MX2

AFYON (Turkey) 6 September – The racing continues in Turkey as we head into the second Grand Prix taking place at the Afyon circuit with the Bitci MXGP of Afyon.

This will be the ninth round of the 2021 FIM Motocross World Championship as things continued to heat up both the MXGP and MX2 World Championships. The previous Grand Prix, just a day ago, presented some tense battles that saw Red Bull KTM Factory Racing celebrate a double victory with Jeffrey Herlings and Tom Vialle back on the top step of the podium. This time around it will be interesting to see if the pair can repeat their success.

Alongside the MXGP and MX2 categories, the FIM Women’s Motocross World Championship as well as the EMX Open riders will once again line up for their races, as Bike IT MTX Kawasaki’s Courtney Duncan will look to pick up more solid points following her win on Saturday and keep her championship rival Kiara Fontanesi at bay.

Meanwhile tomorrow will be a very important day for Davide De Bortoli who will look to secure the EMX Open title as early as the first race, while Nicolas Dercourt and Simon Croci will do their best to make this harder and also pick up as many points as they can themselves as only four points separate them in second and third place in the championship.

In MXGP, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings is closing in on the championship fast following his 1-2 result yesterday which put him back on the top step of the podium. Herlings remains undefeated here as he has won all three GP’s that have taken place in Afyonkarahisar since the first race in 2018 and he will no doubt want to keep this streak going on Wednesday.

Starts will be key for the Bullet, who shared in the post-race press conference that some changes will need to be made to his bike in the hope that it will help him improve his starts which were the main issue during the races yesterday.

While Herlings struggled with the starts, his teammate Jorge Prado did not. Prado took two Fox Holeshot’s yesterday and led both races for the majority of the duration. However, the Spaniard could not bring it home in either one of the races but will give it another go on Wednesday as he looks to close in on Team HRC’s Time Gajser in the championship standings.

Gajser now leads by just 13 points as the championship gets tight. The Slovenian will be looking for a more consistent day, as he struggled in the first race after getting stuck behind Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Glenn Coldenhoff and losing his rhythm to then having a much better second race as he got around Prado and Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s Romain Febvre to take the win.

For Febvre the last GP was a missed opportunity as he had the possibility to go for the podium. But rightly so, Febvre opted for a more consistent day going 4-4 and doing a good job of staying out of trouble, which was a struggle for him in the previous GP’s.

Another rider having a consistent day was Antonio Cairoli of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing. The Italian finished both races in fifth place but was involved in some nice battles which created some interesting racing. Unfortunately, Cairoli got caught out in a crash in the second race as he chased Prado for second place, but it was clear that the 9-time World Champion has the speed to challenge for top positions around the hard pack circuit here in Afyon.

Also getting unlucky was Standing Construct GasGas Factory Racing’s Pauls Jonass who was looking incredibly strong all day. In the first race the Latvian battled at the sharp end of the field and finished the race in third, while in the second heat he was looking to do the same but was unlucky and had a big crash which resulted in a DNF. The GasGas rider will look to re-group and come back strong for the next race.

Also having some strong races was MRT Racing Team KTM’s Alessandro Lupino who finished the weekend seventh overall, while JM Honda Racing’s Henry Jacobi had a nice battle with Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Thomas Kjer Olsen and Standing Construct GasGas Factory Racing’s Brian Bogers in the first race to finish ninth while Gebben Van Venrooy Yamaha Racing’s Calvin Vlaanderen and Kevin Strijbos had a nice second heat to finish eighth and ninth.

Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jeremy Seewer had two consistent rides in seventh while teammates Coldenhoff and Ben Watson struggled and will look to bounce back on Wednesday.

Bitci MXGP of Turkey – MXGP Top 3:

1. Jeffrey Herlings

2. Jorge Prado

3. Tim Gajser

Main Photo: MXGP Start

Bottom Photos: 1. Jeffrey Herlings 2. Romain Febvre

MXGP - World Championship Top 10 Classification: 1. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 310 points; 2. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 297 p.; 3. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 293 p.; 4. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 284 p.; 5. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 274 p.; 6. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 234 p.; 7. Pauls Jonass (LAT, GAS), 200 p.; 8. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, YAM), 197 p.; 9. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, KTM), 157 p.; 10. Ben Watson (GBR, YAM), 133 p.;

MXGP - Manufacturers Classification: 1. KTM, 376 points; 2. Honda, 311 p.; 3. Kawasaki, 298 p.; 4. Yamaha, 265 p.; 5. GASGAS, 230 p.; 6. Husqvarna, 145 p.;

In MX2, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Tom Vialle will chase another victory as he looks to bounce back and re-join the title fight. Following his overall win yesterday, the Frenchman is currently 10^th in the series standings, with these next few races crucial if he wants to pick up some solid points.

