Race One: Heavens opened in Portugal and it didn’t take long for the track to be basically under water. Even the very best riders in the world are struggling around the track. Brutal.
The opening stages when the track wasn’t quite as bad saw Jeffrey Herlings and Tim Gajser totally going for it at the front. Gajser pushed and made a move on Herlings and was looking good at the front. But there was drama, Prado was fourth but then crashed – he had to go to pitlane and was last.
Herlings was second but then heart break. His bike stopped and a DNF which is a nightmare for his championship hopes. Febvre wasn’t giving up and got the gap down to two seconds to Gajser but then made a couple of mistakes. On the final lap he made another one and Jonass ended up second – 43 seconds behind Gajser!
Prado ended up fifteenth – vital championship points! But it is Gajser who takes over the championship lead.
Complete chaos. If there are to be any second moto’s the track crew will have earned their money this weekend.
Race Two: Despite the conditions the second moto run and there was drama around the first corner! Gajser had the holeshot but then slid out around turn one and got hit from behind by Febvre who couldn’t do anything to avoid him. Prado then crashed on the first lap as well dropping behind Gajser!
Jeffrey Herlings was leading on the first lap and pulled away at the front from Jonass who had the GP victory in his hands ahead of Febvre who was third. Febvre started to close on the Latvian but then got stuck and went back to fourth with Toendel promoted to an amazing third on his Schmicker KTM.
Gajser made another mistake after the first corner crash which dropped him behind Prado – he lost his front mud guard and his seat got loose to make things even more difficult but he showed his fight by passing Prado and Ostlund to finish tenth with Prado in twelfth in the championship chase.
At the front, Herlings looked great and if it wasn’t for his bike letting him down in race one it could have been the GP win. Jonass brought home another second to claim his first MXGP overall win – he’s the first man to beat Prado to an overall GP win in 2024.
Gajser now has the red plate and has a fourteen championship point lead over Prado heading into round six heading to Lugo, Spain next weekend.
Race One:
Race Two:
Overall:
Updated championship standings:
