MXGP

In less than a month two Motocross World Champions will be crowned and while Team HRC rider Tim Gajser has a 24 point lead over Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider Antonio Cairoli  (441 points to 417 points) and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing pilot Tom Vialle with 525 points is 52 points ahead of the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory rider Jago Geerts, who is on 473 points, anything can happen as we head down the final stretch of a very tough season for the riders.

Starting at Lommel this coming Sunday on October 18, then October 21 and October 25, before we head south again to Italy and Trentino on November 1, November 4 and November 8. A six-week haul that will truly test all the riders and make sure that a true champion is crowned.

Gajser has looked very consistent of late with 1-2-3-2 in the last four races and going into Lommel this coming weekend, he is in a perfect position to extend that lead over Cairoli, who is struggling with minor injuries.

Second overall in Spain after his Mantova victory the Slovenian is showing a lot of maturity as the 2020 championship goes down this final month of the title race and he hunts for his fourth world title.

“I really liked the track in Spain,” Gajser said. “I didn’t have a good start in either race, but I was still able to finish third in race one and second in race two. The second race, I was especially happy with the line I chose for the second corner as I swept all the way from seventh into second. I then tried to push, had some nice lines, and briefly passed Jorge before he passed me back. We stayed together for quite a lot of the race but then I saw that Romain wasn’t so close behind me, so I finished second, for second overall. The championship gap has increased but my focus for Lommel is to go out there and have fun.”

The MXGP class is far from a two-horse race with Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing rider Jeremy Seewer and Red Bull KTM Factory rider Jorge Prado still looking strong as they continue to impress. Prado might be 50 points behind Gajser, but as we saw when Jeffrey Herlings held a 60-point lead, a crash can change the whole complexity of a title race.

Prado might have gone 1-1 last weekend, but unfortunately red plate owner Tim Gajser went 3-2. What we are seeing from Prado though is the massive challenge he is starting to make on Seewer now for third place in the championship.

“My first 1-1 in MXGP,” Prado said. “I felt I was the best out there and I was really excited when I crossed the finish line. The second race was really good. The first laps were intense with Tim and the track was very technical and a lot of ruts. You had to be very precise and smooth, no mistakes. It was an amazing day. I look forward to going to Lommel now.”

So now in October and November, the period the riders are usually resting up from a tough season, they once again go into battle, and you can count on names like Gajser, Cairoli, Seewer and Prado fighting hard to see who will become the 2020 MXGP champion.

MONACO (Principality of Monaco) 13 October 2020 – Infront Moto Racing is delighted about the extension of contract for the MXGP of Russia until 2023, which confirms the FIM Motocross World Championship in Russia for the next three years.

The Russian MXGP has been an important part of the FIM Motocross World Championship calendar over the last several years, producing a warm atmosphere and even better racing. The continuity of the partnership is great news, as motocross continues to grow in Russia.

This season, the Russian Grand Prix was originally scheduled to take place on the 7^th of June at the Orlyonok circuit, though due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the event was postponed to a later date and then to 2021 instead.

In most recent years, the Russian GP took place in Orlyonok, with the venue hosting the Junior Motocross World Championship back in 2016 which saw Jago Geerts victorious in the 125cc category, while Rene Hofer won in the 85’s and local hero Kirill Vorobyov winning the 65cc category. The following year the venue made its first appearance on the MXGP calendar, as the event was won by Pauls Jonass in MX2 and Clement Desalle in MXGP.

Since then, the Russian GP has been a regular on the racing calendar and will continue to be for the next three years. Infront Moto Racing is excited to return to Russian in 2021 and continue this wonderful partnership with the Organizer of the MXGP of Russia, the Motorcycle Federation of Russia (MFR).

LINKS

Infront Moto Racing

FIM

MXGP is super excited to continue with the FOX Holeshot competition, that is running throughout the 2020 FIM Motocross World Championship season, together with MXGP partner FOX.

The way the competition works is; during both MXGP and MX2 races, the rider who crosses the white line painted on the ground at the exit of the first corner will be awarded 1 point. At the end of the season, the 2 riders, one per category, with the most FOX Holeshot points will win the mega prize!

During the MXGP of Spain, it was the home hero, Jorge Prado of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing who dominated the starts, as he went on to claim both FOX Holeshots in the category on his way to two epic race wins, as he led both heats from start to finish.

Meanwhile it MX2, the first FOX Holeshot of the day went to Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Tom Vialle who rode strong to take the opening race win, while in the second heat it was Jago Geerts of Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing MX2 who led the rest of the field into the first corner.

As it stands, Prado now leads the FOX Holeshot Award standings with 13 points, as he holds a 10-point advantage to Standing Construct GasGas Factory Racing’s Ivo Monticelli. Team HRC’s Tim Gajser is in third with two points. The MX2 standings are being led by Vialle who has 14 black plates to his name this season, with Geerts in second with four, followed by his teammate Ben Watson, who has 3.

