Cairoli, Roczen Clinch MX GP Titles
Cycle News Staff | September 6, 2011
With still one round left on the calendar, Red Bull Teka KTM’s Antonio Cairoli and Ken Roczen both wrapped up the MX1 and MX2 World Championship, respectively, in Gaildorf, Germany. For Cairoli, it was his fifth FIM World Championship and the first for Roczen.
Cairoli officially clinched the MX1 Championship when his nearest rival in the class, Steven Frossard, had to pull out of the first moto after crashing. Cairoli took the overall win in Germany but did not come away with a moto win, those instead going to Honda’s Evgeny Bobryshev (moto 1) and Kawasaki’s Christophe Pourcel (moto 2). Bobryshev’s 1-8 netted him second overall, while Kawasaki’s Xavier Boog ended up third overall with a 2-6. Pourcel crashed out of moto one and finished the day off in eighth overall.
CLS Monster Energy Kawasaki Pro Circuit’s Tommy Searle collected his second GP victory of the season in the MX2 class with a 2-1, but it was Roczen officially clinching the MX2 title with a 1-3 for second overall.
Jeff Herlings, Roczen’s closest rival for the championship, went 5-2 for third overall.
At 17 years of age, Roczen is the youngest MX World Champion ever, and he gave his home country of Germany its first MX GP title in 40 years.
