EMX250

PIETRAMURATA (Italy) 3 November 2021 – The 2021 season of the FIM Motocross World Championship is nearing the end, as we enter the final two rounds in Mantova for the MXGP of Lombardia and MXGP of Città di Mantova.

Last weekend, we saw Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Maxime Renaux secure the crown in MX2 to become this year’s MX2 World Champion, but the second spot is yet to be decided. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Tom Vialle has moved up to the silver medal position after Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jago Geerts was forced to DNF race two at the MXGP of Garda. But the Frenchman is 16 points ahead, which means that Geerts can still challenge for the silver medal during the next two GPs.

Meanwhile in MXGP, things could not get any more tense as the red plate has a new owner and just three points separate Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s Romain Febvre, Team HRC’s Tim Gajser and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings. There are still 100 points up for grabs and it will be interesting to see how things will play out.  

Alongside the fierce MX2 and MXGP action we will also see the final round of the EMX2t Presented by FMF Racing as Fantic Factory Maddii Team’s Maximilian Spies will enter the final round looking to wrap up his first EMX title. Last year’s Champion, Brad Anderson of Verde Substance KTM will look to get back in the driving seat and secure his fourth title as he sits just 16 points behind the leader. In addition, we will also see round nine of the EMX250 series, as Fantic Factory Maddii Team’s Nicholas Lapucci will look to put together two solid and mistake-free races to stay ahead of his championship rival, Kevin Horgmo of SM Action Racing Team YUASA Battery.  

The MXGP of Lombardia is bound to deliver some incredible racing as Febvre, Gajser and Herlings will be focused on scoring maximum points, in order to have the best chance of clinching the title this season. This championship fight that we are bearing witness to, is by far one of the exciting ones in the history of the sport and something we have not seen for a while.

And while this championship showdown is going to take centre stage in Mantova, another important moment will be the final races of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Antonio Cairoli. The second half of the season hasn’t been easy for the 9-time world champion who lost his chance to stay in the fight for what would have been his 10^th title. But with that pressure off his shoulders, we have seen Cairoli back in the game during the last two GP’s.

During the MXGP of Pietramurata, Cairoli secured his second overall of the season and then at the following MXGP of Garda, was once again competitive inside the top five. It will be interesting to see what the Italian can bring for his final races, especially with the huge support he is set to have around the track!

Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jeremy Seewer will enter the MXGP of Lombardia off the back of his second career MXGP overall victory. No doubt this will give him a confidence boost, especially as the MXGP of Lombardia last season was when he got his first ever GP win. Seewer has been on form lately after his struggles in the first half of the season. Now back to fitness, the Swiss is just four points behind Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado in the MXGP championship standings, so we could see the Yamaha rider go for fourth, to end his season on a positive note.

Of course, Prado will not look to give it up easily as he continues his struggle with a back injury that he picked up a few rounds ago. Despite the damage, the Spaniard has been able to run well inside the top 10 and even lead some laps.

Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Glenn Coldenhoff and Ben Watson will be looking to end their season with a strong result and Mantova could be the perfect place to do that. Coldenhoff secured his second podium of the season at the MXGP of Pietramurata and has previously been on the box in Mantova last year. While Watson has fond memories at the circuit too. He climbed the podium last season in MX2, as well as becoming this year’s overall MXGP winner at the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations, as he helped Team GB onto the podium once again!

Then there’s also Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Thomas Kjer Olsen who won the MXGP of Lombardia last season in MX2 and won a race at the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations this season in Mantova too. So, this is a track he certainly feels strong on, and it will be nice to see if he could end his MXGP rookie season with a podium. His teammate, Arminas Jasikonis will also make his comeback at the final two races after missing the triple-header in Pietramurata. The reason why Jasikonis took the time off is unknown, but it will be good to see him back behind the gate.

Making a move to MXGP this weekend is Honda 114 Motorsports’ Ruben Fernandez who after a string of podiums in Pietramurata (three consecutive third place finishes) will take on the premiere class in order to gain experience and to see how he matches up with the 450cc guys.

