Bikesportnz

The MXGP of Czech Republic made a welcome comeback to the FIM Motocross World Championship calendar, as Red Bull KTM Factory Racing dominated the top step in both main classes.

Spain’s Jorge Prado (pictured here) and Italy’s Mattia Guadagnini topped the MXGP and MX2 standings respectively at this round five of the world series at the weekend.

In the opening MXGP race of the day, it was Prado who took his fourth holeshot of the season and led the race ahead of Team HRC’s Tim Gajser, Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Ben Watson and Glenn Coldenhoff, who were ahead of Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s Romain Febvre.

Meanwhile, Ivo Monticelli from Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team had a shocker of a start, as he hit the start gate and took a while to get going.

Throughout the race, Prado and Gajser kept things closed and remained within one a half seconds of one another, while Watson was having a great ride in third ahead of his team-mates.

As the race progressed though, Watson was coming under immense pressure from the guys behind him, as he lost on positions to Coldenhoff, Febvre, Jeremy Seewer and Antonio Cairoli of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing who passed the Brit on lap nine.

Watson then lost another position to Standing Construct GasGas Factory Racing’s Pauls Jonass who was fighting his way well inside the top ten, though a couple of laps later, the Latvian had a bike problem which forced him to DNF the race.

With a couple of laps to go, Gajser was starting to push more to take the win from Prado, though it was not enough as the Spaniard secured the race win ahead of the Honda rider, with Febvre finishing third ahead of Coldenhoff and Seewer.

As the gate dropped for race two, it was once again Prado who led the way with another Fox Holeshot under his belt. Though his team-mate, Cairoli wasted no time to take away the lead and get himself in front.

The two factory KTM’s were followed by Seewer, Coldenhoff and Gajser, as Monticelli had a much better start in the race and was running in sixth place.

Gajser then muscled past Coldenhoff for fourth position and then started to apply the pressure onto Seewer who managed to catch onto the back of Prado.

Three laps later after getting into fourth place, Gajser crashed out and had to head into pit-lane to fix the clutch lever that was jammed in his hand guard. The Slovenian re-joined the race way down the order in around 30th and had a long way to go to get back up to 15th where he finished the race.

Seewer then took second from Prado as Cairoli continued to lead, all while

KTM rider Shaun Simpson was having a mega ride in sixth position.

Gebben Van Venrooy Yamaha Racing’s Calvin Vlaanderen was searching for a way around Simpson, though made a small mistake which sent him over the bars with just a few laps left to go. He didn’t finish the race.

Febvre was looking good as he got Alessandro Lupino of MRT Racing Team KTM for eighth and set his sights on higher positions, though not long after crashed out and finished the race in 10th.

In the end, it was Cairoli who secured his third race win of the season, with Seewer second, Prado third with Coldenhoff and Monticelli rounding out the top five.

In terms of the podium, it was Prado who won the overall Grand Prix, with Cairoli second on the box, continuing his podium streak, with Seewer getting his first podium finish of the season.

While Gajser lost valuable points today, he still leads the championship by 11 points ahead of Cairoli and Prado, as the pair move up the rankings.

“I gave everything I had,” said Prado. “So, it was a great weekend. You know I am getting every weekend better and better. This second race was very rough for me, just physically was tough.

“You know just to hold on to the bike was difficult, so I just did my best, tried to ride it smoothly and not make any mistakes, which was very difficult on a track like this. But you know, first win of the season, first race win of the season as well. I can’t ask for more.

“It was not the start of the season that I expected, I expected to be better, I had small things that I needed to put together but it’s nothing too crazy and we are working on it, so I think we’re heading in the right direction as you can see this weekend, next one is Lommel, good memories, so let’s go forward.”

Cairoli was also satisfied with his weekend.

“Overall, I am happy about everything, because my goal is to finish on the podium every weekend. I messed up in Russia, this is something I still regret a little bit. I struggled a lot with the track as always in Loket.

“The start is so important and in the first race I was eighth or ninth in the start, then I tried to make some passes and it was difficult as Jeremy and Glenn were also really fast.

“I finished sixth which is, for sure, not what I want, but it’s racing and this year I’m feeling really good and I’m enjoying the racing, looking forward to the next one, looking to keep consistent on the podium.

“I don’t look at the championship, it’s not my thing at the moment, I just want to take it race by race, and enjoy the training as I changed my schedule a little, in the past I used to ride a lot, now I ride one time a week and race, it’s working well and I’m enjoying it.

