The rumours gained a nice head of steam, and when the Estonian Express was seen entering the plush camper of LS Honda team boss Steven Lettani, it was all but confirmed. With all formalities having been completed, we can indeed confirm officially that the 24 year old Estonian will be Honda-mounted in 2009. "I am very happy with the deal," Tanel remarked in usual deadpan fashion. "I like the bike, and there is professional but easy-going atmosphere in the team. I want to take this opportunity to thank Claudio De Carli and the Read Bull De Carli Yamaha Team for a fantastic year. It is a very professional team, and it is a great honour for me to have been able to represent them this year."

Lettani also confirmed that Marnicq Bervoets will remain with the team as technical advisor and rider coach. Bervoets, who had come agonizingly close to claiming the 250cc motocross world title on a number of occasions, had worked wonders with the team during the 2009 season, and the team is confident that it will continue along this trend in 2010.

Having taken care of contractual formalities, Tanel got back to business on the track for his current employers, the Red Bull De Carli Yamaha team. Unfortunately for the Estonian, race-wise this was a weekend best forgotten. Very early on in proceedings, a situation, uncannily similar to that which befell fellow Baltic Matiss Karro the week before, arose when an errant rock hurled itself in the general direction of his head. The resultant smack was hard enough to knock the steam out of the Estonian tough man, and it was clear that he was not in the best shape that he had ever been. Tanel manfully went out of the second race, and rode to sixth place, but it was clear that he was out of sorts. He was somewhat concussed, and forfeited the third race as a result.

Tanel will spend the week in recovery, luxuriating in the nursing skills of wife Karoliina, and hopes to have all the mental planets in alignment again in time for the Motocross of Nations in Italy next weekend. He has been a cornerstone of Estonia's efforts in this event for many years now, and the Baltic nation will be relying heavily on him to pull them to a strong result in the event.