MX2

AFYON (Turkey) 8 September 2021 – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings and Tom Vialle repeated their success of last Sunday to take overall victories in MXGP and MX2 for the Bitci MXGP of Afyon.

Herlings remains undefeated, taking a fourth consecutive Grand Prix win in Afyon and remains the only MXGP rider to ever win here. In addition, the bullet also matched Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Antonio Cairoli GP win record, as he secured his 93^rd triumph.

The overall victory didn’t come easy for either of the factory KTM riders, as both Herlings and Vialle were challenged by a group of riders who were all hungry for the win, making for some epic races.

The MXGP class delivered some of the most intense racing that we have seen this season so far. The top protagonists of the championship were all within a couple of seconds of one another in both races, with a winner hard to predict.

After making some changes to the bike, Herlings topped the charts in Time Practice to take pole position which set him up nicely for the races. Though as the gate dropped for race one, it was his Red Bull KTM Factory Racing teammate Jorge Prado who clinched the Fox Holeshot ahead of Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s Romain Febvre, Herlings and Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jeremy Seewer.

Team HRC’s Tim Gajser started the race in eighth, though made some quick passes as he got up to fourth within a couple of laps.

There was no change in the top four for quite a few laps as Cairoli worked his way through the field. He had Seewer ahead in fifth who eventually crashed out and dropped to 15^th.

Prado then crashed big out of the lead and took a while to get going again, re-joining the race quite far behind the rest of the field, which made it tough for the Spaniard to score any points as he finished the race in 21^st.

Febvre was then the new race leader, and it was game one for the top three. Herlings and Gajser had a couple of moments as the Slovenian pushed to get around the Dutchman.

SM Action Racing Team’s Alberto Forato was having a great opening race after a strong time practice. The Italian in sixth place, where he eventually finished. It did look like he was going to challenge Standing Construct GasGas Factory Racing’s Pauls Jonass at one point though, which made for some nice racing.

Febvre then looked to stretch out his lead as he set the fastest lap of the race with nine minutes plus two laps to go. And as the race progressed things got more interesting as Febvre, Herlings and Gajser were just within 1.559 seconds of one another.

Cairoli was closing in on the top three at that point too as he was faster than the top three ahead of him. Herlings then put the hammer down on Febvre.

With one lap to go, Herlings was pushing to pass Febvre and was being pushed by Gajser who had Cairoli applying the pressure. Febvre did a good job to defend his position until he made a small mistake and crashed with less than half a lap to go.

Then it was Herlings in the driving seat as Gajser looked to keep close and make a move for the win though got caught out by a hard charging Cairoli who stole second from the Slovenian. Herlings was the race winner.

In race two, it was Prado again with the Fox Holeshot as Herlings followed closely behind in second ahead of Gajser and Jonass, as Cairoli had to fight his way through the pack once again.

Herlings was looking to strike early as Cairoli got around Febvre for fifth and looked to put an attack on Jonass immediately after.

As the race went on, the top three remained close, just as they did in race one, with just 0.959 seconds in between them. Gajser was looking to make a pass on Herlings and make a charge for the win, though made a mistake which allowed Cairoli to close in and join the fight just like before.

At one stage Prado extended the gap to 1.840 seconds but it didn’t take long for Herlings to find his way onto the back of the Spaniard.

While the top four battled for the win, there was also nice action further down the field as Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Glenn Coldenhoff got around JM Honda Racing’s Henry Jacobi for 10^th. The German responded soon after, parking the Yamaha rider. Coldenhoff then made a small error and crashed.

Back with the leaders though, Gajser was searching for every opportunity to get past Herlings and on lap six was finally able to do it. Then it was game on for the win. Three laps later, Gajser was the new race leader as the top three were bunched up and within less than a second of each other, which meant that the race was far from over.

Herlings followed in Gajser’s steps to get around Prado but could not keep with the Slovenian.

In the end, the birthday boy, Gajser won the second heat with a 5.947 seconds advantage to Herlings, with Cairoli taking third from his teammate as we were treated to another Cairoli vs Prado battle.

In terms of the podium, it was Herlings with the overall victory ahead of Gajser and Cairoli. Tim Gajser continues to lead the championship with a 28-point advantage over Romain Febvre and Antonio Cairoli. Meanwhile Jeffrey Herlings moves up to fourth in the standings, just 34 points off the series leader.

Jeffrey Herlings: “I started the day strong with pole position and it was important to be on the inside in the start. First race was really good, I was actually equal with Jorge, but halfway down the straight he got me. Then I was chasing Romain and Jorge and then at one point Jorge had a big crash, I got up to second and I was actually second all race, I couldn’t really attack because I had Tim on my back, so I had to defend my line but at the same time I wanted to attack Romain because I had more speed than him. I was just following long and managed to be second until the last lap and obviously Romain made a mistake, and I got the win handed to me. It was a bit of a gift. Second race, I was a bit late on the gate but again I had Jorge next to me so he kept the other boys a little bit away. I had Tim on the back of me again and he was pushing hard, so again I had to defend and attack at the same time. Then Tim basically got us both within two laps. I made a pass on Jorge pretty quick, but Tim had a three second gap and he was fast, I can’t deny it. I did not want to take a risk, so I took the second place and knew I was going to take the GP win. It’s been a great day and great two races, looking forward to Sardinia. I think the track will suit me a bit better. I want to thank Red Bull KTM for the great bike they gave me”.

