MX2

LOMMEL (Belgium) 05 August 2018 - The Lommel circuit in Belgium is the stuff of legends with seemingly endless sand shifting as each rider passes by. This weekend’s surface was not only legendary but so too were the winning performances of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings and Jorge Prado.

The site of the 2018 Fiat Professional MXGP of Belgium is truly in the center of the worldwide motocross. Nearly every team in the paddock calls Lommel or its surrounding regions home with many riders and personnel living in the area along with various team workshops. The area is also home to tens of thousands of motocross fans who arrived in massive numbers to watch the riders perform on the edge of perfection.

When looking at the results of the weekend on paper or watching the races on TV it is near impossible to truly understand the speed at which the MXGP riders attack the track but nevertheless Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings finds a way to go even faster.

From the start of the weekend Herlings was on fire with the fastest times in Free Practice and Time Practice followed by a Qualifying race win. Today started just as strong with a heater of a lap time in Warm Up followed by his 7th Fox Holeshot of the season to begin Race 1.

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Teammate and title rival Antonio Cairoli was second across the chalk and the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP rider of Romain Febvre was next with Team HRC’s Tim Gajser running 4th.

Before even crossing the finish line to start the 1st official lap Herlings already had a several second lead over Cairoli. Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP’s Belgian rider Jeremy Van Horebeek chased Gajser and his teammate Febvre early but had Wilvo Yamaha Official MXGP’s Jeremy Seewer and Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Max Anstie putting on pressure.

Anstie’s Rockstar Energy Husqvarna teammate Gautier Paulin was off to a difficult race after falling twice on the opening lap and crossing the line to start the race in 34th. Seewer moved past Van Horebeek on the second lap and Anstie passed the Belgian a lap later. At around the same time Gajser passed Febvre for 3rd but only held the position for 3 laps before the Frenchman took it back.

The same lap saw Anstie pass Seewer to reach the top 5 and several laps after that Gajser dropped a spot to Anstie on his way backwards to 7th place. At the finish of Race 1 Herlings won by 13 seconds even after a fall of his own while Cairoli took 2nd, Febvre 3rd, Anstie 4th, and Seewer rounded out the top 5. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s 3rd MXGP rider, Glenn Coldenhoff took 6th.

Race 2 was another Red Bull KTM FOX Holeshot but this time it would be Coldenhoff in the lead with Anstie and Gajser 2nd and 3rd but Herlings shot himself into second only a few corners later and took the lead before the end of the opening lap.

Cairoli was behind Anstie and Gajser as his teammates ran in 1st and 2nd but took the 4th spot from Gajser quickly and took 3rd from Anstie on the same spot the next lap. The same section worked well again for Cairoli as he passed Coldenhoff to get into second.

Herlings had grown his lead to an impressive gap at that point and showed no signs of slowing as he put in an unmatchable pace. Febvre and Gajser battle for 5th briefly in which Febvre came out ahead. Anstie took 3rd from Coldenhoff but mistakes allowed the Dutchman back through.

Herlings lapped his way through the field but on the final lap lost control sending him down. Herlings lead was massive however and though the fall cost him several seconds he still came away with a lap time faster than most riders on the track.

Across the finish line Herlings won by 33 seconds over Cairoli and left only the top eight on the lead lap with Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s Clement Desalle starting his final lap as Herlings took the checkered while Van Horebeek finished 1 lap down and nearly 7 seconds later. Coldenhoff took 3rd but missed out on the podium to Anstie who took 4th ahead of Febvre.

Jeffrey Herlings: “The weekend was really good. I am very pleased, I took three good starts and won the qualifying, both races and was fastest in each practice. It is one of my favorite tracks on the calendar anyhow but I'm happy to extend the championship by 6 points and I'm looking forward to Switzerland."

Antonio Cairoli: “I know how to ride sand and to ride here for sure but to keep the speed and his pace for the whole race is very tough, I couldn't do more. We are fighting to the end of the season, we will try to stay on his rear wheel and when it is possible to go for a win."

