Saturday, April 13, 2019 at 9:40AM Looks like a perfect day for racing at Glen Helen. Bikes from all around the west have showed up for the So Cal chapter's OTMX. Should be a fun two days of racing,
Monday, April 8, 2019 at 4:51PM
Tim Gajser was the star at the Grand Prix of Trentino. Following a painful drought of a year and a half, he finally climbed atop the top step of the premier-class podium again. The battles that led to that triumph are going to go down in history too. It was a crazy weekend, for many different reasons, and MX Vice editor Lewis Phillips was present at Pietramurata to discuss everything that occurred alongside the Dolomites with the HRC star.
MX Vice: This is a big race for you each year. Fans are crazy. It is basically your home MXGP, so there are a lot of expectations and you have been building up to this too. You have been fast and won a moto. It has been coming, but you got the job done. 1-1. Your first 1-1 since Mexico in 2017, which was a long time ago. Two years ago. That is a long time. I guess you are just buzzing?
Tim Gajser: I am just like… When I came across the finish line, it felt like my first MX2 win in 2015. It was kind of the same feeling, like something special. We were building race-by-race, like you said, and actually here in Arco we managed to make a perfect weekend with nice races, nice battles with Tony, great fans from Slovenia and from everywhere actually. The atmosphere was just unbelievable. I am just so happy and thankful.
Let's get into the first race. [Antonio] Cairoli got the holeshot and led for most of it, but you got close and whatever throughout the race. You and Tony just kept trading the fastest laps. There was never a time where you would go fastest for five laps in a row or he would. You would go fastest, then he would go fastest and then you would go fastest again. One thing that was consistent though is he would always gain time on you in sector one. Do you know why that was?
Yeah, when I came off from the race… Already in timed practice and free practice I was kind of struggling in the first sector and then the second one as well, that is where I lost the most. I was trying to improve that in the second moto but, like you said, the first moto was I would say easier for me, because I was behind Tony and I could watch him.
I did not even try to push too early in the moto, because if I passed him then I would have to be in front of him for twenty-five minutes and we had kind of the same pace. Nobody could gap each other too much, so the pressure was always there. I think with four laps to go I made an attack, then I passed him and tried to push hard. We both pushed really hard. The track was really sketchy and actually did not allow for many mistakes, but the first win was amazing.
Sector one was your weak point in that first moto, but then you would always make up the time in sector three. You were unbelievable there. Do you know what you were doing better than Tony?
That is the U-turn over there. I had some nice lines over there in the back, especially because I was riding behind him and I could really focus where he went. I was kind of switching the lines. I had time to really see, try the other lines and then really found the good one. Then in the end I really found a good one and that also helped the lap times. The sector was good there.
Did you have a spot picked out to pass Tony in that first moto? We have just talked about how your weak point was sector one, but you got him there. How does that work?
Towards the end I found nice lines also, passing the pit lane and then in the chicanes or tight corners. I had some nice, smooth lines and on that lap I could really gain a little bit of time. I was just behind him. Nothing was between us. I passed him in the first right corner. I think he bobbled. He made a little mistake on the inside, because the rut was really deep. I was using the second one. I had a better exit and I could close him. I was on the inside, so that was the pass.
You alluded to it there, but once Tony got around you in the second moto… Everyone would obviously look at that and be like, "Oh, no. It is the worst thing ever." I felt like that was the best thing that could have happened to you, because it looked like you took a deep breath and realized that you could do that.
Yeah, exactly. The second one was tougher, like I said, because I was in front. I was leading. Tony can watch from the behind. In the middle of the race I said, "Pass me. Come on. Go ahead," so I could see where I was losing time. I needed two or three laps to regroup when he passed me, then I could change the lines to see where he was faster or where I was faster and then try to prepare the attack.
I passed him again and then he passed me back again, then in the end we were pushing so hard that he made a mistake over there. Lost almost the front end and then also in the second corner he just went over the berm. The pace was really hard and really high. We really pushed hard. Both of us gave everything to win, because for both of us it is something special to win here in front of so many fans. His home MXGP and my almost home MXGP, let's say, also. It was really unbelievable.
When he got past you in the second race, was there one big thing that you learned that was so much better than what you were doing?
Yeah, sure. Even if I was not in front of him in the beginning of the race, I did not keep it in one line. I was choosing different lines and trying to change especially where I heard him, because you can hear the rider when you are so close. Where he gains a little bit or where you get a little bit bigger gap. I was trying to change the lines where I could hear that he came close, but it is always tough during the race with all the things going on. You just try to be focused on yourself and ride as smooth as possible, especially on a track like that.
You mentioned that this was a big win, like your first one here in 2015. Towards the end of either moto, did the situation start to catch up to you a little bit? Did you start thinking about how big this was and that you were finally going to get on the top step again? Like we said, it has been a while.