2020 MXGP of Lombardia – MXGP Top 3:

1. Jeremy Seewer

2. Glenn Coldenhoff

3. Jorge Prado

Main Photo: MXGP Start MXGP of Garda 

Bottom Photos: 1. Romain Febvre 2. Antonio Cairoli

MXGP - World Championship Top 10 Classification: 1. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 614 points; 2. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 613 p.; 3. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 611 p.; 4. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 502 p.; 5. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 498 p.; 6. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 496 p.; 7. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, YAM), 397 p.; 8. Pauls Jonass (LAT, GAS), 391 p.; 9. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, KTM), 287 p.; 10. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 284 p.;

With the MX2 title decided, Renaux will enter the MXGP of Lombardia with a lot less pressure on his shoulders. However, this doesn’t mean that he won’t be pushing for the win. The Frenchman is keen on continuing with the strong momentum of the previous round, where he stood on the top step of the podium as he secured the MX2 crown, so there is no doubt that we will see him pushing at the front of the field.

While Vialle was unsuccessful in defending his title this time around, due to injury early on in the season, he has been very competitive since his return. In fact, he has led more laps than any other rider in the category, with the number currently at 255 while Renaux has led 103 and is second in terms of that statistic. Vialle has had a couple of unlucky races which has resulted in DNF’s but he is now second in the championship and will push for a strong end to his season as he begins to focus on 2022.

Geerts still has a chance to get back that silver medal position, but he will need to bounce back after a devastating MXGP of Garda where he could not carry on with race two and thus was unable to take the title chance into the next round. With that no behind him, it will be fascinating to see how he comes back from that.

Meanwhile Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Jed Beaton could be one of the favourites for the podium this weekend. The Australian was second overall during the MXGP of Lombardia last season and he secured that spot with a race win, so this should give him a confidence boost. He is yet to lead any races, as his younger teammate Kay de Wolf has led 15 laps this season, but this could be the weekend we see him at the front.

Then there’s also Rene Hofer and Mattia Guadagnini of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing. At the last two rounds, we saw Hofer secure his first race wins in MX2 as well as win his first Grand Prix, while Guadagnini has struggled. It will be interesting to see if Hofer can carry this success into the hard sand track and whether Guadagnini can get back on the box after some successful races in Mantova last season in EMX250. The motivation will be there for sure as the Italian will want to put on his best performance for his home fans as he looks to end his MX2 rookie season in the best way.

2020 MXGP of Lombardia – MX2 Top 3:

1. Thomas Kjer Olsen

2. Jed Beaton

3. Ben Watson

Main Photo: MX2 Start Mantova 2020

Bottom Photos: 1. Maxime Renaux 2. Mattia Guadagnini 

MX2 - World Championship Top 10 Classification: 1. Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 642 points; 2. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), 532 p.; 3. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 516 p.; 4. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, KTM), 487 p.; 5. Jed Beaton (AUS, HUS), 477 p.; 6. Rene Hofer (AUT, KTM), 474 p.; 7. Thibault Benistant (FRA, YAM), 413 p.; 8. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 412 p.; 9. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, HON), 404 p.; 10. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, GAS), 291 p.;

TIMETABLE

SATURDAY: 08:30 EMX2t Free Practice, 08:55 EMX250 Group 1 Free Practice, 09:20 EMX250 Group 2 Free Practice, 10:10 EMX2t Qualifying Practice, 10:45 EMX250 Group 1 Qualifying Practice, 11:20 EMX250 Group 2 Qualifying Practice, 12:20 EMX2t Race 1, 13:10 EMX250 Race 1, 14:20 EMX2t Race 2, 15:15 EMX250 Race 2.

SUNDAY: 08:15 MX2 Free/Time Practice, 09:15 MXGP Free/Time Practice, 11:15 MX2 Race 1, 12:15 MXGP Race 1, 14:10 MX2 Race 2, 15:10 MXGP Race 2.

LINKS

Infront Moto Racing

FIM

FIM Europe

MXGP of Lombardia

The FIM Motocross World Championship continues this weekend with the 17th round of the series taking place in Mantova, Italy.

