MXGP

Twelve months ago, Kawasaki factory rider Romain Febvre took victory at the first ever Grand Prix held at the brand-new facility in Arnhem, Holland. Around a very rough and tricky Motorsportpark Gelderland Midden circuit, the Frenchman went 2-1 to lead home Jorge Prado and Jeremy Seewer in a clinical performance.

Known for his sand riding skills, Febvre has also won in the deep sand of Lommel, and the 2015 MXGP World champion knows that heading to Arnhem this weekend, he will need all his skills and determination to battle with the likes of series leader Tim Gajser, defending champion Jorge Prado, and the hot favourite to win this weekend, Jeffrey Herlings.

“Let’s say,” Febvre said. “Normally I am good in the sand. I have won twice in Lommel, and I won in Arnhem last year, but the way this year went, with my injury and stuff and just coming back, I really didn’t expect to be on the podium in Lommel. Just because, I am missing some riding, I am also missing some physical condition. I decided to just go back to where I started the season, where I was good with, even if I did not feel like 100% physically, but yeah, anyway, my goal was to just to get some flow. And then somehow, in Lommel, I managed to do it really well.”

While he took the win in 2023, Febvre hasn’t ridden the Arnhem sand track as often as many might think. The Motorsportpark Gelderland Midden circuit is a regular training ground for many of the Dutch riders and Febvre has done some laps there, and that does give him something of an advantage over the likes of Gajser and Prado.

“It isn’t a track I am going a lot, but I have ridden there before. It is okay, a bit harder than Lommel, yes, some parts of the track are a little bit harder than Lommel. It is a track I like a lot, last year I won there. However, I am not thinking about that, I just want to get in good condition, get a good flow again.”

Coming off the Grand Prix of Sweden last weekend, where he finished fourth overall, you just know that Febvre will be looking to try and get into the top three overall this coming weekend.

“I had a really good start in the first race in Sweden; I lost two positions, but I stayed with the leading group, so I was happy with my pace. My start in the second race wasn't good and I was thirteenth at the second corner; on a track like this one that's a real problem! At the same time Prado, Gajser and Herlings were in front from the start so I knew that the best I could expect was a fourth, and that's what I achieved. Now we move onto Arnhem this weekend and try and build on the results from Lommel and Sweden.”

With Herlings the favourite, and very experienced around the Motorsportpark Gelderland Midden circuit, and with the Dutchman having huge support from the local fans, it might be the chance for Febvre to silence the crowd and return to the top step of the podium. Whatever happens, expect the Kawasaki rider to be in amongst the major points.

Photo credit : Kawasaki

Factory Racing MXGP is delighted to confirm that Brian Bogers will continue to race the Fantic XXF 450 in the premier class of the FIM Motocross World Championship in the 2025 season. The one-year contract extension will see Brian Bogers enter his second season with Fantic Factory Racing MXGP alongside his current teammate Glenn Coldenhoff, who is on a two-year deal through 2025.

Bogers joined the squad at round 3 of the 2024 FIM Motocross World Championship and immediately impressed with a top-10 finish in the deep sands of Riola Sardo. In only his third GP with Fantic, he came close to the podium with a hard-fought fourth overall in Portugal. The former Lommel GP winner went on to score two more top-5 results in Latvia and at the Italian brand’s home round in Maggiora.

Despite sitting out the two Indonesian rounds due to a shoulder injury and missing the chance to score points last Sunday in Sweden after an incident in race 1, the 27-year-old Dutchman still sits eleventh in the championship standings, as he heads into his highly anticipated home race in Arnhem this upcoming weekend.

Brian Bogers, Fantic Factory Racing MXGP Rider:
“I am really happy to be part of the team for another year! And again, I will take this opportunity with both hands. I have already shown some good speed and results but I think I can do even better with a proper winter preparation together with the team.”

Louis Vosters, Fantic Factory Racing MXGP Team Owner:
“I am really happy to have Brian Bogers on board on the Fantic Factory machine in 2025 as well! From the very first moment Brian came to our team, I had a good feeling. He is a hard-working, serious athlete with positive vibes, which is really good for the team and Fantic as well. This season he has already surprised us several times and I am convinced that with a good winter preparation, he can do even better in 2025.”