Watch the FOX Holeshot Films from the MXGP of Spain below. 

MXGP FOX Holeshot Film

MX2 FOX Holeshot Film

iNTU XANADU' - ARROYOMOLINOS (Spain) 11 October 2020 – The return of the Spanish Grand Prix was marked in epic fashion, as home hero, Jorge Prado of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing took the all-important overall victory for the very first time in Spain, as he celebrated two race wins on home soil!

Meanwhile in MX2, fellow Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider Tom Vialle, had his own success on the hard-pack circuit, as he made his way to the top step of the podium, with two solid results in the races.

Today was the very first time the MXGP and MX2 riders got their chance to test out the hard-pack circuit here in Arroyomolinos, which shaped up well and created some exciting races.

Jorge Prado started the opening MXGP race with a FOX Holeshot, as he led Romain Febvre of Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team, Team HRC’s Mitch Evans. JM Honda Racing’s Dylan Walsh and Gautier Paulin of Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing also got a good start as they were running fourth and fifth on the opening lap.

Tim Gajser of Team HRC then pushed his way into the top four, while his teammate passed Febvre for second. Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jeremy Seewer didn’t have the best start to the race and was down in 9^th after the first few laps.

Febvre then eventually passed Evans back for second, with Gajser managing to get around his teammate as well, before the Australian crashed out of the race, sustaining a left wrist injury.

Prado then continued to lead the way by 2.361 seconds over Febvre, Gajser and Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s Clement Desalle, while further down the order, Walsh dropped a few more positions and was down in 11^th.

Standing Construct GasGas Factory Racing Team’s Glenn Coldenhoff was having a good ride in 6^th as he applied the pressure onto Paulin. This battle carried on for a couple of laps before Coldenhoff forced his way past the Factory Yamaha rider. Meanwhile Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Antonio Cairoli and Seewer were also there in 7^th and 8^th having a fight of their own.

A few laps later, Cairoli made a little mistake which allowed Seewer to close in, though as the Swiss pushed for the pass, a small mistake turned into a big crash. He was able to quickly re-join in 10^th just behind Jeremy Van Horebeek of Honda SR Motoblouz.

Walsh then went out of the race with what looked like a broken chain, all while Coldenhoff was looking for another position, as he got onto the rear wheel of Desalle.

After leading every single lap of the race, Jorge Prado went on to take the first race win, with Febvre finishing second and Gajser third.

In race two, Prado repeated his start success from the first race, as he took another FOX Holeshot and led the way with Seewer and Febvre closely behind him. Gajser though was able to quickly move up into second on the opening lap as he started to push for the win.

Walsh had another good start inside the top 10, though had a big crash which saw him pull out of the second race too, which meant that the JM Honda Racing pilot scored no points this time around.

Coldenhoff then started to push Seewer for fourth, though Seewer was able to respond by setting his fastest lap of the race on the fourth lap. By lap 5, the top 10 included Prado, Gajser, Febvre, Seewer, Coldenhoff, Cairoli, Desalle, Brian Bogers of Marchetti Racing Team KTM, Van Horebeek and Henry Jacobi of Yamaha SM Action MC Migliori J1 Racing.

Prado then continued to put in lap after lap as he led the way by just over 5 seconds, as Gajser looked to have settled for P2 in the race, while the battle was heating up between Coldenhoff and Seewer. The factory GasGas rider, eventually took 4^th from the Swiss rider on lap 13.

There were no changes in positions for the next few laps, and in the end, Jorge Prado went to take his first ever 1-1, to end the day in a perfect way, as he took the overall on home soil. Gajser crossed the line in 2^nd, while Febvre finished third.

The podium looked exactly the same as the second race, as Prado took his second GP victory of the season, while Gajser made it his 8^th podium, with Febvre making his 3^rd podium of the year.

As it stands, Tim Gajser will now head to Belgium with a 24-point advantage to Antonio Cairoli, while Jeremy Seewer is a further 21 points behind.

Jorge Prado: “It’s a dream for all of us, Spanish guys. Winning in Spain or winning in your home country is always very special. It’s a pity we didn’t have the spectators but anyway to win on home soil it’s still incredible. After the last race in Mantova, I really did some training again, I’m making progress every week and that you can see in my racing so, I’m heading in a good direction and yeah it was just a perfect day”.

“I’m getting closer [in the championship]. I started the season not that great but now I’m getting in shape and getting faster so hopefully in Lommel we can get some points” Prado added.

Tim Gajser: “It was a good day actually; I was enjoying it and I really liked the track in Spain. I didn’t get a good start in both races. The first one I finished third and then the second one, I was seventh out of the gate and by the second corner I was able to make many passes. I then caught Jorge [Prado] and tried to push, I had some nice lines where I was catching him, and I even passed him at one moment, but he passed me back. Then we were quite close together, but then is saw that Romain [Febvre] was not so close and then I finished second. Second overall so I am happy”.

