The design sketch is by Kiska, the people who brought you the Husqvarna Svart- and Vitpilens. EMotion is actually a joint venture involving KTM, Bajaj and a few other partners, which launched in March of this year. Germany’s Motorrad magazine reports that a host of industrial heavy hitters are involved in the project, the aim of which is “to develop a modular and scalable architecture for electric drive trains and batteries. The focus is on the use of materials that are as light as possible, efficient charging and drive systems and future-proof information systems. With the help of an 8-month field test, the needs of potential customers will also be determined from 2022 and the requirements of electromobility in urban and rural areas will be researched in practice. A first sketch, which was made by Kiska GmbH and can be seen in the lead picture above, should show which direction it could go.”
Lately, KTM seems to be showing the world there isn’t much it can’t do.
Indian Motorcycle, America’s First Motorcycle Company, and London’s iconic Bike Shed Motorcycle Club today announced a collaboration to launch an exclusive lineup of lifestyle apparel. Designed in celebration of motorcycles, motorcycle culture, and the soon-to-open Bike Shed Los Angeles destination, the co-branded collection includes a range of men’s and women’s shirts and hats, along with an exclusive BSMC x Indian Motorcycle sweatshirt and riding jersey.
Brought together through shared values and the idea that there is no wrong way to appreciate motorcycling, Indian Motorcycle and Bike Shed Motorcycle Club believe in creating a welcoming environment for all riders. Whether riding the open road or hanging with friends, Indian Motorcycle and Bike Shed Motorcycle Club exist to fuel the passion of life on two wheels. The apparel collection was designed as a collaboration between the two brands and serves as a lifestyle expression for not only people who love motorcycles, but for the bold and confident who go their own way.
“We’re proud to collaborate with Bike Shed on this apparel collection and celebrate our love for motorcycles and motorcycle culture,” said Reid Wilson, Vice President of Indian Motorcycle. “When we found out Bike Shed was opening a clubhouse in the U.S., we knew we wanted to get involved. A special-edition apparel collection was a no-brainer, and we’re extremely proud to align with Bike Shed as they plan for their opening in Los Angeles.”
Since inception in 2011, the UK-based Bike Shed has been a place of common ground, where people from all walks of life – both riders and non-riders alike – come together to share their passion for two-wheels alongside the culture and lifestyle inspired by them. This year, the Bike Shed will expand its ever-growing community with the opening of its first-ever U.S. location. Home to a thriving moto and creative community, Los Angeles’ Arts District will soon welcome the highly anticipated Bike Shed Los Angeles: a 30,000-square-foot destination venue, complete with a full-service restaurant, café, bar and lounge, a barbershop, tattoo studio, events space and large retail emporium. Bike Shed Los Angeles joins the renowned Bike Shed London as the brand’s second motorcycle destination venue.
“We wanted to align with an American brand that shared our same, all-inclusive, motorcycle values,” said Dutch, Founder of the Bike Shed Motorcycle Club. “Indian Motorcycle is an iconic and historic brand that has evolved to remain relevant as moto culture has evolved, balancing timeless design and authenticity with modern performance and practicality, bringing new appreciation and customers to the brand and its bikes. Our clothing collaboration partnership carries those same values, aligning two brands that are as much about community and experience as we are about quality products, made to be fit-for-purpose while carrying timeless style and heritage.”
To help launch the exclusive apparel collection, Indian Motorcycle and Bike Shed Motorcycle Club tapped renowned bike builder, and founder of Brat Style, Go Takamine. Known for his work building and racing classic Indian motorcycles, Takamine exemplifies the deep passion and love for motorcycles and motorcycle culture that the Indian Motorcycle and Bike Shed collaboration represents.
The exclusive Indian Motorcycle and Bike Shed Motorcycle Club apparel collection is available at select retail locations and online at IndianMotorcycle.com and TheBikeShed.cc.
The Argentinean Round of the 2020 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship has been postponed until 2021. The round was originally scheduled for the 9th – 11th of October and was to enter its third year of WorldSBK action. With their contract to host a round lasting for three years, the round will take place as part of the 2021 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship and therefore will be able to host the Argentine audience for the third season, a year later than originally planned, with a date still yet to be confirmed.
