Tag Archives: Tony Cairoli

Moto News | MXGP | EMX | Finke | TrialGP | Classic Dirt Track

Moto News Wrap for June 11, 2019 by Darren Smart

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The LATEST News

  • Gajser and Prado win MXGP of Russia
  • Walsh blitzes Finke
  • Bou wins GP of Japan
  • Brayton set to defend SX Title
  • Epstein-Barr virus slows Covington
  • Musquin stays with KTM till 2021
  • Woffendin Injured
  • Webb Injured
  • KTM take full ownership of KTM Australia and New Zealand
  • Yamaha bLU cRU YZ65 Cup hits Wollongong
  • Action aplenty at Australian Classic Dirt Track Championship
  • Tayla Street creates Classic Dirt Track history

Gajser and Prado Win MXGP of Russia

The seaside venue of Orlyonok, Russia hosted round eight of the FIM World Motocross Championship last weekend and the drama filled weekend saw not only a heap of sensational racing but we now have a new MXGP championship leader after Tim Gajser dominating the class while Jorge Prado extended his MX2 championship points lead.

MXGP Rnd Russia Gajser bybavo
MXGP of Russia 2019

MXGP Report

The drama actually started on Saturday when championship leader Antonio Cairoli crashed during the qualifying race and landed hard on a crusty rut only to get up holding his back before retiring from the race but the plucky nine-time World Champion was on the gate for moto one on Sunday morning.

MXGP Rnd Russia Jeffrey Herlings RA
MXGP Start – MXGP of Russia 2019 – Image by Ray Archer

On a fast and slick circuit Gajser not only earned his third MXGP overall in three rounds via double race wins but he now owns the MXGP Championship leader’s red plate while Arnaud Tonus took second overall with his 2-2 finishes ahead of fellow Yamaha rider Jeremy Seewer who scored his career first MXGP podium overall.

Tim Gajser

“I am feeling really good but both races were really tough because Arnaud was really fast and pushing. Overall, I am happy winning again and thanks to everybody at Honda, the bike is just amazing. Three races ago I was more than 40 points behind Tony and now I have the red plate.”

MXGP Rnd Russia Gajser bybavo
Tim Gajser celebrates the win – MXGP of Russia 2019
Arnaud Tonus

“It wasn’t easy to fight for the lead, but I was super happy that I had quite starts so I could fight from the beginning and come quite close to Tim. I went for it and really wanted to pass him but made a small a mistake, it happens. I am happy I went for it anyway and could recover to finish second which is great, I am super thankful and super happy because 3 podiums in a row is amazing.”

MXGP Rnd Russia Arnaud Tonus
Arnaud Tonus – MXGP of Russia 2019
Jeremy Seewer

“It is amazing to make it on the MXGP podium, it just feels a lot harder than even any of MX2 wins. It is a lot of work and a lot of fast guys so it feels really good. It is amazing to have two Swiss guys on the podium it hasn’t happened in the history of motocross in Switzerland and to do it on two Yamahas is even better.”

MXGP Rnd Russia Jeremy Seewer
Jeremy Seewer

Cairoli battled hard all day to go 13-4 for eighth outright to now be 13 points shy of Gajser as far as the championship goes while Jefferey Herlings was on hand in his first race of the year to end the day with very respectable 4-7 moto results for fourth overall.

Jeffrey Herlings

“I had a serious injury and it has been tough to get back here, mentally and physically, and with a lot of pain for a long time. I did not expect this result here today especially on this track. So to be close to the podium again feels pretty beautiful. I like the track in Latvia but I don’t have any firm expectations and I will not forget where I have come from to get to this point. Having said that we’ll always try to fight for a podium spot when we can!”

MXGP Rnd Russia Jeffrey Herlings RA
Jeffrey Herlings – MXGP of Russia 2019 – Image by Ray Archer
Tony Cairoli

“A very difficult weekend and of course the crash from yesterday did not help as it meant I was totally on the outside for the gate pick. I was riding very stiff and by missing the start it is almost impossible to make a good result on this track; everybody is riding at a similar speed. We lost the red plate but the positive is that I’m not badly injured, and we saw some big crashes today. We walk away a bit banged-up but we will re-group and look to Latvia, which is a nice track, and to regain some points.”

MXGP Rnd Russia Tony Cairoli RA
Tony Cairoli – MXGP of Russia 2019 – Image by Ray Archer

MXGP Overall Top Ten

  1. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 50 points
  2. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, YAM), 44
  3. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 36
  4. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 32
  5. Romain Febvre (FRA, YAM), 32
  6. Julien Lieber (BEL, KAW), 31
  7. Pauls Jonass (LAT, HUS), 29
  8. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 27
  9. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 24
  10. Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, HUS), 22

MXGP Championship Top Ten

  1. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 351 points
  2. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 338
  3. Gautier Paulin (FRA, YAM), 231
  4. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 220
  5. Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, HUS), 212
  6. Clement Desalle (BEL, KAW), 208
  7. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, YAM), 206
  8. Julien Lieber (BEL, KAW), 172
  9. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, HON), 170
  10. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 168
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MX2 Report

Despite a poor start Prado won the opening moto narrowly from Thomas Kjer Olsen, Jago Geerts, Tom Vialle and Mitchell Evans while Jed Beaton cake home in 12th after a poor start but in the second moto Prado earned the holeshot and took off like a cut cat to take an easy win over Kjer Olsen, Geerts. Michele Cervellin, Vialle, Ben Watson, Beaton, Henry Jacobi, Maxime Renaux and Evans.

MXGP Rnd Russia Jorge Prado RA
Jorge Prado – MXGP of Russia 2019

Prado now leads the championship over Kjer Olsen by a clean 20 points while Evans is 6th in the points, just two behind Vialle while Beaton sits 14th in the points despite missing two of the eight rounds due to injury.

Jorge Prado

“I felt pretty good this weekend, the track was hard but I felt good getting the Saturday Qualifying Race win and today I was in the back of the pack so I had to make my way up to the front, but I had good speed and fought all the way to the end to get the win. I am happy and looking forward to the next round.”

MXGP Rnd Russia Jorge Prado RA
MX2 Podium – MXGP of Russia 2019 – Image by Ray Archer
Thomas Kjer Olsen

“I felt good all weekend. Yesterday in the Qualifying I felt really good then we made some changes on the bike to make it feel really comfortable on the hard pack. Overall, I am happy I got to lead some laps, felt great on the bike, and everything so I am looking forward to Latvia for sure.”

MXGP Rnd Russia Thomas Kjer Olsen
Thomas Kjer Olsen – MXGP of Russia 2019
Jago Geerts

“It was a really solid weekend for me, I was really happy with the starts, I had three good starts this weekend which is positive for the rest of the season. Next weekend is Latvia, one of my favourite tracks but the goal is the same, to be on the podium, so we’ll see.”

Mitchell Evans

“In the first moto I got off to a good start and just kind of rode my own race, so stayed in fifth the whole race. I tried to follow the leaders, but they just had a little bit more pace. I was struggling with the speeds on the track and just how slippery it was. In moto two I had a really bad start, around twentieth or something, and on a track that was really hard to pass on I made my way to tenth. I was really happy with my riding this weekend. My pace was a little bit off, but we know where we can improve. I have just got to focus on making my starts better. I am looking forward to Latvia.”

MXGP Rnd Russia Mitch Evans byBavo
Mitch Evans – MXGP of Russia 2019
Jed Beaton

“I’m really happy with the way the GPs gone. Obviously, I needed a little bit of time off following my crash in Portugal and to come back after being unable to race in France and get two solid results is great. I did three good days of riding before coming to Russia, so I was confident things would go well because I felt good and importantly was pain free. The opening moto didn’t start too well, I got a bad start so had to work really hard. I went from outside the top 20 to 12th and put in a lot of effort. I was feeling the hard work in the second moto but made some good passes. I’m really pleased with seventh. I feel like I’m where I should be and now that the Portugal crash is behind me I want to build on these results starting with the Latvian GP next weekend.”

MXGP Rnd Russia Jed Beaton
Jed Beaton – MXGP of Russia 2019

MX2 Overall Top Ten

  1. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 50 points
  2. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 44
  3. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 40
  4. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), 34
  5. Michele Cervellin (ITA, YAM), 30
  6. Mitchell Evans (AUS, HON), 27
  7. Ben Watson (GBR, YAM), 26
  8. Henry Jacobi (GER, KAW), 26
  9. Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 26
  10. Jed Beaton (AUS, HUS), 23

MX2 Championship Top Ten

  1. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 347 points
  2. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 327
  3. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 257
  4. Henry Jacobi (GER, KAW), 236
  5. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), 216
  6. Mitchell Evans (AUS, HON), 214
  7. Ben Watson (GBR, YAM), 210
  8. Adam Sterry (GBR, KAW), 169
  9. Davy Pootjes (NED, HUS), 157
  10. Michele Cervellin (ITA, YAM), 132
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Moosdijk and Kellett win EMX in Russia

Roan Van de Moosdijk and Todd Kellett have won the EMX250 and EMX2T classes respectively at the Russian round of the FIM Europe Championship at Orlyonok last weekend.

EMX250 Report

Despite Van De Mooslik taking the overall with 2-1 moto results it was Stephan Rubini who rode to 3-1 finishes and subsequently took the red plate from former championship leader Alberto Forato who struggled to 14-4 moto results but it was a solid round for Aussie Caleb Grothues who went 9-9 for ninth overall.

MXGP Rnd Russia EMX
EMX250 Start – MXGP of Russia 2019

Rubini now holds a two-point lead over Forato with four rounds remaining while Grothues sits 14th in the points despite missing the Italian round due to injury.

EMX250 Overall Top Ten

  1. Roan Van De Moosdijk (NED, KAW), 47 points
  2. Stephen Rubini (FRA, HON), 45
  3. Rene Hofer (AUT, KTM), 42
  4. Giuseppe Tropepe (ITA, YAM), 29
  5. Jeremy Sydow (GER, HUS), 29
  6. Rick Elzinga (NED, YAM), 28
  7. Thibault Benistant (FRA, YAM), 28
  8. Alberto Forato (ITA, HUS), 25
  9. Caleb Grothues (AUS, YAM), 24
  10. Raivo Dankers (NED, YAM), 22

EMX250 Championship Top Ten

  1. Stephen Rubini (FRA, HON), 165 points
  2. Alberto Forato (ITA, HUS), 163
  3. Roan Van De Moosdijk (NED, KAW), 144
  4. Rene Hofer (AUT, KTM), 110
  5. Giuseppe Tropepe (ITA, YAM), 96
  6. Jimmy Clochet (FRA, KAW), 88
  7. Thibault Benistant (FRA, YAM), 88
  8. Karlis Sabulis (LAT, KTM), 74
  9. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, YAM), 73
  10. Josh Gilbert (GBR, HON), 70

EMX2T Report

The EMX2T overall win was the first for Kellett with 1-2 moto results while Brad Anderson’s second overall gives him the championship leader’s red plate by eight points over Mike Kras while Kellett sits third some 21 points back from Anderson.

MXGP Rnd Russia EMXT podium
EMX2T Podium – MXGP of Russia 2019

EMX2T Overall Top Ten

  1. Todd Kellett (GBR, YAM), 47 points
  2. Brad Anderson (GBR, KTM), 45
  3. Andero Lusbo (EST, HUS), 42
  4. Mike Kras (NED, KTM), 36
  5. Pier Filippo Bertuzzo (ITA, YAM), 31
  6. Charlie Putnam (GBR, KTM), 29
  7. Vaclav Kovar (CZE, GAS), 26
  8. Max Buelow (GER, KTM), 26
  9. Robert Holyoake (GBR, HUS), 26
  10. Lurii Lukash (RUS, HON), 23

EMX2T Championship Top Ten

  1. Brad Anderson (GBR, KTM), 163 points
  2. Mike Kras (NED, KTM), 155
  3. Todd Kellett (GBR, YAM), 142
  4. Vaclav Kovar (CZE, GAS), 127
  5. Andero Lusbo (EST, HUS), 124
  6. Youri van t Ende (NED, KTM), 88
  7. Brad Todd (GBR, YAM), 86
  8. Pier Filippo Bertuzzo (ITA, YAM), 70
  9. Ben Putnam (GBR, HUS), 60
  10. Andrea Gorini (SMR, YAM), 59
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Walsh Blitzes Finke

KTM’s David Walsh has put on a riding clinic at the 2019 Tatt’s Finke Desert Race winning the three-leg event by just under five minutes from Honda’s Jacob Smith who in turn had the best part of a three-minute gap back to third placed Husqvarna rider in Beau Ralston.

Finke Desert Race podium fm
KTM celebrated the Finke win with David Walsh

Almost 600 bike and quad competitors slogged their way through the prologue plus the 500km run from Alice Springs to Finke and back but it was Walsh who dominated all three days to claim his maiden win in convincing fashion with an overall time of 3 hours and 56 minutes.

2019 was Walsh’s 12th Finke race recording a best finish of second three-times previously (2018, 2014 and 2012) so the Alice Springs local was visibly emotional when he took the chequered flag, with the crowd erupting in cheer as he crossed the Start/Finish line in first position.

David Walsh

“I’m just completely blown away and I’m over the moon with getting my first win here at Finke. It’s truly a credit to the North Star Pastoral KTM Desert Racing Team, because without those guys, I wouldn’t be here. They work around the clock and it’s like a big family – I can’t thank them enough for their efforts. Getting down to Finke with a five-minute lead made it easier for me, I knew I could probably get through the rough stuff a bit easier coming home, and that’s what I did. I’m so happy to finally get it after the 12 years that I’ve been trying and it’s an amazing feeling.”

Finke Desert Race fm Dylan Walsh
David Walsh – 2019 Finke Desert Race
Callum Norton

“A silly crash just two or three minutes out of Finke cost me this weekend and bit me hard, everything was hurting pretty bad, so I just had a breather there before getting going again. Straight away I thought it was over, but once I got to the next stop the boys told me I wasn’t too far behind, so that gave me a boost. I just kept pushing on, started seeing dust and every time I saw dust, I got excited again. I was sore as hell, but I just kept pushing to get it home so I could rest up. I crossed the line fifth, which was good. I’m pretty happy with it, considering what happened.”

Finke Desert Race fm
Callum Norton – 2019 Finke Desert Race
Jacob Smith

“Six weeks ago, laying in a hospital bed here in Alice Springs with a few injuries, I’m just so happy to be here on the podium. I knew David had a fair gap and five minutes is a long way, so I was trying to just keep my position today and go as hard as I could so the guys behind didn’t catch me. I made some time at the second fuel stop, so I just coasted into town and didn’t do anything silly.”

Finke Desert Race hqva fm
Jacob Smith – 2019 Finke Desert Race
Beau Ralston

“I’m stoked to finish, let alone get on the podium after my last couple of years being injured. The Schwarz Husqvarna Desert Team has put in a huge effort to get us out here this year and I really appreciate it. I was over two minutes behind Jake and I was fresh, so I thought I was going to have a good crack at reeling him in, but I didn’t anticipate what the cars were going to do to the track. I had some really hairy moments, so I just backed off to get home in one piece for a podium finish.”

Finke Desert Race hqva fm
Beau Ralston – 2019 Finke Desert Race

2019 Finke Top Ten Outright

  1. Walsh, David – 03:56:01.0
  2. Smith, Jacob – 04:01:00.4 +00:04:59.4
  3. Ralston, Beau – 04:03:57.7 + 00:07:56.7
  4. Simpson, Jack – 04:09:38.7 + 00:13:37.7
  5. Norton, Callum – 04:14:19.5 + 00:18:18.5
  6. Davie, Sam – 04:15:25.4 + 00:19:24.4
  7. Terry, Lachlan – 04:20:52.3 + 00:24:51.3
  8. Grove, Mark – 04:23:23.4 + 00:27:22.4
  9. Jones, Thomas – 04:28:43.2 + 00:32:42.2
  10. Waters, Nicholas – 04:28:45.5 + 00:32:44.5
Finke Desert Race podium fm
Husqvarna also put in a strong showing at the 2019 Finke Desert Race

Top 3 – Each Class
Class 01 : 251cc and above Two Stroke

  1. Pfitzner, Kyle
  2. Russell, Benjamin
  3. Handley, Samuel

Class 02 : 451cc and above Four Stroke

  1. Walsh, David
  2. Smith, Jacob
  3. Ralston, Beau

Class 03 : Up to 250cc Two Stroke

  1. Simpson, Kyle
  2. Brierley, Mitchell
  3. Foot, Danielle

Class 04 : Up to 250cc Four Stroke

  1. Geale, Thomas
  2. Elliott, Zoran
  3. Wilson, Jarrod

Class 05 : 251cc to 450cc Four Stroke

  1. Simpson, Jack
  2. Norton, Callum
  3. Grove, Mark

Class 06 : Masters 35 to 39 Years  (Total 3)

  1. Jones, Thomas
  2. Stephens, Lee
  3. White, Matthew

Class 07 : Seniors 40 to 44 Years

  1. Faggotter, Rodney
  2. Wilkinson, Brad
  3. Stewart, Jason

Class 08 : Veterans 45 Years and Over

  1. Bell, Matthew
  2. Doyle, Neil
  3. Hicks, Darby

Class 09 : Quads up to 40 Years

  1. Van Vliet, Cooper
  2. Bailey, Lachlan
  3. Jackson, Andrew

Class 10 : Quads 40 Years and Over

  1. Spiers, Craig
  2. Beer, Richard
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Bou Wins GP of Japan

The Twin Ring Motego circuit hosted round two of the FIM Trial World Championship last weekend and predictably it was the defending champion in Toni Bou who won both days of competition to extend his early championship lead.

TrialGP R Podium TrialGP ps
Toni Bou claimed the TrialGP of Japan win from Adam Raga and Takahisa Fujinami

Bou won both days over Adam Raga and teammate Takahisa Fujinami, so heading to the third round Bou has an 11-point lead over Raga who in turn has a nine-point lead over Fujinami.

Toni Bou

“Today we had a perfect trial in a perfect place. I’m very happy with my riding today. Having done this perfect trial here in Japan was really special. Thank all the team who have done a great job. We have prepared a lot for these first events and the results have been incredible, so I can’t be happier this weekend.”

Rider Standings after Round 2

  1. BOU Toni – 60
  2. RAGA Adam – 49
  3. FUJINAMI Takahisa – 40
  4. FAJARDO Jeroni – 35
  5. DABILL James – 33

Brayton set to Defend SX Title

Three-time Australian Supercross Champion Justin Brayton has confirmed that he will be back to defend his 2018 title and once again he will be on the CRF450R with Penrite Honda Racing with the intension of making it four straight victories.

Justin Brayton

“I will be doing my best to bring home a 4th title. Riders learn from one another and we push to improve ourselves in an effort to get to or be at the top. I imagine some younger riders will be faster this year and some older ones will be hungrier as their careers are nearing the end. The championship in Australia goes from strength to strength, the venues continue to improve, as do the riders and teams and I am proud to have been a small part of it all.”

AMA Supercross FInal Brayton JK SX Vegas
Justin Brayton – Image by Hoppenworld

The 3-time Champion has grown fond of Australia and has toyed with the idea of relocating here to live.

“It really is like a second home and this year will mark my 5th year in Australia. The country, the people and the racing are amazing and I appreciate how welcome my family and I feel when we come.”

Travelling the globe racing for more than 10 years, Brayton affirms retirement isn’t on the horizon just yet confirming there is still plenty left in the tank and his dedication and passion for racing remains.

AMA SX Rnd Brayton JK SX NJ
Justin Brayton – Image by Hoppenworld

“I love racing and riding dirtbikes! Racing at home and around the world is still exciting for me and I get the same butterflies when I line up now as I did when I was younger. So long as it’s fun and I am competitive I aim to keep racing.”

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Epstein-Barr virus slows Covington

Multiple GP winner Thomas Covington has had a horror start to the 2019 AMA Motocross Championship with the Husqvarna rider logging overall finishes of 26th, 17th and 26th respectively over the first three rounds to sit 22nd in the 250 Class points standings.

In the way of explanation Covington posted this statement on social media:

“Sorry I’ve been silent to everyone as to what’s been going on the last few weeks. After seeing the doctor and having tests done this week, I’ve been diagnosed with Epstein-Barr Virus. I’ve been super tired and lacking strength for around a month now and really hit a wall last weekend in Colorado. That’s when I knew something had to be wrong. Doing everything I can now to be back to myself as soon as possible. Thanks to everyone’s continued support and a huge thank you to @rockstarhusky for helping me through this.”

AMA Pro MX Rnd FoxRaceway Covington JK MX Pala
Thomas Covington – AMA MX 2019 Round 2 – Fox Raceway

Musquin stays with KTM till 2021

KTM North America has extended Marvin Musquin’s contract with the French star remaining with the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team for the 2020 and 2021 race seasons.

Marvin Musquin has spent the last 10 years of his professional career with the KTM brand and is continually a championship contender in the sport’s premier racing circuits. A true “Ready to Race” athlete and KTM brand ambassador, Musquin’s performance in North America has gained recognition amongst fans as a fierce competitor.

Marvin Musquin

“I am pleased with the extension of my contract with the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team for the next two years. KTM and Red Bull have supported me immensely and I believe the product, team and the overall program will contribute to my future success.”

KTM Musquin Contract Extension
Marvin Musquin extends contract with KTM to 2020
Ian Harrison – Team Manager

“I have had the privilege of working with Marvin for nine years and he is a first-class guy that always gives his best, both on and off the track. The 2019 SX Championship proved what a tough contender Marvin is and I’m sure we will get to witness more of his talent in the years to come. I am so happy he has made the decision to stay with Red Bull KTM for the ’20 and ‘21 race seasons. On behalf of all of us at KTM, thank you Marvin, for continuing your journey with us.”

Roger De Coster – Director of Motorsports, KTM Group

“Marvin came over to the U.S. from the MXGP circuit for the 2011 season, which was the same time Ian Harrison and I joined the team and it is hard to believe that this is our ninth year working with him. During this time, Marvin won a 250SX East title, but more importantly, he has not finished off the podium in either the 450 SX or MX Championships and he is still improving every season. I am truly happy Marvin chose to extend his relationship with Red Bull KTM for two more years.”

The 29-year-old French rider has been with the KTM brand since 2009, where the rising star at the time captured back-to-back MX2 World Championships in ’09 and ‘10. In 2011, Musquin signed with Roger De Coster and the U.S. based Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team and by 2015 he captured the 250SX Eastern Regional Championship.

Since moving to the premier 450cc division in 2016, Musquin has accumulated eight AMA 450SX victories and seven AMA 450MX victories, while consistently maintaining a top-three position in the overall championships.

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Woffendin Injured

Defending World Champion Tai Woffinden has confirmed that he faces a month on the sidelines after an MRI scan revealed he suffered a broken TH4 vertebra and shoulder blade after crashing with Russian star Grigorii Laguta in heat one of Wroclaw’s PGE Ekstraliga trip to Lublin on Friday night,

Woffinden immediately withdrew from the meeting and was taken to Wroclaw to undergo further checks to ascertain the full extent of the damage to the neck vertebra and shoulder.

Tai Woffinden tweeted

“After leaving hospital last night and making a 500km trip to Wroclaw to see the spinal specialists and a MRI scan, it’s actually TH4 that is broken along with my shoulder blade. At this point I’m out for one month and we will see how much my neck has healed in that period.”

Tai Woffinden in action ImgWarwickHemy
Tai Woffinden – Image by Warwick Hemy

It has been officially confirmed he will miss the ANLAS Czech SGP in Prague next Saturday and the Norrbil Swedish SGP in Hallstavik on July 6.

The news comes as a blow to his hopes of retaining the world title with Woffinden currently eighth in the standings on 15 points – 13 behind top two Bartosz Zmarzlik and Patryk Dudek.

SGP second reserve Max Fricke replaces Woffinden in Prague, while the news guarantees that first reserve Robert Lambert will also appear in both Prague and Hallstavik.


Webb injured

Extreme endure star Cody Webb tweaked his knee while dropping off a ledge in a technical rock section just days before heading to the world-famous Erzbergrodeo in Austria. Webb was determined to line up at the infamous event this year only to call it quits early into the race and spent the remaining time helping his KTM teammates through a challenging section of the course.

AMA MX Rnd Thunder Valley Webb JK MX Lakewood
Cody Webb – 2019 Thunder Valley National MX

Webb has claimed two extreme enduro victories already this season, in addition to a heartbreakingly close runner-up finish in the 2019 FIM SuperEnduro World Championship.

Cody Webb

“Being injured is always unfortunate, but I’m taking it as a positive. I intend to take rehab very seriously post-operation and will come back better and stronger than before. It’s a long road ahead, but I will make the best of it and am already excited about the thought of being back at the races.”

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KTM take full ownership of KTM Australia and New Zealand

After 25 years of stable and successful business, Automotive Holdings Group (AHG) has sold the remaining 74 per cent share of its motorcycle importation business to the brands’ parent company KTM.

AHG has been the exclusive importer and distributor of the KTM brand for the Australian and New Zealand market since 1994, with the Husqvarna Motorcycles and WP Suspension brands joining the stable in recent years.

In 2017 KTM, which is Europe’s leading motorcycle manufacturer purchased a 26 per cent share of the AHG motorcycle importation business. It now moves to full ownership of both KTM Group Australia and KTM Group New Zealand.

The move to full ownership will see KTM Group Australia and KTM Group New Zealand become full subsidiaries of the Austrian company. Now selling more than 11,000 KTM and Husqvarna Motorcycle units combined, the Australian and New Zealand business has become the third largest market in the world for KTM and will now become the third largest subsidiary for the company.

Jeff Leisk – General Manager, KTM Group Australia and New Zealand

“What a journey it has been since our first AHG Dealer Conference in 1994 and there have been so many significant milestones along the way. I am extremely proud to have seen the KTM and Husqvarna Motorcycle brands go from strength to strength in both the Australian and New Zealand markets. We have built strong relationships with our dealers and our customers and this has been the key to our success. Becoming a factory owned subsidiary will increase the level of support that we can offer our dealer network, our staff and our customers, so I am excited about the next chapter.”

Jeff Leisk KTM Husqvarna Australia New Zealand
Jeff Leisk
Hubert Trunkenpolz – Chief Marketing Officer

“We are absolutely delighted with the outcome and our full ownership of KTM Group Australia and KTM Group New Zealand. This transaction once again reinforces our commitment to the Australian and New Zealand markets. This is a very positive development for the KTM dealer network and the KTM customer in both countries.”

The change will take effect from the 1st July 2019. While the change of ownership is a significant development for both the company and the market, there will be no impact on KTM Group staff or the established dealer networks for KTM, Husqvarna Motorcycles and WP Suspension.

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Yamaha bLU cRU YZ65 Cup hits Wollongong

November 9 will be a memorable night for 20 young hopefuls as the compete in the Yamaha bLU cRU YZ65 Cup during round three of the Australian Supercross Championship at WIN Stadium, Wollongong.

The 20 lucky juniors will be selected for this incredible experience from a mix of current YZ65 owners along with wildcard juniors who don’t currently own the model.

Yamaha bLU cRU Cup YZ Wollongong
Yamaha bLU cRU YZ65 Cup

The junior riders get to experience what it’s like to be a professional rider and become guests of Yamaha’s factory race teams, which event promoter Troy Bayliss says will provide valuable insights into professional racing, including mentoring from CDR Yamaha Monster Energy factory riders and owner Craig Dack.

Troy Bayliss

“We are pleased to be able to provide the opportunity for junior girls and boys to experience Supercross within an incredible venue like WIN Stadium, and for them to do laps in front of thousands of fans will be something they will remember for a lifetime.”

Since releasing the YZ65 in 2018, Yamaha Motor Australia has given many junior riders the opportunity to compete side-by-side within select Australian Supercross Championship events and MX National rounds, including the first-ever YZ65 Cup at Geelong’s GMHBA Stadium during last year’s third round of the Australian Supercross Championship.

Matthew Ferry – YMA National Sales & Marketing Manager

“Our first YZ65 Cup experience at Supercross was in Geelong last year and the parents and kids enjoyed the full bLU cRU treatment, and to see so many happy faces and positive feedback we knew we wanted to offer this experience again this year within the Yamaha presented Round 3 of the Australian Supercross Championship at WIN Stadium. Spots are limited to 20 lucky riders available to YZ65 owners, plus Yamaha will also offer a few wildcard entries for non YZ65 owners to experience what it’s like to be part of the bLU cRU, it’s a money-can’t-buy experience.”

Troy Bayliss Events are committed to ensuring the future looks bright for Supercross in Australia, with further Championship junior classes to be announced in the coming weeks for the 2019 Australian Supercross Series.

Round 3 of the Australian Supercross Championship takes place at WIN Stadium, Wollongong on Saturday November 9, with tickets available now via Ticketmaster.com.au

YZ65 owners can register via the following link:  https://yma.bike/YZ65CupSX1. Wildcard (non YZ65 owners) can register via the following link:  https://yma.bike/YZ65CupSXWC

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Action aplenty at Australian Classic Dirt Track Championship

The Broadford circuit in Victoria last weekend hosted the Shannons 2019 Australian Classic Dirt Track Championship and by all accounts the racing was close and hard fought all weekend – see results below:

Australian Championship classes

Pre 75 Slider 263+
1st 26 Jody Mason
2nd 30 Brett Glover
3rd 101 Mark Herfoss
Australian Classic Dirt Track Championship Jody Mason ACDTD
Jody Mason – 2019 Australian Classic Dirt Track Championship – Image by Colin Rosewarne
Evolution Super Seniors 70+ All Powers
1st 13 Greg McLean
2nd 118 Bill Mitchell
Australian Classic Dirt Track Championship Greg McLean ACDTD
Greg McLean – 2019 Australian Classic Dirt Track Championship – Image by Colin Rosewarne
Evolution 16-29 years All Powers
1st 121 Aaron Stevens
2nd 257 Billy Ricardo
3rd 44 Doug Hayden
Pre 75 up to 125cc
1st 123 Ray Stevens
2nd 18 Jake Mitchell
3rd 2 Grant Dodd
Australian Classic Dirt Track Championship Ray Stevens ACDTC
Ray Stevens – 2019 Australian Classic Dirt Track Championship – Image by Colin Rosewarne
Pre 70 263+
1st 6 David Gras
2nd 71 Adam Constable
3rd 17 Steve Constable
Australian Classic Dirt Track Championship David Gras ACDTC
David Gras – 2019 Australian Classic Dirt Track Championship – Image by Colin Rosewarne
Pre 75 Solo 263+
1st 101 Mark Herfoss
2nd 16 Damien Bombardiere
3rd 26 Jody Mason
Australian Classic Dirt Track Championship David Herfoss ACDTC
David Herfoss – 2019 Australian Classic Dirt Track Championship – Image by Colin Rosewarne
Evolution Womens All Powers
1st 89 Tayla Street
2nd 58 Brook Lonie
3rd 38 Janet Kelly
Australian Classic Dirt Track Championship Brooke Lonie battling Tayla Street
Taylor Street and Brooke Lonie – 2019 Australian Classic Dirt Track Championship – Image by Colin Rosewarne
Pre 75 50-59 yearrs All Powers
1st 101 Mark Herfoss
2nd 216 Graeme Judd
3rd 123 Ray Stevens
Australian Classic Dirt Track Championship David Herfoss ACDTC
Mark Herfoss – 2019 Australian Classic Dirt Track Championship – Image by Colin Rosewarne
Evolution 50-59 years All Powers
1st 123 Ray Stevens
2nd 216 Graeme Judd
3rd 90 Simon Hampton
Pre 75 Solo 250cc
1st 382 Brad Burns
2nd 667 Luke Wilesmith
3rd 33 Rob Hayden
Australian Classic Dirt Track Championship Unbeatable Brad Burns ACDTC
Brad Burns – 2019 Australian Classic Dirt Track Championship – Image by Colin Rosewarne
Evolution Solo 263+
1st 382 Brad Burns
2nd 121 Aaron Stevens
3rd 24 Chas Hern
Evolution Solo 250cc
1st 382 Brad Burns
2nd 44 Doug Hayden
3rd 2 Grant Dodd
Pre 75 263+
1st 257 Billy Ricardo
2nd 123 Ray Stevens
3rd 216 Graeme Judd
Australian Classic Dirt Track Championship Billy Ricardo ACDTC
Billy Ricardo – 2019 Australian Classic Dirt Track Championship – Image by Colin Rosewarne
Pre 78 250 Solo
1st 22 Brendan McCowat
2nd 667 Luke Wilesmith
3rd 90 Simon Hampton

Support Classes

Pre 75 60years + All Powers
1st 33 Rob Hayden
2nd 6 Peter Lee
3rd 9 John Selva
Australian Classic Dirt Track Championship Rob Hayden ACDTC
Rob Hayden – 2019 Australian Classic Dirt Track Championship – Image by Colin Rosewarne
Pre 75 Slider up to 250cc
1st 7 Reece Crimeen
2nd 30 Brett Glover
3rd 68 Rick Wason
Australian Classic Dirt Track Championship Reece Crimeen ACDTC
Reece Crimeen – 2019 Australian Classic Dirt Track Championship – Image by Colin Rosewarne
Pre 60 Solo All Powers
1st 118 Bill Mitchell
2nd 51 Graham Anderson
Australian Classic Dirt Track Championship Bill Mitchell and Graham Anderson duked it out all weekend ACDTC
Bill Mitchell Graham Anderson – 2019 Australian Classic Dirt Track Championship – Image by Colin Rosewarne
Pre 78 Super Seniors & Evolution 60years + All Powers
1st 33 Rob Hayden
2nd 52 Peter Lee
3rd 171 Kevin Brown
Pre 75 16-39 Years All Powers
1st 382 Brad Burns
2nd 18 Jake Mitchell
3rd 2 Grant Dodd
Pre 65 Solo 250cc & 263cc+ & Pre 70 Solo 250cc
1st 9 John Selva
2nd 116 Kevin Dunque
3rd 76 Mark Birkett
Australian Classic Dirt Track Championship John Selva ACDTC
John Silva – 2019 Australian Classic Dirt Track Championship – Image by Colin Rosewarne
Pre 75 40-49 years All Powers
1st 16 Damien Bombardiere
2nd 181 Ross Watson
3rd 36 Paul Neighbour
Australian Classic Dirt Track Championship Damien Bombardiere beautiful and quick Norton ACDTC
Damien Bomardiere – 2019 Australian Classic Dirt Track Championship – Image by Colin Rosewarne
Pre 78 & Evolution Solo up to 125cc
1st 2 Grant Dodd
2nd 258 Nick Smith
3rd 38 James Hayden
Battle of the Twins
1st 6 David Gras
2nd 650 Chas Hern
3rd 66 Dean Ross

Tayla Street creates Classic Dirt Track history

History was made in motorcycle racing at Broadford last weekend with the inaugural Women’s Classic Dirt Track Championship and there were eight hard charging females on hand on a myriad of different machinery.

