MXGP: Gajser Back on Top as MXGP Returns

The first MXGP moto of the World Championship’s return to action in Latvia saw plenty of action, with some big names taking time to find their feet in the new Grand Prix format. 

Tim Gajser picked up his first holeshot of the season, and looked set to win relatively comfortably before a mistake in the first left-hander after the finish allowed Glenn Coldenhoff to take the lead. It wasn’t until Coldenhoff made his own mistake as the race entered its second half that Gajser was able to reclaim the lead, the GASGAS rider losing grip at the beginning of the waves section and going off track. From there, the reigning World Champion never looked back and, despite giving up some time to Coldenhoff in the last couple of laps, was reassuring in taking his third win of the season. 

Coldenhoff was similarly smooth on his way to second, just the one mistake in his race that gave the lead back to the #243. Coldenhoff is so far without an overall podium in 2020, but this result opens up that possibility later today in the second moto. 

Completing the podium was Romain Febvre who was impressive in his first race for Kawasaki, having missed the first two Grands Prix of 2020 due to injury. The Frenchman was fast throughout and was able to work his way past the likes of Jorge Prado and Jeremy Seewer to take his first top three finish since his season-ending injury in Sweden almost one year ago. 

Jeffrey Herlings took a while to get going, but in the final seven minutes was able to climb from seventh to fourth, as Arnaud Tonus suffered a crash and the Dutchman was able to overcome Jorge Prado, Arminas Jasikonis and Jeremy Seewer. The points salvaged in those closing laps were enough for Herlings to keep his championship lead from the race-winning Gajser. However, if the #84 is to take the challenge to the rider who looks to be his main championship rival in the second moto, he needs to find a better start. 

Jeremy Seewer completed the top five on his factory Yamaha, finishing four seconds ahead of Arminas Jasikonis who took sixth. Antonio Cairoli recovered to seventh after colliding with Clement Desalle on the start and dropping to 20th, the Italian passing Jorge Prado in the closing stages of the race to demote his teammate to eighth. 

Prado had started well, but faded in the second half of the race, but it is worth remembering that this was Prado’s first MXGP class race that he lined up for with his fitness even close to full. Eighth is not what the reigning MX2 champion would have been hoping for, but it was a solid ride from the Spaniard and gives him something to build on.

Gautier Paulin was relatively anonymous as he closed out in ninth, six seconds ahead of Jeremy van Horebeek who completed the top 10 on the Motoblouz Honda. 

11th over the finish jump was Calvin Vlaanderen on the Gebben van Venrooy Yamaha, whilst Clement Desalle faded after a decent start to finish 12th. Michele Cervellin took 13th place, ahead of Benoit Paturel and Jordi Tixier who completed the top 15; whilst Arnaud Tonus finished 16th after his crash whilst fighting for the top six, the Swiss rider finishing just over one second ahead of 17th-placed Petar Petrov. 

Brian Bogers took 18th place ahead of Mitchell Evans, who had a tough start on the HRC Honda and could only recover to 19th. Completing the top 20 was home rider Karlis Sabulis. 

Alessandro Lupino and Tanel Leok in 21st and 22nd, respectively, were the final riders to finish on the lead lap. 

Matiss Karro, on the other hand, was the first rider to finish one lap down, ahead of Henri Jacobi whose form from the opening races seems to have disappeared in Latvia as he finished down in 24th. Nicholas Lapucci completed the top 25 ahead of Adam Sterry on the Briton’s first appearance for Hitachi KTM fuelled by Milwaukee. Evgeny Bobryshev took 27th, ahead of Thomas Covington who is still struggling to adjust to life on the 450; whilst Tom Koch was 29th and Artem Guryev completed the top 30. Valentin Guillod was the final finisher in 31st. 

The first retirement was Anton Gole on lap six before Shaun Simpson called time on his first moto after a crash in the waves section on lap seven. Samuele Bernardini took a mudbath and retired on lap nine. Ivo Monticelli then crashed the #128 GASGAS at the step-up after the first split-lane, prompting the Italian to retire on lap 12.