Tim Gajser: Fighting for Points

Team HRC rider Tim Gajser might be the defending MXGP champion and a three-time World champion, but at the moment he is definitely fighting hard to stay in contention for his title. Yesterday, around the tight Faenza circuit, the Slovenian struggled in his starts and put together 8-5 performances and dropped to third in the championship, behind the two Red Bull KTM Factory Racing riders, Jeffrey Herlings and Antonio Cairoli.

“After Latvia,” Gajser said. “I came straight back to Slovenia, so I’ve been training here at my home track. Basically, I had been training hard to get ready for Faenza. It had been a long break again and I wanted to get back racing! I’ve raced the track in Faenza many times and it is a good one that I enjoy riding. It is hard-pack, which I like.”

The opening race for Gajser wasn’t what he had hoped, and a bad start saw him fighting mid-pack and working his way through the field, something that was very difficult around the old school circuit.

“I was feeling okay at the beginning. The track looked really good in timed practice and even during the races they kept the track in good shape. It’s just that it was really difficult to pass on the track and the start was the key. The start was really important and today I didn’t get two good starts. I was back in the pack, having to work my way through and I even made two crashes in the first race so that didn’t help. I was really disappointed.”

Again, not the best of starts, but at least a smooth early part of the race meant he was within fighting distance from the leaders. A fifth place and a bunch of points, but watching his biggest rival Herlings go 1-1 meant the Honda rider needs to rebuild that confidence he had in the opening two rounds in England and Holland, when he battled the Dutchman.

“The second race was better, the pace was there, just a few seconds from first to fifth, but I just couldn’t make the moves I needed to. That’s how it is though, and we still have two more rounds to go here in Faenza, so I will try to put this day out of my mind and focus ahead for the rest of the championship. I know the team will help with this, as they continually help me with all the preparations, so bring on Wednesday!”

So now onto Wednesday, and a day you can be sure Gajser will work harder than ever to start up front and lead as he has done so many times in the past. No doubt, despite the disappointments of Latvia and the opener in Faenza, the three-time World champion won’t be giving up just yet.