Motocross: Antonio Cairoli, Jeffrey Herlings Top Valkenswaard

| May 5, 2014
  Jeffrey Herlings won both MX2 motos at the Grand Prix of the Netherlands. Photography by Ray Archer KTM Images

Dutchman Jeffrey Herlings had little trouble winning the MX2 class on home soil. Photography by Ray Archer/KTM Images

VALKENSWAARD (The Netherlands), MAY 4 – It’s beginning to sound like a broken record as Red Bull KTM Factory Racings Antonio Cairoli and Jeffrey Herlings swept another round of the FIM Motocross World Championship, this time at the Grand Prix of the Netherlands (round 6) at Valkenswaard, May 4.

MXGP

Despite suffering a broken wheel in the first MXGP moto, Cairoli was able to hold on to finish third, keeping him in contention for the overall win. In the second moto, Cairoli blasted out of the gate to claim the Fox Holeshot Award, and the seven-time World Champion went on to win the moto and claim the overall win for the fifth straight time at the Valkenswaard Circuit.

Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jeremy Van Horebeek (2-3) put in a couple more solid performances to land himself on the second step of the podium for the second time this year.

“I was feeling good all weekend out there,” he said. “I got good starts and I just rode my own race, I could have gone faster but then I would have made too many mistakes, like I tried to push and make up some time on Kevin [Strijbos] in the last race, but then I made a big mistake so at that point I knew I was second on the podium today, so I just let him go.”

Rockstar Energy Suzuki World’s Kevin Strijbos managed to turn up the heat in the second race to put a nice pass on his countryman Van Horebeek for second. With a fifth in race one and a second in race two Strijbos rounded out the top three.

“I didn’t feel good in the first race, I made some changes to my set up and then I felt better in race two. I am just really happy to be on the podium today,” Strijbos said.

Rockstar Energy Suzuki World’s duo of Clement Desalle and Kevin Strijbos seemed to be stuck together like magnets this season. While Strijbos took home his second podium result this year, his teammate Clement Desalle rode two smart races for a trio of fourths (4-4 for fourth overall).

J-Race Racing’s Joel Roelants rode like a man on fire in race two to pass Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s Steven Frossard for fifth with two laps to go. After finally banking a top-five score, Roelants, who was eighth in race one, managed come home as the fourth Belgian inside the top five with fifth overall.

Race-one winner Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s Gautier Paulin had a gnarly crash on the opening lap of race two which has left him with a suspected broken collarbone.

Meanwhile two MXGP fan favorites made their awaited returns this weekend, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Ken De Dycker and CLS Kawasaki Monster Energy’s Tommy Searle. Both riders’ comebacks seemed a little pre-mature, but plaudits must be given to De Dycker for gritting his teeth and finishing the first race and half of the second race purely for the racing experience. Meanwhile Searle, at the last minute, opted out of a ‘pre-mature’ return withdrawing from both races after warm-up in the morning.

Of note, Husqvarna’s Tyla Rattray finished seventh in both motos for sixth overall.

MX2

Herlings was right in his element here on a track so close to home; he even went as far to say, “this track here in Valkenswaard is like my back garden.” After winning both races with ease, ‘The Bullet’ wrapped up his fifth Grand Prix win of the year and took back the coveted MX2 red plate.

One rider to stand out with two very impressive performances at the front of the pack was Wilvo Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Romain Febvre who put all those laps around his team’s home circuit of Lommel to good use. Looking very comfortable in the sand, Febvre rode in second for 99-percent of both races only to make a small fault with just yards to go, not once but twice. Despite the costly errors, Febvre kept the bike on two wheels on both occasions to come home with a bitter yet sweet pair of thirds for second overall and his best finish of the year.

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jordi Tixier was looking in great shape in race one when he wasted no time in slicing through the pack to take over third. Once in third, the determined young Frenchman rode a relentless race, chasing down and passing fellow Frenchman Febvre with one turn to go to take second place.

Unfortunately for him in race two, Tixier got off to a great start but fell under the pressure of his race-one nemesis Febvre. After failing to re-group, the best he could do was fifth, which was enough for third overall and his second consecutive podium finish this season.

Another impressive performance was turned in by Standing Construct KTM’s Swiss sensation Valentin Guillod. Guillod was riding an incredible pace in race one, but a bad start ruined what could have been a podium finish. Nonetheless, the MX2 rookie should be happy with his performance, taking a fourth and a seventh for fourth overall.

Coming into the race, CLS Kawasaki Monster Energy Arnaud Tonus, who was carrying the red plate up until now, was realistic in saying he didn’t really expect to beat Herlings in the sand but definitely felt he was more than capable of two times second. Despite a disappointing race one which saw him lay his bike down a couple of times and only bounce back for 12th, the stylish Swiss redeemed himself in race two with a spectacular pass on his teammate Dylan Ferrandis and Wilvo Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Romain Febvre on the last lap for second in race two and fifth overall.

