Desalle wins the MX1 GP and Herlings wins MX2 Championship The main races of the Czech Grand Prix took place today in Loket under a very changeable weather. The day started with more than 30 degrees and the sun was shining, but by the middle of the first MX1 race it started to rain heavily. The following races were not much affected by the rain and Jeffrey Herlings was able to celebrate his second FIM MX2 World Title with his Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team and his Dutch fans after the second race, whereas Clement Desalle obtained his second overall victory of the season. In MX1 Kevin Strijbos and Evgeny Bobryshev completed the podium, while Antonio Cairoli finished fifth overall behind Ken De Dycker. In MX2 Christophe Charlier managed to be on the second step of the rostrum and Aleksandr Tonkov obtained his maiden podium in the FIM MX2 World Championship by finishing third overall.  In the EMX125 European Championship, ahead of Anton Lundgren and Calvin Vlaanderen. Pauls Jonass was only able to finish fourth after a poor start out of the top ten.  Earlier in the morning Valentin Guillod dominated the EMX250 Final race,
while Jeremy Seewer and Mike Kras finished second and third. Nicolas
Dercourt obtained his first ever victoryMX1 Rockstar Energy Suzuki World’s Clement Desalle had a very strong day and managed to dominate both races from the beginning until the chequered flag. The Belgian rider admitted that he was very happy with his riding and he explained that in both races he was able to find really good lines to make good laps to open a big gap with the rest of the group. It was a really strong weekend for Desalle and he is now second in the championship ninety points behind Antonio Cairoli, but thirty-nine points ahead of Ken De Dycker. It was also a strong weekend for Kevin Strijbos who managed to finish second and fourth in today’s races. The Rockstar Energy Suzuki World rider obtained the Get Athena Holeshot award in the first race and he rode a consistent moto in second even if he exchanged the position with his compatriot Ken De Dycker by the middle of the race. In the second race Strijbos admitted that he misjudged the start and he could not start with the front group; the Belgian explained that he struggled in the beginning to find the good lines and decided to ride safe, but by the middle of the heat he pushed hard to pass De Dycker and in the last lap he overtook Tommy Searle. Honda World Motocross’ Evgeny Bobryshev was very satisfied with his performance today and he even admitted that it felt like his first podium because it has been very hard for the Russian to be back racing for a podium finish after struggling with his injuries. Such situation made Bobryshev even stronger and he proved it this weekend by obtaining two good starts and crossing the finish line fifth and third. Bobryshev will be able to follow his full training program in the upcoming days, so he hopes to do well in the races to come. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Ken De Dycker did not feel really comfortable today in the Czech track and even if he gave it all he missed the podium for just one point. The Belgian was eighth after the start of the first race, but he managed to move up to fourth by the end of the opening lap. Afterwards, De Dycker passed Jeremy Van Horebeek and Kevin Strijbos, but by the end of the race he could not hold the position and finished third behind Strijbos. In the second moto De Dycker’s start was much better and he battled for the third position with Bobryshev in the first few laps, but he could not keep the rhythm and he was overtaken by Searle and Strijbos and crossed the finish line sixth. It was not an easy weekend for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Antonio Cairoli who was only able to finish fourth and seventh in today’s races and he ended fifth overall in the Grand Prix. The Italian admitted that he was very disappointed with his riding and he explained that he was not able to find a good rhythm and he decided to ride carefully because he was not feeling comfortable. In the first race Cairoli stalled the bike in the opening lap and went down to the seventh place, but he managed to recuperate some positions and he crossed the finish line fourth. In the second race he crashed with Van Horebeek when they were battling for the second position and Cairoli went down to the fourteenth position, but he succeeded to finish seventh. Tommy Searle was not able to fight for a podium finish this weekend and he had to settle down with the sixth overall position. In the first race the British rider was sixth after the start, but Simpson got his leg stuck in Searle’s back wheel and he had to stop his Kawasaki. Simpson was able to continue the race and Searle restarted in the thirteenth position. The British rider finished eighth and in the second race he obtained a solid fifth position. David Philippaerts rode once again among the top ten riders and his 6-10 result made him finish seventh