New Zealand’s Josh Coppins is on the points board after the opening motocross Grand Prix of the 2010 season.

The factory Aprilia rider finished 10th and 9th at the GP in Sevlievo, Bulgaria, on Sunday, putting himself ninth in the overall standings, 24 points behind German KTM rider Max Nagl, who won this opening GP with 1-2 results.

Nagl won this first of 15 GPs ahead of Italian defending champion Antonio Cairoli (on one of the revolutionary new 360cc KTM bikes), while Belgian rising star Clement Desalle (Suzuki) completed the podium.

In the MX2 class, defending champion Marvin Musquin (KTM), of France, took a clean sweep and topped the podium from Germany’s Ken Roczen (Suzuki) and Frenchman Steven Frossard (Kawasaki).

Round two will be held at Mantova, Italy, next weekend, and this event will host also the opening round of both the FIM Veterans’ World Cup and the UEM EMX 125 series. The FIM Women’s World Championship will continue in Agueda, Portugal, on May 9.

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Nagl enjoyed a perfect weekend at Sevlievo. After taking pole in qualifying, the German went on to win the opening heat ten second ahead of second placed David Philippaerts (Yamaha) but could not repeat it in moto two when Cairoli passed him to collect the first ever heat win on the new KTM 350 SX-F.

Cairoli got tangled in the first corner of heat one and was forced to recover from the bottom of the top 10 to fifth. The Italian made up with a great second heat and took second on the podium.

Desalle marked his first Rockstar Teka Suzuki World MX1 Grand Prix appearance with a podium finish. The Belgian was a steady third in moto one but a harder second heat saw him finish fifth after Ramon first then Frenchman Sebastien Pourcel (Kawasaki) moved past him.

The 2008 champion, Philippaerts, took another fourth. A good second place in heat one was not enough for the Italian as he slipped in the second heat and ended the race in seventh, finishing the day fourth overall.

Ramon took a valuable fifth overall.

In heat one, Kawasaki’s Pourcel was hampered by a crash but took fourth in heat two for an 11th overall.

MX1 championship top 10: 1. Maximilian Nagl (GER, KTM), 47 points; 2. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 41 p.; 3. David Philippaerts (ITA, Yamaha), 36 p.; 4. Clement Desalle (BEL, Suzuki), 36 p.; 5. Steve Ramon (BEL, Suzuki), 34 p.; 6. Ken de Dycker (BEL, Yamaha), 31 p.; 7. Jonathan Barragan (ESP, Kawasaki), 30 p.; 8. Xavier Boog (FRA, Kawasaki), 25 p.; 9. Joshua Coppins (NZL, Aprilia), 23 p.; 10. Davide Guarneri (ITA, Honda), 20 p.

MX2 CLASS

It was a great comeback to the maiden Grand Prix victory venue for Musquin as the Red Bull KTM racer dominated the GP.

After a perfect first heat, which he mastered from the start to the flag, Musquin was handed first place by Roczen in moto two and made it 1-1 for the day.

Suzuki’s Roczen was second overall.

In heat one the German pole-winner worked his way past Dutchman Jeffrey Herlings to take second but could not reach a fast Musquin to challenge him for the win. After a holeshot in heat two, Roczen went down at the opening lap and had to recover back to another second place.

Frossard completed the Bulgarian podium courtesy of a third place in heat one and a fourth in heat two.

In the final moto, debutant Herlings (KTM) did not let the Frenchman by and took third for a promising fourth overall on the day, ahead of Suzuki’s Arnaud Tonus.

2009 EMX2 European Champion Christophe Charlier was 11th overall.

MX2 championship top 10: 1. Marvin Musquin (FRA, KTM), 50 points; 2. Ken Roczen (GER, Suzuki), 44 p.; 3. Steven Frossard (FRA, Kawasaki), 38 p.; 4. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 35 p.; 5. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, Suzuki), 34 p.; 6. Jeremy van Horebeek (BEL, Kawasaki), 31 p.; 7. Zach Osborne (USA, Yamaha), 27 p.; 8. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), 26 p.; 9. Jake Nicholls (GBR, KTM), 24 p.; 10. Harri Kullas (FIN, Yamaha), 19 p.