“I can’t make any big mistake anymore. I would like to be 34 points in front instead of 34 points behind but Tim is in the hot seat, but I went from fifth to fourth in the championship and I am just a few points behind Tony and Romain so that’s good. But Second place doesn’t count, there’s only one place and that’s first. We had 9 races so 9 to go. I missed three races but it’s like this right now and I have to make the best out of the situation”.

Tim Gajser: “I was quite happy but a bit disappointed with the first race as Tony passed me with just a couple of corners till the end. But anyway, speed was good, starts were okay. Of course, we have to work on it. It is really important to be in front especially now when we are really close together. The championship is really close between the top five but overall I am quite happy and looking forward to going to Sardinia. I like this track as well.

I mean it is still a long season, of course it is nice to be in front, but like Jeffrey said, nine to go… We are still halfway through the championship and everything is still open. I will give it everything I can. I think it’s really enjoyable to have nice races and battles. We have five guys that are always starting in front or starting from the back and battling to the top. So yeah, I think it is a good championship. Hopefully it’s going to go this way all season long”.

Antonio Cairoli: "I was also riding okay last GP but I lost some points and I also could have been hurt. Today I felt already better in the time practice which I am struggling a lot to get a fast lap lately. I also made a mistake with the start all the time. A little bit too wide, so today I had good races but not so good starts. Coming from the back, I lost a lot of energy in the first race but I am happy overall, the speed is there and the fitness as well. I just need to figure out a little bit that part of the race, the start. To try to stay in front like a do normally, apart from the last races. Second race, I did not have a good start again. First lap, there was some traffic and sketchy moments to pass some riders… I arrived at the back of Jorge and I struggled to pass him, so the guys in front pulled away. In the end, we pushed again and came closer. But then Jeffrey was just looking for the overall and just riding the last laps easy. I am happy overall to be on the podium but of course the condition was good so I wanted more but could not get it. Let’s hope we can have a better result in Sardinia. I like Sardinia a lot and it’s going to be a hot race. I think it’s a nice event."

Main Photo: MXGP Start

Bottom Photos: 1. Jeffrey Herlings and Tim Gajser locked in battle 2. Antonio Cairoli. 

MXGP - Grand Prix Race 1 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 34:31.387; 2. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:00.494; 3. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:02.969; 4. Romain Febvre (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:10.585; 5. Pauls Jonass (LAT, GASGAS), +0:35.881; 6. Alberto Forato (ITA, GASGAS), +0:40.918; 7. Henry Jacobi (GER, Honda), +0:49.141; 8. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, Yamaha), +0:51.337; 9. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, KTM), +0:53.507; 10. Brent Van doninck (BEL, Yamaha), +0:54.619;

MXGP - Grand Prix Race 2 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), 34:44.781; 2. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), +0:05.947; 3. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:08.978; 4. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), +0:14.097; 5. Romain Febvre (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:31.196; 6. Pauls Jonass (LAT, GASGAS), +0:32.209; 7. Alberto Forato (ITA, GASGAS), +0:41.561; 8. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, KTM), +0:57.060; 9. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, Husqvarna), +1:00.476; 10. Brian Bogers (NED, GASGAS), +1:06.485;

MXGP - GP Top 10 Classification: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 47 points; 2. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 45 p.; 3. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 42 p.; 4. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 34 p.; 5. Pauls Jonass (LAT, GAS), 31 p.; 6. Alberto Forato (ITA, GAS), 29 p.; 7. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, KTM), 25 p.; 8. Henry Jacobi (GER, HON), 24 p.; 9. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 21 p.; 10. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 18 p.;

MXGP - World Championship Top 10 Classification: 1. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 355 points; 2. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 327 p.; 3. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 326 p.; 4. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 321 p.; 5. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 315 p.; 6. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 249 p.; 7. Pauls Jonass (LAT, GAS), 231 p.; 8. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, YAM), 212 p.; 9. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, KTM), 182 p.; 10. Ben Watson (GBR, YAM), 143 p.;

MXGP - Manufacturers Classification: 1. KTM, 423 points; 2. Honda, 356 p.; 3. Kawasaki, 332 p.; 4. Yamaha, 287 p.; 5. GASGAS, 261 p.; 6. Husqvarna, 166 p.;

In MX2, all eyes were on the battle between Vialle and Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Maxime Renaux as the pair went at it in both races.

In the opening heat, it was Vialle with the Fox Holeshot ahead of F&H Kawasaki Racing’s Mathys Boisrame, Renaux, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Mattia Guadagnini and Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Jed Beaton.

Renaux was not wasting time as he was already up in second and looking to keep Vialle close. Meanwhile Boisrame was coming under pressure from Beaton who was keen to get around the Frenchman.

Vialle and Renaux kept things close for a few laps as Renaux started to push, setting fastest laps of the race. And there was nothing Vialle could do as by the end of lap three, Renaux was the new race leader.

The big question was whether Renaux would escape Vialle or whether it would be a race to the flag. We soon got the answer as Renaux continued to set fast laps one after another, escaping the grip that Vialle had on him.

Guadagnini then joined the fight between Boisrame and Beaton for third. Beaton went down a couple of laps later and re-joined in seventh position but then continued to drop down the order as he struggled with arm pump.

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Kay De Wolf was one of the riders to get around Beaton as he looked to keep Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Thibault Benistant at bay.

Guadagnini then go himself into third as he finally got past Boisrame, who then went backwards. Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jago Geerts and Bike it MTX Kawasaki’s Wilson Todd were just two riders who went through on the F&H rider, who eventually finished the race in 13^th.

