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2018 Champions Herlings and Prado End Season With Italian Wins

The Italian circuit of Imola has hosted another historic weekend of racing with the final round of the 2018 MXGP FIM Motocross World Championship. The weekend was a finale to 20 rounds of racing around the world over 8 months and today the 2018 Champions from Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, Jeffrey Herlings and Jorge Prado, capped of the year with another pair of dominant wins.

Imola’s Autodromo Enzo & Dino Ferrari track was the venue of choice with over 25,000 cubic meters of dirt added to the natural elevation of the circuit for the weekend. The historic venue was the first in Italy to host Motocross International racing in 1948 and now on the 70th anniversary has seen the conclusion of one of the most competitive World Championship seasons ever. Taking the 3 spots in the final MXGP championship standings were the only three riders to win a GP in 2018, Jeffrey Herlings, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Antonio Cairoli, and Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s Clement Desalle. Meanwhile in the MX2 standings Jorge Prado, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Pauls Jonass, and Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Thomas Kjer Olsen finalized the top three spots.

MXGP The new MXGP World Champion, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings, had nothing to prove this weekend but still came out and dominated with double race wins to take the final MXGP overall of the year.

The first MXGP race was started with a season first Fox Holeshot from Gebben Van Venrooy Kawasaki’s Alessandro Lupino in front of his home crowd as Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Antonio Cairoli opted out of racing to recover for next week’s Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations.

Behind Lupino was Team HRC’s Tim Gajser, Wilvo Yamaha Official MXGP Team’s Jeremy Seewer, and then Herlings. Seewer and Herlings banged bars in the 4th corner was put the Dutchman up to third. Gajser took the lead from Lupino before the end of the first lap along with Herlings.

Lupino was then third but a collision with Seewer dropped the #77 out of the top 20 and the Swiss rider to 10th. Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s Clement Desalle took over third with Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Gautier Paulin 4th and Wilvo Yamaha Official MXGP’s Shaun Simpson 5th.

On the third official lap Herlings took the lead from Gajser and a lap later Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s Julien Lieber went to 5th past Simpson. In the remaining 16 laps the top 5 held their positions. Herlings had the race win ahead of Gajser, Desalle, Paulin, and Lieber while Seewer made a last lap pass to get by teammate Simpson for 6th.

Race 2’s Fox Holeshot belonged to Herlings who had Gajser and Desalle just behind him. Simpson had another good start in 4th with Lieber again behind him. Paulin was in 6th and had to deal with pressure from Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP’s Jeremy Van Horebeek.

After 4 laps of heat from the Belgian Paulin lost 6th and Van Horebeek then went after Lieber. With 5 laps to go Lieber moved past Simpson for 4th and Van Horebeek put the Wilvo rider another spot back to 6th.

Herlings took the race win with Gajser again 2nd then Desalle, Lieber, and Van Horebeek. Paulin took 6th after passing Simpson with 2 laps to go. In the overall Herlings was the clear winner for the 84 time in his career as Gajser took 2nd and Desalle took third.

Jeffrey Herlings, “It is a great way to finish of the year, to finish with a win. I am very happy and thankful, it has been a great journey, a great experience, a great year, and I have met a lot of great people. I really want to thank especially my team as without them I wouldn’t to be able to do what I did… it is something that will be hard to ever accomplish again. The most beautiful way to finish off the year is to go 1-1 at the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations and if I can accomplish that it will be the cherry on top!”

Antonio Cairoli: “I am really happy to be here, it is such a great place for racing and I think this is a great way to step up our sport. I am looking at the bigger picture of the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations next week, it is very important for me and the country of Italy. Like I have said congratulations to Jeffrey and thanks to Youthstream for another good and very intense championship. They have stepped it up with a more professional staff so I am really happy to have another 2 seasons and follow my dream to fight for another world title.”

Clement Desalle: “Finishing third in the championship is really great, also it is a great feeling to be on the box at the end of the championship. My whole team works to be the best possible and to beat those guys and have the best result in the GPs. It is not easy but we are very motivated… it was a very good season overall.”

MXGP Race 1 Top Ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 34:41.213; 2. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:12.438; 3. Clement Desalle (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:28.131; 4. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Husqvarna), +0:30.461; 5. Julien Lieber (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:32.590; 6. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Yamaha), +0:34.849; 7. Shaun Simpson (GBR, Yamaha), +0:35.907; 8. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Yamaha), +0:43.218; 9. Max Anstie (GBR, Husqvarna), +0:51.689; 10. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Suzuki), +0:54.842.

MXGP Race 2 Top Ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 34:35.763; 2. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:34.828; 3. Clement Desalle (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:50.772; 4. Julien Lieber (BEL, Kawasaki), +1:01.847; 5. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Yamaha), +1:03.991; 6. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Husqvarna), +1:06.621; 7. Shaun Simpson (GBR, Yamaha), +1:07.493; 8. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), +1:09.285; 9. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, KTM), +1:15.790; 10. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Suzuki), +1:20.562.

MXGP Overall Top Ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 50 points; 2. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 44 p.; 3. Clement Desalle (BEL, KAW), 40 p.; 4. Julien Lieber (BEL, KAW), 34 p.; 5. Gautier Paulin (FRA, HUS), 33 p.; 6. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, YAM), 29 p.; 7. Shaun Simpson (GBR, YAM), 28 p.; 8. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 24 p.; 9. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 23 p.; 10. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, SUZ), 22 p.

MXGP Championship Top Ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 933 points; 2. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 782 p.; 3. Clement Desalle (BEL, KAW), 685 p.; 4. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 669 p.; 5. Gautier Paulin (FRA, HUS), 574 p.; 6. Romain Febvre (FRA, YAM), 544 p.; 7. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 534 p.; 8. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 469 p.; 9. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, YAM), 433 p.; 10. Max Anstie (GBR, HUS), 386 p.

MXGP Manufacturers: 1. KTM, 997 points; 2. Kawasaki, 704 p.; 3. Yamaha, 685 p.; 4. Honda, 684 p.; 5. Husqvarna, 643 p.; 6. Suzuki, 289 p.; 7. TM, 245 p.