Mariano Roman, Fantic Motor Vice President:
“We have always admired Brian as a rider, and that is no secret. Since joining our Fantic family, he has clearly proven that he deserves his place in the premier class of Motocross. It is not just about his remarkable results, what stands out is his huge passion for the sport, his relentless fighting spirit and his exemplary work ethic, all qualities that perfectly align with our values. We are excited to continue working with him and looking forward to achieving even greater success together.”

Photo credit : FANTIC

ARNHEM (The Netherlands) 14 August 2024 – Through ferries or flights from last weekend’s MXGP of Sweden, the FIM Motocross World Championship stars head back from Scandinavia to north-western Europe, as the MXGP of The Netherlands presents another tough challenge for round 16 at the Motorsportpark Gelderland Midden circuit on the outskirts of the city of Arnhem.

The Dutch circuit was new to the calendar in 2023 and saw overall victories for Romain Febvre in MXGP and Liam Everts in MX2, although it is one of 31 separate circuits in the country to have hosted Grand Prix Motocross since the very start of the Championship in 1957, when it was held at the Lichtenvoorde circuit about 35 km east of Arnhem itself. The winner that day was the first ever World Champion, Bill Nilsson from Sweden.

From this weekend’s riders, Jeffrey Herlings of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing has won the most in The Netherlands with 14 Grands Prix on his home sandy soil, although he has been unable to challenge for one since 2020. The home fans have a host of Dutch riders to cheer for in all classes, with Championship challengers in every race, so they will generate a boisterous atmosphere as we saw last year!

One of the most successful racers in Dutch events will make his return to action this weekend, as Antonio Cairoli comes out of retirement to debut the new Ducati Desmo450 MX machine for the Ducati Factory MX Team!  His presence means we have the winners of the last fifteen MXGP world titles on the start line at Arnhem!

As the season begins its final quarter, Tim Gajser continues to hold the red plate for Team HRC as he goes for his third GP win on Dutch sand, with Jorge Prado just 17 points back for Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing, while Herlings is lying 48 points behind the Slovenian.

Kay de Wolf will carry the red plate for Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing into his home Grand Prix, but teammate Lucas Coenen cut his advantage down to 49 points with victory at Uddevalla. Simon Laengenfelder is third for Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing and his race win at Lommel in July will bolster his confidence for the Dutch conditions!

The local fans will be trackside early on Sunday for the sixth and penultimate round of the WMX Women’s Motocross World Championship, currently being led by the self-titled “Queen of Sand” Lotte van Drunen, who holds a narrow three-point lead for De Baets Yamaha over Spanish rival Daniela Guillen, who will try to spoil the party on her RFME Spain National Team GASGAS! Most recent WMX winner Lynn Valk will also be fired up to perform in front of her home fans for Schmicker Racing KTM.

The EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing European Championship series holds its ninth round at Arnhem, and Fantic Factory Racing EMX125 star Noel Zanocz leads the standings by 18 points over home hero Gyan Doensen, who will enjoy massive support for Racestore KTM Factory Rookies. Another Dutch rising star, Dani Heitink, took a race win in Sweden and will be fired up for a good result in front of his local crowd!

Last weekend’s MXGP of Sweden saw the top two riders in the series get closer together in the race for the MXGP World Championship, with Prado scoring a double victory to counter Gajser’s win in the RAM Qualifying Race. While the Spaniard has yet to win an overall MXGP round in The Netherlands, he did win three in the MX2 category from 2017 to ’19.  Gajser meanwhile has won twice in the Dutch sand, back in his first title season of 2015 in MX2, and in 2021 at the circuit of Oss. The Slovenian raced to two fifths last year at Arnhem, while Prado went 1-4 for 2nd overall.

Although the results from Uddevalla left Herlings with a bigger mountain to climb than before, there could be no better place than his home country for the all-time GP win record holder to strike back at his rivals and regain the momentum he had going before Sweden.  Unable to compete last year at Arnhem after a crash on Saturday fractured his collarbone, he will be looking for Grand Prix win number 15 in his native country, and his first since 2020!

Outside of the big three, last year’s winner for Kawasaki Racing Team was Romain Febvre, which was his second victory on Dutch soil, while there is just one other rider lining up in the class who has a first-place trophy from The Netherlands.

That rider is one of the most intriguing wildcard entries yet to be seen in the class, as nine-time World Champion Antonio Cairoli makes a comeback ride as part of his development role for the mighty Ducati brand, and the Italian manufacturer’s long-awaited debut appearance could not have been made with a more esteemed ambassador for Italian Motocross. Winner of ten Grands Prix on Dutch ground, his appearance means that we have four of the seven most successful riders in Grand Prix history on the starting grid at Arnhem!

