Cycle News Staff | April 7, 2019
Tim Gajser and Toni Cairoli thrilled the crowd with an exciting battle in the second MXGP moto that would determine the overall winner of the MXGP of Trentino in Italy, April 7.
Gajser Wins MXGP of Trentino 2019
It all started in the first MXGP moto when Cairoli (Red Bull KTM) snatched the early lead with Gajser in fifth.
The Slovenian, Gajser, then went to work and slowly clawed and scratched his way up into second, and then the Honda HRC Team rider set his sights on Cairoli. Gajser hounded the MXGP points leader, Cairoli, until he made a slight mistake, and Gajser rode past him.
With three laps remaining, Cairoli tried to retaliate but couldn’t make a pass stick.
The win went to Gasjer, followed by Cairoli, Gautier Paulin (Yamaha), Arnaud Tonus (Yamaha) and Italian Ivo Monticelli (KTM).
In the deciding second moto, Gajser shot into the early lead, but Cairoli was right behind him.
Cairoli pressured Gajser into making a mistake on the ninth lap and swooped by the Honda rider and into the lead, but with the overall victory on the line, Gajser stayed right with the new leader for the next five laps.
Then Cairoli bobbled and Gajser moved back into the lead setting the stage for a late-race shootout for the overall win between the two former MXGP champs. With two laps to go, Cairoli forced his way around Gajser for the lead much to the delight of the partisan crowd. But, as the two racers pushed each other to their limits, Cairoli made a couple of mistakes, one of them putting him to the ground, which allowed Gajser to cruise home for the moto win and the overall victory.
MXGP Moto 2 Thriller
Cairoli got up in time to salvage second and second overall for the day.
Paulin finished third again, ahead of Tonus and Lithuanian rider Arminas Jasikonis (Husqvarna). Monticelli, fifth in the first moto, was sixth this time out.
In the day’s overall rankings, Gajser took his first win since 2017, and Cairoli was second, followed by Paulin, Tonus and Monticelli. Jasikonis was sixth overall.
Cairoli is still atop the leaderboard with 191 points, followed by Gajser with 175 and Paulin with 142.
“It is just unbelievable and it is my first win in more than a year,” Gasjer said. “Today we had two great races with Tony battling, we were both pushing. We were both riding so fast, but I think the fans gave me that extra boost I needed to take this victory. Every lap I could hear them and it was amazing to win in front of them, just to repay them for their energy that they gave me.”
“The level was very, very high, we were on the limit every lap, pushing and pushing,” Cairoli said. “I did my best lap time in the race faster than the time practice even with the track rougher, so it’s not often that you have this. I was trying to win the GP, but Tim was better this time, and he won so congratulations to him.”
Prado Sweeps MX2 At MXGP Of Trentino
In MX2, Red Bull KTM’s Jorge Prado won both motos handedly. The Spaniard nailed the holeshot in both motos and ran off with the wins both times uncontested. It was a profitable victory for Prado who grabbed a big chunk of points on series leader Thomas Kjer Olsen (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna), who had a tough day at the Circuit of Arco di Trento. The Dutch rider went 5-4 on the day for fifth overall and saw his points lead shrink to 20 over Prado, 170-150.
Second overall was Belgian Jago Geerts (Yamaha) who went 2-2 on the day.
Frenchman Tom Vialle (KTM) was third overall despite slipping to sixth in the second moto after getting off to a promising start. He went 3-6.
Henry Jacobi (Kawasaki), third in championship points, was sixth overall with a 4-5.
MXGP Of Trentino Video Highlights
2019 FIM Motocross World Championship (Round 4)
MXGP of Trentino
Trentino, Italy
RESULTS: April 7, 2019
MXGP RESULTS
MXGP Race 1 Top Ten: 1. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), 34:13.822; 2. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:01.081; 3. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Yamaha), +0:53.919; 4. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, Yamaha), +1:00.314; 5. Ivo Monticelli (ITA, KTM), +1:03.786; 6. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, Kawasaki), +1:05.635; 7. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), +1:06.887; 8. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Yamaha), +1:07.631; 9. Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, Husqvarna), +1:13.322; 10. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Honda), +1:20.698.