Meanwhile the current championship leader, Maxime Renaux of Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing will look to have a more consistent day on Wednesday. Starts are crucial here in Afyon and something that the Frenchman shared he aims to work on in order to have two good races and maintain a healthy championship lead, which is currently 37-points.

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Mattia Guadagnini remains second on the leader board. The Italian was tied on points for the podium with Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Jed Beaton on Sunday, so will no doubt push to get back on the box this time around and continue to challenge the leaders as he did during the races yesterday.

For Beaton the upcoming Bitci MXGP of Afyon will be another opportunity to go for a podium and add some more consistent results to his tally. Yesterday the Australian finished both races in third, which was the boost that he needed going into the rest of the season. Meanwhile, his younger teammate Kay De Wolf will look to improve upon his results as a couple of msitakes cost him higher positions.

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Rene Hofer was looking strong during the races yesterday and even led the opening heat for a few laps. This upcoming Grand Prix will be another opportunity for Hofer to shine and maybe edge closer to a podium finish.

Meanwhile Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jago Geerts and Thibault Benistant will look to improve on their results as they finished sixth and ninth respectively, not where the pair expect to be. For Geerts points are important, if he wants to stay close to second in the championship and remain in the title fight as Guadagnini has edged out by 15 points.

Bitci MXGP of Turkey – MX2 Top 3:

1. Tom Vialle

2. Maxime Renaux

3. Jed Beaton

Main Photo: MX2 Start

Bottom Photos: 1. Tom Vialle 2. Maxime Renaux

MX2 - World Championship Top 10 Classification: 1. Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 314 points; 2. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, KTM), 277 p.; 3. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 262 p.; 4. Jed Beaton (AUS, HUS), 237 p.; 5. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, HON), 229 p.; 6. Thibault Benistant (FRA, YAM), 228 p.; 7. Rene Hofer (AUT, KTM), 216 p.; 8. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 210 p.; 9. Mathys Boisrame (FRA, KAW), 204 p.; 10. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), 180 p.;

MX2 - Manufacturers Classification: 1. Yamaha, 355 points; 2. KTM, 339 p.; 3. Husqvarna, 266 p.; 4. Kawasaki, 252 p.; 5. Honda, 237 p.; 6. GASGAS, 181 p.;

TIMETABLE (Local Timing GMT+3)

TUESDAY: 09:30 EMX Open Free Practice, 10:00 WMX Free Practice, 11:05 EMX Open Qualifying Practice, 11:45 WMX Qualifying Practice, 13:10 EMX Open Race 1, 14:00 WMX Race 1, 15:10 EMX Open Race 2, 16:05 WMX Race 2.

WEDNESDAY: 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

Afyon

AFYON (Turkey) 5 September 2021 – The MXGP racing has finished and with it concluded the Bitci MXGP of Turkey, the first of two Grand Prix’s taking place in Afyonkarahisar.

Both the MXGP and MX2 riders added to the Turkish heat, treating the local crowd to four nail biting races that concluded with overall victories from Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings and Tom Vialle.

After posting the fastest lap time in Time Practice, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado started the first race with the Fox Holeshot, as he led Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP’s Glenn Coldenhoff, Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s Romain Febvre and Standing Construct GasGas Factory Racing’s Pauls Jonass.

Team HRC’s Tim Gajser and Jeffrey Herlings of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing were side by side on the opening lap and moments later both got around Jonass who dropped to sixth.

Herlings then caught onto the back of Coldenhoff and passed his fellow Dutchman as Gajser set out to do the same. But the Slovenian struggled for 10 laps behind Coldenhoff always coming short of making a pass.

Febvre remained all over Prado for the lead, as Gajser came under fire from Cairoli who got around the Honda rider to move into sixth. He then got around Coldenhoff too and was pushing to get closer to Jonass.

Gajser then caught back up with the 259 of Coldenhoff and passed him on lap 11, as JM Honda Racing’s Henry Jacobi got Brian Bogers of Standing Construct GasGas Factory Racing for eighth to solidify a top 10 result.

