MX2

AGUEDA (Portugal) 3 April 2022 – The MXGP of Portugal concluded the fourth round of the FIM Motocross World Championship after some intense battles in MXGP and MX2 that saw Red Bull GasGas Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado celebrate his first overall victory of the season, while Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Tom Vialle made it two on the bounce with a back-to-back GP win in MX2.

Meanwhile, Standing Construct Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Brian Bogers made heads turn with his impressive performance just two weeks after dislocating his shoulder and to top it off, he celebrated his first MXGP podium and first trip to the box since 2017 with third overall.

In the first MXGP heat, it was JM Honda Racing's Henry Jacobi with the Fox Holeshot as he led Prado, Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Glenn Coldenhoff, Bogers and Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jeremy Seewer as Team HRC’s Tim Gajser got squeezed in 8^th.

Bogers was hot on Coldenhoff’s heels from the get-go and by the the end of the third lap was ahead of the Yamaha rider. He then set the fastest lap of the race, setting a strong pace as he began to close the gap to Prado in first.

Meanwhile Gajser was up in sixth but struggling to find an opportunity to get by Standing Construct Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Pauls Jonass. It took the Slovenian a total of six laps to pass the Latvian, but once he did that, it was all guns blazing as he then passed Seewer on lap 13 and then got Coldenhoff on lap 14. He fought hard to get close to Bogers, but in the end, it was not enough.

Renaux was having a steady race down in seventh but dropped it on lap 14 to eventually come home in 11^th behind SM Action Racing Team YUASA Battery’s Alberto Forato, Beta SDM Corse’s Jeremy Van Horebeek and Gebben Van Venrooy Yamaha Racing’s Calvin Vlaanderen who finished eighth.

Prado went on to win the first heat, as Bogers crossed the line just 1.021 seconds behind him, with Gajser third.

In race two, it was Prado with the Fox Holeshot that time around, as Gajser got a much better start in second ahead of Jonass, Coldenhoff and Seewer. Prado was fast and was doing a good job to keep Gajser at bay, who was keen on not repeating his mistakes from race one.

Gajser then set two consecutive fast laps as he got onto the rear wheel of the Spaniard. As they crossed the line for lap six there was just 0.729 seconds separating them as Gajser was able to dive down the inside of Prado and take over first place.

The Slovenian then pulled away as Coldenhoff pushed Jonass for third. Seewer was right there in fifth with Bogers edging closer.

Beaton started the race in sixth before being caught by Vlaanderen. Behind him a train of Honda 114 Motorsports’ Ruben Fernandez, Renaux and Forato started to form, as Renaux lost a spot to Forato and later crashed. Eventually he finished 11^th.

On lap 13 Coldenhoff finally got by Jonass as Seewer dropped two positions to Bogers and Vlaanderen. Bogers then continued his charge forward and on lap 16 passed his teammate for fourth.

Not much changed in the final laps as Gajser won his fourth race of the season, with Prado second and Coldenhoff third.

A 1-2 result handed Prado his first overall win of the season, as Gajser finished second on the box ahead of Bogers who was third. After round four, Gajser continues to lead the MXGP Championship classification with 186 points, 21 ahead of Prado and Renaux who remains third.

Jorge Prado: “It’s great to get back on the top of the box. It’s hard, everybody is riding very fast and in the first races until now it was hard for me to ride like myself, always with a lot of pressure and I don’t know why. It was a long time since I won so when everything goes well, it looks like everything comes easy, the wins come one after each other, but once you get the win, I think it’s the perfect place to be in to relieve pressure. And I think this weekend will change a lot. It’s been hard, especially Argentina but I’m super happy to be here and to go 1-2 for the overall. Second race was tough, but I got the GP win”.

Tim Gajser: “It was a good day. The first race I didn’t have a good jump out of the gate, so I was a bit back and was struggling in the beginning to find good lines. Then about ten minutes into the race I managed to find some nice lines and make some passes, but the front two were already in a quite comfortable lead so it was really difficult to close and pass them. For the second one, I had a better start, I was behind Jorge, tried to find the lines again and then managed to make a pass and had two or three fast laps and control it, so I’m happy”.

