Motocross

Prado aces first MXGP win as Vialle scores third MX2 victory of 2020 in Italy

Posted:

Thursday, September 10th, 2020

8:43 AM

MXGP class rookie Jorge Prado took his maiden victory and second podium finish in 2020 with 2-2 results.

Round seven of the FIM Motocross World Championship, the MXGP of CittÌÊ di Faenzain Faenza, Italy has seen Jorge Prado and Tom Vialle victorious in MX1 and MX2 respectively.

For Prado this was a special moment after taking his first MXGP career overall win, during his rookie season. Meanwhile his team-mate Vialle took his first double race win of the season in MX2.

Though it was a bittersweet day for the KTM squad as one name missing from the races was the MXGP Championship leader, Jeffrey Herlings. The red plate holder crashed during free practice this morning, landing awkwardly on the second jump and taking most of the impact on his upper body. As a result, the Dutchman missed out on the GP after being taken to hospital for further checks as a precaution.

As the gate dropped for the first MXGP race of the day, it was Jorge Prado who claimed the first Fox Holeshot of the day. He was closely followed by Australian Mitch Evans, Jeremy Seewer Romain Febvre, Antonio Cairoli and Tim Gajser.

Evans was looking impressive as he was pushing to pass Prado for the lead, though Seewer was edging closer to the Honda rider and was becoming a real threat in the race.

Arminas Jasikonis was among a group of riders who crashed out on the first lap and was down outside the top 20 on the opening laps.

By lap 3, Seewer was already in second after successfully passing Evans. Then came Febvre who also passed the HRC Honda rider and moved himself into third. Cairoli was next to pass Evans and then came Gajser.

A couple of laps later there was a change in the lead as Seewer was finally able to find a way to pass Prado and move into first.

Evans then continued to lose positions, as Alessandro Lupino was the next rider to pass the factory rider, and then came Glenn Coldenhoff, pushing Evans down to 8th.

Tim Gajser won his fifth moto of the season and placed second overall to move within striking distance, as the battle for the lead of the 2020 MXGP

As Seewer extended his lead to 3.2 seconds, Prado was starting to come under pressure from Febvre, with the top three riders holding a nice gap to Cairoli who was fourth at the time.

With 3 laps to go, Seewer was already 6.6 seconds ahead, with Prado a further 6 seconds or so ahead of Febvre. Meanwhile further down the field, Jasikonis was up in 10th after passing Clement Desalle.

With 2 laps to go, Evans then came under fire from Gautier Paulin, who pushed the Honda rider down to 9th.

In the end, Seewer went on to take his first ever MXGP race win, as Prado crossed the line second and Febvre third.

The second MXGP race saw Prado and Cairoli out in the lead, with Prado taking yet another Fox Holeshot. Meanwhile Seewer was down in 14th after a difficult start, which left him with a lot of work to do if he wanted to fight for a podium spot.

Prado then led the way as Gajser moved into second pushing Cairoli down a position. It then didn‰Ûªt take long for Gajser to catch Prado and start to apply the pressure for the lead.

Meanwhile, Seewer was working to make up the positions as he moved in 7th and caught on to the back of Desalle. He struggled to pass Desalle for quite some time, and even missed out on a position as Febvre also caught up to the pair and was able to pass both.

On lap 5 Gajser became the new race leader after passing Prado, with Cairoli third and Evans having another solid run in fourth ahead of Coldenhoff and Febvre.

Jasikonis was having a much better start to the race in the second MXGP race as he moved into the top 10 and caught up with Desalle, who he passed on lap 6 for 8th in the race.

Jeremy Seewer celebrated a maiden MXGP race win on his way to third overall in MXGP

Moments later it seemed like Prado was pushing for his first MXGP race win as only 0.7 seconds kept him from Gajser. And as Gajser defended the lead from the KTM rider, his team-mate started to challenge Cairoli, who he passed. Evans then continued to push forward, even setting the fastest lap of the race, which gave us hopes of potentially seeing a HRC 1-2 in the second heat.

As the race progressed, Seewer found himself on the ground, though he did not lose any positions.

Evans then caught on to the back of Prado, but as the race progressed, he started to make a few mistakes as Cairoli switched up a gear and started to go after the Australian. With just two laps to, Cairoli was able to move past Evans and finish the race in 3rd.

In the end it was Gajser who took his first race win in Faenza, with Prado finishing second once again and Cairoli third, on his 250th Grand Prix attendance!

