It was a crazy yet entertaining day of racing at MXGP of Sweden, round twelve of the FIM Motocross World Championship where unique conditions put each and every rider to the ultimate test. While the chewed up circuit was less rutty than we have come to expect from the FIM Motocross World Championship, it was fantastic to see a circuit that allowed the riders to embrace their creativity, race craft and challenged them to challenge themselves to choose lines that are less obvious.
Ultimate physical and mental condition is crucial to the making of a champion and both of our FIM Motocross World Champions, both Red Bull KTM Factory Racing riders, Antonio Cairoli and Jeffrey Herlings authenticated that today with their dominating performances on the tricky and demanding circuit in both races to extend their championship leads.
[youtube id=”vo6_tJKp4SU” width=”853″ height=”480″]
MXGP
It is a bittersweet location here in Uddevalla for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Antonio Cairoli, who has left the bitter aspect in the dust with his impressive double race victory for the 70th Grand Prix win of his career. Celebrating with a fender-bender wheelie down to the podium the popular Italian said “I’m very happy, I’ve been ill, so I didn’t expect a lot but I have started to feel better and better on the bike over the last week which let me push more while training. I hope to keep going like this and try to be on top every weekend.”
Surprise, surprise, Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jeremy Van Horebeek mounts the podium for the eleventh time from a possible twelve this year. Although he is yet to win a Grand Prix, the Belgian feels everything is going to plan as he moves up into second over all in the MXGP Championship standings, even though he admitted “It doesn’t feel so good to move up in the championship because another rider has crashed or hurt themselves, but it is what it is and the season is still long, so you don’t know what can happen but considering this is my second year in MXGP, I am pretty proud of what I am doing.”
He has known as a veteran of the class but Rockstar Energy Suzuki World’s Kevin Strijbos looks to be raising the intensity in each and every outing. This weekend the Belgian said “It was really good out there, I expected a little more after the first moto because I felt good out on the track, I had some good lines, but the second race I had sand in my goggles which made it really difficult to get close to Max (Nagl), but I am still really happy.”
Meanwhile Team HRC’s Max Nagl is making a solid return to racing, although the German appears to struggle to make passes after a bad start, but that could be down to lack of racing. Nevertheless, a good start in race two, after finishing eighth in race one, saw the factory Honda rider bounce back for third landing in fourth overall for this Grand Prix.
CLS Kawasaki Monster Energy’s Tommy Searle is progressively improving and is starting to look hungrier for better results. A fifth and a sixth overall left the Brit rounding out the top five.
Bad luck struck Rockstar Energy Suzuki World’s Clement Desalle, who was right in the thick of the championship title chase, when he clipped the back wheel of his teammate Strijbos heading into turn one, wiping out in spectacular style and getting pummeled by the rest of the field. While we did see the tough Belgian get to his feet after a good five to ten minutes of laying in agony, he has gone to hospital to be thoroughly checked over.
While Red Bull IceOne Husqvarna Factory Racing’s surprise contender Dean Ferris made his come back to the FIM Motocross World Championship and while it didn’t go entirely to plan, some fast lap times throughout the sessions over the weekend proved the speed is there, he is just lacking experience and hours on the bike. Ferris left Sweden with 13th and 23rd place finishes after experiencing trouble in the second race.
Dean Ferris: “I’m excited to be back in the MXGP paddock but I had hoped for better results. After not being on a bike for almost four months it was tough to jump back into race mode again on a track as gnarly and difficult as Uddevalla. I started off ok but lost some confidence in myself as the weekend wore on. Overall this race hasn’t gone anywhere near how I wanted to but the next round in Finland is a chance to wipe the slate clean and improve things.”
MXGP Race 1 top ten: 1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 35:22.421; 2. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Suzuki), +0:03.481; 3. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Yamaha), +0:07.712; 4. Clement Desalle (BEL, Suzuki), +0:11.653; 5. Steven Frossard (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:15.019; 6. Tommy Searle (GBR, Kawasaki), +0:37.196; 7. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), +0:39.063; 8. Ken de Dycker (BEL, KTM), +0:42.436; 9. Maximilian Nagl (GER, Honda), +0:50.853; 10. David Philippaerts (ITA, Yamaha), +1:03.013
MXGP Race 2 top ten: 1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 33:52.052; 2. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Yamaha), +0:04.201; 3. Maximilian Nagl (GER, Honda), +0:09.408; 4. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Suzuki), +0:14.361; 5. Tommy Searle (GBR, Kawasaki), +0:22.638; 6. Davide Guarneri (ITA, TM), +0:38.631; 7. David Philippaerts (ITA, Yamaha), +0:40.791; 8. Matiss Karro (LAT, KTM), +0:42.619; 9. Steven Frossard (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:44.496; 10. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), +0:46.857.
