Leok sixth in Swedish GP

LEOK SIXTH IN SWEDISH GP 5 July 2009 Right about this time of the year, Tanel Leok usually heads back to his native Estonia for a bit of R&R. Timed to coincide with the Swedish GP, not too many light years away, the Leok clan traditionally hosts a mid-week event at the Leok compound in Somerpalu Vald, Estonia. This event, testament to the Leok family's decades long involvement in motocross, was founded by Tanel's grandfather Vaino Leok, and this year, 2 years after the great man's tragic death, the event celebrated its 40th edition with an all star cast including MX1 world championship leader Antonio Cairoli. Coming straight from the first ever Baltic motocross GP in Kegums, Latvia, Tanel hightailed it for home shores in double quick time. He lives in an idyllic setting in the woods, surrounded by fishponds, with a couple of private tracks handily close by, a setting that is, in the immortal words of Alan Paton, "beautiful beyond the singing of it." As things go, a crash in the superfinal race prevented Tanel from providing his home fans with a popular victory, but nevertheless, the packed-out crowd got its money's worth and the proverbial good time was had by all. After burning the home fires for a while, it was time for the Estonian Express to get his working clothes on again, and after a memorable overnight ferry trip to Sweden, he hit the road to Uddevalla for the 11th gp of the world series. The home visit certainly seemed to have tickled Tanel's fancy, and he was in a motivated frame of mind as he swung his leg over the Red Bull De Carli Yamaha. He pressed out another workmanlike performance to qualify fifth for the GP, and after a tasty dinner in the Red Bull hospitality unit, he was off to the stunningly beautiful lakeside resort of Hafsten for a good night's rest. Tanel often makes his racing look rather ho-hum, which belies the speed at which he is circulating. The first heat was certainly one of those occasions. From a start just outside the top 10, he gradually worked his way up to seventh position, and there rode a lonely enough race to have made him a candidate for the lonely hearts club. He crossed the line in seventh position, continuing where he left off in Latvia. A fluffed start saw the Estonian Express well outside the top 10 in race 2. In one outside swoop round a bumpy corner, he passed four riders in one go, and although the leaders were by now long gone across the hills, he kept his own momentum going and finally finished sixth in the race. The sixes and seventh theme continues as Tanel finished sixth overall for the day, and maintains seventh position in the world standings. Tanel plans to return to Estonia for a few local events before returning to the thick end of world championship action.   Pic - Geoff Meyer ON THE PODIUM AT HOME Pic - Kertu K ülmhallik This report is available online. RESULTS All GP results are available on the official website of the motocross world championships.

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