Tanel Leok is not given to sentimental flights of fancy, but if he
were, the track of Ernee, France, might well hold special memories for
him. It was at this venue, surely one of the most spectacular in all
of motocrossdom, that the Estonian charged down the start line for the
first time in an MX1 (then called MXGP) Grand Prix. That was way back
in 2003, when the Estonian Express was still a fresh(er) faced 18
years young, and in fact, on the day, he participated in two Grand
Prix classes, adding a 125cc class race to his big bore debut. A few
years later, in 2005, he rode to a sensational fourth place moto
finish to help Estonia to an equally stunning sixth position in the
Motocross of Nations. So yes, indeed, it can be said that Tanel Leok
has more than a passing acquaintance with motocross racing at Ernee.
History counts for nothing in the hurly burly of motocross world
championship racing, though. The chase is here and now, and the battle
for world championship glory continues every day. Last week's results
are almost gone and forgotten as the battle rages on. Tanel rolled out
for action on his Red Bull De Carli Yamaha, dutiful as ever, looking
for another strong result to hoist him higher in the world rankings.
The Estonian Express pitched in with another blitzing lap during the
timed practice session, barely half a second off the pole position
time of Mickael Pichon, but such is the level of competition in the
MX1 class, that this time was only good enough for fifth place on the
qualifying gate. His start was only good enough to place him in the
second batch of riders in the qualifying heat, and added to a few
problems that he experienced in the race, it made for a so-so
qualifying result, with Tanel securing the ninth gate for Sunday's
proceedings.
SOme overnight - and early morning rain rendered the track as slick as
a second hand car salesman, which made adventurous riding on the hilly
track interesting, to say the least. The smart money was on ensuring
that one got to the end of the race in one piece, and this is exactly
what Tanel, with his good store of race wisdom, did. He started in the
top 10, and though he kept the pace, he also minimized his risks, and
crossed the line in 8th position.
The sun had made a brave effort between races, and managed to break
through the cloud cover for a while, but as the MX1 class lined up for
the second race, big raindrops started to plop down again. Tanel was
again in the top 10 off the start, but now his famed tenacity rose to
the surface. During the course of a challenging 40 minutes, he got the
better of riders of the calibre of Josh Coppins and Billy McKenzie,
whilst fending off the attentions of reigning world champion David
Philippaerts, and when the riders descended the fearsome downhill for
the last time, Tanel was in third position, a well deserved race
podium.
The Estonian only just missed out on the overall podium, with the
honour going to teammate Antonio Cairoli. Tanel did, however, collect
enough points with his fourth place overall to nudge him one position
higher in the world standings to seventh. The world championship
season has now officially entered its second half, and Tanel will be
keen to return to his happy hunting grounds at Teutschenthal, Germany,
where he was on the podium in 2008.
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