Other riders flying the Dutch flag include Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP’s Calvin Vlaanderen, currently fourth in the series, and the Fantic Factory Racing duo Glenn Coldenhoff and Brian Bogers, who sit seventh and eleventh in the standings. Bogers will be back after a scary crash in Sweden put him out after six laps of Sunday’s action, and he’ll want the crowd to make some noise as he does the Official GoPro Lap before his home GP!  Seven other wildcards will line-up from the host nation, as well as four-time British Champion Conrad Mewse, who returns for Crendon Tru7 Honda after showing good speed at the MXGP of Flanders.

It's sure to be another battle royale amongst the Kingpins of MXGP at Arnhem!

MXGP - World Championship Top 10 Classification: 1. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 757 Points;   2. Jorge Prado (ESP, GAS), 740 Points; 3. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 709 Pts; 4. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, YAM), 538 Pts; 5. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, KAW), 516 Pts; 6. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 451 Points; 7. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, FAN), 447 Pts; 8. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, HON), 335 Pts; 9. Valentin Guillod (SUI, HON), 301 Pts; 10. Pauls Jonass (LAT, HON), 274 Pts.

Main Photo: MXGP Start Arhem 2023

Bottom Photos: 1. Jeffrey Herlings  ; 2. Glenn Coldenhoff

Once more the pendulum of momentum in this spectacular season of MX2 racing swung a different way in Sweden, as Lucas Coenen took a stunning double win at Uddevalla and made ground on his red-plate-wearing teammate Kay de Wolf, who worked hard for fifth overall.  The gap between the two is now just under a Sunday maximum score, at 49 points. 

Both men are masters of the sand, although De Wolf has won at both Sardegna and Flanders this season.  Kay missed the race at Arnhem last year through injury, whilst Lucas slipped off early in race one, denying him a perfect weekend as he recovered to 6th, his win in race two leaving him just two points away from the overall victory score of Liam Everts’ 3-2. 

The Belgian comes to Arnhem a lonely 4th in the Championship for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, but appears to be growing in speed through a season that he started with a thumb injury. Third in the series is Simon Laengenfelder, winner of the opening race at Arnhem last season, who is on a three-GP podium streak in his bid to catch Lucas Coenen for the silver medal position.  The German has still yet to win a Grand Prix this season and lies 23 points shy of the Belgian, and 72 behind De Wolf.

Monster Energy Triumph Racing are close to finishing their first year in MX2 with a top five rider in the series, with Mikkel Haarup just thirteen points ahead of reigning Champion Andrea Adamo, who took a brave second overall at Uddevalla.

Rick Elzinga, after a fine second overall for Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 in the sand of Lommel, must be rubbing his hands approaching his home GP as he sits in seventh in the Championship standings. Fellow Dutchmen Jens Walvoort for KTM SB Racing and Kay Karssemakers for Fantic Factory Racing also sit in the top 20 of the series and are very keen for strong results.  They are joined by two top EMX250 riders who enter as wildcards this weekend, Cas Valk of the Gabriel SS24 KTM team, and Ivano van Erp for VRT Yamaha.  Cas won the first EMX250 race in Sweden, while Van Erp took the overall verdict with 2-2 finishes. 

Scott Smulders of KMP Honda Racing Team Powered by Krettek and Bradley Mesters of the KTM Kosak Team will also line up in their home country.

The sand races in MX2 this year have been absolute treats to watch, and this weekend should be no different, so watch out for thrills and spills at the MXGP of The Netherlands!

MX2 - World Championship Top 10 Classification: 1. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 725 Points; 2.  Lucas Coenen (BEL, HUS), 676 Pts;  3. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, GAS), 653 Points;  4. Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), 594 Pts; 5. Mikkel Haarup (DEN, TRI), 511 Pts; 6. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), 498 Pts;  7. Rick Elzinga (NED, YAM), 457 Pts; 8. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM), 415 Pts; 9. Camden McLellan (RSA, TRI), 274 Pts; 10. Ferruccio Zanchi (ITA, HON), 273 Pts.

Top Photo: MX2 Start Arhem 2023

Bottom Photos: 1. Kay de Wolf  ; 2. Rick Elzinga

Don’t miss your chance to watch the MXGP of The Netherlands this weekend. Get your tickets  HERE!

