MX2

The Fox Holeshot award runs across the entire MXGP season. The way it works is 1 point is awarded for each race holeshot. He who has the most points in MXGP at the end of the season will win the grand prize of €10,000 while he with the most points in MX2 will win the grand prize of €5,000.

At MXGP of Spain 24MX Honda’s Xavier Boog claimed his first FOX Holeshot of the season in race one while Rockstar Energy Suzuki World’s Kevin Strijbos claimed it in race two. Meanwhile in the MX2 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings claimed the FOX Holeshot with his stellar start in race one, while the holeshot master and local legend KTM Silver Actions Jose Butrón took back the FOX Holeshot award lead with his fourth of the season in race two.

After MXGP’s round of Spain, both Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Antonio Cairoli and KTM Silver Actions Jose Butrón lead their respective classes by four.

Watch MXGP of Spain ‘Fox Holeshot’ slow mo’s in the videos below.

MXGP: 24MX Honda’s Xavier Boog and Rockstar Energy Suzuki World’s Kevin Strijbos

MX2: Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings and  KTM Silver Actions Jose Butrón 

PHOTO Below: 24MX Honda’s Xavier Boog and Rockstar Energy Suzuki World’s Kevin Strijbos

TALAVERA DE LA REINA (Spain), 11 May 2014 - To attack or respect, the riders in round seven of the FIM Motocross World Championship were forced to decide as the sun baked clay sculpted their stage here in Talavera de la Reina, dictating line selection and demanding a combination of both mental and physical strength.

Both proving to have returned to their expected form, Rockstar Energy Suzuki World’s Clement Desalle and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings dominated their respective races to claim victory here at the MXGP of Spain in perfect score style.

MXGP

The real Rockstar Energy Suzuki World’s Clement Desalle took a stand today proving he’s still a real player in this game. The Belgian looked more aggressive than he has of late, getting off to two great starts and going on to lead every lap from start to finish for his first ever FIM Motocross World Championship win in Spain, as well as his first perfect score of the season.

The podium almost wouldn’t look right without Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jeremy Van Horebeek as he makes himself the most consistent podium placer in the MXGP class this season. “Today I had an awesome feeling, but my starts were not that good and that is where I lost it, but overall I am really happy, second on the podium to make it six times in a row, and I am really happy.”

Rockstar Energy Suzuki World’s Kevin Strijbos fought hard from an average start in race one to take a hard fought fourth when he passed both Cairoli and Bobryshev with two-laps to go. After making a change to his bike to help with the start in race two, the Belgian got the FOX Holeshot and rode solid to make the podium a complete Belgian domination for the second time this year. “I think the track was good, it was a little bit like old school and overall the track was nice to ride.”

The saying goes ‘Championships are not won on your good days, but on your bad days’, which can be said for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Antonio Cairoli as he looked uncharacteristically uncomfortable out on the roasted clay today, but with fourth place being the result of a bad day, the Italian still has a lot to smile about as he continues to lead the championship by twenty-four points.

After having some big falls already this year like the one at Arco di Trento and then again two weeks ago in Valkenswaard, Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s Steven Frossard is happy to have kept his KXF450 on two wheels this weekend to bring home a solid fifth.

MXGP Race 1 top ten: 1. Clement Desalle (BEL, Suzuki), 34:16.039; 2. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Yamaha), +0:05.376; 3. Steven Frossard (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:11.106; 4. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Suzuki), +0:18.572; 5. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), +0:20.806; 6. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:26.363; 7. Xavier Boog (FRA, Honda), +0:30.702; 8. Tyla Rattray (RSA, Husqvarna), +0:33.979; 9. Joel Roelants (BEL, Honda), +0:35.869; 10. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), +0:51.498.