MX2 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado came into this weekend already knowing he was going to be crowned 2018 MX2 FIM Motocross World Champion but it didn’t stop the 17-year old from taking his 26th Fox Holeshot of the year.

Kemea Yamaha Official MX2 Team’s Ben Watson was a top qualifier yesterday but jumped the gate to early today and was back outside the top 15 on the start. Prado lost his lead to Yamaha SM Action MC Migliori’s Simone Furlotti in the first corners and went back to 6th.

Honda 114 Motorsports Hunter Lawrence was third behind Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Thomas Covington but pushed the American off the track to take second.

Covington rejoined the track in 4th behind Prado while Lawrence went on to take the lead from Furlotti who then dropped another spot to Prado. The following lap Covington was up to third but lost the spot 2 laps later to his teammate Thomas Kjer Olsen.

STC Racing Husqvarna’s Henry Jacobi was impressive along with Yamaha SM Action MC Migliori’s Michele Cervellin. Jacobi came from 9th on the first lap all the way up to 3rd after a bike issue ended the race for the leader Lawrence.

Prado took over first after the misfortune of Lawrence and held the lead to the finish where he was met by the Red Bull KTM crew and media to celebrate his 2018 MX2 World title. Olsen took 2nd and Jacobi 3rd while Cervellin made it up to 4th ahead of F&H Racing Team’s Marshal Weltin.

Race 2 started with a 5th Fox Holeshot of the year for Thomas Covington ahead of ASTES4-TESAR Yamaha’s Samuele Bernardini and JD Gunnex KTM Racing’s Richard Sikyna from Slovakia.

Prado was up into 2nd quickly while Kemea Yamaha Official MX2 Team’s Anthony Rodriguez held 4th ahead of Olsen but the #19 fell and handed 5th to BUD Racing Monster Energy’s Brian Moreau in his first MX2 appearance.

Prado then went for the lead and took the spot from Covington as his teammate Olsen took 5th back from Moreau. Olsen was pushed back out of the top 5 on the next lap by Lawrence.

The Aussie was on a roll and took positions away from Rodriguez, Bernardini, and Covington in the following laps. Lawrence gained multiple seconds on Prado in each of the final laps but it was a little too late as the Spaniard took the race victory and his 12 overall win of the season. Lawrence finished second with Covington third and Olsen 4th but in the overall it was Prado, Olsen, and Covington taking the podium.

Jorge Prado’s season has been nothing short of impressive, the 17-year old becomes the first Spanish MX2 World Champion via 10 pole positions, 331 laps in the lead, 17 individual race wins, 12 overall victories and 17 podiums. Prado scored 873 points in 20 rounds of racing averaging 43.6 points per race of the maximum 50. Prado becomes one of only 3 riders to win the title at such a young age joining Ken Roczen and Jeffrey Herlings and is also now tied for 3 most career MX2 Overall wins with Tyla Rattray behind Herlings and Antonio Cairoli.”

Jorge Prado: “I knew I was World Champion already on Thursday so it was a great moment that I didn’t expect. It was a great weekend and I am really happy to finish off the season with a win.”

Thomas Kjer Olsen: “I am really happy to finish third of course, I would like to be closer to Prado and Jonass but I did everything that I could this season. There was a lot of positives this season and there are a lot of things I have learned. I am super happy with my 10 podiums and I don’t think I can be anything other than happy.”

MX2 Race 1 Top Ten: 1. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 33:49.364; 2. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, Husqvarna), +0:21.043; 3. Henry Jacobi (GER, Husqvarna), +0:36.879; 4. Michele Cervellin (ITA, Yamaha), +0:39.380; 5. Marshal Weltin (USA, Kawasaki), +0:44.867; 6. Jago Geerts (BEL, Yamaha), +0:48.945; 7. Thomas Covington (USA, Husqvarna), +0:50.601; 8. Ben Watson (GBR, Yamaha), +0:56.013; 9. Anthony Rodriguez (VEN, Yamaha), +1:02.653; 10. Simone Furlotti (ITA, Yamaha), +1:04.280.

MX2 Race 2 Top Ten: 1. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 34:00.879; 2. Hunter Lawrence (AUS, Honda), +0:02.164; 3. Thomas Covington (USA, Husqvarna), +0:15.652; 4. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, Husqvarna), +0:18.136; 5. Anthony Rodriguez (VEN, Yamaha), +0:20.887; 6. Samuele Bernardini (ITA, Yamaha), +0:28.846; 7. Michele Cervellin (ITA, Yamaha), +0:33.265; 8. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, Honda), +0:34.859; 9. Henry Jacobi (GER, Husqvarna), +0:42.038; 10. Richard Sikyna (SVK, KTM), +0:42.743.

MX2 Overall Top Ten: 1. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 50 points; 2. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 40 p.; 3. Thomas Covington (USA, HUS), 34 p.; 4. Michele Cervellin (ITA, YAM), 32 p.; 5. Henry Jacobi (GER, HUS), 32 p.; 6. Anthony Rodriguez (VEN, YAM), 28 p.; 7. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 25 p.; 8. Hunter Lawrence (AUS, HON), 22 p.; 9. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, HON), 22 p.; 10. Ben Watson (GBR, YAM), 17 p.

MX2 Championship Top Ten: 1. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 873 points; 2. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), 777 p.; 3. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 673 p.; 4. Ben Watson (GBR, YAM), 602 p.; 5. Thomas Covington (USA, HUS), 599 p.; 6. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, HON), 543 p.; 7. Michele Cervellin (ITA, YAM), 397 p.; 8. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 391 p.; 9. Hunter Lawrence (AUS, HON), 353 p.; 10. Henry Jacobi (GER, HUS), 343 p.

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History for Herlings as 2018 MXGP Champion while Jorge Prado Wins in the Netherlands

The most challenging season in the history of the FIM Motocross World Championship crowned Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings 2018 MXGP Champion and overall winner today in Assen while Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado topped MX2.

