Portugal MX GP
The Preview
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The FIM Motocross World Championship will celebrate the sixth MXGP of the season in the characteristically red soil of Agueda in the North of Portugal. The MXPG riders have had almost two weeks to recover from the Bulgarian Grand Prix and Antonio Cairoli and Jeffrey Herlings are ready to top the podium in Portugal once again and keep on leading the MX1 and MX2 standings comfortably.
It will be a busy weekend, as the MX1 and MX2 riders will share the
venue with the young motocross talents who are taking part in the European
series. Apart from the FIM MX1 and MX2 World Championship, the Portuguese track
will also host the second round of the EMX125 Championship and the first round
of the EMX250 Championship. Due to the magnificent high number of entries for
both series (69 entries in the EMX125 and 94 entries in the EMX250) this
weekend there will be a change in race format in order to permit all the riders
to race.
MX1
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Antonio Cairoli is travelling to Portugal
with the main goal of winning the Portuguese round and increase his points lead
in the MX1 standings. The Italian missed the overall victory two weeks ago in
Bulgaria and he also missed the victory last year in Agueda finishing third
behind Clement Desalle and Gautier Paulin. The last time Cairoli won in Agueda
was back in 2009 with a double victory, so the Italian is determined to win the
Portuguese Grand Prix this weekend.
Kawasaki Racing Team’s Gautier Paulin arrives in Agueda full of confidence
after winning the Bulgarian Grand Prix from the likes of Cairoli and climbing
up to the second position of the MX1 point standings. The French rider won the
second heat of the Portuguese Grand Prix last year, but a mechanical problem in
the first heat stopped him from being on the top of the podium and he ended
second overall. Paulin knows really well the Portuguese track and he mentioned
in Bulgaria that he is ready to try to stop Cairoli and close the gap with the
Italian for the Title chase.
Third in the MX1 Championship, six points behind Paulin, is Clement Desalle,
who was back on the podium in Bulgaria after finishing third overall. The
Rockstar Energy Suzuki World’s riders knows that winning in Portugal this
weekend would be a key point for him if he wants to keep on fighting for the
Title. In fact, Desalle has conquered the podium of the Portuguese Grand Prix
during the last three years, which gives him a special motivation to face the
sixth round of the season.
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Ken De Dycker dropped down to the fourth position
of the MX1 classification after finishing seventh in Bulgaria. The Belgian
rider is looking forward to racing this weekend in order to leave back his poor
performance in the last Grand Prix and try to move up again in the point
standings. De Dycker was fifth last year in Agueda, so he has a lot of chances
of finishing on the podium this weekend.
Rockstar Energy Suzuki World’s Kevin Strijbos had one of his best performances
of the season in Bulgaria two weeks ago and he actually missed the podium being
tight in 40 points with his teammate Desalle. The Belgian is fifth in the point
standings at the moment but he is 23 points behind his compatriot De Dycker, so
his goal this weekend is riding as he did in Sevlievo and trying to obtain his
maiden podium of the season.
Tommy Searle, who is now sixth in the Championship, showed a big improvement in
the last two Grand Prix of the season, especially with his starts. Searle is
now riding with the front riders in the beginning of each heat, but he lacks
keeping his rhythm until the end of the heat in order to start fighting for a
podium finish. Last year he was second in the MX2 class, so Agueda is a track
that suits the British rider.
Home rider Rui Gonçalves is looking forward once again to racing on home soil
this weekend and he faces the Portuguese Grand Prix being seventh in the
Championship. Max Nagl is eighth and Xavier Boog, who will miss the next two
Grand Prix due to his injury in his right foot, is ninth. Evgeny Bobryshev is
currently tenth in the point standings and he will try to ride this weekend
after having missed the last two Grand Prix due to a fractured ankle.
2012 MX1 Podium
1. Clement Desalle
2. Gautier Paulin
3. Antonio Cairoli
2012 MX1 POLEMAN: Antonio Cairoli
All the Grand Prix Photos will be available here
MX2
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings keeps on being unbeaten and
he will enter the Portuguese round this weekend leading the MX2 class with a 65
points advantage over second classified, Jordi Tixier. His main goal keeps on
being winning all the heats of the season, but he is now also paying attention
to the MX1 riders’ lap times in order to keep on improving his speed.
His teammate Jordi Tixier has made an incredible improvement since the Dutch
Grand Prix. Since then the Red Bull KTM Factory racing rider has been racing
with the front riders and he has led several laps in the last three Grand Prix.
Tixier is aware of his teammate’s superiority, but he will keep on fighting to
win races and why not to win his main Grand Prix.
Standing Construct KTM’s Glenn Coldenhoff keeps on being third in the MX2 point
standings, but he has not been racing with the front riders in the last Grand
Prix. The Dutch rider started the season fighting for the top three positions
and he was very close to be on the podium, so he just needs to believe in
himself and obtain his so expected podium finish.
A rider that is gaining consistency race after race is Silver Action KTM’s Jose
Butrón who is now fourth in the point standings. The Spanish rider has been
already twice on the podium, in Thailand and in Arco di Trento, and in Bulgaria
was riding again for the top five positions. This weekend Butrón will count
with a lot of Spanish supporters who will drive all the way to Agueda to
support him and maybe see him on the podium once again.
Monster Energy Yamaha’s Christophe Charlier is rounding the top five of the MX2
classification and he is just six points behind Butrón. The French rider has
proved to have the speed and the talent to be fighting for the top three, but
he just lacks a little bit of confidence to battle for the top positions from
the beginning until the chequered flag. This weekend he has another opportunity
to show his potential, finish on the podium and get closer to the top three of
the MX2 standings.
British rider Max Anstie also showed great speed and an excellent rhythm in
Bulgaria and this year he has already finished third in a couple of races, one
in Thailand and the other one in the Netherlands. Anstie is currently sixth in
the point standings, followed by Dean Ferris and Alessandro Lupino, who
obtained his maiden Grand Prix podium in Bulgaria two weeks ago. Jake Nicholls
is ninth position and Romain Febvre, who is still recovering from his fracture
in his fibula, is rounding the top ten.
2012 MX2 Podium
1. Jeffrey Herlings
2. Tommy Searle
3. Jeremy Van Horebeek
2012 MX2 POLEMAN: Jeffrey Herlings
All the Grand Prix Photos will be available here
Top Image: Ray Archer
