Pauls Jonass (Red Bull KTM) converted a pair of holeshots into back-to-back moto wins to maintain his unbeaten record in this year’s FIM MX2 world championship – but his teenage team-mate Jorge Prado made him work for it almost every step of the way at Valkenswaard today.
Make no mistake, the power-sapping, deep Dutch sand is nothing short of brutal but Latvia’s reigning world champ showed his mastery of it for the second successive year.
With the track flattened overnight and then deeply ripped in the morning, despite sub-zero temperatures it was prime condition for the first MX2 race but it quickly cut up rough with deep ruts forming.
Prado stayed with Jonass as the top two pulled clear from Denmark’s Thomas Kjer Olsen (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna).
Conrad Mewse (ASA Hitachi KTM UK) was running as high as fourth on the opening lap but the rest of the Brits were struggling with Ben Watson (Kemea Yamaha) – fourth overall at the opening round – in 21st and Adam Sterry (F&H Kawasaki) 35th after a crash.
In the closing stages Jonass slowly pulled out a nine-second advantage for a fairly comfortable win with Olsen third from Belgian Jago Geerts (Kemea Yamaha) and Mewse who survived a slow-speed spill without losing position.
Watson claimed a fighting 10th and Sterry had battled his way up to 16th at the flag.
Moto two looked to be a repeat of the opener with Jonass holeshoting and, with Prado in tow, pulled clear with Olsen third but falling back. But this time the Spanish star wasn’t about to roll over and chased him for the full 30-minute plus two lap race distance and even showed Jonass a wheel in the closing stages before the door was slammed shut.
At the end the gap was just 0:00.381 with Olsen a further 37 seconds back with Mewse – who looked to be out of the GP after a qualification crash – taking a brilliant fourth from fastest qualifier Thomas Covington (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna and there was more joy for the Brits with Watson seventh, one place ahead of Sterry.
MXGP Valkenswaard MX2 race two
1 1 Jonass, Pauls LAT LAMSF KTM 35:35.397 17 0:00.000 0:00.000 1:56.925 1 47.7
2 61 Prado, Jorge ESP RFME KTM 35:35.778 17 0:00.381 0:00.381 1:56.268 1 47.9
3 19 Olsen, Thomas Kjer DEN DMU Husqvarna 36:12.874 17 0:37.477 0:37.096 1:58.360 5 47.1
4 426 Mewse, Conrad GBR ACU KTM 36:14.660 17 0:39.263 0:01.786 1:59.110 7 46.8
5 64 Covington, Thomas USA MUL Husqvarna 36:21.757 17 0:46.360 0:07.097 1:59.329 6 46.7
6 96 Lawrence, Hunter AUS MA Honda 36:22.454 17 0:47.057 0:00.697 2:00.128 5 46.4