The MXGP of the Netherlands was the massive home stage for a handful of Dutch riders this weekend but none where watched closer than the now 24-year old Herlings. An electric atmosphere created by tens of thousands of MXGP fans filled the air at Assen, nicknamed the “Cathedral of Speed”. The venue has hosted some of the top motorsports athletes in the world as they made history and today was no exception. The magnitude of the event was not just evident by the massive crowd but also with special guests like the Minister of Sport for the Netherlands Bruno Bruins, the Mayor of Assen Marco Out, and many others watching the racing and taking part in the podium ceremonies.

MXGP Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings has been impeccable this season with 16 wins of the 19 races so far. Today the life long dream of the “bullet” came true as he was crowned World Champion at the highest level of motocross, the MXGP FIM Motocross World Championship.

Coming into race 1 Herlings needed to finish 16th or higher to clinch the title but off the gate his Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rival Antonio Cairoli took the FOX Holeshot. A test of Herlings’ mentality ensued and even with the option to let Cairoli get away, the Dutchman pushed forward.

Giving chase to the two leaders was the third Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider Glenn Coldenhoff. The second Dutch rider in the top three brought the crowd to their feet with the pressure of Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Max Anstie bearing down on the #259.

Massive roars from the crowd were common but none matched the magnitude of those heard as Herlings took the lead away from Cairoli. Cairoli fought back immediately along the roller straight next to the grandstands but Herlings maintained the position.

Lap after lap Herlings grew his lead over Cairoli while the Italian did the same to the rest of the field. Meanwhile Coldenhoff was still under pressure from Anstie for third and on lap 8 the Brit was finally past after a crash from the Dutchman. Also taking advantage of the misfortune for Coldenhoff was Team HRC’s Tim Gajser who moved from 5th to 4th. A strong start from Wilvo Yamaha Official MXGP’s Shaun Simpson positioned him 7th for the first 2 laps before gaining a spot on Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s Julien Lieber.

Simpson was finished the race 6th as Herlings took an emotion charged and dominate race win lapping up to 7th position and earning him the title of MXGP World Champion for the first time in his career. The celebrations started immediately for Herlings who joined his team, family, and friends while Cairoli took second and Anstie third.

MXGP Race 2 came just 2 hours later and Herlings lined back up with the new number 1 plate. The Dutch crowd were again full of vigor as Coldenhoff took the Fox Holeshot. Herlings ran second while Cairoli was 5th but the Italian jumped to 3rd by the second straight.

Herlings then made a rare mistake and fell while in pursuit of Coldenhoff for the lead. The fall dropped Herlings to 6th behind Anstie but only briefly as he jumped long to get by the Brit. Next on the running order for Herlings was Gajser but Cairoli was making successful moves for the lead on Coldenhoff. With Cairoli in the lead Herlings quickly dispatched both Gajser and Coldenhoff to reclaim 2nd. Anstie also moved by Gajser and closed on Coldenhoff the following laps.

Herlings then lined up Cairoli for a pass but the Sicilian responded well to keep the new World Champion at bay. Not long after the pass attempt for Herlings lapped riders and bad line choice from Cairoli allowed the Dutchman into the lead.

At the finish it was a massive victory for Herlings ahead of Cairoli, Coldenhoff, and Anstie. In the Overall standings it was a clear victory and strong finish to a perfect weekend for Herlings with Cairoli second and Anstie third.

Jeffrey Herlings: “I don’t really know what to say, it has been an amazing day! It has been a blessing to be in my shoes today. Everyone says to enjoy the day but it is so hard, I remember waking up this morning and now we are here, everything has happened so fast. To do this in front of the home crowd at Assen’s TT circuit it is amazing, it is really a special day.”

Antonio Cairoli: “For me it is an honor to be second behind Jeffrey because he is definitely the fastest rider in the world at the moment and I’m not taking second to just anyone. I know I can be more competitive but it is a nice challenge and congratulations to him and thanks to Red Bull KTM for helping us to 1st and 2nd this season.”

Max Anstie: “I definitely enjoy being up on the podium with these guys and seeing the crowd it is unbelievable. It was something special today and I have not seen this many people since I don’t know when.”

MXGP Race 1 Top Ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 34:42.385; 2. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:38.961; 3. Max Anstie (GBR, Husqvarna), +1:08.037; 4. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +1:10.886; 5. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), +1:11.149; 6. Shaun Simpson (GBR, Yamaha), +1:18.646; 7. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Husqvarna), -1 lap(s); 8. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, KTM), -1 lap(s); 9. Clement Desalle (BEL, Kawasaki), -1 lap(s); 10. Julien Lieber (BEL, Kawasaki), -1 lap(s).

MXGP Race 2 Top Ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 34:57.897; 2. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:07.631; 3. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), +0:40.172; 4. Max Anstie (GBR, Husqvarna), +0:41.933; 5. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +1:12.454; 6. Shaun Simpson (GBR, Yamaha), +1:27.244; 7. Clement Desalle (BEL, Kawasaki), +1:44.321; 8. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Husqvarna), +1:53.877; 9. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Yamaha), -1 lap(s); 10. Julien Lieber (BEL, Kawasaki), -1 lap(s).

MXGP Overall Top Ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 50 points; 2. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 44 p.; 3. Max Anstie (GBR, HUS), 38 p.; 4. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 36 p.; 5. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 34 p.; 6. Shaun Simpson (GBR, YAM), 30 p.; 7. Gautier Paulin (FRA, HUS), 27 p.; 8. Clement Desalle (BEL, KAW), 26 p.; 9. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, KTM), 23 p.; 10. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 22 p.

MXGP Championship Top Ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 883 points; 2. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 782 p.; 3. Clement Desalle (BEL, KAW), 645 p.; 4. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 625 p.; 5. Romain Febvre (FRA, YAM), 544 p.; 6. Gautier Paulin (FRA, HUS), 541 p.; 7. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 511 p.; 8. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 445 p.; 9. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, YAM), 404 p.; 10. Max Anstie (GBR, HUS), 366 p.

