The second round of the European Championships EMX250 and EMX125 took place yesterday along side the MXGP of Europe on the rugged sand circuit of Valkenswaard, The Netherlands.
As did the opening round of the European Championship EMX300 which added more than 30 super rad 300cc two-strokes to the venue, which along with the 90 plus 125s in EMX125 championship left that sweet smell of pre-mixed fuel in the air.
The conditions here in Valkenswaard were extremely demanding which worked in favour of Wilvo Forkrent KTM’s Adam Sterry who dominated the EMX250, while Finnish star on the rise, Diga Racing KTM’s Miro Sihvonen took his first ever EMX125 overall and Wilvo Nestaan Husqvarna Racing’s son of a former world champion, Yentel Martens dominated the EMX300.
When the gates dropped for race two it was the 2014 vice EMX300 champion Marco Maddi who got off to the early lead but was passed almost immediately by Yamaha’s Mike Kras, who nursed his bike home for second place Saturday in race one.
While the Dutchman, Kras, had the upper hand on the opening lap, it was short lived with Saturday’s race winner Wilvo Nestaan Husqvarna Racing’s Yentel Martens running an unmatchable pace out on the gnarly sand circuit.
As Martens stretched out his lead and put the race on lock, race one’s third place finisher GL12 Racing’s Lewis Gregory started to find his flow. Gregory, who actually set the fastest lap time Saturday but crashed in the race, put a super sweet pass on the local, Kras, for second.
In the meantime South African Damon Strydom rebound from his rough ride in race one to pick up a hard fought fifth, which he had to settle with after being passed in the latter stages of the race by Britain’s Matthew Moffat who had also put in a hard charge after not getting off to the best of starts.
With Martens taking yet another convincing win, the Belgian registered a perfect score here at the opening round of the European Championship EMX300 with GL12 Racing’s Lewis Gregory and Dutch favourite Mike Kras rounding out the top three respectively.
EMX300 Race 1 Top Ten: 1. Yentel Martens (BEL, Husqvarna), 30:23.266; 2. Mike Kras (NED, Yamaha), +0:42.325; 3. Lewis Gregory (GBR, Yamaha), +0:47.285; 4. Davey Janssen (NED, Husqvarna), +0:58.240; 5. Marco Maddii (ITA, KTM), +0:58.324; 6. Matthew Moffat (GBR, Husqvarna), +1:27.802; 7. John Cuppen (NED, KTM), +1:29.120; 8. Joshua van der Linden (NED, Yamaha), +1:30.842; 9. Dietger Damiaens (BEL, KTM), +1:34.403; 10. Joey Smet (BEL, KTM), +1:41.116
EMX300 Race 2 Top Ten: 1. Yentel Martens (BEL, Husqvarna), 30:05.107; 2. Lewis Gregory (GBR, Yamaha), +0:21.262; 3. Mike Kras (NED, Yamaha), +0:54.388; 4. Matthew Moffat (GBR, Husqvarna), +1:00.319; 5. Damon Strydom (GBR, KTM), +1:04.086; 6. Dietger Damiaens (BEL, KTM), +1:11.162; 7. Joey Smet (BEL, KTM), +1:18.872; 8. Patrick Vos (NED, Kawasaki), +1:22.185; 9. John Cuppen (NED, KTM), +1:24.131; 10. Marco Maddii (ITA, KTM), +1:28.953
EMX300 Overall Top Ten: 1. Yentel Martens (BEL, Husqvarna), 30:05.107; 2. Lewis Gregory (GBR, Yamaha), +0:21.262; 3. Mike Kras (NED, Yamaha), +0:54.388; 4. Matthew Moffat (GBR, Husqvarna), +1:00.319; 5. Damon Strydom (GBR, KTM), +1:04.086; 6. Dietger Damiaens (BEL, KTM), +1:11.162; 7. Joey Smet (BEL, KTM), +1:18.872; 8. Patrick Vos (NED, Kawasaki), +1:22.185; 9. John Cuppen (NED, KTM), +1:24.131; 10. Marco Maddii (ITA, KTM), +1:28.953
EMX300 Championship Top Ten: 1. Yentel Martens (BEL, HUS), 50 points; 2. Lewis Gregory (GBR, YAM), 42 p.; 3. Mike Kras (NED, YAM), 42 p.; 4. Matthew Moffat (GBR, HUS), 33 p.; 5. Dietger Damiaens (BEL, KTM), 27 p.; 6. Marco Maddii (ITA, KTM), 27 p.; 7. Damon Strydom (GBR, KTM), 26 p.; 8. John Cuppen (NED, KTM), 26 p.; 9. Joey Smet (BEL, KTM), 25 p.; 10. Patrick Vos (NED, KAW), 19 p.
