Motocross

Double Grand Prix victory for Red Bull KTM in Czech Republic

Posted:

Monday, July 24th, 2017

9:07 AM

The thirteenth round of nineteen in the 2017 FIM Motocross World Championship took place in damp and slick conditions at the circuit a short distance from the small town of Loket close to the German border.

The Grand Prix of Czech Republic was dominated by Red Bull KTM Factory Racing with Tony Cairoli ruling the MXGP class on the KTM 450 SX-F and Pauls Jonass owning MX2 with the 250 SX-F. Both riders extended their leads in the respective championship standings.

Double Grand Prix victory for Red Bull KTM in Czech Republic

Antonio Cairoli extended his championship lead with his MXGP win. Credit: Youthstream

MXGP race 1 roared down Loket start straight to the Fox Holeshot line and it was Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team‰Ûªs Clement Desalle who was there first. Desalle was followed by HRC‰Ûªs Tim Gajser who quickly took the pole position away from the Belgian.

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing‰Ûªs Gautier Paulin followed Desalle but led Red Bull KTM Factory Racing‰Ûªs Antonio Cairoli and Wilvo Yamaha MXGP‰Ûªs Arnaud Tonus. In the 19 lap race 1 the top five held their positions for 17 of them. During the 17th lap Cairoli found a way around Paulin for third.

Meanwhile Red Bull KTM Factory Racing‰Ûªs Jeffrey Herlings was quickly progressing forward from a 9th place start. On the final lap Cairoli caught Desalle and Herlings caught Tonus. While Herlings made it by Tonus, Cairoli couldn‰Ûªt get past Desalle. Gajser took the race win, his first since the second race of Trentino. Gajser in the press conference said, ‰ÛÏI‰Ûªm really happy because the weekend was really positive after many weeks struggling and to be back now on the podium is great.‰Û

Clement Desalle finished a single point behind Cairoli. Credit: Youthstream

After being narrowly beat out on the start of race 1 Tim Gajser responded with the FOX Holeshot in race 2. He then led the first 5 laps before Cairoli cut to the inside and took the spot away. Only one lap later Desalle also found his way past the reigning champ.

With Cairoli leading and Desalle second, Herlings surprised Gajser taking the 3rd position with a quick inside pass. Gajser finished race 2 in 4th to take the 3rd overall.

Gautier Paulin took 5th after he fended off a charge by Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP Team‰Ûªs Romain Febvre.

Cairoli took the race win, his 83rd career overall.

‰ÛÏI‰Ûªm really happy to ‰Û÷skip‰Ûª this GP with a victory," Cairoli said, "My goal was make the podium because I‰Ûªve never had much of a good feeling with this track and I struggled a lot in the past. This year was better because we have been working well lately with the bike and I feel it‰Ûªs working almost perfectly for me: I enjoy riding. It was also the first time I rode here with the 450 and that was easier than the 350 because I had to be more aggressive and missed the extra torque of the 450 in some parts of the track.

"I made too many mistakes in the first moto and had some arm-pump and by the time I found a good rhythm then it was a bit too late. Third was OK because the points are important for the championship and that's what we are looking at now. I‰Ûªd like to dedicate this victory to Igor Cuharciuc. It was a difficult night for everybody and riding the bike on the spot of the accident was not easy. I want to say we are thinking of the family.‰Û

HRC's Tim Gajser was back on the MXGP Podium

In MX2 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing‰Ûªs Pauls Jonass came back to Loket track with a vengeance. Jonass who had a season ending crash here last year started the day in the top 5 off the start of race 1.

Ahead of Jonass on the first lap was HSF Motorsport Team's Brian Bogers, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing's Thomas Covington, and his Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Teammate Jorge Prado.

Covington, who struggled to pass Prado during Saturday's qualifying race, made quick work of the #61 jumping into the lead on 2nd lap. Covington grew his lead to a considerable margin over the field and cruised to the race win.

Meanwhile Jonass first passed Bogers, who dropped to 7th by the finish, and then passed his teammate Prado. The two KTM‰Ûªs stayed 2nd and 3rd to the checkered flag.

Pauls Jonass now has a 47 point lead in the MX2 championship after his MX2 win

Behind them was another Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing bike belonging to Thomas Kjer Olsen. Team Suzuki World MX2‰Ûªs Jeremy Seewer took the fifth spot after a frustrating start.

In race 2 another Rockstar Energy Husqvarna took the FOX Holeshot but this time it was that of Conrad Mewse. Mewse however would drop to 12th by the finish while his teammate Covington had a bad start and finished 10th.

Covington in the press conference said: ‰ÛÏI felt really good yesterday in the qualifying race and then again in the first moto this morning. I didn‰Ûªt think I was going to get on the podium and got lucky after getting back to 10th in race 2."

Prado led the first lap but was again passed by his teammate Jonass who opened a gap. While Prado was second Jeremy Seewer was right on his back wheel. Seewer tried to pass Prado numerous times but was shut out by the young Spaniard.