Brian Bogers: “It’s amazing. I mean, I am speechless but the way to here was so difficult, even from 2018 when I broke my foot, I was out for nine months and to get back here was really difficult. But we are back and I am feeling good, already the first races were actually good and it’s been going better and better. Now I’m looking forward to the rest of the season".  

Main Photo: Jorge Prado

Bottom Photos: 1. Tim Gajser 2. Brian Bogers

MXGP - Grand Prix Race 1 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Jorge Prado (ESP, GASGAS), 34:59.835; 2. Brian Bogers (NED, Husqvarna), +0:01.021; 3. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:02.556; 4. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, Yamaha), +0:15.088; 5. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Yamaha), +0:15.906; 6. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, Honda), +0:16.694; 7. Pauls Jonass (LAT, Husqvarna), +0:18.114; 8. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, Yamaha), +0:19.865; 9. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Beta), +0:22.798; 10. Alberto Forato (ITA, GASGAS), +0:24.339;

MXGP - Grand Prix Race 2 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), 35:18.400; 2. Jorge Prado (ESP, GASGAS), +0:05.119; 3. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, Yamaha), +0:05.980; 4. Brian Bogers (NED, Husqvarna), +0:11.416; 5. Pauls Jonass (LAT, Husqvarna), +0:14.562; 6. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, Yamaha), +0:15.709; 7. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Yamaha), +0:26.364; 8. Alberto Forato (ITA, GASGAS), +0:28.735; 9. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, Honda), +0:38.354; 10. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Beta), +0:45.595;

MXGP - GP Top 10 Classification: 1. Jorge Prado (ESP, GAS), 47 points; 2. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 45 p.; 3. Brian Bogers (NED, HUS), 40 p.; 4. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, YAM), 38 p.; 5. Pauls Jonass (LAT, HUS), 30 p.; 6. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 30 p.; 7. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, YAM), 28 p.; 8. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, HON), 27 p.; 9. Alberto Forato (ITA, GAS), 24 p.; 10. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, BET), 23 p.;

MXGP - World Championship Top 10 Classification: 1. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 186 points; 2. Jorge Prado (ESP, GAS), 165 p.; 3. Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 144 p.; 4. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 124 p.; 5. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, YAM), 109 p.; 6. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, HON), 101 p.; 7. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, BET), 99 p.; 8. Brian Bogers (NED, HUS), 97 p.; 9. Alberto Forato (ITA, GAS), 82 p.; 10. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, KTM), 73 p.;

MXGP - Manufacturers Classification: 1. Honda, 186 points; 2. Yamaha, 169 p.; 3. GASGAS, 165 p.; 4. Husqvarna, 128 p.; 5. KTM, 100 p.; 6. Beta, 99 p.; 7. Kawasaki, 86 p.; 8. Suzuki, 10 p.; 9. Fantic, 3 p.;

In MX2 race one, Big Van World MTX Kawasaki’s Mikkel Haarup and Red Bull GasGas Factory Racing’s Mattia Guadagnini were out in front, but it was Haarup who got the Fox Holeshot. Though Guadagnini led very briefly before crashing in the second turn with a few other riders.

Haarup then led the way, as Vialle got by Andrea Adamo of SM Action Racing Team YUASA Battery. Geerts was looking good just behind them until he crashed big and dropped to last.

Vialle then worked to close the gap to Haarup. Though the Dane was not going to back down easily and kept the battle going for four laps before the Frenchman was able to find his way into the lead.

Conrad Mewse then found his way into third the following lap, as Geerts fought his way up the order to 16^th. Haakon Fredriksen of Honda 114 Motorsports’ also had a big crash and did not finished the race.  

A rider to watch in the first heat was Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Kay de Wolf who started in around eighth. He made some nice passes in the first few laps and continue his progress through the field before catching onto Stephen Rubini of Team Ship to Cycle Honda on lap 10 and then Adamo on lap 14 and eventually Mewse on lap 16.

Haarup put up a fight until the chequered flag, but it was Vialle who won, Haarup was second and de Wolf placed third. Geerts came back to ninth behind F&H Kawasaki Racing’s Kevin Horgmo.

In race two, it was Horgmo with the Fox Holeshot as he led Hitachi KTM Fuelled by Milwaukee’s Isak Gifting, Haarup, Vialle, Geerts and Adamo. As Jeremy Sydow of Diga Procross KTM Racing Team crashed on the opening lap.

