KTM swept the overall podium positions at Lommel’s MXGP round, led by Jeffrey Herlings who was unbeaten in the premier class was Jorge Prado went 2-1 in MX2.
Herlings was joined by team-mates Tony Cairoli (2-2) and Glenn Coldenhoff (3-4) on the MXGP rostrum while Pauls Jonass (1-5) and Julien Lieber (5-2) completed the MX2 runner-up spots.
Strong rain showers of Saturday that swamped sections of the sand and helped roughen the surface further were thankfully replaced by warm sunshine for race day, and a crowd of 30,000 (weekend figure) found places around the sandy venue that is a well-used and well-known training location for many of the Grand Prix elite. A reversed and altered layout for the fourth Belgian GP at Lommel helped offer a fresh challenge to the riders that would already be pushed to physical and mental limits (as well as those of their machinery).
The first race saw the third member of the crew, Glenn Coldenhoff, produce his best moto of the season so far with an excellent start and leading the first four laps of sixteen. He then followed Herlings’ superior pace for the midpart of the chase and was passed by a conservative Cairoli. As Herlings dealt with some arm-pump to remain free and claim his sixth race win, Cairoli made a mistake late on and crashed, handing second spot briefly back to Coldenhoff but soon recovered. The KTM trio ran ahead of Jeremy Van Horebeek by fourteen seconds in a dominant show.
The second race permitted Herlings and Cairoli to renew their dispute. Several close exchanges for the lead and some cat-and-mouse games ended in the last ten minutes as Herlings forged a gap and Cairoli accepted 22 points for second place and to safeguard a hefty window in the standings (now over Herlings who has moved up from third). Coldenhoff was again strong and found a way past Clement Desalle to capture fourth position; the classification allowed #259 to walk the podium for the second time in 2017 and give KTM a historic sweep of the premier class rostrum.
“For sure we are so proud and this has been an incredible race for us. MX2 was already awesome and Jorge was outstanding and so was Pauls’ riding to reach fifth place. What the guys are doing in the MXGP class is crazy; I think Tony and Jeffrey were pulling out a thirty-forty second gap on the others. It was so nice to watch the racing. To see that 1-2-3 and even Max Anstie taking third place in the second moto meant it was a pretty nice day,” said KTM’s Robert Jonas.
As in the MXGP class, the Red Bull KTM MX2 crew also played out a preview of the Grand Prix motos on Saturday. Jorge Prado assumed his usual role with a qualification heat holeshot and early lead around the wet sand but Pauls Jonass followed and soon took control for his sixth Pole Position of the year; double the total of the next nearest rider.
The demands of the sand meant that starts at the front of the pack were less crucial but the KTMs were still prominent at the peak of the MX2 gaggle as the first moto roared into life. Sunny skies were a welcome addition to the GP patchwork and Jonass set about chasing Prado again as the Spaniard danced through the sand and fronted his peers. Jonass edged through on the eighth lap of sixteen and faced opposition from his teammate. The Latvian was able to keep ahead and classified in the top three together for the sixth time in 2017.
The second moto started dramatically as Jonass became part of a pile-up on the second corner. The twenty year old retrieved the 250 SX-F and set off in last position. His race rhythm was nothing short of spectacular as he picked off twenty-seven riders to reach the top five and secure second overall. Meanwhile Prado had made another exemplary start.
The sixteen year old had his very first taste of MX2 racing at Lommel in 2016 but could not complete the practice and qualification programme due to a shoulder injury (the situation meant a full debut at the Grand Prix of the Netherlands at Assen a month later and a sensational maiden podium result). Today was therefore his first full blast of the well-known Belgian course at MX2 race speed and he excelled to ride alone and win his second moto of the season and another GP win after succeeding at Arco di Trento in Italy back in April. LRT’s Julien Lieber toasted a fine third place at his home fixture.
Dirk Gruebel, MX2 Team Manager said: “I’m blown away. It has been hard work the whole year. We struggled a bit with Jeffrey, Tony has been awesome and Glenn was surprised us today. We joked yesterday when they were 1-2-3 in qualification that we’d sign for that today…but it is rarely the reality. Pauls got up from last to come all the way back to fifth and second overall – really, really good racing – and Jorge? What can we say? He is such a little devil; I love him!”
