MX2: Rock solid Vialle holds on for MXGP of Europe race one victory

The 11th round of the MX2 World Championship, the MXGP of Europe, took place in Mantova, the third race in a week in the Italian track. Tom Vialle held a 46-point lead coming into this race, but Thomas Kjer Olsen was looking for his third-straight overall win.

Tom Vialle took yet another holeshot, his 13th of the season. The Frenchman led early on from Michael Sandner – one of the replacement riders in GASGAS – and Jago Geerts. A mistake from the Belgian gave Maxime Renaux an opportunity in third place, and he immediately took the challenge to Sandner. 

Geerts, meanwhile, took a few corners to reset and come back to Renaux. The #959’s attempts to attack Sandner left him vulnerable to Geerts behind, who took advantage in the switchbacks on lap three. Renaux tried to respond but that left the Frenchman on the floor and when he remounted he found himself with a damaged bike. 

Sandner was proving to be something of a roadblock, but on lap four both Geerts and Mewse were able to get through. But for Geerts, the task ahead was monumental, with over six seconds between himself and Vialle at the front.

Geerts took the challenge, though, and with five minutes to go Vialle was affirmatively in the company of the #193, who had also brought Conrad Mewse with him. Three minutes later and Geerts looked close enough to start to shape for a move on the championship leader, but ultimately the Belgian made a couple of small mistakes that allowed Vialle small moments of freedom from the pressure of the Yamaha behind. 

Finally, Vialle was rock-solid out front. He made almost no mistakes and his defenses proved impregnable. It was one of the Frenchman’s finest rides, and one that saw him take his 10th race win of the season and extend his points lead to 49.

That should not discredit Geerts, though, who closed down a lead that at its biggest was over eight seconds to almost nothing at times. He was 1.423 seconds away from Vialle at the finish, but the Belgian can be content with how he rode, even if there were some mistakes – including one that caused one of the most impressive saves of the season. The #193’s biggest problem continues to be starts and when Vialle is so consistently making holeshots, his task is even greater. 

Conrad Mewse was impressive in third, maintaining the pace of the front two who, for the most part, have had a step on the rest of the MX2 gate this year. The #426 backed off on the final lap and ended up 4.773 seconds down on Vialle, but this was his strongest ride of the year and he has a shot at a first podium of the season in the second moto. 

Thomas Kjer Olsen was fourth at the finish, ahead of his factory Husqvarna teammate, Jed Beaton. Both of them were caught behind Sandner for slightly too long in the beginning of the race, which limited their respective potentials, but another double top five for the Rockstar Husqvarna squad shows the strength of that awning. 

Ben Watson was another to be caught behind Sandner, although he did not have the speed of those ahead once he had cleared the GASGAS rider. The #919 was sixth at the finish, ahead of Isak Gifting who continued his run of top 10s. Alberto Forato was eighth for his best finish since his return from injury, ahead of Ruben Fernandez and Bas Vaessen who completed the top 10.

Mathys Boisrame was 11th and the only F&H Kawasaki rider to finish after Mikkel Haarup’s thumb injury from Wednesday and a mechanical for Roan van de Moosdijk. Behind the injured #172 was Bailey Malkiewicz, the Australian ahead of Morgan Lesiardo, Kevin Horgmo and Michael Sandner who completed the top 15 in the end. 16th at the finish was EMX250 regular Glen Meier, ahead of Richard Sikyna, Enzo Toriani, Alvin Ostlund and Ashton Dickinson who took his second points-scoring ride of the year by completing the top 20.