Kay de Wolf pushed through the pain from a high-speed crash in qualifying to secure a crucial MX2 victory. Lucas Coenen, and Mattia Guadagnini (in MXGP), finished 7th and 12th respectively.
Amidst the picturesque surroundings of the Schweizer Zucker circuit in Frauenfeld, northern Switzerland, Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Team rider Kay de Wolf stood on top of the podium ringing the traditional Swiss winners bell, having secured an impressive seventh overall victory of the season, amassing a solid 45 points to further confirm his lead in the championship standings.
With just three rounds remaining in the championship, the pressure is on to secure every possible point. De Wolf currently leads teammate Lucas Coenen by 61 points, with Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing Team rider Simon Längenfelder trailing by a further 104 points in third.
Despite de Wolf’s strong performance on Sunday, it was teammate Lucas Coenen who led the way during Saturday’s qualifying moto. Under scorching conditions that peaked at 35°C, the track was baked into classic summer hard pack conditions. Both Coenen and de Wolf dominated the MX2 field during the qualifying race, finishing first and second, mirroring their dominance of the year so far.
Between them, Coenen and de Wolf have secured 13 qualifying wins from 17 races. In addition, they boast the most race and Grand Prix victories, and are the only two riders to have led the championship standings in 2024.
Everything was running smoothly, with Coenen and de Wolf in first and second, until de Wolf suffered a high-speed crash just after the start-finish line. Fortunately, he managed to jump straight back on his bike and retain second place. Meanwhile, Coenen continued his impeccable form, securing the win with a nine-second margin.
On Sunday, overnight rain brought cooler conditions, dropping the temperature to around 22°C and transforming the 1550m track into a challenging, slick mud affair. Battered and bruised, de Wolf impressively fought through the pain to hold off a charging Liam Everts in the first moto, to claim his 11th race win of the season. Meanwhile, Coenen finished 8th after a difficult start left him battling through a tough field, unable to secure a podium finish.
In the second and final MX2 moto of the day, de Wolf once again fought through the pain from his qualifying crash to finish third. After a strong start and holding onto fourth position in the early laps, the Dutchman moved up to third on lap five, and then maintained his position for the remainder of the race.
The second moto initially showed promise for Coenen as well, as he ran in sixth position on the first lap. Unfortunately, Coenen suffered a setback when he folded the front and crashed towards the end of the lap, rejoining the race in 15th. Despite this misfortune, Coenen pushed hard to climb back up the field to finish 7th overall by the final flag.
Similarly Mattia Guadagnini faced a challenging weekend at the MXGP of Switzerland, where his performances didn’t quite match the strong riding he felt he had. After qualifying 15th on Saturday, the Italian battled through the mid-pack, maintaining 13th position throughout the first moto.
In the second moto, Guadagnini started 19th, and despite a determined effort, remained in the lower part of the standings and couldn’t capitalise on the conditions to improve his position. An early crash further set him back, and though he managed to recover to 13th place by the end, Guadagnini remains focused on improving his starts and maximising his opportunities to finish the season on a high note.
Seventeen rounds down, and three to go. Next up, the Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Team and the FIM Motocross World Championship paddock head east for the MXGP of Turkey at Afyonkarahisar on 8th September.
#101 – Mattia Guadagnini: “I felt that my riding was strong this weekend, but unfortunately, the results didn’t quite reflect that. Despite the challenges, I managed two strong comeback races in the mud, particularly in the second moto where I posted some solid lap times. Coming from 36th to 13th was definitely a highlight. However, I’m not satisfied with the overall result – it’s not where I want to be, especially since I was hoping for a better outcome on a hard-packed surface, which I’m more accustomed to. My starts made things more difficult this weekend, and the big crash with another rider on the first lap of the second moto set me back quite a bit. We’ve got three more chances before the end of the season, so I need to make the most of them!”
