Clement Desalle and teammate Tanel Leok recorded sixth and seventh respectively in Latvia this weekend, in tricky race conditions.

Rockstar Energy Suzuki rider Desalle arrived at Kegums for the 10th round of the World Motocross Championship with a three point lead at the top, but left just 12 points adrift.

Rainfall during the night managed to churn the thin layer of loose earth into a slower and more technical prospect compared to the fast and flat terrain on Saturday, and the bumps that littered the surface caught out many riders.

Desalle set off from third place in the gate and although he was vying for a leading position on the first lap, he endured a dramatic 35 minute moto with two crashes and some brave manoeuvres to finish seventh.

Torrential downpours between the motos increased the muddy state and rough demands of the track and Desalle was part of an entertaining four-rider battle for second position until a hefty fall through the waves section several laps before the finish saw him having to settle for fourth place with a damaged front wheel.

Desalle said, “The speed was there today but I made too many mistakes.

“I was not happy at all with my riding in the first moto; it was not fun and I didn’t take any pleasure from being out there. Normally the more fun I’m having on the bike then the better things seem to be.

“There were many big, hard bumps and I felt pretty knocked about, but the track was the same for everybody. I had two crashes and finished seventh. It was not good but I came out of it without getting hurt.

“In the second moto I lost some places in the waves section but kept fourth and for a while I found it very hard to pass. When I got up to second I could see that Kevin Strijbos was very far in front.

“I made some ground and was pushing hard. I was riding well and not over the limit but then through the waves section my front wheel was a little bit more to the left than usual and I lost control. The back wheel hit hard and threw me over the bars and I broke the front wheel. I finished the race as best I could from that point.

“Today didn’t go as I expected and I have a bit of pain in my back after the crash but I did the best I could and we’ll look for better results from here.”

Leok set the second fastest lap-time in warm-up for an encouraging start to the day.

The Estonian was more comfortable on the shifting circuit compared to the dry hard-pack of Saturday and some adjustments to his rear suspension and engine-mapping helped him improve his speed on his RM-Z450.

A good start in the first race pushed Leok to sixth position and then he fought from a contrasting launch in the second moto to fight through to seventh spot. Seventh overall saw him move to eighth overall in the championship.

He said, “We worked a bit on the bike and I could ride faster with the track. I was more comfortable.

“I struggled with the start in the second moto. I touched De Reuver and lost my balance and had to come back from that but seventh was OK.

“To go sixth and seventh is not too bad actually but I know it still could have been better because my riding was quite good.

“I still need to work a little bit on my first laps but I made good progress in that second race. The track was a lot rougher and that helped.”