MXGP: Gajser completes perfect Pietramurata race day

Round 17 of the 2020 MXGP World Championship, the MXGP of Pietramurata, took place in the Ciclamino circuit. Tim Gajser had been crowned champion in the first race, so all that was to be decided in the second moto was the fate of the Grand Prix.

Antonio Cairoli took the holeshot in the second moto, but a good run into turn two gave Dylan Walsh the lead from Ivo Monticelli who was also able to pass Cairoli who was pinched on the inside. Monticelli was able to take the lead on the #128 later on in the lap, but soon after the red flag was thrown. 

In the second turn after the start, Tim Gajser and Jeremy van Horebeek came together with the Belgian coming off worse. The #89’s legs got caught in Gajser’s CRF450R and he got dragged along the track for a few metres as Gajser tried to accelerate away oblivious to what had happened. The newly-crowned champion realised quite quickly, though, although was clearly in some distress after the red flag was thrown. Van Horebeek was eventually stretchered away, and although his condition was unclear at the time the race was able to get back underway. 

Despite the undesirable circumstances, it was a somewhat positive thing for Gajser that the race would be restarted, since his first start was quite poor. Before the incident with van Horebeek, it was looking like Gajser’s fortune with the #1 plate that he fitted for the second moto would be similar to that of Tom Vialle, who did the same for the second MX2 moto and finished down in 23rd after contact on the first lap broke his gear lever. 

Indeed, the second start went much better for Gajser, who took the holeshot ahead of Jeremy Seewer and Brent van Doninck, although the Belgian lost out quickly to Romain Febvre who took third. 

After five minutes, Seewer’s time in second place was done as Romain Febvre found his way through. The Swiss was not done with Kawasakis yet, though, as soon after he was under pressure from Clement Desalle, who in turn had Cairoli for company.

Seewer was eventually able to break away from Desalle and Cairoli, who would go on to fight over fourth place for the remainder of the second moto, while Febvre caught Gajser for the lead. 

This was a process that would be repeated on many occasions throughout the race, with Gajser leading strongly, while Febvre closed in and fell back as though an oscillating elastic band was keeping him in touch with Gajser, if not giving him the platform to launch an attack. 

That summed up the race at the front, really, with Gajser being more consistent than Febvre, albeit with a few mistakes himself, but the Frenchman unable to make a pass stick to deny Gajser the win, and so the #243 took his newly-plated #1 Honda to yet another race victory. 

Behind the Slovenian was Febvre, and then a lonely Seewer who completed the top three ahead of Desalle and Cairoli who, like Gajser and Febvre at the front, often looked poised to engage in a tough scrap but ultimately their cold war never quite thawed entirely, and the Italian finally dropped back at the end, finishing 12 seconds adrift of his long-term rival. 

Five seconds back of Cairoli was Brian Bogers, whose form has continued along a more positive trajectory since Lommel, and perhaps the Dutchman has also had his mood aided by his signature at GASGAS for 2021. The #189 was ahead of Gautier Paulin, Ivo Monticelli, Brent van Doninck and Valentin Guillod who took his second top 10 of the season, and of the Pietramurata triple header. 

Alessandro Lupino was unable to match the form that saw him finish third in the first race, and took 11th at the finish of the second; the Italian finishing ahead of Benoit Paturel who took his first points with 12th place since his comeback in Lommel. 

Behind the #6 was Adam Sterry, ahead of Michele Cervellin and Evgeny Bobryshev who completed the top 15; while Tanel Leok was 16th from Arnaud Tonus, Jordi Tixier, Zach Pichon and Jose Butron who completed the top 20. 

For the overall, Gajser’s win meant he took his fourth Grand Prix win of the season, and was joined on the podium of his most recent success by Jeremy Seewer and Romain Febvre – a good turnaround for the #3 after a difficult GP on Sunday. 

Just missing out on a second consecutive podium was Clement Desalle who is finishing his MXGP career strongly, beating Antonio Cairoli by five points in the overall of the MXGP of Pietramurata as the Italian completed the top five. 

Alessandro Lupino rounded out the top six despite his difficult second moto, while Brian Bogers, Gautier Paulin, Brent van Doninck and Ivo Monticelli completed the top 10.