It was a complicated day for Kiwi hero Dylan Walsh at round 12 of the Motocross World Championships in Spain at the weekend.
The JM Honda Racing Team’s lead rider from New Zealand had a tough day in Arroyomolinos and he failed to finish in both motos.
The MXGP fraternity was entering unchartered territory at the brand new Intu Xanadu race track, as no one had ever raced the rutted hard pack clay track before, but Spanish KTM rider Jorge Prado seemed to have no problems coping and he won both MXGP races to win the GP overall.
Slovenian Tim Gajser (Honda) strengthened his grip on the championship lead with 3-2 results in Spain, finishing the weekend second overall.
With limited track time before both motos, the riders had an entirely new kind of challenge on their hand and Walsh eventually qualified in 18th position.
We’ve become used to Walsh getting strong starts on his JM Honda Racing CRF450R and the talented rider from Canterbury once again got out of the gate impressively.
Third going into the second corner, Walsh circulated inside the top-10 for the first 10 minutes. Unfortunately the 2019 British MX2 champ hit a rock in one of the ruts, which damaged his rear sprocket and caused the chain to come undone.
Race two started promising again for Walsh. From just outside the top-10, he pushed on to eighth but crashed out of the race in the wave section.
Walsh remains 22nd overall in the world series standings, despite not having joined the team and therefore not having contested the first four rounds of the championships earlier this year.
JM Honda Racing will race at home for the next three rounds as the FIM Motocross World Championship heads to Lommel, Belgium.
“Not so much to say after today I’m afraid!” said Walsh afterwards.
“Although I have to say I enjoyed racing on that track. Moto one was going quite well until I had this issue with my chain. Early on in the second moto I was just behind (Belgian Kawasaki star) Clement Desalle, gunning for 7th when the drama happened … It was not how I wanted to end my day here, but luckily nothing too serious either.”
Photo courtesy JM Honda Racing Team
Words by Tom Jacobs
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RESULTS AND STANDINGS:
MXGP Race 1:
- Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 34:13.277; 2. Romain Febvre (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:07.125; 3. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:09.513; 4. Clement Desalle (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:16.409; 5. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, GASGAS), +0:17.950; 6. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Yamaha), +0:31.813; 7. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:37.419; 8. Brian Bogers (NED, KTM), +0:41.385; 9. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Honda), +0:49.693; 10. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Yamaha), +0:54.604; 11. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KTM), +1:02.054; 12. Valentin Guillod (SUI, Honda), +1:08.880; 13. Ivo Monticelli (ITA, GASGAS), +1:12.314; 14. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, Yamaha), +1:14.588; 15. Henry Jacobi (GER, Yamaha), +1:24.840; 16. Jose Butron (ESP, KTM), +1:26.025; 17. Petar Petrov (BUL, KTM), +1:27.955; 18. Adam Sterry (GBR, KTM), +1:36.785; 19. Ander Valentin (ESP, Husqvarna), +1:42.226; 20. Artem Guryev (RUS, Honda), -1 lap(s); 21. Dylan Walsh (NZ, Honda), -5 lap(s); 22. Mitchell Evans (AUS, Honda), -14 lap(s);
MXGP Race 2:
- Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 34:32.685; 2. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:04.455; 3. Romain Febvre (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:17.405; 4. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, GASGAS), +0:21.940; 5. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Yamaha), +0:27.027; 6. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:29.646; 7. Clement Desalle (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:35.318; 8. Brian Bogers (NED, KTM), +0:40.176; 9. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Honda), +0:43.221; 10. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Yamaha), +0:46.577; 11. Henry Jacobi (GER, Yamaha), +0:55.400; 12. Ivo Monticelli (ITA, GASGAS), +0:58.732; 13. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KTM), +1:09.113; 14. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, Yamaha), +1:15.908; 15. Adam Sterry (GBR, KTM), +1:35.848; 16. Valentin Guillod (SUI, Honda), +1:38.742; 17. Petar Petrov (BUL, KTM), +1:40.679; 18. Jose Butron (ESP, KTM), +1:48.468; 19. Ander Valentin (ESP, Husqvarna), -1 lap(s); 20. Artem Guryev (RUS, Honda), -1 lap(s); 21. Dylan Walsh (NZ, Honda), -15 lap(s).
GP of Spain classification:
- Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 50 points; 2. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 42 p.; 3. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 42 p.; 4. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, GAS), 34 p.; 5. Clement Desalle (BEL, KAW), 32 p.; 6. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 29 p.; 7. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 27 p.; 8. Brian Bogers (NED, KTM), 26 p.; 9. Gautier Paulin (FRA, YAM), 26 p.; 10. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, HON), 24 p.; 11. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KTM), 18 p.; 12. Ivo Monticelli (ITA, GAS), 17 p.; 13. Henry Jacobi (GER, YAM), 16 p.; 14. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, YAM), 14 p.; 15. Valentin Guillod (SUI, HON), 14 p.; 16. Adam Sterry (GBR, KTM), 9 p.; 17. Petar Petrov (BUL, KTM), 8 p.; 18. Jose Butron (ESP, KTM), 8 p.; 19. Ander Valentin (ESP, HUS), 4 p.; 20. Artem Guryev (RUS, HON), 2 p.; 21. Dylan Walsh (NZ, HON), 0 p.; 22. Mitchell Evans (AUS, HON), 0 p..
MXGP standings after 12 rounds:
- Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 441 points; 2. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 417 p.; 3. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 396 p.; 4. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 391 p.; 5. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, GAS), 375 p.; 6. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 346 p.; 7. Gautier Paulin (FRA, YAM), 311 p.; 8. Clement Desalle (BEL, KAW), 294 p.; 9. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 263 p.; 10. Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, HUS), 248 p.; 11. Mitchell Evans (AUS, HON), 228 p.; 12. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, HON), 221 p.; 13. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, YAM), 151 p.; 14. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KTM), 145 p.; 15. Brian Bogers (NED, KTM), 142 p.; 16. Henry Jacobi (GER, YAM), 134 p.; 17. Ivo Monticelli (ITA, GAS), 122 p.; 18. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, YAM), 82 p.; 19. Michele Cervellin (ITA, YAM), 73 p.; 20. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, YAM), 71 p.; 21. Benoit Paturel (FRA, HON), 45 p.; 22. Dylan Walsh (NZ, HON), 41 p.; 23. Tanel Leok (EST, HUS), 41 p.; 24. Petar Petrov (BUL, KTM), 39 p.; 25. Adam Sterry (GBR, KTM), 34 p.; 26. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, HUS), 33 p.; 27. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), 31 p.; 28. Valentin Guillod (SUI, HON), 29 p.; 29. Pauls Jonass (LAT, HUS), 26 p.; 30. Jose Butron (ESP, KTM), 21 p.; 31. Pascal Rauchenecker (AUT, KTM), 19 p.; 32. Karlis Sabulis (LAT, KTM), 18 p.; 33. Nicholas Lapucci (ITA, KTM), 15 p.; 34. Thomas Covington (USA, YAM), 15 p.; 35. Harri Kullas (EST, HON), 11 p.; 36. Lars van Berkel (NED, HUS), 9 p.; 37. Samuele Bernardini (ITA, YAM), 9 p.; 38. Brent Van doninck (BEL, HUS), 5 p.; 39. Ander Valentin (ESP, HUS), 4 p.; 40. Zachary Pichon (FRA, HON), 2 p.; 41. Artem Guryev (RUS, HON), 2 p.; 42. Tom Koch (GER, KTM), 2 p.; 43. Anton Gole (SWE, HON), 2 p.