The 2017 MXGP Motocross World Championship series went to Orlyonok, Russia for the first time for round ten of the series, and the 2017 MXGP of Russia. In the MXGP class, Monster Energy / Kawasaki’s Clement Desalle won his second straight overall GP with a 3-1 score on the day. Desalle was joined on the MXGP podium by Red Bull / KTM’s Jeffrey Herlings (1-8) in second and Rockstar / Husqvarna’s Gautier Paulin (5-3) in third.

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In the MX2 class, the points leader, Red Bull / KTM’s Pauls Jonass, made it two overall GP wins in a row with a consistent 3-2 day—increasing his points lead to 45 over Suzuki World’s Jeremy Seewer. Landing on the MX2 podium with Jonass was Seewer (7-1) in second and HSF Motorsport / Yamaha’s Brian Bogers (6-2) in third.

After round number ten was in the record books, we gathered quotes from some of the riders in the pits.

Desalle moved up to 2nd in the MXGP points with his second win in a row.

Clement Desalle: (1st in MXGP) “A really nice feeling to win again. In those conditions you need to have a few things going for you but you also need to be a good rider in the mud. I changed my strategy for the second moto and was really fast into the first corner. Febvre made a mistake and I tried to stay calm. I will keep working to try and have some more wins…that why we are here!”

 

Pauls Jonass: (1st in MX2) “I had some bad luck on Saturday which meant I didn’t have the best gate pick today and that was so important on this track and in the mud but I still managed to have some good starts and was inside the top eight-ten and was able to climb my way up to the top three. I was shocked when I found out I’d won the overall because I didn’t feel my riding was that great. This race was tough and it is the sort of one where you can win or lose a lot; I didn’t win a lot [in terms of the championship] but it was important to take something. I didn’t make any big mistakes and stayed calm in both motos. A big thanks to the team as well because the bike worked great in conditions that were really heavy.”

 

Jeffrey Herlings: (2nd in MXGP) “It is a pity to be second: it is the third time this year! We made some improvements this weekend and have been analysing a lot. I almost had the holeshot in the second moto but the first turn was so slick and someone hit my front wheel, I went down again, and then again on the second lap and I was almost dead-last. I thought ‘it’s over’ but we kept going and managed to get enough points for the overall. I think we made the best of the situation; I’m not too familiar with mud because I don’t like it too much! But it is good to get on the podium. I’m looking forward to Ottobiano and I think I am capable of winning there.”

 

Gautier Paulin: (3rd in MXGP) “It was a tough GP so to get one more podium result is vital for the championship. I had a great feeling during qualifying on Saturday. My speed was great and I found myself leading for a few laps before finishing second. With weather conditions changing dramatically on Sunday, things were completely different for the final motos. In moto one I struggled to keep my goggles clean and that made things even harder. Not getting a decent start I had to push hard to get fifth at the end. Then in moto two I had a good start and worked my way through to fourth before crashing with a slower rider. Luckily, I managed to pick myself up and get third in moto two. Overall, it’s been a positive weekend and I really liked the progressive power of my Husqvarna in these conditions. Getting a podium result was important and surely we’re looking for more in the coming GPs.”

Jonass has established himself as the clear favorite for the MX2 title.

Jeremy Seewer: (2nd in MX2) “The whole weekend I felt good, the track was cool but then the rain started to fall a lot more than we expected, which made the whole race a bit of a lottery. It’s always like that in the mud and luck is a big part of the result. In the first moto I had a bad start and some google issues and while it was ok to ride, it was tough to catch up as once you got behind a rider you got splashed and it’s not very healthy for your eyes. In the second moto I just tried to survive and luckily got a good start and came around the first corner in third before the guys in front made some mistakes. The track was so bad, especially in front of the pit lane so it was hard for me to read what was written so I didn’t even know I had won. I wasn’t sure if Benoit Paturel had crashed out or not because I couldn’t see that and I was just so focused on my riding and then they told me that I nearly lapped everyone. I was pretty shocked with that. Second overall is decent enough, we didn’t lose too many points but of course the goal is to gain points against Pauls Jonass but he did well today and it’s not easy to beat him, but we’re not giving up and we’re going to try our best to make it happen in the next rounds.”

 

Max Anstie: (4th in MXGP) “It’s been a good weekend for me despite tough conditions. Battling for the runner-up spot until the last few laps, I managed to earn my best result for the season with fourth overall. I had a strong moto one in the mud and the rain. Despite coming out into the pits to replace my goggles and gloves I kept pushing and made some good passes for fourth at the line. Then in moto two I had a great start and was racing in third place for most of the moto. Building a 20-seconds gap to fourth I made a mistake and crashed on the last lap and that eventually dropped me to fifth. I’m happy with where we’re at right now. We showed the speed is there despite tough conditions and we’ll keep working hard to do even better.”

