MXGP of France Report | A Wild Weekend in Ernée

MXGP of France Report | A Wild Weekend in Ernée

Story and Photos by Kate Kowalchuk

What happened at round 10 of the MXGP World Championship this weekend in Ernée, France was something else… definitely never seen this before. Not only was it a home GP for a large portion of both classes, but the riders left a statement here in France on and off the track and 10,000+ fans were there to see it all happen. 

MX2 Class

Following up from Round 9 in Spain, KTM Factory rider #28 Tom Vialle took over the red plate with a 10-point lead heading into this past weekend at his home GP in France.

Making a BRIGHT entrance at his home race Vialle locked in 1st overall with 1-3 moto scores even after a small crash in moto 2.

After a big crash in qualifying on Saturday Yamaha Factory rider #93 Jago Geerts was able to race Sunday with an unfortunate second-last gate pick. Despite that, Geerts was able to battle for first in moto 1, but made far too many mistakes, including a small corner tip over which kept him from catching Vialle.

He continued with a great 2nd moto behind his teammate to go 2-2 for second overall, only 1 point behind Vialle.

Speaking of his teammate, #198 Thibault Benistant also had a great weekend rounding out the podium at his home GP as well going 8-1. Despite his pitboard reading “Let Jago Pass” to give his teammate the overall win, Benistant stayed on the gas taking home his third podium of the season. The current championship standings leave Tom Vialle with the red plate and 11 points headed into Round 11 in Germany. 

MX2 – GP Classification

Pos Nr Rider Nat. Fed. Bike Race 1 Race 2 Total 1 28 Vialle, Tom FRA FFM KTM 25 20 45 2 93 Geerts, Jago BEL FMB YAM 22 22 44 3 198 Benistant, Thibault FRA FFM YAM 13 25 38 4 24 Horgmo, Kevin NOR NMF KAW 18 18 36 5 516 Laengenfelder, Simon GER DMSB GAS 20 16 36 6 72 Everts, Liam BEL FMB KTM 15 14 29 7 80 Adamo, Andrea ITA FMI GAS 11 15 26 8 253 Pancar, Jan SLO AMZS KTM 10 13 23 9 517 Gifting, Isak SWE SVEMO KTM 12 10 22 10 27 Guyon, Tom FRA FFM KTM 9 12 21 11 33 Karssemakers, Kay NED KNMV KTM 7 11 18 12 38 Rubini, Stephen FRA FFM HON 16 0 16 13 11 Haarup, Mikkel DEN DMU KAW 14 1 15 14 45 Kohut, Tomas SVK SMF KTM 5 7 12 15 313 Polak, Petr CZE ACCR HON 0 9 9 16 53 Lata, Valerio ITA FMI KTM 3 6 9 17 224 Teresak, Jakub CZE ACCR KTM 4 5 9 18 57 Goupillon, Pierre FRA FFM KTM 0 8 8 19 309 Farres, Guillem ESP RFME KTM 8 0 8 20 87 Brumann, Kevin SUI FMS YAM 6 0 6 21 338 Olsson, Filip SWE SVEMO HUS 0 4 4 22 632 Lambillon, Florent BEL FMB SUZ 1 3 4 23 320 Werlé, Dorian FRA FFM KTM 2 2 4 24 427 Fredriksen, Hakon NOR NMF HON 0 0 0 25 401 Stauffer, Marcel AUT AMF KTM 0 0 0 26 192 Meier, Glen DEN DMU KTM 0 0 0

