Jarvis masters the mountains on Red Bull Romaniacs day one

Graham Jarvis on his wast to the day one win. - Photo: Future7Media

Britain’s Graham Jarvis has claimed victory on Off Road Day One at Red Bull Romaniacs, round five of the World Enduro Super Series.

Jarvis charged to the top of the standings on the opening full day of competition, finishing ahead of South African Wade Young and Germany’s Manuel Lettenbichler.

With Tuesday’s Prologue in Sibiu soon forgotten, the competitors from 50 nations quickly got down to business on Off Road Day One. Although the shortest track in this year’s race at 102 kilometres in length for the Gold Class riders, it was anything but easy. With a brutal climb directly after the 6.45am start, riders were immediately woken up and put to work.

At the head of the field it was TTR Officine Rigamonti’s Pol Tarres who led the riders out, followed by Brit Jonny Walker and Taddy Blazusiak - all separated by three-minute gaps.

Riders nervously wait to start the day - Photo: Future7Media

Starting seventh on the road, Jarvis quickly went to work and closed in on his rival, using the opening climb to his advantage. But it was clear he wasn’t going to have things all his own way as Lettenbichler, Young, Blazusiak and Alfredo Gomez kept him honest.

During the afternoon the leading group broke up, with Jarvis, Lettenbichler and Young pulling clear. A technical problem saw Blazusiak drop back, losing positions as he fought to overcome his issue, while Walker sat steady in sixth.

On corrected time it was Jarvis who took the opening day win by one minute and 12 seconds from Young, with Lettenbichler only one minute further back in third. With Mario Roman (Sherco -ESP) fourth and Gomez fifth, the top five are separated by less than four minutes.

Pol Tarres was first to start in Gold Class - Photo: Future7Media

"It was an easier day compared with the Off Road Day 1 I had last year, which I was quite happy about," Jarvis said.

"I didn't really make any time on the difficult sections, but I kept a good pace throughout the race. Importantly, I didn't make any serious mistakes and was able to catch the other guys early on. I gained a bit of time then and it’s probably made the difference today for sure. With my time here last year still haunting me I feel I’ve helped put things right on day one. But there’s going to be faster days, so how it will suit me I don’t know. But I need to get on with it and go full throttle.”

Delivering one of the day’s most impressive rides was David Cyprian. The young 21-year-old looked confident on the challenging climbs and it showed with the privateer claiming a well-deserved seventh.

“I had a great day today and feel like I rode with a very solid pace," Cyprian said. "I managed to stay mistake-free through the day and ended up seventh, which is a great start to the week. As we finish today it’s just started to rain, so tomorrow might be pretty tough if it continues like that. But I’m looking forward to it and want to keep this momentum going - we’ll see what happens during the next few days.”

David Cyprian was one of the day’s standout performers - Photo:Future7Media

In the Silver class the top honours went to Spain's Josu Artola who showed his form in the hot temperatures to pull 10 minutes clear of second-placed Emanual Gyenes. With a number of riders given 10-minute penalties, third place went to Great Britain's Josef Westgarth with Patrick Riegler in fourth.

The heavily contested Bronze class saw Poland’s Marcin Weglarz take an early lead in proceedings. Weglarz topped the standings over France’s Jean Michel Vigand with Germany’s Wilhelm Ehm third.

High temperatures ensured demanding riding across all classes -Photo: Future7Media

The opening day in the mountains for the Iron class saw Israel’s Oz Nehoray secure a commanding 13-minute 30-second margin of victory. Italy’s Agostino Crema was second with USA’s Danny Melvin third.

Red Bull Romaniacs continues with Off Road Day 2 where competitors will tackle a new course that will take them deeper into the Carpathian Mountains. The longest day of the event, Gold class will cover 151 kilometres of riding.