#74 – Kay de Wolf: “It was a great day today. It didn’t start off easily because I was dealing with a lot of pain from yesterday’s crash, but I was determined to fight through it, and I didn’t give up! The second race wasn’t as easy as the first; the pace at the front was really fast, but I brought it home safely, which is the main thing. We gained some massive points in the championship this weekend, and that’s what it’s all about. I’m just so happy, and I couldn’t have done it without this team – they do an amazing job day in and day out, and I really appreciate it. Now, on to the next one in Turkey!”
#96 – Lucas Coenen: “This weekend had some ups and downs for me. In the RAM Qualifying Race, I am very happy with my performance. From the start, I was in front and stayed there for all 14 laps. It was good to feel in control and to lead the race, especially with strong riders like Kay and Simon behind me. The first moto was more difficult. I finished 8th, which is not what I hoped for, but I kept pushing and stayed competitive. In the second moto, I had some troubles and had to fight hard to keep my position. I am proud that I could recover and keep going. Overall, finishing 7th in the GP is not where I want to be, but there are still some races left. I will keep working hard to get better results.”
Results – 2024 FIM Motocross World Championship, Round Seventeen:
MXGP – Overall:
- Tim Gajser (Honda) 50pts; 2. Jeffrey Herlings (KTM) 44pts; 3. Jorge Prado (GASGAS) 40pts; 12. Mattia Guadagnini (Husqvarna) 16pts
MXGP – Moto One:
- Tim Gajser (Honda) 34:17.116; 2. Jeffrey Herlings (KTM) 34:31.641; 3. Jorge Prado (GASGAS) 34:39.266; 13. Mattia Guadagnini (Husqvarna) 35:53.984
MXGP – Moto Two:
- Tim Gajser (Honda) 34:24.188; 2. Jeffrey Herlings (KTM) 34:31.131; 3. Jorge Prado (GASGAS) 34:41.030; 13. Mattia Guadagnini (Husqvarna) 36:10.688;
MXGP – Standings:
- Tim Gajser (Honda) 860pts; 2. Jorge Prado (GASGAS) 842pts; 3. Jeffrey Herlings (KTM) 818pts; 13. Mattia Guadagnini (Husqvarna) 260pts
MX2 – Overall:
- Kay de Wolf (Husqvarna) 50pts; 2. Simon Längenfelder (GASGAS) 43pts;3. Liam Everts (KTM) 34pts; 7. Lucas Coenen (Husqvarna) 27pts; 11. Andrea Adamo (KTM) 19pts; 14. Sacha Coenen (KTM) 12pts
MX2 – Moto One:
- Kay de Wolf (Husqvarna) 35:29.269; 2. Liam Everts (KTM) 35:30.582;3. Thibault Benistant (Yamaha) 35:43.018;4. Simon Längenfelder (GASGAS) 35:45.775; 8. Lucas Coenen (Husqvarna) 36:19.667; 11. Andrea Adamo (KTM) 37:24.734; 15. Sacha Coenen (KTM)36:12.909
MX2 – Moto Two:
- Simon Längenfelder (GASGAS) 34:39.275; 2. Karlis Alberts Reisulis (Yamaha) 34:51.304; 3. Kay de Wolf (Husqvarna) 34:55.250; 5. Liam Everts (KTM) 34:57.673; 7. Lucas Coenen (Husqvarna) 35:03.120; 12. Andrea Adamo (KTM) 36:00.964; 15. Sacha Coenen (KTM) 36:19.537
MX2 – Standings:
- Kay de Wolf (Husqvarna) 831pts; 2. Lucas Coenen (Husqvarna) 770pts; 3. Simon Längenfelder (GASGAS) 727pts; 4. Liam Everts (KTM) 681pts; 6. Andrea Adamo (KTM) 570pts; 8. Sacha Coenen (KTM) 456pts; 19. Marc-Antoine Rossi (GASGAS) 122pts
Photocredits Full Spectrum Media
