Herlings vs Cairoli - Battle of Britain

I am still sitting here shaking my head. The racing we have seen in the MXGP class in 2018, well, it is some of the best I have seen in my 27 years covering the GP racing from Europe, or the 47 years I have followed motocross as a fan. Jeffrey Herlings is doing things that keeps the press room, the spectators and the whole motocross world watching, and he will elevate the sport in Europe to another level.

His tactical break down of Antonio Cairoli was just vicious. What we are seeing is a version of a rider, that hasn’t yet been seen. Asking around in the paddock, everyone feels the same, the seemingly new era, the post Antonio Cairoli era (if you dare say that) is one of the most spectacular we have ever seen.

Now, let us not get ahead of ourselves, because Antonio Cairoli is long but done. His speed in Matterley Basin was the best Antonio Cairoli we have seen at this track, a track he has won on four times and clinched a world title at, but seriously, Herlings played with him like he was a half dead mouse and Herlings was a nasty cat. Flicking the Sicilian around like a toy, and then smiling as if to say, there you go mate, take that. His look back at the end of the second moto, while crossing the finish line to win the race and the Grand Prix was a sign of what is to come.

The two don’t like each other, that is clear for everyone to see, and clearly KTM have said, “boys, behave yourselves” and in public they have done just that. Of course, they respect each other, but two very different athletes, but both with the same hunger, and that hunger is to win, and at times at any cost.

We interviewed Antonio on the Saturday, and he felt Herlings couldn’t carry this type of speed all season long, and maybe he is correct, because Herlings wasn’t as dominant in England as the previous few GPs, but still, he had enough to win, and win in style.

The fact Herlings felt he could just sit back in that all important second moto, wait until the two-lap board came out and then go, catch and pass Cairoli in a fashion that was just WOW. It is like he doesn’t even have a care, like whatever Cairoli can do, he can match and then add some.

Antonio Cairoli isn’t happy, in fact his actions after that second moto was very much a rider who will come to France next week and be seriously keen to put some hurt on somebody. In the past he has been able to respond to this type of attack, be it Clement Desalle or Gautier Paulin, but both those guys, multiple GP winners, and very good GP riders, don’t have a single world title, and probably never will. Herlings, a three-time world motocross champion, with 74 GP wins is a totally different animal, and Cairoli knows that better than anyone.

When Jeffrey Herlings jumped into the back of his KTM van and headed to the Eurotunnel to get home on Sunday night, he was smiling, laughing and in great spirits. This kid isn’t just loving his job at the moment, its way more than that, his life is just as he wants it, and if he continues to ride the way he is riding, his 101 GP victory will come long before he is 25, and he might have an extra couple of world championships to his name.

Sit back and watch world, this season is a long way from over, and possibly the greatest GP rider of all time (Cairoli) isn’t finished just yet, and his responce in France, a circuit that will suit him more than Herlings will be the perfect place to make his own statement, and his chance to reply to this stunning effort by Herlings.

Ray Archer image

Herlings vs Cairoli...Epic Battle!

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing's Antonio Cairoli and Jeffrey Herlings had an epic battle in Great Britain, then Cairoli crashed and Herlings won Race 1!

British GP - Highlights

Herlings wins a Classic

Red Bull KTM factory rider Jeffrey Herlings has again proven too good for his opposition and won the opening moto of the MXGP class. 

In a race of drama, the victory did come after Herlings and Cairoli collided, with the defending world MXGP champion going down. The two did shake hands at the end of the moto, but moto two will be interesting.

“The track is like Germany," Herlings said. "Tough to pass. I never meant to get in contact, I don’t like that, but I went deep into the turn and he passed me back and he blocked me, then we went into the turn together and we clipped each other, and I am sorry he went down, but it is part of racing.”

Cairoli holeshot from Gajser, Coldenhoff and Herlings, but Herlings quickly got into second, then Gajser passed the Dutchman, before Herlings made a desperate pass to regain second place. The Dutchman knowing, he can’t let Cairoli get too far ahead.