Actually, I could not think during the race. The last lap I looked back in the air and I did not see Tony. I saw on the board that they wrote that Tony fell down also. I gapped him a little bit.
He almost took you out when he crashed. Have you seen the video?
No.
If you were like a second behind where you were, he would have T-boned you and that would have been bad. You got lucky.
Sometimes you need a little bit of luck. That is sport. I think everybody enjoyed it. Us battling was an amazing feeling, being there on the track, having you guys around, all of the team and spectators. I think we gave them a great race. It was really intense and clean, with nice battles.
Two more things. First of all, you obviously had an epic battle with Tony at Mantova in 2016. How does this compare to that? Did you enjoy it more? Was it a bigger win? How do you compare the two?
Both wins are special, but I will say that after two tough years and not winning races for more than one year and a half that this is a really special win.
Finally, do you feel like a monkey has been lifted off your back now? You have been close to getting these wins in the last two years, or year and a half since Sweden, but to finally get it done, do you feel like you can breathe a little bit and that you have now completed your rebuilding process?
That was the cherry on the cake and what was missing in the previous MXGP rounds, but now we have got that. The motivation is really high. I cannot wait for the next MXGP, but we have a little break and I will continue working really hard. It is great to win, definitely, for me, for the team and for everyone. Just so happy and thankful.
Interview: Lewis Phillips | Lead Image: Conway
Monday, April 8, 2019 at 4:41PM
Ken Hill
MORGANTON, N.C. – After more than three hours of intense battle that came down to the wire, FMF KTM Factory Racing Team’s Kailub Russell claimed the runner-up position at the FMF Steele Creek GNCC for Round 3 of the 2019 AMA Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) Series in Morganton, North Carolina. Trail Jesters KTM Racing’s Ben Kelley extended his win-streak to three-in-a-row on Sunday with another big win in the XC2 250 Pro class.
XC1 Open Pro
As the green flag waived for the XC1 Open Pro class, Russell powered his KTM 350 XC-F into the holeshot and early lead on lap one. Russell was joined right away by riders Thad DuVall and Trevor Bollinger as they began what would be a close three-way battle for the lead position. It was Russell who assumed the lead for a majority of the first three laps before DuVall took over on lap four. Russell reclaimed the lead on laps five and six and he held it going into the seventh and final lap of the race. After gaining a 20-second lead, Russell got hung up in a recently-developed mud hole on the last lap. As he was receiving assistance from other riders to pull his bike from the hole, DuVall was able to sneak by and take over the lead late in the race. Russell was able to put on a charge and catch up to his rear end but he wasn’t able to find an opportunity to pass in the final sections of the course. Russell’s second-place finish allows him to maintain the points lead early in the 13-round championship.
Russell: “I got the word that it was going to be a seven-lap race and I knew it was going to be pretty grueling. I just kept my pace up and I gapped them on one side [of the course] I was really good there and wore them down, but on the other side I couldn’t get around anyone so I would pull away and they would catch back up every lap. On the last lap, I was pretty much on cruise control but I came up on a mud hole that developed late in the race and I picked a bad line and I got hung up behind the guy in front of me. Some guys helped me out and I really appreciate it because it would have been tough to get my bike out of the hole I was in. It was frustrating. Thad pulled me right there and I didn’t think I was going to be able to catch him but I gave it a good effort and caught back up but there was nowhere to get it done.”
FMF KTM Factory Racing’s Josh Toth got off to a top-five start in the XC1 Open Pro class, where he immediately engaged in battle with the class front-runners. He dropped back to sixth for two laps before climbing his way up to fourth around the halfway point. He continued to battle in fourth for the next hour but after running into a couple of issues he dropped to fifth and remained there for the duration of the race. After more than three hours of tough battle, Toth was able to secure a top-five finish in the class.
Toth: “I had a good ride today. I focused on staying with the lead pack and I was able to stay pretty close to the leaders for the first couple laps and definitely learned some things from them. I also had some good battles and rode strong throughout the day, so I’m happy to be in the top five with some fast laps!”
Tely Energy Racing’s Steward Baylor Jr., ran inside the top five for a majority of the race, where he ultimately finished just off the podium in fourth.
XC2 250 Pro
Kelley powered his KTM 250 XC-F out front on the start to claim the XC2 holeshot and early lead in the class. He immediately laid down a charge on the opening lap to create a one-minute gap over the second-place rider and from there he continued to extend his gap to ultimately win by over four-minutes in XC2 and sixth overall for the day. With a perfect score of 90 points through the first three rounds, Kelley now sits 19 points ahead in the early XC2 Championship. His teammate, Jonathan Girroir, put forth a solid performance to claim second-place in the class and ninth overall.
