Coldenhoff & Anstie rule Kegums
Round 12 of the FIM Motocross World Championship was a test of versatility with temperamental weather and fickle track conditions playing a huge part in the overall results. The day was a battle against the elements but as it turns out it may have been the combination of rain, sunshine and greatsoil here in Kegums that encouraged the blooming of Rockstar Energy Suzuki Europe’s Glenn Coldenhoff and Monster Energy DRT Kawasaki’s Max Anstie.
MXGP
A new generation of future legends is starting to emerge. Rockstar Energy Suzuki Europe’s Glenn Coldenhoff hit a huge milestone today in Kegums when he claimed his first two Fox Holeshots of the season and his first race win, which he combined with a second place finish for his first ever MXGP overall. Amazingly, the kid known as The Hoff is the first MXGP round winner for Suzuki this year despite the brand tenting two of the most distinguished riders in MXGP, Kevin Strijbos and Clement Desalle.
Glenn Coldenhoff – 1st overall – “The weekend started good and I was fast right away. I’ve always had a good feeling on this track and the ‘Nations went well last year and this GP also. Of course I was really happy with the first moto. I started the season with a bit of a struggle. The goal was top-10 in the beginning, and later-on move up to the top-five and this came a bit unexpectedly! Winning a GP is something different! I’m really happy and the team has worked hard…it is just great.”
Team HRC’s Gautier Paulin was expected to do well here after his unforgettable performance at the 2014 Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations. In race one the Frenchman made life difficult for himself with a bad start, he said “I had a bad start in the first moto and by time I was up to the front Glenn and Kevin were gone, so I just stayed on an easy pace because the riders behind me were quite far too.” Another average start in race two had GP21 at a handicap again, nevertheless the Frenchman managed to surge his way up into third and in doing so set the fastest lap time of the weekend for his second point in the TAG HEUER Fastest Lap competition.
Gautier Paulin 2nd overall – “It’s always positive when we’re on the podium as it’s good for everybody in the team, just when we saw the riding we had yesterday we could expect a little better. Third and third, and second overall is strong, but yesterday I completely dominated the day. It was really wet today so this was a little more hard for the bikes because it was very sticky, and it also made it more hard to pass. Actually the whole weekend I didn’t make good starts, but yesterday was a little easier to pass than today so I could come through more easily. For sure it’s positive, and although we still aim to do better, I’m happy.“
The speed in which Yamaha Factory Racing Yamalube’s Romain Febvre is maturing as a rider in MXGP is mind blowing. In race one it looked as though the red plate holder was down and out after being taken down at turn one. If that wasn’t bad enough, the Frenchman’s bike took forever to start, so he lost thirty seconds right off the bat. Where a lot of riders might have thrown in the towel, Febvre just put his head down and started peeling off laps as fast as he could. Despite being in traffic for the entire race, he set the fastest lap time and managed to finish in an impressive eighth. In addition to that remarkable effort, race two saw him take the lead on turn three and blitz everyone for his seventh race win and seventh consecutive podium finish of the season.
It was a mixed day for Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MXGP’s Kevin Strijbos who illustrated the importance of a good start. The Kid got a great start in race one and chased his fellow Suzuki rider Glenn Coldenhoff home for second. Race two painted an entirely different picture for the Belgian as he had to fight his was through the pack to salvage sixth which left him 1 point shy of the podium.
Kevin Strijbos – 4th overall – “In one way I’m disappointed because after the first race there was a good opportunity…but on the other hand I turned a bad GP around when you look at yesterday. I had a terrible start in the second moto and just had wheel spin in the gate. It was ‘kinda difficult and you ‘needed’ the start. It took me a while to get going and pass Ferris and Simpson. I then tried to close the gap to Bobby and cut something like a second away but I was also making mistakes. Mentally I was a bit ‘done’ by that point. I settled at sixth then because there was nothing else to do. I’m really happy for Glenn. He is still a rookie on the big bike and needs to learn a lot but he has already made good steps.”
