NEAR PERFECT KTM WEEKEND IN LATVIA; WINS IN MX1 & MX2

2013-07-07 11:17
The Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team had a near perfect weekend on the Latvian circuit in Kegums to take both MX1 and MX2 victories after storming rides by both Tony Cairoli and Jeffrey Herlings.

The outing in Kegums proved to be another all Orange affair. All four KTM factory riders delivered impressive performances on the track that was technically difficult and was capable of surprising any rider whose concentration slipped. Ken de Dycker pulled off an impressive victory in the opening MX1 moto and finished behind Cairoli in the second race to join him on the podium in overall second.

Cairoli, with his 61st career victory, has now been on the podium in every GP this season and has laid a solid foundation towards retaining his World Championship title. De Dycker of Belgium looked very impressive in the first moto, finishing seven seconds in front of Cairoli, who has been cautiously nursing a leg injury for several rounds. But in the second moto, Cairoli threw caution to the wind and went for the big win. He dominated the race from gate drop to flag, while de Dycker fought the good fight behind him. Cairoli riders the KTM 350 SX-F, while de Dycker is on the KTM 450 machine

Tony Cairoli: “I had some good races with my teammate and it was also good for the championship. He took points away from other riders and he also gained some for himself. Hopefully he can come closer to the top. I haven’t been able to train since my knee injury. I didn’t know what to expect because the track was very rough and that takes a lot of energy. Because of my condition, I wanted to see how things went in the first moto. I waited a bit too long and Ken made a gap I couldn’t make up. I knew I had to attack right from the start of the second moto. I had some good energy and I made a good gap.”

Ken de Dycker: “Already yesterday I had a good rhythm and I made no mistakes in the first moto. I was able to make a gap and I could control the race. Also when Tony is behind me I know I am safe and a 1-2 in the first moto is good for us. Then Tony was very fast at the beginning of the second moto. I tried to push and half way through the race I got closer to him. I had my rhythm, I didn’t make mistakes and I was happy to be second”


De Dycker confirmed for another two years
Pit Beirer Head of KTM Motorsports has also confirmed that the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team has signed de Dycker for another two years, thus maintaining good team continuity and harmony for the coming seasons.


Herlings continues to stun in MX2
In MX2 Herlings continued to amaze with two stunning moto victories where he distanced himself from the rest of the pack with what appeared to be very little effort to cross the line around 40 seconds in front in each race.

It was the Dutch teenager’s 27th GP win and he has now equaled David Strijbos as the most successful Dutch rider ever. It is a remarkable record for a rider so young. Although he is recognized as the world’s best sand rider, Herlings is currently one of the most exciting performers on any surface He has won every GP so far in the current season and has a more than commanding lead in the MX2 World Championship.

KTM rider Jose Butron of Spain put on another impressive display in MX2 and maintained the kind of speed that delivered him onto the podium in overall second. Herlings teammate Jordi Tixier of France also had a strong day. He put a first moto crash behind him and finished behind Herlings in second place in the second moto for overall third.

Herlings now has an impressive 139-point lead over Tixier in the standings and is well on his way to securing his second MX2 World Championship title.

Jeffrey Herlings: “It was a very good weekend and I was able to win both races easily. It was a nice track, good weather and good fun. I did struggle a bit for the first 10-15 minutes in the first moto but after that I did some good laps. Now I’ve won 11 GP and I hope to win the all this year. That’s my goal and that’s what I’m working and training for.”

Jordi Tixier: “I got a good start in the first moto and I was second behind Jeffrey. I had a good speed because I saw the lap times and I had the fastest lap time of the race. But then I hit a big bump and lost a few places and had to fight back to catch up. I didn’t get a good start in the second moto but after five minutes I was up to second. I had some crashes today but I am happy about finishing third overall.”

