MXGP: Bike Issues Force Gajser Out as Herlings Takes Race Two Win

Race two for the MXGP class in the MXGP of Riga saw Jeffrey Herlings return to the top step of the overall podium, as problems for his rivals saw him take victory in the final race in Latvia. 

Coming into these three Latvian rounds, Jeffrey Herlings had won five of the last six premier class motos in Kegums, including one with a broken ankle last year. So, it was a surprise when we got to the sixth and final race in Kegums this week to find Herlings had not been victorious in any of the previous five. 

The Dutchman was able to correct that statistic, however, in the final race. Antonio Cairoli took the holeshot ahead of Tim Gajser, whilst Herlings was further back. The #84 was able to cut through the pack quite quickly, and Gajser took only half a lap to pass the #222. 

Once Herlings had passed his Red Bull KTM teammate for second place, the race was on for the lead. It was, however, quite quickly off, as Herlings passed Gajser down the back straight over the wall jump with 26 minutes still left on the clock. 

Such a situation in the past could have led to an embarrassment of the field by Herlings, winning by margins that were simply unnecessary. However, the more reserved Jeffrey Herlings of 2020 kept Gajser at bay, but did not run off. The gap stayed at around two seconds for most of the race. 

With 13 minutes to go, however, Gajser went down, and then lost out to Cairoli. The #243 surprisingly did not have anything to respond to the Italian with, and then dropped further back, being passed by Arminas Jasikonis as well. With Herlings out front, fourth place would not have been enough for Gajser to take the overall, so he pushed back at Jasikonis, but just as he was shaping up a move, there was a terminal problem with the bike and his race was done. No points for the reigning champion. 

Gajser’s initial crash let Herlings off the hook and he won by a commanding 7.898 seconds over Cairoli in the end, for his first moto win since Valkenswaard race two in March and his first GP win since the same day. It was also a big points day for Herlings, as he stretched his championship lead over Gajser to 46 points – almost a full GP. 

The crash of the #243 also let Cairoli into second, a position which never came under threat for the #222. After his ninth place in race one – following a first turn crash – second place was only good enough for fourth overall for Cairoli, who slipped to fourth in the championship. 

Taking over from Cairoli in third place in the points was Arminas Jasikonis, who finished second overall, the Lithuanian’s best result in a Grand Prix. In the end, the #27 missed out on the victory by only two points, and that – as well as his consistency over the past three rounds – can be a cause for encouragement for Jasikonis and the factory Husqvarna squad. 

Jorge Prado was fourth in the second race, but the retirement of Gajser meant that that was good enough for the Spaniard to score his first premier class podium in just his fifth 450 Grand Prix. 

Prado was four seconds ahead of Romain Febvre in fifth place, the Frenchman finishing fifth overall. Behind the #3 was Glenn Coldenhoff, and then came Jeremy Seewer after his race one crash, Gautier Paulin, Mitch Evans and Jeremy van Horebeek who completed the top 10 of the second moto. 

Ivo Monticelli took his second 11th place of the day on the #128, ahead of Arnaud Tonus, Clement Desalle, Michele Cervellin and Henri Jacobi who completed the top 15. Over the finish jump in 16th place was Adam Sterry for by far his best MXGP result to date at the end of his first week with the Hitachi KTM fuelled by Milwaukee squad. Behind the Briton was Jordi Tixier, then Thomas Covington who took his first MXGP points with 18th, Tanel Leok and Valentin Guillod.