XC1 Open Pro Results
Monday, April 8, 2019 at 4:31PM 
Josh Toth claims career-first Pro class victory in the 2019 Kenda Full Gas Sprint Enduro, topping the results ahead of Kailub Russell and Thad Duvall.
I-81 Motorsports Park in Greenville, Tennessee hosted round three of the Kenda Full Gas Sprint Enduro series and witnessed Pro-class rookie, Josh Toth, bettering his more experienced rivals for the first time in his career.
Toth won four of the 12 tests during the course of the two-day event and topped his FMF/KTM team-mate and runner-up Kailub Russell by 23 seconds after two days of tight racing.
Toth won Saturday’s round by 24 seconds, and proved he was equally fast in both the Cross test and the Enduro test by winning one of each. On Sunday, Toth won two of the three Enduro tests, and was second for the day behind Russell, however his combined time for the two days was fast enough for the overall win.
“I was pretty consistent on Saturday and I was able to get the win for the day,” said Toth. “So, on Sunday I knew I had a pretty good cushion over those guys, so I just tried to ride as well as I could, but also stay off the ground and just kind of play it safe.”
Rough day for Russell on day one
Russell came back from a rough day on Saturday to win Sunday’s round and take second overall. Russell won more tests than anyone, six in all, however a mishap in the second test on Saturday cost the FMF/KTM rider a shot at the overall.
“I got off to an awesome start in the first test on Saturday, winning the thing,” said Russell. “And I was riding really well in the second test, but right near the end I hit a rock wrong and just shot off the track. There was a fence right next to the track and I just got all wrapped up in it and tangled up. Luckily, I didn’t go over the fence. The bike was kind of tangled in-between a couple of trees and the fence. I could either give up or keep trying, so I just kept trying and plugging away and I eventually made up a bunch of time.”
Russell came back to win Sunday’s event, giving him second overall for the weekend: “I was pleased with how I rode, because the competition is so tight at these [Sprint Enduros] that you just can’t give up that kind of time and still get right back in it,” said Russell. “In the end I got second overall and won the day two. Overall, it could have been worse. I’m just happy to walk away with max points on day two.”
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Thad Duvall rounded out the podium after taking two test wins, one on each day but admitted he wasn’t himself: “I kept crashing. I think I crashed in four out of the six tests. I was very frustrated yesterday. So, we kind of made some changes on the bike last night and then it was much better day today and we won a couple tests. I just tried to clear my head last night and start over again today. I need to learn how to ride better on Saturdays.”
Coastal Racing Husqvarna’s Layne Michael came back from over a month layoff to get fourth overall: “Technically I’m not even supposed to be riding yet,” admitted Michael. “I kind of started off a little timid, obviously, just considering everything. But I felt better progressing into the day, and today I felt like I was a lot steadier, especially Enduro test. I’ve only ridden five times coming back, so just to still be competitive in the cross test at least feels good. Just got to get some bike time under us and keep working and get that comfort back and we’ll be fine.
Fifth overall and Pro2 win for Smith
Evan Smith was fifth overall on his Husqvarna/Max Motorsports/FXR FC 250, which was also good for the win in the Pro2 division. Smith won eight of the 12 tests in the Pro2 division and beat out Beta USA’s Mike Witkowski by just over a minute to claim the class win.
“Tough” weekend for Strang
Babbitt’s Monster Energy Kawasaki teammates Josh Strang and Jordan Ashburn battled with each other for most of the weekend and wound up occupying sixth and seventh.
Strang admitted it was, “a tough weekend. That’s all I can say, really. I struggled with the conditions a little bit. So we’ll just brush it under the rug and go to the next one.”
Witkowski won one test in the Pro2 class and was eighth overall and second in the Pro2 class. Meanwhile, Trail Jesters KTM development rider Jesse Ansley won three Pro2 tests en route to ninth overall and third in the Pro2 class.
Monday, April 8, 2019 at 4:18PM 
Big AORC hitters Daniel Milner and Daniel Sanders share the overall wins at rounds three and four in prime conditions at Dungog, New South Wales.
Daniel Milner, Luke Styke and Daniel Sanders each continued their 100% winning records at rounds three and four of the Australian Off Road Championship (AORC) in Dungog this weekend – with Milner taking the Saturday overall and Sanders turning the tide on Sunday to record fastest overall time.
In perfect racing conditions at Dungog and, for once very little dust, rounds three and four of AORC ran a timecard enduro format on both days. In actual fact the format seems to matter little to the leading riders though as Daniel’s Sanders and Milner again battled all the weekend for the overall.
More than comfortable onboard the KTM 350 EXC-F, Daniel Milner gave no chance to his rivals in E2 class. On both days he won by a clear margin – one minute on day one and 40 seconds on day two. Joshua Green and Scott Keegan completed the podium on Saturday. On Sunday Green stayed second and Jeremy Carpentier made his way up to the last spot in the podium.