All parties involved examined and evaluated every possible scenario to make sure the event went ahead as planned. However, given the current situation with the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent health and safety concerns, travel restrictions and logistical challenges, the solution is to postpone the event until 2021. With the Argentinean Round at the Circuito San Juan Villicum originally signed up for three seasons starting back in 2018, the 2020 event – whilst not going ahead – will be transferred to form part of the 2021 WorldSBK Calendar. The round has been a great success and has been history-making for many reasons, with 2021 scheduled to be no different.
Orlando Terranova – CEO of Grupo OSD
“We are very sorry to postpone the third event to next year. However, we are committed to actions aimed at being able to live with COVID-19 by lowering the risks. We understand that the economic impact of the event in the hotel industry, suppliers and regional economies was always great and therefore we hope that next year we can work to help with the movement of the provincial economy. We take this opportunity to thank the support and teamwork with the Governor of the Province of San Juan, Mr. Sergio Uñac, the Secretary of State for Sports of the Government of San Juan, Mr. Jorge Chica and all the authorities of the province that make the event possible. What remains for the future is to wait for the world to find a vaccine in order for us to define a calendar for 2021, which will surely be a different date from the one scheduled so far, but will be in the aim to protect the care of all spectators, athletes, organisation and the people of San Juan.”
Updated 2020 WorldSBK calendar
March 1 – Phillip Island, Australia
August 2 – Jerez, Spain (WSBK-WSSP-WSSP300)
August 9 – Portimao, Portugal (WSBK-WSSP-WSSP300)
August 30 – Aragon, Spain (WSBK-WSSP-WSSP300)
September 6 – Aragon, Spain (WSBK-WSSP-WSSP300)
September 20 – Catalunya, Spain (WSBK-WSSP-WSSP300)
October 4 – Magny-Cours, France (WSBK-WSSP-WSSP300)
KTM’s rise in the past four years has been sensational. Catching and beating factories who know the MotoGP™ game inside out, such as Honda, Yamaha, Ducati and Suzuki, is no mean feat. KTM have done it their own way with their steel frame direction, and they’re now reaping the success of sticking to what they know. Binder’s win is testament to everyone’s tireless work at the Austrian factory, and yet more proof of how competitive MotoGP™ is. Five of the six factories now have winning pedigree and heading to a home doubleheader at the Red Bull Ring, KTM will be quietly confident they can add to their Czech GP silverware.
Two years later it would be the turn of another Spanish superhero, a certain Mr Lorenzo. The future five-time World Champion showed his potential at the opening event of the year in Qatar, grabbing pole position and finishing P2 behind Casey Stoner. Three weeks later, he would return to the podium in Jerez behind Pedrosa himself and teammate Valentino Rossi, in a race that would go down in history for the iconic ‘forced handshake’ with Pedrosa, initiated by King Juan Carlos. Two weeks later, in Estoril, the tables were turned. After taking pole position, Lorenzo would win his first victory as a rookie by beating Pedrosa and Rossi. Portugal was now ‘Lorenzo territory’. The triumph came the ‘Spartan’s’ third race, likewise to Binder.
With his win at the Czech GP, Brad Binder became the first KTM rider to win since the Austrian manufacturer entered full-time in the premier class in 2017. In addition, this is the 17th different manufacturer to win in the premier class.
KTM became the first manufacturer to have won at least once in Moto3, Moto2 and MotoGP, and it was the first time a manufacturer took a debut win in the premier class since Ducati won in 2003 at the Catalan GP.
South African 25-year-old Brad Binder became a MotoGP winner and gives KTM their first victory
KTM has won a race in five different Grand Prix classes (125cc, Moto3, 250cc, Moto2 and MotoGP), equalling Yamaha who have done it in 125cc, 250cc, 350cc, 500cc and MotoGP. Only Honda have won in more classes: seven (50cc, 125cc, Moto3, 250cc, 350cc, 500cc and MotoGP).
