MXGP

LOKET (Czech Republic) 22 July 2018 - The FIM Motocross World Championship was in Loket for the MXGP of Czech Republic but crowning champions are the classes of EMX85 and EMX65 along with the Czech round of EMX300 presented by FMF Racing. Taking the title as 2018 European Champion was Camden Mc Lellan in EMX85 and Brando Rispoli in EMX65 while Mike Kras won the Czech round of EMX300 presented by FMF Racing.

The Loket circuit provided epic conditions for the riders with overnight rain watering the track perfectly. The EMX classes took advantage of the conditions with amazing racing in front of the thousands of motocross fans lining the massive hillsides. Racing was over two days, with the first action being completed yesterday, while today hosted the deciding races of all three classes.

Photo: From left to right: FIM Europe President Wolfgang Srb, EMX65 Champion Brando Rispoli, EMX85 champion Camden Mc Lellan, Youthstream Vice President David Luongo

One of the best classes to watch this weekend was the little 65cc rippers as they battled among the monstrous hillsides of Loket. 40 riders made the trip after qualifying through various regional races in Europe.

A fast start from Brando Rispoli led the field of small wheeled 2 strokes in race 1 but the #411 of Damian Knuiman from the Netherlands made a pair of passes to move from third into the top spot. Jakob Madsen from Denmark was the rider between Rispoli and Knuiman after the start but he dropped to third once the lead changed.

Rispoli was running in second but fell and rejoined in 6th giving Madsen 2nd back briefly. Working his up from 8th on the first lap to pass Madsen for 2nd was Slovenian Jaka Peklaj. Bradley Mesters from the Netherlands was 4th most of the race and held off Rispoli on the last two laps. At the finish of race 1 Knuiman topped Peklaj, Madsen, Mesters, and Rispoli.

Race 2 hosted another strong start from Rispoli as he led fellow Italian Alessandro Gaspari. Madsen was 3^rd and KTM Silver Action’s Jan Janout from the Czech Republic was 4th. Sweden’s Anton Isaksson was in the top five before Mesters made pass with 3 laps to go.

Rispoli won the race ahead of Gaspari, Madsen, Janout, and Mesters. Rispoli’s race win gave him just enough points to take the overall and be crowned the 2018 EMX65 Champion! Taking a close second was Madsen with only 1 point less while third went to Knuiman.

EMX65 Race 1 Top Ten: 1. Damian Knuiman (NED, KTM), 18:07.482; 2. Jaka Peklaj (SLO, KTM), +0:07.882; 3. Jakob Madsen (DEN, KTM), +0:14.972; 4. Bradley Mesters (NED, Husqvarna), +0:17.359; 5. Brando Rispoli (ITA, KTM), +0:29.624; 6. Janis Martins Reisulis (LAT, Husqvarna), +0:31.063; 7. Vitezslav Marek (CZE, KTM), +0:32.422; 8. Alessandro Gaspari (ITA, KTM), +0:40.039; 9. Lotte Van Drunen (NED, Husqvarna), +0:42.208; 10. Anton Isaksson (SWE, Husqvarna), +0:44.121.

EMX65 Race 2 Top Ten: 1. Brando Rispoli (ITA, KTM), 16:56.840; 2. Alessandro Gaspari (ITA, KTM), +0:09.383; 3. Jakob Madsen (DEN, KTM), +0:13.877; 4. Jan Janout (CZE, KTM), +0:20.949; 5. Bradley Mesters (NED, Husqvarna), +0:23.850; 6. Damian Knuiman (NED, KTM), +0:36.078; 7. Vitezslav Marek (CZE, KTM), +0:41.255; 8. Janis Martins Reisulis (LAT, Husqvarna), +0:43.930; 9. Anton Isaksson (SWE, Husqvarna), +0:45.541; 10. Eelis Viemero (FIN, KTM), +0:46.052.

EMX65 Overall Top Ten: 1. Brando Rispoli (ITA, KTM), 41 points; 2. Jakob Madsen (DEN, KTM), 40 p.; 3. Damian Knuiman (NED, KTM), 40 p.; 4. Alessandro Gaspari (ITA, KTM), 35 p.; 5. Bradley Mesters (NED, HUS), 34 p.; 6. Vitezslav Marek (CZE, KTM), 28 p.; 7. Janis Martins Reisulis (LAT, HUS), 28 p.; 8. Jan Janout (CZE, KTM), 25 p.; 9. Anton Isaksson (SWE, HUS), 23 p.; 10. Lotte Van Drunen (NED, HUS), 22 p.

EMX65 Championship Top Ten: 1. Brando Rispoli (ITA, KTM), 41 points; 2. Jakob Madsen (DEN, KTM), 40 p.; 3. Damian Knuiman (NED, KTM), 40 p.; 4. Alessandro Gaspari (ITA, KTM), 35 p.; 5. Bradley Mesters (NED, HUS), 34 p.; 6. Vitezslav Marek (CZE, KTM), 28 p.; 7. Janis Martins Reisulis (LAT, HUS), 28 p.; 8. Jan Janout (CZE, KTM), 25 p.; 9. Anton Isaksson (SWE, HUS), 23 p.; 10. Lotte Van Drunen (NED, HUS), 22 p.

EMX65 Manufacturers: 1. KTM, 50 points; 2. Husqvarna, 34 p.; 3. Yamaha, 8 p.

EMX65 Photos

Main Photo: Brando Rispoli

Bottom Photos: 1. EMX65 Start; 2. EMX65 Podium

The final EMX title to be decided this weekend was with the slightly larger and older EMX85 riders. The class was also filled with 40 riders and stacked with young talent and aspiring champions.

Race 1 was led by Kays Karssemakers on lap 1 with Liam Everts in 2nd and Raul Sanchez Garcia running 3rd. Garcia took the lead on lap 2 after Karsemakers fell to 9th. Germany’s Constantin Piller moved up to third while KTM Kosak Racing’s Camden Mc Lellan was fighting forward from 8th.

On lap 5 Everts took the lead but Garcia took it back the next time around. Clearly on a mission was South Africa’s Mc Lellan as he took the lead only a lap later. Mc Lellan was impressive as it only took him 7 laps to gain 7 positions.

Everts again went after Garcia with 4 laps to go and this time made a pass stick for second. At the finish Mc Lellan won ahead of Everts, Garcia, Piller, and Karssemakers.

Race 2 was dominated by Kay De Wolf who led every lap recorded but the championship deciding action was behind him. Karssemakers was 3rd on lap one but passed Italy’s Valerio Lata on lap 2 and held second for 2 laps before Mc Lellan took the position after running 5th on lap one.

Everts was back around mid-pack on the start but came across the first official lap in 9th. Everts methodically picked his way through the field to take fourth from JD Gunnex KTM Racing Team’s Radek Vetrovsky with only two laps remaining.

De Wolf held on to win the race with Mc Lellan second and Karssemakers third. The overall and 2018 EMX85 title went to Camden Mc Lellan with Kay De Wolf second and Liam Everts reaching the podium.