“A few mistakes cost me.” Said milner after Dungog. “I didn’t get it together as well today [Sunday] as I did on Saturday. I got caught out on some grass sections but apart from those mistakes I really enjoyed the day. The club here always put on a good event which made for an exciting weekend full of close racing. I am really pleased to finish the weekend here in Dungog with two class wins.
“The hardest thing for me is that I’m the guy who is meant to stay smooth and consistent, but I just made mistakes. So I definitely have a strong drive now to work hard and fix the problems in time for the next rounds.”
Sanders takes no prisoners on Sunday
Winning by a margin of nearly three minutes on Saturday and by two minutes on Sunday, Daniel Sanders had the ride of the weekend in E3. The extra training between the first rounds and Dungog seemed to pay off with consistent speed and a reward of the overall on day two. Sanders was joined in the podium by Beau Ralston and Jesse Lawton on Saturday and Beau Ralston and Andres Wilksch on Sunday.
Dungog left a big smile on Sander’s face: “Sunday was a good day! I came out of Saturday feeling positive, so I wanted to push straight away in round four. I didn’t ride the grassy cross tests as well as I had hoped, so I worked really hard on that all day and finally scored a good run on the last loop.”
“The Enduro test was great. I just had to hit my markers and overall, I was really happy with how I went. There were a lot of positives after Toowoomba, but I still have a lot of work to do before Kyogle.”
“It was an awesome weekend here in Dungog and was without a doubt the best AORC event I have done so far! The AORC Committee and Dungog Motorcycle Club put on an awesome event. If you weren’t here you really missed out!”
Sunday, April 7, 2019 at 4:14PM
AMA motocross champion Eli Tomac has won the latest round of the AMA supercross championship in Nashville, however it was Cooper Webb who came away to extend his points lead in the series and is looking hard to beat now for the championship.
Tomac won ahead of Blake Baggett and Cooper Webb, with Marvin Musquin down in sixth place. With three rounds remaining Webb has 309 points to 288 by Tomac and Musquin.
Husky riders Dean Wilson and Zach Osborne did well for fourth and fifth places in the main event.
Webb had a solid start to the evening as he finished second in 450SX Heat 1 to secure a favorable gate position heading into the Main Event. As the gate dropped for the main, Webb powered his KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION to the holeshot and early lead. He led for the first eight laps before dropping into the second-place position. As the race wore on, Webb found himself engaged in battle for second with KTM-mounted Blake Baggett. Baggett eventually made the move around Webb and he charged his way to the finish, capturing third overall and banking points toward his quest for a career-first 450SX title.
“It was nice to get the holeshot and lead some laps in the Main Event," Webb said. "I made some mistakes and got passed by Eli and Blake – they were both riding really good tonight. I’m keeping the bigger picture in mind and a podium finish isn’t too bad, we were able to take away some points and extend the lead a little bit heading into the last three rounds.”
Musquin had a great start to the day in Nashville as he claimed the second-place qualifying position in the 450SX class. He lined up in 450SX Heat 1 where he battled through the chaos to take the early lead in the race. The race was red flagged early on and after the restart Musquin ran into a few issues that ultimately set him back to claim an eighth-place transfer into the Main Event. As the gate dropped for the Main Event, Musquin put himself into second place where he battled just behind teammate Webb early on. As he was positioning himself for a pass into the lead, Musquin hit a square edge in the whoop section and went down, causing him to drop back to 20th on lap two. He made a big charge through the pack to ultimately climb his way up to sixth, claiming valuable points in the championship chase.
“Qualifying eighth in the heat race," Musquin said. "Kind of put me in a bad position for the Main Event but I was able to get a decent start in second. Unfortunately, I made another mistake in the first set of whoops and I went down. From last, I came all the way back to sixth-place, which is okay but the end result is not good so we’ll keep on fighting.”
“I qualified third, so the speed was good today,” Wilson said. “In the heat race, I rode a bit tight and ended up fourth. In the Main Event, I got a good start and avoided some carnage early on and got into second. I got passed by a couple guys and from there I rode in a pretty solid fourth the whole race. Fourth is a good finish but the podium was so close, so I just have to keep pushing for that.”
“Progress is progress, even if it’s slow or small,” Osborne said. “I started off a little slow on the day but a third in the heat race and fifth in the Main Event definitely feels like we’re going in the right direction. I’ll keep plugging away and looking forward to outdoors.”
In the 250 class Chase Sexton looks like he might get the championship as Austin Forkner pulled out with injury and will likely miss the next round. Justin Cooper is also in the mix for the East Coast 250 championship, but it was Martin Davilos who won the main event in Nashville.