MXGP Race 2 top ten: 1. Clement Desalle (BEL, Suzuki), 33:58.407; 2. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:01.732; 3. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Suzuki), +0:03.845; 4. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Yamaha), +0:15.603; 5. Steven Frossard (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:23.521; 6. Jake Nicholls (GBR, KTM), +0:43.618; 7. David Philippaerts (ITA, Yamaha), +0:50.876; 8. Rui Goncalves (POR, Yamaha), +0:52.007; 9. Xavier Boog (FRA, Honda), +1:06.104; 10. Tyla Rattray (RSA, Husqvarna), +1:12.517

MXGP Overall top ten: 1. Clement Desalle (BEL, SUZ), 50 points; 2. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, YAM), 40 p.; 3. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, SUZ), 38 p.; 4. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 37 p.; 5. Steven Frossard (FRA, KAW), 36 p.; 6. Xavier Boog (FRA, HON), 26 p.; 7. David Philippaerts (ITA, YAM), 24 p.; 8. Tyla Rattray (RSA, HUS), 24 p.; 9. Jake Nicholls (GBR, KTM), 23 p.; 10. Joel Roelants (BEL, HON), 22 p

MXGP World Championship Classification Top Ten: 1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 304 points; 2. Clement Desalle (BEL, SUZ), 280 p.; 3. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, YAM), 276 p.; 4. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, SUZ), 220 p.; 5. Gautier Paulin (FRA, KAW), 205 p.; 6. Maximilian Nagl (GER, HON), 166 p.; 7. Steven Frossard (FRA, KAW), 142 p.; 8. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, HON), 136 p.; 9. Joel Roelants (BEL, HON), 134 p.; 10. Xavier Boog (FRA, HON), 134 p.

MXGP Manufacturer: 1. KTM, 304 points; 2. Suzuki, 290 p.; 3. Yamaha, 276 p.; 4. Kawasaki, 269 p.; 5. Honda, 230 p.; 6. Husqvarna, 169 p.; 7. TM, 124 p.

MX2

For the majority of this season Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings has been claiming he’s lacking on-the-bike training and therefore is not as dominant as he has been in the past. After today’s performance on a surface which is the complete opposite end of the spectrum to the sand of Valkenswaard, it is almost safe to say “The Bullet” has been training hard and now he is back, and he means business.

CLS Kawasaki Monster Energy’s young Frenchman Dylan Ferrandis put his hard pack knowledge to good use this weekend utilizing a smooth and solid riding style to bring home two consistent third place finishes for second overall for the second time this year. “Today in the race we had some nice battles, it was really close for first to eight, but I am very happy to be back on the podium, three and three is good for me”

Meanwhile his CLS Kawasaki Monster Energy teammate Arnaud Tonus did exactly what he needed to do here in race one, riding his own pace to take second. In race two the creativity of the Swiss was put to the ultimate test as he was forced to make new line combinations in order to make passes stick. After his plausible efforts in race two, where he scrapped his way into second only to lose it after going into a berm a little too hot and catching an edge which tipped him off his bike, he still managed to come home for fifth which landed him on the podium for the fourth time this year.

Persistent is one word that sums up Wilvo Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Romain Febvre. The young French star on the rise fought tooth and nail this weekend, which left him face first in the dirt a couple of times. Nevertheless the youngsters never give up attitude kept him moving forward which rewarded him with fourth overall for the Grand Prix of Spain.

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jordi Tixier can’t get the monkey off his back this year. While the Frenchman had moments of greatness where he looked at home and on the move around the hilly circuit here in Talavera, a few costly mistakes forced him backwards in both races leaving him in fifth overall.

It was heartbreak for KTM Silver Actions local kid Jose Butrón after he caused a thirty-five minute fence line fiesta when he snapped up the FOX Holeshot and led the best part of race two. After throwing his heart on the table to bring a podium home for his frenzy of screaming fans, the Spaniard appeared to have second place already in his pocket when he made an error over the back of the track and dropped back to sixth with a gut wrenching quarter of a lap to go.

Also making his MX2 Grand Prix comeback, Yamaha Factory Racing’s Christophe Charlier, who qualified an outstanding third place yesterday, crashed twice in race one and only managed to salvage twelfth, but bounced back strong in race two to come home in eighth. Although the return from injury could have been better, Charlier is satisfied with his results and progress from today, and is now looking forward to the next round of MXGP in two weeks time.

MX2 Race 1 top ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 35:08.693; 2. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, Kawasaki), +0:32.142; 3. Dylan Ferrandis (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:41.915; 4. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KTM), +0:44.578; 5. Romain Febvre (FRA, Husqvarna), +0:52.004; 6. Julien Lieber (BEL, Suzuki), +1:06.023; 7. Damon Graulus (BEL, KTM), +1:10.108; 8. Jose Butron (ESP, KTM), +1:12.316; 9. Petar Petrov (BUL, Yamaha), +1:13.364; 10. Aleksandr Tonkov (RUS, Husqvarna), +1:14.768.