RESULTS

May 4, 2014

Valkenswaard Circuit

Valkenswaard, The Netherlands

MXGP Race 1 top ten: 1. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Kawasaki), 34:53.781; 2. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Yamaha), +0:09.759; 3. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:18.371; 4. Clement Desalle (BEL, Suzuki), +0:30.792; 5. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), +0:32.695; 6. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Suzuki), +0:46.964; 7. Tyla Rattray (RSA, Husqvarna), +0:48.846; 8. Joel Roelants (BEL, Honda), +0:50.977; 9. Marc de Reuver (NED, Honda), +1:16.555; 10. Steven Frossard (FRA, Kawasaki), +1:17.789

MXGP Race 2 top ten: 1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 35:21.488; 2. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Suzuki), +0:10.683; 3. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Yamaha), +0:20.504; 4. Clement Desalle (BEL, Suzuki), +0:29.708; 5. Joel Roelants (BEL, Honda), +0:39.061; 6. Steven Frossard (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:40.778; 7. Tyla Rattray (RSA, Husqvarna), +0:43.793; 8. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), +0:48.536; 9. Xavier Boog (FRA, Honda), +1:13.651; 10. Matiss Karro (LAT, KTM), +1:16.979

MXGP Overall top ten: 1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 45 points; 2. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, YAM), 42 p.; 3. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, SUZ), 37 p.; 4. Clement Desalle (BEL, SUZ), 36 p.; 5. Joel Roelants (BEL, HON), 29 p.; 6. Tyla Rattray (RSA, HUS), 28 p.; 7. Steven Frossard (FRA, KAW), 26 p.; 8. Gautier Paulin (FRA, KAW), 25 p.; 9. Tanel Leok (EST, TM), 20 p.; 10. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, HON), 19 p.

MXGP World Championship Classification Top Ten: 1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 267 points; 2. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, YAM), 236 p.; 3. Clement Desalle (BEL, SUZ), 230 p.; 4. Gautier Paulin (FRA, KAW), 205 p.; 5. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, SUZ), 182 p.; 6. Maximilian Nagl (GER, HON), 166 p.; 7. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, HON), 114 p.; 8. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), 113 p.; 9. Joel Roelants (BEL, HON), 112 p.; 10. Xavier Boog (FRA, HON), 108 p.

MX2

MX2 Race 1 top ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 34:15.867; 2. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KTM), +1:07.713; 3. Romain Febvre (FRA, Husqvarna), +1:09.289; 4. Valentin Guillod (SUI, KTM), +1:22.228; 5. Aleksandr Tonkov (RUS, Husqvarna), +1:29.254; 6. Max Anstie (GBR, Yamaha), +1:30.486; 7. Julien Lieber (BEL, Suzuki), +1:39.265; 8. Dylan Ferrandis (FRA, Kawasaki), +1:43.269; 9. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +1:46.792; 10. Jose Butron (ESP, KTM), +1:48.963

MX2 Race 2 top ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 34:41.469; 2. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, Kawasaki), +0:45.837; 3. Romain Febvre (FRA, Husqvarna), +0:46.825; 4. Dylan Ferrandis (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:47.909; 5. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KTM), +1:08.651; 6. Jose Butron (ESP, KTM), +1:12.233; 7. Valentin Guillod (SUI, KTM), +1:12.785; 8. Aleksandr Tonkov (RUS, Husqvarna), +1:15.787; 9. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +1:22.671; 10. Julien Lieber (BEL, Suzuki), +1:28.894

MX2 Overall top ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 50 points; 2. Romain Febvre (FRA, HUS), 40 p.; 3. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KTM), 38 p.; 4. Valentin Guillod (SUI, KTM), 32 p.; 5. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, KAW), 31 p.; 6. Dylan Ferrandis (FRA, KAW), 31 p.; 7. Aleksandr Tonkov (RUS, HUS), 29 p.; 8. Jose Butron (ESP, KTM), 26 p.; 9. Julien Lieber (BEL, SUZ), 25 p.; 10. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 24 p.

MX2 World Championship Classification Top Ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 244 points; 2. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, KAW), 229 p.; 3. Romain Febvre (FRA, HUS), 198 p.; 4. Dylan Ferrandis (FRA, KAW), 185 p.; 5. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KTM), 185 p.; 6. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, SUZ), 176 p.; 7. Aleksandr Tonkov (RUS, HUS), 159 p.; 8. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 145 p.; 9. Valentin Guillod (SUI, KTM), 139 p.; 10. Jose Butron (ESP, KTM), 131 p.

 

By Freelance