MXGP Race 2 Top Ten: 1. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), 34:11.454; 2. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:24.305; 3. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Yamaha), +0:53.333; 4. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, Yamaha), +0:57.384; 5. Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, Husqvarna), +0:58.712; 6. Ivo Monticelli (ITA, KTM), +1:18.314; 7. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), +1:18.657; 8. Tommy Searle (GBR, Kawasaki), +1:25.075; 9. Brian Bogers (NED, Honda), +1:31.843; 10. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, Kawasaki), +1:36.522.
MXGP Overall Top Ten: 1. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 50 points; 2. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 44 p.; 3. Gautier Paulin (FRA, YAM), 40 p.; 4. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, YAM), 36 p.; 5. Ivo Monticelli (ITA, KTM), 31 p.; 6. Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, HUS), 28 p.; 7. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, KAW), 26 p.; 8. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), 24 p.; 9. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 21 p.; 10. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 20 p.
MXGP Championship Top Ten: 1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 191 points; 2. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 175 p.; 3. Gautier Paulin (FRA, YAM), 142 p.; 4. Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, HUS), 120 p.; 5. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, HON), 113 p.; 6. Clement Desalle (BEL, KAW), 112 p.; 7. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 98 p.; 8. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), 88 p.; 9. Julien Lieber (BEL, KAW), 79 p.; 10. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, YAM), 71 p.
MX2 RESULTS
MX2 Race 1 Top Ten: 1. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 35:17.013; 2. Jago Geerts (BEL, Yamaha), +0:12.125; 3. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), +0:14.130; 4. Henry Jacobi (GER, Kawasaki), +0:31.658; 5. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, Husqvarna), +0:33.302; 6. Mitchell Evans (AUS, Honda), +0:38.284; 7. Ben Watson (GBR, Yamaha), +0:39.054; 8. Adam Sterry (GBR, Kawasaki), +0:44.903; 9. Michele Cervellin (ITA, Yamaha), +0:47.005; 10. Bas Vaessen (NED, KTM), +0:50.563.
MX2 Race 2 Top Ten:1. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 34:49.733; 2. Jago Geerts (BEL, Yamaha), +0:02.862; 3. Ben Watson (GBR, Yamaha), +0:06.293; 4. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, Husqvarna), +0:09.387; 5. Henry Jacobi (GER, Kawasaki), +0:19.496; 6. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), +0:21.773; 7. Mitchell Evans (AUS, Honda), +0:33.318; 8. Adam Sterry (GBR, Kawasaki), +0:37.485; 9. Brent Van doninck (BEL, Honda), +0:38.333; 10. Davy Pootjes (NED, Husqvarna), +0:47.400.
MX2 Overall Top Ten: 1. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 50 points; 2. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 44 p.; 3. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), 35 p.; 4. Ben Watson (GBR, YAM), 34 p.; 5. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 34 p.; 6. Henry Jacobi (GER, KAW), 34 p.; 7. Mitchell Evans (AUS, HON), 29 p.; 8. Adam Sterry (GBR, KAW), 26 p.; 9. Bas Vaessen (NED, KTM), 21 p.; 10. Michele Cervellin (ITA, YAM), 21 p.
MX2 Championship Top Ten: 1. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 170 points; 2. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 150 p.; 3. Henry Jacobi (GER, KAW), 147 p.; 4. Ben Watson (GBR, YAM), 129 p.; 5. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 125 p.; 6. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), 121 p.; 7. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, HON), 107 p.; 8. Mitchell Evans (AUS, HON), 89 p.; 9. Adam Sterry (GBR, KAW), 89 p.; 10. Davy Pootjes (NED, HUS), 76 p.