After the hard-pack terrain of Loket last weekend, the MXGP Motocross World Championships head to the challenging deep sand of Lommel, in Belgium, for round 14 of 20 in the series.
Last weekend at round 13 in the Czech Republic was extremely successful for Team HRC’s current championship points leader Tim Gajser as he won the Czech GP for the first time in his career, going one-three-one over the course of the weekend and increasing his points lead to 36 over Spain’s defending world champion Jorge Prado (GASGAS) with seven rounds remaining.
It was an impressive performance at Loket from Slovenian rider Gajser and one that gives him a lot of confidence heading into what is possibly the toughest sand motocross tracks on the planet.
A winner in 2020, Gajser knows what is required, but it is easier said than done on a surface where momentum and saving energy is key.
Still, a second-place in Riola Sardo earlier in the year suggests that his form in sand is amongst the best and, after victory last time out, he’ll be hoping for more of the same this weekend.
With the forecast changing every time you look at it, the only consistent thing seems to be that the temperatures won’t be too high for this brutal event, but that is of scant concern as the rider gear-up for their six on-track sessions – free and timed practice on Saturday, with the evening qualification race, and then a Sunday warm-up before the two GP-scoring motos.
Photo courtesy Honda
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2024 STANDINGS AFTER ROUND 13:
MXGP – World Championship – Top 10 Classification:
1. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 663 points; 2. Jorge Prado (ESP, GAS), 627 p.; 3. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 608 p.; 4. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, YAM), 471 p.; 5. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, KAW), 451 p.; 6. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, FAN), 389 p.; 7. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 363 p.; 8. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, HON), 283 p.; 9. Pauls Jonass (LAT, HON), 274 p.; 10. Valentin Guillod (SUI, HON), 273.
MX2 – World Championship Classification:
1. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 626 points; 2. Lucas Coenen (BEL, HUS), 580 p.; 3. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, GAS), 560 p.; 4. Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), 515 p.; 5. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), 457 p.; 6. Mikkel Haarup (DEN, TRI), 433 p.; 7. Rick Elzinga (NED, YAM), 382 p.; 8. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM), 362 p.; 9. Oriol Oliver (ESP, KTM), 236 p.; 10. Ferruccio Zanchi (ITA, HON), 229 p.