“I’m really looking forward [to Lommel]. There’s still many races to go and of course Lommel is one of the toughest races, so I will give my best and try to be consistent, take some good starts and enjoy”.

Romain Febvre: “It was a good day for us. We managed to sort the starts now so I had really good starts today. I think in Faenza it was the first GP for me on hard pack and for sure it was tough to come back. But now we are there, so for sure it makes the race easier. First race I finished second, I was behind Prado and he was faster. The second race, I had a good start, but Tim [Gajser] passed me two corners later and then I was just third. But they were faster in the second race. For sure I am happy to go to Lommel, last year I almost won and for sure I will do my best.

MXGP - Grand Prix Race 1 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 34:13.277; 2. Romain Febvre (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:07.125; 3. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:09.513; 4. Clement Desalle (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:16.409; 5. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, GASGAS), +0:17.950; 6. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Yamaha), +0:31.813; 7. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:37.419; 8. Brian Bogers (NED, KTM), +0:41.385; 9. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Honda), +0:49.693; 10. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Yamaha), +0:54.604;

MXGP - Grand Prix Race 2 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 34:32.685; 2. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:04.455; 3. Romain Febvre (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:17.405; 4. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, GASGAS), +0:21.940; 5. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Yamaha), +0:27.027; 6. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:29.646; 7. Clement Desalle (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:35.318; 8. Brian Bogers (NED, KTM), +0:40.176; 9. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Honda), +0:43.221; 10. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Yamaha), +0:46.577;

MXGP - GP Top 10 Classification: 1. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 50 points; 2. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 42 p.; 3. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 42 p.; 4. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, GAS), 34 p.; 5. Clement Desalle (BEL, KAW), 32 p.; 6. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 29 p.; 7. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 27 p.; 8. Brian Bogers (NED, KTM), 26 p.; 9. Gautier Paulin (FRA, YAM), 26 p.; 10. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, HON), 24 p.

MXGP – Top 10 World Championship Classification: 1. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 441 points; 2. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 417 p.; 3. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 396 p.; 4. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 391 p.; 5. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, GAS), 375 p.; 6. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 346 p.; 7. Gautier Paulin (FRA, YAM), 311 p.; 8. Clement Desalle (BEL, KAW), 294 p.; 9. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 263 p.; 10. Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, HUS), 248 p.

MXGP - Manufacturers Classification: 1. KTM, 539 points; 2. Honda, 478 p.; 3. Yamaha, 449 p.; 4. Kawasaki, 415 p.; 5. GASGAS, 389 p.; 6. Husqvarna, 281 p.;

Main Photo: Jorge Prado

Bottom Photos: 1. Tim Gajser; 2. Romain Febvre

As the gate dropped for the first MX2 race of the day, Tom Vialle put his Red Bull KTM Factory Racing machine out in front, as he led Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Jed Beaton and Thomas Kjer Olsen, along with Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jago Geerts.

F&H Kawasaki Racing’s Mathys Boisrame had a good start followed by a tough moment as he crashed twice and would pull out of the race after the first lap.

Vialle then started to come under pressure from Beaton who was keen to go for the win, while his teammate, Olsen, was right there as well, and getting onto the back wheel of the Aussie. This close battle between the top three would carry on for the entire race.

SDM Corse Yamaha rider Ruben Fernandez had a tough race, as he would not do more than a single lap, after an issue with his bike. This was a tough pill to swallow for the Spaniard, who was hoping for a chance to fight for the podium during his home GP.

Back with the leaders Vialle continued to lead Beaton and Olsen, while Geerts was there in fourth. Maxime Renaux of Yamaha SM Action MC Migliori J1 Racing was in 5^th, just ahead of Roan Van de Moosdijk, rider for F&H Kawasaki Racing, who was starting to push for higher positions.

With 16 minutes on the clock, Beaton was able to briefly find a way past Vialle, who was quick to respond. Geerts then crashed out of 4^th, to re-join in 6^th just behind Hitachi KTM Fuelled by Milwaukee rider Conrad Mewse. Meanwhile, Privateer Ashton Dickinson was having a great rider in the top 10, though he was caught by Husqvarna Junior Racing Maddii’s Alberto Forato, and eventually finished the race in 15^th.

Geerts then put on a charge to pass Mewse, though after several failed attempts, Mewse was able to find a bit of breathing room from the Belgian, as he held on to fourth.

Back at the font there was no big changes until 3 laps to go, when Olsen was able to find a way past Beaton, while Vialle held a steady gap to the pair and would eventually bring home the win in race one. Olsen confirmed his second place, with Beaton third.

In the second race, it was Jago Geerts who grabbed the FOX Holeshot and was followed by his teammate, Watson. Though Vialle wasted no time to make a move for the lead, and at the same time Fernandez took 3^rd from Watson.