Total respect must be given to Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Antonio Cairoli who managed to finish in the top five despite the suffering he is experiencing with his broken elbow.
Evgeny Bobryshev – 8th overall – “Today was a bit tough really. In race one I lost a lot of time in the first corner when three riders crashed in front of me, so from then I had to fight back through the traffic but it was so difficult to overtake because there was basically just one line. Race two was better, and we take some more good points, but overall I’m a little disappointed after this weekend as we had the pace for more.”
For Husqvarna’s MXGP class riders the GP of Latvia proved to be a tough one. With Max Nagl not competing as he works towards his return to racing at round 13 of the MXGP series in the Czech Republic, it was left to Australian’s Dean Ferris and Todd Waters to lead the way. Securing the best overall MXGP result for Husqvarna Ferris placed his Wilvo Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing machine in 10th overall while Red Bull IceOne Husqvarna factory Racing’s Todd Waters placed two positions behind in 12th. 10th in moto one for Ferris and 10th in moto two for Waters were the best results from the Aussie pairing.
Dean Ferris: “I was really looking for more this weekend, especially after my strong results at the GP of Sweden. The first race was really one-lined, which made it hard to pass. I started ok but near the end of the moto I dropped some position. The second moto was kind of the same. I was sixth, but dropped to 10th. My speed was good but that didn’t translate into results this weekend.”
Todd Waters: “Crashing hard in my qualifying race on Saturday made this a tough GP for me. I got a great start, was sat in second behind Tommy Searle and then hit the ground. Not finishing the race gave me last pick for the start on Sunday, so I always knew it would be good to get strong starts. The first moto was going ok but then I dropped it with a few laps to go and dropped to 14th. The track was pretty slick. I gave my all in the second moto and felt good. 10th wasn’t the result I was looking for, but it’s hard to come back from a big qualifying crash.”
Nathan Watson endured a frustrating GP. 13th in the opening moto following a poor start the young Brit was forced to retire from the second moto with a rear brake issue.
Nathan Watson: “Frustratingly, it’s not been a great weekend for me. My speed was good on Saturday with seventh in timed practice so I was looking forward to racing. I had a shocking start in the first moto, I was way back. I got up to 14th and there were five or six guys within about 15 seconds. With the track so one lined it was really hard to pass. I knew I needed a better start in the second moto, and I got it. But I had some kind of issue with my rear brake, which meant I had to retire.”
MXGP Race 1 Top Ten: 1. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, Suzuki), 34:26.145; 2. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Suzuki), +0:05.257; 3. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Honda), +0:45.698; 4. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +1:00.847; 5. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Yamaha), +1:08.496; 6. Steven Frossard (FRA, Kawasaki), +1:12.170; 7. Jose Butron (ESP, KTM), +1:18.466; 8. Romain Febvre (FRA, Yamaha), +1:19.095; 9. Filip Bengtsson (SWE, Honda), +1:24.412; 10. Dean Ferris (AUS, Husqvarna), +1:27.896
MXGP Race 2 Top Ten: 1. Romain Febvre (FRA, Yamaha), 35:49.255; 2. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, Suzuki), +0:02.389; 3. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Honda), +0:03.218; 4. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:24.352; 5. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), +0:31.334; 6. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Suzuki), +0:42.152; 7. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), +0:44.601; 8. Steven Frossard (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:46.418; 9. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Yamaha), +0:48.018; 10. Todd Waters (AUS, Husqvarna), +0:49.190
MXGP Overall Top Ten: 1. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, SUZ), 47 points; 2. Gautier Paulin (FRA, HON), 40 p.; 3. Romain Febvre (FRA, YAM), 38 p.; 4. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, SUZ), 37 p.; 5. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 36 p.; 6. Steven Frossard (FRA, KAW), 28 p.; 7. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, YAM), 28 p.; 8. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, HON), 26 p.; 9. Filip Bengtsson (SWE, HON), 22 p.; 10. Dean Ferris (AUS, HUS), 20 p.
