Crockard carried away after 'overwhelming' GP.

Exhausted Ulsterman Gordon Crockard had to be carried off the Lierop circuit at the end of yesterday MX GP race, after losing out on a thrilling battle with CAS Honda team-mate Josh Coppins.

Crockard looked the stronger bet and after Coppins slipped off the 250 exiting the whoops he had a significant cushion from which to enter the top three for only the second time this season.

Bad luck was to strike again for the Irishman as the heavy cold he had been nursing from the middle of the week soon started to take its toll and he succumbed to Coppins' second charge and, like his team-mate, also hit the Dutch sand.

Crockard looked the picture of exhaustion as he continually tried to kick-start the four-stroke but simply did not have the energy with only two laps remaining. He later had to be carried into the medical centre with dehydration and had an X-ray on his wrist, which revealed some strained ligaments.

"I have been drained all week," said Gordon. "I crashed at high speed and could not get the bike started. It was so hot and combined with the heat from the engine it just overwhelmed me. I have been taking antibiotics for a stomach problem from Desert Martin last weekend and combined with the cold it left me empty."

"Maybe Gordon could have put up a bit more of a fight," said team manger Roger Harvey. "I'm not making excuses for him and he has been on antibiotics this week for a cold but perhaps he should have a condition to last the distance."