Max Anstie: “It is always nice to be back up on the podium, it was a tough one and they made me work for it. It was a solid and consistent weekend in practice and timed training. Of course I want to be on the podium every weekend but it is hard to be up here. It is not easy even with all the amount of work we do...in the gap from 3rd to 10th you can be battling with great guys in 9th and 10th having a good race and finish 10th or you could have just as good of ride and finish 3rd."

MXGP Race 1 Top Ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 35:45.618; 2. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:13.091; 3. Romain Febvre (FRA, Yamaha), +0:51.594; 4. Max Anstie (GBR, Husqvarna), +1:04.034; 5. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Yamaha), +1:11.944; 6. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), +1:19.765; 7. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +1:27.384; 8. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Yamaha), +1:38.816; 9. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, KTM), +1:49.886; 10. Clement Desalle (BEL, Kawasaki), +1:59.284.

MXGP Race 2 Top Ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 35:34.847; 2. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:33.050; 3. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), +0:47.722; 4. Max Anstie (GBR, Husqvarna), +0:54.030; 5. Romain Febvre (FRA, Yamaha), +1:15.523; 6. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Yamaha), +1:35.515; 7. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +1:44.319; 8. Clement Desalle (BEL, Kawasaki), +2:13.053; 9. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Yamaha), -1 lap(s); 10. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Suzuki), -1 lap(s).

MXGP Overall Top Ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 50 points; 2. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 44 p.; 3. Max Anstie (GBR, HUS), 36 p.; 4. Romain Febvre (FRA, YAM), 36 p.; 5. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 35 p.; 6. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 31 p.; 7. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 28 p.; 8. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, YAM), 25 p.; 9. Clement Desalle (BEL, KAW), 24 p.; 10. Shaun Simpson (GBR, YAM), 20 p.

MXGP Championship Top Ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 683 points; 2. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 647 p.; 3. Clement Desalle (BEL, KAW), 503 p.; 4. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 478 p.; 5. Romain Febvre (FRA, YAM), 468 p.; 6. Gautier Paulin (FRA, HUS), 435 p.; 7. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 388 p.; 8. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 350 p.; 9. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, YAM), 337 p.; 10. Max Anstie (GBR, HUS), 267 p. 

MXGP Manufacturers: 1. KTM, 747 points; 2. Kawasaki, 522 p.; 3. Yamaha, 516 p.; 4. Honda, 493 p.; 5. Husqvarna, 479 p.; 6. Suzuki, 241 p.; 7. TM, 227 p.

MXGP Photos

Main Photo: Jeffrey Herlings

Bottom Photos: 1. Antonio Cairoli 2. Max Anstie

The MX2 racing was just as interesting and showcased nearly as dominant of a performance from Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado. Similar to Herlings in MXGP, Prado took Saturday’s qualifying race win and backed it up with a Fox Holeshot to start Race 1 today.

Prado had Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Thomas Covington behind him first but title adversary and Red Bull KTM Teammate Pauls Jonass was alongside and took second from the American immediately.

Covington’s Rockstar Energy Husqvarna teammate Thomas Kjer Olsen chased Covington with Team HRC’s Calvin Vlaanderen following both. In a heated battle over 6th was Hitachi KTM UK’s Conrad Mewse and Kemea Yamaha Official MX2’s Jago Geerts. Geerts had the upper hand however with it being his home GP the fans cheered him on to pass the Brit in what was his first race in nearly 6 weeks.

The biggest moment of the race however was the crash of Jonass as he tried to catch Prado for the lead. Jonass miss timed the massive SIDI jump into rollers and landed heavy which ejected him from his bike. Lucky to get away from the fall uninjured Jonass rejoined the race in 4th but lost another spot while trying to kick his clutch lever back into place.

At the finish Prado took the win with Covington 2nd, Olsen 3rd, and Jonass 4th after he passed Vlaanderen back 2 laps after the crash. Mewse managed to take the 6th spot back from Geerts after following the Belgian’s lines for 6 laps.

Race 2 was consistent with the Race 1 for Prado who took the Fox Holeshot again leading Covington and Olsen while Jonass fell remounting in 14th. Kemea Yamaha Official MX2’s Ben Watson started well in 4th but dropped to 7th before the opening lap was complete.

Geerts in the other hand battled again with Mewse taking the spot and advantage of a crash from Vlaanderen. Geerts continued his charge forward taking 3rd from Olsen and then going after Covington for 2nd.

