YZ250F glory as Pocock and Fontanesi run out winners

Yamaha toasted a great weekend of results and performances by riders on YZ250F machinery as Monster Energy Yamaha's Mel Pocock ended a dominant European MX2 Championship campaign with the number one plate, FIM Women's Motocross World Champion Kiara Fontanesi defeated the best America has to offer with a 1-1 scorecard at the last round of the AMA series in California and Pocock's team-mate Arnaud Tonus grabbed fifth overall at the Grand Prix of Europe.The penultimate event of the MX2 class in the FIM Motocross World Championship took place across the bumpy and fast hard-pack of Faenza in Italy and was watched by a weekend audience of 24,000. The fifteenth round of sixteen was played out in bright sunshine and high temperatures and was also the site of the final meeting in the EMX2 competition.Pocock became the UK's first European champion with a brave ride to fourth position on Saturday afternoon. A stone had dislodged the rear brake cable and forced the British Championship leader to exercise caution and no shortage of skill on the steep and treacherous downhills and fast jump sections. The twenty year old's top four result meant enough points to close the contest and start celebrations for the Steve Dixon-led Monster Energy crew that have now accumulated titles (domestic or international) for the last three years. On Sunday morning Pocock – now running his fettled 2012 YZ250F with a gold number plate – slipped off his bike negotiating the heavily watered terrain (that was slick and unpredictable as a result) but still managed to ace his tenth success (from fourteen) and ensure overall victory for a sixth triumph from a possible seven.At Faenza Arnaud Tonus defied discomfort from a twisted right knee to score sixth and seventh for fifth overall. The Swiss worked hard across the difficult surface and was wary of his leg after suffering the slight twinge while training during the week. Zach Osborne was chasing a podium finish after taking third spot in the qualification heat on Saturday. The American suffered some arm-pump in the first moto that caused his race to vary in its effectiveness but picked up his pace by the final stages to overtake Jordi Tixier and take fourth. Osborne was fourth again in the second moto when a small oil leak forced the former British Champion to slow and finally enter the pits to safeguard the engine and avoid any possible complication. Countryman Michael Leib effectively curtailed his racing season after attempting practice and qualification on Saturday but has simply not recovered sufficiently from his virus to be able to operate at full strength.Across the Atlantic at Lake Elsinore for the final round of the AMA Pro National Motocross series 2012 world champion Kiara Fontanesi confirmed her status as a global-leader in women's off-road racing by running to a 1-1 victory. The Monster Energy and Yamaha backed athlete had confirmed her (and Italy's) first world title in Great Britain last month with five victories in seven rounds but defeated America's finest – including Ashley Fiolek – to sign-off a triumphant term. The eighteen year old from Parma now has one more significant race meeting ahead with the last appointment on the FIM schedule coming in two weeks at Teutschenthal in Germany. The venue will also stage the closing chapter for the MX1 and MX2-GP trails before the 66th Motocross of Nations at Lommel on September 30th.Mel Pocock:"The whole experience this weekend is a bit indescribable really. Winning a championship is something I dreamed of since I was a young kid. The key race was a bit nerve-wracking for me because I was pulling away at the front and lost my rear brake with six laps to go. I had to play the game differently and focus on bringing the bike home. As soon as I got to the line and turned right to see everyone there I think it was the best feeling I've ever had in motocross. I also wanted to take the overall win and had my work cut-out when I saw how wet the track was Sunday morning. I took another holeshot and was leading when I went down briefly. I had the gold number plate on my bike and I thought 'I cannot be in second place with this'. I worked hard to take the win."Kiara Fontanesi:"I'm so happy for this victory and I want to thank everyone. Michele Rinaldi and his staff for a great coordination for getting me here, Yamaha, Monster and Yamaha USA that have helped me with everything. I came here to win…and I did it! It has been such a fantastic year."Zach Osborne:"In the first race I had good speed in the beginning but then had a bit of arm-pump. I got the rhythm back by the end and pushed back up to fourth. I almost passed Van Horebeek for third. In the second I had a really bad start but came through to fourth again and was inching towards Van Horebeek when we had a little mishap with the bike. The track was mega yesterday but today it was overwatered way too much. The whole thing was flattened and it was wide-open everywhere and it was hard to make any difference. Despite that I have to say it was pretty