For Renaux it will be a hard day to forget as he bounced back for the final race of the triple-header here in Pietramurata, to finish second in race one, while he went on to win the second race and claim that gold plate in style! 

The Yamaha riders’ season has been an impressive one that has seen him claim 12 podiums which includes five Grand Prix victories and eight race wins. The Frenchman has led a total of 103 laps and has held the red plate since the fourth round of the season in Oss at the MXGP of the Netherlands.

Meanwhile Seewer was not going to let another podium slip away after missing out on the opportunity during the last two GPs. The Swiss went 1-2 in the races to confirm his spot on the top of the box.

But again, after today’s races we saw another shake up in the MXGP title chase, as Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings succumbed to the pressure in race two and had two big crashes which lost him vital positions and points. Team HRC’s Tim Gajser went on to win race two, as Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s Romain Febvre rode two consistent races to bag himself the red plate. It is the first time since 2014, when Gautier Paulin won the opening round in Qatar, that we see the red plate on a Kawasaki machine.

In the opening MXGP race of the day, it was Seewer who took the Fox Holeshot as he led his teammate Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP’s Glenn Coldenhoff, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado, MRT Racing Team’s Alessandro Lupino and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Antonio Cairoli. Meanwhile Gajser, Herlings and Febvre started in sixth, seventh and eighth.

Prado then quickly made a move on Coldenhoff, as Gajser looked to do the same. The Slovenian was not successful in his attempts which allowed Febvre and Herlings to close in.

Gajser and Febvre then went at it for third, with the pair switching positions a few times before Febvre was able to block pass Gajser to move into third. And while the Honda and Kawasaki riders battled each other, Herlings continued to lurk in the background as he searched for an opportunity to get by both.

Seewer stretched out his lead to 3.946 seconds as he was improving upon his lap time almost every lap around. The Swiss was looking in control, up until a slight error put him on the ground. Luckily, he was up quickly and could maintain his position in the lead.

Febvre was eventually able to get past Coldenhoff for third as he set his sights on Prado who was ahead in second position.

Seewer then set another fastest lap time of the race as he stayed ahead of Prado by 4.110 seconds, as Gajser closed in on Coldenhoff again. Herlings kept things close too as both him and Gajser got past the Yamaha rider in the same corner.

Herlings then passed Gajser, as Febvre also took second from Prado. While Febvre safely had hold of his position, Herlings did not as Gajser was looking to fight back immediately. The pair made contact on several occasions, but Herlings was able to assert his position as Cairoli also joined the battle.

Cairoli got ahead of Gajser but not for long as the Slovenian fought back. Cairoli then kept a close distance to Gajser until the end of the race as they both made their way through backmarkers.

Herlings then managed to get by Prado, but the Spaniard didn’t go down without a fight. Gajser was next to catch-up to the KTM rider and after a few tries got past him too as Cairoli did the same to move up to fifth.

With three laps to go, it looked like Febvre was slowly closing in on the leader, but then on the last lap he went down hard which cost him a load of time, but he did however hold on to his position.

In the end Seewer went on to claim his first race win of the season, as Febvre finished second ahead of Herlings in third. Gajser brought it home in fourth ahead of Cairoli who was fifth.

In race two, it was Prado with the second Fox Holeshot, which was his 15^th of the season! He led the way ahead of Cairoli and Gajser. Herlings started in sixth while Febvre was down in 13^th.

Gajser then got around Cairoli for second and not long after made a move on Prado to get into the lead. Meanwhile Herlings was also making moves as he got himself into second.

He then had his teammate, Prado, to deal with who didn’t make things easy but eventually the Dutchman was able to get around the Spaniard and shift his focus onto getting Gajser. Just behind then, Febvre got around Cairoli for fourth and immediately went after Prado, who again was not backing down.

Gajser then led the way by just 1.214 seconds as Herlings remained close. It was looking like Herlings was setting up to make a pass but then the Bullet made a mistake and went flying over the bars. He got going again just behind Coldenhoff in seventh.

While that was going on, Seewer managed to get Cairoli for fifth and then followed that up by getting Febvre too. The Frenchman was not going to let the Swiss have the position easy and immediately fought back. The pair then caught onto Prado too, with the trio exchanging positions several times before Seewer was able to get ahead.

Febvre then had Cairoli on his case who passed him for fourth. The Kawasaki rider was again quick to respond and managed to maintain his spot. This then urged him onto Prado, as he took third from the KTM rider.

Herlings was also making progress as he got by Coldenhoff and then Prado, as the Spaniard came under more fire from Cairoli and the drop down to sixth. It then looked like Cairoli was going after Herlings and that’s when the Bullet crashed again!

Seewer also went down for a brief moment but was able to get going quickly to stay ahead of Febvre. Febvre did close in at one point, but Seewer was showing great pace and it was no match for Febvre who settled for third.

Herlings got going outside the top 10 and then made some passes on the likes of Mathys Boisrame of Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team, Benoit Paturel of Honda SR Motoblouz as well as Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Ben Watson, Glenn Coldenhoff and Prado in the next few laps. He eventually came home in fourth place.

Gajser went on to win the race 5.961 seconds ahead of Seewer with Febvre third.

A 1-2 result gave Seewer the overall, while Gajser was second and Febvre third overall. With Febvre added 42 points compared to Herlings’ 38, to his title chase, which means that he now leads the MXGP standings by one point over Gajser, with Herlings a further two points behind.

Once again, the top three are within three points of each other as we head into the final two rounds in Mantova.

Jeremy Seewer: “This MXGP win, I did it myself and I deserved it. I was up front, and no one beat me. It feels amazing, especially where I came from this year. A couple of weeks ago I was far off, and I was struggling with my health and mentally. I started to feel good a few weeks ago. I am really happy to sit here now with a first overall. I was very unlucky in my last two races; I just missed the podium both times. But it was worth the wait for this win”.

Tim Gajser: “It was a good day. We definitely need to work on the first races. I have been struggling with those the last couple of weeks. Anyway, the second one was good. I was feeling good and the start was way better. I made quick passes in the beginning. Then suddenly there was a 10 second gap for me and I was able to control the race from that point on. But anyway, the championship is intense. It’s unbelievable to think that there are just two GPs left and we are all within three points. I will do my best. I am really happy with today. We still have two GPs to go, so game on!”.

Romain Febvre: “It feels good. We still have two rounds to go to keep the red plate and turn it to gold. I can smell the taste of the championship. I am really happy about my weekend. We worked on the start which worked well in the first race. The second one was not good. In the first one, I made a lot of passes and made my way to second place. I tried to catch Jeremy but he was obviously riding really good. Nothing to say. I tried. I saw that I was catching up to him in the last two laps but unfortunately, I made quite a big mistake and crashed. Luckily, I had a big gap which allowed me to recover and finish second after all. The second race, my start was really bad, but I managed to have a good first lap and pass eight riders. I was still able to finish the race in third place. Jeremy made a mistake, and I closed the gap. I was thinking “should I go for the GP victory, or should I settle for the red plate?”. I felt like I did both. Maybe I was thinking a little bit too much and I could not match Jeremy’s pace. I settled for third and took the red plate. I am really happy.”