Covington made a mistake and jumped off the track while under pressure from Geerts and lost the spot but somehow managed to stay on the bike and take 3rd. Prado’s 2nd race win was followed by Geerts, Covington, Olsen, and Watson while Jonass fought back to 6th.

In the overall podium result it was perfect 50 points from Prado followed by Covington’s 2-3 and Olsen’s 3-4. Prado now leads the championship by 28 points after gaining 17 points on Jonass this weekend.

Jorge Prado: “It was a great weekend getting the qualifying win yesterday and today I felt really good already in warm up with the bike and the track. The first race I got a good start and could win then in the second race got the FOX Holeshot and won again. We train really hard and you can tell we get to a track like this."

Thomas Covington: “This weekend I'm really happy to be up here on the podium in Lommel. I really struggled here my first few years in Europe so to come away with a podium is pretty big for me, I think it has been a long time since an American was on the podium at Lommel so it is a pretty cool accomplishment."

Thomas Kjer Olsen: “It is really great to be on the podium again. I had a couple of rough weeks off the podium so I was really motivated to get back on the box, just get 2 good starts, and ride like I know I can. I am happy for me and for the whole team to have 2 riders on the podium at the home GP."

MX2 Race 1 Top Ten: 1. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 34:59.736; 2. Thomas Covington (USA, Husqvarna), +0:11.439; 3. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, Husqvarna), +0:21.141; 4. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), +0:31.144; 5. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, Honda), +0:33.899; 6. Conrad Mewse (GBR, KTM), +0:45.443; 7. Jago Geerts (BEL, Yamaha), +0:56.360; 8. Adam Sterry (GBR, Kawasaki), +1:02.821; 9. Michele Cervellin (ITA, Yamaha), +1:07.739; 10. Brent Van doninck (BEL, Husqvarna), +1:11.923.

MX2 Race 2 Top Ten: 1. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 34:51.222; 2. Jago Geerts (BEL, Yamaha), +0:04.083; 3. Thomas Covington (USA, Husqvarna), +0:12.715; 4. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, Husqvarna), +0:21.133; 5. Ben Watson (GBR, Yamaha), +0:24.378; 6. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), +0:39.784; 7. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, Honda), +0:52.172; 8. Conrad Mewse (GBR, KTM), +0:59.965; 9. Adam Sterry (GBR, Kawasaki), +1:06.985; 10. Marshal Weltin (USA, Kawasaki), +1:21.222.

MX2 Overall Top Ten: 1. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 50 points; 2. Thomas Covington (USA, HUS), 42 p.; 3. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 38 p.; 4. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 36 p.; 5. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), 33 p.; 6. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, HON), 30 p.; 7. Conrad Mewse (GBR, KTM), 28 p.; 8. Ben Watson (GBR, YAM), 26 p.; 9. Adam Sterry (GBR, KAW), 25 p.; 10. Brent Van doninck (BEL, HUS), 21 p.

MX2 Championship Top Ten: 1. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 645 points; 2. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), 617 p.; 3. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 492 p.; 4. Ben Watson (GBR, YAM), 453 p.; 5. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, HON), 444 p.; 6. Thomas Covington (USA, HUS), 417 p.; 7. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 346 p.; 8. Michele Cervellin (ITA, YAM), 291 p.; 9. Henry Jacobi (GER, HUS), 261 p.; 10. Davy Pootjes (NED, KTM), 218 p.

MX2 Manufacturers: 1. KTM, 723 points; 2. Husqvarna, 611 p.; 3. Honda, 512 p.; 4. Yamaha, 511 p.; 5. Kawasaki, 351 p.; 6. TM, 119 p.

MX2 Photos

Main Photo: Jorge Prado

Bottom Photos: 1. Thomas Covington 2. Thomas Kjer Olsen

Click here to obtain the complete results

All the Photos from the Fiat Professional MXGP of Belgium will be available HERE

Fiat Professional MXGP of Belgium – QUICK FACTS

Circuit length: 1,880m

Type of ground: Sand

Temperature: 28°

Weather conditions: Sunny

Crowd Attendance: 33,000

MXGP was be available across the board in high definition and is also globally available to view live and in HD on MXGP-TV.com. Click here for the complete list of countries and cooperating MXGP broadcasting networks.

