With no break after the Grand Prix of Sweden the FIM Motocross World Championship travels east to celebrate the eleventh Grand Prix of the season. The Latvian track of
Zelta Zirgs, which will host the 2014 Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations, is located just 50km away from Riga and this weekend all the fans who will travel to Kegums will not only see the MX1 and MX2 riders racing at their best, but also the third round of the EMX125 European Championship and the fourth round of the EMX250 European series.
MX1
It was in Latvia where Antonio Cairoli marked his turning point in 2012 when he claimed back the red plate from Clement Desalle after a horrific Swedish Grand Prix, and the Italian started his almost perfect second half of the season. This year the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider will race in Kegums with a comfortable 69-points advantage over second
classified Gautier Paulin, so Cairoli will give his best once again to go 1-1 and add one more overall win to his 60th record.
Kawasaki Racing Team’s Gautier Paulin is travelling to Latvia thirst of victory, as he was only able to finish fifth last weekend in Sweden. In 2012 the French rider did not really
have a good weekend in Kegums and he finished fifth, but this weekend he is determined to give his best and fight for what it would be his fourth overall victory and reduce his points difference with red plate holder Cairoli.
The third position in the point standings keeps on being for the Belgian Clement Desalle who managed to finish third last weekend in Uddevalla. Last year the Rockstar Energy Suzuki World rider landed in Latvia with the red plate on his bike, but he made several mistakes during the main races, he finished out of the top six and he lost the leadership of the series. This weekend Desalle will ride without the pressure of riding with the red plate and he will give it all to finish on the first step of the podium.
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Ken De Dycker was back on the podium last weekend and he obtained very valuable points for the championship standings – the Belgian is fourth, fifteen points away from Desalle. De Dycker has really good memories of Kegums, as it was on the Latvian track where he obtained his maiden podium with KTM last year.
His compatriot Kevin Strijbos is currently fifth in the MX1 point standings, but Tommy Searle is just nine points behind the Belgian. The Rockstar Energy Suzuki World rider has not been lucky with the starts lately but thanks to his speed he has been able to finish around the top five positions in the previous three Grand Prix. The Belgian is determined to start with the front group this weekend and try to finish on the podium as he did last year in Kegums.
CLS Kawasaki Monster Energy Pro Circuit’s Tommy Searle keeps on
making big progress each Grand Prix and last weekend he managed to finish in
front of Clement Desalle in the second race. Last year the British rider had two
DNF in Latvia due to mechanical problems, so this year he wants to take revenge
by obtaining his maiden MX1 podium.
Max Nagl, who is currently seventh
in the point standings, was really close to finish on the podium last weekend,
but a bad start in the second moto made him finish fourth overall. However, the
German left Sweden with the good feeling of having been able to finish second in
the first heat, so he is very positive for this weekend.
Another rider
who has great hopes for the Grand Prix of Latvia is Jeremy Van Horebeek; the
Belgian rider won the MX2 qualifying race last year, as well as the second heat,
so Kegums is a track he really likes and it could be this weekend when Van
Horebeek make his way to the MX1 podium for the first time.
Rui
Gonçalves, who missed the Swedish Grand Prix due to a knee operation, is still a
doubt for the weekend. The Portuguese holds the ninth position of the MX1
championship and Davide Guarneri completes the top ten.
Home riders
Matiss Karro, Ivo Steinbergs and Augusts Justs are looking forward to racing
home this weekend and they will give their best to finish among the top ten best
riders in the MX1 class.
2012 MX1 Podium
1. Antonio
Cairoli
2. Ken De Dycker
3. Kevin Strijbos
2012 MX1 POLEMAN:
Antonio Cairoli
All the Grand Prix Photos will be
available here
MX2
Red
Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings obtained his 26th GP victory last
weekend in Sweden and he is just one win away from the best Dutch rider of all
times, Dave Strijbos. However, Herlings was really close to miss that overall
victory as had he finished third in the first race. In fact, last year the Dutch
rider got two DNF’s in Latvia, one in the qualifying race due to a problem with
a tyre and the other one in the second heat due to a mechanical problem on his
KTM. Herlings wants to leave the memories from last year aside and give it all
to leave Latvia with another strong victory.
His teammate Jordi Tixier
made it to the podium last weekend in Uddevalla and he is fully motivated to do
it once again this weekend in Kegums. The Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider
obtained his maiden MX2 podium on the Latvian track last year, so of course
Tixier has really good memories from Kegums and he is looking forward to racing
this weekend.
KTM Silver Action’s José Butrón did also have a good
weekend last year in Kegums and he is going to give his best to be back on the
podium and ensure his third place in the championship. The Spanish rider has not
obtained really good results in the last two Grand Prix and Christophe Charlier
is just five points away from Butrón.
Monster Energy Yamaha’s Christophe
Charlier has improved a lot in this second half of the season and he actually
won his first race last weekend in Uddevalla. The French rider was even close to
win the Grand Prix as he finished tight in 45 points with Herlings. Charlier is
moving up really fast in the point standings and if he keeps on being
consistent, he might move up to the third place.
While Charlier has been
improving his riding and moving up in the point standings, Glenn Coldenhoff has
been undergoing difficult moments. The Standing Construct KTM rider was in the
top three in the beginning of the season, but his inconsistent results have made
him drop down to the fifth place. However, Coldenhoff is really positive for
this weekend as it was in Kegums last year where he obtained one of his best
results in fourth and moved up two places in the standings.
Dean Ferris
and Jake Nicholls are currently sixth and seventh in the championship and there
is only four points difference between them, so this weekend’s result can be
crucial for both of them. Alessandro Lupino is eighth in the standings, but he
is twenty points behind the British rider. However, if he keeps on finishing on
the podium, he might be able to move up some positions by the end of the season.
Max Anstie and Mel Pocock are currently ninth and tenth in the championship.
2012 MX2 Podium
1. Joel Roelants
2. Jeremy Van
Horebeek
3. Jordi Tixier
2012 MX2 POLEMAN: Jeremy Van
Horebeek
All the Grand Prix Photos will be available here
TIMETABLE
Saturday: EMX125 Group
1 Free + Qualifying Time Practice 7:50; EMX125 Group 2 Free + Qualifying Time
Practice 8:35; MX2 Free Practice 9:30; MX1 Free Practice 10:15; EMX250 Group 1
Free + Qualifying Time Practice 11:00; EMX250 Group 2 Free + Qualifying Time
Practice 11:40; EMX125 Semi Final Group 1 12:30; MX2 Pre-Qualifying Practice
13:15; MX1 Pre-Qualifying Practice 14:00; EMX125 Semi Final Group 2 14:50;
EMX250 Semi Final Group 1 15:30; MX2 Qualifying Race 16:10; MX1 Qualifying Race
17:00, EMX250 Semi Final Group 2 17:50; EMX125 Last Chance Qualifying Practice
18:30; EMX250 Last Chance Qualifying Practice
19:00.
Sunday: EMX125 Warm up 8:00; EMX250 Warm up 8:30;
MX2 Warm up 9:00; MX1 Warm up 9:30; EMX125 FINAL 10:20; EMX250 FINAL 11:10; MX2
Grand Prix Race 1 12:10; MX1 Grand Prix Race 1 13:10; MX2 Grand Prix Race 2
15:01; MX1 Grand Prix race 2 16:07.