STRIJBOS 8TH FASTEST IN HOLLAND
03 September 2005 - Suzuki Racing

After a sticky Timed Practice session this afternoon at Lierop for the 16th and penultimate round of the 2005 FIM Motocross World Championship, Team Suzuki rider Kevin Strijbos clocked the eighth quickest lap-time on the RM-Z450 and will retain the same ranking entering the gate for tomorrow''s races.

The first day of the Grand Prix of Netherlands situated in the excellent sandy circuit of Lierop, located 20 kilometres south-east of Eindhoven, dawned chilly and foggy but by midday had burned away to reveal sunshine and hot conditions.

Strijbos posted 14th and ninth in the two free practice sessions and adjusted the RM-Z by changing sprockets and stiffening the Kayaba suspension. The recently-turned 20 year old Belgian, who was part of the winning team at the 2004 Motocross of Nations at Lierop almost 12 months ago, was drifting outside the top 10 in the 30 minute official chrono before setting a lap four seconds off the pole time. The track had become very rough and combined with tomorrow''s forecasted high temperatures could produce one of the most physically demanding Grands Prix of the season so far.

Motovision Suzuki Racing''s Yoshi Atsuta, a resident in Belgium and therefore more than accustomed to sandy tracks, felt comfortable on the terrain and despite a strained ankle was able to place 18th.

Kevin Strijbos:

''We changed the sprocket after first practice and I felt pretty good on the track. It is difficult out there because some parts of the sand feel really slippery on the top and one small mistake in the session meant that a fast lap would be over. I was always around the top 10 but tomorrow will be the moment that really counts. Two 40 minute motos is going to be very hard because of the heat and also that track will get rougher and rougher. I felt a little tense and it wasn''t helping me to relax and have fun on the bike. It will be important to maintain a good pace tomorrow because if you go crazy in the first 15 minutes then you will be finished by the end of the race. People will be making mistakes for sure.''

MX1 Timed Practice: 1 Steve Ramon, BEL (KTM) 2:00.720. 2 Stefan Everts, BEL (Yamaha) 2:00.907. 3 Ben Townley, NZL (KTM) 2:01.185. 4 Tanel Leok, EST (Kawasaki) 2:02.603. 5 Mickael Pichon, FRA (Honda) 2:02.624. 6 Joshua Coppins, NZL (Honda) 2:02.928. 7 Bas Verhoeven, NED (Honda) 2:04.346. 8 Kevin Strijbos, BEL (Suzuki) 2:04.364. 9 Brian Jorgensen, DEN (Yamaha) 2:04.753. 10 Ken de Dijcker, BEL (Honda) 2:05.519. 19 Yoshitaka Atsuta, JPN (Suzuki) 2:08.254.

MX1 World Championship Standings (after 15 rounds): 1 Stefan Everts, BEL 621. 2 Joshua Coppins, NZL 576. 3 Ben Townley, NZL 505. 4 Mickael Pichon, FRA 446. 5 Steve Ramon, BEL 423. 6 Joel Smets, BEL 385. 7 Pascal Leuret, FRA 296. 8 Ken de Dijcker, BEL 274. 9 James Noble, GBR 274. 10 Tanel Leok, EST 268. 11 Jonathan Barragan, SPA 256. 12 Brian .Jorgensen, DEN 249. 13 Danny Theybers, BEL 242. 14 Yoshitaka Atsuta, JPN 199. 18 Kevin Strijbos, BEL 144.

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