Timetable and Entry lists for the MXGP of Lombardia are available for download at the links below:

Timetable

MXGP Entry List

MX2 Entry List

EMX2t Presented by FMF Racing Entry List

EMX250 Entry List

PIETRAMURATA (Italy) 30 October 2021 – Today’s action in Pietramurata saw rounds eight of the EMX250 and EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing championships, as SM Action Racing Team YUASA Battery’s Kevin Horgmo and 9MM Energy Drink Kawasaki Bud Racing’s Lucas Coenen celebrated overall victories in their respective classes.

In the first EMX250 race, it was Fantic Factory Team Maddii’s Nicholas Lapucci with the holeshot as Andrea Bonacorsi of Hutten Metaal Yamaha Racing got himself into second ahead of Raf Meuwissen of Riley Racing.

Lapucci then made a mistake and crashed out of the lead, with Bonacorsi inheriting the top spot. The Yamaha rider then led the way ahead of Meuwissen, Horgmo and Maxime Grau of Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing. Lapucci was up in 11^th.

Horgmo then made a pass on Meuwissen for second position and shortly after the Dutchman dropped another spot as Grau was able to find a way through as well.

Horgmo then closed in on the rear wheel of Bonacorsi as the pair fought it out for the win. The Norwegian was really pushing to get by the Italian but failed to find the perfect opportunity despite being faster than the leader on several occasions.

Lapucci meanwhile continued his fight back up the order as he got by Liam Everts of Liamski KTM and Jorgen-Matthias Talviku of No Fear/Jumbo BT Racing Team. He then also passed David Braceras from Team VRT Nordpesca Holland for fourth as he set his sights on Grau.

But back at the front, Horgmo was not letting go of Bonacorsi as he stayed within less than a second of the Italian.

Meanwhile further down the field, Haakon Fredriksen of Riley Racing and Everts were both able to get by Grau who dropped to seventh place.

With two laps to go, Horgmo turned up the pressure onto Bonacorsi and despite getting close a few times, the Norwegian could not make a pass stick as Bonacorsi went on to win the race. Horgmo settled for second ahead of Lapucci who eventually came back to third.

In race two, it was once again Lapucci who got the holeshot ahead of Horgmo, Jeremy Sydow of Hutten Metaal Yamaha Racing, Grau and Yago Martinez from Team VRT Nordpesca Holland. Race one winner, Bonacorsi, started in around 13^th place.

Cornelius Toendel from Riley Racing had a strong first lap as he went from eigth to fourth, while Horgmo kept close to Lapucci.

Bonacorsi then crashed together with Saad Soulimani of TBS Conversions Racing Team and dropped to outside the top 20.

For a brief moment, Horgmo was in the lead, but Lapucci was quick to respond and took back his position. Toendel then passed Sydow for third.

Horgmo made another attempt on Lapucci which was unsuccessful as the battle for the lead raged on. This allowed Toendel to close in on the pair. And as Horgmo tried again, he was pushed offline by Lapucci which allowed Toendel through into second and half a lap later he was in the lead. He led for a brief moment as he crashed in the next corner trying to keep the Italian behind him.  

Further behind them, Everts took third from Sydow as Bonacorsi went down again. He eventually came back to 10^th place.

Everts close in on the top two riders, as Horgmo took over the lead but made a mistake which allowed Lapucci back onto his rear wheel, fortunately he was able to break free of that as the Italian came under fire from Everts who shortly after took over second place.

Fredriksen was another rider who got past Lapucci who seemed to have lost his rhythm and then we saw an epic battle between Fredriksen and Everts for second. Fredriksen was able to get around the Belgian who immediately struck back, but the Norwegian was able to move quickly to stay ahead. And as Everts tried to retaliate he got it all wrong on the downhill which resulted in a big crash for the #72.

In the end, Horgmo went on to claim the race victory ahead of Fredriksen and Lapucci who was third. And with a 2-1 result, Horgmo took the overall round win for the second time this season, as Lapucci occupied the second step of the podium, while Fredriksen was third.  

With two rounds left to go, Lapucci leads the EMX250 Championship standings with a 26-point advantage over Horgmo, while Rick Elzinga of TBS Conversions Racing Team remains third.