NEXT STOP

The 16th round of the FIM Motocross World Championship will take place in Frauenfeld-Gahnang on August the 19th for the MXGP of Switzerland Presented by iXS.

LINKS

Youthstream

FIM

FIAT Professional MXGP of Belgium

Fiat Professional MXGP of Belgium hosted the 2018 Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations team for Belgium announcement at the track in front of home fans.

The team will be led by Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s Clement Desalle in MXGP with Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP’s Jeremy Van Horebeek riding the Open division and Kemea Yamaha Official MX2 Team’s Jago Geerts taking the spot in MX2. Aside from the 3 primary riders a pair of reserve riders was announced as well with veteran Standing Construct KTM rider Kevin Strijbos and Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s Julien Lieber.

LOMMEL (Belgium) 05 August 2018 - The Lommel, Belgium, circuit hosted FIM Europe’s classes of EMX125 presented by FMF Racing and EMX250 for this weekend’s round of Belgium alongside the FIM Motocross World Championship classes of MXGP and MX2. Maddi Racing Husqvarna’s Mattia Guadagnini and REVO Husqvarna UK’s Mel Pocock took full advantage of the opportunity to win this weekend and took their respective overall victories.

The world class event was a massive and challenging stage for the nearly 200 riders entered into the EMX classes yesterday and today. Lommel is known as one of the most testing sand tracks in the world even for seasoned World champions.

Coming into the weekend 100 riders were entered into the 125cc class alone with another 91 in EMX250. By the start of Saturday’s points paying race a series of timed sessions combined with a last chance race narrowed the fields to 40 riders each.

EMX250’s Saturday race was the final event of the day on a rough Lommel circuit. The conditions challenged the riders to stay focused and eliminate mistakes but several fell throughout the 13 lap race including early leader and red plate holder Mathys Boisrame from the Honda Redmoto Assomotor team.

Yamaha SM Action MC Migliori’s Maxime Renaux took his 6th place start to the front of the field and by lap 9 was into the lead. Creymert Racing’s Kevin Horgmo fought for 2nd from start to finish while REVO Husqvarna UK’s Mel Pocock took 3rd.

EMX250 Race 2 was just as brutal as Saturday with only slightly cooler temperatures to aid the riders. Horgmo led nearly every lap of the race but the most important final laps when he crashed out of the race and handed the top spot to Pocock.

The gift was great fully accepted by the Brit who took the race win and overall victory as a result for the first time this season. ASTES4-TESAR Yamaha’s Roan Van de Mosdijk took second in the race with Renaux 3rd. The overall result was mirrored however with Renaux second and Van de Moosdijk 3rd.

EMX250 Race 1 Top 10: 1. Maxime Renaux (FRA, Yamaha), 30:07.878; 2. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, KTM), +0:03.220; 3. Mel Pocock (GBR, Husqvarna), +0:13.232; 4. Jett Lawrence (AUS, Suzuki), +0:15.701; 5. Roan Van De Moosdijk (NED, Yamaha), +0:31.341; 6. Mathys Boisrame (FRA, Honda), +0:34.386; 7. Ken Bengtson (SWE, Husqvarna), +0:35.901; 8. Brian Strubhart Moreau (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:37.492; 9. Jeremy Sydow (GER, KTM), +0:38.935; 10. Miro Sihvonen (FIN, KTM), +0:40.002.

EMX250 Race 2 Top 10: 1. Mel Pocock (GBR, Husqvarna), 30:11.454; 2. Roan Van De Moosdijk (NED, Yamaha), +0:02.395; 3. Maxime Renaux (FRA, Yamaha), +0:04.791; 4. Sander Agard-Michelsen (NOR, Yamaha), +0:05.536; 5. Karel Kutsar (EST, KTM), +0:28.381; 6. Martin Barr (GBR, Husqvarna), +0:40.022; 7. Ken Bengtson (SWE, Husqvarna), +0:43.532; 8. Mathys Boisrame (FRA, Honda), +0:51.366; 9. Alberto Forato (ITA, Honda), +0:52.877; 10. Freek van der Vlist (NED, Honda), +1:03.756.

