Lierop GP - The Lowdown
September 02, 2007
Stefan Everts"Tommy (Searle) has matured this season. He won a Grand Prix and that was good for his confidence. Next year we expect him to be able to challenge (Antonio) Cairoli and to win a lot more GPs." Pit Beirer
"Today is the end of a new era for the team and we have created a very solid basis to go on to bigger success in 2008. Having such an experienced person like Stefan Everts in charge of the team was very special. He was highly professional and a very good leader. The success we have enjoyed is the result of the consolidated work of the entire team and I want to thank them for that. "We had hoped to fight for top three places in both MX1 and MX2 this season. But we have had some bad luck in recent weeks." Steve Ramon - MX1 WORLD CHAMPION
"I was really happy to see all the people at the finish line. I knew a little bit what to expect after the first world title but it is a great feeling; that moment when it hits you 'I'm World Champion'," said Ramon who has dropped out of the top five only 11 times in 30 outings. "I'm really happy with my second title and I have been working hard for this. I want to thank the team, my sponsors and everybody close to me who have been just as dedicated. "My riding was going well in the second moto but Kevin was really fast today," he continued. "We had a good battle. I ended up making a couple of mistakes and had some cramps in my legs so I had to slow down. "I had bad luck at the start of the season with some poor starts, a few crashes and then always having to come back through the pack. Around the middle of the year it started to get better and I took some wins and also some podiums but I had another setback with the crash at Loket and from that point until this race it was difficult to race with my wrist. "It has been a strange season: I have had some bad results but I also know that it is important to fight for every point. It has not been my best year but I'm still the champion. We are now going to party tonight and also tomorrow!" Kevin Strijbos
"It was very tough today because the track was so hard," commented Strijbos, who enjoyed his last ride with the team today. "The first moto was good - I had the right lines and could pull away - and then I had a nice battle with Marc and Steve in the second. It was hard work and I was really tired but it was enjoyable. I just lost out to Marc at the end because he had more momentum through the whoops but the overall win was mine. "My knee is pretty painful and has been for the last two GPs. I will have an operation next Wednesday now and unfortunately I'll miss the 'Nations." Sylvain Geboers
"I'm really excited and emotional," beamed Team Principal Sylvain Geboers. "Everything went to plan and all our pre-season goals have been fulfilled. I am so happy for Suzuki and for all our partners who have never given up and always continued to support us. Of course it is not possible without the riders and Kevin and Steve also gave their maximum. To finish first and second is fantastic; what else can I say." Sean Hamlin
“I may not be a sand expert, but I busted my ass this week to become one and it paid off today. Hopefully I can carry the good work on tomorrow. “I was dead last. It was like I was asleep when the gate fell” – Sean battled like a demon to finish 14th in race one. “Perhaps I could have had more because I was carrying good speed, but the last ten minutes were agony. I had a big crash in the week and I was in real trouble with my back. I just hope it holds together for the second race.” Elliott Banks Browne
“I got a good start in my qualifier and was optimistic of making the cut, but Martin Barr fell right in front of me and that put me back down the field. I still had high hopes and was coming back, but then I came over a jump in the woods and landed on the bike of someone who had crashed. It was pointless to do anything else but ride back to the pits. I was too far back and the pipe had been smashed so I was way down on power.” Marc Dereuver
"In the first heat I wanted to go to the front desperately but I got a bit of arm-pump. I relaxed my speed but then found a better rhythm after about twenty minutes and got back to third. I was happy with that and thought it would be a result to build on. I was fifth at the start of the second moto and I did not want to lose the front-runners. I pushed really hard when I got into the lead to see if I could break away but Steve stayed within five seconds all the time. I decided to let him pass and Kevin was close so he went through too! Steve made some mistakes and then it was just Kevin and I. I knew I was quicker along the whoops section so I overtook there and went flat out for that last lap. People went nuts on the track and I have never seen Dutch fans so wild so that made me happy. In the sand I can always do a bit more and I am known as a good sand rider but both my GP wins were on hard-pack." Josh Coppins
Josh Coppins, Yamaha Motocross Team: "I am obviously very disappointed but there is not much I can do about the situation and now it is time to move on. I want to thank the team, my mechanic Fabio and those all around me who have lent their support and sent kind messages. I hope to know next week if I will be able to race at the Nations or not, at least now I can get total rest and let the injury heal." Carlo Rinaldi
"In the sand we knew that Marc would be one of, if not the, fastest rider. Our big question mark was if he could last both motos because lately the motivation has been lacking to train. Anyway he could manage with great technique to make two very good races and at least we have this good consolation to finish the year." Anthony Boissiere
‘Physically it was difficult as I didn’t practiced and raced so much during the last weeks with my wrist injury. After my crash in the opening heat I was last but never gave up, and finally collected three points. I had no fun, I took a bad rythmth but the second race was much better. I even had fun on the bike, jumped over the bumps and I’m happy for me and the team as it’s my last race with them. It’s better to end our cooperation on a good performance’ Steven Frossard