Vialle moved into second place by the end of the lap, as Geerts got by Gifting too. The Belgian then set the fastest lap of the race as Horgmo continued to lead.

The Norwegian led seven laps of the race, before Vialle was able to whittle away at his lead and move into first place. Gifting then crashed as Geerts moved into second. Horgmo was pushed to third but had a comfortable gap to Haarup and de Wolf who were behind him.

Geerts though was keen on redeeming himself after the crash in race one, and on lap nine his efforts paid off as he passed Vialle and started to pull away.

In the closing stages of the race Haarup went after Horgmo who saw his third place position at risk, though despite the Dane’s best efforts, Horgmo was able to hold firm.

Geerts ended up winning the race ahead of Vialle, Horgmo, Haarup and Guadagnini.

A 1-2 result gave Vialle the overall victory, while Haarup celebrated his second podium in a row as he took the second step of the box ahead of Geerts who was forced to settle for a third-place trophy.

Though Geerts continues to lead the championship after four rounds and is 16 points ahead of Vialle as Haarup occupies the third position in the championship classifications.

Tom Vialle: “I had a difficult Saturday, I crashed in the qualifying race and was 13^th on the gate which was pretty far, and the start here is not super long. First race, in the first two laps it was a little bit slippery, but I managed to win the race and I was happy with this. Second race I had an ok start, the first lap was really good for me because I passed a lot of riders and went into the lead. Jago passed me and I was struggling for a few laps, but I was happy with the second position, Jago was riding quite good, and I didn’t want to take any risks to try to push to win the second race. Second GP win of the season and I’m happy about today.

Mikkel Haarup: “We got the Fox Holeshot in the first race, and it was really nice, the first one of the season. And then I was leading for a couple of laps, but Tom passed me and I think actually it was pretty good to follow and see how it was, because it was a new situation for me, it was my first time out in front in MX2 and I learned a lot. We started to gain pace by the end of the race but didn’t manage to get the pass. But it was great, the best race for me so far this season and my career. And then second race, I made a mistake, didn’t get a good start but still managed to make some good passes and caught up to the top three guys but couldn’t find the flow to make the pass. But anyway, I was happy with my riding and the result, the best of my career so far”.

Jago Geerts: “I’m really happy about my riding today. In the first race, on the landing my handlebar slipped, and I had a pretty big crash so I needed to come from the back and still finished in ninth position, it was a little bit of damage control. And then in the second heat, I got a pretty good start and after a couple of laps found a good flow, managed to pass Tom and won the heat so, I’m really happy about my speed and the second race. I just need to try to do the same thing and keep working at it race-by-race”.

Main Photo: Tom Vialle

Bottom Photos: 1. Mikkel Haarup 2. Jago Geerts

MX2 - Grand Prix Race 1 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), 35:34.370; 2. Mikkel Haarup (DEN, Kawasaki), +0:01.422; 3. Kay de Wolf (NED, Husqvarna), +0:17.796; 4. Conrad Mewse (GBR, KTM), +0:18.771; 5. Andrea Adamo (ITA, GASGAS), +0:20.506; 6. Stephen Rubini (FRA, Honda), +0:23.784; 7. Thibault Benistant (FRA, Yamaha), +0:27.380; 8. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, Kawasaki), +0:27.952; 9. Jago Geerts (BEL, Yamaha), +0:34.855; 10. Jeremy Sydow (GER, KTM), +0:35.915;

MX2 - Grand Prix Race 2 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Jago Geerts (BEL, Yamaha), 35:26.631; 2. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), +0:05.476; 3. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, Kawasaki), +0:07.587; 4. Mikkel Haarup (DEN, Kawasaki), +0:10.050; 5. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, GASGAS), +0:25.019; 6. Kay de Wolf (NED, Husqvarna), +0:28.370; 7. Andrea Adamo (ITA, GASGAS), +0:38.023; 8. Thibault Benistant (FRA, Yamaha), +0:41.595; 9. Simon Längenfelder (GER, GASGAS), +0:48.124; 10. Hakon Fredriksen (NOR, Honda), +1:00.551;