EMX300 Manufacturers: 1. Husqvarna, 50 points; 2. Yamaha, 44 p.; 3. KTM, 32 p.; 4. Kawasaki, 19 p.
Wilvo Forkrent KTM’s Adam Sterry took charge of the EMX250 here at the round of Valkenswaard with his claim of two holeshots and two uber impressive run-away victories.
Meanwhile the battle for second was super intense. In race two, the EMX250 first round dominator Monster Energy Bud Racing Kawasaki’s Maxime Desprey chased Sterry and Mafi Yamaha MX Team’s Alvin Ostlund around turn one. While Sterry gapped it and Ostlund did his best to keep the Brit, Sterry, in check, Desprey engaged in an epic battle with the local youngster KTM Factory Junior’s Davy Pootjes for third.
Although Desprey put an impressive pass on Pootjes when he tripled through the rhythm section while Pootjes only doubled, it later came undone when he got squirley and high-sided.
At the halfway mark, the Dutchman J-Tech Honda’s Nick Kouwenberg had found his flow and capitalised on a mistake from Pootjes to take over third, which resulted in a late race charge after Ostlund for second. While the battle was bar-to-bar, it was Kouwenberg who narrowly wrapped up the position, passing Ostlund around 30 meters before the finish line.
Ostlund dropped his head, disappointed with his commendable third while Kemea Yamaha Yamalube’s Damon Graulus and Swede Ken Bengtsson pushed hard for fourth and fifth respectively.
Taking the entire weekend into consideration with race one taking place Saturday and race two at midday yesterday, it was a clean sweep for Wilvo Forkrent KTM’s Adam Sterry while Dutchman J-Tech Honda’s Nick Kouwenberg took second with Kemea Yamaha Yamalube’s Damon Graulus rounding out the top three.
EMX250 Race 1 Top Ten: 1. Adam Sterry (GBR, KTM), 30:54.566; 2. Nick Kouwenberg (NED, Honda), +0:10.880; 3. Damon Graulus (BEL, Yamaha), +0:12.318; 4. Ken Bengtsson (SWE, KTM), +0:16.102; 5. Bas Vaessen (NED, Suzuki), +0:40.307; 6. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, KTM), +0:49.593; 7. Alvin Östlund (SWE, Yamaha), +0:51.665; 8. Brian Hsu (GER, Suzuki), +0:51.805; 9. Michele Cervellin (ITA, Honda), +0:59.176; 10. Simone Zecchina (ITA, Kawasaki), +1:13.214
EMX250 Race 2 Top Ten: 1. Adam Sterry (GBR, KTM), 30:13.528; 2. Nick Kouwenberg (NED, Honda), +0:06.171; 3. Alvin Östlund (SWE, Yamaha), +0:06.314; 4. Damon Graulus (BEL, Yamaha), +0:09.996; 5. Ken Bengtsson (SWE, KTM), +0:10.773; 6. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, KTM), +0:29.397; 7. Davy Pootjes (NED, KTM), +0:31.371; 8. Bas Vaessen (NED, Suzuki), +0:36.397; 9. Maxime Desprey (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:40.072; 10. Brian Hsu (GER, Suzuki), +0:43.267
EMX250 Overall Top Ten: 1. Adam Sterry (GBR, KTM), 50 points; 2. Nick Kouwenberg (NED, HON), 44 p.; 3. Damon Graulus (BEL, YAM), 38 p.; 4. Alvin Östlund (SWE, YAM), 34 p.; 5. Ken Bengtsson (SWE, KTM), 34 p.; 6. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, KTM), 30 p.; 7. Bas Vaessen (NED, SUZ), 29 p.; 8. Brian Hsu (GER, SUZ), 24 p.; 9. Michele Cervellin (ITA, HON), 22 p.; 10. Davy Pootjes (NED, KTM), 14 p.
EMX250 Championship Top Ten: 1. Adam Sterry (GBR, KTM), 92 points; 2. Nick Kouwenberg (NED, HON), 82 p.; 3. Maxime Desprey (FRA, KAW), 62 p.; 4. Damon Graulus (BEL, YAM), 61 p.; 5. Alvin Östlund (SWE, YAM), 57 p.; 6. Ander Valentin (ESP, YAM), 47 p.; 7. Brian Hsu (GER, SUZ), 42 p.; 8. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, KTM), 42 p.; 9. Simone Zecchina (ITA, KAW), 39 p.; 10. Michele Cervellin (ITA, HON), 37 p.
