FIM Motocross Grand Prix of Sweden, Uddevalla latest info

The last Motocross Grand Prix before the overseas meeting in South Africa will be on this weekend at the Swedish race track in Uddevalla.

David Philippaerts and Tyla Rattray hold the MX1 and MX2 red plates respectively, as both are chased by team mates and runners up Joshua Coppins (MX1) and Tommy Searle (MX2).

Taking a superb win in Teutschenthal, Yamaha Monster Motocross’ Joshua Coppins is now at the tail of his team mate and Championship leader David Philippaerts, who suffered from a damaged rib from France during the latest round.

Teka Suzuki WMX1’s team mates Steve Ramon and Ken de Dycker round off the top four with De Dycker looking forward to the Swedish round, where he collected his maiden MX1 GP win last year topping the podium from Ramon and Kawasaki Racing’s Tanel Leok.

The latter took his first season’s podium in Germany and Uddevalla’s GP is like a home event for the Estonian as it is the closest to his birth place Voru.

Also Sebastien Pourcel and Jonathan Barragan look strong for the forthcoming weekend with the CAS Honda team featuring their complete line up with Billy Mackenzie and Steve Boniface.

In the MX2 class South African Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s rider Tyla Rattray will try his very best to hold the red plate until his home event at Nelspruit.

In Germany Rattray topped the podium from arch rival Tony Cairoli of Yamaha Red Bull De Carli; the defending Champion sits third in the standings behind the KTM completed by Searle.

After collecting his first career red plate in France, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Tommy Searle had a tough weekend at Teutschenthal, which is something the Brit has to make up for this weekend. Searle won his maiden moto in Uddevalla last year.

On the other hand KTM fellow riders Shaun Simpson and Rui Goncalves round off the top five in the Championship and the Portuguese put together a superb performance in Teutschenthal, holeshotting both heats to take an overall fourth.

With Gautier Paulin being still out with a cracked left collarbone, Stephen Sword will be back to action this weekend after missing Germany to heal his right shoulder that he damaged in France. Kawasaki fellow rider Steven Frossard is in superb shape after his maiden podium from Germany.

Matteo Bonini and Shannon Terreblanche will be other two of those missing Sweden because of a hand injury and a broken femur respectively.

The Swedish course in Uddevalla is located in a beautiful natural rocky valley, where the rocks become a fantastic spot for the many spectators attending the Grand Prix every year. The ground compost is intermediate while the track’s layout is technical and quick. At last year’s dry Grand Prix, De Dycker won the overall MX1 class and Cairoli the MX2.

Uddevalla is located in the province of Bohuslän, between Gothenburg and Oslo. The city has about 50000 inhabitants and its active port makes it one of the most important industrial cities on the West coast of Sweden. Gustafsberg is one of the top items in the to do list, as it is Europe's oldest seaside health resort –dating at the 18th century- and it is just South of Uddevalla.

Saturday July 5: MX2 Free Practice at 10:00 am; MX1 Free Practice 1 at 11:00 am; MX2 Pre-Qualifying Practice at 12:00 am; MX1 Free Practice 2 at 2:00 pm; MX2 Qualifying Race 1 at 3:00 pm; MX2 Qualifying Race 2 at 3:45 pm; MX1 Time Practice at 4:30 pm; MX2 Last Chance Qualifying Practice at 5:15 pm (local time).

Sunday July 6: MX2 Warm-up at 9:00 am; MX1 Warm-up at 9:30 am; MX2 Grand Prix Race 1 at 12:10 am; MX1 Grand Prix Race 1 at 1:10 pm; MX2 Grand Prix Race 2 at 3:03 pm; MX1 Grand Prix Race 2 at 4:03 pm (local time).

Information, photos and results are online at http://www.motocrossMX1.com   the official website of the FIM Motocross World Championships.

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- Daniele RIZZI -