Bikesportnz

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing riders Jeffrey Herlings and Tom Vialle repeated their success of round nine when they again topped the standings at round 10 in Sardinia at the weekend.

Dutchman Herlings was top dog again in the MXGP class and Frenchman Vialle led the MX2 class at the event at Riola Sardo, on the island of Sardinia, in Italy.

What’s more, Herlings’ 1-1 results enabled him to taker over the championship lead in the premier grade.

The island of Sardinia welcomed MXGP officially for the first time but the sand of Riola Sardo is a familiar challenge to many teams and riders as the course is a popular draw for testing and training in the winter and pre-season months.

The normally steady climate of the Italian territory remained in place for the tenth GP of the season – with mostly sunny skies and high temperatures – and the sand was rough, demanding and technical.

A sixth role position was gathered by Jeffrey Herlings in morning Timed Practice. Team-mate Jorge Prado was only half a second adrift in second.

Italy’s Tony Cairoli made the 8th quickest time but suffered a crash and then had to be lifted from the sand and taken to the Medical Centre. He was thankfully given the all-clear but could not take to the gate for the two motos due to a painful neck and back.

In the first moto Herlings seized the holeshot and escaped with the race, finishing some 42 seconds of Prado in a solitary second place. With an injured Tim Gajser (HRC Honda) out of the points, both the Dutchman and the Spaniard made a substantial gain in the standings.

For the second moto an exciting chase between Prado and Herlings for the lead took place throughout the first half of the distance. Herlings made a close overtaking move to demote his rival and then assumed control.

The 1-1 was Herlings’ first perfect score of 2021 and his eighth podium walk.

From being over 40 points adrift of the world championship lead held by Gajser at one stage, former No.1 Herlings now has his hands on the red plate for the first time this season and with a slender 1-point advantage over Slovenian rider Gajser.

Prado’s 2-2 permitted a fourth podium of the year and third from the last four races. The 20-year-old is 4th in the standings but only 12 points behind Herlings. Cairoli remains 5th despite his non-score.

“With the injuries to Tim (Gajser) and Tony (Cairoli), it is a sad way to take this red plate. It means nothing at the moment. I know what injury is like, so hopefully they will get healthy before the next GP,” said Herlings.

“I was fast in timed practice and that first moto holeshot was a big surprise! I led the whole way. In the second I started behind Jorge (Prado) and tried to overtake him but it was tough.

“Many times I tried, and with five-six laps to go I managed it and pulled a gap. It was a perfect week and now we’ll keep charging and keep going. We made some improvements on the start and happy for the team and the work we’ve done.”

MXGP is briefly interrupted next weekend for the 74th Motocross of Nations at Mantova on the Italian mainland.

The annual contest will see riders such as Herlings (Team Netherlands), Gajser (Slovenia), Cairoli and Mattia Guadagnini (both Team Italy), Vialle (Team France), Rene Hofer (Team Austria) in action for their respective countries.

The Grand Prix of Germany at Teutschenthal will be round 11 on October 3.

Photo courtesy KTM Europe

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RESULTS & STANDINGS:

MXGP – Grand Prix Race 1 – Top 10 Classification:

1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 35:22.630; 2. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), +0:42.419; 3. Romain Febvre (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:53.010; 4. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, Yamaha), +0:55.993; 5. Brian Bogers (NED, GASGAS), +1:02.253; 6. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Yamaha), +1:05.689; 7. Ben Watson (GBR, Yamaha), +1:06.273; 8. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, Husqvarna), +1:10.065; 9. Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, Husqvarna), +1:12.978; 10. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, Yamaha), +1:18.017.

MXGP – Grand Prix Race 2 – Top 10 Classification:

1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 34:10.289; 2. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), +0:05.710; 3. Romain Febvre (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:08.406; 4. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, Yamaha), +0:46.791; 5. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Yamaha), +0:54.984; 6. Pauls Jonass (LAT, GASGAS), +0:55.933; 7. Ben Watson (GBR, Yamaha), +0:58.705; 8. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +1:02.481; 9. Brian Bogers (NED, GASGAS), +1:11.310; 10. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, Yamaha), +1:14.477.

MXGP – GP Top 10 Classification:

1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 50 points; 2. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 44 p.; 3. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 40 p.; 4. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, YAM), 36 p.; 5. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 31 p.; 6. Ben Watson (GBR, YAM), 28 p.; 7. Brian Bogers (NED, GAS), 28 p.; 8. Pauls Jonass (LAT, GAS), 23 p.; 9. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, YAM), 22 p.; 10. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 21 p.

MXGP – World Championship Top 10 Classification:

1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 371 points; 2. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 370 p.; 3. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 367 p.; 4. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 359 p.; 5. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 326 p.; 6. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 280 p.; 7. Pauls Jonass (LAT, GAS), 254 p.; 8. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, YAM), 234 p.; 9. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, KTM), 185 p.; 10. Ben Watson (GBR, YAM), 171 p.

MX2 – Grand Prix Race 1 – Top 10 Classification:

1. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), 34:04.946; 2. Maxime Renaux (FRA, Yamaha), +0:01.117; 3. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, KTM), +0:19.765; 4. Kay de Wolf (NED, Husqvarna), +0:23.298; 5. Thibault Benistant (FRA, Yamaha), +0:23.558; 6. Isak Gifting (SWE, GASGAS), +0:47.898; 7. Wilson Todd (AUS, Kawasaki), +0:50.279; 8. Jago Geerts (BEL, Yamaha), +0:50.784; 9. Rene Hofer (AUT, KTM), +0:53.709; 10. Conrad Mewse (GBR, KTM), +1:01.053.

MX2 – Grand Prix Race 2 – Top 10 Classification:

1. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), 34:35.642; 2. Jago Geerts (BEL, Yamaha), +0:08.264; 3. Maxime Renaux (FRA, Yamaha), +0:28.916; 4. Kay de Wolf (NED, Husqvarna), +0:50.502; 5. Jed Beaton (AUS, Husqvarna), +0:53.508; 6. Isak Gifting (SWE, GASGAS), +0:57.493; 7. Roan Van De Moosdijk (NED, Kawasaki), +1:07.288; 8. Thibault Benistant (FRA, Yamaha), +1:15.083; 9. Conrad Mewse (GBR, KTM), +1:31.452; 10. Bastian Boegh Damm (DEN, KTM), +1:42.014.

MX2 – GP Top 10 Classification:

1. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), 50 points; 2. Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 42 p.; 3. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 36 p.; 4. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 35 p.; 5. Isak Gifting (SWE, GAS), 30 p.; 6. Thibault Benistant (FRA, YAM), 29 p.; 7. Jed Beaton (AUS, HUS), 24 p.; 8. Roan Van De Moosdijk (NED, KAW), 23 p.; 9. Conrad Mewse (GBR, KTM), 23 p.; 10. Wilson Todd (AUS, KAW), 20 p.

MX2 – World Championship Top 10 Classification:

1. Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 403 points; 2. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, KTM), 332 p.; 3. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 325 p.; 4. Thibault Benistant (FRA, YAM), 290 p.; 5. Jed Beaton (AUS, HUS), 290 p.; 6. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), 277 p.; 7. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 273 p.; 8. Rene Hofer (AUT, KTM), 263 p.; 9. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, HON), 251 p.; 10. Mathys Boisrame (FRA, KAW), 223 p.