Tim Gajser and Jeffrey Herlings card perfect results yet again as MXGP 2016 invaded Mantova
Mantova rumbled loud all weekend long as the Fullback MXGP of Lombardia-Italy delivered more heat and intensity than what was perhaps expected. Temperatures soared well above 30 degrees Celsius as thousands of passion-filled fans packed into the venue to watch the best riders in the world go head to head for glory here at the twelfth round of the FIM Motocross World Championship.
Mantova was a brutal beast to tame as the riders battled both the extreme warmth and the savage condition of the unpredictable sand surface, which was taken in the strides of the current red plate holders, Honda Gariboldi’s Tim Gajser and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings, who both wooed the doting fans with their exceptional performances.
MXGP
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Even though Honda Gariboldi’s Tim Gajser had a 74-point lead heading into this weekend, he’s not the sort of guy that will go out and just race for points. He wants to be the fastest rider on the track each and every time he swings his leg over the machine.
“It was one of the toughest races of my career” Gajser said at the end of the day, “Tony rode really good in the second race, it was good to see him ride so fast, but I was happy to pass him at the end of the race a make a slight gap for the finish.”
Tim Gajser now leads the championship by 92 points
Seasons come and go, both in sport and in weather, which was something we thought of today with the hot weather indicating summer is well and truly here, while the likes of Team HRC’s Gautier Paulin and Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Clement Desalle, two riders who haven’t had the most ideal seasons, also made their presence known. After a rough day in the office yesterday, Paulin put in two fierce rides for second overall which is his best overall finish of the season, while Desalle also had his best result of the year with a second place finish in race one and fourth in race two to land on the box, in third, for the first time this season.
There’s a name for days like these with the blistering hot summer sun shining down on a rougher than rough track, they’re called the dog days which was fitting name as the gloves came off between Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Antonio Cairoli and Tim Gajser with their dog fight brawl for the win in the final race. Cairoli was faster in places while Gajser would inch back the gap in others, there was literally nothing in it from start to finish, giving the thousands of Italian and Slovenian fans that swarmed the venue, exactly what they came for.
TC222 was all heart today as he battled through the soreness of an injured wrist to put on an excellent show for the fans, and finish fourth overall. He has also moved up into second place in the championship standings with a 32 point lead over the defending champion Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Romain Febvre, who has now missed the last two rounds due to a concussion but should return to action at the next round which will take place at the end of July in the Czech Republic. Speaking of Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing, Febvre’s teammate Jeremy Van Horebeek rounded out the top five in MXGP this weekend ahead of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Glenn Coldenhoff and the poleman, Team HRC’s Evgeny Bobryshev.
Wild Card Chad Reed registered a DNF after a technical issue in moto one sent the AMA Supercross superstar out of the race, but not before thousands of cheering motocross fans got to meet the veteran rider and take an autograph or pose for a selfie.
Gautier Paulin
“Yesterday I was struggling a little bit in qualifying but we made some adjustments overnight and it worked much better today. From the warm-up I improved a lot. In both races I had pretty good starts, and this weekend to get third and second means we did a good job. I am definitely happy about the weekend. Now it was really hot, and in Matterley I said I wanted to work hard to better in some areas that I missed with injury, so to be on the podium here and in these conditions actually I can’t believe. I’m really happy for me and for the team, and after a hard time earlier in the season it’s just such a good feeling.”
Evgeny Bobryshev
“Today just didn’t go as well as yesterday did. The starts were not so strong and I got boxed in a bit, but the feeling just didn’t flow as well today. I came back well through the field from the starts and could gain some places, and even we had the fastest lap early on in race one, but just couldn’t hold the pace ‘til the end. It’s a shame after the performance yesterday, but that’s just the way it goes.”
Max Nagl
“The weekend started well for us. I got a good start in qualifying and raced to third position. On Sunday I think it was close to 40 degrees and that made it really difficult to retain a good race pace. I didn’t get a good start in the first race but somehow I managed to be second in the first turn. I did my best and closely followed Tim Gajser for the first 22 minutes of the race, but then I felt the heat getting on me. I finished fourth which wasn’t so bad. In the second moto I had a bad start so I started riding aggressively. Unfortunately I had three small crashes during the race and ended up finishing 16th. It was a disappointing result for the team and me as we could have been on the podium again. I’m still fourth in the championship standings but I think a third or even a second position is within my reach. We’ll keep on working with that goal in our minds.”
Christophe Charlier
“We really struggled with the heat during the whole weekend. In the qualifying race I crashed right after the start so couldn’t do anything better than 19th. Then in the final races I had bad starts in both motos and that made my job a lot harder. Once again I showed I have the speed to battle for the top in my class but unfortunately without getting good starts it’s impossible to make it happen. We now have a small break in the series. My plan for the following GPs is to continue battling for the top 10 in my class. If my starts are good, I know I can do even better than that.“
Tony Cairoli
“Its very tough at the moment. You have to get a good start and it’s definitely the key to the race. In the first race I got stuck in the gate with Van Horebeek and Tixier and I was last. I made 27 passes to come back to sixth and that’s a lot on this tiny track. The second moto was amazing. I got a good start with Tim (Gajser). He’s fast at the moment and in top form. For me it was a bit tough but I was able to control him. A race victory was possible but unfortunately I over-jumped on one of the tables and hurt my wrist. I slowed down for two laps and he found a way through. Then I made another small mistake in the last lap and Paulin passed me.”