EMX85 Race 1 Top Ten: 1. Camden Mc Lellan (RSA, KTM), 24:47.354; 2. Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), +0:10.213; 3. Raul Sanchez Garcia (ESP, KTM), +0:13.439; 4. Constantin Piller (GER, KTM), +0:15.718; 5. Kay Karssemakers (NED, Husqvarna), +0:18.297; 6. Kay de Wolf (NED, KTM), +0:19.838; 7. Dave Kooiker (NED, Yamaha), +0:25.005; 8. Edvards Bidzans (LAT, Husqvarna), +0:28.445; 9. Andrea Viano (ITA, KTM), +0:33.564; 10. Radek Vetrovsky (CZE, KTM), +0:36.553.

EMX85 Race 2 Top Ten: 1. Kay de Wolf (NED, KTM), 25:05.415; 2. Camden Mc Lellan (RSA, KTM), +0:08.001; 3. Kay Karssemakers (NED, Husqvarna), +0:12.741; 4. Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), +0:20.519; 5. Radek Vetrovsky (CZE, KTM), +0:24.402; 6. Dave Kooiker (NED, Yamaha), +0:27.878; 7. Saad Soulimani (FRA, Husqvarna), +0:31.254; 8. Raul Sanchez Garcia (ESP, KTM), +0:31.315; 9. Valerio Lata (ITA, KTM), +0:38.713; 10. Nick Domann (GER, KTM), +0:43.052.

EMX85 Overall Top Ten: 1. Camden Mc Lellan (RSA, KTM), 47 points; 2. Kay de Wolf (NED, KTM), 40 p.; 3. Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), 40 p.; 4. Kay Karssemakers (NED, HUS), 36 p.; 5. Raul Sanchez Garcia (ESP, KTM), 33 p.; 6. Dave Kooiker (NED, YAM), 29 p.; 7. Radek Vetrovsky (CZE, KTM), 27 p.; 8. Saad Soulimani (FRA, HUS), 23 p.; 9. Edvards Bidzans (LAT, HUS), 23 p.; 10. Valerio Lata (ITA, KTM), 19 p.

EMX85 Championship Top Ten: 1. Camden Mc Lellan (RSA, KTM), 47 points; 2. Kay de Wolf (NED, KTM), 40 p.; 3. Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), 40 p.; 4. Kay Karssemakers (NED, HUS), 36 p.; 5. Raul Sanchez Garcia (ESP, KTM), 33 p.; 6. Dave Kooiker (NED, YAM), 29 p.; 7. Radek Vetrovsky (CZE, KTM), 27 p.; 8. Saad Soulimani (FRA, HUS), 23 p.; 9. Edvards Bidzans (LAT, HUS), 23 p.; 10. Valerio Lata (ITA, KTM), 19 p.

EMX85 Manufacturers: 1. KTM, 50 points; 2. Husqvarna, 36 p.; 3. Yamaha, 29 p.

EMX85 Photos

Main Photo: Camden Mc Lellan

Bottom Photos: 1. EMX85 Start; 2. EMX85 Podium

Coming into the weekend the 300cc class was stacked with the talented riders from the usual contenders like GL12 Racing’s Mike Kras and Verde Substance KTM’s Brad Anderson to Czech Republic’s Vaclav Kovar and the new entry of Dennis Ulrich.

Race 1 on Saturday started with former MXGP rider, Dennis Ulrich, in the lead and being chased by Mike Kras and Greg Smets from Belgium. Defending Champion Brad Anderson found himself further back than he’d hoped in 6th with Erik Willems and Czech rider Marek Sukup between him and the top 3.

Smets came into issues on lap 6 and dropped from 3rd to 9th which granted Willems, Sukup, and Anderson all a position. Also swapping positions were Ullrich and Kras for the lead, Kras crossed the finish in the lead for 2 laps before Ullrich fought his way back past the Dutchman. Meanwhile Anderson rode in 5th for only 4 laps before falling to 8th giving Kovar a top 5.

At the finish of Race 1 it was Ullrich, Kras, Willems and then the 4 Czech riders of Sukup, Kovar, Patrik Liska, and Petr Bartos ahead of Anderson. Rounding out the top ten was A1M Husqvarna’s Andero Lusbo and Smets.

Today’s Race 2 was the first event on track after the evening rain providing a new challenge to the riders. Nevertheless many of the same riders who were strong on the dry Saturday conditions battled for the win.

From the start of the race it was Kras who had the lead over Sukup, Kovar, and Anderson as the race 1 winner, Ullrich was 5th. First to lose ground and positions was Sukup as his fellow countryman Kovar took second on lap 4 and only another lap later Sukup lost another spot to Anderson.

For the majority of the race the top five remained the same and in the same order. With 3 laps to go Anderson stepped up his riding and passed Kovar for second just past Pit Lane at the same time Andero Lusbo took a fifth away from Ullrich.

At the finish line it was Kras by 12.4 seconds over Anderson then Kovar, Sukup, and Lusbo. In the overall standings Kras took the win with Ullrich 2nd and Kovar 3rd. Kras has gained 12 points on Anderson in the championship as it heads to the penultimate round in Bulgaria next month.

EMX300 Presented by FMF Racing Race 1 Top 10: 1. Dennis Ullrich (GER, KTM), 30:28.738; 2. Mike Kras (NED, KTM), +0:10.830; 3. Erik Willems (BEL, Husqvarna), +0:13.821; 4. Marek Sukup (CZE, TM), +0:16.827; 5. Vaclav Kovar (CZE, Gas Gas), +0:24.828; 6. Patrik Liska (CZE, Yamaha), +0:36.220; 7. Petr Bartos (CZE, KTM), +0:37.328; 8. Brad Anderson (GBR, KTM), +0:37.989; 9. Andero Lusbo (EST, Husqvarna), +0:38.809; 10. Greg Smets (BEL, KTM), +0:56.52.

EMX300 Presented by FMF Racing Race 2 Top 10: 1. Mike Kras (NED, KTM), 30:44.055; 2. Brad Anderson (GBR, KTM), +0:12.490; 3. Vaclav Kovar (CZE, Gas Gas), +0:16.206; 4. Marek Sukup (CZE, TM), +0:28.115; 5. Andero Lusbo (EST, Husqvarna), +0:38.224; 6. Dennis Ullrich (GER, KTM), +0:40.270; 7. Erik Willems (BEL, Husqvarna), +0:42.292; 8. Patrik Liska (CZE, Yamaha), +0:55.497; 9. Kay Ebben (NED, Yamaha), +1:14.987; 10. Daymond Martens (BEL, Yamaha), +1:22.694.

EMX300 Presented by FMF Racing Overall Top 10: 1. Mike Kras (NED, KTM), 47 points; 2. Dennis Ullrich (GER, KTM), 40 p.; 3. Vaclav Kovar (CZE, GAS), 36 p.; 4. Marek Sukup (CZE, TM), 36 p.; 5. Brad Anderson (GBR, KTM), 35 p.; 6. Erik Willems (BEL, HUS), 34 p.; 7. Andero Lusbo (EST, HUS), 28 p.; 8. Patrik Liska (CZE, YAM), 28 p.; 9. Petr Bartos (CZE, KTM), 23 p.; 10. Greg Smets (BEL, KTM), 21 p.