MXGP Manufacturers: 1. KTM, 947 points; 2. Kawasaki, 664 p.; 3. Yamaha, 654 p.; 4. Honda, 640 p.; 5. Husqvarna, 610 p.; 6. Suzuki, 267 p.; 7. TM, 227 p.

MX2 The MX2 Championship coming into Assen was separated at the front by 24 points between Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado and Pauls Jonass. Yesterday’s Qualifying Race gave Prado the advantage with pole position. The first gate pick took Prado to his 24th Fox Holeshot of the year while Jonass crashed in the first turn.

Prado had the lead stolen away by Honda 114 Motorsports Hunter Lawrence just before the waves on the opening lap and then came under pressure from Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Thomas Covington.

Meanwhile Covington’s Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing teammate Thomas Kjer Olsen fought over 4th with Kemea Yamaha Official MX2 Team’s Ben Watson. The Dane of Olsen took the spot and then moved on to catch Covington.

Prado then took the lead from Lawrence in a switchback section by going inside to inside as opposed to the outside inside approach of the Australian. Lawrence then fell out a second time a couple of laps later which moved Covington and Olsen forward to second and third.

Jonass was pushing his way through the field up into the top ten from the first turn crash. Covington lost 2nd to Olsen and then nearly lost 3rd to Lawrence but another mistake from the Australian gave Covington breathing room. Jonass eventually made it up to 8th after passing Hitachi KTM UK’s Conrad Mewse while Prado took the win with Olsen 2nd and Covington 3rd.

MX2 Race 2 started in the same order for the top three as Race 1 finished with Prado scoring Fox Holeshot number 25 ahead of Olsen and Covington. Team HRC’s Calvin Vlaanderen had the Dutch crowd behind him as he passed Covington for third along the tribune and again several laps later as he took second from Olsen.

Watson passed Jonass for 5th and held the position for 5 laps before the Latvian was back past. Jonass was unable to leave the #919 behind however and Watson made a pass stick with 3 laps to go. A lap prior to Watson’s pass Covington took over 3rd from Olsen after a mistake sent the Dane down.

At the finish Prado took his second race win of the day with Vlaanderen second, Covington third, Olsen 4th, and Watson 5th. The overall result had Prado on top with 50 points while Covington took 2nd and Olsen 3rd making it the second consecutive MX2 round that Husqvarna has both factory riders on the podium.

Jorge Prado: “First of all congrats to Jeffrey Herlings as he has had an amazing season. My weekend went pretty well, yesterday I took the win in the qualifying race which was good for the confidence today where I won both races so I couldn’t ask for a better weekend.”

Thomas Covington: “I am pretty happy to be back on the podium in the sand since it is not really my forte. In the second race I knew I needed to pass one more guy to get on the podium, I saw TKO ahead of me and I was just giving everything to get ahead of him…he ended going down but we both ended up on the podium so it is good for the whole team.”

Thomas Kjer Olsen: “Overall my weekend was good. I was pretty comfortable going into today and I felt like I was riding really good and the bike was working good so it is cool to be on the podium again.”

MX2 Race 1 Top Ten: 1. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 34:14.374; 2. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, Husqvarna), +0:06.207; 3. Thomas Covington (USA, Husqvarna), +0:10.027; 4. Ben Watson (GBR, Yamaha), +0:12.331; 5. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, Honda), +0:23.068; 6. Hunter Lawrence (AUS, Honda), +0:29.770; 7. Michele Cervellin (ITA, Yamaha), +0:36.515; 8. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), +0:36.858; 9. Conrad Mewse (GBR, KTM), +0:38.351; 10. Adam Sterry (GBR, Kawasaki), +0:43.764.

MX2 Race 2 Top Ten: 1. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 34:24.408; 2. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, Honda), +0:07.591; 3. Thomas Covington (USA, Husqvarna), +0:15.909; 4. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, Husqvarna), +0:18.212; 5. Ben Watson (GBR, Yamaha), +0:19.609; 6. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), +0:26.899; 7. Michele Cervellin (ITA, Yamaha), +0:42.290; 8. Adam Sterry (GBR, Kawasaki), +0:48.350; 9. Jago Geerts (BEL, Yamaha), +0:50.004; 10. Hunter Lawrence (AUS, Honda), +0:51.541.

MX2 Overall Top Ten: 1. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 50 points; 2. Thomas Covington (USA, HUS), 40 p.; 3. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 40 p.; 4. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, HON), 38 p.; 5. Ben Watson (GBR, YAM), 34 p.; 6. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), 28 p.; 7. Michele Cervellin (ITA, YAM), 28 p.; 8. Hunter Lawrence (AUS, HON), 26 p.; 9. Adam Sterry (GBR, KAW), 24 p.; 10. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 20 p.

MX2 Championship Top Ten: 1. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 823 points; 2. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), 777 p.; 3. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 633 p.; 4. Ben Watson (GBR, YAM), 585 p.; 5. Thomas Covington (USA, HUS), 565 p.; 6. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, HON), 521 p.; 7. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 366 p.; 8. Michele Cervellin (ITA, YAM), 365 p.; 9. Hunter Lawrence (AUS, HON), 331 p.; 10. Henry Jacobi (GER, HUS), 311 p.

MX2 Manufacturers: 1. KTM, 918 points; 2. Husqvarna, 772 p.; 3. Honda, 662 p.; 4. Yamaha, 646 p.; 5. Kawasaki, 434 p.; 6. TM, 119 p.

MXGP

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Jeffrey Herlings and Jorge Prado Score Qualifying Wins in Assen

The 19th round of 20 in the 2018 FIM Motocross World Championship has begun at the Dutch circuit of Assen. The MXGP of the Netherlands hosted Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Dutch superstar Jeffrey Herlings and Spanish young gun Jorge Prado as they took the Assen sand by storm for Qualifying wins today.

Along with the MXGP and MX2 World Championships in Assen this weekend is the penultimate round of the FIM Women’s Motocross World Championship. Race 1 of the women’s weekend took place this morning and was full of action but rising to the occasion with a consistent day was MXFONTA Racing Yamaha’s Kiara Fontanesi. Fontanesi has taken the points lead with Altherm JCR Yamaha’s Courtney Duncan out with injury. Taking second today was Germany’s Stephanie Laier while Nancy Van de Ven took third.

