Who impressed: MXGP class Ottobiano
Tony Cairoli: The defending champ needed 50 points this weekend and he got them despite a couple of crashes along the way! Cairoli showed though that when he needed the speed he could use it, as he did in moto two tonget back into the lead before going back to controlling the race. It was a Cairoli performance going back to his dominating years, he did what he had to do and took as little risk as possible, only raising his pace when he needed to.
Cairoli Pic: Ray Archer
It shows just how hard Cairoli has to ride when Herlings is there and how much he has always had left in the tank when he isn’t – he just can’t ride at 90% if he wants to beat the Dutchman. It proves how good Cairoli is riding this year too, when you take Herlings out of the picture, it’s still Cairoli doing what he has always done to the rest of the competition.
Max Anstie: Finally a podium! It was been a very tough year for Max Anstie ever since his injury in Spain nothing seems to have went right. Even when the riding was there the starts haven’t been, however in a Ottobiano it all came together. The style, the speed and the starts were all there, this was the Anstie everyone expected and it was great to see Max get back on the box.
Anstie Pic: Juan Pablo Acevedo
His celebration showed just how much this season has been frustrating him and how much this podium meant to him. Putting in the work and not getting the results you want is very frustrating for these guys. But Max has shown he is still more than capable of getting the job done and hopefully this will be the boost he need to keep that good form going for the rest of the year.
Anstie commented: “It’s awesome to be back up here on the podium. It has been such a difficult start to the season with things seemingly going from bad to worse. I felt so strong at the beginning of the year, especially after finishing 2017 on a high, so it’s great to get a finish like this and to be battling on track with the other top guys. It’s going to be another tough race in two weeks’ time in Indonesia so hopefully I can get a similar result there.”
Gajser looked great in the sand. Pic: MXGP
Tim Gajser: The second moto might have been been one of Tim’s best rides this season. He looked aggressive and really pushed to keep Cairoli behind him even though it was in the sand. Gajser is really gaining momentum back and that aggression shows that he is getting more and more comfortable and pushing to his limit again. He could well be going for the wins in Indonesia with a weekend off to get even stronger. The HRC Honda man is now up to sixth in points and third place in the championship isn’t out of reach.
Jeremy Seewer: The rookie continues to get better and better this season and was very impressive in the sand and heat at Ottobiano. Sixth overall, up front all weekend including leading laps in the qualifier and passing factory Yamaha man Jeremy Van Horebeek on Sunday, Seewer is proving the real deal on a 450. His smooth and precise style seemed to help navigate the teacherious cirucuit and Seewer establishes himself as one of leading contender in a very stacked class.
Seewer. Pic: MXGP
Kevin Stijbos: Kevin Strijbos has really came back into the spotlight in the last two rounds as he begins to show his speed following niggling injuries all year long. Strijbos showed the talent is still there when he gets a start by leading a few laps in race two and ending with a seventh place in the heat for tenth overall. Standing Construct KTM have had a good last couple of GPs and it’s nice to see a guy like Strijbos still put in good performances despite rumours this may be his last GP season – but maybe not if he keeps riding like that!
Strijbos showed he still had the raw speed. Pic: YS