Provisional Results - Round 5: Red Bull Romaniacs, Off Road Day 1
Gold Class
1. Graham Jarvis (Husqvarna - GB) 4:27:16
2. Wade Young (Sherco - RSA) 4:28:31
3. Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM - GER) 4:29:22
4. Mario Roman (Sherco - ESP) 4:30:11
5. Alfredo Gomez (Husqvarna - ESP) 4:31:01
6. Jonny Walker (KTM - GB) 4:45:13
7. David Cyprian (KTM - CZ) 4:46:58
8. Taddy Blazusiak (KTM - POL) 4:48:06
9. Pol Tarres (Husqvarna - ESP) 4:54:08
10. Dieter Rudolf (KTM - AUT) 5:08:01

Reardon rejoins Yamaha

Reardon reunites with CDR Yamaha Monster Energy for AUS Supercross

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Section: Competition Post: Jeremy Hammer

Image: Foremost Media.

Multi-time Australian supercross champion Dan Reardon will reunite with CDR Yamaha Monster Energy for the 2019 Australian Supercross Championship.

Reardon, who captured his third supercross crown with the squad in 2015 before finishing third with them in 2016, will ultimately fulfil the position made vacant by Kirk Gibbs, who signed a motocross-only deal this season.

“It’s awesome to be back with the CDR Yamaha Monster Energy team and working with a great group of guys,” said Reardon. “We won the championship together in 2015 and I have built a close bond to CDR and Yamaha over the years.

“Last year I did my own program together with the help of Yamaha but the logistics of managing that and also preparing to race become more time consuming than I anticipated. It’s great to be back with CDR Yamaha Monster Energy team again as I know that all the background work is taken care of and my sole focus is to win races and get the job done with no distractions.

“Craig has been great to work with in putting this deal together and we have been able to put together a deal that allows me to keep my global deals in place with companies like Fasthouse, DR Homes, Bell, Go Pro and Boost, but also take on the CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Team sponsors, infrastructure and support. I’m excited to go racing again and really looking forward to a successful year and a great championship battle in 2019.”

Team owner Craig Dack added: “Dan is obviously a talented, highly skilled and well credentialed supercross rider who has had a long term relationship with Yamaha here in Australia and the US. On limited budget in 2018, he was able to put together an impressive season and now with the extra support and infrastructure the CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Team can provide, we hope to take it to the next level with Dan in 2019.

“He is already comfortable with the Yamaha YZ450F and well under way in his preparation for the series. We are happy to put this deal together with Dan and some of his partners that have been behind him in recent years and feel we have the riders and the team to challenge for the 2019 SX1 supercross championship.”

Reardon will join team regular Luke Clout for the five-round series which kicks off on 12 October at Brisbane Entertainment Centre.

A Lifetime of Impact on Motocross!

Torsten Hallman interview

 

Torsten Hallman was Grand Prix’s first ever real worldwide hero. It was the four times 250cc world motocross champion who ventured to America at a young age and brought interest to the American scene. Not only a great racer, but also a pioneer in motocross clothing, as his product Thor continues to be known in the sport.

His battles with Belgian great Joel Robert are legendary, and his love of motocross continues decades after he began racing as a young boy. A quietly spoken man, Hallman has 37 Grand Prix victories, and if you ask anyone in Europe or America, they all know the name Torsten Hallman.

Hallman might never have won the Motocross des Nations with Sweden (finishing second on a few occasions), he did win the Trophee des Nations on five occasions, in 1963, 1964, 1966, 1967 and 1968. An event that pitted the 250cc bikes against each other. Both events were as important as the other, but the Trophee des Nations ended in 1984, when they decided to combine the 500cc and 250cc bikes.

After his racing career, he began to sell motocross pants and gloves at the races to help supplement his income. Innovative Hallman racing products were available in the mid-1970s via catalogue and were very popular throughout the USA. This eventually led to the formation of THOR Motocross (Torsten Hallman Original Racewear). Thor grew to become one of the leading off-road racing apparel companies in the world.

Now 79 years old we were fortunate enough to have Mr. Hallman answer our questions, and as always it is an honour to have dealt with this legend of our magnificent sport.

 

MXLarge: Did you ever do a USGP and if you did, what was your experience?

Hallman: No, the USGP was not invented when I was racing! You must understand that when I came to the US during the first couple of years, I always had to spell the word “motocross” to explain for people what I was doing!

MXlarge: Motocross of Nations is the biggest race of the year and I noticed you never actually won it, even in the era of Sweden winning it often. Why was that?