7 919 Watson, Ben GBR ACU Yamaha 36:26.997 17 0:51.600 0:04.543 2:00.584 5 46.2
8 811 Sterry, Adam GBR ACU Kawasaki 36:40.605 17 1:05.208 0:13.608 2:00.704 5 46.2
9 46 Pootjes, Davy NED KNMV KTM 36:44.264 17 1:08.867 0:03.659 1:58.062 1 47.2
10 57 Sanayei, Darian USA ACU Kawasaki 36:46.062 17 1:10.665 0:01.798 2:01.536 5 45.9
11 10 Vlaanderen, Calvin RSA KNMV Honda 36:52.921 17 1:17.524 0:06.859 1:59.863 5 46.5
12 18 Brylyakov, Vsevolod RUS MFR Yamaha 36:55.215 17 1:19.818 0:02.294 2:00.869 5 46.1
13 193 Geerts, Jago BEL FMB Yamaha 37:12.162 17 1:36.765 0:16.947 2:00.584 5 46.2
14 66 Larranaga Olano, Iker ESP RFME Husqvarna 37:26.295 17 1:50.898 0:14.133 2:02.288 8 45.6
15 70 Fernandez, Ruben ESP RFME Kawasaki 37:34.386 17 1:58.989 0:08.091 2:01.205 3 46
16 959 Renaux, Maxime FRA FFM Yamaha 35:39.319 16 1 lap 1 lap 2:02.969 5 45.3
17 14 Beaton, Jed AUS MA Kawasaki 35:45.378 16 1 lap 0:06.059 2:01.663 1 45.8
18 56 Weltin, Marshal USA AMA Honda 35:52.141 16 1 lap 0:06.763 2:04.892 5 44.6
19 118 Rubini, Stephen FRA FFM KTM 35:54.879 16 1 lap 0:02.738 2:02.511 4 45.5
20 321 Bernardini, Samuele ITA FMI TM 35:55.777 16 1 lap 0:00.898 2:02.885 1 45.4
21 338 Herbreteau, David FRA FFM KTM 36:06.354 16 1 lap 0:10.577 2:05.184 6 44.5
22 75 Roosiorg, Hardi EST EMF KTM 36:07.838 16 1 lap 0:01.484 2:04.727 8 44.7
23 485 Savaste, Kim FIN DMSB Kawasaki 36:19.351 16 1 lap 0:11.513 2:06.362 16 44.1
24 129 Agard-Michelsen, Sander NOR NMF Yamaha 36:20.537 16 1 lap 0:01.186 2:05.347 5 44.5
25 226 Koch, Tom GER DMSB KTM 36:33.102 16 1 lap 0:12.565 2:06.293 2 44.1
26 102 Sikyna, Richard SVK SMF KTM 36:41.140 16 1 lap 0:08.038 2:06.303 6 44.1
27 26 Bertuzzi, Nicola ITA FMI KTM 35:37.901 15 2 laps 1 lap 2:09.375 2 43.1
28 110 Verhaeghe, Alexis FRA FFM KTM 35:44.398 15 2 laps 0:06.497 2:09.184 2 43.1
29 783 Toriani, Enzo FRA FFM Husqvarna 35:50.200 15 2 laps 0:05.802 2:08.367 3 43.4
30 161 Östlund, Alvin SWE SVEMO Yamaha 30:34.169 14 3 laps 1 lap 2:01.653 6 45.8
31 44 Lesiardo, Morgan ITA FMI KTM 30:20.716 13 4 laps 1 lap 2:04.500 5 44.8
32 29 Jacobi, Henry GER DMSB Husqvarna 22:58.059 10 7 laps 3 laps 1:57.785 2 47.3
33 199 Zaragoza, Jorge ESP RFME Yamaha 17:40.506 7 10 laps 3 laps 2:05.240 4 44.5
34 172 Van doninck, Brent BEL FMB Husqvarna 8:19.938 3 14 laps 4 laps 2:02.001 1 45.7
MXGP Valkenswaard MX2 race one
1 1 Jonass, Pauls LAT LAMSF KTM 35:38.265 17 0:00.000 0:00.000 1:55.623 2 48.2
2 61 Prado, Jorge ESP RFME KTM 35:47.607 17 0:09.342 0:09.342 1:56.196 3 48
3 19 Olsen, Thomas Kjer DEN DMU Husqvarna 35:54.773 17 0:16.508 0:07.166 1:57.394 3 47.5