Australian Classic Dirt Track Championship Womens Line up
2019 Australian Dirt Track Championship – Image by Colin Rosewarne

When the dust settled it was the talented Tayla Street on a fire breathing 1980 Suzuki RM250 who earned the title ahead of Brooke Lonie (DT400) and Janet Kelly (TT500) – see full results below:

Australian Classic Dirt Track Championship Tayla Street Championship Winner
Tayla Street – 2019 Australian Dirt Track Championship – Image by Colin Rosewarne
  1. Tayla Street – RM250 – 122p
  2. Brooke Lonie – DT400 – 113p
  3. Janet Kelly – TT500 – 96p
  4. Laura Saxon – IT250 – 94p
  5. Abbey Wason – Bultaco Astro – 70p
  6. Nicole Thompson – DT250 – 62p
  7. Carina Peschel – DT400 – 60p
  8. Denise Widjaja – DT250 – 58p
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Source: MCNews.com.au

Tim Gajser & Jorge Prado dominate MXGP of Russia

MXGP 2019

Round 8 – MXGP of Russia, Orlyonok


The 2019 MXGP of Russia saw warm Orlyonok weather on a tricky track that demanded the most out of even the world’s best with Tim Gajser and Jorge Prado solidifying their MXGP and MX2 standings, as both now hold the Championship leader’s red plates after another weekend at the top step of the podium.

MXGP Rnd Russia Gajser bybavo
Tim Gajser – MXGP of Russia 2019

In MX2 in Race 1 Mitch Evans led the Aussies with a fifth place result, while Jed Beaton came home 12th, with Dylan Walsh 17th. Race 2 saw a turn-around with Jed Beaton seventh, while Mitch Evans was 10th and Dylan Walsh 13th. This left Mitch Evans fifth overall for the round and Jed Beaton tenth. In the overall standings Evans holds sixth, while Beaton is 14th. Walsh is 17th.

The weekend’s warm weather and blue skies was matched by the blue water of the Black Sea and warm welcome of Russia’s motocross fans. The picturesque location of the venue and the beautiful Russian community of spectators combined with the unexpected results made for an unforgettable weekend of racing.


MXGP

Following yesterday’s qualifying results Romain Febvre lined up to the gate in pole position and when the gate dropped for today’s Race 1 the Frenchman scored his second Fox Holeshot of the year. Team HRC’s Tim Gajser shot past the #461 almost immediately after they crossed the chalk and was into the lead as the opening lap kicked off.

MXGP Rnd Russia Jeffrey Herlings RA
MXGP Start – MXGP of Russia 2019 – Image by Ray Archer

Clement Desalle got into second with a pass on Febvre along with Arnaud Tonus. The #84 KTM Factory Racing machine of Jeffrey Herlings was in fifth while Antonio Cairoli was way back outside the top 15.

Evgeny Bobryshev lost control of his Kawasaki on the main downhill section on the opening lap and crashed hard ending not only the race but his home GP. Tonus gained a spot as Desalle fell in a corner while Tonus’ teammate, Gautier Paulin, crashed out of the top ten damaging his front causing him to fall again before making his way into Pit Lane and eventually the paddock.

MXGP Rnd Russia Romain Febvre
Romain Febvre – MXGP of Russia 2019

Herlings then found himself in fourth after the fall of Desalle with Pauls Jonass and Jeremy Seewer applying pressure. Seewer first passed Jonass but then Desalle surged past both Jonass and Seewer to take over fifth.

Alessandro Lupino had a big crash and was unable to continue while fellow Italian and his friend Antonio Cairoli was stuck in 15th for 12 laps before finally making a pass on Jordi Tixier. Desalle was ejected from his bike at the end of pitlane straight with only four laps to go and was unable to rejoin the racing. Seewer took over the fourth spot while Gajser took the race win ahead of Tonus, Febvre, and Herlings. Cairoli gained two more spots in the closing laps to finish 12th.

MXGP Rnd Russia Tony Cairoli RA
Tony Cairoli – MXGP of Russia 2019 – Image by Ray Archer

The second and final race of the MXGP weekend started with a season first holeshot for Glenn Coldenhoff with Gajser and Tixier just behind. Tonus was quick to move past Tixier along with Seewer. Seewer’s teammate Febvre fell in the early portion of the race from 7th costing him 6 positions with his former 7th place spot going to Cairoli.

Jonass passed Julien Lieber to get into the top 5 behind his former MX2 rival Seewer. On lap 7 Jonass lost his top five spot to Lieber as Cairoli also went by into 6th before making it past Lieber the next lap, at the same Gajser finally made his way around Coldenhoff for the lead.

MXGP Rnd France Pauls Jonass
Pauls Jonass – MXGP of Russia 2019

Coldenhoff lost the 2nd spot to Tonus immediately before losing a handful of other spots in the following laps to Seewer, Cairoli, Lieber, Jonass, Herlings, Paulin, and Febvre. Tonus then closed in right to the back wheel of Gajser and made an attempt to take the lead but clipped a trackside haybale and fell instead.

The fall of Tonus didn’t lose him any positions, only time to Gajser that he could not recover. At the finish Gajser took his 3rd MXGP Overall in 3 rounds via double race wins, the MXGP Championship leader’s red plate, and the first ever Russian Overall GP victory for Honda.

MXGP Rnd Russia Jeremy Seewer
Jeremy Seewer – MXGP of Russia 2019

Tonus took second overall with his 2-2 finishes and Seewer scored his career first MXGP podium overall, best MXGP race finish, and put not only the second Yamaha on the podium but also joined his Swiss compatriot Tonus to make history as the first time two Swiss riders have stood on the podium in the premier category of the FIM Motocross World Championship.

Tim Gajser

“I’m feeling really good about this weekend. It wasn’t easy out there, as both motos were tough because Arnaud (Tonus) was really fast and he was always behind me pushing hard. The first race I held him off all race, and then in the second race it was the same again but with 10 minutes to go he made a mistake and that gave me the gap I needed to control the race and take the victory. The track wasn’t so bumpy but it was still tough because it was so hard and it was easy to make a mistake. Overall I’m happy, and a huge thanks to everyone at Honda, as the CRF450RW is amazing and let’s hope we can continue this run of form. Three races ago I was 40 points behind in the championship and now I have the red plate so I’m really happy about these past few weeks have gone and although it’s still early in the season and there is plenty of races ahead of us, it’s still a great feeling and I can’t wait to see the red plate on my bike in Latvia.”

MXGP Rnd Russia Tim Gajser
Tim Gajser – MXGP of Russia 2019
Arnaud Tonus

“It wasn’t easy to fight for the lead. I was happy I had some good starts so at the beginning I was already close to Tim. There were not too many opportunities to pass on this track, so I came close, and I went for it, but I ended up making a small mistake. I am happy I tried and was able to recover and still finished second. I am still super thankful to be up here on the podium three times in a row.”

MXGP Rnd Russia Arnaud Tonus
Arnaud Tonus – MXGP of Russia 2019
Jeremy Seewer

“It’s amazing to make it onto the MXGP podium. It feels like it is much harder to get here, much harder that even some of my MX2 wins. It is a lot of work to get here, there are a lot of fast guys and especially on a track like we had today where there are a lot of guys riding a similar speed. I feel like it takes time to move from the 250cc to the 450cc and to get comfortable on the bike, but in the past few weeks I have been feeling good. My crew on the Yamaha Factory team have done an amazing job, and I owe a big thanks to them for making it happen. It feels like we are moving in a really good direction.”

MXGP Rnd Russia Jeremy Seewer
Jeremy Seewer – MXGP of Russia 2019
Jeffrey Herlings

“I had a serious injury and it has been tough to get back here, mentally and physically, and with a lot of pain for a long time. I did not expect this result here today especially on this track. So to be close to the podium again feels pretty beautiful. I like the track in Latvia but I don’t have any firm expectations and I will not forget where I have come from to get to this point. Having said that we’ll always try to fight for a podium spot when we can!”

MXGP Rnd Russia Jeffrey Herlings RA
Jeffrey Herlings – MXGP of Russia 2019
Romain Febvre

“The weekend was good. Yesterday was really good to win the Qualifying Race. Last week I could not ride because I was really sick. I was lucky to feel better when I got here. In the first race I got the holeshot but I made some mistakes. I got back to third, but I hit my ankle and felt some pain, so I just secured third. In the second race I crashed and then stalled the bike and lost a lot of positions. I came back to nine, so the speed was good, but two mistakes on this type of track, I could not do better.”

MXGP Rnd Russia Romain Febvre
Romain Febvre – MXGP of Russia 2019
Pauls Jonass

“I was looking forward to coming here to Russia because I won a couple times in MX2, so I have good memories. I felt good on the track all weekend, my speed was where I wanted it to be. The track is super-fast and slick and hard to make a lot of time up, so when everyone is pushing hard it’s easy for mistakes to happen. I guess I tried to be aggressive but sensible at the start of both races. I didn’t get the best of starts, but they weren’t bad either. I made some good, quick passes and was pleased to be running in fifth for several laps in the opening moto. But I felt like the second moto was better – I kept fighting to finish sixth, which was a great way to end the GP.”

MXGP Rnd Russia Pauls Jonass
Pauls Jonass – MXGP of Russia 2019
Tony Cairoli

“A very difficult weekend and of course the crash from yesterday did not help as it meant I was totally on the outside for the gate pick. I was riding very stiff and by missing the start it is almost impossible to make a good result on this track; everybody is riding at a similar speed. We lost the red plate but the positive is that I’m not badly injured, and we saw some big crashes today. We walk away a bit banged-up but we will re-group and look to Latvia, which is a nice track, and to regain some points.”

MXGP Rnd Russia Tony Cairoli RA
Tony Cairoli – MXGP of Russia 2019 – Image by Ray Archer
Arminas Jasikonis

“Not the GP I was hoping for at all and I wasn’t riding like I can or should have been. I don’t know why but I couldn’t find a good rhythm with the track, which meant that I was riding too hard, being too physical, in both races. Because I was riding too physically, I really felt the heat in the second moto. I gave my all but not at all what I wanted, but racing can be like this sometimes. We move on to the next GP and look to do better.”

MXGP Rnd Russia Arminas Jasikonis
Arminas Jasikonis – MXGP of Russia 2019

MXGP of Russia – MXGP Results

MXGP Rnd Russia HRC Gajser bybavo
Tim Gajser celebrates the win – MXGP of Russia 2019

Source: MCNews.com.au

Moto Wrap | AMA MX | MXGP | EMX | TrialGP | WJMX

Moto News Wrap for May 28, 2019 by Darren Smart

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The LATEST News

  • Tomac and Cianciarulo storm Pala AMA Motocross
  • Varize Beats RV at Pala 125 All-Star
  • Gajser and Prado Win MXGP in France
  • Rubini and Guyon Take French EMX Wins
  • Noble Beats Ballard at A3VE
  • Bou Wins TrialGP World Championship in Italy
  • Reed, Carmichael and Savatgy Set for AUS-X
  • RIP Ron Sun
  • Holcombe with Beta until 2021
  • AMA EnduroCross Championship Cancelled
  • 2020 World Junior Motocross to Greece
  • Herlings Back on his KTM

Tomac and Cianciarulo Storm Pala AMA Motocross

California’s Pala Raceway hosted the second round of the AMA Motocross Championship last Saturday, and under perfect weather conditions it was the Kawasaki riders in Eli Tomac and Adam Cianciarulo who won the 450 and 250 classes respectively on a day where the racing was red hot!

AMA Pro MX Rnd FoxRaceway Tomac JK MX Pala
Eli Tomac – AMA MX 2019 Round 2 – Fox Raceway

450 Report

The pace at Pala was hot at the pointy end of the 450 class and half way through the opening moto it looked like Roczen was going to repeat his Hangtown performance with a runaway opening moto win. But as Tomac started pressing forward from his fourth place he brought Marvin Musquin and Jason Anderson closer to the rear wheel of Roczen.

In the end there was no denying Tomac with the defending champion passing Anderson, Musquin then Roczen to take the lead and win ahead of Roczen. Roczen didn’t have much room back to Musquin, Anderson, Zach Osborne and Cooper Webb while Dean Ferris put in a solid tenth place ride, while the ride of the race has to go to Todd Waters who went from 37th to 16th.

AMA Pro MX Rnd FoxRaceway Musquin JK MX Pala
Marvin Musquin – AMA MX 2019 Round 2 – Fox Raceway

Moto two saw Justin Bogle and Musquin out front ahead of Tomac, Anderson, Roczen and Osborne but it wasn’t long before Musquin and Tomac opened up a small gap over Anderson Roczen and Osborne while Ferris and Waters were well outside the top ten.

Tomac pushed hard around a quickly deteriorating track to finally get by Musquin for the lead just as Anderson lost two positions to Roczen and Osborne. That is how they finish with Webb coming home in sixth once again while Waters got the better of Ferris this time with the Aussies coming home 11th and 13th respectively.

AMA Pro MX Rnd FoxRaceway Anderson JK MX Pala
Jason Anderson – AMA MX 2019 Round 2 – Fox Raceway

Tomac will take the red plate to Freestone next weekend with a 4-point break over Roczen who in turn has a 15-point gap back to Musquin while Ferris sits a credible eighth in the points and Waters is on 32 points, tied with Justin Hill and Frederik Noren for 12th.

Eli Tomac

“Marvin was laying down a really good pace in the second moto. We were just going but after the half way mark I was on a charge, put the pressure on, got on the outside of him and got some good momentum, I was really happy with my riding, once I got out front I kept riding loose, hit may marks and my lines, all up a solid day.”

AMA Pro MX Rnd FoxRaceway Tomac JK MX Pala
Eli Tomac – AMA MX 2019 Round 2 – Fox Raceway

Marvin Musquin

“It’s good, I am glad that I am landing on the podium, we had a rough week (Note: Marv was sore after a big crash the week before at Hangtown and only rode once during the week), bit I feel I was back to myself, feeling pretty good with the bike, my turns were good so overall I am happy.”

AMA Pro MX Rnd FoxRaceway Musquin Tomac JK MX Pala
Marvin Musquin – AMA MX 2019 Round 2 – Fox Raceway
Ken Roczen

“It’s all good, I’ll take a third place here, the track was brutal and I just really wanted to get out of here safe. The other guys rode really good but we fought hard all of the way to the end and I am glad we got on the podium, it’s a long season and I’m looking to better myself every weekend.”

AMA Pro MX Rnd FoxRaceway Roczen JK MX Pala
Ken Roczen – AMA MX 2019 Round 2 – Fox Raceway

Source: MCNews.com.au

Gajser tops MXGP of France | Prado wins MX2 from Geerts

MXGP 2019

Round 7 – Saint Jean d’Angely, France


The French MXGP saw Honda’s Tim Gajser claim a clean sweep to close the gap on championship leader Antonio Cairoli, down to just 10 points, while KTM’s Jorge Prado continued his domination of the MX2 class, but faced strong competition from Jago Geerts, with Thomas Kjer Olsen just a 1-point off the two.

MXGP Rnd France Gajser bybavo
Tim Gajser – MXGP of France, 2019, Round 7

Aussie Mitch Evans also put in a strong showing in MX2 claiming fourth overall, with a 7-4 result and 32 championship points to his name. This leaves him ranked fifth in the overall MX2 standings. After placing 20th in the MX2 class timed practice Jed Beaton took no further part in the MXGP of France.

MXGP Rnd France Mitch Evans
Mitch Evans – MXGP of France, 2019, Round 7

This also marked the second year in a row the MXGP of France in Saint Jean d’Angely, which was filled with the always enthusiastic French fans to create an amazing atmosphere. Warm weather and sunshine lit the hillside circuit with its deep ruts and challenging conditions. Aside from the traditional high speed racing this weekend also provided some unexpected results and championship shake ups.

MXGP Rnd France Jorge Prado
Jorge Prado – MXGP of France, 2019, Round 7

MXGP Race 1

MXGP Race 1 started with a Fox Holeshot for Arnaud Tonus just ahead of Antonio Cairoli. The top MXGP Qualifier, Tim Gajser, dove to the inside of Cairoli on the first lap to get into second early.

MXGP Rnd France Tony Cairoli
450 Start – MXGP of France, 2019, Round 7

A lap after passing Cairoli the Slovenian made it past Tonus for the lead in almost the exact same spot. Romain Febvre was off to a good start of fourth in his home round and watched as Cairoli made it past Tonus for 2nd.

Tonus’s teammate Gautier Paulin struggled off the start and fell from 11th back to 18th in the third lap. Meanwhile Clement Desalle made his way past Alessandro Lupino and Febvre before making an assertive pass on Jeremy Seewer for 4th.

MXGP Rnd France Desalle GP SL
Clement Desalle – MXGP of France, 2019, Round 7

The pass from Desalle didn’t last though as both Seewer and Febvre were back by before the end of the lap. At the finish it was a dominating win for Gajser ahead of Cairoli who held off the charges of Tonus throughout the race while Seewer, Febvre, and Desalle rounded out the top five.

MXGP Race 1 Top Ten

  1. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), 34:13.037
  2. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:06.617
  3. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, Yamaha), +0:10.299
  4. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Yamaha), +0:28.701
  5. Romain Febvre (FRA, Yamaha), +0:31.735
  6. Clement Desalle (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:35.329
  7. Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, Husqvarna), +0:35.836
  8. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, Kawasaki), +0:48.968
  9. Julien Lieber (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:58.570
  10. Tanel Leok (EST, Husqvarna), +0:59.429.

MXGP Race 2

MXGP Race 2 was off to a dramatic start as Cairoli jumped his gate and Febvre took the Fox Holeshot creating a massive roar from the crowd. As Cairoli charged to catch up with the field Febvre led Tonus, Paulin, and Jeremy Van Horebeek.

MXGP Rnd France Tony Cairoli
Tony Cairoli – MXGP of France, 2019, Round 7

Desalle passed both Van Horebeek and Paulin to quickly get into third while Gajser was closing in from 5th position. Meanwhile the bad luck continued for Cairoli as he went down while 14th only to get up and have his bike punted away by Ivo Monticelli.

Cairoli got back on the bike on 25th and got up to 17th before stalling, losing a spot, and then regaining it all over again. At the front Gajser had made his way past Desalle before banging bars with Tonus to take second and eventually the lead from Febvre.

MXGP Rnd France Desalle GP SL
Clement Desalle – MXGP of France, 2019, Round 7

Gajser pulled away to take his second 1-1 victory in two weeks and his first back to back overall GP win since the MXGP’s of Patagonia Argentina and Leon, Mexico in 2017. Febvre took second in the race ahead of Tonus, Desalle, and Paulin. Tonus’ 3-3 finishes gave him his best ever MXGP overall result of 2nd only one week after his long-awaited return to podium form in Portugal while Febvre’s 5-2 result put him on the podium in front of the home fans.

The 17th place result of Cairoli in race 2 put the points leader 7th overall but dropped his championship lead to only 10 points over Gajser as the series heads to the Black Sea bordering venue of Orlyonok in 2 weeks’ time for the 2019 Patron MXGP of Russia.

MXGP Rnd France Gajser bybavo
Tim Gajser – MXGP of France, 2019, Round 7
Tim Gajser

“I’m really happy how both days went. I was having fun on the track and even though it was rough and sketchy in some places, it was still enjoyable to race on. In the first race, I took a little time to pass the guys in front of me before getting the lead and making a gap to control the race. In the second moto I clipped the gate and almost went over the handlebar off the start but I recovered and near the back it felt like. I made some passes to get near the front and then settled for a couple of laps in third before making a strike to get out front. I’m just really happy how things are going at the moment and I hope to continue this momentum into Russia. I am having fun on the bike and I am enjoying putting in the work with the rest of Team HRC. We have a great environment that is helping me this season and it is such a great feeling to win these races and reward the effort that everyone is putting in.”

MXGP Rnd France Gajser bybavo
Tim Gajser – MXGP of France, 2019, Round 7
Arnaud Tonus

“To be honest I’m not sure what to expect anymore. I was so happy last week, I felt like I was riding good, making some passes, and had some good starts and I was able to do the same this weekend. I’m just going to try to keep going this way.”

MXGP Rnd France Arnaud Tonus
Arnaud Tonus – MXGP of France, 2019, Round 7
Romain Febvre

“It has been a long road, I didn’t have much time on the bike yet and I feel like I can do much better. It is a really good performance for how I feel right now. Coming down to the start line there is so many fans… it is really good, and I am really happy to have my first podium of the year here.”

MXGP Rnd France Romain Febvre
Romain Febvre – MXGP of France, 2019, Round 7
Clement Desalle

“I was a little bit disappointed with the first race; I had moved into fourth position when I made a small mistake in a fast corner; in fact I hit my leg and my knee a few corners before and I made the mistake because I just wasn’t focused enough. I started the second moto with a painful thumb after a stone hit it during the first race, but I got a good start and was third during the first part of the race until Gajser passed me. But fourth was a decent result, even if I just missed the podium for the third weekend in a row! I hope I can recover from my knee this week and be back on the box very soon.”

MXGP Rnd France Desalle GP SL
Clement Desalle – MXGP of France, 2019, Round 7
Julien Lieber

“It was a much better day after the crash behind Paulin yesterday. My neck was sore this morning as I hit the ground with my head pretty hard and today I had pain all day long; it was not an easy day but I never give up and after the first moto I concentrated on my recuperation. I didn’t have a good gate pick after the crash yesterday but the second start was decent in the top ten; I passed a few guys quickly and rode the entire race behind Paulin. Sixth overall in the GP is not so bad, but I know that without the crash yesterday it would have been even better.”

MXGP Rnd France Lieber GP SL
Julien Lieber – MXGP of France, 2019, Round 7
Antonio Cairoli

“It is not the best day but we take positive and that is some points. It felt like the whole weekend was a struggle right from that crash on the first corners of the Qualification Heat and getting run over by some riders. My ankle is not perfect it was pretty sore; this track is very slick and it is easy to put your foot on the ground. From 14th place I chose a good gate in the first moto but not in the second: some were dropping and some not. It seemed I had the last one of the forty to drop! I tried to come back fast through the group and it was going well actually but I crashed again while 11th and got hit again. I restarted and tried to get as many points as I could. We are looking for the next race now. We need to keep focussed. This was not the best race of the season but we learn from the mistakes – I’m still learning at almost 34 years old – and I will try to be on the podium again at the next race.”

MXGP Rnd France Tony Cairoli
Tony Cairoli – MXGP of France, 2019, Round 7

MXGP Race 2 Top Ten

  1. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), 34:00.904
  2. Romain Febvre (FRA, Yamaha), +0:05.375
  3. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, Yamaha), +0:07.314
  4. Clement Desalle (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:19.675
  5. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Yamaha), +0:21.553
  6. Julien Lieber (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:24.454
  7. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), +0:26.435
  8. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Yamaha), +0:27.879
  9. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Honda), +0:53.090
  10. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Yamaha), +0:54.992

MXGP Overall Top Ten

  1. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 50 points
  2. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, YAM), 40
  3. Romain Febvre (FRA, YAM), 38
  4. Clement Desalle (BEL, KAW), 33
  5. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 31
  6. Julien Lieber (BEL, KAW), 27
  7. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 26
  8. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 24
  9. Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, HUS), 24
  10. Gautier Paulin (FRA, YAM), 21
MXGP Rnd France Gajser bybavo
Tim Gajser tops the 450 podium – MXGP of France, 2019, Round 7

MXGP ChampionshipTop Ten

  1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 311 points
  2. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 301
  3. Gautier Paulin (FRA, YAM), 218
  4. Clement Desalle (BEL, KAW), 208
  5. Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, HUS), 190
  6. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 184
  7. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, YAM), 162
  8. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, HON), 156
  9. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 144
  10. Julien Lieber (BEL, KAW), 141

MX2 Race 1

MX2 Racing started off with Jorge Prado taking his eighth Fox Holeshot of 2019 and the lead ahead of Michele Cervellin, Adam Sterry, and Zach Pichon.

MXGP Rnd France Jorge Prado
Jorge Prado leads – MXGP of France, 2019, Round 7

Brian Moreau was in fifth but crashed out of the spot on the first downhill section. Jago Geerts was quick to move into third past Sterry as Pichon faded back.

Geerts made an aggressive pass for second on Cervellin a few laps later and then set his eyes on the lead of Prado. A few positions further back Thomas Kjer Olsen worked his way forward from a poor start and past Sterry for fourth.

MXGP Rnd France STERRY GP PH
Adam Sterry – MXGP of France, 2019, Round 7

Sterry’s teammate Henry Jacobi passed Tom Vialle in sixth but crashed just after and was run over by the Frenchman before getting back up. Jacobi got back going in ninth while Vialle moved forward to take fourth from Cervellin.

Back at the front Geerts had caught Prado and just as they crossed the line to see the 2 lap board Geerts took the lead away from the points leader. Prado tried to respond but was unable to get the Belgian back for the race win. Geerts’ win was not only Prado’s first defeat of 2019 but it was also Geerts’ career first MX2 race win! Olsen came in third with Vialle and Davy Pootjes in fourth and fifth.

MXGP Rnd France Tom Vialle
Tom Vialle – MXGP of France, 2019, Round 7

MX2 Race 1 Top Ten

  1. Jago Geerts (BEL, Yamaha), 34:36.015
  2. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), +0:01.447
  3. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, Husqvarna), +0:33.708
  4. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), +0:45.240
  5. Davy Pootjes (NED, Husqvarna), +0:56.679
  6. Adam Sterry (GBR, Kawasaki), +0:59.098
  7. Mitchell Evans (AUS, Honda), +1:00.865
  8. Henry Jacobi (GER, Kawasaki), +1:08.778
  9. Mathys Boisrame (FRA, Honda), +1:09.938
  10. Darian Sanayei (USA, Kawasaki), +1:17.543

MX2 Race 2

Race 2 was another FOX Holeshot from Prado with Vialle alongside him. Sterry was off to another good start in third with the race 1 winner, Geerts, just behind in fourth. Ben Watson got around his teammate on the first lap along with Sterry and Vialle who crashed out of third.

MXGP Rnd France Jorge Prado
Jorge Prado – MXGP of France, 2019, Round 7

Sterry then had a close call with Geerts as the Belgian jumped past for third. Prado meanwhile grew his lead over Watson before Geerts went around the outside of his teammate and then chipped away at the lead. Tom Vialle fell again to lose even more positions along with Jacobi for the second race in a row.

Geerts also had a small fall which in the end was the advantage Prado needed to comfortably take the tiebreaker race win for the overall. Prado’s win grew his points advantage over Olsen who came in fifth in race 2 for third overall behind Geerts. Honda’s Mitch Evans took fourth overall ahead of Sterry in fifth.

MXGP Rnd France Thomas Kjer Olsen
Thomas Kjer Olsen – MXGP of France, 2019, Round 7
Jorge Prado

“This was a tough one. I had to push both motos. I relaxed a bit in the last laps but I felt everything was under control until I took the wrong rut over the finish line jump in the first race. I charged hard and tried to make a pass on the last lap. I could not make it happen and was a bit frustrated but I came back in the second one and won. It turned out to be a good weekend with more points for the championship and a bigger gap.”

MXGP Rnd France Jorge Prado
Jorge Prado – MXGP of France, 2019, Round 7
Jago Geerts

“It was a really good weekend, in the first race I made the pass for the lead with a couple of laps to go and just had good speed all race to finish first, so I was really happy with that. In the second race I was again getting closer at times, but Jorge was also riding really good and I made a little mistake but still it was a really good weekend second overall and now third in the championship.”

MXGP Rnd France Jago Geerts
Jago Geerts – MXGP of France, 2019, Round 7
Thomas Kjer Olsen

“Apart from the fact that I made things difficult for myself in the second moto it’s been a pretty good GP for me. I’m pleased with how I worked my way forward to get on the podium with my second moto result. The track was good – they ripped it less than previous years, so it was pretty consistent everywhere, just with some tricky ruts. I got a decent start in the first moto and rode a strong race. Third was where my pace was – I wasn’t going to catch the two riders ahead, so third was good. I was pleased with that. I guess the gate bobbled a little in the second moto and I got a horrible start, down in 12th or 13th. I pushed hard after that. I wanted to finish on the podium so I just gave it all I had. I’ll keep working now that we have a weekend without a GP. Russia’s a fun track so I’m looking forward to racing there.”

MXGP Rnd France Thomas Kjer Olsen
Thomas Kjer Olsen – MXGP of France, 2019, Round 7
Mitchell Evans

“I had a great weekend here in France. I felt really good in timed practice and qualified in third, which is the best this year – and then finished fourth in the qualifying race. I struggled with tyre spin on the start-gate in race one, so I had to come from a long way back. I made my way up to seventh in the first moto, but made a lot of passes on the first lap in race two. I tried to get up to third, but couldn’t get it done, so had to settle for fourth. It felt great to be on a French team in France. Even some of the crowd were cheering for me. It felt like a home GP and that was so cool. I’m happy with fourth overall. It was a good weekend. My speed is good and I’m happy with my riding and looking forward to Russia.”

MXGP Rnd France Mitch Evans
Mitch Evans – MXGP of France, 2019, Round 7
Adam Sterry

“Finally I got through the first few laps without someone crashing in front of me! To be honest I never felt comfortable on this track but today I got two good starts; the gate had a strange reaction as it moved slightly before finally dropping but I reacted perfectly and nearly got the holeshot in the second race. Two good starts were the key; I pushed during the first few laps each time and then tried to ride two solid races. I’m very happy with my results; the best MX2 GP of my career. Next weekend we have a Dutch championship race, and we’ll keep improving to be ready for Russia.”