Beaton had a problem out of the start and came around the first lap in dead last. Mewse then went down on the opening lap and would fall to last as well, behind Beaton.

While Vialle led the race one again, Fernandez and Renaux were having a great battle for 4^th. It looked like Renaux was giving it his all, though he still couldn’t find a way through.

Beaton though was making a good comeback as he moved into the top 10 with 18 minutes plus 2 laps to go.

As the race progressed, Vialle and Geerts were putting in fast laps, lap after lap, but Geerts still managed to find an extra inch, in order to get on to the back wheel of the Frenchman at one point. But Vialle was able to respond pretty quickly, as he upped his game and set another fastest lap of the race as he extended his lead.

Olsen, keen to make up positions after a tough start to the race, was trying to get around Watson for 6^th. The two had a close battle until the flag dropped, with Watson holding on to the position.

There was drama towards the end of the race, as Vialle led the way by 3.693 seconds with just 3 laps to go, and would stall his bike moments later, which allowed Geerts to steal the win. Luckily, Vialle only lost one position as he got going before Van de Moosdijk got around him.

In the end, it was Geerts who won the race, with Vialle second and Van de Moosdijk finishing third. Meanwhile, Spanish rider, Ruben Fernandez had a great race to finish in fourth. And despite the mistake in the second race, Tom Vialle was the overall GP winner, with Jago Geerts finishing second and Thomas Kjer Olsen taking to the third step of the box – his fourth consecutive podium.

Tom Vialle: “I don’t know, I was very comfortable with the bike but then bike stopped, and I took a little bit of time to start it again. But I was happy with my riding, I was feeling really comfortable in race two and the whole weekend. Actually, it was a really good day for the championship and now I’m only focused on the next races in Lommel in the sand and I’m happy. I feel really good because as you know is two years that I live there in Belgium, and I ride a lot in the sand”.

Jago Geerts: “Yeah it was a good day, I was second and Tom [Vialle] crashed in the corner in front of me so I took the chance and then I was riding pretty good but I made some mistakes; for sure the riding could have been better. In the second race I took the holeshot and after Tom passed me. I tried to chase him, but I made some mistakes; so finally, I’m quite happy with the final results and now I’m focused on Lommel. It’s always a pleasure to go to your home track and especially in Lommel that is really close to my house and we are looking to get the best result there”.

Thomas Kjer Olsen: “About the podium I’m feeling really good but I’m not so happy about the second race because I made many mistakes and it was difficult to find the good speed. I could have done more in the second race but finally I’m happy for the podium for myself and for the team. I feel really good about my results, I’m feeling more and more comfortable, I think that I can lead every round now; I feel that I’m almost back on the top of my fitness now and the feeling to go racing is amazing”.

MX2 - Grand Prix Race 1 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), 34:50.753; 2. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, Husqvarna), +0:01.273; 3. Jed Beaton (AUS, Husqvarna), +0:03.830; 4. Conrad Mewse (GBR, KTM), +0:14.347; 5. Jago Geerts (BEL, Yamaha), +0:18.546; 6. Maxime Renaux (FRA, Yamaha), +0:22.818; 7. Stephen Rubini (FRA, Honda), +0:23.369; 8. Roan Van De Moosdijk (NED, Kawasaki), +0:45.316; 9. Ben Watson (GBR, Yamaha), +0:48.114; 10. Alberto Forato (ITA, Husqvarna), +0:54.709.

MX2 - Grand Prix Race 2 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Jago Geerts (BEL, Yamaha), 35:11.576; 2. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), +0:08.515; 3. Roan Van De Moosdijk (NED, Kawasaki), +0:15.395; 4. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, Yamaha), +0:19.349; 5. Maxime Renaux (FRA, Yamaha), +0:23.613; 6. Ben Watson (GBR, Yamaha), +0:24.625; 7. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, Husqvarna), +0:28.744; 8. Isak Gifting (SWE, GASGAS), +0:47.004; 9. Stephen Rubini (FRA, Honda), +0:56.900; 10. Jed Beaton (AUS, Husqvarna), +0:58.542.

MX2 - GP Top 10 Classification: 1. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), 47 points; 2. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 41 p.; 3. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 36 p.; 4. Roan Van De Moosdijk (NED, KAW), 33 p.; 5. Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 31 p.; 6. Jed Beaton (AUS, HUS), 31 p.; 7. Ben Watson (GBR, YAM), 27 p.; 8. Conrad Mewse (GBR, KTM), 27 p.; 9. Stephen Rubini (FRA, HON), 26 p.; 10. Isak Gifting (SWE, GAS), 23 p.