MXGP Overall top ten: 1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 50 points; 2. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, YAM), 42 p.; 3. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, SUZ), 40 p.; 4. Maximilian Nagl (GER, HON), 32 p.; 5. Tommy Searle (GBR, KAW), 31 p.; 6. Steven Frossard (FRA, KAW), 28 p.; 7. David Philippaerts (ITA, YAM), 25 p.; 8. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), 25 p.; 9. Davide Guarneri (ITA, TM), 24 p.; 10. Ken de Dycker (BEL, KTM), 22 p.
MXGP World Championship Classification Top Ten: 1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 527 points; 2. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, YAM), 482 p.; 3. Clement Desalle (BEL, SUZ), 470 p.; 4. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, SUZ), 390 p.; 5. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), 267 p.; 6. Steven Frossard (FRA, KAW), 265 p.; 7. Maximilian Nagl (GER, HON), 237 p.; 8. David Philippaerts (ITA, YAM), 210 p.; 9. Davide Guarneri (ITA, TM), 207 p.; 10. Gautier Paulin (FRA, KAW), 205 p.
MXGP Manufacturer: 1. KTM, 527 points; 2. Suzuki, 508 p.; 3. Yamaha, 482 p.; 4. Kawasaki, 437 p.; 5. Honda, 372 p.; 6. TM, 235 p.; 7. Husqvarna, 230 p.
MX2
Everybody, including his competition, continues to be left in awe of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings and his ability to ride a motorcycle. Not only is Herlings dominating every MX2 race, he is also laying down the fastest lap times of the weekend against his future rivals in MXGP. Respect is coming in from all angles for the Dutch teen-ager as he proves each and every weekend he is the fastest man on the planet. With MX2 world title number three fast approaching, the ridiculously talented KTM rider said “Yeah it was a great weekend, I feel stronger and stronger every week and keep dominating, so hopefully we can keep this rhythm going and hopefully win again next weekend in Finland and wrap the championship up in Loket.”
After seeing the doctor right before race two due to illness, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jordi Tixier decided to grit his teeth and race. Tixier said “I had to push to ride because I knew I needed it for the championship and actually it was good I decided to ride because I managed to finish second on the day, so I am really happy about my weekend, it cannot be better.”
Seventeen-year-old Honda Gariboldi rider Tim Gajser is fast becoming a regular front runner as he uncorks yet another bottle of champagne after posting a second and sixth place score for third overall.
It’s so close he can almost touch it; Standing Construct KTM’s Valentin Guillod is forced to settle for yet another fourth. After a hard fought fourth in race one, the super talented Swiss rocketed out of the gate in race two to claim the Fox Holeshot. Despite a good effort, the track was extremely gnarly and difficult to get traction. Any sense of urgency resulted in wheel spin, which saw the youngster drop back to fourth. Nevertheless, he will have another year in MX2 next year allowing each round this season to be written off as experience.
Rounding out the top five, Wilvo Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Romain Febvre’s result doesn’t reflect his speed today. The Frenchman was in fact the second fastest rider on the track, but was a little unfortunate when his third place finish is race one came undone with a gnarly crash in race two while battling for fourth. Despite the misfortune, hats off to Febvre who bounced back after biting the dust reasonably hard, for tenth.
Luke Styke carded 24th and 19th place finishes – “I had a great start in the first moto but at the end of the first lap I felt something happening to my bike. I didn’t feel comfortable but when I got back in the truck the mechanics couldn’t find anything. So it was a pity I couldn’t really get an advantage from that good start. In the second moto I got another good start and I managed to keep 12th position for a big part of the race. Towards the end some faster riders passed me and I couldn’t push anymore… The positive thing out of this weekend is the starts, so hopefully I can do that again next week.”
MX2 Race 1 top ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 35:00.721; 2. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:43.692; 3. Romain Febvre (FRA, Husqvarna), +0:50.859; 4. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KTM), +0:53.496; 5. Valentin Guillod (SUI, KTM), +0:54.640; 6. Julien Lieber (BEL, Suzuki), +0:55.972; 7. Christophe Charlier (FRA, Yamaha), +0:58.803; 8. Jose Butron (ESP, KTM), +1:00.791; 9. Max Anstie (GBR, Yamaha), +1:01.535; 10. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Suzuki), +1:07.030.
