After the tragic loss of Igor Cuharciuc, a 12-year-old boy who sadly passed away on Saturday while competing in the EMX85 class, it was not easy for any of the riders to go out on track and do what they love to do most at the weekend’s Czech Motocross Grand Prix at Loket.

After a minute of silence on Sunday, the racing began and multi-time champion Tony Cairoli followed on from his MXGP qualifying race win to jump out of the gate and hit the first corner in fifth position.

The Sicilian lost some ground in the first few corners and had to fight with annoying arm pump during almost all of the race. After taking third and finding some good speed, he got his head down and started to close in, but it was too late to get back to the top, forcing him to settle for third place, behind Slovenian Tim Gajser (Honda) and Belgian Clement Desalle (Kawasaki).

In the second moto, eight-time world champion Cairoli started better and managed to take the lead after six laps, pushing his KTM 450 SX-F to the finish line for the 83rd victory of his career.

With a now extended 92 point lead over second place in the championship the KTM Red Bull Factory Racing rider begins preparations for the next race on the calendar, which is on the Belgian sand of Lommel. Round 14 of the MXGP 2017 takes place in 2 weeks time.

“I’m very happy to finish this GP with a victory,” said Cairoli.

“It’s amazing because I’ve never got on very well with this track and I’ve struggled here a lot in the past. To be honest I had set my goal at finishing anywhere on the podium, so a win is extra special. This year it seems that everything is just that bit easier because we have worked really well on the bike recently and I feel that it is working almost perfectly for me, and I enjoy riding it.

“It’s also the first time that I’ve ridden with the 450 on this track and I found it made a big difference for me. With the 350 I always had to be much more aggressive, as I was missing the torque that the 450 has in some parts of the track, so I really enjoyed racing here in Loket with the 450 today.

“The start of the first moto was ok, at the first corner I was a little bit too wide and I lost a couple of positions leaving me in fifth. I managed to get back to fourth, following Paulin, but I wasn’t riding very well at all. I was making a lot of mistakes and then I got arm pump and I struggled a lot in the first 15/20 minutes trying to find a good rhythm.

“Once I passed Paulin I felt better and I tried to put in some good laps, but it was too late and I only could make it to third. I was ok with that, because the points are what’s really important at this moment and we are looking ahead at the Championship.

“In the second moto I started better and I took the lead after few laps, then I’ve pushed a little bit to get a good gap and I managed to win the race, giving me also the overall victory. I want to dedicate this victory to Igor, the kid who sadly passed away yesterday in the EMX85 race, I’m really sorry for that.

“It was a difficult night for everybody and riding the bike on the track where it happened yesterday was not easy. I want to say that we all are close to the family. Now I’m looking forward to the next race in Lommel, because it’s like a home GP for me and the sand is what I like the most so I’m really looking to go there.”

The next event is the Belgian GP at Lommel on August 6.

Photo courtesy Ray Archer

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RESULTS AND STANDINGS:

MXGP Race 1 Top Ten:

1. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), 35:16.286; 2. Clement Desalle (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:03.096; 3. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:04.058; 4. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Husqvarna), +0:11.240; 5. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), +0:11.588; 6. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, Yamaha), +0:16.478; 7. Romain Febvre (FRA, Yamaha), +0:26.057; 8. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Yamaha), +0:29.479; 9. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Suzuki), +0:41.694; 10. Maximilian Nagl (GER, Husqvarna), +0:43.516.

MXGP Race 2 Top Ten:

1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 34:45.495; 2. Clement Desalle (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:04.530; 3. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), +0:08.989; 4. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:10.846; 5. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Husqvarna), +0:11.580; 6. Romain Febvre (FRA, Yamaha), +0:15.554; 7. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Yamaha), +0:31.941; 8. Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, Suzuki), +0:38.193; 9. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), +0:44.144; 10. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, Yamaha), +0:44.836.

MXGP Overall Top Ten:

1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 45 points; 2. Clement Desalle (BEL, KAW), 44 p.; 3. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 43 p.; 4. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 36 p.; 5. Gautier Paulin (FRA, HUS), 34 p.; 6. Romain Febvre (FRA, YAM), 29 p.; 7. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, YAM), 27 p.; 8. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, YAM), 26 p.; 9. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 20 p.; 10. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, HON), 19 p.

MXGP Championship Top Ten:

1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 523 points; 2. Clement Desalle (BEL, KAW), 431 p.; 3. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 418 p.; 4. Gautier Paulin (FRA, HUS), 417 p.; 5. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 353 p.; 6. Romain Febvre (FRA, YAM), 338 p.; 7. Maximilian Nagl (GER, HUS), 308 p.; 8. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, YAM), 294 p.; 9. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, HON), 286 p.; 10. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, YAM), 279 p.

MX2 CLASS

MX2 Race 1 Top Ten:

1. Thomas Covington (USA, Husqvarna), 35:24.193; 2. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), +0:10.380; 3. Jorge Prado Garcia (ESP, KTM), +0:16.628; 4. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, Husqvarna), +0:20.439; 5. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Suzuki), +0:21.297; 6. Benoit Paturel (FRA, Yamaha), +0:22.144; 7. Brian Bogers (NED, KTM), +0:39.982; 8. Hunter Lawrence (AUS, Suzuki), +0:41.061; 9. Brian Hsu (GER, Husqvarna), +0:42.595; 10. Conrad Mewse (GBR, Husqvarna), +1:02.800.

MX2 Race 2 Top Ten:

1. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), 35:26.231; 2. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Suzuki), +0:01.763; 3. Benoit Paturel (FRA, Yamaha), +0:02.702; 4. Brian Bogers (NED, KTM), +0:13.398; 5. Julien Lieber (BEL, KTM), +0:20.078; 6. Jorge Prado Garcia (ESP, KTM), +0:23.970; 7. Darian Sanayei (USA, Kawasaki), +0:26.308; 8. Hunter Lawrence (AUS, Suzuki), +0:27.890; 9. Jed Beaton (AUS, Honda), +0:34.264; 10. Thomas Covington (USA, Husqvarna), +0:43.453.

MX2 Overall Top Ten:

1. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), 47 points; 2. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, SUZ), 38 p.; 3. Thomas Covington (USA, HUS), 36 p.; 4. Benoit Paturel (FRA, YAM), 35 p.; 5. Jorge Prado Garcia (ESP, KTM), 35 p.; 6. Brian Bogers (NED, KTM), 32 p.; 7. Hunter Lawrence (AUS, SUZ), 26 p.; 8. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 26 p.; 9. Marshal Weltin (USA, KAW), 20 p.; 10. Conrad Mewse (GBR, HUS), 20 p.

MX2 Championship Top Ten:

1. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), 548 points; 2. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, SUZ), 501 p.; 3. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 403 p.; 4. Benoit Paturel (FRA, YAM), 398 p.; 5. Julien Lieber (BEL, KTM), 374 p.; 6. Thomas Covington (USA, HUS), 339 p.; 7. Brian Bogers (NED, KTM), 273 p.; 8. Jorge Prado Garcia (ESP, KTM), 268 p.; 9. Brent Van doninck (BEL, YAM), 226 p.; 10. Hunter Lawrence (AUS, SUZ), 225 p.