text: BELGIANS ABROAD: WHAT CLEMENT DESALLE AND KEVIN STRIJBOS THOUGHT OF THEIR DAY WITH THE AMA | News | vintagemx
  BELGIANS ABROAD: WHAT CLEMENT DESALLE AND KEVIN STRIJBOS THOUGHT OF THEIR DAY WITH THE AMA
  Most American racers vacation in Hawaii on their weeks off, but the two GP riders came to race...kudos to them
  Clement Desalle and Kevin Strijbos (right) spent last Saturday in the Rocky Mountains.
  Suzuki Grand Prix racers Clement Desalle and Kevin Strijbos finished sixth and ninth overall at Thunder Valley in Lakewood, Colorado. Here is what they had to say about their American adventure. Clement Desalle went 5-7 at Thunder Valley. It was his second time at the Colorado track. He raced the MXDN there in 2010.
  Clement Desalle said, "I'm quite satisfied with this race; I got a good qualifying time and a reasonable start in the first moto. I was trying to get hold of the first guys to follow this rhythm but made a small mistake which allowed Canard to pass. I worked to pass him back since I felt I was faster than him, but it wasn't so easy to get by him. In the second moto my start was not as good as the first moto, but I didn't have the strength to push forward. I think all the traveling to and from Brazil might have taken its toll there. Clement Desalle is currently third in 450 World Championship points.
  The Belgians couldn't race with their GP numbers, so they just added "9's" in front of them.
  "The format takes some getting used to - with just two timed practice runs and everything put into one day - but I don't think it's bad; in the end it's the same for everyone!" Kevin Strijbos chats up Bubba before the festivities start. This is as close as Stewart will get to a Suzuki teammate in 2013.
  Kevin Strijbos said, "It's a great experience! I didn't know what to expect but after the qualifying sessions I felt comfortable on the track and felt my speed was good in opposition to the others. Kevin Strijbos fell in the first turn with Chad Reed, but came back to tenth.
  The thin Colorado air sapped the strength of both Belgians in the the second motos. Strijbos went 10-8 for ninth overall.
  "I'm a little bummed about falling in the start of Moto 1, managed to come back to 10th which in the end was good, but also took a lot of energy. So for the second race I felt after a few laps that I had to settle for a slightly lower pace to get through the race, which in the end wasn't bad either with an 8th position. It's good working with the guys from Rockstar Racing - we're learning in both ways here! "