overall. Jeremy Van Horebeek crashed when he was riding in fourth and a mechanical problem forced him to retire. However, he did an excellent second race and his second position made him finish eighth overall. Shaun Simpson was ninth and Tanel Leok completed the top ten. 2012 FIM MX3 World Champion Matthias Walkner, who is now third in the MX3 standings, took part in the Czech Grand Prix and he finished thirteenth overall. The current red plate holder of the MX3 series Klemen Gercar, who has been racing for 24MX Honda Racing in the last Grand Prix, ended seventeenth, and Martin Micheck, who was supposed to take part in the Czech Grand Prix, was ill during the whole week and he decided to take some rest and safe some energies for the upcoming MX3 round which is taking place at Matterley Basin during the MXGP Festival. MX1 Race 1 top ten: 1. Clement Desalle (BEL, Suzuki), 40:13.885; 2. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Suzuki), +0:17.258; 3. Ken de Dycker (BEL, KTM), +0:36.119; 4. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:40.733; 5. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), +0:46.263; 6. David Philippaerts (ITA, Honda), +0:49.981; 7. Joel Roelants (BEL, Yamaha), +0:55.559; 8. Tommy Searle (GBR, Kawasaki), +1:02.663; 9. Tanel Leok (EST, TM), +1:04.210; 10. Shaun Simpson (GBR, Yamaha), +1:06.423; MX1 Race 2 top ten: 1. Clement Desalle (BEL, Suzuki), 39:52.449; 2. Jeremy van Horebeek (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:11.241; 3. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), +0:15.502; 4. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Suzuki), +0:18.634; 5. Tommy Searle (GBR, Kawasaki), +0:19.929; 6. Ken de Dycker (BEL, KTM), +0:43.766; 7. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:46.632; 8. Shaun Simpson (GBR, Yamaha), +0:49.173; 9. Tanel Leok (EST, TM), +0:50.415; 10. David Philippaerts (ITA, Honda), +0:53.086; MX1 Overall top ten: 1. Clement Desalle (BEL, Suzuki), 50 points; 2. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Suzuki), 40 p.; 3. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), 36 p.; 4. Ken de Dycker (BEL, KTM), 35 p.; 5. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 32 p.; 6. Tommy Searle (GBR, Kawasaki), 29 p.; 7. David Philippaerts (ITA, Honda), 26 p.; 8. Jeremy van Horebeek (BEL, Kawasaki), 24 p.; 9. Shaun Simpson (GBR, Yamaha), 24 p.; 10. Tanel Leok (EST, TM), 24 p.; MX1 Championship top ten: 1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 643 points; 2. Clement Desalle (BEL, Suzuki), 553 p.; 3. Ken de Dycker (BEL, KTM), 514 p.; 4. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Kawasaki), 465 p.; 5. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Suzuki), 437 p.; 6. Tommy Searle (GBR, Kawasaki), 404 p.; 7. Jeremy van Horebeek (BEL, Kawasaki), 351 p.; 8. Maximilian Nagl (GER, Honda), 314 p.; 9. David Philippaerts (ITA, Honda), 245 p.; 10. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), 238 p.; MX1 Manufacturers: 1. KTM, 658 points; 2. Suzuki, 581 p.; 3. Kawasaki, 547 p.; 4. Honda, 428 p.; 5. Yamaha, 271 p.; 6. TM, 198 p.; MX2 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings was crowned 2013 FIM MX2 World Champion today in Loket after he dominated both heats with superb authority. The Dutch rider was very happy to have won his second FIM MX2 World Title and he was extremely happy to have it won surrounded by so many Dutch fans who had travelled to Loket to support him. Herlings said that he will keep on racing in the MX2 class until the end of the season and he is fully motivated to win all the Grand Prix and set another record in the History of the sport. Monster Energy Yamaha’s Christophe Charlier was again on the podium this weekend thanks to his two strong results; in the first race he was fourth and in the second one he finished second. Charlier admitted that he had been working really hard with his team to improve his starts and he actually proved it today by starting with the front group in both heats. The Monster Energy Yamaha rider is still fourth in the championship, thirty-one points behind José Butrón, and Charlier said that he is now determined to do well in the upcoming races and fight for the third place of the championship. J-Tech ESTA Motorsports Racing’s Aleksandr Tonkov obtained his maiden podium in the FIM MX2 World Championship after finishing third and forth in today’s races. The Russian explained that Loket is not his favourite track, but he was able to take two good starts and ride consistently until the finish line. However, Tonkov explained that he struggled a lot with pain on his shoulder and knee due to the big crash he suffered on Saturday, and by the middle of the first race he raced with no brakes, but he managed to keep his initial third position until the end. CLS Kawasaki Monster Energy Pro Circuit’s Alessandro Lupino missed the podium for just three points, but once again he showed he has the talent and the speed to be fighting for a the top three positions. In the first race started