De Dycker and Graulus are looking forward to Russia!
The 24MX Honda team will be back in action in the World Championship this weekend for the very first Russian GP in Orlyonok. For Ken De Dycker it will be his first match since returning to the team. Teammate Damon Graulus heads into the 10th round of the FIM MXGP World Championship in great form as he finished second at the 24MX Tour final in Pernes-Les Fontaines last Sunday.
From Pernes-Les-Fontaines, in the south of France, to the next MXGP stop in Russia on the Black Sea, it is about 3.800 kilometers. Although the environment is very different, it makes up for it Damon Graulus little out. The 24MX Honda rider already recorded great results in his first full season on the 450 bike. Although he missed one round of the French championship, the 23-year-old Flemish ended his campaign with his southern neighbors in 7th place in the final standings. In Eagles he will once again resolutely hunt for a top 15 ranking.
Scored during his last match in Russia in 2012 Ken Dycker a podium place. This time the circumstances are completely different for the Belgian veteran. This way, Keeno arrives at the event with a minimum of preparation 24MX Honda CRF450R at the start in the Russian GP. De Dycker was supposed to compete in the Cassel international competition on Monday, but it was canceled in dramatic circumstances. Yet the Lubbeken resident can draw confidence from past GPs. Since the Grand Prix of Latvia, his performances have been on the rise. His best result so far was 16th place in Teutschenthal.
Ken Dycker: “The engine has certainly improved compared to last year. I have already completed some laps during training. Positive in itself, but training always makes a big difference from what you learn during a competition. That is why the main focus in Russia will be to get used to the CRF450R as much as possible. To make the transition as smooth as possible, I have decided to continue working with WP Suspension en StopandGo Suspension. For me personally, the support of the team is now one of the most important differences. Until recently, I still had to arrange many practical matters myself. If you are responsible for maintaining the engine yourself between training sessions and collecting parts, you lose a lot of time that you cannot spend on physical training. Such a situation cannot be combined at this level. Now I can fully concentrate on my job as a driver again. Russia will be the first step, for the next round at the end of this month in Ottobiano I want to be a little further ahead, also physically.”
Damon Graulus: “Things went well in Pernes-Les-Fontaines. It is such a beautiful, typically French hard track where you see the rubber stripes everywhere at the end of the day! Too bad about that massive fall at the start of the first moto in which I got involved. After all, I was on my way to the holeshot and I would have liked to win another series before the curtain fell on the 24MX tour! After that fall I came back well to 4th place. In the second heat I deliberately took it easy because there was so much dust. Really dangerous and to think that they have a nice sprinkler system along the circuit is incomprehensible! In the end I finished fourth again and finished second after Xavier Boog. I feel good and although it was not as warm as in Ernée, the temperature did not bother me in Pernes-Les-Fontaines. I don't know what we can expect from the track in Orlyonok, but I'm certainly looking forward to riding there!”
Photos: G. Smeys, 24MX Tour
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