Steve Cox | May 28, 2017
2017 French MX GP Results: Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Clement Desalle and Red Bull KTM’s Pauls Jonass came away winners of the MX GP of France at Ernee, but the big news was the early exit of defending MX GP World Champion and former points leader this season Tim Gajser, who withdrew from the event citing shoulder pain.
Desalle topped the qualifying race on Saturday, but a poor start limited him in the opening moto on Sunday, where he finished fourth behind a very game Max Nagl (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna), who led every lap of the opening moto. Behind Nagl came 8-time World Champion and points leader Antonio Cairoli (Red Bull KTM), Monster Energy Yamaha’s Jeremy Van Horebeek, and Desalle. Behind them came Cairoli’s MX GP rookie teammate Jeffrey Herlings, Nagl’s teammate Gautier Paulin (top Frenchman in the opening race), and then 2015 World Champion Romain Febvre.
2017 French MX GP Results
Cairoli got out front early in moto two, but Desalle jumped past the points leader on the opening lap before checking out for the win while Cairoli struggled. Cairoli eventually fell into Paulin’s (massive) hands, and Paulin passed the points leader to finish second in the moto and eventually third overall.
Thanks to his consistent finishes, and the withdrawal of Gajser from the event, Cairoli now holds a massive 50-point lead in the world championship.
2017 French MX GP Results
In the MX2 class, Red Bull KTM’s Pauls Jonass looks more and more unstoppable as the races wear on. In France, Jonass dominated moto one, but found himself to be the meat in a sandwich between leader Benoit Paturel and Jeremy Seewer in the second moto and was forced to settle for the runner-up spot.
2017 French MX GP Results
Australian Hunter Lawrence is starting to make a name for himself in MX2, and in Ernee he went 5-4 for fourth overall on his Suzuki and has moved up to ninth in the points standings. American Thomas Covington had a rough day in Ernee, suffering a poor start in the first moto and recovering for 11th. But in the second moto, Covington started even worse on his Rockstar Energy Husqvarna, rounding lap one in 24th place, but still managed to fight his way all the way up to seventh by the finish. He currently sits sixth in the points standings.
2017 French MX GP Results
MXGP
- Clement Desalle (Kaw) 4-1
- Antonio Cairoli (KTM) 2-3
- Gautier Paulin (Hus) 6-2
- Max Nagl (Hus) 1-9
- Jeremy Van Horebeek (Yam) 3-6
MX2
- Pauls Jonass (KTM) 1-2
- Benoit Paturel (Yam) 3-1
- Jeremy Seewer (Suz) 2-3
- Hunter Lawrence (Suz) 5-4
- Julien Lieber (KTM) 4-6
MXGP Points Standings
- Antonio Cairoli 347
- Gautier Paulin 297
- Clement Desalle 289
- Tim Gajser 261
- Jeremy Van Horebeek 261
MX2 Points Standings
- Pauls Jonass 372
- Jeremy Seewer 330
- Thomas Kjer Olsen 291
- Julien Lieber 282
- Benoit Paturel 265
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