A classic old school versus new school battle bought the hills of Loket to life this weekend for the 13th round of the FIM Motocross World Championship, the MXGP of Czech Republic.

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Max Nagl finally found that edge he’s been so desperately looking for and used it to defeat the rookie sensation, Honda Gariboldi’s Tim Gajser, in both races for his first grand prix victory of the year.

Meanwhile in MX2, Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s Dylan Ferrandis hit a career milestone with his first ever double moto victory.

Max Nagl, welcome back to the party. Nagl’s performance was nothing short of breath taking.

It was truly special to witness him ride with so much hunger and intensity, and for it to pay forward with a double moto victory and his first grand prix win of the year. Also as a result, the German star has leap-frogged Romain Febvre in the championship standings and is now third, 16 points shy of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Antonio Cairoli in second.

Gajser must have been the author of the quote, “if you don’t live life on the edge, you’re taking up too much room.”

He is just unbelievable. Even with a 92-point lead in the championship he still continues to push the envelope, which was his undoing at the end of the day with a small spill costing him the win in race two which would have landed him on the top step of the podium for the eighth time this year. Take nothing away from the rookie though, he still managed to extend his championship lead and has maintained his perfect podium streak, 13 from 13.

When it comes to challenging and technical hard-pack tracks, very few riders get around them better than the defending champ, Febvre. Starts were Febvre’s downfall at Loket

He may need to sharpen his holeshot game if he wants top the box again this season, but then again in his defence, he has just recovered from a concussion, so it could be down to that. What is most important is that he is still running the pace, which is something he can be extremely proud of.

Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s Clement Desalle tied on 34 points with Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jeremy Van Horebeek. Don’t underestimate the speed of the Belgians, they’re still running a fierce pace, it’s just finding those extra few milliseconds that will make the difference in their overall results.

You never know how a rider will transition to the bigger machine. For the likes of Febvre and Gajser, it was a piece of cake, whereas for the former MX2 World Champion, Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s Jordi Tixier, it’s not been as smooth. Nevertheless, the Team Green rookie is plugging away and has progressed at every round. This weekend the Frenchman nailed his best MXGP result yet, sixth overall.

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MXGP results and standings:

MXGP Race 1 Top Ten:

1. Maximilian Nagl (GER, Husqvarna), 33:51.727; 2. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:04.803; 3. Romain Febvre (FRA, Yamaha), +0:15.311; 4. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Yamaha), +0:17.471; 5. Clement Desalle (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:28.074; 6. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), +0:30.841; 7. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:31.398; 8. Jordi Tixier (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:35.081; 9. Tommy Searle (GBR, Kawasaki), +0:55.807; 10. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Honda), +0:57.863

MXGP Race 2 Top Ten:

1. Maximilian Nagl (GER, Husqvarna), 34:33.696; 2. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:02.770; 3. Romain Febvre (FRA, Yamaha), +0:15.354; 4. Clement Desalle (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:21.748; 5. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Yamaha), +0:29.557; 6. Jordi Tixier (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:35.818; 7. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), +0:38.013; 8. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:49.530; 9. Tommy Searle (GBR, Kawasaki), +0:55.739; 10. Valentin Guillod (SUI, Yamaha), +0:59.716

MXGP Overall Top Ten:

1. Maximilian Nagl (GER, HUS), 50 points; 2. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 44 p.; 3. Romain Febvre (FRA, YAM), 40 p.; 4. Clement Desalle (BEL, KAW), 34 p.; 5. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, YAM), 34 p.; 6. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KAW), 28 p.; 7. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 27 p.; 8. Tommy Searle (GBR, KAW), 24 p.; 9. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, HON), 23 p.; 10. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, SUZ), 20 p.

MXGP Championship Top Ten:

1. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 576 points; 2. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 467 p.; 3. Maximilian Nagl (GER, HUS), 451 p.; 4. Romain Febvre (FRA, YAM), 448 p.; 5. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, HON), 419 p.; 6. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, YAM), 385 p.; 7. Valentin Guillod (SUI, YAM), 286 p.; 8. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 248 p.; 9. Clement Desalle (BEL, KAW), 244 p.; 10. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), 225 p.

MX2 CLASS

With Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s main star Jeffrey Herlings opting to sit this weekend out after he broke his collar-bone at a local race three weeks ago, it was up to his Red Bull KTM team-mate Paul Jonass to step up to the plate and fly the flag high for the orange army. The young Latvian got off to a blistering start this weekend with an emphatic win in the qualifying race on Saturday which gave him the first pick at the gate in the main events today.