While Cairoli tried to get away from Herlings the Dutchman was working hard to remain just a second behind. Seewer went down and Desalle moved into fourth place, behind Cairoli, Herlings and Gajser.

Simpson and Anstie were fighting outside the top ten, and Febvre passed Coldenhoff for fifth place.

Cairoli continued to lead as he clocked the quickest lap of the race, then a lap later Herlings did his best lap of the race. Gajser was third, Desalle fourth. Then came Febvre, Coldenhoff, Van Horebeek, Searle, Lieber, and Seewer 10^th.

Amazing as Herlings closed on Cairoli quickly, caught him, and passed the Italian in a stunning move around the outside on Everts corner, on the pegs and into the lead, but Cairoli fought back to jumps past Herlings. Two laps later and as Cairoli led, Herlings ducked up the inside on a right-hand corner, pushed Cairoli wide, and when Cairoli tried to respond, he collided with Herlings back wheel and went down.

Herlings wins it from Cairoli and Gajser.

MXGP - Grand Prix Race 1 - Classification

1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 35:58.965; 2. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:10.188; 3. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:14.527; 4. Clement Desalle (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:32.384; 5. Romain Febvre (FRA, Yamaha), +0:47.533; 6. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), +0:50.591; 7. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Yamaha), +0:58.183; 8. Julien Lieber (BEL, Kawasaki), +1:01.933; 9. Tommy Searle (GBR, Kawasaki), +1:06.611; 10. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Suzuki), +1:09.122; 11. Maximilian Nagl (GER, TM), +1:12.214; 12. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Yamaha), +1:16.858; 13. Max Anstie (GBR, Husqvarna), +1:19.845; 14. Valentin Guillod (SUI, KTM), +1:20.998; 15. Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, Honda), +1:22.278; 16. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, KTM), +1:27

AMA Announce 2018 US ISDE Team

The American Motorcyclist Association today announced the 10 trophy team riders selected to represent the United States in the 2018 FIM International Six Days Enduro in Vina Del Mar, Chile, Nov. 12-17.

The riders will compete as the U.S. World Trophy, Junior World Trophy and Women's World Trophy teams.

"The U.S. World Trophy Team had a tough outing in 2017, because of an injury on the first day of competition, so we are looking forward to the opportunity to regain the championship the U.S. team won in 2016," said AMA Director of Racing Kevin Crowther. "We are eager to head for Chile with this group of talented riders. And I am confident these individuals will be competitive at the highest level and demonstrate America's determination and conviction during this competition."

The U.S. World Trophy and Junior World trophy teams have been managed by KTM USA's Off-Road Manager Antti Kallonen since 2012. Since 2017, Kallonen also has managed the U.S. Women's World Trophy Team.

"I'm happy to be able to assemble all three teams with the riders [named above]," Kallonen said. "Most of the riders can go without any further introduction, as their past results prove their ability for Six Days type racing. But I'm especially pleased to have Zach on board. Although he is new to Six Days, he has proven his speed in off road racing and is riding a two-stroke bike very well, which landed him the spot in the E3 class. It is not easy to find a fast rider that races regularly on a 500 four-stroke or 300 two-stroke in the United States. So, to find a rider like Zach will be a great benefit to the team."

Kallonen said he is ready to begin preparing the teams for the November competition.

The 2018 U.S. World Trophy Team includes: Ryan Sipes, Taylor Robert, Kailub Russell and Zach Bell.

Sipes was the 2015 ISDE overall winner. Robert was the 2016 ISDE overall winner. Russell is a five-time GNCC champion. And Bell is a standout motocrosser turned off-road racer and AMA District 37 Big 6 Grand Prix Series champion.

Kailub Russell is a five-time GNCC champion and brings plenty of speed and experience to the team. Photo: Futrue7Media

The 2017 U.S. World Trophy Team finished a 16th among the 19 countries competing. Robert won the E3 class in 2017 and finished third overall individually. Sipes was 2017 runner-up in E1 and finished fifth overall individually.

