MX2

LOKET (Czech Republic) 25 July 2021 – The MXGP of Czech Republic makes a stellar comeback to the FIM Motocross World Championship calendar, as Red Bull KTM Factory Racing dominate the top step, with victories from Jorge Prado and Mattia Guadagnini.

In the opening MXGP race of the day, it was Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado who took his fourth Fox Holeshot of the season and led the race ahead of Team HRC’s Tim Gajser, Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Ben Watson and Glenn Coldenhoff, who were ahead of Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s Romain Febvre.

Meanwhile Ivo Monticelli from Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team had a shocker of a start, as he hit the start gate and took a while to get going.

Throughout the race, Prado and Gajser kept things closed and remained within one a half seconds of one another, while Watson was having a great ride in third ahead of his teammates.

As the race progressed though, Watson was coming under immense pressure from the guys behind him, as he lost on positions to Coldenhoff, Febvre, Seewer and Antonio Cairoli of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing who passed the Brit on lap nine.

Watson then lost another position to Standing Construct GasGas Factory Racing’s Pauls Jonass who was fighting his way well inside the top ten, though a couple of laps later, the Latvian had a bike problem which forced him to DNF the race.

With a couple of laps to go, Gajser was starting to push more to take the win from the #61 of Prado, though it was not enough as the Spaniard secured the race win ahead of the Honda rider, with Febvre finishing third ahead of Coldenhoff and Seewer.

As the gate dropped for race two, it was once again Prado who led the way with another Fox Holeshot under his belt. Though his teammate, Cairoli wasted no time to take away the lead and get himself in front.

The two factory KTM’s were followed by Seewer, Coldenhoff and Gajser, as Monticelli had a much better start in the race and was running in sixth place.

Gajser then muscled past Coldenhoff for fourth position and then started to apply the pressure onto Seewer who managed to catch onto the back of Prado.

Three laps later after getting into fourth place, Gajser crashed out and had to head into pitlane to fix the clutch lever that was jammed in his hand guard. The Slovenian re-joined the race way down the order in around 30^th and had a long way to go to get back up to 15^th where he finished the race.

Seewer then took second from Prado as Cairoli continued to lead, all while SS24 KTM rider Shaun Simpson was having a mega ride in sixth position.

Gebben Van Venrooy Yamaha Racing’s Calvin Vlaanderen was searching for a way around Simpson, though made a small mistake which sent him over the bars with just a few laps left to go. He didn’t finish the race.

Febvre was looking good as he got Alessandro Lupino of MRT Racing Team KTM for eighth and set his sights on higher positions, though not long after crashed out and finished the race in 10^th.

In the end, it was Cairoli who secured his third race win of the season, with Seewer second, Prado third with Coldenhoff and Monticelli rounding out the top five.

In terms of the podium, it was Jorge Prado who won the overall Grand Prix, with Antonio Cairoli second on the box, continuing his podium streak, with Jeremy Seewer getting his first podium finish of the season.

While Gajser lost valuable points today, he still leads the championship by 11 points ahead of Cairoli and Prado, as the pair move up the rankings.

Jorge Prado: “I gave everything I had. So, it was a great weekend. You know I am getting every weekend better and better. This second race was very rough for me, just physically was tough. You know just to hold on to the bike was difficult, so I just did my best, tried to ride it smoothly and not make any mistakes, which was very difficult on a track like this. But you know, first win of the season, first race win of the season as well. I can’t ask for more”.

“It was not the start of the season that I expected, I expected to be better, I had small things that I needed to put together but it’s nothing too crazy and we are working on it, so I think we’re heading in the right direction as you can see this weekend, next one is Lommel, good memories, so let’s go forward”.

Antonio Cairoli: “Overall, I am happy about everything, because my goal is to finish on the podium every weekend. I messed up in Russia, this is something I still regret a little bit. I struggled a lot with the track as always in Loket. The start is so important and in the first race I was eighth or ninth in the start, then I tried to make some passes and it was difficult as Jeremy and Glenn were also really fast. I finished sixth which is for sure not what I want, but it’s racing and this year I’m feeling really good and I’m enjoying the racing, looking forward to the next one, looking to keep consistent on the podium”.