EMX300 Presented by FMF Racing Championship Top 10: 1. Brad Anderson (GBR, KTM), 204 points; 2. Mike Kras (NED, KTM), 177 p.; 3. Andero Lusbo (EST, HUS), 171 p.; 4. Greg Smets (BEL, KTM), 153 p.; 5. Vaclav Kovar (CZE, GAS), 150 p.; 6. Erik Willems (BEL, HUS), 145 p.; 7. Manuel Iacopi (ITA, YAM), 116 p.; 8. Youri van t Ende (NED, KTM), 60 p.; 9. Tim Louis (BEL, HUS), 55 p.; 10. Daymond Martens (BEL, YAM), 52 p.

EMX300 Presented by FMF Racing Manufacturers: 1. KTM, 242 points; 2. Husqvarna, 183 p.; 3. Yamaha, 153 p.; 4. Gas Gas, 150 p.; 5. TM, 72 p.; 6. Honda, 15 p.

EMX300 Presented by FMF Racing Photos

Main Photo: EMX300 Presented by FMG Racing Start

Bottom photos: 1. Mike Kras; 2. EMX300 Presented by FMF Racing Podium

Click here to obtain the complete results

All the photos from the MXGP of Czech Republic will be available HERE

MXGP of Czech Republic – QUICK FACTS

Circuit length: 1,586m

Type of ground: Hard Pack

Temperature: 27°

Weather conditions: partly cloudy

Weekend Crowd Attendance: 26,000

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 EMX300 Presented by FMF Racing Championship will take place in Sevlievo, in August the 26^th during the MXGP of Bulgaria

LINKS

Youthstream

FIM Europe

MXGP of Czech Republic

LOKET (Czech Republic) 22 July 2018 - The iconic Grand Prix circuit of Loket hosted the FIM Motocross World Championship today for the 14th round, the MXGP of Czech Republic. The busy weekend held one of best races of the year where Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings and Jorge Prado took hard earned victories.

The hills on the Czech circuit create some of the most challenging conditions in the World Championship. Fans from various neighboring countries joined in this weekend’s action by creating an amazing atmosphere which pushed the riders to go even faster. Not to mention, the entire weekend took place just above the beautiful castle town of Loket.

MXGP’s two points leaders and standout Red Bull KTM Factory Racing riders, Jeffrey Herlings and Antonio Cairoli both came into the weekend on the mend. Cairoli with the more recent fractures to his thumb and Herlings with the newly plated collar bone. The injuries provided no change in the racing however as both led the field throughout the weekend.

At the gate drop of MXGP Race 1 Cairoli was fastest but Herlings was quick to take the Sicilian’s lead. The spectator favorite this weekend was Team HRC’s Tim Gajser who’s following made the trip from Slovenia to cheer him on. Gajser’s start placed him in the battle for the top 3.

Gajser was followed by Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Gautier Paulin and Gebben Van Venroy Kawasaki’s Alessandro Lupino. Gajser’s focus was however on Cairoli as he latched on to speed of the 9-time champion.

Paulin was first to make a mistake when he fell at the top of the uphill to Pit Lane allowing Lupino and Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s Clement Desalle past. Desalle continued to make gains with a pass on Lupino.

Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP’s Jeremy Van Horebeek was also on the move forward climbing from 8th on lap one to pass Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Glenn Coldenhoff and Paulin before making it by Lupino for 5th.

At the front Herlings continued to grow his lead and Cairoli kept Gajser at bay. Lupino would lose a position back to Paulin before having one more taken by Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP’s Romain Febvre. At the finish of Race 1 Herlings took the win 31.99 seconds ahead of Cairoli, Gajser, Desalle, and Van Horebeek.

Race 2 started nearly identical for Cairoli and Herlings with another Fox Holeshot going to the Italian but the first official lap belonged to Herlings. Gajser was again 3rd and Paulin 4th but Van Horebeek was off to an improved 5th. Wilvo Yamaha Official MXGP’s Shaun Simpson was also riding much better than recently in 6th before losing a spot to Febvre.

Both Van Horebeek and Febvre found a way past Paulin in the same corner on lap 7. The following lap the Yamaha riders switched positions with Febvre in 4th and Van Horebeek 5th. Herlings began to find his rhythm and better lines around the halfway points which gave him the extra edge to pull a gap over Cairoli.

At the finish Herlings won, with Cairoli 2nd, then Gajser, Febvre, and Van Horebeek rounded out the top five. In the overall the podium was clear with the top 3 the same as in both races Herlings, Cairoli, and Gajser while 4th and 5th were taken by Febvre and Van Horebeek.

Jeffrey Herlings: “To come home from Loket with 50 points is amazing! I'm really looking forward and I'm extra motivated for Lommel. There is 2 more months this season and I can't wait for the next 6 races to come!”

Antonio Cairoli: “We couldn't really do much but I am really looking forward to another week of rest where I'm going to try and heal up 100%. I think in Lommel I can be close to where I was before, hopefully we can make another battle and go for the top spot."

Tim Gajser: “Overall I'm happy to be on the podium in front of such an amazing crowd, everybody was cheering and for me it was a good weekend."

MXGP Race 1 Top Ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 34:28.981; 2. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:31.992; 3. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:35.048; 4. Clement Desalle (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:42.339; 5. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Yamaha), +0:47.791; 6. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Husqvarna), +0:51.183; 7. Romain Febvre (FRA, Yamaha), +0:53.685; 8. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, Kawasaki), +0:57.076; 9. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), +1:00.975; 10. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Yamaha), +1:01.390.

MXGP Race 2 Top Ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 34:33.827; 2. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:31.568; 3. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:37.056; 4. Romain Febvre (FRA, Yamaha), +0:51.917; 5. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Yamaha), +0:57.637; 6. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Husqvarna), +1:00.420; 7. Clement Desalle (BEL, Kawasaki), +1:02.022; 8. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Yamaha), +1:02.791; 9. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), +1:03.549; 10. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, KTM), +1:30.621.

MXGP Overall Top Ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 50 points; 2. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 44 p.; 3. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 40 p.; 4. Romain Febvre (FRA, YAM), 32 p.; 5. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, YAM), 32 p.; 6. Clement Desalle (BEL, KAW), 32 p.; 7. Gautier Paulin (FRA, HUS), 30 p.; 8. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 24 p.; 9. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 24 p.; 10. Max Anstie (GBR, HUS), 19 p.

MXGP Championship Top Ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 633 points; 2. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 603 p.; 3. Clement Desalle (BEL, KAW), 479 p.; 4. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 450 p.; 5. Romain Febvre (FRA, YAM), 432 p.; 6. Gautier Paulin (FRA, HUS), 419 p.; 7. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 353 p.; 8. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 319 p.; 9. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, YAM), 312 p.; 10. Max Anstie (GBR, HUS), 231 p.