Renaux then pretty much dominated the race, going almost two seconds a lap faster than Vialle on one occasion. By the end he won the race 17.288 seconds ahead of Vialle and Guadagnini who was third.

In race two, it was Vialle once again with the Fox Holeshot as Renaux followed closely behind. Benistant got a good jump out of the gate too and so did De Wolf and Guadagnini.

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Rene Hofer was also there in the mix as he worked to get around Benistant for third place. Though he had De Wolf, Guadagnini and Beaton breathing down his neck as well which made things difficult.

Meanwhile the two leaders, Vialle and Renaux traded fast laps as the gap stayed under two seconds.

We were treated to a battle of the teammates between De Wolf and Beaton, as Beaton struggled to get around his younger colleague. By lap nine he was finally able to get the job done. Hofer and Beaton then started to close in on Benistant, with Beaton stealing Hofer’s spot in the meanwhile.

The lead then began to slip away from Renaux as Vialle edged out by 5.036 seconds, as Beaton got around Benistant for third, making up for a tough first race.

In the end, it was Vialle who was victorious with Renaux forced to settle for second and Beaton securing a top three finish. With Vialle going 2-1 in the races, this handed him the advantage for the overall win, with Renaux second overall and Guadagnini managing a top three finish.

Maxime Renaux extends his series lead to 361 points, with Mattia Guadagnini still in second a further 49 points behind and Jago Geerts third.

Tom Vialle: “I didn’t have a good flow in the first race. I had a pretty good start, and the first two laps were okay. In sector four I had some bad lines there and that’s where Maxime passed me. After fifteen minutes I felt really tired. I don’t know what happened, but I had no energy, and I had a good gap to the guy in third so I just finished the race how I could and saved some energy. In race two, I gave everything I could to try to win and it was good. In terms of the title, Maxime is far in front, and it is pretty much done let’s say but I still want to come back, so this is my goal. I will try to win as much as I can. It was difficult but I am happy to win both GPs here in Turkey and I feel really good so let’s move forward to the next races”.

Maxime Renaux: “Today was really good and I was happy with my pace. Pole position in the morning was what I wanted because it’s really important to be on the inside of the start here. First race I was really happy that I could get a strong rhythm and find a place to pass Tom. I passed him and pulled the gap which was good. Actually, I didn’t give everything I had because I felt that Tom was slowing down and saving energy, so I could do the same. In the second race I started well again and could apply the pressure onto Tom and was getting closer, but I had a little problem with my goggles, I got hit by a rock and the lens popped out from the bottom, that’s not an excuse because Tom was really fast and didn’t make any mistakes so I had no opportunity to pass. I am happy with second place and it’s good points for the championship. I’m happy Tom is back because I want to win with everybody here. I think there will be some nice battles until the end of the season”.

Mattia Guadagnini: “This morning I felt really good, I was second in time practice, and it was important to take a good start. I had two pretty good starts but just didn’t get the flow and also in the second race I was trying to pass some riders, but I got passed too, so I just couldn’t get the rhythm. The first race was good, but I didn’t have the pace of the two ahead of me, they were really fast. In race two I tried to push until the end, and I could pass some riders. I passed Rene on the final lap, but he got me back and then I crashed. I am happy to be on the podium and it’s good for the championship to battle at the front, I just know I could do better and be back fighting for the win. The championship is still long, and I want to do my best every race. Of course, I’ve lost some points, but we will try to push hard and do well good in Sardinia where we did winter preparation and it’s a track, I like so it will be good”.  

Main Photo: Tom Vialle

Bottom Photos: 1. Maxime Renaux 2. Mattia Guadagnini

MX2 - Grand Prix Race 1 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Maxime Renaux (FRA, Yamaha), 34:59.757; 2. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), +0:17.288; 3. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, KTM), +0:26.148; 4. Jago Geerts (BEL, Yamaha), +0:29.053; 5. Wilson Todd (AUS, Kawasaki), +0:30.215; 6. Thibault Benistant (FRA, Yamaha), +0:32.424; 7. Kay de Wolf (NED, Husqvarna), +0:36.135; 8. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, Honda), +0:37.165; 9. Rene Hofer (AUT, KTM), +0:45.611; 10. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, GASGAS), +0:47.253;

MX2 - Grand Prix Race 2 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), 35:15.694; 2. Maxime Renaux (FRA, Yamaha), +0:05.534; 3. Jed Beaton (AUS, Husqvarna), +0:26.982; 4. Thibault Benistant (FRA, Yamaha), +0:30.264; 5. Rene Hofer (AUT, KTM), +0:32.021; 6. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, KTM), +0:35.350; 7. Isak Gifting (SWE, GASGAS), +0:43.977; 8. Kay de Wolf (NED, Husqvarna), +0:46.001; 9. Wilson Todd (AUS, Kawasaki), +0:47.172; 10. Andrea Adamo (ITA, GASGAS), +0:51.262;

MX2 - GP Top 10 Classification: 1. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), 47 points; 2. Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 47 p.; 3. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, KTM), 35 p.; 4. Thibault Benistant (FRA, YAM), 33 p.; 5. Jed Beaton (AUS, HUS), 29 p.; 6. Rene Hofer (AUT, KTM), 28 p.; 7. Wilson Todd (AUS, KAW), 28 p.; 8. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 28 p.; 9. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 27 p.; 10. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, HON), 22 p.;