EMX250 Overall Top 10: 1. Mel Pocock (GBR, HUS), 45 points; 2. Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 45 p.; 3. Roan Van De Moosdijk (NED, YAM), 38 p.; 4. Ken Bengtson (SWE, HUS), 28 p.; 5. Mathys Boisrame (FRA, HON), 28 p.; 6. Martin Barr (GBR, HUS), 24 p.; 7. Karel Kutsar (EST, KTM), 23 p.; 8. Sander Agard-Michelsen (NOR, YAM), 22 p.; 9. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, KTM), 22 p.; 10. Freek van der Vlist (NED, HON), 21 p.

EMX250 Championship Top 10: 1. Mathys Boisrame (FRA, HON), 256 points; 2. Mel Pocock (GBR, HUS), 254 p.; 3. Martin Barr (GBR, HUS), 220 p.; 4. Roan Van De Moosdijk (NED, YAM), 193 p.; 5. Steven Clarke (GBR, HON), 183 p.; 6. Dylan Walsh (NZL, HUS), 182 p.; 7. Brian Strubhart Moreau (FRA, KAW), 173 p.; 8. Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 148 p.; 9. Tom Vialle (FRA, HUS), 146 p.; 10. Mikkel Haarup (DEN, HUS), 142 p.

EMX250 Manufacturers: 1. Husqvarna, 345 points; 2. Honda, 327 p.; 3. Yamaha, 281 p.; 4. KTM, 275 p.; 5. Kawasaki, 237 p.; 6. Suzuki, 95 p.

EMX125 presented by FMF Racing was full of epic racing as the riders fought for power in the deep Belgian sand. Saturday’s race 1 was lead early by Maddi Racing Husqvarna’s Mattia Guadagnini but he was eventually passed for the lead and race win by Yamaha Europe EMX125’s Thibault Benistant. Guadagnini held on to take second over Arvid Lüning while early contender Adam Zsolt Kovacs from iFly JK Racing Yamaha crashed and was ran over ending his weekend.

Today’s racing was even more challenging with much of the track left untouched since yesterday’s final race. EMX125 presented by FMF Racing again battled on the track first with Lüning leading the first official lap. 2nd on the first lap but quickly taking over the lead was Guadagnini. Just as impressive was Filip Olsson who came from 8th on the first lap to finish second after passing RD10 racing’s Raivo Dankers.

Guadagnini’s 2-1 gave him the overall with Olsson in 2nd, KTM Silver Action’s Andrea Bonacorsi 3rd with a 4-4, Lüning 4th, and Benistant 5th. The weekend also gives Benistant the championship leader’s red plate after previous points leader Rene Hofer from KTM Junior Racing suffered a season ending injury a week ago.

EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing Race 1 Top 10: 1. Thibault Benistant (FRA, Yamaha), 30:57.668; 2. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, Husqvarna), +0:00.849; 3. Arvid Lüning (SWE, KTM), +0:08.690; 4. Andrea Bonacorsi (ITA, KTM), +0:09.490; 5. Filip Olsson (SWE, Husqvarna), +0:09.773; 6. Tom Guyon (FRA, KTM), +0:11.741; 7. Emil Weckman (FIN, KTM), +0:22.166; 8. Raf Meuwissen (NED, KTM), +0:31.962; 9. Emil Jonrup (SWE, KTM), +0:56.236; 10. Jorgen-Matthias Talviku (EST, Yamaha), +0:59.571.

EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing Race 2 Top 10: 1. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, Husqvarna), 30:33.060; 2. Filip Olsson (SWE, Husqvarna), +0:07.390; 3. Raivo Dankers (NED, KTM), +0:16.232; 4. Andrea Bonacorsi (ITA, KTM), +0:20.304; 5. Arvid Lüning (SWE, KTM), +0:24.423; 6. Matheo Miot (FRA, KTM), +0:30.132; 7. Raf Meuwissen (NED, KTM), +0:43.485; 8. Kjell Verbruggen (NED, KTM), +0:45.065; 9. Eddie Wade (GBR, KTM), +0:46.473; 10. James Scott (NZL, KTM), +0:47.517.

EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing Overall Top 10: 1. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, HUS), 47 points; 2. Filip Olsson (SWE, HUS), 38 p.; 3. Andrea Bonacorsi (ITA, KTM), 36 p.; 4. Arvid Lüning (SWE, KTM), 36 p.; 5. Thibault Benistant (FRA, YAM), 33 p.; 6. Raf Meuwissen (NED, KTM), 27 p.; 7. Emil Jonrup (SWE, KTM), 22 p.; 8. Kjell Verbruggen (NED, KTM), 21 p.; 9. Raivo Dankers (NED, KTM), 20 p.; 10. Matheo Miot (FRA, KTM), 17 p.

EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing Championship Top 10: 1. Thibault Benistant (FRA, YAM), 205 points; 2. Rene Hofer (AUT, KTM), 202 p.; 3. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, HUS), 151 p.; 4. Emil Weckman (FIN, KTM), 150 p.; 5. Petr Polak (CZE, KTM), 145 p.; 6. Raivo Dankers (NED, KTM), 123 p.; 7. Tom Guyon (FRA, KTM), 121 p.; 8. Raf Meuwissen (NED, KTM), 120 p.; 9. Filip Olsson (SWE, HUS), 114 p.; 10. Arvid Lüning (SWE, KTM), 104 p.

EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing Manufacturers: 1. KTM, 278 points; 2. Husqvarna, 230 p.; 3. Yamaha, 205 p.; 4. TM, 15 p.

Click here to obtain the complete results

All the Photos from the Fiat Professional MXGP of Belgium will be available HERE

Fiat Professional MXGP of Belgium – QUICK FACTS

Circuit length: 1,880m

Type of ground: Sand

Temperature: 28°

Weather conditions: Sunny

Crowd Attendance: 33,000

MXGP was be available across the board in high definition and is also globally available to view live and in HD on MXGP-TV.com. Click here for the complete list of countries and cooperating MXGP broadcasting networks.

NEXT STOP

The next round of the EMX250 Championship as well as the EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing will take place in Switzerland on August, the 19^th.

LINKS

Youthstream

FIM Europe

FIAT Professional MXGP of Belgium

LOMMEL (Belgium) 04 August 2018 - The 2018 Fiat Professional MXGP of Belgium has started with an amazing Saturday. Lommel sandy circuit continued to suit the 2017 overall winners, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings and Jorge Prado, as they took today’s Qualifying race wins in MXGP and MX2 respectively.

Known as one of the most brutal and challenging sand tracks on the planet, Lommel is also one of the riders’ favorites. What started as a smoothly sculpted surface quickly transformed into the typical Belgian sand track with massive ruts and ever changing lines. What was not typical for Belgium, however, was the weather with temperatures reaching the mid to upper 30’s. Thousands of fans were onsite to witness the speed, skill, and fitness of the world’s best riders and were on display today.

Joining the World Championship classes of MXGP and MX2 where FIM Europe’s classes of EMX125 presented by FMF Racing and EMX250. Coming into the day 100 riders were entered into the 125cc class alone with another 91 in EMX250. By race 1 a series of timed sessions combined with a last chance race narrowed the fields to 40 riders each. Performing best and making it on the race one 125 podium was Yamaha Europe EMX125’s Thibault Benistant, Team Maddi Racing Husqvarna’s Mattia Guadagnini, and Arvid Lüning plus Yamaha SM Action MC Migliori’s Maxime Renaux, Creymert Racing’s Kevin Horgmo, and REVO Husqvarna UK’s Mel Pocock doing the same in EMX250.

Off of the start of the MXGP Qualifying race it was Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP’s Romain Febvre in the lead with Team HRC’s Tim Gajser giving chase ahead of the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing riders, Jeffrey Herlings and Antonio Cairoli.

Herlings made it past Gajser in the first section as the Slovenian nearly jumped off the track. Febvre was also victim to the quick tenacity of Herlings as the Dutchman, dubbed the best sand rider in the world, squeezed his way by and into the lead.

