News 20 May 2019

Clean-sweep for resurgent Gajser in MXGP of Portugal

Unbeaten season continues for Prado as Evans podiums again in MX2.

Image: Supplied.

Team HRC’s Tim Gajser was victorious in the MXGP of Portugal at Agueda on Sunday, in a round that saw Jorge Prado continue his winning streak and Australian rookie Mitch Evans return to the overall podium.

Gajser won both premier class motos for his second overall win of the 2019 season, defeating current points-leader Antonio Cairoli (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) in both motos.

Moto one saw Gajser top Cairoli by 1.197s before he was able to win by over 10 seconds in moto two, while Monster Energy Wilvo Yamaha MXGP’s Arnaud Tonus ended a two-year podium draught in third overall.

In MX2 it was defending world champion Jorge Prado who dominated both motos with Red Bull KTM to take charge of the points-lead, leading Thomas Kjer Olsen (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing) and Evans, who scored his second podium of the year with Team Honda 114 Motorsports.

After lodging 4-3 finishes, Evans now sits seventh in the world championship standings, while fellow Australian Jed Beaton (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing) was 21st overall, clawing his way to 12th in moto one and then exiting moto two with bike damage from a fall. He’s P13 in the point-standings.

The Women’s Motocross World Championship returned for the WMX round of Portugal. Following the opening round at Valkenswaard it was Belgium’s Amandine Verstappen carrying the red plate into Agueda this weekend.

Saturday hosted the first race of the two-day event and, unfortunately for Verstappen her winning ways would not be repeated. Instead, it was Bike IT DRT Kawasaki’s Courtney Duncan who dominated the field for her first win of the year. Duncan won Sunday’s round for the overall ahead of Nancy Van De Ven (Yamaha) and Larissa Papenmeier (Yamaha).

MXGP travels to the hard-pack hillside of St Jean D’Angely for the Grand Prix of France this weekend and the third meeting in as many weeks between 25-26 May.

Detailed results

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