MX2 - GP Top 10 Classification: 1. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), 47 points; 2. Mikkel Haarup (DEN, KAW), 40 p.; 3. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 37 p.; 4. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 35 p.; 5. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, KAW), 33 p.; 6. Andrea Adamo (ITA, GAS), 30 p.; 7. Thibault Benistant (FRA, YAM), 27 p.; 8. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, GAS), 25 p.; 9. Conrad Mewse (GBR, KTM), 25 p.; 10. Stephen Rubini (FRA, HON), 23 p.;

MX2 - World Championship Top 10 Classification: 1. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 174 points; 2. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), 158 p.; 3. Mikkel Haarup (DEN, KAW), 132 p.; 4. Simon Längenfelder (GER, GAS), 130 p.; 5. Andrea Adamo (ITA, GAS), 115 p.; 6. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 113 p.; 7. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, KAW), 111 p.; 8. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, GAS), 106 p.; 9. Stephen Rubini (FRA, HON), 92 p.; 10. Conrad Mewse (GBR, KTM), 90 p.;

MX2 - Manufacturers Top Classification: 1. Yamaha, 176 points; 2. KTM, 174 p.; 3. GASGAS, 160 p.; 4. Kawasaki, 137 p.; 5. Husqvarna, 127 p.; 6. Honda, 106 p.;

All the photos from the MXGP of Portugal will be available HERE.

You can find the complete results HERE.

MXGP OF PORTUGAL QUICK FACTS:

Circuit length: 1630m

Type of ground: Clay Based

Temperature: 16° C

Weather conditions: Sunny

Weekend Attendance: 25,000

LINKS

Infront Moto Racing

FIM

MXGP of Portugal

AGUEDA (Portugal) 2 April 2022 – The qualifying day of the MXGP of Portugal has concluded with Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing dominant in MXGP and MX2 as Glenn Coldenhoff and Jago Geerts took victories in the races.

Geerts celebrated his third consecutive qualifying race victory of the season, while Coldenhoff secured his first, delivering a positive result that was much needed for the Dutchman as he looks to put the woes of the first few races behind him.

Additionally, today's action saw the first races of the support classes, who much like the MXGP and MX2, were dominated by Yamaha. In the EMX250 category, Hutten Metaal Yamaha Racing's Rick Elzinga continued to dominate after winning the opening race ahead of TBS Conversions KTM Racing Team's Camden Mc Lellan. Meanwhile in the Women's Motocross World Championship it was JK Yamaha Racing's Lynn Valk who came out on top and will look to do the same tomorrow in order to secure the red plate from Ceres 71 Yamaha Racing's Nancy Van De Ven. 

In the MXGP qualifying race, we saw Team HRC’s Tim Gajser take a flying start ahead of Honda 114 Motorsports’ Ruben Fernandez, Standing Construct Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Pauls Jonass, Red Bull GasGas Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado and Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Glenn Coldenhoff.

Fernandez was searching for a way to pass the championship leader on the opening lap, though could not make it happen, right before the pair both went down. They both got going, by which point they were way down the order.

This gave Coldenhoff a clear path to the lead, with Jonass and Prado on his heels. On lap three Prado went by Jonass to steal second, while the Latvian came under further pressure from his hard-charging teammate Brian Bogers, who had earlier got by Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jeremy Seewer for fourth.

Fernandez’ race then went from bad to worse as he crashed once again. Initially he struggled to get up but walked away from the track moments later, though did not carry on with the rest of the qualifying heat. He may have hurt his hand but will try to ride tomorrow.  

On lap eight and after several attempts Bogers was finally able to get by Jonass for third, as Prado continued to apply the pressure onto Coldenhoff for the win.

Further down the field, Gajser was making good progress as he worked his way up to 13^th. He managed a few more solid passes before the chequered flag fell and will start the races tomorrow from 7^th place.

It was a tough day for Beta SDM Corse riders Alessandro Lupino and Jeremy Van Horebeek as the pair both did not finish the race and will start tomorrow at the back of the grid.

Meanwhile, after successfully defending his position for the entire heat, Glenn Coldenhoff went on to win the MXGP qualifying race, with Prado second and Bogers third. Jonass will start fourth tomorrow ahead of Seewer and Gebben Van Venrooy Yamaha Racing’s Calvin Vlaanderen who finished well in sixth.