MX2 Race 2 top ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 34:48.430; 2. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:05.468; 3. Dylan Ferrandis (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:05.958; 4. Romain Febvre (FRA, Husqvarna), +0:07.510; 5. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, Kawasaki), +0:08.977; 6. Jose Butron (ESP, KTM), +0:14.974; 7. Valentin Guillod (SUI, KTM), +0:17.417; 8. Christophe Charlier (FRA, Yamaha), +0:20.364; 9. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KTM), +0:23.987; 10. Petar Petrov (BUL, Yamaha), +0:37.601.

MX2 Overall top ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 50 points; 2. Dylan Ferrandis (FRA, KAW), 40 p.; 3. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, KAW), 38 p.; 4. Romain Febvre (FRA, HUS), 34 p.; 5. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KTM), 30 p.; 6. Jose Butron (ESP, KTM), 28 p.; 7. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 26 p.; 8. Julien Lieber (BEL, SUZ), 25 p.; 9. Petar Petrov (BUL, YAM), 23 p.; 10. Christophe Charlier (FRA, YAM), 22 p.

MX2 World Championship Classification Top Ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 294 points; 2. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, KAW), 267 p.; 3. Romain Febvre (FRA, HUS), 232 p.; 4. Dylan Ferrandis (FRA, KAW), 225 p.; 5. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KTM), 215 p.; 6. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, SUZ), 176 p.; 7. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 171 p.; 8. Aleksandr Tonkov (RUS, HUS), 170 p.; 9. Jose Butron (ESP, KTM), 159 p.; 10. Valentin Guillod (SUI, KTM), 153 p.

MX2 Manufacturer: 1. KTM, 324 points; 2. Kawasaki, 293 p.; 3. Husqvarna, 238 p.; 4. Suzuki, 229 p.; 5. Yamaha, 188 p.; 6. Honda, 181 p.; 7. TM, 6 p.

Click here to obtain the complete results.

All the photos of the MXGP of Spain are available here

MXGP was available across the board in high definition, and is also globally available to view live and in HD on www.MXGP-TV.com. Click here for the complete list of countries and cooperating MXGP broadcasting networks, viewing times can be viewed by clicking on the logo of your chosen broadcasting network.

MXGP SPAIN – QUICK FACTS

Circuit length: 1620

Type of ground: Hard Pack

Temperature: 32°

Weather conditions: Sunny

Crowd attendance: 16.000

NEXT MXGP

The next round of MXGP will take place in two weeks time on the weekend of May 25 in Matterley Basin, Winchester, Great Britain.

LINKS

Youthstream

FIM

MXGP of Spain

Did you miss some of the action from today’s racing in Talavera de la Reina? MXGP-tv is here to save the day! In the videos below are all the highlights from all classes.

MXGP Qualifying race highlights

MX2 Qualifying race highlights

EMX250 Race 1 highlights

EMX300 Race 1 highlights

TALAVERA DE LA REINA (Spain), 10 May 2014 - Thanks to all the loyal fans of MXGP, MXGP’s Facebook page has reached an incredible 150,000 likes!

Since venturing out onto four of the most popular and widely recognized social media platforms, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Youtube at the start of season 2013, MXGP has been able to interact and build solid relationships with MXGP fans from all over the globe.

Facebook is undoubtedly the mecca of Social Media platforms with over one billion active monthly users. At the start of 2013, MXGP had only 1000 likes on Facebook. After just one month of interaction on Facebook, MXGP content had a reach of over 900,000 viewers on Facebook alone.

After one year of daily communication, up to the minute news and intimate details over what is going on in the world of MXGP, MXGP’s Facebook page had received 130,000 ‘likes’ and had extended its audience to over thirty million viewers. With a monthly reach of over 2,500,000 viewers, 20,000 more fans have given MXGP the thumbs up and ‘liked’ MXGP’s Facebook page since the start of 2014, resulting in yet another momentous milestone for MXGP’s social media platforms.