MXGP Championship Top Ten: 1. Romain Febvre (FRA, YAM), 457 points; 2. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 416 p.; 3. Gautier Paulin (FRA, HON), 391 p.; 4. Maximilian Nagl (GER, HUS), 360 p.; 5. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, HON), 345 p.; 6. Clement Desalle (BEL, SUZ), 291 p.; 7. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), 276 p.; 8. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, YAM), 260 p.; 9. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, SUZ), 243 p.; 10. Todd Waters (AUS, HUS), 242 p.
MXGP Manufacturer: 1. Suzuki, 474 points; 2. Husqvarna, 467 p.; 3. KTM, 467 p.; 4. Yamaha, 465 p.; 5. Honda, 441 p.; 6. Kawasaki, 289 p.; 7. TM, 76 p.
MX2
This weekend was a testament to Monster Energy DRT Kawasaki rider Max Anstie’s ability to ride sand. Anstie grew up racing in the renowned sand of The Netherlands and has always claimed he is one of the best sand riders in the world although he openly admitted that had Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings been on the line this weekend, it wouldn’t have been easy to achieve what he did, “Jeffrey is an amazing rider, he is not the world champion for nothing,” the Brit said. At the end of the day, Herlings was not on the line this weekend and it was Anstie who stepped up to the plate and creamed everyone in all three races, qualifying and both main events for his first overall grand prix win of the season.
Max Anstie – P1 – “A perfect weekend, winning the Qualifying race and both GP motos. I was confident from the word go, but I still had to make it happen. The start was really heavy in the first race after the rain last night, but I was soon fourth and just picked off the riders ahead of me one by one. As I waited for the start of the second race it went through my head that I had never gone 1-1 before, but I got the holeshot and was on my way. The whole team has worked hard for this win and it proves that we are headed in the right direction and looking for more wins before the season is over.”
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Pauls Jonass had the fans booming this weekend as he led laps and put in two solid second place finishes for second overall. The hometown hero said “since I was small on my 85cc bike it was always my dream to stand on the podium at a grand prix in Latvia. My fans were so loud, I did feel the pressure but it was fun and I can’t thank everyone enough.”
Wilvo Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing’s last minute replacement rider Harri Kullas was the dark horse and the surprise performer in MX2 this weekend. Nobody could wipe the smile off of the Finnish rider’s face when he landed on the podium for the first time in his career.
From winning the EMX250 round of Latvia here in 2013 Rockstar Energy Suzuki Europe’s Jeremy Seewer has made solid progress in his transition to the premier championship. This weekend the super fast Swiss rider finished fourth and fifth for fourth overall.
Jeremy Seewer – 4th overall – “I’m pretty happy about today. I was close to the podium and just couldn’t catch Kullas in the second race but the results – fourth and fifth – were solid and good for the championship. In the past I have always struggled in conditions like these. My sand riding is much better now but when there were races in the sand and the rain when it was a struggle, big-time! So I’m happy with my speed and my feeling. Up to Loket now and hard-pack again.”
Meanwhile Honda Gariboldi’s Tim Gajser had to make the best of a bad situation in race one after being taken down at turn one. The Slovenian managed to bounce back for sixth in that race which he followed up with a fifth in race two to round out the top five.
Jordi Tixier – 7th overall – “Yesterday we struggled too much with the suspension, and made many changes before the Qualifying race. I didn’t have time to test the new settings but had a good start, then after three corners there was a strange reaction of the bike and I crashed; one rider hit me and I broke my knee brace in the crash so I had a bad gate for the GP motos. My first start was not so bad but it took me too much time to find my confidence and take a good rhythm. My second start was not good, then I crashed one time and could only recover to finish eighth. We need to work again on the suspension before the next GP; I feel that I can’t go faster at the moment even though we have a very good engine.”
As for the local hero, HSF Logistic Motorsport Team’s Roberts Justs lives so close to Kegums he could go home and make a sandwich in between races if he wanted to. The Latvian struggled with nerves over the weekend, which left him finishing his home grand prix in thirteenth overall.
