Flanders dances in the dunes of Sardinia!!
Anyone who had declared Calvin Vlaanderen as a possible winner before the weekend would probably have been admitted to psychiatry by now! However, the Dutchman with South African roots clicked with the circuit in the dunes of Sardinia from the very first moment and managed to win both heats!
No expected winner in Sardinia in the MXGP class. Neither Tim Gajser nor Jeremy Seewer, Maxime Renaux or Jorge Prado were allowed to climb the top step of the podium. This honor was reserved for Calvin Vlaanderen. The Gebben Van Venrooy pilot immediately clicked with the circuit, from the Warm-Up on Saturday to the races on Sunday. The Dutchman did not have the best start in the first moto, but if you are a class stronger than the opposition, this does not matter much. From seventh place, the Yamaha with number 10 on the license plate drove to the rear wheel of the race leader; Tim Gajser. With two laps to go he also had to make it and Calvin Vlaanderen rode to his first series victory in the MXGP Class! This for Tim Gajser and Jorge Prado. Brian Bogers of the Standing Construct Husqvarna team finished fifth in this first series, in seventh and eighth place we found Brent Van Doninck and Glenn Coldenhoff. Jeremy Van Horebeek completed the top ten in the first heat, in… tenth place.
However, the second heat made the fairytale even better, because after a better start that put him around fourth place, neither friend nor foe could stop him. With about half a match to go, it was Flanders who snatched the lead of the match from Jorge Prado. The South African Dutchman never looked back and won with more than fifteen seconds ahead of his compatriot Glenn Coldenhoff and the Spaniard Jorge Prado. In addition to the two Dutchmen already mentioned, Brian Bogers again finished strongly in fifth place. Jeremy Van Horebeek finished ninth in this heat. Brent Van Doninck, in turn, was unable to continue his good first heat and unfortunately did not manage to finish the series.
With a double series victory, the Gebben Van Venrooy pilot also wins his first MXGP Grand Prix, something that many dream of but never manage, he achieved today in the tough conditions of Riola Sardo. On the overall podium he had Jorge Prado and Glenn Coldenhoff next to him.
MXGP – Grand Prix Race 1
1. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, Yamaha), 35:24.028; 2. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:06.989; 3. Jorge Prado (ESP, GASGAS), +0:11.426; 4. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Yamaha), +0:16.782; 5. Brian Bogers (NED, Husqvarna), +0:23.969; 6. Maxime Renaux (FRA, Yamaha), +0:28.515; 7. Brent Van Doninck (BEL, Yamaha), +0:30.825; 8. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, Yamaha), +0:34.304; 9. Pauls Jonass (LAT, Husqvarna), +0:40.083; 10. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Beta), +0:42.328; 11. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, GASGAS), +0:46.703; 12. Alvin Östlund (SWE, Yamaha), +0:48.623; 13. Henry Jacobi (GER, Honda), +0:51.155; 14. Alberto Forato (ITA, GASGAS), +0:51.937; 15. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KTM), +1:01.239; 16. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, Honda), +1:24.600; 17. Ben Watson (GBR, Kawasaki), +1:29.550; 18. Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, Yamaha), +1:49.322; 19. Christophe Charlier (FRA, Yamaha), +1:50.672; 20. Miro Sihvonen (FIN, Honda), +1:59.712; 21. Hardi Roosiorg (EST, KTM), +2:15.445; 22. Mitchell Evans (AUS, Honda), +3:29.439;
MXGP – Grand Prix Race 2
1. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, Yamaha), 35:06.004; 2. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, Yamaha), +0:16.425; 3. Jorge Prado (ESP, GASGAS), +0:23.517; 4. Maxime Renaux (FRA, Yamaha), +0:25.665; 5. Brian Bogers (NED, Husqvarna), +0:26.262; 6. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Yamaha), +0:29.680; 7. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, Honda), +0:46.106; 8. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, GASGAS), +0:50.016; 9. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Beta), +0:55.493; 10. Pauls Jonass (LAT, Husqvarna), +0:57.133; 11. Alberto Forato (ITA, GASGAS), +0:58.716; 12. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +1:12.255; 13. Alvin Östlund (SWE, Yamaha), +1:35.240; 14. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KTM), +1:58.839; 15. Christophe Charlier (FRA, Yamaha), -1 lap(s); 16. Hardi Roosiorg (EST, KTM), -1 lap(s); 17. Miro Sihvonen (FIN, Honda), -1 lap(s); 18. Ben Watson (GBR, Kawasaki), -1 lap(s); 19. Henry Jacobi (GER, Honda), +1:53.122; 20. Brent Van Doninck (BEL, Yamaha), -12 lap(s); 21. Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, Yamaha), -13 lap(s); 22. Mitchell Evans (AUS, Honda), -13 lap(s);
MXGP Sardinia (Riola Sardo) – GP Overall
1. Calvin Vlaanderen (NOW, YAM), 50 points; 2. Jorge Prado (ESP, GAS), 40 p.; 3. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, YAM), 35 p.; 4. Maxim Renals (FRA, YAM), 33 p.; 5. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 33 p.; 6. Brian Bogers (NOW, HUS), 32 p.; 7. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 31 p.; 8. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, GAS), 23 p.; 9. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, BET), 23 p.; 10. Pauls Jonass (LAT, HUS), 23 p.; 11. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, HON), 19 p.; 12. Alberto Forato (STONE, GAS), 17 p.; 13. Alvin Östlund (SWE, YAM), 17 p.; 14. Brent Van Doninck (BELL, YAM), 15 p.; 15. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KTM), 13 p.; 16. Henry Jacobi (GER, HON), 10 p.; 17. Christopher Charlier (FRA, YAM), 8 p.; 18. Ben Watson (GBR, CAW), 7 p.; 19. Hardy Roosiorg (EST, KTM), 5 p.; 20. Miro Sihvonen (FIN, HON), 5 p.; 21. Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, YAM), 3 p.; 22. Mitchell Evans (AUS, HON), 0 p.;
MXGP – World Championship Standings
1. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 367 points; 2. Maxim Renal (FRA, YAM), 288 p.; 3. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 264 p.; 4. Jorge Prado (ESP, GAS), 260 p.; 5. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, YAM), 234 p.; 6. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, HON), 213 p.; 7. Brian Bogers (NOW, HOUSE), 205 p.; 8. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, BET), 189 p.; 9. Calvin Vlaanderen (NOW, YAM), 178 p.; 10. Pauls Jonass (LAT, HUS), 172 p.; 11. Alberto Forato (ITA, GAS), 149 p.; 12. Ben Watson (GBR, CAW), 137 p.; 13. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KTM), 118 p.; 14. Mitchell Evans (AUS, HON), p.114; 15. Henry Jacobi (GER, HON), 103 p.; 16. Brent Van Doninck (BELL, YAM), 95 p.; 17. Jed Beaton (AUS, COW), 82 p.; 18. Thomas Kjer Olsen (THE, KTM), 73 p.; 19. Alvin Östlund (SWE, YAM), 56 p.; 20. Tom Koch (GER, KTM), 41 p.; 21. Hardy Roosiorg (EST, KTM), 28 p.; 22. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, GAS), 23 p.; 23. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, BET), 18 p.; 24. Miro Sihvonen (FIN, HON), 14 p.; 25. Christopher Charlier (FRA, YAM), 13 p.; 26. Jorge Zaragoza (ESP, HON), 12 p.; 27. Nicholas Rolando (DAY, SUZ), 10 p.; 28. Valentine Guillod (SUI, YAM), 10 p.; 29. Ivo Monticelli (STONE, HON), 7 p.; 30. Sergio Villaronga (CHL, HON), 6 p.; 31. David Philippaerts (NOW, COW), 6 p.; 32. Tunnel Leok (EST, HUS), 6 p.; 33. Victor Darius Bow (ARG, SUZ), 6 p.; 34. Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, YAM), 6 p.; 35. Humberto Martin (BEN, HOUSE), 5 p.; 36. Mark Trosser (ARG, YAM), 4 p.; 37. Lautaro Bull (ARG, KTM), 4 p.; 38. Augustine Carrasco (ARG, YAM), 4 p.; 39. Filippo Zonta (STONE, GAS), 4 p.; 40. Paul Galletta (ARG, YAM), 3 p.; 41. Nicholas Lapucci (ITA, FAN), 3 p.; 42. Ishmael Guarise (ITA, KTM), 2 p.; 43. Benoit Paturel (FRA, HON), 2 p.; 44. Charles Lefrancois (FRA, HON), 1 p.; 45. Francis Cabarcos (ARG, SUZ), 1 p.;
Text: Matthias Van Eeckhoven – Photo: MXGP.com
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