Cycle News Staff | October 1, 2018
It was fitting that the two riders who had already clinched titles in their respective classes would finish out the 2018 FIM Motocross World Championship with the overall wins. Red Bull KTM teammates Jeffrey Herlings and Jorge Prado capped off the season perfectly, with both riders winning both of their motos—Herlings in MXGP and Prado in MX2.
2018 Imola Motocross Grand Prix Results
Jorge Prado (left) celebrates the 2018 MX2 title with his teammate, MXGP Champion Jeffrey Herlings. Photo: Ray Archer
Prado came into Imola having already clinched the title. That happened when the only rider going into the race who had a mathematical shot of defeating Prado for the MX2 crown, defending champ Pauls Jonass, had announced earlier in the week that he would not be racing, instead opting to have surgery on a lingering injury. Prado still went through the paces and officially clinched the title after winning the first moto over Thomas Kjer Olsen (Husqvarna), Henry Jacobi (Husqvarna) and Michele Cervellin (Yamaha).
For added measure, Prado went out and won the second moto, as well, taking the checkered flag ahead of Hunter Lawrence (Honda), Thomas Covington (Husqvarna) and Olsen.
Prado was the overall winner. Olsen and Covington joined Prado on the podium at the end of the day.
Jonass ended up second in the championship, followed by Olsen and Ben Watson. Covington rounded out the top five.
“I knew I was world champion already on Thursday so it was a great moment that I didn’t expect,” Prado said. “It was a great weekend and I am really happy to finish off the season with a win.”
American Thomas Covington finished out the 2018 MX2 Championship in fifth place. He’ll compete next year in the U.S. on the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Team.
Covington, who will race full time in American next year as a member of the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Team, said, “With this being my last GP it’s been a stressful weekend here in Italy and I am glad I wrapped it up with a spot on the podium. The track was slippery and quite technical, but I kept pushing for the best possible result in each and every session. In the opening moto I made a few mistakes in the last few laps and missed the chance for a top-three result. Then in moto two I got off to a good start and kept a good pace from start to finish. I’m really happy to end this season on the podium.”
Herlings had no mercy on his fellow competitors at the final round. The Dutchman capped of a near-perfect season with another 1-1 sweep. Herlings finished out the year with 33 moto wins, 17 overall victories, and now has a total 84 career GP wins.
“It is a great way to finish of the year, to finish with a win,” Herlings said. “I am very happy and thankful, it has been a great journey, a great experience, a great year, and I have met a lot of great people. I really want to thank especially my team as without them I wouldn’t to be able to do what I did… it is something that will be hard to ever accomplish again. The most beautiful way to finish off the year is to go 1-1 at the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations and if I can accomplish that it will be the cherry on top!”
Tim Gajser (Honda) went 2-2 on the day for second overall, while Clement Desalle (Kawasaki) went 3-3 for third overall.
In the class championship, defending champ Antonio Cairoli (KTM) had to settle for second. Desalle ended up third, followed by Gajser and Gautier Paulin (Husqvarna).
2018 FIM Motocross World Championship
Round 20 of 20
Imola, Italy
RESULTS: September 30, 2018
MXGP Race 1 Top Ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 34:41.213; 2. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:12.438; 3. Clement Desalle (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:28.131; 4. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Husqvarna), +0:30.461; 5. Julien Lieber (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:32.590; 6. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Yamaha), +0:34.849; 7. Shaun Simpson (GBR, Yamaha), +0:35.907; 8. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Yamaha), +0:43.218; 9. Max Anstie (GBR, Husqvarna), +0:51.689; 10. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Suzuki), +0:54.842.
MXGP Race 2 Top Ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 34:35.763; 2. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:34.828; 3. Clement Desalle (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:50.772; 4. Julien Lieber (BEL, Kawasaki), +1:01.847; 5. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Yamaha), +1:03.991; 6. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Husqvarna), +1:06.621; 7. Shaun Simpson (GBR, Yamaha), +1:07.493; 8. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), +1:09.285; 9. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, KTM), +1:15.790; 10. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Suzuki), +1:20.562.
