The third round of the European Championships EMX250 and EMX125 and the second round of the EMX300 championship took place in Talavera de la Reina, Spain this weekend where Bud Racing Kawasaki Monster Energy’s Maxime Desprey and Wilvo Nestaan Husqvarna Racing’s Yentel Martens took their second round victories in the EMX250 and EMX300, while the local hero, KTM Factory Juniors’ Jorge Prado made his nation proud with his first ever EMX overall victory in the EMX125.
EMX250
Bud Racing Kawasaki Monster Energy’s Maxime Desprey was in a league of his own this weekend. The Frenchman took the holeshot in both races to wrap up his second EMX round overall with a perfect fifty points score.
With Desprey checking out in race two, the battle to watch was between Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s David Herbreteau and Kemea Yamaha Yamalube’s Damon Graulus.
Graulus stayed hot on the heels of Herbreteau and patiently awaited an error, but the error never came. Instead Graulus needed to make something happen and with a sense of urgency pinned it around an inside rut which ran into the line of Herbreteau.
Herbreteau went down and didn’t manage to start his bike again, which was devastating for the young Frenchman who sat second for 14 of 15 laps.
Graulus then secured second place and the second step of the podium while Bodo Schmidt Motorsport’s Thomas Kjer Olsen rode to a solid third despite a brief challenge from Mafi Yamaha MX Team’s Alvin Ostlund.
Kjer Olsen’s third place in race two combined with his fourth in race one landed him on the third step of the podium.
Ostlund came home in fourth in race two with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Davy Pootjes rounding out the top five.
EMX250 Race 1 Top Ten: 1. Maxime Desprey (FRA, Kawasaki), 30:20.280; 2. Damon Graulus (BEL, Yamaha), +0:02.482; 3. Nick Kouwenberg (NED, Honda), +0:15.837; 4. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, KTM), +0:18.765; 5. Alvin Östlund (SWE, Yamaha), +0:20.666; 6. Ander Valentin (ESP, Yamaha), +0:29.335; 7. David Herbreteau (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:31.820; 8. Davy Pootjes (NED, KTM), +0:32.824; 9. Steven Clarke (GBR, Husqvarna), +0:34.169; 10. Nicolas Dercourt (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:34.566.
EMX250 Race 2 Top Ten: 1. Maxime Desprey (FRA, Kawasaki), 30:22.862; 2. Damon Graulus (BEL, Yamaha), +0:06.051; 3. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, KTM), +0:21.337; 4. Alvin Östlund (SWE, Yamaha), +0:25.925; 5. Davy Pootjes (NED, KTM), +0:29.927; 6. Nick Kouwenberg (NED, Honda), +0:37.540; 7. Nicolas Dercourt (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:39.379; 8. Iker Larranaga Olano (ESP, KTM), +0:45.661; 9. Simone Zecchina (ITA, Kawasaki), +0:47.732; 10. Magne Klingsheim (NOR, Kawasaki), +0:55.032.
EMX250 Overall Top Ten: 1. Maxime Desprey (FRA, KAW), 50 points; 2. Damon Graulus (BEL, YAM), 44 p.; 3. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, KTM), 38 p.; 4. Nick Kouwenberg (NED, HON), 35 p.; 5. Alvin Östlund (SWE, YAM), 34 p.; 6. Davy Pootjes (NED, KTM), 29 p.; 7. Nicolas Dercourt (FRA, KAW), 25 p.; 8. Ander Valentin (ESP, YAM), 23 p.; 9. Simone Zecchina (ITA, KAW), 21 p.; 10. Iker Larranaga Olano (ESP, KTM), 20 p.
EMX250 Championship Top Ten: 1. Nick Kouwenberg (NED, HON), 117 points; 2. Maxime Desprey (FRA, KAW), 112 p.; 3. Adam Sterry (GBR, KTM), 108 p.; 4. Damon Graulus (BEL, YAM), 105 p.; 5. Alvin Östlund (SWE, YAM), 91 p.; 6. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, KTM), 80 p.; 7. Ander Valentin (ESP, YAM), 70 p.; 8. Davy Pootjes (NED, KTM), 62 p.; 9. Simone Zecchina (ITA, KAW), 60 p.; 10. Nicolas Dercourt (FRA, KAW), 55 p.