Glenn Coldenhoff
“I never like riding in such hot conditions,” he said. “I had a good start in the first moto but I dropped back a bit but with my eighth place I was able to stay in the top 10. My start wasn’t quite as good in the second race and I had to come back from seventh to fourth. I rode a good race but in the end Desalle passed me and I finished fifth. Also my riding was a bit tight in both motos.”
Clement Desalle
“It’s a first step to get this podium result; I have been waiting for it for a few weeks! The weekend didn’t start so well on Saturday, but with the team we were able to do better today, and that’s good to get this podium before the summer break. This weekend I got two decent starts and that makes life easier. It was not an easy weekend with the heat and such a rough track, but I never gave up to get this podium. We have three free weeks before Loket; we’ll continue to work with the team to be even better in the next races. We know what we have to do for that.”
Jordi Tixier
“Everyone knows that when the temperatures are so high I have troubles with my body, so we worked on that and today I’m pretty happy with the results. Saturday was really good with a seventh position in the qualifying race, but in the first race I had a bad rhythm for the entire race. Then I had a bad start in the second moto, and I also had stomach cramps in the last ten minutes so I just tried to survive. We continue to work and learn each weekend; now we have three weekends to prepare the next GPs.”
Tommy Searle
“It was a terrible GP for me, again a tough weekend. In the qualifying race I got caught up in a crash at the start and the bike was damaged so I was forced to retire and got a bad gate for the races. In the first race I managed to come back to twelfth, but they disqualified me. Another rider took me out of the track; I came back on the track and clearly didn’t take any advantage but they wouldn’t listen to me. I was disappointed, especially as it’s never easy to come back from nearly last to twelfth in these conditions. Then the second start was similar, and I had to come back from last to fourteenth. I am always fast on the track, but it never transform into good results so far.”
Jeremy Van Horebeek
“The heat wasn’t the biggest problem, but it was hot for sure. We’re still looking for solutions to the start, but it’s not easy. I think we will get there. But it’s no time for vacation, we will keep going.”
Stefan Everts – Suzuki MXGP Team Principal
“I’m almost without words for Ben because his luck has been unbelievable. He was saying after Warm-up this morning how good he was feeling and then to have both motos go the way they did was so disappointing for him and for us because the whole team pushes very hard and does a good job. He is pretty down about today but we have some time to reflect on this and the next Grand Prix will be another challenge.”
MXGP Race 1 Top Ten: 1. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), 35:01.739; 2. Clement Desalle (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:04.460; 3. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Honda), +0:07.423; 4. Maximilian Nagl (GER, Husqvarna), +0:11.147; 5. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Yamaha), +0:16.639; 6. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:25.874; 7. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), +0:33.524; 8. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), +0:38.665; 9. Valentin Guillod (SUI, Yamaha), +0:44.531; 10. Jose Butron (ESP, KTM), +0:48.997.
MXGP Race 2 Top Ten: 1. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), 35:17.922; 2. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Honda), +0:09.544; 3. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:17.480; 4. Clement Desalle (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:25.145; 5. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), +0:33.911; 6. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), +0:37.557; 7. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Yamaha), +0:38.142; 8. Valentin Guillod (SUI, Yamaha), +0:54.421; 9. Jose Butron (ESP, KTM), +0:59.148; 10. Jordi Tixier (FRA, Kawasaki), +1:02.868.
MXGP Overall Top Ten: 1. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 50 points; 2. Gautier Paulin (FRA, HON), 42 p.; 3. Clement Desalle (BEL, KAW), 40 p.; 4. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 35 p.; 5. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, YAM), 30 p.; 6. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 29 p.; 7. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, HON), 29 p.; 8. Valentin Guillod (SUI, YAM), 25 p.; 9. Jose Butron (ESP, KTM), 23 p.; 10. Maximilian Nagl (GER, HUS), 23 p.
MXGP Championship Top Ten: 1. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 532 points; 2. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 440 p.; 3. Romain Febvre (FRA, YAM), 408 p.; 4. Maximilian Nagl (GER, HUS), 401 p.; 5. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, HON), 396 p.; 6. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, YAM), 351 p.; 7. Valentin Guillod (SUI, YAM), 267 p.; 8. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 230 p.; 9. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), 212 p.; 10. Clement Desalle (BEL, KAW), 210 p.
MXGP Manufacturers: 1. Honda, 540 points; 2. Yamaha, 482 p.; 3. KTM, 450 p.; 4. Husqvarna, 416 p.; 5. Kawasaki, 310 p.; 6. Suzuki, 242 p.
