Cycle News Staff | October 8, 2020
The Mantova Circuit in Mantova, Italy, hosted three rounds of the 2020 FIM Motocross World Championship, starting September 27 with the MXGP of Lombardia, followed by a mid-week (Wednesday) race, September 30, with the MXGP of Citta di Mantova, and concluded October 4 with the MXGP of Europe. After all was said and done, Honda HRC’s Tim Gajser stretched out his championship lead, which he took away from Antonio Cairoli (KTM) at the MXGP of Lombardia. Since then, Gajser has been creeping away from his competitors in the championship.
Gajser took fourth overall on Wednesday but did get a moto win. The Slovakian followed that up a few days later with his first overall victory of the season at the MXGP of Europe, where he went 2-1.
Gajser, however, can hardly relax. Even though he’s creeping ahead in the championship, he’s only 11 points ahead of rival Antonio Cairoli (Red Bull KTM) who went 5-1 at the most recent MXGP of Europe.
Jeremy Seewer, the Swiss Yamaha rider who captured his first career win in the MXGP class at the MXGP of Lombardia last Sunday, is third in the championship. He trails Cairoli by 19 points and is 28 points clear of fourth place Jorge Prado (Red Bull KTM) of Spain and Glenn Coldenhoff (GasGas) of The Netherlands, who are tied in points.
Next in the MXGP Championship is Kawasaki’s Romain Febvre who claimed the overall win on Wednesday, but the Frenchman currently trails the two riders (Prado and Coldenhoff) ahead of him by 37 points.
“It’s an amazing feeling to be back on the top step of the podium,” Gajser said after his overall win at the MXGP of Europe. “I’ve won many heats this year but never an overall, so I’m super happy to have been able to have done that at this round in Mantova.”
In MX2, Belgian Jago Geerts finally got back to his winning ways at the MXGP of Europe after struggling with his consistency at the previous two Mantova races. Geerts (Yamaha) traded moto wins with Tom Vialle (KTM) but was credited with the overall win for winning the second tie-breaking moto. Vialle and Geerts, who are battling each other at the top of the championship leaderboard, matched points on the day, which means Vialle continues to lead Geerts by a comfortable 46 points.
Third in the championship is Australian Jed Beaton, but the Husqvarna rider trails Geerts by 84 points. French rider Maxime Renaux (Yamaha) is fourth, just seven points behind Beaton. Denmark’s Thomas Kjer Olson (Husqvarna), winner of Wednesday’s GP, is fifth in the championship, 30 points behind Renaux.
MXGP Overall Results
- Tim Gajser (Hon)
- Antonio Cairoli (KTM)
- Glenn Coldenhoff (GG)
- Jeremy Seewer (Yam)
- Mitchell Evans (Hon)
- Romain Febvre (Kaw)
- Gautier Paulin (Yam)
- Celment Desalle (Kaw)
- Jorge Prado (KTM)
- Brian Bogers (KTM)
MX2
- Jago Geerts (Yam)
- Tom Vialle (KTM)
- Thomas Kjer Olsen (Hus)
- Ben Watson (Yam)
- Conrad Mewse (KTM)
- Jed Beaton (Hus)
- Alberto Forato (Hus)
- Ruben Fernandez (Yam)
- Kevin Horgmo (KTM)
- Mathys Boisrame (Kaw)
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