MXGP Manufacturers: 1. KTM, 697 points; 2. Kawasaki, 498 p.; 3. Yamaha, 480 p.; 4. Honda, 465 p.; 5. Husqvarna, 443 p.; 6. TM, 227 p.; 7. Suzuki, 226 p.

MXGP Photos

Main Photo: Jeffrey Herlings

Bottom Photos: 1. Antonio Cairoli; 2. Tim Gajser

Though the MXGP races were pretty clean cut the MX2 class was wildly unpredictable and thrilling until the final checkered flag had flown and the scores were tallied.

MX2 Race 1 kicked off with the now common Fox Holeshot from Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado. Closely behind the KTM of Prado was the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna of Thomas Covington while his teammate Thomas Kjer Olsen came through the first corner in dead last.

Yamaha SM Action M.C. Migliori’s Michele Cervellin was impressive at the start of the race in 3rd with Team HRC’s Calvin Vlaanderen 4th. The MX2 red plate holder at the beginning weekend, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Pauls Jonass, was back in 6th position looking for a way by STC Racing Husqvarna’s Henry Jacobi.

Jonass found a way into the top 5 in lap 2 while Vlaanderen passed Cervellin for 3rd. 2 laps later Cervellin was dropped further back as both Jonass and Honda 114 Motorsport’s Hunter Lawrence made passes on the Italian. Clawing their way through the field after poor starts were Thomas Kjer Olsen and Kemea Yamaha Official MX2 Team’s Ben Watson.

Just before halfway through the race Vlaanderen gained massive ground on Prado in second and by lap 10 was past the Spaniard. Vlaanderen’s confidence showed in his riding and 4 laps after passing Prado he was pressuring Covington for the lead.

With 4 laps to go Vlaanderen claimed the lead and gapped both Covington and Prado. Across the finish Vlaanderen won by 2.5 seconds over Covington with Prado 3rd, Jonass 4th, and Lawrence 5th.

Prado’s holeshot prowess showed again in Race 2 for his 17th Fox Holeshot of the season. One of the few other riders to score a holeshot this year is Jacobi who was second on the first lap today. Covington was 3rd and struggled to make it past Jacobi until lap 2 at which point Prado had grown a sizable gap.

Again 6th on the first lap was Jonass with Yamaha SM Action M.C. Migliori’s Maxime Renaux just ahead. Vlaanderen was back in 8th behind Watson who fell on the finish during lap 3 and would be unable to rejoin after his bike was damaged. Jonass charged past Olsen and Jacobi after also getting Renaux. The moves of Jonass got him to third behind Covington who responded and started to close on the lead of Prado.

Vlaanderen was also charging forward and was one of the fastest rider on track with the exception of the start. By the 7th lap the HRC rider was up to 4th and closing on Jonass who had lost ground to Covington. In the later stages of the race Vlaanderen was all over Jonass for third and the pair swapped positions before the #10 made a pass stick.

Jonass then lost ground to Olsen while his teammate Prado was losing time to the other Husqvarna of Covington. Olsen made his pass on Jonass with 3 laps to go but Covington wasn’t able to do the same for the lead. Making stabs at Prado for the race win and overall proved fruitless and Covington was forced to settle for 2nd. With Prado taking the win, Covington 2nd, and Vlaanderen 3rd the overall went to Prado’s 3-1 opposed to Vlaanderen’s 1-3 while Covington’s 2-2 gave him the final podium spot. Prado’s victory combined with the 4th overall from Jonass gives the Red plate to Prado for the first time in his career with a 11 point advantage heading to Lommel in 2 week’s time.

Jorge Prado: “Already yesterday everybody was riding really fast and today again. It was hard in the first race battling from the beginning till the end. I am really happy with the win and now leading the points”

Calvin Vlaanderen: “I feel really good, I had such a good weekend. When I woke up this morning I felt really well and thought this was a day that I could really prove myself and fight for a win. I am really happy on my weekend."

Thomas Covington: “Considering everything it was a really solid weekend for me getting the win yesterday and two consistent races today. I am happy to be on the podium."

MX2 Race 1 Top Ten: 1. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, Honda), 33:49.461; 2. Thomas Covington (USA, Husqvarna), +0:02.429; 3. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), +0:03.000; 4. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), +0:04.957; 5. Hunter Lawrence (AUS, Honda), +0:06.680; 6. Ben Watson (GBR, Yamaha), +0:16.661; 7. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, Husqvarna), +0:31.581; 8. Henry Jacobi (GER, Husqvarna), +0:37.706; 9. Jago Geerts (BEL, Yamaha), +0:43.039; 10. Maxime Renaux (FRA, Yamaha), +0:47.676.

MX2 Race 2 Top Ten: 1. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 33:59.877; 2. Thomas Covington (USA, Husqvarna), +0:01.736; 3. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, Honda), +0:10.271; 4. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, Husqvarna), +0:14.561; 5. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), +0:20.793; 6. Hunter Lawrence (AUS, Honda), +0:40.508; 7. Michele Cervellin (ITA, Yamaha), +0:45.749; 8. Henry Jacobi (GER, Husqvarna), +0:46.400; 9. Jago Geerts (BEL, Yamaha), +0:53.877; 10. Maxime Renaux (FRA, Yamaha), +0:57.247.

MX2 Overall Top Ten: 1. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 45 points; 2. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, HON), 45 p.; 3. Thomas Covington (USA, HUS), 44 p.; 4. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), 34 p.; 5. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 32 p.; 6. Hunter Lawrence (AUS, HON), 31 p.; 7. Henry Jacobi (GER, HUS), 26 p.; 8. Michele Cervellin (ITA, YAM), 24 p.; 9. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 24 p.; 10. Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 22 p.

MX2 Championship Top Ten: 1. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 595 points; 2. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), 584 p.; 3. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 454 p.; 4. Ben Watson (GBR, YAM), 427 p.; 5. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, HON), 414 p.; 6. Thomas Covington (USA, HUS), 375 p.; 7. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 310 p.; 8. Michele Cervellin (ITA, YAM), 279 p.; 9. Henry Jacobi (GER, HUS), 249 p.; 10. Davy Pootjes (NED, KTM), 218 p.

MX2 Manufacturers: 1. KTM, 673 points; 2. Husqvarna, 569 p.; 3. Honda, 482 p.; 4. Yamaha, 475 p.; 5. Kawasaki, 326 p.; 6. TM, 119 p.

MX2 Photos

Main Photo: Jorge Prado & Thomas Covington

Bottom Photos: 1. Calvin Vlaanderen; 2. Thomas Covington & Jorge Prado

Click here to obtain the complete results

All the photos from the MXGP of Czech Republic will be available HERE

MXGP of Czech Republic – QUICK FACTS

Circuit length: 1,586m

Type of ground: Hard Pack

Temperature: 27°

Weather conditions: partly cloudy

Weekend Crowd Attendance: 26,000

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 15th round of the FIM Motocross World Championship will take place in Lommel on August the 5th for the Fiat Professional MXGP of Belgium.