After spending the majority of the race in third, Herlings switched it up a gear and was on a charge to close in on Febvre and Prado. It did not take him long as he got Febvre on lap 13 and then just two laps later was in front of Prado.

Jonass started to challenge Febvre too and with three laps from the end of the race was able to get the job done. Herlings was the race winner, with Prado finishing second and Jonass third.

In the second heat it was once again Prado with the Fox Holeshot as he led the race once again while Febvre, Gajser, Jonass and Cairoli followed behind. Herlings struggled further down the field as he passed Kevin Strijbos of Gebben Van Venrooy Yamaha Racing for seventh position.

Herlings then continued to make progress as he got around Coldenhoff and set his sights on Cairoli, while Gajser charged past Febvre to move into second place.

The gap was then 1.366 seconds between Prado and Gajser, as the Slovenian was clear with his intentions of going for the win.

Jonass then had a big crash as he went off the track while battling with Cairoli for fourth, with the Latvian not finishing the race. Cairoli inherited his position as Herlings started to close in too.

Gajser then made another attempt to pass Prado and was able to secure the position and take over the lead on lap nine. Cairoli then caught onto the back wheel of Febvre as the pair traded positions a couple of times before the Italian was able to make it stick and take away third from the Kawasaki rider, as Herlings did the same.

Gajser then led by 2.877 seconds, as Prado was starting to feel the force of Cairoli and Herlings who were catching up fast. Cairoli and Prado had a couple of close calls before making contact, but both remained on the bikes. Eventually Cairoli crashed after, which allowed Herlings through.

With one lap to go, Herlings got his head down and got to work as he was able to pass Prado and secure the top step of the podium. Gajser was the race winner, with Herlings second and Prado third.

With a 1-2 result, Jeffrey Herlings was back on the top step, while Jorge Prado was forced to settle for second and Tim Gajser joining the pair in third. In terms of the championship standings, Gajser leads Prado by 13 points, while Febvre remains third a further four points behind.  

Jeffrey Herlings: “Definitely the first race was much easier because I was around fourth of fifth in the start and only had to pass a few guys. Both starts were off today and with the high altitude here we changed some things with the bike, but I think maybe we should go in a different direction. The start was pretty bad in the first race but then I managed to pass Glenn, Romain and Jorge and then it went pretty easy. Second race I was around tenth or twelfth, it was harder to get around the other guys, the last few laps were sketchy between Jorge and Tony as they were fighting for second position. Then Tony crashed right in front of me and then I managed to sneak past Jorge, but Tim was too far away for me to do anything about it. A 1-2 is good, we have some good racing and I look forward to it, I like the track but will definitely work on the starts and try some things. The arm is fine now, in Lommel it was very painful but in Latvia it was already much better, I still had a bit of pain but nothing crazy. I don’t know if you can ever be 100% but I am trying to be the best as I can because the competition is strong. If you look at the championship, the top five guys are really close”.

Jorge Prado: “I think it was a great day. I got two good starts which makes things a lot easier. I led the most laps today so this gives me a confidence boost for Wednesday, the only thing is I was riding the same lines but when Jeffrey passed me in race one and Tim in the second one, I could see where I could improve. Physically I am feeling ok and I am getting better, the bike is working good. It was a pity on the last lap to be passed by Jeffrey, but hopefully on Wednesday we get some good results. There is still a lot of racing left, I need to take it race by race and stay within the top three, that is my goal, and get some race wins if I can. You don’t always get such a good field of riders because of injuries and other reasons but now everybody is ready to go racing so it is nice to race when everybody is fit”.

Tim Gajser: “I had two completely different races. The first race I had a solid start, but I got stuck behind Glenn and couldn’t pass him for ten laps so I kind of lost the rhythm, got arm pump and finished sixth and I was definitely not happy with it. In the second one, I had a good start and was third and then made quick passes in the middle of the race, made a small gap and controlled the race. Definitely happy with the second race. I will try to improve the starts for Wednesday and be more consistent and just have fun because that’s the most important things”.