MX2
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The speed and finesse Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings has in the sand is almost indescribable. It’s more of a seeing is believing type of thing, but in effort to try and put his incredible speed into perspective, Jeff’s laptime in Race 1 was 1:53.029 while Tim Gajser’s, in MXGP Race 1, was 1:54.866 and while you could argue that the track is rougher for the MXGP guys, The Bullet went out in Race 2 and nailed a lap of 1:54.455 which is still faster than the best time in MXGP Race 1. Take nothing away from Gajser; Herlings is just from another planet in the sand. The second best time in MX2 Race 2 was 1:58.461, which means The Bullet was a whopping 4 seconds a lap faster than the second fastest MX2 rider, Brian Bogers.
“I did what I had to do when I had to do it, 23 out of 24 race wins is pretty good so now I am just looking forward to the Czech Republic.” Jeff said.
Everybody knows that the Belgian and Dutch riders are strong in the sand since they are all basically born in the stuff. HSF Logistics Motorsport’s Brian Bogers proved that it’s not just a stereotype with his impressive performance this weekend. Bogers hit a bunch of milestones with a career best race finish of second place in the opening race, and a third place in race two, which landed him on the second step of the podium. Up until today, Bogers hadn’t even cracked the top five, so it was a mega achievement for the Dutchman who was incredibly emotional at the end of the day when he dedicated his performance to his grandma who recently passed away.
Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s Dylan Ferrandis will be full to the brim after the amount of sand he ate this weekend. In race one, he binned it three times in the first eight laps but managed to regroup for third, which was a pretty amazing accomplishment and was proof that his speed was there. Race two wasn’t much cleaner either, but his hard charging never give up attitude saw him finish sixth which landed him on the third step of the podium.
Another rider tapping into the top five for the first time this year was Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Thomas Covington who looked the best we’ve seen all season. There’s nothing more powerful than a positive attitude and Covington seemed to be on it today with his fourth and fifth place finishes leaving him in fourth overall.
It was more of a day at a theme park for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Pauls Jonass who was on a rollercoaster. The Latvian was on Struggle Street in the first race and only finished tenth but bounced back massively in the second race for an emphatic second place which saw him leapfrog his way into fifth overall.
Last but not least, a shout out has to be given to the young Italian rookie Michele Cervellin who finished ninth overall, while Italy’s early season breakout star TM Racing Factory Team’s Samuele Bernardini only managed to finish seventeenth.
Jeffrey Herlings
“We made a very good weekend. We were fastest in the time practice and although I had a bad start in the qualifying I managed to work my way to the front for the win to have a good gate pick for today. I had an average start in the first moto but I was in the lead after 10 minutes and won the race by around 30 seconds. Then I was second at the start of the second moto but I was in the lead after two turns and from then on we dominated.” Herlings added that his fitness level and the amount of training were his best weapons against the heat.
Pauls Jonass
“Today I had a pretty okay start in the first race then a rider crashed in front of me in the second corner and I had nowhere to go. I crashed into him and had to start again from last and went on to finish tenth. I got a better start in the second race and I think I was fourth in the first laps. I quickly came back to second and went on to finish in second. I got some good points so that’s a good way to go into a three-week break.”
Davy Pootjes
“I rode the whole first moto in fifth although I dropped back to eighth at the end. But I’m happy with my riding. I just need more bike time after all my injuries and to be fit again.”
Thomas Covington
“We had a great GP here in Mantova. On Saturday I struggled a little bit. The track was rough and difficult and I couldn’t find a good rhythm. We spoke a lot with my team manager on Saturday night and along with our WP engineer we made a lot of changes in our suspension set-up. I felt better straight away on Sunday. In the first moto I got a big holeshot and rode in front for a few laps before eventually falling back in fourth. Then in the second moto there was a problem with the gate. I think I was 15th in the first lap and had to battle my way to fifth place. I missed the overall podium by one-point and it’s a bit of a bummer but I’m really happy with how I raced. I’m getting better every weekend and I think the top five in MX2 is where I belong.”
Max Anstie
“My riding was good this weekend. I had a good pace from the start of the GP but crashed in the qualifying race. My starting position for the final races wasn’t ideal but I still felt good on the track. In the first race I made a good start inside the top six but went on to make a couple of mistakes. I finished fifth but I know it could have been much better. For the second race I was motivated to go again and do well. On the start the gate went a little bit down before hitting the ground so I hit it. It took me some time to get going and I was in the middle of everyone. Then someone crashed in front of me and hit my leg with his bike. I was in 24th at that time and felt pain in my leg so I decided to pull out. Luckily I’m fine now and motivated to get back to work for better results in the next rounds.”
Conrad Mewse
“I struggled a lot with the conditions this weekend but still I’m happy I got away with another top 10 result in my class. The heat got to me and I wasn’t really used to it. I got an OK gate pick finishing 20th in qualifying. In the first race I didn’t take a very good start and struggled a lot to come back so I finished 16th. Then in the second race I actually got a much better start and I finished ninth. It was a very difficult race and I was very tired after the second moto. It’s really nice to get another top 10 result and hopefully we can go on from here and look for even better results.”