LINKS

Youthstream

FIM

MXGP of Czech Republic

On Saturday evening 21^st July the gourmet restaurant Promenada, named as the best restaurant in Karlovy Vary and one of the Top 10 restaurants in Czech Republic hosted a friendly dinner where members from Youthstream, FIM Europe and National Federations were invited by the President of the Czech Federation (ACCR) Jan Šťovíček to get along and talk about future cooperations in a relaxed atmosphere.

To join the dinner was Youthstream Vice President David Luongo, FIM Europe Wolfgang Srb, Youthstream CEO Didier Henriod, Greek Federation President Stelios Korelis, SMF President Peter Lazar, Motorcycle Federation of Russia (MFR) President Alexander Dzheus, MFR Representatives Oksana Petrovskaya & Nikita Tepper, ACCR General Secretary Tomas Kunc, ACCR CEO Pavel Konecny, ACCR MX Commission chairman Premysl Hajek, SMF Vice–President Lubos Loffler, parents of MotoGP Rookies rider Filip Salac Michaela Salacova and Michal Salac.

The happening in that prestigious location created the perfect occasion to open the MXGP of Czech Republic.

LOKET (Czech Republic) 21 July 2018 - The FIM Motocross World Championship has raced the first time around the hillsides of Loket today for Qualifying day at the 2018 MXGP of Czech Republic. Returning to pole position were Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Antonio Cairoli and Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Thomas Covington.

If Saturday’s Qualifying races were any indication of Sunday’s action the outcome will be unpredictable. While the MXGP class was as competitive as always the MX2 racing was completely unexpected. Aside from the stars of MXGP and MX2 Czech motocross fans were treated to the 2 stroke races of EMX300 presented by FMF Racing, EMX85, and EMX65. The stacked and full EMX gates saw Dennis Ulrich (EMX300), Camden Mc Lellan (EMX85), and Damian Knuiman (EMX65) each win hard fought first races of the two this weekend.

MXGP Qualifying was led by Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Antonio Cairoli into the first turn but it was Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Max Anstie that wowed the crowd by taking the premier spot on the opening lap.

Anstie, who has had a difficult season so far, led Cairoli for 7 laps while Team HRC’s Tim Gajser gave chase in third. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings was 4th off the start and rode comfortably in the position for the majority of the race.

Also in the lead group was Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s Clement Desalle with BIKE IT DRT Kawasaki’s Tommy Searle slightly further back. Searle however was passed by Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP’s Jeremy Van Horebeek on lap 2. Van Horebeek showed the speed normally expected of him after a series of challenging races which will make him one to watch Sunday along with the fact his only GP victory came at this track in 2014.

Van Horebeek’s Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP teammate Romain Febvre worked his way through the pack after running in 14th, just behind the returning BOS GP rider Jordi Tixier, on the first lap. Febvre was able to climb his way up to 9th by lap 7.

On lap 8 Cairoli took the lead from Anstie and immediately created a gap which seemingly encouraged Herlings to put in a fast lap and take a spot from Anstie along with Gajser on lap 10. Gajser fought to hold off the “Bullet” but Herlings found his way up the inside of the Slovenian on the far side of the track during lap 12.

With 2 laps remaining Cairoli’s lead was too much for Herlings and at the finish it was Cairoli taking the win, Herlings second then Gajser, Anstie, Desalle and Van Horebeek. The Qualifying win was only the 3rd for Cairoli this season.

Antonio Cairoli: “It was a very difficult week because after Indonesia I did a special scan and we found out that I have two fractures in the metacarpal. We managed to have a good qualification race anyway, hopefully it is going to be good for tomorrow to have two good starts and make it to the podium.”

Jeremy Van Horebeek: “It is a good track for me but I have been struggling with injuries after Valkenswaard and it has been a tough season but I'm starting to feel better and better every weekend. I am starting to get closer to being back in the top five, where I belong so this is a good feeling."

MXGP Qualifying Race Top Ten: 1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 25:21.539; 2. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), +0:03.910; 3. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:06.971; 4. Max Anstie (GBR, Husqvarna), +0:12.011; 5. Clement Desalle (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:15.511; 6. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Yamaha), +0:21.477; 7. Tommy Searle (GBR, Kawasaki), +0:28.697; 8. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, Kawasaki), +0:29.596; 9. Romain Febvre (FRA, Yamaha), +0:48.369; 10. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, KTM), +0:49.642

MXGP Photos

Main Photo: Antonio Cairoli

Bottom Photos: 1. Jeffrey Herlings 2. Tim Gajser

The MX2 Qualifying race was full of surprises from the start with Kemea Yamaha Official MX2 Team’s Jago Geerts leading Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Thomas Covington while Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado and Pauls Jonass had issues.

Covington took the lead from Geerts on the opening lap and started to pull away quickly but the real question was where the MX2 points leaders of Jonass and Prado were. The answer was Prado in 17th and Jonass 18th. Jonass made quick work up to 12th by lap 4 while Prado only gained one position.

In the fight for the top however was KTM Silver Action’s Stephen Rubini in 3rd chased by Honda 114 Motorsport’s Bas Vaessen, STC Racing Husqvarna’s Henry Jacobi, and F&H Racing Team’s Adam Sterry.

Also in a battle for position was JD Gunnex KTM Racing’s Richard Sikyna in 7th and BIKE IT DRT Kawasaki’s fill-in from Brazil, Gustavo Pessoa, in 10th. Between the two of Sikyna and Pessoa was Rockstar Energy Husqvarna’s Thomas Kjer Olsen and Jumbo No Fear Vamo Honda’s Marshal Weltin. Olsen made his way forward from 9th and so too did Kemea Yamaha Official MX2 Team’s Ben Watson from 12th.

Going backwards in the standings was Vaessen who fell from 4th to 13th. For Jonass the race didn’t get any easier when he came together with Team HRC’s Calvin Vlaanderen while battling over 11th. Both riders remounted but Jonass was in 24th and Vlaanderen got up in 31st.

Back at the front Covington was long gone but Rubini was under pressure from the relentless speed of Olsen and Watson. Olsen made the pass to take third and Watson was next for fourth before Sterry took 5th.

At the finish Covington took the win followed by Geerts, Olsen, Watson and Sterry. Prado took 10th just behind the returning Honda 114 Motorsports rider Hunter Lawrence while Jonass finished 16th and Vlaanderen 21st.

Thomas Covington: “The Qualifying Race went well as I was second out of the start and just passed Geerts real quick in the second corner, after that it was pretty easy actually, I just found a good rhythm and got a good gap."

Hunter Lawrence: “Everything is all healed up so it is good to be back and not carrying any injury. It is good to be back fit and healthy as I wish to finish the year strong.”