The European Championship of EMX125 presented by FMF Racing and EMX250 also join in the action this weekend with both having their first races today. In EMX125 presented by FMF Racing F4E Racing KTM’s Kjell Verbruggen took the race win but all eyes were on the two title contenders of MJC Yamaha’s Thibault Benistant and Team Maddi Racing Husqvarna’s Mattia Guadagnini. Benistant came into the race with the chance to capture the title but the tricky sand of Assen made it one of the most testing races of his season so far. After a poor start and a crash Benistant fought through all to score 20th position for a single championship point. The single point however was the most important and gave him the 26 point gap needed to clinch his first ever European championship title in dramatic fashion.

With the Bulgarian round crowning Honda RedMoto Assomotor’s Mathys Boisrame 2018 EMX250 Champion a few weeks ago this weekend’s season finale is an all out sprint from all to score an overall win. Taking full advantage of the final weekend of the year so far is Team Suzuki Germany’s Jett Lawrence after he passed LRT KTM’s Tom Vialle for the race win while Creymert Racing’s Kevin Horgmo took third.

MXGP This weekend in the Netherlands could very well see Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings be crowned the 2018 FIM Motocross World Champion and today put him one step closer to his dream. Herlings rocketed out of the gate to take today’s Qualifying race lead away from title rival and Red Bull KTM Teammate Antonio Cairoli who then followed in 2nd.

With the lead and clear track ahead Herlings pulled away and keep his distance from any potential threats. Cairoli was chased by Team HRC’s Tim Gajser and Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s Clement Desalle. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Glenn Coldenhoff put on a strong ride for his home crowd as he passed Desalle who then lost another spot to Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Max Anstie.

Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP’s Jeremy Van Horebeek was in 7th but then fell on the second lap and fought his way to a 14th place result. Gajser was next to lose positions as Coldenhoff continued forward into third and Anstie took another spot from the Slovenian.

Honda RedMoto Assomotor’s Petar Petrov was battling with Wilvo Yamaha Official MXGP’s Jeremy Seewer before losing control and ejecting off his bike over the finish. Petrov got up and rode away while Seewer’s Wilvo Yamaha teammate Shaun Simpson battled with Desalle. After close racing between the pair Simpson clipped the back of Desalle and fell before finishing 9th, 2 spots ahead of Seewer.

At the finsh Herlings took the win nearly 18 seconds ahead of Cairoli with Coldenhoff making it a Red Bull KTM 1,2,3 finish as Max Anstie took 4th while Gajser took fifth. Gajser’s HRC teammate Brian Bogers returned to action after missing the entire season with injury to take 19th.

Jeffrey Herlings: “Today was good, fastest in free practice, fastest in time practice, and taking the qualifying win. The energy you feel when you pass the fans here is pretty amazing so it is a lot of fun to race and I’m looking forward to racing here tomorrow. I am actually pretty calm and relaxed… I hope to have the same thing tomorrow and everything is working well with the bike and the team. I can’t wait to hopefully have the championship under my belt, it is my long term dream and we have been working so hard, it would really be a dream if we can pull it off.”

Brian Bogers: “I wanted to ride here and I have been riding for 3 weeks now which isn’t much but I’m feeling ok on the bike. The free practice and time practice were stressful but the qualifying was already much better, every time I’m on the track I’m feeling better.”

MXGP Qualifying Race Top Ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 24:10.420; 2. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:17.945; 3. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), +0:20.619; 4. Max Anstie (GBR, Husqvarna), +0:26.627; 5. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:30.909; 6. Clement Desalle (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:47.821; 7. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Husqvarna), +0:54.214; 8. Tommy Searle (GBR, Kawasaki), +0:58.863; 9. Shaun Simpson (GBR, Yamaha), +0:59.670; 10. Julien Lieber (BEL, Kawasaki), +1:12.143

MX2 In the MX2 Qualifying Race Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado had a near identical race to that of Herlings with the lead off the start through to the finish. In second was not the expected Red Bull KTM Factory Racing machine of Pauls Jonass but Hitachi KTM UK’s Conrad Mewse.

A first turn crash claimed the 2 Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing riders of Thomas Covington and Thomas Kjer Olsen along with Kemea Yamaha Official MX2’s Anthony Rodriguez. In a sportsman like move Rodriguez assisted the Husqvarna riders as they were caught together. All 3 remounted and rejoined the race while a separate start crash took down Honda 114 Motorsports’ Hunter Lawrence.

While Lawrence got up his Honda 114 Motorsports teammate Bas Vaessen was up in third with Team HRC’s Calvin Vlaanderen giving chase in 4th. Yamaha SM Action MC Migliori’s Alvin Ostlund was also riding impressive in 5th.

Jonass was 6th but took Ostlund’s 5th away on the first laps while Kemea Yamaha Official MX2’s Ben Watson lost traction and spun out. Vlaanderen then muscled his way by Vaessen as Covington fell again and was unable to finish the race.

Jonass started to try to pass Vaessen several times but small mistakes hindered his progress. Taking advantage of the mistakes from Jonass and charging into the top 5 was STC Racing Husqvarna’s Henry Jacobi. Jacobi not only got by Jonass but flew past Vaessen as well.

Jonass then got by Vaessen and battled with Jacobi for a second time but the German prevailed. Vlaanderen then fed off the energy of the dutch crowd rooting him on as he passed Mewse for second.

At the finish it was the 9th qualifying race win of 2018 for Prado ahead of Vlaanderen and Mewse while Jacobi and Jonass round out the top 5. Olsen and Lawrence fought their way back from the back of the pack after their first turn crashes to finish 7th and 8th behind Ostlund.

Jorge Prado: “I feel really good on this track already for the last few years. Today went pretty good, I felt good all day long and once the gate dropped in Qualifying a got a good start which made it all a lot easier, it was a good race, I’m happy with the win, and looking forward to tomorrow.”

