(LOKET) Czech Republic, 23 July 2017–The 13th round of the 2017 FIM Motocross World Championship hosted in Loket, Czech Republic concluded today. The MXGP of Czech Republic was a challenging one for all the riders but it was the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing riders of Antonio Cairoli and Pauls Jonass who each took their sixth overall win this season and kept the championship lead in their respective classes.
MXGP
MXGP race 1 roared down Loket start straight to the Fox Holeshot line and it was Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s Clement Desalle who was there first. Desalle was followed by HRC’s Tim Gajser who quickly took the pole position away from the Belgian.
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Gautier Paulin followed Desalle but led Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Antonio Cairoli and Wilvo Yamaha MXGP’s Arnaud Tonus. In the 19-lap race the top five held their positions for 17 of them. During the 17th lap, MXGP of Portugal winner Cairoli found a way around Paulin for third.
Meanwhile Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings was quickly progressing forward from a ninth-place start. On the final lap Cairoli caught Desalle and Herlings caught Tonus. While Herlings made it by Tonus, Cairoli couldn’t get past Desalle. Gajser took the race win, his first since the second race of Trentino. Gajser in the press conference said, “I’m really happy because the weekend was really positive after many weeks struggling and to be back now on the podium is great.”
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 five 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 third position with a quick inside pass. Gajser finished race 2 in fourth to take the third overall.
Gautier Paulin took 5th after he fended off a charge by Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP Team’s Romain Febvre.
Cairoli took the race win, his 83rd career overall, and later in the press conference said, “I’m really happy to leave this GP with a victory. I want to dedicate this victory to the rider who passed away yesterday, we are all together with his family and hope that they will be ok.”
Desalle consistent 2-2 took second overall to which he said, “It’s a strong a day, it a good result and I’m happy that it was positive today. I had a strong ride, I was focused on myself and I enjoy what I did.”
MX2
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Pauls Jonass came back to Loket track with a vengeance. Jonass who had a season ended crash here last year started the day in the top five 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 second 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’s stayed 2nd and 3rd to the checkered flag.
Behind them was another Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing bike belonging to Thomas Kjer Olsen. Team Suzuki World MX2’s 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: “I felt really good yesterday in the qualifying race and then again in the first moto this morning. I didn’t 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.
Seewer eventually came under pressure from Kemea Yamaha Official MX Team’s 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’s 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: “It was frustrating to not be able to pass Jorge, he is such a smart rider so it is very difficult to pass him. I’m looking forward to Lommel…I feel good there, I do a lot of testing there”.
LRT KTM’s Julien Lieber had an up and down weekend with 18th in race 1 and a fifth in race 2.
Pauls Jonass was the one who claimed the overall with an unbeatable 2-1 result. Jonass in the press conference said: “I felt really good all weekend, starting with qualifying yesterday I really enjoyed it. In the end I just controlled the race and got the win.”
The next round of the FIM Motocross World Championship will be held in Lommel, Belgium, the Fiat Professional MXGP of Belgium on August the 6.
2017 FIM Motocross World Championship
MXGP of Czech Republic
Loketske Serpentiny
Loket, Czech Republic
Results: July 23, 2017 (Round 13 of 19)
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.
MXGP Manufacturers: 1. KTM, 559 points; 2. Husqvarna, 462 p.; 3. Yamaha, 441 p.; 4. Honda, 431 p.; 5. Kawasaki, 431 p.; 6. Suzuki, 298 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.
MX2 Manufacturers: 1. KTM, 597 points; 2. Suzuki, 516 p.; 3. Husqvarna, 487 p.; 4. Yamaha, 445 p.; 5. Kawasaki, 306 p.; 6. Honda, 216 p.; 7. TM, 124 p.
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