Gajser then dropped another position to Cairoli on the opening lap and then came under pressure from Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Max Anstie in 5th. Anstie along with a handful of other riders took advantage of Gajser falling in a corner which dropped him to 10th behind Wilvo Yamaha Official MXGP’s Shaun Simpson and ahead of the other Wilvo Yamaha of Jeremy Seewer.

Up to 5th was Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP’s Jeremy Van Horebeek with fellow Belgian Kevin Strijbos just behind in 6th on his Standing Construct KTM. Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s Belgian’s of Clement Desalle and Julien Lieber ran 8th and 18th before Desalle fell to 11th and Lieber 33rd. Desalle lost 2 more positions before the finish to take 13th while Lieber got up 25th but then had to push his bike across the finish line for 29th.

Herlings’ race was however uneventful as he led every lap recorded, controlled his gap over Febvre and took the race win by nearly 16 seconds. On the final lap Cairoli closed the previous gap to Febvre and spooked the Frenchman into a mistake which gave the #222 second.’

Once Cairoli had made his move Febvre played it smart and cruised to a 3rd place with Anstie 4th, Strijbos 5th, Van Horebeek 6th, and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Glenn Coldenhoff taking 7th after being as far back as 12th earlier in the race.

Jeffrey Herlings: “I definitely love coming here... last year we were here and we won, this year we are here so I want to repeat it and come out with a win, it would be nice, it would be good for the championship. There is 6 rounds to go in less than 2 months but many things can still happen. Our plan for tomorrow is to get two good starts, try to fight for victory but it won't be easy, the competition is strong."

MXGP Qualifying Race Top Ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 24:55.928; 2. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:15.876; 3. Romain Febvre (FRA, Yamaha), +0:21.255; 4. Max Anstie (GBR, Husqvarna), +0:50.668; 5. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, KTM), +0:55.261; 6. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Yamaha), +1:08.449; 7. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), +1:12.960; 8. Shaun Simpson (GBR, Yamaha), +1:13.126; 9. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Yamaha), +1:22.128; 10. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Suzuki), +1:30.810.

MXGP Photos

Main Photo: Jeffrey Herlings

Bottom Photos: 1. Antonio Cairoli; 2. Romain Febvre

MX2’s Qualifying race was led by the consistent holeshot provider of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado. Prado had his Red Bull KTM teammate Pauls Jonass just behind him and Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Thomas Covington on spot further back.

The start also saw Yamaha SM Action MC Migliori’s Simone Furlotti crash and the first turn claimed others such as Honda 114 Motorsports Hunter Lawrence. Making an impressive start was Hitachi KTM UK’s Conrad Mewse in 4th. Covington made a move to split the KTM’s of Prado and Jonass but Jonass responded with an even more daring move around the outside of Covington to reclaim 2nd.

Mewse was next to make a pass on Covington when the American made a mistake exiting the turn prior to Pit Lane. Covington then had his Rockstar Energy Husqvarna teammate Thomas Kjer Olsen behind him with Yamaha SM Action MC Migliori’s Michele Cervellin in 6th and Team HRC’s Calvin Vlaanderen 7th.

Vlaanderen made a pass on Cervellin to take 6th and shortly after F&H Racing Team’s Adam Sterry took 7th from the Italian. Meanwhile Jonass made a pass on Prado to take the lead and quickly created a small gap. Covington fought to take 3rd back from a resilient Mewse and eventual was successful but not before his teammate Olsen fell out of 5th.

Kemea Yamaha Official MX2’s Belgian rider, Jago Geerts, charged up to 7th after a bad start while Prado closed the gap of Jonass and retook the lead down the start straight. For the remaining 2 laps Prado held on to the lead with Jonass 2nd, Covington 3rd, Mewse 4th, and Vlaanderen 5th.

Jorge Prado: “I think I had a pretty good qualifying race, I took a good start and then tried to figure out where to improve and with 3 laps to go I could make the pass and take the qualifying race win so I'm really happy but the main race is still tomorrow so we will see how it goes."

Jago Geerts: “I am feeling pretty good right now. The qualification race was pretty tough, I got a really bad start but came back to 7th so I hope to get a better start tomorrow and try to finish in the top 5. It is a really nice feeling riding in front of my home crowd, the track is really good, it is hot but I like it."