Sunday, April 7, 2019 at 4:08PM
HRC rider Tim Gajser has ridden the GP of his life as he battled possibly the greatest GP rider of all time, and in front of a massive Italian crowd. Gajser scored 1-1 results and made sure this MXGP championship is alive and well.
“It is unbelievable,” Gajser said. “I am speechless we played cat and mouse and he followed me and then he was so quick, and then I followed him and such an amazing race, unbelievable, unbelievable. I got a good start and led and Tony was behind me and we pushed hard and at the end, after more than a year I won a GP and we had a tough two years, but we never give up."
Antonio Cairoli was also brilliant, and did pick up a knee injury when he nearly crashed during the second moto.
"I am happy about the weekend," Cairoli said. "But of course not happy about the second moto. We rode fast and it was dangerous this speed and I was too aggresive in some places and took risk and that isnt' needed. I crashed and twisted my left knee and I felt a lot of pain and I couldnt' lay my bike down and I fell hard. It shouldn't happen, but Tim rode amazing and deserves this win."
Gajser took the lead early in the second MXGP moto, followed by Cairoli, Paulin, Tonus, Searle, Anstie, Bogers, Monticelli, Seewer, and Jonass in 10th. Paulin in third pushing hard to get under Cairoli, and Coldenhoff quickly into 10th place.
After one lap it was Gajser with a two second lead, then Cairoli, Paulin, Tonus, Anstie, Monticelli, Searle, Bogers, Coldenhoff and Bernardini in 10th. Desalle and Jonass at the back of the field, as was Seewer and Van Horebeek. Simpson 21st place.
After two laps the lead was more than two seconds and Paulin was a further three seconds back in third. Three laps in and Cairoli made up a little ground on the leader, and Anstie into the top five as he passed Jasikonis.
Anstie out of the top ten as he drops to 30th place and into the mechanic area, clearly suffering from his moto one injury. After five laps and Cairoli closed up a little, and Paturel moved into 10th place and Simpson riding well to move into 14th place.
Gajser and Cairoli both turned up the speed and after six laps it was Gajser with a two second lead, with Paulin eight seconds back, then Tonus, Jasikonis, Monticelli, Searle, Bogers, Coldenhoff and Paturel.
After eight laps and Cairoli started pushing harder and was closing on the leader, with Paulin now 14 seconds back. Both riders looking very smooth, and in control, but that doesn’t mean it wouldn’t turn into a slugfest.
Suddenly Cairoli went for the pass and Gajser made a mistake and let Cairoli through. Pandemonium as the Italian spectators just went wild. Gajser though wasn’t finished just yet as he turned up the tempo.
Seems like Gajser is pushing to get closer again, but Cairoli is looking very sharp up front. Maybe Cairoli made his move too quickly, because it looked like Gajser was watching the leaders lines and suddenly using the same lines as Cairoli.
After 11 laps it was Cairoli, Gajser, Paulin, Tonus, Jasikonis, Monticelli, Searle, Bogers, Coldenhoff and Paturel. Paulin now 26 seconds back on the top two riders. Simpson up to 12th place, and Van Horebeek a stunning 14th coming from the back.
Gajser a stunning move on Cairoli as he dived up the inside and then Cairoli made a big mistake and nearly crashed, possible even hurting himself as he struggled to stay on the bike and the force on his arms was forceful. Mistakes by both as they pushed to the limit, leaving Paulin 35 seconds back in third place.
It was now Cairolis chance to watch the lines of the leader. 15 laps and the two are close with Paulin in third, then Tonus, Jasikonis, Monticelli, Searle, Coldenhoff, Bogers and Lupino in 10th. Simpson a strong 11th, and Van Horebeek again back in the field.
The pace at the front was just ridiculous and with three laps to go they were side by side. Amazing strength from these two athletes. Lapped riders kept of of the way for the time being. Cairoli all over Gajser.
Cairoli into the lead in the same place Gajser got him a few laps earlier and Cairol nearly down again and Cairoli went down and handed the win to Gajser. Drama, drama, drama. Sensational racing from these two champions.
Gajser moved passed 14th placed Seewer and was onto Paturel who held 13th place. Tim Gajser, congratulations.
Gajser wins it from Cairoli and Paulin. Again Cairoli and Gajser embrace in another sign of what a great sportsman the Italian is in defeat.
