Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP Team’s Tim Gajser has finished fifth overall at the MXGP of Czech Republic, round 13 of the MXGP World Championship. Following a challenging opening race in Loket where he placed 10th, the Slovenian bounced back strongly in Race Two to finish third. At the same time, Maxime Renaux had a tough time and ultimately secured 13th overall.
One week on from finishing third overall in Great Britain, Gajser was focused on running at the sharp end of the field in the Czech Republic. The first race began with the Yamaha YZ450FM racer hovering just outside the top five in sixth, and while setting up a pass for fifth he fell from his machine. After the incident he dropped to seventh, but worked his way back to sixth with a handful of laps remaining. Unfortunately, another small fall resulted in a 10th-place finish.
Focused on rebounding in Race Two, Gajser executed a great start and completed the opening lap in second. He was then relegated to third, however he matched the pace of the leaders and, in doing so, broke away from the riders behind. For the duration of the race he kept Tom Vialle in second in sight, although he was unable to find a way through. Finishing third marked a strong recovery from his difficult opening race, with the points secured earning fifth overall on the day. With 13 rounds complete, Gajser maintains fourth in the series standings.
The MXGP of Czech Republic proved to be difficult for Renaux. A crash on the opening lap of Race One resulted in his machine being too badly damaged to continue. Regrouping for the second race, the former MX2 World Champion bounced back with a solid sixth for 13th overall. As a result, Renaux slips to seventh in the championship, but just six points from fifth.
Following a testing Grand Prix, the deep sand track of Lommel in Belgium is up next on the calendar. The MXGP of Flanders takes place in one week’s time over the weekend of August 1-2.
Click here for all the results from the MXGP of Czech Republic.
Tim Gajser
5th MXGP of Czech Republic, 31-points
4th MXGP Championship Standings, 489-points
“It was another Grand Prix where we were still searching for the right feeling. We tried a lot of different things this weekend, and we made some big changes before the second moto and that definitely improved things. I’m pleased with how the second moto went, although of course I’d rather have been fighting for first or second. The speed was much better, Jeffrey Herlings wasn’t far ahead, and we were able to pull away from the riders behind us. We’ll keep building from here.”
Maxime Renaux
13th MXGP of Czech Republic, 15-points
7th MXGP Championship Standings, 408-points
“Once again, I gave it everything I had this weekend. It’s a shame about the crash in the first moto because the bike was too badly damaged to continue, and I also took a heavy hit to my hip. I regrouped for the second race and gave my best effort, but sixth was the best I could do. It’s a tough period at the moment, but I’m doing everything I can to make it work.”
Photocredits – Full Spectrum Media