Main Photo: Jeffrey Herlings

Bottom Photos: 1. Jorge Prado and Romain Febvre 2. Tim Gajser

MXGP - Grand Prix Race 1 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 34:42.407; 2. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), +0:05.534; 3. Pauls Jonass (LAT, GASGAS), +0:06.236; 4. Romain Febvre (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:09.174; 5. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:31.970; 6. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:35.999; 7. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Yamaha), +0:52.191; 8. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, Yamaha), +0:54.267; 9. Henry Jacobi (GER, Honda), +0:56.317; 10. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, Husqvarna), +0:57.016;

MXGP - Grand Prix Race 2 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), 34:39.849; 2. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), +0:04.654; 3. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), +0:08.824; 4. Romain Febvre (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:28.683; 5. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:34.198; 6. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, KTM), +0:39.772; 7. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Yamaha), +0:41.305; 8. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, Yamaha), +0:42.717; 9. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Yamaha), +0:45.092; 10. Brent Van doninck (BEL, Yamaha), +0:46.408;

MXGP - GP Top 10 Classification: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 47 points; 2. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 42 p.; 3. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 40 p.; 4. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 36 p.; 5. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 32 p.; 6. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 28 p.; 7. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, KTM), 23 p.; 8. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, YAM), 23 p.; 9. Pauls Jonass (LAT, GAS), 20 p.; 10. Brian Bogers (NED, GAS), 19 p.;

MXGP - World Championship Top 10 Classification: 1. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 310 points; 2. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 297 p.; 3. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 293 p.; 4. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 284 p.; 5. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 274 p.; 6. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 234 p.; 7. Pauls Jonass (LAT, GAS), 200 p.; 8. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, YAM), 197 p.; 9. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, KTM), 157 p.; 10. Ben Watson (GBR, YAM), 133 p.;

MXGP - Manufacturers Classification: 1. KTM, 376 points; 2. Honda, 311 p.; 3. Kawasaki, 298 p.; 4. Yamaha, 265 p.; 5. GASGAS, 230 p.; 6. Husqvarna, 145 p.;

In the first MX2 race of the day, it was Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Tom Vialle who grabbed the Fox Holeshot ahead of his fellow teammate Rene Hofer as well as Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Jed Beaton and Kay De Wolf, as well as Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Mattia Guadagnini. While Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing MX2’s Maxime Renaux was further down the field in around eighth position.

Hofer then took over the lead from Vialle, as Renaux managed to find a way through on De Wolf to move into fifth. Vialle then got to work as he caught back up with his teammate and by lap four was back in the driving seat and leading the race.

Renaux then lost a spot to Honda 114 Motorsports’ Ruben Fernandez for a brief moment before getting back around the Spaniard, while Hofer was starting to come under pressure from Beaton and Guadagnini.

Though at the front of the field, Vialle continued to clock the fastest lap times of the race, as Thibault Benistant of Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing MX2 and F&H Kawasaki Racing’s Mathys Boisrame battled for eighth.

Guadagnini finally managed to get around Beaton on lap eight and then five or six laps later was able to get Hofer to get into second. Hofer then faded off as both Beaton and Renaux got around the Austrian, while Fernandez dived down the inside of De Wolf for sixth.

In the end it was Vialle who won the race 5.988 seconds ahead of Guadagnini and Beaton who crossed the line in third.

In race two it was Renaux with a flying start, as he took the second Fox Holeshot of the day and led the way with Beaton second and Vialle third. Guadagnini got another strong start and so did Gianluca Facchetti of Team Beddini Racing KTM on his first outing with the new team.

Hofer then got around Fernandez for fifth as Vialle tried to get around Beaton, with the Australian quick to respond and claim back his second-place spot.

As Renaux stretched out his lead to 2.490 seconds, Beaton came under fire from Vialle once again, with the KTM rider finally making a pass stick on lap five. Vialle then set the fastest lap of the race as he began to close in on the race leader, Renaux. But Renaux stepped it up a gear himself to set the fastest lap of the race himself, with the two Frenchman clock fast times lap after lap.

While the battle for the win was well and truly on between Renaux and Vialle, Guadagnini was also not letting go of Beaton for third as he started to apply the pressure.

With just a couple of laps from the finish, Vialle went down as he was focused on passing Renaux which handed the Yamaha rider a victory, while Vialle was able to get back on his bike quickly and hold on to second as Beaton was able to keep Guadagnini at bay and finish the day with another third-place finish.

With a 1-2 result, Tom Vialle was on the top step of the podium while Maxime Renaux was forced to settle for second ahead of Jed Beaton in third, as he secured his second podium of 2021.

Renaux continues to lead the MX2 championship, maintaining a healthy 37-point lead over Guadagnini who has gained a bit of breathing room to Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing MX2’s Jago Geerts who is a further 15 points adrift.