Jeremy Seewer
“That was one of the most disappointing races of the year. In terms of lap-times and rhythm I was one of the fastest guys behind Jeffrey. I didn’t have the best start in the first race but then Bernardini closed the line and I almost went down. I had to come back to seventh and then crashed and finally made sixth. For the second I don’t have much to say…it is just ridiculous that they didn’t restart the race because everyone saw that the gate didn’t drop. I did everything I could but made a mistake near the end and that’s how it is when you take a lot of risks to pass those riders; it wasn’t easy on that track. I made the best of things today. I’m not happy and it is not fair for anyone. I have a few more points over Pauls but there are still a lot of races to go and it is not my goal just to race against him. I want to be upfront and doing my best.”
Brian Hsu
“I had such good starts! In the first moto I was almost third but it just slipped away; both times in fact. The heat was really sucking my potential today but the second race was pretty good as I came back from last to 17th. I rode well but I was just suffering and it was pretty tough…even if I learned a lot. I just need to get used to pushing the full 35 minutes; I missed a full winter, pre-season races and of course GP motos. I’m happy with how things are going and we are on the right way.”
Dylan Ferrandis
“I was happy with my results on Saturday even though I crashed while leading, as a lapper didn’t move. But Sunday was not as good, and it is difficult to understand why. In the first moto my start was average but I had a good first lap and passed Herlings, but then I crashed twice; I came back and passed Pootjes but he took me out! I was happy to come back to third. In the second race the gate moved but didn’t fall and I hit it, so I was late into the first corner. I passed almost the entire field to finish sixth; I had good lines and was one of the fastest riders on the track to get this overall podium.”
Petar Petrov
“This weekend was not really good with the results, but we learnt a lot so I want to take the positives away with me. That will be important for the rest of the season; now we have one month off and we know what we have to do to be stronger in Loket and the following GPs. I had such a bad gate after my big crash during the qualifying race that it was impossible to get decent starts; I wasn’t even sure to race as I had crashed on my head. I’m really looking forward to the rest of the season now.”
Vsevolod Brylyakov
“I came back from injuries with a lot of expectations, but this weekend didn’t go as I would have like. I have not been able to do much during the last few weeks as I was recovering from injuries but the weekend went wrong from the word go with a crash in the qualifying race. In the first moto I crashed at the start, came back in the points but then had to pull out. In the second race I had a better start and got as high as sixth but with this heat it was impossible to keep the rhythm; the last ten minutes were very difficult for me with the heat and I lost several positions. I’m not really happy but it is what it is, now we have three weeks to come back stronger.”
Benoit Paturel
“For sure this week was better than last week. But I rode well even on a hot course, and I’m really happy. Now I need to go train in sand at Lommel to get ready for Assen. The next three weeks for me are no rest, but training, to get ready to push for the rest of the season.”
Aleksandr Tonkov
“I’m really happy that the second moto is done, it was one of the hardest of the whole year. But we took points before the break, and I hope in the next three weeks I can recover in time for Loket. I’m really happy with the team, the YZ250F was in perfect mechanical shape, and it got me my first holeshot of the season. That’s something to be proud of, and today was so hard that I’m just grateful I finished both motos.”
MX2 Race 1 Top Ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 34:51.899; 2. Brian Bogers (NED, KTM), +0:29.676; 3. Dylan Ferrandis (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:35.149; 4. Thomas Covington (USA, Husqvarna), +0:37.324; 5. Max Anstie (GBR, Husqvarna), +0:48.411; 6. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Suzuki), +0:48.831; 7. Benoit Paturel (FRA, Yamaha), +0:55.552; 8. Davy Pootjes (NED, KTM), +1:01.851; 9. Adam Sterry (GBR, KTM), +1:05.124; 10. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), +1:07.501.
MX2 Race 2 Top Ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 35:08.731; 2. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), +1:13.556; 3. Brian Bogers (NED, KTM), +1:17.594; 4. Benoit Paturel (FRA, Yamaha), +1:20.819; 5. Thomas Covington (USA, Husqvarna), +1:27.830; 6. Dylan Ferrandis (FRA, Kawasaki), +1:29.220; 7. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Suzuki), +1:29.805; 8. Aleksandr Tonkov (RUS, Yamaha), +1:35.366; 9. Conrad Mewse (GBR, Husqvarna), +1:46.304; 10. Petar Petrov (BUL, Kawasaki), +1:52.560.
MX2 Overall Top Ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 50 points; 2. Brian Bogers (NED, KTM), 42 p.; 3. Dylan Ferrandis (FRA, KAW), 35 p.; 4. Thomas Covington (USA, HUS), 34 p.; 5. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), 33 p.; 6. Benoit Paturel (FRA, YAM), 32 p.; 7. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, SUZ), 29 p.; 8. Aleksandr Tonkov (RUS, YAM), 22 p.; 9. Michele Cervellin (ITA, HON), 19 p.; 10. Conrad Mewse (GBR, HUS), 17 p.