Main Photo: Jeremy Seewer

Bottom Photos: 1. Tim Gajser 2. Romain Febvre

MXGP – Grand Prix Race 1 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Yamaha), 34:54.904; 2. Romain Febvre (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:20.318; 3. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), +0:27.360; 4. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:29.230; 5. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:30.180; 6. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, Yamaha), +0:37.870; 7. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), +0:41.135; 8. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, KTM), +0:41.686; 9. Dylan Wright (CAN, Honda), +0:43.219; 10. Ben Watson (GBR, Yamaha), +0:47.272;

MXGP – Grand Prix Race 2 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), 35:09.036; 2. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Yamaha), +0:05.961; 3. Romain Febvre (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:18.063; 4. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), +0:32.493; 5. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:33.320; 6. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), +0:36.170; 7. Ben Watson (GBR, Yamaha), +0:37.186; 8. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, Yamaha), +0:40.688; 9. Benoit Paturel (FRA, Honda), +0:42.504; 10. Dylan Wright (CAN, Honda), +0:43.832;

MXGP – GP Top 10 Classification: 1. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 47 points; 2. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 43 p.; 3. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 42 p.; 4. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 38 p.; 5. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 32 p.; 6. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 29 p.; 7. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, YAM), 28 p.; 8. Ben Watson (GBR, YAM), 25 p.; 9. Dylan Wright (CAN, HON), 23 p.; 10. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, KTM), 21 p.;

MXGP – World Championship Top 10 Classification: 1. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 614 points; 2. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 613 p.; 3. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 611 p.; 4. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 502 p.; 5. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 498 p.; 6. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 496 p.; 7. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, YAM), 397 p.; 8. Pauls Jonass (LAT, GAS), 391 p.; 9. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, KTM), 287 p.; 10. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 284 p.;

MXGP – Manufacturers Classification: 1. KTM, 745 points; 2. Honda, 622 p.; 3. Kawasaki, 619 p.; 4. Yamaha, 548 p.; 5. GASGAS, 437 p.; 6. Husqvarna, 311 p.; 7. Beta, 202 p.;

In the first MX2 race, it was again, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Tom Vialle with the Fox Holeshot but his teammate Rene Hofer was quick to act as he dived into the lead. Vialle dropped to third as Bastian Boegh Damm of WZ Racing Team went into second place.

Renaux started the race in around eighth position, while Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Mattia Guadagnini was 24^th.

Then we saw a big moment between Boegh Damm and Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jago Geerts as the pair came together on the downhill and had a huge crash. This allowed Renaux into third and then into second.

Hofer then led Renaux, Vialle, Andrea Adamo of SM Action Racing Team YUASA Battery, as Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Jed Beaton got onto the rear wheel of Simon Längenfelder of Diga Procross GasGas Factory Racing for sixth and eventually managed to pass him.

Guadagnini was also making passes as he got himself into 13^th, but the Italian would later crash and pull out of the race.

Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Thibault Benistant and Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Kay de Wolf were next to catch onto the rear wheel of Längenfelder, with the German not able to keep the pair behind him as he dropped two more positions.

Honda 114 Motorsports’ Ruben Fernandez was on a charge as he got by Adamo for fourth and then set his sights on Vialle for third.

Hofer was still the race leader as he set the fastest lap time of the race to extend his lead to 5.977 seconds ahead of Renaux. The Austrian pretty much rode a race of his own as he was unchallenged for the entire heat.

Beaton then caught onto Adamo for fifth. He managed to go around the outside of the Italian, but the GasGas rider was quick to fight back. But Beaton managed to stay ahead.

Further ahead, Fernandez was on a mission as he got onto the back of Vialle and went after third place. He was almost a second faster than the Frenchman on that lap and was able to get himself into third.

Benistant was next to catch-up to Adamo. He squeezed past the Italian who responded in the next corner, but Benistant got him back to assert his position in sixth.

In the end, Hofer was victorious as he crossed the finish line 4.966 seconds ahead of Renaux and Fernandez.

In race two, it was Vialle again who got ahead in the start and claimed his 19^thFox Holeshot of the season. Renaux was second ahead of Benistant and Isak Gifting of Diga Procross GasGas Factory Racing, who got a great start in fourth. Geerts was there also in fifth.

Geerts then came under fire from de Wolf for fifth. The Belgian could not hold on as he made a mistake and went down. He did not re-join the race due to a technical problem and that was his title fight over.

Renaux then set the fastest lap of the race as he got within 1.094 seconds of Vialle. He waited a couple of laps before launching an attack, but by lap five was the new race leader.

Gifting then came under immense pressure from de Wolf and Fernandez. Both the Husqvarna and the Honda rider were able to get around him to move up into fourth and fifth. Not long after Wilson Todd of Bike it MTX Kawasaki did the same. F&H Kawasaki Racing’s Mikkel Haarup, who had the second fastest lap time in time practice, caught and passed Längenfelder for eighth and then had Gifting in his sights too.

Meanwhile, the race one winner, Hofer, didn’t have the best start to the race as he ended up going down. He did however make a decent recovery to get back to eighth by the end of the heat.

Längenfelder then crashed out of eighth, as Benistant lost a few positions too. One of the riders to pass Benistant was Haarup, who also got past de Wolf by the end of the race, as the Husqvarna rider dropped to sixth.

Renaux went on to win the race 3.105 seconds ahead of Vialle who crossed the line in second position, while Fernandez finished third.

A 2-1 result gave Renaux the overall victory as he also claimed the gold plate to become this year’s MX2 World Champion, meanwhile Vialle was second on the podium and added some solid championship points as he moved into second position. Fernandez was the last rider to mount the podium, keeping a 100% podium record here in Pietramurata this season.

Maxime Renaux: “It means a lot to me. We made it; we are the 2021 MX2 World Champions. That’s a great achievement. As you said, we had to work a lot for that. The past years and past rounds were really tough for me. Lots of ups and downs, and bad starts. But we were able to have a good race today. I am also so happy to get my first world title with a race and GP win. It means a lot to me because it’s grabbing the title with a win feels a bit better. It was an amazing day for me, one that I will never forget for sure”.

Tom Vialle: “It actually was not really a bad day for me. After the crash on Wednesday, I hurt my ankle a lot. So, I was not sure if I could ride today. Riding in the morning was not so bad, but I could feel the pain after every jump. First race was pretty tough. I had a decent start, but I couldn’t follow the leader also due to arm pump. I just tried to finish it off. I finished in 4th place. It wasn’t too bad. I was feeling better in the second one. I just tried to ride the best I could. I am happy today with the podium”.

Ruben Fernandez: “It feels good to get three podiums out of three. I feel like I’ve been really solid which is normally not one of my strongest points. I could stay calm during the races and not make mistakes. I had to come from the back and work my way to the front most of the times. I am happy with that, because this is something I want to bring with me into next season. I want to be mistake-free let’s say and try to keep it cool on the track”.

