Cycle News Staff | March 25, 2019
Antonio Cairoli and Thomas Kjer Olsen were the big winners in round two of the 2019 FIM Motocross World Championship at Matterley Basin, Great Britain, March 24. Cairoli (Red Bull KTM) went 1-2 in MXGP for the overall victory, while Olsen (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna) won both MX2 motos.
Cairoli Claimes 87 Career GP Victory At MXGP Of Great Britain
In Saturday’s MXGP qualifying, it was Gajser who stood at the top of the standings yet when the gate dropped for Sunday’s moto one, it was Cairoli who had the holeshot and the early lead. But it didn’t last for long.
Gajser quickly got around Cairoli for the lead and immediately started to gap for the former world champ. However, Gajser lead was only momentary, as well. The Slovenian swapped at speed and suffered a hard get-off. Surprisingly, Gasjer was unhurt in the fall, got back on his bent Honda and made his way up through the pack again, eventually finishing a fantastic third.
Cairoli went on to take the win ahead of Gautier Paulin (Yamaha).
Clement Desalle (Kawasaki) was fourth, and Jeremy Van Horebeek (Honda) rounded out the top five.
Moto two started much as it did in the first moto when Cairoli took the holeshot and Gajser took the lead, but this time Gajser’s gap was larger, and he didn’t crash.
Paulin was the third veteran who found himself at the front, but the rider in fourth was new Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing recruit Arminas Jasikonis, who had Jeremy Seewer (Yamaha) giving chase.
The top five however never changed positions during the race. Cairoli made a late charge in an attempt to catch Gajser, but it was too late, and the Slovenian claimed the race two win 1.7 seconds ahead of Cairoli and a massive 54 seconds ahead of Paulin in third.
The overall win went to Cairoli for his 87th time, while Gajser had to be satisfied with second overall.
Paulin’s 2-3 gave him third overall as Desalle took fourth and Van Horebeek placed fifth, leaving the top five riders shuffled but unchanged since Patagonia.
“It was a great weekend, and this track is for sure one of my favorites but, today it was very difficult to push from the begging,” said Cairoli, who revealed that he was dealing with a shoulder injury. “I couldn’t really push because I am stiff on my right shoulder and neck which gave me arm pump right away. Hopefully, I can be 100 percent again for the next race, but overall I’m really happy, of course for the championship everything is going well, and this is my goal.”
“Today was a special day for me, and I’m really happy to finish on the podium,” said Gajser. “The first race I had a good start I was behind Tony and managed to pass him quickly, made a little gap then I made a mistake…thankfully I could continue. I was really happy to win the second race, and I’m looking forward to next weekend. We can see that we are going in the right direction so we will continue pushing hard with the team and everybody I’m just happy that the pace and everything is finally back.”
Olsen Dominates MX2 At Matterley Basin
In MX2, Tom Vialle (Red Bull KTM) started race one with the holeshot. Vialle led but had pressure from Kjer Olsen and the UK’s Dylan Walsh (Husqvarna). Also in the thick of the racing was Ben Watson (Monster Energy Kemea Yamaha) and Henry Jacobi F&H Racing/Yamaha).
Watson, however, made an error dropping the bike early in the race, which in turn dropped him from fourth back to ninth.
By the second lap, Olsen took the top spot from Vialle, who then got passed by Jacobi as well.
Olsen’s lead then started to be chipped at by Jacobi, but Olsen kept his cool and held the spot through to take the checkered flag and his first race win this season.
Jacobi took second, followed by Vialle, Watson and Michele Cervellin (Yamaha).
Moto two saw Vialle nab the holeshot again. Vialle again had Walsh just behind along with Olsen, Jacobi, and Team HRC’s Calvin Vlaanderen.
Olsen took second away from Walsh before the first lap was complete, while 2018 EMX250 Champion Mathys Boisrame fought in the top five on his Honda RedMoto Assomotor CRF250.
A mistake by Jacobi allowed Vlaanderen to get past who then took third away from Walsh.
MXGP of Great Britain Video Highlights
Jacobi then recovered and found his form to get past Walsh, as well. Jacobi’s speed allowed him to catch the front-runners and Vialle, who dropped a spot to Vlaanderen. With less than two laps to go, Jacobi flew past Vialle which moved the German into third in the race and second overall.
Olsen’s dominant weekend continued by winning the second moto by 9.9 seconds over Vlaanderen.