All the photos from the MXGP of The Netherlands will be available  HERE.

You can find the complete results HERE.

TIMETABLE 

SATURDAY: 07:50 EMX125 Group 1 Free practice, 08:20 EMX125 Group 1 Free practice,  8:50 WMX Free practice, 09:20 EMX125 Group 1 Qualifying practice, 09:55 EMX125 Group 2 Qualifying Practice, 10:30 MX2 Free Practice, 11:00 MXGP Free Practice, 12:10 WMX Qualifying practice, 12:45 MXGP WildCard Free/Qualifying Practice, 13:40 MX2 Time Practice, 14:15 MXGP Time Practice, 15:00 WMX Race 1, 15:45 EMX125 Race 1, 16:35 MX2 RAM Qualifying Race, 17:25 MXGP RAM Qualifying Race.

SUNDAY: 09:45 EMX125 Race 2, 10:25 MX2 Warm-up, 10:45 MXGP Warm-up, 11:30 WMX Race 2, 13:15 MX2 Race 1, 14:15 MXGP Race 1, 16:10 MX2 Race 2, 17:10 MXGP Race 2.

LINKS

Infront Moto Racing

FIM

FIM Europe

Arnhem
 

MONACO (Principality of Monaco) 12 August 2024 – The 2024 FIM Motocross World Championship is gearing up for an electrifying fifteenth round at Arnhem track for the MXGP of The Netherlands on the 17th and 18th of August.

Adding to the excitement, legendary rider Antonio Cairoli is coming out of retirement to compete for the new constructor in MXGP, Ducati, with Ducati Factory MX Team making this a must-watch event!

Check out the Timetable and Entry Lists for the MXGP of The Netherlands below:

TIMETABLE

MXGP ENTRY LIST

MX2 ENTRY LIST

WMX ENTRY LIST

EMX 125 ENTRY LIST

Uddevalla (Sweden) 11 August 2024 – Under beautiful Scandinavian sunshine, the MXGP of Sweden provided some incredible action at the Glimminge Motorstadion  circuit near Uddevalla, as a constantly drying track provided a totally different challenge than the previous GP, as well as the one to come!

With temperatures unusually high for the northernmost MXGP event of the season, the event was to be a test of mental fitness and concentration on the hard-packed, loose surface, and fans from all over Scandinavia and Europe created a stunning atmosphere as the smoke flares and the noise machines cranked up around the rocky valley! A special mention has to go to home hero Isak Gifting, who wore a toy Viking helmet over his race one, as well as a Swedish flag cape, for the sighting lap of each race on his JK Racing Yamaha, provoking a wonderful response from the crowd that obviously inspired him for when the gate dropped!

The MXGP class delivered amazing racing again, and it was the turn of Jorge Prado to show his overtaking prowess as he took a double victory for Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing to further close the gap at the top of the Championship between himself and Team HRC’s Tim Gajser.

The momentum in the MX2 World Championship shifted again, as Lucas Coenen delivered an imperious performance for a 1-1 scorecard for Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing, with his Championship leading teammate Kay de Wolf missing the podium to make that points gap smaller as well!

After Saturday’s RAM Qualifying Race proved that the start would be vital on a tough hard-pack circuit, none of the Championship contenders were in the top three as the riders charged into the opening few corners!  Instead, although Romain Febvre grabbed the Fox Holeshot Award for Kawasaki Racing Team, it was that home hero Isak Gifting who took the lead as they headed into turn two!  The noise from the Swedish fans was deafening as Isak enjoyed a glorious few laps at the front of the pack! 

Jeremy Seewer, winner of the last two GPs at this circuit, had pushed past his teammate Febvre to run second, but Gifting was on a mission to keep the lead for as long as possible!  Meanwhile, RAM Qualifying Race winner Gajser had clashed with Jeffrey Herlings in the second corner, forcing the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing man wide! Just as on Saturday, “The Bullet” would have to fight through the pack to limit the damage to his Championship challenge, although Prado had not helped his cause with an uncharacteristically average start, battling his way to fifth before the end of the first full lap.

It took until lap four for Seewer to finally demote Gifting from the lead of the race, and the next couple of laps saw Gajser, Prado, and Febvre also move past the Swede.  Prado pulled a nice move into the corner at the end of the Pit Lane straight, and was in prime position when Gajser had to make a forceful move on Seewer to take the lead! Following the Slovenian past the Swiss, the reigning Champ advanced on the red plate holder, and suddenly pulled the same pass as he had on Gifting to take the lead from the surprised Gajser at the end of lap 13!