MX2 Race 2 top ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 35:06.319; 2. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KTM), +0:42.354; 3. Dylan Ferrandis (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:45.082; 4. Aleksandr Tonkov (RUS, Husqvarna), +0:46.541; 5. Valentin Guillod (SUI, KTM), +0:49.060; 6. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:49.830; 7. Jose Butron (ESP, KTM), +0:50.272; 8. Christophe Charlier (FRA, Yamaha), +1:01.822; 9. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Suzuki), +1:15.003; 10. Vsevolod Brylyakov (RUS, Honda), +1:18.202.
MX2 Overall top ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 50 points; 2. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KTM), 40 p.; 3. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 37 p.; 4. Valentin Guillod (SUI, KTM), 32 p.; 5. Romain Febvre (FRA, HUS), 30 p.; 6. Dylan Ferrandis (FRA, KAW), 29 p.; 7. Aleksandr Tonkov (RUS, HUS), 28 p.; 8. Jose Butron (ESP, KTM), 27 p.; 9. Christophe Charlier (FRA, YAM), 27 p.; 10. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, SUZ), 23 p.
MX2 World Championship Classification Top Ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 544 points; 2. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KTM), 409 p.; 3. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, KAW), 389 p.; 4. Romain Febvre (FRA, HUS), 388 p.; 5. Dylan Ferrandis (FRA, KAW), 372 p.; 6. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 350 p.; 7. Valentin Guillod (SUI, KTM), 288 p.; 8. Aleksandr Tonkov (RUS, HUS), 284 p.; 9. Jose Butron (ESP, KTM), 265 p.; 10. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, SUZ), 234 p.
MX2 Manufacturer: 1. KTM, 574 points; 2. Kawasaki, 477 p.; 3. Husqvarna, 404 p.; 4. Honda, 360 p.; 5. Suzuki, 354 p.; 6. Yamaha, 317 p.; 7. TM, 6 p.
Rockstar Energy Suzuki Report
Rockstar Energy Suzuki’s Kevin Strijbos was an attacking force of speed and eagerness at a busy Uddevalla circuit for the Grand Prix of Sweden, where the Belgian finished third overall on his works RM-Z450 and grasped his fifth trophy of the season today.
Some 21,000 spectators clambered up the neighbouring rocky hillside and around some of the newly-revised layout for this 12th round of 17 in the FIM Motocross World Championship. Warm temperatures and bright skies were the order of the day as the Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MXGP team tackled another narrow course and slick terrain.
While Strijbos was almost in contention for his first victory in seven years, team-mate Clement Desalle was fortunate to escape from a fast first-corner pile-up in the second moto without serious injury.
Despite the restrictive nature of the size of location and the stony, loose dirt that either creates deeply rutty corners or produces flat and slippery turns, Suzuki was able to excel on a track that was ultimately difficult to judge. Positive starts were essential and this was another area in which the race-spec RM-Z450s were particularly strong: On Saturday both Desalle and Strijbos set the pace in qualification; going 1-2 in the final order with Desalle earning his second pole position of the year and Strijbos hinting at his potential with the fastest-lap of the day.
On Sunday those two premium positions in the gate were immensely useful. Desalle escaped into second spot behind Cairoli but could do little to reign in the champion. Strijbos was not far behind and had to use some brave lines and moves to pass Steven Frossard, Jeremy Van Horebeek and then his team-mate to slot into second place. He then started to shrink the gap to Cairoli but ran out of laps to apply pressure to the leader. His runner-up position however teed up the second moto nicely while Desalle was frustrated by fourth spot and was keen for better.
The latter’s weekend was over in the opening seconds of the race. Strijbos was pushed across the front section of the pack approaching the first corner and came together with Desalle. The German Grand Prix winner had nowhere to escape and crashed in the worse possible place; in the midst of a speeding pack. He was hit by two other racers but after some medical attention on his back was able to walk gingerly to the medical centre. The Suzuki star underwent scans that initially revealed no serious internal damage but Desalle was in a lot of pain Sunday afternoon and evening. It is possible that he will have more medical checks in the coming days.
Strijbos suffered a problem with his goggles that left him with reduced visibility and although he tried valiantly to pass Max Nagl for third position he had to accept fourth place by the chequered flag. As the circuit emptied on Sunday afternoon the costs and gains of the Grand Prix of Sweden were already being assessed. Desalle surrenders second place in the championship standings to Van Horebeek and his first DNF of the season means the gap to Cairoli at the top of the MXGP table lies at 57 points while Strijbos is still alone in fourth and 80 points behind his team-mate.
