The MXGP of Latvia, the ninth round of 18 in the motocross world championships, proved a tough experience for the MXGP and MX2 championship riders.
It was Team HRC’s Tim Gajser and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado who walked away from the white sand of Kegums in Latvia with the Grand Prix, winning the weekend in the MXGP and MX2 classes respectively.
The two red plate owners continue to build their GP win list, Gajser scoring his 20th and Prado his 24th GP victory. They also extended their lead in the MXGP and MX2 championship points race.
Second overall in MXGP was Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP’s Romain Febvre and third Monster Energy Wilvo Yamaha Official MXGP’s Arnaud Tonus. In MX2, second overall was Monster Energy Kemea Yamaha Official MX2’s Jago Geerts and third Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Thomas Kjer Olsen.
Amazingly, the winner of the MXGP qualification race on Saturday, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings crashed in the warm-up lap and his injured foot was run over by Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory’s Arminas Jasikonis, causing the Dutchman a lot of pain prior and during the opening MXGP race. It was later learnt that Herlings had broken his ankle, that injury obviously saw him pull out of the second MXGP race.
Herlings took the holeshot in the opening MXGP race but got past straight away from Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Antonio Cairoli. The pair of Red Bull KTM riders were followed by Tonus, Febvre and Gajser who got past by Febvre at lap two.
Tonus moves past both Herlings and Cairoli and Herlings then also went past Cairoli for second and was looking stronger as the race moved into the second half.
Tonus had extended his lead to more than three seconds over Herlings, but then Herlings started closing ground on Tonus for the lead and it was clear the Dutchman wanted to take the win. Cairoli had also pushed harder to get away from Febvre.
It was a brilliant battle the one Tonus and Herlings put on a show for the Latvian crowd, then he swept up the inside of Tonus and then around the outside for the race lead. Herlings won race one from Tonus and Cairoli.
As the gate dropped at the second MXGP Race Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP’s Jeremy Seewer led the second MXGP race from Tonus and Gajser, but then the race lost yet another rider with Cairoli crashing out hard and injured his shoulder, he could not continue the race, luckily no major issues are reported.
Seewer continued to lead with Tonus and Gajser battling for second just behind and close enough to the leader, the three of them think about the race win. Gajser managed to move into second place and started to push Seewer and look for a way into the lead. It seemed just a matter of time before the HRC rider would take the lead and on lap 12 he did just that. Seewer, however, was not about to hand the race win to the red plate owner.
Febvre moved past Tonus and the chance for a GP victory for the time being was gone for the Swiss rider. Gajser, Seewer and Febvre were all close together in the final lap of the race, Febvre blasted past Seewer for second, but it was Gajser who won the race and the overall followed by Febvre and Tonus, all of them with 40 points
Local hero Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Pauls Jonass experienced a though Latvian GP as did his team-mate Arminas Jasikonis. Jonass fell down in race 1 dropping to 28th but managing to finish 17th while Jasikonis was forced to finish the race earlier due to a technical issue.
“I am so happy about today,” said Gajser.
“First race I was struggling, but the second one I found a good rhythm and I had a good battle with Jeremy. I am so happy for the team.
“Yesterday I had good speed but at the qualification race I had a big crash and I was a little sore today with some pain in my neck, but I got enough for sixth in the first race. Second race I tried to ride my race and I didn’t know I had won the overall. This is everything we work for and I am happy for the team.”
MX2 CLASS
In the opening MX2 race of the day it was pole setter Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado who led from Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Thomas Kjer Olsen and Monster Energy Kemea Yamaha Official MX2’s Ben Watson.
Monster Energy Kemea Yamaha Official MX2’s Jago Geerts who was looking for a way to past his team-mate did it for third place and after five laps the lead was three seconds between Prado and Olsen, and
Prado held a four second lead on lap seven, and Honda 114 Motorsports’ Mitch Evans moved past Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Jed Beaton for ninth spot on the same lap. Soon after Hitachi KTM fuelled by Milwaukee’s Bas Vaessen also went past Beaton, but Beaton wasn’t about to give up and passed the Dutchman back. Eventually Vaessen did pass for 10th.
Geerts was all over Olsen on lap 12 and looked for a way into second place, but Prado was long gone, nearly eight seconds ahead of the two fighting for second.
On the 17th lap Prado was five seconds ahead of Geerts, who had passed Olsen, then Watson and Maxime Renaux filled out the top five. While Vaessen made charge when he passed Evans, Tom Vialle and Michele Cervellin to move into sixth position Prado won his 14th MX2 heat in 2019.
Prado crossed the white line of race two for first taking the second holeshot of the day with Olsen and Vialle in second and third. Well back in the pack were Evans in 19th place, F&H Kawasaki’s Henry Jacobi 26th and BIKE IT Yamaha rider Darian Sanayei in 28th.
Great riding by Mitchell Harrison from BUD Racing Kawasaki as he moved into 12th place, but not so good from Evans as he crashed and dropped out of the top 20. After five laps Prado held a five second lead from Olsen, with Vialle third.
