Heading to Mexico

Heading into Mexico this weekend there are still questions to be answered. Which riders can make a break from the pack, and put major points on the board every single weekend?

Until now a handful of riders have impressed, with Tim Gajser and Antonio Cairoli the stand-outs in the MXGP class, and Jeremy Seewer and Pauls Jonass doing the business in the MX2 class.

Eight-time world champion Cairoli started the year with his victory in Qatar, and while Shaun Simpson was able to pick up a GP win in Indonesia, it came under conditions only a tough Scotsman could control. Of course, Tim Gajser was perfect in the last round in Argentina, and his 1-1 rocketed him to the front of the MXGP points standings.

While there is yet to be a double winning in the MXGP class, the MX2 class has been split between just two men, Pauls Jonass, who has gone 1-1-1-1 in his two GP victories, and Jeremy Seewer, who captured the second round in Indonesia with a mud riding lesson to his competition.

Now these riders head to Mexico, where a long list of riders from both classes will be looking to unsettle the current trendsetters.

Since the Grand Prix in Patagonia - Argentina, Max Nagl has won a round of the Dutch championship with 1-2 results and the rider everyone has their eye on, Jeffrey Herlings picked up a moto victory, going 7-1 in Holland.

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna rider Nagl is now looking forward to using his Dutch victory as a motivation to improve his MXGP results. He also has a good fee about the Leon circuit, with 3-3 results last year.

“Mexico is special,” Nagl said. “Because its high altitude and the bikes, even the 450s, are slower there. It’s nice to ride the 450, because it’s a lot less power and its hot there, so it’s going to be a challenge. I like the track.”

Another rider who might surprise in Mexico is HRC Factory rider Evgeny Bobryshev, who decided to spend the two weeks between Argentina and Mexico in America, where he trained with the American Honda riders. Bobryshev has also shown great speed at the Leon circuit, finishing with 3^rd and 4^th overall the last two years.

“Everything depends on the start,” Bobryshev said. “It’s a small track, not so many different lines, but I have had good results, once fourth and last year third overall. I know I can ride this track good, so I think I can do ok, but everything is about the start.”

What is interesting from previous GPs in Leon is the performance of Tim Gajser, going 5-2 in the MX2 class in 2015 and 2-1 in the MXGP class last year. Another who performs well in Leon is 2015 MXGP champion Romain Febvre who has gone 1-1-1-2 the last two years there.

In the MX2 class Pauls Jonass has also impressed with a moto victory in 2015 and 4-4 in 2016, while Seewer went 3-3 in the 2016 event.

Who wins, and who makes the podium is until now a question mark, but you can count on the above-mentioned riders to show something special, on an interesting circuit so far from home.

Author:

Geoff Meyer