The Grand Prix of Finland at Hyvinkaa will represent round 13 of the series next weekend and will see Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MXGP returning to the circuit where both Desalle and Strijbos lifted trophies in 2013.
Kevin Strijbos: “A good GP for me but I expected a little bit more after the first moto. I rode pretty good and had some nice lines. I felt fast out there. In the second moto another rider pushed me from the outside to the inside and I had to cut across. I hit my team-mate with my back wheel and he crashed hard; I hope he is fine. I then had sand in my goggles on the first lap and ‘that was it’ basically. I closed up to Max and tried to pass him but it was very difficult to see. Anyway third place means a good day.”
Clement Desalle: “I’m really in a lot of pain right now. The scans showed that nothing was broken or damaged but I can hardly move and I have this burning sensation but the skin isn’t broken. It is strange. Somebody just took my front wheel and after that I was down. We will have to see how I feel in the next days.”
Rockstar Energy Suzuki Europe
The Grand Prix of Sweden at Uddevalla was populated by 21,000 fans for the 12th round of the FIM Motocross World Championship and Rockstar Energy Suzuki Europe’s Jeremy Seewer led the line in the MX2 class with the works RM-Z250 by scoring 10th position overall.
Team-mate Julien Lieber ploughed through the slippery and hard-pack surface to take 11th in the final GP classification and equal a career-best moto result with sixth spot in the first MX2 race.
Uddevalla benefited from an overhaul to the racing layout – it was run in reverse compared to recent editions of the Grand Prix at the popular site – but the changes were still formed from the same unusual dirt that mean rutty sections of the track but also smooth, flat and slick areas. The tight flow of Uddevalla was again tricky for passing.
Seewer started the weekend in fine fashion with an excellent start and second position in the formative laps of the qualification heat on Saturday. The Swiss ran wide which caused him to lose positions but his fifth place still equalled a personal best in Grand Prix. On Sunday he was closing up to his team-mate in the first moto for sixth but a slip dropped him down to 10th. Seewer banished the mistakes from the second moto and did a fine job to close the weekend by classifying ninth.
Lieber’s sixth spot equalled a personal career-best; achieved in Spain this year and also Holland last season. It came as the result of a fine start and then steady application of pace to remain ahead of Christophe Charlier. The Belgian could not replicate the form in the second moto largely due to three separate falls that constantly required a bout of ‘catch up’. After the drama of hitting the dirt Lieber scrambled to 15th by the finish line.
Seewer’s efforts mean that he keeps steady in 10th position in the MX2 World Championship standings while Lieber is 13th.
No rest for Rockstar Energy Suzuki Europe with the Grand Prix of Finland at Hyvinkaa meaning a trip across northern Europe in the coming days. The second meeting in a week will precede the fourth round of the ADAC MX Masters German Championship at Tenfeld and then the team keeps on the road with the Czech Grand Prix at Loket completing a busy July.
Jeremy Seewer: “I had a really good day yesterday, almost the holeshot but was then second with some good lap-times. I made a mistake which meant I finished fifth but that was still OK. The track was different today with more small bumps and edges. The first moto start was weird because many riders hit the gate. I was right up at the front but Valentin Guillod almost crashed right in front of me and I had to close the throttle. I had some good laps and a battle with Julien until it started to rain a little bit and I lost the front wheel on the slippery ground. Finishing 10th was OK; the speed was there but so were the mistakes also. In the second moto there were a lot of riders around me fighting in the top-10. I managed to stay on the bike and finished ninth. It was a strange track. Sometimes there was grip, other times there wasn’t and you needed power over the bumps to save the bike. Maybe I was closing the throttle a little too early. Overall it was another top-10 result and now I am looking forward.”
Julien Lieber: “The first moto was good. I started in seventh and finished in sixth. My speed was good, the same as the guys in front. In the second heat my start was not that great and I lost control of the front end in a corner; that was the first crash! The second came when I jumped too far in the wave section and the last was when I tangled with Covington and his footpeg was in my front wheel and we both went down. I’m not so happy because I made too many mistakes. I hope I can do better in Finland.”
