Loket in the Czech Republic saw a new chapter written into World Motocross Championship history, with the resounding title win of MX2 frontrunner Jeffrey Herlings dominating the day's proceedings.
Loket in the Czech Republic saw a new chapter written into World Motocross Championship history, with the resounding title win of MX2 frontrunner Jeffrey Herlings dominating the day’s proceedings.
In the MX1 ranks it was the Rockstar Energy Suzuki mount of Clement Desalle who took both race wins and the overall grand prix victory, the Belgian rider clawing back crucial points on Italian Antonio Cairoli who went 4-7 for the day.
Heavy rain showers hovered above the circuit for the middle of the MX1 race but there was little anyone could do to slow Desalle who won the opening 21-lap race by 17.258 seconds before consolidating for a clear victory of over 10 second to round to the event.
Second for the grand prix went to Kevin Strijbos, with the Belgian Suzuki rider taking second in the opening race and backing it up with a fourth place.
Honda’s Evgeny Bobryshev rounded out the grand prix podium by virtue of fifth and third-place finishes, a solid result considering his recent battle with injury.
Points leader Cairoli was disappointed with fifth overall after troubles in both races. In the first race the Red Bull KTM Factory man stalled his bike on the opening lap, and had to fight his way back to fourth.
Cairoli dropped as far back as 15th when he and Jeremy van Horebeek came together in a battle for second in race two.
Desalle’s win sees him close to within 90 points of Cairoli, with Ken de Dycker a further 39 points in arrears.
The central focus of the Czech GP was on Herlings’ herculean effort to secure a second World Championship win in succession.
The teenage rider dominated both races, stretching his unbeaten run in 2013, and amassed an unassailable lead in the MX2 class to wrap up the title with three rounds still to run.
Two titles and 30 overall victories have cemented Red Bull KTM Factory’s Herlings as the best-ever Dutch rider, and he is determined to race out the full season without losing a grand prix.
Monster Energy Yamaha’s Christophe Charlier went 4-2 to claim second overall for the grand prix from J-Tech ESTA Motorsports Racing’s who secured his maiden podium placing in the category with 3-4 results.
Dean Ferris finished in 11th on his first visit to Loket, left to rue slow starts from two difficult positions on the gate.
Ferish went 15-9, with the opening race result soured by a crash in the early stages.
Despite the result, the Aussie retains sixth place on the MX2-GP table and is still in touch with the top five riders as the season enters its final phase.
MX1 overall results:
1. Clement Desalle 50
2. Kevin Strijobs 40
3. Evgeny Bobryshev 36
4. Ken de Dycker 35
5. Antonio Cairoli 32
6. Tommy Searles 29
7. David Philappaerts 26
8. Jeremy van Horebeek 24
9. Shaun Simpson 24
10. Tanel Leok 24
MX1 championship standings (after 14 of 17 rounds):
1. Antonio Cairoli 643
2. Clement Desalle 553
3. Ken de Dycker 514
4. Gautier Paulin 465
5. Kevin Strijbos 437
6. Tommy Searle 404
7. Jeremy van Horebeek 351
8. Maximillian Nagl 314
9. David Philippaerts 245
10. Evgeny Bobryshev 238
MX2 overall results:
1. Jeffrey Herlings 50
2. Christophe Charlier 40
3. Aleksandr Tonkov 38
4. Alessandro Lupino 35
5. Jordi Tixier 32
6. Dylan Ferrandis 28
7. Jake Nicholls 27
8. Petar Petrov 24
9. Jose Butron 20
10. Romain Febvre 19
11. Dean Ferris (Aus) 18
MX2 championship standings (after 14 of 17 rounds):
1. Jeffrey Herlings 692
2. Jordi Tixier 515
3. Jose Butron 436
4. Christophe Charlier 405
5. Glen Coldenhoff 377
6. Dean Ferris 359
7. Jake Nicholls 345
8. Alessandro Lupino 294
9. Max Anstie 282
10. Petar Petrov 262