‘I’ve never been so unlucky during one day! I broke two pipes in the free practice session, then broke an engine in the pre qualfying session, had problems with the sparking plug in my qualifying race and finally broke another engine in the last chance session. I came back from the oposite side of the track to take my second bike but it was too late to do a fast lap. What a day!’ Thierry Chizat Suzoni
‘The last part of the season was difficult for us, but we ended the World Championship with a positive result for Anthony. For sure the season didn’t go as expected, with the injury of Steven and Anthony’s up and down periods. We learnt a lot this year and we’ll use this experience to prepare 2008, with some novelties about the team members as well as the organisation’ Billy Mackenzie
“I did not expect the Grand Prix to go half as well as it did,” he said. “I haven’t ridden sand all year and went to Lommel during the week and I struggled. Even Nico, our suspension guy, said he was surprised to see me make eighth in qualification. I was not looking forward to the races. I ‘grew’ with the track though and kept learning how to go faster with every lap. I was happy with how I came through in the last race. I was out of breath but thought ‘this is the last race, just go for it’. “I am sad to leave Kawasaki to be honest,” he added. “After Japan everything started happening and they are a really good group of people. It is a personal feeling with the bike and the team not really a ‘work’ feeling. I cannot thank them enough. I would especially like to thank Luka for the hard work he has done on the bike this year. It has worked perfectly.” Tanel Leok
“It was very tough. In the first race I crashed and hurt my shoulder,” he said. “I was riding alright before that but I went into a dip and it forced me a little bit over the bars. I trapped my helmet on the brake. In the second race I was pulling on the bike and I had shockwaves of pain so it was not fun to ride. It is nice to finally finish this season.” Sébastien Pourcel
‘It was not a good GP for me. In the first race I had some trouble to find a good rhythm and I crashed in the last few laps to finally finish eighth. My second start was similar but I had a better speed, I knew that I needed a seventh to pass Coppins in the standings. I was following Nagl but I suffered from some engine trouble, then took a tape in my rear wheel and it was the end of my race. I felt tired; I will take some rest next week and then work again to prepare the Nations.’ Livia Lancelot
‘I’ve mixed feelings. I’m happy to be second in the series instead of third as last year but I came here with the red plate and my goal was to keep it. However Katherine was faster than us and I twisted my knee in the first race when I passed a lapper in a corner. It’s a shame as I was in second but then finished ninth with a painful knee. They tended to it in the truck and I came to the last race with one goal, to keep my second place in the standings. I did it, and now I will see my doctor as I must have surgery as soon as possible to repair my ligaments.’ Patrick Geladé
‘We’re a little bit frustrated tonight as we’d love to have seen Sébastien on the podium but he reached his goal as he is in the top five of the series. He has made huge progress this season and now knows how to prepare for next year. Livia has had to deal with injuries during all the races. She impressed me today as she contested the second heat with a dislocated knee! Of course we’re happy that the season is over but we’re also thinking to the next one as we’ve numerous projects and goals for our third year.’ Roger Pourcel
We’ve got good results this season even if the last three weekends were not as successful as the others. Christophe is now in rehab; he can’t stand-up yet and will try according to the doctors next week. He has no more pain now, that’s important and the medical staff say he should make a full recovery. Gareth Swanepoel
“The first moto was going good and unfortunately Tony just closed me down,” he commented. “I had my head down and did not really think about winning until I saw the two lap board. Unfortunately I got held up with some backmarkers and Tony was coming fast. I was happy with the race but disappointed that I lost on the last lap.” “I managed to come through pretty good in the second moto,” he continued. “You had to conserve your energy out there and I knew the guys at the front would push hard at the beginning and then slow up. Unluckily I went down and lost a few positions and a lot of time. I could fight back to fourth though. It was hard racing; I would not have minded if the motos were 35 minutes and 1 lap!” “Top five in the world championship is a good achievement,” he said of his final ranking. “Obviously you want better but you can’t control everything. This is a good way to end the year and I’d like to thank my team because everyone has been working so hard.” Tom Church
“It was a really tough day,” he said. “In the first race I got a good start and was in the top ten but I had a real slump mid-race for some reason and rode terribly. I dropped back and was so determined in the second one that the same thing would not happen that I got up to eleventh and was pushing hard. I then went down and lost all my rhythm. I was in twentieth and worked my way up to fourteenth. Everyone was tired but I kept going as hard as I could. I would have liked to have got top ten today but I wasn’t good enough. I’ll have to look to Pontrilas now and I have another chance to finish on a positive.” Mark Chamberlain
“I’m disappointed with the weekend but Jason did what he could with his ankle ligament problem. Natalie had two really good races and is certainly a great prospect for the future and possibly a future British world champion”.
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