Hallman: You have to look deeper in your history books! During my era, we had both Trophee des Nations (250cc) and MXoN (500cc). In that time, the same riders were picked to ride in both of the team races. I am quite satisfied with my result winning the Trophee des Nations five times and coming second in the MXoN three times! And I won individual three or four times! At my first MXoN race 1963 in Sweden I was leading – and Team Sweden was in the lead – when my experimental Husqvarna 420cc bike suddenly stopped with ignition problems! Same in France 1966 when I was leading when the chain broke etc- etc.!!!! (see enclosed photo from the mud race in Sweden 1963 – and a photo from the start in Remarlarde, France -66 with Torsten in the lead)

MXlarge: How many MXoN did you do and what stood out for you at that event?

Hallman: Seven Trophee des Nations and five MXoN. It’s a special feeling to be standing on top of the box with all team members and all the fans following that event!

MXlarge: Did you used to go to MXoN as a boy or have memories of the event as boy?

Hallman: No, I never attend any of the team races before I raced myself in Italy 1961.

MXLarge: As a Swedish great, is it disappointing to see so little interest from Swedish riders in the world championships and why is that?

Hallman: If it’s disappointing for you – you can certainly understand how disappointed I am!

MXlarge: Do the greenies make it difficult to build motocross in Sweden?

Hallman: Yes, a lot of restrictions where to ride. I guess that’s the same in most of the countries. To be a good rider you must start young, ride just about every day for several hours, seven days a week – play ride and test your speed and be confident what you can do on a bike.  Today you have difficulties to find places to ride like that.

MXA TEAM TESTED: EKS BRAND GOX FLAT-OUT GOGGLE

 Rich Taylor out designing new goggles! You can design sitting at a computer or you can put you ideas to the test on the bike.

WHAT IS IT? If you are looking for an inexpensive goggle that retails just over $26 and features a variety of lens choices, look no further than the EKS Brand GOX Flat-Out goggle. It is a no-nonsense goggle that is full of value-added features.

WHAT’S IT COST? $25.95 (with clear lens), $35.99 (with colored mirror lens).

CONTACT? www.eksbrand.com or (818) 700-1700.

WHAT STANDS OUT? Here’s a list of things that stand out with the EKS Brand GOX Flat-Out goggle.

(1) Frame. The best thing about the EKS Brand GOX frame is that it is smaller than the jumbo-sized offerings that have become de rigueur in modern times. No matter how many exotic features a goggle company offers, they are of no value if the goggle has to be crammed into your helmet’s eyeport. The EKS Brand GOX is the exact size of the classic Scott 89 or original Oakley O-frame goggles. The slightly smaller frame size, flexible polyurethane frame, wide field of view and 17mm-thick, three-layer face foam negate the need for outrigger strap systems, as the frame seals masterfully to a wide range of face shapes. This is a basic motocross goggle without frills, air scoops, quick-release lens systems, nose guards or chrome highlights. And, for the cost of one Oakley Airbrake goggle, you could buy enough GOX Flat-Out goggles to last you five seasons of racing.

(2) Lens. The best thing about the low-cost GOX goggle is that it uses the same lens as the EKS Brand EKS-S goggle. For riders who currently wear EKS Brand goggles, the lenses you have now will fit in your $25 GOX Flat-Out goggles. The polycarbonate lenses are shatter-resistant, anti-scratch and anti-fog-coated. EKS Brand offers lenses for this goggle in 15 colors.

(3) Foam. If you assumed that EKS Brand skimped on the amount of foam to improve its bottom line, you would be wrong. The MXA wrecking crew considers X Brand’s foam combination to be one of the best on the market. There is a layer of medium-density foam nearest the frame, followed by a thin and very dense layer and finally a wide swath of soft foam. The foam sandwich is finished off by a layer of felt for maximum comfort against the face. Sweat absorption is excellent, as is the longevity of the foam.

(4) Strap. At just over 1-1/2 inches wide, the GOX strap has three beads of silicone to prevent slipping.

(5) Performance. The best compliment the MXA wrecking crew can pay to the GOX Flat-Out goggle is that we didn’t notice it while riding. It did everything well and was totally unobtrusive. We admit that there are goggles with more bells and whistles, but why would you need a whistle on a goggle?

