Defending world MXGP champion, Romain Febvre claimed his fifth podium of the season in the eleventh round of the FIM World MXGP Motocross Championship at the Terra Topia MX track on the outskirts of Johannesburg in South Africa.

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"I felt fast all weekend,” Febvre said. “The speed was there and also the starts - and had hoped for better but I hurt my knee on the first lap of race one and had a lot of pain for most of the moto. I took a good start again in the second race and was managing Jeffrey behind me for more than twenty minutes. I am getting there step-by-step, closer to the front two every week, and the three of us are gone from the pack. I could always hold their race pace and I have been working on my one-lap speed these last few weeks."

A good jump at the gate and a tight line through turn one in race one saw him emerge third. An immaculate pass for second was unfortunately negated before the end of the opening lap as a knock to his knee pushed back temporarily to fourth.He was forcing the pace again after ten minutes and the pressure paid dividends on lap six as he swept back to third. With the front-three matching even each other's lap times there was a tense high-speed chase to the flag as the top-three in the world confirmed their current rankings.

A similar start in race two saw the Frenchman push into third halfway round the first lap and a stunning move after ten minutes saw him cut under his rival for second. That position appeared secure until he fell to a surprise attack at the twenty-minute stage. His brace of third-placed motos secured third overall and has further consolidated third in the series standings, thirty-nine points clear of fourth.

On the Saturday, Febvre qualified top-three for the South African round of the FIM World MXGP Motocross Championship at the Terra Topia MX track on the outskirts of Johannesburg.

"The team had found excellent solutions with the bike this weekend and both Pauls and I made really good starts. It was not easy to learn the track during Free Practice as it was still a little muddy but I already found a good flow and felt comfortable in Timed Practice. I wheelied a little out of the gate in Qualifying but I could still make it happen and had a good ride together with Lucas at the front. We could pull a good gap and I felt really comfortable at that pace; I could also figure out some good lines for tomorrow when hopefully the track will have developed a little more."

Febvre maintained second, pressuring the leader throughout and closing onto his rear wheel several times but he was denied the final challenge on an ultra high-speed track with few opportunities to overtake. Now a weeks break, before the world champion heads to Foxhill in England, for the British GP.