EMX250

Infront Moto Racing is pleased to share that you can now purchase your tickets for the MXGP of Germany that is set to take place on the 2^nd and 3^rd of October!

For the 25^th time in its history the circuit of Teutschenthal will once again host the German Grand Prix for the 11^th round of the FIM Motocross World Championship.

This season has thrown many things at us, with the racing more intense and exciting than ever before, keeping us all on the edge of our seats. Don’t miss your opportunity to support your heroes and watch your favourite MXGP and MX2 stars in action as they battle it out for the world championship title.

In addition to the World Championship races, the EMX250 as well as the EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing categories will line up for their rounds, which will offer fans even more awesome race action throughout the weekend.

Secure your place at the MXGP of Germany and get your tickets HERE!

KEGUMS (Latvia) 7 August 2021 – The European Championship races have concluded the first day of racing in Kegums, as Kevin Horgmo of SM Action Racing Team YUASA Battery took an overall victory in EMX250 to edge closer to the series leader Nicholas Lapucci of Fantic Factory Team Maddii. While KMP Honda Racing’s Gert Krestinov made a perfect wildcard appearance in the EMX Open class to go 1-1 and take the overall win.

In the first EMX250 race it was Maxime Grau of Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing who was the leading rider as he headed into the first and second corner. There were a few riders caught up in some crashes during the first two laps, this included Tom Guyon of Team VHR KTM Racing and Hutten Metaal Yamaha Racing’s Andrea Bonacorsi.

Grau’s time in the lead didn’t last long as Liam Everts of Liamski KTM jumped into the lead, as Kevin Horgmo of SM Action Racing Team YUASA Battery battled with Federico Tuani of Fantic Factory Team Maddii for second place.

Yago Martinez, the rider of Team VRT Nordpesca Holland got a good start in the race and was running fourth ahead of Rick Elzinga of TBS Conversions Racing Team and Filip Olsson of SIXTYTWO Motorsport Husqvarna Team.

Everts then dropped from the lead down to seventh after crashing, which meant that Horgmo was the new race leader ahead of Elzinga and Lapucci who made their way up the order.

Elzinga looked like he was going to challenge Horgmo for the race win, though after a few laps the Norwegian was able to edge out to secure his first EMX250 victory, with Elzinga securing second position and Lapucci finishing what was a lonely race in third.

In race two, it was Martinez who led Lapucci, Horgmo and Mike Gwerder of WZ Racing Team. While once again a couple of riders came together and it looked like Bonacorsi was involved once again.

Lapucci though took the lead on lap four as Elzinga was making his way through the field after starting the race in around 10^th and was up in 5^th at that moment. It also didn’t take long for him to get around Gwerder who was trying his best to keep the Dutchman behind him.

Horgmo then also passed Martinez to move into second as Everts was having a tough race after starting down the order and then crashing to drop outside of the points after working hard to get inside the top 20. He eventually finished the race in 28^th.

Lapucci then stretched his lead to 3.407 seconds over Horgmo as Martinez lost third place to Elzinga who was keen on picking up some important points for the title chase.

Lapucci then checked out of the race and won with a 9.583 as Horgmo brought it home in second and Elzinga crossing the line in third.

With a race win and a second place today in the races, Kevin Horgmo secured his first ever EMX250 overall victory as he took to the top step of the podium, while Nicholas Lapucci continued his 100% podium record with second overall and Rick Elzinga making his third consecutive podium appearance to finished on the third step.

Lapucci continues to lead the championship with a 27-point advantage over Horgmo and Elzinga who is further behind in third.

Kevin Horgmo: “Actually, it's one of the first races where I didn’t get too stressed; in both races I did quite good I had really good flow even in the rough sections of the track. I was pushing really hard in the second race because I wanted to get the maximum points for the championship; when I started thinking about the overall I made some mistakes, I got stressed and I saw that Nicholas was riding really good so I tried to calm down and be focused on the overall. The last lap was really hard because I was feeling the pressure. To win the overall has always been my dream and is always nice, I had already other chances in the past but I threw them away because of mistakes so I’m really proud of this result”.

Nicholas Lapucci: “It was a good day because I finish second overall but I’m not 100% satisfied because I didn’t’ win in the first race and my riding style wasn’t on point. In the second race I was super focused, and I really wanted the win. Now my focus is to keep the red plate until the end of the season. Next GP will be different but I’m quite confident because next round will be on hard pack track that is my favourite kind of track and I’ll do my best to win also there”.

Rick Elzinga: “I’m not completely satisfied but I’m happy that I’m being consistent; today I wasn’t feeling super comfortable and then I struggled a lot with the track especially in the first race. For me the second race was better, I had a good start, but some riders crashed in front of me and I hurt my leg so was kind of difficult to keep the flow back. Overall, I’m quite satisfied about the day because I show my potential. After Matterley Basin I changed my approach and I see what I can get race by race and do the best I can”.

Main Photo: EMX250 Start

Bottom Photos: 1. Kevin Horgmo 2. Rick Elzinga

EMX250 - Race 1 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, GASGAS), 29:37.117; 2. Rick Elzinga (NED, KTM), +0:10.177; 3. Nicholas Lapucci (ITA, Fantic), +0:15.405; 4. Yago Martinez (ESP, KTM), +0:37.008; 5. Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), +0:39.047; 6. Federico Tuani (ITA, Fantic), +0:53.355; 7. Dave Kooiker (NED, Yamaha), +0:55.276; 8. David Braceras (ESP, KTM), +0:56.290; 9. Mike Gwerder (SUI, KTM), +0:58.810; 10. Tim Edberg (SWE, KTM), +1:09.056;

EMX250 - Race 2 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Nicholas Lapucci (ITA, Fantic), 29:50.954; 2. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, GASGAS), +0:09.583; 3. Rick Elzinga (NED, KTM), +0:19.229; 4. Yago Martinez (ESP, KTM), +0:34.560; 5. Cornelius Toendel (NOR, Yamaha), +0:36.540; 6. Mike Gwerder (SUI, KTM), +0:39.729; 7. Maximilian Spies (GER, Fantic), +0:45.599; 8. Maxime Grau (FRA, Husqvarna), +1:01.545; 9. Filip Olsson (SWE, Husqvarna), +1:04.727; 10. Dave Kooiker (NED, Yamaha), +1:06.430;

EMX250 - Overall Top 10 Classification: 1. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, GAS), 47 points; 2. Nicholas Lapucci (ITA, FAN), 45 p.; 3. Rick Elzinga (NED, KTM), 42 p.; 4. Yago Martinez (ESP, KTM), 36 p.; 5. Mike Gwerder (SUI, KTM), 27 p.; 6. Dave Kooiker (NED, YAM), 25 p.; 7. Federico Tuani (ITA, FAN), 24 p.; 8. Tim Edberg (SWE, KTM), 21 p.; 9. David Braceras (ESP, KTM), 20 p.; 10. Cornelius Toendel (NOR, YAM), 16 p.;