Main Photo: Maxime Renaux

Bottom Photos: 1. Tom Vialle 2. Ruben Fernandez

MX2 – Grand Prix Race 1 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Rene Hofer (AUT, KTM), 33:39.546; 2. Maxime Renaux (FRA, Yamaha), +0:04.966; 3. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, Honda), +0:10.001; 4. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), +0:13.972; 5. Jed Beaton (AUS, Husqvarna), +0:15.149; 6. Thibault Benistant (FRA, Yamaha), +0:15.904; 7. Wilson Todd (AUS, Kawasaki), +0:18.099; 8. Kay de Wolf (NED, Husqvarna), +0:24.633; 9. Conrad Mewse (GBR, KTM), +0:25.344; 10. Andrea Adamo (ITA, GASGAS), +0:29.459;

MX2 – Grand Prix Race 2 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Maxime Renaux (FRA, Yamaha), 33:51.075; 2. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), +0:03.105; 3. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, Honda), +0:05.221; 4. Wilson Todd (AUS, Kawasaki), +0:08.086; 5. Mikkel Haarup (DEN, Kawasaki), +0:09.052; 6. Kay de Wolf (NED, Husqvarna), +0:09.683; 7. Thibault Benistant (FRA, Yamaha), +0:11.294; 8. Rene Hofer (AUT, KTM), +0:28.717; 9. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, KTM), +0:31.488; 10. Andrea Adamo (ITA, GASGAS), +0:33.618;

MX2 – GP Top 10 Classification: 1. Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 47 points; 2. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), 40 p.; 3. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, HON), 40 p.; 4. Rene Hofer (AUT, KTM), 38 p.; 5. Wilson Todd (AUS, KAW), 32 p.; 6. Thibault Benistant (FRA, YAM), 29 p.; 7. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 28 p.; 8. Mikkel Haarup (DEN, KAW), 23 p.; 9. Jed Beaton (AUS, HUS), 23 p.; 10. Andrea Adamo (ITA, GAS), 22 p.;

MX2 – World Championship Top 10 Classification: 1. Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 642 points; 2. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), 532 p.; 3. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 516 p.; 4. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, KTM), 487 p.; 5. Jed Beaton (AUS, HUS), 477 p.; 6. Rene Hofer (AUT, KTM), 474 p.; 7. Thibault Benistant (FRA, YAM), 413 p.; 8. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 412 p.; 9. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, HON), 404 p.; 10. Simon Längenfelder (GER, GAS), 291 p.;

MX2 – Manufacturers Classification: 1. KTM, 723 points; 2. Yamaha, 709 p.; 3. Husqvarna, 541 p.; 4. Kawasaki, 455 p.; 5. Honda, 445 p.; 6. GASGAS, 387 p.; 7. TM, 16 p.;

The Grand Prix of Trentino will be the first of a trio of races taking place at the breath-taking Pietramurata venue this weekend as the fierce battle for the title carries on.

While five rounds remain of the MXGP and MX2 World Championship, this weekend we will see the finale of the FIM Women’s Motocross World Championship as Bike it MTX Kawasaki rider Courtney Duncan will look to secure her third WMX World Title. But Kiara Fontanesi will no doubt put up a fight as the Italian is just 16 points behind the Kiwi heading into the final round. Ceres 71 Racing’s Nancy Van De Ven is third in the standings a further 12 points behind Fontanesi, so the championship is far from over, and as always in this sport, anything can happen.

Additionally, we will see round six of the EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing championship as MRT Racing Team KTM’s Valerio Lata will enter his home round with the red plate. The Italian leads the series 11 points over ASA United GasGas Racing Team’s Bobby Bruce and Kay Karssemakers of Husqvarna SKS Racing NL who is just five points behind the Brit.

Also entered for the European 125cc races are EMX85 Finals top three Marek Vitezslav who wrapped up the title in Sardinia, while Janis Martins Reisulis and Lotte van Drunen who were second and third will also line-up for the races as they make the move up to the bigger class.

The MXGP of Trentino is set to be a fiery one as huge fan support is expected at the spectacular Pietramurata venue and what’s more is that the paddock is finally open to the public which means fans can get even closer to their heroes!

Entering the MXGP of Trentino, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings leads the MXGP standings by 12 points over Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s Romain Febvre. Herlings added another overall victory at the MXGP of Spain, making it his 96^th career, while Febvre had a mixture of a weekend. The Frenchman went on to win race one in incredible fashion but was much unluckier in race two, managing to fight back to seventh place.

Team HRC’s Tim Gajser remains third in the championship but is just three points behind Febvre and this upcoming weekend will be a chance for the Slovenian to claw back some points and hopefully get closer to the lead. Last season Gajser won two out of the three GPs in Pietramurata and also secured his fourth world title there, so the place holds fond memories for the Honda rider who could get back on the top step and even get the red plate back by the end of it.

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Antonio Cairoli also could find himself back on top at his home round also, especially after his victory there last season. But Cairoli has been struggling during the last several GPs. He’s struggled to get inside the top three but has battled well inside the top 10. It’s not clear whether it’s the crash from Sardinia that’s affecting the 9-time world champ or whether it’s something else, but hopefully the home support in Trentino will give him the boost he needs to finish off his racing career on a high at the last five rounds.

His teammate Jorge Prado was impressive at his home round just a week ago, as he fought hard at the front of the field in both races. This was somewhat of a surprise considering the fact that he struggled so much in France the previous weekend. The incredible home support must’ve given a huge adrenaline kick and hopefully he can carry that momentum into the remaining rounds as he remains fourth in the standings, 50 points behind Gajser. 

Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jeremy Seewer seemed to be back to his old self in Spain, as the Swiss battled at the front with the likes of Febvre, Gajser, Prado and Herlings. Seewer finished the weekend seventh overall, while his teammate Glenn Coldenhoff placed 13^th. The third factory Yamaha rider, Ben Watson had another tough weekend, after twisting his ankle before the Spanish Grand Prix which made racing harder. He was 19^th in race one but failed to line-up for race two. Watson will now return to Trentino, a place where he secured an overall victory as he finished off his MX2 career in the best way possible. And with that memory hopefully fresh on his mind, this could give him a much-needed boost.

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Thomas Kjer Olsen will head to Trentino after some good races there last season. The Dane finished second on the podium at the MXGP of Trentino so will no doubt will search for more positive results as he nears the final races of his rookie season in MXGP.

One of the most talked about things entering the weekend has to be the pending debut of Mathys Boisrame with his new team Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team. The Frenchman has joined the factory Kawasaki team for the remaining Italian rounds, replacing injured Ivo Monticelli. For Boisrame this is an important opportunity to show his abilities as he looks to move up to the MXGP class in 2022.

But this weekend will be a big one for the home riders Alessandro Lupino of MRT Racing Team KTM and Alberto Forato of SM Action Racing Team YUASA Battery who will want to put on their best performance for the Italian fans. Both Lupino and Forato have had some very positive results this season and hopefully they get do the same again in Trentino.

Meanwhile this weekend we will see the return of the former world champion David Philippaerts as he will make a wildcard appearance, along with Morgan Lesiardo and Andrea La Scala who will also line-up for the MXGP races.