“I don’t look at the championship, it’s not my thing at the moment, I just want to take it race by race, and enjoy the training as I changed my schedule a little, in the past I used to ride a lot, now I ride one time a week and race, it’s working well and I’m enjoying it. Of course, Lommel is tough, we will struggle physically but I really enjoy it when it’s rough”.

Jeremy Seewer: “The start to my season wasn’t at all what I expected, just before we started, I was in good shape and stuff but I tested positive for COVID, so it was tight for Russia to make it and that explains my results. But I am happy to be back, I started to feel better already but last weekend was just a bit off, in the start of the second race, luckily, I wasn’t hurt as a few riders ran me over which is fine. I’m really happy to be back on the podium, especially that second race, good start and made a key pass on Jorge, I just used his small mistake to catch him and rode to second without a problem”.

“Lommel is like a home GP for us all, as most of the GP riders live around there, so I’m looking forward to that, it always gets rough and it’s exciting to race there”.

Tim Gajser: “I’m okay. The first race was good, I was quite happy with it. The second race, I had a good start and made some quick passes in the beginning and then the third or fourth lap I just landed, and the bike went sideways so I had a big one. Obviously, some bad luck because my clutch lever went into the hand guard so I couldn’t really use the clutch and had to go to pitlane. In the end I re-joined the race but managed to save some points as I came back to fifteenth. Obviously, I’m disappointed but that’s how it is, and it happens so we move forward”

“Last year changed a lot. Obviously before when we went to Lommel I wasn’t so great there but in the last two years we put in a lot of work in the sand to improve myself a little bit and I’m looking forward to going there. Of course, I don’t train there at all but I like the track and I will do my best”.

Main Photo: Jorge Prado

Bottom Photos: 1. Antonio Cairoli 2. Jeremy Seewer

MXGP - Grand Prix Race 1 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 35:10.919; 2. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:00.529; 3. Romain Febvre (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:21.968; 4. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, Yamaha), +0:23.975; 5. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Yamaha), +0:25.449; 6. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:36.914; 7. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Beta), +0:41.288; 8. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, KTM), +0:42.728; 9. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, Yamaha), +0:42.842; 10. Henry Jacobi (GER, Honda), +0:51.359;

MXGP - Grand Prix Race 2 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 33:52.869; 2. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Yamaha), +0:04.369; 3. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), +0:07.715; 4. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, Yamaha), +0:10.589; 5. Ivo Monticelli (ITA, Kawasaki), +0:23.625; 6. Pauls Jonass (LAT, GASGAS), +0:26.110; 7. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), +0:28.763; 8. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, KTM), +0:30.342; 9. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Beta), +0:35.811; 10. Romain Febvre (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:42.162;

MXGP - GP Top 10 Classification: 1. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 45 points; 2. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 40 p.; 3. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 38 p.; 4. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, YAM), 36 p.; 5. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 31 p.; 6. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 28 p.; 7. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, KTM), 26 p.; 8. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, BET), 26 p.; 9. Ivo Monticelli (ITA, KAW), 23 p.; 10. Ben Watson (GBR, YAM), 19 p.;

MXGP - World Championship Top 10 Classification: 1. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 194 points; 2. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 183 p.; 3. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 177 p.; 4. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 174 p.; 5. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 151 p.; 6. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 143 p.; 7. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, YAM), 140 p.; 8. Pauls Jonass (LAT, GAS), 119 p.; 9. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, KTM), 109 p.; 10. Ben Watson (GBR, YAM), 90 p.;

MXGP - Manufacturers Classification: 1. KTM, 234 points; 2. Honda, 195 p.; 3. Yamaha, 180 p.; 4. Kawasaki, 179 p.; 5. GASGAS, 130 p.; 6. Husqvarna, 87 p.;

In the first MX2 race, it was Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Mattia Guadagnini who took the Fox Holeshot ahead of Bike it MTX Kawasaki rider Wilson Todd and Tom Vialle of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing.

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Jed Beaton and Kay De Wolf had a good start in the race, as they were running fourth and sixth, with Honda 114 Motorsports Ruben Fernandez in between the pair.

Beaton was eventually able to get around Todd for third, while the championship leader, Maxime Renaux of Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing was struggling down in 17^th.

De Wolf then caught onto the back of Todd as he went after top positions and by lap, the youngster was ahead of the Aussie.

