Spain is place where we all go for sun, sand and sangria but not this weekend.

The second round of the world motocross championship was a complete washout, the riders did a grand job surviving let alone racing – it wasn’t even mud it was like porridge.

Starting in prime condition for Saturday’s qualifying sessions the circuit deteriorated so badly that the second MX1 moto was cancelled just moments prior to its start after the riders and organisers mutually decided that it would be just too dangerous to race.

Standing water on the start straight was a problem.

Rattray took moto one by over a minute but in race two, riders who finished race one near the back of the pack seem to reverse their results, it was chaos. Stephen Sword put in an extraordinary ride to finish third overall his first podium in a long time.

In the MX1 class the second moto was cancelled due to the condition of the track but Ramon took the win with Phillipaerts second and De Dycker third.

This is certainly one event that teams and riders alike will want to forget and by the time the trucks reach Portugal for next weekend’s race.

Results;

Race one: 1, Steve Ramon, Suzuki, BEL, 40'49.290 2, David Philippaerts, Yamaha, ITA, 0'35.461 3, Ken De Dycker, Suzuki, BEL, 0'49.535 4, Joshua Coppins, Yamaha, NZL, 1'22.141 5, Tanel Leok, Kawasaki, EST, 2'3.530 6, Kevin Strijbos, Kawasaki, BEL, 2'25.114 7, Tom Church, Kawasaki, GBR, 2'28.305 8, Billy MacKenzie, Honda, GBR, 2'40.776 9, Clement Desalle, Suzuki, BEL, -1 Laps 10, Lauris Freibergs, Yamaha, LVA, -1 Laps

Rider Standings: 1, Ken De Dycker, Suzuki, BEL, 70. 2, Steve Ramon, Suzuki, BEL, 63. 3, David Philippaerts, Yamaha, ITA, 55. 4, Joshua Coppins, Yamaha, NZL, 47. 5, Billy MacKenzie, Honda, GBR, 46. 6, Maximilian Nagl, KTM, GER, 40. 7, Kevin Strijbos, Kawasaki, BEL, 36. 8, Manuel Priem, Kawasaki, BEL, 35. 9, Kornel Nemeth, KTM, HUN, 33. 10, Tanel Leok, Kawasaki, EST, 26.

Race one: 1, Tyla Rattray, KTM, RSA, 41'43.976. 2, Antonio Cairoli, Yamaha, ITA, 1'3.972 3, Davide Guarneri, Yamaha, ITA, 1'11.984 4, Stephen Sword, Kawasaki, GBR, 1'16.976 5, Jeremy Tarroux, KTM, FRA, 1'26.602 6, Manuel Monni, Yamaha, ITA, 1'42.100 7, Nicolas Aubin, Yamaha, FRA, 2'0.143 8, Marvin Musquin, Honda, FRA, 2'8.504 9, Shaun Simpson, KTM, GBR, 2'11.833 10, Tommy Searle, KTM, GBR, 2'15.120

Race two: 1, Davide Guarneri, Yamaha, ITA, 31'35.087 2, Manuel Monni, Yamaha, ITA, 2'32.695 3, Gautier Paulin, Kawasaki, FRA, 2'41.294 4, Rui Goncalves, KTM, POR, 3'40.695 5, Joel Roelants, KTM, BEL, -1 Laps 6, Angelo Pellegrini, KTM, ITA, -1 Laps 7, Stephen Sword, Kawasaki, GBR, -1 Laps 8, Tommy Searle, KTM, GBR, -1 Laps 9, Jeremy Van Horebeek, KTM, BEL, -2 Laps 10, Evgeny Bobryshev, Yamaha, RUS, -2 Laps

Rider Standings: 1, Tyla Rattray, KTM, RSA, 79. 2, Antonio Cairoli, Yamaha, ITA, 76. 3, Davide Guarneri, Yamaha, ITA, 61. 4, Tommy Searle, KTM, GBR, 60. 5, Rui Goncalves, KTM, POR, 51. 6, Manuel Monni, Yamaha, ITA, 48. 7, Nicolas Aubin, Yamaha, FRA, 47. 8, Shaun Simpson, KTM, GBR, 47. 9, Stephen Sword, Kawasaki, GBR, 46. 10, Xavier Boog, Suzuki, FRA, 45.