RACE BY RACE:

MX1 Race 1 top 10: 1. Maximilian Nagl (GER, KTM), 40:45.442; 2. David Philippaerts (ITA, Yamaha), +0:08.599; 3. Clement Desalle (BEL, Suzuki), +0:13.159; 4. Ken de Dycker (BEL, Yamaha), +0:18.117; 5. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:22.864; 6. Jonathan Barragan (ESP, Kawasaki), +0:38.625; 7. Steve Ramon (BEL, Suzuki), +0:45.541; 8. Xavier Boog (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:52.209; 9. Joshua Coppins (NZL, Aprilia), +0:58.900; 10. Davide Guarneri (ITA, Honda), +1:05.675.

MX1 Race 2 top 10: 1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 41:06.743; 2. Maximilian Nagl (GER, KTM), +0:03.685; 3. Steve Ramon (BEL, Suzuki), +0:07.060; 4. Sebastien Pourcel (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:12.869; 5. Clement Desalle (BEL, Suzuki), +0:15.479; 6. Jonathan Barragan (ESP, Kawasaki), +0:16.441; 7. David Philippaerts (ITA, Yamaha), +0:16.619; 8. Ken de Dycker (BEL, Yamaha), +0:48.535; 9. Xavier Boog (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:51.452; 10. Joshua Coppins (NZL, Aprilia), +0:58.843.

MX1 Overall top 10: 1. Maximilian Nagl (GER, KTM), 47 points; 2. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 41 p.; 3. Clement Desalle (BEL, Suzuki), 36 p.; 4. David Philippaerts (ITA, Yamaha), 36 p.; 5. Steve Ramon (BEL, Suzuki), 34 p.; 6. Ken de Dycker (BEL, Yamaha), 31 p.; 7. Jonathan Barragan (ESP, Kawasaki), 30 p.; 8. Xavier Boog (FRA, Kawasaki), 25 p.; 9. Joshua Coppins (NZL, Aprilia), 23 p.; 10. Davide Guarneri (ITA, Honda), 20 p.

MX2 Race 1 top 10: 1. Marvin Musquin (FRA, KTM), 40:41.977; 2. Ken Roczen (GER, Suzuki), +0:12.318; 3. Steven Frossard (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:51.161; 4. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, Suzuki), +0:57.920; 5. Jeremy van Horebeek (BEL, Kawasaki), +1:07.267; 6. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), +1:35.476; 7. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), +1:44.309; 8. Zach Osborne (USA, Yamaha), +1:45.037; 9. Joel Roelants (BEL, KTM), +1:49.656; 10. Jake Nicholls (GBR, KTM), +1:51.883.

MX2 Race 2 top 10: 1. Marvin Musquin (FRA, KTM), 39:22.409; 2. Ken Roczen (GER, Suzuki), +0:07.389; 3. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), +0:19.178; 4. Steven Frossard (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:26.325; 5. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, Suzuki), +0:31.223; 6. Jeremy van Horebeek (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:48.410; 7. Zach Osborne (USA, Yamaha), +1:05.621; 8. Jake Nicholls (GBR, KTM), +1:16.934; 9. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), +1:32.164; 10. Christophe Charlier (FRA, Yamaha), +1:34.215.

MX2 Overall top 10: 1. Marvin Musquin (FRA, KTM), 50 points; 2. Ken Roczen (GER, Suzuki), 44 p.; 3. Steven Frossard (FRA, Kawasaki), 38 p.; 4. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 35 p.; 5. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, Suzuki), 34 p.; 6. Jeremy van Horebeek (BEL, Kawasaki), 31 p.; 7. Zach Osborne (USA, Yamaha), 27 p.; 8. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), 26 p.; 9. Jake Nicholls (GBR, KTM), 24 p.; 10. Harri Kullas (FIN, Yamaha), 19 p.

Photo courtesy CDS