MX2 – World Championship Classification

Pos Nr Rider Nat. Bike Total GBR ITA ARG POR TRE LAT ITA SAR ESP FRA GER INA CZE BEL SWE FIN FRA TUR OMA 1 28 Vialle, Tom FRA KTM 427 22-20 22-0 22-25 25-22 25-25 16-20 16-25 22-25 25-25 25-20 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 2 93 Geerts, Jago BEL YAM 416 18-22 25-25 25-22 12-25 20-0 25-25 25-22 25-22 12-22 22-22 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 3 516 Laengenfelder, S. GER GAS 323 25-25 14-22 8-16 8-12 13-11 18-9 15-20 15-14 22-20 20-16 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 4 24 Horgmo, Kevin NOR KAW 295 14-12 15-13 16-8 13-20 9-16 22-18 9-14 16-18 18-8 18-18 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 5 11 Haarup, Mikkel DEN KAW 281 13-14 13-14 18-20 22-18 22-15 0-12 14-16 18-10 11-16 14-1 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 6 80 Adamo, Andrea ITA GAS 253 12-10 18-20 10-15 16-14 18-0 15-5 11-5 14-15 14-15 11-15 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 7 517 Gifting, Isak SWE KTM 232 7-15 9-16 14-6 10-10 11-13 11-14 20-9 12-16 10-7 12-10 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 8 38 Rubini, S. FRA HON 223 16-11 5-11 13-13 15-8 12-12 5-0 22-15 8-9 20-12 16-0 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 9 198 Benistant, T. FRA YAM 221 – – – – – – 14-13 16-20 20-11 6-13 20-20 16-14 13-25 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 10 74 de Wolf, Kay NED HUS 211 20-16 20-18 4-0 20-15 15-22 9-22 12-18 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

MXGP

Now, the 450 class may be shy of entertainment in the championship points standings this year, but they continue to make their mark in the series.

Following timed practice on Saturday the weather decided to take a little spin during the EMX 250 race causing thunderstorms and heavy rainfall mid-moto. According to MXVICE podcast with #91 Jeremy Seewer, following that moto a few 450 riders were beginning to get concerned about the track conditions and addressed Infront‘s David Luongo shortly before the 250 qualifying race took place.

After discussing with a few other factory riders and teams, MXGP riders Tim Gajser, Jorge Prado and Jeremy Seewer headed to the start line for their qualifying race uncertain they would ride. The discussion of track conditions began again at the start line when the riders stated the start straight and first corner turn had not been prepped at all with major ruts crossing through everywhere making it not only unsafe but unfair to all of the MXGP riders out of the gate.

They had asked the opinion of their fellow riders and with everyone on board they began addressing their concerns with Infront racing and FIM and things quickly became very heated and soon delayed the beginning of the race by 25 minutes.

Seewer mentioned on the podcast that when they addressed their concerns they were treated with major disrespect and that is when the majority of the top 10 factory riders decided they would not race qualifying, even though some of the classes proceeded to.

He also mentioned that this issue has been building up over the course of the season little by little and this just happened to be the opportunity they finally had to take a stand for themselves in order to make the series better and safer for all riders.

It was also mentioned that 99% of the MXGP riders stated they did not want to do a qualifying race this year at all and stated that to Infront at the beginning of the season. This might have also been a small reason that influenced the situation because Seewer said, “Had this been a moto on Sunday the discussion would have never happened.”

Due to these riders not participating in the qualifying race on Saturday it forced all of them to have last gate picks according to their timed qualifying for Sunday’s races making for some very interesting results we will speak on in a second.

Following the races MXVICE had Jorge Prado, Pauls Jonass and Mitch Evans on their podcast who all were on the same page as Seewer and Gajser in terms of their decision on Saturday. Many people have very mixed feelings on how they ultimately feel about what the riders did, but the majority of fans and fellow riders from all over the world have shown support for the MXGP riders and many state that Jeremy Seewer should be the rider advocate over here in the series.

If you are looking for the full story go listen to the MXVICE podcast as Jeremy shares his side along with his fellow riders about everything that went down on Saturday. 

Following up his strong moves on Saturday, Seewer went on to make a statement ride in the races going 1-2 for his first overall podium of the season. He chose to go on the far outside of the start gate where the track was drier and with the help of Prado taking away the inside lines with both holeshots, Seewer was able to get up front right away and take off running.

Even with both holeshots, Prado proceeded to go 2-3 for second overall on the day.

Rounding out the podium Yamaha Factory rider #259 Glenn Coldenhoff somehow got 3rd overall with 12-1 moto scores.

With a big first turn crash in moto 1 taking out the majority of the top riders and a bad start in moto 2, championship points leader Tim Gajser was battling from the back all day to finish 4th overall. Due to the crazy gate picks, there were unfortunate circumstances for some of the top 10 riders but they all rode very well despite what their moto scores showed. 

