Thomas Covington (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna) took victory in the MX2 qualification race at round two of the FIM Motocross World Championship at Valkenswaard in Holland today.
No points were up for grabs in the 20-minute plus two lap race but the American will get first gate pick for tomorrow’s main races and with starts crucial that’s a huge advantage.
“I can’t believe it,” said Covington, who finished a disappointing 15th overall at the series opener in Argentina a fortnight ago. “It’s been a really tough two weeks for me coming back after my knee injury. I’ve really got to give it up to the team for sticking with me.”
Jorge Prado (Red Bull KTM) looked to be on for a wire-to-wire win but the flyweight Spanish teenager crashed back to third on the last lap after a big mistake in the deep, unforgiving Dutch sand.
Prado’s error handed second place to defending champion Pauls Jonass who was a double winner last time out. The Latvian started fourth and maintained a smooth pace in the sub-zero conditions, keeping mistakes to a minimum.
Denmark’s Thomas Kjer Olsen (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna) was over 21 seconds behind the winner in fourth with Belgian Brent Van Doninck (8Biano Husqvarna) fifth a further 18 seconds off the pace. Aussie Hunter Lawrence (114 Motorsports Geico Honda), third overall in Argentina, was sixth ahead of home rider Davy Pootjes (LRT KTM).
First Brit across the line was Adam Sterry (F&H Kawasaki), now looking fully recovered from the hand injury he aggravated a fortnight ago. The Welshman had run as far up the field as fourth but faded back to eighth ahead of Sweden’s Alvin Ostland (SM Action Yamaha) and Holland’s Bas Vaessen (114 Motorsports Geico Honda).
Ben Watson (Kemea Yamaha), who posted a career-best fourth in Argentina, was 14th from a 19th-placed start but fellow Brit Conrad Mewse (ASA Hitachi KTM UK) crashed out of a top-10 position and a question mark hangs over his fitness to race tomorrow.
MXGP Valkenswaard MX2 qualifying race
1 64 Covington, Thomas USA MUL Husqvarna 24:54.845 11 0:00.000 0:00.000 2:02.707 4 45.4
2 1 Jonass, Pauls LAT LAMSF KTM 24:58.851 11 0:04.006 0:04.006 2:01.251 3 46
3 61 Prado, Jorge ESP RFME KTM 25:02.570 11 0:07.725 0:03.719 2:01.765 4 45.8
4 19 Olsen, Thomas Kjer DEN DMU Husqvarna 25:15.979 11 0:21.134 0:13.409 2:03.725 3 45.1
5 172 Van doninck, Brent BEL FMB Husqvarna 25:34.081 11 0:39.236 0:18.102 2:05.095 2 44.6
6 96 Lawrence, Hunter AUS MA Honda 25:46.961 11 0:52.116 0:12.880 2:06.123 3 44.2
7 46 Pootjes, Davy NED KNMV KTM 25:49.333 11 0:54.488 0:02.372 2:05.335 3 44.5
8 811 Sterry, Adam GBR ACU Kawasaki 25:50.839 11 0:55.994 0:01.506 2:08.111 2 43.5
9 161 Östlund, Alvin SWE SVEMO Yamaha 25:51.511 11 0:56.666 0:00.672 2:08.019 5 43.5
10 98 Vaessen, Bas NED KNMV Honda 26:08.164 11 1:13.319 0:16.653 2:05.681 3 44.3
11 10 Vlaanderen, Calvin RSA KNMV Honda 26:15.487 11 1:20.642 0:07.323 2:09.090 5 43.2
12 66 Larranaga Olano, Iker ESP RFME Husqvarna 26:27.087 11 1:32.242 0:11.600 2:10.269 2 42.8
13 14 Beaton, Jed AUS MA Kawasaki 26:36.526 11 1:41.681 0:09.439 2:10.470 6 42.7
14 919 Watson, Ben GBR ACU Yamaha 26:39.041 11 1:44.196 0:02.515 2:09.214 2 43.1
15 18 Brylyakov, Vsevolod RUS MFR Yamaha 26:50.186 11 1:55.341 0:11.145 2:08.398 4 43.4
16 57 Sanayei, Darian USA ACU Kawasaki 26:50.805 11 1:55.960 0:00.619 2:09.616 6 43
17 44 Lesiardo, Morgan ITA FMI KTM 27:03.285 11 2:08.440 0:12.480 2:12.050 6 42.2
18 75 Roosiorg, Hardi EST EMF KTM 24:59.961 10 1 lap 1 lap 2:13.239 5 41.8
19 29 Jacobi, Henry GER DMSB Husqvarna 25:04.701 10 1 lap 0:04.740 2:11.553 4 42.4
20 102 Sikyna, Richard SVK SMF KTM 25:05.594 10 1 lap 0:00.893 2:13.521 5 41.7
21 338 Herbreteau, David FRA FFM KTM 25:08.803 10 1 lap 0:03.209 2:12.100 6 42.2
22 193 Geerts, Jago BEL FMB Yamaha 25:10.822 10 1 lap 0:02.019 2:10.286 6 42.8
23 959 Renaux, Maxime FRA FFM Yamaha 25:20.785 10 1 lap 0:09.963 2:13.989 6 41.6
24 129 Agard-Michelsen, Sander NOR NMF Yamaha 25:21.315 10 1 lap 0:00.530 2:12.975 6 41.9
25 226 Koch, Tom GER DMSB KTM 25:25.251 10 1 lap 0:03.936 2:13.005 6 41.9
26 56 Weltin, Marshal USA AMA Honda 25:33.874 10 1 lap 0:08.623 2:15.976 5 41
27 118 Rubini, Stephen FRA FFM KTM 25:41.291 10 1 lap 0:07.417 2:12.850 6 42
28 485 Savaste, Kim FIN DMSB Kawasaki 25:44.213 10 1 lap 0:02.922 2:13.376 8 41.8
29 199 Zaragoza, Jorge ESP RFME Yamaha 26:05.636 10 1 lap 0:21.423 2:13.494 7 41.7
30 70 Fernandez, Ruben ESP RFME Kawasaki 26:47.595 10 1 lap 0:41.959 2:09.494 6 43
31 26 Bertuzzi, Nicola ITA FMI KTM 26:57.674 10 1 lap 0:10.079 2:23.745 8 38.8
32 110 Verhaeghe, Alexis FRA FFM KTM 27:09.505 10 1 lap 0:11.831 2:13.090 1 41.9
33 783 Toriani, Enzo FRA FFM Husqvarna 27:19.015 10 1 lap 0:09.510 2:17.069 1 40.7
34 130 De Jong, Rene NED KNMV KTM 20:20.302 8 3 laps 2 laps 2:13.343 5 41.8
35 426 Mewse, Conrad GBR ACU KTM 10:04.564 3 8 laps 5 laps 2:07.281 1 43.8
36 321 Bernardini, Samuele ITA FMI TM 2:09.551 0 11 laps 3 laps 0:00.000 0
