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GP Bits: MXGP of Kegums | Round 5 2

The third and final rip around the Latvian moto track did not disappoint. Check out this inside look at the 2020 MXGP of Kegums.

Vital MX member Klinger 64408 Klinger https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/users/64408/avatar/c50_26116344_1575006865915996_1026050971127524528_o_1529038953.jpg?1529037957 https://www.vitalmx.com/community/Klinger,64408/all 06/14/18 180 3 8 6 25 30 91 1

Klinger
8/17/2020 4:41 PM

GP Bits: MXGP of Kegums | Round 5

All photos by Juan Pablo Acevedo 

Three consecutive MXGPs at the Kegums circuit are in the books. Even with a similar layout each race, we saw three different overall winners in the MXGP class.

Jeffrey Herlings got the overall, but not the way he wanted. The Red Bull KTM rider went 4-1 on the weekend.

Jeffrey Herlings: “The competition gets higher every year and we are all closer to each other, so the starts are key. I struggled a bit in the first moto, with arm-pump also, but it helped to be 4th and then leading the second moto from the second lap meant the overall. Another GP win, so another good day and I want to thank Red Bull KTM because the bike was awesome. I’m happy with the week here in Latvia. I had a few little ‘gifts’ here and there but it was good for the championship.”

Digging the custom goggles as well.

Hey look, a nice message on a pitboard.

That's one way to pass the time. Neighboring pits might have some issues though.

Google translate might have been a little off.

On one hand, a section of a 4x4 would be just as effective, but on the other hand, you got to respect the trick-ness.

Seewer's custom Tech 10s.

Jasikonis needs a little extra lift on his starting blocks.

One of the Monster Energy Kawasakis. Without the plastics you can appreciate the CF subframe/airbox. And the oil cooler on the radiator.

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna's Arminas Jasikonis had another great ride for 2-3 moto scores and second overall on the weekend.

Jasikonis is quite patriotic.

Arminas Jasikonis: “It was a really great day and a great way to end the week in Latvia, with second overall. The progress that the team and I made this week has been fantastic and I leave Latvia with my best ever results, so I’m really happy. As a team we are always learning and improving and we are really going in the right direction as I’m now third in the championship standings, just four points down on second place. Today was my second podium of the MXGP season and I felt strong in both races so I’m really happy with my riding at the moment. My FC 450 is set up perfectly for me so now it’s just a case of continuing the progress we are making ahead of the next GP. Finally, thank you to my team and thanks to all my fans as well who support me, it’s been a great GP for me.”

Rounding out the podium in the MXGP class was past MX2 champion Jorge Prado with 3-4 moto scores.

Jorge Prado: “The road up until the restart of MXGP has been very tough with two injuries. The femur was horrible and the another one with the collarbone: it meant hardly any time on my bike. This year has been crazy and despite the lack of the training and the riding I could still manage a 3rd overall here. It was a very hard day. I felt good in the first moto but at the beginning of the second I was suffering. I went very, very deep. I’m super-happy to keep that position to make the podium and to come away from these races without any crashes. I hope to keep going like this.”

Airoh looks to be trying to pack as much sparkle and shine on their rider's helmets as possible.

Honda HRC rider Tim Gajser had the most extreme up and down day. He one moto one only to DNF with a mechanical in moto two for eighth overall.

Tim Gajser: "After such a great first moto, where I led from the very start and just felt really good on the bike, I am very disappointed with how the second moto finished. I was in a position to get my first overall but now I just need to put it out of my mind and concentrate on doing as well as possible when we have the next MXGP. I know my team work extremely hard and I will too in this break to keep improving and I am still in second place in the championship and we still have plenty of racing to complete, so I will definitely keep fighting for every point."

Tim is still a proponent of the neck brace.

Perhaps some marketing and PR people are stoked that people have to wear masks... one more thing that can be branded.

Organized workspace, organized mind, organized day. Factory pits are always pretty much an OCD wonderland. Standing Construct GASGAS use Beta tools which seem to be pretty legit.

Those split design triple clamps look good in red, I wonder if they would fit a Honda. And the silver hub/rim combo is really growing on us.

9-2 moto scores aren't what Antonio Cairoli is used to but they were good enough for fourth overall.

