Back
Nagl on MX1 podium in Bellpuig;
Cairoli still dominates standings
Red Bull KTM factory rider Max Nagl was denied a second moto and GP victory when a crash in the final minutes on the GP of Catalunya knocked him down to overall third. Tony Cairoli finished two points behind in fourth place and hangs onto the red plate.
It was a day of tumultuous racing in the Bellpuig circuit with even many of the most experienced riders coming unstuck in the deep ruts and soft patches on a track that was saturated with rain on Saturday but dried out in patches on the all important race day.
Final minutes crash denies Nagl GP win
Nagl, who was the overwhelming winner of the first moto, looked all set to make it the double. He was out of the start gates in the second moto in his usual lightning style and, despite some savage challenges from Ken de Dyker, led almost the entire race right up until the crash in the final few minutes..
Max Nagl:
“I’m really disappointed with the second heat because like last week in Portugal, the first one was so easy for me. But maybe I was a too nervous and I made a mistake on the straight and crashed. Overall I’m happy to be on the podium and to get the points but for sure I’m disappointed with the second heat. I need to work on that and make it better in the future.”
Tony fights back
After an eventful first moto factory teammate Tony Cairoli managed to fight his way up to third at the checkered flag on the second moto to be just off the podium in overall fourth place. Tony was able to add another 35 points onto his championship ranking and now has a 16-point overall lead with Nagl in second place.
Tony Cairoli
: “It was a tough weekend. This is not my favorite track. The ground is too hard and there are not so many lines. I made a stupid mistake in the first moto and I lost the chance to win the GP. I lost a lot of places because of the crash and after the bike was a bit broken and I couldn’t ride perfectly. I caught the guy in front of me but it was hard to pass and I only finished sixth. I wanted to make some good points in the second mot but I didn’t have a good start. I was eighth or ninth and managed to get back to third, which was a good result. For sure I want to improve my training this week so I can try to take the victory in the USA. There I want to have fun on the bike!”
Championship points for Rui Goncalves
The factory team’s third member, Rui Goncalves of Portugal who only rejoined the competition after sitting out the first two GPs of the season while he recovered from surgery to his shoulder, again picked up valuable championship points. Like team-mate Tony Cairoli, Rui is riding the brand new KTM 350 SX-F this year.
Rui Goncalves: “Things are going good for me and I’m improving every time. This was a tough GP but I am pretty much on line to where I want to be. I know the speed is there so I just need to put all the laps together. At the moment I have one fast lap then the next one I struggle a bit so when I can get it all together I will be fine. My physical shape is good, I am not tired and I am very motivated.”
Pictures Ray Archer
GP Results
1. Tanel Leok, Estonia, Honda, 14-25—39
2. David Philippaerts, Italy, Yamaha, 22-16—38
3. Max Nagl, Germany, KTM, 25-12—37
4. Tony Cairoli, Italy, KTM, 15-20—35
5. Clement Desalle, Belgium, Suzuki, 20-15—35
Other KTM
13. Rui Goncalves, Portugal, KTM, 5-9—14
Championship Standings
1. Tony Cairoli, Italy, KTM, 214 points
2. Max Nagl, Germany, KTM, 198
3. David Philippaerts, Italy, Yamaha, 171
4. Clement Desalle, Belgium, Suzuki, 158
5. Ken de Dyker, Belgium, Yamaha, 145
Other KTM
20. Rui Goncalves, Portugal, KTM, 38
|