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Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Jed Beaton finished just shy of the podium for the second-straight weekend at Valkenswaard’s second round of the MX2 World Championship.

The Tasmanian was challenging for a podium position in race one before an error saw him relegated down the field, however he was able to charge back to sixth.

He rebounded strongly in moto two, putting on a fantastic performance while ditching his goggles in brutally sandy conditions, crossing the line in P2 for fourth overall – just two points behind third.

“It’s been another good GP for me, but like at Matterley I’m a little disappointed not to be on the podium,” Beaton stated. “But that’s on me as I made a mistake in the first moto. Overall, my riding’s good, I just have to keep it on two wheels to get it on the podium.

“The sand is so soft and heavy here at Valkenswaard that a small mistake can quickly become a big mistake, but it’s been good to show that my speed in the sand is good. I gated really well and felt good in the first race and went from third to second in a couple of corners and started to chase [Tom] Vialle.

“I then made a small mistake and ran off track slightly, hitting a sign and tipping over. I dropped some places, but I was pleased enough to finish with a decent result. In the second race there was a crash right in front of me, but I still got a decent start.

“I really focused on not making any mistakes and although it was tough with vision near the end of the race, I got a great second place result, which was a positive way to end the GP.”

Beaton now sits third in the championship rankings ahead of the third round, which is scheduled for 22 March at Neuquen in Argentina.

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Frenchman Charles Lefrancois will join JGRMX Yoshimura Suzuki from Daytona for the next five rounds of 2020 Monster Energy Supercross.

After recently clinching the UK-based Arenacross Tour crown, Lefrancois has the opportunity to fill-in at the American factory Suzuki team.

“It is a big dream of mine to ride for the JGR Suzuki team,” said Lefrancois. “I’ve raced Suzuki motorcycles since 2012 and, for me, it’s a great accomplishment to ride for this team. I will give it my best and not disappoint the team.”

JGRMX Yoshimura Suzuki team manager Jeremy Albrecht commented: “I’m excited to give support to a rider already on Suzuki. Geoff Walker, who owns the SR75 team, has been great to us over the years and has a rider that just won a championship.

“I met Charles last year and liked his work ethic. He has already been very appreciative in the last few days since arriving in the US – I feel like it’s a reward for winning the championship. Charles will race the next five rounds starting this weekend in Daytona.”

Lefrancois has been called in following an injury-plagued campaign for JGRMX, with Joey Savatgy, Fredrik Noren and Broc Tickle all being sidelined at this point of the year.

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Gautier Paulin is banking on his previous success at Valkenswaard as the MXGP of the Netherlands looms this weekend for round two of the world championship.

The Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing rider has a rich history of podiums and race wins at the Dutch venue, including a weekend in 2015 where he dominated qualifying and the pair of motos to secure one of the more memorable overall wins of his career.

“Valkenswaard is a track I really like,” Paulin stated. “It has a lot of history. It is black sand so it’s very nice to ride and it is one of the only tracks that have a sandy uphill and downhill, so that’s pretty cool. Of course, I have had some good experiences there.

“Many podiums, two MXGP wins, one perfect weekend winning everything, qualifying and both motos. The goal is the same as always, to enjoy being at 100 percent of skills.”

Paulin was sixth overall at Matterley Basin’s season-opener last weekend in Great Britain.