Win in EMX125 for KTM’s Pauls Jonass

It was also a good day for Latvian KTM factory rider Pauls Jonass who sealed another win in the EMX125 Championship and was rewarded by an enthusiastic reception from the hometown fans. “For sure it was crazy. It was great to win my home GP. I did feel a little pressure but I tried to stay calm and it worked out. Now I am a little more confident after this win but there are still five rounds to go so anything can happen.”

Swiss KTM rider Guillod takes second in EMX250
Kegums also hosted Round Four of the EMX 250 class and KTM rider Valentin Guillod of Switzerland finished second but maintained his lead in the championship points. “Second is still a very good place and I also got good points for the championship. It was not easy this weekend because the track was tricky and slippery. Also in the first race I didn’t make a good start and for the first 7-8 minutes I didn’t find a good line. After that, it was better.”

GP of Latvia at Kegums - Round 11 of the World Championship

MX1 Results
1, Tony Cairoli, Italy, KTM
2, Ken de Dycker, Belgium, KTM
3, Clement Desalle, Belgium, Suzuki
4, Gautier Paulin, France, Kawasaki
5, Jeremy van Horebeek, Belgium, Kawasaki
Other KTM
8, Rui Goncalves, Portugal, KTM
12, Davide Guarneri, Italy, KTM
13, Matiss Karro, Latvia, KTM
14, Jonathan Barragan, Spain, KTM
15, Xavier Boog, France, KTM

MX1 Standings
1, Cairoli, 514
2, Paulin, 432
3, Desalle, 414
4, de Dycker, 406
5, Strijbos, 327
Other KTM
9, Goncalves, 203
10, Guarneri, 186

MX1 Manufacturers Standings
1, KTM, 526
2, Suzuki, 440
3, Kawasaki, 438

MX2 Results
1, Jeffrey Herlings, Netherlands, KTM
2, Jose Butron, Spain, KTM
3, Jordi Tixier, France, KTM
4, Petar Petrov, Bulgaria, Yamaha
5, Romain Febvre, France, KTM
Other KTM
7, Glenn Coldenhoff, Netherlands, KTM
8, Jake Nicholls, Great Britain, KTM
9, Harri Kullas, Finland, KTM
14, Tim Gajser, Slovenia, KTM
15, Pascal Rauchenecker, Austria, KTM

MX2 Standings
1, Herlings, 542
2, Tixier, 403
3, Butron, 353
4, Charlier, 322
5, Coldenhoff, 304
Other KTM
7, Nicholls, 272

MX2 Manufacturers Standings
1, KTM, 547
2, Yamaha, 388
3, Kawasaki, 328


Motocross European Championship in Kegums, Latvia

EMX 125 Results of Round 3
1, Pauls Jonass, Latvia, KTM, 30:58.470
2, Frederik van der Vlist, Netherlands, Yamaha, 31:10.421
3, Nicolas Dercourt, France, Yamaha, 31:23.482
4, Calvin Vlaanderen, Netherlands, KTM, 31:25.169
5, Anton Lundgren, Sweden, KTM, 31:38.393

EMX 125 Championship Standings after Round 3
1, Jonass, 100
2, Vlaanderen, 72
3, van der Vlist, 70
4, Dercourt, 70
5, Lundgren, 63

EMX 125 Manufacturers Standings after Round 3
1, KTM, 100
2, Yamaha, 78
3, Suzuki, 43

EMX 250 Results of Round 4
1, Jeremy Seewer, Switzerland, Suzuki, 30:37.777
2, Valentin Guillod, Switzerland, KTM, 30:41.143
3, Ceriel Klein Kromhof, Netherlands, KTM, 30:41.635
4, Brent van Doninck, Belgium, KTM, 30:42.936
5, Damon Graulus, Belgium, KTM, 30:57.049

EMX 250 Championship Standings after Round 4
1, Guillod, 97
2, Seewer, 87
3, Graulus, 70
4, Klein Kromhof, 68
5, Bogers, 51

EMX 250 Manufacturers Standings after Round 4
1, KTM, 97
2, Suzuki, 87
3, Yamaha, 39

Source: KTM

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