Glenn Coldenhoff: “It’s been quite a difficult start to the season and a qualifying heat win is always good. The race went well, Tim Gajser was ahead of me together with Ruben Fernandez and they hit each other, so I moved into the lead. I was managing the situation but Pauls was pushing in the beginning, after I had the pressure from Jorge Prado, but managed to keep cool and take the win which is good, especially after the tough start to the season so this is definitely good for the confidence”.

Main Photo: Glenn Coldenhoff

Bottom Photos: 1. Jorge Prado 2. Brian Bogers

MXGP - Qualifying Race – Top 10 Classification: 1. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, Yamaha), 25:25.899; 2. Jorge Prado (ESP, GASGAS), +0:02.095; 3. Brian Bogers (NED, Husqvarna), +0:04.531; 4. Pauls Jonass (LAT, Husqvarna), +0:10.801; 5. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Yamaha), +0:14.104; 6. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, Yamaha), +0:23.569; 7. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:25.995; 8. Henry Jacobi (GER, Honda), +0:29.633; 9. Jed Beaton (AUS, Kawasaki), +0:30.338; 10. Maxime Renaux (FRA, Yamaha), +0:35.536.

In the MX2 qualifying race, it was F&H Kawasaki Racing Team’s Kevin Horgmo who emerged with the holeshot, though Geerts was quick to find his way into the lead in the second turn, as Red Bull GasGas Factory Racing’s Mattia Guadagnini followed him to move into second.

Geerts led Guadagnini, Horgmo, Jeremy Sydow of Diga Procross KTM Racing Team, Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Kay de Wolf and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Tom Vialle. Meanwhile, Red Bull GasGas Factory Racing’s Simon Längenfelder started his race with a crash on the opening lap, though managed to salvage 16^th place by the end of the heat.  

Isak Gifting of Hitachi KTM Fuelled by Milwaukee and Big Van World MTX Kawasaki Mikkel Haarup had a nice battle for seventh which lasted the entire race, with Haarup finally getting by the KTM rider on lap seven, though not able to shake him completely until the end.

Sydow then crashed from fourth place, which allowed de Wolf, Vialle and Haarup through. Vialle was looking solid in fifth before he threw away his race too. He got going quickly but fell again on the final lap and finished 13^th.

The battle for fourth intensified between de Wolf and Haarup in the closing stages of the race, with Haarup managing to find a way past the Dutchman briefly, as de Wolf was quick to respond.

Meanwhile Geerts took a comfortable win with a 3.129 second advantage over Guadagnini and Horgmo, who was another few seconds behind, to secure his third pole position of 2022.

Jago Geerts: “The track was good in the qualifying heat, a lot better than in the free and time practice, more bumps and less fast. I am happy about my riding, I felt good all day and I’m just looking forward to the races tomorrow, will try to take a good start and hopefully have two solid races and get a lot of points”.

Main Photo: Jago Geerts

Bottom Photos: 1. Mattia Guadagnini 2. Kevin Horgmo

MX2 - Qualifying Race – Top 10 Classification: 1. Jago Geerts (BEL, Yamaha), 25:27.663; 2. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, GASGAS), +0:03.129; 3. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, Kawasaki), +0:05.693; 4. Kay de Wolf (NED, Husqvarna), +0:21.333; 5. Mikkel Haarup (DEN, Kawasaki), +0:22.262; 6. Isak Gifting (SWE, KTM), +0:24.474; 7. Stephen Rubini (FRA, Honda), +0:25.924; 8. Andrea Adamo (ITA, GASGAS), +0:34.593; 9. Jeremy Sydow (GER, KTM), +0:36.979; 10. Conrad Mewse (GBR, KTM), +0:41.534;

TIMETABLE (Local Timing UTC+1)

SUNDAY: 09:45 WMX Race 2, 10:25 MX2 Warm-up, 10:45 MXGP Warm-up, 11:30 EMX250 Race 2, 13:15 MX2 Race 1, 14:15 MXGP Race 1, 16:10 MX2 Race 2, 17:10 MXGP Race 2.

All the photos from the MXGP of Portugal will be available HERE.

You can find the complete results HERE.

