Slightly chilly and drizzly conditions set the scene at the classic circuit of Teutschenthal for the 10th round of the FIM Motocross World Championship where Team HRC’s Evgeny Bobryshev and Honda Gariboldi’s Tim Gajser reigned supreme.

As the clouds began to darken, threatening rain once again, it was the thunder from down under Wilvo Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Dean Ferris that claimed the holeshot and led the opening laps.

Team HRC’s Evgeny Bobryshev, who collected his one and only grand prix victory at this circuit back in 2011, scrubbed past Ferris for the lead a few laps in and put in a textbook performance for his second qualifying heat win of the season.

Around mid-race the Yamaha Factory Racing Yamalube duo of Romain Febvre and Jeremy Van Horebeek knocked on Ferris’ door. Ferris tried to step up to the challenge, but couldn’t hold off the wrath of the boys in blue and ended up dropping back to fourth.

Meanwhile Team HRC’s Gautier Paulin was on the cable around mid-moto but crashed while digging for traction in effort to get around Ferris. While on the deck the Honda rider briefly lost a spot to Hitachi Construction Machinery Revo KTM’s Shaun Simpson but quickly managed to re-group and take it back with two laps to go.

It was a dramatic start to the weekend for the home soil legend Red Bull IceOne Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Max Nagl, who was ran into on the second turn. Nagl went down and tangled DP19 Racing Yamaha’s David Philippaerts up in the carnage as well. Nagl went to the medical center and was soon ruled out of the weekend.

As for the defending champion Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Antonio Cairoli, he put in a brave performance for 11th, while Todd Waters (Red Bull IceOne Husqvarna Factory Racing) was a competitive seventh.

When the gates fell for the MX2 Qualifying heat the usual hole-shotters were all up front. Wilvo Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Aleksandr Tonkov led the way around turn one ahead of Honda Gariboldi’s Tim Gajser and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings.

As Gajser bit the bullet and cut up the inside of Tonkov for the early lead, Herlings lost the front and went down. Standing Construct Yamaha Yamalube’s Valentin Guillod went around Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Pauls Jonass for third, which was replicated by Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s Jordi Tixier shortly after.

Impressively, Guillod, who has qualified on pole twice this year, ran a hot pace into an S section on lap two and passed Tonkov for second. In the latter stages of the race Tonkov came under heat from Tixier but miraculously found another gear and shook him off for third.

Tixier settled for fourth while the battle for fifth shaped up awesome. Jonass started to fade as Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s Petar Petrov, Rockstar Energy Suzuki Europe’s Jeremy Seewer and Monster Energy DRT Kawasaki’s Max Anstie found their feet.

With rain dampening the clay in the morning, one fast line was formed which made it difficult for the four riders charging for fifth to find new lines that work well enough to make passes stick. Instead they had to ride wheel to wheel and wait for the door to open. After bar bashing for the last few laps it was Petrov who held on for fifth followed by Anstie, Seewer and Jonass.

Leading the way into race two at the fifth round of the FIM Women’s Motocross World Championship is FontaMXRacing Yamaha’s Kiara Fontanesi, who passed the series leader Team One One Four’s Livia Lancelot late in race one. Maddison Brown was fifth and Jess Moore 20th.

Click here for detailed results