MXGP Overall Top Ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 50 points; 2. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 44 p.; 3. Clement Desalle (BEL, KAW), 40 p.; 4. Julien Lieber (BEL, KAW), 34 p.; 5. Gautier Paulin (FRA, HUS), 33 p.; 6. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, YAM), 29 p.; 7. Shaun Simpson (GBR, YAM), 28 p.; 8. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 24 p.; 9. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 23 p.; 10. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, SUZ), 22 p.
MXGP Championship Top Ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 933 points; 2. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 782 p.; 3. Clement Desalle (BEL, KAW), 685 p.; 4. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 669 p.; 5. Gautier Paulin (FRA, HUS), 574 p.; 6. Romain Febvre (FRA, YAM), 544 p.; 7. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 534 p.; 8. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 469 p.; 9. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, YAM), 433 p.; 10. Max Anstie (GBR, HUS), 386 p.
MXGP Manufacturers: 1. KTM, 997 points; 2. Kawasaki, 704 p.; 3. Yamaha, 685 p.; 4. Honda, 684 p.; 5. Husqvarna, 643 p.; 6. Suzuki, 289 p.; 7. TM, 245 p.
MX2
MX2 Race 1 Top Ten: 1. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 33:49.364; 2. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, Husqvarna), +0:21.043; 3. Henry Jacobi (GER, Husqvarna), +0:36.879; 4. Michele Cervellin (ITA, Yamaha), +0:39.380; 5. Marshal Weltin (USA, Kawasaki), +0:44.867; 6. Jago Geerts (BEL, Yamaha), +0:48.945; 7. Thomas Covington (USA, Husqvarna), +0:50.601; 8. Ben Watson (GBR, Yamaha), +0:56.013; 9. Anthony Rodriguez (VEN, Yamaha), +1:02.653; 10. Simone Furlotti (ITA, Yamaha), +1:04.280.
MX2 Race 2 Top Ten: 1. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 34:00.879; 2. Hunter Lawrence (AUS, Honda), +0:02.164; 3. Thomas Covington (USA, Husqvarna), +0:15.652; 4. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, Husqvarna), +0:18.136; 5. Anthony Rodriguez (VEN, Yamaha), +0:20.887; 6. Samuele Bernardini (ITA, Yamaha), +0:28.846; 7. Michele Cervellin (ITA, Yamaha), +0:33.265; 8. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, Honda), +0:34.859; 9. Henry Jacobi (GER, Husqvarna), +0:42.038; 10. Richard Sikyna (SVK, KTM), +0:42.743.
MX2 Overall Top Ten: 1. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 50 points; 2. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 40 p.; 3. Thomas Covington (USA, HUS), 34 p.; 4. Michele Cervellin (ITA, YAM), 32 p.; 5. Henry Jacobi (GER, HUS), 32 p.; 6. Anthony Rodriguez (VEN, YAM), 28 p.; 7. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 25 p.; 8. Hunter Lawrence (AUS, HON), 22 p.; 9. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, HON), 22 p.; 10. Ben Watson (GBR, YAM), 17 p.
MX2 Championship Top Ten: 1. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 873 points; 2. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), 777 p.; 3. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 673 p.; 4. Ben Watson (GBR, YAM), 602 p.; 5. Thomas Covington (USA, HUS), 599 p.; 6. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, HON), 543 p.; 7. Michele Cervellin (ITA, YAM), 397 p.; 8. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 391 p.; 9. Hunter Lawrence (AUS, HON), 353 p.; 10. Henry Jacobi (GER, HUS), 343 p.
MX2 Manufacturers: 1. KTM, 968 points; 2. Husqvarna, 814 p.; 3. Honda, 693 p.; 4. Yamaha, 680 p.; 5. Kawasaki, 457 p.; 6. TM, 119 p.
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