Although just thirty years of age the native of Wallonia, the French-speaking southern half of Belgium Clement Desalle has already completed no less than fourteen seasons in the premier off-road series. A stylish yet fearless racer Clement spent his youth career racing across the frontier in France but, on joining the adult ranks at the tender age of sixteen, he side-stepped the more usual career ladder of rising through the ranks on smaller-capacity machinery by immediately jumping on a 450cc machine to learn the trade of GP racing the hard way, racing week-after-week against the very best riders in the world. 

Already in his fourth season amongst the world elite he swept to victory in two late-seasons GPs to claim his first bronze medal with third in the final series standings and has added no less than seven further FIM world championship medals, five in the individual world championship, one gold medal with Belgium in the annual world team contest, the Motocross of Nations, and a further individual gold as class victor in the team event.

Although he had never previously raced Kawasaki machinery prior to joining the KRT family in 2016, he immediately felt at home in Green, having enjoyed a strong personal friendship for many years with both team owner Thierry Chizat Suzzoni and team manager Francois Lemariey, the latter having been his race mechanic during his breakthrough season of 2009. 

The strength of these bonds was immediately confirmed with a display of the guts and resilience which have been the hallmark of his illustrious career to defy medical science as he entered the fray with a fractured arm sustained just a matter of weeks before the opening GP; Clement built his season to such good effect that he had returned to winning ways before the end of the summer and the momentum was carried through into 2017 with a season-long challenge for top honours, highlighted by consecutive GP victories in France and Russia, until a fractured vertebrae at the penultimate round saw him narrowly miss the medal positions. 

2018 saw Clement record a repeat victory in Russia and he mounted the podium on nine further occasions on his way to the series bronze medal to raise hopes of a stronger challenge for honours last year aboard the brand-new KX450-SR.

This optimism appeared to be well-founded as he immediately established himself in the series top three with a rousing second place at the Dutch round despite a freak injury when he tore the meniscus in a knee without crashing. 

Gritting his teeth against the pain through the following round Clement was back on medal course within a few weeks before heading confidently to the high-speed Orlyonok track overlooking the Russian Black Sea Riviera with every chance of completing a hat-trick of victories at the venue. 

Sadly the optimism was ill-founded as a nasty crash left Clement with a sprained ankle and a double-fracture of the lower leg which would keep him out of action for the remainder of the season.

Successful surgery and recuperation meant that Clement was back riding by the autumn and he has been able to enjoy an intense winter of testing with the KRT technical staff and partners to tailor the team’s KX450-SR factory bike perfectly to his individual riding style and he can look forward confidently to adding yet more success to his twenty-three career GP victories as well as finally achieving the ultimate racing success for both himself and Kawasaki.

As the 2020 season has taken a break after two rounds, Desalle is placed fourth in the MXGP points standings, a position he clearly feels comfortable with, but we can't forget the Belgian toughman can easily outlast many of his competition as he has done in the past.

Clement Desalle – Profile

Riding Number: 25

Class: MXGP

Date of birth: 19 May 1989

Place of birth: La Louvière (Belgium)

Hometown: Gouy lez Pieton (Belgium)

Best Championship Result 2nd (2010)

Total GP Wins 23

Total GP Podiums 80

Total GP Entries 202

Best GP Result 1st (x23)

Total MXGP Points 5,867pts

First MXGP GP Flanders 2006 (32nd / 0pts)

Last MXGP GP The Netherlands 2020 (6th / 28pts)

CAREER RESUME

2019 14^th FIM Motocross World Championship MXGP

2018 3^rd FIM Motocross World Championship MXGP

2017 4^th FIM Motocross World Championship MXGP

2016 8th FIM Motocross World Championship MXGP

2015 10th FIM Motocross World Championship MXGP

2014 4th FIM Motocross World Championship MXGP

2013 2nd FIM Motocross World Championship MX1

2013 1st FIM Motocross of Nations

2012 2nd FIM Motocross of Nations

2012 2nd FIM Motocross World Championship MX1

2011 3rd FIM Motocross World Championship MX1

2010 2nd FIM Motocross World Championship MX1

2010 2nd FIM Motocross of Nations

2009 3rd FIM Motocross World Championship MX1

2009 3rd FIM Motocross of Nations

2008 11th FIM Motocross World Championship MX1

2007 20th FIM Motocross World Championship MX1

2006 25th FIM Motocross World Championship MX1

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