For the seventh time in a row, Team USA – Ryan Villopoto, Ryan Dungey and Blake Baggett – reigned supreme at the Motocross of Nations today in Saint Jean D’Angely, France. And it all came down to the third and final moto.
Persistent rain showers all day kept things interesting, as racers had to deal with ever-changing track conditions.
Chad Reed got it all started for Team Australia with a win in the MX1/MX2 moto one, with Germany’s Ken Roczen and Dungey finishing second and third, respectively.
Baggett, competing in the MX2 division, started off the moto in 24th place and finished out the moto in 17th.
Race two, for the MX2 and Open class, saw Kawasaki-mounted Villopoto take to the track for the first time and Baggett back out again for his second moto. Villopoto started off in ninth place and steadily worked his way up through the pack to finish third behind France’s Gautier Paulin and The Netherlands’ Jeffrey Herlings. Roczen claimed fourth ahead of Belgium’s Kevin Strijbos.
Baggett had a tough time. He started of in 11th, worked his way up to ninth before crashing and dropping all the way back to 36th place. Baggett got back down to business again and put his Kawasaki KX250F into 17th place for the second time.
Going into the third and final race, France, Australia, Great Britain and the U.S. all had a good shot at the title, but when the chips were down, Villopoto and Dungey came through with flying colors, going 1-2 and wrapping up the MX of Nations title.
Villopoto got out in front off the start, battled with Russia’s Eveny Bobryshev before taking command and the moto win.
Dungey was right there, as well. The Suzuki rider started off in third and pretty much followed his teammate to the finish, taking the checkered flag in second.
France was sitting in a good position to take the title in the moto, but while running up front early in the race, Frenchman Christophe Pourcel pulled off because of possible bike problems.
Third place went to South Africa’s Tyla Rattray, followed by Great Britain’s Tommy Searle and Italy’s Davide Guameri.
Team USA pulled clear at the end, collecting 26 points, to runner-up France, which earned 39 points. Led by Reed (1-7 MX1) on the TwoTwo Motorsports Honda, Team Australia got on the podium for the first time ever with 44 points, just two points better than Team Great Britain.
Reed’s teammates were Brett Metcalfe (7-10 Open) and Matt Moss (19-DNF).
Recently crowned AMA 250 National MX Champion Dean Wilson, who was representing Great Britain, went 9-27 in the MX2 division.
2011 Motocross des Nations Results:
MX1 + MX2
1.Reed (AUS); 2.Roczen(GER); 3.Dungey (USA;) 4.Searle (GBR); 5.Rattray (RSA); 6. Leok (EST); 7. Barragan (ESP); 8. Musquin (FRA); 9. Wilson (GBR); 10. Roelants (BEL); 12. Goncalves (POR); 34. Bobryshev (RUS)
MX2 + Open
1. Paulin (FRA;) 2 .Herlings (NED); 3.Villipoto (USA); 4. Roczen (GER); 5. Strijbos (BEL); 6. Swanepoel (RSA); 7. Metcalfe (AUS); 8. Guarneri (ITA); 9.Campano (ESP); 10. Tonus (SUI); 12. Anderson (GBR)
MX1 + Open
1. Villopoto (USA); 2 .Dungey (USA); 3 .Rattray (RSA); 4 .Searle (GBR); 5 .Guarneri (ITA); 6. Bobryshev (RUS); 7. Reed (AUS); 8. Paulin (FRA); 9. Herlings (NED); 10. Metcalfe (AUS); 15. Anderson (GBR); 16. Goncalves (POR)
Team Overall
1. USA 26pts; 2. FRA 39pts; 3. AUS 44pts; 4. GBR 46pts; 5. BEL 54pts; 6. RSA 56pts; 7. GER 68pts; 8. ESP 68pts; 9. NED 81pts; 10. EST 86pts; 11. POR 98pts; 15. RUS; 123pts