Herlings was making a slow recovery at this time, having passed Gifting for sixth on lap eight, but it took him another seven laps before he could get around Calvin Vlaanderen, the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP rider who had fallen in front of him on Saturday. “The Bullet” made a late run at Seewer for fourth, but stalled on the final lap and had to settle for fifth ahead of Vlaanderen, with Gifting a very popular seventh!

Gajser continued to press Prado for the lead but could not prevent the Spaniard from taking his 13th GP race win of the season, with the GASGAS man celebrating the fact that he won by passing several riders, which is not his normal method!

In race two, it was back to his usual tactics. Beaten to the Fox Holeshot Award by a tyre’s width to Fantic Factory Racing’s Glenn Coldenhoff, the reigning Champ was instantly in control, although again the crowd bellowed their support for Gifting, who was in second by turn two, although the time up front was to be much more short-lived for the Swede.

Herlings eased passed Gifting on the run down to the fourth corner after the start, and looked like he was setting up to chase Prado down again.  Gajser had to go with his Championship rivals and was also past the Swede early on, but then after a pitched battle with Schmicker Racing KTM’s Cornelius Toendel, Isak held on to fourth all the way to lap twelve, when finally the pressure of the factory riders took its toll.

Vlaanderen, Febvre, and Coldenhoff all went past the JK Racing man on lap twelve, and the Swede would eventually claim tenth place to secure eighth overall. Febvre quickly snatched fourth from Vlaanderen in that Pit Lane corner, and the top six would stay that way until the chequered flag, with Team Ship to Cycle Honda Motoblouz SR teamsters Kevin Horgmo and Valentin Guillod finishing seventh and ninth, sandwiching a disappointed Seewer. Jan Pancar finished eleventh in the race to secure tenth overall for the TEM JP253 KTM team.

Herlings couldn’t make any inroads into Prado’s lead, with a late charge curtailed by a near crash that bruised his hand, and his second place secured a podium finish behind Gajser and Prado, who was over 14 seconds clear as he began celebrating his first ever GP win in Sweden!

They return to Herlings’ home sand next weekend at Arnhem, with Prado now 17 points behind Gajser in the standings, while “The Bullet” faces a 48-point deficit to the Slovenian with five Grands Prix remaining.  Anything is still possible, and the fight is very much still on!

Jorge Prado: “It was a great weekend for me. I knew I had to be right on my 100% to get overall here, and that's what I did. I made it tough for myself in that first race with a very bad start, but the second race I managed to get out of the gate in a good way and break hard into the first corner, then had good opening laps and managing the race. Track was very tough, we were riding on a good pace so super happy. Let's move on to the sand and hopefully get another win over there”

Tim Gajser: “I mean, I felt solid today, you know. I had a good first race, but there was just one mistake that I made and I just left the door so open when Jorge (Prado) passed me. That was my mistake, but anyway, the pace was good. The second race was sketchy, also the lappers, you know, like a couple of times I had to slow down. But anyway, you know, a solid weekend, good points for the championship and I'm really looking forward to the next one!”

Jeffrey Herlings: “I think I'm okay on the last lap, just a table top before the waves, I came out of the turn, there was a lot of big kickers in there and I was with my hand between the handlebars so it's quite swollen out. But race-wise it was OK, I had a lot of bad luck with Calvin (Vlaanderen) crashing in the RAM Qualifying heat right in front of me and nowhere to go. First race had a really good start and got pushed out of the track and again I lost many positions so definitely the luck wasn't on my side. But the second race, the speed was good and I come out with another podium but for the championship it was not the best”

Main Photo: Jorge Prado

Bottom Photos: 1. Tim Gajser; 2. Jeffrey Herlings

MXGP - Grand Prix Race 1 - Top 10 Classification: 1. Jorge Prado (ESP, GASGAS), 35:08.557; 2. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:00.809; 3. Romain Febvre (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:06.860; 4. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Kawasaki), +0:09.811; 5. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), +0:13.203; 6. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, Yamaha), +0:31.367; 7. Isak Gifting (SWE, Yamaha), +0:37.674; 8. Jan Pancar (SLO, KTM), +0:39.113; 9. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, Fantic), +0:40.347; 10. Valentin Guillod (SUI, Honda), +0:41.563

