Romain Febvre breaks-in Yamaha 60th Anniversary colors with an MXGP win in the Maggiora mud.
Yamaha Factory Racing Yamalube’s Romain Febvre of France and Honda Gariboldi’s Tim Gasjer of Slovenia scored hard-earned wins in the wettest race of the 2015 FIM Motocross World Championship so far, the MXGP of Italy in Maggiora, Italy, yesterday.
Torrential rain turned the track into a mud bog in the early morning on the day of the event, and while the rain subsided for the actual racing, the damage was already done, leaving the riders to negotiate a tricky and rut-filled Maggiora circuit. The conditions failed to deter Febvre, who won the MXGP class via 1-6 moto finishes while Gajser won the MX2 class by going 3-2.
Febvre, a legitimate threat for the MXGP crown this year, which he confirmed with a heel-clicker after a handy first win in the first MXGP moto. Moto two was not as clean for Febvre, as he clipped Hitachi Construction Machinery Revo KTM’s Shaun Simpson and crashed, but Febvre recovered to finish sixth, and that was good enough for his second consecutive MXGP overall victory and the first for the Yamaha in its recently announced 60th anniversary yellow and black colors, an extremely rare site in GP motocross as Yamaha’s traditional international colors were white and red.
“I’m really happy to win my second GP in a row and it is great for the team and for Yamaha on their 60th anniversary [livery],” Febvre said. “It was definitely nice. The first moto was pretty good. I made a good start and was second, but after two or three laps I was in the lead. It was pretty easy to be at the front. In the second moto the start was not so good and it was hard to pass. With Simpson we came together on a jump, and I had to change the line quickly and made a mistake. I had a huge crash; so I was happy already with this GP that I could come away uninjured.
“I was able to keep pushing for the GP victory,” Febvre continued. “My handlebar was very bent and it was hard on the right hand corners to put my leg out. I had no front brake, so you can imagine how difficult the downhill was on this track. After the crash the main focus was to still win the GP so I kept pushing until the end and it paid off.”
Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MXGP’s Kevin Strijbos made a thrilling last-lap pass on championship leader Max Nagl,to win the second MXGP moto. It was a solid comeback for Strijbos, who was returning to competition after recuperating from an injury.
“I was happy to be back here, and with my thumb and my wrist everything was fine,” Strijbos said. “I was pretty happy it rained because I like that a lot.”
Instead of Nagl, it was Red Bull IceOne Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Todd Waters of Australia who came home third overall and represented the brand on the MXGP podium—the first of his MXGP career.
“It’s hard to talk because of the smile on my face,” Waters said. “There was a few emotions. I came past pitlane in the last race, and I got a pit board ‘podium position,’ so I wanted to stretch those throttle cables and go for it for sure.”
As for defending FIM World MXGP Champion Antonio Cairoli, the Italian star put in a brave performance today, riding his Red Bull KTM with a broken hand. The injury hampered him enough that he finished outside the top 10.
“The first moto was the hardest of my career,” Cairoli said. “The track was so bumpy and rutty, and I could hardly hold on to my bike, but it was good for the championship [to finish].”
In MX2, Honda Gariboldi’s Gajser mastered the muck at Maggiora well enough to bring home the overall win even though he didn’t win either moto. The Slovenian found the right mix of attack and respect on the chewed-up track, and it paid off.
“I had a couple of bad weeks where I was crashing and not riding so well, but then everything changed and I’m back at the front again,” Gasjer said. “It was great to win another GP.”
The day’s MX2 moto winners included Wilvo Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Aleksandr Tonkov, who claimed his first ever race win in moto one, but a crash with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Pauls Jonass in moto two left them both on the deck and dropped Tonkov fourth overall. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings dominated every lap in moto two, but he had failed to establish a rhythm in mot two and also had some issues with vision due to water between his tear-offs. Herlings was second overall. Rockstar Energy Suzuki Europe’s Jeremy Seewer finished third overall.
2015 FIM Motocross World Championship
Maggiora Circuit
Maggiora, Italy
Results: June 14, 2015 (Round 9 of 18)
MXGP Overall
1. Romain Febvre (FRA)-Yam/1-6
2. Kevin Strijbos (BEL)-Suz/9-1
3. Todd Waters (AUS)-Hus/4-4
4. David Philippaerts (ITA)-Yam/2-7
5. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL)-Yam/3-9
6. Shaun Simpson (GBR)-KTM/6-5
7. Max Nagl (GER)-Hus/15-2
8. Gautier Paulin (FRA)-KTM/14-3
9. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS)-Hon/8-11
10. Ken de Dycker (BEL)-KTM/12-8
FIM Motocross World Championship MXGP Series Point Standings (After 9 of 18 rounds)
1. Max Nagl-360
2. Antonio Cairoli-330
3. Romain Febvre-322
4. Clement Desalle-291
5. Gautier Paulin-279
6. Evgeny Bobryshev-270
7. Shaun Simpson-200
8. Todd Waters-174
9. Jeremy Van Horebeek-158
10. Ken de Dycker-155
MX2 Overall
1. Tim Gajser (SLO)-Hon/3-2
2. Jeffrey Herlings (NED)-KTM/1-6
3. Jeremy Seewer (SUI)-Suz/4-3
4. Aleksandr Tonkov (RUS)-Hus/1-8
5. Brent Van doninck (BEL)-Yam/5-7
6. Max Anstie (GBR)-Kaw/12-4
7. Julien Lieber (BEL)-Yam/8-9
8. Petar Petrov (BUL)-Kaw/7-11
9. Benoit Paturel (FRA)-Yam/15-5
10. Brian Bogers (NED)-KTM/14-6
FIM Motocross World Championship MX2 Series Point Standings (After 9 of 18 rounds)
1. Jeffrey Herlings-398
2. Valentin Guillod-259
3. Pauls Jonass-259
4. Aleksandr Tonkov-256
5. Tim Gajser-251
6. Jordi Tixier-251
7. Jeremy Seewer-246
8. Max Anstie-210
9. Julien Lieber-209
10. Dylan Ferrandis-205
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