enjoyable."Arnaud Tonus:"It was a tough grand prix because I was a bit worried about my leg over the jumps and all those bumps. To finish fifth overall in the circumstances is not too bad. I struggled to find a rhythm so I was nowhere near my best but the results could have been worse. My knee was already feeling better after I twisted it on Wednesday so I'm sure next week there will be more improvement and we'll be in good shape for Teutschenthal."Michael Leib:"I'm still not right and it's very disappointing. Basically the year finishes for me here. My plan was to come back to Europe and fight my way through two events and then be back to a good way for the final two but it has not worked out like that. I just have to close the season now and work towards a good winter." Simpson ninth at European MXGPThe Grand Prix of Europe at Faenza drew the FIM Motocross World Championship almost to a close and saw Monster Energy Yamaha's Shaun Simpson gain ninth position overall in the premier MX1 class and on the factory YZ450FM. The fifteenth round of sixteen took place in hot and sunny conditions less than an hour from the Adriatic coast and in front of 24,000 spectators.The second visit to Italy this season and first to Faenza since 2009 meant a typically hard-pack and winding layout that was ungenerous with open passing places. Long and hard-set ruts, slick terrain and some nice jump and rhythm sections helped create a feeling that the track was good for riding but tough for racing for the Grand Prix stars.Shaun Simpson held second position for almost of Saturday's qualification heat before the searing pace of Christophe Pourcel was too much to resist on the final lap. Nevertheless the Scot had a very good pick in the gate for the two GP motos on Sunday. A decent start saw the former British Champion fill a slot in the top five and take part in an enthralling five-rider dispute for fourth place. Simpson pulled out a slight gap going into the closing stages but was just beaten to the line by Ken De Dycker. '24's getaway was not as bright in the second moto and he held a lonely ninth for most of the race trying to keep ahead of Tanel Leok. The Estonian was a looming threat however and Shaun would make the flag with tenth place by the end of proceedings.Simpson was joined by former Yamaha GP star Josh Coppins. The 2012 Australian champion threw his leg over the factory YZ450FM for the first time since 2009 (after a three year residence in the team) and acquitted himself well in the first of two outings on the Grand Prix stage before the 35 year old hangs up his goggles on his professional racing career. Josh made his presence felt in top ten (his pre-race goal) in the first moto and was content to classify ninth. The Kiwi was struggling slightly with the 35 minute and 2 lap motos (the Aussie series runs a three race format) as well as traces of jetlag. In the second race he rode the Yamaha to thirteenth for twelfth overall.Simpson is still tenth in the MX1-GP World Championship standings and with the injury to Rui Goncalves can look at a goal of 18 points to make sure of ninth at the final meeting of 2012. The sixteenth appointment on the 2012 GP calendar will take place in two weeks with the Grand Prix of Germany at Teutschenthal; the site of Coppins' last GP victory in 2008.Shaun Simpson:"The first race was good and I really felt like I could have done something better than I did. The track suited me a bit better in that moto. The lines meant that you had to think a bit more. The track was graded for the second race and my start wasn't quite as good as it had been in the previous two heats this weekend. It took me a bit longer to get in the rhythm. I didn't catch the speed in the beginning and I needed perhaps half the race to figure it out. Tanel got me once again and I think that cost me a few positions because we were all close in the points. The positives are that I gained some ground on Rui and there is a possible ninth or tenth in the championship up for grabs. Top ten was my goal at the start of the year. It should be exciting."Josh Coppins:"Things turned out pretty much how I expected. I had a good start in the first race and my rhythm wasn't great but I rode OK and I was happy with the top ten. I made a mistake at the start of the second moto and that made it tough to come back. I ran out of steam. At about half way I just hit a wall. The heat got to me and I kinda expected it coming from winter back in the southern hemisphere! Overall it was pretty good today but there were small disappointments. In the second race my mind knew what to do but my body wouldn't follow; I was sitting down too early, standing up too late and was too far back on the bike and didn't have the power. However I did my best and I think I was respectable. I believe Germany will be better." Communication Yamaha -  www.yamaha-racing.com -

Source: http://www.fim-live.com/en/media/news/news-detail/article/1347265108-yz250f-glory-as-pocock-and-fontanesi-run-out-winners/

Stefan Bradl Umberto Braga Stefan Brägger Vincent Braillard Ernesto Brambilla