MXGP - Grand Prix Race 2 - Top 10 Classification: 1. Jorge Prado (ESP, GASGAS), 34:35.275; 2. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), +0:14.445; 3. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:18.918; 4. Romain Febvre (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:54.273; 5. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, Yamaha), +0:56.586; 6. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, Fantic), +1:00.561; 7. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, Honda), +1:02.431; 8. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Kawasaki), +1:04.136; 9. Valentin Guillod (SUI, Honda), +1:19.134; 10. Isak Gifting (SWE, Yamaha), +1:20.054

MXGP Overall - Top 10 Classification: 1. Jorge Prado (ESP, GAS), 50 points; 2. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 42 p.; 3. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 38 p.; 4. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 38 p.; 5. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, YAM), 31 p.; 6. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, KAW), 31 p.; 7. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, FAN), 27 p.; 8. Isak Gifting (SWE, YAM), 25 p.; 9. Valentin Guillod (SUI, HON), 23 p.; 10. Jan Pancar (SLO, KTM), 23 p

MXGP - World Championship - Top 10 Classification: 1. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 757 points; 2. Jorge Prado (ESP, GAS), 740 p.; 3. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 709 p.; 4. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, YAM), 538 p.; 5. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, KAW), 516 p.; 6. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 451 p.; 7. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, FAN), 447 p.; 8. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, HON), 335 p.; 9. Valentin Guillod (SUI, HON), 301 p.; 10. Pauls Jonass (LAT, HON), 274 p

MXGP - Manufacturers Classification: 1. Honda, 774 points; 2. GASGAS, 740 p.; 3. KTM, 721 p.; 4. Kawasaki, 640 p.; 5. Yamaha, 581 p.; 6. Fantic, 484 p.; 7. Husqvarna, 228 p.; 8. Beta, 149 p 

While Kay De Wolf had looked imperious on Saturday, events were not to give him such an easy ride on Grand Prix Sunday, as the Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing machine of Simon Laengenfelder powered to the Fox Holeshot and led from Lucas Coenen and Monster Energy Triumph Racing’s Mikkel Haarup.  De Wolf made his own mistake in the second corner and ran off the track, putting himself back to around 15th position and with a fight on his hands!

Meanwhile, Lucas Coenen was in no mood to hang around. With a glorious retro livery to pay homage to the Swedish heritage of the Husqvarna brand, he fired up the inside of Laengenfelder around the first corner at the start of the second full lap and was never caught by anyone from there.  Meanwhile, De Wolf  crashed down the order on his second lap to make matters even worse for the red plate holder.

The Red Bull KTM Factory Racing duo of Liam Everts and Andrea Adamo held down fourth and fifth throughout the race, with Camden McLellan putting a second Monster Energy Triumph into the top six.  His teammate Haarup carried over his speed from Saturday and moved past Laengenfelder for second on lap ten.

De Wolf had to work hard on a tough circuit and fought past the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 pairing of Rick Elzinga and Karlis Reisulis to claim seventh at the flag and lose 11 points to Lucas, whose brother Sacha Coenen was detuned after a big crash in Warm-Up and finished in tenth spot.  Lucas’ winning margin was a solid seven seconds from a delighted Haarup and last year’s Uddevalla winner Laengenfelder.

The German GASGAS man again launched into the lead to claim his seventh Fox Holeshot Award of the year, and after fighting past a spirited Adamo, Lucas Coenen again set his sights on utter domination, snapping past Laengenfelder at the end of lap two this time.  Adamo moved up to second a couple of laps later, while De Wolf was in fifth position, trying to chase down Everts. 

The track seemed to be giving the riders a few problems and there were an unusually low number of passes being attempted throughout the top ten.  Even getting past lapped riders was proving to be an issue, as Lucas Coenen had his scariest moment avoiding one who had stalled on the first corner, and De Wolf had to reach out an arm in mid-air to avoid a collision with one over a huge tabletop jump in front of the packed hillsides!

De Wolf was finally able to drive past Everts for fourth on lap twelve of nineteen, as Haarup could not advance from sixth to leave himself off the podium in fourth overall. Ferruccio Zanchi took seventh for Team HRC after a DNF in race one, McLellan eighth, and Elzinga fought off his younger teammate Reisulis as they came home ninth and tenth.

It was all about Lucas Coenen, however, as he took home his fifth GP win of the year to rebuild his momentum and slash De Wolf’s points lead from 67 before today to 49.  After missing Lommel due to his Loket injuries, Adamo showed true grit to claim second overall ahead of Laengenfelder, who climbed his third straight podium to consolidate his third place in the series.