EMX250 - Championship Top 10 Classification: 1. Nicholas Lapucci (ITA, FAN), 187 points; 2. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, GAS), 163 p.; 3. Rick Elzinga (NED, KTM), 144 p.; 4. Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), 108 p.; 5. Yago Martinez (ESP, KTM), 91 p.; 6. Cornelius Toendel (NOR, YAM), 88 p.; 7. Dave Kooiker (NED, YAM), 77 p.; 8. Andrea Bonacorsi (ITA, YAM), 74 p.; 9. Mike Gwerder (SUI, KTM), 74 p.; 10. Jorgen-Matthias Talviku (EST, HUS), 57 p.;

EMX250 - Manufacturers Classification: 1. Fantic, 187 points; 2. KTM, 163 p.; 3. GASGAS, 163 p.; 4. Yamaha, 133 p.; 5. Husqvarna, 110 p.; 6. Kawasaki, 58 p.; 7. Honda, 34 p.; 8. TM, 17 p.;

The first EMX Open race saw Gert Krestinov of KMP Honda Racing and No Fear / BT Jumbo Racing Team’s Micha-Boy De Waal get a flying start as the pair were close into the first corner. Though De Waal quickly dropped to third as Jere Haavisto went through on the Dutchman.

The series leader, Davide De Bortoli started the first race in around fifth position, though by the following lap the Italian got around Dovydas Karka to move into fourth.

De Waal then got Haavisto back to move into second place as De Bortoli was making good progress to edge closer to the leaders. Lithuanian, Karka, was keeping close with De Bortoli but eventually made a mistake and lost some ground on the Italian, which allowed Simone Croci, Tim Koch and Emil Berggren to close in. In the next few laps Karka lost a few positions and eventually finished the race in 12^th.

Back at the top end of the field though, Krestinov continued the lead as De Waal was pushing hard to get closer to the Estonian. A lap later De Waal lost his rear brake and went on straight as he entered the corner near the start straight and as a result, he dropped to fourth as Haavisto and De Bortoli made the most of his mistake.

Krestinov then rode his own race as he led by over 12 seconds with Haavisto failing to get any closer to the race leader. Meanwhile De Waal was making a good recovery and with two laps to go had De Bortoli in his sights for third though could not make a big enough impact to gain a position by the chequered flag. Krestinov was the race winner, Haavisto was second and De Bortoli remained third.

In the second heat it was De Bortoli who got a strong start as De Waal and Haavisto were involved in a crash.

Krestinov then took the lead from the championship leader, though made a mistake soon after which put him back to square one. Despite the mistake, the Estonian was able to fight back immediately and get out in front once again.

Karka was having a good start to his race as he was riding in third, before Honda SR Motoblouz rider Nicolas Dercourt was able to pass the Lithuanian to take his position. The pair then went after De Bortoli, though Karka was unable to stick with the two riders ahead of him as he dropped a few positions which allowed Koch and Emil Silander gain a position.

After crashing in the start of the race and having to make his way back from last, De Waal was making good progress as by lap five he was already up in seventh.

Dercourt continued his chase of De Bortoli, with the Frenchman parking the Italian to move himself into second place.

De Waal was pushing hard in the second part of the race as he managed to get around the likes of Silander and Koch, who retired from the race due to what looked like a bike issue. But for De Waal his race had just began as he got himself into fourth and was five seconds down on De Bortoli with three minutes and two laps to go.

In those next seven minutes or so, De Waal put the hammer down to pass both De Bortoli and Dercourt to finish the race in second behind Krestinov who the race winner was. Dercourt placed third in the race.

With two race victories, Gert Krestinov was the overall winner, with Micha-Boy De Waal standing in the second step of the podium, while Davide De Bortoli had a consistent day to finish on the podium once again.

De Bortoli continues to lead the championship just seven points ahead of Dercourt and De Waal who is third. Next up the EMX Open riders will head to Turkey for the final two races of the season where the 2021 championship will be decided.

Gert Krestinov: "It’s always nice to get some wins here. It’s good for me to do the European races and I got two wins. The first race to hold first position was easier, I could get a gap and easily control it whereas the second race was a little tougher and in the last two laps I saw Micha-Boy was coming so I had to wake up again and get going. It’s really good to be back in the MXGP paddock. Of course, I would like to be here all the time, but I need to see what’s best for me. I enjoyed the day, the track was really nice and my fitness was good”.

Micha-Boy De Waal: “The first race was pretty good, the start was good, I was behind Gert. After two laps my rear brake was gone and that’s why I ended up in the fence. I needed to slow down so I finished fourth which I was not too happy about. The second race the start was also good, but I crashed with two other riders and was completely last. In the first ten minutes I had no rhythm and didn’t feel good, but I knew the championship leader was a long way from me, so I needed to go to keep close, so I pushed hard and that’s what I did in the last fifteen minutes and that was pretty okay”

“I will try. 29 points in two races that will be difficult, but I will give it my all. I just hope to stay on the bike at least, that’s the main goal, I didn’t do that today, but I will go to Turkey to fight with the guys, and I hope we have some good battles”.

Davide De Bortoli: “Another decent day today. For me it was a positive day because last week I had a big crash in training, and I didn’t feel so good during the day but I tried to do my best and I am happy to be on the podium and get some points”.

“I have never seen the track in Turkey but I know it’s hard pack and I’m happy about that but there are two more races and I hope to keep the red plate for the end of the championship”.

Main Photo: EMX Open Start

Bottom Photos: 1. Gert Krestinov 2. Davide De Bortoli

EMXOpen - Race 1 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Gert Krestinov (EST, Honda), 29:36.366; 2. Jere Haavisto (FIN, Kawasaki), +0:15.177; 3. Davide De Bortoli (ITA, Honda), +0:19.450; 4. Micha-Boy De Waal (NED, Husqvarna), +0:26.201; 5. Emil Silander (FIN, GASGAS), +0:27.112; 6. Nicolas Dercourt (FRA, Honda), +0:29.100; 7. Emil Berggren (SWE, Husqvarna), +0:39.878; 8. Tim Koch (GER, Husqvarna), +0:40.363; 9. Simone Croci (ITA, Husqvarna), +0:42.736; 10. Andero Lusbo (EST, Husqvarna), +0:45.113;

EMXOpen - Race 2 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Gert Krestinov (EST, Honda), 30:03.612; 2. Micha-Boy De Waal (NED, Husqvarna), +0:06.397; 3. Nicolas Dercourt (FRA, Honda), +0:10.714; 4. Davide De Bortoli (ITA, Honda), +0:22.094; 5. Emil Silander (FIN, GASGAS), +0:34.677; 6. Dovydas Karka (LTU, Yamaha), +0:39.157; 7. Andero Lusbo (EST, Husqvarna), +0:49.983; 8. Tomasz Wysocki (POL, KTM), +0:55.601; 9. Simone Croci (ITA, Husqvarna), +1:00.814; 10. Emil Berggren (SWE, Husqvarna), +1:02.673;