Kevin Horgmo: “It was not the best start but obviously a lot better than the last round here. The starts were quite okay. I had tough guys in front of me who were difficult to pass. In the first race, I was probably a little bit too cautious. Every time I came close, I backed off. I didn’t send it too hard in the inside. Then in the second race, I went all out because I knew it was for the overall victory. So, I just tried to do my best and find different lines so I can make the pass happen. I think I can’t look too much at the points right now because it’s still quite far. I just need to take it race by race, try to get better starts, be in front and hopefully win both races.

Nicholas Lapucci: “Today was a tough day for me. In the first race, I pulled the holeshot then I had a tip over due to a technical problem. But I managed to come back almost without making any mistakes. I finished off in the third position. Second race, I got the holeshot as well. I tried my best and gave my 110% to maintain the lead but it wasn’t enough. Let’s think about the championship, we have two rounds to go. I am proud about that because we can always send it. Next races are in Mantova, it’s a little bit softer over there so it will be better for me. Let’s see what it brings.

Haakon Fredriksen: “I mean I had a good time in time-practice. First race, I struggled a lot to adjust to the track. Also on a personal level, I was not riding at my 100%. Second race, we took a big decision to go with the sand tyres. Actually, I took the decision. I did a mistake, but it worked out in the end, and I was able to have more control over my riding. It was a good day overall; I was able to get the podium as well so I am happy. I had good success in Mantova last year, so I am really confident going there and I am hoping to have two good results”.

Main Photo:  Kevin Horgmo

Bottom Photos: 1. Nicholas Lapucci 2. Haakon Fredriksen

EMX250 - Race 1 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Andrea Bonacorsi (ITA, Yamaha), 28:44.206; 2. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, GASGAS), +0:02.313; 3. Nicholas Lapucci (ITA, Fantic), +0:17.652; 4. Cornelius Toendel (NOR, Yamaha), +0:21.928; 5. Hakon Fredriksen (NOR, Yamaha), +0:27.918; 6. Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), +0:36.645; 7. Jeremy Sydow (GER, Yamaha), +0:39.759; 8. Maxime Grau (FRA, Husqvarna), +0:45.858; 9. Oriol Oliver (ESP, KTM), +0:47.505; 10. David Braceras (ESP, KTM), +0:52.421;

EMX250 - Race 2 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, GASGAS), 29:04.011; 2. Hakon Fredriksen (NOR, Yamaha), +0:03.962; 3. Nicholas Lapucci (ITA, Fantic), +0:13.100; 4. Jeremy Sydow (GER, Yamaha), +0:14.953; 5. Cornelius Toendel (NOR, Yamaha), +0:30.961; 6. Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), +0:31.915; 7. Emil Weckman (FIN, Honda), +0:32.562; 8. Rick Elzinga (NED, KTM), +0:34.015; 9. Yago Martinez (ESP, KTM), +0:37.212; 10. Andrea Bonacorsi (ITA, Yamaha), +0:55.176;

EMX250 - Overall Top 10 Classification: 1. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, GAS), 47 points; 2. Nicholas Lapucci (ITA, FAN), 40 p.; 3. Hakon Fredriksen (NOR, YAM), 38 p.; 4. Andrea Bonacorsi (ITA, YAM), 36 p.; 5. Cornelius Toendel (NOR, YAM), 34 p.; 6. Jeremy Sydow (GER, YAM), 32 p.; 7. Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), 30 p.; 8. Rick Elzinga (NED, KTM), 23 p.; 9. Yago Martinez (ESP, KTM), 20 p.; 10. David Braceras (ESP, KTM), 17 p.;

EMX250 – Championship Top 10 Classification: 1. Nicholas Lapucci (ITA, FAN), 345 points; 2. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, GAS), 319 p.; 3. Rick Elzinga (NED, KTM), 257 p.; 4. Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), 227 p.; 5. Andrea Bonacorsi (ITA, YAM), 226 p.; 6. Cornelius Toendel (NOR, YAM), 202 p.; 7. Hakon Fredriksen (NOR, YAM), 170 p.; 8. Yago Martinez (ESP, KTM), 162 p.; 9. Emil Weckman (FIN, HON), 120 p.; 10. Maxime Grau (FRA, HUS), 113 p.;

EMX250 - Manufacturers Classification: 1. Fantic, 348 points; 2. GASGAS, 319 p.; 3. Yamaha, 310 p.; 4. KTM, 305 p.; 5. Husqvarna, 206 p.; 6. Honda, 120 p.; 7. Kawasaki, 102 p.; 8. TM, 17 p.;

In the first EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing heat, it was Coenen with the holeshot ahead of MRT Racing Team KTM’s Valerio Lata and Julius Mikula. A few riders came together in the start which included the likes of Ferruccio Zanchi and Ivano Van Erp of Yamaha Europe EMX125 MJC.