WHAT’S THE SQUAWK? No complaints.

MXA RATING: A great goggle is one that blocks roost, absorbs sweat, lasts a long time and provides a clear view of what’s coming. Nowhere is it written that a great goggle has to cost $189. Goggle performance isn’t improved by a high price tag. The EKS Brand GOX Flat-Out is a serious goggle at a seriously affordable price.

Honda Africa Twin

Honda is teasing a new “True Adventure” model for 2020 which is expected to be a large Africa Twin displacing around 1100cc. Honda Motorcycles Europe has released a video to hype the new model (you’ll have to take Honda’s word for it, as no bike actually appears in the teaser) while Honda UK has opened a mailing list for people to receive updates on the new adventure bike and other 2020 models.

The current Africa Twin is still a relatively new model, only introduced for the 2016 model year with the Adventure Sports version following in 2018. Why would Honda release a larger model so soon?

The impending Euro 5 regulations may be one reason. Increasing the displacement will help Honda meet the tighter emissions and sound level requirements, while also helping improve performance. That may be especially important if Honda wants to compete with the likes of the BMW R1250GS, KTM 1290 Super Adventure, Triumph Tiger 1200 and other adventure-touring models that already hold a displacement advantage over the 999cc Africa Twin.

British site Bike Social claims to have some inside knowledge on the new Africa Twin, reporting a 1080cc engine claiming 101 hp and 79 lb-ft. Bike Social also claims the Africa Twin will get the Adventure Sports version’s larger fuel tank.

Honda hasn’t mentioned when we can expect official details on the new 2020 Africa Twin; considering the teaser didn’t even show the bike, Honda’s probably going to release bits and pieces of information over the next few weeks.

A Blast from the Past!

Archives: Mr. Smith, Meet Mr. Hannah

It was almost preordained that Honda factory rider Marty Smith would win the 1976 AMA 125cc Motocross Championship. After all, coming into the 1976 season Smith was the only 125 MX champ there ever was. He’d won the first two titles after the series was launched in 1974. And Smith didn’t just win the championships, he utterly dominated, racing the stunning, bright red Honda RC125 works machine. Coming into ’76 Smith seemed invincible.

The 1976 AMA 125cc Motocross Championship featured a battle between newcomer Bob Hannah (left) and two-time series champ Marty Smith (right). It became one of the most memorable championships in the history of AMA Motocross.

But Yamaha had been doing their homework. They not only developed their own ultra-trick works bike, the water-cooled Yamaha 0W27, they also hired a 19-year-old unknown desert rat named Bob Hannah. Hannah had practically grown up on a motorcycle. From the age of seven he rode endless hours right outside his door in the desert of Lancaster, California. Years of play riding in the desert and nearby mountains honed Hannah into a brilliant rider, yet he was largely unknown. Turns out that Hannah’s dad, an excellent desert rider in his own right, was dead set against his son racing. He knew too many guys who raced and got injured and he didn’t want that to happen to his son. So, this uber-talent went unknown until Bob was old enough to make his own decision to race. Suddenly in 1975 this wonderkid was unleashed to the world of motocross.

When Hannah entered his first amateur race, he was so dominant that after just one race, officials told him he would have to move up to expert.

Coming into the 1976 AMA Motocross season the stage was set for what would become the most unexpected upset the sport had ever seen.

Marty Smith was not only a two-time champion racing for the mighty Honda, but he’d become the sport’s first rock star. Hailing out of San Diego with surfer good looks, Smith was the envy of every schoolboy racer and the dream of female fans. The contrast between him and Bob Hannah couldn’t be starker. Hannah was this gritty unknown from the high desert, more cowboy than surfer. Smith was a textbook rider with flawless riding style. He looked both effortless and incredibly stylish when he raced, almost as if every corner was a magazine shoot. Still so new to racing, Hannah hadn’t yet acquired a “riding style”, unless you call holding the throttle wide open and bouncing off everything in his path a style. When Hannah raced, it was like a hurricane hit the track. Cycle News race reporter Jimmy “The Greek” Gianatsis noted that fact and the nickname Hurricane Hannah was born.