MX2 Qualifying Race Top Ten: 1. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 24:46.693; 2. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, Honda), +0:07.813; 3. Conrad Mewse (GBR, KTM), +0:12.442; 4. Henry Jacobi (GER, Husqvarna), +0:32.068; 5. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), +0:33.957; 6. Bas Vaessen (NED, Honda), +0:35.086; 7. Alvin Östlund (SWE, Yamaha), +0:42.086; 8. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, Husqvarna), +0:47.558; 9. Hunter Lawrence (AUS, Honda), +0:57.332; 10. Ben Watson (GBR, Yamaha), +1:05.183.

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Jeffrey Herlings and Jorge Prado Build in Points Gaps in Bulgaria

The FIM Motocross World Championship’s 17th round took place today on the hillsides of Sevlievo for the 2018 MXGP of Bulgaria. With 3 rounds remaining in the championship Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings and Jorge Prado extended their current points lead with Overall wins in MXGP and MX2 respectively.

The natural terrain and old school style of motocross track was an instant favorite among many riders and lead to great racing throughout the weekend. Prior to today’s first World Championship race an opening ceremony was held with the officials which made the events return to Bulgaria possible. On stage to open the event were Mr. David Luongo, Vice President of Youthstream, Dr. Wolfgang SRB FIM Europe President, Mr. Rumen Petkov, Chairman of the Organizing Committee for the Grand Prix of Bulgaria, Associate Professor Stoyan Andonov, Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports, Dr. Ivan Ivanov, Mayor of the municipality of Sevlievo, Ms. Iglika Sabeva, Member of Parliament, Ms. Nevena Petkovam, District Governor, Eng. Rosen Tsvetkov, Vice Regional Governor, and Mr. Dimitar Rangelov, the Vice President of the BFM. Several speeches followed the introduction before the national anthem was played and the event was officially opened by Mr. Petkov, then the Bulgarian motocross fans created a unique atmosphere as they watched the racing with intensity.

MXGP MXGP’s Race 1 started with a season first Fox Holeshot from Team HRC’s Tim Gajser but the Slovenian quickly lost the lead to Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings. Third off the start and not far off the top 2 riders’ pace was Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s Clement Desalle.

Following Desalle was the 2 French riders, Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP’s Romain Febvre and Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Gautier Paulin. Paulin’s teammate Max Anstie lost control on the opening lap and collided with Febvre’s Monster Energy Yamaha teammate Jeremy Van Horebeek.

Van Horebeek stayed up but Anstie went down just in front of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Antonio Cairoli causing the Italian to lose positions. Cairoli was 10th across the line during the first official lap and put a charge on but only reached 8th after passing his Red Bull KTM teammate Glenn Coldenhoff.

After Cairoli’s pass for 8th on lap 4 the top 9 remained the same for the entirety of the race. Anstie pulled off the track to regroup for Race 2 while Herlings took a 15.9 second win over Gajser, Desalle, Febvre, and Paulin.

Race 2 saw a renewed Cairoli take the Fox Holeshot but similar to Gajser in race one the lead was shot away quickly at the hands of the “Bullet” Jeffrey Herlings. Gajser backed up his strong ride from the first race running 3rd ahead of Desalle.

Van Horebeek fell on the start along with Wilvo Yamaha Official MXGP’s Shaun Simpson and Marchetti Racing Team KTM’s Jose Butron. Van Horebeek’s teammate Febvre was in 5th for the first lap and a half before crashing and dropping back to 8th.

Coldenhoff took over 5th once Febvre fell but had Anstie apply pressure from 6th. Anstie’s teammate, Paulin, only kept Febvre at bay for a single lap before he lost 7th. Febvre continued on to pass both Anstie and Coldenhoff which threw off the Dutch rider enough for Anstie to also move past a lap later.

At the finish Herlings topped Cairoli by just over 14 seconds with Gajser 3rd, Desalle 4th, and Febvre 5th. The overall win went to Herlings along with the full 50 points up for grabs. Gajser took 2nd and Desalle rounded out the podium while Cairoli just missed the box in 4th but more importantly lost 16 championship points to Herlings.

The series now heads to Turkey next weekend for the first time since 2009. Herlings’ championship lead is now 73 points with three rounds to go.

Jeffrey Herlings: “I had 2 great races, yesterday started off good and then today in the first race I was behind Tim who had a good start and I got around him pretty quick, then managed to ride my own pace to take the win. In the second race it was similar but with Tony. We are already looking forward to Turkey in 7-day time.”

Tim Gajser: “I am really happy to be back on the podium after missing it for a couple of GPs. I was feeling good today and also with the team. During the weekend we made some changes with the bike and today it payed off.”

Clement Desalle: “A podium is really consistent and is good to be here this season. I was on the podium last weekend in Switzerland and now again here. I had 2 good races and my riding was good but we have to keep working.”

MXGP Race 1 Top Ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 35:25.270; 2. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:15.942; 3. Clement Desalle (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:21.352; 4. Romain Febvre (FRA, Yamaha), +0:32.744; 5. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Husqvarna), +0:34.895; 6. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Yamaha), +0:36.747; 7. Julien Lieber (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:41.023; 8. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:57.391; 9. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), +1:06.591; 10. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Yamaha), +1:13.023.

MXGP Race 2 Top Ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 35:21.881; 2. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:14.366; 3. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:25.658; 4. Clement Desalle (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:34.633; 5. Romain Febvre (FRA, Yamaha), +0:44.829; 6. Max Anstie (GBR, Husqvarna), +0:47.752; 7. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), +0:50.922; 8. Tommy Searle (GBR, Kawasaki), +0:54.196; 9. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Husqvarna), +0:54.943; 10. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Yamaha), +0:57.488.

MXGP Overall Top Ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 50 points; 2. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 42 p.; 3. Clement Desalle (BEL, KAW), 38 p.; 4. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 35 p.; 5. Romain Febvre (FRA, YAM), 34 p.; 6. Gautier Paulin (FRA, HUS), 28 p.; 7. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 26 p.; 8. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, YAM), 23 p.; 9. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 22 p.; 10. Tommy Searle (GBR, KAW), 21 p.

