The second round of the FIM Motocross World Championship was bright. Unusual spring sunshine turned the capacity 35,000 attendance at Valkenswaard for the Grand Prix of the Netherlands a shade of crimson over Easter weekend but it was the glare of the orange factory Red Bull Teka KTM machinery that really dazzled. For the second year in a row Dutchman Jeffrey Herlings proved to be the absolute master of the sand and stretched his unbeaten run at the venue to four motos in the MX2 class. The teenager enacted the same kind of dominance that teammate Ken Roczen had shown two weeks earlier at the season-opener in Bulgaria, but this time even the German star had no answer to the superior billing of his awning-companion and Tommy Searle (CLS Kawasaki) was even further back in third.A 1-2 in MX2 was swiftly followed by a similar “sweep” in the premier MX1 class as Tony Cairoli was another Valkenswaard double winner on the 350 SX-F and shared motos on the day with Max Nagl for his second triumph in a row across the loose terrain that the Sicilian so fondly likes to tackle. It was an apt success considering that KTM CEO Stefan Pierer had flown in that afternoon to help announce the new two-year contract for Cairoli to remain with the Austrians.With the application of David Philippaerts (third place on the works Monster Energy Yamaha), Steven Frossard (in pain and injured but able to score fourth behind his teammate and thus become the new series leader in only his second MX1 GP), Rui Goncalves (Honda World Motocross) and to a lesser degree an off-song Clement Desalle (sixth on the Rockstar Suzuki) the MX1 motos were again the main draw here as the squabble between the group fluctuated and pulsated throughout the sprints.With Michael Leib still MIA the USA’s main representation again lay with British Champion Zach Osborne. The Bike it Cosworth Wild Wolf Yamaha only forged a pace sufficient for a top-five finish on a surface with which he freely admitted was not his strongest. The Virginian was also prompted on to a mature and consistent display by seeing the endeavours of new teammate Arnaud Tonus pushing for fourth after lacklustre starts and getting extremely close to a podium finish.”I’m losing a few points at the moment but I’m sure I can pull them back and with Arnaud riding so well at the moment it is really motivating me,” said Osborne who was eighth in Holland in spite of a blister on his right hand the size of one of the Valkenswaard pot-holes. “I am not that stoked with my result but it is something to build on.”All talk was geared to Glen Helen on the close of proceedings on Monday with the paddock excitedly anticipating a return to California and the possibility of racing against some AMA names keen to use the event as a warm-up for the Nationals.RESULTSMX1 Race 1 top ten: 1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 40:49.442; 2. Steven Frossard (FRA, Yamaha), +0:06.303; 3. Maximilian Nagl (GER, KTM), +0:10.631; 4. David Philippaerts (ITA, Yamaha), +0:34.320; 5. Clement Desalle (BEL, Suzuki), +0:43.305; 6. Rui Goncalves (POR, Honda), +0:43.485; 7. Ken de Dycker (BEL, Honda), +0:57.195; 8. Steve Ramon (BEL, Suzuki), +0:59.698; 9. Tanel Leok (EST, TM), +1:02.322; 10. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), +1:23.387;
MX1 Race 2 top ten: 1. Maximilian Nagl (GER, KTM), 39:21.653; ; 2. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:14.447; 3. David Philippaerts (ITA, Yamaha), +0:22.047; 4. Rui Goncalves (POR, Honda), +0:27.150; 5. Steven Frossard (FRA, Yamaha), +0:44.569; 6. Clement Desalle (BEL, Suzuki), +0:53.640; 7. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), +1:09.411; 8. Ken de Dycker (BEL, Honda), +1:15.250; 9. Tanel Leok (EST, TM), +1:21.478; 10. Jonathan Barragan (ESP, Kawasaki), +1:25.000;
MX1 Overall top ten: 1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 47 points; 2. Maximilian Nagl (GER, KTM), 45 p.; 3. David Philippaerts (ITA, Yamaha), 38 p.; 4. Steven Frossard (FRA, Yamaha), 38 p.; 5. Rui Goncalves (POR, Honda), 33 p.; 6. Clement Desalle (BEL, Suzuki), 31 p.; 7. Ken de Dycker (BEL, Honda), 27 p.; 8. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), 25 p.; 9. Tanel Leok (EST, TM), 24 p.; 10. Steve Ramon (BEL, Suzuki), 22 p.;
MX1 Championship top ten: 1. Steven Frossard (FRA, Yamaha), 85 points; 2. Maximilian Nagl (GER, KTM), 80 p.; 3. Clement Desalle (BEL, Suzuki), 78 p.; 4. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 72 p.; 5. David Philippaerts (ITA, Yamaha), 63 p.; 6. Rui Goncalves (POR, Honda), 62 p.; 7. Jonathan Barragan (ESP, Kawasaki), 53 p.; 8. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), 52 p.; 9. Davide Guarneri (ITA, Kawasaki), 45 p.; 10. Steve Ramon (BEL, Suzuki), 42 p.;MX2 Race 1 top ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 39:55.351; ; 2. Ken Roczen (GER, KTM), +0:37.452; 3. Tommy Searle (GBR, Kawasaki), +0:45.031; 4. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, Yamaha), +0:47.152; 5. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Yamaha), +1:01.981; 6. Zachary Osborne (USA, Yamaha), +1:19.739; 7. Harri Kullas (FIN, Yamaha), +1:22.253; 8. Joel Roelants (BEL, KTM), +1:24.197; 9. Nicolas Aubin (FRA, KTM), +1:29.839; 10. Max Anstie (GBR, Kawasaki), -1 lap(s);
MX2 Race 2 top ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 41:04.993; ; 2. Ken Roczen (GER, KTM), +0:11.010; 3. Tommy Searle (GBR, Kawasaki), +0:31.875; 4. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, Yamaha), +0:42.303; 5. Joel Roelants (BEL, KTM), +0:58.448; 6. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Yamaha), +1:09.328; 7. Harri Kullas (FIN, Yamaha), +1:18.048; 8. Zachary Osborne (USA, Yamaha), +1:46.443; 9. Max Anstie (GBR, Kawasaki), +1:50.253; 10. Christophe Charlier (FRA, Yamaha), +2:00.631;
MX2 Overall top ten: 1. Ken Roczen (GER, KTM), 94 points; 2. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 86 p.; 3. Tommy Searle (GBR, Kawasaki), 84 p.; 4. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, Yamaha), 67 p.; 5. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Yamaha), 65 p.; 6. Zachary Osborne (USA, Yamaha), 60 p.; 7. Max Anstie (GBR, Kawasaki), 51 p.; 8. Joel Roelants (BEL, KTM), 48 p.; 9. Harri Kullas (FIN, Yamaha), 46 p.; 10. Nicolas Aubin (FRA, KTM), 36 p.;
MX2 Championship top ten: 1. Ken Roczen (GER, KTM), 94 points; 2. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 86 p.; 3. Tommy Searle (GBR, Kawasaki), 84 p.; 4. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, Yamaha), 67 p.; 5. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Yamaha), 65 p.; 6. Zachary Osborne (USA, Yamaha), 60 p.; 7. Max Anstie (GBR, Kawasaki), 51 p.; 8. Joel Roelants (BEL, KTM), 48 p.; 9. Harri Kullas (FIN, Yamaha), 46 p.; 10. Nicolas Aubin (FRA, KTM), 36 p.;