Tom Vialle: “It’s really good to be back on top after the injury. The summer break was good because I could train and work on the bike also and now to be back is really good. I was happy in the morning to take pole position because it’s not a lot of times that I’ve taken the pole position which was pretty nice. I took two good starts and in the second race I pushed to come back but it was difficult to pass as there were not so many lines and Maxime was riding pretty good. I tried to give my best. For sure to win here is good and to stay here in Turkey is nice, I like the track and it will be a good race on Wednesday”.

Maxime Renaux: “Was two completely different races today. I took two good stars, but in the first race I went too wide which allowed the other riders on the inside, so I had to fight my way through the pack and come back from eighth to fourth. I was riding a little bit stiff and was not happy with the riding. For the second race we changed some things on the bike, I was feeling much more comfortable and took the holeshot and then had the perfect race. For Wednesday I will look to improve on my lap times because it’s important to be on the inside here. I take it race by race, I want to win all the races if I can but it’s pretty hard and I need to think about the championship. I’m also trying to be more clever than before and avoid making stupid mistakes and keep control of the championship”.

Jed Beaton: “It was a pretty good day for me. Never pulled the holeshot but in the first race I came close which was good, but then made a small mistake which allowed the KTM guys to pass and then Tom was going quite fast and I got a little bit of arm pump so I went back a little bit but then the last few laps of the race I felt like I was riding good again and try to take that into the second race. I got another good start but lost a bit of rhythm in the first few laps, the guys pulled away but I was just trying to manage my own race and then had Mattia on my back which added some pressure, but overall it was a good consistent day for me to put together two good races which has been a struggle for me for the last couple of races and it’s a good step in the right direction. It’s good to recharge the batteries as the last four rounds were pretty tough so it took a lot of energy out of us and the little break was nice for everyone”.

Main Photo: Tom Vialle

Bottom Photos: 1. Maxime Renaux 2. Jed Beaton

MX2 - Grand Prix Race 1 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), 34:00.016; 2. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, KTM), +0:05.988; 3. Jed Beaton (AUS, Husqvarna), +0:07.359; 4. Maxime Renaux (FRA, Yamaha), +0:16.158; 5. Rene Hofer (AUT, KTM), +0:27.478; 6. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, Honda), +0:31.297; 7. Kay de Wolf (NED, Husqvarna), +0:34.174; 8. Thibault Benistant (FRA, Yamaha), +0:35.151; 9. Jago Geerts (BEL, Yamaha), +0:43.644; 10. Mathys Boisrame (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:50.403;

MX2 - Grand Prix Race 2 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Maxime Renaux (FRA, Yamaha), 35:20.827; 2. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), +0:01.638; 3. Jed Beaton (AUS, Husqvarna), +0:11.439; 4. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, KTM), +0:12.624; 5. Rene Hofer (AUT, KTM), +0:28.479; 6. Jago Geerts (BEL, Yamaha), +0:37.230; 7. Wilson Todd (AUS, Kawasaki), +0:45.210; 8. Mikkel Haarup (DEN, Kawasaki), +0:54.046; 9. Kay de Wolf (NED, Husqvarna), +0:56.764; 10. Thibault Benistant (FRA, Yamaha), +0:58.882;

MX2 - GP Top 10 Classification: 1. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), 47 points; 2. Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 43 p.; 3. Jed Beaton (AUS, HUS), 40 p.; 4. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, KTM), 40 p.; 5. Rene Hofer (AUT, KTM), 32 p.; 6. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 27 p.; 7. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 26 p.; 8. Wilson Todd (AUS, KAW), 24 p.; 9. Thibault Benistant (FRA, YAM), 24 p.; 10. Isak Gifting (SWE, GAS), 18 p.;

MX2 - World Championship Top 10 Classification: 1. Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 314 points; 2. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, KTM), 277 p.; 3. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 262 p.; 4. Jed Beaton (AUS, HUS), 237 p.; 5. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, HON), 229 p.; 6. Thibault Benistant (FRA, YAM), 228 p.; 7. Rene Hofer (AUT, KTM), 216 p.; 8. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 210 p.; 9. Mathys Boisrame (FRA, KAW), 204 p.; 10. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), 180 p.;

MX2 - Manufacturers Classification: 1. Yamaha, 355 points; 2. KTM, 339 p.; 3. Husqvarna, 266 p.; 4. Kawasaki, 252 p.; 5. Honda, 237 p.; 6. GASGAS, 181 p.;