Jonass chose the inside gate in race one and used that advantage to claim his fifth holeshot of the season. He led the opening lap with Ferrandis hot on his tail before it all came undone when he cased the step-down and crashed spectacularly. Jonass has proven he’s some kind of superman because, amazingly, he is OK.

As the only rider that has beaten Herlings this year Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s Dylan Ferrandis was easily the favourite to win the grand prix this weekend.

In fact, even if Herlings was here, he still would have had a decent amount of fans picking him for the win based on his hard-pack skill. Ferrandis rode silky smooth for the win in race one but had to work a little harder in race two with a fired up Max Anstie breathing down his neck. Despite the intense challenge, Ferrandis managed to stay cool and rode it home for his first ever double moto victory.

Team Suzuki World MX2’s Jeremy Seewer did what he needed to do. He kept it on two wheels and didn’t do anything silly which landed him on the second step of the podium.

“I’m disappointed with my day, Max and Dylan had a little bit more than me today, so that was disappointing but I am looking forward to the sand next weekend.” He said.

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Anstie finally came out of his shell this weekend and managed to string together two solid results for his second podium appearance this season. If it wasn’t in Anstie’s pedigree to crash, he could have topped the podium today; after all he did set the fastest lap time in the final race before crashing on the penultimate lap when he caught his handlebar on Ferrandis while trying to pass. “I had to try,” Anstie said, “it’s just the way it goes but I am really happy with the weekend, it was a really good race, it’s good to put in a solid result.”

Kemea Yamaha MX Official Team’s Benoit Paturel didn’t get off to the best of starts but is one of the most promising young talents on the line and managed to carve his way through the field in both races to go 4 – 5 for fourth overall while Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s Petar Petrov rounded out the top five.

MX2 results and standings:

MX2 Race 1 Top Ten:

1. Dylan Ferrandis (FRA, Kawasaki), 34:36.392; 2. Max Anstie (GBR, Husqvarna), +0:03.834; 3. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Suzuki), +0:13.228; 4. Benoit Paturel (FRA, Yamaha), +0:26.934; 5. Brian Bogers (NED, KTM), +0:30.045; 6. Petar Petrov (BUL, Kawasaki), +0:31.779; 7. Adam Sterry (GBR, KTM), +0:35.178; 8. Davy Pootjes (NED, KTM), +0:42.328; 9. Conrad Mewse (GBR, Husqvarna), +0:50.567; 10. Samuele Bernardini (ITA, TM), +0:53.306.

MX2 Race 2 Top Ten:

1. Dylan Ferrandis (FRA, Kawasaki), 35:02.295; 2. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Suzuki), +0:04.477; 3. Max Anstie (GBR, Husqvarna), +0:20.509; 4. Thomas Covington (USA, Husqvarna), +0:21.619; 5. Benoit Paturel (FRA, Yamaha), +0:22.607; 6. Samuele Bernardini (ITA, TM), +0:43.943; 7. Petar Petrov (BUL, Kawasaki), +0:47.368; 8. Brian Bogers (NED, KTM), +0:47.844; 9. Conrad Mewse (GBR, Husqvarna), +1:11.432; 10. Ivo Monticelli (ITA, KTM), +1:16.457.

MX2 Overall Top Ten:

1. Dylan Ferrandis (FRA, KAW), 50 points; 2. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, SUZ), 42 p.; 3. Max Anstie (GBR, HUS), 42 p.; 4. Benoit Paturel (FRA, YAM), 34 p.; 5. Petar Petrov (BUL, KAW), 29 p.; 6. Brian Bogers (NED, KTM), 29 p.; 7. Samuele Bernardini (ITA, TM), 26 p.; 8. Thomas Covington (USA, HUS), 24 p.; 9. Conrad Mewse (GBR, HUS), 24 p.; 10. Adam Sterry (GBR, KTM), 18 p.

MX2 Championship Top Ten:

1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 597 points; 2. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, SUZ), 470 p.; 3. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), 403 p.; 4. Benoit Paturel (FRA, YAM), 359 p.; 5. Dylan Ferrandis (FRA, KAW), 358 p.; 6. Aleksandr Tonkov (RUS, YAM), 320 p.; 7. Max Anstie (GBR, HUS), 316 p.; 8. Petar Petrov (BUL, KAW), 282 p.; 9. Samuele Bernardini (ITA, TM), 279 p.; 10. Brian Bogers (NED, KTM), 246 p.