A massive lead after 11 laps and Prado was as smooth as silk in first place, while Olsen fought hard to keep Geerts off his back wheel, the Belgian looking quicker.
Geerts passed Olsen with two laps to go and Vaessen again moved up to seventh place. Prado eventually won from Geerts and Olsen.
“It is my first time to win here, I was fourth two times here,” said Prado.
“I won the qualification race and two races today, so that makes me happy. Another great weekend going 1-1 and making the gap bigger in the points. I felt comfortable and I want to thank the team, my family and my girlfriend. It is making me stay in the top level like I am doing now.”
Photo by Ray Archer
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RESULTS AND STANDINGS:
MXGP Race 1 Top Ten:
- Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 34:02.925; 2. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, Yamaha), +0:01.599; 3. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:12.059; 4. Romain Febvre (FRA, Yamaha), +0:14.205; 5. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Yamaha), +0:15.980; 6. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:17.943; 7. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Honda), +0:24.661; 8. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Yamaha), +0:26.842; 9. Max Anstie (GBR, KTM), +0:27.942; 10. Ivo Monticelli (ITA, KTM), +0:34.864.
MXGP Race 2 Top Ten:
- Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), 35:56.037; 2. Romain Febvre (FRA, Yamaha), +0:02.189; 3. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Yamaha), +0:02.738; 4. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, Yamaha), +0:15.871; 5. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Honda), +0:22.078; 6. Pauls Jonass (LAT, Husqvarna), +0:26.723; 7. Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, Husqvarna), +0:30.127; 8. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), +0:32.947; 9. Julien Lieber (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:39.120; 10. Ivo Monticelli (ITA, KTM), +0:46.611.
MXGP Overall Classification Top 10:
- Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 40 points; 2. Romain Febvre (FRA, YAM), 40 p.; 3. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, YAM), 40 p.; 4. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 36 p.; 5. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, HON), 30 p.; 6. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 25 p.; 7. Gautier Paulin (FRA, YAM), 23 p.; 8. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 22 p.; 9. Ivo Monticelli (ITA, KTM), 22 p.; 10. Max Anstie (GBR, KTM), 20 p.
MXGP – World Championship Classification Top 10:
- Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 391 points; 2. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 358 p.; 3. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 256 p.; 4. Gautier Paulin (FRA, YAM), 254 p.; 5. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, YAM), 246 p.; 6. Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, HUS), 226 p.; 7. Clement Desalle (BEL, KAW), 208 p.; 8. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, HON), 200 p.; 9. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 190 p.; 10. Pauls Jonass (LAT, HUS), 186 p.
MX2 Race 1 Top Ten:
- Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 34:06.293; 2. Jago Geerts (BEL, Yamaha), +0:04.953; 3. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, Husqvarna), +0:09.229; 4. Ben Watson (GBR, Yamaha), +0:28.798; 5. Maxime Renaux (FRA, Yamaha), +1:01.552; 6. Bas Vaessen (NED, KTM), +1:02.074; 7. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), +1:05.903; 8. Michele Cervellin (ITA, Yamaha), +1:09.602; 9. Mitchell Evans (AUS, Honda), +1:11.443; 10. Jed Beaton (AUS, Husqvarna), +1:12.339;
MX2 Race 2 Top Ten:
- Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 35:45.289; 2. Jago Geerts (BEL, Yamaha), +0:16.407; 3. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, Husqvarna), +0:17.948; 4. Ben Watson (GBR, Yamaha), +0:34.377; 5. Adam Sterry (GBR, Kawasaki), +0:51.633; 6. Henry Jacobi (GER, Kawasaki), +0:55.760; 7. Bas Vaessen (NED, KTM), +1:00.908; 8. Maxime Renaux (FRA, Yamaha), +1:03.748; 9. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), +1:04.762; 10. Michele Cervellin (ITA, Yamaha), +1:06.145;
MX2 Overall Top Ten:
- Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 50 points; 2. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 44 p.; 3. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 40 p.; 4. Ben Watson (GBR, YAM), 36 p.; 5. Bas Vaessen (NED, KTM), 29 p.; 6. Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 29 p.; 7. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), 26 p.; 8. Michele Cervellin (ITA, YAM), 24 p.; 9. Adam Sterry (GBR, KAW), 22 p.; 10. Jed Beaton (AUS, HUS), 19 p.;
MX2 Championship Top Ten:
- Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 397 points; 2. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 367 p.; 3. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 301 p.; 4. Henry Jacobi (GER, KAW), 251 p.; 5. Ben Watson (GBR, YAM), 246 p.; 6. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), 242 p.; 7. Mitchell Evans (AUS, HON), 226 p.; 8. Adam Sterry (GBR, KAW), 191 p.; 9. Davy Pootjes (NED, HUS), 157 p.; 10. Michele Cervellin (ITA, YAM), 156 p.;