MX2 Championship Top Ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 597 points; 2. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, SUZ), 428 p.; 3. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), 403 p.; 4. Benoit Paturel (FRA, YAM), 325 p.; 5. Aleksandr Tonkov (RUS, YAM), 320 p.; 6. Dylan Ferrandis (FRA, KAW), 308 p.; 7. Max Anstie (GBR, HUS), 274 p.; 8. Petar Petrov (BUL, KAW), 253 p.; 9. Samuele Bernardini (ITA, TM), 253 p.; 10. Vsevolod Brylyakov (RUS, KAW), 219 p.
MX2 Manufacturers: 1. KTM, 597 points; 2. Kawasaki, 435 p.; 3. Suzuki, 428 p.; 4. Yamaha, 416 p.; 5. Husqvarna, 364 p.; 6. TM, 253 p.; 7. Honda, 227 p.
EMX250
Not many American riders race the world’s number one amateur series, the European Championship EMX250, so when one decides to take the plunge and give it a whirl, it’s exciting to see his progression and what he learns.
American Darian Sanayei took on the challenge this year and has been getting faster and stronger with each and every round. In race one yesterday, the youngster onboard a Bud Racing Monster Energy Kawasakitook the holeshot ahead of the championship leader Bodo Schmidt Motosport’s Thomas Kjer Olsen. Olsen sat behind Sanayei for the first handful of laps before making a move for the lead.
Sanayei said, “I got a good start but I wasn’t riding that good, I couldn’t see anyone’s lines so when Thomas passed me I just tried to follow him and see where he’s going.”
Which is exactly what he did before finding his own set of good lines, and impressively passed the Red Plate holder back. After taking the lead, the 457 of Sanayei controlled the race for his fourth race win of the season. Olsen was second while Team Suzuki World MX2’s Bas Vaessen was third.
In race two this morning Bud Racing Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Darian Sanayei timed the gate perfectly for his second holeshot of the weekend ahead of KTM Factory Juniors Josiah Natzke and Team Suzuki World MX2’s Bas Vaessen. Tip Top MP32 Yamaha’s Mathys Boisrame was in fourth before being knocked back to fifth by the championship leader Bodo Schmidt Motorsports Thomas Kjer Olsen who used him as a berm half of a lap in.
There was some real excitement, as Olsen took no prisoners on his way forward. He muscled Natzke out of the way for third and started chipping away at the 4-second gap of Vaessen who was in second.
Sanayei was looking super fast and super smooth out front before his bike locked up and chucked him off. When he tried to re-start it, it was seized solid, which was a devastating end to what should have been an awesome weekend. In contrast, Vaessen was in his element this weekend and actually pulled away from Kjer Olsen for a massive victory, his first of the season.
The Dutch are renowned for their sand riding skills, so while it was random to see Honda’s Ceriel Klein Kromhof finish third, it possibly wasn’t THAT random. Swede Anton Gole managed to get Natzke on the last lap for fourth while the Kiwi, Natzke managed to hold on for fifth, which was by far his best result of this year.
Happy days for Team Suzuki World MX2’s Bas Vaessen who admitted “I finally was able to cross the line in first, I’m always there or close, but I did it today, so it’s good.” The Dutchman hit two milestones this weekend with his first race win and first overall victory of the season. Bodo Schmidt Motorsport’s Thomas Kjer Olsen has finished on the podium at every single round and kept that podium streak alive with a second place overall, while Anton Gole uncorked his second bottle of bubbles this season in third.
Bas Vaessen
“I’m really happy with my first overall win. I’ve been close a few times to a moto win and today I made it all happen. I moved up to third in the first moto but my start was better in the second and I was in second place quite quickly. We were going really fast and then Darian made a mistake and I had the lead. I had good lap-times and wasn’t too far away from the MX2 guys so I was really pleased with that. I enjoyed the last lap and had some fun on the jumps. It was a huge relief to get that moto win and the overall. We have been training a lot and working very hard and I was always ‘almost’ there but something would always happen. Anyway I worked hard with Stefan and Harry to minimise the mistakes and today I had two races without hardly any errors or issues and could take the win because of it.”
Darian Sanayei
“I did pretty well in practice, even if we didn’t made the best decision concerning the tyre choice but my speed was good and I got a second position. In the first moto I took the holeshot; I was riding good but I made some mistakes and Olsen just get around me about ten minutes in. I followed him, saw his lines, knew the track better and made a pass on him after twenty minutes to win the race, which was pretty cool. In the second race I got another holeshot and was riding good again; Vaessen was second, Olsen was pretty far back and I was getting better and better but unfortunately I had some troubles with the bike, fell and had to retire.”
EMX250 Race 1 Top Ten: 1. Darian Sanayei (USA, Kawasaki), 30:28.902; 2. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, Husqvarna), +0:03.735; 3. Bas Vaessen (NED, Suzuki), +0:06.541; 4. Alberto Forato (ITA, Honda), +0:32.274; 5. Miro Sihvonen (FIN, KTM), +0:40.900; 6. Anton Gole (SWE, Husqvarna), +0:49.068; 7. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, Kawasaki), +0:51.610; 8. Jorge Prado Garcia (ESP, KTM), +0:57.264; 9. Glen Meier (DEN, KTM), +0:59.190; 10. Jere Haavisto (FIN, Husqvarna), +0:59.945.