2020 MXGP of Trentino – MXGP Top 3:

1. Antonio Cairoli

2. Tim Gajser

3. Clement Desalle

Main Photo: MXGP Start from 2019

Bottom Photos: 1. Jeffrey Herlings 2. Antonio Cairoli

MXGP – World Championship Top 10 Classification: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 505 points; 2. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 493 p.; 3. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 490 p.; 4. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 440 p.; 5. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 419 p.; 6. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 373 p.; 7. Pauls Jonass (LAT, GAS), 352 p.; 8. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, YAM), 302 p.; 9. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, KTM), 233 p.; 10. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 220 p.;

Meanwhile in MX2, the title chase is a little more relaxed as Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Maxime Renaux has full control of the red plate. The Frenchman is 108 points ahead of his teammate Jago Geerts, while Geerts begins to come under pressure from Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Mattia Guadagnini who is just a single point behind him!

Renaux had a strong weekend in Spain as he obtained his fourth Grand prix victory of 2021. The victory must’ve been a big step for the Frenchman mentally as he continued to prove that he is able to challenge Tom Vialle of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing who had been dominant at the last few races.

Vialle finished second overall last weekend after struggling to find his rhythm in the second heat and will no doubt be looking to be on the top step in Trentino, where he claimed his maiden MX2 world title this season.

Geerts had a chance to get himself on the podium in Spain, but once again fell short as he finished sixth overall after a hard first race. The Belgian was 13^th in race one after crashes once again cost him vital positions and points, but he was however able to make a comeback in race two to finish second behind his teammate. The final five GPs will be a real test for the title contender, as he will need to keep it on two wheels and deliver some consistent results to keep the championship chase alive and avoid being caught by Guadagnini.

Meanwhile Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Jed Beaton added a third podium to his season tally last weekend and will no doubt be motivated to carry this energy into the MXGP of Trentino. Last season, Beaton finished on the podium once out of the three races in Pietramurata, so if he can get the start, there is no doubt he will be challenging for top positions once again as he looks to end his MX2 career on a positive note. His teammate Kay de Wolf will want to do the same after a hard race in Arroyomolinos.

While Renaux and Geerts will be focused on going for the win, the third Monster Energy Yamaha Factory rider Thibault Benistant will have the same motivation. While Benistant only has one podium this season, he has consistently been fighting inside the top 10. Last season Benistant made line-up for his first MX2 race in Trentino after he wrapped up his EMX250 title and the result that he delivered on that occasion was pretty remarkable. While he missed out on a podium spot, he did however finish second in the second heat. It will be interesting what he can do this season, as he nears the end of his rookie season in MX2.

Of course, this weekend the focus will be on the home rider, Guadagnini, who will look to get back on the box and deliver some consistent results to stay in the title fight and have the chance to take over second place from Geerts.

Keen to perform well on home soil as well will be Andrea Adamo of SM Action Racing Team YUASA Battery, Gianluca Facchetti and Filippo Zonta who recently signed with Honda Assomotor. And making a wildcard appearance in MX2 are Giuseppe Tropepe of Millionair Racing Team and Emilio Scuteri.

2020 MXGP of Trentino – MX2 Top 3:

1. Jago Geerts

2. Thomas Kjer Olsen

3. Tom Vialle

Main Photo: MX2 Start from 2018

Bottom Photos: 1. Maxime Renaux 2. Tom Vialle

MX2 – World Championship Top 10 Classification: 1. Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 535 points; 2. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 427 p.; 3. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, KTM), 426 p.; 4. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), 417 p.; 5. Jed Beaton (AUS, HUS), 395 p.; 6. Rene Hofer (AUT, KTM), 364 p.; 7. Thibault Benistant (FRA, YAM), 362 p.; 8. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 331 p.; 9. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, HON), 292 p.; 10. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, GAS), 230 p.;

TIMETABLE

SATURDAY: 09:00 WMX Free Practice, 09:30 EMX125 Group 1 Free Practice, 10:00 EMX125 Group 2 Free Practice, 10:35 WMX Qualifying Practice, 11:10 EMX125 Group 1 Qualifying Practice, 11:45 EMX125 Group 2 Qualifying Practice, 13:10 WMX Race 1, 14:00 EMX125 Race 1, 15:10 WMX Race 2, 16:05 EMX125 Race 2.

SUNDAY: 09:15 MX2 Free/Time Practice, 10:15 MXGP Free/Time Practice, 12:15 MX2 Race 1, 13:15 MXGP Race 1, 15:10 MX2 Race 2, 16:10 MXGP Race 2.

MXGP of Emilia Romagna winners were celebrated in a special prize giving ceremony, following the MXGP podium, today in Faenza, for round eight of the FIM Motocross World Championship.

Following the incredible racing witnessed during the third instalment of the Italian triple-header at the Monte Coralli circuit for the MXGP of Emilia Romagna, a prestigious prize, known as the ‘Madonna dei Campioni’, was given to the winners of MXGP and MX2 classes, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Antonio Cairoli and Tom Vialle, who received a specially made ceramic art piece, that is typical in the area of Faenza. This occasion marks the beginning of a tradition for MXGP as it’s been the first time the FIM Motocross World Champions were awarded with this respected prize.

Tom Vialle rode two solid races, going 2-1 in the races to take his second consecutive win in MX2 here in Faenza, meanwhile Antonio Cairoli’s consistency really paid off as he took two second place finishes to stand on the podium in front of his home crowd for the 91^st time in his career.

The ceremony is a long-standing tradition, that is prepared and awarded to many international athletes in different disciplines such as, Giacomo Agostini, the 15-time motorcycle road racer world champion and 6-time winner as a team manager, Giancarlo Minardi and Riccardo Patrese, former Formula 1 pilots, Marco Pantani, road racing cyclist and winner of Giro d’Italia and Tour de France, Isolde Kosner, Nordic skiing Olympic medalist, as well as Felice Gimondi, Vittorio Adorni, Pier Luigi Martini, Patrick Staudacher, and Stefania Belmondo, just to name a few.

The beautiful ceramic pieces were personally handed over by the Mayor of Brisighella Massimiliano Pederzoli to the victors of this weekends’ Grand Prix to celebrate their incredible achievements and to begin a brand-new tradition that will be held going forward.

Brisighella, a beautiful medieval village in Italy located in the surround hillsides of the Ravenna province, is under the worldwide spotlight as has been organising these special prizes for international sports champions that are visiting the area.

Joining the Mayor of Brisighella on the podium for this special occasion were Infront Moto Racing CEO David Luongo, FIM/CMS Director Antonio Alia Portela, Formula Imola President Uberto Selvatico Estense, and Tourism Councillor Gian Marco Monti.

This prestigious occasion was the perfect end to the epic run of the motocross world championship in Faenza over the last 10 days, that saw MXGP return to the legendary circuit after an eight year gap. 

In MXGP race one, it was Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado with another FOX Holeshot and he then led his team-mate Antonio Cairoli and Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jeremy Seewer. Gebben Van Venrooy Yamaha Racing’s riders Calvin Vlaanderen and Alessandro Lupino both got off to a great start in the opening race and were fourth and fifth on the opening lap.