A substantial 59% of MXGP’s likes derive from people under the age of 24 with a whopping 92% stemming from males. Momentarily Italy leads the way as MXGP’s most engaged nation with 28,227 likes stemming from there, while a country more or less new to MXGP, Brazil, runs a close second as the most progressive nation.

MXGP would like to thank everybody for their on going support. Thanks to all of you, we’ve reached 150,000 likes on Facebook and to celebrate we are giving away two paddock passes to a MXGP round of your choice.

Winners will be announced on 12^th May via MXGP’s Facebook page, so stay tuned and keep your thumbs up for MXGP!

Watch here below the video of MXGP social Media growth and stats.

LINKS

Youthstream

FIM

TALAVERA DE LA REINA (Spain), 10 May 2014 - While a chilly wind took the edge off the direct sunlight at the last round of MXGP in The Netherlands, there was no masking the sun here in Talavera as the soaring temperatures cooked both the paddock and track ready for today’s qualifying heat races of round seven of the FIM Motocross World Championship.

Also taking to the hilly classic style circuit here in Talavera, the European Championships EMX250 and EMX300 battled the heat and each other in contention for the second rounds of their respective series’. CNC KTM’s British rider Steven Clarke took control of the EMX250’s first race ahead of Bud Racing Kawasaki’s duo of Sullivan Jaulin and local hero Jorge Zaragoza.

Meanwhile in the EMX300, GL12 Team’s Lewis Gregory made it a great day in the office for the British European Championship fans, flaunting his true potential after passing red plate holder TM Racing Team’s Samuele Bernardini, who had slid out on lap one, and went on to lead every lap for his first race win of the season. Meanwhile CEC I.S Racing’s Toms Macuks charged hard from outside the top five to catch the leader, but couldn’t get enough traction to make a pass. Wilvo Forkrent KTM’s Kenny Vandueren made a solid return from injury to round out the top three while the early leader and red plate holder Bernardini only came home in fifth.

MXGP

Twenty-third pick of the gate clearly didn’t phase the red plate holder Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Antonio Cairoli as he had his KTM350SXF pinned around the outside of turn one to go inside on the following turn and run away with the race win.

Meanwhile, behind the seven-times World Champ, the trio of Belgians were at it once again. Initially it was Rockstar Energy Suzuki World’s Clement Desalle to look more at home on the harder surface, but that energy only lasted three quarters of the race before fellow countrymen Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jeremy Van Horebeek and Rockstar Energy Suzuki World’s Kevin Strijbos came through to make quick work of him. After blowing by Desalle, Van Horebeek and Strijbos rode extremely close grained to finish narrowly in that order.

With Desalle dropping off the pace, Team HRC’s Evgeny Bobryshev was able to close in. Although the Russian Bobryshev made up a ton of ground, there weren’t enough laps for him to challenge for fourth, meaning he would have to settle for fifth.

MXGP Qualifying Race top ten: 1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 24:36.272; 2. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Yamaha), +0:15.857; 3. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Suzuki), +0:17.419; 4. Clement Desalle (BEL, Suzuki), +0:26.272; 5. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), +0:27.837; 6. Xavier Boog (FRA, Honda), +0:32.569; 7. Steven Frossard (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:34.814; 8. Rui Goncalves (POR, Yamaha), +0:36.162; 9. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), +0:38.883; 10. Joel Roelants (BEL, Honda), +0:39.955.

MX2

Fast becoming one of the best qualifying race racers, Standing Construct KTM’s Valentin Guillod fended off the challenge from Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jordi Tixier and Yamaha Factory Racing Christophe Charlier for the entire twenty minutes plus two laps to take his second qualifying heat victory of the season. Meanwhile behind the Swiss Guillod, two of France’s finest, Charlier, who has just returned from an injury which occurred at MXGP round two in Thailand, and Tixier were going head to head for second. Despite putting in a very impressive ride given the circumstances, Charlier couldn’t hold off the wrath of his fellow countryman Tixier and dropped back to third in the final leg of the race.

Fiercely chasing the top three, Wilvo Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Romain Febvre hunted down and passed the fan favorite KTM Silver Actions Jose Butrón who was forced back to settle for fifth while Febvre took home a hard fought fourth.

Struggling to attack the surface with the same intensity as he did on his home soil in Valkenswaard, KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings bit the dust a couple of times which dropped him well outside of the top 20. Nonetheless the Dutch youngster kept on grinding to come home in sixteenth.

