While Jorge Prado rode the perfect race out front and was impervious to the pressure from Jeffrey Herlings and then Tim Gajser in moto two in Germany , both Herlings and Gajser ended their race frustrated with backmarkers and wondering what could have been after keeping Prado within reach for most of the moto until the last few laps when they felt backmarkers impeded their progress.
Gajser, who said he had arm pump in race one that saw him in “survival” mode for third, said of the second moto: “I was behind Jorge and Jeffrey, we had a really good pace. I managed to make the pass on Jeffrey towards the end and go for Jorge, but also the lappers are not easy to overtake them because they have their own battle as well so I had to settle for second.
Herlings said: “The lapped riders, obviously they are in a battle of their own but we are in a battle for the podium and win. Twice I was unlucky, when Tim passed me he was lucky with the lap rider and I couldn’t get passed him and I it was like five seconds I lost that lap. Then, the last lap, I was on the wheel of Tim and there were two lapped guys in a battle and they didn’t let me passed (Bonacorsi and Gilbert). Anyway, 2-3, third on the day so it’s not that bad, I went home from here towards the hospital a couple of times so now I go home safe, it is still a long season, proud of the day.”
Gajser is just two points behind Prado in the championship but Herlings is 66 behind the Spaniard as the championship nears the halfway point.