Following the Czech GP, KTM have scored 44 points in the Constructor’s World Championship classification, which is the highest points accumulated after the opening three races by KTM since they stepped up to MotoGP.
Brad Binder set his first fastest lap in MotoGP which is also the first fastest lap in the class for a KTM rider. He also became the first KTM rider to lead a MotoGP race.
With Fabio Quartararo in Spain and Andalucia, and Brad Binder at Brno, this is the first time there are two first time winners in the opening three races of a premier class season since 1988 with Kevin Schwantz and Kevin Magee.
In addition, this is the first time there are only winners who had not previously won in the premier class in the opening three races of a premier class season since 1961 with Gary Hocking and Mike Hailwood.
In Brno, Franco Morbidelli finished in second place, which is his first podium finish since he stepped up to MotoGP in 2018
In Brno, Franco Morbidelli finished in second place, which is his first podium finish since he stepped up to MotoGP in 2018. His previous best results were fifth places.
Johann Zarco crossed the line in third place at the Czech GP, which is his first podium finish in the premier class since he was third in Malaysia in 2018.
Zarco secured his first MotoGP podium since the 2018 Malaysian GP and celebrated with Binder
With his seventh premier class podium, Zarco has two less podiums than Fabio Quartararo and Raymond Roche who are tied with nine podiums behind Christian Sarron (18 podiums).
This is the first time there are at least two different French podium finishers in the same premier class season since 1985 with Raymond Roche and Christian Sarron.
With Binder, Morbidelli and Zarco, this is the first premier class podium with riders who didn’t win previously in the class since Donington back in 2009 with Andrea Dovizioso, Colin Edwards and Randy De Puniet.
MotoGP podium 1 Brad Binder – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing – KTM – 41:38.764 2 Franco Morbidelli – Petronas Yamaha SRT – Yamaha – +5.266 3 Johann Zarco – Esponsorama Racing – Ducati – +6.470
With KTM, Yamaha, Ducati and Suzuki within the top four, this is the first time there are four different manufacturers in the top four in the premier class since Catalunya last year.
Championship leader Fabio Quartararo finished the race in seventh place, which is his worst result since finishing seventh in Malaysia last year.
Neither of the factory Honda riders have won at least one of the three opening races. The last time that Honda did not have a win in either of the first three races of the year was in 2010 when Yamaha won the three opening races with Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo.
Neither of the two Yamaha factory riders have won at least one of the three opening races for the third successive year. The last time that the Yamaha Factory team did not have a win in any of the first three races of the year in three successive seasons was from 2001 to 2003.
Only one of the three rookies in MotoGP this year has previously won a Grand Prix race in Austria in any of the smaller classes: Brad Binder, last year. Nonetheless, Alex Marquez has stood on the podium at the track twice, both of which were second places in Moto2 (2017 and 2019).
Grand Prix Racing in Austria
Motorcycle Grand Prix racing returned to Austria in 2016 after a break of 18 years. Four years ago, Austria hosted a motorcycle Grand Prix event for the first time since 1997.
The first Austrian GP took place in 1971 at the Salzburgring circuit, which hosted Grand Prix racing on 22 occasions.
At that first Austrian GP in 1971, Giacomo Agostini (MV Agusta) won the 500cc race, finishing more than a lap ahead of second-place finisher Keith Turner. Agostini also won the 350cc race, with the other classes being won by the following riders: 250cc – Silvio Grassetti (MZ), 125cc – Angel Nieto (Derbi), 50cc – Jan de Vries (Kreidler).
The last occasion that a Grand Prix event took place at the Salzburgring circuit was in 1994, when Mick Doohan won the 500cc race with a race average speed in excess of 194 km/h.
Due to the high-speed nature of the Salzburgring circuit, and the limited amount of run-off provided, it was considered too dangerous for continued use in Grand Prix racing.
The current Red Bull Ring has hosted two previous Grand Prix events prior to 2016: in 1996 and 1997, when named the A1- Ring.
Honda won the 500cc races held at the A1-Ring in both 1996 and 1997, with Alex Criville and Mick Doohan.