MXGP Championship Top Ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 783 points; 2. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 710 p.; 3. Clement Desalle (BEL, KAW), 581 p.; 4. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 549 p.; 5. Romain Febvre (FRA, YAM), 544 p.; 6. Gautier Paulin (FRA, HUS), 483 p.; 7. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 446 p.; 8. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 393 p.; 9. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, YAM), 373 p.; 10. Max Anstie (GBR, HUS), 313 p.

MXGP Manufacturers: 1. KTM, 847 points; 2. Kawasaki, 600 p.; 3. Yamaha, 592 p.; 4. Honda, 564 p.; 5. Husqvarna, 541 p.; 6. Suzuki, 261 p.; 7. TM, 227 p.

MX2 MX2 racing was full of action especially in race one where Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado took the Fox Holeshot but had fellow Red Bull KTM rider and championship competitor Pauls Jonass just behind.

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team’s Thomas Covington and Thomas Kjer Olsen were in 3rd and 4th with American Marshal Weltin on his new F&H Racing Team Kawasaki 5th.

Honda 114 Motorsports Hunter Lawrence was 6th but took 5th from Weltin on lap 2 only to gift it back the next lap when he fell and remounted in 7th behind Team DIGA-Procross’ Brent Van doninck. It only took Lawrence a lap to get back into his starting position of 7th.

Lap 3 would be the end of the Bulgarian campaign for Team HRC’s Calvin Vlaanderen when he fell in an attempt to avoid the downed Ben Watson and his Kemea Yamaha Official MX2 Team YZ250F. Vlaanderen then had KTM Silver Action’s Stephen Rubini collide with his bike and him. Though the South African got up under his own power he rode straight back to the Team HRC truck.

While many eyes were on Vlaanderen it was Jonass making moves as he took the lead from Prado during lap 4. Prado was unable to respond and quickly lost time to Jonass. The other teammates that were running 3rd and 4th also swapped positions when Olsen took third from Covington.

At the halfway point Lawrence passed Weltin to take 5th for the second time while Watson moved the American back another spot to seventh. At the finish it was win for Jonass over Prado and Olsen.

Race 2 was started with Prado’s 10th Fox Holeshot in a row with Jonass breathing down the #61’s neck. Olsen and Covington had a massive change of fortune when both went down in the first turn.

Jonass was in a perfect position to score his first double race win since the MXGP of Great Britain but instead lost the front end on the opening lap. Though Jonass only lost two spots to Lawrence and Watson he and his bike suffered damage.

Olsen was perhaps the most impressive in the opening laps coming from essentially last, after the first turn fall, to 5th by lap 3! Olsen’s progress was halted there however as Jonass was sure to give up no further championship points.

At the front Lawrence steadily closed on Prado who backed off the pace early but the Spaniard eventually dug deep to hold off the Australian.

Prado took the race win along with the overall while Jonass made a late pass on Watson taking 4th in the race and 2nd overall. The final spot on the podium went to Lawrence with his 5-2 score, slightly improved from his 5-3 podium earning result last week in Switzerland. Prado now leads the points by 30 after gaining 2 on Jonass this weekend.

Jorge Prado: “Riding was good and it was a tough track for me with the hard pack but I am happy to take the win.”

Pauls Jonass: “I felt pretty good all weekend, I enjoy racing this track. It is an old school style track and there is a few on the calendar but this is one that I really enjoy racing on. I managed to get third in race 2 which is not so bad but not what we want. There are still 3 rounds to go, 6 races, and we will not give up easy, we will fight until the last meter.”

Hunter Lawrence: “I am a little disappointed about the first race, I was feeling really good all weekend and I threw it away myself with mistakes. We improved from last weekend though and it is a step in the right direction.”

MX2 Race 1 Top Ten: 1. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), 34:34.818; 2. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), +0:05.471; 3. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, Husqvarna), +0:11.590; 4. Thomas Covington (USA, Husqvarna), +0:19.707; 5. Hunter Lawrence (AUS, Honda), +0:23.308; 6. Ben Watson (GBR, Yamaha), +0:27.786; 7. Marshal Weltin (USA, Kawasaki), +0:57.001; 8. Brent Van doninck (BEL, Husqvarna), +1:03.808; 9. Bas Vaessen (NED, Honda), +1:12.535; 10. Samuele Bernardini (ITA, Yamaha), +1:20.790.

MX2 Race 2 Top Ten: 1. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 34:56.251; 2. Hunter Lawrence (AUS, Honda), +0:00.605; 3. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), +0:18.043; 4. Ben Watson (GBR, Yamaha), +0:19.346; 5. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, Husqvarna), +0:47.383; 6. Anthony Rodriguez (VEN, Yamaha), +0:57.950; 7. Marshal Weltin (USA, Kawasaki), +1:17.981; 8. Tom Koch (GER, KTM), +1:20.188; 9. Michael Sandner (AUT, KTM), +1:25.606; 10. Gustavo Pessoa (BRA, Kawasaki), +1:27.378.

MX2 Overall Top Ten: 1. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 47 points; 2. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), 45 p.; 3. Hunter Lawrence (AUS, HON), 38 p.; 4. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 36 p.; 5. Ben Watson (GBR, YAM), 33 p.; 6. Marshal Weltin (USA, KAW), 28 p.; 7. Thomas Covington (USA, HUS), 28 p.; 8. Anthony Rodriguez (VEN, YAM), 22 p.; 9. Tom Koch (GER, KTM), 21 p.; 10. Bas Vaessen (NED, HON), 21 p.

MX2 Championship Top Ten: 1. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 739 points; 2. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), 709 p.; 3. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 555 p.; 4. Ben Watson (GBR, YAM), 515 p.; 5. Thomas Covington (USA, HUS), 480 p.; 6. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, HON), 462 p.; 7. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 346 p.; 8. Michele Cervellin (ITA, YAM), 314 p.; 9. Henry Jacobi (GER, HUS), 278 p.; 10. Hunter Lawrence (AUS, HON), 267 p.