MX2 Race 1 Top Ten: 1. Max Anstie (GBR, Kawasaki), 35:51.424; 2. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), +0:07.869; 3. Davy Pootjes (NED, KTM), +0:13.274; 4. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Suzuki), +0:14.611; 5. Harri Kullas (FIN, Husqvarna), +0:23.594; 6. Jordi Tixier (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:29.166; 7. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:55.725; 8. Ben Watson (GBR, KTM), +0:57.750; 9. Roberts Justs (LAT, KTM), +0:58.728; 10. Brian Bogers (NED, KTM), +0:59.584
MX2 Race 2 Top Ten: 1. Max Anstie (GBR, Kawasaki), 34:44.364; 2. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), +0:13.123; 3. Harri Kullas (FIN, Husqvarna), +0:21.819; 4. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:24.819; 5. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Suzuki), +0:28.107; 6. Brian Bogers (NED, KTM), +0:30.405; 7. Jens Getteman (BEL, Honda), +0:33.825; 8. Jordi Tixier (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:36.567; 9. Thomas Covington (USA, Kawasaki), +0:44.559; 10. Julien Lieber (BEL, Yamaha), +0:47.071
MX2 Overall Top Ten: 1. Max Anstie (GBR, KAW), 50 points; 2. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), 44 p.; 3. Harri Kullas (FIN, HUS), 36 p.; 4. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, SUZ), 34 p.; 5. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 32 p.; 6. Davy Pootjes (NED, KTM), 30 p.; 7. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KAW), 28 p.; 8. Brian Bogers (NED, KTM), 26 p.; 9. Ben Watson (GBR, KTM), 20 p.; 10. Thomas Covington (USA, KAW), 19 p.
MX2 Championship Top Ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 423 points; 2. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 377 p.; 3. Valentin Guillod (SUI, YAM), 352 p.; 4. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), 351 p.; 5. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, SUZ), 345 p.; 6. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KAW), 334 p.; 7. Max Anstie (GBR, KAW), 312 p.; 8. Julien Lieber (BEL, YAM), 278 p.; 9. Aleksandr Tonkov (RUS, HUS), 256 p.; 10. Dylan Ferrandis (FRA, KAW), 205 p.
MX2 Manufacturers: 1. KTM, 531 points; 2. Kawasaki, 492 p.; 3. Yamaha, 413 p.; 4. Honda, 410 p.; 5. Suzuki, 345 p.; 6. Husqvarna, 307 p.; 7. TM, 44 p.
EMX250 – EMX85 – EMX65
HSF Logistics Motorsport Team’s Raivo Dankers and Dutch rider Scott Smulders proved to be the most versatile young riders in Europe as they registered solid results in both dry and wet conditions to claim the 2015 European Championship EMX85 & EMX65 titles. Meanwhile Kemea Yamaha Yamalube’s Damon Graulus put his sand skills to good use for the EMX250 round seven overall, and his first round win of the season.
In contrast to the dry and fluffy sand the riders faced in race one yesterday, conditions were considerably tougher today for race two thanks to the weather gods letting loose on the picturesque circuit of Kegums.
Yesterday’s race one winner Kemea Yamaha Yamalube’s Damon Graulus took the holeshot but hit a boggy spot straight out of turn one and was passed by Lars Van Berkel. There was no rider on the gate more pumped to be back in the sand than Van Berkel, a point he established with his impressive performance which saw him lead almost every lap of the race.
For the most part, Van Berkel led with Graulus hanging back in second while Rockstar Energy Suzuki Europe’s duo of Brian Hsu and Bas Vaessen battled for third. Vaessen, who is known to prefer the sand as well, dumped it in a corner while looking for a creative way around Hsu. Vaessen was quick to jump back on his trusted steed and threw himself straight back in the mix.
Coming into the closing stages of the race, the top five were all within striking distance of each other. In the bar to bar battle any mistake was costly and Graulus was the first to learn, as Hsu capitalized on his mistake to take second before passing Van Berkel for the lead with ease less than a lap later. Graulus ended up dropping back to fifth after Vaessen and Bodo Schmidt Motorsport’s Thomas Kjer Olsen went through, but ended up inheriting fourth when Vaessen crashed out of the race in spectacular style.