EMX250 Manufacturers: 1. KTM, 130 points; 2. Kawasaki, 123 p.; 3. Yamaha, 122 p.; 4. Honda, 117 p.; 5. Suzuki, 50 p.; 6. Husqvarna, 48 p.
EMX125
The day couldn’t have got off to a better start for the thousands of rowdy Spanish fans who came out to support their future star KTM Factory Juniors’ Jorge Prado who pulled the holeshot and led every lap for the race two victory and his first ever EMX125 round win.
Meanwhile, hats off to his KTM Factory Juniors’ team-mate, race one winner Josiah Natzke who was only fifth around turn one but charged hard to be in second before the end of lap two.
In race two, Natzke slowly chipped away at Prado’s lead which made the last lap super intense as the fans urged their countryman on. While the race was cut close, it was Prado who held on to win by less than a second over Natzke meaning the duo would tie for the win with the winner being determined by the final race result.
The day went from good to better for the KTM Factory Junior team with their third rider Conrad Mewse also putting in an impressive performance to finish third in race two.
Italian Davide Cislaghi sealed the deal on fourth place which was identical to the result he received in the first race yesterday.
Two fourth-positions landed Cislaghi on the podium which is an impressive improvement on his overall finishes from the previous two rounds.
Rounding out the top five in race two was the early season red plate holder Kemea Yamaha Yamalube’s Maxime Renaux.
EMX125 Race 1 Top Ten: 1. Josiah Natzke (NZL, KTM), 29:30.222; 2. Jorge Prado Garcia (ESP, KTM), +0:06.994; 3. Maxime Renaux (FRA, Yamaha), +0:13.722; 4. Davide Cislaghi (ITA, TM), +0:21.716; 5. Miro Sihvonen (FIN, KTM), +0:33.848; 6. Andrea Zanotti (SMR, Yamaha), +0:35.928; 7. Stephen Rubini (FRA, KTM), +0:36.012; 8. Anthony Bourdon (FRA, Yamaha), +0:47.057; 9. Jakub Teresak (CZE, KTM), +0:50.184; 10. Gianluca Facchetti (ITA, KTM), +0:52.454
EMX125 Race 2 Top Ten: 1. Jorge Prado Garcia (ESP, KTM), 28:59.846; 2. Josiah Natzke (NZL, KTM), +0:00.701; 3. Conrad Mewse (GBR, KTM), +0:17.139; 4. Davide Cislaghi (ITA, TM), +0:44.506; 5. Maxime Renaux (FRA, Yamaha), +0:48.988; 6. Mathys Boisrame (FRA, Yamaha), +0:50.420; 7. Stephen Rubini (FRA, KTM), +0:50.661; 8. Glen Meier (DEN, KTM), +0:57.206; 9. Filippo Zonta (ITA, Husqvarna), +1:01.254; 10. Ruben Fernandez Garcia (ESP, KTM), +1:03.629
EMX125 Overall Top Ten: 1. Jorge Prado Garcia (ESP, KTM), 47 points; 2. Josiah Natzke (NZL, KTM), 47 p.; 3. Davide Cislaghi (ITA, TM), 36 p.; 4. Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 36 p.; 5. Stephen Rubini (FRA, KTM), 28 p.; 6. Conrad Mewse (GBR, KTM), 24 p.; 7. Glen Meier (DEN, KTM), 22 p.; 8. Anthony Bourdon (FRA, YAM), 22 p.; 9. Andrea Zanotti (SMR, YAM), 19 p.; 10. Mathys Boisrame (FRA, YAM), 17 p.
EMX125 Championship Top Ten: 1. Jorge Prado Garcia (ESP, KTM), 130 points; 2. Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 111 p.; 3. Josiah Natzke (NZL, KTM), 101 p.; 4. Miro Sihvonen (FIN, KTM), 98 p.; 5. Conrad Mewse (GBR, KTM), 76 p.; 6. Glen Meier (DEN, KTM), 75 p.; 7. Davide Cislaghi (ITA, TM), 65 p.; 8. Stephen Rubini (FRA, KTM), 59 p.; 9. Kim Savaste (FIN, KTM), 53 p.; 10. Cyril Genot (BEL, HUS), 51 p.