“Of course, Lommel is tough, we will struggle physically but I really enjoy it when it’s rough.”

Photo courtesy KTM Europe

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RESULTS & STANDINGS:

MXGP – Grand Prix Race 1 – Top 10 Classification:

1. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 35:10.919; 2. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:00.529; 3. Romain Febvre (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:21.968; 4. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, Yamaha), +0:23.975; 5. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Yamaha), +0:25.449; 6. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:36.914; 7. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Beta), +0:41.288; 8. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, KTM), +0:42.728; 9. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, Yamaha), +0:42.842; 10. Henry Jacobi (GER, Honda), +0:51.359.

 

MXGP – Grand Prix Race 2 – Top 10 Classification:

1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 33:52.869; 2. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Yamaha), +0:04.369; 3. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), +0:07.715; 4. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, Yamaha), +0:10.589; 5. Ivo Monticelli (ITA, Kawasaki), +0:23.625; 6. Pauls Jonass (LAT, GASGAS), +0:26.110; 7. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), +0:28.763; 8. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, KTM), +0:30.342; 9. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Beta), +0:35.811; 10. Romain Febvre (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:42.162.

 

MXGP – GP Top 10 Classification:

1. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 45 points; 2. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 40 p.; 3. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 38 p.; 4. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, YAM), 36 p.; 5. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 31 p.; 6. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 28 p.; 7. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, KTM), 26 p.; 8. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, BET), 26 p.; 9. Ivo Monticelli (ITA, KAW), 23 p.; 10. Ben Watson (GBR, YAM), 19 p.

 

MXGP – World Championship Top 10 Classification:

1. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 194 points; 2. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 183 p.; 3. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 177 p.; 4. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 174 p.; 5. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 151 p.; 6. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 143 p.; 7. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, YAM), 140 p.; 8. Pauls Jonass (LAT, GAS), 119 p.; 9. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, KTM), 109 p.; 10. Ben Watson (GBR, YAM), 90 p.

 

MX2 – Grand Prix Race 1 – Top 10 Classification:

1. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, KTM), 33:59.915; 2. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), +0:02.658; 3. Jed Beaton (AUS, Husqvarna), +0:04.761; 4. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, Honda), +0:06.004; 5. Maxime Renaux (FRA, Yamaha), +0:07.003; 6. Kay de Wolf (NED, Husqvarna), +0:10.874; 7. Wilson Todd (AUS, Kawasaki), +0:16.754; 8. Roan Van De Moosdijk (NED, Kawasaki), +0:18.361; 9. Thibault Benistant (FRA, Yamaha), +0:19.869; 10. Rene Hofer (AUT, KTM), +0:23.062.

 

MX2 – Grand Prix Race 2 – Top 10 Classification:

1. Thibault Benistant (FRA, Yamaha), 34:24.942; 2. Maxime Renaux (FRA, Yamaha), +0:05.680; 3. Jago Geerts (BEL, Yamaha), +0:06.643; 4. Rene Hofer (AUT, KTM), +0:17.657; 5. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, KTM), +0:23.405; 6. Mathys Boisrame (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:30.773; 7. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, Honda), +0:32.142; 8. Jed Beaton (AUS, Husqvarna), +0:38.924; 9. Kay de Wolf (NED, Husqvarna), +0:46.604; 10. Conrad Mewse (GBR, KTM), +0:48.677.

 

MX2 – GP Top 10 Classification:

1. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, KTM), 41 points; 2. Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 38 p.; 3. Thibault Benistant (FRA, YAM), 37 p.; 4. Jed Beaton (AUS, HUS), 33 p.; 5. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, HON), 32 p.; 6. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 29 p.; 7. Rene Hofer (AUT, KTM), 29 p.; 8. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 27 p.; 9. Mathys Boisrame (FRA, KAW), 25 p.; 10. Wilson Todd (AUS, KAW), 24 p.

 

MX2 – World Championship Top 10 Classification:

1. Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 179 points; 2. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, KTM), 177 p.; 3. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, HON), 165 p.; 4. Mathys Boisrame (FRA, KAW), 149 p.; 5. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 146 p.; 6. Jed Beaton (AUS, HUS), 142 p.; 7. Thibault Benistant (FRA, YAM), 140 p.; 8. Rene Hofer (AUT, KTM), 137 p.; 9. Roan Van De Moosdijk (NED, KAW), 132 p.; 10. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 114 p.