At the checkers the young German Brian Hsu took his first ever EMX250 race win ahead of Van Berkel, Kjer Olsen and Graulus while the red plate holder J-Tech Honda’s Nick Kouwenberg charge from way back to finish fifth.
Brian Hsu – 2nd overall – “I’m very happy! It was very tough this weekend and in the first race I made the wrong decision with my suspension because it was terrible. It was like a wild horse kicking me all the way! I took a lot of risks to finish eighth without crashing. I didn’t expect I could be that good in the second race. There was only one line and it was difficult to pass. I had to wait for the right moment. I did not think I would be second with an 8-1 so I’m really happy. ADAC now and Lommel next. Sand is still difficult for me because I lack a bit of strength…but we will see.”
Wrapping up the weekend Kemea Yamaha Yamalube’s Damon Graulus stood on the top step of the podium for the first time in his career while Rockstar Energy Suzuki Europe’s Brian Hsu and Bodo Schmidt Motorsport’s Thomas Kjer Olsen rounded out the top three.
EMX250 Race 1 Top Ten: 1. Damon Graulus (BEL, Yamaha), 29:59.163; 2. Adam Sterry (GBR, KTM), +0:11.241; 3. Nick Kouwenberg (NED, Honda), +0:17.463; 4. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, KTM), +0:21.718; 5. Bas Vaessen (NED, Suzuki), +0:31.223; 6. Nicholas Adams (RSA, Kawasaki), +0:32.608; 7. Ken Bengtsson (SWE, KTM), +0:35.719; 8. Brian Hsu (GER, Suzuki), +0:56.633; 9. Lars van Berkel (NED, Kawasaki), +1:04.990; 10. Pontus Jönsson (SWE, Husqvarna), +1:14.235
EMX250 Race 2 Top Ten: 1. Brian Hsu (GER, Suzuki), 29:42.771; 2. Lars van Berkel (NED, Kawasaki), +0:03.979; 3. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, KTM), +0:06.519; 4. Damon Graulus (BEL, Yamaha), +0:08.348; 5. Nick Kouwenberg (NED, Honda), +0:18.600; 6. Pontus Jönsson (SWE, Husqvarna), +0:35.496; 7. Alvin Östlund (SWE, Yamaha), +0:39.763; 8. Priit Ratsep (EST, Honda), +0:44.574; 9. Luca Nijenhuis (NED, Kawasaki), +0:59.241; 10. Indrek Mägi (EST, Kawasaki), +1:06.460
EMX250 Overall Top Ten: 1. Damon Graulus (BEL, YAM), 43 points; 2. Brian Hsu (GER, SUZ), 38 p.; 3. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, KTM), 38 p.; 4. Nick Kouwenberg (NED, HON), 36 p.; 5. Lars van Berkel (NED, KAW), 34 p.; 6. Pontus Jönsson (SWE, HUS), 26 p.; 7. Bas Vaessen (NED, SUZ), 22 p.; 8. Adam Sterry (GBR, KTM), 22 p.; 9. Luca Nijenhuis (NED, KAW), 20 p.; 10. Ken Bengtsson (SWE, KTM), 18 p.
EMX250 Championship Top Ten: 1. Nick Kouwenberg (NED, HON), 255 points; 2. Damon Graulus (BEL, YAM), 240 p.; 3. Adam Sterry (GBR, KTM), 222 p.; 4. Maxime Desprey (FRA, KAW), 217 p.; 5. Brian Hsu (GER, SUZ), 169 p.; 6. Ander Valentin (ESP, YAM), 154 p.; 7. Alvin Östlund (SWE, YAM), 146 p.; 8. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, KTM), 132 p.; 9. Steven Clarke (GBR, HUS), 118 p.; 10. Simone Zecchina (ITA, KAW), 112 p.
