Romain Febvre scores a rousing first career MXGP overall victory in front of his countrymen.
One week after winning his first career MXGP, rookie MXGP rider and Yamaha Factory Racing Yamalube rider Romain Febvre scored his first career overall win in his home country during round eight of the FIM Motocross World Championship at the Villars sous Ecot circuit in France, yesterday.
Negotiating one of the most demanding tracks so far this season, the Frenchman shined of the trickiest tracks of the series to-date, electrifying front of 45,000 of his countrymen as he rolled to 2-1 scores for the overall win. It marked the first MXGP overall win for the team since the Grand Prix of Czech Republic last August.
Febvre got off to an excellent start by winning the qualification heat on Saturday, earning the number one starting spot. He used his first gate pick to good effect in Sunday’s first moto, getting off to a fast start and battling with Red Bull KTM’s Antonio Cairoli for the lead after Team HRC Honda’s Gautier Paulin had a mechanical problem. Cairoli was able to set a pace that Febvre could not quite match in the opening moto, and the eight-time and defending World Champion notched another moto win with Febvre settling for second ahead of Paulin’s Team HRC teammate Evgeny Bobryshev.
The track detoriated before the second MXGP moto, making it more technical with long, hard ruts in some of the softer corners and bumpy take-offs and landings over the jumps. Cairoli suffered a poor start in moto two while Red Bull IceOne Husqvarna’s Max Nagl, the current series point leader, took the holeshot and led Febvre for much of the moto. Febvre never let up, however, and after 12 dogged laps, he made a move on Nagl and emerged with the lead, which he held for the remaining eight laps to win moto two and earn the glory of an MXGP victory that was perhaps unexpected by a rookie with just eight MXGP starts under his belt.
“It is so crazy to win a Grand Prix at home,” the jubilant Febvre said afterward. “I will enjoy this moment for sure. Last week I won my first heat. It has also been good for the championship.”
Indeed, Febvre’s surge forward in the results has pulled him to within nine points of Clement Desalle in the battle for third place in the MXGP standings. Desalle crashed during timed practice Saturday and dislocated his shoulder. He only made one lap during Sunday’s MXGP action before pulling off due to the injury.
“I’m sorry for Clement and his injury; it is not so nice, but it is part of racing,” Febvre said. “It has been good for me, and I’m close to third place now. A big thanks to the team for all their work. We’ve done this together.”
In MX2, Red Bull KTM’s Jeffrey Herlings returned to the top of the box in the manner that his longtime fans are accustomed to seeing him, with a dominant 1-1 sweep of the class.
“It wasn’t easy today,” Herlings said. “These tracks are not my favorite. I am from Holland, so you know it is sand and flat, and then here it’s hills and really hard and rocky. So it was tough but I did it.”
Honda Gariboldi’s Tim Gajser wrapped up second overall with 4-2 finishes while defending MX2 World Champion Jordi Tixier rode his Monster Energy Kawasaki to third overall via 3-3 finishes.
2015 FIM Motocross World Championship
MXGP of France
Villar sous Ecot Circuit
Villars sous Ecot, France
Results: May 31, 2015 (Round 8 of 18)
MXGP Overall
1. Romain Febvre (FRA)-Yam/2-1
2. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS)-Hon/3-3
3. Antonio Cairoli (ITA)-KTM/1-7
4. Max Nagl (GER)-Hus/6-2
5. Dean Ferris (AUS)-Hus/4-4
6. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED)-Suz/9-5
7. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL)-Yam/5-9
8. Ken de Dycker (BEL)-KTM/8-8
9. Shaun Simpson (GBR)-KTM/7-11
10. Todd Waters (AUS)-Hus/12-13
FIM Motocross World Championship MXGP Series Point Standings (After 8 of 18 rounds)
1. Maximilian Nagl-332
2. Antonio Cairoli-313
3. Clement Desalle-291
4. Romain Febvre-282
5. Gautier Paulin-252
6. Evgeny Bobryshev-247
7. Shaun Simpson-169
8. Todd Waters-138
9. Glenn Coldenhoff-134
10. Ken de Dycker-133
MX2 Overall
1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED)-KTM/1-1
2. Tim Gajser (SLO)-Hon/4-2
3. Jordi Tixier (FRA)-Kaw/3-3
4. Pauls Jonass (LAT)-KTM/7-4
5. Valentin Guillod (SUI)-Yam/2-13
6. Aleksandr Tonkov (RUS)-Hus/6-7
7. Petar Petrov (BUL)-Kaw/5-8
8. Jeremy Seewer (SUI)-Suz/10-6
9. Max Anstie (GBR)-Kaw/12-5
10. Vsevolod Brylyakov (RUS)-Hon/11-11
FIM Motocross World Championship MX2 Series Point Standings (After 8 of 18 rounds)
1. Jeffrey Herlings-358
2. Valentin Guillod-246
3. Pauls Jonass-245
4. Jordi Tixier-229
5. Aleksandr Tonkov-218
6. Tim Gajser-209
7. Jeremy Seewer-208
8. Dylan Ferrandis-205
9. Julien Lieber-184
10. Max Anstie-183
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