MX2 Qualifying Race top ten: 1. Valentin Guillod (SUI, KTM), 24:57.007; 2. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KTM), +0:04.233; 3. Christophe Charlier (FRA, Yamaha), +0:07.150; 4. Romain Febvre (FRA, Husqvarna), +0:13.946; 5. Jose Butron (ESP, KTM), +0:15.984; 6. Julien Lieber (BEL, Suzuki), +0:18.463; 7. Dylan Ferrandis (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:19.462; 8. Aleksandr Tonkov (RUS, Husqvarna), +0:22.305; 9. Petar Petrov (BUL, Yamaha), +0:27.367; 10. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, Kawasaki), +0:34.229.

Click here to obtain the complete results.

All the photos of the MXGP of Spain will be available here

MXGP will be available across the board in high definition, and is also globally available to view live and in HD on www.MXGP-TV.com. Click here for the complete list of countries and cooperating MXGP broadcasting networks, viewing times can be viewed by clicking on the logo of your chosen broadcasting network.

MXGP SPAIN – QUICK FACTS

Circuit length: 1620

Type of ground: Hard Pack

Temperature: 30°

Weather conditions: sunny

TIMETABLE

SUNDAY: EMX300 Warm-up 08:40; EMX250 Warm-up 08:55; MX2 Warm-up 09:15; MXGP Warm-up 09:40; EMX300 Race 2 10:10; EMX250 Race 2 11:10; MX2 Race 1 13:15; MXGP Race 1 14:15; MX2 Race 2 16:10; MXGP Race 2 17:10.

LINKS

Youthstream

FIM

MXGP of Spain

Shigehiko Kiyama San, Managing Executive Officer and President of Kawasaki Motorcycle Division, honoured the FIM World Motocross GP Championship series with his personal attendance at the Dutch MXGP.

Mister Kiyama, involved in the sport for several years in the USA, attended the Dutch MXGP at Valkenswaard during a visit to a number of leading European Kawasaki dealers and branch offices.
 
Together with Mr Ondo (Motorsport Manager, Kawasaki Heavy Insdustries), Mr Tanaka (Director, Kawasaki Motors Europe), Mr Kawakami (Managing Director Kawasaki Motors Europe) and Steve Guttridge (Racing Manager, Kawasaki Motors Europe), Mister Kiyama met the team staff of the Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team and Team CLS Kawasaki Monster Energy as well as their riders. The group enjoyed Gautier Paulin's MXGP moto win, Arnaud Tonus' performance in the MX2 class as well as the overall victory of Meghan Rutledge and the moto victory of Livia Lancelot in the Women's World Championship.
 
“This was a very good opportunity for me to visit the MX GP, as it’s actually a kind of holiday in Japan at the moment so I could plan the trip trip to coincide with a visit to some of our European dealers and some of our European staff“, said Mr Kiyama.
 
“I’m happy to have met our Motocross GP riders as well as the team staff; they have done a great job so far this season in all classes with several GP wins. Kawasaki is a performance company, and of course we try to be a safe and very good energy saving unit too, but we show the power in performance, so Motocross and Supercross bikes are our typical models to show the Kawasaki performance advantage.
 
"It was nice to meet the riders as I didn’t previously know so well the Kawasaki riders in Europe; when I was working in the US I knew our factory riders in Motocross, Supercross, Jet Ski, Supersport and Superbike.
 
"We worked together with Ryan Villopoto, James Stewart and other riders; this was my first opportunity to meet our GP riders, and it’s a very nice starting point for me.
 
"Every week we are watching the results of our riders in Supersport, Superbike and Motocross, and of course as a company we would like to have one round of the Motocross World Championship back in Japan; everyone knows that our country has had some challenges, but right now the market is going better again so let’s hope that MXGP will come back soon to Japan.”

Copyright: Photo: Kawasaki

Welcome to Talavera de la Reina, Spain!

Take a look around with MXGP-TV host Amy Dargan and catch up with the local hero KTM Silver Action's José Butrón as he talks about lining up for his first home Grand Prix in two years, in the videos below.

Welcome to Talavera de la Reina

Pit Chat with KTM Silver Action's José Butrón