EMXOpen - Overall Top 10 Classification: 1. Gert Krestinov (EST, HON), 50 points; 2. Micha-Boy De Waal (NED, HUS), 40 p.; 3. Davide De Bortoli (ITA, HON), 38 p.; 4. Nicolas Dercourt (FRA, HON), 35 p.; 5. Emil Silander (FIN, GAS), 32 p.; 6. Andero Lusbo (EST, HUS), 25 p.; 7. Emil Berggren (SWE, HUS), 25 p.; 8. Dovydas Karka (LTU, YAM), 24 p.; 9. Simone Croci (ITA, HUS), 24 p.; 10. Tomasz Wysocki (POL, KTM), 23 p.;

EMXOpen - Championship Top 10 Classification: 1. Davide De Bortoli (ITA, HON), 154 points; 2. Nicolas Dercourt (FRA, HON), 147 p.; 3. Micha-Boy De Waal (NED, HUS), 125 p.; 4. Simone Croci (ITA, HUS), 121 p.; 5. Filippo Zonta (ITA, HON), 88 p.; 6. Andero Lusbo (EST, HUS), 80 p.; 7. Simeo Ubach (ESP, HUS), 78 p.; 8. Jeff Oxelmark (SWE, HON), 52 p.; 9. Gert Krestinov (EST, HON), 50 p.; 10. Tim Koch (GER, HUS), 49 p.;

EMXOpen - Manufacturers Classification: 1. Honda, 189 points; 2. Husqvarna, 170 p.; 3. KTM, 117 p.; 4. Yamaha, 74 p.; 5. Kawasaki, 67 p.; 6. GASGAS, 44 p.;

Click here to obtain the complete results

All the photos from the MXGP of Latvia will be available HERE

MXGP OF LATVIA – QUICK FACTS

Circuit length: 1790m

Type of ground: Hard Sand

Temperature: 22°

Weather conditions: Cloudy

LINKS

Infront Moto Racing

FIM Europe

Kegums

MONACO (Principality of Monaco) 4 August 2021 – The FIM Motocross World Championship carries momentum into the seventh round of the series with the MXGP of Latvia this weekend at the technical sand circuit of Kegums.

The Latvian Grand Prix will conclude a four-week stint of races before we head into a three week break ahead of the Turkish double-header.

Last season Kegums hosted the very first, in the history of motocross, triple-header which kick-started the 2020 season after a long break due to a worldwide lockdown. The three races were incredibly successful and saw victories from Glenn Coldenhoff, Antonio Cairoli and Jeffrey Herlings in MXGP, while in MX2 it was Tom Vialle who won the first GP, while Jago Geerts dominated the last two.

The first race to take place at the Latvian venue was back in 2005 with Sven Breugelmans winning in the MX3 category, while Marcus Norlen was victorious in the 125cc class. The first official Grand Prix to be held in Kegums was in 2009, with Antonio Cairoli winning the then MX1 class and Rui Goncalves victorious in MX2.

This year we return to Kegums for the 11^th year, 12 counting the 2014 Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations, for what will be another interesting Grand Prix as things get more intense in the MXGP and MX2 championships.

This weekend’s races will also the fourth round of the EMX250 and EMX Open Championships. In EMX250, Fantic Factory Team Maddii’s Nicholas Lapucci will look to continue his podium streak and extended his 26-point lead over SM Action YUASA Battery Racing Team’s Kevin Horgmo and TBS Coversions Racing Rick Elzinga.

In EMX Open, Davide De Bortoli enters the fourth round of six, as the championship leader over Honda SR Motoblouz rider Nicolas Dercourt who is four points behind and Simon Croci who is third a further 15 points adrift.

In MXGP, Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s Romain Febvre will enter the Latvian race with a big confidence boost from his first ever Grand Prix victory in Lommel last weekend. Not only that, but last year Febvre got his first podium of the season in Kegums during the MXGP of Latvia on his first outing since injury, therefore big things can be expected of the Frenchman who is now second in the championship standings. Febvre has been pushing hard this season for race wins and an overall victory and in Belgium he got both, so maybe now he will be more relaxed knowing that he had achieved these things last week and will have less pressure going forward.  

While the current MXGP championship leader, Tim Gajser of Team HRC will look to bounce back after two tough races in Czech Republic and Belgium where he lost some vital championship points. Last year’s Latvian triple-header was also not the easiest for the Slovenian who suffered two DNF’s, but hopefully this time around will be different, and he will be able to pick himself up and get back to winning ways.  

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Antonio Cairoli will no doubt be looking to get himself back on the podium in Latvia after breaking his four GP podium streak in Lommel. Last year Cairoli won the second of the three events in Kegums, so clearly, he has what it takes to win races on the hard sand circuit. His teammate Jorge Prado will also be pushing for another podium finish after a fourth-place finish in Belgium, as Jeffrey Herlings will continue his shock return to racing and no doubt will deliver some more impressive results, after a race victory in Lommel just two weeks after breaking his shoulder blade.

While the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing MXGP riders will no doubt gather in force as they will look to put the unlucky Belgian Grand Prix behind them. For Glenn Coldenhoff the MXGP of Latvia holds some special memories as back in 2015 he secured his first ever MXGP race and overall wins, while last season he added to that giving GasGas their first overall victory in MXGP, as he was victorious at the first event of three. Meanwhile Jeremy Seewer will look to take back some points and get back into contention after a slow start to his 2021 campaign, as Ben Watson continues to adapt to the competitive class and hope for more strong finishes inside the top 10.

This weekend will be special for Standing Construct GasGas Factory Racing’s Pauls Jonas who will head into his home Grand Prix following his first podium finish a week earlier in Belgium. Jonass has been looking strong this season so far and it was only a matter of time before we were going to see him on the podium as he consistently pushed inside the top five and thereabouts. With his first podium of the 2021 season under his belt, let’s see if he can do this on home soil or even win in Kegums for the first time ever.

For Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Arminas Jasikonis the Latvian race is the closest thing to a home GP, with Lithuanian fans always making the short trip across the border to support the tall Lithuanian. Jasikonis continues his comeback from a traumatic brain injury and has shown some great results this season so far, with some top 10 finishes. Last season Jasikonis won his first ever GP race in Kegums, so let’s see if he can deliver some more top results this time around.

2020 MXGP of Latvia – MXGP Top 3:

1.Glenn Coldenhoff

2.Tim Gajser

3.Romain Febvre

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.;

MXGP - Manufacturers Classification: 1. KTM, 279 points; 2. Honda, 227 p.; 3. Kawasaki, 226 p.; 4. Yamaha, 209 p.; 5. GASGAS, 170 p.; 6. Husqvarna, 115 p.;

Main Photo: MXGP Start from 2020

Bottom Photos: 1. Pauls Jonass 2. Jeffrey Herlings

In MX2, Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Maxime Renaux continues to lead championship with a healthy 26-point advantage over Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Mattia Guadagnini. Renaux had a solid weekend in Belgium going 2-3 for third overall, while Guadagnini’s weekend was difficult. The Italian 14-10 after a nasty start crash in race one, with the rest of the weekend snowballing from there.