MX2 - World Championship Top 10 Classification: 1. Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 361 points; 2. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, KTM), 312 p.; 3. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 290 p.; 4. Jed Beaton (AUS, HUS), 266 p.; 5. Thibault Benistant (FRA, YAM), 261 p.; 6. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, HON), 251 p.; 7. Rene Hofer (AUT, KTM), 244 p.; 8. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 237 p.; 9. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), 227 p.; 10. Mathys Boisrame (FRA, KAW), 216 p.;

MX2 - Manufacturers Classification: 1. Yamaha, 402 points; 2. KTM, 386 p.; 3. Husqvarna, 300 p.; 4. Kawasaki, 280 p.; 5. Honda, 259 p.; 6. GASGAS, 206 p.;

Click here to obtain the complete results

All the photos from the Bitci MXGP of Afyon will be available HERE

BITCI MXGP OF AFYON – QUICK FACTS

Circuit length: 1725m

Type of ground: Hard Pack

Temperature: 28°

Weather conditions: Sunny

LINKS

Infront Moto Racing

FIM

Afyon

The Bitci MXGP of Turkey has seen Gianluca Facchetti making his debut on the KTM SX-F 250 of the KTM Beddini Racing team. After some issues in the free practice, the Italian rider catch an incredible third in the Time Practice and was leading the Time Practice for some minutes.

In Race 1 Gianluca had a good start and was in the top ten but he started to feel too much pressure and some arm pump; after the second half of the race was trying to find his rhythm while a contact with another rider push him in the 14th position.

In Race 2 Facchetti had a better start and while he was 4th a contact with another rider push him on the ground and in the last position. After re-joining the race Gianluca regroup until the 16th position showing a really good flow.

Dario Beddini – Team Owner: “I’m really satisfied about the result of Gianluca; he didn’t’ showed his really potential but I’m sure Wednesday he’ll do his best”

Joakin Furbetta – Team Manager: “Gianluca was feeling comfortable with the bike from the beginning of tha races, now we need just to improve and he’ll be able to show his real potential”

Gianluca Facchetti – rider: “I’m happy and unhappy at the same time because I had the speed but I wasn’t able to show it to everybody; anyway I’m happy that I found back the wish of riding my bike and enjoying it. I want to thank all the team, my family and Antonio Cairoli for this incredible opportunity”

AFYON (Turkey) 7 September 2021 – Infront Moto Racing and Turkey's leading blockchain technology company Bitci.com which draws attention with its investments in top-level organizations of the sporting world, have announced the official MXGP Fan Token offering with a gong ceremony held in Afyon.

Bitci.com believes that sports organizations have transformative effects on communities and continues its investments in estimable sports organizations. Bitci.com, the title sponsor of the Bitci MXGP of Turkey and Bitci MXGP of Afyon races held in Turkey and now also the official partner of the MXGP Fan Token offering, were official welcomed to the MXGP family with an official press conference taking place in the media center of Afyon and a gong ring ceremony held at the Bitci Lounge hospitality, today following the final races of the day.  

Present on stage were Infront Moto Racing CEO David Luongo, Infront Turkey Managing Director Ender Uslu and Bitci.com CEO Onur Altan Tan.

MXGP Fan Tokens will be listed on September 16

Investors who want to get their hands on the MXGP Fan Tokens can only do so via Bitcicoin on Bitci.com and must have Bitcicoin in their wallets before purchasing. A total of 50 million MXGP fan tokens have been produced with 25 million MXGP offered for sale at 0.15 EUR. Investors showed great interest in MXGP fan tokens, causing the supply to run out in seconds. The upper purchase limit per person in the sale is to be 6 thousand units. The listing date of MXGP on Bitci.com after the first offering has been announced as September 16.

Infront Moto Racing CEO, David Luongo said:” We are here to celebrate this new global partnership with BITCI and welcome them to the MXGP Family. It is a very important deal because it links the digital economy to the real economy and we hope to have a great collaboration and a long journey together. Bitci will have visibility on track but they are also developing with us the Fan Token which is new to our sport, it is going to be a great success and we hope that all the motocross fans will participate in this. This partnership will give us both great advantage, great new experiences and new idea to develop the sport, this is clearly the future so I want to thank you for joining us and I also want thank Infront Turkey Managing Director Ender Uslu and the whole team at Infront Turkey because this partnership is possible thanks to their work. This new partnership shows also how Infront Moto racing is working now with Infront Group, supporting each other to make motocross grow and this is really exciting for the future”.

Commenting on the subject, the CEO of Bitci.com Onur Altan Tan said, “MXGP is one of the most valuable organizations in motorsports. We are very excited to cooperate with such large organizations and add value to them. Cryptocurrency market investors will follow the MXGP races with greater enthusiasm with the MXGP fan tokens to be offered through Bitci.com. Bitci.com is a technology company that believes in the power of sports, which sheds light on change and transformation in every period of history. In the period of change the world is going through, we are trying to create value in the field of financial technologies for a sustainable future. Bitci.com will continue to provide financial contributions to the entire sports industry with the blockchain solutions we have developed.”

MXGP joins many top organisations to offer Fan Tokens including MotoGP and McLaren as Bitci.com continues to add strength to the sports industry, especially football, basketball motor sports and e-sports.

LINKS

Infront Moto Racing

FIM

Afyon

AFYON (Turkey) 6 September – The racing continues in Turkey as we head into the second Grand Prix taking place at the Afyon circuit with the Bitci MXGP of Afyon.

This will be the ninth round of the 2021 FIM Motocross World Championship as things continued to heat up both the MXGP and MX2 World Championships. The previous Grand Prix, just a day ago, presented some tense battles that saw Red Bull KTM Factory Racing celebrate a double victory with Jeffrey Herlings and Tom Vialle back on the top step of the podium. This time around it will be interesting to see if the pair can repeat their success.