Coenen then led Lata, Cas Valk of Husqvarna SKS Racing NL, ASA United GasGas Racing’s Bobby Bruce and Mikula who dropped a couple of spots after the opening lap.

Mikula then came under more pressure from Karlis Alberts Reisulis of Yamaha Europe EMX125 MJC and Kay Karssemakers of Husqvarna SKS Racing NL. Reisulis was able to find his way past the Czech rider.

Coenen then stretched his lead to 5.158 seconds as Bruce began to close in on Valk. He launched an attack not long after which at first was unsuccessful. He tried several more times before finally making the pass stick and moving up into third.

Meanwhile Zanchi was making some strong passes after crashing out of the start as he moved into 13^th place.   

Reisulis then caught and passed Valk, as Valk dropped to fifth, meanwhile Karssemakers had Alexis Fueri of Fantic Factory Team Maddii, Mikula and Scott Smulders of No Fear/Jumbo BT Racing Team closing in for sixth place. Fueri was able to get around Karssemakers to steal his position.

Meanwhile Reisulis was making progress on Bruce as he caught onto the Brit, urging him closer to Lata who was still second. But the Bruce was able to break free of the Latvian and focus on getting closer to Lata.

Lata then got caught out by lapped rider who went down right in front of him, with Bruce doing his best to avoid the situation but riding over Lata’s bike. Lata was able to pick himself up but took time to get going as he inspected the rear of his bike. He eventually finished the race in sixth place.

Coenen though was focused on his own race as he crossed the line to win race one, 16.570 second ahead of Reisulis who ended up second, with Bruce third.

In race two, it was once again Coenen with a flying start as he led Van Erp who got off to a much better start compared to the first race. Behind him was Andrea Viano, Lata and Smulders. Bruce was down in seventh on the first lap.

Lata then passed Viano for third as Bruce and Reisulis fought for fifth. Viano then got passed by both Bruce and Reisulis, as the Italian dropped to fifth. Reisulis was riding very well as he caught up with Lata. The Latvian was able to get around the championship leader to move into third position.

Meanwhile Coenen set the fastest lap of the race as he extended his lead to 3.912 seconds over Van Erp, as Bruce got a glimpse of Lata ahead of him. He started to close in on his title rival, but a couple of mistakes allowed Lata some breathing room.

Fueri then made an aggressive move on Karssemakers for sixth, as Bruce caught onto Lata again. The Italian then made a mistake which allowed the Brit to get close enough to do something about it and he did just that, as he squeezed by the KTM rider.

Van Erp then crashed out of second position, which allowed Coenen to run away with it, as his lead went up to 15.991 seconds. Coenen ended up winning the race, as Van Erp managed to hold on to second while Reisulis crossed the line in second.

With two race wins, Coenen had the perfect score and went on to claim his first ever overall victory, while Reisulis mounted the podium for the first time in second overall, while Bruce finished third.

Despite not finishing on the podium, Lata continues to lead the series with a 22-point advantage over Bruce as we head into the final round in Mantova, for the round of Lombardia.

Lucas Coenen: “Today was a good day for me. Two holeshots and I led every lap of the races. I made gaps and won the races, so that was really good. We managed to get 1-1 and that’s good because I managed to get my first win of the season on Tuesday. Let’s say I am over the bad luck, and I am starting to gain momentum, so that’s good. My goal now is just to ride my own race and make it the easiest possible to finish 1-1 and we will see”.

Karlis Alberts Reisulis: “There’s not much to say. I finally got the podium after a long season filled with injuries. I also finally managed to have some not-so-bad starts. Everything came together and I just got that podium. I also got a little bit lucky in the first race, but I’ll take it”.