around the seventh place, but by the end of the opening lap he was already third. The Italian managed to find the good lines to keep a consistent rhythm and he overtook Tonkov and he crossed the finish line in the second position. However, Lupino crashed at the early stages of the second heat and he had to push hard from the tenth position to finish eighth and obtain the overall fourth place in the Grand Prix. It was a difficult Grand Prix for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jordi Tixier, who was only able to finish fifth overall. Before travelling to Loket the French rider knew that the Czech Grand Prix would not be an easy one for him, so all in all he was happy with this result. In the first race Tixier had a big crash when he was riding fifth and scratched all the right side of his body, but he did not lose any position as he had a comfortable advantage with his pursuers. The KTM rider managed to keep the fifth place until the end of the race and in the second moto he also ended fifth, but this time he had to recover from his initial seventh position. Dylan Ferrandis had a difficult qualifying race yesterday due to a mechanical problem, but today he finished seventh in both heats and he ended sixth overall. Jake Nicholls struggled once again with his starts today and after starting eighteenth and thirteenth, he was able to cross the finish line ninth and sixth, which gave him an overall seventh position. Petar Petrov was once again riding among the top ten and this time he finished eighth overall, ahead of José Butrón and Dean Ferris. José Butrón was fully motivated to do well this weekend and he actually proved it by obtaining the Get Athena Holeshot Award in the first race and obtaining a strong third position in the second moto. However, in the first heat Charlier touched Butrón when they were battling for the third position and the Spanish rider crashed and had to enter the pitlane to fix his clutch. Butrón entered the race again, but he had a small crashed and was forced to retire because he had a problem in his front wheel. Glenn Coldenhoff did not have a good weekend in Loket; in the first race he did not have a good start but he made a good recovery from the thirteenth position to the final sixth place. However, in the second moto he got a stone inside the radiator hose and he was forced to retire, so in the end Coldenhoff obtained an overall fourteenth place in the Czech Grand Prix. Max Anstie crashed in the beginning of the first race when he was seventh and he could not finish the race nor take part in the second one because he suffered a bad gash - down to the bone - on his right elbow and he required a hospital visit to have the wound cleaned and treated. MX2 Race 1 top ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 39:38.058; 2. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, Kawasaki), +0:37.903; 3. Aleksandr Tonkov (RUS, Honda), +0:47.805; 4. Christophe Charlier (FRA, Yamaha), +0:52.989; 5. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KTM), +1:07.729; 6. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), +1:14.265; 7. Dylan Ferrandis (FRA, Kawasaki), +1:17.832; 8. Petar Petrov (BUL, Yamaha), +1:18.835; 9. Jake Nicholls (GBR, KTM), +1:20.211; 10. Maxime Desprey (FRA, Yamaha), +1:26.473; MX2 Race 2 top ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 40:27.757; 2. Christophe Charlier (FRA, Yamaha), +0:20.606; 3. Jose Butron (ESP, KTM), +0:29.951; 4. Aleksandr Tonkov (RUS, Honda), +0:34.661; 5. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KTM), +0:37.893; 6. Jake Nicholls (GBR, KTM), +0:40.315; 7. Dylan Ferrandis (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:57.314; 8. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, Kawasaki), +1:06.995; 9. Dean Ferris (AUS, Yamaha), +1:09.821; 10. Petar Petrov (BUL, Yamaha), +1:11.697; MX2 Overall top ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 50 points; 2. Christophe Charlier (FRA, Yamaha), 40 p.; 3. Aleksandr Tonkov (RUS, Honda), 38 p.; 4. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, Kawasaki), 35 p.; 5. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KTM), 32 p.; 6. Dylan Ferrandis (FRA, Kawasaki), 28 p.; 7. Jake Nicholls (GBR, KTM), 27 p.; 8. Petar Petrov (BUL, Yamaha), 24 p.; 9. Jose Butron (ESP, KTM), 20 p.; 10. Romain Febvre (FRA, KTM), 19 p.; MX2 Championship top ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 692 points; 2. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KTM), 515 p.; 3. Jose Butron (ESP, KTM), 436 p.; 4. Christophe Charlier (FRA, Yamaha), 405 p.; 5. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 377 p.; 6. Dean Ferris (AUS, Yamaha), 359 p.; 7. Jake Nicholls (GBR, KTM), 345 p.; 8. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, Kawasaki), 294 p.; 9. Max Anstie (GBR, Suzuki), 282 p.; 10. Petar Petrov (BUL, Yamaha), 262 p.; MX2 Manufacturers: 1. KTM, 697 points; 2. Yamaha, 506 p.; 3. Kawasaki, 401 p.; 4. Suzuki, 306 p.; 5. Honda, 305 p.; 6. TM, 59 p.; 7. Husqvarna, 1 p.; |