Source: MXGP.

Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s Gautier Paulin has won the opening round of the 2014 FIM MXGP World Championship at the Losail Circuit in Qatar.

Paulin went 3-1 for the overall to edge out moto one winner Max Nagl (Team HRC Honda), who finished fourth in the second moto under lights at the Middle Eastern venue.

World champion Antonio Cairoli (Red Bull KTM) completed the MXGP podium with a consistent 2-3 effort, edging out Steven Frossard (Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team) and Jeremy Van Horebeek (Yamaha).

Australian Todd Waters bounced back from a qualifying crash to log 11th overall on debut in the GPs for Red Bull Ice One Racing Husqvarna, via 14-11 finishes. Waters’ teammate Tyle Rattray was ruled out with finger injury, returning to Europe for surgery immediately.

The MX2 round was won by Red Bull KTM’s Jeffrey Herlings, recovering from bad starts with a 2-1 moto scorecard. The opening moto was won by CLS Kawasaki Monster Energy’s Dylan Ferrandis, who ended up second overall after finishing sixth in moto two.

The podium was completed by Wilvo Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Romain Febvre, scoring his second Qatar podium in succession.

It was a night of heartbreak for Bike it Yamaha Cosworth’s Max Anstie when two amazing starts saw him storm off into the lead and pull away from the field.

With a lead in both motos of plus six seconds and at one moment more than 20 seconds ahead of the Dutch phenomenon Jeffrey Herlings, bike problems saw his first genuine shot at a GP victory slide right through his fingers.

KEMEA Yamaha’s Luke Styke exited the opening MX2 moto at the midway point, a troublesome viral infection prematurely ending the Australian champion’s grand prix debut.

Australia’s Meghan Rutledge took a memorable double moto victory in the opening round of the Women’s Motocross World Championship for Kawasaki, topping Natalie Kane and Livia Lancelot in a convincing performance.

2014 MXGP World Championship
Round one – Losail Circuit, Qatar

MXGP overall results and championship standings (after round one):
1. Gautier Paulin 45
2. Max Nagl 43
3. Antonio Cairoli 42
4. Steven Frossard 40
5. Jeremy Van Horebeek 39
6. Tommy Searle 32
7. Clement Desalle 27
8. Kevin Strijbos 27
9. Evgeny Bobreshev 25
10. Joel Roelants 22
11. Todd Waters (AUS) 17

MX2 overall results and championship standings (after round one):
1. Jeffrey Herlings 47
2. Dylan Ferrandis 40
3. Romain Febvre 34
4. Arnaud Tonus 33
5. Aleksandr Tokov 31
6. Jose Butron 31
7. Glenn Coldenhoff 29
8. Jordi Tixier 28
9. Tim Gajser 24
10. Christophe Charlier 21

WMX overall results and championship standings (after round one):
1. Meghan Rutledge 50
2. Natalie Kane 42
3. Livia Lancelot 36
4. Stephanie Laier 34
5. Nancy Van De Ven 34
6. Chiara Fontanesi 33
7. Larissa Papenmeier 29
8. Francesca Nocera 28
9. Marianne Veenstra 22
10. Justine Charroux 21

Click here for detailed results