MXGP – GP Classification

Pos Nr Rider Nat. Fed. Bike Race 1 Race 2 Total 1 91 Seewer, Jeremy SUI FMS YAM 25 22 47 2 61 Prado, Jorge ESP RFME GAS 22 20 42 3 259 Coldenhoff, Glenn NED KNMV YAM 9 25 34 4 243 Gajser, Tim SLO AMZS HON 16 18 34 5 70 Fernandez, Ruben ESP RFME HON 14 16 30 6 32 Van doninck, Brent BEL FMB YAM 20 9 29 7 89 Van Horebeek, Jeremy BEL FMB BET 15 13 28 8 959 Renaux, Maxime FRA FFM YAM 12 15 27 9 919 Watson, Ben GBR ACU KAW 13 12 25 10 41 Jonass, Pauls LAT LAMSF HUS 10 14 24 11 911 Tixier, Jordi FRA FFM KTM 11 10 21 12 29 Jacobi, Henry GER DMSB HON 18 0 18 13 14 Beaton, Jed AUS MA KAW 8 8 16 14 161 Östlund, Alvin SWE SVEMO YAM 5 7 12 15 43 Evans, Mitchell AUS MA HON 0 11 11 16 128 Monticelli, Ivo ITA FMI HON 3 6 9 17 16 Paturel, Benoit FRA FFM HON 7 0 7 18 211 Lapucci, Nicholas ITA FMI FAN 1 5 6 19 10 Vlaanderen, Calvin NED KNMV YAM 6 0 6 20 23 Charlier, Christophe FRA FFM YAM 0 4 4 21 75 Roosiorg, Hardi EST EMF KTM 2 2 4 22 147 Sihvonen, Miro FIN SML HON 4 0 4 23 226 Koch, Tom GER DMSB KTM 0 3 3 24 223 Tropepe, Giuseppe ITA FMI HUS 0 1 1 25 714 Todd, Brad GBR ACU KTM 0 0 0 26 238 Moine, Pierre FRA FFM HON 0 0 0 27 152 Petrov, Petar BUL BMF KAW 0 0 0 28 303 Forato, Alberto ITA FMI GAS 0 0 0

MXGP – World Championship Classification

Pos Nr Rider Nat. Bike Total GBR ITA ARG POR TRE LAT ITA SAR ESP FRA GER INA CZE BEL SWE FIN FRA TUR OMA 1 243 Gajser, Tim SLO HON 438 25-22 22-25 22-25 20-25 25-25 25-25 25-25 22-9 22-15 16-18 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 2 959 Renaux, Maxime FRA YAM 365 20-15 20-22 25-22 10-10 18-22 15-16 20-20 15-18 25-25 12-15 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 3 91 Seewer, Jeremy SUI YAM 339 22-18 18-16 20-0 16-14 16-20 14-13 22-22 18-15 10-18 25-22 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 4 61 Prado, Jorge ESP GAS 332 18-25 25-14 18-18 25-22 20-18 9-8 – – 20-20 20-10 22-20 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 5 259 Coldenhoff, G. NED YAM 306 12-20 4-7 13-15 18-20 22-10 16-20 13-9 13-22 16-22 9-25 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 6 70 Fernandez, R. ESP HON 272 1-16 16-15 6-20 15-12 10-14 20-18 15-16 5-14 15-14 14-16 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 7 189 Bogers, Brian NED HUS 243 14-9 14-20 – – 22-18 13-16 13-15 12-7 16-16 18-20 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 8 41 Jonass, Pauls LAT HUS 220 – – 11-0 15-16 14-16 4-0 22-22 16-13 12-11 12-12 10-14 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 9 89 Van Horebeek, J. BEL BET 217 11-12 12-13 14-14 12-11 14-13 12-2 14-12 11-12 0-0 15-13 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 10 10 Vlaanderen, C. NED YAM 200 9-10 9-4 – – 13-15 15-0 7-14 18-14 25-25 8-8 6-0 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Pending any answers from Saturday’s situation it will be interesting going into round 10 of the MXGP Championship in Germany. What will come of it? Will the riders get a say? Will the whole situation be swept under the rug? Let’s wait and find out! In the meantime, let us know your thoughts on the situation. Do you agree or disagree with the decision to not race the qualifying race?