Yamaha Report
The success trail continued for Jeremy Van Horebeek at a warm and stuffy Uddevalla today as he finished runner-up in the Grand Prix of Sweden. From the twelve rounds of the premier MXGP class of the FIM Motocross World Championship so far the Yamaha Factory Racing star has used his works YZ450FM to add eleven consecutive trophies to his shelf back in Belgium. The sloping and fast inclines of Uddevalla provided the latest setting for JVH to demonstrate his smooth and rapid synergy with the Yamaha as 21,000 people (weekend figure) looked on.
The Italian crew rolled into a busy paddock at Uddevalla well accustomed to the set-up of a site that has been a regular on the Grand Prix schedule since the beginning of the century. The team found an altered layout however with the direction of the track reversed, duly adjusted jumps and a brand new start area and fast first turn. The changes gave the time-honoured circuit a ‘refresh’ but the frustratingly varied Swedish dirt offered no surprises. In places the surface was slippery and unpredictable. In others it was treacherously bumpy and rough. The ground forced some experimentation with set-up and Van Horebeek was quickly in tune with the new challenge thanks to the fastest lap-time in Timed Practice on Saturday.
Setting off from fifth place in the gate on Sunday he charged as hard as he could to register third position. It was a result taken from an intense stalk with countryman Clement Desalle and Kevin Strijbos with Steven Frossard also for company and involved an energetic and difficult trawl through the Uddevalla ruts. In the second moto Van Horebeek tweaked the set-up of his YZ450F and was a quicker and more consistent threat at the front, keeping within reach of Antonio Cairoli and comfortably ahead of Max Nagl.
Van Horebeek has now totalled 482 points this season. Meaning second position in the championship and a deficit of 45 to Cairoli in first place while retaining a gap of 12 over Clement Desalle who is next in the list and crashed out of the second moto in Sweden.
DP19 Yamaha Racing’s David Philippaerts posted seventh overall at Uddevalla. The Italian took his YZ450F to tenth and seventh positions in the two motos. His tenth place was gained despite losing a protracted tussle with Max Nagl in the first sprint and he rode solidly inside the top ten in Moto2. The former world champion has now risen up to eighth in the MXGP standings. Meanwhile Bike it Yamaha Cosworth’s Rui Gonçalves was ill coming into the Grand Prix. The Portuguese did not score any points in the first moto but started well and circulated to eleventh in the second race.
The 2014 MXGP schedule is heading to the end of its central European-based phase. Grands Prix in Finland, Czech Republic and Belgium remain over the course of the next month – beginning with the trip to the shallow sand and loam of Hyvinkaa this week – before races in Brazil and Mexico finish the FIM Motocross World Championship schedule in September.
Jeremy Van Horebeek – “It was difficult today and normally I like this track because the type of ground suits my style. I don’t know what happened in the first moto. I was fighting with myself and the bike and it did not go the way I wanted. I had to be happy that I still finished third. We sat together with the team to make some changes for the second moto and they worked because I could be really smooth and fast and we’re here on the podium again. We still have a lot of races ahead this year but I’m proud of what I am doing so far.
David Philippaerts – “I’m very happy because I didn’t like the track at all; it was very hard with long bumpy lines. Today was pretty good anyway and it is good that now I’ve been in the top ten for four races. This is important for the championship and also for my position; to be a top ten rider in the world with a private team is great for me. We will now focus for Finland which will be another difficult one: sandy and bumpy.”
Rui Gonçalves – “One weekend soon I will be able to be 100% fit and healthy! Tough day today and I knew it would be like that coming here feeling sick. I just tried to do the best I could and the second moto was again something we can look on to take away from this.”
The Grand Prix of Sweden was the stage for Yamaha Factory Racing’s Christophe Charlier to continue his path back to the top of the MX2 division of the FIM Motocross World Championship. The Corsican claimed a moto victory at the popular Uddevalla circuit almost twelve months ago and on this occasion – for the twelve meeting of the year – he took his YZ250FM to ninth overall around the pebbly and slippery terrain.
Charlier was competing in his second GP in a row since coming back from minor knee surgery and upon the type of terrain that the former European Champion relishes. His bright start and victory in 2013 was on his mind rolling into the paddock on Friday…even if the Uddevalla course had changed significantly with a different direction of the layout and a new start straight complex.
Using the power of the YZ250FM Christophe was in the mix. In the first moto he passed Jose Butron and weathered some discomfort in his left knee to grab seventh position; his highest finish of the season so far. Overtaking was far from easy around the Swedish curves and climbs and Charlier maintained a risk-free and constant approach to again breach the top ten and take eighth place in the second race.