EMX250 Race 2 Top Ten: 1. Bas Vaessen (NED, Suzuki), 29:44.014; 2. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, Husqvarna), +0:12.805; 3. Ceriel Klein Kromhof (NED, Honda), +0:23.469; 4. Anton Gole (SWE, Husqvarna), +0:25.734; 5. Josiah Natzke (NZL, KTM), +0:26.791; 6. Alberto Forato (ITA, Honda), +0:27.654; 7. Jorge Prado Garcia (ESP, KTM), +0:37.537; 8. Mike Stender (GER, Suzuki), +0:41.197; 9. Jere Haavisto (FIN, Husqvarna), +0:44.731; 10. Miro Sihvonen (FIN, KTM), +0:49.544.
EMX250 Overall Top Ten: 1. Bas Vaessen (NED, SUZ), 45 points; 2. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 44 p.; 3. Anton Gole (SWE, HUS), 33 p.; 4. Alberto Forato (ITA, HON), 33 p.; 5. Jorge Prado Garcia (ESP, KTM), 27 p.; 6. Miro Sihvonen (FIN, KTM), 27 p.; 7. Ceriel Klein Kromhof (NED, HON), 25 p.; 8. Darian Sanayei (USA, KAW), 25 p.; 9. Jere Haavisto (FIN, HUS), 23 p.; 10. Mike Stender (GER, SUZ), 22 p.
EMX250 Championship Top Ten: 1. Bas Vaessen (NED, SUZ), 45 points; 2. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 44 p.; 3. Anton Gole (SWE, HUS), 33 p.; 4. Alberto Forato (ITA, HON), 33 p.; 5. Jorge Prado Garcia (ESP, KTM), 27 p.; 6. Miro Sihvonen (FIN, KTM), 27 p.; 7. Ceriel Klein Kromhof (NED, HON), 25 p.; 8. Darian Sanayei (USA, KAW), 25 p.; 9. Jere Haavisto (FIN, HUS), 23 p.; 10. Mike Stender (GER, SUZ), 22 p.
EMX250 Manufacturers: 1. Husqvarna, 377 points; 2. Kawasaki, 321 p.; 3. KTM, 302 p.; 4. Suzuki, 262 p.; 5. Yamaha, 207 p.; 6. Honda, 175 p.;
EMX125
In race one yesterday, it was the little Italian star onboard a De Carli KTM, Gianluca Facchetti, who pulled the holeshot and led the first couple of laps before he got bucked off the pegs in a choppy part of the track and looped out. Bud Racing Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Kim Savaste then inherited the lead and inched away, but was unable to withstand the eventual pressure of KTM Silver Action’s Stephen Rubini who was flying. Rubini passed Savaste with a couple of laps to go and took the checkers for the sixth time this season. Savaste took second, while the championship leader Sahkar KTM’s Jago Geerts overcame some adversity, which included a bit of gymnastics when he cartwheeled it in the latter stages of the race, for third ahead of Facchetti, and Bud Racing Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Brian Strubhart Moreau.
Meanwhile, IceOne Husqvarna’s Mikkel Haarup took the holeshot ahead of De Carli KTM’s Gianluca Facchetti and Italy’s Mattia Guadagnini. Sahkar KTM’s Jago Geerts was in fourth, but not for long as he made light work of Guadagnin for third on lap two.
The two hot shots from Race 1, KTM Silver Actions Stephen Rubini and Bud Racing Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Kim Savaste were buried at the back of the pack and were left with a lot of work to do in order to catch the front-runners.
Facchetti managed to out brake Haarup for the lead on lap three, which was only the start of Haarup’s problems as Geerts started upping the pace in third. After taking chunks out of Haarup’s 4 second advantage, Geerts got close enough to show Haarup a wheel and after a lap of literally trying everything, he took a chance at hammering a berm to the pass the Dane around the outside and it worked.
Geerts was out to cause an upset among the rowdy Italian fans that wanted to see Facchetti win here on home soil, while Haarup sat back and waited for one of them to make a mistake. With 5 minutes to go, the trio of Facchetti, Geerts and Haarup were switching between attack and defense as they swapped positions, which played right into the hands of KTM Silver Action’s race one winner Stephen Rubini.
Eventually Geerts managed to find his rhythm and gapped it for his sixth win of the season with a healthy 10 second lead over his biggest rival in the championship Rubini. Haarup managed to get the better of Facchetti with a few laps to go, which left him with a season best finish of third place while Facchetti chilled back in fourth, 12 seconds clear of Bud Racing Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Brian Strubhart Moreau.