This weekend Renaux will aim for another good weekend with consistent results to extend his lead, while Guadagnini will want to put the troubles of Lommel behind him and collect some vital championship points in Kegums as he’s got Honda 114 Motorsports Ruben Fernandez breathing down his neck in the standings as he is just one point adrift of the Italian. Fernandez finished 6^th overall in Belgium and has not been on the podium since Matterley Basin, so he is well overdue some strong races.

Also edging closer in the championship is Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jago Geerts who had a stellar weekend at his home race last weekend. He went 1-2 to take the overall win and make up for lost ground last season during the Belgian triple-header. Those 47 points that he picked up in Lommel have done wonders for his title chase as he moves to fourth in the standings and just two points from second place. This weekend the Belgian will no doubt be looking for some more solid points to get back into title contention as he was one of the favourites to win as we entered the season.

F&H Kawasaki Racing’s Mathys Boisrame is another rider to look out for in Latvia as he will want to bounce back from Lommel and get back on the podium. Last season in Latvia, the Frenchman got two consecutive podiums, as he was third overall in the first two GP’s therefore, he is one of the favourites for the weekend, meanwhile his teammate Roan Van De Moosdijk who also had a strong run in Kegums last year will miss out on the Latvian race due to injury.

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Kay De Wolf will continue his successful rookie season after his race win and second overall in Lommel, as he will enter the Latvian GP more confident than ever. The young Dutchman has had some good races with his teammate Jed Beaton with the pair often running inside the top five and top 10 and it would be good to see both on the podium again, as De Wolf finished on the podium in Latvia last season in the EMX250 class.

Of course, this weekend we will also see Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Tom Vialle continue his return to racing after finishing seventh overall in Lommel, with P4 in race 1. It is clear that Vialle is still getting back up to speed, but he is already running well with the leaders and just needs two consistent races. Meanwhile his teammate Rene Hofer has also had some good races this season and will hope to continue this run and hopefully battle inside the top five again this weekend.

2020 MXGP of Latvia – MX2 Top 3:

1.Tom Vialle

2.Roan Van De Moosdijk

3.Mathys Boisrame

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.;

MX2 - Manufacturers Classification: 1. Yamaha, 262 points; 2. KTM, 250 p.; 3. Kawasaki, 201 p.; 4. Husqvarna, 195 p.; 5. Honda, 194 p.; 6. GASGAS, 141 p.;

Main Photo: MX2 Start from 2020

Bottom Photos: 1. Jago Geerts 2. Kay De Wolf

TIMETABLE (Local Timing GMT+3)

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

SUNDAY: 09:15 MX2 Free/Time Practice, 10:15 MXGP Free/Time Practice, 12:15 MX2 Race 1, 13:15 MXGP Race 1, 15:10 MX2 Race 2, 16:10 MXGP Race 2.

LINKS

Infront Moto Racing

FIM

FIM Europe

Kegums

LOMMEL (Flanders, Belgium) 31 July 2021 – Today’s European races in Lommel saw another successful day for Fantic Factory Team Maddii riders Nicholas Lapucci and Maximilian Spies as the pair were victorious in the EMX250 and EMX2t Presented by FMF Racing categories and went on to extend their championship leads.

In the first EMX250 race of the day, it was Lapucci who took the holeshot and was closely followed by SM Action YUASA Battery Racing Team’s Kevin Horgmo as a few riders got caught out after the first corner.

Lapucci then led Horgmo, Cornelius Toendel of Riley Racing as well as Jorgen-Matthias Talviku of No Fear/Jumbo BT Racing and Dave Kooiker of Hutten Metaal Yamaha Racing.

Meanwhile Horgmo was not letting Lapucci run away with it as he set the fastest lap time of the race and was keeping close with the Fantic rider. As the race progressed, the Norwegian made several attempts to take the lead and eventually by lap eight was the new race leader. Though his time in the lead did not last long as by the following lap the GasGas rider crashed out and re-joined in fourth place.

Further down the field, home rider Liam Everts of KTM Liamski was working his way back up into the top 10 as he charged forward making some good passes to finish the race in fifth position.

Though it was Lapucci who was victorious in race one with Talviku second and Rick Elzinga of TBS Conversions Racing finishing the race in third.

In race two, it was Lapucci and Horgmo who were side-by-side in the start followed by Elzinga, Florian Miot of PAR Homes Husqvarna Powered by Stebbings and Kjell Verbruggen of KTM Sarholz Racing Team.

Horgmo then dropped to third as Elzinga went through and by lap three we saw the Dutchman take the lead as he managed to get around Lapucci.

Everts was having a much better start to the race as he passed Talviku and Miot to move into fourth, while Elzinga was the fastest rider on track and went on to extend is lead to 3.308 seconds.

Miot then made a mistake which allowed Talviku into fifth position as Everts searched for a way to get close to the top three riders.

Elzinga rode a dominant race until the chequered flag fell, with Lapucci finishing second and Horgmo third. With a 1-2 result, it was Nicholas Lapucci who was the overall winner, while Elzinga finished second on the podium with Horgmo third.

In terms of the championship standings, it’s Lapucci who leads by 26-points over Horgmo, while Elzinga moves from fifth to third in the standings.

Nicholas Lapucci: “The main goal today was to manage, take as many points as possible because the track was really sketchy and it was really easy to make mistakes, so I just took two good starts, I think I took two holeshots, then from there I managed to take the overall win and just focus on my flow, to don’t do some stupid mistake and take the win”

“For sure, to win is good for the mind, I will go to Latvia more pumped than ever, let’s see what will happen and always we take it race by race, no pressure, just have fun, try to keep the red plate until the end of the championship”.

Rick Elzinga: “I like this track a lot. It’s always good to have a good result in Lommel especially because it is an iconic track, I really love being here. In the first race I had a trouble with the bike and was fighting a lot with the track, but second race was much better, for me race 2 is always a big race, happy to win again, happy to take the second place. After England I was really far behind, I think fifteenth, and then after Oss, I moved to sixth in the standings and now to third, if we keep going like this, it will be good for the championship”.

Kevin Horgmo: I felt quite in control when I was leading the first race and then just it went over and hit my neck really bad, so for the second race for me it was just a matter of surviving. It was really hard to keep the head up in all the bumps; in the first ten minutes I managed but the last twenty minutes were terrible for me. I’m little bit sad because I think the track was really awesome and it would be fun to have some good battles if I was one hundred per cent fit but that is racing”.

“I like Kegums, it’s a little bit a harder sand, maybe a little bit more difficult in one way but in another way not as though as here. Now I need just to focus on the starts, because in England I had two really bad starts, today I improved in both starts, so I want to keep battling with those guys, and hopefully be on the podium for many rounds to come”.

Main Photo: EMX250 Start

Bottom Photos: 1. Nicholas Lapucci and Marco Maddii on the podium. 2. Rick Elzinga. 

