The 2012 FIM Motocross World Championship resumed action two weeks after the mudfest of Brazil and a warm Grand Prix of France at the hillside circuit of St Jean D’Angely hosted round six from sixteen in the current campaign.

Antonio Cairoli took victory in the premier MX1 class and the factory CRF450R of Honda World Motocross’ Rui Goncalves filled tenth position in the final ranking as both 35 minute and two lap motos were played out in front of 31,000 spectators.

After hot and humid conditions on Saturday the quick and slick French dirt remained in a similar state for Sunday when the forecast showers thankfully stayed away from the venue near La Rochelle on the west coast.

Problems with his hand and a bout of Bronchitis had left Evgeny Bobryshev chasing full fitness since the start of the season, but the Russian was finally nearing a decent level of race prep and speed come the visit to St Jean; the first of three consecutive races in three weeks. In the first moto a bad start meant a long trek to reach sixth position, which would be the highest race finish for a Honda rider in a tough day of action in France. ‘Bobby’ was unable to record a similar result or better in the second sprint after a crash on the first lap placed him almost last and then a run-in later with Davide Guarneri led to a broken water pump and forced his retirement. Evgeny classified fourteenth overall.

Like his team-mate Rui Goncalves has also been operating at less than full fitness for the previous three events, but the Portuguese’s recovery was heading in the right direction and the former Grand Prix winner was typically focussed and determined in France. Only the previous week Goncalves had joined Bobryshev in the USA to launch and test the new 2013 production CRF450R. Back in Europe Rui struggled through both motos at St Jean with arm-pump, despite two good starts and would post finishes of ninth at both times of asking.

LS Honda’s Jonathan Barragan came to France fresh from victory at round four of seven in the Spanish Championship (the multi title winner is now just three points behind the top spot in the standings). Unfortunately the racer from Madrid hit the ground in both races, and the fast pace of the top half of the pack meant he could not affect proceedings above seventeenth and fifteenth for seventeenth overall.

Goncalves still holds the best placing in the FIM MX1 World Championship standings with ninth position. Bobryshev and Barragan remain in eleventh and thirteenth respectively.

In the MX2 class Gariboldi Esta’s Max Anstie continued his steady campaign of points collection on the CRF250R although the British teenager was another of many riders who rued their performance out of the start gate. Mid-pack getaways on both occasions placed Anstie was twelfth and seventh for eighth overall.

Round seven of the FIM Motocross World Championship will take place at Agueda, south of Porto, next weekend for the Grand Prix of Portugal.

Rui Goncalves:
Race Result: 9th / 9th - Championship position: 9th

“Two ninths, twice in the top ten; it could have been better. The beginning of both motos was really good. I could make some passes and move forward, but after ten-fifteen minutes I felt arm-pump in both races and had to slow down. Physically I’m in good shape and didn’t feel tired at all, but my arms were so tight, so we have to sort that out. We have yet to find the holeshots we had last year and for sure it would make things easier, but today was more about getting through the motos in the best conditions. I know if I can get rid of this arm-pump then I can push the whole moto.”

Evgeny Bobryshev:
Race Result: 6th / DNF - Championship position: 11th

“In the beginning it was pretty good but I suffered with a bad start in the first moto, but I was coming back and I was happy with the speed. The second race was forgettable. I crashed after half a lap and it was hard to pass. I had to make some crazy movements and the throttle was playing up and it took me time to pass De Dycker. I was trying to come back and I had contact with Guarneri, which led to a broken water pump and the race was over. I am feeling better physically. Now I just have to forget this GP – which is not so easy at the moment – and look towards Portugal.”

Jonathan Barragan:
Race Result: 17th / 15th - Championship position: 13th

“The track was really fast today and I had two crashes, one in each race. In the first I went down at the start and it was really hard to come back from that. In the second I was inside the top ten and chasing Goncalves when I went down again. I had a good rhythm and the pace was high. The bike was working well. I’m hopeful of better results in the coming races and, as we don’t have a GP in Spain this year, I hope we will see plenty of fans coming to support the Spanish riders next week in Portugal.”

Max Anstie:
MX2 Race Result: 12th / 7th - Championship position: 5th

“It was a tough weekend and we struggled a little bit. There are a lot of hills here! We are still struggling out of the gate and I cannot understand why. We do a million starts every week and that shouldn’t be happening. We are all working hard and I just want to win. I don’t like riding around in eighth place and I don’t think I should be in those positions. I have done too much work not to be at the front. It is frustrating. We must go back to the drawing board this week and come out strong in Portugal.”

2012 FIM MX1 / MX2 World Motocross Championship
Round 06: St Jean d' Angely – France