Round number twelve of the FIM MX2 Motocross World Championship headed to Eastern Europe for the Grand Prix of Czech Republic in Loket. The circuit is a hard pack base built on natural terrain that usually provides ample opportunity for passing, but with a copious amount of rain leading up to the event and during the first moto, it was beginning to look like it might become a one-lined mudder. With Ken Roczen leading the series by twenty-one points heading into round twelve, some may have thought mud might be just what Jeffrey Herlings needed to close the gap in the World Championship points. In the end, though, the soil held the water well while it rained, and by the second motos, the rain had left.

MX2 – Moto 1

Ken Roczen -  Jeffrey Herlings - GP of Czech Republic - mx2 - 2011 - Motocross world Championship
Photo by R. Archer

With the rain creating a very one-lined situation on the circuit, the start was even more important than normal. The number 94 Red Bull/Teka/KTM has been incredible off the gate all season long, and Loket would be no different. Ken Roczen jumped out to the early lead with his teammate Jeffrey Herlings right behind him, but Roczen quickly sprinted away from Herlings and everyone else. With rain falling most of the first moto, the German sensation rode mistake-free and blazing fast to pull an early, seven-second lead which  he stretched to ten seconds by the final lap. Herlings, from the halfway point on, matched his teammates speed lap for lap, but with the huge gap Roczen built up early on, he was never able to get close to him. Roczen went on to cross the stripe with his fifteenth moto victory of the 2011 season while Herlings held on for his eleventh runner up position of the year. Roczen, seconds after crossing the finish, had words with and then shoved the Bulgarian Petr Petrov. Apparently, Petrov cut Roczen off on the final lap while Roczen was trying to lap him. We’ll let the message boards sort that one out.

The major surprise of the day was the third place finisher in moto one. Frenchman Nicolas Aubin–after a sixth place start and a some great battles with Joel Roalants, Max Anstie and Jake Nicholls–emerged in a solid fourth. Then on lap fourteen, Gautier Paulin–who was running third–had a major let down when his Monster Energy Yamaha expired. Paulin walked back to the pits disappointed with a DNF while Aubin and his HDI/KTM inherited third position. Aubin’s motor was smoking throughout the latter stages of the moto, but he was still able to nurse her home for seasons best third in the opening moto. CLS/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki rider Anstie crossed the line in fourth with Jake Nicholls and his KTM crossing the line with his first top five performance of 2011.

Max Anstie - GP of Czech Republic - mx2 - 2011 - Motocross world Championship
Max Anstie has been getting more comfortable and confident with each race. Photo by Youthstream

Moto 1 – MX2 – Top 10

 1 94 ROCZEN, Ken
 2 84 HERLINGS, Jeffrey
 3 131 AUBIN, Nicolas
 4 99 ANSTIE, Max
 5 45 NICHOLLS, Jake
 6 100 SEARLE, Tommy
 7 34 ROELANTS, Joel
 8 37 TEILLET, Valentin
 9 7 TONUS, Arnaud
 10 911 TIXIER, Jordi

MX2 -Moto 2

Ken Roczen - GP of Czech Republic - mx2 - 2011 - Motocross world Championship
Ken showed allot of maturity under pressure in moto two in Loket. Photo by R. Archer

With Ken Roczen winning moto one and stretching his lead in the Championship to twenty-four points, Jeffrey Herlings needed to answer back . Off the gate, though, it was once again the German leading the way through turn one. Roczen grabbed the lead and was trying to execute the same disappearing act he pulled in moto one, but this time, Herlings latched on and never let go.With the Championship winding down to the final seven motos, Herlings knew he had to bring everything he had to moto two–and the young Dutchman did. Roczen was in the lead, but Herlings kept the German within three seconds until making a run at him late in the moto. Herlings was able to close the gap and apply pressure for the last ten minutes, but Ken was riding mistake free at the front and Herlings was never able to get close enough to make a pass. Once again the two young GP superstars crossed the line first and second. With his sixth 1-1 score on the year, Roczen stretches his lead in the World Championship to twenty-seven points.

While Roczen and Herlings battled amongst themselves way out front, some great racing was going on for the remaining top five positions. Early on, Suzuki rider Valentin Teillet held on to third before a mistake and some late race fitness issues pushed the young Frenchman back to seventh. The first man to get around Teillet was Bike-it/Cosworth/Wild Wolf/Yamaha’s Arnaud Tonus. Tonus held on to third until a late-race mistake allowed the CLS/Kawasaki of Tommy Searle to get by and steal the final spot on the podium.

Tommy Searle - GP of Czech Republic - mx2 - 2011 - Motocross world Championship
Searle had a great comeback ride in moto two after a tough first moto. In the end, Tommy (with a 6-3 score) was the best of the rest behind the two KTM teenagers with a third overall. Photo by Youthstream

Behind Searle and Tonus, the Englishman Max Anstie had an outside chance of grabbing the first overall podium of his career. After a fourth in moto one, Anstie had to get up and around Tonus for his first podium, but in the end, fitness and Gautier Paulin got the best of him. After a disappointing DNF in moto one and a mid-pack start in moto two, Paulin charged to the front for the whole 40 minutes and was able to get around Anstie on the final lap to finish fifth.

Moto 2 – MX2 – Top 10

 1 94 ROCZEN, Ken
 2 84 HERLINGS, Jeffrey
 3 100 SEARLE, Tommy
 4 7 TONUS, Arnaud
 5 21 PAULIN, Gautier
 6 99 ANSTIE, Max
 7 37 TEILLET, Valentin
 8 89 VAN HOREBEEK, Jeremy
 9 34 ROELANTS, Joel
 10 151 KULLAS, Harri
Ken Roczen - Jeffrey Herlings - GP of Czech Republic - mx2 - 2011 - Motocross world Championship
Great showing of sportsmanship between the two Red Bull/Teka/KTM teammates after a hard fought moto 2. Photo by R. Archer

MX2 Overall Results

 1 94 Roczen, Ken GER DMSB KTM 25 25 50
 2 84 Herlings, Jeffrey NED KNMV KTM 22 22 44
 3 100 Searle, Tommy GBR ACU Kawasaki 15 20 35
 4 99 Anstie, Max GBR AMA Kawasaki 18 15 33
 5 7 Tonus, Arnaud SUI FMS Yamaha 12 18 30
 6 37 Teillet, Valentin FRA FFM Suzuki 13 14 27
 7 34 Roelants, Joel BEL FMB KTM 14 12 26
 8 45 Nicholls, Jake GBR ACU KTM 16 10 26
 9 131 Aubin, Nicolas FRA FFM KTM 20 0 20
 10 89 van Horebeek, Jeremy BEL FMB KTM 6 13 19
 For full overall results click here For updated points click here
Author

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