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Motocross

Cairoli snares back red plate as Roelants toasts maiden victory

Author: Aaryn Minerds

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The Motocross GP of Latvia held overnight in the town of Kegums, will remain in the memories of many, especially for Antonio Cairoli, who was back on the top of the podium and recuperated the red plate and MX2 winner Joel Roelants who secured his first ever Motocross GP overall round win.

The day started well for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing‰Ûªs Antonio Cairoli, who took the holeshot of the first race and dominated until the chequered flag.

Things changed in the second moto when he had a big crash while leading, dropping him down to fifth fifth position.

The Italian damaged his left wrist ligament in the crash, but he was able to move up to second place by race end and win the Latvian Grand Prix while also taking back the red plate held by Clement Desalle heading into the round.

‰ÛÏI‰Ûªm really happy about my riding the whole weekend, which as good apart from the last moto." stated Cairoli. "I won the first race with a good gap but I had a scare after the crash in the second race when I was in the lead."

"I had some pain in both of my wrists when I stood up from the crash but I put my head down and tried to make passes." said the current world champion.

"I was feeling confident but I didn‰Ûªt know what to expect about my wrist and I hope with this little injury I can train good for next weekend in Russia." he concluded.
Cairoli re captured the red plate with his win in Latvia - Credit: Ray Archer
Cairoli's teammate Ken De Dycker had one of the best weekends of his season by finishing second overall thanks to a 2-3 result.

It is the first podium for the Belgian this season and he admitted that he is very satisfied to have been able to hand his team Red Bull KTM Factory Racing this result and he expects to finish on the rostrum more often for the remainder of the season.

‰ÛÏFor sure I am happy especially after Sweden where I crashed and hurt my hand, this week I took it easy and didn‰Ûªt train and today I had a good start and no crashes." stated De Dycker.

"This weekend I have had two good results and also yesterday I rode well.‰Û
De Dyker had his best result of the season - Credit: Ray Archer
Honda Word Motocross‰Ûª Rui Gon̤alves only just missed the podium this weekend on count-back, finishing the day tied on 36 points with Strijbos, however Strijbos's win in the second moto gave him the advantage

The Portuguese rider came into the day full of confidence after having a good qualifying race on the Saturday, followed up his performance during the race day finishing third and fifth in the two moto format for his fourth place overall. ‰ÛÏIt was two solid motos, which is the main thing for me today." stated Goncalves. "I got a pretty good start to the first moto and there was a good pace going with Tony, but he was definitely faster, so I just tried to maintain a good rhythm."

"I wasn‰Ûªt my best midway through the race, as I made some mistakes and de Dycker came by, but I finished third and I was pretty happy about that. It was a good moto; I was happy with how I was riding, and I could step up the pace towards the end." he added.

"In the second moto the start wasn‰Ûªt so good, as I touched a few guys in the first turn. With the rain in between the races it was difficult to find lines to pass, and also with the roost, because it was just filling the radiator with sand, so I was aware of that while aiming for consistency and I gained some positions for fifth." the Honda rider explained.

"I came close to Desalle, and thought I had one place I could pass him, but I just wasn‰Ûªt close enough on the last lap." he continued.

"We missed the podium, but it was much better with good riding and I want to thank the team for all of their hard work, as well as my family and my girlfriend.‰Û
Goncalves just missed out on scoring a podium for Honda - Credit: Honda Racing
Completing the top five was Gautier Paulin finishing the day with a 4-6 scorecard. The Kawasaki Racing Team rider started the day full of confidence with a good finish in the first moto, but the heavy rain between the motos made the track more demanding.

After starting up front and racing in second place during the initial stages of moto two, three mistakes in one lap cost him three position, before another mistake later in the race cost him a further position relegating him back to sixth.

‰ÛÏI had a good feeling with the track on Saturday, but the rain on Sunday made conditions very different as there was mainly only one line." stated Paulin. "That‰Ûªs not what I like, but in the second moto I still think that I could have won if I hadn‰Ûªt made three mistakes when I was second behind Strijbos and lost my rhythm."

"Fifth is not what I was expecting, but at least I have moved closer to the top three in the standings tonight.‰Û
Roelants was back to his best at Kagums - Credit: Kawasaki Racing
Team Floride Monster Energy Kawasaki Pro Circuit‰Ûªs Joel Roelants proved that he is back 100% after winning his maiden MX2 GP this weekend in Latvia.

In the first race Roelants started in fifth place, but it was not long until he found some smooth lines and was leading the moto by lap eight on his way to securing the moto one victory.

