Febvre keeps podium run with third place at Belgian MXGP

[totalmotorcycle]

@Febvre keeps podium run with third place at #Belgian #MXGP


@Yamaha Factory Racing Yamalube's Romain Febvre picked up his ninth consecutive podium finish with third place overall across the almost-impossible sand of Lommel at the Grand Prix of Belgium. The fourteenth round of eighteen in the 2015 FIM Motocross World Championship was played out in front of more than 24,000 spectators and in hot sunshine. Teammate Jeremy Van Horebeek endured back pain to take fifth overall.

After running to a strong second spot and tussling for Pole Position on Saturday, Febvre knew he had the settings, the feeling and the speed to mark a career-best performance in the sand on Sunday. He started well in the first moto with the holeshot and began an intense tussle with Shaun Simpson until a small slip while entering a deep hole caused him to lose control and crash. Another mistake meant that he lost second place to Gautier Paulin so then rode out the rest of the laps to a safe third position.

In the second race a lightening start - another holeshot - was again nullified by Simpson and the exertions of the first moto caught up with '461' who was unable to push to follow the British racer and also with Paulin again for company. Febvre secured third to go 3-3 on the day.

Van Horebeek rode a conservative moto to fifth on Saturday. The Belgian was hoping to improve his 2014 result at Lommel where a heavy impact attempting the quad jump led to a cut eye and he could only classify eighth. In the first moto he made a satisfactory getaway but was caught up in the second group and had a small dispute with Evgeny Bobryshev before defeating the Russian for a well-earned fourth place. JVH was already struggling with a sore back and the condition worsened in the second moto when '89' lacked the strength to attack the sand. A late crash meant that he managed to reach the finish in ninth.

Romain keeps a healthy advantage in the MXGP FIM World Championship standings. He came to Lommel with an 88 point gap and leaves with 84 over Gautier Paulin with just 200 left to win in Grands Prix in Italy, Holland, Mexico and the USA. Van Horebeek is eighth.

DP19 Yamaha Racing's David Philippaerts was not fit enough to compete at Lommel due to the injuries picked up in the first moto at Loket for the Grand Prix of Czech Republic last week. The Italian hopes to be back in play for his third home round of the season at Mantova and the Lombardian fixture in three weeks time.



Romain Febvre

3rd and 3rd for 3rd overall. Championship Position: 1st

"I'm happy with the day overall. In the first moto I felt really good and I was very close to Shaun at one moment but I crashed and I lost the 'feeling'. It came back after a couple of laps but then I crashed again in the waves section. I think I used a lot of energy to get back on the bike and charge again. I wanted to catch Gautier but I pushed myself for nothing because I couldn't pass him. I got another holeshot in the second moto but I could feel my legs [getting tired] and it was very difficult. To be third twice is a positive weekend for the team and myself."






Jeremy van Horebeek

4th and 9th for 5th overall. Championship Position: 8th

"It was so tough. I gave it my all but it was already tough for me in the first moto. In the last few laps I had a lot of pain in my back, which is still from a crash I had at Kester [Belgian Championship]. After five minutes in the second moto I could not stand up anymore. I was empty. I don't have much to say. It has been a difficult year and we will keep working."




2015 MXGP Belgium

Lommel 02/08/2015 17 Laps

race I
1 Shaun Simpson KTM GBR 34'36.275
2 Gautier Paulin Honda FRA 0'04.580
3 Romain Febvre
Yamaha
FRA 0'30.238
4 Jeremy Van Horebeek
Yamaha
BEL 0'46.372
5 Evgeny Bobryshev Honda RUS 0'53.607
6 Glenn Coldenhoff Suzuki NLD 0'59.721
7 Kevin Strijbos Suzuki BEL 1'15.111
8 Todd Waters Husqvarna AUS 1'26.047
9 Gert Krestinov Honda EST 1'36.244
10 Filip Bengtsson Honda SWE 1'39.797
11 Nathan Watson Husqvarna GBR 1'41.960
12 Tyla Rattray Kawasaki ZAF 1'46.477
13 Priit Ratsep Honda EST 2'12.128
14 Christophe Charlier Honda FRA -1Laps
15 Dean Ferris Husqvarna AUS -1Laps
23 Jeffrey DeWulf Yamaha BEL -7Laps
race II
1 Shaun Simpson KTM GBR 35'02.032
2 Gautier Paulin Honda FRA 0'06.005
3 Romain Febvre
Yamaha
FRA 0'24.685
4 Evgeny Bobryshev Honda RUS 0'54.696
5 Kevin Strijbos Suzuki BEL 1'22.952
6 Todd Waters Husqvarna AUS 1'27.898
7 Tyla Rattray Kawasaki ZAF 1'53.573
8 Dean Ferris Husqvarna AUS 1'58.778
9 Jeremy Van Horebeek
Yamaha
BEL 2'01.731
10 Gert Krestinov Honda EST 2'03.900
11 Christophe Charlier Honda FRA 3'12.669
12 Glenn Coldenhoff Suzuki NLD -1Laps
13 Priit Ratsep Honda EST -1Laps
14 Angus Heidecke KTM DE -1Laps
15 Jose Antonio Butron KTM ESP -1Laps
20 Jeffrey DeWulf Yamaha BEL -2Laps


MXGP World Standing

Rider Standings After Race 14 of 19

1. Romain Febvre
Yamaha
FRA 547
2. Gautier Paulin Honda FRA 463
3. Evgeny Bobryshev Honda RUS 423
4. Antonio Cairoli KTM ITA 416
5. Maximilian Nagl Husqvarna DE 360
6. Shaun Simpson KTM GBR 356
7. Clement Desalle Suzuki BEL 331
8. Jeremy Van Horebeek
Yamaha
BEL 324
9. Glenn Coldenhoff Suzuki NLD 290
10. Kevin Strijbos Suzuki BEL 287
11. Todd Waters Husqvarna AUS 278
12. Dean Ferris Husqvarna AUS 208
13. Tyla Rattray Kawasaki ZAF 204
14. David Philippaerts
Yamaha
ITA 185
15. Christophe Charlier Honda FRA 164
16. Jose Antonio Butron KTM ESP 155
34. Cedric Soubeyras Yamaha FRA 15
41. Matevz Irt Yamaha SVN 9
42. Paul Coates Yamaha GBR 7
43. Pier Bertuzzo Yamaha ITA 6
44. Jeffrey DeWulf Yamaha BEL 4
54. Lewis Gregory Yamaha GBR 0



Circuit Length:
.
Last Years Winner:
Antonio Cairoli