The Frenchman had another strong weekend in Axel; after his podium result last week at Arnhem he showed everyone how confident and competitive he is aboard the KX450-SR Kawasaki. Runner up in the opening moto, the Frenchman won the second to celebrate his first overall victory since joining KRT last winter. Next week he will be joined by teammate Clement Desalle for the first of three consecutive world championship rounds at Kegums in Latvia; the first will take place on Sunday 9th August, the second on Wednesday 12th and the third on Sunday 16th.
Romain Febvre: “It was another good weekend for us; the goal again this weekend was to prepare for the GPs with more starts. Two races, four starts, two holeshots and twice second, so that’s really positive. Here at Axel my feeling was not so good in the first race but better in the second; a win is always a good result but I feel that I can still improve and we’ll continue to work this week before the three GPs in Latvia.”
There was further success for Green bikes in the MX2 category at Axel with a double podium for the F&H Kawasaki MX2 Racing Team as Roan van de Moosdijk finished second in each moto with Mathys Boisrame third each time. Teammate Mikkel Haarup was fifth overall from 4-5 moto finishes.
Roan van de Moosdijk: “I didn’t have a perfect lap in the timed practice session due to slower riders and some mistakes but I was still third in the session. I had a decent start in the first moto; I was fifth and after a few laps advanced to second but the leader was too far ahead. I had some nice racing with my teammates and it was the same story in the second moto as I battled with Mathys and Mikkel. When I passed both of them I made a gap to again finish second; I’m very happy with my two preparation races and now I’m looking forward to Latvia.”
Mathys Boisrame: “After working hard this winter it's finally been a successful day results-wise. I was fifth to the gate and I got a good start in the top five of the first moto; I raced close to the leaders all race to finish third even though I lost a lot of time with the lappers during the last three laps. In the second moto I again finished third for third overall. I’m happy with my weekend; it allowed me to get into the rhythm a little more before the Latvian races.”
Mikkel Haarup: “It was another good day of racing. I got two good starts inside the top three and I rode two decent motos in the top five. The bike was working great all day; the track was rough but I felt comfortable and it was a great way to prepare for the GP season.”
Kawasaki also enjoyed success in France at the weekend with a double podium for the Bud Racing Team as Pierre Goupillon stormed to an overwhelming two-moto victory in the opening round of the Elite MX2 national championship at Magescq, while new team mate Lorenzo Locurcio finished third overall.
The twenty-one-year-old Frenchman Goupillon, who will head the Kawasaki challenge in the European EMX250 series which also swings into action in Latvia next weekend, dominated both motos from start to finish and confirmed that he’s ready for the sandy rounds of the European championship. Coming straight from his native Venezuela a few days earlier Lorenzo Locurcio has signed with the team to replace Mitch Harrison, and he displayed strong potential in both races with a fifth and a third position; on the podium of his first race in Europe, he couldn’t have wished for a better start with the team.
Pierre Goupillon: “I spent many, many hours training on this track this winter and that helped me to improve my riding skills in the sand. We worked hard with our trainer Thierry Van Den Bosch this winter and I’m confident for this season. We saw today that I’m now a sand rider, even if there’s always some pressure for the first race; I had a good feeling all day and I feel ready for Latvia.”
Lorenzo Locurcio: “It’s been a very positive weekend; it’s been a steep learning curve but I have been working hard with Thierry (Van Den Bosch), the bike is good and I’m really excited! It has always been in my mind to come to Europe one day, so when Stephane (Dasse) called me I jumped on a plane. Since I arrived in Europe I have only practised on sandy tracks; it’s never easy to do your first race with the team on this kind of track so I’m very happy with this podium result.”