In the second moto the Belgian rider decided to enter the pit-lane to change his goggles due to visibility issues which were making it hard to make a pass on Max Anstie who was in fourth position at the time.

Once Roelants received his new goggles, he easily overtook the British rider and continued his march forward to second position, giving him the overall win.

‰ÛÏ I‰Ûªm so happy to win my first GP today after six seasons of racing in the World Championship." enthused Roelants. "We worked hard this winter and the season started well, but it has taken me some time to recover from my big crash at round three in Italy."

"In Sweden I had a good feeling again, and I was confident here as rain has never affected my riding. In the first moto I waited patiently for a few laps and then passed both Butron and Nicholls in the same corner." he explained.

"My goggles got filled in already at the start of the second moto because of all of the water on the track and I had to stop for fresh goggles, but I had good speed all day and was able to recover to second in the moto and that was enough to secure my first-ever GP win." added Roelants.
Van Horbeek moved back into the championship hunt with his second place on the weekend.- Credit: Ray Archer
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing‰Ûªs Jeremy Van Horebeek was a little bit disappointed to have missed the overall victory after feeling extremely comfortable on the Latvian track.

Van Horebeek dominated from beginning to end the second moto, however in the first moto he crashed with Jose ButrÌ_n while they were fighting for the lead forcing him to settle for third place and costing him the overall win for the day.

‰ÛÏI am a bit disappointed not to win but I am happy to be second." said Van Horebeek. "I didn‰Ûªt feel so good after the crash in the first moto but I was able to regroup and finish third."

"I got the holeshot in the second moto and I am very happy to finish first and be on the podium in second overall. It was a good weekend but I feel bad for Jeffrey (Herlings).

"I had problems last week and now he has problems this week but I suppose that‰Ûªs racing. Now that I have got close to Tommy (Searle) again, I am super motivated for the rest of the season.‰Û
Tixier rode to a solid podium performance - Credit: Ray Archer
It was also a really good weekend for Glen Coldenhoff, who finished fourth overall thanks to his 8-5 result. It has been one of the best results for the Nestaan JM Racing KTM rider, who has moved from thirteenth to eleventh in the point standings after this weekend.

The fifth overall position went to Diga Racing KTM‰Ûªs Jose ButrÌ_n; the Spanish rider took the holeshot of race one and he was able to lead the race for seven laps, but he could not keep the rhythm and crossed the finish line sixth.

In the second moto he did not have such a good start and had to fight from his initial twelfth position to finish seventh.

Points leader in the MX2 class, Jeffery Herlings did not have the best day at the office. Scoring a second place in the first moto, things would turn ugly for Herlings in the second moto with his bike stopping and forcing him to record a DNF.

‰ÛÏI had quite a bad start in the first moto but I came back to take second place, I could have won but I didn‰Ûªt ride that great." said Herlings.

"Then in the second moto I was almost in the lead behind Jeremy (van Horebeek) when I felt the bike start to lose power. he added."

"But regarding the battle with Tommy (Searle), its never over till its over. Today I came here with a lead of 16 points and I am leaving with 41.‰Û
Searle had a day he would rather forget scoring zero points for the round - Credit: Kawasaki Racing
Things were much worse for Herlings main championship rival Tommy Searle in what was a weekend he would rather forget. The British rider suffered two DNF‰Ûªs due to mechanical problems.

In the first race there was a problem with one of the oil pipes of his Kawasaki and in the second moto he had a problem with the back tyre.

"I started third in the first race and was confident of another victory as I moved up on the leaders, but I soon realised I wasn't going to see the chequered flag." stated Searle. "I could see the oil coming out and it seized on the third lap because of the damage from a rock."

"I was determined to fight back in race two, but bad luck stopped me even sooner as the rear tyre came off the rim.

"I am absolutely devastated; I just lost all of my gains of recent weeks through no fault of my own or the team. But there are still six more GPs and I will not give up chasing the title; it could be the turn of my rivals to have bad luck next weekend." he added.

Despite the bad luck for the top two riders in the MX2 championship, they both leave the round stil in first and second position, Herlings now has a 41 point lead in the series over Searle with Van Horebeek now only a further 12 points behind Searle and back in with a genuine chance at winning the 2012 title.