Alongside the MXGP and MX2 categories, the FIM Women’s Motocross World Championship as well as the EMX Open riders will once again line up for their races, as Bike IT MTX Kawasaki’s Courtney Duncan will look to pick up more solid points following her win on Saturday and keep her championship rival Kiara Fontanesi at bay.

Meanwhile tomorrow will be a very important day for Davide De Bortoli who will look to secure the EMX Open title as early as the first race, while Nicolas Dercourt and Simon Croci will do their best to make this harder and also pick up as many points as they can themselves as only four points separate them in second and third place in the championship.

In MXGP, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings is closing in on the championship fast following his 1-2 result yesterday which put him back on the top step of the podium. Herlings remains undefeated here as he has won all three GP’s that have taken place in Afyonkarahisar since the first race in 2018 and he will no doubt want to keep this streak going on Wednesday.

Starts will be key for the Bullet, who shared in the post-race press conference that some changes will need to be made to his bike in the hope that it will help him improve his starts which were the main issue during the races yesterday.

While Herlings struggled with the starts, his teammate Jorge Prado did not. Prado took two Fox Holeshot’s yesterday and led both races for the majority of the duration. However, the Spaniard could not bring it home in either one of the races but will give it another go on Wednesday as he looks to close in on Team HRC’s Time Gajser in the championship standings.

Gajser now leads by just 13 points as the championship gets tight. The Slovenian will be looking for a more consistent day, as he struggled in the first race after getting stuck behind Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Glenn Coldenhoff and losing his rhythm to then having a much better second race as he got around Prado and Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s Romain Febvre to take the win.

For Febvre the last GP was a missed opportunity as he had the possibility to go for the podium. But rightly so, Febvre opted for a more consistent day going 4-4 and doing a good job of staying out of trouble, which was a struggle for him in the previous GP’s.

Another rider having a consistent day was Antonio Cairoli of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing. The Italian finished both races in fifth place but was involved in some nice battles which created some interesting racing. Unfortunately, Cairoli got caught out in a crash in the second race as he chased Prado for second place, but it was clear that the 9-time World Champion has the speed to challenge for top positions around the hard pack circuit here in Afyon.

Also getting unlucky was Standing Construct GasGas Factory Racing’s Pauls Jonass who was looking incredibly strong all day. In the first race the Latvian battled at the sharp end of the field and finished the race in third, while in the second heat he was looking to do the same but was unlucky and had a big crash which resulted in a DNF. The GasGas rider will look to re-group and come back strong for the next race.

Also having some strong races was MRT Racing Team KTM’s Alessandro Lupino who finished the weekend seventh overall, while JM Honda Racing’s Henry Jacobi had a nice battle with Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Thomas Kjer Olsen and Standing Construct GasGas Factory Racing’s Brian Bogers in the first race to finish ninth while Gebben Van Venrooy Yamaha Racing’s Calvin Vlaanderen and Kevin Strijbos had a nice second heat to finish eighth and ninth.

Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jeremy Seewer had two consistent rides in seventh while teammates Coldenhoff and Ben Watson struggled and will look to bounce back on Wednesday.

Bitci MXGP of Turkey – MXGP Top 3:

1. Jeffrey Herlings

2. Jorge Prado

3. Tim Gajser

Main Photo: MXGP Start

Bottom Photos: 1. Jeffrey Herlings 2. Romain Febvre

MXGP - World Championship Top 10 Classification: 1. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 310 points; 2. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 297 p.; 3. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 293 p.; 4. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 284 p.; 5. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 274 p.; 6. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 234 p.; 7. Pauls Jonass (LAT, GAS), 200 p.; 8. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, YAM), 197 p.; 9. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, KTM), 157 p.; 10. Ben Watson (GBR, YAM), 133 p.;

MXGP - Manufacturers Classification: 1. KTM, 376 points; 2. Honda, 311 p.; 3. Kawasaki, 298 p.; 4. Yamaha, 265 p.; 5. GASGAS, 230 p.; 6. Husqvarna, 145 p.;

In MX2, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Tom Vialle will chase another victory as he looks to bounce back and re-join the title fight. Following his overall win yesterday, the Frenchman is currently 10^th in the series standings, with these next few races crucial if he wants to pick up some solid points.

Meanwhile the current championship leader, Maxime Renaux of Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing will look to have a more consistent day on Wednesday. Starts are crucial here in Afyon and something that the Frenchman shared he aims to work on in order to have two good races and maintain a healthy championship lead, which is currently 37-points.

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Mattia Guadagnini remains second on the leader board. The Italian was tied on points for the podium with Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Jed Beaton on Sunday, so will no doubt push to get back on the box this time around and continue to challenge the leaders as he did during the races yesterday.

For Beaton the upcoming Bitci MXGP of Afyon will be another opportunity to go for a podium and add some more consistent results to his tally. Yesterday the Australian finished both races in third, which was the boost that he needed going into the rest of the season. Meanwhile, his younger teammate Kay De Wolf will look to improve upon his results as a couple of msitakes cost him higher positions.

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Rene Hofer was looking strong during the races yesterday and even led the opening heat for a few laps. This upcoming Grand Prix will be another opportunity for Hofer to shine and maybe edge closer to a podium finish.

Meanwhile Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jago Geerts and Thibault Benistant will look to improve on their results as they finished sixth and ninth respectively, not where the pair expect to be. For Geerts points are important, if he wants to stay close to second in the championship and remain in the title fight as Guadagnini has edged out by 15 points.

