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| 01.08.2010 |
Also back on top of his game was factory teammate Max Nagl of Germany, who put in some of his characteristic blitz starts out of the gate and finished with a second and third for overall second place on the podium.
Cairoli puts the KTM 350 SX-F through its paces in style
Cairoli of Italy, the reigning MX1 world champion has now well and truly put the new KTM 350 SX-F through its paces winning no less that 12 races so far this season on the superbly agile racing machine. The two race wins this weekend in Lommel were his fourth and fifth moto victories in succession. Tony is now leading with 79 points clear of Belgian Clement Desalle in the season's standings. While many competitors struggled with the deep and much pitted sand on the Lommel track, Cairoli flew over it with impressive ease and never looked threatened in either of the two motos. Obviously delighted with his victory after two difficult races, he leapt onto the podium enthusiastically waving an Italian flag.
Tony Cairoli: "It was a nice race. I like to ride in the sand and this is my favorite track. It's hard and rough and you have to be really technical. You also have to be very fit to win here. It proves my training is going well and my speed is good, also that my technical riding is good so I am pretty satisfied about the weekend and both wins here in Lommel."
Good weekend heralds Max Nagl's comeback
It was a very good weekend for Nagl, who was able to rest and heal a fractured collarbone during the mid season break in the race calendar and although he said he was very tired at the end of the second race, Max also sent a strong message to his rivals that he is well and truly back in the hunt for a top place in the final season's rankings.
Max Nagl: "I'm very happy to be on the podium this weekend and I never expected that. I had some problems yesterday because I couldn't find my rhythm and I wasn't fast enough. Things haven't been going so well for me and I was having a few negative thoughts but last night I had a good talk with Stefan (Everts) and today everything was different. I got two holeshots and that was very important for me. In the first heat I was able to follow Tony and I could see I had the speed. Then I had a crash in the last lap of the second heat because that was because I was very tired." Max is looking forward to Loket in the Czech Republic next weekend and said he hopes to make up some more points on third placed David Philippaerts. "I still have a chance of finishing third in the championships and I will try to do it," he said.
Rui Goncalves the factory team's Portuguese rider was able to add 29 points onto his tally for the season and rounded off his day with a sixth and a seventh place, which has been his best result so far as he works his way back to full fitness after shoulder surgery in the early part of the year.
Rui Goncalves: "It's my best results for the year so far so obviously I'm happy with that. I was able to focus on my training in the four week break and put in some hard work and that has paid off. I wasn't happy with my starts and that made things a bit complicated in the first laps but I was out there fighting hard and I put myself in a good position to be up front. Now I look forward to Loket and I will try to do the same there."
Riders compete next weekend in the Czech Republic at Loket on a had pack track.
MX1 GP Results
1 Tony Cairoli, Italy, KTM 25-25—50
2. Max Nagl, Germany, KTM, 22-20—42
3. Clement Desalle, Belgium, Suzuki, 20-18—38
4. David Philippaerts, Italy, Yamaha, 18-15—33
5. Tanel Leok, Estonia, Honda, 8-22—30
Other KTM
7. Rui Goncalves, Portugal, KTM, 15-14—29
MX1 Championship Standings
1. Tony Cairoli, Italy, KTM, 484
2. Clement Desalle, Belgium, Suzuki, 405
3. David Philippaerts, Italy, Yamaha, 364
4. Max Nagl, Germany, KTM, 348
Other KTM
14. Rui Goncalves, Portugal, KTM 1Red Bull KTM's Jeffrey Herlings second overall on tricky Lommel sand |
| A crash in the first MX2 moto when he was in a strong lead may have cost Red Bull KTM's Jeffrey Herlings to overall GP victory in the soft sand at Lommel in Belgium but the 15-year-old Dutchman made a fantastic comeback in the second moto to take the win with a big margin and secure second position overall in the GP. |
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Herlings obviously very much at home in the sand, took the early advantage in the first race when he slipped past factory teammate and championship leader Musquin after the French rider had snatched the holeshot. Jeffrey looked in great shape on the bumpy and treacherous course but in Lap 5 slid in the sand and his lead advantage slipped out of his grasp. Musquin then hit the front only to be overtaken by German rider Ken Roczen another seven laps .into the race.
Jeffrey on the charge in second moto
Clearly able to put any disappointment behind him, Jeffrey charged out of the gates in the second moto determined to make amends. Musquin took holeshot honors but Jeffrey needed little time to take control of the action, slipping over the corrugated and deeply rutted track on his 250 SX-F with apparent ease. He went on to deliver an impressive display of controlled riding on a track that pulled up many more experienced MX2 riders. Even though Herlings finished the second race ahead of Roczen with a dominant lead, his points tally for the day were still two short of his talented young German rival. Jeffrey is now fourth in the standings and is still well in the running for a top spot in the championship standings at the end of his first GP season.
Jeffrey Herlings: "On Saturday I had my ups and downs and crashed a few times but I managed to get second in the qualifying heat for second on the grid. Then on Sunday I put down a really good start in the first heat. I was second then I got past Marvin after about two laps. I was in the lead and I tried to make a gap but then I had a little slide. I stayed in third place and also finished third. It wasn't great but it also wasn't that bad. I knew it would be hard to win the overall but in the second heat I tried to be as strong as I could. It felt great to win the moto and to feel strong again. Now I'm only eight points behind Steven (Frossard) in the standings and hope to go to the Czech Republic next week and do well there also."
Marvin still owner of red plate
Musquin, MX2 title holder and riding his second year for KTM has been the dominant force and GP winner this season. Like all the Red Bull KTM factory team, he has put in many hours of training on the Belgian sand tracks and can be well satisfied with his day's ride that yielded a second and third place for 42 points, enough to give him the minor podium place. Marvin still has a firm grip on the coveted red plate as championship leader with a 78 points lead ahead of Roczen in the standings.
Marvin Musquin: "Today I finished second and third and in the second moto I could come back on Roczen towards the end of the race. I was not fast enough but for sure it is good for the championship even though I would like to have won. Next week in Loket the track will be hard pack - hard and slippery and that will be better for me. I would like to win there!"
Season's best for Shaun Simpson
Factory teammate Shaun Simpson also had his best ride so far this season finishing fifth and seventh with few signs of the fatigue that bothered him in GPs before the summer break. Shaun is fifth in the standings. Shaun admitted he had been struggling for the last GPs so he had taken a complete rest in the mid season break. "I did my best to come back in good shape for this GP," he said. "The qualifying race was pretty good and I had a good gate pick for the race. I felt pretty good in the first moto. I got a good start in the second and I was going well for the first 20 minutes but after that I got really tired. I was aiming for top five so I would have like to have done a bit better than overall seventh."
KTM now has a significant lead in the MX1 Manufacturer's Championship and is 103 points clear of second placed Suzuki.
MX2 GP Results
1 Ken Roczen, Germany, Suzuki, 25-22—47
2. Jeffrey Herlings, Netherlands, KTM, 20-25—45
3. Marvin Musquin, France, KTM, 22-20—42
4. Joel Roelants, Belgium, KTM, 18-16--34
5. Gautier Paulin, France, Yamaha, 14-18—32
Other KTM
7. Shaun Simpson, Britain, KTM, 16-14—30
MX2 Championship standings
1 Marvin Musquin, France, KTM, 480
2. Ken Roczen, Germany, Suzuki, 402
3. Steven Frossard, France, 379
4. Jeffrey Herlings, Netherlands, KTM, 371
5. Shaun Simpson, Britain, KTM, 298
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