In the MX2 Class Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team riders Marvin Musquin and Rui Goncalves finished one and two to keep the championship title hopes alive for both Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team colleagues and rivals in the season's penultimate GP.
For the factory team, the result was reminiscent of last season's race on the difficult Dutch sandy surface when the glory went to their factory riders Tyla Rattray from Tommy Searle who also battled it out for the title.
Musquin, who went down in the opening lap, was handed second as Joel Roelants crashed as well. The Belgian of the KTM Factory Junior MX2 Team was an eventual third ahead of young gun Ken Roczen.
The latter took the holeshot in moto two but let Goncalves and Musquin slip away after two laps. Musquin grabbed the lead and pulled away while Goncalves crashed twice, struggling with a damaged right shoulder. Teka Suzuki Europe World MX2‰Ûªs Roczen snatched second from a troubled Goncalves and made it to third on the podium.
"It was good for me at the beginning of the first heat but then I crashed," Musquin said. "Then I tried to close the gap and I managed to get up to third. I took it easy but Roelants crashed in front of me and I could slip into second place. I had a bad start in the second race but I pushed hard to widen the gap after I got past Rui. I had a very good feeling for the rest of the race and I felt safer when there was a gap between us. The bike is awesome and it's not bad to win the GP!"
Musquin admitted that the battle was still very much on for the title: "Now the gap is smaller and the championship is not over. As we all know anything can still happen. This was a good weekend for me but I still lost quite a few points to Rui and well, the championship is not over until it's over".
Rui Goncalves agreed. "The title fight is not over yet. The gap is not big and now we're going to Brazil, which is like a home race for me because the language is Portuguese. I guess I will get some good support from the crowd and it will be cool to be there." About his race, Goncalves said: "Today my goal was to win both motos but that didn't happen. I had a good start in race one and it was pretty easy to stay in front after Marvin crashed. I managed to get the holeshot in race two but then Marvin got past me. I tried to follow him but I made a few mistakes. Then I crashed and threw my goggles away. I also had some cramps in my shoulder."
Third placed Roczen said, "The track was the roughest and most difficult of the year but we came here with the goal of staying in front of Stephen Frossard and making some breathing room in the championship and we did that. I did not start well in the first moto but could come back to fourth. I had my first GP holeshot in the second race and that was a great feeling. I rode my own race at my own speed here and everything went well."
Main Photo: New MX1 World Champion Antonio Cairoli
MX1 Overall top ten:
1. Ken de Dycker (BEL, Suzuki), 50 points;
2. Joshua Coppins (NZL, Yamaha), 40 p.;
3. Clement Desalle (BEL, Honda), 35 p.;
4. Tanel Leok (EST, Yamaha), 35 p.;
5. David Philippaerts (ITA, Yamaha), 35 p.;
6. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, Yamaha), 34 p.;
7. Maximilian Nagl (GER, KTM), 29 p.;
8. Steve Ramon (BEL, Suzuki), 25 p.;
9. Aigar Leok (EST, TM), 21 p.;
10. Gareth Swanepoel (RSA, Kawasaki), 20 p.;
MX1 Championship top ten:
1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, Yamaha), 537 points;
2. Maximilian Nagl (GER, KTM), 487 p.;
3. David Philippaerts (ITA, Yamaha), 463 p.;
4. Clement Desalle (BEL, Honda), 461 p.;
5. Ken de Dycker (BEL, Suzuki), 459 p.;
6. Joshua Coppins (NZL, Yamaha), 449 p.;
7. Tanel Leok (EST, Yamaha), 382 p.;
8. Gareth Swanepoel (RSA, Kawasaki), 238 p.;
9. Jonathan Barragan (ESP, KTM), 229 p.;
10. Manuel Priem (BEL, Aprilia), 195 p.;
MX2 Overall top ten:
1. Marvin Musquin (FRA, KTM), 47 points;
2. Rui Goncalves (POR, KTM), 45 p.;
3. Ken Roczen (GER, Suzuki), 40 p.;
4. Joel Roelants (BEL, KTM), 36 p.;
5. Mike Kras (NED, KTM), 29 p.;
6. Dennis Verbruggen (BEL, Honda), 27 p.;
7. Ceriel Klein Kromhof (NED, KTM), 21 p.;
8. Jeremy van Horebeek (BEL, KTM), 18 p.;
9. Xavier Boog (FRA, Suzuki), 18 p.;
10. Manuel Monni (ITA, Yamaha), 18 p.;
MX2 Championship top ten:
1. Marvin Musquin (FRA, KTM), 490 points;
2. Rui Goncalves (POR, KTM), 468 p.;
3. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Kawasaki), 422 p.;
4. Davide Guarneri (ITA, Yamaha), 387 p.;
5. Ken Roczen (GER, Suzuki), 346 p.;
6. Steven Frossard (FRA, Kawasaki), 294 p.;
7. Joel Roelants (BEL, KTM), 284 p.;
8. Manuel Monni (ITA, Yamaha), 263 p.;
9. Nicolas Aubin (FRA, Yamaha), 256 p.;
10. Xavier Boog (FRA, Suzuki), 253 p.;
