Troubled outing in Spain drops Leok to sixth in world standings

TROUBLED OUTING IN SPAIN DROPS LEOK TO SIXTH IN WORLD STANDINGS 17 MAY 2009 "The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain." So the famous song goes. Although the Spanish GP took place under a blazing sun, for Tanel Leok there was a distinct gloom in the air, as he experienced a weekend of on-track troubles that he would rather forget, which cost him one spot in the world championship ranking. For most riders in the world, a tenth place overall result in a GP would be the stuff of dreams, but as a top world championship contender, the Estonian Express has his sights set somewhat higher, and he was far from happy with how his weekend turned out. Matters started off well enough on Saturday, though. Tanel blitzed to the second fastest qualifying time, 5/1000ths of a second (equating to the proverbial grant's whisker) behind teammate and world championship leader Antonio Cairoli. The conversion factor between a good starting gate and a good start somehow got lost in the mix, and he only managed to get away in ninth position for his qualifying race. He managed to claw back two spots before the end of the race, and was under the feathers early to rest for Sunday's exertions. Tanel created a string of decent starts in his last few outings, but on this occasion that particular bit of good fortune evaporated into the SPanish air. A first lap tangle left him all but last at the start of race one, and the order of the day was catch and pass, catch and pass. THis is something he has become rather good at, and the Estonian Express on a charge is pretty much akin to an irresistible force. There was precious little that the riders in his sights could do to resist, and only the ebbing sands of time held Tanel back from advancing further than eighth by the end of the race. THe real duffer came in race 2. Another so-so start, but this time at least in the top 20, again gave him a massive workload. He again got stuck into the job at hand with his usual enthusiasm, but it is as if he was caught up in some sort of conspiracy to keep him from a top result. On two occasions, crashes interrupted his progress and dropped him back down the field, leaving him to do it all over again. WIth a final surge he managed to repass cousin Aigar to move into 13th spot, a good result in almost anyone's book, but wholly not in keeping with the elevated expectations that he has set for himself. With a haul of only 20 points on the day, Tanel has dropped to sixth in the world championship standings as reigning world champion David Philippaerts hopped across him in the standings. Tanel will go all out to remedy matters at the British GP in two weeks' time. The British Isles generally been kind to him, and he will be more motivated than ever to reclaim his world standing in the top 5. (Pic Yamaha Red Bull De Carli) RESULTS All GP results are available on the official website of the motocross world championships.

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