After winning the opening moto, cruel luck struck Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MX1’s Clement Desalle when the Belgian was four laps away from a sure-fire podium-finish in front of 38,000 spectators today at a hot Maggiora for the Grand Prix of Italy.

Desalle had comfortably aced the opening race for his second chequered flag of the year, but an electrical problem forced his first retirement since 2010 and saw a seventh trophy of the season slip away.

Maggiora was a ‘roll back of the years’ for the FIM Motocross World Championship that visited the iconic and redeveloped venue for the first time this century for the ninth round of 17 in the series. The hillsides were packed with fans expectant of more stellar action in the competitive MX1 class and the hard-pack track was rolling, rutted and slippery.

After a difficult Saturday qualification heat, Desalle started superbly in the first moto of 35 minutes and two-lap duration and began chasing World Champion Antonio Cairoli. When the Italian crashed ‘#25′ inherited the lead and then eased his way to a seven-second victory. With a full 25 points in the bag Desalle was then foiled with a mid-pack start for the second moto and needed at least a quarter of the distance to work his way into fourth. As sometimes happens in a technical sport, Desalle was robbed of a deserving spray of champagne in what was his first mechanical upset since the Brazilian GP at the end of 2010.

Team-mate Kevin Strijbos enjoyed a top-five start in the first moto but his lack of feeling around Maggiora plagued him at crucial moments and he could do no better than seventh place. A flattened track in the second race saw the Belgian gain more confidence and stature; and although he was seventh once more, crossed the finish with a better sensation about his performance.

Desalle is third in the MX1 world championship points table and 83 behind Cairoli and 32 adrift of Maggiora-winner Gautier Paulin. Strijbos is still fifth and just in front of Tommy Searle.

Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MX1 now finally enjoys a free weekend after one month and travel across three continents. Three consecutive Grands Prix in Sweden, Latvia and Finland then follow into the month of July.

Clement Desalle:

“Everything was good in the first moto; the start, running second and then taking over after Cairoli’s crash. I had a good rhythm and set good lap-times and just controlled the gap until the end. I didn’t take any risks and I felt really positive for the second moto. The start was so important here and unfortunately I was out of the top five. I fought hard to get back to fourth and suddenly the bike stopped. It was so unlucky and it just feels like we are always fighting something. We have a free weekend now and I don’t think I will ride and just do some good training next week.”

Kevin Strijbos:

“In the first moto I had a good start and thought ‘OK, let’s try and go with them’ but I just didn’t have the speed or any answer for them. I couldn’t see where they were winning time. I was pretty bad out there. In the second moto things got better and the lines came to me. It suddenly became more fun and the jumps were easier. Two top 10s mean that it has not been a good day but I have to take it. I’ll think about the second moto though and I really want to thank the team because they changed so much and worked so hard to try and find a solution. Even though it is the same bike I have ridden all year, I was just searching for something to help me feel more comfortable and clear my mind. Too bad I didn’t get the results today. It is good to finally have a week off now; after GPs and the American trip we have been pretty busy.”

MX1 Moto1:

1. Clement Desalle (BEL, Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MX1), 39:15.768;
2. Ken de Dycker (BEL, KTM), +0:07.677;
3. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:12.885;
4. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:18.838;
5. Jeremy van Horebeek (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:24.491;
6. Maximilian Nagl (GER, Honda), +0:27.572;
7. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MX1), +0:54.258;
8. Xavier Boog (FRA, KTM), +0:55.629;
9. Davide Guarneri (ITA, KTM), +1:03.755;
10. Tommy Searle (GBR, Kawasaki), +1:05.871;

MX1 Moto2:

1. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Kawasaki), 40:06.399;
2. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:10.337;
3. Ken de Dycker (BEL, KTM), +0:30.330;
4. Jeremy van Horebeek (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:38.201;
5. Tommy Searle (GBR, Kawasaki), +0:41.906;
6. Maximilian Nagl (GER, Honda), +0:54.265;
7. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MX1), +0:57.269;
8. Davide Guarneri (ITA, KTM), +1:30.183;
9. Xavier Boog (FRA, KTM), +1:31.308;
10. Milko Potisek (FRA, Yamaha), +1:33.087;
23. Clement Desalle (BEL, Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MX1), -4 lap(s);

MX1 Overall results:

1. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Kawasaki), 45 points;
2. Ken de Dycker (BEL, KTM), 42 p.;
3. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 40 p.;
4. Jeremy van Horebeek (BEL, Kawasaki), 34 p.;
5. Maximilian Nagl (GER, Honda), 30 p.;
6. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MX1), 28 p.;
7. Tommy Searle (GBR, Kawasaki), 27 p.;
8. Davide Guarneri (ITA, KTM), 25 p.;
9. Xavier Boog (FRA, KTM), 25 p.;
10. Clement Desalle (BEL, Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MX1), 25 p.;

MX1 FIM Motocross World Championship (after 9 of 17 rounds):

1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 417 points;
2. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Kawasaki), 366 p.;
3. Clement Desalle (BEL, Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MX1), 334 p.;
4. Ken de Dycker (BEL, KTM), 319 p.;
5. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MX1), 271 p.;
6. Tommy Searle (GBR, Kawasaki), 266 p.;
7. Maximilian Nagl (GER, Honda), 220 p.;
8. Jeremy van Horebeek (BEL, Kawasaki), 205 p.;
9. Rui Goncalves (POR, KTM), 180 p.;
10. David Philippaerts (ITA, Honda), 145 p.;

Rockstar Energy Suzuki Europe’s Max Anstie and Jeremy Seewer both grabbed hard-earned points but endured some bad luck at the Grand Prix of Italy and the Maggiora circuit for the ninth round of 17 in the FIM Motocross World Championship today.

Maggiora was back as a Grand Prix host for the first time since 1999 and after renovations and redevelopment to the site – that has gained mythical status for the crowds and atmosphere at past events – the circuit north of Milan again shook to the sounds of a busy 38,000 crowd.

Anstie showed flashes of promising lap-times and ran inside the top six in both free practice sessions. The Brit was unfortunate to be held-up at the start of the first GP moto and pushed from the bottom half of the pack to reach 13th place. His poor luck with starts continued in Moto2 as a second corner pile-up affected both ‘#14′ and his team-mate. Anstie recovered his factory RM-Z250 but then couldn’t avoid another rider in front of him and suffered a heavy fall that left him battered and the Suzuki worse for wear. At that point Anstie was forced to retire.

Seewer used the Grand Prix for further practice and training on the RM-Z250: The young Swiss will be in action in Germany next weekend and then prepping for the third round of eight in the European EMX250 campaign in Sweden where he is second in the championship with two podium results. The teenager had to withdraw from Moto1 after a tumble and then rear brake failure while the same melee that held-up Anstie in the second moto also caused Seewer to hit the ground. But he saw out the moto to at least claim two points for 19th

The team now heads back to Germany to prepare for the third meeting in the ADAC MX Masters series at Aichwald before embarking on a three-week, three-race trek taking in Grands Prix at Sweden (Uddevalla), Latvia (Kegums) and Finland (Hyvinkaa).

Max Anstie:

“Not a very good day. I got out of the gate pretty good but something happened in the first corners and I went up the hill with what felt like most of the pack in front of me again. I was trying so hard but on this kind of track sometimes you just need to calm down a bit. I had a different approach to the second race but I bogged a bit on the start and then on the second corner loads of us crashed. I got back up and thought ‘let’s go and dance’ because my speed was good out there. I followed a guy up the hill and he went completely sideways and I just smashed into him. The bike hit me and I was upside-down on the hill. I smashed my leg and winded myself. The bars were damaged and the bike was bent. I went to the pits but I was two laps down by then. The tide has to turn at some point because we have done so much work. We are flat-out and I just need to bring it together and stop struggling.”

Jeremy Seewer:

“Hard day and not my weekend! I didn’t have the speed on Saturday. My start was not perfect for the first moto because the track had been watered and it was really slippery. I crashed and then had to stop after about 15 minutes because my rear brake broke. In the second moto my jump from the gate was much better, but because I was in 21st position I was pushed wide. Then in the second corner Romain Febvre crashed just a metre in front of me and I went down also. A few people rode over me and the front brake was locked when I picked up the bike…no luck.”

Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MX1’s Clement Desalle scooped his sixth trophy of the season with third position overall at a 39,000 spectator-lined Ernee for a cloudy and cool Grand Prix of France and the eighth round of 17 in the FIM Motocross World Championship today as team-mate Kevin Strijbos was seventh on his factory RM-Z450.

France is always a special stop on the grand prix schedule, simply for the passion and enthusiasm of the fans, and Ernee was no exception: The steep, narrow and slippery circuit provided a hard test for the riders. Traction was at a premium and some of the rougher sections were sketchy to negotiate. Both Desalle and Strijbos had to adapt to the old-fashioned course in the best way possible but it was clear that the start and first corners of the two motos would hold the clearest indication as to the identity of the podium contenders.

