Keeno about the Lierop GP
After a one-year absence, Lierop, the toughest circuit of the GP cycle, made its return to the calendar! Red Bull KTM rider Ken De Dycker felt perfectly at ease during the tough Benelux GP. De Dycker finished second behind teammate Antonio Cairoli. Estonian Tanel Leok came third. Keeno remains fifth in the championship but is only 6 points clear of Christophe Pourcel in fourth. Gautier Paulin, who is third with a 22-point lead over Ken, also remains within reach. There are still 100 points to be earned during the last two Grand Prix.
De Dycker, who is an ex-GP winner in Lierop, was one of the fastest men throughout the entire weekend. After a second fastest time during free practice and the prequalifying session, he finished third during the qualifying race on Saturday. Although the 28-year-old Belgian did not have the best start in the 35-minute plus two-lap first heat, he still managed to put things in order. After starting in the top 15, Keeno worked his way to the front. More than 20.000 people, including many Belgian fans, saw how De Dycker finished the first round in fifth place. After passing Simpson one lap later, he remained third for the entire race behind Cairoli and Nagl.
A much better start around fifth position was the harbinger of a strong performance in the second moto. Despite the (even) deeper tracks and many holes, 'the bear from Lubbeek' clearly felt better about himself. De Dycker steered his KTM SX-F 450 around the 'Hersel forests' with brio. As only the very best sand riders can do, Ken showed a rare combination of dedication and creativity. His fastest lap time was 4 to 5 (!) seconds below the fastest lap of most top riders. Only five-time world champion Antonio Cairoli turned out to be slightly stronger. De Dycker tried to force a breakthrough in the second half of the race, but ultimately he decided to consolidate and finished second.
Ken Dycker: “It's great to be on the podium again. Overall it was an excellent weekend. I have to admit that Lierop is and remains quite an challenge, especially at this moment in the championship. After the long season we've had, I feel a little tired. My position in the World Cup standings is also positive. The difference with both Pourcel and Paulin is not huge. Coming third will not be easy, but I will certainly do everything I can in the next two GPs.
In the first heat there might have been more if there had been a better start. However, in terms of driving it was not good. I couldn't build up a consistent rhythm and made too many mistakes. At the end of the race there was a slightly bigger mistake when I went after Max (Nagl). The second race was much better. The heavier condition of the track also played into my hands. This meant that in some places you could jump from left to right over the 'sand waves'. Compared to the first series it was also easier to find my pace because I was able to catch up with Cairoli who had crashed in the second round. I tried to drive to Tony, but that wasn't possible. When I passed a doubled rider I made a mistake and a second caution followed as I passed the pit lane. After that I drove a little more slowly. Lierop is so demanding that you should certainly not overdo it with your strength. The man with the hammer can suddenly appear and if you have to go around here with severe cramps, every additional round is one too many!”
MX1 Race 1 1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 40:53.149; 2. Maximilian Nagl (GER, KTM), +0:08.556; 3. Ken de Dycker (BEL, KTM), +0:34.571; 4. Tanel Leok (EST, Suzuki), +0:44.142; 5. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:46.058; 6. Clement Desalle (BEL, Suzuki), +0:47.362; 7. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), +1:22.867; 8. Shaun Simpson (GBR, Yamaha), +1:27.570; 9. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, KTM), +2:03.584; 10. Marcus Schiffer (GER, Suzuki), -1 card(s); 11. Marc de Reuver (NED, Kawasaki), -1 card(s); 12. Xavier Boog (FRA, Kawasaki), -1 card(s); 13. Davide Guarneri (ITA, KTM), -1 card(s); 14. Rui Goncalves (POR, Honda), -1 card(s); 15. Milko Potisek (FRA, Honda), -1 card(s); 16. Lonka Lukasz (POL, Honda), -1 card(s); 17. Augusts Justs (LAT, Honda), -1 card(s); 18. Gert Krestinov (EST, Honda), -1 card(s); 19. Bryan Mackenzie (GBR, KTM), -1 card(s); 20. Kim Lindstrom (SWE, Kawasaki), -2 card(s)
MX1 Race 2 1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 41:45.714; 2. Ken de Dycker (BEL, KTM), +0:15.837; 3. Tanel Leok (EST, Suzuki), +0:23.817; 4. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), +0:33.733; 5. Shaun Simpson (GBR, Yamaha), +0:35.324; 6. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, KTM), +1:00.708; 7. Clement Desalle (BEL, Suzuki), +1:09.225; 8. Rui Goncalves (POR, Honda), +1:11.132; 9. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Kawasaki), +1:34.509; 10. Jonathan Barragan (ESP, Honda), +2:06.153; 11. Xavier Boog (FRA, Kawasaki), -1 lap(s); 12. Davide Guarneri (ITA, KTM), -1 lap(s); 13. Marcus Schiffer (GER, Suzuki), -1 lap(s); 14. Milko Potisek (FRA, Honda), -1 lap(s); 15. Gert Kristinov (EST, Honda), -1 lap(s); 16. Davis Livs (LAT, Kawasaki), -1 lap(s); 17. Bryan Mackenzie (GBR, KTM), -1 lap(s); 18. Jamie Law (GBR, KTM), -1 lap(s); 19. Gregory Aranda (FRA, Yamaha), -1 lap(s); 20. Irwin Graeme (GBR, Yamaha), -2 lap(s);
GP of Benelux final standings 1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 50 points; 2. Ken de Dycker (BEL, Red Bull KTM), 42 p.; 3. Tanel Leok (EST, Suzuki), 38 p.; 4. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), 32 p.; 5. Shaun Simpson (GBR, Yamaha), 29 p.; 6. Clement Desalle (BEL, Suzuki), 29 p.; 7. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Kawasaki), 28 p.; 8. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, KTM), 27 p.; 9. Maximilian Nagl (GER, KTM), 22 p.; 10. Rui Goncalves (POR, Honda), 20 p.;
FIM MX1 World Championship standings after 14 GPs 1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 592 points; 2. Clement Desalle (BEL, Suzuki), 516 p.; 3. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Kawasaki), 468 p.; 4. Christopher Pourcel (FRA, Kawasaki), 452 p.; 5. Ken de Dycker (BEL, Red Bull KTM), 446 p.; 6. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, KTM), 369 p.; 7. Xavier Boog (FRA, Kawasaki), 355 p.; 8. Tanel Leok (EST, Suzuki), 338 p.; 9. Rui Goncalves (POR, Honda), 315 p.; 10. Shaun Simpson (GBR, Yamaha), 271 p.;
Ken De Dycker will be at the start next weekend in Faenza, Italy for the 14th round of the Motocross World Championship
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