MXGP - GP Classification
1. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 50 points; 2. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 44 p.; 3. Gautier Paulin (FRA, YAM), 40 p.; 4. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, YAM), 36 p.; 5. Ivo Monticelli (ITA, KTM), 31 p.; 6. Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, HUS), 28 p.; 7. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, KAW), 26 p.; 8. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), 24 p.; 9. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 21 p.; 10. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 20 p.; 11. Tommy Searle (GBR, KAW), 17 p.; 12. Julien Lieber (BEL, KAW), 17 p.; 13. Brian Bogers (NED, HON), 14 p.; 14. Benoit Paturel (FRA, KAW), 13 p.; 15. Pauls Jonass (LAT, HUS), 12 p.; 16. Tanel Leok (EST, HUS), 11 p.; 17. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, HON), 11 p.; 18. Clement Desalle (BEL, KAW), 9 p.; 19. Vsevolod Brylyakov (RUS, YAM), 6 p.; 20. Jose Butron (ESP, KTM), 5 p.; 21. Samuele Bernardini (ITA, YAM), 3 p.; 22. Petar Petrov (BUL, KTM), 3 p.; 23. Pascal Rauchenecker (AUT, KTM), 1 p.; 24. Davide De Bortoli (ITA, HON), 0 p.; 25. Max Anstie (GBR, KTM), 0 p.; 26. Davide Bonini (ITA, SUZ), 0 p.; 27. Jonathan Bengtsson (SWE, KTM), 0 p.; 28. Artem Guryev (RUS, HUS), 0 p.; 29. Klemen Gercar (SLO, HUS), 0 p.; 30. Anton Gole (SWE, YAM), 0 p.; 31. Tom Koch (GER, KTM), 0 p.; 32. Gianluca Di Marziantonio (ITA, KTM), 0 p.;
Tuesday, April 2, 2019 at 2:54PM
Rallye News
One-two for Monster Energy Honda in 2019 Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge second stage
Monster Energy Honda's José Ignacio Cornejo set off at a swift pace to claim the second stage win. Photo: RallyZone - Edoardo Bauer
The Monster Energy Honda Team riders turned out a fine performance in the dunes of Liwa for the second stage of the 2019 Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge taking the top two spots.
José Ignacio Cornejo and Joan Barreda finished first and second on the day, while the fastly improving American Andrew Short crossed the line third.
The heat and wind were once again the key climatic elements of stage two. The 222 kilometres of special timed stage proved to be a physical test for the riders once more. Yet in spite of the soft dunes and scorching temperatures on the course, riders finished the day reporting back good sensations.
José Ignacio Cornejo set off at a swift pace, catching the two riders ahead before finishing amongst the front-runners at the end of the special. The Chilean rider pulled off an important stage victory, his second in the World Championship. ‘Nacho’ now lies in second in the general standings, less than a minute behind the leader Sam Sunderland.
"Today I improved the pace with the bike in the dunes, I went a lot faster and I pulled back a bit of time before the refuelling," Cornejo explained. "In the second part I was pushing harder and I was able to catch up with the front-runners. Furthermore, I won the stage, so I am very happy, and the intention from now on is to continue along the same track and try to hold onto the second position in the general standings."
Joan Barreda was today able to resume the race after yesterday’s mechanical hitch. The Spanish rider was surprised to arrive at refuelling with the best provisional time. He would have been the best on the day too had it not been for a fall in the second part of the special which saw him drop precious seconds. He did, however, finish the stage in second place behind his team-mate.
"I was feeling pretty good. It was an important, yet tough day for me," Barreda shared. "In the earlier part I didn’t feel so confident, but things improved and I was able to reach a good race pace. Pity about the final part, where I got stuck in a dune and my ribs were hurting. I decided to slow down a bit to make it safely to the finish-line. Anyway, I am pleased with how I led the day in spite of the difficulties."
With only one set of tracks ahead of him in the sand, Short had to rely on his ever-increasing rally experience to navigate through the featureless Liwa desert. Photo: RallyZone - Edoardo Bauer
Andrew Short continues to impress posting the third fastest time on a tricky stage. As the second rider to head into the timed special, the American rider immediately set about chasing down the leader.
With only one set of tracks ahead of him in the sand, Short had to rely on his ever-increasing rally experience to navigate through the featureless Liwa desert. Ultimately catching the leading competitor 20 kilometres before the stage finish posting a stage time less than three minutes down on the day two winner. Despite incurring a one-minute speed penalty – his first ever in rally competition – Short still lies third in the provisional overall standings.
“Today’s stage was very similar to yesterday, but I was riding by myself for the majority of the day," Short said. "I was able to use the tracks in the sand to my advantage and managed to keep to a good pace. It was a bit tough out there battling against the wind once again but I’m happy with how I rode. It seems I got my first speed penalty today since I started rally, which isn’t good. Hopefully as the days continue, I can push the tracks and gain more positions.”
Luciano Benavides matched his fourth-place finish from the opening day, the 23-year-old successfully navigated his own way through the expansive dunes. Ultimately, he posted a stage time of three-hours-and-16-minutes, less than four minutes from the stage winner.