Still, you could excuse Smith of not taking much notice of Hannah prior to the ’76 season.

“I saw he was winning some CMC races, but winning those and winning nationals are two different things,” Smith said of Hannah. “So, I really didn’t think much about it until we started racing each other.”

After the winning 125 outdoor nationals so convincingly the previous two seasons, Smith and Honda were looking to new horizons and Honda decided to add the 125cc MX World Championship to his schedule. With all this racing, Smith was going to be spread thin.

Smith might have raised an eyebrow when rookie Hannah, riding a 250cc Yamaha production bike, completely dominated the 500cc class in the Florida Winter-AMA Series, at that point an important pre-season series. But like pre-season NFL or spring training baseball, the real show, complete with all the major players, would come with the opening of the AMA Motocross Nationals. The 125cc series opened at Hangtown, at the old location near Plymouth, California.

Lined up at the starting gate for the opening moto was the deepest field of talent and trick machines ever assembled for a 125cc national. Smith on the RC125, Billy Grossi and Danny LaPorte on works Suzuki RA125s, Hannah and Danny Turner on the water-cooled Yamahas, Tim Hart, who’d won the race in ’75 and John Savitski on Can-Ams, Steve Wise on a factory Kawasaki and a large assembly of hungry riders riding for supported teams such as FMF, DG and T&M.

At the gate drop it was Smith rocketing away from the field on his distinctive, all-red Honda. It looked as if the status quo was going to hold. Grossi, LaPorte, Wise and Turner gave chase in that order. Hannah was mired back mid-pack in a 40-rider field. But then, with perhaps the best nine laps in the history of motocross, Hannah came charging through the field, reportedly passing 21 other riders in that distance to catch Smith. A lap later he passed Smith. The crowd went nuts, perhaps not so much because they were fans of Hannah – they largely didn’t know who he was at that point – but simply because someone had finally challenged the almighty Smith, who’d only lost three 125 nationals in the previous two seasons, and hadn’t been defeated for an entire year!

Hannah held his lead, then Smith tipped over and Hannah scored the moto win. In the second moto the two battled, with Hannah leading most of the way, before Smith’s Honda seized.

And it went like that the rest of the season. Hannah was a complete revelation, winning five 125cc nationals in the first six rounds to put the series out of reach.

In spite of his well-earned reputation of being a cocky rider, looking back on it, Hannah admits now that even he was surprised to win that championship.

“He was the champion, he was the smoother rider, he was, whether he knows it or not, God on the 125s, he always was,” Hannah said of Smith. “Nobody had ever knocked him off of that and he probably didn’t think I could either, because I didn’t think I could.”

Another factor for Smith in ’76 was he admittedly struggled with the constant travel back and forth to Europe. Another strike against him was he ended up racing much of the season on a two-year-old factory bike, after a works Yamaha was nearly lost to the $2500 AMA claiming rule at Red Bud, the second race of the season. Honda had a newer version of the RC125, but after Yamaha’s scare, Honda didn’t want to risk losing its one-off, experimental works machine to a claim, so Smith only got to ride the newer bike a few times. As a result, Smith went from winning every national except one in ’75, to being totally shut out in ’76. He did manage to save face to a certain extent by battling, then beating Hannah in both motos (by the way, after Smith gave Hannah a couple of brake checks) to win the overall in the 125cc U.S. Grand Prix at Mid-Ohio.

Ultimately Smith finished second to Hannah here in America and third in the 125cc Motocross World Championships to close out the ’76 season.

Meanwhile Yamaha had found the rare diamond in the rough with Hannah and had out-gunned Honda in the ever-spiraling technology war, making the 1976 AMA 125cc Motocross Championships one of the most memorable in history.

Interview: Romain Febvre

Romain Febvre on a massive MXGP win

Romain Febvre faced such a drought between Grand Prix triumphs. Jeffrey Herlings was still an MX2 rider and a two-time champion when Febvre last stood atop the podium at the Grand Prix of France back in 2016, believe it or not, which really puts things into perspective. Injuries, set-up issues and many struggles contributed to his lack of success in those three years. All of that is in the past now though, as he absolutely dominated the Grand Prix of Czechia and acquired the thirteenth overall victory of his career.

