Latvia MXGP preview

KEGUMS (Latvia), 27 April 2016 – If motocross tracks were desserts, Kegums would be a popular choice on the menu. The fluffy caramel sand track of Kegums is one of the coolest looking venues on the calendar. It hosted the FIM Motocross World Championship for the first time back in 2009, where Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Antonio Cairoli won the premier class while Rui Goncalves won in MX2, and has hosted a round ever since with the most memorable event being the 2014 Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations.

This weekend, Kegums will do the honors in hosting the sixth round of the FIM Motocross World Championship as well as the second rounds of the European Championships EMX250 and EMX300 presented by FMF Racing, and the opening round of the European Championship EMX125 presented by FMF Racing.

Honda Gariboldi’s Tim Gajser is surfing a massive wave of confidence at the moment. What the nineteen-year-old Slovenian has already achieved inside the premier class is nothing short of impressive as he tops the statistic charts in all categories except one. He has the most qualifying race wins, 2, he has led the most laps, a whopping 93 to Febvre’s 32, he has won the most races, 5, and in turn has won of the most grand prix overalls. The only thing the he doesn’t have is the MXGP red plate, which belongs to Romain Febvre.

Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Romain Febvre has shown a lot of character and a lot of heart since his debut in the premier class last year. In fact, right here in Latvia was one of those stand out moments when he went down at turn-one and struggled to get his bike re-fired. More than half a lap down, the gritty Frenchman didn’t stress, he just did what he does best and twisted that throttle! He managed to get back to eighth in that race which was remarkable, and in amidst the traffic he had to weave on his way there he set the fastest lap of the race by more than 1 second. Obviously, he won the second race and still managed to finish on the podium in third.

Both he and Gajser are riding on a ridiculous amount of confidence; neither of the two are racing for anything less than a win which is making for some top-notch action out on track. And judging by the current pattern, we are likely to see these two running up front again this weekend.

Although it is MXGP, the worlds premier motocross championship, and if we’ve learned anything over the years, it is that anything can happen. Ask Glenn Coldenhoff! If you don’t remember, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s young Dutchman was the winner of the MXGP of Latvia in 2015. It was a significant day for him last year where he took his first race win and landed on the top step of the box in the MXGP class for the first time in his career. This season, he’s been knocking on the door of the top five but it hasn’t quite opened. Maybe he’ll just bust it down and pull a win out of the bag just like he did last year?

While the spotlight is shining on the young guns, Gajser and Febvre, Desalle is quietly ticking away on the road to recovery. Since having his arm operated on after he broke it two weeks before the season opener, the MX Panda has been circulating at all the rounds so far in effort to bank some points, which in his mind could be crucial in the championship chase at the end of the season. He is right, there are still thirteen rounds left and he has already nailed a top five finish. There was a weekend off between the last round, in Mexico, and this round, so there’s a good chance Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s Clement Desalle could be the dark horse in the battle fore the top step.

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Max Nagl has drawn the consistency card and is betting on that. He knows better than anyone that ‘to finish first, first you have to finish’ and it is pretty much the only difference between he and the young blood, whereas they are prepared to lay everything on the line, Nagl has ‘been there done that’ and it hasn’t worked out for him the past. His speed is incredible, that was proven when he took his first race win of the season in Argentina, and that was without having to ride on the edge. There have only been three race winners in the MXGP class this year and the small statured German is one of them. Let’s see if he can add to that tally this weekend.

Team Suzuki World MXGP will have a full line-up this weekend with Ben Townley back in action after being struck by a mystery virus. He will rejoin his teammate Kevin Strijbos who was fourth overall here in Kegums last year.

2015 MXGP of Latvia MXGP Top 3

1. Glenn Coldenhoff

2. Gautier Paulin

3. Romain Febvre

MXGP Championship Top Ten: 1. Romain Febvre (FRA, YAM), 219 points; 2. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 216 p.; 3. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 171 p.; 4. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, HON), 170 p.; 5. Maximilian Nagl (GER, HUS), 165 p.; 6. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, YAM), 162 p.; 7. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, SUZ), 127 p.; 8. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), 122 p.; 9. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 104 p.; 10. Tommy Searle (GBR, KAW), 98 p.

Well. It’s kind of a no-brainer. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings will be near impossible to beat in the sand. As always, Jeffrey’s biggest rival is himself although he seems to be far more mature and settled this year.

When Herlings was sidelined with injury, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Max Anstie killed it around Kegums last year and went 1 – 1 for the overall. Max likes the sand, it’s no secret! In fact as a youngster he used to beat Herlings in the Dutch championship. Somehow Herlings knows something no one else does about riding sand, but if anyone is determine to find out, it’s probably Anstie.

Leading the rabid pack that follows Herlings week in, week out, is Team Suzuki World MX2’s Jeremy Seewer. The Swiss star has a lot of great people around him who know how to win races. So far he is soaking the advice up like a sponge and it is paying off as he sits second in the championship, 58 down on Herlings but 26 up on Pauls Jonass in third.

Speaking of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Pauls Jonass, he’ll be the star this weekend as the hometown hero. Jonass loves the track at Kegums and he should be on the pace. What we’ve come to learn from the Latvian is that he either gets a good result or he cartwheels so spectacularly that if he was a gymnast, he’d be an Olympic medalist. With that said, if he can stay out of trouble, he should be on the box for the thousands of fans that will rock out to support him.

For any aspiring rider, standing on the podium in the world championship is what they live and breathe for. The feeling is unbeatable and it is now something Monster Energy DRT Kawasaki’s Vsevelod Brylyakov is familiar with. Now that the young Russian has had a taste, he’s bound to be hungry for more and will be out to prove that he is not a one hit wonder.

Last but not least, Monster Energy Kawsaki Racing Team’s Dylan Ferrandis has recovered from his shoulder operation he had a couple of days after Thailand in early March and will be back on the grid this weekend ready to rip.

2015 MXGP of Latvia MX2 Top 3

1. Max Anstie

2. Pauls Jonass

3. Harri Kullas

MX2 Championship Top Ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 250 points; 2. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, SUZ), 192 p.; 3. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), 166 p.; 4. Aleksandr Tonkov (RUS, YAM), 163 p.; 5. Petar Petrov (BUL, KAW), 132 p.; 6. Benoit Paturel (FRA, YAM), 126 p.; 7. Vsevolod Brylyakov (RUS, KAW), 121 p.; 8. Samuele Bernardini (ITA, TM), 117 p.; 9. Alvin Östlund (SWE, YAM), 89 p.; 10. Max Anstie (GBR, HUS), 82 p.

Article: Youthstream