The old school track of Talevera de la Reina which had been lathered with water in order to keep the dust down in the sizzling hot temperatures, proved to be a challenge for the second rounds of the European Championships EMX250 and EMX300 classes.
Proving they’ve got a solid base on traditional style tracks, Bud Racing Kawasaki’s Sullivan Jaulin and GL12 Racing’s Lewis Gregory had their lines dialed to win their first European Championship rounds of their careers.
EMX250
When the gates dropped for the EMX250’s race two, race ones runner-up Sullivan Jaulin had his Bud Racing Kawasaki KXF250 cranking, leading KTM Sarholz’ Henry Jacobi, CNC KTM’s Steven Clarke, Spanish hero Bud Racing Kawasaki’s Jorge Zaragoza and Hitachi Construction Machinery UK KTM’s Ben Watson around turn one. While the Frenchman Jaulin stole the show looking at home on the tricky hard pack surface of Talavera, a battle for second flourished in the closing stages of the race.
Henry Jacobi, who at one stage of the race had a gap of five seconds over the Brits race one winner Steven Clarke and red plate holder Ben Watson, soon began to come undone dropping back to fourth with only two laps to go. Meanwhile the battle of the Brits raged on as the duo Clarke and Watson continued to bang bars while another Brit in the form of Wilvo Forkrent KTM’s Adam Sterry was laying the pressure on German Jacobi.
While Jaulin brought home his first win of the season to win round two of the European Championship EMX250 on his debut appearance, it was a nail biting final lap for the four that followed. Clarke held on for second only marginally ahead of his fellow countryman Watson, to tie with Jaulin for the win but was forced to be happy with second overall for the round due to Jaulin having the best result in the second race.
Meanwhile KTM Sarholz’ Henry Jacobi got the job done for fourth only just fending off a charging Wilvo Forkrent KTM’s Adam Sterry who settled for fifth which in combination with his seventh place yesterday landed him on the third step of the podium.
Local talent Jorge Zaragoza who took a hard fought third place in race one yesterday, struggled to find traction out on the slippery hills here in his homeland of Spain. A few spills and a lot of mistakes saw the likeable Spaniard struggle his way to a nineteenth place finish.
After today’s results CNC KTM’s Steven Clarke takes the red plate from his fellow countryman Hitachi Construction Machinery UK KTM’s Ben Watson. Watson drops back to second pushing the Spaniard Bud Racing Kawasaki’s Jorge Zaragoza back to third.
Jaulin mentioned before taking to the top step of the podium, “It is not so easy in this heat but it was okay for me. Yeah, I was tired in the heat at the end of the race, but I got a good start and took the holeshot and pulled a gap from eight seconds so it was okay. I am happy and I will finish out the rest of the European Championship with Bud Racing Kawasaki”.
EMX250 Race 1 Top ten: 1. Steven Clarke (GBR, KTM), 30:52.163; 2. Sullivan Jaulin (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:15.162; 3. Jorge Zaragoza (ESP, Kawasaki), +0:20.365; 4. Brian Bogers (NED, KTM), +0:24.530; 5. James Cottrell (GBR, KTM), +0:26.005; 6. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, Honda), +0:33.379; 7. Adam Sterry (GBR, KTM), +0:42.372; 8. Michele Cervellin (ITA, Honda), +0:53.305; 9. Robin Kappel (FRA, Yamaha), +1:00.585; 10. Nil Arcarons (ESP, KTM), +1:01.831.
EMX250 Race 2 Top Ten: 1. Sullivan Jaulin (FRA, Kawasaki), 30:38.886; 2. Steven Clarke (GBR, KTM), +0:03.716; 3. Ben Watson (GBR, KTM), +0:04.969; 4. Henry Jacobi (GER, KTM), +0:06.576; 5. Adam Sterry (GBR, KTM), +0:07.911; 6. Brent Van doninck (BEL, KTM), +0:20.217; 7. Michele Cervellin (ITA, Honda), +0:38.500; 8. Arnaud Aubin (FRA, Yamaha), +0:41.282; 9. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, KTM), +0:51.684; 10. Brian Bogers (NED, KTM), +0:54.646.
EMX250 Overall Top Ten: 1. Sullivan Jaulin (FRA, KAW), 47 points; 2. Steven Clarke (GBR, KTM), 47 p.; 3. Adam Sterry (GBR, KTM), 30 p.; 4. Brian Bogers (NED, KTM), 29 p.; 5. Michele Cervellin (ITA, HON), 27 p.; 6. Ben Watson (GBR, KTM), 26 p.; 7. James Cottrell (GBR, KTM), 23 p.; 8. Jorge Zaragoza (ESP, KAW), 22 p.; 9. Brent Van doninck (BEL, KTM), 20 p.; 10. Ander Valentin (ESP, YAM), 19 p.
