MXGP: Gajser takes Garda overall, Paulin third in final GP

The 18th and final round of the 2020 MXGP World Championship took place in Pietramurata for the MXGP of Garda Trentino. The championship had already been wrapped up by Tim Gajser in the previous round, but just four points separated Antonio Cairoli and Jeremy Seewer in their battle for second in the standings. 

It was Ivo Monticelli who took his fourth holeshot of the season ahead of Tim Gajser and Arnaud Tonus, while Jeremy Seewer was fourth, although before the end of the opening lap the Swiss was overcome by Romain Febvre. 

As Febvre closed in on Gajser on the second official lap, the Slovenian responded by taking the lead from Monticelli, and half a lap later Febvre, too, found his way through on the Italian. 

A couple of laps later and as Monticelli continued to fall backwards, Febvre’s charge to the front was complete, passing Gajser with just under 20 minutes to go. 

Gajser never put up too much of a fight, and was clearly content to sit behind Febvre and weigh up his strengths and weaknesses compared to the #3. However, as the newly crowned four-times champion closed in for his attack late on in the race, he was held up by backmarkers, and that allowed Febvre to escape. 

However, that should not be a discredit to Febvre, who rode a fantastic race, especially in the first 10 minutes when he was able to go from outside the top five to the lead, and the 20 minutes that followed were strong enough to grant him his second moto win of the season, having taken his first pole position of the season in time practice in the morning. 

Gajser will have been frustrated to be denied by backmarkers, but with the championship already wrapped up the three points lost meant little in the grand scheme of things, and with 25 seconds back to Jeremy Seewer in third place there was not much to be worried about in the rear view for the #243. 

Seewer’s race was dictated by his teammate, Arnaud Tonus, and the #91’s inability to find a way past his compatriot for 20 minutes. When he eventually did get by, Seewer was already 14 seconds adrift of the leading duo of Febvre and Gajser, so it was clear at that point that second would be all he could do. 

Tonus’ fall was not done with Seewer, though, as the #21 factory Yamaha of Gautier Paulin found its way through on the #4 just a lap after Seewer went through. Antonio Cairoli was soon presenting a threat to Tonus as well, but the Swiss weathered the Italian storm to hold on to fifth place, doing his teammate Seewer a favour in the #91’s battle with Cairoli for second in the championship. 

Behind Cairoli was Clement Desalle in his penultimate moto, ahead of Benoit Paturel who took his first top 10 since his big injury earlier in the year with eighth; while Evgeny Bobryshev and Valentin Guillod completed the top 10. 

Jordi Tixier was 11th, ahead of Adam Sterry, Michele Cervellin, Samuele Bernardini and Jose Butron who completed the top 15; while Ander Valentin was 16th ahead of Ivo Monticelli, Tanel Leok in his penultimate Grand Prix moto, Dylan Walsh and Tom Koch who completed the top 20 of the first moto of the MXGP of Garda Trentino.

The second moto was bound to be an emotional affair, with the careers of Gautier Paulin, Clement Desalle and Tanel Leok all calling it a day after this race. 

There were also good starts for the factory mounted retirees, with Paulin starting in second, behind his teammate, Jeremy Seewer, and in front of Tim Gajser, while Desalle also started inside the top five. 

Antonio Cairoli, on the other hand, had a terrible start. His launch was good and he looked like he might take the holeshot, before being shuffled to the outside and launching into the bank. That sent the Italian to the back of the pack, before he retired at the end of the second lap. 

Also by the end of the second lap, Tim Gajser had taken the lead and having given up first to the #243, Seewer was under pressure for second place from Romain Febvre who needed to get through and go after Gajser to have a chance at winning the overall. 

However, once Febvre cleared Seewer, Gajser was both too far ahead and too fast for the Frenchman to do anything about the #243. A mistake with five minutes to go cost the #3 nine seconds, and that sealed another victory for Gajser, both in the race and the overall.

Febvre hung on to second place, 15.9 seconds adrift of Gajser at the flag, and a couple of seconds ahead of Gautier Paulin who took third place in his final race as a professional motocross rider. 

Jeremy Seewer was fourth, which was enough for him to clinch second in the championship for the second year in succession after Cairoli’s retirement. Behind the #91 was Brian Bogers, while Brent van Doninck rounded out the top six ahead of Clement Desalle who took seventh in his final MXGP race. 

Jordi Tixier was eighth, ahead of Arnaud Tonus and Evgeny Bobryshev who completed the top 10. 

Alessandro Lupino was 11th, ahead of Ivo Monticelli, Dylan Walsh, Michele Cervellin and Samuele Bernardini who rounded out the top 15; while Jose Butron was 16th, from Tom Koch, Tanel Leok who was 18th in his final race as a full-time MXGP rider, Adam Sterry and Petar Petrov.

The overall podium was an emotional one, with Gajser going to the top step for the sixth time this season and the final time with his current mechanic, with whom he has worked since his MX2 days. Joining him on the box were Romain Febvre and Gautier Paulin, the #21 able to stand on the podium in his final Grand Prix thanks to a better second moto result than his teammate, Jeremy Seewer, with whom he was joint on 38 points in the overall. 

Seewer’s misfortune in the GP overall was balanced out by the fact he took second in the championship from Antonio Cairoli, whose retirement from the second moto meant he finished only 12th overall in the last Grand Prix of the season.

Ten points behind Seewer in the Grand Prix was Clement Desalle, who took fifth in his final Grand Prix, level on points with Arnaud Tonus but with a better result in the second race. Jordi Tixier was seventh, level on 23 with Evgeny Bobryshev but, again, getting the nod over the Russian courtesy of the second moto result. Brian Bogers and Brent van Doninck completed the top 10 overall.