MXGP Rnd France STERRY GP PH
Adam Sterry – MXGP of France, 2019, Round 7

MX2 Race 2 Top Ten

  1. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 34:50.867
  2. Jago Geerts (BEL, Yamaha), +0:02.577
  3. Ben Watson (GBR, Yamaha), +0:07.483
  4. Mitchell Evans (AUS, Honda), +0:18.663
  5. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, Husqvarna), +0:26.028
  6. Adam Sterry (GBR, Kawasaki), +0:31.109
  7. Bas Vaessen (NED, KTM), +0:35.035
  8. Davy Pootjes (NED, Husqvarna), +0:36.741
  9. Maxime Renaux (FRA, Yamaha), +0:37.722
  10. Brian Strubhart Moreau (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:46.144

MX2 Overall Top Ten

  1. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 47 points
  2. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 47
  3. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 36
  4. Mitchell Evans (AUS, HON), 32
  5. Adam Sterry (GBR, KAW), 30
  6. Ben Watson (GBR, YAM), 29
  7. Davy Pootjes (NED, HUS), 29
  8. Bas Vaessen (NED, KTM), 20
  9. Darian Sanayei (USA, KAW), 19
  10. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), 18

MX2 Championship Top Ten

  1. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 297 points
  2. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 283
  3. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 217
  4. Henry Jacobi (GER, KAW), 210
  5. Mitchell Evans (AUS, HON), 187
  6. Ben Watson (GBR, YAM), 184
  7. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), 182
  8. Davy Pootjes (NED, HUS), 157
  9. Adam Sterry (GBR, KAW), 157
  10. Bas Vaessen (NED, KTM), 125

Source: MCNews.com.au

Moto Wrap | MXGP | WESS | Speedway | AFT | SX | X Trial

Moto News Wrap for May 14, 2019 by Darren Smart

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The LATEST News

  • Cairoli & Prado dominate MXGP of Lombardia
  • Kras & Guadagnini win 2-Stroke classes in Lombardia
  • Roman wins WESS of Portugal
  • Great Britain & Australia Bound for Speedway of Nations Final
  • Robinson wins SoCal AFT Half Mile
  • Euro Flat Track kicks off
  • Sipes wins Hawaiian Supercross
  • Ferris and Waters set for Hangtown
  • Broc Tickle back in 2020
  • Manjimup to welcome Clout and Gibbs
  • X Trial Australian Championship returns for 2019
  • Weekly update on our Aussies abroad

Cairoli & Prado dominate MXGP of Lombardia

Mantova in Italy hosted the 5th round of the 2019 FIM Motocross World Championship last weekend with the MXGP of Lombardia being completely dominated by Antonio Cairoli and Jorge Prado in the MXGP and MX2 categories respectively.

MXGP Lombardia Rnd LUPINO GP PH
MXGP took to Lombardia for Round 5

MXGP Report

On a track that was full of sloppy mud it was smooth sailing for Cairoli who recorded the perfect weekend leading 42 laps over the weekend to take wins in the qualifying race on Saturday and both points scoring motos on Sunday for his fourth Matova GP win this time ahead if Pauls Jonass, Gautier Paulin, Clement Desalle, and Glen Coldenhoff.

Antonio Cairoli

“It is very nice to be again in Italy, despite the weather there were a lot of people today, so I am very thankful they keep coming and keep cheering. I am really happy of course, thanks to all the team for their hard work again and I am looking forward to next week in Portugal which is another track that I really like.”

MXGP Lombardia Rnd Tony Cairoli
Antonio Cairoli – MXGP of Lombardia 2019
Pauls Jonass

“It feels really good to be back here and especially with the MXGP guys. It has been a tough winter and a tough few months but it feels really great to be up here. We still need to keep working hard because I’m far off from my best shape but we will keep working and hopefully I can be back on the podium again soon.”

MXGP Lombardia Rnd Pauls Jonass
Pauls Jonass – MXGP of Lombardia 2019
Gautier Paulin

“When the track is really rough like this you can gain a lot of points but you can also lose them. I am pretty happy, after the break we made a big step with the bike, I really feel good. Today wasn’t the result I expected but I am on the box so it is always a pleasure for my team and myself. There will be good GP’s coming and I can’t wait to get behind the gate again.”

MXGP Lombardia Rnd Gautier Paulin
Gautier Paulin – MXGP of Lombardia 2019

MXGP of Mantova 2019 Results

MXGP Race 1

  1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 36:48.024
  2. Pauls Jonass (LAT, Husqvarna), +0:10.064
  3. Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, Husqvarna), +0:21.379
  4. Max Anstie (GBR, KTM), +0:27.299
  5. Clement Desalle (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:39.542
  6. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Yamaha), +0:49.512
  7. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Yamaha), +0:52.425
  8. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), +0:57.535
  9. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), +1:03.646
  10. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +1:10.362

MXGP Race 2

  1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 35:37.572
  2. Brian Bogers (NED, Honda), +0:07.068
  3. Pauls Jonass (LAT, Husqvarna), +0:11.327
  4. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Yamaha), +0:15.790
  5. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), +0:15.887
  6. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:17.780
  7. Clement Desalle (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:47.849
  8. Benoit Paturel (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:51.229
  9. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Yamaha), +0:54.290
  10. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, Yamaha), +1:11.509

MXGP Round Overall

  1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 50 points
  2. Pauls Jonass (LAT, HUS), 42
  3. Gautier Paulin (FRA, YAM), 33
  4. Clement Desalle (BEL, KAW), 30
  5. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 29
  6. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 26
  7. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 26
  8. Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, HUS), 26
  9. Brian Bogers (NED, HON), 23
  10. Benoit Paturel (FRA, KAW), 19

MXGP Standings

  1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 241 points
  2. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 201
  3. Gautier Paulin (FRA, YAM), 175
  4. Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, HUS), 146
  5. Clement Desalle (BEL, KAW), 142
  6. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 124
  7. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, HON), 118
  8. Pauls Jonass (LAT, HUS), 109
  9. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), 100
  10. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 94

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MX2 Report

Prado took his fourth GP win over championship leader Thomas Kjer Olsen, Davey Pootjes and Aussie Mitch Evans but he win from Prado was not enough to take over the red plate from Olsen but the gap now drops from the previous 20 points to only 7.

MXGP Lombardia Rnd Jorge Prado
Jorge Prado – MXGP of Lombardia 2019

Evans rode solid in the tough conditions for 8-6 moto results to now sit eighth in the championship points while Jed Beaton scored a sensational third in the opening moto and was running in sixth in the second moto until a crash put him back to an eventual 17th for seventh overall to now be 12th in the championship points.

Jorge Prado

“It is great to come back, get on the podium, and winning the GP was very important for me, especially for my confidence after a month off. Today it was important to get a good start, I failed at that yesterday but today I got really good starts which were key to the race. It is very tough to not make mistakes, get good starts every time, and don’t crash, I just need to keep concentration to lead.”

MXGP Lombardia Rnd Jorge Prado
Jorge Prado – MXGP of Lombardia 2019
Thomas Kjer Olsen

“Overall it was a great weekend for me, in the first race I had that problem on the start where I was down for a bit, I was pretty far behind but I was able to make up some spots in the first laps and get into to a good position pretty quick I worked into the top ten and even got into 6th. So, after being down it was pretty good for me, I even stopped to change my goggles. Overall I felt like I was riding good this weekend.

MXGP Lombardia Rnd Thomas Kjer Olsen
Thomas Kjer Olsen – MXGP of Lombardia 2019
Davy Pootjes

“It is really good and I am really happy because it has been tough. This podium should have happened maybe 4 years ago but because of crashes, injuries, and some bad luck it didn’t happen. Last winter, together with DIGA Procross, we made a plan, worked really hard, and it payed off. I feel this is the place where I should be and I am not done yet.”

MX2 of Mantova 2019 Results

MX2 Race 1

  1. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 35:18.651
  2. Jago Geerts (BEL, Yamaha), +0:05.836
  3. Jed Beaton (AUS, Husqvarna), +0:26.496
  4. Davy Pootjes (NED, Husqvarna), +0:40.315
  5. Bas Vaessen (NED, KTM), +1:05.236
  6. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, Husqvarna), +1:12.915
  7. Iker Larranaga Olano (ESP, KTM), +1:37.577
  8. Mitchell Evans (AUS, Honda), +1:47.716
  9. Morgan Lesiardo (ITA, KTM), +1:50.638
  10. Richard Sikyna (SVK, KTM), +1:51.878

MX2 Race 2

  1. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 36:52.290
  2. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, Husqvarna), +0:08.779
  3. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), +0:36.069
  4. Davy Pootjes (NED, Husqvarna), +0:52.541
  5. Dylan Walsh (NZL, Husqvarna), +0:58.348
  6. Mitchell Evans (AUS, Honda), +1:01.889
  7. Mathys Boisrame (FRA, Honda), +1:11.299
  8. Maxime Renaux (FRA, Yamaha), +1:13.390
  9. Iker Larranaga Olano (ESP, KTM), +1:17.228
  10. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, Honda), +1:19.630

MX2 Round Overall

  1. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 50 points
  2. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 37
  3. Davy Pootjes (NED, HUS), 36
  4. Mitchell Evans (AUS, HON), 28
  5. Iker Larranaga Olano (ESP, KTM), 26
  6. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 25
  7. Jed Beaton (AUS, HUS), 24
  8. Bas Vaessen (NED, KTM), 22
  9. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), 20
  10. Mathys Boisrame (FRA, HON), 20

MX2 Standings

  1. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 207 points
  2. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 200
  3. Henry Jacobi (GER, KAW), 157
  4. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 150
  5. Ben Watson (GBR, YAM), 145
  6. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), 141
  7. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, HON), 122
  8. Mitchell Evans (AUS, HON), 117
  9. Davy Pootjes (NED, HUS), 112
  10. Adam Sterry (GBR, KAW), 105


Kras & Guadagnini Win 2-Stroke Classes in Lombardia

Europe’s Two-Stroke categories of EMX2T and EMX125 were on hand at Lombardia last weekend with two days of racing action won by Mike Kras (EMX2T) and Mattia Guadagnini (EMX125).

EMX125 Report

Guadagnini’s veteran like performance saw him take both race wins and as a result the overall ahead of Simon Laegenefelder (2-7) and Eddie Jay Wade (12-2) results. Guadagnini’s points lead is now 35 as the class takes one week off before returning alongside the MXGP of France at Saint Jean d’Angely.

MXGP Lombardia EMX action at Lombardia
EMX125 Start

EMX125 Results

EMX125 Race 1 Top Ten

  1. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, Husqvarna), 30:50.128
  2. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, KTM), +0:08.683
  3. Jorgen-Matthias Talviku (EST, Husqvarna), +0:30.702
  4. Mike Gwerder (SUI, KTM), +0:34.854
  5. Alberto Barcella (ITA, KTM), +0:40.152
  6. Kjell Verbruggen (NED, Husqvarna), +0:40.491
  7. Oriol Oliver (ESP, KTM), +0:41.351
  8. Gerard Congost Aguilera (ESP, KTM), +0:42.093
  9. Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), +0:54.743
  10. Raffaele Giuzio (ITA, KTM), +0:59.405.

EMX125 Race 2 Top Ten

  1. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, Husqvarna), 31:07.966
  2. Eddie Jay Wade (GBR, KTM), +0:26.671
  3. Guillem Farres Plaza (ESP, KTM), +0:33.403
  4. Tom Guyon (FRA, KTM), +0:51.148
  5. Oriol Oliver (ESP, KTM), +0:59.091
  6. Kay de Wolf (NED, Husqvarna), +0:59.572
  7. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, KTM), +1:01.762
  8. Kjell Verbruggen (NED, Husqvarna), +1:06.516
  9. Kay Karssemakers (NED, KTM), +1:26.262
  10. Alessandro Facca (ITA, KTM), +1:32.632.

EMX125 Overall Top Ten

  1. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, HUS), 50 points
  2. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, KTM), 36
  3. Eddie Jay Wade (GBR, KTM), 31
  4. Oriol Oliver (ESP, KTM), 30
  5. Guillem Farres Plaza (ESP, KTM), 28
  6. Kjell Verbruggen (NED, HUS), 28
  7. Tom Guyon (FRA, KTM), 25
  8. Mike Gwerder (SUI, KTM), 25
  9. Jorgen-Matthias Talviku (EST, HUS), 22
  10. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 16

EMX125 Championship Top Ten

  1. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, HUS), 143 points
  2. Tom Guyon (FRA, KTM), 108
  3. Jorgen-Matthias Talviku (EST, HUS), 95
  4. Oriol Oliver (ESP, KTM), 91
  5. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 90
  6. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, KTM), 76
  7. Mike Gwerder (SUI, KTM), 73
  8. Guillem Farres Plaza (ESP, KTM), 71
  9. Kjell Verbruggen (NED, HUS), 53
  10. Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), 49

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EMX2T Report

Kras won the opening moto from the Pommie pairing of Todd Kellett and Brad Todd then in the second moto championship leader Brad Anderson took the win from Kras and Erik Williams so Anderson continues to lead the championship by 14 points over Kras.

MXGP Lombardia KRAS takes the win at Lombardia
Mike Kras

EMX2T Results

EMX2T Race 1 Top Ten

  1. Mike Kras (NED, KTM), 30:20.257
  2. Todd Kellett (GBR, Yamaha), +0:04.771
  3. Brad Todd (GBR, Yamaha), +0:12.084
  4. Mario Tamai (ITA, KTM), +0:13.931
  5. Andero Lusbo (EST, Husqvarna), +0:21.327
  6. Youri van t Ende (NED, KTM), +0:26.705
  7. Pier Filippo Bertuzzo (ITA, Yamaha), +0:39.726
  8. Ben Putnam (GBR, Yamaha), +0:43.108
  9. Johannes Klein (AUT, KTM), +0:44.718
  10. Erik Hugyecz (HUN, KTM), +0:45.229

EMX2T Race 2 Top Ten

  1. Brad Anderson (GBR, KTM), 30:21.942
  2. Mike Kras (NED, KTM), +0:31.382
  3. Erik Willems (BEL, Husqvarna), +0:36.552
  4. Brad Todd (GBR, Yamaha), +0:57.783
  5. Vaclav Kovar (CZE, Gas Gas), +1:05.100
  6. Youri van t Ende (NED, KTM), +1:06.501
  7. Emanuele Alberio (ITA, Husqvarna), +1:09.430
  8. Johannes Klein (AUT, KTM), +1:38.804
  9. Marco Paganini (ITA, Husqvarna), +1:47.383
  10. Marco Lolli (ITA, Yamaha), +2:10.543.

EMX2T Overall Top Ten

  1. Mike Kras (NED, KTM), 47 points
  2. Brad Todd (GBR, YAM), 38
  3. Brad Anderson (GBR, KTM), 33
  4. Youri van t Ende (NED, KTM), 30
  5. Erik Willems (BEL, HUS), 26
  6. Mario Tamai (ITA, KTM), 26
  7. Vaclav Kovar (CZE, GAS), 25
  8. Johannes Klein (AUT, KTM), 25
  9. Todd Kellett (GBR, YAM), 25
  10. Andrea Vendruscolo (ITA, YAM), 20

EMX2T Championship Top Ten

  1. Brad Anderson (GBR, KTM), 83 points
  2. Mike Kras (NED, KTM), 69
  3. Vaclav Kovar (CZE, GAS), 67
  4. Todd Kellett (GBR, YAM), 58
  5. Brad Todd (GBR, YAM), 58
  6. Youri van t Ende (NED, KTM), 50
  7. Andero Lusbo (EST, HUS), 46
  8. Andrea Gorini (SMR, YAM), 42
  9. Ben Putnam (GBR, YAM), 39
  10. Marco Lolli (ITA, YAM), 39


Roman Wins WESS of Portugal

Spain’s Mario Roman has claimed victory over Wade Young and Manuel Lettenbichler at round one of the 2019 World Enduro Super Series – the Toyota Porto Extreme XL Lagares, in Portugal.

WESS Rnd Extreme XL Lagares Sat Enduro racing in Porto FM
Extreme XL Lagares – Saturday Urban Enduro

Following two days of action-packed Endurocross and City Prologue racing, the stage was set for Sunday’s Hard Enduro feature race with 300 competitors taking on the two laps of the demanding course.

WESS Rnd Extreme XL Lagares Sun River Atmos FM
Extreme XL Lagares – Sunday

Alfredo Gomez and Taddy Blazusiak led the field away but Lettenbichler soon moved into the lead and opened up a five-minute advantage over Young with Billy Bolt, Jonny Walker, Graham Jarvis and Roman all in tow.

WESS Rnd Extreme XL Lagares Sun Atmos FM
Extreme XL Lagares – Sunday

Heading out for lap two, Lettenbichler was now six minutes clear and looking strong but Roman and Young had other ideas and impressively upped their pace in the deteriorating conditions and it wasn’t long Roman put his Sherco in front and, in charging all the way to the finish, claimed a memorable victory and the opening win of the WESS season. Young finished four minutes behind as runner-up.

Mario Roman

“I feel amazing, it’s so good to get the win, in 2016 I finished about a minute behind Alfredo and then two years in a row I had mechanical issues with my bike, but I always believed in myself and knew I could do it this year. On the first lap I was lying fifth or sixth and I couldn’t see the top two guys, but as the race went on, I started to feel stronger and was able to push 100% and pass the others one-by-one. The track was so much more difficult on the second lap and I knew I would be able to make up time on those tricky sections.”

WESS Rnd Extreme XL Lagares SunMario Roman FM
Mario Roman claims the WESS 2019 Round 1 win at the Extreme XL Lagares
Wade Young

“It feels great to get second today. At one point I was down in sixth and I was lacking some confidence after struggling in one of the rivers – that spent a lot of my energy. I came back strong though and towards the end people were starting to get tired and I was able to dig a little deeper and keep going.”

WESS Rnd Extreme XL Lagares Sat Wade Young FM
Extreme XL Lagares – Wade Young

Jarvis initially looked to have snatched third from Lettenbichler on corrected time, but the German was awarded time he lost on lap one due to a track marking error and finished on the podium. With Jarvis content in fourth, Bolt completed the top five, while Walker rounded out the top six.

Manuel Lettenbichler

“I am so happy with my result and overall I had a really good race,  I didn’t realise at first the gap to the others was so big. I tried to stick to the same pace on the second lap, but Mario and Wade must have been flying. I think they probably pushed each other on the difficult stuff and were able to maintain a good speed when it got really tough. Graham also caught me at a few places, but I was able to stay ahead. I had to stop to move a bridge on the first lap so that cost me some time, but thankfully they have awarded that back to me and I have come away with third. It would have been nice to get the win, especially after leading for over half of the race. But whatever the result, I am happy with my riding and it’s been a good start to this year’s WESS championship.”

WESS Rnd Extreme XL Lagares Sun Manuel Lettenbichler FM
Extreme XL Lagares – Manuel Lettenbichler

The World Enduro Super Series continues with round two, the Trèfle Lozérien AMV in France, next weekend, May 17-19.

Results – Round 1: Toyota Porto Extreme XL Lagares

  1. Mario Roman (Sherco – ESP) 4:01:43.21
  2. Wade Young (Sherco – RSA) 4:05:59.04 +4:15.83
  3. Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM – GER) 4:07:09.68 +5:26.47
  4. Graham Jarvis (Husqvarna – GB) 4:07:16.12 +5:32.91
  5. Billy Bolt (Husqvarna – GB) 4:15:19.68 +13:36.47
  6. Jonny Walker (KTM – GB) 4:29:26.58 +27:43.37
  7. Alfredo Gomez (Husqvarna – ESP) 4:34:51.08 +33:07.87
  8. Taddy Blazusiak (KTM – POL) 4:53:58.02 +52:14.81
  9. Travis Teasdale (KTM – RSA) 5:01:43.91 +1:00:00.70
  10. Jonathan Richardson (Husqvarna – GB) 5:11:22.83 +1:09:39.70

2019 World Enduro Super Series Standings (after round 1)

  1. Mario Roman (Sherco – ESP) 1000 points
  2. Wade Young (Sherco – RSA) 850 pts
  3. Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM – GER) 770 pts
  4. Graham Jarvis (Husqvarna – GBR) 690 pts
  5. Billy Bolt (Husqvarna – GB) 610 pts
  6. Jonny Walker (KTM – GB) 570 pts
  7. Alfredo Gomez (Husqvarna – ESP) 530 pts
  8. Taddy Blazusiak (KTM – POL) 490 pts
  9. Travis Teasdale (KTM – RSA) 460 pts
  10. Jonathan Richardson (Husqvarna – GB) 430 pts
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Great Britain & Australia bound for Speedway of Nations Final

The Monster Energy FIM Speedway of Nations Race Off 2 was held in Manchester last Saturday night and it was England with 26 points who triumphed over Australia and Denmark so all three teams have secured their places at the Finals in Togliatti, Russia on July 20 and 21.

Monster Energy FIM Speedway of Nations Holder Fricke Lidsey ImageHaggisHartman
FIM Speedway of Nations – Image by Haggis Hartman

It was an impressive night for GB as triple world champion Tai Woffinden (12), Craig Cook (8) and Robert Lambert (6) all piled up the points while Australia booked the second automatic qualification berth after finishing level on 22 points with Denmark, but out-ranking their rivals after Chris Holder and Max Fricke finished second and third behind Danish rider Leon Madsen when the teams met in heat 18.

Monster Energy FIM Speedway of Nations Fricke Holder ImageHaggisHartman
Max Fricke and Chris Holder – Image by Haggis Hartman

Holder scored two points from his opening two rides, but hit back with a win and two seconds.

Chris Holder

“It wasn’t too bad. It was a tough night and it’s a tough place here – everybody can be fast here. It’s a big, wide-open track. The bike setup is pretty much everything. My first couple were terrible, but once we got it working well, it got better. Me and Max had a couple of good races. The name of the game was just to get through in the top two. We didn’t want to be in the knock-out heats. We managed to sneak in, so we’re happy with that.”

Monster Energy FIM Speedway of Nations Holder ImageHaggisHartman
Chris Holder – Image by Haggis Hartman

Denmark were forced to beat France in the final knock-out heat to earn their spot in Russia on a night plagued by bad luck.

Niels-Kristian Iversen

“We did it the hard way, it was difficult. We did have some bad luck and it cost us some points. I believe we could have won the meeting if things had gone our way in a few races. But we qualified and that’s the main thing. We really wanted to avoid the knock-out race at the end because you never know what’s going to happen in these races. We felt confident we were going to do it, but it is a little bit nerve-wracking. We had to do it the hard way, but we are through.”

Great Britain, Australia and Denmark are joined in the Finals by hosts Russia as well as Race Off 1 winners Sweden, Poland and Germany.

Monster Energy FIM Speedway of Nations Fricke Holder ImageHaggisHartman
FIM Speedway of Nations – Image by Haggis Hartman

The next World Championships action sees the FIM Speedway Grand Prix series launch with the Boll Warsaw SGP of Poland this Saturday.

Race-Off 2 Results

  • GREAT BRITAIN 26
    • Tai Woffinden 12, Craig Cook 8, Robert Lambert 6.
  • AUSTRALIA 22
    • Chris Holder 9, Max Fricke 12, Jaimon Lidsey 1.
  • DENMARK 22
    • Niels-Kristian Iversen 15, Leon Madsen 5, Frederik Jakobsen 2.
  • FRANCE 16
    • David Bellego 10, Dimitri Berge 6, Gaetan Stella 0.
  • USA 16
    • Austin Novratil 1, Luke Becker 11, Broc Nicol 4.
  • LATVIA 16
    • Andzejs Lebedevs 14, Jevgenijs Kostigovs 2, Olegs Mihailovs 0.
  • FINLAND 8
    • Jesse Mustonen 0, Tero Aarnio 8, Timo Salonen 0.

Robinson Wins SoCal AFT Half Mile

American Flat Track ace Brandon Robinson put together a flawless performance to win last Saturday night’s Vance & Hines So-Cal Half-Mile at the Southern California Fairgrounds in Perris, Calif.

American Flat Track AFT Rnd Perris AFT Twins AXI
AFT Twins – Image by Scott Hunter

Robinson controlled the once stopped and restarted Main Event from race’s opening lap and by taking victory he became the first AFT Twins rider to claim more than one victory in 2019.

Brandon Robinson

“They all feel amazing. It’s great to be up here. Any time you’re on the box is good, but winning… this is what it’s all about. This is what we put in all the hard work for. My team busted their butts. My team owner, Jerry Kennedy, gives us everything we need to win. My crew chief, Brent Armbruster — the guy is amazing. We make a lot of decisions together, but there are some times he bails me out and gets the bike right. Man, he hit the nail on the head again tonight. This one is for my team.”

American Flat Track AFT Rnd Perris AFT Twins Perris AXI
AFT Twins – Image by Scott Hunter

After holding off Sammy Halbert for the first part of the race Robinson took the win by nearly two seconds over championship leader Briar Bauman and Halbert who in turn got the nod over fellow Harley rider Jarod Vanderkooi and defending champion Jared Mees.

American Flat Track AFT Rnd Perris AFT Twins Podium ERV
AFT Twins Podium 1) Robinson, 2) Bauman, 3) Halbert – Image by Scott Hunter

AFT Twins Main Event – So-Cal Half-Mile

  1. Brandon Robinson Indian FTR750 0:21.040
  2. Briar Bauman Indian FTR750 +1.833
  3. Sammy Halbert Harley-Davidson XG750R +3.646
  4. Jarod Vanderkooi Harley-Davidson XG750R +4.031
  5. Jared Mees Indian FTR750 +4.280
  6. Bronson Bauman Indian FTR750 +5.993
  7. Brandon Price Indian FTR750 +9.720
  8. Davis Fisher Indian FTR750 +10.050
  9. Robert Pearson Indian FTR750 +10.622
  10. Larry Pegram Indian FTR750 +12.028

AFT Twins Standings

  1. Briar Bauman 102
  2. Brandon Robinson 89
  3. Jared Mees 78
  4. Jarod Vanderkooi 66
  5. Sammy Halbert 61
  6. Henry Wiles 53
  7. Jeffrey Carver Jr. 51
  8. Larry Pegram 51
  9. Bronson Bauman 50
  10. Robert Pearson 45
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AFT Singles Report

Ryan Wells backed up his first podium of the season at the Arizona Super TT with his first win of the year in a virtual wire-to-wire triumph at the So-Cal Half-Mile ahead of podium first timer Michael Inderbitzin and championship leader Dalton Gauthier

American Flat Track AFT Rnd Perris AFT Singles Ryan Wells AXI
Ryan Wells – AFT Singles – Image by Scott Hunter
Ryan Wells

“TTs have never been my super strong suit so I knew getting a podium (at the Arizona Super TT), we had worked out the bugs that needed to be worked out. The Yamaha was awesome. It was huge for me to come in here and get the win. To lead all 15 laps… it was a long race for me mentally. It felt awesome to lead some laps and come out with the win. I can’t say enough about the whole Estenson racing family. That pit over there is literally a family. The camaraderie is awesome and I couldn’t get a win for a better group.”

American Flat Track AFT Rnd Perris AFT Singles Podium ERV
Ryan Wells topped the AFT Singles podium – Image by Scott Hunter

AFT Singles Main Event – So-Cal Half-Mile

  1. Ryan Wells Yamaha YZ450F 0:21.367
  2. Michael Inderbitzin Honda CRF450R +0.406
  3. Dalton Gauthier Husqvarna FC450 +1.315
  4. Dan Bromley KTM 450 SX-F +2.085
  5. Jesse Janisch +Yamaha YZ450F +2.332

AFT Singles Standings

  1. Dalton Gauthier 96
  2. Jesse Janisch 86
  3. Dan Bromley 73
  4. Mikey Rush 71
  5. Ryan Wells 56

Euro Flat Track Kicks Off

The Indian Motorcycle European Flat Track series, presented by the Dirt Track Riders Association (DTRA), kicked off at the Hells Race, Lelystad Stadium on Sunday May 5. Dirttrack Lelystad in Holland hosted the first ever running during the amazingly popular annual Hells Race meeting.

Indian European Flat Track Championship Rnd Hells RaceOver 150 riders raced classes including Hooligan, Vintage, Pro, Amateur, Newbie and Minibike. The program was action packed with some fantastic racing around Holland’s premier short track venue.

The Hooligan class battle did not disappoint at Hells Race. Racing was fast and tough on the soft light shale surface. The big bikes were hard to handle on the tight and deep short track, and rain during the afternoon made the racing really tricky.

Indian European Flat Track Championship Rnd Hells Race

It was Gary Birtwistle who skilfully lead the final from beginning to end. After a poor start Max Hunt managed to race to a very well deserved second place. Leah Tokelove, who raced superbly in her heats on the Indian Scout took a well-earned third place on the podium, giving the UK first, second and third positions.

Hooligan Class

  1. Gary Birtwistle – UK
  2. Max Hunt – UK
  3. Leah Tokelove – UK
  4. Jonathan Falkman – Sweden
  5. James Smith – UK

All three championship classes provided some amazing action and with riders from nine countries, the event had a truly international feel. The Pro Class was packed with Europe’s top dirt track riders, with a large showing from the UK, coupled with a strong field of other top riders from the Spain, Netherlands, Italy and Poland. The heats provided really tight racing. It was Ferran Sastre who was the only rider to win all his heats and took first pick for the Pro Final.

Indian European Flat Track Championship Rnd Hells RaceSastre had some very strong competition from Maikel Dijkstra who was fresh from training with Moto Anatomy’s Johnny Lewis and was showing some excellent pace on his home track. Both Toby Hales (Greenfield Dirttrack) and Gerard Bailo (Greenfield Dirttrack) flew in from riding Copa Rodi in Spain the day before.

Franc Sala was also racing well and taking heat wins. In the Pro final it was Ferran Sastre who raced with superb skill to win, with Maikel Dijkstra taking a very close second and Sala third giving the Spanish riders a strong presence on the podium.

Indian European Flat Track Championship Rnd Hells RacePro Class

  1. Ferran Sastre – Spain
  2. Maikel Dijkstra – Netherlands
  3. Franc Sala – Spain
  4. Toby Hales – UK
  5. Gerard Bailo – Spain
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The vintage Class had a massive entry with some really close racing on some of Europe’s most beautiful vintage machines. German rider Martin Huning was on fire in all his heats and won the finaI. In second place was DTRA Race Director Anthony Brown who was very strong in all his heats. And in third place was Swiss rider Michel Colaizzi.

Vintage

  1. Martin Huning – Germany
  2. Anthony Brown – UK
  3. Michel Colaizzi – Switzerland
  4. Sean Kelly – UK
  5. Christophe Canitrot – France

Krazy Horse’s Hooligan Team return to continue their UK DTRA flat track championship attack with the Indian Scout at MCN’s Festival of Motorcycling, Peterborough Arena, on May 18th and 19th – Join the event and experience the spectacle of Flat Track racing alongside live demo ride opportunities, see the entire Indian Motorcycle range on display and enjoy all the festival has to offer.

Indian European Flat Track Championship Rnd Hells Race2019 Hooligan Championship Dates

  • May 17/19 – MCN Festival, Peterborough Showground, UK
  • June 15 – El Rollo, Wheels & Waves, ESP – European Championship
  • August 9/10 – DIRTQUAKE, Arlington Stadium, Sussex, UK
  • September 21/22 – Greenfield Oval, Alford, UK – European Championship

Indian European Flat Track Championship Rnd Hells Race


Sipes Wins Hawaiian Supercross

Aloha Stadium hosted the first Supercross event in Hawaii in several years and it was former ISDE winner and multi-talented Ryan Sipes who came away with a surprise win over multi-Australian Supercross Champion Justin Brayton and multi-Arenacross Champion Tyler Bowers.

Ryan Sipes Justin Brayton Tyler Bowers top three Hawaiian Supercross
Ryan Sipes claims the Hawaiin Supercross win from Justin Brayton and Tyler Bowers

The event used a three-moto format and Sipes dominated the overall standings with 1-1-1 moto finishes ahead of Brayton, who finished second overall with 3-2-2 moto scores while Tyler Bowers rounded out the podium with 4-5-4 moto results.

Hawaiian Supercross Results 2019 450SX

  1. Ryan Sipes: 1-1-1
  2. Justin Brayton: 3-2-2
  3. Tyler Bowers: 4-5-4
  4. Mike Alessi: 7-4-3
  5. Austin Politelli: 2-3-12
  6. Ben LaMay: 6-9-6
  7. Josh Hill: 8-8-7
  8. Alex Ray: 11-6-8
  9. Jimmy Decotis: 5-13-11
  10. Kyle Chisholm: 13-7-5
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Broc Tickle Back in 2020

FIM have finally given their verdict on American racer Broc Tickle, who was suspended from the sport due to a report from the WADA accredited laboratory in Cologne indicating an adverse analytical finding of 5-methylhexan-2-amine, a specified substance under Section 6 (Stimulants) of the 2018 FIM Prohibited List, in a urine sample collected from him at the San Diego round of supercross.