Before 2016, Valentino Rossi was the only current rider to have previously raced at this circuit in a Grand Prix event.
Rossi’s third-place finish in the 125cc race in Austria in 1996 was his first Grand Prix podium finish. He again finished on the podium in the 125cc race in Austria in 1997, then in second place just 0.004 seconds behind Noboru Ueda.
Ducati have taken the four MotoGP wins at the Red Bull Ring since 2016, the first of them came from pole position with Andrea Iannone, the second with Andrea Dovizioso in 2017, the third with Jorge Lorenzo and last year with Dovizioso again.
Red Bull Ring – Austria – MotoGP 2016
In 2016 in Austria, Andrea Iannone won for the first time since he moved up to the MotoGP class and gave Ducati their first win since Casey Stoner won the Australian GP in 2010. With Andrea Dovizioso crossing the line in second, this was the first 1-2 finish in a MotoGP race for Ducati since the Australian GP in 2007, won by Casey Stoner from Loris Capirossi.
The Austrian GP in 2016 was the first time that Italian riders riding Italian bikes took 1-2 in the premier class since the Finnish 500cc GP at Imatra in 1972 won by Giacomo Agostini from team-mate Alberto Pagani, both riding MV Agustas.
Honda have qualified on pole position over the last three years at the Red Bull Ring, all of them with Marc Marquez.
Jorge Lorenzo and Fabio Quartararo’s third places in 2016 and 2019 are Yamaha’s best results at the track. Norick Abe and Luca Cadalora also finished third in 1996 and 1997, respectively, in the 500cc races held at the A1-Ring.
The average speed of the MotoGP race in Austria in 2016 was 182.401 km/h. This was the highest average speed for a GP race since Mick Doohan won the 500cc German Grand Prix in 1994 at the Hockenheim circuit at an average speed of 203.8 km/h. Last year in Austria, the average speed was 183.283 km/h.
In 2017, Cal Crutchlow finished the Austrian Grand Prix in 15th place and crossed the line just 28.096 seconds behind race winner Andrea Dovizioso, which was the closest top 15 of all time in a full-length premier class Grand Prix at the time. Incredibly, this record is now in 11th place on the list of the closest top 15s in the class, behind Mugello last year.
Brad Binder is the first South African premier class winner
In Brno, Brad Binder became the first South African rider to win a premier class race in Grand Prix racing. South Africa became the 19th nation to win at least once in the premier class.
With his win, Brad Binder became the fourth different South African rider to stand on the podium in the premier class along with Paddy Driver (8 podiums), Kork Ballington (2) and Eddie Grant (1).
With this win, Brad Binder became the first African rider to win in the premier class since Jim Redman (Rhodesian) at the 1966 Dutch TT.
On his third MotoGP race, Brad Binder became the first rookie rider to win in the class since Marc Marquez in Austin in 2013 (in his second MotoGP race) and the fourth overall along with Marquez, Dani Pedrosa (in his fourth MotoGP race) and Jorge Lorenzo (in his third MotoGP race).
Brad Binder is the third rider to win a MotoGP race having previously won in both the Moto2 and Moto3 classes, along with Alex Rins and Maverick Viñales.
Brad Binder also became the first rider who won in the premier class of Grand Prix racing after winning a race in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup (Estoril/2011).
Brad Binder
Record breaking Czech Grand Prix
Alex Marquez finished the Czech GP in 15th place, crossing the line just 24.597 seconds behind race winner Brad Binder, which is the sixth closest top 15 of all time in a full-length premier class Grand Prix.
The following list shows the ten closest top 15 finishes of all time in the premier class of Grand Prix racing, all of them have occurred since 2017 (only races that have completed full race distance are considered for inclusion in the following table).