MX2 - World Championship Top 10 Classification: 1. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), 525 points; 2. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 473 p.; 3. Jed Beaton (AUS, HUS), 379 p.; 4. Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 372 p.; 5. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 347 p.; 6. Roan Van De Moosdijk (NED, KAW), 326 p.; 7. Ben Watson (GBR, YAM), 314 p.; 8. Conrad Mewse (GBR, KTM), 279 p.; 9. Mathys Boisrame (FRA, KAW), 234 p.; 10. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, YAM), 226 p.

MX2 - Manufacturers Classification: 1. KTM, 541 points; 2. Yamaha, 535 p.; 3. Husqvarna, 437 p.; 4. Kawasaki, 408 p.; 5. Honda, 271 p.; 6. GASGAS, 171 p.

Main Photo: Tom Vialle

Bottom Photos: 1. Jago Geerts; 2. Thomas Kjer Olsen

Click here to obtain the complete results

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

MXGP of Spain – QUICK FACTS

Circuit length: 1720m

Type of ground: Hard Pack

Temperature: 19°

Weather conditions: sunny

NEXT STOP

The next stop of the FIM Motocross World Championship is taking place in Lommel in a week time as the Monster Energy MXGP of Flanders.

LINKS

Infront Moto Racing

FIM

MXGP of Spain

Team HRC’s Mitch Evans had to retire from the first race at the MXGP of Spain due to a left wrist injury, which he sustained whilst running in fourth position. The Australian misjudged a landing and came down in an awkward position causing him to immediately pull off the race track.

It was a shame for Evans who had challenged for the lead a couple of laps earlier and had qualified in third place in the timed practice. This form at the Arroyomolino circuit was a continuation of his recent results which had been improving ever since the restart, culminating with a joint season-best fifth at the MXGP of Europe in Mantova, Italy last weekend.

The Honda CRF450RW rider will now get further medical assessment in order to know the extent of the damage, which will then decide his plan for the rest of the season.

Photo Copyright: Honda Pro Racing 

iNTU XANADU' - ARROYOMOLINOS (Spain) 10 October 2020 – The first lot of action has concluded here in intù-Xanadù - Arroyomolinos, Spain, with racing from the EMX250 and EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing riders for rounds eight and six of the European Championships.

The European riders were the first to ride the brand-new circuit here in Spain, with Husqvarna Junior Racing Maddii’s Mattia Guadagnini taking a third consecutive overall victory in the EMX250 category, while in EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing, it was the championship leader Andrea Bonacorsi of Fantic Racing who made his return to the top of the box.

As the gate dropped for the opening EMX250 race, it was Hutten Metaal Yamaha Racing’s Gianluca Facchetti who led the rest of the field into the first corner, with Kay de Wolf of Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing in second and Guadagnini third.

Series leader, Thibault Benistant of Hutten Metaal Yamaha Racing didn’t have the best start to the race, as he was down in 7^th on the opening lap.

It didn’t take long for Guadagnini to go down the inside of de Wolf for second and then apply the pressure onto Facchetti for the lead. Though it took him a couple of laps to finally make the pass stick.

Tom Guyon from Team VRT Nordpesca Holland had a good start and was in fourth, though within a couple of laps he came under pressure from Tim Edberg and later Benistant, with both riders going through on the Frenchman.

On lap six, de Wolf was finally able to find a way to get around Facchetti for second, and Edberg followed too, as he launched past the Italian. This pushed Facchetti down to fifth.

Guadagnini then led by 10.788 seconds, with de Wolf and Benistant behind him. Not long after the gap was halved, as Guadagnini made a mistake and went down, though managed to hold on to that first place.

And while de Wolf and Benistant battled to get closer to the race leader, Pierre Goupillon and Lorenzo Locurcio from BUD Racing Kawasaki were locked in a close battle for sixth, as Hakon Fredriksen of Yamaha SM Action MC Migliori J1 Racing took ninth from Guyon.

Eventually, Guadagnini crossed the line to take his fifth consecutive race win, with de Wolf holding on to second and Benistant finishing third.

Race two saw Facchetti take the holeshot once again as he was closely followed by Guadagnini and de Wolf. Meanwhile, Benistant struggled once again in the mid-field, as he started the race in eighth.   

This time around, Guadagnini wasted no time to get into the lead as he got around Facchetti on the opening lap. ASA United Husqvarna rider Jorgen-Matthias Talviku then moved himself into third, though crashed not long after and would drop down to 18^th.

As the race progressed, De Wolf then lost third to Locurcio, while Benistant caught on to the back of the home rider, Oriol Oliver, to pass him for 5^th place and then set his sights on de Wolf who was ahead.

Guadagnini then continued to lead Facchetti and Locurcio by 9.445 seconds, while Benistant was putting the work in to catch up to de Wolf and edge closer to the top 3. The pair were then locked in an incredibly close battle for the next few laps, with De Wolf having to ride defensive.