Broc Tickle
Broc Tickle in 2018

Tickle had this to say on social media: “Finally got official sentencing from CDI panel and FIM, bummed I won’t be railing some corners this summer in Pro Motocross. I’ll be back 2/10/2020.”


Three Aussies Set for Hangtown

There will be three Aussies at the opening round of the AMA Motocross championship which will be held at Hangtown this weekend with Hunter Lawrence in the 250 class for Geico Honda being joined by Dean Ferris on the Factory Yamaha team and Todd Waters running a privateer Husqvarna.

Hunter Lawrence will be racing the SX East Coast Series
Hunter Lawrence

Moto News reported last week that Waters flew straight to America after winning the 5th round of the Australian MX Nationals at Murray Bridge with friends and family helping to contest the first three rounds of the series on a production FC450 Husqvarna.

Todd Waters

“With a seven-week break in the calendar, I’ve decided the best training I can do is to race, so I’ll head to the US this week with a small entourage of family and friends to line up as a privateer at the first three rounds of the AMA Outdoors.”

R Broadford MX Nationals PQ Todd Waters
Todd Waters

Ferris on the other hand got the call from Yamaha to fill in for the injured Aaron Plessinger with the Monster Energy Yamaha team alongside Justin Barcia.

Dean Ferris

“I’m super excited about this opportunity to race with the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing Team. I’ve won a lot of races on the YZ450F, so it’s a perfect fit for me to start my campaign in America. I’m looking forward to getting the outdoor season rolling in Hangtown next weekend!”

MXN Rnd Murray Bridge Dean Ferris
Dean Ferris

As for Lawrence, the former GP front runner was injured right before the supercross season and has spent the last 17 weeks getting ready for Hangtown to look for the young hard charger to be at the pointy end for the opening round and beyond.

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Manjimup to Welcome Clout and Gibbs

CDR Monster Energy Yamaha Team members Kirk Gibbs and Luke Clout are set to make the trip across the Nullarbor to take on the best in the West at Australia’s most prestigious single motocross event, the Manjimup 15000 on the 1st and 2nd of June. Kirk Gibbs is a past champion of the event and longing to have his name added to the trophy one more time.

Kirk Gibbs

“I have done Manjimup a few times over the years and it is an event that every motocross racer should do. It’s an amazing track to ride that offers challenges in its layout, its terrain and its physical demands. The atmosphere at the venue is also nothing like we experience back on the East Coast. There is always a big crowd on hand that line the entire track and make plenty of noise as they watch the races. They are motocross people who know about the sport and are enthusiastic to cheer on their favourite rider. My shoulder should be good to go and I’m looking forward to heading back to Manjimup and catching up with all the WA fans.”

R Broadford MX Nationals M Kirk Gibbs
Kirk Gibbs

For Luke Clout, 2019 will mark his first appearance at the event and the has the current MX Nationals points leader exciting about the prospect of racing on the famous Manjimup circuit and experience the race for the first time.

Luke Clout

“I have heard so many good things about Manjimup and it’s awesome to know I will finally be taking the trip over to contest the event. Dacka has told me so many stories about his time racing Manjimup and I hope my time there is half as exciting as his. And I’m not sure if I can bare another story about riding a 500cc two stroke on a track rough enough to swallow an ocean-liner. I have seen the track on video and watched some races there and it looks like such a fun track to ride. The schedule looks hectic with six motos during the day but that’s fine with me and I can’t wait to get behind the gate and race Kirk as well as all the WA riders.”

Luke Clout YZF
Luke Clout

X Trial Australian Championship returns for 2019

The 2019 X Trial Australian Championship contenders will compete in Perth and Wollongong in back-to-back weekends kicking off on WA on the 20th of July.

X Trial Australian Championship Preview
X Trial Australian Championship returns for 2019

X Trial features the best eight riders that get an invitation to test themselves through 5 difficult sections each weekends which will offer spectators 3 hours of entertainment.

Eight riders start the qualifying round and four progress to the final, to be crowned the X Trial Australian Champion!

X Trial Australian Championship Preview
X Trial Australian Championship
  • Round 1
    • Perth – Saturday July 20th, HBF Stadium, Mount Claremont WA
    • Gates open at 6pm – Main Event 6:30pm Start
  • Round 2
    • Wollongong – Saturday July 27th, WIN Ent Centre, Wollongong, NSW
    • Gates open at 6pm – Main Event 6:30pm Start
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Weekly Up-Date on Our Aussies Abroad

Jed Beaton – Rockstar Husqvarna

Championship: World MX2 Motocross Championship
Current Standing: 12th after Round 5 of 17
Notes: Jed was on fire at the MXGP of Lombardi in Italy last weekend with a third in the opening moto before crashing out of 6th late in moto two in horrendously wet conditions to finish 17th for 7th overall – Jed has moved from 13th to 12th in the championship points.

MXGP Lombardia Rnd Jed Beaton
Jed Beaton

Mitch Evans – 114 Honda

Championship: World MX2 Motocross Championship
Current Standing: 8th after Round 5 of 17
Notes: Mitch had a solid weekend at the MXGP of Lombardi in Italy last weekend with a 3rd in Saturday’s Qualifying race before going 8-6 on Sunday for 6th outright to maintain his 8th in the championship points – Evans was involved in a first corner crash in the opening moto so to claw his way back to 8th in the conditions shows his talent.

MXGP Lombardia Rnd Mitch Evans
Mitch Evans

Tayla Jones – Rockstar/Husqvarna/Moose Racing/Shaw Wines

Championship: GNCC
Current Standing: 1st after Round 5 of 13
Notes: Tayla won the latest round in Indianapolis on May 5 and has extended her points lead in the WXC class to 11 over second placed Becca Sheets.

GNCC Tayla Jones earned her third WXC win season Photo by Ken Hill
Tayla Jones competing the 2019 GNCC – Image by Ken Hill

Caleb Grothues – SDM Corse Yamaha

Championship: EMX250
Current Standings: 16th after Round 2 of 8
Notes: The former Australian and World Junior Motocross Champion rode well at the opening round but was forced to sit out the second round due to injury but the West Aussie should be back for the next round in France on the 26th of May.

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Hunter Lawrence – Geico Honda

Championship: AMA Motocross Championship
Current Standings: TBA
Notes: Hunter was looking sharp heading into the supercross championship before he crashed right before the opening round so he is now healed and by all accounts 100% ready for the outdoors which kicks off at Hangtown on May 18.

MXoN Lawrence MX JK MXON Cover
Hunter Lawrence – Hoppenworld Image

Jett Lawrence – Geico Honda

Championship: TBA
Current Standings: TBA
Notes: Jett joined the Geico Honda amateur program for 2019 and to date he has raced a handful of events like the Mini-Os etc – as soon as he races and there are results it will be right here.

ADAC Youngsters Cup Jett Lawrence
Jett Lawrence

Tahlia ‘TJ’ O’Hare – KTM DIGA Racing Team

Championship: MXW World Motocross Championship
Current Standings: 13th after Round 1 of 5
Notes: Tahlia’s initiation into the world motocross scene was at the toughest track on the circuit in Valkenswaard but she managed to get through with a solid 13th but look for TJ to move up the points standings at the second round in Portugal on May 19.

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Chad Reed – JGR Suzuki

Championship: AMA Supercross
Current Standing: 15th after Round 17 of 17
Notes: Chad was part of a multi bike crash at Seattle when he was sitting 7th in the championship and after the series was completed the Aussie still ended up 15th in the points – we now hold out hopes that Chad will line up for the AMA Motocross Championships.

AMA SX Rnd Reed JK SX Seattle
Chad Reed – Image by Hoppenworld

Wil Ruprecht – Johansson MPE Yamaha

Championship: EnduroGP – Junior Class
Current Standing: 2nd after Round 2 of 7.
Notes: Wil once again proved his world class riding ability at Valpaços in Portugal last weekend with a 2nd and a 4th over the two days of competition where some of the veterans of the sport declared it one of the toughest events in recent history.

EnduroGP Rnd Wil Ruprecht
Wil Ruprecht (Team Yamaha Johansson MPE) – 2019 EnduroGP Round 1

Meghan Rutledge – Bud Racing Kawasaki

Championship: MXW World Motocross Championship
Current Standings: 8th after Round 1 of 5
Notes: Meghan sat out the World Championships for four years and her first round was marred with some minor mistakes but there was no mistaking her speed so look for Meghan to have a much better round in Portugal on the 19th of May.

MXGP Rnd Netherlands Rutledge
Meghan Rutledge

Josh Strang – Babbitt’s Online/Monster Energy/Kawasaki

Championship: GNCC / AMA Enduro
Current Standing: 6th after Round 5 of 13
Notes: Josh ended the ‘X Factor Whitetails’ at Peru near Indianapolis in a disappointing 13th outright but he still sits 6th overall in the series with 8 rounds remaining.

Kawasaki Team Green Babbitts Online Motorsports
Josh Strang

Mackenzie Tricker – KTM/MEPMX/Fly Racing

Championship: GNCC
Current Standing: 3rd after Round 5 of 13
Notes: Mackenzie ended the ‘X Factor Whitetails’ at Peru near Indianapolis in 9th place which is her poorest performance in years but she still sits third in points with 8 rounds remaining and my bet is still for the former motocross champion to pull off a win this season.

FIM ISDE Vina del Mar Day Mackenzie IMGDarioAgrati
Mackenzie Tricker – Image by Dario Agrati

Max Whale – Weirbach Racing Kawasaki

Championship: AFT Singles
Current Standings: 14th after Round 5 of 18
Notes: Max narrowly missed out on going to the final at the SoCal Half Mile on the 11th of May after scoring 12th in his Semi final so he has dropped to 14th in points but there are still 13 rounds to go.

Max Whale Taree
Max Whale at Taree

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Source: MCNews.com.au

KTM men, young and old, dominate Mantova MXGP

MXGP 2019

Round 5 – Lombardia, Mantova


Round 5 of the 2019 FIM Motocross World Championship arrived in Mantova, Italy over the weekend, with KTM’s domination continuing as Tony Cairoli claimed the MXGP win with a dominant display, leaving Honda and Husqvarna riders Jonass, Jasikonas and Bogers to fight over the remaining podium positions.

In MX2 it was Jorge Prado showing everyone how it’s done claiming both wins and moving to within seven-points of Championship leader Thomas Kjer Olsen. Jed Beaton claimed a podium position in MX2 Race 1, with a consistent Mitch Evans going 8-6 and claiming fourth overall for the round, with Beaton seventh.

The round marked MXGP’s return to the Mantova venue for the first time since the 2016 season, and fans watched on as the world’s best athletes showed their skills on the soggy sand. While the winds of change brought dramatic conditions they also provided epic action in a race where anything was possible.


MXGP

After evening storms the hard and dry surface was nowhere to be found, however Antonio Cairoli let it have no effect on his results starting race one with the Fox Holeshot. Cairoli’s biggest competitor as of late, Tim Gajser had a good jump off the line but lost traction on the front of his Honda heading into turn one which sent him over the bars along with several others.

MXGP Lombardia Rnd Tony Cairoli
Tony Cairoli – MXGP of Lombardia 2019

While Cairoli had the lead from the first turn, fellow Italian Ivo Monticelli and his teammate Max Anstie where in second and third. A mistake from Monticelli saw Anstie go past almost taking both down while Cairoli tipped over just a corner later. The bobble from Cairoli put Anstie on the Sicilian’s rear wheel but quick to regroup the #222 pulled back away.

Gajser’s race one went from bad to worse when he was clipped by another rider midair causing the Slovenian to resample the soil. The strong riding of Monticelli in third was all for nothing when his bike gave out just as Pauls Jonass took the spot halfway through the race.

MXGP Lombardia Rnd Gajser bybavo
Tim Gajser – MXGP of Lombardia 2019

More crashes from Gajser held him to 10th while both Jonass and his teammate Arminas Jasikonis passed Anstie. The first checkered flag then went out with Cairoli taking the win 10 seconds ahead of Jonass, Jasikonis, Anstie, and Clement Desalle who rounded out the top five just ahead of Gautier Paulin.

Race 2 again saw Cairoli with the FOX Holeshot, his seventh of 2019, while Gajser came away clean but behind Cairoli was Paulin and Brian Bogers. Monticelli again had bad luck crashing in turn 2 and pulling out of the race.

MXGP Lombardia Rnd Bogers bybavo
Brian Bogers – MXGP of Lombardia 2019

Not long after Monticelli’s mishap his teammate Max Anstie crashed together with Shaun Simpson. With Anstie also pulling out of the race Glenn Coldenhoff was now the lone Standing Construct rider as he ran in fifth position.

Brian Bogers took over second from Paulin early in the race with Jonass also getting past the #21. Jasikonis, unlike Jonass, was unable to match his strong race 1 result as he fought from 23rd on the first lap up to 15th by the finish.

MXGP Lombardia Rnd Pauls Jonass
Pauls Jonass – MXGP of Lombardia 2019

At the front it was all smooth sailing for Cairoli who recorded the perfect weekend leading 42 laps of the 42 available via 12 laps in Qualifying, 15 in Race 1, and another 15 in Race 2. The domination and double race win scored him the GP overall at Mantova for the fourth time in his career with two in MX2 (2007 & 2008) and two in MXGP (2010 and now 2019).

MXGP Lombardia Rnd Gautier Paulin
Gautier Paulin – MXGP of Lombardia 2019

Taking the best single race result in his MXGP career was Bogers in second while Jonass took third, Paulin took fourth, Coldenhoff fifth, and Gajser sixth. The overall top five was filled out by Jonass taking his first MXGP Podium, Paulin, Desalle, and Coldenhoff.

Antonio Cairoli

“It was very nice to be back in Italy and despite the weather there was a lot of people here today. The race itself went perfectly and we knew the start would be important, especially on a track that was so rutted – it was completely different to what it was yesterday. I’m really happy and thanks to all the team for their great work. It is very early to look at the standings so my focus is to stay in front as long as possible and try not to make a mistake. Hopefully we can be on the podium again next week in Portugal. It is important to be consistent and my goal this season is to always be in the top three. We’ll see how it goes.”

MXGP Lombardia Rnd Tony Cairoli
Tony Cairoli – MXGP of Lombardia 2019
Pauls Jonass

“This weekend has been really great. I think the qualification race, even if I didn’t get the result I hoped for, was really important for me. Getting a good start and running close to the front really gave me a lot of confidence, which I took into today’s racing. Of course, the track was muddy, but I like the mud, so I felt good. I didn’t get perfect starts, but I managed to make some quick passes and avoid making any big mistakes. Getting the runner-up result in the first moto felt so, so good. The track was a little more one-lined in the second moto but again I felt good. I felt like I was a little quicker than Bogers but I got sideways a few times trying to pass him, so I decided not to take any more chances and just settle down. Getting a good overall result is much more important. To finish second overall, to get my first MXGP podium, to be stood on the box with Cairoli, it’s a very special moment for me. I feel like something has clicked in a positive way now with racing a 450. I’m not at 100% yet but I’m feeling a lot more confident and this result gives me a lot of motivation to keep working hard.”

MXGP Lombardia Rnd Pauls Jonass
Pauls Jonass – MXGP of Lombardia 2019
Gautier Paulin

“Today we had a difficult track, but we worked really hard over the last five weeks and made a big step forwards with the bike. I didn’t expect this result, but I am happy to be on the box. I am already looking forward to the next GP in Portugal, I really enjoy the track there so I can’t wait to get back behind the gate.”

MXGP Lombardia Rnd Gautier Paulin
Gautier Paulin – MXGP of Lombardia 2019
Arminas Jasikonis

“This has definitely been a special GP, but it’s not gone like I hoped it would with my result in the second moto. I had one positive race and one where I just focused on survival, if I’m honest. The first race went well, but I was a little too steady possibly. I had a good rhythm going and didn’t make any bad mistakes – it was good to get two Rockstar Energy Husqvarnas inside the top three. Race two was tough. I had to shut off down the start straight and from there things were difficult. I also fell and, well, it was a tough moto. I finished the race, I didn’t pick up any injuries and I’m still fourth in the championship, so things weren’t too bad. My speed in the opening race was good, so I’ll take that into the next GP, in Portugal.”

MXGP Lombardia Rnd Arminas Jasikonis
Arminas Jasikonis – MXGP of Lombardia 2019
Clement Desalle

“When I saw the track this morning I wasn’t so confident as at the moment it’s difficult for me to put my leg on the ground if the bike slides. But it didn’t change my plan; the goal was to do the best I could and I think I achieved that. I had a good gate pick and got some decent starts in both motos. Fifth in the first race was a good result; I didn’t want to crash so I didn’t take any risks. The second moto was similar and I finished sixth for fourth overall. It’s a positive result if you consider that I couldn’t train on the bike for one month. I will continue to work this week physically and maybe get in some riding. This evening I feel some pain in my hands and shoulders but that’s normal after so long off the bike and I know that it will be better next week.”

MXGP Lombardia Rnd DESALLE GP PH
Clement Desalle – MXGP of Lombardia 2019
Tim Gajser

“It was a tough day, after a whole night of raining. The track was a bit sketchy and one-lined and it made the start very important. Unfortunately in the first race I crashed right at the beginning and had to go directly into the pit lane to change my goggles and remove my neck brace. During the race I made a few mistakes because I had to leave the main line to make the passes and this was where the track was very tricky. I was really disappointed to finish 10th and it’s not where I wanted to be. I had a slightly better start in race two, rounding the second bend in around 10th or 12th position. I was able to make a number of quick passes but when I got to behind Coldenhoff, I just couldn’t make the pass. I knew I was faster and I posted the fastest lap of the race but I just couldn’t get around him because of how one-lined the track was. Because of all the roost, I had to throw my goggles away and then it was very difficult. It was a horrible day but that’s sometimes how motocross can be. I will move on from here and head to Portugal extremely motivated to get back to winning ways.”

MXGP Lombardia Rnd Gajser bybavo
Tim Gajser – MXGP of Lombardia 2019
Jeremy Seewer

“Tough conditions today, so considering that, my result was okay. A lot of people have bad races in these conditions and I was able to post two solid results. When you look at it like that, you have to be happy. I was 7th overall in the GP which is two places behind where I want to be, and I moved up to 6th in the championship, but it is not about that right now. I want to do better; I just need to learn to get through the first few turns without being bullied.”

MXGP Lombardia Rnd Jeremy Seewer
Jeremy Seewer – MXGP of Lombardia 2019
Brian Bogers

“My good day actually started last night when it started raining, so that made the track a bit of a mess but I actually quite like these sort of conditions. Overall it wasn’t too bad and definitely not as bad as something like Russia a couple of years back but I knew that I could do well. In the first heat I got a terrible start because I crashed and got stuck under the bike and I couldn’t move until somebody helped me. After that I had to change my goggles and even with that I ended up 20th. It wasn’t the result I wanted so I was very focused for the second race, especially at the start and that helped me turn the first corner in third place. After a couple of laps, the rider in front of me crashed, so I stayed in second place for the rest of the race. My speed was very good, my fitness was good and I’m just really happy with this result. This whole team do a great job, they support me and keep believing in me and I know with their help I can do this on a normal track too. We are still building and this is great step in the process.”

MXGP Lombardia Rnd Bogers bybavo
Brian Bogers – MXGP of Lombardia 2019

MXGP of Mantova 2019 Results

  1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 36:48.024
  2. Pauls Jonass (LAT, Husqvarna), +0:10.064
  3. Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, Husqvarna), +0:21.379
  4. Max Anstie (GBR, KTM), +0:27.299
  5. Clement Desalle (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:39.542
  6. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Yamaha), +0:49.512
  7. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Yamaha), +0:52.425
  8. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), +0:57.535
  9. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), +1:03.646
  10. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +1:10.362

  1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 35:37.572
  2. Brian Bogers (NED, Honda), +0:07.068
  3. Pauls Jonass (LAT, Husqvarna), +0:11.327
  4. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Yamaha), +0:15.790
  5. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), +0:15.887
  6. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:17.780
  7. Clement Desalle (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:47.849
  8. Benoit Paturel (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:51.229
  9. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Yamaha), +0:54.290
  10. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, Yamaha), +1:11.509

  1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 50 points
  2. Pauls Jonass (LAT, HUS), 42
  3. Gautier Paulin (FRA, YAM), 33
  4. Clement Desalle (BEL, KAW), 30
  5. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 29
  6. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 26
  7. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 26
  8. Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, HUS), 26
  9. Brian Bogers (NED, HON), 23
  10. Benoit Paturel (FRA, KAW), 19

  1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 241 points
  2. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 201
  3. Gautier Paulin (FRA, YAM), 175
  4. Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, HUS), 146
  5. Clement Desalle (BEL, KAW), 142
  6. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 124
  7. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, HON), 118
  8. Pauls Jonass (LAT, HUS), 109
  9. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), 100
  10. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 94


MX2

While Cairoli dominated MXGP his young apprentice Jorge Prado took MX2 by storm. Prado took his sixth Fox Holeshot of 2019 to start race one as fellow Red Bull KTM rider Tom Vialle was second.

MXGP Lombardia Rnd Jorge Prado
Jorge Prado – MXGP of Lombardia 2019

Several riders were caught in a first turn pile up however including Calvin Vlaanderen, Henry Jacobi, and Mitch Evans. Michele Cervellin and Jago Geerts were both quick to get past Vialle and take over second and third while Prado led.

Vialle’s race only worsened as he fell and remounted in 18th before losing even more spots. On the contrary it was the red plate holder, Thomas Kjer Olsen, from Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing who improved as the race went on. Olsen was around 23rd on the opening lap but by lap 5 had already made his way up to eighth.

MXGP Lombardia Rnd Mitch Evans
Mitch Evans – MXGP of Lombardia 2019

Cervellin then lost his second position to Geerts and to Jed Beaton before the Italian’s bike came to a halt. Olsen decided to take advantage of his gap and use the new Goggle lane for a fresh set of vision before passing both Iker Larranaga and Maxime Renaux for sixth.

With Olsen back in 6th Prado took the race and gained 10 points in the championship standings while Geerts came across the finish 5.8 seconds later in second ahead of Beaton, Davy Pootjes, and Bas Vaessen.

In race 2 Vialle got the better of Prado for the Fox Holeshot with Pootjes in third. Prado made his way past Vialle before the end of the lap however. Olsen then passed Pootjes to get into third along with Jacobi but Pootjes quickly retook fourth from the German.

MXGP Lombardia Rnd Jorge Prado
Jorge Prado – MXGP of Lombardia 2019

Olsen and Pootjes went on to pass Vialle while Beaton had a hard crash in sixth place. Jacobi’s bike then gave out just like many others as a result of the demanding conditions while Prado took the win ahead of Olsen, Vialle, Pootjes, and Dylan Walsh.

The undefeated overall winner for the fourth time this season was Jorge Prado while Olsen took second and Pootjes achieved his first career podium finish. The win from Prado was not enough to take over the red plate from Olsen but the gap now drops from the previous 20 points to only 7.

MXGP Lombardia Rnd Tom Vialle
Tom Vialle – MXGP of Lombardia 2019
Jorge Prado

“After a month off it was good to come back and get on top of the podium; for the confidence also. I felt really good here from the beginning and it was important to make good starts today: that was the key of the race, as well as staying on two wheels! I enjoyed the second moto a lot. It was really nice to ride that track. It is a place where you need to get the rhythm and let it flow and roll. I could make it happen today. It is very difficult to stay at this level and not make any mistakes and good starts every time: it’s tough. I need to keep concentrating and catch the lead.”

MXGP Lombardia Rnd Jorge Prado
Jorge Prado – MXGP of Lombardia 2019
Thomas Kjer Olsen

“That was a tough GP, especially the first moto. Considering I got caught up in the first corner, as well as needing to make a goggle change, I’m pleased that I was able to work my way back to sixth. It’s never ideal to have so much work to do in a race, but I kept my cool and worked my way forward. I’m pleased with the way I rode. The track was tough, but I kind of enjoyed it. It was tricky in places but not too difficult, having some sand in the terrain meant it wasn’t full-on mud. I felt good in the second moto. A good start helped me a lot. I moved forward a few places and ran second for most of the moto, which I’m pleased with. It’s been a positive weekend and I’m looking forward to Portugal now.”

MXGP Lombardia Rnd Thomas Kjer Olsen
Thomas Kjer Olsen – MXGP of Lombardia 2019
Davy Pootjes

“It is really good and I am really happy because it has been tough. This podium should have happened maybe 4 years ago but because of crashes, injuries, and some bad luck it didn’t happen. Last winter, together with DIGA Procross, we made a plan, worked really hard, and it payed off. I feel this is the place where I should be and I am not done yet.”

Tom Vialle

“A much better second race and a good start. Jorge passed me on the first lap so I decided to follow him and I’m pleased with my feeling on the bike. The track was difficult with long ruts and I had some pain after my crash yesterday but to come back with that result in the second moto was good: I’m happy and a big thanks to all the Red Bull KTM team.”

MXGP Lombardia Rnd Tom Vialle
Tom Vialle – MXGP of Lombardia 2019

MX2 of Mantova 2019 Results

  1. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 35:18.651
  2. Jago Geerts (BEL, Yamaha), +0:05.836
  3. Jed Beaton (AUS, Husqvarna), +0:26.496
  4. Davy Pootjes (NED, Husqvarna), +0:40.315
  5. Bas Vaessen (NED, KTM), +1:05.236
  6. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, Husqvarna), +1:12.915
  7. Iker Larranaga Olano (ESP, KTM), +1:37.577
  8. Mitchell Evans (AUS, Honda), +1:47.716
  9. Morgan Lesiardo (ITA, KTM), +1:50.638
  10. Richard Sikyna (SVK, KTM), +1:51.878

  1. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 36:52.290
  2. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, Husqvarna), +0:08.779
  3. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), +0:36.069
  4. Davy Pootjes (NED, Husqvarna), +0:52.541
  5. Dylan Walsh (NZL, Husqvarna), +0:58.348
  6. Mitchell Evans (AUS, Honda), +1:01.889
  7. Mathys Boisrame (FRA, Honda), +1:11.299
  8. Maxime Renaux (FRA, Yamaha), +1:13.390
  9. Iker Larranaga Olano (ESP, KTM), +1:17.228
  10. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, Honda), +1:19.630

  1. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 50 points
  2. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 37
  3. Davy Pootjes (NED, HUS), 36
  4. Mitchell Evans (AUS, HON), 28
  5. Iker Larranaga Olano (ESP, KTM), 26
  6. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 25
  7. Jed Beaton (AUS, HUS), 24
  8. Bas Vaessen (NED, KTM), 22
  9. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), 20
  10. Mathys Boisrame (FRA, HON), 20

  1. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 207 points
  2. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 200
  3. Henry Jacobi (GER, KAW), 157
  4. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 150
  5. Ben Watson (GBR, YAM), 145
  6. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), 141
  7. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, HON), 122
  8. Mitchell Evans (AUS, HON), 117
  9. Davy Pootjes (NED, HUS), 112
  10. Adam Sterry (GBR, KAW), 105

Source: MCNews.com.au

Moto Wrap | AMA SX | MXGP | EMX | AORC | Enduro

Moto News Wrap for April 9, 2019 by Darren Smart

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The LATEST News

  • Tomac and Davalos win Nashville AMA SX
  • Gasjer and Prado double up at Trentino GP
  • Locals win EMX rounds at Trentino
  • Milner sweeps Dungog AORC – Full Results TBA
  • Smith wins fifth Condo 750
  • Haaker wins SuperEnduro Championship
  • Sam Sunderland wins Abu Dahbi Desert Challenge
  • Adrien Van Beveren wins Merzouga Rally 2019
  • MXGP Calendar Updates
  • AUS-X moves to Melbourne
  • MX Nationals return to Broadford this weekend
  • Metcalfe in doubt for Broadford
  • Monson/Summerhayes earn sidecar double at Gillman

Tomac and Davalos win Nashville AMA SX

Nashville hosted the 14th round of the AMA Supercross Championships last weekend and on a night that saw a series of ups and downs for the green team, it was Kawasaki riders Eli Tomac and Martin Davalos who won the 450SX and 250SX East main events respectively.

AMA Supercross Rnd Tomac Starts JK SX Nashville Cover
Eli Tomac – 2019 AMA Supercross – Nashville Round 14 – Image by Hoppenworld

The first blow for Kawasaki was when 250 East Coast championship leader Austin Faulkner took his traditional practice crash but this time the Pro-Circuit Kawasaki pilot was forced to sit out the night with a knee injury while Eli Tomac was forced to the LCQ after his KX450 ground to a halt while leading his heat race.

Find the full report here: Triumphs and tragedies for Kawasaki men at Nashville SX

450SX Report

Heat race winner Ken Roczen was in a class of his own leading into the main event while championship leader Cooper Webb looked far from convincing during qualifying and his heat.

AMA Supercross Rnd Roczen JK SX Nashville
Ken Roczen – 2019 AMA Supercross – Nashville Round 14 – Image by Hoppenworld

Eli Tomac found his mojo and raced by Wilson, Baggett and Webb to take the lead and just a few laps later Baggett move to second ahead of Webb. Savatgy was carted off the track with what looked like a broken collar bone, while Musquin worked his way through to field in a desperate attempt to salvage points.

It ended up being another 26-lap main event and Tomac took the chequered flag well ahead of Baggett, who had Webb right on his back wheel all of the way to the line.

AMA Supercross Rnd Webb JK SX Nashville
Cooper Webb – 2019 AMA Supercross – Nashville Round 14 – Image by Hoppenworld

Webb now has a 21-point lead over Tomac and Musquin with three rounds remaining so no matter the winners, three top four finishes would hand Webb the championship but there is plenty of mouth-watering racing to come.

Eli Tomac

“It was tough, you can use it (going to the LCQ) to your advantage or not, I actually felt that I kept warm and found some rhythm but it was pretty wild, the truck was a mile away so when we had the mechanical I had to push it all the way back which made it a time crunch (to get back in time for the LCQ) so I just poured it on in the main, got back to our old self and it felt good to do that.”

AMA Supercross Rnd Tomac JK SX Nashville
Eli Tomac – 2019 AMA Supercross – Nashville Round 14 – Image by Hoppenworld

450SX Main Event Results

  1. Eli Tomac
  2. Blake Baggett
  3. Cooper Webb
  4. Dean Wilson
  5. Zach Osborne
  6. Marvin Musquin
  7. Cole Seely
  8. Ken Roczen
  9. Justin Bogle
  10. Tyler Bowers
    …19. Justin Barcia
    …20. Justin Hill
    …21. Joshua Grant
    …22. Joey Savatgy

450SX Points after 14 of 17 Rounds

  1. Cooper Webb – 309
  2. Eli Tomac – 288
  3. Marvin Musquin – 288
  4. Ken Roczen – 267
  5. Blake Baggett – 238
  6. Dean Wilson – 220
  7. Cole Seely – 176
  8. Joey Savatgy – 174
  9. Justin Barcia – 154
  10. Chad Reed – 151
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250 East Coast Report

Chase Sexton and Justin Cooper came into Nashville 26 and 28 points behind Faulkner respectively so this was as good a chance to make up serious ground on the championship leader.

AMA Supercross Rnd Sexton JK SX Nashville
Chase Sexton – 2019 AMA Supercross – Nashville Round 14 – Image by Hoppenworld

Unfortunately for both riders Cooper had a complete brain fade in the second corner to not only dive bomb Sexton but then run the Honda rider so high they locked bikes and fell into each other. While Cooper and Sexton went through the traditional frantic bike pick up scenario Davalos inherited the lead and the eventual win, to do his teammate in Austin Forkner a massive favour.

AMA Supercross Rnd Webb Bogle Tomac Multiple JK SX Nashville
Cooper Webb – 2019 AMA Supercross – Nashville Round 14 – Image by Hoppenworld
Martin Davalos

“I was forced to recover from a myriad of injuries during the off-season and my neck was one of them that I didn’t think would be an issue but I had problems with my arms and hands locking up so I spoke to Mitch and we got a heap of doctors in California to check me out and find solutions, as far as tonight goes the guys made a mistake and I took advantage of it, put myself in the right position and what we did with my neck a week ago definitely calmed my neck a little bit but all up, I am pumped to be here and this is awesome. I am looking for a 450 ride next year, I feel that would suit me better.”