MXGP OF PORTUGAL QUICK FACTS:

Circuit length: 1630m

Type of ground: Clay Based

Temperature: 17° C

Weather conditions: Sunny

LINKS

Infront Moto Racing

FIM

MXGP of Portugal

AGUEDA (Portugal) 2 April 2022 – Infront Moto Racing is delighted to share that ticket sales for the MXGP of Latvia on the 23^rd - 24^th of April are now open!

Motocenter "Zelta Zirgs" has been a part of the FIM Motocross World Championship calendar since 2009 officially, though previously hosted the MX3 and European 125cc Championship rounds in 2005 and 2006. Now back for the 13^th time, the MXGP of Latvia promises to bring plenty of action for the sixth round of the series.

Alongside the usual MXGP and MX2 action, the Latvian Grand Prix will also host rounds of the EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing and EMX Open categories.

Don’t miss your chance to witness your favourite riders in action and support local hero Pauls Jonass of Standing Construct Husqvarna Factory Racing as he and the rest of the MXGP stars take on the challenge of the Latvian Kegums circuit! Get your tickets for the event HERE!

Why not upgrade? A VIP option is available! The VIP GOLD Skybox pass gives you access to the most exclusive areas of the venue with the added bonus of the best views and incredible breakfast and lunch! Learn more about the VIP tickets HERE!

MONACO (Principality of Monaco) 30 March 2022 – It has been three years since the FIM Motocross World Championship took place in Agueda, Portugal and finally, this weekend, MXGP will see the return of the Portuguese Grand Prix.

Agueda has been on the MXGP calendar since 1985, with the inaugural event won by David Strijbos in the 125cc division. Since then, the Portuguese circuit, known for its distinctive orange clay base has hosted 22 FIM Motocross World Championship events, with this weekend's race being the 23^rd time.

As it stands, Antonio Cairoli holds the record for the most Grand Prix victories at the venue, having won five in 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2017. While in the Women’s Motocross World Championship, it’s Courtney Duncan of Big Van World MTX Kawasaki who has the most victories having won the previous two events that took place there.

Last time around in 2019, the MXGP of Portugal saw Team HRC’s Tim Gajser go 1-1 for the second time that season in MXGP, while in MX2, Red Bull GasGas Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado won both of his races too and went on to claim the red plate from Diga Procross KTM Racing’s Thomas Kjer Olsen for the first time that season.

Heading into the races this weekend, there is no doubt that Gajser is the top favourite to win. The Slovenian is yet to let anybody else win a GP this season, having won the last three out of three events. He is without a doubt in great form and positive memories from the last time that he visited Agueda will only add to his strength.

When it comes to the championship standings, Gajser also holds a 17-point lead over Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Maxime Renaux, but he will need to be careful of the Frenchman this weekend, after we witnessed him secure his first race victory in the MXGP category less than two weeks ago. Renaux has certainly made some heads turn as he has solidified himself as a true MXGP competitor and title contender for 2022. He has also shown time and time again that he has the strength, speed and the mentality to run with the front-runners of the premier class and therefore could be a big threat for the championship.

Meanwhile Prado will take the opportunity to bounce back from a tough Argentinian Grand Prix. Despite landing on the podium, the Spaniard did not look like his usual self throughout the weekend, confirming the feeling himself at the post-race press conference, he also declared that he is excited to return to Portugal, a place that holds nice memories. Last time around Prado took the red plate in MX2 and continued the season with a string of victories to dominate the championship and claim his second world title. He will no doubt use those memories to his advantage this weekend as he will look to come back with a strong result.

Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jeremy Seewer had an unlucky weekend at the previous round in Villa La Angostura, as a crash in the second race with Olsen went on to cost both riders valuable points. Seewer is currently fourth in the standings and will need a good result in Portugal in order to not lose the group ahead of him and stay within contention of the title this season. Meanwhile Olsen is seventh and has shown some positive results this season and it will be interesting to see what more he can deliver.

Standing Construct Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Pauls Jonass may have surprised a few people in Argentina, after he claimed the MXGP qualifying race win and led 11 laps of the first race. The Latvian struggled with injury in the off-season and admitted that a lack of bike time was an issue, but despite his wound opening up in Mantova and needing further surgery to fix that, Jonass came to Argentina without any pressure, and that certainly paid off. Now it will be interesting to see if he can carry this momentum to Agueda and continue his year in a positive direction. Meanwhile his teammate Brian Bogers did not get so lucky. After coming close to a podium finish in Mantova, Bogers drew some attention by the time we arrive to Argentina. Things were looking positive until a big crash with F&H Kawasaki Racing Team’s Jed Beaton in the qualifying race saw the Dutchman dislocate his shoulder and not line up for the races. It is unclear how Bogers is at the moment, but his name remains on the entry list for the weekend.

