FIFTH OVERALL FOR ISAK GIFTING AT MXGP OF LOMMEL.
MXGP ROUND 15 SEES GASGAS FACTORY RACING YOUNG GUN ESTABLISH HIMSELF AS AN MX2 PODIUM THREAT.
DIGA Procross Factory Junior’s Isak Gifting has claimed fifth overall at round 15 of the MX2 World Championship. Improving with each passing week, at the MXGP of Lommel the super-Swede charged to an impressive runner-up MX2 finish in race two, which paired with his opening race eighth saw him earn another top five overall finish. DIGA Procross teammate Michael Sandner fought valiantly in both races to come up just short of scoring points. In the MXGP class, Standing Construct GASGAS Factory Racing’s Ivo Monticelli had another solid GP, scoring points in both motos on his way to 15th overall.
Round 15 of the FIM Motocross World Championship again saw Isak Gifting battle at the sharp end of the MX2 field. Racing at the grueling Lommel circuit for the third time in a week, race one started strongly for the confident Gifting. Moving forwards and into fifth place as the moto reached the 10-minute mark, a slight misjudgment resulted in an unfortunate crash. After being demoted to 11th, he displayed incredible fitness as he remounted and charged to the finish, making the pass for eighth on the final lap.
Race two was nothing short of phenomenal for Gifting. Challenging for leading positions early in the moto, he passed MX2 World Championship leader Tom Vialle for third on the opening lap. Despite being repassed by Vialle, Gifting was unfazed and quickly retook third before breaking away and going on to inherit second position when Jago Geerts crashed out of the running. From there, Isak used a number of wide, fast lines to maintain his momentum as he raced to the finish and a deserved runner-up result.
Michael Sandner was unfortunate to miss out on scoring points at the MXGP of Lommel. Dropping as low as 25th in the opening race, he kept his cool and reached 20th with three laps to go before frustratingly being demoted to 21st on the penultimate lap. Race two saw a number of crashes for Sandner, but the Austrian never gave up and ended the moto in 23rd place.
In the MXGP class, Ivo Monticelli was the sole rider for Standing Construct GASGAS Factory Racing at the MXGP of Lommel. The opening moto saw the Italian charge forwards from 25th on the opening lap, advancing through the field throughout the 30-minute-plus two lap moto to claim 14th at the finish. In race two, Ivo frustratingly crashed out of 12th place on lap 11 before digging deep and battling to the finish. Passing two riders on the last lap for a 17th place finish gave Monticelli 15th overall.
The MXGP of Lommel marked the final round of the hotly contested EMX125 series. David Braceras finished 11th overall, securing an impressive runner-up finish in the final championship standings. Guillem Farres placed third overall and ended the season in sixth place – strong results for both MC 125 racers.
Isak Gifting:“Just amazing. Another great GP and a great end to the week. Having some battles with the top guys in the class has been really good for my confidence. It was a shame that I crashed in race one but race two was amazing. Second place, I cannot complain. As always, I just went for it today. Full gas in both motos and another great result. I can’t wait for next weekend in Italy.”
Michael Sandner:“Today was a really tough one. Three crashes in both motos made it a really big struggle to find a good flow. A tough day but I’m looking forward to Italy and some hardpack to end the year strong.”
Ivo Monticelli:“It was hard work today. Lommel is always a difficult track and was made worse by the rain. My starts weren’t the best today. Race two was better. I had a good feeling with the bike but then I crashed out of 12th which was really disappointing. Overall, I’m healthy and I feel good on the bike. I just need to be in the battle early in the race and then I can be back in the top 10.”
Standing Construct GASGAS Factory Racing and DIGA Procross Factory Juniors head south to Italy for the next round of the FIM Motocross World Championship, round of 16 of the series and the first of three events set to take place at the Pietramurata circuit on November 1.
Results – 2020 FIM Motocross World Championship, Round 15
MXGP – Overall
1. Tim Gajser (Honda) 50; 2. Romain Febvre (Kawasaki) 44; 3. Jeremy Seewer (Yamaha) 38… 15. Ivo Monticelli (GASGAS) 11
MXGP – Race 1
1. Tim Gajser (Honda) 16 laps, 36:25:583; 2. Romain Febvre (Kawasaki) 36:48:221; 3. Antonio Cairoli (KTM) 37:05:212… 14. Ivo Monticelli (GASGAS) 15 laps, 36:33:423
MXGP – Race 2
1. Tim Gajser (Honda) 16 laps, 36:25:583; 2. Romain Febvre (Kawasaki) 36:48:221; 3. Jeremy Seewer (Yamaha) 36:54:134… 17. Ivo Monticelli (GASGAS) 15 laps, 36:33:046
MX2 – Overall
1. Ben Watson (Yamaha) 43; 2. Roan Van De Moosdijk (Kawasaki) 40; 3. Maxime Renaux (Yamaha) 38… 5. Isak Gifting (GASGAS) 35…
MX2 – Race 1
1. Ben Watson (Yamaha) 16 laps, 36:15:672; 2. Maxime Renaux (Yamaha) 36:23:630; 3. Tom Vialle (KTM) 36:34:934… 8. Isak Gifting (GASGAS) 37:04:681; 21. Michael Sandner (GASGAS) 15 laps, 38:02:248
MX2 – Race 2
1. Roan Van De Moosdijk (Kawasaki) 16 laps, 36:37:993; 2. Isak Gifting (GASGAS) 36:45:801; 3. Thomas Kjer Olsen (Husqvarna) 36:47:043… 23. Michael Sandner (GASGAS) 15 laps, 38:59:237
Championship Standings – After Round 15
MXGP
1. Tim Gajser (Honda) 583pts; 2. Antonio Cairoli (KTM) 509; 3. Jeremy Seewer (Yamaha) 499… 7. Glenn Coldenhoff (GASGAS) 375; 16. Ivo Monticelli (GASGAS) 161
MX2
1. Tom Vialle (KTM) 651pts; 2. Jago Geerts (Yamaha) 577; 3. Maxime Renaux (Yamaha) 476; 13. Isak Gifting (GASGAS) 179; 28. Simon Langenfelder (GASGAS) 59; 29. Jeremy Sydow (GASGAS) 35; 31. Michael Sandner (GASGAS) 31
Text/Bild: GasGas