Gasjer, Herlings Keep Rolling at MXGP of Latvia

Honda Gariboldi’s Tim Gasjer captures his fourth MXGP win in Latvia, while Red Bull KTM’s Jeffrey Herlings makes it six straight in MX2!

For the second consecutive round, Honda Gariboldi’s Tim Gajser and Red Bull KTM’s Jeffrey Herlings enjoyed wins in their respective classes during round six of the FIM Motocross World Championship, the MXGP of Latvia at the Motocenter “Zelta Zirgs” in Kegums, Latvia, yesterday.

In MXGP, Gasjer looked more like a seasoned veteran than a rookie as he stormed to the first-moto win ahead of Rockstar Energy Husaqvarna’s Max Nagl and Red Bull KTM’s Antonio Cairoli. Meanwhile, reigning MXGP World Champion Romain Febvre struggled with crashes that left him fifth in the moto, behind Monster Energy Yamaha factory teammate Jeremy Van Horebeek. That put Gasjer six points ahead of Febvre in the championship points standings as the second moto headed to the starting line.

However, there was huge drama in the second moto when Gasjer, who was running near the front of the moto, behind Cairoli and Febvre, saw the front of his Honda swallowed by a huge hole in the whoop section. Gasjer was unceremoniously flicked over the bars, and he was then struck by Nagl, who had been collected by Gasjer’s downed motorcycle. Gasjer completed the first lap 23rd out of 30 starters, but he showed the speed and talent that has made him a contender in the series by meticulously driving his way through the field to land fourth at the finish and take the overall win by a single point over second-moto runner-up Cairoli. Second-moto winner Febvre ended up third overall. Van Horebeek was fourth overall via 4-3 finishes, and Nagl was fifth overall via 2-5 finishes.

Gajser is the only rider to have finished on the box at every round this season, and although he briefly held the series point lead in Latvia, he came away from the event just one point and behind Febvre, with 259 points to Febvre’s 260. However, Cairoli and Nagl have also gotten off to good starts through the first six of 18 rounds. Cairoli is third in the standings, with 213 points. Nagl is fourth, with 203.

In MX2, Herlings is simply on a different planet than anyone else in the class, and he showed it once again by decimating the competition and storming to two more GP moto wins and remaining perfect through the first six rounds. Unless something happens to derail the Herlings freight train, no one else appears to be even close.

While a lot of riders struggled with the roughness of the Kegums circuit, Herlings just got stronger and faster. He once again won both motos by more than 30 seconds and lapped more than half of the field, including passing his way up through eighth place in the second moto.

“I’m back, I’m feeling strong and I’m just trying to get the best out of myself,” Herlings said. “It’s six out of six wins this weekend, and I hope there will be many more to come.”

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna’s Max Anstie finally had a weekend where his speed wasn’t hampered by a crash or a mechanical failure, and he powered through to a pair of runner-up finishes to land second overall. While not as fast as Herlings, Team Suzuki World MX2’s Jeremy Seewer, has otherwise been the next most consistent podium finisher. The Swiss rider went 3-4 to card third overall.

Latvian fans were hoping for big things from their countryman, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Pauls Jonass, and he obliged them by riding to a well-earned third place finish in moto one. However, multiple crashes left Jonass 14th in moto two, and he ended up seventh overall, behind Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing teammates Petar Petrov and Dylan Ferrandis, and Kemea Yamaha’s Benoit Paturel.

2016 FIM Motocross World Championship
MXGP of Latvia
Motocenter “Zelta Zirgs”
Kegums, Latvia
Results: May 1, 2016 (Round 6 of 18)

MXGP Overall
1. Tim Gajser (SLO)-Hon/104
2. Antonio Cairoli (ITA)-KTM/3-2
3. Romain Febvre (FRA)-Yam/5-1
4. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL)-Yam/4-3
5. Max Nagl (GER)-Hus/2-5
6. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS)-Hon/9-6
7. Christophe Charlier (FRA)-Hus/8-8
8. Ben Townley (NZL)-Suz/7-13
9. Shaun Simpson (GBR)-KTM/14-7
10. Milko Potisek (FRA)-11/11

2016 FIM MXGP World Championship Standings (after 6 of 18 rounds)
1. Romain Febvre-260/2 wins
2. Tim Gajser 259/4 wins
3. Antonio Cairoli-213
4. Max Nagl-203
5. Jeremy Van Horebeek-200
6. Evgeny Bobryshev-197
7. Shaun Simpson-143
8. Kevin Strijbos-142
9. Glenn Coldenhoff-121
10. Valentin Guillod-116

MX2 Overall
1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED)-KTM/1-1
2. Max Anstie (GBR)-Hus/2-2
3. Jeremy Seewer (SUI)-Suz/4-3
4. Petar Petrov (BUL)-Kaw/6-4
5. Dylan Ferrandis (FRA)-Kaw/5-6
6. Benoit Paturel (FRA)-Yam/9-5
7. Pauls Jonass (LAT)-KTM/3-14
8. Brian Bogers (NED)-KTM/10-7
9. Brent Van doninck (BEL)-Yam/7-11
10. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED)-KTM/8-12

2016 FIM MX2 World Championship Points Standings (after 6 of 18 rounds)
1. Jeffrey Herlings-300/6 wins
2. Jeremy Seewer-230
3. Pauls Jonass-193
4. Petar Petrov-165
5. Aleksandr Tonkov-163
6. Benoit Paturel-154
7. Samuele Bernardini-133
8. Vsevolod Brylyakov-132
9. Max Anstie-126
10. Alvin Östlund-110