Another name to look out for in MXGP is Honda 114 Motorsports Ruben Fernandez who has finished well inside the top 10 during the last two GP’s. This is Fernandez’s rookie season, but already he has shown a glimpse of what can be expected for the future as he gains more experience and confidence in the category.

Meanwhile, finally making his return to MXGP and his debut with the JM Honda Racing Team is Ivo Monticelli who due to injury was missing from the first three rounds of the season. But now back on the bike and ready to go, it will be interesting to see how Monticelli will match up against his competitors and his teammate Henry Jacobi who has been strong out of the gate the last couple of rounds as he claimed two Fox Holeshot’s this year so far.

2019 MXGP of Portugal Top 3 – MXGP:

1. Tim Gajser

2. Antonio Cairoli

3. Arnaud Tonus

Main Photo: MXGP Start 2019 Agueda

Bottom Photos: 1. Tim Gajser 2. Maxime Renaux

MXGP - World Championship Top 10 Classification: 1. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 141 points; 2. Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 124 p.; 3. Jorge Prado (ESP, GAS), 118 p.; 4. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 94 p.; 5. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, BET), 76 p.; 6. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, HON), 74 p.; 7. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, KTM), 73 p.; 8. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, YAM), 71 p.; 9. Jed Beaton (AUS, KAW), 58 p.; 10. Alberto Forato (ITA, GAS), 58 p.;

In MX2, things are also getting interesting as we finally witnessed Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Tom Vialle make his much-anticipated return to the top step of the podium after a tough couple of weeks. The Frenchman struggled with injury in the off-season and then upon his return had some big crashes, most notably the crash in Mantova and another in the last lap of practice in Argentina. But he bounced back with a win in the second heat to steal the overall victory from Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jago Geerts.

Three rounds in, Geerts leads the MX2 standings by 26 points over Vialle, who is just a point ahead of Red Bull GasGas Factory Racing’s Simon Längenfelder. As it stands, the trio have a GP victory each to their names, while Geerts is slightly ahead with 3 podiums and 3 race victories. But those stats don’t mean a lot at the moment as there are still plenty of rounds to go.

Riders who could challenge the top three include the likes of SM Action Racing Team YUASA Battery’s Andrea Adamo who has caught attention of many in the first few races this season, along with Big Van World MTX Kawasaki’s Mikkel Haarup who celebrated his first podium since 2020 after finishing third overall in Argentina. It will be interesting to see if he can carry on with this momentum and who knows maybe this could be a start of string of podiums for the Dane and regular top five finishes, as he has shown that he has the ability to run at the sharp end.

And the same goes for F&H Kawasaki Racing Team’s Kevin Horgmo who has demonstrated that he can battle with the riders at the front, though crashes have proven to be costly for him. Nonetheless, he has made a lot of progress over the off-season that is evident, and a podium finish is likely on its way.

Despite struggling in the first few races this season, there is still a lot of hope that Red Bull GasGas Factory Racing’s Mattia Guadagnini will turn things around and get back up to podium fighting positions, where he deserved to be. Last season Guadagnini racked up a nice number of podiums, before struggling in the latter part of the season and it’s still unclear what has been holding him back this year, but one thing for sure is if things come together he can run at the front.

Last time around in Argentina, it seemed like the MX2 category took a big hit as two of the top stars, Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Kay de Wolf and Roan Van de Moosdijk suffered crashes and went out with injuries. Now news comes that de Wolf will aim to make a return for Portugal, which is great news as he was among the top guys in the class, while Van de Moosdijk underwent surgery on his shoulder and is nursing a broken collarbone and fracture wrist as well. His return is not yet known.

On a more positive note, this weekend we will see the return of Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Thibault Benistant who was another rider who missed the start of the season due to injury.