Click here to obtain the complete results

All the photos from the Bitci MXGP of Turkey will be available HERE

BITCI MXGP OF TURKEY – QUICK FACTS

Circuit length: 1725m

Type of ground: Hard Pack

Temperature: 28°

Weather conditions: Sunny

LINKS

Infront Moto Racing

FIM

Afyon

AFYON (Turkey) 3 September 2021 – The 2021 Bitci MXGP of Turkey was declared open following an exciting official opening ceremony which was held at the main stage of the Afyon festival area. A large crowd of Turkish fans gathered to celebrate the return of MXGP in Afyon, creating an incredible atmosphere that was deeply missed by the paddock.

After missing out on an event in 2020, the Turkish Grand Prix returns for 2021 and will host the first double header with the Bitci MXGP of Turkey and Bitci MXGP of Afyon. The two races will be a part of a unique motocross festival that will take place over the next few days as public will be able to enjoy the races in person.

Infront Moto Racing CEO David Luongo, FIM/CMS Director Antonio Alia Portela, Afyonkarahisar Governor Gökmen Çiçek, Afyonkarahisar Mayor Mehmet Zeybek, Former Minister of Water and Forest Veysel Eroğlu, Afyonkarahisar Deputy Ali Özkaya, Afyonkarahisar Deputy İbrahim Yurdunuseven, Turkish Motorcycle Federation Vice President Mahmut Nedim Akülke were met by a supportive crowd as they took to the stage to welcome everybody to Afyon and to share their commitment and appreciation for once again holding the Turkish Grand Prix in Afyon, but this time for a special double-header event.

Infront Moto Racing CEO David Luongo: “Good evening everybody. It’s a fantastic feeling to be here after last year where we were not be able to have this GP. It is very good to see so many young people here attending this fantastic event. I hope everybody will enjoy this weekend of races and I wish you a fantastic weekend  for the Bitci MXGP of Turkey, thank you very much”.

FIM/CMS Director Antonio Alia Portela: "It is a privilege and an honour to be back in Afyon one more time for a double header of the FIM MXGP & MX2 Motocross World Championship series and on behalf of the FIM I would like to welcome everybody to these events. We all know that we have waited too long to be back in Turkey, however, I am sure that it will pay off when the best motocross riders in the world make their motorbikes roar through the track and fight for a place in the podium. I wish all the participants all the best for the events and hope that you enjoy the races."

Afyonkarahisar Governor Gökmen Çiçek: “It’s a big pleasure to welcome MXGP again here. Being an international event, Afyonkarahisar is not only under the eyes of the whole Turkey but we are under the spotlights worldwide.”

Afyonkarahisar Mayor Mehmet Zeybek: "The venue in Afyonkarahisar is hosting these two events with a very good organization and high standards facilities. We have been Awarded at the MXGP Awards with several  prizes in the past and we are aiming to reach that milestone this year too”.

Turkish Motorcycle Federation Vice President Mahmut Nedim Akülke: "We are very proud to host the Motocross World Championship in Afyonkarahisar for the third time.  I would like to thank everyone who supports for making this event possible”

Personnel from the paddock, including the MXGP, MX2, WMX and EMX Open riders were also in attendance to enjoy the festivities as they were able to soak in the atmosphere and try out local delicacies. Riders including Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Glenn Coldenhoff, Gebben Van Venrooy Yamaha Racing’s Kevin Strijbos, F&H Racing Team’s Mikkel Haarup and Mathys Boisrame, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Jed Beaton and Kay De Wolf, Diga Procross GasGas Factory Racing’s Simon Längenfelder, Honda Racing Assomotor’s Stephen Rubini and Emil Weckman, Yamaha Racing 243’s Larissa Papenmeier, Jezik Racing Team’s Jamie Astudillo, JK Racing’s Line Dam and Gerard Congost, Husqvarna M.C.R. Racing Team’s Simone Croci, Davide De Bortoli along with local Turkish riders who joined the officials on stage to take the family photo in a warm and colourful moment in front of the Turkish sunset and kick start the 2021 Bitci MXGP of Turkey.

All the photos from the Bitci MXGP of Turkey will be available HERE

TIMETABLE (Local Timing GMT+3)

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

Afyon

MONACO (Principality of Monaco) 1 September 2021 – The summer break is officially behind us, as it is time to get back to racing and continue this incredible season of the FIM Motocross World Championship.