The 2018 U.S. Junior World Trophy Team, made up of riders age 23 and younger includes: Josh Toth, Grant Baylor, and Ben Kelley.

Baylor and Toth were also on the 2017 team. Baylor finished 13th in E2 and 31st overall. Toth finished 14th in E1 and 41st overall.

The 2018 U.S. Women's World Trophy Team includes: Tarah Gieger, Brandy Richards and Becca Sheets.

Richards and Sheets were on the 2017 team, which finished second behind five-time winner Australia. And the U.S. team bested the Australians in the last two days of competition.

These riders will be joined by 21 Club Team riders at the ISDE.

Riders at the ISDE compete in one of three displacement classes. The E1 class features 100cc to 125cc two-stroke and 175cc to 250cc four-stroke motorcycles. The E2 class features 175cc to 250cc two-stroke and 290cc to 450cc four-stroke motorcycles. The E3 class features 290cc to 500cc two-stroke and 475cc to 650cc four-stroke motorcycles.

Supporting the ISDE effort is ISDE team physician, Dr. James McGee.

Like team-mate Sipes, Taylor Robert is also a previous overall winner. Photo: Shan Moore

Toni Bou goes in search of 100th victory in Japan

 

Toni Bou and team-mate Takahisa Fujinami will be the ones to beat at their teams home round.

Trail GP World Championship champion and current season leader Toni Bou headed off this afternoon for Japan, where he will take part this weekend in the second and third events of the competition’s highest category, looking poised, once again to break records.

The Repsol Honda Team rider flies out from Barcelona airport to the Motegi circuit, Japan for the second round of the TrialGP World Championship calendar. Toni Bou will arrive as current leader of the championship table, three months after suffering a three vertebrae-fracture at the world championship’s opening event in Camprodón. Bou’s goal in the Japanese GP will be to continue with the winning streak.

Toni Bou, with 16 wins, is the rider who has won the most times in Motegi, ten more than his team-mate in the Repsol Honda Team, Takahisa Fujinami. However, ‘Fujigas’ has achieved a total of 26 podiums compared to the 23 of Toni.

The all powerful Repsol Honda team.

Without a doubt, both riders will arrive well motivated for the Asian race where they have always achieved great results. For Fujinami, racing at home is always an incentive, but this time represents a great milestone for Toni Bou who is on the verge of achieving the highest number of victories in the World Championship. With the Camprodón win, the Spanish rider accumulated 98 career wins just two shy of the 99 that Dougie Lampkin has held since June 2006.

This will be the nineteenth time that the Trial World Championship is hosted in Motegi, the incomparable Japanese motorpark, which has hosted the sport’s top competition since 2000. In the most recent edition Toni Bou achieved a double win. After a spectacular victory on the difficult first day, with mud-drenched section, Takahisa Fujinami made it onto the podium alongside his team-mate. On the second day of competition, with drier terrain and less tricky sections, Bou won with a smaller margin and Fujinami posted fifth.

"The race of Camprodón was good and the sensations, also. Now we must try to continue along in this line, because this year the World Championship will be very complicated: the classifications will be difficult and in the trials the rivals will not make it easy; we will have to be very focused and the whole team work hard to try to achieve the goal. I like Motegi, I'm almost at home, and I'll try my best to continue this good run," Bou said.

Friday sees the dispute of the qualification section that will determine the starting order of the two trails on Saturday and Sunday. The route is about four kilometres in the natural areas of the Motegi circuit and there will be fifteen sections to be played over two laps. The first rider will start at 09:00 and the races are scheduled to finish approximately 15:20.

Toni Bou, with 16 wins, is the rider who has won the most times in Motegi

Takahisa Fujinami, Bou’s partner in the Repsol Honda Team, will tackle the second round of the World Championship somewhat better spirits than during the round in Spain where the rider, not fully recovered from a right shoulder injury, had an uphill battle. The veteran defended himself well in the race and now hopes – fifteen days later – to give the home Japanese fans something to cheer about with a top position finish.

