Cycle News Staff | March 31, 2019
It was another KTM sweep at the MXGP of The Netherlands at Valkenswaard, March 31. Red Bull KTM’s Antonio Cairoli and Jorge Prado dominated both motos of their respective classes with Cairoli winning both MXGP motos and Prado both MX2 motos.
Antonio Cairoli Wins MXGP Of The Netherlands
Antonio Cairoli (222) leads the way at the MXGP of The Netherlands. Photo: Ray Archer
Cairoli had a little bit of help in the first MXGP moto when race leader Max Anstie (Standing Construct KTM) went down on his own.
Cairoli, who led early on before the Brit, Anstie, passed him, went on to take the moto win with 4.2 seconds to spare over Belgian Clement Desalle (Kawasaki).
Frenchman Gautier Paulin (Yamaha) took the checkers right behind Desalle in third, followed by Husqvarna rider Arminas Jasikonis and Honda’s Jeremy Van Horebeek.
Honda’s Tim Gaser was seventh after suffering a hard get-off earlier in the race.
Jeremy Seewer (Yamaha), Shaun Simpson (KTM) and Jordi Tixier (KTM) rounded out the top 10.
Anstie ended up 16th.
Cairoli led it the whole way in the second moto, but Gajser kept the pressure on him at the finish. The Italian, Cairoli, took the checkered flat out in front but by only 1.5 seconds ahead of Gajser.
Cairoli and Gajser were well ahead of the next-best rider, Van Horebeek. The Belgian took the checkered flag approximately 30 seconds in back of Gajser.
Jasikonis had another strong performance, taking fourth in the moto with room to spare over Desalle.
Seewer, Julien Lieber (Kawasaki), Simpson, Anstie and Glenn Coldenhoff (KTM) completed the top 10.
In the day’s overall ranking, it was Cairoli, Desalle, Gajser, Van Horebeek and Jasikonis, in that order, filling out the top five.
In the championship standings, Cairoli, who has won all three rounds so far, has already opened up a comfortable points lead. He is at the top of the charts with 147 points, followed by Gajser with 125 and Desalle with 103.
Defending champ Jeffrey Herlings is still out of action with a foot injury.
Jorge Prado Dominates MX2 At MXGP Of The Netherlands
Jorge Prado won both MX2 motos. Photo: Ray Archer
In MX2, Prado had fun in the Dutch sand, winning the first moto by seven and a half seconds over class points leader Thomas Kjer Olsen (Husqvarna).
Another eight seconds back was third-place finisher Henry Jacobi (Kawasaki) of Germany.
Calvin Vlaanderen (Honda) and Ben Watson (Yamaha) rounded out the top five.
Prado won again in moto two but this time over Belgian Jago Geerts (Yamaha) by five seconds. (Geerts crashed in the first moto.)
Olsen slipped a position to third, followed by Vlaanderen and Watson.
Prado took the overall win followed by Olsen, Geerts, Vlaanderen, and Jacobi.
Olsen, however, still leads the championship with 136 points followed by Jacobi with 113 and Vlaanderen with 107. Prado is currently fourth with 100 points. Watson is another five points back in fifth.
2019 FIM Motocross World Championship
MXGP of The Netherlands
Valkenswaard, The Netherlands
RESULTS: March 31, 2019
MXGP
MXGP Race 1 Top Ten: 1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 34:34.806; 2. Clement Desalle (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:04.242; 3. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Yamaha), +0:05.137; 4. Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, Husqvarna), +0:06.759; 5. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Honda), +0:12.427; 6. Julien Lieber (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:13.786; 7. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:14.058; 8. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Yamaha), +0:20.989; 9. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), +0:35.999; 10. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KTM), +0:39.272.
MXGP Race 2 Top Ten: 1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 34:13.363; 2. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:01.461; 3. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Honda), +0:32.822; 4. Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, Husqvarna), +0:42.905; 5. Clement Desalle (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:48.123; 6. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Yamaha), +0:51.333; 7. Julien Lieber (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:52.345; 8. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), +0:54.021; 9. Max Anstie (GBR, KTM), +1:00.795; 10. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), +1:01.515.
MXGP Overall Top Ten: 1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 50 points; 2. Clement Desalle (BEL, KAW), 38 p.; 3. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 36 p.; 4. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, HON), 36 p.; 5. Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, HUS), 36 p.; 6. Julien Lieber (BEL, KAW), 29 p.; 7. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 28 p.; 8. Gautier Paulin (FRA, YAM), 28 p.; 9. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), 25 p.; 10. Max Anstie (GBR, KTM), 17 p.
MXGP ChampionshipTop Ten: 1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 147 points; 2. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 125 p.; 3. Clement Desalle (BEL, KAW), 103 p.; 4. Gautier Paulin (FRA, YAM), 102 p.; 5. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, HON), 102 p.; 6. Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, HUS), 92 p.; 7. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 78 p.; 8. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), 64 p.; 9. Julien Lieber (BEL, KAW), 62 p.; 10. Max Anstie (GBR, KTM), 56 p.
MX2
MX2 Race 1 Top Ten: 1. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 34:30.560; 2. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, Husqvarna), +0:07.459; 3. Henry Jacobi (GER, Kawasaki), +0:16.197; 4. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, Honda), +0:32.080; 5. Ben Watson (GBR, Yamaha), +0:41.347; 6. Davy Pootjes (NED, Husqvarna), +0:46.249; 7. Jago Geerts (BEL, Yamaha), +0:46.877; 8. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), +0:54.324; 9. Maxime Renaux (FRA, Yamaha), +0:58.521; 10. Jed Beaton (AUS, Husqvarna), +1:09.100.
MX2 Race 2 Top Ten: 1. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 34:35.326; 2. Jago Geerts (BEL, Yamaha), +0:05.031; 3. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, Husqvarna), +0:05.188; 4. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, Honda), +0:13.061; 5. Ben Watson (GBR, Yamaha), +0:16.499; 6. Henry Jacobi (GER, Kawasaki), +0:27.070; 7. Alberto Forato (ITA, Husqvarna), +0:37.591; 8. Bas Vaessen (NED, KTM), +0:48.631; 9. Adam Sterry (GBR, Kawasaki), +1:06.469; 10. Mitchell Evans (AUS, Honda), +1:09.989.
MX2 Overall Top Ten: 1. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 50 points; 2. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 42 p.; 3. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 36 p.; 4. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, HON), 36 p.; 5. Henry Jacobi (GER, KAW), 35 p.; 6. Ben Watson (GBR, YAM), 32 p.; 7. Alberto Forato (ITA, HUS), 23 p.; 8. Adam Sterry (GBR, KAW), 22 p.; 9. Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 21 p.; 10. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), 21 p.
MX2 ChampionshipTop Ten: 1. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 136 points; 2. Henry Jacobi (GER, KAW), 113 p.; 3. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, HON), 107 p.; 4. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 100 p.; 5. Ben Watson (GBR, YAM), 95 p.; 6. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), 86 p.; 7. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 81 p.; 8. Davy Pootjes (NED, HUS), 65 p.; 9. Adam Sterry (GBR, KAW), 63 p.; 10. Mitchell Evans (AUS, HON), 60 p.