With a 1-2 result, KTM Silver Action’s Stephen Rubini took his fourth round victory of the season while the championship leader Sahkar KTM’s Jago Geerts went 3 – 2 for second. De Carli KTM’s Gianluca Facchettiput a smile on the faces of thousands of fans out here in Mantova with his 4 – 4 for third.
EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing Race 1 Top Ten: 1. Stephen Rubini (FRA, KTM), 31:14.603; 2. Kim Savaste (FIN, Kawasaki), +0:01.991; 3. Jago Geerts (BEL, KTM), +0:45.816; 4. Gianluca Facchetti (ITA, KTM), +0:50.630; 5. Brian Strubhart Moreau (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:55.194; 6. Szymon Staszkiewicz (POL, KTM), +0:59.729; 7. Pierre Goupillon (FRA, KTM), +1:02.237; 8. Luka Crnkovic (CRO, Yamaha), +1:04.684; 9. Raivo Dankers (NED, KTM), +1:06.636; 10. Sander Agard-Michelsen (NOR, TM), +1:14.618
EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing Race 2 Top Ten: 1. Jago Geerts (BEL, KTM), 29:46.456; 2. Stephen Rubini (FRA, KTM), +0:09.392; 3. Mikkel Haarup (DEN, Husqvarna), +0:14.773; 4. Gianluca Facchetti (ITA, KTM), +0:39.274; 5. Brian Strubhart Moreau (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:45.301; 6. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, Yamaha), +0:46.301; 7. Szymon Staszkiewicz (POL, KTM), +0:47.998; 8. Rick Elzinga (NED, Yamaha), +0:55.693; 9. Sander Agard-Michelsen (NOR, TM), +1:03.120; 10. Emilio Scuteri (ITA, KTM), +1:09.023.
EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing Overall Top Ten: 1. Stephen Rubini (FRA, KTM), 47 points; 2. Jago Geerts (BEL, KTM), 45 p.; 3. Gianluca Facchetti (ITA, KTM), 36 p.; 4. Brian Strubhart Moreau (FRA, KAW), 32 p.; 5. Kim Savaste (FIN, KAW), 32 p.; 6. Szymon Staszkiewicz (POL, KTM), 29 p.; 7. Mikkel Haarup (DEN, HUS), 28 p.; 8. Sander Agard-Michelsen (NOR, TM), 23 p.; 9. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, YAM), 22 p.; 10. Luka Crnkovic (CRO, YAM), 20 p.
EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing Championship Top Ten: 1. Jago Geerts (BEL, KTM), 257 points; 2. Stephen Rubini (FRA, KTM), 248 p.; 3. Pierre Goupillon (FRA, KTM), 194 p.; 4. Gianluca Facchetti (ITA, KTM), 162 p.; 5. Roan Van De Moosdijk (NED, YAM), 152 p.; 6. Zachary Pichon (FRA, YAM), 135 p.; 7. Mikkel Haarup (DEN, HUS), 131 p.; 8. Andrea Zanotti (SMR, KTM), 113 p.; 9. Brian Strubhart Moreau (FRA, KAW), 109 p.; 10. Kim Savaste (FIN, KAW), 104 p.
EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing Manufacturers: 1. KTM, 300 points; 2. Yamaha, 210 p.; 3. Kawasaki, 157 p.; 4. Husqvarna, 146 p.; 5. TM, 94 p.
FIM Women’s Motocross World Championship
MXFontaRacing Syneco Honda’s Kiara Fontanesitreated the extremely enthusiastic Italian fans that had made the journey out to Mantova this weekend for the fifth round of the FIM Women’s Motocross World Championship where she topped the box for the first time this season.
In race one, Yamaha’s Nancy Van de Ven pulled the holeshot ahead of Suzuki’s Larissa Papenmeierwho was side by side with Team One One Four’s Livia Lancelot around turn one. Lancelot was on the outside of Papenmeier but had the inside line going into the next turn and instantly snatched second. As the worthy red plate holder, Lancelot got her head down right away and passed Van de Ven for the lead before the end of lap one. A fired up Van de Ven wasn’t happy with the situation and charged at Livia like a bull at a gate. On lap two, a brain in your lunchbox move saw Van de Ven go way too hot up the inside of Lancelot to the point she couldn’t stop and ended up T-boning her. Both riders went down.
Papenmeier inherited the lead before being passed by the defending champion MXFonta Racing Syneco Honda’s Kiara Fontanesi who gapped it for her first win of the season. Papenmeier finished second ahead of Lancelot, while KTM Silver Action’s Amandine Verstappen and KTM’s Natalie Kane rounded out the top five.
In race two there was a touch of déjà vu with the three ladies up front going around turn one in exactly the same order as they did yesterday in race one. Yamaha’s Nancy Van de Ven got off to another cracking start ahead of the tiny statured Larissa Papenmeier and the championship leader Team One One Four’s Liva Lancelot.
Papenmeier and Lancelot are two riders who have been battling for WMX glory for the last ten years, so it was a cool little blast from the past to see them going bar-to-bar on the first couple of laps here in Mantova in a battle for second.
