The German round of the Red Bull Rookies Moto GP Cup took place under cloudy skies at Sachsenring on Saturday afternoon.

It remained dry despite threatening rain which it had done overnight and early morning.

Irish entry Josh Elliott had endured a difficult day qualifying and had to start from 22nd on the grid.

Despite this, overnight checks on his machine and suspension changes had helped reassure the Fermanagh teenager that perhaps a respectable placing could be had in the race.

The race started very well for Elliott, as he made a clever move down the inside at turn one on the brakes and continued to make progress climbing to 15th place at the end of the lap. Elliott was suffering a lot of slides as many of the rookies were after the start. It turned out that all the tyre warmers were removed a little early and the wind blowing up the start straight had cooled the tyres on the grid.

He survived a front end slide into the right handed turn one as he took 14th place on lap two, but was to fall foul of the same problem a lap later.

German rider Marcus Reiterberger was starting to hold up the group Elliott was in a little and as the group in front were starting to make a break, Elliott went for 13th as he attempted to out brake the German into turn one.

Fortune left him as swiftly as his front wheel, as it slid away and off into the gravel trap went the Irish entry, face first.

Thankfully unhurt, Elliott later rued his error, as that group covered fifth to 11th at the finish. "I am kicking myself for trying too hard too soon on cold tyres. I had the chance of a great finish from a terrible qualifying position, and thought I'd give it a go as I'd nothing to loose. The bike was sliding a lot and I thought it was my suspension as I had struggled to find a good setting in practice. I didn't realise it was cold tyres as the other boys told me the grip came back after three or four laps."

The Moto GP season enters its summer break now with the next round not until 16/17th August. That will be a double header event and the last Rookies Cup race meeting of the season.