Perfect day for Cairoli in Belgium

Monday 18 June: Round 8 of the FIM MX1 Motocross World Championship and Antonio Cairoli took two convincing wins. In MX2 Tommy Searle traded places with Jeffrey Herlings to record his third GP victory of the season. Paul Malin reports for Youthstream before the detailed official report and results.

MX1:
Antonio Cairoli (Red Bull KTM) was in no mood for playing games this week and as he rounded out turn one out front he was unchallenged and went on to take the first race victory. Kevin Strijbos (HM Plant KTM UK) tried to stay in touch for the first few laps, but in the end had to give way Gautier Paulin (Kawasaki Racing Team) and Clement Desalle (Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MX1) as they raced through to second and third place respectively. Behind Strijbos (4th) was Christophe Pourcel (CP377 Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki) who came from outside the top ten to finish fifth.

Race two was a much more interesting affair as Christophe Pourcel, Evgeny Bobryshev (Honda World Motocross) Desalle and Cairoli all found themselves at the front. Pourcel led for the first two laps before Desalle took over for five more. But lurking the whole time in the background was Cairoli who gradually chipped away, passing Bobryshev, Pourcel and then Desalle by lap eight to go on and win comfortably by almost five seconds. The battle for second and third became a three-way affair between Pourcel, Desalle and Strijbos who appeared from nowhere, but in the end it was Pourcel who held on from Desalle.
The grand prix victory belonged to Cairoli (1-1) with Desalle (3-3) second and Pourcel (5-2) in third.

Antonio Cairoli celebrating his overall victory in Bastogne

MX2
Jeffrey Herlings (Red Bull KTM) and Tommy Searle (Floride Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki) resumed their world championship battle here in Belgium, but it was Herlings who came out on top leading every lap of race one to win by more than ten seconds over Searle. Jeremy Van Horebeek (Red Bull KTM) found himself in third on the opening lap and whilst he remained close to Searle was unable to offer any serious threat to the Brit. Joel Roelants (Floride Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki) was fourth while Jake Nicholls (Nestaan JM Racing KTM) rode a solid race to place fifth. The ride of the race though was from Arnaud Tonus (Monster Energy Yamaha) as he battled from outside the top twenty-five to finish seventh.

The second race once again saw the two championship protagonists go head to head but this time, and despite the early threats Herlings could not find a way to deal with Searle, even though he did briefly find a way through. But it was Searle who rode to victory in the second moto taking the overall victory along with it. Herlings had to settle for second with Van Horebeek once again third and that result mirrored the overall podium.