MXGP FLANDERS: PRADO RACES TO P2 WHILE LÄNGENFELDER TAKES MX2 HAT TRICK AT LOMMEL.
Racing at what is widely regarded as the toughest motocross track in the world, Jorge Prado secured a dominant qualifying win, double holeshots, and 2-2 finishes for second overall. Simon Längenfelder ignited the MX2 title race with 8-1 finishes to lock in his third consecutive podium.
Lommel is a true test of rider and machine. The incredible deep, ever-changing sands, the track length, and the super technical layout all combine to create what is widely regarded as one of the toughest motocross tracks in the world. Located in the north of Belgium near the Dutch border, the circuit is also in a traditional heartland of European motocross.
Jorge Prado once again brought his absolute A-game to the MXGP of Flanders, determined to not only close the gap on current championship leader Jeffrey Herlings but also to prove his credentials as an elite sand rider. While the top step of the podium just escaped him on this visit to Lommel – ultimately finishing in second place overall – Prado managed to close the championship gap down to just 24 points. That’s not all, however. The defending world champion shredded around the 1850m track with such blistering pace that he won Saturday’s qualifying session and secured both Fox holeshot awards from the gate drops of Sunday’s motos.
In fact, throughout both of Sunday’s motos, the playbook was pretty similar on each occasion. Bursting out of the gates, the Spanish ace proved to be the class of the field at the start, pulling an immediate gap in the opening laps in both races. So much so that by lap four of the first moto, Prado had pulled a near 16-second gap over the chasing field. Jeffrey Herlings, however, was determined to deny Prado the overall win, overhauling Prado at the midpoint of both moto one and moto two to capture the win.
In MX2, Simon Längenfelder brought the heat by scoring a P3 podium, meaning the young German has now locked in three podiums from the last three races. Initially qualifying in eighth position on Saturday’s running at the MXGP of Flanders, Längenfelder worked through setup challenges to up the ante, finishing 8th in the first moto and scoring victory in the second moto. A crowd-favorite move in the second moto saw Längenfelder ride around the outside of rival Rick Elzinga on lap 12 and then capitalize on a mistake from Liam Everts to take the lead on lap 13. Better still, the valuable championship points gained move Längenfelder within 12 points of second-placed Lucas Coenen in the championship standings, meaning it is all to play for in the season’s remaining six rounds.
To cap off the awesome weekend in the Belgian sand Bedddini GASGAS Factory Juniors’s Valerio Lata laid on a scorching performance in the EMX 250 category, to score 2-2 finishes and take the overall victory. The result marks the Italians third win of the season, and places him in third position in the championship. Team mate Francisco Garcia locked in 7-8 finishes for eighth overall at Lommel.
Next up is the hard-pack MXGP of Sweden at Uddevalla on August 11.
MXGP – #1 – Jorge Prado: “It has been a great weekend overall. Yesterday, I won the qualifying, and today, I secured two second places. My speed was good all day, but I knew ‚The Bullet‘ [Herlings] was coming, so I focused on maintaining a fast and consistent pace. I did my best to beat him, but honestly, he was faster today. I’m very happy with my second place. We reduced the gap in the championship, which was the goal, so that’s super positive as we head to Sweden in two weeks!”
MX2 – #516 – Simon Längenfelder: „I’m really happy with the result in the second moto. We faced some challenges with the suspension settings throughout the weekend, but I think we nailed it for the final moto. It was great to show that I can win in the sand, especially without prior experience at Lommel. I’ve always enjoyed riding in the sand, but proving I can win here is fantastic! A win is always a great feeling, so let’s build on this momentum moving forward.”
MXGP of Lommel Results:
MXGP – Overall:
1. Jeffrey Herlings (KTM) 50pts
2. Jorge Prado (GASGAS) 44pts
3. Calvin Vlaanderen (Yamaha) 38pts
13. Mattia Guadagnini (Husqvarna) 18pts
MXGP – Moto One:
1. Jeffrey Herlings (KTM)
2. Jorge Prado (GASGAS)
3. Calvin Vlaanderen (Yamaha)
16. Mattia Guadagnini (Husqvarna)
MXGP – Moto Two:
1. Jeffrey Herlings (KTM)
2. Jorge Prado (GASGAS)
3. Romain Febvre (Kawasaki)
10. Mattia Guadagnini (Husqvarna)
MXGP – Standings:
1. Tim Gajser (Honda) 705pts
2. Jorge Prado (GASGAS) 681pts
3. Jeffrey Herlings (KTM) 667pts
12. Mattia Guadagnini (Husqvarna) 210pts
MX2 – Overall:
1. Kay de Wolf (Husqvarna) 47pts
2. Rick Elzinga (Yamaha) 40pts
3. Simon Längenfelder (GASGAS) 38pts
4. Liam Everts (KTM) 35pts
7. Lucas Coenen (Husqvarna) 29pts
9. Sacha Coenen (KTM) 26pts
MX2 – Moto One:
1. Kay de Wolf (Husqvarna)
2. Rick Elzinga (Yamaha)
3. Camden McLellan (Triumph)
5. Lucas Coenen (Husqvarna)
6. Liam Everts (KTM)
8. Simon Längenfelder (GASGAS)
10. Sacha Coenen (KTM)
MX2 – Moto Two:
1. Simon Längenfelder (GASGAS)
2. Kay de Wolf (Husqvarna)
3. Liam Everts (KTM)
6. Sacha Coenen (KTM)
8. Lucas Coenen (Husqvarna)
MX2 – Standings:
1. Kay de Wolf (Husqvarna) 683pts
2. Lucas Coenen (Husqvarna) 618pts
3. Simon Längenfelder (GASGAS) 606pts
4. Liam Everts (KTM) 556pts
6. Andrea Adamo (KTM) 457pts
8. Sacha Coenen (KTM) 391pts
17. Marc-Antoine Rossi (GASGAS) 122pts
Text/Bild: GasGas