Securing the first double podium of the year for Honda, Tim Gajser and Evgeny Bobryshev muscled their CRF450RW bikes to a spectacular first and third overall today in the beautiful Patagonian landscape, for the third round of the MXGP world championships.

After topping qualifying on Saturday, it was clear to see the win was already in Gajser’s sights and on Sunday he proved that he was back on form, taking the double race win and the championship leader’s red plate.

In the first race Gajser had a good gate, quickly got past Dutch KTM rider Glen Coldenhoff, who had taken the holeshot, and he controlled from there.

He kept just enough of a gap between himself and second place; Belgian Yamaha rider Jeremy Van Horebeek to ensure that it was a comfortable first place finish.

Slovenian Gajser had his work cut out in the start of the second race when he had to challenge Belgian Kawasaki rider Clement Desalle for the lead. Taking it in his stride, Gajser’s smooth style in the roughing terrain ensured he could pass Desalle and pull a gap to take the chequered flag in the second race.

Russia’s Bobryshev, who had been feeling particularly unwell from food poisoning in the week right up into the qualifying race on the Saturday, surpassed his own expectations on Sunday.

In the first race Bobryshev had a good gate but soon had a battle on his hands with Van Horebeek, Desalle and French Yamaha rider Romain Febvre and after tussling with them for a few laps and, not feeling quite himself, he settled for a fifth-place finish.

Not content with fifth or to let a bit of food poisoning deter his goal of reaching the podium this weekend, Bobryshev dug deep in the second race.

The steely Russian didn’t drop the pace once through the 30-minute race and his gritty determination paid off as and he took second place from Van Horebeek only a few laps before the end of the race, earning himself third overall for the day, behind Van Horebeek.

MX2 CLASS

Meanwhile, in the MX2 class, Swiss rider Jeremy Seewer (Suzuki) took over the championship lead.

Latvian KTM rider Pauls Jonass won both MX2 races in Argentina, but Seewer’s results of a fifth and a second were good enough to see him on the third step of the podium, and these results were also good enough for him to grab the leader’s red plate.

The riders now move on to round four in Leon, Mexico, on April 2.

Photo courtesy Honda Europe

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RESULTS AND STANDINGS:

MXGP CLASS:

MXGP Race 1 Top Ten: 1. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), 35:25.581; 2. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Yamaha), +0:07.150; 3. Clement Desalle (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:10.968; 4. Romain Febvre (FRA, Yamaha), +0:12.239; 5. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), +0:14.082; 6. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Husqvarna), +0:15.046; 7. Max Anstie (GBR, Husqvarna), +0:18.326; 8. Maximilian Nagl (GER, Husqvarna), +0:19.268; 9. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:20.011; 10. Shaun Simpson (GBR, Yamaha), +0:31.372

MXGP Race 2 Top Ten: 1. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), 34:07.642; 2. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), +0:05.315; 3. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Yamaha), +0:06.723; 4. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Husqvarna), +0:08.878; 5. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:17.959; 6. Maximilian Nagl (GER, Husqvarna), +0:22.477; 7. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), +0:23.506; 8. Romain Febvre (FRA, Yamaha), +0:26.071; 9. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Suzuki), +0:29.400; 10. Clement Desalle (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:35.513

MXGP Overall Top Ten: 1. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 50 points; 2. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, YAM), 42 p.; 3. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, HON), 38 p.; 4. Gautier Paulin (FRA, HUS), 33 p.; 5. Romain Febvre (FRA, YAM), 31 p.; 6. Clement Desalle (BEL, KAW), 31 p.; 7. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 28 p.; 8. Maximilian Nagl (GER, HUS), 28 p.; 9. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 23 p.; 10. Max Anstie (GBR, HUS), 23 p.

MXGP Championship Top Ten: 1. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 106 points; 2. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 96 p.; 3. Clement Desalle (BEL, KAW), 91 p.; 4. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, YAM), 84 p.; 5. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, HON), 82 p.; 6. Gautier Paulin (FRA, HUS), 72 p.; 7. Romain Febvre (FRA, YAM), 65 p.; 8. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, SUZ), 56 p.; 9. Shaun Simpson (GBR, YAM), 55 p.; 10. Max Anstie (GBR, HUS), 49 p.

MX2 CLASS:

MX2 Race 1 Top Ten: 1. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), 35:21.092; 2. Benoit Paturel (FRA, Yamaha), +0:04.318; 3. Jorge Prado Garcia (ESP, KTM), +0:07.107; 4. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, Husqvarna), +0:08.386; 5. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Suzuki), +0:10.398; 6. Darian Sanayei (USA, Kawasaki), +0:24.237; 7. Brent Van doninck (BEL, Yamaha), +0:27.793; 8. Thomas Covington (USA, Husqvarna), +0:33.721; 9. Michele Cervellin (ITA, Honda), +0:35.480; 10. Vsevolod Brylyakov (RUS, Kawasaki), +0:35.534

MX2 Race 2 Top Ten: 1. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), 34:04.845; 2. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Suzuki), +0:03.278; 3. Jorge Prado Garcia (ESP, KTM), +0:25.893; 4. Darian Sanayei (USA, Kawasaki), +0:29.301; 5. Julien Lieber (BEL, KTM), +0:34.137; 6. Brent Van doninck (BEL, Yamaha), +0:36.225; 7. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, Husqvarna), +0:40.989; 8. Vsevolod Brylyakov (RUS, Kawasaki), +0:42.865; 9. Benoit Paturel (FRA, Yamaha), +0:46.656; 10. Adam Sterry (GBR, Kawasaki), +0:48.515

MX2 Overall Top Ten: 1. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), 50 points; 2. Jorge Prado Garcia (ESP, KTM), 40 p.; 3. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, SUZ), 38 p.; 4. Benoit Paturel (FRA, YAM), 34 p.; 5. Darian Sanayei (USA, KAW), 33 p.; 6. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 32 p.; 7. Brent Van doninck (BEL, YAM), 29 p.; 8. Vsevolod Brylyakov (RUS, KAW), 24 p.; 9. Michele Cervellin (ITA, HON), 22 p.; 10. Julien Lieber (BEL, KTM), 21 p.

MX2 Championship Top Ten: 1. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, SUZ), 110 points; 2. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), 107 p.; 3. Benoit Paturel (FRA, YAM), 104 p.; 4. Julien Lieber (BEL, KTM), 99 p.; 5. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 99 p.; 6. Brent Van doninck (BEL, YAM), 73 p.; 7. Samuele Bernardini (ITA, TM), 70 p.; 8. Jorge Prado Garcia (ESP, KTM), 67 p.; 9. Michele Cervellin (ITA, HON), 62 p.; 10. Vsevolod Brylyakov (RUS, KAW), 59 p.