EMX125 Manufacturers: 1. KTM, 150 points; 2. Yamaha, 111 p.; 3. TM, 84 p.; 4. Husqvarna, 75 p
EMX300
Yet another flawless performance for Wilvo Nestaan Husqvarna Racing’s Yentel Martens who, just as he did in race 1, chased Marco Maddii around the first turn followed by GL12 Racing’s Lewis Gregory.
After following Maddii for a lap, Martens dropped the hammer and swung around the outside of the Italian, Maddii, in an awesome pass that was sealed by a scrub over the next jump.
With Martens moving into the lead, yesterday’s race one runner-up, Gregory knew he had to act fast, and did so with an easy pass on the Italian Marco Maddii a few turns later.
Matthew Moffat controlled fourth from start to finish although he did have his work cut out for him on the final lap with South African Damon Strydom laying in a late race charge.
At the end of the weekend, the podium clearly belonged to Wilvo Nestaan Husqvarna Racing’s Yentel Martens with his double race victory. Britain’s Lewis Gregory put in a pair of seconds for second while Marco Maddii rounded out the top three with two thirds.
EMX300 Race 1 Top Ten: 1. Yentel Martens (BEL, Husqvarna), 30:40.159; 2. Lewis Gregory (GBR, Yamaha), +0:17.089; 3. Marco Maddii (ITA, KTM), +0:35.963; 4. Dietger Damiaens (BEL, KTM), +1:24.599; 5. Matthew Moffat (GBR, Husqvarna), +1:44.675; 6. Damon Strydom (GBR, KTM), +1:50.966; 7. Joey Smet (BEL, KTM), +1:56.644; 8. Robert Holyoake (GBR, KTM), +1:58.190; 9. Miguel Gaboleiro (POR, Aprilia), +2:00.892; 10. Mikael Kaipanen (FIN, KTM), -1 lap(s).
EMX300 Race 2 Top Ten: 1. Yentel Martens (BEL, Husqvarna), 29:00.881; 2. Lewis Gregory (GBR, Yamaha), +0:04.407; 3. Marco Maddii (ITA, KTM), +0:23.623; 4. Matthew Moffat (GBR, Husqvarna), +0:58.826; 5. Damon Strydom (GBR, KTM), +1:00.704; 6. Dietger Damiaens (BEL, KTM), +1:15.153; 7. Robert Holyoake (GBR, KTM), +1:22.147; 8. Michael Hool (NED, KTM), +1:26.111; 9. Miguel Gaboleiro (POR, Aprilia), +1:30.459; 10. Ramon Brucart Sanchez (ESP, Yamaha), +1:31.689.
EMX300 Overall Top Ten: 1. Yentel Martens (BEL, HUS), 50 points; 2. Lewis Gregory (GBR, YAM), 44 p.; 3. Marco Maddii (ITA, KTM), 40 p.; 4. Matthew Moffat (GBR, HUS), 34 p.; 5. Dietger Damiaens (BEL, KTM), 33 p.; 6. Damon Strydom (GBR, KTM), 31 p.; 7. Robert Holyoake (GBR, KTM), 27 p.; 8. Miguel Gaboleiro (POR, APR), 24 p.; 9. Joey Smet (BEL, KTM), 22 p.; 10. Ramon Brucart Sanchez (ESP, YAM), 19 p.
EMX300 Championship Top Ten: 1. Yentel Martens (BEL, HUS), 100 points; 2. Lewis Gregory (GBR, YAM), 86 p.; 3. Marco Maddii (ITA, KTM), 67 p.; 4. Matthew Moffat (GBR, HUS), 67 p.; 5. Dietger Damiaens (BEL, KTM), 60 p.; 6. Damon Strydom (GBR, KTM), 57 p.; 7. Joey Smet (BEL, KTM), 47 p.; 8. Mike Kras (NED, YAM), 42 p.; 9. Patrick Vos (NED, KAW), 37 p.; 10. Mikael Kaipanen (FIN, KTM), 35 p.;
EMX300 Manufacturers: 1. Husqvarna, 100 points; 2. Yamaha, 88 p.; 3. KTM, 72 p.; 4. Kawasaki, 37 p.; 5. Aprilia, 24 p.; 6. TM, 16 p.; 7. Suzuki, 4 p.