"After the bad time I had, physically, in the first World Championship event, because I was not recovered from the injury, so the following days I spent trying to strengthen and recover the shoulder, which is much better for the next event," Fujinami said. "The TrialGP of Japan is the one at home and it is necessary to go out for all, there I always find an audience that supports me and encourages me to give the maximum of myself, so ... I can not disappoint them!"

Takahisa Fujinami hopes to give the home Japanese fans something to cheer about with a top position finish.

Dakar champion Price to take on double duties at Finke

Factory KTM rider confirms Motorcycle and Truck entries for prestigious event.

Former Dakar champion and Australian off-road favourite Toby Price will take on double duties at the 2018 running of the Tatts Finke Desert Race next week in the Northern Territory.

Price will return to the Motorcycle category after a femur injury sidelined him in 2017, however he also contest the prestigious off-road race in the Truck division for the third year running.

It’s not the first occasion the five-time Finke victor has attempted the ‘iron man’ effort and challenged for victory in dual classes, falling shy of a double-victory in 2016.

“Since I attempted the double in 2016 and we didn’t claim the win in the Truck category, I’ve been extremely keen to try again and was gutted when I was injured last year and couldn’t do the bike,” Price commented.

“We’ve had a couple of months to prepare for the truck and the bike and I’m feeling good. I can’t wait to get out and do our first test with the truck, this is going to be extremely challenging but rewarding if we can get it done.”

The Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider, who just announced a partnership with Red Bull for his trophy truck entry, will pilot a KTM Australia-prepared 500 EXC-F in the motorcycle category as he endeavours to earn a record six victories.

Matterley Basin... Will Herlings Prevail?

Hot Topics: MXGP of Britain

The ninth round of the FIM MXGP, the Grand Prix of Great Britain, is upon us and it is going to be another intriguing event. There is the potential for things to shake up in the respective title chases this weekend, as a couple of high-profile riders will return to racing for the first time in a while. The two days are going to be stacked with action.

Can Antonio Cairoli beat Jeffrey Herlings and steal some points away? This question is actually becoming more irrelevant with each week that passes, as if they do finish first and second in that order in both motos then the gap would only shrink by six points. Seeing as Herlings is sat on a forty-eight-point advantage currently, a swing in points like that would not be enough to make a big difference. Now, with Herlings in such a commanding position, the question would be whether or not he is going to be struck by some kind of issue and give up a significant amount of points. If he crashes a couple of times and finishes eighth, for instance, then that would be enough to shake things up a little. It is just so unlikely though.

The battle for the MXGP title marches into Great Britain (KTM Images/Ray Archer)

Rather than those guys, most eyes will be on those who are returning to action at the Grand Prix of Great Britain. Valentin Guillod will be in the premier class, for instance, along with Shaun Simpson and Graeme Irwin. It is actually surprising that Guillod is going to be back so soon, as he broke his leg at the end of January and only started riding four weeks ago. Will he come out and set the world on fire immediately? No, not at all, but it will be interesting to see where he fits in and if he has a spark that was missing on the Honda. Perhaps this will take some of the pressure off of Kevin Strijbos too and help him breakthrough?

Although those returning in the premier division may struggle to make an immediate impact on the field, those who will be back in the MX2 class could make a splash. Darian Sanayei and Hunter Lawrence will be on track and eager for redemption. Although both riders have been on the sidelines since the Grand Prix of Trentino, with the exception of the brief outing that Hunter Lawrence had at Kegums, they have been back on their respective steeds for a while now. Remember the Motocross of Nations? Lawrence excelled, challenged the established in the premier division and took the individual victory in his class. Considering that he was raring to go at the last round, but was told that he could not ride, he should be fired up.