Bobby Bruce: “We didn’t get two of the best starts, really. I have been struggling with them. But the first race was good. I came from behind. Valerio got caught with a lapper and I couldn’t avoid them, so I ended up being down as well. But I finished the race second. Second race, I also had a bad start, but the track is tight, and we were nearing the end, so I had to put a good pass on. Overall, it was a good day. Another podium. I haven’t missed it in Arco. Let’s hope for the same in the last round. Hopefully we’ll have another week like this one and get some points under our belt. We’ll see what happens, because anything could happen. One more race to go”.

Valerio Lata: “I had a good start in the first race. I had a good feeling on the track, but I crashed with another rider with two laps to go. I finished the race in sixth position. Second race, I had a good start, but I did not have the same good feeling. I finished in fifth position. Now it’s time to get ready for Mantova. Thank you to my team, family and supporters”.

Main Photo: EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing Start

Bottom Photos: 1. Lucas Coenen 2. Karlis Alberts Reisulis battling with Kay Karssemakers

EMX125 - Race 1 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Lucas Coenen (BEL, Kawasaki/BUD), 29:23.026; 2. Karlis Alberts Reisulis (LAT, Yamaha), +0:16.570; 3. Bobby Bruce (GBR, GASGAS), +0:16.817; 4. Cas Valk (NED, Husqvarna), +0:21.277; 5. Alexis Fueri (FRA, Fantic), +0:32.487; 6. Valerio Lata (ITA, KTM), +0:37.774; 7. Kay Karssemakers (NED, Husqvarna), +0:40.591; 8. Scott Smulders (NED, Husqvarna), +0:46.216; 9. Marc-Antoine Rossi (FRA, KTM), +0:51.821; 10. Julius Mikula (CZE, KTM), +0:59.062;

EMX125 - Race 2 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Lucas Coenen (BEL, Kawasaki/BUD), 29:25.792; 2. Ivano Van Erp (NED, Yamaha), +0:17.149; 3. Karlis Alberts Reisulis (LAT, Yamaha), +0:26.837; 4. Bobby Bruce (GBR, GASGAS), +0:27.930; 5. Valerio Lata (ITA, KTM), +0:29.105; 6. Alexis Fueri (FRA, Fantic), +0:40.396; 7. Kay Karssemakers (NED, Husqvarna), +0:45.697; 8. Scott Smulders (NED, Husqvarna), +0:45.854; 9. Cas Valk (NED, Husqvarna), +0:54.564; 10. Ferruccio Zanchi (ITA, Yamaha), +0:57.786;

EMX125 - Overall Top 10 Classification: 1. Lucas Coenen (BEL, KAW), 50 points; 2. Karlis Alberts Reisulis (LAT, YAM), 42 p.; 3. Bobby Bruce (GBR, GAS), 38 p.; 4. Valerio Lata (ITA, KTM), 31 p.; 5. Alexis Fueri (FRA, FAN), 31 p.; 6. Cas Valk (NED, HUS), 30 p.; 7. Kay Karssemakers (NED, HUS), 28 p.; 8. Ivano Van Erp (NED, YAM), 27 p.; 9. Scott Smulders (NED, HUS), 26 p.; 10. Ferruccio Zanchi (ITA, YAM), 21 p.;

EMX125 - Championship Top 10 Classification: 1. Valerio Lata (ITA, KTM), 299 points; 2. Bobby Bruce (GBR, GAS), 277 p.; 3. Kay Karssemakers (NED, HUS), 241 p.; 4. Lucas Coenen (BEL, KAW), 237 p.; 5. Ivano Van Erp (NED, YAM), 221 p.; 6. Scott Smulders (NED, HUS), 194 p.; 7. Karlis Alberts Reisulis (LAT, YAM), 170 p.; 8. Marc-Antoine Rossi (FRA, KTM), 162 p.; 9. Ferruccio Zanchi (ITA, YAM), 141 p.; 10. Alexis Fueri (FRA, FAN), 126 p.;

EMX125 - Manufacturers Classification: 1. KTM, 328 points; 2. Yamaha, 307 p.; 3. GASGAS, 307 p.; 4. Kawasaki/BUD, 288 p.; 5. Husqvarna, 254 p.; 6. Fantic, 221 p.; 7. Kawasaki/KTM, 5 p.;

TIMETABLE

SUNDAY: 08:15 MX2 Free/Time Practice, 09:15 MXGP Free/Time Practice, 11:15 MX2 Race 1, 12:15 MXGP Race 1, 14:10 MX2 Race 2, 15:10 MXGP Race 2.