Jeremy Seewer finished second in MX2

Seewer eventually came under pressure from Kemea Yamaha Official MX Team‰Ûªs Benoit Paturel. The pressure created even more urgency for Seewer who eventually clipped the back of Prado and went down. The crash swallowed up Paturel as well and the two HSF Motorsport‰Ûªs rider of Calvin Vlaanderen and Brian Bogers inherited the positions.

Both Seewer and Paturel rebounded first passing the HSF bikes back and then Prado as well. Seewer in the press conference said: ‰ÛÏIt was frustrating to not be able to pass Jorge, he is such a smart rider so it is very difficult to pass him. I‰Ûªm looking forward to Lommel‰Û_I feel good there, I do a lot of testing there‰Û

Thomas Covington tied on points with runner-up Jeremy Seewer (38) but was classed as third for the day

The FIM Motocross World Championship will come together again for the immense technical and physical challenge of the Lommel sand for the Grand Prix of Belgium in two weeks time.

MXGP Race 1 Top Ten:
1. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), 35:16.286
2. Clement Desalle (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:03.096
3. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:04.058
4. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Husqvarna), +0:11.240
5. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), +0:11.588
6. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, Yamaha), +0:16.478
7. Romain Febvre (FRA, Yamaha), +0:26.057
8. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Yamaha), +0:29.479
9. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Suzuki), +0:41.694
10. Maximilian Nagl (GER, Husqvarna), +0:43.516.

MXGP Race 2 Top Ten:
1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 34:45.495
2. Clement Desalle (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:04.530
3. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), +0:08.989
4. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:10.846
5. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Husqvarna), +0:11.580
6. Romain Febvre (FRA, Yamaha), +0:15.554
7. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Yamaha), +0:31.941
8. Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, Suzuki), +0:38.193
9. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), +0:44.144
10. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, Yamaha), +0:44.836.

MXGP Overall Top Ten:
1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 45 points
2. Clement Desalle (BEL, KAW), 44 p.
3. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 43 p.
4. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 36 p.
5. Gautier Paulin (FRA, HUS), 34 p.
6. Romain Febvre (FRA, YAM), 29 p.
7. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, YAM), 27 p.
8. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, YAM), 26 p.
9. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 20 p.
10. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, HON), 19 p.

MXGP Championship Top Ten:
1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 523 points
2. Clement Desalle (BEL, KAW), 431 p.
3. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 418 p.
4. Gautier Paulin (FRA, HUS), 417 p.
5. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 353 p.
6. Romain Febvre (FRA, YAM), 338 p.
7. Maximilian Nagl (GER, HUS), 308 p.
8. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, YAM), 294 p.
9. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, HON), 286 p.
10. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, YAM), 279 p.

MX2 Race 1 Top Ten:
1. Thomas Covington (USA, Husqvarna), 35:24.193
2. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), +0:10.380
3. Jorge Prado Garcia (ESP, KTM), +0:16.628
4. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, Husqvarna), +0:20.439
5. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Suzuki), +0:21.297
6. Benoit Paturel (FRA, Yamaha), +0:22.144
7. Brian Bogers (NED, KTM), +0:39.982
8. Hunter Lawrence (AUS, Suzuki), +0:41.061
9. Brian Hsu (GER, Husqvarna), +0:42.595
10. Conrad Mewse (GBR, Husqvarna), +1:02.800.

MX2 Race 2 Top Ten:
1. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), 35:26.231
2. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Suzuki), +0:01.763
3. Benoit Paturel (FRA, Yamaha), +0:02.702
4. Brian Bogers (NED, KTM), +0:13.398
5. Julien Lieber (BEL, KTM), +0:20.078
6. Jorge Prado Garcia (ESP, KTM), +0:23.970
7. Darian Sanayei (USA, Kawasaki), +0:26.308
8. Hunter Lawrence (AUS, Suzuki), +0:27.890
9. Jed Beaton (AUS, Honda), +0:34.264
10. Thomas Covington (USA, Husqvarna), +0:43.453.

MX2 Overall Top Ten:
1. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), 47 points
2. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, SUZ), 38 p.
3. Thomas Covington (USA, HUS), 36 p.
4. Benoit Paturel (FRA, YAM), 35 p.
5. Jorge Prado Garcia (ESP, KTM), 35 p.
6. Brian Bogers (NED, KTM), 32 p.
7. Hunter Lawrence (AUS, SUZ), 26 p.
8. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 26 p.
9. Marshal Weltin (USA, KAW), 20 p.
10. Conrad Mewse (GBR, HUS), 20 p.

MX2 Championship Top Ten:
1. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), 548 points
2. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, SUZ), 501 p.
3. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 403 p.
4. Benoit Paturel (FRA, YAM), 398 p.
5. Julien Lieber (BEL, KTM), 374 p.
6. Thomas Covington (USA, HUS), 339 p.
7. Brian Bogers (NED, KTM), 273 p.
8. Jorge Prado Garcia (ESP, KTM), 268 p.
9. Brent Van doninck (BEL, YAM), 226 p.
10. Hunter Lawrence (AUS, SUZ), 225 p.