Bikesportnz

Frenchman Romain Febvre won the toughest race of the season at Lommel in Belgium to go second in the FIM World MXGP Motocross Championship points standings.

The Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team rider earned fourth choice of gate in the morning qualification session at the sandy Lommel track and then took a clear holeshot – his third in the last four GPs – in race one.

Immediately pulling out a three-second lead and he methodically extended his advantage by half distance to six seconds over his only immediate rival – Dutchman Jeffery Herlings (KTM) – as the duo outdistanced the rest of the leader-board by half a minute.

Five laps from the end, his only challenger – Herlings, the undisputed fastest sand specialist in the world – finally ran down the Kawasaki leader, but second position was safe; such was their advantage over everyone else that even a small error and crash three laps from the finish could not endanger Febvre’s fifth moto podium in 11 races.

Febvre’s KRT team-mate, Italian Ivo Monticelli, grabbed the holeshot in race two but Febvre had already moved ahead as they swept out of the turn and immediately outdistanced the field with the fastest lap of the moto.

Suddenly on the second lap a small crash pushed Febvre back to fifth and, with the peak broken off his helmet, he had to deal with the wet roost of sand from the rear wheels of his rivals, but they still had no answer to the pace of the Frenchman and his Kawasaki.

After 20 minutes he claimed second in the moto – sufficient to ensure the overall GP victory – but he was hungry for more and five laps from the end swept around the race leader with a clever move built through several turns  to celebrate the GP win with a moto victory too.

The 47-point haul has moved Febvre to second in the championship standings, just five points shy of Slovenian Tim Gajser’s championship leader’s red plate, a third of the way through the gruelling series.

“Yes !!! I didn’t move to live close to here all those years ago for nothing,” said Febvre afterwards.

“All the hard work is finally paying off; I did some really good work with my team-mate and the entire Kawasaki team this week and we did it … it really means a lot to see my face on the top of the podium here in Lommel after I was close several times in the past. I was making a mistake both motos, but I still won the GP.

“I had a really good pace already in the first race but then I tipped over; when Jeffrey caught me I tried to analyse where he was faster and I didn’t let him go, but, after two laps, I tipped over.

“Then I was alone for second and just rode it home; I knew the second moto was for the GP and I put in a really fast lap at the beginning to be alone.

“I was clear until I made a small mistake which pushed me back to fifth; it took me a few laps to regroup but I was determined to win both the moto and the GP.

“I passed the guys in front of me and I did it; I was on it that second moto. I’m so proud of my team and my thanks to them for everything; for sure we’re going to celebrate tonight.

“It’s always good to be close to the points lead, but the red plate means nothing at this stage of the season. It was a good day for us but there are many race to go; it’s a long season. We only did six races so far, but I feel this is going to be our year!”

Photo courtesy Kawasaki Europe

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RESULTS & STANDINGS:

MXGP – Grand Prix Race 1 – Top 10 Classification:

1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 34:37.691; 2. Romain Febvre (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:28.149; 3. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:36.418; 4. Pauls Jonass (LAT, GASGAS), +0:41.724; 5. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Yamaha), +0:49.914; 6. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), +0:56.529; 7. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:57.895; 8. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, Husqvarna), +1:00.916; 9. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, Yamaha), +1:10.924; 10. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, Yamaha), +1:19.128.

MXGP – Grand Prix Race 2 – Top 10 Classification:

1. Romain Febvre (FRA, Kawasaki), 35:47.024; 2. Pauls Jonass (LAT, GASGAS), +0:04.339; 3. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), +0:09.748; 4. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:11.213; 5. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), +0:31.247; 6. Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, Husqvarna), +0:34.905; 7. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:37.604; 8. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Yamaha), +0:39.296; 9. Ben Watson (GBR, Yamaha), +0:47.333; 10. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, Yamaha), +0:49.616.

MXGP – GP Top 10 Classification:

1. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 47 points; 2. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 41 p.; 3. Pauls Jonass (LAT, GAS), 40 p.; 4. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 35 p.; 5. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 34 p.; 6. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 32 p.; 7. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 29 p.; 8. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, YAM), 22 p.; 9. Ben Watson (GBR, YAM), 21 p.; 10. Brian Bogers (NED, GAS), 20 p.

MXGP – World Championship Top 10 Classification:

1. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 226 points; 2. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 221 p.; 3. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 217 p.; 4. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 212 p.; 5. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 184 p.; 6. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 180 p.; 7. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, YAM), 160 p.; 8. Pauls Jonass (LAT, GAS), 159 p.; 9. Ben Watson (GBR, YAM), 111 p.; 10. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, KTM), 109 p.

MX2 – Grand Prix Race 1 – Top 10 Classification:

1. Jago Geerts (BEL, Yamaha), 36:38.821; 2. Maxime Renaux (FRA, Yamaha), +0:10.529; 3. Kay de Wolf (NED, Husqvarna), +0:20.279; 4. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), +0:32.334; 5. Thibault Benistant (FRA, Yamaha), +0:32.414; 6. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, Honda), +0:38.826; 7. Mathys Boisrame (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:54.685; 8. Jed Beaton (AUS, Husqvarna), +0:54.987; 9. Mikkel Haarup (DEN, Kawasaki), +0:59.295; 10. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, GASGAS), +1:02.374.

MX2 – Grand Prix Race 2 –  Top 10 Classification:

1. Kay de Wolf (NED, Husqvarna), 34:43.435; 2. Jago Geerts (BEL, Yamaha), +0:02.744; 3. Maxime Renaux (FRA, Yamaha), +0:59.764; 4. Thibault Benistant (FRA, Yamaha), +1:19.564; 5. Jed Beaton (AUS, Husqvarna), +1:24.645; 6. Conrad Mewse (GBR, KTM), +1:25.926; 7. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, Honda), +1:29.338; 8. Mathys Boisrame (FRA, Kawasaki), +1:38.812; 9. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, GASGAS), +1:42.989; 10. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, KTM), +1:45.176.

MX2 – GP Top 10 Classification:

1. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 47 points; 2. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 45 p.; 3. Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 42 p.; 4. Thibault Benistant (FRA, YAM), 34 p.; 5. Jed Beaton (AUS, HUS), 29 p.; 6. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, HON), 29 p.; 7. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), 28 p.; 8. Mathys Boisrame (FRA, KAW), 27 p.; 9. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, GAS), 23 p.; 10. Rene Hofer (AUT, KTM), 19 p.

MX2 – World Championship Top 10 Classification:

1. Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 221 points; 2. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, KTM), 195 p.; 3. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, HON), 194 p.; 4. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 193 p.; 5. Mathys Boisrame (FRA, KAW), 176 p.; 6. Thibault Benistant (FRA, YAM), 174 p.; 7. Jed Beaton (AUS, HUS), 171 p.; 8. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 159 p.; 9. Rene Hofer (AUT, KTM), 156 p.; 10. Roan Van De Moosdijk (NED, KAW), 132 p.