All the photos from the MXGP of Garda will be available HERE.

You can find the complete results HERE.

MXGP OF GARDA QUICK FACTS:

Circuit length: 1550m

Type of ground: Hard Pack

Temperature: 15° C

Weather conditions: Mostly Cloudy

LINKS

Infront Moto Racing

FIM Europe

MXGP of Garda

PIETRAMURATA (Italy) 28 October 2021 – There are just three Grand Prix’s left on the 2021 FIM Motocross World Championship calendar and the title fight in MXGP could not be any more intense. Just three points separate the top three contenders, as Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings leads Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s Romain Febvre by just a single point, with Team HRC’s Tim Gajser a further two points behind.

This weekend’s races will be crucial as tension begins to build. With the championship so tight, there is absolutely no room for error, so it will be interesting to see who can stay strong and who will crack under pressure.

Alongside the MXGP and MX2 action, we will also witness round eight of the EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing and EMX250 championships. MRT Racing Team KTM’s Valerio Lata will no doubt be looking to add another victory in the 125cc category, while in EMX250 Fantic Factory Racing Maddii rider Nicholas Lapucci will look to bounce back with two solid results after a difficult first outing here in Pietramurata.

The MXGP title chase is heating up and the races on Sunday will be more important than ever as we edge closer to crowning this year’s champion. Herlings suffered a huge blow yesterday after a DNF in race one. This cost him the 24-point advantage that he previously held over Febvre and briefly handed the Frenchman the championship lead after he took victory in the opening race.

For Febvre, his biggest downfall is not putting together two solid races, which was the case yesterday. While he looked strong in race one as he managed to get by Gajser for the win in the closing stages of the race, his second race was much different. He had to work hard to come through the field after another poor start and then was stuck behind Herlings, unable to get around the Bullet who was keen on keeping his closest rival behind him.  

Herlings will need to bounce back at the MXGP of Garda if he wants to maintain the control of the championship lead, while Febvre and Gajser will need to deliver top results to have their chance at stealing the red plate.

There’ll be a lot of pressure on the top three in the final stages of this series and the one who manages to keep clam will be the one to take crown.

One rider who has no pressure on him is Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Antonio Cairoli who made his return to the podium in the most epic fashion. The Italian had struggled in the last few races since his crash in Riola Sardo, but yesterday’s performance just went to show that Cairoli is not finished yet. He grabbed a huge Fox Holeshot in heat two and lead every lap from then on to win the race and claim his 94^th career Grand Prix victory in front of his home fans. Now the focus of Cairoli is to finish on the podium at the next three GPs as he nears the end of his professional racing career in MXGP.

While a veteran like Cairoli had a great race yesterday, the MXGP rookies Thomas Kjer Olsen of Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing and Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Ben Watson had a solid day as the pair finished 6^th and 7^th overall. Both have finished on the podium during their MX2 days at the track in Pietramurata and it looks like this confidence has carried through into MXGP. Let’s see if they can improve upon their results for the final race here in Trentino.  

Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jeremy Seewer once again came close to a podium finish, as he ended his day fourth overall yesterday, just one point behind Febvre. Seewer had two solid races to finish fourth and second, but it was not enough to get him on the box this time around. The Swiss has only been on the podium once this season, but let’s see if he can make it twce this weekend.

MXGP of Pietramurata – MXGP Top 3:

1. Antonio Cairoli

2. Tim Gajser

3. Romain Febvre

Main Photo: MXGP Start

Bottom Photos: 1. Antonio Cairoli 2. Romain Febvre

MXGP - World Championship Top 10 Classification: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 573 points; 2. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 572 p.; 3. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 570 p.; 4. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 473 p.; 5. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 464 p.; 6. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 451 p.; 7. Pauls Jonass (LAT, GAS), 391 p.; 8. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, YAM), 369 p.; 9. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, KTM), 266 p.; 10. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 266 p.;

In MX2, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Rene Hofer made history to become the first Austrian to win a Grand Prix since 1987 when the former World Champion Heinz Kinigadner was victorious, not including the round victory of Matthias Walkner in MX3 back in 2013.

