As the racing calendars wind down towards the winter period there is still some track activity going on and Van Beers Yamaha`s Aigar Leok was able to capture 1st and 2nd positions in two motos at Heerde to claim a national crown for the Dutch team. Leok had faced some injury problems and bad luck during the `08 world championship but extended a lead of 193 points in the domestic competition to culminate the year with some glory. “I`m glad to end the season off in a positive way” he said. “I know this championship is important to Yamaha and the Van Beers team and I have done everything possible to get them the title. I thought my chances were over when I broke my collarbone last month but I managed to get through the pain and now we have the title.” Team-mate Evgeny Bobryshev took 3rd place overall in the MX2 division.

It is the third national title for Yamaha after Tony Cairoli and Manuel Monni became MX1 and MX2 Italian champions this year respectively.

In another discipline Red Bull De Carli rider Matteo Bonini has been doing quite well on his YZ250F in the European Supercross series and took 1st and 2nd positions in the fourth and fifth round recently in Marseille, France. He is fourth in the standings with four races left to run, the first of which being in two weeks in Milan.

The 2009 world championship calendar was made public just before the weekend and involves 17 rounds compared to the 15 run in 2008. The series will begin at Castiglione del Lago, Italy in the final weekend of March and heads across to the other side of the globe for the final two races with Grand Prix in Brazil and the USA. With trips to South Africa, Latvia and Turkey also catching the eye it means that motocross will be seen in four continents in 2009. The Women`s World Championship will encompass seven rounds; two more than 2008.

29 March,ITALY,Faenza ,Veteran
05 April,BULGARIA,Sevlievo ,Women
12 April,TURKEY,Istanbul
26 April,BENELUX,Valkenswaard,Veteran
10 May,PORTUGAL,Agueda,Women
17 May,CATALUNYA,Bellpuig,Women
31 May,GREAT BRITAIN,Mallory Park,Veteran
07 June,FRANCE,Ernée,Women
21 June,GERMANY,Teutschenthal,Women
28 June,LATVIA,Kegums,Veteran
05 July,SWEDEN,Uddevalla
19 July,SOUTH AFRICA,Nelspruit
02 August,BELGIUM,Lommel,Veteran
09 August,CZECH REP.,Loket
30 August,THE NETHERLANDS,Lierop,Women
13 September,BRAZIL,Canelinha
20 September,USA,Tba,Women and Veteran