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Cairoli and Prado’s Patience pays in Switzerland

MXGP’s 16th round of the year is underway after today’s Qualifying races in Frauenfeld-Gachnang, Switzerland for the 2018 MXGP of Switzerland presented by iXS. Taking patient and impressive qualifying wins were Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Antonio Cairoli and his younger MX2 teammate Jorge Prado.

The unique venue of the event boast amazing viewing for fans via massive grandstands. Today’s spectators were treated to some of the most interesting qualifying races of the year along with the European Championship racing of EMX125 presented by FMF Racing and EMX250. The penultimate round of the 125cc racing left the possibility for Yamaha Europe EMX125’s Thibault Benistant to take the title but only via double race wins. Benistant’s teammate Rick Elzinga returned from injury this weekend and gifted no team favors on his way to second while Benistant took 5th. Team VRT’s Tom Guyon came from 5th to take the win as Team Maddi Racing Husqvarna’s Mattia Gaudagnini and RD10’s Raivo Dankers took 3th and 4th respectively.

In EMX250 the race was first led by the round 1 winner from RedSand, BUD Racing Monster Energy’s Pierre Goupillon. Goupillon quickly lost the lead to Team DIGA-Procross’ Dylan Walsh. Walsh dealt with pressure from Honda RedMoto Assomotor’s Mathys Boisrame who fell and eventually finished 6th. Goupillon’s BUD Racing Monster Energy Teammate Brian Moreau took 2nd from his fellow Frenchman on lap 8. Walsh scored the win with Moreau, Goupillon, Boisrame, and Yamaha SM Action MC Migliori’s Maxime Renaux rounding out the top 5.

MXGP MXGP Qualifying heat was off to a wild start with Team HRC’s Tim Gajser and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings leading the pack through the first corner. By the exit of turn 2 however Herlings was down and picked his bike up in dead last position.

Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s Clement Desalle took the second spot after the fall from Herlings leading Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Max Anstie, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Antonio Cairoli and home GP star from the Wilvo Yamaha Official MXGP team, Jeremy Seewer.

Herlings, though in 37th off of the start, was already up to 20th by the end of the first official lap. Cairoli took 3rd from Anstie on lap 2 before closing on Desalle. Cairoli played the patient game and even though he struggled to find a way past at first, he eventually got past the Belgian on 8 then only took one more lap to pass Tim Gajser for the lead.

At that point Herlings just broke into the top ten with a pass on BOS GP’s Evgeny Bobryshev, continuing his moves forward the Bullet took 9th from BIKE IT DRT Kawasaki’s Tommy Searle before catching Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP’s Jeremy Van Horebeek.

Van Horebeek’s Monster Energy Yamaha teammate Romain Febvre was in a battle with Seewer earlier but just after he passed the Swiss rider the #91 fell and dropped to 7th. Febvre continued to push forward even putting in the fastest lap of any rider in the race.

Gajser meanwhile was fading quickly and dropped from leading the race to 5th in a single lap. Febvre took full advantage and moved from 5th to 2nd in the next 3 laps. Herlings picked off a few more positions including 2 on the last lap from Seewer and Gajser.

At the finish it was a win from Antonio Cairoli with Romain Febvre 2nd, Clement Desalle 3rd, Max Anstie 4th, and his Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Teammate Gautier Paulin 5th.

Antonio Cairoli: “My goal, for sure it is difficult, but it is to stay in the front and try to win as much as possible. The points gap is not that big and I knew that last race would be difficult in Lommel because Jeffrey is very fast on that kind of track but from now on I will try to stay closer and try to stay in front as much as possible. I will do everything I can to stay in front, I still have some races to go so I will see what happens.”

Jeremy Seewer: “It feels amazing to race at home, I’m living not far from here and for Switzerland this is a big event. I felt really good all day, I enjoyed it and had a lot of fun. I made a small mistake in the Qualifying race where I lost some positions but I was behind Tony before which was good and I enjoyed it.”

Wilvo Yamaha Official MXGP’s Arnaud Tonus has begun riding again but took part in his home GP as a spectator saying: “I have been back on the bike the last few days which is good because I was off it for a while. It is home here and it is hard to come here and not be racing but I hope for some good racing tomorrow and that the fans enjoy it.”

MXGP Qualifying Race Top Ten: 1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 24:46.322; 2. Romain Febvre (FRA, Yamaha), +0:03.479; 3. Clement Desalle (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:04.552; 4. Max Anstie (GBR, Husqvarna), +0:07.604; 5. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Husqvarna), +0:12.864; 6. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), +0:14.678; 7. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:15.454; 8. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Yamaha), +0:15.592; 9. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Yamaha), +0:24.309; 10. Tommy Searle (GBR, Kawasaki), +0:29.298.

MX2 MX2 Qualifying race was off to a more typical start than that of MXGP with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado taking the Holeshot. Looking comfortable for the first time in many races was Honda 114 Motorsport’s Hunter Lawrence who was second with Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Thomas Covington 3rd.

Covington’s teammate Thomas Kjer Olsen was 4th but under pressure from the other Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider Pauls Jonass. By the end of the 3rd lap Jonass had taken 4th from Olsen as Covington continued to pressure Lawrence. The pressure didn’t seem to hinder Lawrence however who instead took advantage of a fall from Prado to get into the lead.

Prado’s fall only cost him the lead as he got up just ahead of Lawrence but didn’t have the momentum necessary to clear the next jump. Lawrence’s lead lasted for 3 laps before he made a mistake and seemingly stalled his bike losing both his momentum and the lead.

Kemea Yamaha Official MX2 Team’s Ben Watson took his Yamaha from 8th on the first lap up to 6th while his teammate Jago Geerts crashed out of the race and was helped off the track by medical personnel.

At the finish of the race it was Jorge Prado who took the win even after his fall with Hunter Lawrence 2nd, Thomas Covington 3rd, Pauls Jonass 4th, and Thomas Kjer Olsen in 5th.

Jorge Prado: “It was a good qualifying race, I had good start, made a small gap but then I made a small mistake and crashed so it took a bit to get back in my rhythm but then was able to put in some good laps.”