In the overall, it was Olsen’s 1-1 taking first, Jacobi’s 2-3 taking second, and Vialle’s 3-4 third. It was Vialle’s first podium in his second ever MX2 race.
“It was amazing to go 1-1 for the first time, and it was even better when I was on the podium, and they gave me the red plate because I didn’t realize I would be leading the points,” Olsen said. “Overall I had a great weekend, I felt really good out on the track, I had great energy, and I felt really comfortable, we even made improvements every time I was out, so I was really happy with that and how the whole team is working.”
2019 FIM Motocross World Championship Series
Round 2
Matterley Basin
RESULTS: March 24, 2019
MXGP
MXGP Race 1 Top Ten: 1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 36:37.831; 2. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Yamaha), +0:01.956; 3. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:04.473; 4. Clement Desalle (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:24.293; 5. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Honda), +0:26.271; 6. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, Yamaha), +0:27.618; 7. Max Anstie (GBR, KTM), +0:45.107; 8. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Yamaha), +0:46.683; 9. Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, Husqvarna), +0:49.675; 10. Julien Lieber (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:56.271.
MXGP Race 2 Top Ten: 1. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), 36:01.717; 2. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:01.709; 3. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Yamaha), +0:54.204; 4. Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, Husqvarna), +0:57.637; 5. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Yamaha), +1:00.564; 6. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Honda), +1:05.984; 7. Clement Desalle (BEL, Kawasaki), +1:20.385; 8. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), +1:22.071; 9. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), +1:26.697; 10. Ivo Monticelli (ITA, KTM), +1:28.257.
MXGP Overall Top Ten: 1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 47 points; 2. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 45 p.; 3. Gautier Paulin (FRA, YAM), 42 p.; 4. Clement Desalle (BEL, KAW), 32 p.; 5. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, HON), 31 p.; 6. Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, HUS), 30 p.; 7. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 29 p.; 8. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 22 p.; 9. Max Anstie (GBR, KTM), 21 p.; 10. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), 17 p.
MX2
MXGP ChampionshipTop Ten: 1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 97 points; 2. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 89 p.; 3. Gautier Paulin (FRA, YAM), 74 p.; 4. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, HON), 66 p.; 5. Clement Desalle (BEL, KAW), 65 p.; 6. Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, HUS), 56 p.; 7. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 50 p.; 8. Max Anstie (GBR, KTM), 39 p.; 9. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), 39 p.; 10. Tommy Searle (GBR, KAW), 38 p.
MX2 Race 1 Top Ten: 1. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, Husqvarna), 35:01.449; 2. Henry Jacobi (GER, Kawasaki), +0:04.278; 3. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), +0:16.160; 4. Ben Watson (GBR, Yamaha), +0:28.500; 5. Michele Cervellin (ITA, Yamaha), +0:30.179; 6. Conrad Mewse (GBR, KTM), +0:35.271; 7. Davy Pootjes (NED, Husqvarna), +0:36.018; 8. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, Honda), +0:44.908; 9. Jed Beaton (AUS, Husqvarna), +0:50.189; 10. Dylan Walsh (NZL, Husqvarna), +0:54.010.
MX2 Race 2 Top Ten: 1. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, Husqvarna), 37:10.022; 2. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, Honda), +0:09.936; 3. Henry Jacobi (GER, Kawasaki), +0:16.035; 4. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), +0:16.935; 5. Ben Watson (GBR, Yamaha), +0:20.044; 6. Jago Geerts (BEL, Yamaha), +0:38.635; 7. Davy Pootjes (NED, Husqvarna), +0:43.577; 8. Mitchell Evans (AUS, Honda), +0:46.268; 9. Michele Cervellin (ITA, Yamaha), +0:54.765; 10. Dylan Walsh (NZL, Husqvarna), +0:59.920.
MX2 Overall Top Ten: 1. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 50 points; 2. Henry Jacobi (GER, KAW), 42 p.; 3. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), 38 p.; 4. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, HON), 35 p.; 5. Ben Watson (GBR, YAM), 34 p.; 6. Davy Pootjes (NED, HUS), 28 p.; 7. Michele Cervellin (ITA, YAM), 28 p.; 8. Dylan Walsh (NZL, HUS), 22 p.; 9. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 20 p.; 10. Jed Beaton (AUS, HUS), 20 p.
Click here for complete results.