MX2 Qualifying Race Top Ten: 1. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 25:41.098; 2. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), +0:05.379; 3. Thomas Covington (USA, Husqvarna), +0:17.314; 4. Conrad Mewse (GBR, KTM), +0:25.500; 5. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, Honda), +0:34.345; 6. Adam Sterry (GBR, Kawasaki), +0:36.351; 7. Jago Geerts (BEL, Yamaha), +0:42.048; 8. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, Husqvarna), +0:49.708; 9. Michele Cervellin (ITA, Yamaha), +0:55.699; 10. Anthony Rodriguez (VEN, Yamaha), +1:02.799

MX2 Photos

Main Photo: Jorge Prado & Pauls Jonass

Bottom Photos: 1. MX2 Start; 2. Thomas Covington

Click here to obtain the complete results

All the Photos from the Fiat Professional MXGP of Belgium will be available HERE

Fiat Professional MXGP of Belgium – QUICK FACTS

Circuit length: 1,880m

Type of ground: Sand

Temperature: 32°

Weather conditions: Sunny

MXGP will be available across the board in high definition and is also globally available to view live and in HD on MXGP-TV.com. Click here for the complete list of countries and cooperating MXGP broadcasting networks.

TIMETABLE

Sunday: 09h45 EMX125 Race 2, 10h25 MX2 Warm-Up, 10h45 MXGP Warm-Up, 11h30 EMX250 Race 2, 13h15 MX2 Race 1, 14h15 MXGP Race 1, 16h10 MX2 Race 2, 17h10 MXGP Race 2

LINKS

Youthstream

FIM

FIM Europe

FIAT Professional MXGP of Belgium

Today’s Fiat Professional MXGP of Belgium hosted great qualifying racing and topping of the day was a presentation from Alpinestars. Jeremy Appleton  from Alpinstars’ communication department followed the MXGP and MX2 Qualifying press conference with the introduction of Alpinestars’ newest product, the Supertech M10 Helmet.

The presentation was made to both international and nation media at Lommel’s media center. Appleton not only showcased the product itself but also its innovations and design plus the several years of research and development invested by the Italian based protection manufacturer.

For more info on Alpinestars and the new Supertech M10 helmet check out https://www.alpinestars.com/

As of August 1st 2018, Bihr will be the official and exclusive distributor of ANSWER Racing for mainland Europe, today Saturday 4^th August Bihr and Answer were teaming up to present the new 2019 collection to their dealers and national and international media at the Bihr hospitality area located in the MXGP paddock. The Answer team riders Antonio Cairoli, Jorge Prado, and Benoit Paturel came out for a meet and greet with all the guests.

On Sunday August 5th all of the fans are invited to get a first glimpse of all the novelties.

About ANSWER: ANSWER is an iconic American motocross brand offering a complete range of protective apparel for the off-road riders. The brand has a strong heritage of delivering cutting edge protective gear which has been performance proven and endorsed by the world’s best motocross racers for over 40 years. Legends of the sport such as Bob Hannah, Johnny O’Mara, Jean-Michel Bayle and James Stewart are just a few of the many champions which took part in shaping the brand.

Nowadays, ANSWER continues to invest in bringing the best quality and performing products to riders across the globe. Jorge Prado, Justin Bogle, Ryan Villopoto and the reigning 9-time motocross world champion Antonio Cairoli are not only choosing ANSWER to win in style but they are also an integral part of the product developments done at ANSWER’s R&D center in Irvine, California. This unique dynamic has been contributing a lot in the success of ANSWER’s revival and making it one of the fastest growing motocross gear brand.

About BIHR: Bihr is a leading European distributor of aftermarket motorcycle parts and accessories, for both rider and machine, established in 1937. The products and brands Bihr represents across Europe are available through a network of professional dealers and resellers. Bihr strives to provide its dealers with the best customer experience and aim at creating partnerships allowing us to grow together. Through local sales teams across Europe, Bihr offers proximity services to motorcycle professionals. Over 12.000 dealers qualified Bihr’s one-stop-shop offer, excellent availability, fast and free delivery options, and ease of doing business by trusting their business to them. Bihr carries the passion for riding and enjoys sharing it with all of its partners!