EMX250 - Race 1 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Nicholas Lapucci (ITA, Fantic), 31:11.641; 2. Jorgen-Matthias Talviku (EST, Husqvarna), +0:11.108; 3. Rick Elzinga (NED, KTM), +0:18.071; 4. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, GASGAS), +0:29.713; 5. Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), +0:35.355; 6. Cornelius Toendel (NOR, Yamaha), +0:44.940; 7. Marcel Conijn (NED, KTM), +0:50.169; 8. Camden Mc Lellan (RSA, Husqvarna), +0:56.485; 9. Tim Edberg (SWE, KTM), +0:56.818; 10. Mike Gwerder (SUI, KTM), +1:07.003;

EMX250 - Race 2 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Rick Elzinga (NED, KTM), 31:41.753; 2. Nicholas Lapucci (ITA, Fantic), +0:08.829; 3. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, GASGAS), +0:21.170; 4. Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), +0:41.063; 5. Jorgen-Matthias Talviku (EST, Husqvarna), +0:52.497; 6. Marcel Conijn (NED, KTM), +1:12.919; 7. Dave Kooiker (NED, Yamaha), +1:21.768; 8. Mike Gwerder (SUI, KTM), +1:28.206; 9. Camden Mc Lellan (RSA, Husqvarna), +1:49.217; 10. Filip Olsson (SWE, Husqvarna), +1:51.253;

EMX250 - Overall Top 10 Classification: 1. Nicholas Lapucci (ITA, FAN), 47 points; 2. Rick Elzinga (NED, KTM), 45 p.; 3. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, GAS), 38 p.; 4. Jorgen-Matthias Talviku (EST, HUS), 38 p.; 5. Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), 34 p.; 6. Marcel Conijn (NED, KTM), 29 p.; 7. Camden Mc Lellan (RSA, HUS), 25 p.; 8. Mike Gwerder (SUI, KTM), 24 p.; 9. Dave Kooiker (NED, YAM), 22 p.; 10. Cornelius Toendel (NOR, YAM), 15 p.;

EMX250 - Championship Top 10 Classification: 1. Nicholas Lapucci (ITA, FAN), 142 points; 2. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, GAS), 116 p.; 3. Rick Elzinga (NED, KTM), 102 p.; 4. Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), 92 p.; 5. Cornelius Toendel (NOR, YAM), 72 p.; 6. Andrea Bonacorsi (ITA, YAM), 71 p.; 7. Jorgen-Matthias Talviku (EST, HUS), 57 p.; 8. Yago Martinez (ESP, KTM), 55 p.; 9. Dave Kooiker (NED, YAM), 52 p.; 10. Mike Gwerder (SUI, KTM), 47 p.;

EMX250 - Manufacturers Classification: 1. Fantic, 142 points; 2. KTM, 121 p.; 3. GASGAS, 116 p.; 4. Yamaha, 103 p.; 5. Husqvarna, 92 p.; 6. Kawasaki, 52 p.; 7. Honda, 34 p.; 8. TM, 17 p.;

In the opening EMX2t Presented by FMF Racing heat, it was Federico Tuani of Fantic Factory Team Maddii who grabbed the holeshot and led the way, with Damian Wedage, Liam Hanstrom, Spies, Ken De Dycker and Brad Anderson of Verde Substance KTM just behind.

Spies then began to close in on Hanstrom and by lap three was the new race leader, as Tuani dropped to third. Meanwhile, Anderson worked his way up to fifth and then chased down De Dycker for fourth and set his sights on Hanstrom to break into the top three.

Tuani then took back second place as the gap was 3.071 seconds between him and Spies. Not long after the gap dropped to just over a second as Tuani set his personal best lap of the race going almost two seconds faster than Spies.

With 12 minutes plus two laps to go Anderson moved into third, as Spies got his head down and focused on his own race. Tuani then lost a load of time on the race leader as the gap went up to 8.228 seconds and that’s when Anderson caught a sight of the Italian rider and began his late charge for second.

In the end it was Spies who was the first race winner with Tuani second and Anderson third.

In race two, it was Anderson who got a much better start and led Wedage, Hanstrom, Tuani and Rene Boer. Meanwhile race one winner, Spies, had an unlucky start to the race after crashing on the opening lap and having to work his way up from outside the top 10.

De Dycker then got Boer for fifth, while Tuani closed in on Hanstrom to steal second place from the Swede. Hanstrom the dropped another position as De Dycker went through into third.

Tuani then cut the gap to Anderson as he went after the race win, while Spies was making progress of his own as he got around Boer and Hanstrom to move into fourth position.

Tuani took the lead on lap five and then stretched out his lead to 11.392 over the next few laps, while Spies managed to get around Anderson for second and then it was game on as the German fought hard to catch his teammate.

With just a lap remaining, Tuani made a very costly error and crashed which cost him his first EMX race victory as Spies was able to go through and take another win. Anderson finished the race second, as Tuani managed to hold on to third.

With two race victories, Maximilian Spies was the overall winner, with Brad Anderson second on the box and Federico Tuani third. Spies continues to lead the championship with a 16-point advantage over Anderson, with Tuani a further two points behind.

Maximilian Spies: “The day started very good again and also very close with the time practice, I went fastest on the last lap with 0.05 seconds in front of Federico. I felt a little bit of pressure but in the first race I managed to get a good start in third, just pass both riders and got my flow and kept focused for the second race. But the second race didn’t go how I wanted it. I crashed in the first lap, and I lost a lot of time there but when I stood up I just focused and said I want to win. I did my best and on the last lap when I saw Federico, we had just four second between us, then he made a mistake, that’s racing, and anything can happen. I went 1-1 again today and I am very happy with it”.

“I want to keep consistent and don’t do anything stupid in the races, just ride good and smooth and win again. It will be hard on hard pack because I know Federico and Brad are good riders and I also made good progress with the Maddii Family in the hard pack, and we will see”.

Brad Anderson: “In the first race I pushed so hard in the start and used so much energy, but that second one I got a brilliant start ,got out first and I tried to control it but pushed too hard and didn’t have anything left as I wasn’t feeling so well. I was looking forward to this round but I’m getting older now and it was tough for me around here but I’m glad to come away with second overall and second in the championship. Hopefully I can pull some points back at the next round”.

Federico Tuani: “I trained a lot here in Lommel, so I really wanted that win but unluckily I crashed on the last lap, and I don’t know what to say because I feel awful inside. It’s difficult to accept but it is what it is. I finish on the box and that is quite okay, we move on to Turkey and I hope for the best, a good ride, and no stupid mistakes. I am quite happy that it will be hardpack, I saw some videos of the track and it looks like it will be fun”.

Main Photo: EMX2t Presented by FMF Racing Start 

Bottom Photos: 1. Maximilian Spies 2. Federico Tuani ahead of Rene Boer. 

