MX2: Vialle wins Pietramurata race one to clinch 2020 championship

Round 17 of the 2020 MX2 World Championship, the MXGP of Pietramurata, took place in the Ciclamino circuit for the second of three rounds at the Italian track that will close the season this Sunday. Tom Vialle held a 73-point advantage coming into this round, and had his first clear chance to win his first world title in the first race of the day.

Tom Vialle made the holeshot in the first moto ahead of Bailey Malkiewicz, while Jed Beaton made his way up to second, ahead of Malkiewicz, before the end of the first lap.

From there it was straightforward from Vialle, who took his 13th moto win of the season in dominant fashion, having stretched out an advantage of 10 seconds before the last lap. That final lap was one of early celebration for the Frenchman, who understood that he was in a position good enough to win the World Championship in this opening moto of the penultimate round of the series. 

Vialle was able to make it happen, as he became the first French MX2 World Champion since Jordi Tixier, and continued Red Bull KTM’s run of success in the 250 Grand Prix class – the Austrian marque having won each title since 2016. It was no less than Vialle deserved, after a dominant 2020 where he was by far the most rounded rider on the gate – not necessarily the fastest, certainly not for every gate drop, but definitely the most consistent and the most complete. 

Behind the #28, newly crowned champion was Jed Beaton, whose race was made much simpler by a brilliant first lap that saw him climb from just inside the top 10 to second place.

Perhaps the most fascinating fight on track was that behind Beaton in the final 10 minutes, though, with Maxime Renaux heading up a four-way Yamaha battle ahead of Ben Watson, Thibault Benistant and Jago Geerts. 

Renaux had been steady in third for most of the race, making few mistakes and running strongly, while Watson had come through to fourth after a difficult start, passing Benistant as they entered the final 10 minutes. The #198 had been having another strong moto in his late-season foray into Grand Prix racing, and the EMX250 champion for 2020 was not dissuaded by his concession to Watson, and fought back at his factory stablemate while defending from the #193 of Geerts, whose race was somewhat defined by a crash on the opening lap. 

Although all four riders were close together for the entirety of the final third of the race, the only change of position was the aforementioned swap of Watson and Benistant, before the #198 crashed twice in two laps to throw away a top five finish. That crash promoted Geerts to fifth, although he was unable to do anything about Watson or Renaux, and dropped back by five seconds at the end, while Renaux was able to hold on to third place in front of the #919. 

Thomas Kjer Olsen was able to take sixth place from Benistant after he crashed while defending from the Dane, but the Frenchman recovered after that and held on to seventh – still by no means a terrible result in just his fourth Grand Prix, and more importantly he showed once again that the speed is there to put him in the position to be a contender in 2021 when he moves to MX2 full time. 

Ruben Fernandez made it five Yamahas in the top eight, finishing ahead of Roan van de Moosdijk whose form in Pietramurata has not yet matched that which saw him take his first moto win in Lommel just over one week ago, while Morgan Lesiardo completed the top 10. 

Stephen Rubini was 11th, ahead of Bailey Malkiewicz, whose slide to 12th was helped by a crash as the Australian finished ahead of Alvin Ostlund, Kevin Horgmo and Michael Sandner who completed the top 15. 

Bas Vaessen was 16th, ahead of Josh Gilbert and Isak Gifting who fought his way to 18th after a difficult first part of the race which saw him drop form the top 20. Behind the Swede was Jan Pancar in 19th and Nathan Renkens who completed the top 20. 

Conrad Mewse was running inside the top 10 for most of the race before he retired on the penultimate lap to be classified 28th. The only other retirement was Jakub Teresak who didn’t complete the first lap.