Additionally, do not forget just how good Darian Sanayei was before he tore his ACL. Sanayei could have won at the Grand Prix of La Comunitat Valenciana, as he was undoubtedly the fastest guy, and will desperately want to jump up onto the box before he goes under the knife. It sounds like the knee injury is not going to hinder him too much when the gates drop on Sunday, but he will require surgery at some point. Time is ticking and, hey, seeing as he is free to shop around, some impressive rides at the next couple of rounds would certainly not hurt his cause for next year. This could add an interesting twist to the title chase too, because these guys can steal points from the contenders.

Darian Sanayei will be back in action at Matterley Basin (Monster Energy Media/Ray Archer)

There will be a lot of eyes on Ben Watson this weekend. Watson, who is working through the first year of his Kemea Yamaha deal, will be more than capable of landing on the box. Could he win? It certainly cannot be ruled out heading into the race, as he was four seconds down on the winner in the first moto at the previous round. It would not take much to overhaul that. It is interesting to consider that this is only the second time that he has raced at this event, as there was not a race last year and he was injured before that. A sixteenth is the best that he has done in an MX2 moto at the Grand Prix of Great Britain.

Ben Watson has all of the momentum currently, whereas Max Anstie and Conrad Mewse will be hoping to establish some of that. It seems that good starts would help both guys turn things around, as both classes are so stacked that it is just impossible to pull through from the back. It is well known what both guys have done at Matterley Basin in recent years so it is likely that their respective campaigns will straighten out on Sunday. British fans certainly have a lot to keep an eye on this weekend! Tommy Searle will be hoping to move forward too, although he has only got one round of the FIM Motocross World Championship under his belt since that collarbone injury.

There is so much to look forward to at the Grand Prix of Great Britain, as mentioned at the beginning of this feature, so this list could go on and on. Shaun Simpson will be back, along with Graeme Irwin and Adam Sterry, Romain Febvre is attempting to put his bike on the podium for the first time this year and a handful of guys have switched teams. Heck, Jeffrey Herlings could stand on the box for the one hundredth time as well! An exciting weekend lies ahead.

Words: Lewis Phillips | Lead Image: KTM Images/Ray Archer

Cody Webb Takes On Erzberg

As round two of the World Enduro Super Series approaches, Cody Webb is aiming to become the first American to top the podium at the Erzbergrodeo Red Bull Hare Scramble.

During the last couple of seasons, the FMF KTM Factory Racing rider has established himself as a formidable force in the Enduro world. Indoors he’s won titles on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean in EnduroCross and SuperEnduro, while outdoors he’s had podium results at Brazil’s Red Bull Minas Riders, Italy’s Hell’s Gate and twice at the Erzbergrodeo Red Bull Hare Scramble. Aiming to win the most prestigious race in Enduro, Webb only has thoughts of victory on his mind as the 24th edition of the event approaches.

“The Erzbergrodeo Red Bull Hare Scramble is huge for me,” tells Webb. “It is the most famous Enduro race in the world — everyone knows how gnarly the Iron Giant is — so to become the first American rider to actually win it would have to rank as a career highlight for me.”

First arriving at the Iron Giant back in 2014 with Beta Factory Racing, Webb claimed a top 10 result in his debut ride. Returning for more in 2016 with KTM, he came better prepared and with a greater understanding of what to expect. Catching many of the favourites by surprise, Cody charged his way to an emphatic runner-up result behind winner Graham Jarvis (Husqvarna - GB).

“In 2016 I finished as runner-up to Graham Jarvis,” continues Webb. “It was my first podium there and also the first for an American, too. The result took me by surprise a little, but I guess I had done my homework and was ready.”