MX2 Qualifying Race Top Ten: 1. Thomas Covington (USA, Husqvarna), 24:27.968; 2. Jago Geerts (BEL, Yamaha), +0:11.714; 3. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, Husqvarna), +0:15.934; 4. Ben Watson (GBR, Yamaha), +0:16.865; 5. Adam Sterry (GBR, Kawasaki), +0:23.106; 6. Stephen Rubini (FRA, KTM), +0:25.817; 7. Henry Jacobi (GER, Husqvarna), +0:29.317; 8. Marshal Weltin (USA, Honda), +0:42.379; 9. Hunter Lawrence (AUS, Honda), +0:45.901; 10. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), +0:49.602.

MX2 Photos

Main Photo: Thomas Covington

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

Click here to obtain the complete results

All the photos from the MXGP of Czech Republic will be available HERE

MXGP of Czech Republic – QUICK FACTS

Circuit length: 1,586m

Type of ground: Hard Pack

Temperature: 27°

Weather conditions: partly cloudy with some showers

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: 08h45 EMX300 Race 2, 09h50 EMX65 Race 2, 10h25 MX2 Warm-Up, 10h45 MXGP Warm-Up, 11h30 EMX85 Race 2, 13h15 MX2 Race 1, 14h15 MXGP Race 1, 16h10 MX2 Race 2, 17h10 MXGP Race 2

LINKS

Youthstream

FIM

FIM Europe

MXGP of Czech Republic

TM RACING announces the end of the collaboration with Samuele Bernardini, after a fantastic journey started in 2013 and crowned by a European Championship in the EMX300 2T class, from an absolute eighth place in the MX2 in 2016 and three fourth places, 2 FOX Holeshots, a race win and the second place overall in the 2017 MXGP of Indonesia, the parties decided to not to continue together.

TM RACING wishes Samuele a fantastic career continuation and thanks him for the years spent together.

Marco Ricciardi Team Manager:"The path made up to last year with Samuele was very satisfying, with ups and downs but in the end we always achieved the goal, our goal was to to bring Samuele to conquer the Top Five of the MX2 in this is his last year in this fantastic class. I wish Samu to find his dimension and work hard to honor the great talent he was given."

This weekend Loket, Czech Republic will host the best riders in the world for the FIM Motocross World Championship and joining the racing will be the future stars of motocross, the EMX85 and EMX65 riders!

Both classes will have full gates with 80 total riders qualified for the weekend. This afternoon all the riders joined together with Youthstream Vice President Mr. David Luongo, FIM Europe Commission Chairman Mr. Eddie Herd, and FIM Europe 1st Deputy President Mr. Martin de Graff for the annual family photo. The eager riders start with Race 1 tomorrow followed by the Champion deciding races on Sunday.

With this year’s MXGP and MX2 championships really exciting and four riders battling for victory, the deep sand of Lommel might be a turning point for one or the other. Jeffrey Herlings and Antonio Cairoli have already a list of victories at the deep sand circuit and Jorge Prado won in the MX2 class in 2017, of the big four only Pauls Jonass lacks a victory at the famous circuit.

Since that 1997 visit Lommel hadn’t really been a regular stop on the Grand Prix calendar. Due to the involvement of the legendary Namur circuit, and stops in places like Neeroteren, Nismes, Genk, and so many others it seemed that Lommel was a little forgotten and was generally just a training facility for the GP riders.

It wasn’t until five times motocross world champion Eric Geboers got involved and decided to bring the circuit back to the Grand Prix scene, and of course the fact Namur was closed.

Funnily enough probably the greatest sand rider of all time, Stefan Everts only won one Grand Prix at Lommel. That coming in the 1994 250 Grand Prix. He had a handful of victories from the Namur circuit, and a good selection from other Belgian circuits, but in his racing era Lommel wasn’t often on the Grand Prix calendar, at least not for the 125 or 250 class where he selected to race.

When Lommel returned to the Grand Prix schedule in 2008 it was Spanish rider Jonathan Barragan who put his name on the winners list with an MX1 overall, while Gert Krestinov shocked the world to win the MX2 overall.

Names like Marvin Musquin (2009 MX2), Ken Roczen (2010 MX2) and Ken De Dycker (2009 MX1), joined Barragan and Krestinov as GP winners, but it was the performances of Antonio Cairoli in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2014 that stand out. Cairoli won three GPs and the MXoN overall with 1-1 results and showed he owned the circuit in that era.

Jeffrey Herlings took wins in 2011 and scored 1-2 results in the 2012 MXoN but injured ruled Herlings out of Lommel in 2014 and 2015, with Max Anstie making the most of that, to win both those years, scoring 1-2-1-1 in the process. Shaun Simpson added his name to the Lommel winners list with 1-1 in MXGP in 2015.

In 2016 Kevin Strijbos pulled off an amazing victory in the MXGP class, with 3-3 results, beating home Max Nagl and Antonio Cairoli. In MX2 it was Max Anstie who took victory number three, as Jeffrey Herlings was again out injured. Second in MX2 was Jeremy Seewer and third Petar Petrov.

Last year Herlings added yet another victory to his long list of sand wins, beating Antonio Cairoli and Glenn Coldenhoff. Herlings went 1-1. In MX2 Jorge Prado went 2-1 for the win ahead of Pauls Jonass and Julien Lieber.

Who will in 2018, the brilliant Herlings, or another sand specialist Cairoli? And in the MX2 class can Jonass finally get a victory there?

Copyright: Photo: Ray Archer

LOKET (Czech Republic), 19 July 2018 - The 2018 MXGP season is about to start its 14th round and the action is still in full force! Harder than ever to miss is the titanic battle between the stars of MXGP and MX2. The picturesque Loket circuit is among the world’s best tracks and a longtime staple of the MXGP calendar. The massive elevation change and natural terrain will test the timing and skill of each rider including MXGP’s points leaders, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings and Antonio Cairoli. The race to the title is just epic in MX2 with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Pauls Jonass and Jorge Prado now tied coming into the Western portion of Czech Republic.

The 2018 MXGP of Czech Republic will receive worldwide television coverage from its traditional partners with Live coverage of Sunday in various markets such as the US and Canada on CBS Sports and Italy on RAI Sports 2!

The entire event including the MXGP & MX2 Qualifying heats on Saturday, the races of both MXGP and MX2 on Sunday, plus the European classes of EMX300 presented by FMF Racing, EMX85, and EMX65 will all be streamed LIVE worldwide from Loket on www.MXGP-TV.com

As usual you can watch the 26min Behind the Gate in Europe on motorsport.tv & MotorTrend two days after the event. It can also be viewed in the USA/Canada on BeIn and MAV TV, Finland on MTV 3, Croatia on Kreator TV, South America on FOX Sports, Asia on FOX Sports, China on Fox Sports and SINA, and the Africa on Africa XP.