MXGP will finally return to Afyonkarahisar after missing out on a Grand Prix in Turkey last season due to COVID-19 related difficulties and in 2021 will make an epic comeback with not one, but two GP’s – the Bitci MXGP of Turkey and Bitci MXGP of Afyon!

Afyon is still new to the World Championship calendar after making its debut in 2018 with Thomas Covington and Jeffrey Herlings the first winners at the hard pack circuit in MX2 and MXGP. The following year Herlings was able to repeat his success to win the Turkish Grand Prix once again, while in MX2 it was Jorge Prado who was the winner.

Racing alongside the MXGP and MX2 categories will be the FIM Women’s Motocross World Championship riders for round three of the series. After some very interesting couple of races Shana Van Der Vlist leads the WMX Championship standings ahead of Courtney Duncan who is just two points adrift. After a strong performance in Lommel, Lynn Valk has moved to third in the championship also. For Kiara Fontanesi this will be the first opportunity to race in Afyon as she missed out on the Turkish round in 2019. The Italian will no doubt be keen to fight for vital championship points as she looks to stay within contention of the title.

The races in Turkey will be the perfect opportunity for Duncan to get back in the driving seat as she chases her third consecutive world title. The circuit in Afyon holds special memories for the Kiwi who went 1-1 last time around in 2019 to secure her first WMX World Championship, so no doubt Duncan will enter these next two rounds with a nice confidence boost from the fond memories.

Meanwhile the EMX Open category will also be present for the final two rounds of the series as Davide De Bortoli will aim to seal the deal and claim his first EMX title, while Nicolas Dercourt and Micha-Boy De Waal will be looking to close the gap and fight for the championship.

There is no doubt that the paddock has used the summer break to re-charge their batteries, in some cases re-group or continue with the momentum that they have been carrying during the previous few races as we enter the second half of the 2021 season.

Team HRC’s Tim Gajser will return to the action fresh and ready to continue his title defence as he continues the lead the MXGP championship just 13-points ahead of Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s Romain Febvre. Febvre has had some impressive moments this season, but mistakes and crashes have been very costly for the Frenchman who will need to be more consistent if he wants to remain in the title chase as Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado is breathing down his neck just a further two points behind.

For Prado the second half of this season will be vital as he will want to remain in this title fight until the last round, something he was deprived of last season.

For Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider Jeffrey Herlings the summer break came at the perfect time as he was nursing a nasty shoulder injury. His shock return in Lommel was somewhat spectacular, followed by a couple of strong races in Latvia, despite the last lap crash. Now Herlings will chase a third victory in Afyon, after his previous wins in 2018 and 2019 as he will continue to fight for vital championship points and not let this title challenge slip away again.

Glenn Coldenhoff of Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing was another podium finisher in Turkey last time around in 2019, as he went 3-2 for second overall and will aim for another podium finish this time, no doubt. Coldenhoff has just one podium finish to his name this season but has led 24 laps, though is yet to claim a race win. The Dutchman struggled in Lommel and Latvia, tracks that he is usually strong at, though hopefully with his illness and bad luck behind him, we will see the Yamaha rider bounce back for some top results.

Looking to bounce back in the second half of the championship will also be his teammate Jeremy Seewer who is currently sixth in the standings. Seewer finished second last season but has struggled in the begin of the year. He did however get back on the podium in Czech Republic where he was third overall, so has been moving in a positive direction.

Pauls Jonass of Standing Construct GasGas Factory Racing is somebody to look out for this coming weekend as the Latvian has shown some good speed and even secured a podium during the MXGP of Flanders-Belgium. While his home Grand Prix did not go to plan, the Turkish Grand Prix is a race we could see him on the podium as he previously got on the box in 2019.

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Arminas Jasikonis and Thomas Kjer Olsen will line-up in Turkey keen to put together a solid weekend after some struggles in Latvia. Jasikonis did not take part in the races due to a qualifying practice crash, while Olsen had a DNF in race one, though the second race he was able to finish in eighth position. Now with a couple of weeks off, the pair will be refreshed and ready to chase more positive results.

