Cycle News Staff | July 15, 2019
Once again, Tim Gajser and Jorge Prado stood atop their respective podiums in the 2019 FIM Motocross World Championship. Their latest success took place at the MXGP of Asia 2019 (round 12), in Semarang, Indonesia, July 13-14. Gajser won both MXGP races, while Prado did the same in MX2.
Gajser Wins MXGP Of Asia 2019
Tim Gajser won for the seventh consecutive time. His latest victory coming at the MXGP of Asia. Photo: HondaProRacing
Gajser, on the HRC Honda, dominated the MXGP class, despite riding with a sore ankle that he injured the day before in qualifying. He managed one holeshot but led every lap of both motos to take the overall win, his seventh straight win of the season, a record breaker for Honda for the most consecutive wins in the same year. It was also Gajser’s eighth victory of 2019.
“I was having fun on both days this weekend,” Gajser said. “Unfortunately, yesterday I had a crash in timed practice and I hurt my right ankle a little bit, but other than a bit of pain yesterday, it was certainly a great weekend again.
“In the first moto, I had a great start, taking the holeshot and leading the whole race. In the second one, I started third and made a quick pass, and then made another one a bit later in lap one before making a gap to control the race. I was really having fun out there although the track was a little slippery in some places, but I still got two moto wins, so I can’t complain!
“I’m trying not to put pressure on myself on each weekend, and I know if I can have fun, I can ride really fast, and that seems to be working right now,” Gajser added. “It is also an honor to have the biggest win-streak for a Honda rider in world motocross, a lot of really talented riders have ridden on this great brand, and it is amazing to have achieved this. I hope I can keep it going for as long as possible, and I must also thank Team HRC for helping me out so much and giving me all the support I need in order to do this.”
Gajser now has a commanding lead in the 2019 MXGP Championship. He leads Swiss rider Jeremy Seewer (Yamaha), who was third in Semarang, by 173 points.
Seewer moved up into second in the championship, overtaking Antonio Cairoli, who is sidelined for the rest of the season with an injury.
Fellow Swiss rider Arnaud Tonus (Yamaha) was second on the day after going 2-3. Seewer went 3-4.
KTM’s Glenn Coldenhoff (4-7) was fourth overall, and Husqvarna’s Max Anstie (7-6) rounded out the top five overall.
Big Win For Prado In MX2 at MXGP Of Asia 2019
Jorge Prado won again in MX2. Photo: Ray Archer
There were no real surprises in MX2. Once again, championship leader Prado (Red Bull KTM) was on point and topped both motos. He finished the first moto 11 seconds ahead of his teammate Tom Vialle and four seconds ahead of French rider Maxime Renaux (Yamaha) in race two. It was Prado’s 10th straight overall win and the 26th of his career.
It was also a productive day for Prado in the championship. His nearest rival, Dutchman Thomas Kjer Olsen (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna), who took third in the first moto, crashed out of the second moto after a first-turn crash, handing Prado a big chunk of points. Prado now leads Olsen in the championship by 78 points, 544-466.
“I made two very good motos today and felt better in the second one,” Prado said. “I had a good flow and lap-times for half of the race and then started to feel a bit dizzy, so I slowed down and kept riding. So I’m happy for the weekend. The track preparation was better today; there were more ruts, and it was more fluid. I saw that Thomas crashed in that second moto, so I hope he is okay and we can return to our battles at the next GP.”
Olsen was happy to walk away from his big crash but saw his championship hopes take a big hit.
“I guess it’s been one of those weekends where things should have finished a lot better than they did,” Olsen said. “The second moto ended at the first corner. Of course, I’m disappointed but also pleased that I could walk away. It was a big hit. The first moto was a positive start to the GP. It was great to get the holeshot, my first in some time, but I didn’t feel too comfortable with the track. Jorge and Tom were both riding well, so I pushed for third.”
Vialle ended up second on the day with a 2-4. Dutch rider Calvin Vlaanderen (Honda) was fourth overall with a 5-3, and German Henry Jacobi (Kawasaki) was fifth overall with a 7-7.
Vialle overtook Belgian rider Jago Geerts (Yamaha) for third in the MX2 championship. Vialle now leads Geerts, who was ninth overall in Semarang, by six points. CN
MXGP Of Asia 2019 Video Highlights
MXGP
- Tim Gajser (Hon) 1-1
- Arnaud Tonus (Yam) 2-3
- Jeremy Seewer (Yam) 3-4
- Glen Coldenhoff (KTM) 4-7
- Max Anstie (KTM) 7-6
MX2
- Jorge Prado (KTM) 1-1
- Tom Vialle (KTM) 2-4
- Calvin Vlaanderen (Hon) 5-3
- Maxime Renaux (Yam) 8-2
- Henry Jacobi (Kaw) 7-7