Bitci MXGP of Turkey – MX2 Top 3:

1. Tom Vialle

2. Maxime Renaux

3. Jed Beaton

Main Photo: MX2 Start

Bottom Photos: 1. Tom Vialle 2. Maxime Renaux

MX2 - World Championship Top 10 Classification: 1. Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 314 points; 2. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, KTM), 277 p.; 3. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 262 p.; 4. Jed Beaton (AUS, HUS), 237 p.; 5. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, HON), 229 p.; 6. Thibault Benistant (FRA, YAM), 228 p.; 7. Rene Hofer (AUT, KTM), 216 p.; 8. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 210 p.; 9. Mathys Boisrame (FRA, KAW), 204 p.; 10. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), 180 p.;

MX2 - Manufacturers Classification: 1. Yamaha, 355 points; 2. KTM, 339 p.; 3. Husqvarna, 266 p.; 4. Kawasaki, 252 p.; 5. Honda, 237 p.; 6. GASGAS, 181 p.;

TIMETABLE (Local Timing GMT+3)

TUESDAY: 09:30 EMX Open Free Practice, 10:00 WMX Free Practice, 11:05 EMX Open Qualifying Practice, 11:45 WMX Qualifying Practice, 13:10 EMX Open Race 1, 14:00 WMX Race 1, 15:10 EMX Open Race 2, 16:05 WMX Race 2.

WEDNESDAY: 09:15 MX2 Free/Time Practice, 10:15 MXGP Free/Time Practice, 12:15 MX2 Race 1, 13:15 MXGP Race 1, 15:10 MX2 Race 2, 16:10 MXGP Race 2.

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AFYON (Turkey) 5 September 2021 – The MXGP racing has finished and with it concluded the Bitci MXGP of Turkey, the first of two Grand Prix’s taking place in Afyonkarahisar.

Both the MXGP and MX2 riders added to the Turkish heat, treating the local crowd to four nail biting races that concluded with overall victories from Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings and Tom Vialle.

After posting the fastest lap time in Time Practice, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado started the first race with the Fox Holeshot, as he led Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP’s Glenn Coldenhoff, Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s Romain Febvre and Standing Construct GasGas Factory Racing’s Pauls Jonass.

Team HRC’s Tim Gajser and Jeffrey Herlings of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing were side by side on the opening lap and moments later both got around Jonass who dropped to sixth.

Herlings then caught onto the back of Coldenhoff and passed his fellow Dutchman as Gajser set out to do the same. But the Slovenian struggled for 10 laps behind Coldenhoff always coming short of making a pass.

Febvre remained all over Prado for the lead, as Gajser came under fire from Cairoli who got around the Honda rider to move into sixth. He then got around Coldenhoff too and was pushing to get closer to Jonass.

Gajser then caught back up with the 259 of Coldenhoff and passed him on lap 11, as JM Honda Racing’s Henry Jacobi got Brian Bogers of Standing Construct GasGas Factory Racing for eighth to solidify a top 10 result.

After spending the majority of the race in third, Herlings switched it up a gear and was on a charge to close in on Febvre and Prado. It did not take him long as he got Febvre on lap 13 and then just two laps later was in front of Prado.

Jonass started to challenge Febvre too and with three laps from the end of the race was able to get the job done. Herlings was the race winner, with Prado finishing second and Jonass third.

In the second heat it was once again Prado with the Fox Holeshot as he led the race once again while Febvre, Gajser, Jonass and Cairoli followed behind. Herlings struggled further down the field as he passed Kevin Strijbos of Gebben Van Venrooy Yamaha Racing for seventh position.

Herlings then continued to make progress as he got around Coldenhoff and set his sights on Cairoli, while Gajser charged past Febvre to move into second place.

The gap was then 1.366 seconds between Prado and Gajser, as the Slovenian was clear with his intentions of going for the win.

Jonass then had a big crash as he went off the track while battling with Cairoli for fourth, with the Latvian not finishing the race. Cairoli inherited his position as Herlings started to close in too.

Gajser then made another attempt to pass Prado and was able to secure the position and take over the lead on lap nine. Cairoli then caught onto the back wheel of Febvre as the pair traded positions a couple of times before the Italian was able to make it stick and take away third from the Kawasaki rider, as Herlings did the same.

Gajser then led by 2.877 seconds, as Prado was starting to feel the force of Cairoli and Herlings who were catching up fast. Cairoli and Prado had a couple of close calls before making contact, but both remained on the bikes. Eventually Cairoli crashed after, which allowed Herlings through.

With one lap to go, Herlings got his head down and got to work as he was able to pass Prado and secure the top step of the podium. Gajser was the race winner, with Herlings second and Prado third.

With a 1-2 result, Jeffrey Herlings was back on the top step, while Jorge Prado was forced to settle for second and Tim Gajser joining the pair in third. In terms of the championship standings, Gajser leads Prado by 13 points, while Febvre remains third a further four points behind.  

Jeffrey Herlings: “Definitely the first race was much easier because I was around fourth of fifth in the start and only had to pass a few guys. Both starts were off today and with the high altitude here we changed some things with the bike, but I think maybe we should go in a different direction. The start was pretty bad in the first race but then I managed to pass Glenn, Romain and Jorge and then it went pretty easy. Second race I was around tenth or twelfth, it was harder to get around the other guys, the last few laps were sketchy between Jorge and Tony as they were fighting for second position. Then Tony crashed right in front of me and then I managed to sneak past Jorge, but Tim was too far away for me to do anything about it. A 1-2 is good, we have some good racing and I look forward to it, I like the track but will definitely work on the starts and try some things. The arm is fine now, in Lommel it was very painful but in Latvia it was already much better, I still had a bit of pain but nothing crazy. I don’t know if you can ever be 100% but I am trying to be the best as I can because the competition is strong. If you look at the championship, the top five guys are really close”.