Tony Cairoli: “Another OK weekend but I feel it was possible to win again today. I paid for the mistake and crash at the start of the first moto because I had to come from far back and could only make 9th. It should have been more. The second moto was better even if I was not riding so free because I hit my back on a landing towards the end of the first race. I tried to stay as close as possible to the front. I tried to catch Jeffrey but I was a bit tired from the first moto. Not too good, not too bad. Let’s see what we can do when we race again.”

Febvre was consistent with 5-5 moto scores for fifth overall.

This photo puts into sharper contrast just how much I stare at my front wheel and don't look far enough ahead! Febvre is straight-up looking into the future.

Thibault Benistant won the overall in the EMX250 class. Here is a closer look at his Monster Energy Yamaha YZ250F. That airbox cover looks much bigger, which would create a larger static air volume for the intake.

Here is a closer look at the other side. It's a carbon fiber cover with a fine wire mesh covering huge intake ports.

Benistant is running both the XTrig ROCS triple clamps and the PHDS bar mounts.

No CF subframe here and you can see they leave the sideplate extension piece that covers the lower section of the subframe that US Yamaha teams sometimes cut off. What do you think of the black backgrounds with black numbers?

That's one way to use a lift stand.

Gebben Van Venrooy Yamaha rider Thomas Covington had a better showing in the last Latvian MXGP with 21st overall.

Thomas Covington: "Today was a good step forward scoring points in the second race. It’s still obviously not where I want to be but we’re getting there. I am looking forward to the next GP’s."

Jago Geerts gets another overall victory.
His 2-1 moto scores put him on top of the podium.

Jago Geerts: “It was a good day for me. In the first race, I didn’t get a great start, but I made a lot of really good passes in the beginning and I think after 10-minutes I was in second. I got really close to Tom (Vialle) and I wanted to make one last move, but I crashed with a lapper. In the second race, I got the holeshot and rode a really good race for the win, so I am happy with that.”

Neck and neck and neck and neck...

Looks like the Red Bull team reuses the styrofoam packing from the Akropovic boxes.
The sand sucks gas. Topping off after the sight lap.

Ribbed seat cover? Nah, Honda's got that new new. Plus you can see the new "behind the bar" cable routing for the 2021 Honda CRF450R.

Another look at the traction pads on Tiga243's seat. Seewer looks to prefer more subtle butt/bike interface.

Are those river rocks or is it Ninja Turtle skin?

Arnaud Tonus rocking his personal logo on his VX-PRO4. Tonus hasn't had the best week in Latvia. “I don’t feel great. It was a hard day. I crashed at turn one and couldn’t find my rhythm and finished 17th. In the second race, I just did not feel good on the track at all. I was low on energy and overall, not good. I just need to get back, regroup and come back strong in the next one.”

Tom Vialle traded moto wins with Geerts to end up second overall, though the Red Bull KTM rider retains the red numberplate.

Tom Vialle: “It is close with Jago. We shared the points and the guy who is 3rd behind us is a little bit further. It is quite tough to always fight with the same guy but I think we can say this is one of his favorite tracks, so I was happy to be there with him winning some motos and one GP. Today I didn’t lose points. I’ve improved a lot in the sand since last year. My starts were good all week, so it has been positive in Latvia and I liked the format and doing the three races here. We’ll see what is going on with the calendar now.”

Roan Van De Moosdijk was the top finishing F&H Kawasaki rider in the MX2 class. The last race both him and Boisrame were making things difficult for Vialle and Geerts. 4-3 moto scores got him on the podium with third overall.

Roan van de Moosdijk: “Today was tough because of the weather and my starts were not so good, but I am pleased with another podium because I really had to fight for this one. I got quickly to fourth in race one but I didn’t get into my rhythm so I was content to hold my position. The second moto I had to come from outside the top ten but my riding was much better and I made some good passes at the beginning of the race; after twenty minutes I saw Renaux and I knew it was for the podium and third in the points. I’m enjoying the one-day format we are racing at the GPs this year; it may be strange for some riders but I’m used to it from the Dutch Masters. It’s been a good trip with three podiums in eight days; we’re getting close and hope to win one soon!"

That's it from Latvia. We'll see the MXGPs return on September 6th with the MXGP of Turkey.


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