Foot injury limits Dobb to bystander at Hawkstone.

Britain's leading motocross racer Jamie Dobb experienced a fairly disastrous day at Hawkstone Park last weekend, after lining up for the first major international race of 2003.

The Hawkstone meeting contained an impressive entry list consisting of many grand prix stars, giving motocross fans and followers a first real indication of who might hold an upper-hand in the new-look Motocross GP series that sees 250cc two-strokes face 450cc four-strokes.

The 2001 125cc world champion recorded results of 13-14-DNF over three motos, which also included two crashes with his factory KTM 250cc. Dobb, who tentatively entered the event - staged in front of almost 7000 spectators - with a severely bruised foot and ankle after smashing a brick in a British International Championship race the previous week, struggled like many of his fellow two-stroke riders against the plethora of four-strokes 450 in heavy conditions at the Midlands circuit.

Rainfall on Saturday meant that the sandy and light-soiled course was very wet, boggy and soft in places and clearly gave the 450s with their strong bottom-end power an advantage.

Dobb worked mainly on posting some consistent lap times and getting further feeling of the 2003 KTM model that he'll take onto the biggest stage on the off-road calendar when the GPs start on 30 March in Bellpuig, Spain.

"Believe it or not, my riding got better as the day went on and my speed picked up," he reflected, "I was too cautious to begin with today, and I was thinking too much about my foot instead of just getting out there and racing."

Dobb fell in the first moto, but worked his way from the back of the pack to 13th, before suffering a bad start in the second race and riding uncomfortably to 14th. He then had another big fall on lap three of the final moto, which curtailed his afternoon when he was lying in a healthy eighth spot. The final fall wrecked the back end of his bike and Dobb decided not to take any further risks.

"The track was difficult," Dobb admitted, "After the rain, it was very soft and the four-strokes definitely had an edge. I ran offline in one corner and lost the bike in the spongy terrain. The last moto was a bit of nightmare and I crashed at the steepest and highest point of the circuit. The bike was already out of shape before I cartwheeled over the edge. My neck and wrist is a little sore from the impact, but nothing serious. The rear of the bike had broken off though, so that was it for me."

The afternoon's outcome proved to be in stark contrast to 2002, when Dobb won all three motos. However, he was in good company, with double 250cc world champion Mickael Pichon failing to finish two races and four times 500cc number one Joel Smets also pulling out with problems. Pichon, the favourite for the new Motocross GP class, was struggling after having had his appendix removed several weeks ago, and still had some pain from the operation. Smets was the victim of a heavy fall in the second moto and did not contest the last race.

KTM's 125cc factory rider Marc de Reuver took overall victory at Hawkstone Park, while Stefan Everts was the highest placed Open Class rider, in second place.

Dobb is set to take part in another meeting the week before Bellpuig at Donington Park for KWS British International.

"The season has started and, while it wasn't the best of beginnings, I now have four weeks until the first GP to get healed up and ready to go in Spain."