Micahel Leib stepped it up at the World Motocross in Italy. Photography By: M. Zazani/Youthstream 2012
American Michael Leib, who is currently filling in at the Monster Energy Yamaha team, finished second overall in the MX2 class at the Grand Prix of Italy in Fermo, April 29.
Leib came from 15th to finish third behind The Netherlands’ Jeff Herlings and Belgium’s Jeremy van Horebeek, and he led all but the last three laps of the second moto before getting passed by Herlings and Great Britain’s Tommy Searle. Leib’s 3-3 was good enough for second overall.
Herling’s 1-1 gave him the overall for his second win of the year.
Horebeek finished out the day on the podium in third, followed by Frenchman Jordi Tixier (KTM) and Spain’s Jose Butron (KTM).
Kawasaki riders Tommy Searle and Joel Roelants, who are both title contenders, suffered DNFs on the day. Searle, who had won the previous day’s qualifier, crashed on the first lap of the first moto and his bike was so damaged that he could not continue.
Roelants also fell in the first moto and suffered a concussion and sat out the rest of the day.
In the MX1 class, Christophe Pourcel, on the CP377 Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki, collected his first win of the year and moved up to third in the standings. He’s now 37 points behind leader Antonio Cairoli.
Pourcel went back and forth with fellow French countryman Gautier Paulin (Kawasaki) in the first moto before securing the win at the last second, passing Paulin on the last lap.
In moto two, Pourcel finished second to Cairoli, who, with a third in the first moto, succeeded in taking second overall on his Red Bull KTM.
Rounding out the MX1 podium was Rockstar Energy Suzuki World’s Clement Desalle who went 4-3 on the day.
Paulin ended up fourth overall (2-6) after coming back from a second-moto crash.
Belgium’s Ken de Dycker rounded out the top five overall with a 7-5.
After three rounds, Cairoli leads the MX1 Championship with 133 points, followed by Paulin with 116 and Pourcel with 106.
In MX2, Herlings leads the way with 144, followed by Van Horebeek with 114 and Searle with 109. Roelands is fourth with 85.
Leib is currently 10th with 61 points.