And this was not the only battle between the top 5, as Locurcio went after Facchetti for P2, which he managed to take with 3 laps on the clock. Things only continued to get tougher for the Italian, with the #22 crashing out with just one lap to go, and eventually finishing 4^th in the race.

His teammate though had his eyes set on a podium finish, as he did his best to get around de Wolf and take 4^th, but of course with Facchetti also crashing out, this moved him up another position which put him in 3^rd.

In the end it was Guadagnini who won the race with an 8.695 second gap to Locurcio and Benistant finishing 3^rd, just 4 seconds behind.

In terms of the overall, it was Mattia Guadagnini who claimed his 3^rd consecutive overall victory, with Thibault Benistant taking to the 2^nd step of the podium, while Kay de Wolf claimed the 3^rd spot, making a comeback to the podium since Latvia.

With 2 rounds to go, things are getting interesting in the championship as just 18 points separate Benistant and Guadagnini – and with 100 points up for grabs over the next 2 rounds, things will be interesting heading into Lommel for the Belgian rounds.

Mattia Guadagnini: “It was almost a perfect day. I made a small mistake in the first race, but I had a good gap and I could take the win. Then I made a better start in the second race, took the lead on the first lap and then just took a good gap with no risks. One, one for my third overall victory, some good points for the championship so, we will see but for sure I will give my best”.

“We are a little bit closer now [in the championship] so, I will give it my best and will be a hundred per cent for sure and try to go for the championship, but we will see” he added.

Thibault Benistant: “The day was a little bit difficult with two bad starts. I needed to push a lot to work on that. In the beginning of the race I didn’t quite get the rhythm but towards the end the speed was there so, it’s quite good and to come back to the podium. We just need to be focused for Lommel”.

Kay de Wolf: “It was a good day for me. Struggled a little bit with the pace again and had to let Thibault [Benistant] by. The riding was actually good for me, because we didn’t train as much on hard pack. I’m born on the sand so it’s quite good to be back on the podium, especially on hard pack, so I feel really good and I’m really happy about it”.

EMX250 - Race 1 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, Husqvarna), 29:21.366; 2. Kay de Wolf (NED, Husqvarna), +0:06.868; 3. Thibault Benistant (FRA, Yamaha), +0:09.171; 4. Gianluca Facchetti (ITA, Yamaha), +0:18.853; 5. Tim Edberg (SWE, Yamaha), +0:19.997; 6. Lorenzo Locurcio (VEN, Kawasaki), +0:21.420; 7. Jorgen-Matthias Talviku (EST, Husqvarna), +0:37.358; 8. Hakon Fredriksen (NOR, Yamaha), +0:53.576; 9. Oriol Oliver (ESP, KTM), +0:55.845; 10. Tom Guyon (FRA, KTM), +1:00.825.

EMX250 - Race 2 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, Husqvarna), 29:13.866; 2. Lorenzo Locurcio (VEN, Kawasaki), +0:08.695; 3. Thibault Benistant (FRA, Yamaha), +0:13.083; 4. Gianluca Facchetti (ITA, Yamaha), +0:19.511; 5. Kay de Wolf (NED, Husqvarna), +0:21.063; 6. Oriol Oliver (ESP, KTM), +0:31.287; 7. Hakon Fredriksen (NOR, Yamaha), +0:55.705; 8. Axel Louis (FRA, Honda), +0:59.323; 9. Maximilian Spies (GER, Husqvarna), +1:03.487; 10. Tim Edberg (SWE, Yamaha), +1:09.718.

EMX250 - Overall Top 10 Classification: 1. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, HUS), 50 points; 2. Thibault Benistant (FRA, YAM), 40 p.; 3. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 38 p.; 4. Lorenzo Locurcio (VEN, KAW), 37 p.; 5. Gianluca Facchetti (ITA, YAM), 36 p.; 6. Oriol Oliver (ESP, KTM), 27 p.; 7. Hakon Fredriksen (NOR, YAM), 27 p.; 8. Tim Edberg (SWE, YAM), 27 p.; 9. Maximilian Spies (GER, HUS), 22 p.; 10. Jorgen-Matthias Talviku (EST, HUS), 21 p.

EMX250 - Championship Top 10 Classification: 1. Thibault Benistant (FRA, YAM), 326 points; 2. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, HUS), 308 p.; 3. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 236 p.; 4. Hakon Fredriksen (NOR, YAM), 215 p.; 5. Tim Edberg (SWE, YAM), 201 p.; 6. Jorgen-Matthias Talviku (EST, HUS), 201 p.; 7. Lorenzo Locurcio (VEN, KAW), 178 p.; 8. Tom Guyon (FRA, KTM), 157 p.; 9. Meico Vettik (EST, KTM), 137 p.; 10. Gianluca Facchetti (ITA, YAM), 134 p.

EMX250 - Manufacturers Classification: 1. Husqvarna, 358 points; 2. Yamaha, 355 p.; 3. KTM, 302 p.; 4. Kawasaki, 187 p.; 5. Honda, 34 p.

