MXGP: Who impressed in Argentina?
The fantastic track at Argentina is one of the best on the MXGP calendar and it produced some fantastic battles throughout the deep field. There were certainly some stand out performers during the third round.
It really was the perfect weekend for Tim Gajser winning the qualifying race and winning both the main moto’s to take fifty points and taking the championship lead. Gajser’s starts were fantastic as usual, he really has those nailed which are a massive help to the cause.
He was able to control from the front and was never really threatened. At times last year he made quite a lot of mistakes as he was on the limit. However, he was very smooth in Argentina at a track that was flat out so it looks like that is an area he has been working on. He now has the red plate heading into round four, he has won two world championship titles in the last two years so he knows how to get the job done. Can anyone stop him win his third world title on the bounce? There are sure to be plenty of twists and turns in the title race yet.
It was a superb weekend for Factory Yamaha rider, Jeremy Van Horebeek. The first two tracks on the calendar aren’t to the Belgians liking and you could tell by his riding this weekend he was out to prove a point.
‘JVH’ has always had a lovely style to watch but at times he lacks aggression and especially when it comes to overtaking but he certainly has always had the speed to run with the best. At Argentina Van Horebeek was very aggressive which was great to see, he had to pass his way to move up the order and passed some top riders in the process. A second overall result is his best GP in well over a year so it’s encouraging times for the Belgian. Van Horebeek feels like he is back to his best, “I’ve regrouped, together with the team we made some changes to the bike and I finally feel like I am back and I am me.”
It was a fantastic weekend for HRC Honda as Evgeny Bobryshev joined his team mate, Tim Gajser on the podium. It doesn’t get much better than having two riders on the podium.
The first race wasn’t unbelievable for the Russian crossing the line in fifth. However, the second moto was much better, he was in third until two laps to go and then made the move on Van Horebeek to finish a fantastic second to clinch third overall. The result is even more impressive because Bobryshev was ill as he explained, “I have been sick after Indonesia and I haven’t done any training as I have been in bed recovering. Because of this I really didn’t expect to come here and be on the podium.”
After a terrible few years for Gautier Paulin on the HRC Honda it’s a make or break year for the French rider. Good news for him as it looks like he is starting to gel with the ICE ONE Husqvarna. He ended up fourth and sixth in the moto’s just missing out on an overall podium but it was an encouraging weekend for him.
Moving forward, Paulin should be able to build on this performance and could get even better as he keeps adjusting and getting more comfortable on the Husqvarna. He could be one to watch when the series heads back to Europe as the tracks coming up should suit him.
It was a strange weekend for Antonio Cairoli as he crashed in both moto’s which is unlike him but he showed impressive speed getting through the deep field on both occasions. The one thing about the eight times world champion is that he never panics when he is buried down the pack. He just takes his time and works his way through the pack efficiently. A lot of riders panic when they get a terrible start and end up crashing so it is a brilliant quality to have.
Seventh overall on paper is not a good result on paper but under the circumstances he will be happy with his speed. They say you win the championship on your bad days and that could prove to be the case with Cairoli.
Pics: Youthstream