MX1 Race 1 top ten:
1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 40:10.291;
2. Ken de Dycker (BEL, KTM), +0:14.660;
3. Rui Goncalves (POR, Honda), +0:19.982;
4. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:25.045;
5. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), +0:29.425;
6. Tanel Leok (EST, Suzuki), +0:30.185;
7. Clement Desalle (BEL, Suzuki), +0:48.051;
8. Shaun Simpson (GBR, Yamaha), +0:49.206;
9. Christophe Pourcel (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:50.222;
10. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, KTM), +0:50.592;

MX1 Race 2 top ten:
1. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, KTM), 40:41.137;
2. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:09.646;
3. Ken de Dycker (BEL, KTM), +0:14.187;
4. Clement Desalle (BEL, Suzuki), +0:21.801;
5. Rui Goncalves (POR, Honda), +0:23.040;
6. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:34.385;
7. Tanel Leok (EST, Suzuki), +0:40.746;
8. Shaun Simpson (GBR, Yamaha), +0:51.920;
9. Xavier Boog (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:54.297;
10. Marc de Reuver (NED, Kawasaki), +1:20.375;
MX1 Podium - Credit: Ray Archer
MX1 Overall top ten:
1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 47 points
2. Ken de Dycker (BEL, KTM), 42 points
3. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, KTM), 36 points
4. Rui Goncalves (POR, Honda), 36 points
5. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Kawasaki), 33 points
6. Clement Desalle (BEL, Suzuki), 32 points
7. Tanel Leok (EST, Suzuki), 29 points
8. Shaun Simpson (GBR, Yamaha), 26 points
9. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), 26 points
10. Xavier Boog (FRA, Kawasaki), 22 points

MX1 Championship top ten:
1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 392 points
2. Clement Desalle (BEL, Suzuki), 380 points
3. Christophe Pourcel (FRA, Kawasaki), 357 points
4. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Kawasaki), 348 points
5. Ken de Dycker (BEL, KTM), 299 points
6. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, KTM), 279 points
7. Xavier Boog (FRA, Kawasaki), 258 points
8. Tanel Leok (EST, Suzuki), 230 points
9. Rui Goncalves (POR, Honda), 219 points
10. David Philippaerts (ITA, Yamaha), 212 points

MX2 Race 1 top ten:
1. Joel Roelants (BEL, Kawasaki), 39:26.119;
2. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), +0:11.964;
3. Jeremy van Horebeek (BEL, KTM), +0:15.035;
4. Jake Nicholls (GBR, KTM), +0:17.148;
5. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KTM), +0:31.514;
6. Jose Butron (ESP, KTM), +0:38.080;
7. Romain Febvre (FRA, KTM), +0:43.017;
8. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), +0:44.453;
9. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, Yamaha), +0:46.327;
10. Dylan Ferrandis (FRA, Kawasaki), +1:03.649;

MX2 Race 2 top ten:
1. Jeremy van Horebeek (BEL, KTM), 40:08.550;
2. Joel Roelants (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:05.653;
3. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KTM), +0:40.065;
4. Max Anstie (GBR, Honda), +0:45.920;
5. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), +0:50.273;
6. Nikolaj Larsen (DEN, Suzuki), +1:45.706;
7. Jose Butron (ESP, KTM), +1:49.834;
8. Jens Getteman (BEL, Suzuki), +1:53.832;
9. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, Yamaha), +2:01.686;
10. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, Husqvarna), +2:05.292;
MX2 Podium - Credit: Kawasaki Racing
MX2 Overall top ten:
1. Joel Roelants (BEL, Kawasaki), 47 points
2. Jeremy van Horebeek (BEL, KTM), 45 points
3. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KTM), 36 points
4. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 29 points
5. Jose Butron (ESP, KTM), 29 points
6. Max Anstie (GBR, Honda), 25 points
7. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 25 points
8. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, Yamaha), 24 points
9. Romain Febvre (FRA, KTM), 24 points
10. Jens Getteman (BEL, Suzuki), 21 points

MX2 Championship top ten:
1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 428 points
2. Tommy Searle (GBR, Kawasaki), 387 points
3. Jeremy van Horebeek (BEL, KTM), 375 points
4. Joel Roelants (BEL, Kawasaki), 310 points
5. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KTM), 279 points
6. Jake Nicholls (GBR, KTM), 255 points
7. Max Anstie (GBR, Honda), 224 points
8. Jose Butron (ESP, KTM), 197 points
9. Dylan Ferrandis (FRA, Kawasaki), 190 points
10. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, Husqvarna), 183 points

Top Image: Antonia Cairoli snares back red plate with win at Latvian GP
Credit: Ray Archer

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