Pos
Year
Circuit
Race Winner
Time covering top 15
1
2019
Losail
Andrea Dovizioso
15.093s
2
2018
Assen
Marc Marquez
16.043s
3
2018
Brno
Andrea Dovizioso
23.159s
4
2018
Losail
Andrea Dovizioso
23.287s
5
2018
Buriram
Marc Marquez
23.628s
6
2020
Brno
Brad Binder
24.597s
7
2017
Aragon
Marc Marquez
26.082
8
2017
Phillip Island
Marc Marquez
26.168
9
2018
Mugello
Jorge Lorenzo
26.644
10
2019
Mugello
Danilo Petrucci
28.051
Official statistics compiled by Dr. Thomas Morsellino
MotoGP World Championship Standings
Pos
Rider
Bike
Points
1
Fabio QUARTARARO
Yamaha
59
2
Maverick VIÑALES
Yamaha
42
3
Franco MORBIDELLI
Yamaha
31
4
Andrea DOVIZIOSO
Ducati
31
5
Brad BINDER
KTM
28
6
Johann ZARCO
Ducati
28
7
Valentino ROSSI
Yamaha
27
8
Takaaki NAKAGAMI
Honda
27
9
Jack MILLER
Ducati
20
10
Alex RINS
Suzuki
19
11
Pol ESPARGARO
KTM
19
12
Miguel OLIVEIRA
KTM
18
13
Alex MARQUEZ
Honda
13
14
Joan MIR
Suzuki
11
15
Danilo PETRUCCI
Ducati
11
16
Francesco BAGNAIA
Ducati
9
17
Tito RABAT
Ducati
7
18
Aleix ESPARGARO
Aprilia
6
19
Cal CRUTCHLOW
Honda
6
20
Bradley SMITH
Aprilia
5
myWorld Motorrad Grand Prix von Österreich Schedule
MXGP continued their season in Latvia overnight with the second of three back-to-back GPs for the MXGP of Riga.
Antonio Cairoli of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing and Jago Geerts from Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing were the winners of the MXGP of Riga, though their wins didn’t come easy.
We also focus on the performances of the four Aussies that raced the round.
MXGP Race One
Race one of the MXGP class saw drama straight from the get go as a group of riders got caught out in a first turn crash including Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Arminas Jasikonis as well as Calvin Vlaanderen and Alessandro Lupino of Gebben Van Venrooy Yamaha Racing, plus Jeffrey Herlings of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, among others.
Grand Prix of Riga gets underway
Though at the front it was the other Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider Jorge Prado who claimed the FOX Holeshot in the opening race, followed by team-mate Antonio Cairoli and Jeremy Van Horebeek of Honda SR Motoblouz who had a fantastic start.
Tim Gajser and Mitch Evans has shocking starts in the opening moto
Team HRC’s Tim Gajser was also down the order in the opening laps and was showing down in 22nd position, not where the defending world champion would have hoped to be and Aussie team-mate Mitch Evans got tangled up in a first turn incident that put him down in 31st place.
Mitch Evans
At the front though, Cairoli wasted no time to move into the lead as he passed Prado, who then had issue of his own as he had to pull into the pits to change his damaged front wheel and later re-joined the race a lap down from the leaders, and finished the race 29th.
Tony Cairoli
With a problem in the start, Herlings was wasting no time in the opening race, finding his way around a group of riders. Jasikonis was also left with a lot of work ahead of him having to pick off riders in order to salvage some points in the first race.
Arminas Jasikonis
By lap 7, the Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team riders Romain Febvre and Clement Desalle were in a battle of their own, with Febvre eventually finding a way past his team-mate and Standing Construct GasGas Factory rider Ivo Monticelli to move into 6th.
Meanwhile for Gajser the race was a tough one, he managed to get up to the top 15, though not long after that had a dramatic crash which saw him out of the opening MXGP race.
Jeffrey Herlings
Herlings and Jasikonis were making a great come-back through the field, with Herlings catching up to Van Horebeek who was holding on to a fantastic second place behind Cairoli who was in control of the race. On lap 14 though, Van Horebeek came under immense pressure from Febvre and Herlings, losing two positions on a single lap.
Jeremy Seewer
With one lap to go it was Cairoli, Febvre, Herlings and Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jeremy Seewer which is how they finished the race, with Van Horebeek eventually crossing the line in P5, with Desalle in 6th, Standing Construct GasGas Factory rider Glenn Coldenhoff in 7th and Jasikonis making a good comeback to 8th.