Lucas Coenen: “Of course, it was a good weekend! I needed to bounce back and I did it. So it was perfect. Won the two races. I was just riding smooth out there and had a lot of fun on the track. So yeah, it was better than yesterday, so very positive. Now we keep on building for the Netherlands and we'll see you guys there.”

Andrea Adamo: “I did struggle so much in RAM Quali race, and I had completely no fire to ride well but today in the first race it was already better.  Then in the second one, it was a long time I think since I was riding this smooth and this fast so I'm really really happy. Lucas (Coenen)  was fast. I had a good battle with Simon (Laengenfelder), but then the race stayed pretty static. because I was in second and quite far from the lead and also Simon was quite far behind me. So that was nice and I hope to keep going on this on this way”

Simon Laengenfelder: I think this one was a tough one, especially to find all the good lines, to be always perfect, and make no mistakes because you needed to hit the lines perfectly straight. Otherwise, with that stony ground, it's really easy to make a mistake but I could avoid that in the end. straight. I didn't have the speed to win but I think I was consistent and I'm happy about that”

Main Photo: Lucas Coenen

Bottom Photos: 1. Andrea Adamo; 2. Simon Laengenfelder

MX2 - Grand Prix Race 1 - Top 10 Classification:  1. Lucas Coenen (BEL, Husqvarna), 34:58.112; 2. Mikkel Haarup (DEN, Triumph), +0:07.163; 3. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, GASGAS), +0:12.891; 4. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), +0:14.217; 5. Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), +0:47.235; 6. Camden Mc Lellan (RSA, Triumph), +0:50.887; 7. Kay de Wolf (NED, Husqvarna), +0:52.471; 8. Rick Elzinga (NED, Yamaha), +1:08.937; 9. Karlis Alberts Reisulis (LAT, Yamaha), +1:15.671; 10. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM), +1:27.442

MX2 - Grand Prix Race 2 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Lucas Coenen (BEL, Husqvarna), 34:39.588; 2. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), +0:05.003; 3. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, GASGAS), +0:06.761; 4. Kay de Wolf (NED, Husqvarna), +0:07.375; 5. Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), +0:22.323; 6. Mikkel Haarup (DEN, Triumph), +0:27.740; 7. Ferruccio Zanchi (ITA, Honda), +0:33.660; 8. Camden Mc Lellan (RSA, Triumph), +0:34.783; 9. Rick Elzinga (NED, Yamaha), +0:40.382; 10. Karlis Alberts Reisulis (LAT, Yamaha), +0:42.612

MX2 Overall – Top 10 Classification: 1. Lucas Coenen (BEL, HUS), 50 points; 2. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), 40 p.; 3. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, GAS), 40 p.; 4. Mikkel Haarup (DEN, TRI), 37 p.; 5. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 32 p.; 6. Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), 32 p.; 7. Camden Mc Lellan (RSA, TRI), 28 p.; 8. Rick Elzinga (NED, YAM), 25 p.; 9. Karlis Alberts Reisulis (LAT, YAM), 23 p.; 10. David Braceras (ESP, FAN), 20 p

MX2 - World Championship Classification: 1. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 725 points; 2. Lucas Coenen (BEL, HUS), 676 p.; 3. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, GAS), 653 p.; 4. Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), 594 p.; 5. Mikkel Haarup (DEN, TRI), 511 p.; 6. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), 498 p.; 7. Rick Elzinga (NED, YAM), 457 p.; 8. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM), 415 p.; 9. Camden Mc Lellan (RSA, TRI), 274 p.; 10. Ferruccio Zanchi (ITA, HON), 273 p

MX2 - Manufacturers Classification: 1. Husqvarna, 821 points; 2. KTM, 725 p.; 3. GASGAS, 660 p.; 4. Triumph, 546 p.; 5. Yamaha, 518 p.; 6. Honda, 308 p.; 7. Kawasaki, 278 p.; 8. Fantic, 215 p.; 9. TM, 52 p

WATCH MXGP OF SWEDEN HIGHLIGHTS

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

You can find the complete results HERE.

 MXGP OF SWEDEN QUICK FACTS:

Circuit length: 1586m

Type of ground: Hard Pack

Temperature: 29°

Weather conditions: Sunny

Crowd Attendance: 24,000

LINKS

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