Kawasaki factory rider, Mathis Valin will also line-up a the Sommières international event next Sunday. The elite MX2 rider, who dominated his first pre-season race of the season at Pernes-les-Fontaines in southern France has decided to race next weekend, for some extra preparation before the opening round of the MX2 world championship in Argentina in early March.

"My winter programme was similar to last year; Red Sand in December, then I trained in France with Thierry Van Den Bosch and in January we moved to Sardinia with the team. I had a good winter and I feel that I have improved on many things. I have a good feeling on the bike, and the goal is to be consistent at each race; if I can go as fast as in training I think I can have very good results and there is one goal, to be fighting at the front every week. We have also worked hard on the starts, and now I think that we have the set-up to get holeshots."

Mathis Valin was dominant in the MX2 category a couple of weeks ago, which ran concurrently with MXGP, to claim victory despite a DNF in race two after he had been knocked off by a 450 rider at the start. In morning Timed Training before the rain he had posted third-fastest time against the 450s aboard his KX250-SR and even a pit-stop for fresh goggles in the first moto could not prevent him from finishing sixth, nearly a minute ahead of the next 250, in the combined classification. Fifth overall in the final moto earnt him the top step of the podium in MX2.

"I had a really good feeling in the dry this morning to post third-fastest time amongst the 450s but then it started to rain in the afternoon. It's never easy at the starts together with the 450s and I had to stop for fresh goggles in the first moto - there are many rocks here and you can't risk racing without good vision - but I found a good rhythm to come back to sixth. At the second start I fell down when Tonus went on me and I pulled out after another crash to focus on the last moto. My start was good but it was getting more like enduro after raining all afternoon so my googles got filled in again. But our season has started and we can look forward to a successful year."