After recovering from that turn one tangle Mitch Evans battled his way up to 22nd by lap five, but mistakes halted his progress and he finished the moto in 26th.
Mitch Evans
MXGP Race Two
Desalle on the start gates
In race two, it was Ivo Monticelli flying out of the gate and went on to claim the second FOX Holeshot of the MXGP of Riga. Cairoli had another fantastic start and was up in 2nd, closely followed by Mitch Evans of Team HRC, with Herlings and Jasikonis right there as well.
Ivo Monticelli
As the riders made their way around the Kegums circuit, Febvre and Gajser made contact in one of the corners, which saw Febvre go down while Gajser just about managed to stay up. The crash really put a dent in Febvre’s podium hopes for this mid-week race.
Romain Febvre
Eager to make up for the first race, Herlings wasted no time as he moved up into P2 and chased after the 9-time world champion. Jasikonis also joined in on the party and was right there ready to challenge for the win.
Jeffrey Herlings
It didn’t take long for Herlings to catch and pass Cairoli, who then came under fire from the #27 of Jasikonis who then went after the race leader.
Desalle
Meanwhile Desalle was also moving up the order as he passed Monticelli for 6th place, while his team-mate Romain Febvre, was up in 17th.
Towards the later stages Cairoli caught onto the back of Jasikonis, who managed to keep the #222 behind him, before the race took a dramatic toll, which saw Herlings go down with just 2 laps to go.
Tony Cairoli
As Cairoli came around the corner, he could not avoid the fallen race leader, and as a result went down himself, allowing Jasikonis to become the new race leader with a little bit of breathing room.
Though he couldn’t rest for long as with a lap and a bit to go, Seewer was on his back, with Herlings right there as well. In the end it was Jasikonis who claimed his career first race win, followed by Seewer and Herlings who finished 3rd. Cairoli finished 4th while Tim Gajser made his way back up to 5th.
Jeffrey Herlings leading Seewer
After a promising start Mitch Evans drifted back through the field to eventually finish the second moto in 15th.
Mitch Evans
Overall it was Antonio Cairoli who claimed his 90th career Grand Prix win with 43 points, while Seewer placed 2nd overall with 40 points, with Herlings matching him for points and occupying the third step of the podium.
MXGP – Overall Top 10 Classification: 1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 43 points; 2. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 40 p.; 3. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 40 p
MXGP Quotes
Tony Cairoli – P1
“I’m really happy to be back on the podium and with a win. Last Sunday wasn’t my day and I was dealing with another injury to my knee. I didn’t know what to expect. I went to the hospital to get some fluid and anti-inflammatory treatment. It was pretty sore and swollen. In the first moto I stayed out of trouble, made my rhythm, kept smooth and tried to keep my feet up. I was really happy with how it went. In the second moto I made another good start but Jeffrey and Jasikonis were riding really fast. I just tried to follow, and I knew my condition was OK: if I could be with them then I could push even more at the end. At one point in the waves I saw the yellow flags and Jeffrey on the floor. He picked up and started very fast in front of me and I was a bit shocked and had to brake. I lost the front wheel. I had a gap over the others so held my position and watched what would happen. I’m really happy with the result and the improvement over last weekend – especially with the starts – so now I’m looking forward to the next Sunday. Hopefully the knee can be a bit stronger and ready for the battles we all want to see.”
Tony Cairoli
Jeremy Seewer – P2
“We have had some great races, also on Sunday. I feel super happy in one way… I finished strong, I had some tough battles and I recovered well from a bad start. I feel great, but on the other hand, I’ve had two races where I have been so close to winning and today, I was even close to winning the GP. So, I’ve had some good results over these days and the track has been rough, so it has been easy to make mistakes. I am really happy, my bike is working well although there are a few little things to work on and improve, which we will do and then I think I will be ready for the last one here in Latvia on Sunday.”