Renaux then managed to fight his way inside the top 10, as he went after his teammate Thibault Benistant of Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing, with F&H Kawasaki Racing’s Roan Van De Moosdijk lurking in the background.

Guadagnini continued to lead the race, as Vialle closed in ever so slightly with the pair keeping a healthy two to three second gap throughout the race.

Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jago Geerts didn’t have the best opening race, as he struggled outside the top 10, to eventually finish the race in 12^th.

In the end it was Guadagnini who managed to keep Vialle at bay to win the race, while Vialle secured a positive result after his injury struggles to finish second ahead of Beaton, Fernandez and Renaux, with De Wolf dropping to sixth.

In the second race, it was Benistant who grabbed the second Fox Holeshot ahead of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Rene Hofer, Renaux, Guadagnini, Geerts and Fernandez.

Meanwhile Vialle and other riders, got caught up in a crash on the start, with the Frenchman carrying on for eight laps before crashing once again and retiring from the race.

Also having a tough start were Beaton and De Wolf as they sat down in 10^th and 13^th, eventually managing to get up to 8^th and 9^th by the end of the race – not the result they were probably hoping for after the success of race one.

Benistant continued to lead, as Guadagnini edged closer to Hofer for third, while F&H Kawasaki Racing’s Mathys Boisrame stole a position from Beaton.

As Renaux chased down his teammate for the win, he tucked the front of the factory Yamaha and ended up crashing, losing around six seconds as a result, but managing to keep his second-place position.

Geerts was looking to make up for the tough first race as he chased Fernandez fifth and eventually was able to pass him to move up a spot, while Van de Moosdijk also sensed his opportunity to do the same as he took sixth from the Spaniard, and his teammate, Boisrame did the same a lap or so later.

Guadagnini then went down and lost out a position to Geerts which worked in Renaux’s favour for the championship, as Geerts continued his climb to the top with a pass on Hofer for third, making it a Factory Yamaha 1-2-3.

In the end, Benistant was the race winner with Renaux second and Geerts third. Hofer place fourth, ahead of Guadagnini.

Mattia Guadagnini went on to take his second overall win of the season, with Maxime Renaux finishing second and Thibault Benistant securing his first MX2 podium, as he took to the third step of the podium.

Renaux continues to lead the championship by just two points over Guadagnini who is second, while Fernandez is third.

Mattia Guadagnini: “The first victory is always the first, more emotional and a bit different but I’m so happy to be back on the top of the box. Today went really well, I did not have the best qualifying ride, but I got the holeshot in the first race and a win. It was not easy but for sure when you’re up front you can ride alone and nobody in front. So, I just managed to take the win and it was good. Then second race I had a good start again but then I was fourth and tried to push up again to pass Rene, then I had a small crash that cost me not so much time but I lost fourth position, I was fifth and then just managed to finish fifth and it was enough to take the overall, looking forward to Lommel”.

“Yeah, Lommel is not my favourite track, but I had some good memories. I can ride good in sand, not like last week, but normally yes. I am looking forward to race there and hope to be back on the podium for sure and try to be at my best as always”.

Maxime Renaux: “Yeah, like you said, two different races. The first one, I was really happy with my riding and also the flow on the track. Got a really bad start around twentieth place and then I fought my way through the pack, and it was enough to get fifth place. It was not the best result, but I was happy with the riding. The second race I got a good start in third, and then I passed to second and tried to follow Thibault, maybe make a late charge in the race but then I lost the front and had a crash.I just made a lonely race after that, I saw Mattia crashed also, so I had some space let’s say and I did not push too hard. So, second was really good and also second overall and red plate, so that was a good day overall”.

“It’s always nice to have the red plate on the bike. Actually, I don’t have any pressure on that, I just enjoy the colour and the bike and that’s it. So yeah, I hope to keep it as long as possible”.

Thibault Benistant: “It is my first podium in MX2, so I am really proud about this, about the second race with the holeshot and to keep the lead until the end. First race, I was not feeling so good and started a little more difficult, so I did not push so much and in between the races, we changed a little bit on the bike, so the second race I was feeling really good and I was able to keep the first place”

“Yeah, for the moment it is quite okay [the rookie season], I still need to take some experience and be more in the front on the start let’s say. Because until now I did one race on and one race off, so I need to improve on this and I hope we will continue like this”.

