Report and results: Riola Sardo MXGP
Calvin Vlaanderen take a bow. Three wins out of three in hottest and roughest race of the year to win your first ever MXGP – on a non-factory Gebben Yamaha!
This was the stuff of dreams as Vlaanderen caught and passed a fading Prado and then leader Gajser in the last five minutes of race one to take the opening moto win.
Race two and Vlaanderen passed Jonass then leader Prado by the halfway to cruise to the second moto victory in style with amazing momentum to turn his dream into reality and one of the biggest stories in MXGP in terms of unexpected winners and it was fully deserved!
Jorge Prado rode very strong in the brutal heat and bumps, a scenario not ideal after no riding in three weeks after a dislocated shoulder to take second overall after Tim Gajser had his first bad moto of the season.
The Honda rider who looked unnuaslly exhausted after race one with rumours of illness, had a bad start and crash in race two that resulted in 12th in the second moto and he didn’t even had the energy to lift his red plate on the podum – but he still has big lead in the championship!
That left the door open for a podium place and it was Glenn Coldenhoff who delivered with a seocnd place in race two after a tough eighth in race one after getting caught in the first lap crash of Maxime Renaux.
An overjoyed and tearful Vlaanderen said of his win in the toughest motorcycle class on the planet: “It’s unbelievable, I’ve no words – I’m speechless. I want to say a big thanks to my family they’ve always been there for me and my team have given me everything these last two years. I’m going to get drunk tonight.” This is years of hard work, this is my dream.
| MXGP – GP Classification |
| 1. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, YAM), 50 points; 2. Jorge Prado (ESP, GAS), 40 p.; 3. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, YAM), 35 p.; 4. Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 33 p.; 5. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 33 p.; 6. Brian Bogers (NED, HUS), 32 p.; 7. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 31 p.; 8. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, GAS), 23 p.; 9. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, BET), 23 p.; 10. Pauls Jonass (LAT, HUS), 23 p.; 11. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, HON), 19 p.; 12. Alberto Forato (ITA, GAS), 17 p.; 13. Alvin Östlund (SWE, YAM), 17 p.; 14. Brent Van doninck (BEL, YAM), 15 p.; 15. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KTM), 13 p.; 16. Henry Jacobi (GER, HON), 10 p.; 17. Christophe Charlier (FRA, YAM), 8 p.; 18. Ben Watson (GBR, KAW), 7 p.; 19. Hardi Roosiorg (EST, KTM), 5 p.; 20. Miro Sihvonen (FIN, HON), 5 p.; 21. Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, YAM), 3 p.; 22. Mitchell Evans (AUS, HON), 0 p.; |
| MXGP – World Championship Classification |
| 1. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 367 points; 2. Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 288 p.; 3. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 264 p.; 4. Jorge Prado (ESP, GAS), 260 p.; 5. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, YAM), 234 p.; 6. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, HON), 213 p.; 7. Brian Bogers (NED, HUS), 205 p.; 8. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, BET), 189 p.; 9. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, YAM), 178 p.; 10. Pauls Jonass (LAT, HUS), 172 p.; 11. Alberto Forato (ITA, GAS), 149 p.; 12. Ben Watson (GBR, KAW), 137 p.; 13. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KTM), 118 p.; 14. Mitchell Evans (AUS, HON), 114 p.; 15. Henry Jacobi (GER, HON), 103 p.; 16. Brent Van doninck (BEL, YAM), 95 p.; 17. Jed Beaton (AUS, KAW), 82 p.; 18. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, KTM), 73 p.; 19. Alvin Östlund (SWE, YAM), 56 p.; 20. Tom Koch (GER, KTM), 41 p.; |
MX2 was an unbelievable riding clinic from Jago Geerts and Tom Vialle. Geerts won race one after Vialle, who stalked him all moto after making quick passes to get into second, crashed on the last lap with a pass on his mind!
In race two it was roles reversed with Vialle taking the holeshot and Geerts pushing hard early to get onto the wheel of Vialle. An overall and important world title points at stake, the fastest two 250 riders and the world set and intense pace again and, despite getting close numerous times and never being more than a 1.5 seconds apart, Geerts could not find a way by Vialle with Frenchman taking the overall win on a tie-break and maintaining a six point deficit in the championship.
Vialle said: “I’m so happy! It was so tough today. Jago was pushing all the moto. I want to thank the team because the bike is working amazing. It was really a great victory.”
Geerts: “For sure it was a pretty good day. Battling all moto with Tom was tough, I couldn’t really find a spot to pass.”
Thibault Benistant took an impressive third overall and for a few laps in race two was on the pace of Vialle and Geerts but ultimately dropped off in the heat and settled for third and his first podium since his injury.
A nod to Liam Everts who still took ninth overall despite going down on the first lap of both motos and coming from dead last both times out!
| MX2 – GP Classification |
| 1. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), 47 points; 2. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 47 p.; 3. Thibault Benistant (FRA, YAM), 40 p.; 4. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, KAW), 34 p.; 5. Andrea Adamo (ITA, GAS), 29 p.; 6. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, GAS), 29 p.; 7. Isak Gifting (SWE, KTM), 28 p.; 8. Mikkel Haarup (DEN, KAW), 28 p.; 9. Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), 24 p.; 10. Bastian Boegh Damm (DEN, KTM), 21 p.; 11. Kevin Brumann (SUI, YAM), 21 p.; 12. Stephen Rubini (FRA, HON), 17 p.; 13. Hakon Fredriksen (NOR, HON), 13 p.; 14. Jan Pancar (SLO, KTM), 12 p.; 15. Jakub Teresak (CZE, KTM), 12 p.; 16. Kay Karssemakers (NED, KTM), 12 p.; 17. Filip Olsson (SWE, HUS), 7 p.; 18. Petr Polak (CZE, HON), 7 p.; 19. Joel Rizzi (GBR, YAM), 6 p.; 20. Valerio Lata (ITA, KTM), 6 p.; 21. Conrad Mewse (GBR, KTM), 2 p.; |
| MX2 – World Championship Classification |
| 1. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 338 points; 2. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), 332 p.; 3. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, GAS), 245 p.; 4. Mikkel Haarup (DEN, KAW), 239 p.; 5. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, KAW), 233 p.; 6. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 211 p.; 7. Andrea Adamo (ITA, GAS), 198 p.; 8. Isak Gifting (SWE, KTM), 193 p.; 9. Stephen Rubini (FRA, HON), 175 p.; 10. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, GAS), 172 p.; 11. Thibault Benistant (FRA, YAM), 153 p.; 12. Hakon Fredriksen (NOR, HON), 125 p.; 13. Conrad Mewse (GBR, KTM), 113 p.; 14. Jeremy Sydow (GER, HUS), 88 p.; 15. Jan Pancar (SLO, KTM), 87 p.; 16. Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), 83 p.; 17. Kevin Brumann (SUI, YAM), 72 p.; 18. Roan Van De Moosdijk (NED, HUS), 55 p.; 19. Kay Karssemakers (NED, KTM), 44 p.; 20. Petr Polak (CZE, HON), 44 p |
Report: Jonathan McCready
Image: InFront Moto Racing