Bike it Yamaha Cosworth’s Max Anstie clocked yet more race mileage in his development programme with the YZ250F. The Briton was ninth in the first moto and although he suffered a technical DNF in the second placed fourteenth in the final MX2 listing, one place behind Kemea Yamaha Racing’s Petar Petrov. The Bulgarian managed a 13/13 scorecard at Uddevalla and was not assisted by his starting position of 26th place that came about due to a crash in Saturday’s qualification heat. Team-mate Luke Styke had some sprightly starts but could only take a nineteenth in the second moto after stopping in the first.
Uddevalla was the setting for the fifth round of seven in the European EMX250 Championship; Grand Prix racing’s feeder series and Nick Kouwenberg rode to a superb second moto victory on Saturday with his YZ250F. It was the first of the season for the Dutch youngster and contributed to a memorable first podium result – third overall – in this highly competitive racing category.
Yamaha’s MX2 line-up have just a few days to recuperate before the Grand Prix of Finland at Hyvinkaa will represent round thirteen of seventeen in the MXGP programme. The shallow and hard sand of the venue close to Helsinki will host a GP for the second year in succession.
Christophe Charlier – “I feel good about today but I can see that my physical condition for the full races needs to get better. I felt like I was coming up a bit short today and the track was difficult and hard for passing. I didn’t start well and here it was really important to get this part of the motos right.”
Max Anstie – “There is not much we can say at the moment. The guys in this team are working day and night and unbelievably hard and we are just going through the process. There is definitely some frustration that we cannot get back to the front at the moment but the bike is feeling faster and better all the time. We just need to get the teething troubles out of the way. We’ll keep on keeping on.”
Petar Petrov – “The crash in the qualifying race ruined my entire weekend because I had a bad gate pick for the races on Sunday. This resulted in two bad starts and on this track those were key. The track was fast and very hard to pass. I came back to 13th overall but I’m not happy at all with this. I look forward to Finland now. There we’ll have a sand track and I can’t wait to go to Hyvinkaa.”
Luke Styke – “I had a great start in the first moto but at the end of the first lap I felt something happening to my bike. I didn’t feel comfortable but when I got back in the truck the mechanics couldn’t find anything. So it was a pity I couldn’t really get an advantage from that good start. In the second moto I got another good start and I managed to keep 12th position for a big part of the race. Towards the end some faster riders passed me and I couldn’t push anymore… The positive thing out of this weekend is the starts, so hopefully I can do that again next week.”
Honda Report
Max Nagl delivered a strong ride coupled with a good start to take a third place finish in the second race of the MXGP of Sweden in Uddevalla today.
From fourth at the first corner he fought up to third and then set about closing down the lead duo on his CRF450RW, before having to turn more defensive to successfully resist great pressure from Kevin Strijbos in the latter half of the race.
A poor start in the opening race left the German star languishing in 19th position with a lot of work to do, but even on a track on which overtaking is very hard, he fought through to ninth by the finish. The combined results of ninth and third put him fourth overall in the Grand Prix classification.
Amid the threat of possible storms, the only precipitation today was a brief shower during the first MX2 race of the afternoon that did little to slow proceedings. Shortly after the sun re-emerged to send the temperature back up to 26 degrees Celsius once more, making hot work for the riders on the rough yet slippery Uddevalla track.
Team HRC will be back in action again with Max in just a week’s time for the MXGP of Finland, the second half of this Scandinavian back-to-back. Feeling stronger than he did on his comeback in Germany two weeks ago, Max will nevertheless take some rest between these two rounds to maximise his energy for the Hyvinkaa track.
Max Nagl – “In general I’m really happy with the second moto. I was struggling all weekend with the track because the ground was similar to Arco [MXGP of Arco di Trento, April] and it was difficult for me, but today was better than yesterday. In the first race I had a terrible start and was really far behind, and especially at this track it’s hard to make up many positions. We changed some small things on the bike and then in the second heat I had a good start and got with the front guys and was able to carry the same speed and follow them in third. Kevin [Strijbos] was pushing me really hard mid-race but when someone like him is behind you, you feel safe because you know he won’t make any stupid moves. It meant I could still take my lines and not have to worry where he was going to go, so I was able to still push hard t o stay ahead and in the end pull away a little bit.
Keisuke Inomoto – Team HRC Team Principal – “The start in the first moto was not so good which made it harder for Max as he had to catch up, but he pushed hard to recover to ninth. The second moto was a different story though as he made a good start and rode very well. There was not so much difference between the top four so it was a very strong ride to move into third and keep the position. Overall it’s good for Max and for the team heading into the next race in Finland as another third position finish helps with the momentum the team now feels.