Main Photo: Mattia Guadagnini

Bottom Photos: 1. Maxime Renaux 2. Thibault Benistant 

MX2 - Grand Prix Race 1 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, KTM), 33:59.915; 2. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), +0:02.658; 3. Jed Beaton (AUS, Husqvarna), +0:04.761; 4. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, Honda), +0:06.004; 5. Maxime Renaux (FRA, Yamaha), +0:07.003; 6. Kay de Wolf (NED, Husqvarna), +0:10.874; 7. Wilson Todd (AUS, Kawasaki), +0:16.754; 8. Roan Van De Moosdijk (NED, Kawasaki), +0:18.361; 9. Thibault Benistant (FRA, Yamaha), +0:19.869; 10. Rene Hofer (AUT, KTM), +0:23.062;

MX2 - Grand Prix Race 2 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Thibault Benistant (FRA, Yamaha), 34:24.942; 2. Maxime Renaux (FRA, Yamaha), +0:05.680; 3. Jago Geerts (BEL, Yamaha), +0:06.643; 4. Rene Hofer (AUT, KTM), +0:17.657; 5. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, KTM), +0:23.405; 6. Mathys Boisrame (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:30.773; 7. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, Honda), +0:32.142; 8. Jed Beaton (AUS, Husqvarna), +0:38.924; 9. Kay de Wolf (NED, Husqvarna), +0:46.604; 10. Conrad Mewse (GBR, KTM), +0:48.677;

MX2 - GP Top 10 Classification: 1. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, KTM), 41 points; 2. Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 38 p.; 3. Thibault Benistant (FRA, YAM), 37 p.; 4. Jed Beaton (AUS, HUS), 33 p.; 5. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, HON), 32 p.; 6. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 29 p.; 7. Rene Hofer (AUT, KTM), 29 p.; 8. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 27 p.; 9. Mathys Boisrame (FRA, KAW), 25 p.; 10. Wilson Todd (AUS, KAW), 24 p.;

MX2 - World Championship Top 10 Classification: 1. Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 179 points; 2. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, KTM), 177 p.; 3. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, HON), 165 p.; 4. Mathys Boisrame (FRA, KAW), 149 p.; 5. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 146 p.; 6. Jed Beaton (AUS, HUS), 142 p.; 7. Thibault Benistant (FRA, YAM), 140 p.; 8. Rene Hofer (AUT, KTM), 137 p.; 9. Roan Van De Moosdijk (NED, KAW), 132 p.; 10. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 114 p.;

MX2 - Manufacturers Classification: 1. KTM, 217 points; 2. Yamaha, 215 p.; 3. Kawasaki, 174 p.; 4. Honda, 165 p.; 5. Husqvarna, 150 p.; 6. GASGAS, 118 p.;

Click here to obtain the complete results

All the photos from the MXGP of the Czech Republic will be available HERE

MXGP OF CZECH REPUBLIC – QUICK FACTS

Circuit length: 1586m

Type of ground: Hard pack

Temperature: 26°

Weather conditions: Sunny/Thunderstorm

LINKS

Infront Moto Racing

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Loket

There is still time to get your hands on tickets to what is bound to be one of the most exciting sand races of the season, as the MXGP action will head to Lommel for the MXGP of Flanders-Belgium on the 31^st of July – 1^st of August!

Every season Lommel delivers some of the most exciting shows, as the top stars of MXGP and MX2 put their sand skills to the test on what is considered to be the toughest sand track on the FIM Motocross World Championship calendar.

Last year, the popular Belgian track played host to the penultimate triple-header GP of the season, which saw Tim Gajser dominate two of the three events, while rookie Jorge Prado secure his first GP victory in Lommel in MXGP.

There will be plenty of adrenaline-fuelled action over the weekend, with WMX, EMX250 and EMX2t Presented by FMF Racing races taking place on Saturday, while the regular MXGP and MX2 races will go ahead on Sunday!

Want to know who will come out on top in the deep sand this time around? Get your tickets now to enjoy the best races in person! Purchase your tickets HERE.