On lap two, Lancelot timed the rhythm section perfectly and passed Papenmeier with ease before going after Van de Ven who had pulled a slight gap. The four-time FIM WMX World Champion, MXFontaRacing Syneco Honda’s Kiara Fontanesi was half asleep on the gate and got off to a bad start, which made life difficult, as she had to push from miles back.
Back to Lancelot, she put in a hard charge and got right on the back of Van de Ven, and just like yesterday, a close battle for the lead ensued. Lancelot pulled up next to Van de Ven in the waves but had the door shut on her as Van de Ven took her wide in the following turn.
Meanwhile, Fontanesi had emerged and with a few minutes to go was all over Papenmeir for third, which she managed to take away from the German with massive roar of approval from the enthusiastic crowd.
Up front, there was literally nothing in it between the leaders Lancelot and Van de Ven as they fought like cat and dog for the lead. Lancelot threw absolutely everything at Van de Ven, but the Dutch lady kept her head down and withstood the pressure for her third race win of the season.
A frustrated Lancelot had to settle for second, while Fontanesi was on damage control after her shocking start and got back to third ahead of Papenmeier and KTM Silver Action’s Amandine Verstappen.
There was an awesome reception from the crowd who were pumped to hear their national anthem withMXFontaRacing’s Syneco Honda’s Kiara Fontanesi taking the overall. Team One One Four’s Livia Lancelot had to be content with second while Larissa Papenmeier rounded out the top three for the first time in ages.
Livia Lancelot
“It was tough weekend as another rider hit me during the first race on Saturday and I crashed; I had a headache and my left knee was sore, so I slept badly on Saturday night. But finally I got a second position in the second race, and leave Mantova with a bigger gap as I now lead the series by twenty-four points. I wanted to win here. I like this track, but even if I was faster in the second race I couldn’t pass the leader; in fact I was afraid to aggravate my knee injury, and didn’t push too hard. It was better to ensure good points rather than risk losing some; I don’t want to think too much at the standings, my goal is always to win races all the way to the end of the season.”
WMX Race 1 Top Ten: 1. Kiara Fontanesi (ITA, Honda), 26:18.446; 2. Larissa Papenmeier (GER, Suzuki), +0:06.233; 3. Livia Lancelot (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:32.815; 4. Amandine Verstappen (BEL, KTM), +0:40.244; 5. Natalie Kane (IRL, KTM), +0:51.417; 6. Britt Van Der Werff (NED, Suzuki), +0:56.013; 7. Francesca Nocera (ITA, Suzuki), +1:08.538; 8. Anne Borchers (GER, Suzuki), +1:12.650; 9. Shana van der Vlist (NED, Yamaha), +1:17.095; 10. Joanna Miller (POL, KTM), +1:27.882.
WMX Race 2 Top Ten: 1. Nancy Van De Ven (NED, Yamaha), 25:22.236; 2. Livia Lancelot (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:03.477; 3. Kiara Fontanesi (ITA, Honda), +0:10.674; 4. Larissa Papenmeier (GER, Suzuki), +0:16.415; 5. Amandine Verstappen (BEL, KTM), +0:35.365; 6. Francesca Nocera (ITA, Suzuki), +1:05.640; 7. Shana van der Vlist (NED, Yamaha), +1:13.920; 8. Anne Borchers (GER, Suzuki), +1:27.986; 9. Line Dam (DEN, Honda), +1:41.899; 10. Kimberley Braam (NED, Kawasaki), +1:44.051.
WMX Overall Top Ten: 1. Kiara Fontanesi (ITA, HON), 45 points; 2. Livia Lancelot (FRA, KAW), 42 p.; 3. Larissa Papenmeier (GER, SUZ), 40 p.; 4. Amandine Verstappen (BEL, KTM), 34 p.; 5. Francesca Nocera (ITA, SUZ), 29 p.; 6. Shana van der Vlist (NED, YAM), 26 p.; 7. Anne Borchers (GER, SUZ), 26 p.; 8. Nancy Van De Ven (NED, YAM), 25 p.; 9. Joanna Miller (POL, KTM), 21 p.; 10. Line Dam (DEN, HON), 20 p.
WMX Championship Top Ten: 1. Livia Lancelot (FRA, KAW), 221 points; 2. Nancy Van De Ven (NED, YAM), 197 p.; 3. Larissa Papenmeier (GER, SUZ), 174 p.; 4. Amandine Verstappen (BEL, KTM), 156 p.; 5. Kiara Fontanesi (ITA, HON), 152 p.; 6. Natalie Kane (IRL, KTM), 108 p.; 7. Anne Borchers (GER, SUZ), 106 p.; 8. Courtney Duncan (NZL, YAM), 102 p.; 9. Shana van der Vlist (NED, YAM), 97 p.; 10. Britt Van Der Werff (NED, SUZ), 83 p.
WMX Manufacturer: 1. Yamaha, 226 points; 2. Kawasaki, 221 p.; 3. Honda, 183 p.; 4. Suzuki, 177 p.; 5. KTM, 175 p.; 6. Husqvarna, 31 p.
