Red Bull KTM Factory rider Tony Cairoli of Italy on Sunday underlined why he is one of the finest motocross riders in the world when he took his fifth consecutive MX1 World title and his seventh career world title at the MX GP Festival in the UK.
Cairoli already sealed the championship in the opening moto. He took the holeshot on the Matterley Basin circuit, a track that he names as one of his favourites, and shared the lead with his biggest rival Clement Desalle. But the Italian champion rode his usual tactical race, carefully analysing where would be the best place to make the pass on the Belgian. He closed him down and took the lead in the tenth lap then hit the gas and went on to score a comfortable win. Cairoli pumped the air as he went through the finish line to acknowledge he had won the title and was greeted by wild celebrations from the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team in the finish area.
Cairoli took off like a rocket in the second moto, grabbing the holeshot but then crashed in the opening lap ahead of a multi bike pileup that shook up the race order and allowed leader Desalle to take the lead. Cairoli settled down to pick off six or seven riders ahead of him and was in fourth place by lap three. But two-thirds through the race he started to experience technical problems and with just two laps to go had to exit into the pits. Cairoli’s teammate Ken de Dycker of Belgium wrapped up his day with a 5-6 result for overall fourth, riding with an injured ankle.
Coldenhoff takes first career MX2 victory topping all-KTM podium With the world title already decided for KTM factory rider Jeffrey Herlings at the GP of Czech Republic in Loket and the Dutch teenager out injured for the rest of the season, there were no holds barred among the other riders in the MX2 GP of Britain.
It was Australian Dean Ferris who took a comfortable victory in the opening MX2 moto ahead of Jake Nichols and Glenn Coldenhoff in a race that saw Red Bull KTM’s Jordi Tixier crash hard. But in the second moto, which saw a whole string of riders, Ferris included, exit through crashes, the race went right down to the wire with no less than four riders possible GP winners going into the final laps. But it was Coldenhoff who took the glory and when he crossed the line he was not even aware that he was on the podium. Nichols was second and Jose Burtron took third to give KTM yet another three-way podium. Considering his first race crash, Tixier did well to get back into the action in the second race to finish in fifth for more points to consolidate his second place in the championship standings.
Successful EMX Championships for KTM
Titles in EMX 65cc, 85cc and 125 cc were all also decided at Matterley Basin, yielding three more honours to KTM. Raivo Dankers of the Netherlands won the 65cc class, with the youngest riders fighting their way through thick mud after rain at the British circuit. Conrad Mewes of the UK was 85cc European champion and Pauls Jonas of Latvia settled the 125 cc European title with one round still in hand.
