Cairoli wins MXGP
Red Bull KTM Factory rider Antonio Cairoli has won the opening MXGP GP of the season, with a brilliant 1-1 score, giving KTM their second victory of the weekend. Tim Gajser finished second overall with 3-2 results and third was Clement Desalle with 2-4 scores.
Antonio Cairoli: You know in the beginning I tried to pass him and I hit him and I thought I had trouble with the spokes and I slowed. But then it felt ok and I started pushing again. I am really happy with this double victory. Unfortunately I was sick with the flu, so I wasn’t 100% on wednsday and thursday, so I took medication yesterday, and it was the first day I stopped throwing up. For sure I will be more fit for the next one. I don’t know how it feels to have the red plate, two long years, but I try and keep it.
Tim Gajser: I am happy with the weekend. Coming here I felt sick all weekend and didn’t feel good on the bike all weekend. Second moto I felt better, but the last couple of laps I lost concentration and made some mistakes. I am looking forward to next weekend.
Clement Desalle: Actually, I wasn’t happy about yesterday. The start was important and I knew today it would be more important. Second moto I and a good start and its great to start the season like this.
Moto one
Cairoli won the opening MXGP moto of the season, winning his sixth moto of the season, to go with his five Italian championship moto wins. The Italian looks sharp again, as the youngster all struggle with sickness and injury.
“I am really happy, felt great to be back on the top spot. The season is long and we try and stay in the top three and 2015 and 2016 were not my best, so we try and do this more often.”
Cairoli takes the holeshot from Bobryshev and Gajser, followed by Nagl, Febvre, Anstie, Van Horebeek, Strijbos, Lupino, Nicholls in 10th. Herlings is down in 16th.
Desalle gets past Gajser and moved into third place, and Nicholls joins Simpson are the very back of the pack. Anstie also dropped to 16th place and is well back.
Cairoli is gone, as he already has a lead of around four seconds. Herlings is flying and has worked his way into sixth place, but is 11 seconds down in the leader.
After four laps the lead by Cairoli was seven seconds, with Bobryshev second, and Desalle third. Then came Gajser, Van Horebeek, Herlings, Paulin, Nagl, Tonus, and Tixier 10th.
Herlings started struggling big time as he had to move over and let the group behind him past. After seven laps he was back in 11th.
While the lead by Cairoli was large, the battle for second between Bobryshev and Desalle was very close and Gajser wasn’t too far behind these guys.
After 10 laps the top ten is Cairoli, Bobryshev, Desalle, Gajser, Van Horebeek, Paulin, Nagl, Tonus, Febvre, and Tixier. Herlings is now 13th.
Cairoli continued to control the race with a 15 second lead after 14 laps, and Desalle had moved into second place, followed by Bobryshev, Gajser, Van Horebeek, Paulin, Tonus, Febvre, Nagl, and Tixier.
Gajser makes a great pass on Bobryshev as the riders entered the last lap. Once past his team-mate Gajser started clocking in quick lap times and was catching Desalle in second.
Herlings drops to 18th place, and is struggling big time. Also struggling are COldenhoff in 16th and Simpson in 17th.
Cairoli wins it from Desalle and Gajser.
Moto two
Cairoli had the lead early, but was quickly passed by Gajser and Febvre, the two young guns wanting to take control again.
After the first corner its Gajser, Cairoli, Febvre, Desalle, Paulin, Coldenhoff, Van Horebeek, Nagl, Anstie, Bobryshev and Tixier.
After two laps it was Gajser leading by a second to Cairoli, Febvre, Desalle, Paulin, Van Horebeek, Coldenhoff, Nagl, Bobryshev, Tixier, Anstie, Herlings, Simpson, Strijbos, Goncalves.
Cairoli makes ground on Gajser, but seems to be pushing really hard. As was the case in the first moto Gajser looks a lot more controlled than in 2016.
The top two guys have pulled well away from third placed Febvre. Herlings up to 11th, and 12 points to his name until this point.
Desalle is pushing hard to try and get past Febvre, and another veteran Cairoli is all over Gajser.
Gajser was able to make a break from Cairoli and after 11 laps the lead was three seconds, and Febvre was also pushing a little harder and was suddenly two seconds ahead of Desalle.
Top ten after 11 laps was Gajser, Cairoli, Febvre, Desalle, Paulin, Van Horebeek, Bobryshev, Coldenhoff, Tixier and Anstie in 10th. Herlings is 11th.
Gajser has broken well away from the Italian, but the GP victory should still go the the KTM rider. After 13 laps the lead was four seconds, and the race should go to the defending world champion.
Tough class as guys like Guillod, Tonus, Nagl and Simpson are in 21st, 20th, 16th and 13th.
Massive battle between Cairoli and Gajser is a beauty, but the Italian legend burst by for the victory and the GP win. In the second last lap Cairoli was four seconds quicker than Gajser.
MXGP – Race 1 – Classification
1 222 Cairoli, Antonio ITA FMI KTM 35:02.202
2 25 Desalle, Clement BEL FMB Kawasaki 35:11.106
3 243 Gajser, Tim SLO AMZS Honda 35:14.756
4 777 Bobryshev, Evgeny RUS MFR Honda 35:24.244
5 89 Van Horebeek, Jeremy BEL FMB Yamaha 35:25.636
6 21 Paulin, Gautier FRA MCM Husqvarna 35:28.278
7 4 Tonus, Arnaud SUI FMS Yamaha 35:31.582
8 12 Nagl, Maximilian GER DMSB Husqvarna 35:35.274
9 911 Tixier, Jordi FRA FFM Kawasaki 35:37.135
10 461 Febvre, Romain FRA FFM Yamaha 35:41.421