Roger Harvey – HRC General Manager – MXGP – “We’ve got to be happy with third place for Max in the second race today, especially after the first race. He didn’t make a particularly good start in the first and with the nature of the track it’s hard to climb back through the field so it was hard work for him. It was actually a very good ride as he did make progress through the field, but the position in the end wasn’t very rewarding. In the second race though, he looked a lot more aggressive from the start and it was much better. You could see he was really pushing and once he made the pass for third he got into a good rhythm and started closing in on second, and then resisted great pressure from Kevin [Strijbos], so it was a strong ride.
“Along with Tim Gajser’s podium in MX2, the top three results are very welcome because we have had some very senior figures from Honda here today – Mr Yoshida, Managing Officer, Director, and Chief Operating Officer responsible for Motor Sports; Mr Nomura, President of HRC; and Mr Fujiwara, Manager of Motorcycle Department Motor Sports division. For Mr Yoshida and Mr Nomura it was their first visit to a motocross grand prix outside Japan so it was great to welcome them here to Team HRC.”
Husqavrna Report
The MXGP of Sweden proved to be one of mixed fortunes for Wilvo Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing with bad luck ultimately robbing Romain Febvre of the possibility of a podium result in MX2. Showing great promise in race one, the Husqvarna rider held second position for the majority of the race. But with a short rain shower creating slippery conditions, a small mistake from the Frenchman dropped him back to third.
Determined to fight for a top three result in race two, Febvre started strongly and held fourth position on lap one. Unfortunately a small crash dropped him to ninth. As the second fastest rider on the track, he worked his way back up to sixth but another crash saw his hopes of a podium visit evaporate. Finishing his race 11th, Febvre disappointingly ended the GP of Sweden fifth overall.
For Febvre’s teammate Aleksandr Tonkov his weekend was also up and down. Caught up in a crash that damaged his front brake, Tonkov completed the opening lap of race one in 19th. Despite no front brake, the Russian put on a big charge to battle his way back to 11th. Knowing his speed was good enough to run at the front of the pack, Tonkov quickly slotted into fifth in race two. Disposing of Valentin Guillod to take fourth, Tonkov continued to push forward and while not improving on his position he impressively ended his race just four seconds shy of the runner-up result.
Delivering the best result for Red Bull IceOne Husqvarna Factory Racing in Sweden was the team’s youngest rider Nathan Watson. Now in his second race with the team the young British rider is beginning to settle into MXGP racing. Starting inside the top ten in race one, he eventually placed 14th. Race two faired much better with the 20-year-old improving one position to achieve a career best result of 13th.
Joining the team for Uddevalla, Australia’s Dean Ferris was hoping for a better return to MXGP action than he had. Placing seventh early on during race one, Ferris suffered numerous costly errors, which dropped him back to finish 13th.
Romain Febvre: “I’m a little frustrated with myself. A couple of mistakes and crashes cost me the chance of taking a podium result for Husqvarna in Sweden. In both motos I had the speed to finish inside the top three but in race two it just didn’t happen. I wanted to match my opening result of third and was in contention early on to do just that. Unfortunately I crashed on lap one but regrouped to get back up to sixth. Then, when I crashed again I damaged my fork leg. I couldn’t ride how I wanted to and nursed it home for 11th.”
Aleksandr Tonkov: “I had no luck in race one. A bad reaction off the start gate and then getting involved in another rider’s crash left me with no front brake. I rode as best I could to get back to 11th. Getting a decent start in race two made such a difference. I got into fifth position and found a way past Guillod to take fourth. I kept pushing and closed in on second and third but with nothing left in the tank during the final two laps I had no energy to give one last push. But I’m delighted with fourth, it’s my best result of the season to date.”
Dean Ferris: “I’m excited to be back in the MXGP paddock but I had hoped for better results. After not being on a bike for almost four months it was tough to jump back into race mode again on a track as gnarly and difficult as Uddevalla. I started off ok but lost some confidence in myself as the weekend wore on. Overall this race hasn’t gone anywhere near how I wanted to but the next round in Finland is a chance to wipe the slate clean and improve things.”
Nathan Watson: “I’m delighted to have claimed a career best result of 13th today. I really feel like I’m steadily making small steps forward in this class. I felt more settled with the bike and comfortable on the track. Gaining more experience at this level has given me the added confidence of knowing that I can race with these guys. Next weekend in Finland is a sand track and I’m looking forward to it. I always enjoy those conditions so hopefully there I can continue to improve and edge closer to the top ten.”
