Bordeaux and the St. Jean d’Angely’s race track beckons for the Motocross competitors this weekend ahead of the 2008 French Grand Prix.
It is three years since David Philippaerts scored his maiden GP win in France, but as the Italian heads back there for this year’s event, he currently leads the MX1 standings.
It will be an exciting comeback to St. Jean d’Angely for Yamaha Monster Motocross’ Philippaerts after taking his maiden GP win in the MX2 class at the French venue in 2005. Now, with one victory and five podiums so far this season, he can now head back to the track as the MX1 championship leader.
Another youngster is looking forward to this seventh round is GPKR’s Frenchman Sebastien Pourcel who recently saw his fourth podium hopes disappear in a first heat crash at
Mallory Park.
Teka Suzuki WMX1’s Steve Ramon is still second in the points standings but has been off the podium since Spain while his team mate Ken de Dycker saw the rostrum again in Great Britain, finishing second overall after he won moto one.
After his maiden victory from Mallory Park, AXO KTM Silver Action’s Jonathan Barragan will try to keep up the good work in France to improve on his seventh place in the standings.
The same goes for Kawasaki Racing’s Tanel Leok, who took his best season’s result in the latest round by ending fifth overall.
The Estonian was in the top five also at last year’s French GP, right behind former team mate Billy Mackenzie. The Brit now rides the CAS Honda’s factory machinery and desperately seeks an overall podium to chip away at the nine point gap from 2007 French GP winner Joshua Coppins, being fourth in the Championship ahead of Mackenzie.
Being 21st in the Championship after having experienced a tough beginning of the season, Pierre Alexandre Renet is still the second best placed home rider in the standings and will seek for better fortunes in St. Jean.
After undergoing more surgery to his injured thumb, Kevin Strijbos will continue to sit out of the series while the date of his comeback is not yet certain.
