Ryan Cringle was happy with his performance in the combined Prestige/StarBikers class at the World Supermoto Championship finale in Belgium last weekend.

He was seventh in his first timed practice on Saturday at Mettet, three 10ths of a second down on Davey Todd in sixth. The best of the British riders in that session was BSB star Storm Stacey in fourth.

On cumulative time over the two sessions, Cringle was ninth quickest.

The Prestige/StarBikers went straight into the semi-finals, split into two groups, and 16 from each went forward to the final, mixed in with some of the world championship riders.

Riding a factory 450cc TSV TM, the lone Manxman at the event finished sixth in his semi-final, comfortably securing his spot in the final. Peter Hickman did not qualify in what was his first serious crack at Supermoto in a number of years.

The final was won by world champion and seven-time Mettet winner Marc-Reiner Schmidt on a Ducati who completed 14 laps with a best time of 1min 46.153sec, beating fellow Supermoto GP regulars Steve Bonnal (TM) and Julen Avila Cortes (KTM). Romain Kaivers was first of the Prestige riders in fourth.

Best Briton was Stacey in 12th (first of the StarBikers), followed by Todd 16th and Cringle 23rd. Todd rode extremely well in his competitive return from the severe leg injuries he suffered at Daytona seven months ago.

Cringle, one of only three Brits to complete 14 laps, was one place down on MotoAmerica Superbike rider Brandon Paasch.

A total of 51 riders finished, so Cringle was well inside the top-half.

‘I was very happy with that considering who I was up against,’ he said.

This weekend he heads to Lincolnshire for the final round of the British Supermoto Championship at Cadwell Park. Sunday’s finale will be totally on Tarmac.

His closest rival, Alex Mullane, retired at Mettet on lap seven.