Team HRC’ Tim Gajser then moved into the top four, as he looked for a quick way to pass Cairoli, though that didn’t work as the two touched and Gajser was left on the floor. Prado then continued to lead the way with Seewer, Cairoli and Lupino right there as well.

Despite crashing a lap earlier, Gajser was already making a strong recovery as he broke into the top 10 on lap 2.

Back with the leaders the gap between Prado and Seewer was 2 seconds, though as the race progressed Seewer was looking to take another win in the class as he set his fastest lap of the race and closed in on the lead.

Lupino though was coming under pressure from Team HRC’s Mitch Evans for fourth, with the Australian taking the position not long after.

Gajser then continued to make progress as he moved into 6^th place, while Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Arminas Jasikonis searched for a way past Clement Desalle of Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team to move in to 9^th.

With 10 minutes plus 2 laps on the clock, the gap between Prado and Seewer was just 0.5 seconds, as the factory Yamaha rider put the hammer down for the win. The gap between first and second remained below half a second for the remainder of the race, until Seewer made a mistake and had a huge crash while trying to pass for first place. Though he was able to quickly re-join the race, only losing one position to Cairoli.

In the end, Prado went on to take his very first MXGP race win of his career, with Cairoli second and Seewer third.

In race two, Prado once again proved himself as the master of starts as he added yet another FOX Holeshot to his ever-growing tally. Evans was right there in second, with Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Gautier Paulin and Gajser in the top 4 too. Seewer was down in 6^th.

Gajser once again was wasting no time as he moved into second and was then followed by his team-mate, with Cairoli and Seewer right there too. Paulin then came under pressure from Standing Construct GasGas MXGP’s Glenn Coldenhoff and Romain Febvre of Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team.

Febvre was then the fastest guy on track as he continued to chase Coldenhoff, meanwhile Seewer was all over the back of Evans for fourth, as Coldenhoff and Febvre were closing in fast as well. 

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Arminas Jasikonis then crashed out of 10^th, to eventually finish the race in 13^th position.

As Seewer moved into 4^th, Gajser was all over Prado for the lead. The two looked like they almost came together, as Gajser made a risky move, which paid off, of course, and he was then the new race leader.

Prado then started to come under pressure from Cairoli and a lap later the #222 passed the young Spaniard in the exact same spot as Gajser. Seewer then looked to catch Prado for third, though Febvre sneaked up on him and went for the inside to steal fourth from Seewer.

Febvre then went after the race 1 winner, Prado, as he passed him on the same section as did Cairoli and Gajser. Though Prado immediately fought back and was able to move back into 3^rd. This didn’t last long as Febvre responded and clinched 3^rd once more.

And things didn’t get better for Prado who was passed by Coldenhoff, and it was again on that same part of the track that the #61 lost positions to Gajser, Cairoli and Febvre a few laps earlier. This dropped Prado to 6^th in the race.

As Evans and Paulin battled for 8^th, the gap between Gajser and Cairoli was coming down, as it looked like the Italian was going to push for that win. And Febvre was also showing great pace in the race as he pushed for second with 3 laps to go.

Towards the end of the race there was no change with the leaders as Gajser secured the second race win. Cairoli finished second, Febvre was third, Seewer fourth and Coldenhoff fifth.

With two consistent rides, Antonio Cairoli took to the top step of the podium and also became the new championship leader. Meanwhile Tim Gajser finished second overall, with Jorge Prado third. Cairoli now has a 7-point advantage over Gajser in the MXGP championship standings, with Jeffrey Herlings of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing still there in third.

Antonio Cairoli: “Of course today I am really happy. Every race I’m feeling a little better with the conditions. This morning in time practice I struggled a lot; I was three and a half seconds away from the pace so for sure it was not a good boost in motivation for the race. But still at the beginning of the race I made some mistake, keep twisting my knee, it was difficult but with the experience I have I know how to handle these situations.  I wish Jeffrey a quick recovery, it is a pity that he’s not there. I didn’t start so good but now I wanna go for the championship and this is my goal.”

“I’m really happy about the championship, 8 years is a lot of time but for sure I’m super happy to be there still fighting with those guys for the title. Now I’m 35 years old and this is a thing that I’ve never expected to be there at this age, anyway every time I ride, I enjoy riding at the track a lot. For sure I enjoy riding with young guys, every time I try to improve, it is more and more difficult every time but at the end, I’m really really happy and satisfied” he added.

Tim Gajser: “Actually I didn’t have good starts in both races, in the beginning I tried to make quick passes, first lap of the first race I came together with Tony and I fell and then I came back to fifth. I was a bit disappointed but anyway it was what it was. In the second one I got a little bit better start and was able to take the lead and gap like three seconds and control the race, so I was happy”

“Like Tony said, Jeffrey was really fast this year and we wish him a quick recovery. But now we are really close with Tony and even Seewer and the other guys are not so far from the points lead, so I think it will be an interesting season and I will just give my best and try to enjoy every GP” he added.

Jorge Prado: “I’m feeling quite good with the bike at the moment. I think speed wise it’s quite good for sure the first twenty-five minutes. But I’m happy that I could get my first race win even if it was a tough day, I’m very happy”.

I used a lot of energy in the first race, but I really wanted that win. I give my maximum in every single race and that second race I already started with an empty tank. Yesterday was tough for me; I was feeling really bad and stayed in bed pretty much all day so I’m very happy that I can be on the podium. It’s normal that I feel powerless today, so I think I did a very good results in these circumstances” he added.

MXGP – Grand Prix Race 1 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 35:06.974; 2. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:01.756; 3. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Yamaha), +0:12.467; 4. Mitchell Evans (AUS, Honda), +0:15.553; 5. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:19.255; 6. Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, Husqvarna), +0:19.504; 7. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, Yamaha), +0:22.152; 8. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, GASGAS), +0:25.201; 9. Clement Desalle (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:40.468; 10. Romain Febvre (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:49.618.

MXGP – Grand Prix Race 2 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), 35:15.947; 2. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:04.959; 3. Romain Febvre (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:10.499; 4. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Yamaha), +0:25.451; 5. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, GASGAS), +0:34.581; 6. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), +0:47.762; 7. Clement Desalle (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:49.311; 8. Mitchell Evans (AUS, Honda), +0:49.897; 9. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Yamaha), +1:04.063; 10. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, Yamaha), +1:07.203.

MXGP – GP Top 10 Classification: 1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 44 points; 2. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 41 p.; 3. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 40 p.; 4. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 38 p.; 5. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 31 p.; 6. Mitchell Evans (AUS, HON), 31 p.; 7. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, GAS), 29 p.; 8. Clement Desalle (BEL, KAW), 26 p.; 9. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, YAM), 25 p.; 10. Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, HUS), 23 p.

MXGP – World Championship Top 10 Classification: 1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 285 points; 2. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 278 p.; 3. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 263 p.; 4. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 255 p.; 5. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 237 p.; 6. Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, HUS), 233 p.; 7. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, GAS), 233 p.; 8. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 203 p.; 9. Gautier Paulin (FRA, YAM), 201 p.; 10. Clement Desalle (BEL, KAW), 194 p.

