2016 MXGP of Germany Results | KTM’s Cairoli Is Back!

May 9, 2016

Cairoli at 2016 MXGP of Germany — Cairoli

2016 MXGP of Germany Results

It was a perfect weekend at Talkessel in Teutschenthal, Germany, for Red Bull KTM’s Tony Cairoli. The Italian won the qualifying race on Saturday, and then stormed to a double victory on Sunday at the 2016 MXGP of Germany.

Tim Gajser (Honda Gariboldi) and defending MXGP World Champion Romain Febvre (Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP Team) came into the MXGP of Germany battling for the MXGP championship, separated by only a single point after six rounds. Gajser and Febvre had won all but one of the previous 12 races and were running away from the field.

However, as they did the week before in Latvia, Gajser and Febvre both crashed in separate races. In race 1, Febvre was knocked down from behind by teammate Jeremy van Horebeek, putting Febvre back in 29th place after one lap. Febvre worked his way thorough the order, taking 10th in race one.

Fellow HRC rider Evgeny Bobryshev (Team HRC) inadvertently knocked down Gajser in race 2. Bobryshev lost control coming out of a turn on Lap 4 as he and Gajser battled just behind Cairoli. Although the fall shook Gajser up, and he dropped from third to ninth, Gajser impressively regrouped and finished fourth for race 2, putting him in second overall for the day.

In both races Cairoli took the holeshot, but was eventually challenged, with Gajser doing the honors in race 1. Getting a fourth-place start, Gajser got by Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing teammates Max Nagl (riding in his home grand prix) and Christophe Charlier by lap four.

Gajser set out for Cairoli, eventually catching him and passing him at one point. Cairoli immediately responded, retaking the lead from Gajser just two corners later. Gajser held steady, falling back on some portions of the Talkessel circuit and closing in others. However, late in the race, Gajser had tired from fighting with his bike on the hard-paced, wind-blown, technical track, and backed off to consolidate second.

Nagl protected third for the remainder of the race, and Charlier held fourth from Lap 4 to the end. Kevin Strijbos (Team Suzuki World MXGP), who had started seventh, took fifth after working his way past Bobryshev on lap 3, and Van Horebeek two laps later. Van Horebeek took sixth, while Ben Townley bested Bobryshev for seventh.

In race 2, Cairoli repeated his holeshot performance, but this time it was Bobryshev giving chase. Although Bobryshev was never able to show Cairoli a wheel, he did stay close enough most of the race to keep Cairoli honest. Bobryshev held off Gajser, who looked to be faster, with Gajser’s challenge ending when they came together.

Febvre, who was suffering from a mediocre seventh place start, eventually worked his way up to third, passing Nagl on lap 10 when Nagl had a light fall exiting a corner. On that same lap, Van Horebeek had a frightening high-speed crash when he was blown off-track on a big-air jump while running in 6th. Van Horebeek remounted in 29th place after losing a lap, and finished 29th.

Febvre made a late race charge toward Bobryshev, who was able to hold off Febvre by less than a second at the checkered flag. Bobryshev’s second in race 2, and eighth in Race 1, was enough to secure him the third spot on the podium behind a perfect Cairoli, and Gajser (2-4).

Bobryshev at MXGP of Germany 2016 — Bobryshev

Bobryshev explained: “At the start of the second race, I saw I was in second and I thought, ‘Great, I’m behind Toni so I’ll see how much I can hold.’ But then, I could stay there. Febvre was pushing so hard behind at the end, so I’m so happy to take second in race two, and to give HRC a double podium with Tim.

“You know, I was almost sick in the last few laps because I was pushing so hard and riding through so much pain. My shoulder was so tired, I couldn’t hold the bike properly. But, I thought, ‘I just have to give this all.’ At the end of the race, I didn’t know I finished third overall. I’m really pumped to be on the podium.”

It was the first meeting of the year that neither Gajser nor Febvre won a race. Hometown favorite Nagl (3-6) scored 35 points on the day, as did Bobryshev, but Nagl was kept off the podium due to finishing behind Bobryshev in race 2.

“It was a really tough weekend for me,” Nagl said, “as I caught the flu a few days ago, and that didn’t allow me to race at my full potential. I was happy to get another good start in moto one. I quickly found myself in third, and fought hard retaining this spot until the end of the moto. Then in moto two I was racing in third again. I pushed hard, knowing I could make it to the overall podium, but made a small mistake in a corner and ended up crashing. I went on to finish sixth to earn the same points as Bobryshev, but my second moto score kept me away from the podium. A tough GP is over, and now I’ll do my best to be 100-percent again next weekend in Italy.”

The Febvre/Gajser battle now has Gajser eight points ahead of Febvre, but Cairoli’s twin wins puts him back into contention for the 2016 MXGP championship, as he is just 28 points behind Febvre. Nagl sits in fourth in the standings, 25 behind Cairoli and six points ahead of fifth place Bobryshev.

This was Cairoli’s first GP win in nearly a year, as he started 2016 nursing injuries. The eight-time FIM Motocross World Champion said, “I’ve been searching for this win for some time now. I’ve been missing some speed, but I started to feel good already in Latvia. Now, I hope to be here on the podium and fighting for the win every weekend.”

The next round is the MXGP of Trentino, at Pietramurata, Italy, on May 15 on the Circuito al Ciclamino.

Photography courtesy of Youthstream