“It was a good day for me today," Benavides enthused. "I rode alone for the whole stage so I was able to learn a lot about this desert and how to read the dunes. I was able to maintain a good rhythm and I’m not too far away from the top guys so I’m happy with that. My pace is getting better and that’s very encouraging for the days ahead. My plan is to continue like this without any mistakes and arrive healthy at the end.”
Following on from his day one win, Sam Sunderland was the first to enter today’s stage. Navigating through the looped timed special that took riders around the Liwa oasis area, Sunderland led the majority of the route, only to be caught close to the finish. Despite the conditions being less than perfect, the 2017 Abu Dhabi winner showed excellent pace, posting the fifth fastest time for the day.
“Starting first on the route is always going to be a disadvantage obviously, but I’m pleased with how I rode and believe I did a good job of opening the stage," Sunderland said. "I set a good pace all day and only got caught by Andrew at around kilometre 200, which is really good for leading out here in Abu Dhabi as it’s always quite tricky to navigate and easy to lose time when riding at the front. I am very pleased with how everything is going at the moment – the bike is perfect and the team are doing great. Hopefully the wind eases off a little as it makes everyone’s job a little harder, but it’s the desert and it can be expected. Looking forward to getting going again tomorrow.”
Tomorrow, Tuesday, sees the third stage, the rally’s halfway point, which will feature the longest special stage that riders will have to face. This will include almost 300 kilometres against the clock, out of a total of 434 before the day is through.
Provisional Results Stage Two – 2019 Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge
1. Jose Ignacio Cornejo (CHL), Honda, 3:13:21
2. Joan Barreda (SPA), Honda, 3:15:04 +1:43
3. Andrew Short (USA), Husqvarna, 3:16:19 +2:58
4. Luciano Benavides (ARG), KTM, 3:16:51 +3:30
5. Sam Sunderland (GBR), KTM, 3:19:16 +5:55
Provisional Overall Standings (after Stage Two)
1. Sam Sunderland (GBR), KTM, 6:59:57
2. Jose Ignacio Cornejo (CHL), Honda, 7:00:48 +0:51
3. Andrew Short (USA), Husqvarna, 7:04:09 +4:12
4. Luciano Benavides (ARG), KTM, 7:06:39 +6:42 5. Kevin Benavides (ARG), Honda, 7:20:17 +20:20
Tuesday, April 2, 2019 at 1:25PM Former international hopeful to line-up at Broadford.
Image: Foremost Media.
Multiple injuries sustained in a first turn crash at Wonthaggi’s second round of the Pirelli MX Nationals have damaged Brett Metcalfe’s 2019 campaign in just its early stages.
The talented Penrite Honda Racing rider suffered a broken finger in three places, separated AC joint as well as a hematoma on his thigh after colliding with a number of riders in turn one of moto two on Sunday.
The injuries add to challenging pre-season that saw the former international endure multiple fractured vertebrae in his lower back, which he remarkably bounced back from to make the season-opener at Appin, just six weeks after the incident.
While his chances of earning the crown this season have slimmed, he’s certainly not out of the race for the premier class championship with an upcoming eight rounds granting him an opportunity to claw back the 35-point deficit to current leader Hayden Mellross (Raceline KTM Thor).
“My sole goal is to line-up at Broadford, brave the pain and get as many points as we can to stay in the championship,” Metcalfe admitted. “The biggest concern right now is the spiral fracture I have in my finger. I will head back to the clinic next Monday and we will make a decision following the second round of results.
“I felt fast but it was hard to pass, I lost a lot of time throughout the race being stuck behind riders as the track was very one-lined. In the end, I settled for fifth and I was able to make up 18 seconds on the winner so we certainly had great pace.”
Metcalfe’s fifth in race one at Wonthaggi credited him 17th overall, pushing him back to 13th in the series rankings after previously holding down fourth. The MX Nationals heads to Broadford in Victoria on 14 April.
Tuesday, April 2, 2019 at 9:57AM Antonio Cairoli on another MXGP triumph
The 2019 FIM Motocross World Championship has been rather kind to Antonio Cairoli so far, even though he is fighting a neck and shoulder problem currently. Cairoli jumped on the top step of the box at Valkenswaard, maintaining his perfect record this season, and extended his series lead significantly. Was his Dutch outing as uneventful as it looked? That is broken down in this exclusive interview from the sandy circuit.
MX Vice: Another 1-1 today. Your first Valkenswaard overall victory since 2014, so that is nice, and all in all it was kind of an uneventful day. You just went about your business. It worked out. You did not really have to push your limits. Kind of one of the days you would want, I guess.
Antonio Cairoli: Yeah. The week was not really one of the best, because I thought I was going to rest a little bit and then we had something to test, so I could not really avoid this training. I did not really feel well during this training, so I was not really happy to race in the sand after this problem, but eventually we arrived here. I took some medicines, had some therapy and it was actually a little bit better. Yesterday was a little bit tougher than today, of course. Today was a little bit better, because I was warm from yesterday still.