MXGP – Manufacturers Classification: 1. KTM, 361 points; 2. Honda, 315 p.; 3. Yamaha, 294 p.; 4. Kawasaki, 269 p.; 5. GASGAS, 247 p.; 6. Husqvarna, 236 p.;

Main Photo: Antonio Cairoli

Bottom Photos: 1. Tim Gajser; 2. Jorge Prado

In the opening MX2 race, it was Tom Vialle of the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing squad who grabbed the FOX Holeshot, while Jago Geerts of Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing was also right there in second.

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Thomas Kjer Olsen got off to a flying start too and was sitting in third. Geerts then made his move into the lead, while Vialle and Olsen stayed behind, though Vialle quickly responded.

Meanwhile, Hitachi KTM fuelled by Milwaukee rider Conrad Mewse didn’t get off to best start in the race and was down in 16^th, after qualifying in 4^th place in the Time Practice earlier this morning.

Jed Beaton of Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing was making moves early in the race, as he passed Bailey Malkiewicz of the Honda 114 Motorsports team for 7^th. Not long after and Ruben Fernandez of SDMCORSE-Yamaha was the next rider in Beaton’s sights.

Mewse then started to make a good recovery, setting his fastest lap of the race with a 1:56.396 and moving up to 7^th on lap 5. At the same time, we saw a change for the lead as Geerts was able to pass Vialle and become the new race leader.

As the top three were nicely bunched up together, Maxime Renaux of Yamaha SM Action MC Migliori J1 Racing then started to go after Olsen who was third. The Yamaha rider was pushing hard, using every inch of the circuit as he searched for a way through. Eventually he was able to make a solid move and take third.

While Renaux was making moves, it was Beaton who had taken 5^th, though Geerts continued to lead the way and was 2.811 seconds ahead of Vialle. Moments later, Renaux crashed out of P3, handing the spot back to Olsen, as others made their way through as well.

Vialle then went 2 seconds faster than Geerts as he cut the gap down to just 1.3 seconds, trying to put on a late charge for the win, though backmarkers started to play their part, slowing Vialle down, which gave Geerts more breathing room.

3 laps to go and the top 5 was led by Geerts, who was followed by Vialle, Olsen, Beaton and Mewse. Though as Geerts edged closer towards a race win in the opening race, the backmarkers were really working in his favour as Vialle was getting caught by Olsen and Beaton. And with 1 lap remaining 2^nd, 3^rd and 4^th were extremely close, with Olsen giving it his all just before the finish line, though Vialle was able to retain that second spot, as Geerts took the win.

In race two of the MX2 category, it was once again Tom Vialle out in front, as he led Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Ben Watson and Jago Geerts. Jed Beaton got a good start too and was going after Watson for second, as Geerts dropped to fourth, followed by F&H Kawasaki Racing’s Roan van de Moosdijk and Maxime Renaux.

Once again, Mewse didn’t have the best start to the race and was down in 20^th on the opening lap of the race. A couple of laps later and the Brit continued to struggle as he only made up one position. And it didn’t get much better for the British riders as Watson crashed out of 2^nd place on lap 3. Though he was able to re-join quickly and was down in 5^th.

Back with the leaders though, Vialle was leading the race by 3.888 seconds, with Beaton in second and Geerts third. Though Beaton was fighting hard to keep up with Vialle as he set the fastest lap of the race on lap 5.

Then it looked like Renaux was having an issue, as he rode past pit lane pointing at the bike and shaking his head, he was 8^th at the time.

With 13 minutes plus 2 laps to go, Vialle started to check out of the race as he doubled his lead, while Beaton began to come under pressure from Geerts. And it didn’t take long for the #193 to find a way through and move into P2.

Vialle continued to ride his own race, as he set the fastest lap of the race towards the later stages of the race and held a steady 6.8 second lead. Meanwhile Renaux lost 8^th to Stephen Rubini of Honda Racing Assomotor.

Vialle then took the two-lap board as he led Geerts, Beaton, van de Moosdijk, Olsen, Fernandez, Rubini, Renaux and Kevin Horgmo from Marchetti Racing Team KTM. And there was no change for the lead, so Vialle took the chequered flag in race 2, with Geerts finishing second and Beaton in third.

In terms of the podium, Tom Vialle took his second consecutive win here in Faenza, with Jago Geerts taking to the second step of the podium, and Jed Beaton making his first podium of the year to finish third overall. Vialle also continues to lead the championship with 354 points, with Geerts a further 21 points down and Renaux 3^rd.  

Tom Vialle: “That second race I was feeling really good after a few laps. I took a good start and after laps I felt I was faster on the waves than in the first race as I was not so good on the wave section. I just stayed focused when Ben Watson crashed and I had a seven second lead, just to keep that flow was really important until the end, so it was a really good weekend and to win again is very nice”.

“In the first race I was feeling good in the first few laps and after I wasn’t feeling so good and they could pass me, I tried to stay with him [Geerts] until the end and that was not so bad in the first race. But, I was really happy to win the second race and I’m looking forward to Mantova”.

Jago Geerts: “Today it was a good day for me. I got a good start and won the race, I was riding really good, so that was nice. And then in the second race in the beginning I was struggling a little bit. After 15 minutes I got the rhythm and came back to second, so I was pretty happy with that. I didn’t lose any points and I didn’t win any points but there’s still a lot of races to go and I’m feeling good. I’m looking forward to the next one”.

Jed Beaton: “It’s obviously nice to be back on the podium, it’s been since Portugal and there’s been a lot of tough times since then but it feels really good to be back. To be honest it’s just a monkey off my back a little bit as it’s been such a long time and I’ve just wanted it for so long. I felt like I’ve been riding well to be back up here and it’s just not been happening so today was just good and I’m looking forward to the next one”

MX2 – Grand Prix Race 1 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Jago Geerts (BEL, Yamaha), 35:27.462; 2. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), +0:02.931; 3. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, Husqvarna), +0:03.502; 4. Jed Beaton (AUS, Husqvarna), +0:04.197; 5. Conrad Mewse (GBR, KTM), +0:18.609; 6. Roan Van De Moosdijk (NED, Kawasaki), +0:24.212; 7. Ben Watson (GBR, Yamaha), +0:25.370; 8. Stephen Rubini (FRA, Honda), +0:25.968; 9. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, Yamaha), +0:43.405; 10. Maxime Renaux (FRA, Yamaha), +0:49.825.

MX2 – Grand Prix Race 2 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), 34:15.955; 2. Jago Geerts (BEL, Yamaha), +0:07.101; 3. Jed Beaton (AUS, Husqvarna), +0:11.101; 4. Roan Van De Moosdijk (NED, Kawasaki), +0:14.561; 5. Ben Watson (GBR, Yamaha), +0:16.380; 6. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, Husqvarna), +0:17.711; 7. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, Yamaha), +0:40.395; 8. Stephen Rubini (FRA, Honda), +0:49.522; 9. Maxime Renaux (FRA, Yamaha), +0:54.656; 10. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, KTM), +0:55.671.

MX2 – GP Top 10 Classification: 1. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), 47 points; 2. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 47 p.; 3. Jed Beaton (AUS, HUS), 38 p.; 4. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 35 p.; 5. Roan Van De Moosdijk (NED, KAW), 33 p.; 6. Ben Watson (GBR, YAM), 30 p.; 7. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, YAM), 26 p.; 8. Stephen Rubini (FRA, HON), 26 p.; 9. Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 23 p.; 10. Conrad Mewse (GBR, KTM), 21 p.

MX2 – World Championship Top 10 Classification: 1. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), 354 points; 2. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 333 p.; 3. Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 259 p.; 4. Jed Beaton (AUS, HUS), 247 p.; 5. Roan Van De Moosdijk (NED, KAW), 210 p.; 6. Ben Watson (GBR, YAM), 191 p.; 7. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 188 p.; 8. Mathys Boisrame (FRA, KAW), 182 p.; 9. Conrad Mewse (GBR, KTM), 162 p.; 10. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, YAM), 156 p.

MX2 – Manufacturers Classification: 1. Yamaha, 367 points; 2. KTM, 357 p.; 3. Kawasaki, 282 p.; 4. Husqvarna, 271 p.; 5. Honda, 181 p.; 6. GASGAS, 81 p.

Main Photo: Tom Vialle

Bottom photos: 1. Jago Geerts; 2. Jed Beaton

“What a day on this awesome motocross track?! Two big crashes so happy to walk away healthy! I’m all good after the second moto though! Back at it this week ready for another one of my favourite tracks in Sweden ?? thanks team.”

Highlights from the 2019 MXGP of Imola in Italy.

Factory Honda rider, Tim Gajser is the 2019 MXGP World Champion.

Tim was crowned today in Imola, Italy.

Ando started the day just two points behind the Dutchman as Kras took third place while Anderson had a troubled race to finish fifth.

Ando said: “Not ideal. I got tagged on the start straight and slipped off in lap two. Kras came home with third so I have to get six points now to catch Kras and get back into the lead.”

Italians Manuel Iacopi and Gianluca Deghi gave the home crowd something to cheer for as they filled the top two places. Todd Kellett, who also raced in the e-mountain bike race today, battled with the leaders but slipped to fourth with an ailing bike.

he said: “Absolutely gutted but points are points and we’re still in the championship! Had small bike problem from the start that finally gave up three laps to go, with only second gear. It was impossible to do anything other than bring it home. Hopefully we have an engine we can borrow for tomorrow and just get a point.”

Ben Putnam was the only other Briton in 29th.

The young Dutchman currently out with a broken ankle, is resting and healing up the proper way and will return when he and his team know Herlings is 100% ready and that could be late in August, maybe at the MXGP of Italy. If he returns earlier then fair play, but there’s certainly no rush.

Italians Maddii Racing’s Mattia Guadagnini and Marchetti Racing Team’s Valerio Lata were the 125cc and 85cc World Champions respectively, while Vitezslav Marek from Czech Republic was the best in the 65cc class. 

The Australian Ky Woods took the first Fox Holeshot of the day and dominated the first laps ahead of the Dutch rider Lotte Van Drunen, the Czech Vitezslav Marek, the other Dutch Gyan Doensen, the Spaniard Salvador Perez and home rider Edoardo Martinelli. The young Australian rider dominated the 8 laps of race one and crossed the finish line 5 seconds ahead of Marek and Van Drunen. Martinelli was forth and Boughen completed the top five.

It was the British rider Ashton Boughen who was first at the start of race two, closely followed by Perez and Van Drunen. The winner of race one Ky Woods did not have a good start, but was already third by the end of the first lap. The Czech rider Marek had an unfortunate start but gave his best to move from seventh to the lead after five laps, and he kept the first position until the end followed by Minear and Woods.

The huge effort of Vitezslav Marek in race 2 paid off as the Czech rider won the 65cc World Title with Australian Ky Woods on the second step of the podium and Lotte Van Druden from the Netherlands completing the top three.

Vitezslav Marek, the 2019 FIM 65cc Junior Motocross World Champion said: “It has been a great weekend and even if it was not easy, I’m very happy to be the Junior champion!

65cc Junior World Cup Race 1 Top Ten: 1. Ky Woods (AUS, KTM), 16:23.946; 2. Vitezslav Marek (CZE, KTM), +0:05.903; 3. Lotte Van Drunen (NED, KTM), +0:11.483; 4. Edoardo Martinelli (ITA, Husqvarna), +0:33.256; 5. Ashton Boughen (GBR, Husqvarna), +0:35.963; 6. Gyan Doensen (NED, KTM), +0:37.288; 7. Anton Isaksson (SWE, Husqvarna), +0:37.354; 8. Kayden Minear (AUS, KTM), +0:41.232; 9. Salvador Perez (ESP, Yamaha), +0:50.443; 10. Niccolo Mannini (ITA, Yamaha), +0:51.848;

65cc Junior World Cup Race 2 Top Ten: 1. Vitezslav Marek (CZE, KTM), 16:46.702; 2. Kayden Minear (AUS, KTM), +0:04.828; 3. Ky Woods (AUS, KTM), +0:11.208; 4. Lotte Van Drunen (NED, KTM), +0:12.908; 5. Edoardo Martinelli (ITA, Husqvarna), +0:31.851; 6. Salvador Perez (ESP, Yamaha), +0:33.054; 7. Gyan Doensen (NED, KTM), +0:34.156; 8. Paolo Martorano (ITA, KTM), +0:37.963; 9. Marius Adomaitis (LTU, KTM), +0:39.146; 10. Semen Rybakov (RUS, KTM), +0:45.337;

65cc Junior World Cup Overall Top Ten: 1. 479 MAREK Vitezslav CZE KTM 47; 2. WOODS Ky AUS KTM 45; 3. 101 VAN DRUNEN Lotte NED KTM 38; 4. 66 MINEAR Kayden AUS KTM 35; 5. 258 MARTINELLI Edoardo ITA Husqvarna 34; 6. 574 DOENSEN Gyan NED KTM 29; 7. 300 PEREZ Salvador SPA Yamaha 27; 8. 402 BOUGHEN Ashton GBR Husqvarna 26; 9. 74 RYBAKOV Semen RUS Ktm 20; 10. 31 MARTORANO Paolo ITA KTM 18.

Latvian rider Karlis Alberts Reisulis took the FOX holeshot of the first 85cc race, ahead of home riders Matteo Luigi Russi and Valerio Lata, the Danish Lucas Bruhn, Austrian Maximilian Ernecker, the other Latvian rider Edvards Bidzans and the American Nicholas Romano. After a few turns there was a change of leader and Marchetti Racing’s Valerio Lata commanded the 13 laps to win the first 85cc race, followed by his compatriot Matteo Luigi Russi and Karlis Alberts Reisulis.   

A very motivated Lata started at the front in race 2, followed by his compatriot Russi, who crashed in the second turn; the French rider Grau was then second and the Danish Bruhn was third. Once again home rider Lata kept the lead with an amazing determination until the end of the race and claimed the 85cc World Title with superb authority. Bidzans was second and Prugnieres third.