 

Max Nagl: (10th in MXGP) “I did my best this weekend. I had a good feeling on the bike so pushed hard for the lead in the qualifying race. Everything was going well and I was racing in second place before suffering a big crash that caused some pain on my left wrist. With all that rain falling on Sunday morning it was a big struggle even to finish each moto. In moto one there was so much water in the track and you had to be extra cautious to avoid mistakes and keep your goggles clean. Starting from outside the top 10, I managed to get an eighth place result. Then in moto two the track was destroyed in some parts and it all looked like a big, extreme enduro test. Getting 11th in moto two I finished this tough GP in 10th place and I’m happy about that.”

 

Antonio Cairoli: (5th in MXGP) “This weekend was quite good and I prepared for this track by watching some videos and stuff; it wasn’t really my favourite. I was a bit worried with the rain this morning because my left knee is not so well in mud like this and I also felt that putting my foot down with so much weight [on the bike] it can be a big sketchy so I took it very easy. I had a great start in the first moto and led for twenty minutes until Jeffrey passed me; second place was OK. I slipped on the start grill in the second moto and someone hit me and I almost crashed close to Jeffrey. There was a little bit of drama at the start of the race but I got up to eighth and then crashed with another rider in a rut and hit my knee a bit. I was a little disappointed but I am pleased about the championship [situation] at the moment and now we go to Ottobiano which is a track I really like.”

 

Evgeny Bobryshev: (12th in MXGP) “I found today really tough especially after all the rain we had. The track was very muddy and it became a disaster trying to choose good lines. The first race I had a good start but then I had a problem with my goggles and I had to stop in the pit lane in the second lap, which meant I lost a lot of time and places. Then, when I got into a rhythm, I had problems with my gloves so I had to stop again. I just lost so much time with that and ended up 13th. In the second race, I had a really bad start, I was last out of the gate. I came back feeling quite strong and feeling good with the bike. I found some good lines and managed to go from last position to eighth. In the last lap, I made a mistake and fell off onto my shoulder which wasn’t so good and got 10th. I didn’t expect to come back here and be on top as my condition is still weak. I am happy that nothing happened with my collarbone and I can continue working hard and coming back to be 100%. I collected points which I needed and from now I just move forward.”

Just back from injury, Bobryshev struggled at his home GP.

Romain Febvre: (6th in MXGP) “I feel good today, I got to fourth but I crashed and my goggles and gloves were filled with water so I had to stop. I came into pit-lane and with my crash I lost 1 minute and 30 seconds, but I came back to tenth. In the second moto I took the holeshot and led the whole race until 2-Laps to go and Jeffrey (Herlings) was in my way, he was ignoring the blue flag and on my line, and at one moment I slid and hit him and crashed, so I am disappointed, but I feel good on the bike.”

 

Arnaud Tonus: (7th in MXGP) “I felt good on this track right away and I won the Qualifying Race. I felt at home on this track and I was able to show my speed and prove that the speed is there.  Today, the track was completely different, but even so, I felt great. I just crashed in the first race and came back to ninth. In the second race I stalled the bike at one point and got back to fourth. I feel good, and I hope to carry this speed through to the next grand prix.”

 

Hunter Lawrence: (6th in MX2) “The first race wasn’t too bad,” said Lawrence “the skies opened up before the race and we were getting hammered on the track; the rain really was unbelievable. I was able to finish fourth though which after starting off well down the field is really a positive thing. The speed is definitely there, and I didn’t mind the conditions, but then it got much worse for the second moto. Again, I wasn’t off to a good start. Thomas Kjer Olsen hit me from behind in the first corner but it’s always chaos in the first turn so I can’t really blame him. After finally getting going, I got back up to fourth very quickly and was riding well. Then another rider was crashed in the main rut that I was using and it was just unbelievably muddy and sticky out there. I dropped it there and then had to pick up my bike which was just so, so, heavy with all the mud on there. I finally got the bike up but it was just so hard to twist the throttle with all the mud on the bike. I kept riding though and eventually came home in 11th place, but I definitely feel it could have been better.”

 

Jorge Prado: (9th in MX2) “The weekend was weird! On Saturday my feeling was OK and I think if it hadn’t have rained I could have done a really good race. Anyway a lot of rain came and the first moto was just through water! I got a holeshot but struggled a lot and just couldn’t push; I don’t know why. I wasn’t smart enough with my goggles also. The track was quite different for the second one. The rain stopped and the track was more mud than water so it was more technical and physical. I was pretty happy to finish fourth and to be back leading in terms of holeshots! We have moved forward in the championship and Ottobiano is next where I believe I made one of my best pre-season races. I’m really looking to that Grand Prix.”

 

David Herbreteau: (13th in MX2) “It was a nice weekend. When I came here I immediately liked the track and on Saturday I posted good results in both practice sessions. In the qualifying moto I had a good start and managed to finish eighth, which was good. I had a great feeling with the bike and the track, but today was different after so much rain in the night. In the first moto I had a very bad start and came back to tenth so I was happy with that first top ten result of my career. My second start was much better; I was third and then fifth but crashed in front of the pit lane. After it was messy; I had to change my gloves three times and twice my goggles twice so I only finished fifteenth for thirteenth overall. But still it’s my best-ever GP, even if the second moto was a kind of lottery with the mud. This GP was a special one for me, as I had a very great relationship with Steven Lenoir who passed away last week; I had a lot of thoughts for him during the weekend, and tried to ride smart as I didn’t want to crash. I feel really bad, and I feel that the other riders were affected by this drama as they were more patient this weekend.”