The world championship kicks off in Holland with wins for Ken De Dycker and Tyla Rattray.

Big Ken De Dycker came out swinging in the super-rough conditions at Valkenswaard. In his first MX1 GP as Suzuki team-mate to reigning world champion Steve Ramon, de Dycker was peerless, taking the lead early in both races and winning at a canter.

Ramon himself put a third and a fourth together for second overall in the book and was happy with the 38 points after falling sick on Monday which stopped him from training all week. German Max Nagl was on step three of the podium, tied on points with Ramon.

In the MX2 Tyla Rattray came out like his old self, winning both motos in the rough Dutch sand. Last years heatwinner in uddevalla's GP Tommy Searle came out like the pretender to the throne, charging hard early in moto one to briefly take the lead before a crash dropped him back down the pack but the KTM star recovered well to take third.

Antonio Cairoli came out under par, trailing Tyla home in both races and unable to mount a challenge to the South African.

Results: MX1

1e heat: 1. Ken De Dycker. 2. Max Nagl. 3. Steve Ramon. 4. David Philippaerts. 5. Manuel Priem.

2e heat: 1. Ken De Dycker. 2. Billy MacKenzie. 3. Jonathan Barragan. 4. Steve Ramon3 5. Max Nagl.

Total: 1. Ken De Dycker 50 ptn. 2. Steve Ramon 38. 3. Max Nagl (Dui) 38. 4. Billy MacKenzie (GBr) 33. 5. David Philippaerts (Ita) 33.

MX2

1e heat: 1.Tyla Rattray. 2.Antonio Cairoli. 3. Tommy Searle. 4. Erik Eggens. 5. Shaun Simpson.

2e heat: 1.Tyla Rattray. 2.Antonio Cairoli. 3. Erik Eggens. 5. Tommy Searle. 5 Rui Goncalves.

The World Championship in Motocross start this weekend in Valkenswaard with Joshua Coppins.

The New Zealander has two broken toes, but is nevertheless resolved to ride in the first GP of the season. "In an normal situation one would sit out the injury, but I have no other choice says Joshua Coppins.

I can hardly walk from the pain, but with i have an adapted race boot were i can drive with. We must see what comes out of it. I start thinking if i stand by the site, for sure i have no points. So will we see were it comes.

"During a small crash, practicing in Dunkirk (F) i break my large toe and the one next to it says Coppins. "moreover it was a very ugly break, where my boon came true the skin and i needed an operating right away.."

Coppins seemed to be the best last year, when in the beginning of the season he was long out with an shoulder injury, making the way free for Steve Ramon to pick up the title.

Kevin Strijbos is only 22, nevertheless will he starts tomorrow in his eighth year for the World Championship in Motocross.

Two times he became vice-world champion so one thing is still missing on the of the Belgium rider, being the World title.

The last years each time something went wrong explained Stijbos. If i was not injured, i ran up against the unbeatable Stefan Everts. But afterwards i must admit, it was also my own mistakes which held me away from the title.

Strijbos gives up to early, say many among us, he seems to be the most talented rider, but is missing the right mentality and gives up to quick.

"That people say i give up to quickly could be fair says Strijbos, but i have trained very hard the last years and my physical condition was perfect. This winter is took a third place in the Belgium Championship off Road Cycling with the amateurs.

So there everything is okay, but it is correct, i had difficulties in the past to keep going, when something did not work out as i had planned it. Previous season i missed due to a knee injury but still i was not far behind Steve Ramon.

When in some of the heats i had not let my head hang down, i could have be the World champion in stead of my Fellow Countryman.

"I have however learned from my errors says Strijbos and i will from now on fight for each point to keep going, although it seems hopeless, you must go on, the last season proved that!!!