EMX250 Manufacturers: 1. Kawasaki, 290 points; 2. KTM, 282 p.; 3. Yamaha, 281 p.; 4. Honda, 255 p.; 5. Husqvarna, 181 p.; 6. Suzuki, 180 p
They say riding mud is similar to riding sand with the surface being shifty and unpredictable. Everyone knows the Dutch are typically strong sand riders therefore yet another muddy European Championship played perfectly into the hands of HSF Logistics Motorsport Team’s Raivo Dankers.
Dankers, who was crowned EMX65 champion back in 2013 in the mud of Matterley proved that that race was no fluke as he utilized those same mud skills to take the win in race two today for his second European Championship title, but this time in the EMX85. “This is a great feeling, I took a good start and just rode my laps and I won” Dankers smiled.
Two riders who faced their fair share of hardship yesterday were able to turn things around today in the mud of Kegums with their impressive performances for second and third. Frenchman Moreau Strubhart got a good start and rode solid for second while Danish rider Mikkel Haarup, who was blistering fast all day yesterday but binned it a few times and ended up retiring from the race bounced back from his disappointing day for third place today.
Meanwhile Bastian Boegh Dam used his smooth and consistent approach to wrap up another fourth, after finishing fourth yesterday, which landed him on the second step of the podium in the overall results. Brian Van Klij rounded out the top five.
Mixing the results from both races, Raivo Dankers proved to be the most versatile rider this weekend and was deservedly crowned EMX85 champion. Denmarks Bastian Boegh Dam stood on the second step of the podium with Brian Van Klij rounding out the top three.
EMX85 Race 1 Top Ten: 1. Rick Elzinga (NED, KTM), 26:00.509; 2. Ravio Dankers (NED, KTM), +0:11.210; 3. Anton Nagy (SWE, KTM), +0:48.996; 4. Bastian Boegh Damm (DEN, Kawasaki), +0:51.869; 5. Brian van der Klij (NED, Honda), +0:53.478; 6. Arvid Luning (SWE, KTM), +1:03.428; 7. Emil Jönrup (SWE, KTM), +1:04.587; 8. Christopher Mills (GBR, KTM), +1:08.455; 9. Thibault Benistant (FRA, Husqvarna), +1:26.036; 10. Marcel Stauffer (AUT, KTM), +1:28.112
EMX85 Race 2 Top Ten: 1. Ravio Dankers (NED, KTM), 26:55.680; 2. Brian Strubhart Moreau (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:05.116; 3. Mikkel Haarup (DEN, KTM), +0:16.349; 4. Bastian Boegh Damm (DEN, Kawasaki), +0:53.779; 5. Brian van der Klij (NED, Kawasaki), +1:10.440; 6. Petr Polak (CZE, KTM), +1:18.228; 7. Raf Meuwissen (NED, Honda), +1:30.391; 8. Emil Weckman (FIN, Honda), +1:32.211; 9. Arvid Luning (SWE, KTM), +1:46.269; 10. Timur Petrashin (RUS, KTM), +1:53.573
EMX85 Overall Top Ten: 1. Ravio Dankers (NED, KTM), 47 points; 2. Bastian Boegh Damm (DEN, KAW), 36 p.; 3. Brian van der Klij (NED, KAW), 32 p.; 4. Brian Strubhart Moreau (FRA, KAW), 27 p.; 5. Arvid Luning (SWE, KTM), 27 p.; 6. Petr Polak (CZE, KTM), 25 p.; 7. Rick Elzinga (NED, KTM), 25 p.; 8. Raf Meuwissen (NED, HON), 23 p.; 9. Marcel Stauffer (AUT, KTM), 21 p.; 10. Mikkel Haarup (DEN, KTM), 20 p.
