The Buildbase CCM and Phoenix Tools CCM Team made the long trip to Kegums in Latvia for the first running of GP motocross in this former Soviet block country. A tough sandy track greeted the MX1 riders for the qualifying race on Saturday where Jason Dougan & Tom Church both acquitted themselves well in 11th and 21st place.

Once again for the 2nd week running the CCM Team was the highest scoring British Team in MX1 and MX2 even though their 3rd MX1 member Ray Rowson has still to race in GP’s. Ray continues to make good progress and should make his GP debut at the Belgian GP on 2nd August.

However Sunday’s race was a different matter with both CCM teamsters stepping up their race pace with Jason Dougan running as high as 8th in the first moto only to be cruelly denied with a burnt out clutch. This was especially disappointing for the 22 year old Jason Dougan on his Phoenix Tools CCM as this ride into a top ten position was to be his best all year and after the second moto a downbeat Dougan commented: At the moment I’m bitterly disappointed. Along with a strong moto 2 finish in 11th I would have had my best result all year with 9th overall. I should have realised after Saturday’s qualify race the clutch needed replacing but I didn’t let my mechanic Ryan know but on the upside I now know I’m capable of top 10’s in both legs at GP’s and I just want to now focus on this till the end of the year.

As ever Tom Church on the Buildbase CCM had strong points scoring finishes in both GP legs. His fist race 12th was hard fought as he did not make the best of starts. However the 2nd leg for Tom Church was to prove a very tough challenge on the increasingly rough track. Tom was pushing through the pack into a top 15th position when he came up behind Julian Bill on the factory Aprilla through the difficult whoop section where a choice of lines meant that Tom Church could double past the struggling Bill. Tom Church landed on the rear of the Aprilla which sliced through Tom Church’s left hand. With blood streaming from his glove Church struggled on to earn a gritty 17th place. Tom attended the course medical centre to have his hand stitched but hopes to be fit to ride at next weeks GP at Udevelle in Sweden before returning to the UK for the next round of the British Championship at Lyng in Norfolk.

Michael Rutter and the Worx Crescent Suzuki team are looking to claim podium finishes this weekend at round six of the British Superbike Championship (BSB) at Knockhill, near Dunfermline in Fife, Scotland.

The battle is on to make the results that eluded them last outing at Snetterton and that the team feel are due. After putting in a lot of work on set-up at Snetterton, Rutter went on to make second-fastest time in practice. But then in qualifying a sudden rain squall killed all chance of Rutter making the front row. A crash and a technical problem in the races meant the weekend wasn’t the success that was anticipated.

Michael Rutter: “We made great progress with the set-up at Snetterton, although as that wasn’t reflected in the results few would know. But coming to Knockhill it’s an all new game. I love Knockhill and I showed that last year by standing on the podium. You see, this place is short and tight yet because of the start straight and the sweeping run into the hairpin it still has a very fast lap speed, around 95mph. So you need a bike that you can confidently turn very very quickly but also has a super-strong motor. The GSX-R1000 has all of this. So, no question, I’m looking to qualify front row and make the podium this weekend.”

Jack Valentine, team manager: “Michael’s certainly fired up this week! I said after Snetterton that what happened there wasn’t his fault, but he clearly feels he has a point to prove. He knows he has the tackle for the job and he’s clearly got the hunger to stick it in there at the sharp end. Every weekend is make or break for Michael, but I can tell he feels this weekend is special.

“We shouldn’t forget just how strong this Suzuki is, either. Sylvain proved that at the season beginning. And for Michael, at Snetterton for that second race we gave him the front end feel he was looking for. So now he has the set-up he feels is right for him. And he’s got this coming to a circuit that’s clearly right for him too. We’re not out to talk up a fight, but we have to be ready for what’s going to be a very keen battle this weekend.”

Leogang, Austria, June 30th – Darren Berrecloth, Ben Boyko, Graham Agassiz, Greg Watts, Grant Fielder, Sam Pilgrim, Trond Hansen, Martin Soderstrom, Pierre Eduard Ferry, Yannick Granieri, Andreu and Lluis Lacondeguy, Marius Hoppensack, Benny Korthaus, Amir Kabbani, Nicola Pescetto, Andi Wittmann, Linus Sjöholm, Jakub Vencl and almost 50 more riders confirmed their attendance at the 26TRIX dirt jump competition in Leogang during the Out of Bounds Weekend from July 9th to 12th.The dirt line has been adapted for 2009: A huge sized “Suzuki Air Time Line” beats like all of the jumps seen before in contests worldwide. The Oakley Sick O award, a Crankworx wildcard as well as 10,000 Euros overall prize money will make the riders go big. The iXS European DH Cup, including the Austrian Downhill Championships, and a packed side program will entertain all the gravity fans.

Every year the Out of Bounds Weekend is an important event in the European freeride schedule. Unlike other great events that had to be canceled, because of a lack of sponsors and their commitment in the mountain bike scene, Leogang’s freeride festival is setting new standards in 2009. The riders are also giving their tribute to the Out of Bounds Weekend. Over 60 riders from 16 different countries will travel to Leogang even just because of the legendary 26TRIX dirt jump comp.

The tenth round of fifteen in the FIM Motocross World Championship saw the series visit Latvia for the first time and the sandy Kegums circuit, south of Riga. For the Utag Yamaha.com team the second Grand Prix in a three week stretch of three meetings was an unlucky experience as Zach Osborne was again forced to postpone his return to action and Mel Pocock failed to register any points.

32,000 spectators flocked to the impressive circuit and complex near the coast and witnessed the riders tackle a jumpy, technical and rough course that made acute physical demands of the participants. Osborne successfully came through practice after believing his wrist had healed sufficiently to rejoin the GP fraternity and run at pace. His illusion was misted though in the qualification heat as a small crash and a relentless fight against the churning track – rather than riding with it – dropped him to 23rd place and forced a re-think as to his potential. While Mel Pocock enjoyed a decent start and flight, the American decided to withdraw from the event and miss Sweden next week to utilise the following three week summer break to prepare in earnest for a fight-back to form and true speed.

Pococ's first moto on a humid and cloudy Sunday was unhinged by a flying rock that broke his goggles and gave him a black right eye. The teenager also suffered with his stamina late in the race; something that would occur again in the second outing and has prompted Team Principal Steve Dixon to request a blood test and medical in Belgium this week. Pocock was 23rd and 27th in the two motos.

Utag Yamaha.com will now journey north to Uddevalla for the Grand Prix of Sweden. The eleventh stop on the world championship calendar

Mel Pocock: "That was a hard weekend and a really heavy-going track. Things were OK at the start of Moto1 but then this rock smashed out the lens of my goggles and completely trashed my eye. I kept going but felt quite drained halfway through the race. I wasn’t so comfortable for the second moto but did the best I could even though it was tough work again. We will see if there is anything wrong physically before we go to Sweden."

Zach Osborne: "I did my best yesterday to get a result. I went out in the first practice and it was OK because the track was still smooth and I felt alright. As it began to get rougher then it got worse and worse for me. I slipped off in the qualifier and it did not affect my wrist but I could see that I was not ready to run at that pace with the strength I have in the wrist. It is a big disappointment for all of us because we are all paying for something that was not our fault. I was fifteen points down from the guy who now has the red plate when we had the accident and that is disheartening. Now we are just going to wait until I am 100% and we know I can win another race."