VALKENSWAARD (The Netherlands), 28 March 2016 – Racing in the sand is a test on its own and with the addition of extreme weather conditions such as gusting winds, and heavy down pours of rain, a race which already demands a lot in terms of mental and physical strength is taken to the extreme. These factors made for some of the best racing in the world here at the third round of the FIM Motocross World Championship with the ruthless circuit of Valkenswaard proving to be a challenge that was capable of breaking both bikes and hearts, while establishing legends such as the grand prix winners Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Romain Febvre and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings.
The defending MXGP world champion Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Romain Febvre proved exactly why he is the holder of the crown when he won the MXGP of Europe with an epic race win in the final race of the day where he caught and passed the eight time FIM Motocross World Champion Antonio Cairoli. “I couldn’t find my rhythm in the first race” Febvre explained, “I crashed and I couldn’t find my lines. I was really disappointed and angry so before the second race I was hungry, I wanted to win.”
Despite a few errors in the first race, Febvre went 3 – 1 for the grand prix overall and now leads the MXGP championship by thirteen points over Honda Gariboldi’s rookie bombshell Tim Gajser.
After a slow start to the season Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Max Nagl went back to the drawing board during the two-week break. He did his homework and handed it in this weekend where he passed with flying colours. The German took his first Qualifying Race win of the season yesterday, which was a good sign he had turned his ship around with a second place finish here at the MXGP of Europe, to stand on the podium for the first time since May last year.
Honda Gariboldi’s Tim Gajser was nothing short of impressive this weekend. In race one, he had everyone wide-eyed as he gave the cream of MXGP a riding lesson around a track he hasn’t had a lot of success at, while his undoing was in Race Two where he had the grand prix victory in the palm of his hand for more than half of the race but appeared to be at war with his bike which he confirmed in the post race interview. “I had a problem with my bike in the last race where it kept stopping, I stalled it twice but it actually wasn’t my fault. I haven’t been back to the paddock to know what the problem is yet, but anyway I am happy to be back on the podium, especially in the sand because it’s not actually my favorite dirt.”
Has the pendulum swung? There was a real race within a race in the final moto of the day as Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Antonio Cairoli went head-to-head with the defending champ Febvre in an epic must-see battle, and on the final lap it was the champ who conquered and took the race win. In the first race, the Italian rode a steady race for seventh, which paired with his second in the final moto left him in fourth overall.
Most Belgian and Dutch riders are sand savvy; after all, they grow up racing the stuff. Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jeremy Van Horebeek was on the pace at times but like everyone else, made a few mistakes out on the merciless circuit of Valkenswaard which dropped him off the podium and down to fifth.
As for the native Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Glenn Coldenhoff, he ground out his laps today while carrying a few niggling injuries which he picked up at the MXGP of Thailand when he throw it away big time in the waves.
MXGP Race 1 Top Ten: 1. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), 34:41.033; 2. Maximilian Nagl (GER, Husqvarna), +0:05.431; 3. Romain Febvre (FRA, Yamaha), +0:33.443; 4. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), +0:46.976; 5. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Yamaha), +0:51.297; 6. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Suzuki), +0:52.205; 7. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:52.378; 8. Tommy Searle (GBR, Kawasaki), +1:00.386; 9. Clement Desalle (BEL, Kawasaki), +1:10.664; 10. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), +1:14.769.
MXGP Race 2 Top Ten: 1. Romain Febvre (FRA, Yamaha), 34:55.696; 2. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:05.156; 3. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Yamaha), +0:12.437; 4. Maximilian Nagl (GER, Husqvarna), +0:14.500; 5. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Suzuki), +0:17.253; 6. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), +0:25.165; 7. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), +0:27.558; 8. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:39.187; 9. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), +0:53.250; 10. Christophe Charlier (FRA, Husqvarna), +1:10.348.
MXGP Overall Top Ten: 1. Romain Febvre (FRA, YAM), 45 points; 2. Maximilian Nagl (GER, HUS), 40 p.; 3. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 38 p.; 4. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 36 p.; 5. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, YAM), 36 p.; 6. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, HON), 33 p.; 7. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, SUZ), 31 p.; 8. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), 23 p.; 9. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 22 p.; 10. Tanel Leok (EST, KTM), 19 p.
MXGP Championship Top Ten: 1. Romain Febvre (FRA, YAM), 137 points; 2. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 124 p.; 3. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, HON), 107 p.; 4. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, YAM), 104 p.; 5. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 100 p.; 6. Maximilian Nagl (GER, HUS), 84 p.; 7. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), 80 p.; 8. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, SUZ), 79 p.; 9. Tommy Searle (GBR, KAW), 63 p.; 10. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 55 p.
MXGP Manufacturer: 1. Yamaha, 137 points; 2. Honda, 126 p.; 3. KTM, 107 p.; 4. Husqvarna, 95 p.; 5. Suzuki, 91 p.; 6. Kawasaki, 63 p
There is nothing like winning in front of your home crowd. Ask any rider and they will tell you it is one of the most hair-raising feelings in the world. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings took his first ever grand prix victory here in 2010 at the tender age of 15 years old. Since then, Herlings has won every grand prix here in Valkenswaard, a track he has cut so many laps on it may as well be in his backyard. Today, at the MXGP of Europe, The Bullet hit yet another career milestone as he used his one of a kind sand riding finesse to claim his 50th grand prix victory in front of his nation. The Flying Dutchman went on to say, “to win 50 grand prix is something special, its’ like your first, then 10, then 50, then 100.”
