Rui Goncalves defied shoulder pain to finish in the top ten at a sun-kissed Matterley Basin for the British Grand Prix and round thirteen of sixteen in the 2012 FIM Motocross World Championship.

Antonio Cairoli claimed victory in front of 35,000 spectators at the sweeping venue near Winchester, but it was Honda World Motocross team’s Goncalves who was the highest rider on a CRF450R with ninth place overall.

Matterley Basin was a prospect that was both daunting and rewarding. The fast leaps in the natural dip just outside of Winchester were made from a terrain that was hard-pack yet already rutted and rough. The terrain punished the smallest mistake, but also allowed plenty of line choice and overtaking possibilities. The MXGP Festival (four days of action, ten classes and more than three hundred riders) ensured a hectic racing fixture.

Goncalves experienced contrasting thirty-five minute and two lap motos. The Portuguese was one of several riders to crash on the third corner of the opening sprint. The former GP winner had to kick the front end of his bike into shape and then set off after the disappearing pack. Rui was already restricted in his possibilities after a fall in practice on Saturday meant ‘999’ was racing with a weak left shoulder. He still managed to come back to fourteenth. In the second moto Goncalves ran as high as third for half of the distance but the consequences of his injury – and a small mistake - saw him drop back to sixth.

Also sampling outrageous fortune was team-mate Evgeny Bobryshev, who classified thirteenth overall. The Russian slipped off during the first race and although he was able to recover ground and positions a damaged seat eventually forced him into the pit-lane and out of the moto. ‘777’ gained valuable confidence with an excellent recovery in the second sprint. ‘Bobby’ pushed up from sixth spot to overtake Goncalves and secure fourth. It was his best moto result of the season so far.

Jonathan Barragan scored eighth and thirteenth positions to end the day with eleventh overall. The LS Honda representative posted his sixth top ten finish of the year with his run in the first moto.

In the MX2 class Gariboldi Esta’s Max Anstie guided his CRF250R to thirteenth position in front of his home fans. The Brit was confirmed as Team Great Britain’s third and final representative for the 2012 Motocross of Nations on Saturday (where he will ride a 2011 factory CRF450R). He is seventh in the MX2 points table.

In the MX1 championship standings Goncalves is still the top CRF450R runner in ninth place and just five points from moving into eighth. Evgeny Bobryshev is eleventh and Barragan thirteenth. Round fourteen of the 2012 FIM Motocross World Championship will take place in two weeks time in the Dutch sand of Lierop for the Grand Prix of Benelux.

Rui Goncalves:
Race Result: 13th / 6th - Championship position: 9th

“It went OK today. At the beginning of the first moto I was taken-out and went down hard. The bike was all bent and it took me some time to get going again. I was struggling a bit with my shoulder since crashing in the first practice. We did all we could to try and race and it was difficult. I tried my best. The guys were pretty far away after my crash so I put my head down and rode as hard as I could. The second moto start was better and I was good in the beginning, but my shoulder is not how it should be and I was getting cramps in my back to compensate for putting my force onto the right side to protect it. I made a mistake and went down. I could finish sixth and I cannot be too made about this. I will take the positive parts of the weekend and try to move forward.”

Evgeny Bobryshev:
Race Result: DNF / 4th - Championship position: 11th

“I’m happy to end the day like that and results like that give some motivation and a bit of a lift. In the first race I had a bad start and the crashed. The track was slippery and being in the pack meant it was difficult to see the lines for the roost. I lost the front wheel and then I was coming back but the seat came off and I had to stop because it was too dangerous to ride like that. I’ve been waiting for a second moto like that for a long time. I was a bit slow in the beginning but in the middle of the race I found the lines and the rhythm. I need to improve the first parts of my motos but fourth place was OK and now I’m looking to Lierop.”

Jonathan Barragan:
Race Result: 8th / 13th - Championship position: 13th

“The first race was pretty good and I started well, but it was the opposite in the second. I was actually around third place, but had to shut off the gas around the first corner and lost a lot of ground. I had a good rhythm in the first race, but didn’t feel good or physically sharp in the second. It was hot today and the track was tricky, but not that bad, I liked it.”

2012 FIM MX1 / MX2 World Motocross Championship
Round 13: Winchester – Great Britain