Desalle had two decent getaways and fairly uneventful first laps to be able to establish himself in a position with the leading group. The Belgian was able to gain more confidence with the surface but did not have the speed to disturb the battle for the lead between Antonio Cairoli and Gautier Paulin. A lonely third spot set-up the first part of a champagne spray, and his impressive points-haul for the day was confirmed with another effective performance to gain second place to Cairoli and ahead of the charging Tommy Searle in the second moto. Desalle remained largely error-free and was able to walk the box as a result.

Strijbos suffered a disastrous start in the first moto. At the end of the first lap he was 17h and put in a shift through the 35 minutes and two laps to try and gain positions. He reached 11th but remained unmoved by his efforts. The second outing promised more when ‘#22′ broke into the top 10 in the crucial early corners but the Belgian could not get near a repeat of his podium finish in 2006.

In the MX1 FIM World Championship standings, Desalle maintains his position as one of the three principal contenders for the 2013 crown. He is third and 68 points behind Cairoli and 12 behind Paulin. Strijbos is fifth and 34 points from further promotion.

Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MX1 now travels to the Maggiora circuit for the Grand Prix of Italy next weekend. The site enjoys heralded status as a motocross venue in the country and the recent reinvestment and overhaul of the facility promises to create a headline event.

Clement Desalle:

“Two consistent motos and when I saw how I was riding yesterday it is good result! I was so slow yesterday. My starts were better today and the riding also, so that is positive. It is really hard to pass here so the starts were essential because you can lose a big gap. I didn’t enjoy the track too much and some important sections needed some work to make it safer and better for us. Overall it was a good weekend. I stayed on two wheels and made the podium and it will be good to get home after some busy weeks.”

Kevin Strijbos:

“It was not my day today. I just could not get going with that track and with the bad start in the first moto…I don’t know…I was just riding my laps and fell into a bit of a lull. I had a better start in the second but couldn’t run the pace of the other guys and lost a bit. I felt a bit tired and I think I am not totally over the jet-leg from arriving home earlier this week. I think it will be positive to get back into the normal routine and training in the next couple of days and then look to Italy.”

MX1 Moto1: 1. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Kawasaki), 39:21.019; 2. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:01.453; 3. Clement Desalle (BEL, Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MX1), +0:23.523; 4. Jeremy van Horebeek (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:43.389; 5. Ken de Dycker (BEL, KTM), +0:49.635; 6. David Philippaerts (ITA, Honda), +0:50.808; 7. Tommy Searle (GBR, Kawasaki), +0:53.198; 8. Maximilian Nagl (GER, Honda), +0:55.094; 9. Davide Guarneri (ITA, KTM), +1:10.101; 10. Rui Goncalves (POR, KTM), +1:12.061; 11. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MX1), +1:16.250.

MX1 Moto2: 1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 39:28.802; 2. Clement Desalle (BEL, Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MX1), +0:10.539; 3. Tommy Searle (GBR, Kawasaki), +0:11.974; 4. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:21.491; 5. Ken de Dycker (BEL, KTM), +0:26.433; 6. Jeremy van Horebeek (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:32.766; 7. Xavier Boog (FRA, KTM), +0:44.837; 8. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MX1), +0:53.614; 9. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), +1:03.414; 10. Davide Guarneri (ITA, KTM), +1:21.781.

MX1 Overall result: 1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 47 points; 2. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Kawasaki), 43 p.; 3. Clement Desalle (BEL, Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MX1), 42 p.; 4. Tommy Searle (GBR, Kawasaki), 34 p.; 5. Jeremy van Horebeek (BEL, Kawasaki), 33 p.; 6. Ken de Dycker (BEL, KTM), 32 p.; 7. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MX1), 23 p.; 8. Davide Guarneri (ITA, KTM), 23 p.; 9. Xavier Boog (FRA, KTM), 21 p.; 10. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), 21 p.

MX1 World Championship Standings (after 8 of 17 rounds): 1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 377 points; 2. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Kawasaki), 321 p.; 3. Clement Desalle (BEL, Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MX1), 309 p.; 4. Ken de Dycker (BEL, KTM), 277 p.; 5. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MX1), 243 p.; 6. Tommy Searle (GBR, Kawasaki), 239 p.; 7. Maximilian Nagl (GER, Honda), 190 p.; 8. Jeremy van Horebeek (BEL, Kawasaki), 171 p.; 9. Rui Goncalves (POR, KTM), 168 p.; 10. David Philippaerts (ITA, Honda), 145 p.