Words – Photo: Youthstream
In the most dramatic grand prix of the season Tommy Searle (Floride Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki) closed the gap on Jeffrey Herlings (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) to sixteen points while a double DNF from Antonio Cairoli (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) saw him lose his FIM MX1 World Championship lead to Clement Desalle (Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MX1) who won the GP of Sweden with a double race win.
MX2
Despite leading for eleven of the eighteen laps Tommy Searle (Floride monster Energy Pro circuit Kawasaki) had to settle for second after pitting for new goggles in appalling conditions in race one, handing the advantage to Jeffrey Herlings (Red Bull KTM) at the same time. And although Searle came close to snatching victory in the dying moments, it wasn’t enough leaving Herlings to steal the win. Searle was second and Joel Roelants (Floride Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki) was third. Zachary Osborne (Monster Energy Yamaha) was fifth on his return to GP competition.
Race two saw Dylan Ferrandis (Bud Racing Rockstar Kawasaki) take the holeshot from Searle. Herlings made a poor start and crashed on the first lap and had to work hard to come from twenty-eighth to seventh in what was an exercise in damage limitation. As Searle stormed to victory and the overall GP win, Jeremy Van Horebeek (Red Bull KTM) who failed to finish race one, came home second with Dylan Ferrandis third – the youngster taking his first ever podium result. Jake Nicholls (Nestann JM Racing KTM) came fourth which was good enough for fourth overall in the overall classification.
MX1
Race one got underway in extremely wet conditions and it was Christophe Pourcel (CP377 Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki) who led the first seven laps from Clement Desalle (Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MX1), Sebastien Pourcel (CP377 Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki), Evgeny Bobryshev (Honda World Motocross) and Antonio Cairoli (Red Bull KTM). Then came the drama, as Cairoli came to a halt as his rear wheel locked up in a stone-jamming incident that failed to set itself free, resulting in a DNF for the championship leader. Desalle won the race, with both Christophe and Sebastien Pourcel making a historical visit to the podium in second and third. Shaun Simpson (Monster Energy Yamaha) was a fine fourth.
Christophe Pourcel led again in the early stages of race two, but this time Desalle needed less time to find a way past the Frenchman. Antonio Cairoli found himself perfectly placed in fifth until more drama unfolded as he veered off line and into a giant mud-hole. Despite all his efforts, Cairoli could not free his machine and would record another DNF.
Desalle kept his cool and went on to take the win, his first double victory of the season securing the overall GP win in the process. Christophe Pourcel was second with Kevin Strijbos (HM Plant KTM UK) third, the result mirroring the overall podium. Desalle though, is the new championship leader.