EMX2T Presented by FMF Racing - Race 1 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Maximilian Spies (GER, Fantic), 30:48.714; 2. Federico Tuani (ITA, Fantic), +0:10.493; 3. Brad Anderson (GBR, KTM), +0:19.027; 4. Ken de Dycker (BEL, GASGAS), +1:00.178; 5. Ben Putnam (GBR, Husqvarna), +1:04.106; 6. Liam Hanstrom (SWE, Yamaha), +1:06.521; 7. Rene Boer (NED, Husqvarna), +1:09.421; 8. Damian Wedage (NED, KTM), +1:34.003; 9. Jaap Janssen (NED, KTM), +1:37.239; 10. Dieter Vromans (BEL, Husqvarna), +1:58.209;

EMX2T Presented by FMF Racing - Race 2 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Maximilian Spies (GER, Fantic), 31:50.743; 2. Brad Anderson (GBR, KTM), +0:08.087; 3. Federico Tuani (ITA, Fantic), +0:24.662; 4. Ken de Dycker (BEL, Fantic), +1:28.266; 5. Rene Boer (NED, Husqvarna), +1:34.521; 6. Ben Putnam (GBR, Husqvarna), +1:43.933; 7. Jaap Janssen (NED, KTM), +1:48.843; 8. Maxime Sot (FRA, Yamaha), +2:06.349; 9. Damian Wedage (NED, KTM), +2:17.348; 10. Krijn van Vroenhoven (NED, KTM), -1 lap(s);

EMX2T Presented by FMF Racing - Overall Top 10 Classification: 1. Maximilian Spies (GER, FAN), 50 points; 2. Brad Anderson (GBR, KTM), 42 p.; 3. Federico Tuani (ITA, FAN), 42 p.; 4. Ken de Dycker (BEL, FAN), 36 p.; 5. Ben Putnam (GBR, HUS), 31 p.; 6. Rene Boer (NED, HUS), 30 p.; 7. Jaap Janssen (NED, KTM), 26 p.; 8. Damian Wedage (NED, KTM), 25 p.; 9. Krijn van Vroenhoven (NED, KTM), 21 p.; 10. Maxime Sot (FRA, YAM), 20 p.;

EMX2T Presented by FMF Racing - Championship Top 10 Classification: 1. Maximilian Spies (GER, FAN), 100 points; 2. Brad Anderson (GBR, KTM), 84 p.; 3. Federico Tuani (ITA, FAN), 82 p.; 4. Ben Putnam (GBR, HUS), 63 p.; 5. Twan Wagenaar (NED, KTM), 44 p.; 6. Jonas Nedved (CZE, KTM), 38 p.; 7. Krijn van Vroenhoven (NED, KTM), 38 p.; 8. Ken de Dycker (BEL, FAN), 36 p.; 9. Pablo Caspani (ITA, HUS), 32 p.; 10. Rene Boer (NED, HUS), 30 p.;

EMX2T Presented by FMF Racing - Manufacturers Classification: 1. Fantic, 100 points; 2. KTM, 84 p.; 3. Husqvarna, 64 p.; 4. Yamaha, 51 p.; 5. Honda, 11 p.;

Click here to obtain the complete results

All the photos from the MXGP of Flanders-Belgium will be available HERE

MXGP OF FLANDERS-BELGIUM – QUICK FACTS

Circuit length: 1830m

Type of ground: Sand

Temperature: 21°

Weather conditions: Cloudy

LINKS

Infront Moto Racing

FIM Europe

Lommel

LOMMEL (Flanders-Belgium) 29 July 2021 – The FIM Motocross World Championship continues this weekend with the MXGP of Flanders-Belgium as the action heads to the sandpit of Lommel.

Last season, Belgium hosted one of the few triple-headers of the season as Tim Gajser, Jorge Prado, Tom Vialle and Ben Watson took victories at the toughest sand circuit in the world. And as the competition heats up this season in both MXGP and MX2, it will be interesting to see who will rise to the challenge and come out on top.

Fans in Belgium will be able enjoy the action on Belgian TV channels, including Telenet who will continue broadcasting the season LIVE, along with VRT who are covering the races in their sport program on Sunday evenings, as well as RTV. 

Below you can find a list of TV channels that will air LIVE and delayed action of the Belgian Grand Prix, along with the 26min Behind-the-Gate magazine, available to enjoy on MXGP-TV.com and via our TV magazine partners following the GP weekend, featuring the best moments from the races and exclusive interviews, plus more!

As always though, MXGP fans can follow the races LIVE throughout the weekend, all you need to do is log onto www.MXGP-TV.com this Saturday and Sunday to watch the MXGP, MX2, WMX, EMX250 and EMX2t Presented by FMF Racing action from the comfort of your home.

USA - CANADA

CBS Sports Network

Sunday 1^st August 2021 – MX2 Race 2 – 03:00 pm ET Delayed

Sunday 1^st August 2021 – MXGP Race 2 – 04:00 pm ET Delayed

EUROPE

EUROSPORT 2

Thursday 12^th August 2021 – MX2 Race 1 – 18:00 CET Delayed

Thursday 12^th August 2021 – MXGP Race 1 – 18:30 CET Delayed

Thursday 12^th August 2021 – MX2 Race 2 – 19:00 CET Delayed

Thursday 12^th August 2021 – MXGP Race 2 – 19:30 CET Delayed

BALTICS (Estonia – Latvia - Lithuania)

TV3 SPORT OPEN

Sunday 1^st August 2021 – MXGP Race 1 – 13:00 CET LIVE

Sunday 1^st August 2021 – MXGP Race 2 – 16:00 CET LIVE

BELGIUM 

PLAY SPORTS OPEN

Sunday 1^st August 2021 – MX2 Race 1 – 12:00 CET LIVE

Sunday 1^st August 2021 – MXGP Race 1 – 13:00 CET LIVE

Sunday 1^st August 2021 – MX2 Race 2 – 15:00 CET LIVE

Sunday 1^st August 2021 – MXGP Race 2 – 16:00 CET LIVE

VRT

Sunday 1^st August 2021 – 20mn highlights

FINLAND

Cmore Max – CMORE Sport 1 – Cmore Sport 2

Sunday 1^st August 2021 – MXGP Race 2 – 16:00 CET LIVE

FRANCE

AUTOMOTO LA CHAINE  

Sunday 1^st August 2021 – MXGP Race 1 – 13:00 CET LIVE

Sunday 1^st August 2021 – MX2 Race 1 – 14:00 CET Delayed

Sunday 1^st August 2021 – MX2 Race 2 – 15:00 CET LIVE

Sunday 1^st August 2021 – MXGP Race 2 – 16:00 CET LIVE

EUROSPORT 2

Friday 13^th August 2021 – MX2 Race 1 – 08:30 CET Delayed

Friday 13^th August 2021 – MXGP Race 1 – 09:00 CET Delayed

Friday 13^th August 2021 – MX2 Race 2 – 09:30 CET Delayed

Friday 13^th August 2021 – MXGP Race 2 – 10:00 CET Delayed

ITALY

RAI SPORT HD

Sunday 1^st August 2021  – MXGP Race 1 – 13:00 CET LIVE

Sunday 1^st August 2021 – MXGP Race 2 – 16:00 CET LIVE

EUROSPORT 2

Thursday 12^th August 2021 – MX2 Race 1 – 18:00 CET Delayed

Thursday 12^th August 2021 – MXGP Race 1 – 18:30 CET Delayed

Thursday 12^th August 2021 – MX2 Race 2 – 19:00 CET Delayed

Thursday 12^th August 2021 – MXGP Race 2 – 19:30 CET Delayed

NETHERLANDS

NOS

Sunday 1^st August 2021 – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 CET LIVE Streaming

