Thomas Covington (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna) gate-crashed the Red Bull KTM MX2 party when he raced to victory in qualification at the MXGP of France – round 10 of the FIM Motocross Wold Championship – at St Jean d’Angely today.

The American, who also topped qualification at round two in Valkenswaard, is heading home at the end of the season and is determined to sign off in style. He’ll now get the all-important first choice of gate for tomorrow’s two points-paying motos.

“It was a fun race,” he said. “I’ve made some improvements this week with the starts – that’s what I’ve been lacking the last few weeks. I’m really motivated this second half of the season – I’m going back to the States to race supercross and the outdoors with Husky there so I’m just going to get as many wins as possible.”

It was Germany’s Henry Jacobi (STC Racing Husqvarna) who took the holeshot in the 20-minute plus two lap race but, as Britain’s Ben Watson (Kemea Yamaha) and Dane Thomas Kjer Olsen (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna) clashed and went down in the first turn, Spanish teenager Jorge Prado (Red Bull KTM) was quickly into the lead chased by Covington with defending champion Pauls Jonass (Red Bull KTM) slotting into fourth.

Prado, who’s currently second in the championship 28 points behind his team-mate, started to pull away from Covington who then regrouped as Jonass began to apply pressure and by half-distance the US star was on Prado’s rear wheel before making a pass with Jonass following him through into second.

The Latvian poured on the pressure in the closing laps but Covington fought him off to win by just under two seconds with Prado third a further 0.6 off the pace.

Jacobi took fourth but was 19 seconds behind Prado with Britain’s Conrad Mewse (Hitachi ASA KTM UK), who’s suffered a serious dip in form at world level, taking a solid fifth from the Spanish pairing of Iker Larranaga Olano (Diga Procross Husqvarna) and Ruben Fernandez (F&H Kawasaki).

South African Calvin Vlaanderen (Team HRC), Aussie Hunter Lawrence (114 Motorsports Honda) and Belgian schoolboy Jago Geerts (Kemea Yamaha) rounded out the top 10.

Watson recovered from his first-turn crash to 12th, one place ahead of Olsen with 20-year-old Brit Josh Gilbert (Buildbase Honda) – in just his second GP – taking a very creditable 19th.

MXGP France MX2 qualifying race

1    64    Covington, Thomas    USA     MUL    Husqvarna    25:31.406    13    0:00.000    0:00.000    1:53.765    5    51.2
2    1    Jonass, Pauls    LAT     LAMSF    KTM    25:33.146    13    0:01.740    0:01.740    1:53.687    12    51.2
3    61    Prado, Jorge    ESP     RFME    KTM    25:33.745    13    0:02.339    0:00.599    1:53.809    5    51.2
4    29    Jacobi, Henry    GER     DMSB    Husqvarna    25:52.954    13    0:21.548    0:19.209    1:54.545    3    50.9
5    426    Mewse, Conrad    GBR     ACU    KTM    25:54.835    13    0:23.429    0:01.881    1:55.196    8    50.6
6    66    Larranaga Olano, Iker    ESP     RFME    Husqvarna    25:55.173    13    0:23.767    0:00.338    1:55.071    5    50.6
7    70    Fernandez, Ruben    ESP     RFME    Kawasaki    26:01.811    13    0:30.405    0:06.638    1:55.985    7    50.2
8    10    Vlaanderen, Calvin    RSA     KNMV    Honda    26:03.752    13    0:32.346    0:01.941    1:54.975    10    50.7
9    96    Lawrence, Hunter    AUS     MA    Honda    26:04.512    13    0:33.106    0:00.760    1:54.488    10    50.9
10    193    Geerts, Jago    BEL     FMB    Yamaha    26:08.324    13    0:36.918    0:03.812    1:55.595    10    50.4
11    321    Bernardini, Samuele    ITA     FMI    TM    26:09.567    13    0:38.161    0:01.243    1:55.149    7    50.6
12    919    Watson, Ben    GBR     ACU    Yamaha    26:11.143    13    0:39.737    0:01.576    1:53.309    12    51.4
13    19    Olsen, Thomas Kjer    DEN     DMU    Husqvarna    26:25.672    13    0:54.266    0:14.529    1:56.043    9    50.2
14    747    Cervellin, Michele    ITA     FMI    Yamaha    26:53.484    13    1:22.078    0:27.812    1:56.345    6    50.1
15    101    Pichon, Zachary    FRA     FFM    KTM    26:58.522    13    1:27.116    0:05.038    1:57.748    7    49.5
16    297    Gole, Anton    SWE     SVEMO    Yamaha    27:01.294    13    1:29.888    0:02.772    1:59.385    9    48.8
17    945    Bourdon, Anthony    FRA     FFM    Husqvarna    27:02.214    13    1:30.808    0:00.920    1:59.162    2    48.9
18    931    Zanotti, Andrea    SMR     FSM    Husqvarna    27:03.883    13    1:32.477    0:01.669    1:59.963    6    48.6
19    326    Gilbert, Josh    GBR     ACU    Honda    26:34.852    13    1:03.446    -1:30.969    1:57.486    5    49.6
20    46    Pootjes, Davy    NED     KNMV    KTM    27:04.984    13    1:33.578    0:30.132    1:57.655    7    49.5
21    127    Rodriguez, Anthony    VEN     FMV    Yamaha    27:06.035    13    1:34.629    0:01.051    1:59.333    12    48.8
22    98    Vaessen, Bas    NED     KNMV    Honda    27:09.717    13    1:38.311    0:03.682    1:57.593    7    49.5
23    95    Furlotti, Simone    ITA     FMI    Yamaha    27:12.804    13    1:41.398    0:03.087    1:57.609    6    49.5
24    75    Roosiorg, Hardi    EST     EMF    KTM    27:21.717    13    1:50.311    0:08.913    1:59.532    11    48.7
25    783    Toriani, Enzo    FRA     FFM    Husqvarna    25:38.443    12    1 lap     1 lap    2:01.511    3    47.9
26    832    Inghilleri , Bastien    FRA     FFM    Yamaha    26:00.374    12    1 lap     0:21.931    2:03.134    4    47.3
27    102    Sikyna, Richard    SVK     SMF    KTM    26:16.241    12    1 lap     0:15.867    2:00.580    4    48.3
28    118    Rubini, Stephen    FRA     FFM    KTM    20:12.970    10    3 laps    2 laps    1:55.738    8    50.3
29    106    Verhaeghe, Scotty    FRA     FFM    KTM    15:39.328    7    6 laps    3 laps    2:02.661    3    47.5
30    56    Weltin, Marshal    USA     AMA    Honda    8:45.175    3    10 laps    4 laps    2:26.616    3    39.7
31    172    Van doninck, Brent    BEL     FMB    Husqvarna    0:42.446    0    13 laps    3 laps    0:00.000         0