Slovenian defending world champion Tim Gajser won the 11th round of 18 of the Motocross World Championships in Germany at the weekend and kicked Dutchman Jeffery Herlings off the top spot.
Team Honda’s Gajser took back the series lead in MXGP as he made his return to the top step of the podium following a shoulder injury, while Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Maxime Renaux finished the weekend with an overall victory to extend his title lead, as Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Tom Vialle was handed a two-place penalty in race two.
The MXGP of Germany has been missing from the calendar since 2019, when Gajser also won, but it’s hard pack terrain lends itself nicely to Gajser’s smooth, calculating style and this was in evidence once again as he worked himself through the field to record three-one results.
Just over three weeks since an injury jeopardised his season, the reigning world champion fought through the pain at the last event to come into this 11th round of the series, just one point off the lead, at that stage held by KTM star Herlings.
However, Gajser’s 45-point haul at the Teutschenthal track, in Germany, was enough to overturn that small margin and he once again will have a red-plated Honda at the next round in France this coming weekend.
After qualifying in second position, he rounded the first bend of the first moto with a top five start.
This gave him a platform to attack those in front of him, and after five laps he moved into fourth, just as the top three started to break away.
Putting in a couple of hot laps to close the gap, he soon joined the trio ahead and began working out where he could make another pass on a rutted Teutschenthal track that wasn’t providing many places to overtake.
Six laps later though, and he found a way into third place and although he challenged the front two, he couldn’t quite find a way through and had to settle for third.
Another good first few corners in race two saw him cross for the first lap in second position, however he knew that he’d need to win the moto if he wanted to get his fourth overall of the season. Eventually, after pressurising the leader for 11 laps, he swept through and immediately pulled a little gap at the front.
As the chequered flag came out, he was over 12 seconds ahead, sparking scenes of jubilation as all the hard work in the past few weeks had paid off.
The riders now head into a brutal part of the season, with the final seven rounds taking place in less than six weeks, where any mistake can be costly in this tight championship battle.
Up next on Sunday, October 10, is another new MXGP track, in Lacapelle-Marival, southern France, where the expected hard-pack terrain should once again suit Gajser as he looks to cement his lead at the top of the class.
Photo courtesy HRC Honda
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RESULTS AND STANDINGS:
MXGP – Grand Prix Race 1 – Top 10 Classification:
- Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 34:52.361; 2. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), +0:00.143; 3. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:04.228; 4. Romain Febvre (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:08.857; 5. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:26.012; 6. Pauls Jonass (LAT, GASGAS), +0:28.615; 7. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, Yamaha), +0:31.322; 8. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Yamaha), +0:31.952; 9. Brian Bogers (NED, GASGAS), +0:40.044; 10. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Beta), +0:41.042;
MXGP – Grand Prix Race 2 – Top 10 Classification:
- Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), 35:04.460; 2. Romain Febvre (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:12.463; 3. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), +0:36.745; 4. Pauls Jonass (LAT, GASGAS), +0:39.929; 5. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Yamaha), +0:41.333; 6. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, Yamaha), +0:43.254; 7. Brian Bogers (NED, GASGAS), +0:58.055; 8. Ben Watson (GBR, Yamaha), +1:00.972; 9. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Beta), +1:15.013; 10. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +1:19.057.
MXGP – GP Top 10 Classification:
- Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 45 points; 2. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 42 p.; 3. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 40 p.; 4. Pauls Jonass (LAT, GAS), 33 p.; 5. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 29 p.; 6. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, YAM), 29 p.; 7. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 27 p.; 8. Brian Bogers (NED, GAS), 26 p.; 9. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 25 p.; 10. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, BET), 23 p.
MXGP – World Championship Top 10 Classification:
- Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 415 points; 2. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 413 p.; 3. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 407 p.; 4. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 384 p.; 5. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 353 p.; 6. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 309 p.; 7. Pauls Jonass (LAT, GAS), 287 p.; 8. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, YAM), 263 p.; 9. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, KTM), 195 p.; 10. Ben Watson (GBR, YAM), 192 p.
MX2 – Grand Prix Race 1 – Top 10 Classification:
- Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), 34:53.096; 2. Rene Hofer (AUT, KTM), +0:01.482; 3. Maxime Renaux (FRA, Yamaha), +0:02.414; 4. Jed Beaton (AUS, Husqvarna), +0:12.041; 5. Jago Geerts (BEL, Yamaha), +0:17.605; 6. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, GASGAS), +0:19.726; 7. Conrad Mewse (GBR, KTM), +0:26.843; 8. Kay de Wolf (NED, Husqvarna), +0:36.261; 9. Stephen Rubini (FRA, Honda), +0:38.886; 10. Roan Van De Moosdijk (NED, Kawasaki), +0:39.965.
MX2 – Grand Prix Race 2 – Top 10 Classification:
- Maxime Renaux (FRA, Yamaha), 35:17.306; 2. Jago Geerts (BEL, Yamaha), +0:16.443; 3. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), +-1:55.000; 4. Rene Hofer (AUT, KTM), +0:21.549; 5. Jed Beaton (AUS, Husqvarna), +0:24.095; 6. Kay de Wolf (NED, Husqvarna), +0:36.714; 7. Wilson Todd (AUS, Kawasaki), +0:39.311; 8. Mikkel Haarup (DEN, Kawasaki), +0:40.802; 9. Thibault Benistant (FRA, Yamaha), +0:47.857; 10. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, KTM), +0:56.404.
MX2 – GP Top 10 Classification:
- Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 45 points; 2. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), 45 p.; 3. Rene Hofer (AUT, KTM), 40 p.; 4. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 38 p.; 5. Jed Beaton (AUS, HUS), 34 p.; 6. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 28 p.; 7. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, GAS), 25 p.; 8. Conrad Mewse (GBR, KTM), 23 p.; 9. Mikkel Haarup (DEN, KAW), 22 p.; 10. Stephen Rubini (FRA, HON), 20 p.
MX2 – World Championship Top 10 Classification:
- Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 448 points; 2. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 363 p.; 3. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, KTM), 351 p.; 4. Jed Beaton (AUS, HUS), 324 p.; 5. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), 322 p.; 6. Thibault Benistant (FRA, YAM), 307 p.; 7. Rene Hofer (AUT, KTM), 303 p.; 8. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 301 p.; 9. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, HON), 251 p.; 10. Mathys Boisrame (FRA, KAW), 223 p.
Photo courtesy HRC Honda
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