Sunday 1^st August 2021 – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 CET LIVE Streaming

SLOVENIA 

Sport TV1

Sunday 1^st August 2021 – MX2 Race 1 – 12:00 CET LIVE

Sunday 1^st August 2021 – MXGP Race 1 – 13:00 CET LIVE

Sunday 1^st August 2021 – MX2 Race 2 – 15:00 CET LIVE

Sunday 1^st August 2021 – MXGP Race 2 – 16:00 CET LIVE

SPAIN

TV Galicia

Sunday 1^st August 2021 – MXGP Race 1 – 13:00 CET LIVE

Sunday 1^st August 2021 – MXGP Race 2 – 16:00 CET LIVE

26min Behind-the-Gate Magazine Partners:

AMERICA

FOX Latin America      Latin America                          Thursday after each MXGP at 8:30pm

USA                             MAV TV                                   During the week after the event

AFRICA

Africa                           AXP                                          During the week after the event

EUROPE

Albania                        Kreator TV                               During the week after the event

Austria                        Kreator TV                               During the week after the event

Baltics                          TV3 Sport Open                      Thursday after each MXGP

Bosnia                         Kreator TV                               During the week after the event

Croatia                        Kreator TV                               During the week after the event

Finland                        MTV                                        During the week after the event

France                         Automoto TV la chaine           During the week after the event

Hungary                      Kreator TV                               During the week after the event

Kosovo                        Kreator TV                               During the week after the event

Montenegro                Kreator TV                               During the week after the event

Northern Macedonia  Kreator TV                               During the week after the event

Portugal                      SPORT TV                                Tuesday after the event        

Romania                      Look Sport                               During the week after the event

Serbia                          Kreator TV                               During the week after the event

Slovenia                      Sport TV                                  Tuesday after the event

Spain                           Movistar                                  Tuesday after the event

WORLDWIDE

Worldwide                  Motorvision                            During the week after the event

                                    Redbull TV                               MX World and Vlog

MXGP of Flanders-Belgium LIVE MXGP-TV Timetable

TIMETABLE (Local Timing GMT+2)

SATURDAY: 07:45 EMX2t Free Practice, 08:10 WMX Free Practice, 08:35 EMX250 Group 1 Free Practice, 09:00 EMX250 Group 2 Free Practice, 09:30 EMX2t Qualifying Practice, 10:05 WMX Qualifying Practice, 10:40 EMX250 Group 1 Qualifying Practice, 11:15 EMX250 Group 2 Qualifying Practice, 12:20 EMX2t Race 1, 13:10 WMX Race 1, 13:55 EMX250 Race 1, 14:50 EMX2t Race 2, 15:40 WMX Race 2, 16:35 EMX250 Race 2.

SUNDAY: 09:15 MX2 Free/Time Practice, 10:15 MXGP Free/Time Practice, 12:15 MX2 Race 1, 13:15 MXGP Race 1, 15:10 MX2 Race 2, 16:10 MXGP Race 2.

LINKS

Infront Moto Racing

FIM

FIM Europe

Lommel

MONACO (Principality of Monaco) 28 July 2021 – The time has come for the FIM Motocross World Championship to head to the deep sand of Lommel for the MXGP of Flanders-Belgium!

Every season, the Belgian Grand Prix is one of the most talked about races of the year as the track is considered to be the heartland of motocross and has played a vital part in the Motocross World Championship for many years, becoming known as one of the toughest sand circuits in the world.

Many memorable races have taken place in Lommel, including the 1981 Motocross of Nations and total of 18 Grand Prix’s since 1990, including last year’s triple-header!

During the Belgian triple-header, we saw Team HRC’s Tim Gajser take two out of the three victories, while Jorge Prado of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing was the overall winner during the second of three GP’s. Meanwhile in MX2, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Tom Vialle won the first two events, while Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Ben Watson finished off his MX2 career with a high to secure his first MX2 overall victory.

Other winners at the popular sand circuit include the likes of Marnicq Bervoets, Stefan Everts, Avo Leok, Ken Roczen, Max Anstie, Jeffrey Herlings and Antonio Cairoli.

The MXGP of Flanders-Belgium will be even more exciting this season as the FIM Women’s Motocross World Championship riders will make their very first appearance in Lommel for round two of the championship, as defending world champion Courtney Duncan of Bike it MTX Kawasaki will look to continue her dominant force with another solid result, while Larissa Papenmeier of Yamaha Racing 423 will look to keep the championship gap close, as Nancy Van De Ven and Kiara Fontanesi will look to get themselves on the podium after a tough weekend in Loket.

This weekend’s races will also see round two of the EMX2t Presented by FMF Racing as Fantic Factory Team Maddii’s Maximilian Spies will enter the race in Lommel as the championship leader looking to keep that gap to Verde Substance KTM’s Brad Anderson and his teammate Federico Tuani. Former MXGP rider Ken De Dycker will also make a wildcard appearance in the EMX2t category this weekend, so it will be interesting to see if he can make things interesting for the leaders.

In addition, there will also be races of the EMX250 category, as Fantic Factory Team Maddii’s Nicholas Lapucci will look to keep the red plate on his Fantic machine and keep SM Action Racing Team YUASA Battery’s Kevin Horgmo, Hutten Metaal Yamaha Racing’s Andrea Bonacorsi, Liam Everts of KTM Liamski and Rick Elzinga of TBS Conversions KTM Racing Team at bay.

This weekend will be a chance for Team HRC’s Tim Gajser to claw back some valuable championship points that he lost out on in Loket due to the crash in the second race. Last season, Gajser won four of the six races that took place in Lommel during the Belgian triple-header, so entering the races this weekend, he is likely to pick up where he left off last time around.

Of course, there’s a field of riders who won’t make this easy, one of those riders being Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Antonio Cairoli who will look to continue his podium streak as he chases his fifth consecutive top three finish. Last time Cairoli was victorious in Lommel was 2014, so a GP victory in the sand is well overdue and it will be interesting to see how he can manage this weekend.

His young teammate, Jorge Prado will aim to make two GP wins on the bounce after his first podium of 2021 in Loket last weekend. Prado has somewhat struggled at the beginning of the year, though it looks like the Spaniard is picking up the pace now, as he proved this in Czech Republic with his race one win and GP victory.

Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s Romain Febvre will look for redemption in Lommel after some tough races in Oss and Loket. For Febvre staying on two wheels and consistency is the only thing missing, as he’s finding it tough to put together two strong races, which would put him in the fight for the podium and more importantly for the overall.

Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing riders Glenn Coldenhoff, Jeremy Seewer and Ben Watson are all within a fighting chance of some top results this weekend and even podium finishes. Last year in Lommel Watson secured two race wins and his first MX2 overall, so no doubt he will have an extra boost of confidence coming back to the circuit this weekend. While his teammate Seewer will enter the Belgian GP off the back of his first podium finish this season which is a big confidence boost for the Swiss who struggled in the beginning of the year.

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Arminas Jasikonis could shine this weekend as the tall Lithuanian has been making great progress in getting back up to speed during the last couple of GP’s. While the races in Loket didn’t deliver on the results Jasikonis would have wanted, we did however see a glimpse of what can be expected in Oss as he rode his way to a top 10 finish for the first time this season.

For Gebben Van Venrooy Racing’s Brent Van Doninck and Kevin Strijbos, along with Beta SDM Corse Motocross Team’s Jeremy Van Horebeek the races this weekend will be extra special, as the trio will want to put on their best performance for their home Grand Prix.

But the biggest talking point as we enter the sand races is whether or not Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings will make his return after a shoulder blade injury sustained in Oss. Herlings revealed in an interview with Lisa Leyland that he would want to return for Lommel in order to keep his championship chase alive, though the smart decision would be to return a couple of weeks later. So, it will be interesting to see what decision the team and Herlings make and whether we will see him line-up for the sand race on Sunday.

MXGP of Flanders-Belgium Top 3 MXGP:

1. Tim Gajser

2. Gautier Paulin

3. Jorge Prado

Main Photo: MXGP Start from 2020

Bottom Photos: 1. Tim Gajser 2. Ben Watson

MXGP - World Championship Top 10 Classification: 1. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 194 points; 2. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 183 p.; 3. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 177 p.; 4. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 174 p.; 5. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 151 p.; 6. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 143 p.; 7. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, YAM), 140 p.; 8. Pauls Jonass (LAT, GAS), 119 p.; 9. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, KTM), 109 p.; 10. Ben Watson (GBR, YAM), 90 p.

In MX2, Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Maxime Renaux will enter the sixth round of the series as the championship leader by just two points over Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Mattia Guadagnini who was the overall winner in Loket. There is no doubt both riders will want to do their best this weekend to gain some valuable championship points.

Thibault Benistant from Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing is a rider to look out for as he will line-up in Lommel after his maiden MX2 podium in Loket, after a 9-1 result. Last season, Benistant was impressive in the deep sand of Lommel as he chased his EMX250 title, so it will be interesting to see where he will match-up in the sand among the other MX2 riders.

For the third factory Yamaha rider, Jago Geerts, the home Grand Prix this weekend will be another chance for him to have some good races to get himself back on the podium and make his way up the championship standings. Last year the three races in Lommel were a mix for Geerts who struggled to keep it on two wheels, so hopefully this season he will be able to show what he is capable of in the sand.

Meanwhile Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Tom Vialle will continue his return after injury. Last week in Loket saw Vialle finish second behind Guadagnini in race one, while in the second race, the Frenchman went down twice and did not finish the race. Hopefully the crashes of last season have not been a set-back in his recovery and he can continue to get back to grips and defend his title.

Finally, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Jed Beaton and Kay De Wolf have been very promising so far this season as the pair have regularly been running at the top end of the field. In the sand race in Oss, the pair were second and third on the podium as they both challenged for race wins, so it will be good to see them do the same this time around.

Missing this weekend will be F&H Kawasaki Racing’s Roan Van De Moosdijk who would’ve been among the favourites for this sand race. The Dutchman unfortunately broke his scaphoid after a crash in Loket and has undergone surgery this week to repair it.

MXGP of Flanders-Belgium Top 3 MX2:

1. Tom Vialle

2. Jago Geerts

3. Ben Watson

Main Photo: MX2 Start from 2020

Bottom Photos: 1. Jago Geerts 2. Mattia Guadagnini

MX2 - World Championship Top 10 Classification: 1. Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 179 points; 2. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, KTM), 177 p.; 3. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, HON), 165 p.; 4. Mathys Boisrame (FRA, KAW), 149 p.; 5. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 146 p.; 6. Jed Beaton (AUS, HUS), 142 p.; 7. Thibault Benistant (FRA, YAM), 140 p.; 8. Rene Hofer (AUT, KTM), 137 p.; 9. Roan Van De Moosdijk (NED, KAW), 132 p.; 10. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 114 p.;

TIMETABLE (Local Timing GMT+2)

SATURDAY: 07:45 EMX2t Free Practice, 08:10 WMX Free Practice, 08:35 EMX250 Group 1 Free Practice, 09:00 EMX250 Group 2 Free Practice, 09:30 EMX2t Qualifying Practice, 10:05 WMX Qualifying Practice, 10:40 EMX250 Group 1 Qualifying Practice, 11:15 EMX250 Group 2 Qualifying Practice, 12:20 EMX2t Race 1, 13:10 WMX Race 1, 13:55 EMX250 Race 1, 14:50 EMX2t Race 2, 15:40 WMX Race 2, 16:35 EMX250 Race 2.

SUNDAY: 09:15 MX2 Free/Time Practice, 10:15 MXGP Free/Time Practice, 12:15 MX2 Race 1, 13:15 MXGP Race 1, 15:10 MX2 Race 2, 16:10 MXGP Race 2.

LINKS

Infront Moto Racing

FIM

FIM Europe

Lommel

MONACO (Principality of Monaco) 20 July 2021 – Infront Moto Racing is excited to share that MXGP fans can now get their hands on tickets for the MXGP of Latvia on the 7^th and 8^th of August!

For the 12^th time in the history of the FIM Motocross World Championship, Latvian motocross venue “Zelta Zirgs” will host the best motocross rider in the world for an unforgettable weekend of racing in Kegums.

Last season we were treated to three incredible races as Latvia hosted the first triple-header Grand Prix of 2020. This time around we return to Kegums for more action as MXGP stars Antonio Cairoli, Tim Gajser, Glenn Coldenhoff and others will go head-to-head for the top step of the podium.

Meanwhile home hero Pauls Jonass will look to put on his best performance in front his home supporters as he returns to Kegums after missing the GP last season, while Lithuanian star Arminas Jasikonis will want to do the same, as he gets back up to speed after injury.

Despite the MXGP racers taking the centre stage on Sunday, the competitors of the EMXOPEN and EMX250 classes will also be fighting for their championship points on Saturday.

Don’t miss the opportunity to witness the best riders take on the sandy Kegums circuit on the 7^th and 8^th of August! The ticket sales will official open on the 20^th of July at 1pm. You can purchase tickets at the official online store HERE!

Taking into account the Covid-19 restrictions set for Latvia for organizing public events, the territory of the “Zelta Zirgs” circuit will be divided into two spectator zones - C and D. Visitors will be allowed in Zone C upon presentation of a valid digital Covid-19 certificate attesting to a full course of vaccination or Covid-19 illness in the past 180 days. An unlimited number of people will be admitted in this area. Only people with a valid negative Covid-19 laboratory test will be allowed in Zone D. The number of people in this area will be limited. More information - www.latviamxgp.com/lv/