TEUTSCHENTHAL, GERMANY, MAY 13: On the strength of a 5-1 finish, Red Bull KTM’s David Philippaerts claimed his first-ever MX1 GP win at round five of the FIM World Motocross Championship in Teutschenthal, Germany, today.
Current points leader Josh Coppins had every chance to take his fourth overall win of the series after easily winning the opening moto, but a crash by the Rinaldi Yamaha rider while leading the second moto left him fighting for position behind a number of hungry GP competitors.
In the end it was Philippaerts with the second moto win, followed by Kawasaki’s Sebastien Pourcel, Suzuki teammates Steve Ramon and Kevin Strijbos, and Irishman Gordon Crockard. Coppins ended the moto in sixth, ahead of KTM’s Jonathan Barragan, for a 1-6 finish and third overall. Ramon finished second overall with a 3-3 performance.
“I passed Mike Brown for the lead in that second moto and I pulled a small gap but then I hit a neutral in the sand section and crashed,” said Coppins. “I remounted in sixth place and was riding good again and then I hit the bank with my foot with about five or six laps to go so I just took it easy after that.”
Despite the obvious gift, Philipaerts was happy.
“Today was very good for me,” Philippaerts said. “I see Coppins and Marc [De Ruever] crash in the second moto and I push for the win. In the last three laps it was very difficult because Ramon, Pourcel and Strijbos were pushing me very hard, but I didn’t stop.”
In the MX2 division, 2005 MX2 World Champion Antonio Cairoli grabbed both holeshots on his De Carli Yamaha and then held off early charges by defending champ Christophe Pourcel before breaking away to take a pair of relatively easy wins.
Pourcel stayed within striking distance on his GPKR Kawasaki before settling into second position in each race for second overall.
Third overall went to KTM’s Tyla Rattray with a 4-3 finish.
Results: GP of Germany
MX1 OVERALL: 1. David Philippaerts (41); 2. Steve Ramon (40); 3. Josh Coppins (40); 4. Marc De Reuver (35); 5. Kevin Strijbos (33); 6. Gordon Crockard (30); 7. Sebastien Pourcel (27); 8. Ken De Dyker (25); 9. Jonathan Barragan (21); 10. Mike Brown (19).
MX2 OVERALL: 1. Antonio Cairoli (50); 2. Christophe Pourcel (44); 3. Tyla Rattray (38); 4. Pascal Leuret (33); 5. Davide Guarneri (32); 6. Nicolas Aubin (27); 7. Kenneth Gundersen (27); 8. Matti Seistola (26); 9. Carl Nunn (22); 10. Tommy Searle (20).
