La Salgada’s track hosted day one of the Spanish Grand Prix with the MX1 and MX2 Qualifying races. Antonio Cairoli obtained his first Lovemytime pole position award of the season in MX1 and Ken Roczen dominated the MX2 Qualifying race.
Antonio Cairoli managed to win the MX1 Qualifying race but he struggled a lot due to the heavy pain on his thumb. Clement Desalle rode second all the race, but by the end of it the Belgian close the gap and finish just two seconds behind the Italian. Third was Max Nagl, who was very happy with his performance today as he managed to be back fighting for the win. Rui Gonçalves was fourth and Xavier Boog completed the top five.
Ken Roczen was able to take part in today’s MX2 Qualifying Race but he has a lot of pain on his back due to the crash he suffered in Portugal last weekend. However, the German dominated the whole race and crossed the finish line almost 12 second ahead of second classified Tommy Searle. The British rider did an excellent race climbing up from an initial eighth position. Third was Nicolas Aubin and Glenn Coldenhoff and Jeffrey Herlings were fourth and fifth respectively.
In the UEM EMX-2 Championship, Dylan Ferrandis did an incredible first race and he crossed the finish line 46 seconds ahead of second classified Filip Bengtsson and 54 seconds ahead of third Killian Auberson.
MX1
Red Bull Teka KTM Factory Racing MX1’s Cairoli was very satisfied with his victory in La Bañeza. Cairoli rode with a lot of pain on his thumb due to a crash he suffered in Portugal last weekend and he was not expecting to obtain such result. In fact, the Italian is feeling very confident for tomorrow’s races, as he will be able to choose a very good starting gate.
Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MX1’s Desalle finished second, just two second behind Cairoli. The Belgian rider was very close to overtake Cairoli during the last laps of the qualifying race, but he preferred to ride safe and ride for the win tomorrow at the GP races.
The third position was for Red Bull Teka KTM Factory Racing MX1’s Nagl, who was very satisfied for being able to ride behind Cairoli and Desalle during the whole race. The German did not have very good results in the previous GP, so he is looking forward to a podium in the Spanish track.
Rui Gonçalves from Honda World Motocross did a very good race and he finished in a solid fourth position. Gonçalves has improved notoriously during the last GP, so he might be able to obtain his maiden podium of the season this weekend in La Bañeza.
Completing the top five was Kawasaki Racing Team’s Boog, who has had very consistent results in the last GP. His team mate Barragán is still struggling to finish among the top five and he was only 12th in today’s qualifying race.
Frossard was sixth and his team mate Philippaerts finished 14th after starting from the very last position as he was involved in a tangle at the first corner of the race. Home rider Campano finished 15th and his compatriot Lozano 19th.
MX1 Qualifying Race top ten : 1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 23:41.498; ; 2. Clement Desalle (BEL, Suzuki), +0:02.506; 3. Maximilian Nagl (GER, KTM), +0:14.166; 4. Rui Goncalves (POR, Honda), +0:22.543; 5. Xavier Boog (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:27.712; 6. Steven Frossard (FRA, Yamaha), +0:30.041; 7. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), +0:31.707; 8. Davide Guarneri (ITA, Kawasaki), +0:33.265; 9. Steve Ramon (BEL, Suzuki), +0:35.509; 10. Shaun Simpson (GBR, Honda), +0:36.303;
MX2
Red Bull Teka KTM Factory Racing MX2’s Roczen managed to win the MX2 Qualifying race even suffering from the injury he got in Agueda last weekend. Roczen admitted that he was really surprised with this victory and he is looking forward to racing tomorrow and get back the red plate from his team mate Herlings.
CLS Monster Energy Kawasaki Pro Circuit’s Searle started from the seventh position and he was able to finish second in the MX2 qualifying race. The British rider got a dnf in the first race of the Portuguese GP, but he managed to win the second one, so he might be able to fight to his second overall victory this season.
Nicolas Aubin from KTM HDI MX Team did a very good start and managed to finish third, ahead of Glenn Coldenhoff, who obtained his best result so far, and Jeffrey Herlings. The current red plate holder crashed during the first lap and had to start fighting from down to the tenth position.
Paulin and Osborne finished sixth and seventh respectively and Nicholls and Kullas followed them. Home rider Butrón started in the fifth position, but he could only finish tenth because a rider hit his bike and broke his rear brake.
MX2 Qualifying Race top ten : 1. Ken Roczen (GER, KTM), 24:23.162; 2. Tommy Searle (GBR, Kawasaki), +0:11.819; 3. Nicolas Aubin (FRA, KTM), +0:14.289; 4. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, Yamaha), +0:18.782; 5. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), +0:19.038; 6. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Yamaha), +0:24.946; 7. Zachary Osborne (USA, Yamaha), +0:26.803; 8. Jake Nicholls (GBR, KTM), +0:28.080; 9. Harri Kullas (FIN, Yamaha), +0:29.787; 10. Antonio Jose Butron Oliva (ESP, KTM), +0:45.415;
UEM EMX-2
The first race of the UEM EMX-2 took place today in La Bañeza. Dylan Ferrandis ruled the race from beginning to end and he crossed the finish line 46 seconds ahead second classified Filip Bengtsson. Swedish Bengtsson did not have a very good start, but he succeeded in being second after starting from an initial sixth position. Third was Swiss Killian Auberson, who did an incredible start but he struggled a little bit, as he injured his thumb last weekend during the Swiss championship.
Arnaud Aubin finished fourth, and completing the top five was Charles Lefrançois, who arrived in Spain being second in the point standings. Current red plate holder, Romain Febvre, is still having some pain on his left foot and in spite of starting down from the 22nd position, he was 15th when he crossed the finish line.