It was a special moment for Jorge Prado who took his first ever MXGP overall victory, with Gajser finishing second and Seewer taking to the first step of the podium despite finishing the race in 7th.

‰ÛÏAlready a podium in Latvia was already a big achievement for me after a rough start to the year and now getting this win," Prado "Winning is so difficult because you have to put together two good races together and two good starts and these guys are pushing hard. In every single race you give it all until the last lap. I had two good starts, just two mistakes in both races which maybe cost me a race win. I‰Ûªm still very happy because that last race was a very tough one, I was pushing very hard and I really wanted to get that win, but I‰Ûªm supper happy‰Û

Tom Vialle takes his first ever 1-1, his fourth career GP success, a sixth podium from seven rounds and extends MX2 championship lead

In the first MX2 race, it was Tom Vialle and Jago Geerts who got out in front early during the race. Though it was Vialle who claimed the Fox Holeshot.

As the riders made their way around the circuit, a couple of riders came together which saw Roan Van de Moosdijk and Mikkel Haarup both involved. Van de Moosdijk re-joined the race, though his team-mate did not.

Mattia Guadagnini got off to a fantastic start and in the opening lap was able to slip into the lead while Vialle, Geerts and Maxime Renaux just behind. Though as Renaux made a move on Geerts, the factory Yamaha then came under fire from Mathys Boisrame. But Geerts was able to respond and hold on to fourth place.

A couple of laps later and Vialle started to close in on Guadagnini who was having a stellar ride in the lead, though by lap five that 2.7 second gap was starting to come down and just a lap later Vialle was the new race leader.

Guadagnini then came under fire from Renaux, who was trying to also fend off a hard charging Geerts. Geerts then passed Renaux, though he fought back immediately. The battle for second continued for a few more laps, until Renaux was finally able to pass Guadagnini. Geerts was the next rider to pass Guadagnini, as he moved up into third.

By lap 10 the top then looked like this: Vialle led Renaux and Geerts, with Guadagnini behind getting caught by Boisrame as well as Thomas Kjer Olsen.

Just a lap later and Vialle was already in the lead by 5.108 seconds, while Renaux was doing a great job of fending off Geerts and Boisrame was starting to apply the pressure for 4th place. By the end of the lap he was able to make the pass stick.

Then Olsen joined in on the fun, as he caught and passed Guadagnini on lap 12 and was going after the #172 of Boisrame. Though at the front of the field Geerts was caught up on the back of Renaux as he started to push for a higher position in the race.

In the end it was Vialle who was victorious in the first heat, with Renaux successfully defending 2nd place and Geerts finishing in 3rd.

In MX2 race 2, Tom Vialle got another flyer out of the gate and was the early leader of the race. Jago Geerts and Maxime Renaux were also there, as Jed Beaton got off to an awesome start and was 4th in the race.

Maxime Renaux mounted the second step of the MX2 podium to collect his third piece of Grand Prix silverware this season.

Boisrame then caught on to the back of Beaton, with Ruben Fernandez and Olsen right there as well. Beaton was able to respond, get closer to Renaux and pass him for third. Boisrame then did the same and was up in 3rd on lap three.

As Boisrame moved up a position, he then went after Geerts. He set the fastest lap time of the race on lap 4 and was getting closer to the factory Yamaha rider. Though as Boisrame pushed Geerts, the two quickly caught on to the back of Vialle, who was leading the way by just 1.4 seconds.

Josh Gilbert was having a good ride in 11th, Guadagnini and Alvin Ostlund.

On lap 8, Renaux was down in 7th and getting caught by Fernandez, while there was drama at the front of the field with Geerts going down. He managed to pick himself up in 13th to eventually finish the race in 9th place. Boisrame moved into 2nd and Beaton was 3rd.

Vialle continued to lead by 5.9 seconds and setting his best lap time in the second half of the race. Boisrame and Beaton were also there, with Olsen and Watson closing in too.

With just a few laps left of the race, Boisrame made a mistake and went down hard. He did not re-join the race.

On the last two laps of the race Vialle was already 11 seconds ahead of P2, with Beaton coming under fire from his team-mate, Olsen, who was keen to get a good result. Though in the end Vialle was the winner, with Beaton holding on to that second place and Olsen finishing in P3.

In terms of the podium, it was Vialle who took to the top step, with Renaux in second and Olsen making a long-awaited podium return in third! In the championship standings, Vialle continues to lead by 21 points, with Geerts second and Renaux third.