Check the guides below to find out how you can watch the MXGP of Czech Republic:

USA- CANADA

CBS Sports Network

Sunday 22 July – MX2 Race 2 – 10:00 am ET (07:00 am PT) - Live

Sunday 22 July  – MXGP Race 2 – 11:00 am ET (08.00 am PT) - Live

EUROPE

EUROSPORT 2

Sunday 22 July  – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 – CET – Live

Sunday 22 July  – MX2 Race 1 – 15:00 – CET - Delayed

Sunday 22 July  – MX2 Race 2 – 16:00 – CET - Live

Sunday 22 July  – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 – CET - Live

Motorsport.tv

Sunday 22 July  – MX2 Race 1 – 13:00 – CET - Live

Sunday 22 July  – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 – CET – Live

Sunday 22 July  – MX2 Race 2 – 16:00 – CET - Live

Sunday 22 July  – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 – CET - Live

BELGIUM

PLAY SPORTS 1

Sunday 22 July  – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 – CET – Live

Sunday 22 July  – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 – CET - Live

BULGARIA

BNT

Sunday 22 July  – MXGP Race 1 – 15:05 – Bulgarian Time - Live

Sunday 22 July  – MXGP Race 2 – 18:05 – Bulgarian Time - Live

FRANCE

EUROSPORT 2

Sunday 22 July  – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 – CET – Live

Sunday 22 July  – MX2 Race 1 – 15:00 – CET - Delayed

Sunday 22 July  – MX2 Race 2 – 16:00 – CET - Live

Sunday 22 July  – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 – CET - Live

La chaîne l’Equipe

Sunday 22 July  – MX2 Race 2 – 21:00 – CET - Delayed

Sunday 22 July  – MXGP Race 2 – 22:00 – CET - Delayed

Motorsport.tv

Sunday 22 July  – MX2 Race 1 – 13:00 – CET - Live

Sunday 22 July  – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 – CET – Live

Sunday 22 July  – MX2 Race 2 – 16:00 – CET - Live

Sunday 22 July  – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 – CET - Live

ITALY

RAI Sports 2 HD

Sunday 22 July  – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 – CET – Live

Sunday 22 July  – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 – CET - Live

NETHERLAND

NOS

Sunday 22 July  – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 – CET – Live Streaming

Sunday 22 July  – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 – CET – Live Streaming

PORTUGAL

Sport TV 5

Sunday 22 July  – MX2 Race 1 – 12:00 – GMT+1 - Live

Sunday 22 July  – MXGP Race 1 – 13:00 – GMT+1 - Live

Sunday 22 July  – MX2 Race 2 – 15:00 – GMT - Live

Sunday 22 July  – MXGP Race 2 – 16:00 – GMT - Live

SLOVENIA 

Sport TV1

Sunday 22 July  – MX2 Race 1 – 13:00 – CET - Live

Sunday 22 July  – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 – CET – Live

Sunday 22 July  – MX2 Race 2 – 16:00 – CET - Live

Sunday 22 July  – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 – CET - Live

UK

Motorsport.tv

Sunday 22 July  – MX2 Race 1 – 12:00 – GMT+1 - Live

Sunday 22 July  – MXGP Race 1 – 13:00 – GMT+1 – Live

Sunday 22 July  – MX2 Race 2 – 15:00 – GMT+1 - Live

Sunday 22 July  – MXGP Race 2 – 16:00 – GMT+1 - Live

FOX SPORTS Indonesia

Monday 23 July  – MX2 Race 1 – 12:00 HKT – Delayed

Monday 23 July  – MXGP Race 1 – 13:00 HKT – Delayed

Monday 23 July  – MX2 Race 2 – 14:00 HKT – Delayed

Monday 23 July  – MXGP Race 2 – 15:00 HKT – Delayed

ASIA

FOX SPORTS SEA (Hong Kong – Macau – Thailand – Singapore – Indonesia)

Monday 23 July  – MX2 Race 1 – 12:00 HKT – Delayed

Monday 23 July  – MXGP Race 1 – 13:00 HKT – Delayed

Monday 23 July  – MX2 Race 2 – 14:00 HKT – Delayed

Monday 23 July  – MXGP Race 2 – 15:00 HKT – Delayed

FOX SPORTS 3 SEA(Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Macau, Mongolia, Myanmar, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Singapore,  Thailand, Malaysia

FOX SPORTS SEA (Hong Kong – Macau – Thailand – Singapore – Indonesia)

Sunday 22 July  – MX2 Race 1 – 19:00 HKT – Live

Sunday 22 July  – MXGP Race 1 – 20:00 HKT – Live

Sunday 22 July  – MX2 Race 2 – 22:00 HKT – Live

Sunday 22 July  – MXGP Race 2 – 23:00 HKT – Live

CHINA

STAR Sports  China

Monday 23 July  – MX2 Race 1 – 12:00 HKT – Delayed

Monday 23 July  – MXGP Race 1 – 13:00 HKT – Delayed

Monday 23 July  – MX2 Race 2 – 14:00 HKT – Delayed

Monday 23 July  – MXGP Race 2 – 15:00 HKT – Delayed

BRAZIL

BANDSPORTS

Sunday 22 July  – MXGP Race 1 – 09:00 – Brazil timing - Live

Sunday 22 July  – MXGP Race 2 – 12:00 – Brazil timing – Live

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.

All the photos from the MXGP of Czech Republic will be available HERE

TIMETABLE

Saturday: 09h50 EMX300 Free/Time Practice, 10h40 EMX65 Free Practice, 11h00 EMX85 Free Practice, 11h30 MX2 Free Practice, 12h00 MXGP Free Practice, 13h00 EMX65 Time Practice, 13h30 EMX85 Time Practice, 14h00 MX2 Time Practice, 14h40 MXGP Time Practice, 15h25 EMX300 Race 1, 16h25 MX2 Qualifying Race, 17h10 MXGP Qualifying Race, 17h50 EMX65 Race 1, 18h25 EMX85 Race 1

Sunday: 08h45 EMX300 Race 2, 09h50 EMX65 Race 2, 10h25 MX2 Warm-Up, 10h45 MXGP Warm-Up, 11h30 EMX85 Race 2, 13h15 MX2 Race 1, 14h15 MXGP Race 1, 16h10 MX2 Race 2, 17h10 MXGP Race 2

LINKS

Youthstream

FIM

MXGP of Czech Republic

Team HRC’s Brian Bogers has officially started with the rehabilitation process after being forced to an eight-week stop following a second injury to the same right-foot bone he fractured in November 2017. Ten days ago, the cast keeping the lower leg, ankle and foot immobilised was removed; after an extensive check, Bogers received a very positive evaluation from the specialist who performed the foot surgery last May.

Bogers will now focus on regaining muscle mass in his right leg and get the full movement of the joints, in order to pave the road for a future return to action.

Brian Bogers: Since the last surgery on 7th of May I had to wear a cast for eight weeks: it is now off, and the foot is feeling really good. I am pain-free and that’s the most important thing now! In five weeks I will have another check at the hospital and in the meantime, I’m working out to rebuild all the muscles in my right leg. If my muscles will be strong again by then, then I will try to ride the bike again; I have to be patient for a bit more time, but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel!”

Copyright: Photo: Honda Racing

LOKET (Czech Republic) 18 July 2018 – The FIM Motocross World Championship is back in action this weekend at the iconic Loket circuit in the West of Czech Republic. After a week off the bikes, riders, and teams are back in Europe and ready to continue their 2018 quest at the MXGP of Czech Republic, the 14th round of FIM Motocross World Championship.