Jorge Prado: “I think it was a great day. I got two good starts which makes things a lot easier. I led the most laps today so this gives me a confidence boost for Wednesday, the only thing is I was riding the same lines but when Jeffrey passed me in race one and Tim in the second one, I could see where I could improve. Physically I am feeling ok and I am getting better, the bike is working good. It was a pity on the last lap to be passed by Jeffrey, but hopefully on Wednesday we get some good results. There is still a lot of racing left, I need to take it race by race and stay within the top three, that is my goal, and get some race wins if I can. You don’t always get such a good field of riders because of injuries and other reasons but now everybody is ready to go racing so it is nice to race when everybody is fit”.

Tim Gajser: “I had two completely different races. The first race I had a solid start, but I got stuck behind Glenn and couldn’t pass him for ten laps so I kind of lost the rhythm, got arm pump and finished sixth and I was definitely not happy with it. In the second one, I had a good start and was third and then made quick passes in the middle of the race, made a small gap and controlled the race. Definitely happy with the second race. I will try to improve the starts for Wednesday and be more consistent and just have fun because that’s the most important things”.

Main Photo: Jeffrey Herlings

Bottom Photos: 1. Jorge Prado and Romain Febvre 2. Tim Gajser

MXGP - Grand Prix Race 1 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 34:42.407; 2. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), +0:05.534; 3. Pauls Jonass (LAT, GASGAS), +0:06.236; 4. Romain Febvre (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:09.174; 5. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:31.970; 6. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:35.999; 7. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Yamaha), +0:52.191; 8. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, Yamaha), +0:54.267; 9. Henry Jacobi (GER, Honda), +0:56.317; 10. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, Husqvarna), +0:57.016;

MXGP - Grand Prix Race 2 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), 34:39.849; 2. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), +0:04.654; 3. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), +0:08.824; 4. Romain Febvre (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:28.683; 5. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:34.198; 6. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, KTM), +0:39.772; 7. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Yamaha), +0:41.305; 8. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, Yamaha), +0:42.717; 9. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Yamaha), +0:45.092; 10. Brent Van doninck (BEL, Yamaha), +0:46.408;

MXGP - GP Top 10 Classification: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 47 points; 2. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 42 p.; 3. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 40 p.; 4. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 36 p.; 5. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 32 p.; 6. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 28 p.; 7. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, KTM), 23 p.; 8. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, YAM), 23 p.; 9. Pauls Jonass (LAT, GAS), 20 p.; 10. Brian Bogers (NED, GAS), 19 p.;

MXGP - World Championship Top 10 Classification: 1. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 310 points; 2. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 297 p.; 3. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 293 p.; 4. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 284 p.; 5. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 274 p.; 6. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 234 p.; 7. Pauls Jonass (LAT, GAS), 200 p.; 8. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, YAM), 197 p.; 9. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, KTM), 157 p.; 10. Ben Watson (GBR, YAM), 133 p.;

MXGP - Manufacturers Classification: 1. KTM, 376 points; 2. Honda, 311 p.; 3. Kawasaki, 298 p.; 4. Yamaha, 265 p.; 5. GASGAS, 230 p.; 6. Husqvarna, 145 p.;

In the first MX2 race of the day, it was Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Tom Vialle who grabbed the Fox Holeshot ahead of his fellow teammate Rene Hofer as well as Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Jed Beaton and Kay De Wolf, as well as Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Mattia Guadagnini. While Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing MX2’s Maxime Renaux was further down the field in around eighth position.

Hofer then took over the lead from Vialle, as Renaux managed to find a way through on De Wolf to move into fifth. Vialle then got to work as he caught back up with his teammate and by lap four was back in the driving seat and leading the race.

Renaux then lost a spot to Honda 114 Motorsports’ Ruben Fernandez for a brief moment before getting back around the Spaniard, while Hofer was starting to come under pressure from Beaton and Guadagnini.

Though at the front of the field, Vialle continued to clock the fastest lap times of the race, as Thibault Benistant of Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing MX2 and F&H Kawasaki Racing’s Mathys Boisrame battled for eighth.

Guadagnini finally managed to get around Beaton on lap eight and then five or six laps later was able to get Hofer to get into second. Hofer then faded off as both Beaton and Renaux got around the Austrian, while Fernandez dived down the inside of De Wolf for sixth.

In the end it was Vialle who won the race 5.988 seconds ahead of Guadagnini and Beaton who crossed the line in third.

In race two it was Renaux with a flying start, as he took the second Fox Holeshot of the day and led the way with Beaton second and Vialle third. Guadagnini got another strong start and so did Gianluca Facchetti of Team Beddini Racing KTM on his first outing with the new team.

Hofer then got around Fernandez for fifth as Vialle tried to get around Beaton, with the Australian quick to respond and claim back his second-place spot.

As Renaux stretched out his lead to 2.490 seconds, Beaton came under fire from Vialle once again, with the KTM rider finally making a pass stick on lap five. Vialle then set the fastest lap of the race as he began to close in on the race leader, Renaux. But Renaux stepped it up a gear himself to set the fastest lap of the race himself, with the two Frenchman clock fast times lap after lap.