Marchetti Racing’s Valerio Lata was on the top of the 85cc podium to collect the gold medal, while Edvards Bidzans from Latvia and Matteo Luigi Russi from Italy received the silver and bronze medals respectively.

The newly crowned 85cc FIM Junior Motocross World Champion Valerio Lata said: “I’ve always liked this track and I knew I could do well. I had very good starts and I focused in not making mistakes and having fun on the bike. I’m very happy with the final result and I will celebrate it with my parents at home. I had a lot of fun this weekend and now I must remain focused as my next goal is to become 85cc European champion in Loket in a couple of weeks time.

85cc Junior World Championship Race 1 Top 10: 1. Valerio Lata (ITA, KTM), 24:31.050; 2. Matteo Luigi Russi (ITA, KTM), +0:09.821; 3. Karlis Alberts Reisulis (LAT, KTM), +0:12.066; 4. Edvards Bidzans (LAT, Husqvarna), +0:22.100; 5. Nicholas Romano (USA, KTM), +0:33.036; 6. Quentin Marc Prugnieres (FRA, KTM), +0:33.295; 7. Maxime Grau (FRA, KTM), +0:35.343; 8. Ferruccio Zanchi (ITA, Husqvarna), +0:43.870; 9. Edgar Canet (ESP, KTM), +0:45.565; 10. Cas Valk (NED, Husqvarna), +0:47.797.

85cc Junior World Championship Race 2 Top Ten: 1. Valerio Lata (ITA, KTM), 24:51.128; 2. Edvards Bidzans (LAT, Husqvarna), +0:04.747; 3. Quentin Marc Prugnieres (FRA, KTM), +0:08.302; 4. Maxime Grau (FRA, KTM), +0:12.016; 5. Matteo Luigi Russi (ITA, KTM), +0:22.021; 6. Edgar Canet (ESP, KTM), +0:40.574; 7. Nicholas Romano (USA, KTM), +0:43.885; 8. Karlis Alberts Reisulis (LAT, KTM), +0:45.163; 9. Charlie Heyman (GBR, Husqvarna), +0:45.278; 10. Laszlo Tecsi (HUN, KTM), +0:49.173.

85cc Junior World Championship Overall Top Ten: 1. 3 LATA Valerio ITA KTM 50; 2. 765 BIDZANS Edvards LAT Husqvarna 40; 3. 88 RUSSI Matteo Luigi ITA KTM 38; 4. 319 PRUGNIERES Quentin FRA KTM 35; 5. 772 REISULIS Karlis Alberts LAT KTM 33; 6. 359 GRAU Maxime FRA KTM 32; 7. 11 ROMANO Nicholas USA KTM 30; 8. 373 CANET Edgar SPA KTM 27; 9. 22 HEYMAN Charlie GBR Husqvarna 20; 10. 9 GUILLEMOT SCHEID David FRA KTM 19.

Race 1 of the 125cc saw Joel Rizzi from Great Britain taking the holeshot followed by German Simon Langenfelder, the Estonian Meico Vettik, Swedish Max Palssson, Italian Mattia Guadagnini and Spaniard Samuel Nilsson. However, after just one lap the current leader of the EMX125 Championship Maddii Racing Husqvarna Mattia Guadagnini took the lead and kept it until the end. Team VRT’s Tom Guyon from France did not have a good start but managed to finish second and Swiss rider Mike Gwerder ended third.

Guadagnini was determined to win the second and final race of the 125cc class and he managed to have a perfect start claiming the FOX holeshot and taking the lead, but Frenchman Guyon was right after the Italian wheel. Behind them there were the swiss rider Gwerder, Norwegean Osterhagen, British Rizzi and German Langenfelder. Half way through the race Guyon succeeded in overtaking Guadagnini, but after a few meters the Italian bounced back taking advantage of an error of the Frenchman and took the lead which he kept until the chequered flag.

Maddii Racing Husqvarna’s Mattia Guadagnini became the 125cc Junior World Champion with a 1-1 result, and Tom Guyon and Mike Gwerder completed the podium.

2019 FIM Junior 125cc World Champion Mattia Guadagnini said: “I’m really happy for this weekend; it’s unbelievable to be the best 125cc rider in the world. My next EMX race is in Lommel, Belgium, and I hope to claim that title, too.”

125cc Junior World Championship Race 1 Top 10: 1. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, Husqvarna), 29:12.391; 2. Tom Guyon (FRA, KTM), +0:16.330; 3. Mike Gwerder (SUI, KTM), +0:25.309; 4. Meico Vettik (EST, KTM), +0:27.479; 5. Joel Rizzi (GBR, KTM), +0:30.786; 6. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, KTM), +0:31.772; 7. Eddie Jay Wade (GBR, KTM), +0:33.561; 8. Samuel Nilsson (ESP, KTM), +0:34.246; 9. Camden Mc Lellan (RSA, KTM), +0:35.050; 10. Max Palsson (SWE, KTM), +0:36.991;

125cc Junior World Championship Race 2 Top 10: 1. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, Husqvarna), 29:12.852; 2. Tom Guyon (FRA, KTM), +0:02.342; 3. Mike Gwerder (SUI, KTM), +0:34.559; 4. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, KTM), +0:37.386; 5. Camden Mc Lellan (RSA, KTM), +0:59.649; 6. Andrea Bonacorsi (ITA, KTM), +1:02.622; 7. Eddie Jay Wade (GBR, KTM), +1:06.530; 8. Joel Rizzi (GBR, KTM), +1:08.149; 9. Florian Miot (FRA, Yamaha), +1:09.538; 10. Samuel Nilsson (ESP, KTM), +1:09.930;

125cc Junior World Championship Overall Top 10: 1. 101 GUADAGNINI Mattia ITA Husqvarna 50 punti; 2. 27 GUYON Tom FRA FFM KTM 44; 3. GWERDER Mike SUI FMS KTM 40; 4. LANGENFELDER Simon GER DMSB KTM 33; 5. RIZZI Joel GBR ACU KTM 29; 6. MC LELLAN Camden RSA KTM 28; 7. WADE Eddie Jay GBR KTM 28; 8. NILSSON Samuel SPA KTM 24; 9. PALSSON Max SWE KTM 21; 10. MIOT Florian FRA Yamaha 20.

The amazing 2019 edition of the FIM Junior Motocross World Championship had 32 nations participating in the event, but it was the host country of Italy who dominated the nations classification. France was second and Great Britain completed the top three. The Brits also claim the 2019 FIM Ride Green Cup as recognition for their promotion of a sustainable and environmentally friendly approach of racing.

Nations Top 10: 1. Italy 7 points; 2. France 20 p.; 3. Great Britin 22 p.; 4. Spain 23 p.; 5. The Netherlands 31 p.; 6. Sweden 44 p.; 7. Czech Republic 46 p.; 8. Belgium 58 p.; 9. Australia 15 p.; 10. South Africa 24 p.

Click HERE for the full results on the 2019 Junior Motocross World Championship