Prado takes hard fought victory at MXGP of Trentino

2024 FIM Motocross World Championship
Round Four – MXGP of Trentino, Italy
Pietramurata

A classic venue on the calendar, the Crossodromo “Il Ciclomino” near the town of Arco, hosted the MXGP of Trentino, marking the fourth round of the series, with dramatic RAM Qualifying Races on Saturday throwing up plenty of challenges for both red plate holders.

Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing team leader Jorge Prado had issues on Saturday which left him with zero point from the RAM Qualifying Race. His pursuers smelt blood and struck first as Romain Febvre for the Kawasaki Racing Team and Tim Gajser for Team HRC both overtook the reigning Champ in race one. However, a poor start for the Slovenian and a crash for the Frenchman allowed the Spaniard to win race two, and the overall for the fourth Grand Prix in a row.

In MX2, red plate holder Kay de Wolf took another dominant win in race one for Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing, but a first corner crash left him out of the overall picture. His chief Championship rival, Simon Laengenfelder, took the second race win from a clear holeshot for Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing, but it was Liam Everts who took the overall Grand Prix with a solid 3-2 scorecard, the first GP win of the year for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing.

MXGP – Qualifying Race

Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP Team’s Calvin Vlaanderen topped the time sheets in Free Practice. His speed would carry into Time Practice where he grabbed third position behind Febvre in second. The Frenchman’s late run brought him to within 0.816 seconds of the lead. However, with a mid-session surge that put him 1.8 seconds clear at the time, Jorge Prado once more took the first gate pick for the afternoon race and looked tough to beat for Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing.

As with last week, it was a green bike firing into the lead from the gate as Febvre took the holeshot this time, with Prado and Fantic Factory Racing’s Glenn Coldenhoff in hot pursuit! Valentin Guillod was up in fourth early on the Ship-to-Cycle Honda but crashed dramatically after being passed by Team HRC’s Tim Gajser. The Slovenian pleased his many fans present by then moving past the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider Jeffrey Herlings.

After a fall in last year’s RAM Qualifying Race at this circuit, Prado had further issues in 2024. Losing the seat from his machine over the finish line jump, he had to do a full lap stood on the pegs and lost positions dramatically before pulling into the pits where his technicians did their work quickly!

At around half-distance, Gajser managed to leap over Coldenhoff’s head as the Dutchman couldn’t clear the big uphill triple jump after turn two, but the Fantic man held Herlings back to claim his best finish of the year so far in third.

With Prado losing his seat for a second time on the final lap, after working his way back to 17th position, it means that his championship lead over Gajser is more than halved, from 17 down to just 8 points.

MXGP – Qualifying Race Results

MXGP Race One

Even with the 17th gate pick, there was no denying Jorge Prado the amazing start that he is so good at, and he claimed the Fox Holeshot Award for the fifth time this season, holding off Febvre, as Gajser quickly moved past both Benoit Paturel on the De Baets Yamaha and Valentin Guillod on the Team Ship to Cycle Honda to get to third.

The reigning World Champion looked like he was making his usual swift getaway, but Febvre closed in and pressured the Spaniard into a mistake which allowed the Frenchman through on lap seven.

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Gajser was not out of the equation either, and two laps later, in direct sight of the hillside packed with his travelling fans, cut inside the red plate holder in a solid move that Prado had no answer to, sending the noise level up several notches.

Behind the top three, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings took his time to get going and battled through from ninth at the end of the first lap. Passing his co5untryman Calvin Vlaanderen on the lone Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP machine, and finally Kawasaki Racing Team’s Jeremy Seewer with three laps to go, “The Bullet” finished the race in fourth.

In the closing stages of race one, Gajser reeled in Febvre, sending his supporters wild as he nearly made a move for the lead in the very last corner. Ultimately the Kawasaki man held on to take his first GP race win of the year, while Tim’s second place knocked the points lead down to just six going into race two. Prado settling for a distant third.

MXGP Race One Results

MXGP Race Two

Race two once again saw the reigning Champion fire into the lead, making it six Fox Holeshot Awards for the year, but Febvre was right with him again. Herlings span sideways and to the floor exiting turn two, and would face a long charge through the pack, ultimately finishing seventh.

Vlaanderen was in a strong third, and was looking to challenge Febvre, but the Frenchman dropped his lap times to chase down Prado again, nearly passing him after the big uphill triple jump before the Spaniard closed the door. On lap six, he pushed the Kawasaki’s front wheel just too hard into a right hander and it broke away to put him on the ground.

Prado eased away, playing with the track and building his lead to a maximum of five seconds over a rapid Vlaanderen, who closed to two seconds at the flag for his best result yet on the factory Yamaha.

Seewer’s third was also his best of the year so far, as Gajser and Febvre could not advance any higher than fourth and fifth respectively, and they would have to settle for the bottom two steps of the podium.

MXGP Race Two Results

MXGP Overall

So from the difficult start to the weekend, Prado still comes away with the Grand Prix win, the 42nd of his career and his 11th in the MXGP class.

More importantly, no-one else has managed to beat him to the top step all season.  Febvre was the round runner-up on 41-points, Gajser third just a point behind. A point also separated fourth and fifth 37-36, with Calvin Vlaanderen and Jeremy Seewer claiming these places.

Prado now leads the Championship by 13 points on 219, from Gajser (206), with Febvre (174) a further 32 behind, in third. Jeffrey Herlings and Pauls Jonass rounding out the top five on 164 and 142-points respectively.

Jorge Prado – P1

“Starting from P17 wasn’t easy but I’m a good starter so I had to prove it today. First race I didn’t really have a good flow, I tried but it was sketchy and the guy were riding better than myself and finished in front of me. In the second race, with a little bike adjustment that we made together with the team I felt better and everything clicked. Such a good start in second race with a good battle with Febvre until he fell. Another win and in difficult condition where we had to turn it around so great job guys!”

Romain Febvre – P2

“I was pushing in this second because I felt I was faster. