Reigning World MXGP Champion Antonio Cairoli switches to a KTM 450 and wins the MXGP of Spain.
Reigning World MXGP Champion Antonio Cairoli had yet to break through with a win through the first five rounds of the 2015 FIM World Motocross Championship, but he finally came through today at the MXGP of Spain, round six of the FIM Motocross World Championship in Talavera de la Reina, Spain.
The seven-time MXGP Champion came into Spain with a new strategy, electing to park his trusty factory KTM 350 SX-F in favor of a larger and more powerful for 450 SX-F, and it would pay handsome dividends as he scored a vital win in the second moto to claim the MXGP overall win.
“Yeah, I think it is the time to make some changes and get some new motivation,” Cairoli said prior to the race. “We tested a lot with the new 450, and I like it a lot. I was sure I should ride with it from the first race (of the season) but I was not so fit. I still had some injury problems from the Nations (MXoN). The ‘350’ was our ‘baby’ and we brought it to the top. I won a lot of races and championships with the bike, but its time for new challenges.”
MXGP
Series point leader Max Nagl grabbed the holeshot on his Red Bull IceOne factory Husqvarna in the first MXGP moto, with Suzuki’s Clement Desalle and reigning World MXGP Champion Cairoli quickly taking over second and third place respectively as the field began to spread. Cairoli was unable to catch Nagl and Desalle and advance in the race standings. Neither could Desalle manage to eat into the 2-second advantage that Nagl enjoyed up front.
Nagl put together another fantastic ride on hard, sun-baked Talavera de la Reina circuit to win the moto with a 4-second margin of victory over Desalle. Cairoli finished third, ahead of Yamaha Factory Racing/Yamalube rider Romain Febvre, with team Honda teammates Gautier Paulin and Evgeny Bobryshev finishing fifth and sixth respectively. Then came Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Tyla Rattray, Suzuki’s Kevin Strijbos, Red Bull IceOne Husqvarna’s Todd Waters. Wilvo Forkrent KTM’s Stephen Frossard completed the top 10.
Cairoli seemed to be much more in tune at the start of the second moto, as he pulled the holeshot to take the early lead. Meanwhile, round five winner Paulin’s already remote chances for a second consecutive MXGP round win wound up in a heap in the second corner after he tangled with Waters in the second turn. Paulin rejoined the race at the rear of the field.
Up front, Cairoli continued to lead with Desalle running second again and Nagl battling with Bobryshev for third place. Nagl was able to move clear of Bobryshev for the position, and Febvre also came through to drop Bobryshev to fifth place. Febvre than began to pressure Nagl for third, and he handily moved past the German rider to take the spot. There was more drama when Desalle endo’d over the finish line jump and crashed on lap two.
Desalle’s crash moved Febvre into second place, and the Frenchman wasn’t done yet, as he moved up to challenge Cairoli for the race lead and take over at the front on lap three. Febvre held the lead for four laps before stalling his motorcycle and allowing Cairoli to retake the lead for the rest of the 18-lap moto to claim the moto and overall win via 1-3 scores. Febvre finished second in the moto and third overall. Nagl was third in the moto but second overall thanks to his first moto win.
Cairoli’s win was the 73rd overall win of his career, and he dedicated it to his late father, Benedetto Cairoli.
“My father was here last year and after that I didn’t see him anymore so I dedicate this win to him,” Cairoli said.
MX2
Consistency reigned in the MX2 class as the standings from the first moto to the second moto were severely jumbled. Standing Construct Yamaha Yamalube’s Valentin Guillod emerged with the overall win via a clutch, late-race pass on Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Dylan Ferrandis in the second moto.
Series point leader Jeffery Herlings got his day off to a great start in the first moto as he followed Wilvo Nestaan Husqvarna’s Aleksandr Tonkiv off the start and then made a quick pass to run away with the moto win. However, a poor start in moto two left Herlings fighting to get to the front from outside the top five. Herlings’ chances for the overall win were all but dashed when he suffered a griding high-speed crash over a step-down double jump on lap two. He was lucky to emerge without a series injury, and he fought his way back through the field to finish seventh.
Ferrandis, meanwhile ran most of the second moto in the lead, a stark contrast to the DNF he suffered when his rear brake exploded in the first moto. But Guillod dogged Ferrandis relentlessly, and he finally made a pass for the lead on lap 16 to earn his first career MX2 overall win via 1-6 moto scores. Ferrandis would drop back to third place in the moto behind Honda rider Tim Gasjer.