The FIM Motocross World Championship heads to Loket for the 5th round of the 2021 MXGP Series. Together with MXGP and MX2 classes also the EMXOPEN will be back on track in Loket as well as the opening rounds of the WMX and EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing Championships. 

Timetable and Entry Lists for the MXGP of Czech Republic can be downloaded here below in PDF format. 

TIMETABLE

MXGP Entry List

MX2 Entry List

WMX Entry List

EMXOPEN Entry List

EMX2T Presented by FMF Racing Entry List

MONACO (Principality of Monaco) 21 July 2021 – The 2021 FIM Motocross World Championship heads into its second of four consecutive Grand Prix’s with the return of Loket for the MXGP of Czech Republic.

Located 150km west of Prague, Loket has been a part of the Motocross World Championship calendar since 1995, with winners of the Czech Grand Prix including the likes of Joel Smets, Stefan Everts, Ben Townley, Jeremy Van Horebeek, Jeffrey Herlings, Romain Febvre and others.

After missing out on a GP in 2020, Loket is back for 2021 to host the fifth round of this year’s MXGP and MX2 World Championships, along with a round of the EMXOpen as well as the opening round of the EMX2t Presented by FMF Racing and the FIM Women’s Motocross World Championship, as Courtney Duncan will line-up to defend her WMX once again from a field of the fastest ladies in the world.

In MXGP, Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s Romain Febvre is more eager than ever to get on the top step of the podium and this weekend could be his perfect opportunity. Febvre has shown real speed, as we witnessed in Oss, so it is clear that the Frenchman is focused on getting out in front and securing those race wins. He also won the GP in Loket back in 2019, so he obviously knowns how to win on the blue-groove circuit.

Team HRC Tim Gajser will be looking to add more race wins and overall victories to his championship chase after some real solid results the past couple of GP’s, while Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Glenn Coldenhoff and Jeremy Seewer will be looking for redemption after a tough Dutch Grand Prix a week ago. Seewer placed on the podium last time around in Czech Republic and could do so again this Sunday.

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado is another potential threat this time around, after some strong races in Oss. Prado was victorious in Loket back in 2019 while he was still in MX2, so of course he too can get around the hardpack track very well.

Others to watch out for this weekend include Standing Construct GasGas Factory Racing’s Pauls Jonass who has been building his results GP by GP and has been close to a podium finish on several occasions now, so it’s only a matter of time before we see him finish inside the top 3.

The big news from Oss is of course Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings being forced out of his home GP with a shoulder injury. There is still no definite news on when we can expect the Bullet to make his return while his teammate Antonio Caiorli of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing is another rider who has real potential to win. The 9-time World Champion has won in Loket four times before so we could see him add a fifth this Sunday. 

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing's Arminas Jasikonis had his best GP of the season in the Netherlands where he finished 10th overall. No doubt this will be a confidence boost for the Lithuanian who will hope to get even better as the season goes on. His teammate Thomas Kjer Olsen could perform well this weekend, since he was another rider to finish on the podium back in 2019 while he was still an MX2 title contender. 

2019 MXGP of Czech Republic Top 3 – MXGP

1. Romain Febvre

2. Tim Gajser

3. Jeremy Seewer

MXGP - World Championship Top 10 Classification: 1. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 166 points; 2. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 143 p.; 3. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 143 p.; 4. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 143 p.; 5. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 132 p.; 6. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 113 p.; 7. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, YAM), 104 p.; 8. Pauls Jonass (LAT, GAS), 104 p.; 9. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, KTM), 83 p.; 10. Ben Watson (GBR, YAM), 71 p.

Main Photo: MXGP Start from Loket 2019

Bottom Photos: 1. Tim Gajser 2. Romain Febvre

In MX2, the championship is more open than ever as we enter round five with a brand-new championship leader. Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Maxime Renaux now leads Mattia Guadagnini of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing by just five points. The pair have a real chance to win this weekend, as Renaux and Guadagnini have proven themselves to be strong hardpack riders, their wins in Matterley Basin and Maggiora speak for itself.

Honda 114 Motorsports’ Ruben Fernandez sits third in the championship just three points adrift of Guadagnini and is also another rider who will once again challenge for the win. Fernandez briefly held the red plate and will no doubt want to get it back.

Mathys Boisrame, Roan Van De Moosdijk and Mikkel Haarup of F&H Kawasaki Racing Team will enter this round rearing to go after more top scoring positions, especially Van de Moosdijk and Boisrame after a tough Dutch GP. Boisrame and Van de Moosdijk have shown this season so far that they can battle on the sand and the hardpack so it will be interesting to see what they can deliver this time.

Of course, last weekend’s overall winner Jago Geerts will head to Loket with a huge confident boost after a tough start to the season due to a knee injury. Now it seems Geerts is back to his old winning way which we are eager to see more of in Czech Republic as he will go after his second GP win of the season as he climbs up the championship standings, to keep his title chase alive. His teammate Thibault Benistant also has a good chance to perform well on the hardpack as he managed to win a race in Maggiora.

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Jed Beaton and Kay De Wolf were impressive to say the least in Oss, as the pair challenged for the lead in both races to finish the weekend on the podium together. Beaton was 2^nd overall for his first podium appearance of the season, while De Wolf made it a memorable home GP with his first top three finish in the MX2 World Championship. Both will no doubt be feeling their best after such a strong previous round and we could see them repeat their success of last weekend this time around.

Meanwhile we're all still waiting for the return of the defending World Champion Tom Vialle of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing who has so far missed races in Matterley Basin, Maggiora and Oss. Vialle has now dropped to 15th in the championships standings, so hopefully he can return racing very soon and claw back some valuable points. 

2019 MXGP of Czech Republic Top 3 – MX2

1. Jorge Prado

2. Henry Jacobi

3. Thomas Kjer Olsen

MX2 - World Championship Top 10 Classification: 1. Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 141 points; 2. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, KTM), 136 p.; 3. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, HON), 133 p.; 4. Mathys Boisrame (FRA, KAW), 124 p.; 5. Roan Van De Moosdijk (NED, KAW), 119 p.; 6. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 117 p.; 7. Jed Beaton (AUS, HUS), 109 p.; 8. Rene Hofer (AUT, KTM), 108 p.; 9. Thibault Benistant (FRA, YAM), 103 p.; 10. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 87 p.;

Main Photo: MX2 Start from Loket 2019

Bottom Photos: 1. Jago Geerts 2. Mattia Guadagnini

TIMETABLE (Local Timing GMT+2)

SATURDAY: 08:20 EMX2t Free Practice, 08:45 EMX Open Free Practice, 09:10 WMX Free Practice, 09:50 EMX2t Qualifying Practice, 10:25 EMX Open Qualifying Practice, 11:00 WMX Qualifying Practice, 12:10 EMX2t Race 1, 13:00 EMX Open Race 1, 13:50 WMX Race 1, 14:45 EMX2t Race 2, 15:40 EMX Open Race 2, 16:35 WMX Race 2.

SUNDAY: 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.

LINKS

Infront Moto Racing

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Loket

For Team HRC factory rider Tim Gajser and Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing rider Jago Geerts last weekend’s MXGP of The Netherlands proved to be a happy hunting ground. While Gajser didn’t dominate his 3-2 results was enough for the top step on the MXGP podium, while MX2 winner Geerts showed all his sand skills with a perfect 1-1 performance.

Geerts coming off a pre-season knee injury had found the going tough in the opening three Grand Prix’s in Orlyonok, Great Britain and Italy, but came into his own in Holland and his beloved sand.

“It feels a lot better,” Geerts said. “I am really happy with the win because the season has been difficult for me with my knee and everything. Even the GP of England didn’t go that well, and I am really happy to turn it around and win the GP.”

One thing that Geerts enjoyed was the different type of circuit in Holland. Natural terrain hills and some really cool technical sections gave the Belgian the chance to really show his full potential and he marked it with domination.

“For me it is a really nice track, with some natural hills and stuff. I like it, and it is small and difficult to pass, but for me the layout is nice. I had ridden there before in some Dutch championship races, so I knew the track already, but I really liked it.”

As for Gajser, despite not winning a race he walked away with the MXGP overall and was happy enough after the day’s action, as he extended his championship points lead.

“I am happy with the day,” Gajser said. “Of course, disappointed Tony passed me with a lap to go. I was trying to pass Prado early, but it was really difficult, because he was blocking all the lines. I lost my rhythm and also used a lot of energy, but that is racing. I am overall happy, and we head to Loket. I don’t remember winning with 3-2 before, but it is still nice to win, but you want to win the races also. It is what it is, and I usually win the overall with a race win. The luck was on my side. The riding was okay, and I didn’t know what to expect coming here. Overall, very happy.”

On the big 450 machines the MXGP boys worked hard to find lines on the white sand of Oss, and Gajser knew that he would have to ride a little more aggressive to get the overall victory.

“It was really hard to pass,” Gajser said. “You had to be really aggressive if you wanted to pass and I didn’t want to be aggressive and touch the other guys, but in the second race, I had to. I was behind Prado, and I was way faster than him, but he was shutting the doors everywhere. We have to ride what we are given to ride, and the track was the same for everyone and we did a good job.”

This week the Slovenian and Belgian will head to the hard pack of Loket in the Czech Republic, a circuit that is the total opposite of the tight sand circuit of Oss, and another challenge. Victory is quickly in the rear-view mirror as the next demanding circuit becomes the goal to achieve.

MONACO (Principality of Monaco) 20 July 2021 – Infront Moto Racing is excited to share that MXGP fans can now get their hands on tickets for the MXGP of Latvia on the 7^th and 8^th of August!

For the 12^th time in the history of the FIM Motocross World Championship, Latvian motocross venue “Zelta Zirgs” will host the best motocross rider in the world for an unforgettable weekend of racing in Kegums.

Last season we were treated to three incredible races as Latvia hosted the first triple-header Grand Prix of 2020. This time around we return to Kegums for more action as MXGP stars Antonio Cairoli, Tim Gajser, Glenn Coldenhoff and others will go head-to-head for the top step of the podium.

Meanwhile home hero Pauls Jonass will look to put on his best performance in front his home supporters as he returns to Kegums after missing the GP last season, while Lithuanian star Arminas Jasikonis will want to do the same, as he gets back up to speed after injury.

Despite the MXGP racers taking the centre stage on Sunday, the competitors of the EMXOPEN and EMX250 classes will also be fighting for their championship points on Saturday.

Don’t miss the opportunity to witness the best riders take on the sandy Kegums circuit on the 7^th and 8^th of August! The ticket sales will official open on the 20^th of July at 1pm. You can purchase tickets at the official online store HERE!

Taking into account the Covid-19 restrictions set for Latvia for organizing public events, the territory of the “Zelta Zirgs” circuit will be divided into two spectator zones - C and D. Visitors will be allowed in Zone C upon presentation of a valid digital Covid-19 certificate attesting to a full course of vaccination or Covid-19 illness in the past 180 days. An unlimited number of people will be admitted in this area. Only people with a valid negative Covid-19 laboratory test will be allowed in Zone D. The number of people in this area will be limited. More information - www.latviamxgp.com/lv/

MONACO (Principality of Monaco) 19 July 2021 – MXGP is thrilled to continue the Fox Holeshot competition, that is running throughout the 2021 FIM Motocross World Championship season, together with MXGP partner Fox.

How does the competition work?

During both MXGP and MX2 races, the rider who crosses the white line painted on the ground at the exit of the first corner will be awarded 1 point. At the end of the season, the 2 riders, one per category, with the most Fox Holeshot points will win the mega prize!

During the MXGP of the Netherlands we once again saw four different riders dominate the starts to each received the Fox Holeshot plate!

In MXGP, it was Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s Romain Febvre who claimed the first Fox Holeshot of the day, which was the start of a very intense and dramatic race for the Frenchman who finished fourth. In race two, it was Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado who took the lead early doors thanks to his flying start on his way to a top three finish.

Meanwhile in MX2, it was Diga Procross GasGas Factory Racing’s Simon Längenfelder who added another Fox Holeshot plate to his name as he led the race early doors to eventually finish 11^th, while in the second race it was Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jago Geerts who took a great start and led the opening race from beginning to end as he also secured the overall victory in Oss.

As it stands, Jorge Prado and Romain Febvre edge out in the competition with three points each, meanwhile in MX2, Simon Längenfelder and Jago Geerts also take the lead with two points each.

MXGP Fox Holeshot Classifications

MX2 Fox Holeshot Classifications

Watch the FOX Holeshot Films from the MXGP of the Netherlands below.