Thierry Van Den Bosch, along with his Aprilia SXV 4.5, reconfirmed his leadership of the World S1 Supermoto Championship.  After winning the European Grand Prix one month ago, he was able to repeat that result in the second international round of the season: the Italian Grand Prix at Castelletto di Branduzzo (Pavia).  On Saturday, Van Den Bosch put everyone in their place on the dry track, marking the best time in the qualifying round.  He repeated that performance on Sunday morning when he easily won the super pole.

Just before the race began, mother nature decided to reshuffle the cards in the form of a rainstorm.  Yet Van Den Bosch demonstrated that he could be equally fast with rain tyres and conquered 2nd place after a nice comeback from 4th.  In Race 2, he took off behind the German, Bern Hiemer (Ktm).  With two laps left to go until the end, he delivered the decisive attack and surprised Hiemer while going on to a deserved victory of both the fraction and the grand prix. 

“The weekend was a bit complicated – declared Van Den Bosch – due to the change in track conditions.  I felt at home on the dry track but had difficulty knowing my limits on the wet track.  In Race 1, Hiemer was immediately fast but I gained confidence lap after lap and finished in 2nd.  In Race 2, I was able to keep up the pace and pass him with two laps to the end.  I am very confident, didn't make any mistakes, and am quite satisfied with the motorcycle's behavior.”  Van Den Bosch thus left Castelletto di Branduzzo as he arrived: the rider with the red plate in the lead of the S1.

It was a Sunday to forget for Ivan Lazzarini (DRC Aprilia SXV 4.5).  After the 3rd-best-time on Saturday's dry track, Ivan collected two zeros on Sunday.  In Race 1, he took off poorly and ended up on the ground twice while attempting to recuperate positions.  He finished 21st.  In Race 2, he took off well in 3rd place and raced solidly until there was just one lap left to go.  While in 5th place, he was forced to abandon the motorcycle on the track when a chain jumped its track during the off-road section.

In the S2, Christian Iddon (Aprilia SXV 5.5) flirted with the podium and Grand Prix victory.  The British member of team PMR H20 marked the fastest lap in Saturday's qualifying round and closed out the fraction in 4th place under heavy rain.  He complained of a lack of visibility due to a crack in his protective goggles.  In Race 2, he took off in 3rd and set out to catch up with Davide Gozzini (Tm) who had jet off at the start.  Once he reached his adversary, he attempted to relieve him of his command of the race.  However, given the wet track, Iddon decided to play it safe and settled for 2nd.  It was also a positive trial for Luca Minutilli (Aprilia RXV 5.5).  The rider for team PMR H20 closed out the two heats in 5th and 8th, finishing 5th in the day's classification.  It was just too bad about the cut at the start of Race 2 that took him out of the lead group.  It was 8th place overall for Massimo Beltrami in the S2 (Aprilia SXV 5.5) as the rider from Team DRC Aprilia had two unfortunate heats.  In the first, he ended up on the ground while attacking Davide Gozzini (Tm) in the off-road section.  He made contact with his rival's posterior wheel during a jump and upset his trajectory.  Getting up quickly, he was able to cross the finish line in 6th place.  In Race 2, he was forced to swerve around Minutilli (who had stopped short) and ended up off the track, losing multiple positions.  He began a comeback from the rear but was nonetheless affected by a pair of falls and ended up finishing 11th.

Castelletto di Branduzzo (Pv)  -  2nd round of the World Supermoto Championship

S1 Class

Race 1:

  • 1. Bernd Hiemer (Ktm);
  • 2. Thierry Van Den Bosch (Aprilia SXV 4.5);
  • 3. Matthew Winstanley (Ktm);
  • 21. Ivan Lazzarini (Aprilia SXV 4.5).

Race 2:

  • 1. Thierry Van Den Bosch (Aprilia SXV 4.5);
  • 2. Bernd Hiemer (Ktm);
  • 3. Matthew Winstanley (Ktm);
  • Withdrawn: Ivan Lazzarini (Aprilia SXV 4.5).

Italian S1 Grand Prix:

  • 1. Van Den Bosch (Aprilia SXV 4.5) 47 points;
  • 2. Hiemer  47;
  • 3. Winstanley 40.

The World S1 after two races:

  • 1. Van Den Bosch (Aprilia SXV 4.5) 94 points;
  • 2. Hiemer  94;
  • 3. Winstanley 76;
  • 10. Lazzarini (Aprilia SXV 4.5) 36.

 

S2 Class

Race 1:

  • 1. Adrien Chareyre (Husqvarna);
  • 2. Gerard Delepine  (Husqvarna);
  • 3. Davide Gozzini (Tm);
  • 4. Christian Iddon (Aprilia SXV 5.5);
  • 5. Luca Minutilli (Aprilia SXV 5.5);
  • 6. Massimo Beltrami (Aprilia SXV 5.5).

Race 2: 

  • 1. Davide Gozzini (Tm);
  • 2. Christian Iddon (Aprilia SXV 5.5);
  • 3. Gerard Delepine  (Husqvarna);
  • 8. Luca Minutilli (Aprilia SXV 5.5);
  • 11. Massimo Beltrami (Aprilia SXV 5.5).

Italian S2 Grand Prix:

  • 1. Gozzini 45 points;
  • 2. A. Chareyre 43;
  • 3. Delepine 42;
  • 4. Iddon 40;
  • 5. Minutilli 29;
  • 8. Beltrami 25.

The World S2 after two races:

  • 1. Gozzini 92 points;
  • 2. A. Chareyre 90;
  • 3. Iddon 67;
  • 4. Minutilli 65;
  • 7. Beltrami 57.