4 193 Geerts, Jago BEL FMB Yamaha 36:00.844 17 0:22.579 0:06.071 1:58.142 3 47.2
5 426 Mewse, Conrad GBR ACU KTM 36:04.197 17 0:25.932 0:03.353 1:58.352 4 47.1
6 96 Lawrence, Hunter AUS MA Honda 36:20.444 17 0:42.179 0:16.247 1:57.753 1 47.3
7 64 Covington, Thomas USA MUL Husqvarna 36:27.555 17 0:49.290 0:07.111 1:58.746 4 46.9
8 14 Beaton, Jed AUS MA Kawasaki 36:31.876 17 0:53.611 0:04.321 1:59.020 2 46.8
9 46 Pootjes, Davy NED KNMV KTM 36:36.717 17 0:58.452 0:04.841 1:58.708 1 47
10 919 Watson, Ben GBR ACU Yamaha 36:38.432 17 1:00.167 0:01.715 1:58.593 2 47
11 172 Van doninck, Brent BEL FMB Husqvarna 36:39.831 17 1:01.566 0:01.399 2:00.089 3 46.4
12 18 Brylyakov, Vsevolod RUS MFR Yamaha 36:45.758 17 1:07.493 0:05.927 1:59.251 1 46.7
13 29 Jacobi, Henry GER DMSB Husqvarna 36:47.039 17 1:08.774 0:01.281 1:58.468 4 47.1
14 959 Renaux, Maxime FRA FFM Yamaha 36:51.874 17 1:13.609 0:04.835 1:59.983 1 46.5
15 10 Vlaanderen, Calvin RSA KNMV Honda 37:02.736 17 1:24.471 0:10.862 2:00.352 2 46.3
16 811 Sterry, Adam GBR ACU Kawasaki 37:23.108 17 1:44.843 0:20.372 2:01.768 1 45.8
17 70 Fernandez, Ruben ESP RFME Kawasaki 37:24.535 17 1:46.270 0:01.427 2:02.004 3 45.7
18 66 Larranaga Olano, Iker ESP RFME Husqvarna 37:24.795 17 1:46.530 0:00.260 2:01.391 3 45.9
19 161 Östlund, Alvin SWE SVEMO Yamaha 37:41.420 17 2:03.155 0:16.625 2:01.902 1 45.7
20 129 Agard-Michelsen, Sander NOR NMF Yamaha 35:49.333 16 1 lap 1 lap 2:03.624 3 45.1
21 321 Bernardini, Samuele ITA FMI TM 36:01.855 16 1 lap 0:12.522 2:02.532 5 45.5
22 56 Weltin, Marshal USA AMA Honda 36:11.717 16 1 lap 0:09.862 2:04.231 5 44.9
23 75 Roosiorg, Hardi EST EMF KTM 36:26.494 16 1 lap 0:14.777 2:04.415 7 44.8
24 102 Sikyna, Richard SVK SMF KTM 36:35.096 16 1 lap 0:08.602 2:05.804 2 44.3
25 226 Koch, Tom GER DMSB KTM 36:35.992 16 1 lap 0:00.896 2:06.740 3 44
26 26 Bertuzzi, Nicola ITA FMI KTM 36:49.845 16 1 lap 0:13.853 2:07.087 3 43.9
27 110 Verhaeghe, Alexis FRA FFM KTM 36:49.875 16 1 lap 0:00.030 2:05.861 2 44.3
28 199 Zaragoza, Jorge ESP RFME Yamaha 37:05.576 16 1 lap 0:15.701 2:04.742 2 44.7
29 338 Herbreteau, David FRA FFM KTM 37:07.041 16 1 lap 0:01.465 2:05.231 3 44.5
30 783 Toriani, Enzo FRA FFM Husqvarna 37:30.856 16 1 lap 0:23.815 2:07.463 4 43.7
31 44 Lesiardo, Morgan ITA FMI KTM 33:56.071 15 2 laps 1 lap 2:02.912 1 45.3
32 485 Savaste, Kim FIN DMSB Kawasaki 34:22.640 15 2 laps 0:26.569 2:06.168 2 44.2
33 118 Rubini, Stephen FRA FFM KTM 34:31.434 15 2 laps 0:08.794 2:01.430 1 45.9
34 98 Vaessen, Bas NED KNMV Honda 20:04.504 8 9 laps 7 laps 2:01.991 1 45.7
35 57 Sanayei, Darian USA ACU Kawasaki 15:56.934 6 11 laps 2 laps 2:02.503 3 45.5