Cairoli Takes Spainish GP!

Cairoli goes 1-1 in Spain

Posted on March 25, 2018

Red Bull KTM rider Antonio Cairoli has put on a brilliant performance, with 1-1 results to win the MXGP class at the Grand Prix of Spain. The Italian once again found the front quickly and put a big gap between himself and his biggest challenger, Jeffrey Herlings. Herlings did however ride well for 2-2 results and showed amazing skills after two poor starts and a crash, on a track that was difficult make ground and just as difficult to pass.

“Yes, I am rally happy another good moto, more trouble with lappers and Jeffrey came close. First moto not a good start and we came back, and second moto a good start. I am really happy.”

Cairoli leads from Gajser, Paulin, Coldenhoff, Febvre, Desprey, Herlings, Van Horebeek, Bonini and Lieber.

Herling got a bit of an elbow from Cairoli on the start and then crashed out of the top ten, and was back in 12^th place. On this track there won’t be any fightback.

Paulin passed Cairoli on the last stage of lap one for the lead, with Desalle third, then Gajser, Febvre, Coldenhoff, Van Horebeek, Butron, Herlings, and Desprey, Herlings flying and just nine seconds down on the leaders.

Herlings passed Van Horebeek and moved into seventh. That crash seems to have really motivated Herlings. He also passed Coldenhoff, and right onto Gajser and Febvre. Fastest lap of the race for Herlings, he is on fire again.

Paulin led by two seconds from Cairoli, and then Desalle, Febvre and Herlings into fifth, just seven seconds behind Paulin and five behind Cairoli.

Cairoli turns it up and closes on Paulin, and both know that Herlings is coming. Cairoli goes for the pass and Paulin stops it, and is all over Paulin, and makes a brilliant pass on the Frenchman. Cairoli five seconds ahead of Herlings who is all over Febvre and Desalle. Herlings again clocked the quickest lap of the race.

Febvre makes a mistake and Herlings makes a nice pass to move into fourth. Cairoli though has taken the lead to seven seconds and puts down the quickest lap of the moto. These two are just amazing.

Herlings pushing Desalle and works his way into third, and now eight second lead over Herlings for Cairoli.

Top ten after eight laps is Cairoli, Paulin, Herlings, Desalle, Febvre, Gajser, Coldenhoff, Van Horebeek, Lieber and Desprey in 10^th.

Desalle and Febvre swapping paint as they pass and repass each other. Febvre nearly down as he gets out of shape. Herlings gets the gap to Cairoli down to six seconds and Paulin was just two seconds ahead of Herlings.

Herlings moved past Paulin, and closes up to six seconds to Cairoli. Herlings continued to close the gap on Cairoli, getting it down to four second with a lap to go.

Cairoli wins it by a couple of seconds from Herlings and Paulin.

Ray Archer image

MXGP - Overall Classification

Pos Nr Rider Nat. Fed. Bike Race 1 Race 2 Total 1 222 Cairoli, Antonio ITA FMI KTM 25 25 50 2 84 Herlings, Jeffrey NED KNMV KTM 22 22 44 3 25 Desalle, Clement BEL FMB KAW 18 18 36 4 461 Febvre, Romain FRA FFM YAM 20 16 36 5 21 Paulin, Gautier FRA MCM HUS 14 20 34 6 243 Gajser, Tim SLO AMZS HON 13 15 28 7 33 Lieber, Julien BEL FMB KAW 16 12 28 8 259 Coldenhoff, Glenn NED KNMV KTM 10 14 24 9 89 Van Horebeek, Jeremy BEL FMB YAM 11 13 24 10 12 Nagl, Maximilian GER DMSB TM 12 10 22