AMA Supercross Rnd Davalos JK SX Nashville
Martin Davalos – 2019 AMA Supercross – Nashville Round 14 – Image by Hoppenworld

250 East Coat Main Event Results

1. Martin Davalos
2. Chase Sexton
3. Justin Cooper
4. Kyle Peters
5. Brandon Hartranft
6. Mitchell Oldenburg
7. Kyle Cunningham
8. Ryan Sipes
9. Mitchell Falk
10. Alex Martin

250 East Coast Points after 7 of 9 Rounds

  1. Austin Forkner – 151
  2. Chase Sexton – 148
  3. Justin Cooper – 144
  4. Martin Davalos – 115
  5. Mitchell Oldenburg – 105
  6. Alex Martin – 105
  7. Brandon Hartranft – 100
  8. Kyle Peters – 98
  9. Kyle Cunningham – 97
  10. Jordon Bailey – 76

250 West Coast Points after 8 of 10 Rounds

  1. Adam Cianciarulo – 182
  2. Dylan Ferrandis – 177
  3. Colt Nichols – 142
  4. RJ Hampshire – 126
  5. Shane Mcelrath – 123
  6. James Decotis – 112
  7. Chris Blose – 111
  8. Cameron Mcadoo – 111
  9. Michael Mosiman – 110
  10. Garrett Marchbanks – 99
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Gasjer and Prado double up at Trentino GP

On one of the most picturesque motocross circuits in the world, Tim Gajser has won a huge battle with championship leader and local Italian hero Antonio Cairoli to win the MXGP of Trentino. Jorge Prado completely dominated the MX2 class to move closer to the championship leader Thomas Kjer Olsen.

MXGP Rnd Trentino SANAYEI
MX2 Start – Trentino MXGP

MXGP Report

Cairoli holeshot the first race with Gajser a few spots back but the Honda rider has definitely found some serious mojo. He moved to the lead a few laps later and over the next 30 minutes he and Cairoli went toe-to-toe with Gajser getting the win by just 1.08 seconds from Cairoli, while third placed Gautier Paulin was almost a minute further back.

MXGP Rnd Trentino Tony Cairoli
Antonio Cairoli

Moto two saw Gajser earn the holeshot but once again it was a war between Cairoli and Gajser with some of the most hard-core racing one will ever see. Finally Cairoli over-committed going into a left hand corner and threw his KTM into the ground allowing Gajser to go through for a well-earned win and GP overall ahead of Cairoli.

Paulin earned another third for third overall and has moved to third in the points while Gajser has narrowed the championship point deficit to Cairoli by six points, to now sit just 16 points with 14 rounds remaining.

Tim Gajser

“It is just unbelievable and it is my first win in more than a year. To be here in Arco is always special, to race in front of so many people, so many fans. Today we had two great races with Tony battling, we were both pushing. I’m just so happy and thankful that we won that overall. The fans, they just push you on because every lap you can hear them cheering for you, it’s just an unbelievable feeling here.”

MXGP Rnd Trentino Gajser bybavo
Tim Gajser
Antonio Cairoli

“The level was very, very high, we were on the limit every lap, pushing and pushing. I did my best lap time in the race faster than the time practice even with the track rougher, so it’s not often that you have this. I was trying to win the GP but Tim was better this time and he won so congratulations to him.”

MXGP Rnd Trentino Antonio Cairoli
Antonio Cairoli
Gautier Paulin

“It’s always great to be on the podium, I’m actually happy about the riding and being on the box at the end of the day, but definitely, Tim and Antonio were faster today. So, we need to improve, we need to step up to the challenge and ride with them, be in that fight because as a racer when you fight for a win like that is unbelievable, it’s nice, it’s fun. The crowd was awesome here in Italy, the fans were crazy and I wasn’t in the battle but I was hearing the crowd from everywhere, actually every corner, so it was kind of special but congrats to these guys today!”

MXGP Rnd Trentino Gautier Paulin
Gautier Paulin

MXGP Race 1 Top Ten

  1. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), 34:13.822
  2. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:01.081
  3. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Yamaha), +0:53.919
  4. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, Yamaha), +1:00.314
  5. Ivo Monticelli (ITA, KTM), +1:03.786
  6. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, Kawasaki), +1:05.635
  7. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), +1:06.887
  8. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Yamaha), +1:07.631
  9. Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, Husqvarna), +1:13.322
  10. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Honda), +1:20.698.

MXGP Race 2 Top Ten

  1. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), 34:11.454
  2. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:24.305
  3. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Yamaha), +0:53.333
  4. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, Yamaha), +0:57.384
  5. Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, Husqvarna), +0:58.712
  6. Ivo Monticelli (ITA, KTM), +1:18.314
  7. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), +1:18.657
  8. Tommy Searle (GBR, Kawasaki), +1:25.075
  9. Brian Bogers (NED, Honda), +1:31.843
  10. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, Kawasaki), +1:36.522.
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MXGP Overall Top Ten

  1. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 50 points
  2. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 44
  3. Gautier Paulin (FRA, YAM), 40
  4. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, YAM), 36
  5. Ivo Monticelli (ITA, KTM), 31
  6. Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, HUS), 28
  7. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, KAW), 26
  8. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), 24
  9. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 21
  10. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 20

MXGP Championship Top Ten

  1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 191 points
  2. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 175
  3. Gautier Paulin (FRA, YAM), 142
  4. Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, HUS), 120
  5. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, HON), 113
  6. Clement Desalle (BEL, KAW), 112
  7. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 98
  8. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), 88
  9. Julien Lieber (BEL, KAW), 79
  10. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, YAM), 71

MX2 Report

Prado’s domination was impressive with the defending champion scoring three holeshots, the Qualifying race win and the two GP race wins all by substantial margins. The hard charging Jago Geerts put together 2-2 moto results to put him on the podium for the second round in a row while young Tom Vialle’s 3-6 took the French rider to the final podium position, his second this season as well.

MXGP Rnd Trentino Jorge Prado
Jorge Prado

Red Plate holder Thomas Kjer Olsen seemed to be a little wild on his way to 5-4 moto results for fifth overall and now holds a 20-point lead over Prado and 23 points over Henri Jacobi, who went 4-5 for sixth overall on the day.

MXGP Rnd Trentino Thomas Olsen
Thomas Kjer Olsen

Mitch Evans battled through the pain of a qualifying race knee injury to finish 7th overall in his first visit to the iconic Italian venue to now sit eighth in the championship and has over a month to heal up before the next round on May the 12th in Mantova for the MXGP of Lombardia.

Jed Beaton is still struggling with the lack of bike time, but battled on to earn 12th and 13th for 12th outright and now sits 13th in the championship.

Jorge Prado

“I love racing here, the fans are just crazy. When you’re on the bike riding just the atmosphere makes you feel comfortable, this is what we like to see. We love to see this atmosphere at the track and when people are cheering during a Grand Prix like this, it is always very nice.”

MXGP Rnd Trentino Jorge Prado
Jorge Prado
Jago Geerts

“It was a really good weekend for me, I had top five starts so that was a really positive and the riding was good, I felt good on track all weekend and ended up second overall. I’m really up with the results…I’ve been working hard at getting better on hard pack tracks.”

MXGP Rnd Trentino Jago Geerts
Jago Geerts
Tom Vialle

“It was a really great weekend, the season so far is going very well. Im having fun, everything is going well in both training and the races so far. It’s not easy as a rookie to deal with the pressure but I’ve had good starts so this gives me the opportunity to stay in front. This weekend again I had two good starts and the opportunity to race at the front for a solid result.”

MXGP Rnd Trentino om Vialle
Tom Vialle
Thomas Kjer-Olsen

“It’s not been the perfect weekend here, but I’m still leading the MX2 championship and I think I showed some good speed. Everyone knows this track is really difficult to pass on and I experienced that in the first moto. The second race was better, but after running third for so many laps it’s tough not getting a top three result. But finishing 5-4 gives me good championship points. I’ll keep working hard during the weeks off to be 100% ready for the next GP.”

MXGP Rnd Trentino Thomas Kjer Olsen
Thomas Kjer Olsen
Mitchell Evans

“I’ve not raced at Trentino before but it’s a cool track. It just took me a while to learn it. I tweeked my knee in the qualifying race and that made it a struggle to come through the pack as it was a little one-line out there. But no excuses, I know what I need to do to improve. For the races, I strapped up my knee and pushed through the pain and got good starts. From 24th in the qualifying race to seventh overall today, I couldn’t be any happier and really pleased with how Sunday went.”

MXGP Rnd Trentino Mitch Evans
Mitchell Evans
Jed Beaton

“I feel like it’s been an ok weekend for me. Things started off a little slow on Saturday and certainly not how I wanted it to go. But Sunday was much better. Two poor starts held me back in both motos though. I felt like my riding was good, but I have to get out the gate better. We have a good break now in the championship, so it gives me plenty of time to keep working and to focus on improving ahead of the re-start of the series.”

MXGP Rnd Trentino Jed Beaton
Jed Beaton

MX2 Race 1 Top Ten

  1. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 35:17.013;
  2. Jago Geerts (BEL, Yamaha), +0:12.125;
  3. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), +0:14.130;
  4. Henry Jacobi (GER, Kawasaki), +0:31.658;
  5. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, Husqvarna), +0:33.302;
  6. Mitchell Evans (AUS, Honda), +0:38.284;
  7. Ben Watson (GBR, Yamaha), +0:39.054;
  8. Adam Sterry (GBR, Kawasaki), +0:44.903;
  9. Michele Cervellin (ITA, Yamaha), +0:47.005;
  10. Bas Vaessen (NED, KTM), +0:50.563.
    …12. Jed Beaton (AUS, HUS).

MX2 Race 2 Top Ten

  1. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 34:49.733;
  2. Jago Geerts (BEL, Yamaha), +0:02.862;
  3. Ben Watson (GBR, Yamaha), +0:06.293;
  4. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, Husqvarna), +0:09.387;
  5. Henry Jacobi (GER, Kawasaki), +0:19.496;
  6. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), +0:21.773;
  7. Mitchell Evans (AUS, Honda), +0:33.318;
  8. Adam Sterry (GBR, Kawasaki), +0:37.485;
  9. Brent Van doninck (BEL, Honda), +0:38.333;
  10. Davy Pootjes (NED, Husqvarna), +0:47.400.
    …13. Jed Beaton (AUS, HUS).
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MX2 Overall Top Ten

  1. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 50 points
  2. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 44
  3. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), 35
  4. Ben Watson (GBR, YAM), 34
  5. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 34
  6. Henry Jacobi (GER, KAW), 34
  7. Mitchell Evans (AUS, HON), 29
  8. Adam Sterry (GBR, KAW), 26
  9. Bas Vaessen (NED, KTM), 21
  10. Michele Cervellin (ITA, YAM), 21 p.
    …12. Jed Beaton 17 p

MX2 Championship Top Ten

  1. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 170 points
  2. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 150
  3. Henry Jacobi (GER, KAW), 147
  4. Ben Watson (GBR, YAM), 129
  5. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 125
  6. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), 121
  7. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, HON), 107
  8. Mitchell Evans (AUS, HON), 89
  9. Adam Sterry (GBR, KAW), 89
  10. Davy Pootjes (NED, HUS), 76
    …13. Jed Beaton 54

Locals win EMX rounds at Trentino

The second rounds of the EMX250 and EMX125 Championship took place at the Trentino circuit where Italy’s own Alberto Forato and Mattia Guadagnini took the respective wins in front of a very vocal crowd.

MXGP Rnd Trentino EMX Start
EMX125 Start – Trentino

Incredibly, last weekend’s two EMX Championships had a combined list of 193 entries so Saturday’s qualifying sessions were split into two groups where only the top 20 of each qualified to line up in the Championship points paying races.

 EMX250 Report

After winning both races at the opening round, Forato carried on his dominant and perfect season to Trentino while Stephen Rubini was next best with two distant second place with Giuseppe  Tropepe taking the final podium spot.

Alberto Forato

“For sure I feel very good because the home GP is always fun. Here there is a lot of fans and a lot of friends came too. I got 1st and 1st so it couldn’t be any better.”

MXGP Rnd Trentino Alberto Forato
Alberto Forato

EMX250 Overall Top Ten

  1. Alberto Forato (ITA, HUS), 50 points
  2. Stephen Rubini (FRA, HON), 44
  3. Giuseppe Tropepe (ITA, YAM), 36
  4. Pierre Goupillon (FRA, HON), 33
  5. Rene Hofer (AUT, KTM), 31
  6. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, KTM), 31
  7. Karlis Sabulis (LAT, KTM), 28
  8. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, YAM), 28
  9. Roan Van De Moosdijk (NED, KAW), 28
  10. Thibault Benistant (FRA, YAM), 18
MXGP Rnd Trentino EMX Podium
Alberto Forato topped the EMX250 Overall Podium from Stephen Rubini and Pierre Goupillion

EMX250 Championship Top Ten

  1. Alberto Forato (ITA, HUS), 100 points
  2. Stephen Rubini (FRA, HON), 80
  3. Pierre Goupillon (FRA, HON), 67
  4. Roan Van De Moosdijk (NED, KAW), 63
  5. Rene Hofer (AUT, KTM), 59
  6. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, YAM), 57
  7. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, KTM), 53
  8. Giuseppe Tropepe (ITA, YAM), 51
  9. Karlis Sabulis (LAT, KTM), 50
  10. Josh Gilbert (GBR, HON), 33

EMX125 Report

Guadagnini basically led every lap on the way to the overall with 1-1 finishes and he extended his points lead in front of the home fans while Tom Guyon and Kay De Wolf rounded out the podium going 2-2 and 3-3 respectively.

Mattia Guadagnini

“It was a perfect weekend, I had two good starts and then took the lead in the first lap. I had a good feeling on the bike and the track plus there are a lot of friends here and to win in Italy is something special, it was so good!”

MXGP Rnd Trentino Mattia Guadagnini
Mattia Guadagnini

EMX125 Overall Top Ten

  1. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, HUS), 50 points
  2. Tom Guyon (FRA, KTM), 44
  3. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 36
  4. Guillem Farres Plaza (ESP, KTM), 33
  5. Jorgen-Matthias Talviku (EST, HUS), 31
  6. Oriol Oliver (ESP, KTM), 27
  7. Alberto Barcella (ITA, KTM), 27
  8. Matias Vesterinen (FIN, KTM), 26
  9. Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), 24
  10. Mike Gwerder (SUI, KTM), 22
MXGP Rnd Trentino EMX Podium
Mattia Guadagnini claimed top EMX125 honours in Trentino, from Tom Guyon and Kay de Wolf

EMX125 Championship Top Ten

  1. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, HUS), 93 points
  2. Tom Guyon (FRA, KTM), 83
  3. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 74
  4. Jorgen-Matthias Talviku (EST, HUS), 73
  5. Oriol Oliver (ESP, KTM), 61
  6. Mike Gwerder (SUI, KTM), 48
  7. Guillem Farres Plaza (ESP, KTM), 43
  8. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, KTM), 40
  9. Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), 37
  10. Alessandro Facca (ITA, KTM), 30
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Milner and Sanders shine at Dungog AORC

The NSW country town of Dungog hosted rounds 3 and 4 of the AORC and despite the Sunday results not being official yet nothing is surer that Daniel Milner and Daniel Sanders were the fastest riders over both days with Milner posting the fastest overall time on Saturday before getting pipped my Sanders on Sunday.

AORC Dungog Daniel Milner Spray
Daniel Milner

Milner dominated the E2 class while Luke Styke got the nod in the E1 class and predictably Daniel Sander won the E3 class.

Motorcycling Australia has announced that Sunday’s results are being tallied manually and will be available as soon as possible.

2019 AORC Round 3 E1 Top 10 Provisional Results

  1. Luke STYKE 42:04.943
  2. Michael DRISCOLL 42:35.031
  3. Fraser HIGLETT 42:39.572
  4. Lyndon SNODGRASS 42:52.364
  5. Jonte REYNDERS 44:05.529

2019 AORC Round 3 E2 Top 10 Provisional Results

  1. Daniel MILNER 40:57.420
  2. Joshua GREEN 41:48.814
  3. Scott KEEGAN 43:20.579
  4. Jeremy CARPENTIER 43:30.164
  5. Broc GRABHAM 43:32.914

2019 AORC Round 3 E3 Top 10 Provisional Results

  1. Daniel SANDERS 41:09.640
  2. Beau RALSTON 44:02.716
  3. Jesse LAWTON 45:33.445
  4. Matt MURRY 46:02.060
  5. Timothy LONSDALE 48:46.117
AORC Dungog Daniel Sanders
Daniel Sanders

2019 AORC Round 3 EJ Top 10 Provisional Results

  1. Kyron BACON 1:03:32.667
  2. Joshua BRIERLEY 1:03:47.912
  3. Korey MCMAHON 1:07:10.894
  4. Riley NANCARROW 1:08:08.863
  5. Nathan HOWE 1:08:18.808

2019 AORC Round 3 J4 Provisional Results

  1. Blake HOLLIS 36:29.379
  2. Mackenzie JOHNSON 38:12.209
  3. Oscar COLLINS 39:27.318
  4. Cody CHITTICK 39:33.392
  5. Kobe CONLEY 39:48.993

2019 AORC Round 3 J3 Provisional Results

  1. Riley MCGILLIVRAY 38:14.406
  2. Kodi STEPHENS 38:52.922
  3. Will DENNETT 40:01.809
  4. Jethro CARRIAGE 42:01.306
  5. Maxwell LIEBEKNECHT 42:20.174
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2019 AORC Round 3 J2 Provisional Results

  1. Billy HARGY 39:33.675
  2. Max PHILLIPS 39:51.370
  3. Jett YARNOLD 40:03.587
  4. Cody KILPATRICK 41:15.609
  5. Campbell HALL 41:26.716
AORC Dungog Jess Gardiner
Jess Gardiner

2019 AORC Round 3 Women’s Top 10 Provisional Results

  1. Jessica GARDINER 49:08.717
  2. Emelie KARLSSON 50:23.125
  3. Emma MILESEVIC 53:09.863
  4. Ebony NIELSEN 54:23.041
  5. Danielle FOOT 54:45.531

2019 AORC Round 3 Masters Top 10 Provisional Results

  1. Kirk HUTTON 46:38.371
  2. Brad WILLISCROFT 46:40.374
  3. Timothy MARTIN 47:55.218
  4. Peter RUDD 50:16.811
  5. Michael WIDDISON 51:46.765

2019 AORC Round 3 Veterans Top 10 Provisional Results

  1. Lee STEPHENS 47:46.798
  2. Scott DUNN 48:17.805
  3. Chris THOMAS 49:19.009
  4. Ben LINDSAY 50:31.995
  5. Paul CHADWICK 51:01.346

Smith wins fifth Condo 750

53 riders hit the small country town of Condoblin, NSW for the 31st running of 750km navigational event known as the Condo 750, and for the fifth time in his career Jacob Smith managed to win the event with an overall time of just under nine hours.

Smith didn’t have it his own way and was sitting third after the opening day behind Lachlan Manwarring, and Sam Davie while Rod Faggotter was not far off the pace in fourth. On the second day Smith and his Husqvarna found form to run away with the fastest time to overtake Manwarring and Davie for the win,with Faggotter maintaining fourth.

Smith wrote this on his FB page

“Stoked to come away with my 5th @condo750 win. Had to work for it but got it by a little over 4 minutes. Huge thanks to everyone that supports me and the team, but a special thanks to the best mechanic in the business @youngcobba wouldn’t be doing without him!!”

Jacob Smith Condo FB page
Jacob Smith – Image from his Facebook page

From all accounts the 31st Condo 750 was once again a huge success with the whole town and local land owners getting behind the event. However one has to ask how it came about that two NSW country towns, Condoblin and Dungog, just six hours from each other, both host national off-road events on the same weekend?!?!


Haaker wins SuperEnduro Championship

Bizkaia Arena in Bilbao, Spain hosted a controversial final round of the Maxxis FIM World SuperEnduro Championship. The round saw Cody Webb celebrating the final moto win and what he thought was the championship win before blowing up when Colton Haaker crossed the finish line in a championship winning third place thanks to his teammate Alfredo Gomez’s disqualifiable actions.

SuperEndur Rnd Bilbao Spain colton haaker
Colton Haaker – Image by Future7Media

There were three finals on the night and here is a recap:

SuperEnduro Final 1

While Webb stormed his way to the front in the opening final, Haaker appeared to have crumbled under the pressure and was dropping valuable positions.

SuperEndur Rnd Bilbao Spain Cody Webb
Cody Webb

He was handed a life line when this first race was red-flagged due to track conditions, but in the restart it was Webb who was a fastest to take the win ahead of Taddy Blazusiak and a thankful Haaker so just 6 points separated Haaker from Webb going into race two.

Heat 1

  1. Cody WEBB
  2. Taddy BLAZUSIAK
  3. Colton HAAKER
  4. Alfredo GOMEZ
  5. Pol TARRES

SuperEnduro Final 2

The second ‘reverse grid’ race saw Haaker ruthlessly slice his way to the lead after just three laps then go on to take the win over Webb and Blazusiak. Heading to the final race of the season Haaker had to finish fourth or better to wrap up the title.

SuperEndur Rnd Bilbao Spain colton haaker
Colton Haaker – Image by Future7Media

Heat 2

  1. Colton HAAKER
  2. Cody WEBB
  3. Taddy BLAZUSIAK
  4. Alfredo GOMEZ
  5. Pol TARRES
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SuperEnduro Final 3

Webb was fastest out of the gate, snatching the holeshot from Blazusiak while Haaker momentarily lost his concentration and made a small mistake in the rock garden. The Husqvarna rider nevertheless managed to maintain good pace and he focused on the title to stay in third. Blazusiak dropped out of the early running after quite obviously trying to hinder Haakers progress on one of the log jumps.

SuperEndur Rnd Bilbao Spain Taddy Blazusiak
Taddy Blazusiak – Image by Future7Media

It all turned to poo for Haaker on the last lap with several crashes seeing the Husky rider drop to fifth place and as Webb crossed the line for the win he could actually see Haaker struggling on the previous straight so it seemed that KTM rider would therefore have enough points to win the 2019 title.

But that is when Alfredo Gomez, the teammate of Haaker, stepped in to not only block pass third placed Pol Terres in the final corner, he basically stopped them both long enough to hand Haaker the two positions for third and the Maxxis FIM SuperEnduro World Championship title.

SuperEndur Rnd Bilbao Spain alfredo gomez
Alfredo Gomez – Image by Future7Media

Webb was obviously infuriated with the outcome and it was little consolation that Gomez was later disqualified for this action. In a final shocking twist, Haaker suffered a huge crash over the finish line and knocked himself out.

Heat 3

  1. Cody WEBB
  2. Taddy BLAZUSIAK
  3. Colton HAAKER
  4. Kevin GALLAS
  5. Pol TARRES

Colton Haaker was therefore crowned 2019 Champion by just 4 points in front of Webb and Blazusiak.

Colton Haaker

“I’m a little bit lost for words right now, it’s been an eventful night but to end it as the world champion is an incredible feeling. I can’t thank the guys at Husqvarna enough for the support they’ve given me, not just tonight but throughout the entire series. This title is very much a team effort as it is mine. Tonight was tough. I’m not quite sure yet what it was but it certainly wasn’t my best night on a bike. The track wasn’t good and I had some serious arm pump issues, which is something I never really get. I made so many mistakes in race one and was riding too tight. Then I got it together in race two and felt more like I should.  It was all on the line for the final and I did what I needed to do on the first few laps. But then the arm pump kicked in again and I stalled my bike so many times. With about a lap to go I got things together again and put everything I had left into that lap and won the title. It wasn’t pretty, but it doesn’t matter, we’re world champions and it feels awesome.”

SuperEndur Rnd Bilbao Spain colton haaker
Colton Haaker claims the 2019 SuperEnduro championship title! Image by Future7Media

Webb was obviously disappointed not to retain his title and felt the championship should have been his after the controversial night.

Cody Webb

“Obviously I’m disappointed with the final championship result tonight, I felt I rode really good out there today and deserved the title. The night started off well with a good time in superpole and then in the restarted first final I took my time, rode smooth and took the win by a good margin. I am kicking myself now for the mistakes I made in the second final, I got caught up in traffic a few times, but still got second – I knew then I would have to really go for it in the last one. I got off the line well in the third final and set about catching Colton. After I got past him, I just stayed smooth and could see he was struggling. I’m happy because I did my best, won that third final and believe the championship should have been mine. It’s a bitter pill to swallow, but I’ll learn from it, and come back even stronger next time.”

SuperEndur Rnd Bilbao Spain Cody Webb Taddy Blazusiak
Cody Webb – Image by Future7Media

Taddy Blazusiak finished the night in third and also concluded the championship in the same position.

Taddy Blazusiak

“This was always going to be a tough one. I am happy with how I rode today and feel I did a good job. My pace over the whole season has been good, there have just been a few instances where luck simply hasn’t been on our side. I have had some amazing events this year, I obviously still have the speed – overall race wins in Hungary and Poland show that. The track here was tight and I feel the championship should be decided on more of a flowing track that lets us really race. But this is SuperEnduro, I know I can still improve in a couple of areas – Superpole for one is something I need to work on. I’ll come back swinging next year for the title, I would love to get a seventh!”

SuperEnduro Round Hungary Taddy Blazusiak
Taddy Blazusiak – SuperEnduro Round 4 – Hungary 2019

Provisional Standing

  1. Colton HAAKER 263pts
  2. Cody WEBB 259pts
  3. Taddy BLAZUSIAK 234pts
  4. Pol TARRES 155pts
  5. Alfredo GOMEZ 145pts.
  6. Diogo VIEIRA 124pts
  7. Blake GUTZEIT 121pts
  8. Kevin GALLAS 119pts
  9. Xavi LEON SOLE 100pts
  10. David LEONOV 74pts
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Sam Sunderland wins Abu Dahbi Desert Challenge

Sam Sunderland has won the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge which was also round one of the 2019 FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship while Luciano Benavides and Jose Ignacio Cornejo rounded out the podium.

Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge Sam Sunderland Luciano Benavides
Sam Sunderland and Luciano Benavides with the KTM Factory Rally Team

Sunderland bookended the event with wins in the first and fifth day to end up with an 8 plus minute gap back to Benavides.

Sam Sunderland

“Things went perfectly today, we knew coming into today’s final stage that we would have to stick to our planned strategy. The stage brought us closer to Abu Dhabi and as such, the tracks towards the end were a lot faster away from the dunes. I knew I would have to push really hard right from the start of the special. I arrived at the refuelling and the team let me know everything was good, so from there it was just a case of bringing it home safely to the finish. I’m really happy with the job done by the team all week and myself in the way I rode. It’s great to get my 2019 championship off to the perfect start with a win.”

Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge Sam Sunderland
Sam Sunderland

The Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge marks Benavides’ maiden podium in an FIM Cross-Country Rallies event.

Luciano Benavides

“It’s been an incredible day for me, I knew I had to push a lot to make up the difference to the guys in front, gain some minutes and take second place. I tried my best to go fast, but stay on the bike and not go too crazy. The bike was feeling super-good so I decided to attack and it worked out, I got second place and the team got the first two places. I am really happy and now it’s time to celebrate.”

Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge Luciano Benavides
Luciano Benavides

Andrew Short placed fifth overall showing impressive speed in the dunes of the Liwa Desert the American overcame several challenges to secure a well-deserved top-five result.

Andrew Short

“This last day has been good for me, I felt really good all day and had a good pace. Just near the end I had a small issue but I was able to quickly get going again and complete the stage. Overall, I have really enjoyed the race here in Abu Dhabi, it’s been a great experience and fun to be here with the crew. I feel my riding has improved here, each rally I do it feels like I move up another level and it’s very important to keep that momentum going. Real race experience is so valuable and it’s good to leave here healthy and even faster. Admittedly, it’s not quite the result I was hoping for but we had to play the cards we were dealt and I think we handled it perfectly. I’m now really looking forward to the next race.”

Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge Andrew Short
Andrew Short

The second round of the 2019 FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship – the Silk Way Rally commences on July 6 in Russia.

Provisional Results Stage Five

  1. Sam Sunderland (GBR), KTM, 2:39:59
  2. Luciano Benavides (ARG), KTM, 2:43:25 +3:26
  3. Joan Barreda (ESP), Honda, 2:46:42 +6:43
  4. Jose Ignacio Cornejo (CHL), Honda, 2:49:40 +9:41
  5. Kevin Benavides (ARG), Honda, 2:53:34 +13:35

Provisional Overall Results – 2019 Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge

  1. Sam Sunderland (GBR), KTM, 17:46:42
  2. Luciano Benavides (ARG), KTM, 17:55:02 +8:20
  3. Jose Ignacio Cornejo (CHL), Honda, 17:56:41 +9:59
  4. Kevin Benavides (ARG), Honda, 18:21:33 +34:51
  5. Andrew Short (USA), Husqvarna, 18:48:22 +1:01:40
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Adrien Van Beveren wins Merzouga Rally 2019

Yamalube Yamaha Rally Team rider Adrien Van Beveren has won the motorcycle class at the five-day Merzouga Rally 2019 ahead of Ross Branch and Oriol Mena.

Merzouga Rally Adrien Van Beveren
Adrien Van Beveren

Focused on using the 10th running of the Merzouga Rally as the start of his preparation towards the 2020 Dakar Rally, Van Beveren’s winning result was valuable navigational experience thanks to several long and challenging stages.

Adrien Van Beveren

“I’ve had a great feeling with my bike throughout the week and I have to say a huge thanks to all the team, who have worked so hard to support me. The Merzouga Rally was all about improving. Improving my navigational skills, and generally starting our preparations ahead of Dakar 2020. We came here focused on improving and I absolutely feel that we did that. The navigation here is very tricky, so to be opening the tracks as much as I did, that gives me a lot of confidence. This is a great team result. Next, we have the Silk Way Rally, but before then there’s more testing and training to do. We keep working…”

Merzouga Rally Adrien Van Beveren
Adrien Van Beveren

Stage 5 Provisional Classification

  1. Adrien Van Beveren (FRA), Yamaha, 55:01
  2. Jamie McCanney (GBR), Yamaha, 55:02 +0:01
  3. Joaquim Rodrigues (PRT), Hero, 55:04 +0:03
  4. Jaume Betriu (ESP), KTM, 55:18 +0:17
  5. Ross Branch (BWA), KTM, 56:40 +1:39
  6. Maurizio Gerini (ITA), Husqvarna, 57:36 +2:35

Provisional Overall Final Classification

  1. Adrien Van Beveren (FRA), Yamaha, 15:28:02
  2. Ross Branch (BWA), KTM, 15:52:39 +24:37
  3. Oriol Mena (ESP), Hero, 16:01:03 +33:01
  4. Joaquim Rodrigues (PRT), Hero, 16:02:23 +34:21
  5. Alessandro Botturi (ITA), Yamaha, 16:15:43 +46:41
  6. Maurizio Gerini (ITA), Husqvarna, 16:23:53 +55:51

MXGP calendar updates

With the 2019 MXGP season well underway Youthstream regretfully announces that the previously anticipated 2019 MXGP of Hong Kong scheduled to take place on the 22nd of September has been cancelled so the revised calendar will now see the MXGP of China in Shanghai as the final stop of the now 18-round FIM Motocross World Championship season.

The cancellation comes as a request by the organizer who is eager to refocus on holding an MXGP in March 2020. Due to the timing of the cancellation no replacement will be made giving riders and teams an additional week prior to racing the final event of 2019, the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations.

The updated 2019 Calendar can be viewed below:

MXGP Calendar Update
Updated 2019 MXGP Calendar
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AUS-X moves to Melbourne

November 30 will see the AUS-X Open and all that it encapsulates run under the roof of Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium in what is set to be the largest international Supercross and action sports event ever seen in Australia, with Supercross, Freestyle Motocross, live music, pyrotechnics and non-stop entertainment.

Melbournes Marvel Stadium will host AUS X
AUS-X moves to Melbourne in 2019

AUS-X Open Chairman – Tony Cochrane (Founder of V8 Supercars), states a move to Melbourne will open up a world of opportunity as this exciting event looks to expand and build on its already popular foundations.

