Jorge Prado was the star of the show in Spain all weekend and he didn’t disappoint with maybe his best performance on a 450 machine in his career.
This was total domination and a throwback to his 250 days. Last season Prado said he rarely pushed to 100%, we never really saw his real speed because he controlled the championship, but in 2024 Prado looks faster and stronger. He holeshot all three moto, but in the final moto, he had Gajser, Febvre and Herlings all right there and they couldn’t do anything with the Spaniard who sprinted away, without a wheel out of line and looking slower that his competition yet going faster. This was a performance reminiscent of a prime Stefan Everts, smooth as silk, supremely technical, and quite frankly unbeatable.
Prado has stepped it up this year. Maybe it’s coming in off his supercross experience, maybe it’s the motivation of wanting to beat Herlings and Gajser to prove he is the best – and the fastest, in what might be his final MXGP season. Whatever the reason, Jorge Prado was simply sublime all weekend in Spain, he didn’t seem to make a single mistake in any moto on a very technically demanding circuit with all the ruts. He was simply a joy to watch, he makes it look easy and his technique on the bike is perfection. That is how you are supposed to ride a motocross bike.
Prado being Prado, oozing technique and precision https://t.co/KliAGcO1Pd
— Gate Drop MX (@GateDropMx) March 23, 2024
Jorge Prado was so fast that even Gajser, Febvre and Herlings admitted they didn’t have his speed this weekend – and it’s very rare that a) all three of those riders aren’t fast enough to win at a GP and b) all three admit that Jorge was just too go for them (and Prado was sitting beside Gajser and Febvre in the press conference when they said it).
Tim Gajser didn’t risk it all to win even if he pushed hard to do just that, he took second and is in the hunt for the title as is Febvre who again made the podium. That bumped Jeffrey Herlings off third place but Herlings was on the pace of Gajser and Febvre this weekend, he was even the fastest guy on track with five minutes to go in race one as he chased Gajser but told us illness robbed his energy and he couldn’t find that pace in race two – but he still admitted Prado was the best guy this weekend regardless.
The biggest disappointment was for poor Maxime Renaux, who, despite his foot injury was fast in the qualifying race and the first moto – but the pain was too much for him and he didn’t take part in race two. Another elite star out in a rapidly depleting field and a huge blow to Yamaha who already lost Geerts at round one – but Vlaanderen stepped up this weekend, especially in moto two.
The GP itself is superb, the location, just outside Madrid and beside a huge shopping centre, meant Prado is promoting the sport to the masses and he was a bonfide superstar at this GP, fans waiting for him everywhere and chanting his name. The sport in Spain might be at an all time high, and maybe the next Jorge Prado has been introduced to his future career and new passion this weekend.
MX2 is insane. 6-8 riders all going at an intense pace but it was Kay de Wolf who had the pass of the day on Simon Laengenfelder who took his second GP win in a row – and it’s the deep sand of Riola next! De Wolf is exhilarating to watch and in the form of his life but, make no mistake, this is the fulfilment of his potential and exactly the level he is capable of. De Wolf has generational talent.
As does Lucas Coenen, who again showed flashes of incredible speed but starts meant he had to come through the field time and time again, but the Husky boys are in prime form.
Andrea Adamo finally showed his world champion speed in race two in an incredible turnaround from moto one – it was actually a bit shocking to see him reel in De Wolf after just a steady first moto. But this was the first time Adamo showed the speed he needs to have to defend his title and he was pumped when he crossed the line – it seemed like a big mental breakthrough.
Rider of the weekend in MX2 might have been Liam Everts, just 4 weeks after breaking his thumb, Liam looked like he hadn’t missed a beat – even after casing the big triple on Saturday – that must have hurt! Everts went second in timed qualifying then 3-4-6 in the races with a bad start in race three hampering his progress. The injury was a shame because with this pace Everts was and maybe still is a title contender, he’s still hanging in there with his performance in Spain, the dream isn’t over yet.
Simon Laengenfelder is smart. Good starts and a fast pace but no risks and two podiums, the German is putting himself in contention for the world title and is playing the long game brilliantly.
And yet, the best race of the day was WMX! Daniela Guillon and Lotte Van Drunen produced an epic race and a last lap battle for the overall win the Spaniard delivering the GP win after holding Lotte off on the final turn! The crown went absolutely nuts and the fans then followed her from the podium to her team truck to chant her name – what a feeling that must have been! Lotte is the next big thing, with a superb style and technique that allowed her to do the huge triple all race, much to the amazement of the crowd but Daniela wanted to win in Spain so badly she risked it all to start doing it too after seeing Lotte make time in front of her. Both riders were in a league of the own by such a distance they beat third place by 1 minute 23 seconds. An amazing duel and maybe a new level of speed in WMX.
It was also the EMX250 opener and a plethora of riders showed they could win races, Valin was fantastic on his first EMX250 race winning the second moto but Lata was smooth and did what he had to do for the overall and might be the next star for Italy. Karlis Reisulis was on for a podium until his bike expired with four turns to go in a heartbreaking moment after being brilliant all weekend. His brother Janis, just 15, was on the level of the top six speed and in that train of riders but needs a bit more experience – wins are certainly in his future this season, he took fourth overall.
Cas Valk was many people’s favourite to win and things started well until a crash in race one and terrible start in race two left him ninth overall. Maxime Grau was also rapid but but crashes meant his results did not in anyway match his speed. After a big injury last season Ivan Van Erp was back smoother but just as fast as he took third overall on a hard pack track not usually affiliated with Dutch riders but Van Erp is showing he can ride anything and be up front. The future is bright for MXGP with these guys coming through!
To highlight the versatility required for MXGP it’s the deep sand of Riola next on the back of the fast and unique circuit in Argentina, then the hard pack ruts of Spain, it’s why MXGP is the pinnacle for outdoor motocross, you have to be fast on all conditions all around the world.
Article: Jonathan McCready
Images: InFront Moto Racing