Herlings’ seventh-place finish in the moto still netted him second overall (1-7) while reigning MX2 World Champion Jordi Tixier came home third overall (3-4).
FIM Motocross World Championship
MXGP of Spain
Carlos Martínez Zorita Circuit
Talavera de la Reina, Spain
Results: May 10, 2015 (Round 6 of 18)
MXGP Moto 1
1. Max Nagl (GER)-Hus
2. Clement Desalle (BEL)-Suz
3. Antonio Cairoli (ITA)-KTM
4. Romain Febvre (FRA)-Yam
5. Gautier Paulin (FRA)-Hon
6. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS)-Hon
7. Tyla Rattray (RSA)-Kaw
8. Kevin Strijbos (BEL)-Suz
9. Todd Waters (AUS)-Hus
10. Steven Frossard (FRA)-KTM
MXGP Moto 2
1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA)-KTM
2. Romain Febvre (FRA)-Yam
3. Maximilian Nagl (GER)-Hus
4. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS)-Hon
5. Clement Desalle (BEL)-Suz
6. Shaun Simpson (GBR)-KTM
7. Gautier Paulin (FRA)-Hon
8. Tyla Rattray (RSA)-Kaw
9. Alessandro Lupino (ITA)-Hon
10. Xavier Boog (FRA)-Kaw
MXGP Overall
1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA)-KTM
2. Max Nagl (GER)-Hus
3. Romain Febvre (FRA)-Yam
4. Clement Desalle (BEL)-Suz
5. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS)-Hon
6. Gautier Paulin (FRA)-Hon
7. Tyla Rattray (RSA)-Kaw
8. Kevin Strijbos (BEL)-Suz
9. Xavier Boog (FRA)-Kaw
10. Alessandro Lupino (ITA)-Hon
FIM MXGP World Championship Point Standings (After 6 of 18 rounds)
1. Max Nagl-259
2. Clement Desalle-247
3. Antonio Cairoli-229
4. Gautier Paulin-208
5. Romain Febvre-196
6. Evgeny Bobryshev-171
7. Ryan Villopoto-124
8. Shaun Simpson-114;
9. Todd Waters-104
10. Tyla Rattray-95
MX2 Moto 1
1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED)-KTM
2. Max Anstie (GBR)-Kaw
3. Jordi Tixier (FRA)-Kaw
4. Pauls Jonass (LAT)-KTM
5. Aleksandr Tonkov (RUS)-Hus
6. Valentin Guillod (SUI)-Yam
7. Brent Van doninck (BEL)-Yam
8. Brian Bogers (NED)-KTM
9. Julien Lieber (BEL)-Yam
10. Jeremy Seewer (SUI)-Suz
MX2 Moto 2
1. Valentin Guillod (SUI)-Yam
2. Tim Gajser (SLO)-Hon
3. Dylan Ferrandis (FRA)-Kaw
4. Jordi Tixier (FRA)-Kaw
5. Julien Lieber (BEL)-Yam
6. Jeremy Seewer (SUI)-Suz
7. Jeffrey Herlings (NED)-KTM
8. Aleksandr Tonkov (RUS)-Hus
9. Max Anstie (GBR)-Kaw
10. Pauls Jonass (LAT)-KTM
MX2 Overall
1. Valentin Guillod-(SUI)-Yam
2. Jeffrey Herlings (NED)-KTM
3. Jordi Tixier (FRA)-Kaw;
4. Max Anstie (GBR-Kaw
5. Tim Gajser (SLO)-Hon
6. Aleksandr Tonkov (RUS)-Hus
7. Pauls Jonass (LAT)-KTM
8. Julien Lieber (BEL)-Yam
9. Jeremy Seewer (SUI)-Suz
10. Brian Bogers (NED)-KTM
FIM MX2 World Championship Point Standings (After 6 of 18 rounds)
1. Jeffrey Herlings-261
2. Dylan Ferrandis-205
3. Pauls Jonass-177
4. Tim Gajser-169
5. Valentin Guillod-169
6. Aleksandr Tonkov-162
7. Jordi Tixier-153
8. Jeremy Seewer-151
9. Julien Lieber-149
10. Max Anstie-123
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