Over 11,000 kilometers separates this weekend’s circuit from the last stop in Semarang, Loket is a traditional style of motocross track with massive and natural elevation change surrounded by nature with a castle for a backdrop. The venue will host the hottest of title fights between Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s MXGP stars Jeffrey Herlings and Antonio Cairoli and their MX2 Red Bull KTM counterparts Pauls Jonass and Jorge Prado.

Adding to the weekend of World Championship racing is the FIM Europe classes of EMX300 presented by FMF Racing, EMX85, and EMX65. The EMX300 class boasts an entry list of over 45 riders including Verde Substance KTM’s Brad Anderson, GL12 Racing’s Mike Kras, Greg Smets, and Czech Republic’s own Vaclav Kovar. The future stars of motocross also line up in EMX85 and EMX65 for their unique event to crown European Champions.

Heading into the MXGP of Czech Republic Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings has again extended his points lead after missing round 11 of the series with injury. Herlings now has had an additional week to return to his top form and leads the points chase by 24. Loket has been a place of up and down results for the Dutchman with 2 MX2 overall wins, a 4th in MXGP last year along with a 2nd in 2011 and an 11th in 2010.

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Antonio Cairoli is last year’s MXGP of Czech Republic winner and has been the main competitor to Herlings all season. The pairs’ battles have captivated the fans, after a week of rest and recovery many hope the Sicilian will return to winning form this weekend. Aside from last year’s win Cairoli has claimed Czech victory on 3 other occasions and reached the podium 4 more times.

Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s Clement Desalle is the only other rider to win a Grand Prix in 2018 and may be able to repeat the performance this weekend. Desalle has been able to win on the soil of Loket 3 different years and was a close second last season. The hard soil and elevation change is also not unlike that of Russia’s Orlyonok circuit which hosted his lone win earlier this year.

Taking over 4th in the championship standings after strong racing in Asia is Team HRC’s Tim Gajser. Gajser has been raising his level and battled for race wins at the last round. No stranger to winning the 2016 MXGP champ has been absent of the podium on several occasions earlier this year and will be looking to keep his Honda at the front. Loket is one of Gajser’s closest GP to home where many TG243 fans will make the trip to watch their MXGP idol who has been on the podium here the last two visits.

On a mission to rebound from what was arguably his worst weekend of the year is Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP’s Romain Febvre. Febvre was looking extremely fast mixing it up at the front of the pack in Asia before crashing out of MXGP race 1 and falling on the start of race 2. Febvre’s misfortune was likely temporary however seeing the prior GPs were consistent improvements over his early season. Febvre was 6th last year, 3rd in 2016 and won the Czech GP in 2015.

Other riders to watch include Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Gautier Paulin and Wilvo Yamaha Official MXGP Team’s Jeremy Seewer. Paulin has 1 victory to his belt from Loket while Seewer was second overall in MX2 last season and the year prior.

MXGP Championship Top Ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 583 points; 2. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 559 p.; 3. Clement Desalle (BEL, KAW), 447 p.; 4. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 410 p.; 5. Romain Febvre (FRA, YAM), 400 p.; 6. Gautier Paulin (FRA, HUS), 389 p.; 7. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 329 p.; 8. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 295 p.; 9. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, YAM), 280 p.; 10. Maximilian Nagl (GER, TM), 227 p.

2017 MXGP of Czech Republic MXGP top 3:

1. Antonio Cairoli
2. Clement Desalle
3. Tim Gajser

The MX2 Championship is just as strongly contested as that of MXGP and is now tied between the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing riders, Pauls Jonass and Jorge Prado. Each hold 550 points but while Prado has more overall GP victories Jonass still claims the red plate with more race wins.

Jonass will be especially interesting to watch this weekend with the pressure for the title on a track that has taken its toll on the Latvian. Last year Jonass took the overall win but ended his season here in 2016. Jonass was dominant early this year but since has had to work through some up and down performances.

On the other hand Jorge Prado has been strong nearly every weekend with the main exception coming from the season opener in Argentina. Prado has been able to match the pace of Jonass if not beat it on many occasions and with the help of a long list of Fox Holeshots is the reigning champs biggest challenger. Prado has his only professional result at Loket coming from last season where he took 5th overall.

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Thomas Kjer Olsen and Thomas Covington have been the thorn in the side of both Jonass and Prado. Each of the Husqvarna riders have put themselves between the title contenders as they strive for their own wins. Olsen and Covington both have seen success this year however neither have done to well in Loket with the exception of Covington’s podium last year.

Perhaps the next rider to claim his career first win is Kemea Yamaha Official MX2’s Ben Watson. Watson has consistently been one of the fastest riders in the MX2 category but the results haven’t quite shown such. Watson’s start struggles seemed to have been remedied at the last two rounds but he was still unable to have a standout performance. Watson has 2 overall results in MX2 from Loket with a 22nd last year and a 20th in 2015.

Making his way to the front of everyone’s minds after winning the MXGP of Indonesia is Team HRC’s Calvin Vlaanderen. While Vlaanderen reached the podium prior in the season few were more impressive than his back to back Asian performances. Vlaanderen’s three previous results from Czech Republic can be expected to be improved this weekend with 16th in 2017, 23rd in 2016, and 17th in 2014.

MX2 Championship Top Ten: 1. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), 550 points; 2. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 550 p.; 3. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 422 p.; 4. Ben Watson (GBR, YAM), 412 p.; 5. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, HON), 369 p.; 6. Thomas Covington (USA, HUS), 331 p.; 7. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 286 p.; 8. Michele Cervellin (ITA, YAM), 255 p.; 9. Henry Jacobi (GER, HUS), 223 p.; 10. Davy Pootjes (NED, KTM), 218 p.

2017 MXGP of Czech Republic MX2 top 3:

1. Pauls Jonass
2. Jeremy Seewer
3. Thomas Covington

All the photos from the MXGP of Czech Republic will be available HERE

TIMETABLE

Saturday: 09h50 EMX300 Free/Time Practice, 10h40 EMX65 Free Practice, 11h00 EMX85 Free Practice, 11h30 MX2 Free Practice, 12h00 MXGP Free Practice, 13h00 EMX65 Time Practice, 13h30 EMX85 Time Practice, 14h00 MX2 Time Practice, 14h40 MXGP Time Practice, 15h25 EMX300 Race 1, 16h25 MX2 Qualifying Race, 17h10 MXGP Qualifying Race, 17h50 EMX65 Race 1, 18h25 EMX85 Race 1

Sunday: 08h45 EMX300 Race 2, 09h50 EMX65 Race 2, 10h25 MX2 Warm-Up, 10h45 MXGP Warm-Up, 11h30 EMX85 Race 2, 13h15 MX2 Race 1, 14h15 MXGP Race 1, 16h10 MX2 Race 2, 17h10 MXGP Race 2

LINKS

Youthstream

FIM

MXGP of Czech Republic