Now established as one of the heavy hitters of the Erzbergrodeo Red Bull Hare Scramble, the question was raised in 2017 as to whether or not he could go one place better. With the world watching live on Red Bull TV, Webb battled with Jonny Walker (KTM - GB) for the lead during the first half of the race. Things were looking good, but then suddenly everything ‘imploded from the inside out’ as Cody puts it…

“I’m not sure what happened, I guess I just wimped out,” he recalls. “I got so pumped up that I couldn’t pull the brake lever — it was like I imploded from the inside out. I let Graham by on one section and then let Wade Young by on a fire road section. I got to my mechanic at Carl’s Dinner and stopped. I had to take a time-out with him to try and destress because I knew I’d get hurt if I carried on the way I was.”

Despite the mid-race slump, he regrouped and came back strongly for third, but ultimately his shot at winning was lost. However, mistakes are there to be learned from and come this Sunday, June 3, he’s determined to right the wrongs of 12 months ago.

“I was happy with third because it’s such an exclusive podium to be on. But I’m a racer and a competitive person, so at the same time I was frustrated because I knew I’d let it slip away during the middle section of the race. This year the focus is on riding a mistake-free race — I don’t want to be upset knowing I could have done more.”

The World Enduro Super Series continues with round two at the Erzbergrodeo in Eisenerz, Austria from May 31-June 3.

Breaking down the new KTM bikes

Tested: KTM MY19 Range

KTM launched their MY19 range, which features significant improvements, at Antonio Cairoli's private track in Rome earlier this week. The circuit featured plenty of elevation and provided a perfect opportunity for Jordan Divall, the MX Vice test rider, to get to grips with the all-new bikes. Just days on from the event, here are some initial thoughts.

KTM 450 SX-F

This bike stood out as my favourite of the day. I found it easy to ride, because as I was coming into corners I felt like I had much more control due to the lightness and agility of the bike. It made it really easy to turn and whilst jumping. The smooth throttle response whilst cornering eliminated any jerkiness, resulting in well-maintained corner speed. Although this bike has smooth throttle control it definitely does not lack power in the parts of the track where you need it.

KTM 150 SX

The 150 SX was the most fun ride of the day. The power of the 150 was similar to the 125, but where the 125 died from the middle range the 150 would carry on pulling. You could rev the engine and the power would not drop. The brakes were very impressive and made stopping for the corner very easy, which meant you could brake late. The bike felt very light, which made it easy to lean it over into the turns.

KTM 125 SX

The KTM 125 SX was a bit of a disappointment to me. I felt that the throttle response was very good and that I could exit the corner with some speed, but the power seemed to die from the middle range and I felt restricted when trying to rev the engine. I found that this bike was also easy to stop coming into the corner, due to it being very light, agile and having very good brakes.

KTM 250 SX

The KTM 250 SX power was a bit like a light switch. When exiting the corner the power was very aggressive. There was no smooth power input when trying to roll on the throttle in the slick and greasy conditions. The bike was very fast in a straight line, but also felt very restrictive when getting towards the top-end power.

KTM 250 SX-F

I would say that the KTM 250 SX-F is the most predominant 250F on the market at the moment, as it has lots of power and a very high rev range. It is very fun and easy to ride at a fast speed. When trying to ride the corners in high gear, the bike was a bit lazy. When exiting corners I found that I had to be in a lower gear to be in the right power range, to use all the power up the straight. This bike is very fast in a straight line. It was a very well-balanced bike over the braking bumps and very easy to corner.

KTM 350 SX-F

The 350 SX-F felt very similar to a 250F, just with a lot more power. Cornering was very easy and the bike felt very light and agile whilst jumping and under braking. This bike has smooth throttle response and lots of torque, but when you open the throttle there is lots of power to get you up to speed. The rev range is a lot higher and you are able to use the high revs like a 250F. You can also ride it like a 450F though, being in a higher gear whilst cornering and using the torque.

Conclusion

The most impressive aspect of the new 2019 KTM range, in my opinion, was how the improved geometric designs allowed a comfortable riding stance, enabling me to naturally grip the bike with my legs keeping it stable at all times. I also liked how all the bikes were so easy to corner and felt very light and agile whilst riding.

Words: Jordan Divall | Lead Image: KTM Images