‰ÛÏToday it was a really good day, I was really focused all day today," Vialle. "In the morning I was ready but not perfect like on Sunday. In the first race I got the holeshot and I passed Mattia Guadagnini after a few laps, I rode the rest of the race to take the win, so it was really good. The second race also it was a bit hard because Jago was pushing me and I was trying to stay focused and not to make any mistakes, the ruts were deep but I was feeling very good. First time going 1-1 was great and I‰Ûªm really happy‰Û

Thomas Kjer Olsen rounded out the MX2 podium with a 4-3 result in his two motos.

MXGP - Grand Prix Race 1 ‰ÛÒ Top 10 Classification:
1. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Yamaha), 35:00.143
2. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), +0:15.681
3. Romain Febvre (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:34.451
4. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:36.731
5. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:40.143
6. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, GASGAS), +0:46.374
7. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, Yamaha), +0:48.024
8. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Yamaha), +0:49.952
9. Mitchell Evans (AUS, Honda), +0:50.234
10. Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, Husqvarna), +1:00.342

MXGP - Grand Prix Race 2 ‰ÛÒ Top 10 Classification:
1. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), 35:30.119
2. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), +0:04.289
3. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:05.114
4. Mitchell Evans (AUS, Honda), +0:07.098
5. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, GASGAS), +0:08.679
6. Romain Febvre (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:13.530
7. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Yamaha), +0:14.697
8. Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, Husqvarna), +0:39.999
9. Clement Desalle (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:43.128
10. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Yamaha), +0:48.777

MXGP - Top 10 GP Classification:
1. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 44 Points
2. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 41 Points
3. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 39 Points
4. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 38 Points
5. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 35 Points
6. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, GAS), 31 Points
7. Mitchell Evans (AUS, HON), 30 Points
8. Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, HUS), 24 Points
9. Gautier Paulin (FRA, YAM), 24 Points
10. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, YAM), 23 Points

MXGP ‰ÛÒ Top 10 World Championship Classification:
1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 263 Points
2. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 241 Points
3. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 237 Points
4. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 217 Points
5. Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, HUS), 210 Points
6. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, GAS), 204 Points
7. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 197 Points
8. Gautier Paulin (FRA, YAM), 179 Points
9. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 172 Points
10. Clement Desalle (BEL, KAW), 168 Points

MX2 - Grand Prix Race 1 ‰ÛÒ Top 10 Classification:
1. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), 35:25.198
2. Maxime Renaux (FRA, Yamaha), +0:02.327
3. Jago Geerts (BEL, Yamaha), +0:04.570
4. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, Husqvarna), +0:21.659
5. Mathys Boisrame (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:28.291
6. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, Husqvarna), +0:28.668
7. Stephen Rubini (FRA, Honda), +0:36.988
8. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, Yamaha), +0:38.234
9. Ben Watson (GBR, Yamaha), +0:39.327
10. Conrad Mewse (GBR, KTM), +0:51.162

MX2 - Grand Prix Race 2 ‰ÛÒ Top 10 Classification:
1. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), 34:23.246
2. Jed Beaton (AUS, Husqvarna), +0:06.470
3. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, Husqvarna), +0:09.420
4. Maxime Renaux (FRA, Yamaha), +0:29.500
5. Stephen Rubini (FRA, Honda), +0:31.200
6. Conrad Mewse (GBR, KTM), +0:32.208
7. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, Yamaha), +0:37.841
8. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, Husqvarna), +0:42.166
9. Jago Geerts (BEL, Yamaha), +0:47.968
10. Jan Pancar (SLO, KTM), +0:49.582

MX2 - GP Top 10 Classification:
1. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), 50 Points
2. Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 40 Points
3. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 38 Points
4. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 32 Points
5. Jed Beaton (AUS, HUS), 31 Points
6. Stephen Rubini (FRA, HON), 30 Points
7. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, HUS), 28 Points
8. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, YAM), 27 Points
9. Conrad Mewse (GBR, KTM), 26 Points
10. Ben Watson (GBR, YAM), 22 Points

MX2 - World Championship Top 10 Classification:
1. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), 307 Points
2. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 286 Points
3. Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 236 Points
4. Jed Beaton (AUS, HUS), 209 Points
5. Mathys Boisrame (FRA, KAW), 182 Points
6. Roan Van De Moosdijk (NED, KAW), 177 Points
7. Ben Watson (GBR, YAM), 161 Points
8. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 153 Points
9. Conrad Mewse (GBR, KTM), 141 Points
10. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, YAM), 130 Points