EMX250 Championship Standings: 1. Steven Clarke (GBR, KTM), 83 points; 2. Ben Watson (GBR, KTM), 63 p.; 3. Jorge Zaragoza (ESP, KAW), 59 p.; 4. Michele Cervellin (ITA, HON), 55 p.; 5. Brian Bogers (NED, KTM), 51 p.; 6. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HON), 48 p.; 7. Sullivan Jaulin (FRA, KAW), 47 p.; 8. Adam Sterry (GBR, KTM), 47 p.; 9. Brent Van doninck (BEL, KTM), 46 p.; 10. Ander Valentin (ESP, YAM), 40 p.
EMX300
The sweet smell of pre-mixed smoke filled the air as the EMX300 gate got set to drop and when it did it was Team Maddii Racing’s Marco Maddii who got off to a ripper of a start taking the holeshot and running away with his first race win of the season. Meanwhile, the red plate holder TM Racing Team’s Samuele Bernardini had a better grip on the track today, setting the fastest lap time of the race on lap five and redeeming himself after yesterday’s errors to take second ahead of race one winner GL12 Racing’s Lewis Gregory.
Chasing the top three CEC I.S Racing’s Toms Macuks found a way around Wilvo Forkrent KTM’s Kenny Vandueren around mid race and started reeling in Gregory for third. Upon approach with two laps to go, the Latvian Macuks buried the front end in a sticky section while trying to pass Gregory and went down.
With his chances of a top three more or less out the window, he decided to ride easy for the remainder of the race to take home an easy fourth ahead of Vandueren.
After taking a remarkable win yesterday, Gregory bagged third in race two today for his first ever European Championship overall victory. Team Maddii Racing’s Marco Maddii combined fourth with his momentous victory today for second overall while CEC I.S Racing’s Toms Macuks rounded off the podium with second and fourth place results.
Wrapped with his career best finish, Gregory said, “I’m over the moon, I’m a little bit lost for words a little bit. Yesterday I got out of the gate good and just rode good and today I knew I just had to be mistake free and I stood a chance. I’m just so happy right now, I want to thank all my sponsors and every one that helps me”
After this weekend’s results, the championship leaderboard remains the same. TM Racing Team’s Samuele Bernardini holds on to the red plate three points clear of Team Maddii Racing’s Marco Maddii, while CEC I.S Racing’s Toms Macuks remains in third a further five points back.
EMX300 Race 1 Top Ten: 1. Lewis Gregory (GBR, Yamaha), 30:42.520; 2. Toms Macuks (LAT, KTM), +0:02.623; 3. Kenny Vandueren (BEL, KTM), +0:12.020; 4. Marco Maddii (ITA, KTM), +0:12.937; 5. Samuele Bernardini (ITA, TM), +0:54.929; 6. Miguel Gaboleiro (POR, Yamaha), +1:41.277; 7. Bence Szvoboda (HUN, KTM), +1:41.773; 8. Txomin Arana (ESP, Yamaha), +2:06.435; 9. Stephane Watel (FRA, KTM), -1 lap(s); 10. Michele Cencioni (ITA, KTM), -1 lap.
EMX300 Race 2 Top Ten: 1. Marco Maddii (ITA, KTM), 31:15.104; 2. Samuele Bernardini (ITA, TM), +0:08.726; 3. Lewis Gregory (GBR, Yamaha), +0:17.981; 4. Toms Macuks (LAT, KTM), +0:43.191; 5. Kenny Vandueren (BEL, KTM), +0:49.435; 6. Miguel Gaboleiro (POR, Yamaha), +1:41.184; 7. Stephane Watel (FRA, KTM), -1 lap(s); 8. Michele Cencioni (ITA, KTM), -1 lap(s); 9. Txomin Arana (ESP, Yamaha), -1 lap(s); 10. Martin Vanleeuw (BEL, Yamaha), -2 lap.
EMX300 Overall Top Ten: 1. Lewis Gregory (GBR, YAM), 45 points; 2. Marco Maddii (ITA, KTM), 43 p.; 3. Toms Macuks (LAT, KTM), 40 p.; 4. Samuele Bernardini (ITA, TM), 38 p.; 5. Kenny Vandueren (BEL, KTM), 36 p.; 6. Miguel Gaboleiro (POR, YAM), 30 p.; 7. Stephane Watel (FRA, KTM), 26 p.; 8. Txomin Arana (ESP, YAM), 25 p.; 9. Michele Cencioni (ITA, KTM), 24 p.; 10. Bence Szvoboda (HUN, KTM), 23 p.
EMX300 Championship Standings: 1. Samuele Bernardini (ITA, TM), 88 points; 2. Marco Maddii (ITA, KTM), 85 p.; 3. Toms Macuks (LAT, KTM), 80 p.; 4. Lewis Gregory (GBR, YAM), 72 p.; 5. Bence Szvoboda (HUN, KTM), 61 p.; 6. Stephane Watel (FRA, KTM), 54 p.; 7. Michele Cencioni (ITA, KTM), 51 p.; 8. Txomin Arana (ESP, YAM), 51 p.; 9. Jean Loup Lepan (FRA, YAM), 40 p.; 10. Martin Vanleeuw (BEL, YAM), 38 p.