It was a big day for Hofer, KTM and Austrian fans, as he was in the perfect spot to take over the lead in race two and go on to win his first race in MX2, which was topped off by a trip to the top step of the podium. No doubt the Austrian will look to repeat his success and end the weekend with another podium.

While Hofer celebrated a strong day, Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Maxime Renaux had another tough day. The championship leader ran into several issues which included a poor start, contact with another rider and being taken out by another pilot. But in true champion spirit, the Frenchman fought back in both races to finish 5^th overall and maintain a 87 point lead over his teammate Jago Geerts.

Geerts had two different races yesterday. While he once again challenged Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Tom Vialle for the win in the opening race, race two was a different affair. A bad start made this hard as he had to fight back from the back to sixth place which was enough to get him on the podium for the second time in a row. Now with two visits on the box, there’s no doubt that the Belgian will be pushing to finish the trip here in Pietramurata with an overall victory.

Third on the podium was Honda 114 Motorsports' Ruben Fernandez who once again learned that consistency can really pay off. The Spaniard had some nice battles in both races as he finished third and fifth to end his day third on the box. And just like Geerts, will no doubt aim to be on the podium once again this weekend.

One podium regular that was missing from the podium yesterday, was Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Tom Vialle who started his day with a victory in race one and ended with the Frenchman limping back to the paddock in race two. Vialle battled with Renaux in the opening stages of the second heat but then ended up crashing and looked in discomfort as he made his way back to the paddock. The DNF would’ve been costly for him as he was looking to remain close to the silver medal. Nonetheless, it will be interesting to see if he can come back this weekend and take back some points.

Home hero Mattia Guadagnini of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing had a mixture of a day yesterday which ended with a very positive result of second in race two and a close call from the podium. In the first GP in Pietramurata, the Italian struggled but hopefully the second place yesterday will be the boost he needs to fight for top positions with the support of his home fans.  

Diga Procross GasGas Factory Racing’s Simon Längenfelder and Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Jed Beaton were front and centre to some nice battles during the last GP’s. Yesterday the pair finished 6^th and 7^th and it will be interesting what they can deliver this weekend and maybe make a visit to the podium.

MXGP of Pietramurata – MX2 Top 3:

1. Rene Hofer

2. Jago Geerts

3. Ruben Fernandez

Main Photo: MX2 Start

Bottom Photos: 1. Rene Hofer 2. Jago Geerts

MX2 - World Championship Top 10 Classification: 1. Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 595 points; 2. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 508 p.; 3. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), 492 p.; 4. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, KTM), 475 p.; 5. Jed Beaton (AUS, HUS), 454 p.; 6. Rene Hofer (AUT, KTM), 436 p.; 7. Thibault Benistant (FRA, YAM), 384 p.; 8. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 384 p.; 9. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, HON), 364 p.; 10. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, GAS), 271 p.;

TIMETABLE

SATURDAY: 08:15 EMX125 Group 1 Free Practice, 08:40 EMX125 Group 2 Free Practice, 09:05 EMX250 Group 1 Free Practice, 09:30 EMX250 Group 2 Free Practice, 10:00 EMX125 Group 1 Qualifying Practice, 10:35 EMX125 Group 2 Qualifying Practice, 11:10 EMX250 Group 1 Qualifying Practice, 11:45 EMX250 Group 2 Qualifying Practice, 13:10 EMX125 Race 1, 14:00 EMX250 Race 1, 15:10 EMX125 Race 2, 16:05 EMX250 Race 2.

SUNDAY: 08:15 MX2 Free/Time Practice, 09:15 MXGP Free/Time Practice, 11:15 MX2 Race 1, 12:15 MXGP Race 1, 14:10 MX2 Race 2, 15:10 MXGP Race 2.

LINKS

Infront Moto Racing

FIM

FIM Europe

MXGP of Garda