Cairoli has had a solid start to the season with KTM on the 350 SX-F.

After a short visit to Portugal, the FIM Motocross World Championship is set to continue this weekend in the Catalan region of Spain, hosting the fifth of 15 rounds at the classic Bellpuig course.

With Tony Cairoli still holding the red plate in the MX1 class, Max Nagl and David Philippaerts complete the top three. Steve Ramon is in fourth while the winner of the Portuguese GP Clement Desalle is making up ground and is now in fifth place.

Marvin Musquin regained the MX2 red plate in Agueda after taking a dominant win. Ken Roczen follows in second with Jeffrey Herlings in third to make it a very close top three.

The Grand Prix of Portugal marked the comeback to victory of Desalle, returning to action after dislocating his right shoulder at the previous grand prix in Valkenswaard. The Rockstar Teka Suzuki World MX1 racer rode strong in Agueda and needs more wins to make up for a disappointing dnf in Valkenswaard and cut the gap from championship leader Cairoli.

The Italian of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing MX1, who was third overall last year at Bellpuig, took second on the podium in Portugal where he could receive his third red plate of the year.

Taking as many points as Cairoli in Agueda, teammate Nagl still holds second in the MX1 series and his podium comeback in Portugal was a confidence booster for the forthcoming GP in Bellpuig, another hard pack course.

A crash in Portugal cost Yamaha Monster Energy’s Philippaerts an overall podium as the Italian was all set on a top three finish after ending third in heat one. Unfortunately a strong pain to the hand hampered his performances in the second heat and Philippaerts may struggle also in Bellpuig.

Fourth placed in the championship Ramon also struggled with pain in Portugal after a crash in qualifying while French Boog of Kawasaki Racing narrowly missed on his first season’s podium, a goal which has been postponed to Catalunya.

Other Kawasaki Racing rider Jonathan Barragan instead will not be in Bellpuig as a leg injury ruled him out before the Dutch Grand Prix. The 2009 Catalan GP winner has not yet set a date for his comeback to action.

TM Racing Factory’s Anthony Boissiere will try and chase the best result of his first MX1 season at the venue where he took a heat win and a podium finish in 2009.

With Manuel Priem out due to an injury he picked up in Sevlievo, Aprilia Racing will line up American Billy Laninovich from the forthcoming Catalan GP alongside Kiwi Josh Coppins.

Coming back to victory in dominant style, defending MX2 Champion Musquin of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing MX2 is back on top of the championship standings. Musquin rode two flawless heats in Portugal to take two wins and snatch the red plate from Ken Roczen, who had just taken it in Valkenswaard where the French had a bad weekend.

The Teka Suzuki Europe World MX2 rider dropped down to second in the championship and took third on the Portuguese podium. His attempts to stop Musquin where hampered by a tangle with a lapped rider in heat two.

Other Red Bull KTM Factory Racing MX2 team member Jeffrey Herlings was sandwiched in between the two on Agueda’s podium. After his maiden GP win in Valkenswaard, the 15-year-old’s name is shaping up like the third big force in this year’s MX2 World Championship.

Kawasaki CLS’ Gordon Frossard instead had a weekend to forget in Portugal, where he headed with full confidence after his maiden podium on the sand in Valkenswaard. The hard pack specialist had several crashed but will try to make up for that in Bellpuig as he still sits in fourth place in the championship.

Agueda marked the best GP result of the season for Bike-it Cosworth Yamaha UK’s Zach Osborne who took fourth overall. The American looks forward to Bellpuig where he will also see the debut of countryman Michael Leib on the Rockstar Energy Bud Racing Kawasaki.

Bellpuig would be the first GP of 2010 also for Yamaha Monster Energy Motocross’ Gautier Paulin, who injured himself right before the start to the season in Bulgaria.

Taking his first and only MX2 GP win in Bellpuig last year, Jeremy Van Horebeek of Kawasaki CLS will try to jump back onto the podium which would be the first grand prix podium on Kawasaki for the Belgian.