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Race reflections: MXGP of Portugal

Race reflections: MXGP of Portugal

A good GP in Portugal took place on what was probably the best track of the year, especially on Saturday.

During the MXGP qualifying moto, with the track part dry and then part rutted, different riders had different strengths on each varied lap. Romain Febvre would catch both Cairoli and a Herlings on the slicker rutlesss sections of the track thanks to his excellent ability to turn on slick surfaces while Cairoli and Herlings excelled in the gnarly ruts that at one point was more like trials. It was a track that had a little bit of everything.

A curious decision to level the whole track before the main GP motos on Sunday meant the EMX2 and WMX races actually rode a tougher track than the GP men with the first MX2 race especially losing a bit of its edge due to the wide open nature of the circuit in its early laps. However by the second motos the track had developed well and proved a good test for the best riders in the world.

MX2 and MXGP seemed to have flip-flopped in recent weeks, with Pauls Jonass looking like to runaway leader now only 14 points ahead of teammate Jorge Prado, while Cairoli and Herlings who we’re tied on points just two GPs ago, now see four moto wins on the bounce for Herlings giving him a 16 point lead in the world championship.

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Pauls Jonass just couldn’t seem to a find a rhythm in Portugal and it is surprising that the man who did no wrong in the first three GPs now can’t seem to get things right to allow himself challenge for race win, even the KTM team didn’t seem to know what happened Jonass in the second moto. But Pauls is smart and still got fifth overall on what was a bad day.

Prado meanwhile is really hitting his stride to take two very impressive moto wins complete with two great starts. Even the confident Spaniard probably didn’t expect to be this close to Jonass so soon. It was only two GPs ago that the Spaniard admitted in the press conference how well Jonass was riding and that he was doing his best but wasn’t quite able to beat him – he hasn’t lost to him since!

Another interesting observation is the rise of the giants in MX2. Recently the smaller stature riders have been making a name for the themselves but Thomas Kjer Olsen, Ben Watson and Jed Beaton are showing that taller rides can still be very competitive in MX2- even in the starts when they have the right package underneath them. Beaton and Watson are really having breakthrough seasons – with Beaton let’s not forget only in his rookie year in the class!

Tony Cairoli got a black eye in moto one thanks to a wayward rock that smashed his goggles but it also could reflect the beating he has taken in the last four weeks thanks to Jeffrey Herlings. Even cutting over on Herlings in moto two didn’t work in Portugal, it just made Herlings mad and ride even faster!

Cairoli though will hold to the hope that he stayed with Herlings in the qualifying race and that the black eye and stall in moto one contributed to not being able to stay with the Dutchman in race two.

But 16 points behind means Cairoli is going to have to start winning again soon before Herlings gets too big of a lead and you sense tensions are beginning to brew between the rivals as the series begins to get serious.

Another good storyline was Mel Pocock coming away with with red plate six years after having it previously when he won the EMX250 championship in 2012. Pocock rode with experience on the tough track to combine two good starts with two good results. It has been an almost perfect start to the EMX250 championship and one that Pocock is now extremely capable of winning.

The series now heads to Russia and spectacular hard pack circuit that hopefully will stay dry this season!