Kawasaki Report
Steven Frossard of the Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team finished sixth overall in the Swedish round of the FIM MXGP Motocross Championship at Uddevalla to also maintain that position in the series.
The ebullient Frenchman was on the pace all weekend as he set fourth fastest lap in the timed session and raced to third in qualification but unfortunately his starts in each GP moto were not good enough to challenge for victory. After a strong ride through the early laps of race one he advanced to third, but the physical effort took its toll in the closing stages as he had to surrender the place to finish fifth. Seventh on the opening lap of race two, he fought his way to fifth position by mid-moto, but an off-track excursion cost Steven valuable seconds and places and he was to eventually finish the moto in ninth position. The combined results gave him sixth overall on the day and also maintained that same position in the championship, though he has closed the gap on fifth place to just two points.
Steven Frossard: “I got two bad starts again this weekend; we need to work on that as I have to push hard to come back during the first early laps. Luckily I could pass many riders in the first few corners and came back both times into the top five after two laps, but in the first race I used too much energy in doing so and lost one position again in the last ten minutes. In the second race my rhythm was much better after fifteen minutes and I posted the fastest time of the race on the twelfth lap but a few minutes later I crashed and lost time getting back on the track. The track was very dangerous in some sections, with deep ruts before some jumps.”
Dylan Ferrandis scored a third placed moto finish for CLS Kawasaki Monster Energy in the twelfth round of the FIM World MX2 Motocross Championship at Uddevalla in western Sweden.
After two weeks of extensive testing with the team the French teenager started the weekend in fine style as he set the fastest lap in timed training and raced to a confident third in qualification, but his opening GP moto was ruined when the rider next to him tried to anticipate the fall of the gate and in the tense heat of the moment Dylan also rode into the gate. Joining the race in last position he surged through to twenty-first position in a single lap but then crashed into the stricken bike of a fallen rival and had to do it all again, eventually finishing a brave twelfth. With no starting difficulties in race two he quickly moved into fifth position and after just four laps had secured the third position, which he held to the end of the race. The combined results of the two motos netted Dylan sixth overall in the GP and enabled him to maintain fifth place in the series standings.
Young American Thomas Covington had another baptism of fire on a track surface littered with stones, which he had never previously encountered in his career. He has also been unable to follow his usual training programme for three weeks as the result of a foot injury sustained at the Italian GP. The US teenager was also involved in a number of collisions with other riders during the day but he bravely persevered to finish twentieth in each moto. He is now seventeenth in the series standings.
Arnaud Tonus, second in the series standings prior to the Swedish GP, was unable to contest the race as he is still in pain from the shoulder dislocation he suffered two weeks previously in Germany. The Swiss rider is now third in the series standings.
Tommy Searle, the CLS rider in the FIM MXGP Motocross World Championship, finished fifth overall in Sweden after taking sixth and fifth placed moto finishes. The Englishman is still working to improve his starts and twice had to battle his way up the leaderboard from ninth and sixth positions at the end of the opening lap of each moto. Despite missing five GPs through injury earlier in the season he has now advanced to thirteenth in the championship standings.
Dylan Ferrandis: “ Saturday was good for me with the pole position in timed training and a third place in the qualifying race; we have worked on the settings of the bike since Germany and I have a better feeling now. Unfortunately the first race wasn’t so good; the rider next to me hit the gate and that disturbed me, so I also hit the gate and started in last position. Then in the second lap another rider crashed on a jump and I hit his bike, so after two laps I was only twenty-third. I came back to twelfth, which was not so bad on this track, and in the second race I got a third position even if my start was not very good. A disappointing weekend.”
Thomas Covington: “I never raced on a track with so many rocks; that makes it pretty difficult for me. The track is challenging with the rocks and a strange grip, and it was definitively a tough weekend for me with some crashes with other riders. I haven’t been able to train due to my foot injury from the race in Maggiora last month, but I wanted to race and get more experience. For sure I need more time to recover; I think I will be fit for Loket at the end of the month.”
Tommy Searle: “I didn’t like the track so much today, I don’t think it’s a very good track and for a GP it should be a lot better prepared; it was dangerous in some places, and you had to ride very carefully. I was sixth and fifth; my second start was better and that made it a little bit easier for me. I felt more comfortable in that race. Now I’m looking forward to Finland next week as I like the track there.”