Hitachi KTM Fuelled by Milwaukee rider Isak Gifting and Gianluca Facchetti of KTM Beddini MX2 will miss the upcoming GP due to injuries sustained in Argentina. Their return is not yet confirmed.

2019 MXGP of Portugal Top 3 – MX2:

1. Jorge Prado

2. Thomas Kjer Olsen

3. Mitch Evans

Main Photo: MX2 Start 2019 Agueda

Bottom Photos: 1. Tom Vialle 2. Jago Geerts

MX2 - World Championship Top 10 Classification: 1. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 137 points; 2. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), 111 p.; 3. Simon Längenfelder (GER, GAS), 110 p.; 4. Mikkel Haarup (DEN, KAW), 92 p.; 5. Andrea Adamo (ITA, GAS), 85 p.; 6. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, GAS), 81 p.; 7. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 78 p.; 8. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, KAW), 78 p.; 9. Stephen Rubini (FRA, HON), 69 p.; 10. Isak Gifting (SWE, KTM), 67 p.;

Joining the main action this weekend will also be the EMX250 and WMX riders, with Hutten Metaal Yamaha Racing’s Rick Elzinga and Ceres 71 Racing’s Nancy Van De Ven currently leading the standings. It will be interesting to see whether the pair can hold on to the red plate after this weekend or whether they will be challenge by the rest of the field.

TIMETABLE (Local Timing UTC+1)

SATURDAY: 08:45 WMX Free Practice, 09:10 EMX250 Group 1 Free Practice, 09:35 EMX250 Group 2 Free Practice, 10:05 WMX Qualifying Practice, 10:50 MX2 Free Practice, 11:20 MXGP Free Practice, 12:10 EMX250 Group 1 Qualifying Practice, 12:45 EMX250 Group 2 Qualifying Practice, 13:25 MX2 Time Practice, 14:00 MXGP Time Practice, 14:45 WMX Race 1, 15:30 EMX250 Race 1, 16:25 MX2 Qualifying Race, 17:10 MXGP Qualifying Race.

SUNDAY: 09:45 WMX Race 2, 10:25 MX2 Warm-up, 10:45 MXGP Warm-up, 11:30 EMX250 Race 2, 13:15 MX2 Race 1, 14:15 MXGP Race 1, 16:10 MX2 Race 2, 17:10 MXGP Race 2.

All the photos from the MXGP of Portugal will be available HERE.

You can find the complete results HERE.

LINKS

Infront Moto Racing

FIM

MXGP of Portugal

Following such a superb start to the 2022 FIM Motocross World Championship, Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing suffered a setback at the most recent stop in Argentina. Kay de Wolf was running a brilliant third in the championship standings when he crashed out of the first race and his teammate, Roan van de Moosdijk, had shown similar potential aboard his steed.

With the Grand Prix of Portugal, the fourth round, on the horizon, Kay de Wolf is eager to pick up where he left off and put his FC 250 back inside of the top five. Cleared of any broken bones last week, de Wolf eased into things by riding his mountain bike over the weekend and will get back on his bike on Wednesday. The goal is for him to be on the starting line at this weekend's Portuguese event. 

Roan van de Moosdijk has not been quite as fortunate – the shoulder that he injured at the second stop of the 2022 FIM Motocross World Championship was made worse in his Argentina crash and required surgery. A successful operation was performed late last week. Unfortunately, he is also nursing a broken collarbone and fractured left wrist that will not need surgery.

Husqvarna Factory Racing wishes Roan well in his recovery and hopes to see Kay back out on track as soon as possible.

Rasmus Jorgensen (Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing Team Manager): "The specialist had some good and bad news for us once we got home. The good news is that Kay has no broken bones, but he did still take a hit to the head and has been taking it easy. We will see how he gets on when he tries to ride later this week. Roan has had some bad luck with a fractured wrist and broken collarbone, then his shoulder injury from Mantova was made worse and required surgery. The good news is that the operation was a success. We are looking forward to getting him back to one hundred percent, but it will take time and patience."

Photo Copyright: Bavo Swijgers

The FIM Motocross World Championship continues this weekend on the 2^nd and 3^rd of April in Agueda for the MXGP of Portugal.

Take a look at the timetable and entry lists below:

Timetable

MXGP Entry List

MX2 Entry List

EMX250 Entry List

WMX Entry List