Jeremy Seewer
Jeffrey Herlings – P3
“After getting stuck behind the pile-up in the first moto I had to pretty much regroup and come back again, like I did in the second moto last Sunday. I made it to third and was on the rear wheel of Febvre but couldn’t pass him. The start was way-better in the second moto – up to 3rd and my best since we arrived in Latvia – I passed Tony and was leading up until two laps to go when my front wheel washed-away. I still managed 3rd and apologized to Tony because he might have crashed because of me! Anyway, we are both on the podium and we extended our points lead in the championship. Hopefully next Sunday we can finally be on top of the box.”
Jeffrey Herlings
Arminas Jasikonis – P4
“It feels so, so good to get my first MXGP race win. Overall, I know I could have got more out of today, but even though the first race didn’t go like we wanted it to, it’s finished in the best way. Qualifying fastest was great and I lined up on the inside for race one. I was unlucky in the first turn, falling with a few other riders. It was just a little bit unfortunate. I was able to regroup and get going quickly. I passed riders almost every lap and caught up to the leaders, so it was a positive race really. Second moto, I had a much better start and pushed really hard for the first few laps and moved into third place. I passed Cairoli for second place and then chased after Herlings. I couldn’t quite close the gap but then he fell and I took the lead. The race wasn’t over though, and I had some serious pressure, but I kept calm, hit my lines and took the win. I’m so happy for myself and the team, it’s been a long time coming and I can’t wait to race again on Sunday.”
Arminas Jasikonis
Romain Febvre – P5
“This morning the track was rough and I didn’t want to take risks and push too much; even though I finished twelfth I was only just over one and a half seconds from the pole. The first start was strange as Prado cut across the pack and forced us to cut the gas in the first corner, otherwise we would have crashed. My starts were average in both motos but in the first race I had a good rhythm and was able to come back to second; it was a great result and I was confident for the second moto. Prado again had a strange reaction at the start; I had a good first lap to pass several riders but during the second lap Gajser hit me and I crashed. The pack was still close together so it cost me many positions. I came back to eleventh, but it’s just a shame that I missed the GP win due to this crash as my speed was very good during both motos.”
Clement Desalle – P6
“It was a decent day, much better than last Sunday. It was me on the bike today! I got a decent gate pick and my first start was OK but then I made a small mistake and lost some positions during the first lap. I was eighth but I came back to sixth with a good rhythm. My second start was similar but again I made a mistake during the first lap; this race was my best since we arrived here; I had a good rhythm, a good feeling and ended the day with two top six results so I’m happy with the improvements.”
Ivo Monticelli – P7
“Finally! A good day’s racing in MXGP for me this season. It’s been a struggle to start the season, getting injured and then not having much time on the bike before the season restarted. After qualifying, the team made some adjustments to my bikes suspension as the track was really rough, with square edge bumps everywhere. I had a good start in race one but couldn’t quite find my rhythm early in the race. At the halfway stage I did and then rode decent laps to finish 11th so this was pretty good. We made another adjustment to my bike’s suspension before race two and my team did a great job. I pulled the holeshot and felt confident, so I was able to push all through the race. Sure, I finished seventh, but this is a huge step in the right direction for me after a few bad GPs so I’m hoping I can continue like this. We have the perfect bike set up now, so I’m really looking forward to Sunday.”
Arnaud Tonus – P8
“Timed practice was really good. The times were really close. I went hard on the last lap of practice and I ended second, which helped me a lot on the start! I got a good start in the first moto and was riding really well for the whole race but made a mistake on the second to last lap. This was devastating. It was my mistake; I was a little bit under pressure and then made the mistake and ended up ninth. Devastating. In the second moto my start wasn’t great and I did the whole moto in 10th. The level is so high, like Romain Febvre was 10th and he was on the podium last weekend. It’s really hard out there, but I have to look at the positives and it was positive compared to last weekend.”
Arnaud Tonus
Jeremy Van Horebeek – P9
“I had a good start in the first race and I had the pace to race at the front but I suffered some arm pump and in the end finished in fifth which was good. In the second moto I was way deep in the pack on lap one and tried to come back through, but I had low energy and struggled to find good lines but we’ll keep working hard. The MXGP level is really high but 9th overall is not so bad.”