EMX85 Championship Top Ten: 1. Ravio Dankers (NED, KTM), 47 points; 2. Bastian Boegh Damm (DEN, KAW), 36 p.; 3. Brian van der Klij (NED, KAW), 32 p.; 4. Brian Strubhart Moreau (FRA, KAW), 27 p.; 5. Arvid Luning (SWE, KTM), 27 p.; 6. Petr Polak (CZE, KTM), 25 p.; 7. Rick Elzinga (NED, KTM), 25 p.; 8. Raf Meuwissen (NED, HON), 23 p.; 9. Marcel Stauffer (AUT, KTM), 21 p.; 10. Mikkel Haarup (DEN, KTM), 20 p.
EMX85 Manufacturers: 1. KTM, 50 points; 2. Kawasaki, 40 p.; 3. Honda, 23 p.; 4. Husqvarna, 15 p.
The skies had opened making the second race for the EMX65 championship a battle of survival. Race one winner Kay Karssemakers got off to a great start but hit a massive bog hole a couple of turns in and crashed. Czech Republic’s Martin Venhoda then inherited the lead and slogged it through the slosh of Kegums to win the second race ahead of fellow Czech rider Radek Vetrovski who also managed to keep it on two wheels. Meanwhile Russia’s Matvey Vopilov scrambled from way back in the pack to finish third while Holland’s Scott Smulders and Teddy Jondell rounded out the top five.
At the end of the weekend it was Holland’s Scott Smulders who topped the box and was crowned the EMX65 champion thanks to his super consistent results while race one winner Kay Karssemakers was knocked back to second after his fall in race two. Race two winner Martin Venhoda rounded out the top three.
EMX65 Race 1 Top Ten: 1. Kay Karssemakers (NED, KTM), 18:42.387; 2. Scott Smulders (NED, KTM), +0:09.955; 3. Dave Kooiker (NED, KTM), +0:39.888; 4. Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), +0:40.623; 5. Matvey Vopilov (RUS, KTM), +0:43.220; 6. Florian Miot (FRA, KTM), +0:44.683; 7. Daniel Valovich (BLR, KTM), +0:45.709; 8. Martin Venhoda (CZE, KTM), +0:53.523; 9. Kimi Koskinen (FIN, KTM), +0:54.942; 10. Teddy Jondell (SWE, KTM), +0:59.483
EMX65 Race 2 Top Ten: 1. Martin Venhoda (CZE, KTM), 20:29.318; 2. Radek Vetrovski (CZE, KTM), +0:05.245; 3. Matvey Vopilov (RUS, KTM), +0:19.868; 4. Scott Smulders (NED, KTM), +0:32.118; 5. Teddy Jondell (SWE, KTM), +1:52.558; 6. Kay Karssemakers (NED, KTM), +2:01.481; 7. Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), +2:02.056; 8. Romeo Karu (EST, KTM), +2:05.157; 9. Kirill Vorobyov (RUS, KTM), +2:12.464; 10. Cato Nickel (GER, KTM), +2:40.549
EMX65 Overall Top Ten: 1. Scott Smulders (NED, KTM), 40 points; 2. Kay Karssemakers (NED, KTM), 40 p.; 3. Martin Venhoda (CZE, KTM), 38 p.; 4. Matvey Vopilov (RUS, KTM), 36 p.; 5. Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), 32 p.; 6. Radek Vetrovski (CZE, KTM), 31 p.; 7. Teddy Jondell (SWE, KTM), 27 p.; 8. Daniel Valovich (BLR, KTM), 23 p.; 9. Dave Kooiker (NED, KTM), 20 p.; 10. Florian Miot (FRA, KTM), 15 p.
EMX65 Championship Top Ten: 1. Scott Smulders (NED, KTM), 40 points; 2. Kay Karssemakers (NED, KTM), 40 p.; 3. Martin Venhoda (CZE, KTM), 38 p.; 4. Matvey Vopilov (RUS, KTM), 36 p.; 5. Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), 32 p.; 6. Radek Vetrovski (CZE, KTM), 31 p.; 7. Teddy Jondell (SWE, KTM), 27 p.; 8. Daniel Valovich (BLR, KTM), 23 p.; 9. Dave Kooiker (NED, KTM), 20 p.; 10. Florian Miot (FRA, KTM), 15 p