2019 MXGP of Turkey – MXGP Top 3:

1.Jeffrey Herlings

2.Glenn Coldenhoff

3.Pauls Jonass

Main Photo: MXGP Start from 2019

Bottom Photos: 1. Tim Gajser 2. Jeffrey Herlings

MXGP - World Championship Top 10 Classification: 1. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 270 points; 2. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 257 p.; 3. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 255 p.; 4. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 252 p.; 5. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 227 p.; 6. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 206 p.; 7. Pauls Jonass (LAT, GAS), 180 p.; 8. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, YAM), 174 p.; 9. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, KTM), 134 p.; 10. Ben Watson (GBR, YAM), 130 p.;

MXGP - Manufacturers Classification: 1. KTM, 329 points; 2. Honda, 271 p.; 3. Kawasaki, 262 p.; 4. Yamaha, 237 p.; 5. GASGAS, 201 p.; 6. Husqvarna, 128 p.;

Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Maxime Renaux will enter the Turkish double-header as the MX2 Championship leader. In Latvia, the Frenchman secured the perfect score, going 1-1 for the first time in MX2 to win the Latvian Grand Prix and extend his series lead to 34 points over Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Mattia Guadagnini who remains second after a couple of tough races.

Though Guadagnini cannot afford to relax as he has Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jago Geerts just two points behind him, as the Belgian will push to get back into title contention in the second half of this 2021 season.

Honda 114 Motorsports’ Ruben Fernandez is not far behind in fourth. The Spaniard started the season well with a couple of podiums and he even led the championship after the second round in Matterley Basin. Since then, the results have been a little tougher, with the Latvian Grand Prix proving most difficult. No doubt these last few weeks have given Fernandez some time to re-group and he will come back and be ready to fight at the top end of the field once again.

The Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing duo of Jed Beaton and Kay De Wolf are another pair to keep an eye out for, with both riders proving that they can fight at the front on various terrains.

Meanwhile F&H Kawasaki Racing’s Mathys Boisrame is among the riders who could perform well this weekend. There is no secret that Boisrame is a strong hard pack rider, along with the likes for Fernandez, Renaux and Thibault Benistant, so it’s likely that we will see them all fight for a podium spot on Sunday.

Fellow F&H Kawasaki rider Mikkel Haarup has also been building momentum over the last couple of GP’s, get himself some top 10 finishes, including 7^th overall in Latvia which was his best overall result of the season. It will be interesting to see what the Dane can do in Turkey. His teammate Roan Van De Moosdijk was one of the podium finishers last time around in Turkey, though unfortunately will not line-up in Afyon as he continues to recover from injury.

Tom Vialle of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing will be fighting fit again in Turkey after a tough start to his title defence campaign after a practice crash which put him out for several GP’s. Viall has been budling momentum since getting back to racing and we saw him fighting inside the top five before the break. Now with four more weeks of recovery and training under his belt, it will be interesting to see if Vialle will return to his winning ways in Turkey.

Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Thibault Benistant has had a positive rookie season thus far. The Frenchman has been on the podium just once but has been constantly fighting with the top guys and has even won a race. His race win in Maggiora was a big confidence boost and the podium in Loket, another hard pack track, just goes to show that he has the speed on the hard surface. With Afyon being another hard pack track, we could see Benistant shine once again and fight for his second MX2 podium.

2019 MXGP of Turkey – MX2 Top 3:

1.Jorge Prado

2.Jago Geerts

3.Roan Van De Moosdijk

Main Photo: MX2 Start from 2019

Bottom Photos: 1. Maxime Renaux 2. Tom Vialle

MX2 - World Championship Top 10 Classification: 1. Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 271 points; 2. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, KTM), 237 p.; 3. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 235 p.; 4. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, HON), 214 p.; 5. Thibault Benistant (FRA, YAM), 204 p.; 6. Jed Beaton (AUS, HUS), 197 p.; 7. Mathys Boisrame (FRA, KAW), 192 p.; 8. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 184 p.; 9. Rene Hofer (AUT, KTM), 184 p.; 10. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, GAS), 137 p.;

MX2 - Manufacturers Classification: 1. Yamaha, 312 points; 2. KTM, 292 p.; 3. Kawasaki, 227 p.; 4. Husqvarna, 226 p.; 5. Honda, 214 p.; 6. GASGAS, 163 p.;

TIMETABLE (Local Timing GMT+3)

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

Afyon

The FIM Motocross World Championship is back after the summer break as we head to Turkey for round eight of the 2021 season.

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

TIMETABLE 

MXGP ENTRY LIST

MX2 ENTRY LIST

Additional Classes

WMX ENTRY LIST

EMXOPEN ENTRY LIST