The MXGP of Latvia in Kegums will be forever etched into the minds of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings and Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Thomas Kjer Olsen as each recorded their first career overall wins in their respective classes.

Meanwhile Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Antonio Cairoli and local hero Pauls Jonass will go to the MXGP of Germany in two weeks’ time holding the leaders’ red number board.

Dutch rider Herlings had a weekend of first, first in Saturday’s qualifying race, first in race one, and first in race two, which when combined gave him his first career overall victory in the premier MXGP class.

Herlings literally could not have had better results, from the fastest in each practice to the last chequered flag he dominated. In the press conference, Herlings said: “This is the cherry on the cake, I’m very happy being up here! I felt good all weekend and I’m always fast on this track, we’ve won here a couple times now.”

Cairoli will leave Latvia with new addition to his KTM, the red plate. Cairoli’s consistent ability to charge toward the front, after not the best of starts, is proving crucial in the competitive MXGP championship. While Cairoli may not have had the weekend he was looking for second overall and the points lead is nothing but impressive.

In the press conference, Cairoli said: “I’m ok, I’m not satisfied with my result … but it is good for the championship. I would fight for the win every weekend but I am happy with the weekend as a whole.”

Team HRC’s Evgeny Bobryshev returned to the podium this weekend with a 3-4 for 3rd overall in front of several Russian fans who made the trip. Bobryshev has been looking like he has podium speed lately but he has faded in the later stages of racing. He explained in the press conference, “In Valkenswaard I had some health problems and the week before Kegums I was recovering. Overall the result is good, I’m just looking forward to getting my health and physical fitness back.” Bobryshev now looks to the future and continuing to improve during the week off.

Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s Clement Desalle had a spectacular race one where he grabbed the holeshot and he lost out only to the unstoppable Herlings. Desalle was also passed by Bobryshev in race one but the Belgian showed some fight and returned the favour only one lap later. In race two he finished 5th for 4th overall.

Last GP’s winner, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Gautier Paulin put together a top five finish after placing 7th in both races. Paulin did fall in race 2 but will most likely be disappointed with the result of the weekend.

Team HRC’s Tim Gajser came into the weekend with the points lead and battled from the back of the pack in Race 1 going from 36th up to 14th. In race two Gajser was running second before a mistake took him out of the race. The 14th and DNF has taken Gajser out the points lead he has worked so hard to achieve. Gajser was evaluated by medical staff onsite, he is reportedly unscathed and in good spirits.

Suzuki World MXGP’s Arminas Jasikonis has been impressive lately and is noticeably improving. The Lithuanian rider took his first holeshot in MXGP race two on Sunday, then he led the first four laps. Jasikonis finished a strong third in race two and finished 10th overall.

The next round of the FIM Motocross World Championship will be held in Teutschenthal, Germany, on May 21.

Photo courtesy Ray Archer

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Video here below shows race one of the 250 EMX class, featuring a win by Kiwi hero Josiah Natzke.

RESULTS AND STANDINGS:

MXGP Race 1 Top Ten:

1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 34:09.136; 2. Clement Desalle (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:13.921; 3. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), +0:16.063; 4. Shaun Simpson (GBR, Yamaha), +0:16.389; 5. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:35.413; 6. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Yamaha), +0:40.139; 7. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Husqvarna), +0:44.288; 8. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, Yamaha), +0:45.039; 9. Max Anstie (GBR, Husqvarna), +0:51.342; 10. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), +0:54.345.

MXGP Race 2 Top Ten:

1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 34:23.826; 2. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:17.846; 3. Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, Suzuki), +0:23.847; 4. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), +0:35.475; 5. Clement Desalle (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:43.502; 6. Max Anstie (GBR, Husqvarna), +0:47.908; 7. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Husqvarna), +0:49.886; 8. Maximilian Nagl (GER, Husqvarna), +0:53.082; 9. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), +0:55.160; 10. Romain Febvre (FRA, Yamaha), +0:59.601.

MXGP Overall Top Ten:

1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 50 points; 2. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 38 p.; 3. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, HON), 38 p.; 4. Clement Desalle (BEL, KAW), 38 p.; 5. Gautier Paulin (FRA, HUS), 28 p.; 6. Max Anstie (GBR, HUS), 27 p.; 7. Maximilian Nagl (GER, HUS), 23 p.; 8. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 23 p.; 9. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, YAM), 22 p.; 10. Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, SUZ), 20 p.

MXGP Championship Top Ten:

1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 258 points; 2. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 241 p.; 3. Gautier Paulin (FRA, HUS), 220 p.; 4. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, HON), 214 p.; 5. Clement Desalle (BEL, KAW), 210 p.; 6. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, YAM), 204 p.; 7. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 174 p.; 8. Romain Febvre (FRA, YAM), 147 p.; 9. Maximilian Nagl (GER, HUS), 139 p.; 10. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, YAM), 133 p.

MX2 Race 1 Top Ten:

1. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, Husqvarna), 34:37.013; 2. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Suzuki), +0:02.597; 3. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), +0:03.143; 4. Jorge Prado Garcia (ESP, KTM), +0:20.618; 5. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, KTM), +0:23.215; 6. Thomas Covington (USA, Husqvarna), +0:30.975; 7. Darian Sanayei (USA, Kawasaki), +0:35.161; 8. Julien Lieber (BEL, KTM), +0:39.912; 9. Conrad Mewse (GBR, Husqvarna), +0:47.757; 10. Hunter Lawrence (AUS, Suzuki), +0:59.888.

MX2 Race 2 Top Ten:

1. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), 35:08.557; 2. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, Husqvarna), +0:02.693; 3. Conrad Mewse (GBR, Husqvarna), +0:08.528; 4. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, KTM), +0:13.497; 5. Jorge Prado Garcia (ESP, KTM), +0:18.349; 6. Benoit Paturel (FRA, Yamaha), +0:21.218; 7. Darian Sanayei (USA, Kawasaki), +0:32.438; 8. Julien Lieber (BEL, KTM), +0:36.046; 9. Brian Bogers (NED, KTM), +0:39.299; 10. Alvin Östlund (SWE, Yamaha), +0:41.850.

MX2 Overall Top Ten:

1. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 47 points; 2. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), 45 p.; 3. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, KTM), 34 p.; 4. Jorge Prado Garcia (ESP, KTM), 34 p.; 5. Conrad Mewse (GBR, HUS), 32 p.; 6. Darian Sanayei (USA, KAW), 28 p.; 7. Julien Lieber (BEL, KTM), 26 p.; 8. Benoit Paturel (FRA, YAM), 25 p.; 9. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, SUZ), 22 p.; 10. Alvin Östlund (SWE, YAM), 19 p.

MX2 Championship Top Ten:

1. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), 287 points; 2. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, SUZ), 245 p.; 3. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 235 p.; 4. Julien Lieber (BEL, KTM), 223 p.; 5. Benoit Paturel (FRA, YAM), 198 p.; 6. Brent Van doninck (BEL, YAM), 166 p.; 7. Jorge Prado Garcia (ESP, KTM), 155 p.; 8. Thomas Covington (USA, HUS), 152 p.; 9. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, KTM), 133 p.; 10. Vsevolod Brylyakov (RUS, KAW), 123 p.