Finishing second to Herlings in the sand is almost as good as a win for the riders in MX2. With that in mind, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Pauls Jonass had a brilliant day in the office as he charged hard and banked two consistent second place finishes for a convincing second overall. “I felt confident this weekend, I struggled a bit with suspension settings yesterday and in the first race too, but we changed some things and it was much better.”
Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MX2’s Jeremy Seewer is by no means a sand specialist but after landing on the podium, it’s safe to say the Swiss rider is working hard. As the saying goes ‘you only get out what you put in’ and today Seewer was able to reap the rewards of hard work. The Suzuki star was super pumped during the press conference, “I have been on the podium a few times now but for me this one is an emotional one. To do it in the sand as a Swiss rider was something really important to me especially after last year I was not so good here and even in years before I couldn’t even qualify in the sand in the European Championship on an 85cc. I have worked really hard and it’s starting to be alright now.”
Kemea Yamaha Yamalube’s Brent Van Doninck was absolutely hauling yesterday but was forced out of the race with a mechanical failure. Because the Belgian did not finish the Qualifying Race he had last pick of the start gate, which meant he was already at a disadvantage. Despite the work-out, Van Doninck rode like a machine today and barged his way from the back of the pack for a jaw dropping 5 – 4 finish for fourth overall.
Meanwhile Van Doninck’s Kemea Yamaha Yamalube teammate Benoit Paturel turned some solid laps for fifth overall while the kid representing the Dutch youth, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Davy Pootjes killed it in race one with his impressive sixth place finish but crashed in the second race which meant he would only wrap up his home grand prix in tenth.
MX2 Race 1 Top Ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 35:12.127; 2. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), +0:50.896; 3. Petar Petrov (BUL, Kawasaki), +1:07.168; 4. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Suzuki), +1:23.048; 5. Brent Van doninck (BEL, Yamaha), +1:26.054; 6. Davy Pootjes (NED, KTM), +1:35.470; 7. Benoit Paturel (FRA, Yamaha), +1:46.678; 8. Ben Watson (GBR, Husqvarna), +2:07.789; 9. Alvin Östlund (SWE, Yamaha), +2:10.450; 10. Aleksandr Tonkov (RUS, Yamaha), -1 lap(s)
MX2 Race 2 Top Ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 35:17.872; 2. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), +1:19.911; 3. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Suzuki), +1:25.404; 4. Brent Van doninck (BEL, Yamaha), +1:29.679; 5. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, KTM), +1:31.724; 6. Benoit Paturel (FRA, Yamaha), +1:35.487; 7. Michele Cervellin (ITA, Honda), +1:54.833; 8. Samuele Bernardini (ITA, TM), +1:59.315; 9. Vsevolod Brylyakov (RUS, Kawasaki), +2:03.230; 10. Alvin Östlund (SWE, Yamaha), +2:12.493.
MX2 Overall Top Ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 50 points; 2. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), 44 p.; 3. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, SUZ), 38 p.; 4. Brent Van doninck (BEL, YAM), 34 p.; 5. Benoit Paturel (FRA, YAM), 29 p.; 6. Alvin Östlund (SWE, YAM), 23 p.; 7. Michele Cervellin (ITA, HON), 21 p.; 8. Vsevolod Brylyakov (RUS, KAW), 21 p.; 9. Aleksandr Tonkov (RUS, YAM), 21 p.; 10. Davy Pootjes (NED, KTM), 21 p.
MX2 Championship Top Ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 150 points; 2. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), 112 p.; 3. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, SUZ), 112 p.; 4. Aleksandr Tonkov (RUS, YAM), 91 p.; 5. Brent Van doninck (BEL, YAM), 78 p.; 6. Petar Petrov (BUL, KAW), 76 p.; 7. Benoit Paturel (FRA, YAM), 75 p.; 8. Samuele Bernardini (ITA, TM), 60 p.; 9. Alvin Östlund (SWE, YAM), 60 p.; 10. Vsevolod Brylyakov (RUS, KAW), 59 p
MX2 Manufacturer: 1. KTM, 150 points; 2. Suzuki, 112 p.; 3. Yamaha, 108 p.; 4. Kawasaki, 103 p.; 5. Husqvarna, 74 p.; 6. TM, 60 p.; 7. Honda, 57 p.
Click here to obtain the complete results
All the photos of the MXGP of Europe will be available here
MXGP EUROPE – QUICK FACTS
Circuit length: 1550m
Type of ground: sand
Temperature: 12°C
Weather conditions: changeable
Crowd Attendance: 23,000
MXGP was 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 ROUND
The next round of the 2016 FIM Motocross World Championship will take place on April 10th in Neuquen for the MXGP of Patagonia Argentina.
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