MX Vice: One thousand one hundred and forty-nine days ago. That was the last time that you stood on the top step of the podium. It has been a long time. It has probably not been much fun, but you finally did it again. I cannot even imagine how emotional this win must have been for you. 

Romain Febvre: Yeah. It has been a long road to come to the victory again with injuries and everything. I'm really happy about it. All weekend I was feeling really good on track, with the bike also. I didn't make any mistakes… Two good starts. It has been a perfect weekend. I enjoy so much to ride like this at my full level. Hopefully I can do a good weekend also in Lommel.

 

You did not want to talk about it too much when you were waiting for the win, but now that it is over… How much of a monkey on your back was that? How much were you thinking about getting it done? I guess you can talk about it more openly now.

Yeah, not so much to say. I knew since I was back… Like the first race in Portugal, for sure it was a long way [away]. I was not feeling great with my foot. The result was good, but when I went to France after I felt that my speed was really good from there. My speed is always good on every kind of track. I just need to put all of the pieces of the puzzle together to make it right.

Sometimes I was the fastest and then made a mistake on Sunday. Sometimes I was not the fastest, but I had good motos also on Sunday to score a podium. I was close two times to the victory, but it did not happen. I really did a strong weekend going 1-1. It is always even more special. No mistakes all weekend long. It paid off.

We have obviously been talking about how fast you have been all year. You are back to your old level. Everything is looking good. Do you feel like you were on another level this weekend though? When was the last time you actually felt like you rode this well?

It is difficult to say. France I was really good. [There have been] many motos, but not like all weekend long. Some motos… I did it also when I won the first one in Palembang. I was feeling great there, but just the first moto was not so great. I won the second, but I scored second overall. In Latvia I was feeling great and on the last lap I passed my teammate to secure the podium. It is just this weekend I was faster, like everyone said.

I had a gap with my speed so I could make everything happen like how I wanted on the track. It is much easier to do it like this. When you are just faster or as fast as the other ones you do not need to really push. You can just prepare your attacks, so for sure it was easier. Like I said, I like Loket. It is really slippery. Every year it is getting bumpier and bumpier, so I like how to turn the bike on the slick surface. I think it is a little bit my positive point compared to the other one.

You have won a lot in your career but was today almost like your first win all over again? In that second moto towards the end, were you starting to think, "Do not mess up!" Were you starting to get a bit nervous?

Honestly, not so much. The first one was a little bit tougher, because I put the pressure on my teammate and then I was first. Then I said, "Now you just need to make it right and not make any mistakes." I was riding tight a little bit but the second one I was feeling much better after the start, because I knew the start was the key. When I started in third, I said, "It's going to be okay." I made the pass quick. I saw that I made a gap directly, then I just tried to not make any mistakes. My mind was open. I was not thinking about the overall.

I was just focused on my lines, trying to find better lines and everything. Even I think after twenty minutes I stalled my bike two times in one lap, that is where they came back. They closed the gap. I was even not worried about this, because I saw I had the gap. They closed from five to three seconds, then I said I just need to make a few fast laps again and then I will open the gap. It is what I did. I was a little bit confident, not too much but confident about my riding and what I can do. I showed it.

From time practice to warm-up to the qualifying race, you proved that you were the fastest. It would have been easy to get stressed, but in yourself you knew you were faster than anyone else for a single lap and over a race. You kind of knew you had it covered.

Yeah. Like you said, we had the gap. We were not all close, so I knew I was faster by minimum one second a lap if I did not make any mistakes. For sure it is easier when it is like this. You do not need to think about your speed or everything like this to find some solutions or something like this. It goes right from the beginning.

 

So, now you have got this one. I guess you just want another one?

Yeah, sure! Every weekend it is a new challenge. We start again from zero next weekend. I would like to win so bad at Lommel. It's the toughest circuit in the world, I think. I like the sand. I have been preparing for Lommel. Last week I rode all the week in the sand. I did the Dutch Masters as well. I feel comfortable, so hopefully I can do the same in Lommel.