Tony Cochrane

“Since its inception, the AUS-X Open has grown from strength-to-strength to a point where we’ve found ourselves in the fortunate situation of needing to expand to cater for the growing appetite of Supercross racing and more broader sports fans across the country. The AUS-X Open Melbourne will be bigger, faster, louder, featuring more entertainment and greater accessibility to these international megastars than ever before, and I can’t wait for November 30 to showcase this amazing spectacle to the people of Melbourne. It really has to be seen to be believed.”

The AUS-X Open is now part of a partnership with the Victorian Government via its tourism and major events agency, ‘Visit Victoria’ and it has the full support of the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events, Martin Pakula.

Martin Pakula

“Victoria is unmatched as the sporting and event capital of Australia and we’re so excited to bring the AUS-X Open to a world-class venue like Marvel Stadium,” said Mr Pakula. “Melbourne’s sporting calendar continues to be the envy of cities across Australia and around the world. We’re thrilled to add AUS-X Open to the list, this November.”

As we have come to expect, the Monster Energy AUS-X Open Melbourne will double as the Grand Final round to the 2019 Australian Supercross Championship and Peter Doyle, the CEO for the sanctioning body for Supercross racing, Motorcycling Australia (MA) had this to say of the move.

Peter Doyle

“The Australian Supercross Championship is Australia’s premiere off-road motorcycle racing Championship. To have the grand finale here in Melbourne, at an incredible event like the AUS-X Open, is a huge positive for the sport and fans alike.”

Marvel Stadium will host AUS X on November

Tickets start from $39.99*. For more information and the exclusive opportunity to sign-up to access tickets during the pre-sale before they’re on sale to the public, you must ensure you sign up to an exclusive Pre-Sale ticketing opportunity at www.ausxopen.com.

Pre-Sale tickets will be available from May 15 via Ticketmaster.com.au and stay tuned to @SXOpenSupercross on social media for further announcements.


MX Nationals return to Broadford this weekend

With the Victorian State Motorcycle Complex in Broadford hosting the third round of the Pirelli MX Nationals this weekend the local communities will benefit from an estimated $350,000 coming into the region. A myriad of businesses are set to host and serve not only the hundreds of racers converging on the region but also the thousands of spectators.

mx nationals coolum rnd saturday amateur cup line up ImageScottya
MX Nationals head to Broadford – Image by ScottYa

On top of the MX1, MX2 and MXD championship classes and the Rising Star Rookies, there will also be a demonstration in between races to highlight the new Enduro-X track. This will feature world class riders in Chucky Sanders and Daniel Milner on hand doing double duties as they also race the MX Nationals.

MX Nationals Series Promoter Kevin Williams today explained that the venue is well equipped to welcome thousands of motocross fans and the track will be prepared to a world class standard.

Kevin Williams

“With Broadford again hosting a national event of this size it is sure to keep venue on the radar, and provides the sport in the area with fantastic national exposure, riders and teams alike are excited to see the new revamped track after Josh Proctor from Pro Traxx has rebuilt the track to GP spec,” shared Williams

The Broadford layout is very spectator friendly with a plethora of great viewing areas but if you are unable to make it to the track itself you can watch all the action live for free at http://www.nrgtv.com.au

To stay up to date with all this MX Nationals simply go https://www.mxnationals.com.au or follow the series and the riders on instagram @mxnationals

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Metcalfe in doubt for Broadford

After a tough weekend at the Wonthaggi round of the MX Nationals, Penrite Honda Racing’s Brett Metcalfe has sustained several injuries which has left the veteran battling the clock to be ready to line up at Broadford, Victoria on April 14, which is the third round of the 10-round series.

Brett Metcalfe

“My sole goal is to line up at Broadford, brave the pain and get as many points as we can to stay in the Championship. The biggest concern right now is the spiral fracture I have in my finger. I will head back to the clinic next Monday and we will make a decision following the second round of results.”

MX Nationals Rnd Wonthaggi MX Brett Metcalfe
Brett Metcalfe

Metcalfe felt he was on track for a top three finish at Wonthaggi.

“Qualifying was good, I made a few changes in practice and I knew I could run a strong pace during the races. I felt fast but it was hard to pass, I lost a lot of time throughout the race being stuck behind riders as the track was very one lined. In the end, I settled for 5th and I was able to make up 18 seconds on the winner so we certainly had great pace. I felt the changes we made were perfect for the conditions. The bike felt amazing during the siting lap and I believed we could race for the win, so I am really bummed but that is motocross, anything can and usually does happen. No matter what, we will come back and win races.”

MX Nationals Rnd Wonthaggi MX Brett Metcalfe
Brett Metcalfe

Monson/Summerhayes earn sidecar double at Gillman

After winning all but one race on their local track, Warren Monson and Andrew Summerhayes have spectacularly won the 2019 FIM Speedway Sidecar 1000cc World Cup and 2019 FIM Oceania Speedway Sidecar Championship over two nights of action at Gillman Speedway.

The FIM Speedway Sidecar 1000cc World Cup final saw the Mark Plaisted/Ben Pitt fly to the fastest lap, but that wasn’t good enough to best Monson/Summerhayes while defending champion Darrin Treloar and Blake Cox earned third ahead of Shane Rudloff and Scott Morris.

On the very next night the final of FIM Oceania Speedway Sidecar Championship required six restarts and two exclusions to finally leave Monson/Summerhayes and Cohen/Egan to battle it out, with Monson/Summerhayes on top once again to leave them FIM Oceania Speedway Sidecar champions as well as World Cup winners.

Monson was thrilled to add the FIM Oceania Speedway Sidecar Championship to his trophy collection from the weekend.

Warren Monson

“Just as happy as last night! It was very hard for us tonight, the track was very hard to read, and we just had to push through it. I don’t think I’ve ever been in a final that had that many restarts! But we came through on top, so we’ve got to be happy with that.”

A double FIM World Cup and FIM Oceania Championship winner (2017 and 2019), Monson remarked after the event that he’d only ever won four events at Gillman Speedway – his two World Cups and two Oceania Championships. “I can’t even win a club night at Gillman!” he laughed.

Defending champion Darrin Treloar had a day to forget, after finishing third, second and first in his first three heats he was struck with mechanical issues and took no further part in the event.

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Source: MCNews.com.au

Honda’s Tim Gajser breaks KTM’s unbeaten streak in MXGP

2019 MXGP – Round 4, Trentino

Tim Gajser claims the MXGP win 1-1

Jorge Prado dominates MX2

Mitch Evans goes 6-7 in MX2 – Jed Beaton 12-13


The MXGP of Trentino proved the closest fought racing of the 2019 season thus far, as Tim Gajser claimed the MXGP overall with a duet of wins, while and Jorge Prado took the win in MX2 to close in on class leader Thomas Kjer Olsen.

MXGP Rnd Trentino Gajser bybavo
Tim Gajser celebrated the round win after taking both MXGP race wins

Trentino hosts perhaps the most tranquil and serene circuit in the world, but the action was intense with all out battles. The venue set along Italy’s snowcapped dolomites filled with tens of thousands of fans all cheering with enthusiasm for what are the best motocross racers in the world.

As the first sessions hit the track and the stars of MXGP took to Trentino the crowd came to life. The majority of the fans cheering were for Italian motocross hero Antonio Cairoli but Cairoli’s main competitor, Tim Gajser had his own fans who made the trip from neighboring Slovenia cheering just as passionately.

MXGP Rnd Trentino Gajser bybavo
Tim Gajser

There was also a very strong showing from Australian Mitch Evans in the MX2, where he claimed a consistent 6-7 result and 29 championship points. That moves him into eighth on the overall standings after four rounds.

Mitchell Evans

“I’ve not raced at Trentino before but it’s a cool track. It just took me a while to learn it. I tweeked my knee in the qualifying race and that made it a struggle to come through the pack as it was a little one-line out there. But no excuses, I know what I need to do to improve. For the races, I strapped up my knee and pushed through the pain and got good starts. From 24th in the qualifying race to seventh overall today, I couldn’t be any happier and really pleased with how Sunday went.”

MXGP Rnd Trentino Mitch Evans
Mitchell Evans

Fellow Aussie Jed Beaton took a 12-13 result and 17-points, and he now sits 13th in the overall standings.

Jed Beaton – P12

“I feel like it’s been an ok weekend for me. Things started off a little slow on Saturday and certainly not how I wanted it to go. But Sunday was much better. Two poor starts held me back in both motos though. I felt like my riding was good, but I have to get out the gate better. We have a good break now in the championship, so it gives me plenty of time to keep working and to focus on improving ahead of the re-start of the series.

MXGP Rnd Trentino Jed Beaton
Jed Beaton

MXGP

When MXGP Race 1 got underway Cairoli took the Fox Holeshot and lead but Gajser was in around 5th. Cairoli’s fellow Italians, Alessandro Lupino, and Ivo Monticelli were 2nd and 3rd ahead of Gautier Paulin.

MXGP Rnd Trentino Tony Cairoli
Antonio Cairoli

Gajser was quick to make moves taking 4th from Paulin in turn 3 then he took 3rd from Monticelli in the next turn before getting past Lupino for second in the first half of the opening lap. Gajser’s high tempo put him just behind Cairoli where he latched on and eyed the lines of the Sicilian.

Monticelli meanwhile took 3rd from Lupino who dropped another spot to Paulin not along after. Paulin then worked his way past Monticelli to get into 3rd but Cairoli and Gajser were already long gone.

MXGP Rnd Trentino Gautier Paulin
Gautier Paulin

Cairoli held the gap to Gajser at about 2 seconds for multiple laps but Gajser closed in as the laps ticked away and dropped the gap to within 1 second to apply pressure to the 9-time world champion.

On the 16th lap of 19 a bobble from Cairoli was all that Gajser need to take the lead away right in front of the Slovenian fans who cheered at the top of their lungs. Cairoli tried to retaliate quickly but a confident scrub and look from Gajser kept the Sicilian at bay.

MXGP Rnd Trentino Tim Gajser
Tim Gajser

In the remaining three laps Cairoli continued to push to get Gajser back but it didn’t work and the Slovenian crossed the line only 1.081 seconds ahead much to the pleasure of not only himself but, also the corner lined with his fans! Paulin took 3rd another 53 seconds further back of the leaders with Arnaud Tonus 4th and Monticelli 5th.

Race 2 was off to a good start for Gajser taking his first Fox Holeshot of the year. Cairoli was close in 2nd with the two Wilvo bikes of Paulin and Tonus again 3rd and 4th. Tommy Searle was in 5th a short moment before losing spots to Max Anstie, who didn’t finish race 1 and Ivo Monticelli.

MXGP Rnd Trentino Antonio Cairoli Tim Gajser
Antonio Cairoli & Tim Gajser

All eyes were on the two at the front with Gajser creating a slight gap only to be taken back away by Cairoli. On the ninth lap a miscue from Gajser saw the #222 of Cairoli go past along Pit Lane and across the finish line.

With the Italian crowd on their feet Cairoli tried to pull away from the Slovenian but Gajser wasn’t having any of it as he took the lead back 5 laps later in the same spot which he had lost the position earlier.

MXGP Rnd Trentino Gautier Paulin
Gautier Paulin

With 2 laps to go Cairoli returned the favor again in front of pitlane to the Italian fans roar and the teams nervous yet enthusiastic looks. Two mistakes from Cairoli would however decide the race as the pair pushed the limits of both each other and their factory race machines. Cairoli’s first mistake took him out of the preferred line and the next only a few meters later resulted in him losing the bike and lead.

Cairoli got back up but Gajser was in the clear leading the final two laps to the win, his first since Leon, Mexico in 2017. Gajser’s emotion excitement and pure joy were unmistakable as he dropped his bike and ran thank the Slovenian fans lining the fences for the support. Cairoli finished 24 seconds later and congratulated Gajser as the headed to the podium joined by Paulin in third.

MXGP Rnd Trentino Tim Gajser
Tim Gajser

The amazing racing and perfect weekend capped off by winning at Trentino for only the second time in his career, the first was actually his first ever MX2 win back in 2015, left both Gajser and Team HRC ecstatic.

Tim Gajser

“It is just unbelievable and it is my first win in more than a year. To be here in Arco is always special, to race in front of so many people, so many fans. Today we had two great races with Tony battling, we were both pushing. I’m just so happy and thankful that we won that overall. The fans, they just push you on because every lap you can hear them cheering for you, it’s just an unbelievable feeling here.”

MXGP Rnd Trentino Gajser bybavo
Tim Gajser
Antonio Cairoli

“It is a positive weekend overall but I’m not happy with my second moto because I took a risk and crashed when I should have had the GP. A crash is always possible in motocross but we should take care not to get injured and it was close today. I’m disappointed by that but I’m happy to make the podium again: that’s four this season with three wins and a second place so it is difficult to be negative about how it has gone.”

MXGP Rnd Trentino Tony Cairoli
Antonio Cairoli
Gautier Paulin

“It’s always great to be on the podium, I’m actually happy about the riding and being on the box at the end of the day, but definitely, Tim and Antonio were faster today. So, we need to improve, we need to step up to the challenge and ride with them, be in that fight because as a racer when you fight for a win like that is unbelievable, it’s nice, it’s fun. The crowd was awesome here in Italy, the fans were crazy and I wasn’t in the battle but I was hearing the crowd from everywhere, actually every corner, so it was kind of special but congrats to these guys today!”

MXGP Rnd Trentino Gautier Paulin
Gautier Paulin
Arnaud Tonus – P4

“It’s hard to explain how I feel after the struggle I have been faced with over the last week. It’s pretty unbelievable. I am so happy I was able to fight through it and find some inside strength. I didn’t tell anyone I was unwell because I didn’t want it to affect me mentally. 4 – 4 this weekend is absolutely amazing after the struggle, so I am just very thankful to the team who have stuck behind me through my hardest times, so I can not thank them enough. It has given me a lot of motivation going into the next races.”

MXGP Rnd Trentino Arnaud Tonus
Arnaud Tonus

MXGP Race 1 Top Ten

  1. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), 34:13.822
  2. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:01.081
  3. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Yamaha), +0:53.919
  4. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, Yamaha), +1:00.314
  5. Ivo Monticelli (ITA, KTM), +1:03.786
  6. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, Kawasaki), +1:05.635
  7. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), +1:06.887
  8. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Yamaha), +1:07.631
  9. Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, Husqvarna), +1:13.322
  10. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Honda), +1:20.698.

MXGP Race 2 Top Ten

  1. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), 34:11.454
  2. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:24.305
  3. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Yamaha), +0:53.333
  4. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, Yamaha), +0:57.384
  5. Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, Husqvarna), +0:58.712
  6. Ivo Monticelli (ITA, KTM), +1:18.314
  7. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), +1:18.657
  8. Tommy Searle (GBR, Kawasaki), +1:25.075
  9. Brian Bogers (NED, Honda), +1:31.843
  10. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, Kawasaki), +1:36.522.
MXGP Rnd Trentino HRC Arco bybavo
MXGP Overall Podium – 1) Tim Gajser, 2) Antonio Cairoli, 3) Gautier Paulin

MXGP Overall Top Ten

  1. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 50 points
  2. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 44
  3. Gautier Paulin (FRA, YAM), 40
  4. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, YAM), 36
  5. Ivo Monticelli (ITA, KTM), 31
  6. Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, HUS), 28
  7. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, KAW), 26
  8. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), 24
  9. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 21
  10. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 20

MXGP Championship Top Ten

  1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 191 points
  2. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 175
  3. Gautier Paulin (FRA, YAM), 142
  4. Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, HUS), 120
  5. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, HON), 113
  6. Clement Desalle (BEL, KAW), 112
  7. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 98
  8. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), 88
  9. Julien Lieber (BEL, KAW), 79
  10. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, YAM), 71

MX2

Even though the MXGP class hosted many of the fan favorites the atmosphere for the MX2 races was just as electric. MX2 racing started off with Jorge Prado taking his 4th Fox Holeshot of the year and leading Darian Sanayei. Prado’s rookie teammate Tom Vialle was 3rd followed by Iker Larranaga and Jago Geerts.

MXGP Rnd Trentino SANAYEI
MX2 Start – Trentino MXGP

Thomas Kjer Olsen was in 5th position before he fell on the first laps then and had work his way back into the lead group. Sanayei faded quickly as he continues his battle with Epstein Barr virus.

Henry Jacobi got past Larranaga in the first half of the race and the Spaniard continued to lose spots as the action went on including one to Olsen who then took back the 5th position he fell out of earlier from Mitch Evans.

MXGP Rnd Trentino Mitch Evans
Mitchell Evans

Prado was long gone in the lead and took the race win by over 12 seconds while Geerts made a last lap pass into second for the second weekend in a row. Vialle came across the checkers in 3rd followed by Jacobi, Olsen, and Evans.

MX2 Race 2 was off to another picture-perfect Prado performance with the Fox Holeshot, now his 5th of 2019, and 19 laps in the lead. The racing behind Prado was intense though after a first turn pileup.

MXGP Rnd Trentino Jorge Prado
Jorge Prado

Vialle again was 2nd at the start of the race and had Jacobi along with BUD Racing Kawasaki’s Brian Moreau right in tow. Geerts was in 6th at the beginning but passed Olsen and got into 4th a few laps in.

MXGP Rnd Trentino Tom Vialle
Tom Vialle

Henry Jacobi made a mistake and dropped from 3rd to 6th which put Geerts in the position to pass Vialle we he did at the halfway point. Olsen also made it by the young Frenchman to get into 3rd. Ben Watson got into 4th then put a last lap pass on Olsen to finish 3rd.

MXGP Rnd Trentino Thomas Olsen
Thomas Kjer Olsen still retains the MX2 lead

Prado’s domination was impressive taking the Qualifying win yesterday, the two race wins today and the overall, all by substantial margin. Geerts’ 2-2 put him on the podium for the second round in a row while Vialle’s 3-6 took the final podium position, his second this season as well.

Jorge Prado

“Three years racing in MX2 here and three victories: there must be something at this track for me! I felt comfortable and we have been training hard after the time-off with the injury and a bit more riding time. I was happy coming here. The qualification heat gave me confidence and two very good starts today was really important on this track because it is tough to pass. Good riding and a good result. I’ll just try to keep on doing what I’m doing and avoid the mistakes.”

MXGP Rnd Trentino Jorge Prado Tom Vialle
Jorde Prado
Jago Geerts

“It was a really good weekend for me, I had top five starts so that was a really positive and the riding was good, I felt good on track all weekend and ended up second overall. I’m really up with the results…I’ve been working hard at getting better on hard pack tracks.”

MXGP Rnd Trentino Jago Geerts
Jago Geerts
Tom Vialle

“A second podium in four GPs is unbelievable. When they called me to come in after the finish line I thought they had made a mistake! I was a bit disappointed a few moments before because I thought I’d lost it. I was so happy to learn I was third and was actually happy with my riding the whole weekend considering this was my first visit to this circuit. I love trying new tracks and new ground and it played into my favour today.”

MXGP Rnd Trentino Tom Vialle
Tom Vialle
Thomas Kjer-Olsen – P5

“It’s not been the perfect weekend here, but I’m still leading the MX2 championship and I think I showed some good speed. Everyone knows this track is really difficult to pass on and I experienced that in the first moto. The second race was better, but after running third for so many laps it’s tough not getting a top three result. But finishing 5-4 gives me good championship points. I’ll keep working hard during the weeks off to be 100% ready for the next GP.”

MXGP Rnd Trentino Thomas Kjer Olsen
Thomas Kjer Olsen

Finishing 12th overall Jed Beaton placed just outside the top 10 in each moto in 12th and 13th following less than perfect starts.

MX2 Race 1 Top Ten

  1. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 35:17.013
  2. Jago Geerts (BEL, Yamaha), +0:12.125
  3. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), +0:14.130
  4. Henry Jacobi (GER, Kawasaki), +0:31.658
  5. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, Husqvarna), +0:33.302
  6. Mitchell Evans (AUS, Honda), +0:38.284
  7. Ben Watson (GBR, Yamaha), +0:39.054
  8. Adam Sterry (GBR, Kawasaki), +0:44.903
  9. Michele Cervellin (ITA, Yamaha), +0:47.005
  10. Bas Vaessen (NED, KTM), +0:50.563

MX2 Race 2 Top Ten

  1. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 34:49.733
  2. Jago Geerts (BEL, Yamaha), +0:02.862
  3. Ben Watson (GBR, Yamaha), +0:06.293
  4. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, Husqvarna), +0:09.387
  5. Henry Jacobi (GER, Kawasaki), +0:19.496
  6. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), +0:21.773
  7. Mitchell Evans (AUS, Honda), +0:33.318
  8. Adam Sterry (GBR, Kawasaki), +0:37.485
  9. Brent Van doninck (BEL, Honda), +0:38.333
  10. Davy Pootjes (NED, Husqvarna), +0:47.400.
MXGP Rnd Trentino Jorge Prado
Jorde Prado

MX2 Overall Top Ten

  1. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 50 points
  2. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 44
  3. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), 35
  4. Ben Watson (GBR, YAM), 34
  5. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 34
  6. Henry Jacobi (GER, KAW), 34
  7. Mitchell Evans (AUS, HON), 29
  8. Adam Sterry (GBR, KAW), 26
  9. Bas Vaessen (NED, KTM), 21
  10. Michele Cervellin (ITA, YAM), 21 p.
    …12. Jed Beaton 17 p

MX2 Championship Top Ten

  1. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 170 points
  2. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 150
  3. Henry Jacobi (GER, KAW), 147
  4. Ben Watson (GBR, YAM), 129
  5. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 125
  6. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), 121
  7. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, HON), 107
  8. Mitchell Evans (AUS, HON), 89
  9. Adam Sterry (GBR, KAW), 89
  10. Davy Pootjes (NED, HUS), 76
    …13. Jed Beaton 54

EMX250

EMX250 Race 1 on Saturday started in dramatic fashion as riders piled up in both the first and second turn. Kevin Horgmocame away unscathed and held the lead early but Stephen Rubini moved to the premiere positionin the second lap.

MXGP Rnd Trentino EMX Start
EMX250 Start – Trentino

Rubini led the way while the championship leader, Alberto Forato, was back in around 4th. Forato made passes on both Pierre Goupillon and Horgmo to get into 2nd.

Horgmo fought the Italian back and led the next lap across the finish but then returned to 3rd another lap later. Forato was in pursuit of the lead and Rubini until the Frenchman lost the lead on his own accord.

Forato graciously accepted the gifted lead and never looked back taking the win by 11.6 seconds over Rubini. Horgmo took 3rd while Goupillon and Giuseppe Tropepe rounded out the top 5.

Sunday’s race 2 was led by Rubini after the start but he had Forato making quick passes behind him to apply pressure from 2nd. On the 2nd official lap Rubini was passed down the Pit Lane straight parallel to the start by Forato to the home crowd’s cheers but Forato then fell handing Rubini the lead straight back.

Forato got back up and immediately went back to work seemingly unphased taking the lead role back by the next time across the finish. Goupillon was watching the battle for the lead from slightly further behind in before eventually getting passed by Tropepe for 3rd position.

At the finish Forato carried on his dominant and perfect season with his 4th race win in 4 races and second overall. Rubini finish both second in the race and 2nd overall while Tropepe took the final podium spot.

Alberto Forato

“For sure I feel very good because the home GP is always fun. Here there is a lot of fans and a lot of friends came too. I got 1st and 1st so it couldn’t be any better.”

MXGP Rnd Trentino Alberto Forato
Alberto Forato

EMX250 Overall Top Ten

  1. Alberto Forato (ITA, HUS), 50 points
  2. Stephen Rubini (FRA, HON), 44
  3. Giuseppe Tropepe (ITA, YAM), 36
  4. Pierre Goupillon (FRA, HON), 33
  5. Rene Hofer (AUT, KTM), 31
  6. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, KTM), 31
  7. Karlis Sabulis (LAT, KTM), 28
  8. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, YAM), 28
  9. Roan Van De Moosdijk (NED, KAW), 28
  10. Thibault Benistant (FRA, YAM), 18
MXGP Rnd Trentino EMX Podium
Alberto Forato topped the EMX250 Overall Podium from Stephen Rubini and Pierre Goupillion

EMX250 Championship Top Ten

  1. Alberto Forato (ITA, HUS), 100 points
  2. Stephen Rubini (FRA, HON), 80
  3. Pierre Goupillon (FRA, HON), 67
  4. Roan Van De Moosdijk (NED, KAW), 63
  5. Rene Hofer (AUT, KTM), 59
  6. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, YAM), 57
  7. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, KTM), 53
  8. Giuseppe Tropepe (ITA, YAM), 51
  9. Karlis Sabulis (LAT, KTM), 50
  10. Josh Gilbert (GBR, HON), 33

EMX125

EMX125 was clear cut with Mattia Guadagnini leading every single one of the 15 laps. Guillem Farres Plaza was the closest to Guadagnini as he ran in 2nd for the first 7 laps.

MXGP Rnd Trentino EMX Start
EMX125 Start – Trentino

Tom Guyon was the man on a mission however as he came from 7th to take over Plaza’s 2nd position at the halfway point. Kay de Wolf was third until Guyon passed him on the way to 2nd.

When the checkered flag went out Guadagnini was the winner followed by Guyon, Plaza, De Wolf, and Jorgen-Matthias Talviku.

Sunday saw the sound of two strokes brought life to the circuit for race 2 as the first event on track. The earlier winner, Guadagnini was off to another dominant performance, leading the first laps of race 2 ahead of De Wolf and Simon Laengenfelder.

Laengenfelder got up to 2nd position with De Wolf dropping to third ahead of Guyon who went past both the next lap. Just as quickly as the #516 WZ-Racing machine slotted into 2nd it was shuffled back to 4th before returning to 3rd another lap later.

For the final 6 laps each of the rider in the top seven held their positions meaning that Guadagnini scored the overall with 1-1 finishes and he extended his points lead in front of the home fans. Guyon and De Wolf meanwhile rounded out the podium going 2-2 and 3-3 respectively.

Mattia Guadagnini

“It was a perfect weekend, I had two good starts and then took the lead in the first lap. I had a good feeling on the bike and the track plus there are a lot of friends here and to win in Italy is something special, it was so good!”

MXGP Rnd Trentino Mattia Guadagnini
Mattia Guadagnini

EMX125 Overall Top Ten

  1. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, HUS), 50 points
  2. Tom Guyon (FRA, KTM), 44
  3. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 36
  4. Guillem Farres Plaza (ESP, KTM), 33
  5. Jorgen-Matthias Talviku (EST, HUS), 31
  6. Oriol Oliver (ESP, KTM), 27
  7. Alberto Barcella (ITA, KTM), 27
  8. Matias Vesterinen (FIN, KTM), 26
  9. Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), 24
  10. Mike Gwerder (SUI, KTM), 22
MXGP Rnd Trentino EMX Podium
Mattia Guadagnini claimed top EMX125 honours in Trentino, from Tom Guyon and Kay de Wolf

EMX125 Championship Top Ten

  1. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, HUS), 93 points
  2. Tom Guyon (FRA, KTM), 83
  3. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 74
  4. Jorgen-Matthias Talviku (EST, HUS), 73
  5. Oriol Oliver (ESP, KTM), 61
  6. Mike Gwerder (SUI, KTM), 48
  7. Guillem Farres Plaza (ESP, KTM), 43
  8. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, KTM), 40
  9. Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), 37
  10. Alessandro Facca (ITA, KTM), 30

Source: MCNews.com.au

Moto Wrap | SX | MXN | MXGP | GNCC | Enduro

Moto News Wrap for April 2, 2019 by Darren Smart

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The LATEST News

  • Houston AMA SX falls to Webb and Ferrandis
  • Clout and Todd top Wonthaggi MX Nationals
  • Cairoli and Prado blitz Valkenswaard
  • Verstappen takes WMX first blood
  • Guadagnini starts EMX125 championship on top
  • Ferris pulls out of MXGP opportunity
  • Thad Duvall wins Steele Creek GNCC
  • Sunderland leads Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge
  • Holcombe continues Italian Enduro Championship domination
  • FIM E-XBike World Cup announced
  • Price commits to four-wheels at Finke 2019
  • 2019 FIM Speedway Sidecar 1000cc World Cup to Gillman
  • FIM Oceania Speedway Sidecar Championships re-scheduled

Houston AMA SX Falls to Webb and Ferrandis

Houston hosted the 13th round of the AMA Supercross Championships last weekend and it was Cooper Webb and Dylan Ferrandis who took maximum points in the 450SX and 250SX West respectively in the third and final ‘triple crown’ main event format for the year.

AMA SX Rnd Seely Musquin Wilson Multiple JK SX Houston
2019 AMA Supercross Round 13 – Houston – Image by Hoppenworld

450SX Report

The triple crown program features three x 12 minute main events and Ken Roczen not only pulled the holeshot in the first of the three but the German also went on to win by a staggering 10 seconds. The action behind changed the status within team KTM and this championship after Marvin Musquin and Webb ‘drive bombed’ each other at almost every turn for the first few laps until Musquin got pushed off the track by Webb as they entered ‘the wall jump’ that preceded the sand section.

AMA SX Rnd Roczen JK SX Houston
2019 AMA Supercross Round 13 – Houston – Image by Hoppenworld

Oblivious to the drama behind, Roczen took the win ahead of Webb and Wilson and while the second main didn’t see the same ‘bar banging’ action it did see Roczen go down in the first corner before leaving the stadium with what seemed to be a damaged knee or ankle while Webb rallied to score the win over Dean Wilson and Musquin then in the third main Musquin squirted away for the win ahead of Eli Tomac and a cruising Webb who was fully aware that a third would give him the overall ahead of Musquin and Wilson.

Eli Tomac (6-7-2), Cole Seely (4-4-11), Zach Osborne (10-6-4), Justin Bogle (8-5-7), Blake Baggett (9-9-6), Joey Savatgy (7-11-9) and Ken Roczen (1-21-8) rounded out the top ten.

AMA SX Rnd Tomac Webb JK SX Houston
2019 AMA Supercross Round 13 – Houston – Image by Hoppenworld

Webb now has a 17-point lead with four rounds remaining and admitted that he got a little frustrated during the opening moto and will learn from the experience while the good news for Roczen fans is that the Honda rider came back out for the final race and finished 8th – news of his injury status will be confirmed in the coming days.

Cooper Webb

“It is intense racing. I got frustrated and let it show, that is not the way to do it for sure because we let Ken (Roczen) get away, I will learn from it and try to contain the emotions a bit better and like Marv said, we are team mates but we are one and two in the championships so it’s a tough line but I will be better moving forward.”

AMA SX Rnd Webb JK SX Houston
2019 AMA Supercross Round 13 – Houston – Image by Hoppenworld
Marvin Musquin

“Triple crown is always intense with only 12 minute races so everyone is pushing really hard and I made the pass (on Webb) in the first left hander but then got passed in the whoops before making a good pass on Cooper, everyone was pushing hard and Cooper made an aggressive pass on me which pushed me off the track but this is triple crown and you have to be consistent so sometimes it is not the fastest guy who wins the overall.”

AMA SX Rnd Musquin JK SX Houston
2019 AMA Supercross Round 13 – Houston – Image by Hoppenworld
Dean Wilson

“Getting back on the podium feels great, it’s been over a year but it is a tough class, I put myself in good positions in the first two races with top three off the start which helps so much, overall my riding has been good but it is a mental game for me because I have been bucked off the horse quite a few times so sometimes I don’t believe in myself like I should, I want to thank my support group for getting me through this.”

AMA SX Rnd Wilson JK SX Houston
2019 AMA Supercross Round 13 – Houston – Image by Hoppenworld
Cole Seely

“Tonight was pretty good. I finally finished in the top five, which is where I feel like I should’ve been all year. The way things have been going so far have been frustrating, and it’s hard to explain; the toll the injury took on me last year was a lot more intense and in-depth than I thought it was. It’s been a long road to get back to here but I feel like I’ve had speed all year, I just haven’t been able to put it all together. The results haven’t been translating into how well I think I really have ridden most of the year. It feels good to finally break into that top five and run up front with those guys in the first two mains, relatively easy, too. I know it’s not a traditional 20-minute main but it felt like it was coming to me pretty easy, so that’s definitely a confidence booster heading into the final rounds. It’s a bummer it’s taken this long to come around, but I’m happy it did and we’re going to keep working forward.”