EMX250 Manufacturers: 1. KTM, 92 points; 2. Honda, 82 p.; 3. Yamaha, 78 p.; 4. Kawasaki, 73 p.; 5. Suzuki, 47 p.; 6. Husqvarna, 32 p.
With the EMX125 being maxed out this year in terms of entries and talent, the racing is always epic. In the EMX125 race two, the red plate holder Kemea Yamaha Yamalube’s Maxime Renaux took the holeshot with Saturday’s race one winner KTM Factory Juniors Jorge Prado hot on his heels. Both riders were relentless in their early race battle for the lead which resulted in Renaux having a missive high side and dropping back to around 10th.
While Prado inched away, the local kids HSF Logistics Motorsport Team’s Noud Van Kraaij and Cyril Genot went to war over second place. When Genot finally made a pass that stuck, he threw it away when he got loose through a wavy up-hill section.
In the final stages of the race, Finland’s Miro Sihvonen, who didn’t get off to the greatest of starts, was suddenly in second place and taking massive chunks out of the lead of Prado. Utilising his amazing style in the sand the Finn managed to charge through and put the pass on Prado with two laps to go to take his second race win of the season.
Meanwhile Prado had to settle for second place, while Renaux and Genot, who had both crashed during the race, managed to bounce back for third and fourth respectively with Van Kraaij rounding out the top five.
At the end of the weekend, with KTM Factory Juniors’ Jorge Prado winning race one and the Diga Racing KTM’s Miro Sihvonen winning race two, Sihvonen took his first ever EMX125 overall victory and podium finish. Meanwhile Prado went one step higher than last weekend finishing second overall, with Cyril Genot rounding out the top three.
EMX125 Race 1 Top Ten: 1. Jorge Prado Garcia (ESP, KTM), 29:21.420; 2. Miro Sihvonen (FIN, KTM), +0:00.776; 3. Cyril Genot (BEL, Husqvarna), +0:16.062; 4. Marcel Conijn (NED, KTM), +0:58.310; 5. Conrad Mewse (GBR, KTM), +0:59.261; 6. Kim Savaste (FIN, KTM), +1:11.731; 7. Glen Meier (DEN, KTM), +1:12.915; 8. Danne Karlsson (SWE, Husqvarna), +1:14.578; 9. Hardi Roosiorg (EST, KTM), +1:15.045; 10. Maxime Renaux (FRA, Yamaha), +1:15.701
EMX125 Race 2 Top Ten: 1. Miro Sihvonen (FIN, KTM), 30:53.208; 2. Jorge Prado Garcia (ESP, KTM), +0:01.249; 3. Maxime Renaux (FRA, Yamaha), +0:32.446; 4. Cyril Genot (BEL, Husqvarna), +0:40.564; 5. Noud van Kraaij (NED, KTM), +0:44.261; 6. Filippo Zonta (ITA, Husqvarna), +0:58.332; 7. Morgan Lesiardo (ITA, TM), +1:02.531; 8. Nathan Renkens (BEL, KTM), +1:06.204; 9. Conrad Mewse (GBR, KTM), +1:10.821; 10. Josiah Natzke (NZL, KTM), +1:12.893
EMX125 Overall Top Ten: 1. Miro Sihvonen (FIN, KTM), 47 points; 2. Jorge Prado Garcia (ESP, KTM), 47 p.; 3. Cyril Genot (BEL, HUS), 38 p.; 4. Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 31 p.; 5. Conrad Mewse (GBR, KTM), 28 p.; 6. Noud van Kraaij (NED, KTM), 26 p.; 7. Marcel Conijn (NED, KTM), 25 p.; 8. Filippo Zonta (ITA, HUS), 21 p.; 9. Danne Karlsson (SWE, HUS), 21 p.; 10. Josiah Natzke (NZL, KTM), 20 p.
EMX125 Championship Top Ten: 1. Jorge Prado Garcia (ESP, KTM), 83 points; 2. Miro Sihvonen (FIN, KTM), 82 p.; 3. Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 75 p.; 4. Josiah Natzke (NZL, KTM), 54 p.; 5. Glen Meier (DEN, KTM), 53 p.; 6. Conrad Mewse (GBR, KTM), 52 p.; 7. Cyril Genot (BEL, HUS), 49 p.; 8. Kim Savaste (FIN, KTM), 39 p.; 9. Filippo Zonta (ITA, HUS), 39 p.; 10. Morgan Lesiardo (ITA, TM), 34 p.
EMX125 Manufacturers: 1. KTM, 100 points; 2. Yamaha, 75 p.; 3. Husqvarna, 56 p.; 4. TM, 48 p.