(ConwayMX)
Anyway, it was enough. You do not need to win with a lot of seconds in front to take fifty points. I was controlling both motos. A good start in the first moto following [Max] Anstie. He was quite good in the opening laps and then he made a crash. I followed for a couple of laps, then he crashed so I passed him. I tried to keep this gap to [Clement] Desalle by controlling the race. The second moto again: I had a good start and I did not want somebody to pass me like in the first moto, so I tried to push a little bit more the first three or four laps. It worked out.
I saw that Tim [Gajser] was in the back and I could keep the same gap all the time and try to control him. I saw that the last two laps, with some lappers, he was getting a little bit closer, but fortunately for me I had a good last lap and I could stay in front and take the fifty points.
You mentioned you tested something this week so, as much as you can tell us, what was that? If you cannot say that, what area of the bike does it help?
Yeah, we are testing a lot the suspension. Especially for this track we saw that we have something to improve a little bit, because it is quite hard. It is not really sandy. We were prepared to come a little bit to a sandy track, then I saw the weather and I had a couple of trainings during the week. We struggled a little bit with some settings and then in the end we actually had a very good set-up.
I am really happy about the bike, but the problem was mostly about my feeling with the shoulder and not riding as smooth as I always do in the sand. For the bike it was also not really helping. I really had to not change too much on the bike and just see that I get a little better, then we test when we are a little bit on a stronger condition.
(ConwayMX)
Do you actually think that your shoulder and neck has gotten worse since last week? Is riding not helping the situation?
No. Actually the doctor tells me that it was better if I did not ride, but we had this plan already and I had to ride. Even if I did not really ride much, I still had some struggles. Not really the first day, which was feeling already okay, but the second day I feel a little bit that was getting stiffer. We interrupted the training a little bit earlier and then hoped that with two days of rest it would be better.
Actually, it was not like this. Saturday was worse than Sunday. I think we need to let it work a little bit more and try to build up again the muscle, because I used it on the wrong way already before England and already here this week. I just need to rest I think now, one or two days more and then, okay, we are riding hard-pack so it should not be that big a problem next week. We are looking forward for Arco.
You mentioned the second moto. I think for a lot of the race your gap over Tim was three seconds. If you look at that on paper, you think that is a close race. Watching you though, I kind of did not get excited that there was a battle coming at all. I just felt like you had it under control, so you could have gone faster if you needed to. I guess you just felt exactly the same way?
Yeah. I knew that Tim was pushing a lot. They put that on the board also, to try to be consistent with the lap times. That is what I did. I was not on the limit, because you can see it from the riding. I was really trying to not make mistakes and stay on the bike, even if I had to push some sections a little bit more. I was quite controlling the race. Last two laps with some lappers he got a little bit closer, especially in the last lap, but I was still in control so far. I was happy with how we managed the second moto.
What about the track? A weird Valkenswaard. I have never seen it like this even when I was younger watching it on TV. Hard, fast and sketchy in spots.
Yeah, exactly. It is not really a sandy race, actually. It was more like just soft dirt and not really close to a sand technique to ride. That is why a lot of people also… I think the racing was a little bit closer, because it was easier in one way to go fast and you do not get tired like you do in your back when you have to stand for all of the lap when you are riding in the proper sand. Valkenswaard was like it last year, with the rain and the cold there were a lot of ruts everywhere.
This, I think, was the most difficult Valkenswaard I have ever seen. This year it was better in one way, because for the fans you have more racing and it is nicer, but for a sand lover like me it is not really a typical track. You can also see the standings in MX2 were not so far at all, even with Jorge [Prado] who is one of the best sand riders ever.
Was there actually anywhere on the track where you felt like you could make a difference then? A little area that was quite technical?
Yeah, actually, I felt that I could make some difference where it was a little bit sandier, especially at the end of the first section. In the third section, which was the waves section and the jumps, I could still push a little bit. I saw, when watching Tim, that I could gain a little bit in this part, but he was really pushing a lot. I was trying to control it more to not come too close and not make stupid things.
Finally, in the week before Trentino, are you going to ride as normal or test as normal? Are you going to try and give the shoulder and neck a bit of a break?
No. Actually I am going to ride, I think only on Wednesday, because I have been here in Belgium already for almost twenty days, so I do not ride any hard-pack yet. I have been riding a lot of ruts and a lot of rain all of the time. I think I am going to ride a little bit of hard-pack on Wednesday, just to get back the feeling with this soil, then I have a lot of appointments during this week with radio and TV. I am really happy about this, because I always work a lot to bring in Italy a lot more popularity to the sport.
Interview: Lewis Phillips | Lead Image: ConwayMX
