2021 FIM MXGP of Latvia Results

Cycle News Staff | August 10, 2021

The seventh round of the 2021 FIM Motocross World Championship played out in Kegums, August 8, with MXGP and MX2 Championship leaders Tim Gajser and Maxime Renaux taking overall victories to extend their lead in the series standings before the championship begins a three-week break.

Tim Gajser at 2021 FIM MXGP of Latvia — **After seeing his points lead shrink the past few rounds, Tim Gajser stopped the bleeding by winning the MXGP of Latvia with a 2-2.**

Photos by @shotbybavo

Gajser used two second-place finishes to lock up the overall victory in the MXGP class. The Honda HRC rider got a little lucky in race two when first-moto winner Jeffery Herlings went down on the last lap while challenging his Red Bull KTM teammate Jorge Prado for the lead and moto win. While running third, Gajser gladly accepted the gift from Herlings and crossed the finish line in second place for the overall victory, which comes as a bit of a relief for him after having seen his once large points lead rapidly shrink the past few rounds.

“That was the goal for today, just to have two solid starts,” Gajser said. “I was riding well, didn’t make any mistakes, I was consistent, and we managed. Of course, we had a little bit of luck with Jeffrey going down on the last lap but super happy about the day. It’s good to go into the summer break with the overall and work hard to improve some things to make sure I am strong in the next GPs, so I’m really looking forward to coming back to Turkey as I really like the track.

“In the last couple of weeks, I was just adding too much pressure onto myself, so today I just said to myself, ‘just enjoy it and have fun.’ I really don’t want to look at the championship, as it’s still early in the season, but I just want to focus on each GP.”

Prado was second on the day. After running up front and rubbing elbows with his veteran teammate Antonio Cairoli a few times in the first moto to take fourth, Prado came back to win the second moto in the rain and take second overall.

“Today was a great day especially that last race win of the day, it’s a good feeling,” Prado said. “I’m definitely feeling stronger and stronger which is very positive. Since Loket, I have been improving a lot and now I have some weeks to get even better physically which has been my weakest point so far this season.

“In the first race, I struggled a lot with the rhythm,” Prado added. “These guys were pushing really hard, and I just couldn’t find the good lines and made it hard for myself. In the second race, I knew the start would be important with the weather. I got behind Romain [Febvre] and tried to attack, but I made a small mistake, then a couple of laps later on, he crashed. I knew Jeffrey was behind me and I knew he would push in the last laps; I was waiting for him on my back wheel and those laps were so long in the end, but I got the race win and I am happy.”

Herlings’ small mistake in the second moto cost him big—the overall win and even a chance for second overall. Instead, he had to settle for third overall with a 1-4.

“I was looking to make a pass but with two laps to go I was just thinking to take home the overall and I didn’t want to take any risk,” Herlings said. “But then I jumped into the turn, and I tipped over, got up to go, my bike wouldn’t start which is normal when the bikes get hot and that was the overall gone.”

Febvre was fourth overall with a 5-3 and Cairoli fifth overall with a 3-6.

Gajser grabbed a few points back after a few weeks of losing ground in the championship. He now leads Febvre, 270-257, in the MXGP Championship. Prado is third with 255 and Cairoli sits fourth with 252. Herlings rounds out the top five with 227 points.

In MX2, Monster Energy Yamaha’s Maxime Renaux recorded his first career double win. He came from behind in both motos and took the checkers six seconds ahead of Red Bull KTM’s Mattia Guadagnini in the first moto and four seconds ahead of Yamaha teammate Jago Geerts in the second moto.

Maxime Renaux at 2021 FIM MXGP of Latvia — **Maxime Renaux enjoyed his first career double victory in the MX2 class, which extended his lead in the championship.**

“I got some special motivation for this race,” Renaux said. “I really wanted to get some good points in the championship before the break. I didn’t have the best start in both races, but then I could turn really good, try to make my passes as quick as possible and come back. Mattia made two really good starts. I just found my pace and found some spaces to pass him in both races and make a really good gap to be not under pressure, then just cruise to the finish line. So that was really a perfect day.”

Geerts (pictured above, left) finished out the weekend second overall with a 3-2 and Guadagnini third overall with a 3-3.

With the double wins, Renaux extends his points lead over Guadagnini, 271-237. Geerts is third with 235. CN

VIDEO | 2021 MXGP of Latvia Highlights

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