Interview: Lewis Phillips | Lead Image: ConwayMX

No Surprise Here

Ryan Villopoto Wins 125 All Star Race at Washougal

Febvre Sweeps Czech GP

Febvre wins in Loket - 1-1

Posted on July 28, 2019

Romain Febvre of the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory team has won the MXGP of Czech Republic, and scored his first GP win since 2016. The Frenchman looks as good as ever as he went 1-1, with Tim Gajser second overall with 2-2 and Jeremy Seewer third with 3-3 scores.

Roman Febvre: “Yes, really happy about it. The road was long. A perfect weekend really. This means everything. A victory you can’t describe, I stalled the bike in the second race and Tim closed the gap and I opened the gap. I am happy to win for my team. We had a good start in the first race, was second behind my team-mate and I passed him quickly, he was following me, but I was comfortable, and I didn’t take pressure from them. I was trying to find some new lines because some areas I was slower. Now the second moto and hopefully a good weekend.”

Tim Gajser: Yes, I mean. I am happy, yesterday we struggled because it is so hard and the bumps are hard. I finished second both times and Romain was quick on this track, so happy for him. Also, thanks to the fans.

Jeremy Seewer: Actually, this is a perfect weekend. Romain was on another level all weekend and how relaxed he was. From my side I struggled in free practice and timed practice and we made some changes. Three in a row and I try and be better and better. It is a tough competition with Romain and Tim. Now I look forward to Lommel and some sand.

Seewer again led the second MXGP race ahead of Gajser, Paulin, Febvre and Tonus. Febvre was quickly into third place and passed Paulin. Searle also pushing hard as he moved into fifth place. Febvre was pushing really hard in the early going of the race and looking to get to the front.

Febvre moved into second place and the top three were really going hard for the race win. Gajser seemed to back it down a little as both Seewer and Febvre were really riding on the edge and very close. On lap three Febvre tried to make a pass on Seewer, but couldn’t get past.

Gajser after taking a little rest started pushing again and was back onto the two front guys. Brilliant fight for first place between the two Yamaha riders and Gajser was sitting back watching it all. Febvre moved into first place on lap six.

Gasjer started putting massive pressure on Seewer for second and pushed to get past but had to wait. Gajser pushed past Seewer to move into second and started chasing after the leader. Searle crashed into the wire fence and his bike was stuck.

Top ten after seven laps was Febvre, Gajser, Seewer, Paulin, Tonus, Van Horebeek, Jonass, Coldenhoff, Jasikonis and Anstie in 10^th. After nine laps suddenly Gajser was onto Febvre with just two seconds separating them two front guys.

Febvre settled and took command of the race, winning from Gajser and Seewer.

MXGP - Grand Prix Race 2 - Classification

1. Romain Febvre (FRA, Yamaha), 35:24.868; 2. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:02.779; 3. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Yamaha), +0:07.399; 4. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Yamaha), +0:10.737; 5. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, Yamaha), +0:12.992; 6. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Honda), +0:14.782; 7. Pauls Jonass (LAT, Husqvarna), +0:16.522; 8. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), +0:26.870; 9. Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, Husqvarna), +0:29.205; 10. Max Anstie (GBR, KTM), +0:50.995; 11. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Yamaha), +0:58.846; 12. Brian Bogers (NED, Honda), +1:03.552; 13. Vsevolod Brylyakov (RUS, Yamaha), +1:05.105; 14. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), +1:06.014; 15. Tanel Leok (EST, Husqvarna), +1:06.728; 16. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KTM), +1:26.475; 17.

Wade Young at Bad Medicine

Hard Enduro has been popular in Europe for some years but it’s just picking up momentum in North America and the creation of the American Hard Enduro Series in 2019 has surely been a major step forward. 

The five round series, plus a growing calendar of Hard and Extreme Enduro, are producing very positive vibes stateside – not least from Sherco who have teamed up with the championship and also shipped over Wade Young to contest the three rounds so far.

Bad Medicine at Fallen Timbers, round three of the series, saw Wade Young take his second win (along with second place behind Cody Webb at the opening race of the series, the Revlimiter Hard Enduro). Young took the lead in the points after round two, Tough Like RORR and extended it at Bad Medicine. 

It’s all good for American Hard Enduro and it is all good for Young who flies straight back to Europe and across to Sibiu for Red Bull Romaniacs next week.