AMA SX Rnd Seely JK SX Houston
2019 AMA Supercross – Round 13 – Houston

450SX Main Event Results

  1. Cooper Webb: 2-1-3 = 26pts
  2. Marvin Musquin: 5-3-1 = 23pts
  3. Dean Wilson: 3-2-5= 21pts
  4. Eli Tomac: 6-7-2 = 19pts
  5. Cole Seely: 4-4-11 = 18pts
  6. Zach Osborne: 10-6-4 = 17pts
  7. Justin Bogle: 8-5-7 = 16pts
  8. Blake Baggett: 9-9-6 = 15pts
  9. Joey Savatgy: 7-11-9 = 14pts
  10. Ken Roczen: 1-21-8 = 13pts
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 450SX Points after 13 of 17 Rounds

  1. Cooper Webb – 288
  2. Marvin Musquin – 271
  3. Eli Tomac – 262
  4. Ken Roczen – 252
  5. Blake Baggett – 215
  6. Dean Wilson – 201
  7. Joey Savatgy – 173
  8. Cole Seely – 160
  9. Chad Reed – 151
  10. Justin Barcia – 150

250 West Coast Report

It looked like Adam Cianciarulo was set to extend his 15 point lead over Ferrandis in the championship after the Kawasaki rider won the opening main well ahead of Ferrandis and RJ Hampshire. However the second moto turned sour when Adam spewed through the tuff boxes on the exit of the first corner and then as he was coming back through the field he clipped another rider mid-air and crashed his way to a 10th place finish as Ferrandis cruised to a win ahead of Hampshire, Garrett Marchbanks and Nichols.

AMA SX Rnd McAdoo CianciaruloStarts JK SX Houston
2019 AMA Supercross Round 13 – Houston – Image by Hoppenworld

The final main saw Nichols out front ahead of Ferrandis while Cianciarulo was once again on the ground but Adam quickly made his way through the pack to end the race in third behind Nichols and his teammate Ferrandis who scored his second overall win in two weeks to be just five points behind championship leader Cianciarulo with two rounds remaining.

AMA SX Rnd Nichols JK SX Houston
2019 AMA Supercross Round 13 – Houston – Image by Hoppenworld

Ferrandis, Hampshire and Nichols got to enjoy the podium accolades while Cianciarulo (1-10-3), James Decotis (6-5-6), Cameron Mcadoo (9-6-5), Justin Starling (12-8-8), Sean Cantrell (11-7-13), Garrett Marchbanks (10-3-19) and Chris Blose (8-19-7) rounded out the top ten.

Dylan Ferrandis

“It is good to be back in the championship, it is exciting for the end of the season, I will not change anything (leading up to the final two rounds), I will keep working with my trainer and do everything I can to challenge AC (Cianciarulo) for this championship.”

AMA SX Rnd Ferrandis JK SX Houston
2019 AMA Supercross Round 13 – Houston – Image by Hoppenworld
RJ Hampshire

“I haven’t cracked to top five in the recent races so we made huge improvements this week with the bike so I had good starts all night that lead into good finishes, I didn’t do anything special all day, I just rode so stocked to be up here in second place.”

AMA SX Rnd Hampshire JK SX Houston
2019 AMA Supercross Round 13 – Houston – Image by Hoppenworld
Colt Nichols

“I really wanted to race and didn’t want to miss a weekend after last weekend’s DNF so we just dealt with the soreness to manage decent results in the first two mains then win the last which is exactly what I wanted to do, it’s just good to win something again, it’s been a while.”

AMA SX Rnd Nichols JK SX Houston
2019 AMA Supercross Round 13 – Houston – Image by Hoppenworld

The West Coast riders have a break next weekend as the East Coast riders head to Nashville for their 7th round.

250 West Coast Main Event Results

  1. Dylan Ferrandis: 2-1-2 = 26pts
  2. RJ Hampshire: 3-2-4 = 23pts
  3. Colt Nichols: 5-4-1 = 21pts
  4. Adam Cianciarulo: 1-10-3 = 19pts
  5. James Decotis: 6-5-6 = 18pts
  6. Cameron Mcadoo: 9-6-5 = 17pts
  7. Justin Starling: 12-8-8 = 16pts
  8. Sean Cantrell: 11-7-13 = 15pts
  9. Garrett Marchbanks: 10-3-19 = 14pts
  10. Chris Blose: 8-19-7 = 13pts
AMA SX Rnd Ferrandis Podium JK SX Houston
250 West Coast Overall Results
Dylan Ferrandis: 2-1-2 = 26pts
RJ Hampshire: 3-2-4 = 23pts
Colt Nichols: 5-4-1 = 21pts

250 West Coast Points after 8 of 10 Rounds

  1. Adam Cianciarulo – 182
  2. Dylan Ferrandis – 177
  3. Colt Nichols – 142
  4. RJ Hampshire – 126
  5. Shane Mcelrath – 123
  6. James Decotis – 112
  7. Chris Blose – 111
  8. Cameron Mcadoo – 111
  9. Michael Mosiman – 110
  10. Garrett Marchbanks – 99

250 East Coast Points after 6 of 9 Rounds

  1. Austin Forkner – 151
  2. Chase Sexton – 125
  3. Justin Cooper – 123
  4. Alex Martin – 92
  5. Martin Davalos – 89
  6. Mitchell Oldenburg – 88
  7. Brandon Hartranft – 82
  8. Kyle Cunningham – 81
  9. Kyle Peters – 79
  10. Jordon Smith – 70
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Clout and Todd Top Wonthaggi MX Nationals

Under stormy skies and intermittent rain, the second round of the MX Nationals was held in Wonthaggi last weekend and it was Luke Clout who earned the MX1 overall while defending champion Wilson Todd was in a class of his own on the way to victory in the MX2 class.

MX Nationals Rnd Wonthaggi MX Start Waters Bopping Mellross Cover
2019 MX Nationals Round 2 – Wonthaggi

MX1 Report

With rain soaking the track it was tough going throughout the day but the surprise of the opening moto was Lawson Bopping leading by the field ahead of foreign imports Erki Kahro (Estonia) and Justin Rodbell (USA) while Luke Clout was back in 6th, Hayden Mellross 8th, Brett Metcalfe 12th, Kirk Gibbs 14th and championship leader Todd Waters 28th after opening lap crash that ended up resulting in a DNF.

MX Nationals Rnd Wonthaggi MX Waters Mellross Clout
Luke Clout chases down Waters and Mellross

Bopping was impressive out front but with five laps to go the Kawasaki rider was obviously showing signs of a lack of race fitness so it was Kahro who made his move to take the lead then it wasn’t long before a hard charging Clout also made his way to second place.

With lapped riders causing all sorts of chaos Clout closed in on Kahro and with five corners left Clout sliced his way to the lead and the win but Clout’s celebrations where cut short after he was dropped back to second thanks to a 10 second penalty for exceeding track boundaries.

MX Nationals Rnd Wonthaggi MX Kirk Gibbs
Kirk Gibbs

In much better conditions Rodbell pulled the holeshot in the second moto ahead of Waters and Karo but Richie Evans, Kirk Gibbs and Brett Metcalfe all went down in the first corner.

18-year-old Rodbell couldn’t hold Waters back for long so the early running saw Waters leading Rodbell, Clout, Karo and Mellross until Karo took a heavy fall and dropped out of contention allowing privateer Charlie Creech to move into the top five.

MX Nationals Rnd Wonthaggi MX Todd Waters Luke Clout
Todd Waters & Luke Clout

In the second half of the moto Clout received a 20 second race penalty for exceeding track limits again and Mellross high-sided his KTM but was sharp enough to get back and rejoin the race behind Clout so at the chequered flag it was Waters who took the win ahead of Clout who had etched out enough time to earn second ahead of Mellross despite the 20-second penalty while Rodbell and Rykers finished fourth, and fifth – Kahro clawed his way back to sixth.

MX Nationals Rnd Wonthaggi MX Mellross Prutti
Hayden Mellross

Despite being penalised in both races Clout’s 2-2 earned the CDR Yamaha rider the overall win ahead of Mellross and Karo and more importantly Mellross has earned the red plate as the points leader ahead of Clout, Gibbs and Waters as they head towards round three of the championship at Broadford, Vic, on April 14th.

Luke Clout

“I don’t know what happened, If I end up getting the win, or I end up getting second I don’t really care, it’s a good ride for me. I was really mature in my riding.”

MX Nationals Rnd Wonthaggi MX Luke Clout
Luke Clout
Erki Kahro

“It was just a really tough moto, it was a really good track, a really hard track. A proper motocross track.”

Lawson Bopping

“It was a great weekend, and I had a lot of fun with the team, I struggled a little in practice and got arm pump straight up – that was to be expected – I haven’t done a national in three years. I qualified in 12th, which wasn’t real great, but I ripped an awesome start in the first moto and led for maybe 20 minutes – that was awesome! I put the fade on in the last 10 minutes and a few guys got around me. Leading those few laps at the start made my whole weekend and it was a good time! The second moto was pretty miserable, to be honest. I think I went pretty hard in the first race and I was pretty flat for the second one, but overall we’re happy.”

MX Nationals Rnd Wonthaggi MX Lawson Bopping
Lawson Bopping
Jesse Dobson

“Today was tough, but overall really positive, I didn’t realise I made Superpole at the time and rode back to my pit and started getting undressed! I had to rush to get back on the track and I ended up with arm-pump. I had a good start in race one and pushed forward to fifth, but I only have the one bike, so when it started to get hot, I pulled over and my mechanic Aiden helped me clear the radiators rather than wreck it with a race to go, before pushing hard again to finish 12th, I was confident lining up for race two but ended up caught in the first turn pile up after the FC450 jumped out of gear at the start and put me behind. I charged hard to 6th, 20-minutes into the race, but in the last few laps the rear wheel bearings collapsed and I had to work hard to stay on track and make sure I got to finish line. I finished 7th on track, but I was penalised 10-seconds for overtaking a lapped rider outside the track markers, when I was working hard to just keep the bike on track and moving forward, I’ve put my case to the officials for review, so we’ll see what happens there.”

MX Nationals Rnd Wonthaggi MX Jesse Dobson
Jesse Dobson
Kirk Gibbs

“It wasn’t a great day for me and I leave here pretty frustrated and angry, I was way back in moto one and was moving forward when another rider went down and took me with them and I lost plenty of time there and then in the second one I went down at the start, had to stop into the mechanics area to get the bike straightened out and was a long way behind the field when I re-joined the race. I kept on chipping away and managed to get myself back to seventh and felt I rode alright but seventh isn’t where I belong and makes my determined to bounce back at round three in a couple of weeks’ time.”

MX Nationals Rnd Appin MX Podium Waters Mellross Gibbs
Thor MX1 – Moto 1 – Appin Results – Top 15
Todd Waters
Hayden Mellross +1.449
Kirk Gibbs +23.990

Thor MX1 – Moto 1 Top 10

  1. Erki Kahro
  2. Luke Clout
  3. Hayden Mellross
  4. Jayden Rykers
  5. Brett Metcalfe
  6. Lawson Bopping
  7. Richie Evans
  8. Zak Small
  9. Kirk Gibbs
  10. Charlie Creech

Thor MX1 – Moto 2 Top Ten

  1. Todd Waters
  2. Luke Clout
  3. Hayden Mellross
  4. Justin Rodbell
  5. Jayden Rykers
  6. Erki Kahro
  7. Kirk Gibbs
  8. Jesse Dobson
  9. Charlie Creech
  10. Lawson Bopping

Thor MX1 – Top Ten Overall

  1. Luke Clout – 64
  2. Hayden Mellross – 60
  3. Erki Kahro – 60
  4. Kirk Gibbs – 47
  5. Lawson Bopping – 47
  6. Charlie Creech – 44
  7. Zak Small – 44
  8. Jayden Rykers – 43
  9. Jesse Dobson – 43
  10. Justin Rodbell – 38
    …12. Todd Waters – 35
    …17. Brett Metcalfe – 28
    …18. Caleb Ward – 25

MX1 Points after 3 of 10 Rounds

  1. Hayden Mellross – 92
  2. Luke Clout – 89
  3. Kirk Gibbs – 77
  4. Todd Waters – 73
  5. Jesse Dobson – 69
  6. Charlie Creech – 64
  7. Justin Rodbell – 63
  8. Zak Small – 62
  9. Tomas Ravenhorst – 61
  10. Erki Kahro – 60
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MX2 Report

The Pirelli MX2 class ran three motos on the day starting with two back to back 8-lap motos followed by a traditional 15-minute moto and Wilson Todd was completely dominant in all three to earn the overall ahead of Aaron Tanti and former red plate holder Jye Roberts.

MX Nationals Rnd Wonthaggi MX Wilson Todd
Wilson Todd

Wilson now has a 9-point lead over Roberts who in turn has a 5-point lead over former champion Jay Wilson – thankfully there were no course cutting penalties to report on in the MX2 class.

Wilson Todd

“I felt good coming into this weekend, the FC250 is working unreal for me, and I’m really comfortable being back with DPH, I wanted to really race this weekend after Appin, and I’m super stoked to have first gate pick and then take all three race wins. As the track dried, it got faster, and I was able to put in some really strong, consistent laps and the hard work I’ve been putting in is really starting to show.”

MX Nationals Rnd Wonthaggi MX Wilson Todd
Wilson Todd
Aaron Tanti

“I had race one under control and didn’t really feel much pressure from behind me but as I came down the pit board straight, I felt the front wheel aquaplane in the mud and by the time it grabbed traction again, I was already heading off track. But second was still a good finish, race two was pretty average but I was able to rebound well in the final one and get on the podium. Thanks to everyone in the Serco Yamaha team. The first two rounds have been a nightmare for the mechanics and they have done a good job of keeping the bikes in great shape. Next up is Broadford and I’m looking forward to that and hopefully keep this momentum going.”

MX Nationals Rnd Wonthaggi MX Aaron Tanti
Aaron Tanti
Kyle Webster

“The first race in the morning was pretty wet and the mud was tough, but nevertheless I was running top four for most of the moto and was feeling good, until the last lap when my bike stopped due to overheating. With the back-to-back format I had to get back to the start and get straight on my practice bike for the second moto, which meant I didn’t get a chance to prep my gate which in turn meant I got a bad start and it was all I could do to work my way up to fifth by the finish of the moto. That final moto was a much better way to end a day that definitely didn’t start the way I was hoping,”

Kyle Webster
Kyle Webster

Pirelli MX2 – Moto 1 Top 10

  1. Wilson Todd
  2. Aaron Tanti
  3. Cooper Pozniak
  4. Jay Wilson
  5. Jye Dickson
  6. Nathan Crawford
  7. Jy Roberts
  8. Sam Pelz
  9. Issac Ferguson
  10. Dylan Wills

Pirelli MX2 – Moto 2 Top 10

  1. Wilson Todd
  2. Jy Roberts
  3. Joel Evans
  4. Cooper Pozniak
  5. Kyle Webster
  6. Bailey Malkiewicz
  7. Sam Pelz
  8. Riley Dukes
  9. Aaron Tanti
  10. Jye Dickson
  11. Jay Wilson
  12. Nathan Crawford

Pirelli MX2 – Moto 3 Top 10

  1. Wilson Todd
  2. Kyle Webster
  3. Jay Wilson
  4. Aaron Tanti
  5. Jy Roberts
  6. Dylan Wills
  7. Jye Dickson
  8. Nathan Crawford
  9. Sam Pelz
  10. Issac Ferguson
MX Nationals Rnd Wonthaggi MX Podium Wilson Todd Aaron Tanti Jy Roberts
MX2 Overall Round Podium – 1) Wilson Todd, 2) Aaron Tanti, 3) Jy Roberts

Pirelli MX2 – Top Ten Overall

  1. Wilson Todd – 70
  2. Aaron Tanti – 56
  3. Jy Roberts – 56
  4. Jay Wilson – 54
  5. Cooper Pozniak – 52
  6. Jye Dickson – 49
  7. Sam Pelz – 48
  8. Kyle Webster – 46
  9. Nathan Crawford – 43
  10. Issac Ferguson – 42

MX2 Points after 3 of 10 Rounds

  1. Wilson Todd – 100
  2. Jy Roberts – 91
  3. Jay Wilson – 86
  4. Aaron Tanti – 77
  5. Cooper Pozniak – 76
  6. Issac Ferguson – 70
  7. Nathan Crawford – 68
  8. Jye Dickson – 64
  9. Dylan Wills – 63
  10. Kyle Webster – 62
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MXD Report

Of the young guns of the sport Regan Duffy dominated the MXD class with a pair of wins to take the round overall and more importantly the championship points lead by 4 points ahead of Rhys Buss while former championship leader Max Purvis went 18-2 for 7th on the day and now sits 3rd in the points.

MX Nationals Rnd Wonthaggi MXD Rhys Budd
Rhys Budd
Rhys Budd

“Wonthaggi is known as a really tough sand track, and truth be told I am not much of a sand rider but I actually felt really strong at Wonthaggi. Third overall for the round is good and it means I am a solid second in the championship standings after two rounds, which I’m really pleased about, I can’t wait to get back home to Sydney and just keep working hard toward the next round. The MX Nationals is a long series, for sure, but my plan is to keep hitting my targets and to be right there at the end of the championship.”

MX Nationals Rnd Wonthaggi MXD Rhys Budd
Rhys Budd

Motul MXD – Moto 1 Top 10

  1. Regan Duffy
  2. Mason Rowe
  3. Rhys Budd
  4. Noah Ferguson
  5. Mason Semmens
  6. Brodie Ellis
  7. Jai Walker
  8. Tye Jones
  9. Jack Kukas
  10. Mackenzie O’Bree

Motul MXD – Moto 2 Top 10

  1. Regan Duffy
  2. Maximus Purvis
  3. Mason Rowe
  4. Rhys Budd
  5. Noah Ferguson
  6. Mason Semmens
  7. Brodie Ellis
  8. Liam Andrews
  9. Jack Kukas
  10. Micheal Murphy
MX Nationals Rnd Wonthaggi MXD Podium Regan Duffy Mason Rowe Rhys Budd
Regan Duffy claimed the overall win and red plate, with Mason Row and Rhys Budd closing out the podium

Motul MXD – Top Ten Overall

  1. Regan Duffy – 70
  2. Mason Rowe – 62
  3. Rhys Budd – 58
  4. Noah Ferguson – 54
  5. Mason Semmens – 51
  6. Brodie Ellis – 49
  7. Maximus Purvis – 45
  8. Jack Kukas – 44
  9. Jai Walker – 39
  10. Mackenzie O’Bree – 37

MXD Championship Points

  1. Regan Duffy – 94
  2. Rhys Budd – 90
  3. Maximus Purvis – 80
  4. Mason Rowe – 78
  5. Noah Ferguson – 69

125cc Gold Cup Report

MX Nationals Rnd Wonthaggi Podium Yamaha Cup Cam Taylor Winner
Cameron Taylor tops the 125 podium at Wonthaggi from Joshua Kilvington and Nicholas Murray

Multi Australian Champion Cameron Taylor put his experience to good use to win both of the 125cc Gold Cup motos in tough conditions at Wonthaggi while Queenslander Josh Kilvington earned second with 2-2 moto results ahead of Nicholas Murray (4-3) and the hard charging Clay Kilvington (3-4), Josh’s younger brother.

Yamaha 125cc Gold Cup – Rd 2 Overall

  1. Cameron Taylor – 70
  2. Joshua Kilvington – 64
  3. Nicholas Murray – 58
  4. Clay Kilvington – 58
  5. Jedidiah Cornthwaite – 51
  6. Lachlan Wilson – 48
  7. Nick Davis – 48
  8. Darcy Cavanagh – 45
  9. Ryan Butler – 44
  10. Baylee Davies – 42
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Cairoli and Prado Blitz Valkenswaard

Round three of the 2019 FIM Motocross World Championship was held at Valkenswaard in the Netherlands last weekend and it was Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team’s Antonio Cairoli and Jorge Prado who won the MXGP and MX2 classes respectively.

MXGP Rnd Netherlands Tony Cairoli RA
Tony Cairoli takes the holeshot – Image by Ray Archer

MXGP Report

Valkenswaard is one of the toughest tracks on MXGP calendar with the undulating, sand infested layout chopping out into a rut infested torture test but that didn’t stop Cairoli earning two holeshots, two wins and the maximum 50 points.

MXGP Rnd Netherlands Desalle GP SL
Clement Desalle

Clement Desalle’s 2-5 scores earned 38 points for second overall and Tim Gajser’s crash in the opening moto saw the Honda pilot end the weekend with 7-2 moto finishes for 36 points and third overall.

Cairoli already has more than a moto up his sleeve in the championship points with the 9-time World Champion storming to his 88th GP win and heads to his home GP in Trentino with a 27-point lead over Gajser.

Antonio Cairoli

“Overall I’m happy going into Trentino next week. Having the first three GP wins this year it’s nice. Of course, it’s not easy, Tim is very fast at the moment and it’s nice to have such a high rhythm in the race for us, for the fans, and for everybody.”

MXGP Rnd Netherlands Tony Cairoli RA
Tony Cairoli – Image by Ray Archer
Clement Desalle

“I’m happy going into Trentino next week. Having the first three GP wins this year it’s nice. Of course, it’s not easy, Tim is very fast at the moment and it’s nice to have such a high rhythm in the race for us, for the fans, and for everybody.”

MXGP Rnd Netherlands Desalle GP SL
Clement Desalle
Tim Gajser

“I’m happy to finish on the podium again. But yeah I’m a little bit disappointed. In the first race I had a good start and I was in third place behind Tony and Max, then I make a mistake and I fell so I had to came through the pack. Anyway we’re looking forward to next weekend in Arco, definitely many fans from Slovenia are going to be there and I’m excited.”

MXGP Rnd Netherlands Gajser bavo
Tim Gajser – Image by Bavo

MXGP Valkenswaard Overall Top Ten

  1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 50 points
  2. Clement Desalle (BEL, KAW), 38
  3. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 36
  4. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, HON), 36
  5. Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, HUS), 36
  6. Julien Lieber (BEL, KAW), 29
  7. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 28
  8. Gautier Paulin (FRA, YAM), 28
  9. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), 25
  10. Max Anstie (GBR, KTM), 17
MXGP Rnd Netherlands Desalle Podium
MXGP Overall Podium – 1) Cairoli, 2) Desalle, 3) Gajser

MXGP Standings following Valkenswaard MXGP

  1. CAIROLI Antonio 147
  2. GAJSER Tim 125
  3. DESALLE Clement 103
  4. VAN HOREBEEK Jeremy 102
  5. PAULIN Gautier 102
  6. JASIKONIS Arminas 92
  7. SEEWER Jeremy 78
  8. SIMPSON Shaun 64
  9. LIEBER Julien 62
  10. ANSTIE Max 62
    …24 FERRIS Dean 6
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MX2 Report

Prado won the opening moto by seven seconds over Thomas Kjer Olsen, Henry Jacobi, Calvin Vlaanderen and Ben Watson while Jed Beaton finished  a solid 10th but fellow Aussie Mitch Evans was storming his way forward from a poor start only to have to retire with a mechanical issue.

MXGP Rnd Netherlands Jorge Prado RA
Jorge Prado – Image by Ray Archer

Prado won the second moto by five seconds ahead of Jago Geerts, Kjer Olsen, Vlaanderen and Watson with Evan bouncing back to finish in 10th while Beaton finished in a credible 15th despite still recovering from injury.

MXGP Rnd Netherlands Jed Beaton
MXGP 2019 – Round 3 – The Netherlands – Jed Beaton leads

Prado earned the overall while Olsen took second to maintain the red plate and a 36 point lead over Prado ahead of next weekend’s MXGP of Trentino.

Jorge Prado

“I had a good feeling both days, It’s still not where I want because we still need to work but I’m going in the right direction. Trentino should be a great weekend hopefully. I have good memories from there and I have good races there every year. Hopefully we can make another good one next week.”

MXGP Rnd Netherlands Jorge Prado RA
Jorge Prado – Image by Ray Archer
Thomas Kjer Olsen

“I feel pretty good with my performance. I got two good starts in the races, which I was pretty happy about. It made it a little bit easier for me to not have to battle all the way through the field. Prado was riding really good, I didn’t feel like I was riding bad or anything myself, I had a pretty good flow it just wasn’t quite enough.”

MXGP Rnd Netherlands Thomas Kjer Olsen
Thomas Kjer Olsen
Jago Geerts

“It was a really good week for me, the first race didn’t go as planned but in the second race I was pretty fired up, in the last lap I got second place and took third on the podium so I was pretty happy with that.”

MXGP Rnd Netherlands Jago Geerts
Jago Geerts
Jed Beaton

“I had an OK GP and felt good on my bike, in the opening moto my pace was good so I managed to secure a top-10 result. Then in the second moto, I pushed a bit more than I needed to early on and ended up getting a little fatigued. Then injury I picked up during the pre-season hasn’t allowed me to spend as much time as I would have liked on a bike. Around a tough track like Valkenswaard it is always important to be on top of your game. At the moment I’m taking one step at a time and I’m trying to get better every time I race.”

MXGP Rnd Netherlands Jed Beaton
Jed Beaton
Mitch Evans

“Tough day in the office riding with a lot of pain from yesterday’s crash. Moto 1 I made my way up to 13th before having to make a pit stop due to a mechanical but happy with my 10th place in moto 2! Thanks to my Honda114 Motorsports Team! Keeping a smile on my face and enjoying every day, good or bad!”

MX2 Valkenswaard Overall Top Ten

  1. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 50 points
  2. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 42
  3. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 36
  4. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, HON), 36
  5. Henry Jacobi (GER, KAW), 35
  6. Ben Watson (GBR, YAM), 32
  7. Alberto Forato (ITA, HUS), 23
  8. Adam Sterry (GBR, KAW), 22
  9. Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 21
  10. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), 21
    …12. Jed Beaton
MXGP Rnd Netherlands MX Podium
MX2 Overall Podium – 1) Prado, 2) Kjer-Olsen, 3) Geerts

MX2 Championship Top Ten after Valkenswaard

  1. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 136 points
  2. Henry Jacobi (GER, KAW), 113
  3. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, HON), 107
  4. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 100
  5. Ben Watson (GBR, YAM), 95
  6. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), 86
  7. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 81
  8. Davy Pootjes (NED, HUS), 65
  9. Adam Sterry (GBR, KAW), 63
  10. Mitchell Evans (AUS, HON), 60
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Verstappen Takes WMX First Blood

Valkenswaard hosted the first round of the 2019 FIM Women’s Motocross World Championship and despite Kiwi Courtney Duncan being the fastest on the track it was Amandine Verstappen who took the overall win and red plate for the very first time in her career.

MXGP Rnd Netherlands Amandine Verstappen
Amandine Verstappen

39 women stormed into the first corner of the opening moto and it was all Duncan with the Kawasaki pilot taking the win by 6.6 seconds ahead of Verstappen, Larissa Papenmeier, Nancy Van De Ven and Shana van der Vlist while Aussie Meghan Rutledge managed to get back to 9th after a poor start.

The second moto was looking to be the same outcome but on lap seven Duncan crashed heavily over the rut infested finish line jump but in a crash that would have left mere mortals laying around in pain, Duncan ran back to her bike, remounted and despite it taking ages to get her bike going managed to get back to a credible 7th,

MXGP Rnd Netherlands Duncan
Courtney Duncan

At the finish it was a race win for Van de Ven who had an eight second gap back to Verstappen while Papenmeier, Shana van der Vlist and Line Dam rounded out the top five with Duncan and Rutledge coming home 7th and 8th.

Verstappen’s 2-2 moto results earned her the overall ahead of Van De Ven, Papenmeier, Duncan, van der Vlist, Lynn Valk, Dam and Rutledge as the Women head to the MXGP of Portugal on the 18th and 19th of May in Agueda.

MXGP Rnd Netherlands Rutledge
Meghan Rutledge

WMX Overall Top Ten

  1. Amandine Verstappen (BEL, YAM), 44 points
  2. Nancy Van De Ven (NED, YAM), 43
  3. Larissa Papenmeier (GER, YAM), 40
  4. Courtney Duncan (NZL, KAW), 39
  5. Shana van der Vlist (NED, KTM), 34
  6. Lynn Valk (NED, YAM), 29
  7. Line Dam (DEN, HON), 26
  8. Meghan Rutledge (AUS, KAW), 25
  9. Nicky van Wordragen (NED, YAM), 25
  10. Virginie Germond (SUI, KTM), 18
MXGP Rnd Netherlands WMX Top
WMX Overall Podium – 1) Verstappen, 2) Van De Ven, 3) Papenmeier

WMX Championship Top Ten

  1. Amandine Verstappen (BEL, YAM), 44 points
  2. Nancy Van De Ven (NED, YAM), 43
  3. Larissa Papenmeier (GER, YAM), 40
  4. Courtney Duncan (NZL, KAW), 39
  5. Shana van der Vlist (NED, KTM), 34
  6. Lynn Valk (NED, YAM), 29
  7. Line Dam (DEN, HON), 26
  8. Meghan Rutledge (AUS, KAW), 25
  9. Nicky van Wordragen (NED, YAM), 25
  10. Virginie Germond (SUI, KTM), 18

Guadagnini starts EMX125 championship on top

Maddii Racing Husqvarna’s Mattia Guadagnini has won the opening round of the EMX125 Championship which was held at the Dutch circuit of Valkenswaard last weekend.

100 riders tried to qualify for the 40 championship gate positions and after a very tough weekend of racing it was Guadagnini’s 1-4 moto results that earned the overall win while Jorgen-Matthias Talviku and second moto winner Tom Guyon rounded out the podium.

EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing Race 1 Top Ten

  1. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, Husqvarna), 29:33.564
  2. Jorgen-Matthias Talviku (EST, Husqvarna), +0:18.504
  3. Joel Rizzi (GBR, KTM), +0:20.491
  4. Oriol Oliver (ESP, KTM), +0:22.052
  5. Kay de Wolf (NED, Husqvarna), +0:23.129
  6. Kjell Verbruggen (NED, Husqvarna), +0:24.242
  7. Tom Guyon (FRA, KTM), +0:29.100
  8. Max Palsson (SWE, KTM), +0:46.761
  9. Mike Gwerder (SUI, KTM), +1:04.343
  10. Florian Miot (FRA, Yamaha), +1:04.942

EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing Race 2 Top Ten

  1. Tom Guyon (FRA, KTM), 30:08.811
  2. Kay de Wolf (NED, Husqvarna), +0:01.038
  3. Jorgen-Matthias Talviku (EST, Husqvarna), +0:03.653
  4. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, Husqvarna), +0:05.709
  5. Oriol Oliver (ESP, KTM), +0:08.459
  6. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, KTM), +0:19.924
  7. Mike Gwerder (SUI, KTM), +0:38.339
  8. Andrea Bonacorsi (ITA, KTM), +0:39.467
  9. Rasmus Pedersen (DEN, KTM), +0:47.521
  10. Eddie Jay Wade (GBR, KTM), +0:53.018.

EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing Overall Top Ten

  1. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, HUS), 43 points
  2. Jorgen-Matthias Talviku (EST, HUS), 42
  3. Tom Guyon (FRA, KTM), 39
  4. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 38
  5. Oriol Oliver (ESP, KTM), 34
  6. Mike Gwerder (SUI, KTM), 26
  7. Max Palsson (SWE, KTM), 21
  8. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, KTM), 20
  9. Joel Rizzi (GBR, KTM), 20
  10. Alessandro Facca (ITA, KTM), 17

EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing ChampionshipTop Ten

  1. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, HUS), 43 points
  2. Jorgen-Matthias Talviku (EST, HUS), 42
  3. Tom Guyon (FRA, KTM), 39
  4. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 38
  5. Oriol Oliver (ESP, KTM), 34
  6. Mike Gwerder (SUI, KTM), 26
  7. Max Palsson (SWE, KTM), 21
  8. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, KTM), 20
  9. Joel Rizzi (GBR, KTM), 20
  10. Alessandro Facca (ITA, KTM), 17
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Ferris pulls out of MXGP opportunity

Dean Ferris has pulled out of filling in for Romain Febvre at the Monster Energy Yamaha team and is back in Australia to recuperate from of a minor knee injury he sustained at the MXGP of Great Britain two weekends ago.