Main Photo: EMX250 Start

Bottom Photos: 1. Mattia Guadagnini; 2. Thibault Benistant 

The first EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing heat saw Meico Vettik lead the way out of the start, with Fantic Racing’s Andrea Bonacorsi 2^nd and Gerard Congost of RFME GASGAS MX Junior Team 3^rd.

Fellow RFME GASGAS MX Junior Team rider, David Braceras, then went after Congost and passed him for 3^rd on the opening lap, with the #24 then going after the leaders shortly after.

Bonacorsi then picked up his pace after going purple in sector 1 as he took a little bit of time out of Vettik who led the way by 3.730 seconds on lap 4.

A nice battle then formed from 4^th to 8^th, as Max Palsson of WZ-Racing, Congost, Valerio Lata of Marchetti Racing Team KTM, Andrea Roncoli and Saad Soulimani from Team VRT Nordpesca Holland, closely fought for top positions. And as Roncoli pushed Lata for 6^th, the Husqvarna rider then crashed out, to re-join the race in 10^th.

Vettik then continued to lead Bonacorsi and Braceras, as Palsson was looking to close in on the top 3. Though Bonacorsi then made a mistake and lost a load of time, as Braceras and Palsson started to edge closer.

Meanwhile further down the field, things were getting interesting between Lata, Congost and Quentin Marc Prugnieres of BUD Racing Kawasaki for 5^th. At the same time Braceras and Palsson continued to go at it for 3^rd, while Bonacorsi was closing in on the race leader, as just 1.200 seconds separated them.

For the last two laps of the race Bonacorsi pushed hard to go for the win, even going on to set the fastest lap of the race on the last lap, as he clocked a 2:02.523. Though it was not enough and Vettik managed to hold on to that win. The Estonian won by just 0.5 seconds, with Bonacorsi in P2 and Braceras P3.

In race 2, it was Roncoli who took the holeshot as he led Braceras, Bonacorsi and Ivano Van Erp of Yamaha Europe EMX125 MJC. It didn’t take long for Roncoli to extend his lead to 3.8 seconds, with Braceras staying ahead of Bonacorsi.

Prugnieres then took 4^th from Van Erp, while Congost lost two places to Soulimani and Palsson. By lap 5, Congost looked in trouble as he dropped from 7^th to 10^th and then 21^st as his holeshot device looked to be stuck as he came past pitlane.

There was no change in the top 5 for the next couple of laps and Roncoli continued to lead the way by 6 seconds over Braceras who was still in 2^nd place. But, Bonacorsi then started to pick things up as he chased down Braceras.

4 laps from the end, Bonacorsi was finally able to get around the Spaniard for P2 in the race, though Braceras was not ready to give up so easily, with the pair eventually finishing the race separated by 1 second. Eventually, the race win went to Roncoli who led every lap of the race, with Bonacorsi 2^nd and Braceras 3^rd.

With a consistent 2-2 result, Andrea Bonacorsi took the overall victory, while Meico Vettik finished on the 2^nd step of the box, while David Braceras made this home round a memorable one, as he finished on the 3^rd step.

With 3 rounds remaining, Bonacorsi continues to lead the championship with a 42-point advantage to Vettik who has moved up into 2^nd place, while David Braceras is a further 11 points down in 3^rd.

Andrea Bonacorsi: “It was a good day, a solid day. Today I took two second places, so I’m really happy. Now we have two races in Lommel, so we will work hard for it. I’m feeling good and really comfortable with the bike and now we go to Lommel with the motivation to win”.

Meico Vettik: “The first race was nice; I got a good start and was holding first place. In the second race, I was a little bit not that good and then I was pushing but 5^th place is not so bad. It’s nice to be second in the championship now, just need to push more and more”.

David Braceras: “In the second race I was second until four laps to the finish. I made some mistakes in the last two laps and Andrea [Bonacorsi] passed me. I came third and I’m happy with rhythm and my speed but I’m hungry for more. It’s really special to be on the podium here, because it’s my first ever race in Spain in the EMX and I’m really happy”.

EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing - Race 1 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Meico Vettik (EST, KTM), 30:24.742; 2. Andrea Bonacorsi (ITA, Fantic), +0:00.500; 3. David Braceras (ESP, GASGAS), +0:10.652; 4. Max Palsson (SWE, KTM), +0:15.202; 5. Valerio Lata (ITA, KTM), +0:24.015; 6. Quentin Marc Prugnieres (FRA, KTM), +0:25.045; 7. Saad Soulimani (FRA, Husqvarna), +0:27.939; 8. Haakon Osterhagen (NOR, KTM), +0:29.022; 9. Andrea Roncoli (ITA, Husqvarna), +0:30.161; 10. Gerard Congost (ESP, GASGAS), +0:44.780.

EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing - Race 2 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Andrea Roncoli (ITA, Husqvarna), 30:10.971; 2. Andrea Bonacorsi (ITA, Fantic), +0:02.757; 3. David Braceras (ESP, GASGAS), +0:04.093; 4. Quentin Marc Prugnieres (FRA, KTM), +0:05.005; 5. Meico Vettik (EST, KTM), +0:05.514; 6. Saad Soulimani (FRA, KTM), +0:10.529; 7. Max Palsson (SWE, KTM), +0:11.968; 8. Ivano Van Erp (NED, Yamaha), +0:30.589; 9. Pietro Razzini (ITA, Husqvarna), +0:34.706; 10. Valerio Lata (ITA, KTM), +0:49.143.

EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing - Overall Top 10 Classification: 1. Andrea Bonacorsi (ITA, FAN), 44 points; 2. Meico Vettik (EST, KTM), 41 p.; 3. David Braceras (ESP, GAS), 40 p.; 4. Andrea Roncoli (ITA, HUS), 37 p.; 5. Quentin Marc Prugnieres (FRA, KTM), 33 p.; 6. Max Palsson (SWE, KTM), 32 p.; 7. Saad Soulimani (FRA, KTM), 29 p.; 8. Valerio Lata (ITA, KTM), 27 p.; 9. Pietro Razzini (ITA, HUS), 20 p.; 10. Raul Sanchez (ESP, YAM), 20 p.

EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing - Championship Top 10 Classification: 1. Andrea Bonacorsi (ITA, FAN), 230 points; 2. Meico Vettik (EST, KTM), 188 p.; 3. David Braceras (ESP, GAS), 177 p.; 4. Pietro Razzini (ITA, HUS), 173 p.; 5. Max Palsson (SWE, KTM), 148 p.; 6. Valerio Lata (ITA, KTM), 147 p.; 7. Andrea Roncoli (ITA, HUS), 146 p.; 8. Guillem Farres (ESP, GAS), 132 p.; 9. Quentin Marc Prugnieres (FRA, KTM), 128 p.; 10. Saad Soulimani (FRA, KTM), 119 p.;

EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing - Manufacturers Classification: 1. KTM, 255 points; 2. Fantic, 230 p.; 3. Husqvarna, 212 p.; 4. GASGAS, 202 p.; 5. Yamaha, 142 p.

Main Photo: EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing Start

Bottom Start: 1. Andrea Bonacorsi; 2. David Braceras 

Click here to obtain the complete results

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

MXGP of Spain – QUICK FACTS

Circuit length: 1720m

Type of ground: Hard Pack

Temperature: 24°

Weather conditions: sunny

TIMETABLE (Local Timing CET/GMT+2)

SUNDAY: 09:15 MX2 Free/Time Practice, 10:15 MXGP Free/Time Practice, 12:05 MX2 Race 1, 13:05 MXGP Race 1, 15:00 MX2 Race 2, 16:00 MXGP Race 2.

LINKS

Infront Moto Racing

FIM Europe

MXGP of Spain

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing star Jeffrey Herlings will miss the remaining seven rounds of 2020 MXGP after choosing to focus on a full recovery from his injuries and face the off-season period closer to 100% fitness.

The 25-year old has healed from the neck and upper back problems suffered as a result of his crash during Free Practice for the Grand Prix Citta di Faenza at the Monte Coralli in Italy circuit last month. The Dutchman is lacking bike time and conditioning to be able to return to competitive MXGP duty, especially with the calendar hurrying to a conclusion by November 8th.

A contributing factor to the accident was the lack of flexibility and comfort in Herlings’ right foot. Therefore, the winner of four rounds this year (still more than any other rider) has decided to undergo a small procedure to remove excess bone growth and fix scar tissue on Thursday 15th of October.

If the operation and post-op period goes accordingly then Herlings will have much better use of his right limb and can immediately concentrate on preparation with his KTM 450 SX-F for the 2021 campaign.

MX2 teammate Rene Hofer is also making decent steps from his broken left shoulder and hopes to be back on the KTM 250 SX-F in the next two months.

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing still have Tony Cairoli and Jorge Prado in contention for the 2020 MXGP title and Tom Vialle has held the red plate for 10 of the 11 rounds in MX2 so far.

Jeffrey Herlings: “It won’t be a big operation but the foot is a complicated part of the body and there is some extra bone growing where I broke it. It needs to be partly removed. I also have tissue that is painful and irritating. I should know after a couple of weeks if I will be pain-free or we need to look at another option to be good again. I want to have this done so I won’t be putting 2021 at risk. 2020 was going pretty well and it’s disappointing to miss out again because of injury but we’ve been through this process and at least now I can work on getting myself into even better shape for another go next season. Thanks to Red Bull KTM for all their support and to the fans for the messages.”