While the battle for the win was well and truly on between Renaux and Vialle, Guadagnini was also not letting go of Beaton for third as he started to apply the pressure.

With just a couple of laps from the finish, Vialle went down as he was focused on passing Renaux which handed the Yamaha rider a victory, while Vialle was able to get back on his bike quickly and hold on to second as Beaton was able to keep Guadagnini at bay and finish the day with another third-place finish.

With a 1-2 result, Tom Vialle was on the top step of the podium while Maxime Renaux was forced to settle for second ahead of Jed Beaton in third, as he secured his second podium of 2021.

Renaux continues to lead the MX2 championship, maintaining a healthy 37-point lead over Guadagnini who has gained a bit of breathing room to Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing MX2’s Jago Geerts who is a further 15 points adrift.

Tom Vialle: “It’s really good to be back on top after the injury. The summer break was good because I could train and work on the bike also and now to be back is really good. I was happy in the morning to take pole position because it’s not a lot of times that I’ve taken the pole position which was pretty nice. I took two good starts and in the second race I pushed to come back but it was difficult to pass as there were not so many lines and Maxime was riding pretty good. I tried to give my best. For sure to win here is good and to stay here in Turkey is nice, I like the track and it will be a good race on Wednesday”.

Maxime Renaux: “Was two completely different races today. I took two good stars, but in the first race I went too wide which allowed the other riders on the inside, so I had to fight my way through the pack and come back from eighth to fourth. I was riding a little bit stiff and was not happy with the riding. For the second race we changed some things on the bike, I was feeling much more comfortable and took the holeshot and then had the perfect race. For Wednesday I will look to improve on my lap times because it’s important to be on the inside here. I take it race by race, I want to win all the races if I can but it’s pretty hard and I need to think about the championship. I’m also trying to be more clever than before and avoid making stupid mistakes and keep control of the championship”.

Jed Beaton: “It was a pretty good day for me. Never pulled the holeshot but in the first race I came close which was good, but then made a small mistake which allowed the KTM guys to pass and then Tom was going quite fast and I got a little bit of arm pump so I went back a little bit but then the last few laps of the race I felt like I was riding good again and try to take that into the second race. I got another good start but lost a bit of rhythm in the first few laps, the guys pulled away but I was just trying to manage my own race and then had Mattia on my back which added some pressure, but overall it was a good consistent day for me to put together two good races which has been a struggle for me for the last couple of races and it’s a good step in the right direction. It’s good to recharge the batteries as the last four rounds were pretty tough so it took a lot of energy out of us and the little break was nice for everyone”.

Main Photo: Tom Vialle

Bottom Photos: 1. Maxime Renaux 2. Jed Beaton

MX2 - Grand Prix Race 1 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), 34:00.016; 2. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, KTM), +0:05.988; 3. Jed Beaton (AUS, Husqvarna), +0:07.359; 4. Maxime Renaux (FRA, Yamaha), +0:16.158; 5. Rene Hofer (AUT, KTM), +0:27.478; 6. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, Honda), +0:31.297; 7. Kay de Wolf (NED, Husqvarna), +0:34.174; 8. Thibault Benistant (FRA, Yamaha), +0:35.151; 9. Jago Geerts (BEL, Yamaha), +0:43.644; 10. Mathys Boisrame (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:50.403;

MX2 - Grand Prix Race 2 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Maxime Renaux (FRA, Yamaha), 35:20.827; 2. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), +0:01.638; 3. Jed Beaton (AUS, Husqvarna), +0:11.439; 4. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, KTM), +0:12.624; 5. Rene Hofer (AUT, KTM), +0:28.479; 6. Jago Geerts (BEL, Yamaha), +0:37.230; 7. Wilson Todd (AUS, Kawasaki), +0:45.210; 8. Mikkel Haarup (DEN, Kawasaki), +0:54.046; 9. Kay de Wolf (NED, Husqvarna), +0:56.764; 10. Thibault Benistant (FRA, Yamaha), +0:58.882;

MX2 - GP Top 10 Classification: 1. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), 47 points; 2. Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 43 p.; 3. Jed Beaton (AUS, HUS), 40 p.; 4. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, KTM), 40 p.; 5. Rene Hofer (AUT, KTM), 32 p.; 6. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 27 p.; 7. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 26 p.; 8. Wilson Todd (AUS, KAW), 24 p.; 9. Thibault Benistant (FRA, YAM), 24 p.; 10. Isak Gifting (SWE, GAS), 18 p.;

MX2 - World Championship Top 10 Classification: 1. Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 314 points; 2. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, KTM), 277 p.; 3. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 262 p.; 4. Jed Beaton (AUS, HUS), 237 p.; 5. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, HON), 229 p.; 6. Thibault Benistant (FRA, YAM), 228 p.; 7. Rene Hofer (AUT, KTM), 216 p.; 8. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 210 p.; 9. Mathys Boisrame (FRA, KAW), 204 p.; 10. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), 180 p.;

MX2 - Manufacturers Classification: 1. Yamaha, 355 points; 2. KTM, 339 p.; 3. Husqvarna, 266 p.; 4. Kawasaki, 252 p.; 5. Honda, 237 p.; 6. GASGAS, 181 p.;

Click here to obtain the complete results

All the photos from the Bitci MXGP of Turkey will be available HERE

BITCI MXGP OF TURKEY – QUICK FACTS

Circuit length: 1725m

Type of ground: Hard Pack

Temperature: 28°

Weather conditions: Sunny

LINKS

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Afyon