Race Digest

Rd.1 Winning debut for Coppins at the Benelux GP
Yamaha Motocross rider Josh Coppins experienced a dream debut in blue colours by toasting overall MX1 success today in front of 25,000 fans packed into the Eurocircuit in Valkenswaard just south of the city of Eindhoven for the opening meeting of the fifteen rounds of the 2007 FIM World Championship and the first visit of two planned stops in the Netherlands this season.
Coppins started well on the YZ450FM and was placed in the top three alongside Steve Ramon and Ken de Dycker in the first moto. The battle for the lead narrowed down to a duel with De Dycker and the New Zealander hounded the Belgian for four laps before moving through and swiftly breaking his pursuer's tow. The second half of the moto was straightforward for the 30 year old kiwi as he eased to his GP debut race success with his Yamaha.
The second race saw Coppins face slightly more adversity as he combated a mediocre start and a problem with his goggles, but he pushed through to the runner-up position. Despite an earnest attempt to slice the advantage carved by Jonathan Barragan at the front the Coppins had to be content to settle for second spot which easily delivered his maiden Yamaha victory by six points overall from the lively Spaniard.
Marc de Reuver also had a Yamaha debut to remember. The 24 year old scored sixth and third positions for fifth in the final ranking. Riding under pressure at his home GP De Reuver hit the sand on the first lap of Moto one but then embarked on a determined charge from last spot to seize a creditable sixth place by the chequered flag; in what was arguably the most eye-catching but tiring - performance of the 40 minute fare. Later in the day a more effective getaway from the line allowed the Dutchman to forage away in third, some distance behind his team-mate.

Rd.2 Yamaha scores double victory in Spain again
The Grand Prix of Spain at a sunny Bellpuig circuit in Catalunya for the second round of the FIM Motocross World Championship has been a memorable day for Yamaha with Josh Coppins winning both motos in the MX1 class, for his second consecutive success with the YZ450FM.
Coppins started reasonably well in both motos. The 30 year old, who had been working on his set-up and speed for hard-pack tracks in Italy over the Easter holiday, steered past Mike Brown in the formative stages and began to pull away. He won by almost twenty seconds and repeated the authoritative performance in the second race, taking his third chequered flag from four motos, by more than twelve seconds over runner up Max Nagl.

Rd.3 Coppins wins in Agueda to consolidate his championship lead
Josh Coppins continued his triumphant ways by winning the first moto for round three of the MX1 World Championship. He however finished runner up in the second moto and thus handing the win of Grand Prix of Portugal held at Agueda to Kevin Strijbos who finished behind Coppins in the first moto.
Despite a painful groin after his exertions in Spain last week Coppins qualified fourth fastest in a very close timed practice session on Saturday that saw the top eight riders divided by less than one second. Marc de Reuver was four positions behind and the last of the quickest group. Coppins however had a small spill that left him with a sore left foot.
Series leader Coppins moved into second spot behind Kevin Strijbos in the first moto and stalked the Belgian for half of the race until picking his moment to move through. Strijbos remained with two-to-three seconds but Coppins was able to control the margin to take his third chequered flag in succession. The second heat saw a re-match as the pair clashed again. The New Zealander pushed his way past Strijbos again, but his rival was able to answer and broke away as Coppins started to feel the effects of his Saturday mishap.

Rd.4 Sensational double for Coppins and Cairoli in Italy
The first MX1 moto was a collection of incidents. Marc De Reuver started brightly and held fourth position behind Coppins in the early stages. On a surge of confidence the Dutchman took off to challenge David Philippaerts for the lead but the pair collided in a tight left-hander and both went down. Ken de Dycker moved through to head a four rider group but Coppins attacked right away and the duo swapped positions for several laps until De Dycker faded. For the last third of the race Coppins was not overtaken, although Tanel Leok kept him close company; the 30 year old rode comfortably to his fifth triumph from seven motos.
Coppins again faced the threat of De Dycker in the second sprint. The former team-mates tangled before the New Zealander backed off to observe his rival. After four laps he was able to regain ground on the Belgian and swiftly relegated the 22 year old to second spot. The Rinaldi squad were naturally thrilled with victory at their home Grand Prix and Coppins cited the triumph as the best of his career after battling some set-up problems on Saturday. Further good news lay in store when De Reuver (sporting a close-cut hairstyle instead of his traditional lengthy locks) crossed the line in third spot for his second top three MX1 moto finish with Yamaha.
Coppins was able to extend his lead in the MX1 series by 17 points over Kevin Strijbos (who was fourth overall) and now enjoys a 36 point advantage. De Reuver's efforts leave him tenth.

Rd.5 Near perfect weekend for Yamaha in Germany
Yamaha Motocross Team's Josh Coppins continued his 100% podium record with third place overall in the German GP held at the "Talkessel" circuit of Teutschenthal. His teammate Marc de Reuver enjoyed his best moto result to date in a MX1 GP race, finishing second to Coppins in the first heat. A crash in the second moto unfortunately destroyed Marc's chance for his first GP victory.
Coppins gained his first pole position on the YZ450FM during an initially wet Timed Practice on Saturday.
The first MX1 moto saw an excellent start for the Italian crew as Coppins pulled away from de Reuver and the pair kept a comfortable distance over Steve Ramon. A repeat result looked as though it might happen later in the afternoon but the three second lead diligently created by Coppins vanished when the 30 year old hit neutral and crashed in the sand. He remounted in eighth and then joined in a thrilling five rider fight for the lead. In theory it should have been de Reuver's race and Grand Prix. Riding at the venue where he won his first Grand Prix in 2003 the Dutchman looked comfortable when he inherited Coppins' position but then slipped off his 450 in a surprising crash. Devastated by his mistake he then could do no better than eighth place, which gave him fourth overall; still his best finish so far this year. Coppins meanwhile had re-launched an offensive and climbed into the top four but he then clipped his right foot on a bank after exiting a corner a little too fast and twisted his ankle, nullifying his speed somewhat. He confirmed sixth to seal the third step of the podium.
Coppins' lead in the standings has increased by seven points over Kevin Strijbos, who could only take fifth, and now reaches 43 for almost a full Grand Prix advantage.