MX2 podium for MXGP of Russia

Darian Sanayei: (18th in MX2) “Saturday was pretty good. The weather and everything was really nice here in Russia but in the qualifying race I made a really bad start before coming back to twelfth with a pretty good feeling on the bike. There was so much rain in the night and the track was already really muddy for the warm-up, and then a big storm came again and it was raining so much during the first race. I crashed right at the beginning of the race; the track was not so bad but the ruts were full of water; I stopped too many times in the pits to change goggles or gloves, and finished only eighteenth. For the second race the rain stopped but the track was heavy mud and I crashed when landing from a jump. The bike was stuck for maybe five or six minutes; in the end I had no energy to take it out of the mud. Finally I managed it; I just continue to ride and as so many guys crashed I finished thirteenth. It was a bad weekend, but at least I took some points and now after this difficult weekend I’m looking forward to the next GP.”

 

Glenn Coldenhoff: (9th in MXGP) “It was a new track for everyone and I rode a lot in the first two sessions to get used to it. There was a lot of rain and it changed things. The first moto was really strange. I had wheelspin in the gate and was last and then crashed on the first lap from there onwards I knew it would be a tough one but I kept it on two wheels to take twelfth and limit the mistakes. In the second one I went to the outside of the gate where it was quite clean and had less wheelspin; a much better start. I passed a few people – and a few got me back – but I was quite happy to finish sixth: to go home with a twelfth [as my best] would not have been so nice! I will work hard now towards Ottobiano.”

 

Bas Vaessen: (12th in MX2) “The first moto was amazing; I had a really good start and was running in third position for quite a while, but made a mistake and lost a couple of positions near the end. I still came fifth though, so I was really happy with how I rode on my RM-Z250. Unfortunately the second moto when the conditions were worse was a completely different story. I didn’t have a great start, then I had a couple of crashes on the first two laps, before eventually getting in the mud and having to DNF. The track was a bit of a lottery at that stage and unfortunately I was out but I was definitely happy with my first race performance. My speed seemed good, I made some good passes and it was nice to fighting at the front of the field.”

 

Arminas Jasikonis: (8th in MXGP) “It’s was day and night, the difference between the track yesterday and then today. It’s rained so hard for about two hours and made the track so tricky. The first race wasn’t too bad as the mud wasn’t so sticky yet so the bikes weren’t so heavy. I got off to an ok start in that race and after the first lap I was around sixth but I had to pull into the pit lane because I had some trouble with my goggles. I changed my goggles and was still able to finish seventh which was quite good. In the second moto I had a big wheel spin on the starting mesh, so I was dead last but I made a really fast first lap with no mistakes and I was already up to around eighth. In the moto I was feeling good and catching guys; Gautier Paulin crashed in front of me so I was already up to fourth but then I immediately made a mistake and fell over. The bike was so heavy to pick up because it was just covered in mud so after that I wasn’t really able to push too hard and ended up in seventh place again. I feel a bit disappointed about the second moto because I felt like it could have been so good. I want to thank all the team though because they also have to work so hard in these conditions and with all this travel too, so a big thanks to them.”

Cairoli’s lead is now 47-points in the MXGP standings.

Thomas Kjer-Olsen: (8th in MX2) “I was stoked to get the win in moto one and was hoping to do equally well in moto two. I had to dig deep for that first moto win. It was raining very heavily when we started the race so it was crucial to get a good start. Getting the lead a few corners later, I pushed hard trying to avoid mistakes. My goggles kept me good almost all the way to the finish line and that was crucial to get the win. Things didn’t go that well in moto two. Soon after the start I had we crashed together with Hunter Lawrence and when I picked my bike up I saw that the front brake lever was broken. It is what it is I guess and we will continue working hard hoping for some more victories in the races to come.”

 

Thomas Covington: (14th in MX2) “I started the weekend on a good note with third in the qualifying race. Unfortunately, conditions were far from ideal during the final motos and it all ended up being a big struggle to reach the finish. In moto one my start wasn’t great but I made up a few spots to cross the line in ninth place. Moto two was a huge challenge for everybody. I had a few crashes during the race and even came into the pits to change goggles. After hitting the ground a few times my bike had picked up so much mud it was almost impossible to ride. Despite all that struggle it was good to collect 11 points for the championship and we’re already looking forward to the following GP in Ottobiano.”

 

Conrad Mewse: (16th in MX2) “Despite difficult conditions I felt good during Sunday. In moto one I had a bad start outside the top 20. Trying to ride fast while avoiding mistakes I managed to get as high as 13th and that was good. Then in the second moto my start was a bit better but as I was battling for the top 10 I saw another rider getting stuck in front of me in one of the most difficult uphill sections of the track and I lost a lot of time there and was hard to continue. It was a really tough GP but we managed to salvage twelve points for the championship. I will continue working hard hoping for better results in the next races.”

Author

Dan Lamb is a 12+ year journalist and the owner of MotoXAddicts.