MXGP UK ferris action
Dean Ferris sustained a knee injury in Britain

Ferris was expected to compete in three GPs in Great Britain, The Netherlands and Trentino, but has been forced to withdraw due to complications with his knee and to keep his options open for a ride in America for the AMA Motocross Nationals that kick off in May.

Massimo Raspanti – Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP Team Manager

“It’s a shame that Dean’s opportunity has been cut short. He was improving every time he rode the bike and was a pleasure to have around the team. Luck is a factor in top-level motocross and both Dean and Romain have been unlucky this season. I hope he makes a quick recovery, and I wish him the best for the rest of the year.”


Sunderland leads Abu Dhabi Desert challenge

After just two stages KTM rider Sam Sunderland leads the six stage Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge in the back of winning the opening stage then backing that up with a solid fifth on a tough stage two.

Thanks to winning the first stage, Sunderland was the first to enter stage two navigating through the looped timed special that took riders around the Liwa oasis area, Sunderland led the majority of the route, only to be passed late in the day by Jose Ignacio Cornejo, Joan Barreda, Andrew Short and Luciano Benavides.

Sam Sunderland

“Starting first on the route is always going to be a disadvantage obviously, but I’m pleased with how I rode and believe I did a good job of opening the stage. I set a good pace all day and only got caught by Andrew at around kilometre 200, which is really good for leading out here in Abu Dhabi as it’s always quite tricky to navigate and easy to lose time when riding at the front. I am very pleased with how everything is going at the moment – the bike is perfect and the team are doing great. Hopefully the wind eases off a little as it makes everyone’s job a little harder, but it’s the desert and it can be expected. Looking forward to getting going again tomorrow.”

Sam Sunderland KTM RALLY Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge
Sam Sunderland – 2019 Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge

The 434km third stage marks the rally’s halfway point and will feature a 300km special stage.

Provisional Results Stage Two – 2019 Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge

  1. Jose Ignacio Cornejo (CHL), Honda, 3:13:21
  2. Joan Barreda (SPA), Honda, 3:15:04 +1:43
  3. Andrew Short (USA), Husqvarna, 3:16:19 +2:58
  4. Luciano Benavides (ARG), KTM, 3:16:51 +3:30
  5. Sam Sunderland (GBR), KTM, 3:19:16 +5:55

Provisional Overall Standings (after Stage Two)

  1. Sam Sunderland (GBR), KTM, 6:59:57
  2. Jose Ignacio Cornejo (CHL), Honda, 7:00:48 +0:51
  3. Andrew Short (USA), Husqvarna, 7:04:09 +4:12
  4. Luciano Benavides (ARG), KTM, 7:06:39 +6:42
  5. Kevin Benavides (ARG), Honda, 7:20:17 +20:20
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Thad Duvall wins Steele Creek GNCC

Steele City, Morganton hosted round three of the 2019 AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) last weekend it was Thad Duvall who became the third winner of the season at the 20th Annual FMF Steele Creek GNCC.

Steele Creek GNCC Kailub Russell KH
Kailub Russell grabbed the holeshot – Image by Ken Hill

Defending champion Kailub Russell grabbed the holeshot and led Duvall and Trevor Bollinger into the woods of North Carolina and over the next two plus hours Duvall battled with Russell and Bollinger, going from first to third multiple times but Duvall made his way to the front of the pack on the last lap after Russell became stuck in a rut behind lapped riders.

With the finish line in sight Duvall and Russell engaged in a heated battle, but as the chequered flag flew it was Duvall coming through first, just two seconds ahead of Russell while Bollinger fell of the pace thanks to getting stuck on one of the famous uphills twice but still managed third.

Steele Creek GNCC Thad Duvall KH
Thad Duvall – Image by Ken Hill

Steward Baylor Jr, Josh Toth, Jordan Ashburn, Josh Strang, Cory Buttrick, Andrew Delong and Layne Michael rounded out the top ten.

After suffering a rare defeat at the second round, Aussie Tayla Jones took out the WXC class ahead of Becca Sheets and fellow Aussie Mackenzie Tricker – Jones now leads the championship by just three points over Sheets.

The 2019 GNCC Series returns in two weeks, April 13-14, with the CST Tires Camp Coker Bullet in Society Hill, South Carolina.

XC1 Pro Event Results

  1. Thad Duvall (HQV)
  2. Kailub Russell (KTM)
  3. Trevor Bollinger (HQV)
  4. Steward Baylor Jr. (KTM)
  5. Josh Toth (KTM)
  6. Jordan Ashburn (KAW)
  7. Josh Strang (KAW)
  8. Cory Buttrick (YAM)
  9. Andrew Delong (HON)
  10. Layne Michael (HQV)

Overall National Championship Standings

  1. Kailub Russell (80)
  2. Thad Duvall (72)
  3. Steward Baylor Jr. (66)
  4. Trevor Bollinger (62)
  5. Ben Kelley (47)
  6. Josh Toth (46)
  7. Josh Strang (43)
  8. Jordan Ashburm (36)
  9. Jonathan Girroir (35)
  10. Michael Witkowski (32)
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Holcombe continues Italian Enduro Championship domination

Beta Factory Racing’s Steve Holcombe has secured his second victory in the Italian Enduro Championship with an overall win at round three. Fresh from his winning ride at last weekend’s Enduro World Championship, the defending Italian Enduro Champion continued his impressive form into the Arma di Taggia event to secure his second win in as many races and extend his lead at the top of the Italian championship series.

Faced with a varied set of special tests – ranging from a cross test on the beach to a rocky and technical extreme test in the mountains – the third stop of the series proved a challenging one from the off. Steve secured the overall victory and with it he extends his lead in the championship standings to 17 points. The Italian Enduro Championship continues with round four in Pontremoli on April 14.

Steve Holcombe

“I’m chuffed to have come away with the win today after making it hard on myself this morning. I’m not really sure what was up, but I just didn’t have a great opening lap and struggled to find my rhythm. I got it together on lap two and three and when I won the second extreme test that motivated me to push hard and close the gap. I think the extreme test is where the race came back to me because I managed to win that test on the final two laps as well, which put me back in contention. All told, I’m delighted to have got another victory – that’s two wins from three starts in the Italian championship, which is cool. We’ve got about two weeks off now until round four, which I’m looking forward too – it’ll give me a chance to recover from what’s been a busy couple of weeks racing and allow me time to work on a few areas I need to improve on, too.”

Steve Holcombe Italian Championship Rnd
Steve Holcombe – 2019 Italian Enduro Championship

Championship Standings after Round 3

  1. Steve Holcombe (Beta) 57pts
  2. Alex Salvini (Honda) 40
  3. Danny McCanney (TM) 39
  4. Loic Larrieu (TM) 37
  5. Matteo Cavallo (Sherco) 33pts…

FIM E-XBike World Cup

Youthstream have announced that the first ever FIM E-XBike World Cup will be a feature event at the 2019 MXGP of Italy in Imola this August.

Youthstream President Mr. Giuseppe Luongo stated, “We are very excited to start this new project with the FIM, we thank FIM and in particular their President, Mr. Jorge Viegas, for the trust and for this opportunity to develop this new sport, it will be both challenging and very interesting.  Our goal is to develop the FIM E-X Bike World Cup for all customers and riders who want to enjoy racing on an extreme circuit in front of a massive crowd and with a great media coverage.”

FIM E XBike World Cup announced
FIM E-XBike World Cup

The one race format will include a mass start with combined categories of both male and female riders racing for 30 minutes plus 1 lap but scored separately. The racing will be opened to anyone with an electric bicycle.

The event is being developed with the full support of Youthstream as CEO Mr. David Luongo explains, “Youthstream will put all its TV and Media resources to promote as much as possible this new competition. The first FIM E-XBike World Cup will be broadcasted live on our OTT Platforms, MXGP-TV.com, and our Facebook MXGP Page that has more than 2.5 Million followers.”

Jorge Viegas, the new elected President of the FIM took part in the conference as well during his first MXGP visit and enthusiastically said, “I am very happy that the FIM is starting to provide competitions for electric bikes. The first ever FIM E-XBike World Cup will allow a new generation of riders to take part in these exciting races. Thanks to the support of our promoters Youthstream and Infront, the Italian Federation and the Imola circuit, the FIM will be able to offer the public who come to the MXGP in Italy the opportunity to discover a new type of competition. For the FIM it is a reoccurring story because the first motorcycles were based on a bike frame, with the addition of a motor. In recent years the electric technology has evolved considerably, and we are convinced that the FIM E-X Bike World Cup will offer the manufacturers a great platform for further development. An E-bike round table meeting will also be organized in Belgium at Metet MX circuit the 9thof June in conjunction with another E-Bike / Pedelec race organized under the authority of the FMB.”


Price commits to four-wheels at Finke 2019

Toby Price has made the decision to sit out the bike category at the 2019 Finke Desert Race to concentrate on winning the truck class.

Dakar Stage Toby Price
Toby Price
Toby Price

“I’ll be sitting out the bike category at Finke this year, racing only the truck is the safer option to know that I’ll be ready for Dakar 2020! After the injury I’d like to focus on one category, and it’s the one I haven’t won yet.”

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2019 FIM Speedway Sidecar 1000cc World Cup to Gillman

An action-packed night is promised at Gillman Speedway, South Australia (SA) this Saturday night (6 April) for the 2019 running of the FIM Speedway Sidecar 1000cc World Cup. The world’s most prestigious Speedway Sidecar event sees 16 crews battle it out for the most prestigious Speedway Sidecar trophy in the world.

Sixteen heats of quick-fire racing action will be sure to keep the crowds entertained all night, and a field full of world-class riders and passengers will ensure the standard of racing is second to none.

For those wanting to get a try-before-you-buy experience of Speedway Sidecar racing, entry to the practice day will be free for spectators. Gates open at 3:00pm with practice to commence at 6:00pm.

For those who can’t get enough Speedway Sidecar action, the weekend continues with the re-running of the 2019 FIM Oceania Speedway Sidecar Championship taking place the very next night (Sunday 7 April). After being called off due to rain last weekend, the crews will have unfinished business as the slates are wiped clean and the event re-starts from Heat 1.


FIM Oceania Speedway Sidecar Championships scheduled

Rain forced the cancellation of the 2019 FIM Oceania Speedway Sidecar Championship last Saturday night (30 March) but Motorcycling Australia is pleased to announce that the event has been re-scheduled for next Sunday, 7th of April, to run alongside the FIM Speedway Sidecar World Cup at Gillman Speedway, South Australia.

FIM Oceania Speedway Sidecar Championship to Gillman
Gillman to host 2019

The entry list will remain the same as the one planned for the original event, which means that Damien Niesche will not be running due to having withdrawn from the original event, instead Rick Stephens will once again take his place as reserve.

Tickets for the re-run of the 2019 FIM Oceania Speedway Sidecar Championship (Sunday, 7 April) are available at the gate, with entry available from $15 for adults, $10 for concession, and children under 10 free.

Entry to Practice will be free on the Friday night (5 April), gates to open at 3:00pm and practice will commence at 6:00pm.

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Source: MCNews.com.au

Cairoli & Prado sweep MXGP Valkenswaard for KTM

MXGP 2019

Round 3 – The Netherlands


Three rounds are now complete in the 2019 FIM Motocross World Championship after the MXGP of the Netherlands in Valkenswaard, with Tony Cairoli and Jorge Prado claiming the overall wins in dominant fashion across both the MXGP and MX2 classes – the first KTM sweep of 2019!

MXGP Rnd Netherlands Arminas Jasikonis
MXGP Start

The Netherlands was the perfect setting for the action with challenging race conditions and better than expected weather added to by an enthusiastic crowd.

Australian Jed Beaton took a 10-15 result, with Mitch Evans going 37-10, leaving Evans 10th in the overall standings, with Beaton 13th. The opening round of the WMX also saw New Zealands Courtney Duncan go 1-7 to narrowly miss the overall podium after going down in Race 2, with Meghan Rutledge 9-8 to claim 25 championship points, with eighth position in the standings.


MXGP

As Race 1 kicked off it was Antonio Cairoli who scored the Fox Holeshot, however by the end of the first lap it was Max Anstie in the lead! Running the pace early Anstie’s pass on Cairoli was textbook.

MXGP Rnd Netherlands Tony Cairoli RA
Tony Cairoli takes the holeshot – Image by Ray Archer

Tim Gajser was third with Gautier Paulin and Italian rider Ivo Monticelli not far behind. Clement Desalle was back in eighth after the first official lap but passed his teammate Julien Lieber one lap later. Continuing his way forward the Belgian made it by Jeremy Seewer before catching Monticelli.

MXGP Rnd Netherlands Gajser bavo
Tim Gajser – Image by Bavo

On the fifth lap a mistake sent Gajser flying out of third promoting Paulin to the spot. Three laps after the mistake from Gajser, who rejoined the race in 12th behind Brian Bogers, Anstie fell while leading and was slow to get back going after snagging his gear on the bike.

The fall of Anstie not only gave Paulin another spot but handed the lead back to the always strong Sicilian Antonio Cairoli. Next to fall victim to a mistake was Anstie’s teammate and Cairoli’s compatriot Monticelli. Taking over the Monticelli’s position was Arminas Jasikonis. Jasikonis started his charge from tenth on lap 1 and progressed all the way up to fourth by lap 12.

MXGP Rnd Netherlands Clement Desalle
Clement Desalle

At the conclusion of the first race Cairoli took the win by over Desalle by 4.2 seconds with Paulin and Jasikonis less than three seconds further back while Jeremy Van Horebeektook was fifth. Gajser recovered to seventh by the finish while Anstie finished 16th ahead of his two teammates in Glenn Coldenhoff and Ivo Monticelli in 17th and 18th.

MXGP Race 2 gave Cairoli his second Fox Holeshot of the weekend and fourth of the season but this time he held the lead for all of the 17 laps. Gajser had his Works Honda in second with the privateer effort of Van Horebeek just behind.

MXGP Rnd Netherlands Tony Cairoli RA
Tony Cairoli – Image by Ray Archer

Jasikonis was off to another midfield start and came across the finish lap in ninth after the first complete lap. Shaun Simpson had a remarkable start inside the top five battling with Desalle for fourth during the first 10 laps. Paulin was on a move up the leaderboard along with Jasikonis for several laps before losing control of his Yamaha and sampling the sand.

Similar to Race 1 Jasikonis continued to progress forward taking fourth from Desalle with only two laps remaining. At the finish it was a second race win for Cairoli with Gajser second, Van Horebeek third, Jasikonis fourth, and Desalle fifth.

MXGP Rnd Netherlands Gajser bavo
Tim Gajser – Image by Bavo

In the overall classification Cairoli’s double win earned him 50 points while Desalle’s 2-5 scores earned 38 points for second overall. Gajser’s 7-2 tallied 36 points for third overall and his third podium so far this season.

Tony Cairoli – P1

“A very nice weekend. I didn’t really feel great all week. On hard-pack I was OK but this small shoulder problem in the sand made things difficult. Anyway, looking at the bigger picture we took two wins and you cannot get more than fifty points so it was a great weekend. Also no crashes, which was important on this track where we saw a lot of people going down. It will be a busy week now with my home GP but I hope to see a lot of public at Arco and KTM again on top of the podium.”

MXGP Rnd Netherlands Tony Cairoli RA
Tony Cairoli – Image by Ray Archer
Clement Desalle – P2

“I’m really happy as it’s not my favourite track and I was not expecting such a good result as I couldn’t train as I like during the week after my crash in Great Britain; I had pain in my hand and in my neck. Yesterday I just took it step-by-step and did what I needed to do. Today was different; I got good starts, was feeling good and could come back to second position during the first race. But I hurt my knee during this race; between the motos we had to work with the physio and doctor so I was able to get another top five finish which gave me a first podium this season. We are now third in the championship and I’m really confident for the rest of the season after this podium.”

MXGP Rnd Netherlands Desalle GP SL
Clement Desalle
Tim Gajser – P3

“I’m quite happy to finish on the podium again. I’m just a little bit disappointed with the first race. I made a mistake and finished seventh, but I’m trying to learn as much as possible from these mistakes so I don’t make them in the future. The second race was good though. My speed was good, my start was good. We were really close to the front and the pace was high so overall I’m quite happy and I’m really looking forward to next weekend in Arco di Trento. A huge thanks to everyone in the team, they did an amazing job with the bike and I felt comfortable on it in both the motos.”

MXGP Rnd Netherlands Gajser bavo
Tim Gajser – Image by Bavo
Arminas Jasikonis – P5

“For me it was a really good weekend here in The Netherlands. I felt on top form and kept improving my pace every time I was on track. If my starts were a little bit better in the final motos, my overall result would have been even better. Not getting the best of starts in either race, I had to fight my way through the pack. Despite not getting great starts I ended up sharing the exact same points as third placed Tim Gajser and that gives me the extra motivation to continue pushing hard. I am really happy with where I’m at right now and I am looking forward to the next GP in Italy.”

MXGP Rnd Netherlands Arminas Jasikonis
Arminas Jasikonis

MXGP Race 1 Top 10 – Valkenswaard 2019

  1. CAIROLI Antonio – ITA – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 34:34.806
  2. DESALLE Clement – BEL – Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing +4.242
  3. PAULIN Gautier – FRA – Wilvo Yamaha MXGP +5.137
  4. JASIKONIS Arminas – LTU – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing +6.759
  5. VAN HOREBEEK Jeremy – BEL – Honda SR Motoblouz +12.427
  6. LIEBER Julien – BEL – Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing +13.786
  7. GAJSER Tim – SLO – Team HRC – MXGP +14.058
  8. SEEWER Jeremy – SWI – Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP Team +20.989
  9. SIMPSON Shaun – GBR – RFX KTM Racing +35.999
  10. TIXIER Jordi – FRA – Team VHR KTM Racing +39.272

MXGP Race 2 Top 10 – Valkenswaard 2019

  1. CAIROLI Antonio – ITA – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 34:13.363
  2. GAJSER Tim – SLO – Team HRC – MXGP +1.461
  3. VAN HOREBEEK Jeremy – BEL – Honda SR Motoblouz +32.822
  4. JASIKONIS Arminas – LTU – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing +42.905
  5. DESALLE Clement – BEL – Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing +48.123
  6. SEEWER Jeremy – SWI – Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP Team +51.333
  7. LIEBER Julien – BEL – Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing +52.345
  8. SIMPSON Shaun – GBR – RFX KTM Racing +54.021
  9. ANSTIE Max – GBR – Standing Construct KTM +1:00.795
  10. COLDENHOFF Glenn – NDL – Standing Construct KTM +1:01.515
MXGP Rnd Netherlands Desalle Podium
MXGP Overall Podium – 1) Antonio Cairoli, 2) Clement Desalle, 3) Tim Gajser

MXGP Valkenswaard Overall Top Ten

  1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 50 points
  2. Clement Desalle (BEL, KAW), 38
  3. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 36
  4. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, HON), 36
  5. Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, HUS), 36
  6. Julien Lieber (BEL, KAW), 29
  7. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 28
  8. Gautier Paulin (FRA, YAM), 28
  9. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), 25
  10. Max Anstie (GBR, KTM), 17

MXGP Standings following Valkenswaard MXGP

  1. CAIROLI Antonio 147
  2. GAJSER Tim 125
  3. DESALLE Clement 103
  4. VAN HOREBEEK Jeremy 102
  5. PAULIN Gautier 102
  6. JASIKONIS Arminas 92
  7. SEEWER Jeremy 78
  8. SIMPSON Shaun 64
  9. LIEBER Julien 62
  10. ANSTIE Max 62
    …24 FERRIS Dean 6

MX2

The dominance of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing continued in MX2 this weekend as defending MX2 World Champion Jorge Prado returned from his one-week hiatus. Adding to his impressive collection of Fox Holeshot black plates Prado took the Race 1 lead immediately.

MXGP Rnd Netherlands Thomas Kjer Olsen
Thomas Kjer Olsen leading the MX2 start

Thomas Kjer Olsen’s red plated Rockstar Energy Husqvarna got him into second early while his newfound antagonist Henry Jacobi ran third. Davy Pootjes was fifth for the first seven laps of the race before Ben Watson flew past at the end of the roller section.

MXGP Rnd Netherlands Jorge Prado RA
Jorge Prado – Image by Ray Archer

Watson also passed Tom Vialle but a lap later the Brit crashed making his hard work all for nothing as he lost three spots as a result. Calvin Vlaanderen came from ninth on lap 1 to fourth by the end of lap 12 where he settled in behind Jacobi. Watson meanwhile regrouped from his fall and took fifth away from Pootjes for the second time with two laps to go.

MXGP Rnd Netherlands Tom Vialle RA
Tom Vialle – Image by Ray Archer

At the finish Prado scored the win seven and a half seconds ahead of Olsen who had a further six seconds on Jacobi and another 16 seconds on Vlaanderen in fourth.

MXGP Rnd Netherlands Thomas Kjer Olsen
Thomas Kjer Olsen

In Race 2 Prado’s perfection continued with another Fox Holeshot over Olsen, Jacobi, Vialle, and Jago Geerts. Prado’s new KTM teammate, Tom Vialle, crashed out of fourth position during lap three and remounted in 11th.

MXGP Rnd Netherlands Jorge Prado RA
Jorge Prado – Image by Ray Archer

Vlaanderen moved into the top five due to Vialle’s crash but more noticeably Geerts took the Frenchman’s prior position and ran with it. A native of the neighboring Belgium, Geerts applied pressure to Jacobi for a consistent seven laps and finally made the move to take over third and two laps later Vlaanderen did the same displacing Jacobi another position backwards.

With just two laps to go Jacobi would lose another position to Watson with Alberto Forato, applying pressure from an impressive ride in seventh. The most important pass of the race for Geerts was also the final one. On the last lap, the last section, and last jump Geerts launched his YZ250F past Olsen to take second and also earn the final spot on the podium.

MXGP Rnd Netherlands Jorge Prado RA
Jorge Prado – Image by Ray Archer

With Prado taking the win it was a perfect KTM sweep of the weekend in both MXGP and MX2 while Olsen took second overall and maintained the red plate ahead of next weekend’s MXGP of Trentino.

Jorge Prado – P1

“It was a great weekend. Four days ago I could not think about riding. I had too much pain and I didn’t really know how my body was reacting. I had to rest these weeks and take it easy. I wasn’t happy at all to miss Matterley Basin. I don’t think we really expected these results here this weekend: the goal had been just to ride and get some points! On Saturday I had some issues and didn’t feel comfortable but today I woke up and I felt better. So to win both motos was great and to get some points back. I took some painkillers today just to be safe but everything that we did for this weekend turned out well. It is a long championship and my rivals are riding well. We just need to keep going, keep focussed, limit the mistakes and keep trying to improve.”

MXGP Rnd Netherlands Jorge Prado RA
Jorge Prado – Image by Ray Archer
Thomas Kjer-Olsen – P2

“We picked up some good points here in The Netherlands and that’s what matters the most for me. Knowing the track would be rough, my goal coming into the weekend was to remain safe and do my best to maintain the lead in the championship. In the first moto I had a decent pace and crossed the line in second. Then in the final moto I got passed by Geerts while running second again, just before the chequered flag, so I ended up third for second overall. This season will be very long and my goal is to remain consistent until the end of it.”

MXGP Rnd Netherlands Thomas Kjer Olsen
Thomas Kjer Olsen
Jago Geerts – P3

“It was a really good week for me, the first race didn’t go as planned but in the second race I was pretty fired up, in the last lap I got second place and took third on the podium so I was pretty happy with that.”

MXGP Rnd Netherlands Jago Geerts
Jago Geerts

Continuing to build on his speed and stamina following injury, Australia’s Jed Beaton wrapped up the GP of The Netherlands with 10/15 results for 12th overall in the MX2 category.

Jed Beaton

“I had an OK GP and felt good on my bike. In the opening moto my pace was good so I managed to secure a top-10 result. Then in the second moto, I pushed a bit more than I needed to early on and ended up getting a little fatigued. The injury I picked up during the pre-season hasn’t allowed me to spend as much time as I would have liked on a bike. Around a tough track like Valkenswaard it is always important to be on top of your game. At the moment I’m taking one step at a time and I’m trying to get better every time I race.”

MXGP Rnd Netherlands Jed Beaton
Jed Beaton

MX2 Valkenswaard Race 1 Top Ten

  1. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 34:30.560
  2. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, Husqvarna), +0:07.459
  3. Henry Jacobi (GER, Kawasaki), +0:16.197
  4. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, Honda), +0:32.080
  5. Ben Watson (GBR, Yamaha), +0:41.347
  6. Davy Pootjes (NED, Husqvarna), +0:46.249
  7. Jago Geerts (BEL, Yamaha), +0:46.877
  8. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), +0:54.324
  9. Maxime Renaux (FRA, Yamaha), +0:58.521
  10. Jed Beaton (AUS, Husqvarna), +1:09.100

MX2 Valkenswaard Race 2 Top Ten

  1. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 34:35.326
  2. Jago Geerts (BEL, Yamaha), +0:05.031
  3. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, Husqvarna), +0:05.188
  4. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, Honda), +0:13.061
  5. Ben Watson (GBR, Yamaha), +0:16.499
  6. Henry Jacobi (GER, Kawasaki), +0:27.070
  7. Alberto Forato (ITA, Husqvarna), +0:37.591
  8. Bas Vaessen (NED, KTM), +0:48.631
  9. Adam Sterry (GBR, Kawasaki), +1:06.469
  10. Mitchell Evans (AUS, Honda), +1:09.989
    …15. Jed Beaton
MXGP Rnd Netherlands MX Podium
MX2 Overall Podium – 1) Jorge Prado, 2) Thomas Kjer Olsen, 3) Jago Geerts

MX2 Valkenswaard Overall Top Ten

  1. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 50 points
  2. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 42
  3. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 36
  4. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, HON), 36
  5. Henry Jacobi (GER, KAW), 35
  6. Ben Watson (GBR, YAM), 32
  7. Alberto Forato (ITA, HUS), 23
  8. Adam Sterry (GBR, KAW), 22
  9. Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 21
  10. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), 21
    …12. Jed Beaton

MX2 Championship Top Ten after Valkenswaard

  1. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 136 points
  2. Henry Jacobi (GER, KAW), 113
  3. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, HON), 107
  4. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 100
  5. Ben Watson (GBR, YAM), 95
  6. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), 86
  7. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 81
  8. Davy Pootjes (NED, HUS), 65
  9. Adam Sterry (GBR, KAW), 63
  10. Mitchell Evans (AUS, HON), 60

WMX

The first round of the 2019 FIM Women’s Motocross World Championship concluded after two days of racing at the Valkenswaard circuit of the Netherlands. It was Amandine Verstappen who took the Valkenswaard victory along with the first overall win and red plate of the new season for the very first time in her career.

MXGP Rnd Netherlands WMX Start
WMX Start

A full entry list left 39 of the world’s best Women Motocross racers to line up on the sandy Dutch circuit. Though early in the year the weekend had nearly perfect weather and track conditions which developed to challenge all by the final checkered flag.

MXGP Rnd Netherlands Rutledge
Meghan Rutledge

Alongside the qualifying races of MXGP and MX2, plus the first race of EMX125 presented by FMF Racing, the women started their season. The first race and day of the two day, two race format was a showing of speed by newly signed BIKE IT DRT Kawasaki rider Courtney Duncan.

When WMX Race 1 started off Amandine Verstappen took the holeshot ahead of Larissa Papenmeier and the rest of the field. Duncan was third but made quick moves to get by Papenmeier in lap two to then take the lead from Verstappen one lap later.

MXGP Rnd Netherlands Rutledge
Meghan Rutledge

Moving forward throughout the 11 laps were Nancy Van de Ven and Shana Van der Vlist. Moving from eighth to fourth was a strong ride for Van de Ven after a bad start but even more impressive was Van der Vlist’s comeback from 12th up to fifth.

Race 1 was won by Duncan 6.6 seconds ahead of Verstappen who had Papenmeier only a tenth of second further behind in third. Van de Ven and Van der Vlist took the final spots among the top five.

MXGP Rnd Netherlands Duncan
Courtney Duncan claimed victory in Race 1

Race 2 was in slightly cooler temperatures and a rougher track but Courtney Duncan was quick to take the Saturday momentum onward and lead from the beginning. A better start from Van de Ven put her in a position to apply pressure to Duncan while Verstappen and Papenmeier gave chase to both.

After 7 laps of the 11 total Duncan made a costly mistake on the lip of the finish jump sending her into a massive endo. Ejected from the bike the Kiwi returned quickly but after struggling to get it started her hope of winning disappeared. The crash left Van de Ven with the lead and a clear track ahead of Verstappen.

MXGP Rnd Netherlands Rutledge
Meghan Rutledge

At the finish it was a race win for Van de Ven but Verstappen’s pair of second place finishes was both too strong and too consistent to be beat in the overall result. Duncan recovered to seventh but finished fourth overall behind Verstappen Van de Ven and Papenmeier.

Courtney Duncan – P4

“It’s a little bit frustrating to miss the win and even the podium as I really felt easy on the bike all weekend; I felt good enough to win and honestly I don’t really know what happened before I crashed on this jump. Anyway I didn’t get injured in this crash; I’m healthy and I feel confident before the next round. Now I need to spend time with the team and on the bike, get some fitness back and we’ve now got six weeks to do that before Portugal.”

MXGP Rnd Netherlands Duncan
Courtney Duncan

The women will now prepare for round 2 of the 2019 FIM Women’s Motocross World Championship scheduled for the MXGP of Portugal on the 18th and 19th of May in Agueda.

WMX Race 1 Top Ten

  1. Courtney Duncan (NZL, Kawasaki), 24:47.429
  2. Amandine Verstappen (BEL, Yamaha), +0:06.661
  3. Larissa Papenmeier (GER, Yamaha), +0:06.762
  4. Nancy Van De Ven (NED, Yamaha), +0:40.317
  5. Shana van der Vlist (NED, KTM), +0:42.462
  6. Sara Andersen (DEN, KTM), +0:45.841
  7. Lynn Valk (NED, Yamaha), +0:54.902
  8. Nicky van Wordragen (NED, Yamaha), +0:58.314
  9. Meghan Rutledge (AUS, Kawasaki), +0:59.382
  10. Anne Borchers (GER, Suzuki), +1:27.155

WMX Race 2 Top Ten

  1. Nancy Van De Ven (NED, Yamaha), 25:00.931
  2. Amandine Verstappen (BEL, Yamaha), +0:08.011
  3. Larissa Papenmeier (GER, Yamaha), +0:13.410
  4. Shana van der Vlist (NED, KTM), +0:57.730
  5. Line Dam (DEN, Honda), +1:11.635
  6. Lynn Valk (NED, Yamaha), +1:12.584
  7. Courtney Duncan (NZL, Kawasaki), +1:20.931
  8. Meghan Rutledge (AUS, Kawasaki), +1:22.971
  9. Nicky van Wordragen (NED, Yamaha), +1:24.765
  10. Mathilde Martinez (FRA, KTM), +1:53.374
MXGP Rnd Netherlands WMX Top
WMX Overall Podium -1) Amandine Verstappen, 2) Nancy Van De Ven, 3) Larissa Papenmeier

WMX Overall Top Ten

  1. Amandine Verstappen (BEL, YAM), 44 points
  2. Nancy Van De Ven (NED, YAM), 43
  3. Larissa Papenmeier (GER, YAM), 40
  4. Courtney Duncan (NZL, KAW), 39
  5. Shana van der Vlist (NED, KTM), 34
  6. Lynn Valk (NED, YAM), 29
  7. Line Dam (DEN, HON), 26
  8. Meghan Rutledge (AUS, KAW), 25
  9. Nicky van Wordragen (NED, YAM), 25
  10. Virginie Germond (SUI, KTM), 18

WMX Championship Top Ten

  1. Amandine Verstappen (BEL, YAM), 44 points
  2. Nancy Van De Ven (NED, YAM), 43
  3. Larissa Papenmeier (GER, YAM), 40
  4. Courtney Duncan (NZL, KAW), 39
  5. Shana van der Vlist (NED, KTM), 34
  6. Lynn Valk (NED, YAM), 29
  7. Line Dam (DEN, HON), 26
  8. Meghan Rutledge (AUS, KAW), 25
  9. Nicky van Wordragen (NED, YAM), 25
  10. Virginie Germond (SUI, KTM), 18

Source: MCNews.com.au