaki), 21 p.;
Provisional standings after 2 rounds
1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 88 points; 2. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Kawasaki), 79 p.; 3. Clement Desalle (BEL, Suzuki), 67 p.; 4. Ken de Dycker (BEL, Red Bull-KTM), 63 p.; 5. Christopher Pourcel (FRA, Kawasaki), 59 p.; 6. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, KTM), 51 p.; 7. Xavier Boog (FRA, Kawasaki), 49 p.; 8. Shaun Simpson (GBR, Yamaha), 45 p.; 9. David Philippaerts (ITA, Yamaha), 44 p.; 10. Tanel Leok (EST, Suzuki), 42 p.; 11. Rui Goncalves (POR, Honda), 41 p.; 12. Steven Frossard (FRA, Yamaha), 40 p.; 13. Evgeny Bobryshev (Russia, Honda), 38 p.; 14. Jonathan Barragan (ESP, Honda), 26 p.; 15. Sebastian Pourcel (FRA, Kawasaki), 24 p.; 16. David Guarneri (ITA, KTM), 22 p.; 17. Matiss Car (LAT, KTM), 21 p.; 18. Cedric Soubeyras (FRA, Honda), 15 p.; 19. Marcus Schiffer (GER, Suzuki), 14 p.; 20. Matteo Bonini (ITA, KTM), 13 p.;
The third round of the MX1 World Championship will take place on April 29 in Fermo, Italy
Photos: Father Swijgers
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