Gautier Paulin – P10
“I broke my right finger last week, so it’s quite swollen and painful especially when I land off a jump or in the hard braking bumps. It’s not easy, but I have good lap times. My gate pick was good today, but I had a crash on the start, again with Calvin Vlaanderen and I got going again and then a rider was stalled on a jump and I hit him and then Mitch Evans jumped on me. Sometimes things just don’t go your way. I had to start from dead last and I came back to 13th. In the last moto, I just wanted to finish without any struggles or crashing. I got back to eighth but got stuck behind a rider. My feeling overall is good, I am happy with the bike, I just have some pain here and there from all of the crashes I have had. I will definitely feel it tomorrow. I like the bike the way it is, I have everything I need to play my cards and be racing with the guys upfront because I have the speed. You can see that on the lap times, I just need to avoid racing issues to have a positive result.”
Gautier Paulin
Tim Gajser – P13
“Obviously I am not happy with how the day went because I know I can do better than this. I wasn’t able to get good starts and on this track, that can cause really big problems. My aim now is to get back to enjoying my riding and focus on having fun at the track. Sunday will be the third event here and I still believe I can score good points and get myself back into the championship battle. It won’t be easy but I have a good team around me and we are all working hard to get the best results possible.”
Tim Gajser
Glenn Coldenhoff – P15
“Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose! This is motocross and it’s not always easy. Of course, after last weekend’s result it’s been a disappointing end to today’s GP, but my first race was ok. Finishing seventh after a big battle for much of the race was good, but not where I wanted to be. The second race didn’t begin so well, which was my fault. But I felt good right from the first lap, fit and strong and ready to battle. I was passing riders quickly but maybe I got a little too impatient and crashed into someone. I went down pretty hard and winded myself. I managed to re-join the race but after a few laps I was in more and more pain, so I had to pull out as I knew something wasn’t right. I’ll get checked out and I’ll be doing everything I can to be ready for round five on Sunday.”
Glenn Coldenhoff
Jorge Prado – P17
“I had a better gatepick compared to last Sunday and had a perfect jump out of the gate. It was good to lead for a while but then the front wheel broke and I had re-join the race, more or less in the same place but a lap down! I let Tony through and then just followed him. Just bad luck. Another rider hit me from behind at the start of the second moto and pushed me completely to the outside. I had to start charging hard and passed many guys until Paulin blew-out a full berm in front of me and I was already committed to the line. My front wheel grabbed the sand and I almost went over the bars. It was another situation that I could do nothing about, and I lost the rhythm. It’s a pity. Luck was not on my side today but I’m happy in a way because I made big progress with my riding from last Sunday. I’m hungry for even better this weekend.”
Mitch Evans – P19
“It was a bit of a better day than Sunday so I’m happy with how it turned out, even if it didn’t start off so well. The first moto wasn’t the best, after getting taken out in the start and then again later in the lap so I went into the second race with the mindset that it can really only get better from here, which thankfully it did. I ripped a good start and was able to hang with the top guys but then my lack of bike time caught up with me and I was able to bring it home in 15th. The more laps I do, the better I progress so I’m staying positive and I know I’ll get back to where I was at the beginning of the season.”
Star Racing Yamaha re-signs Cooper in contract extension
Section: Competition
Emerging title contender to remain aboard YZ250F through 2021 at least.
Image: Octopi Media.
Monster Energy Star Racing Yamaha has extended its agreement with Justin Cooper in a deal that will see him complete his 250 class career aboard the YZ250F.
Cooper, 22, has been with the factory Yamaha team since turning professional in 2017 and will be with Star Racing for at least the 2021 season.
“I’m pleased to announce that I have re-signed with the Star Yamaha Racing team and will finish my 250 class career with them,” Cooper confirmed. “We’ve accomplished some good things together, but there are great things that lie ahead!”
This year is Cooper’s third full campaign in the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, finishing third overall in both 2018 and 2019. He earned a lone overall victory in Florida last season via a 2-2 scorecard.
Cooper was runner-up in last year’s Monster Energy Supercross 250SX East standings, before also claiming second in the 2020 championship on the western region. He captured a first-career victory at Anaheim 1 this year.
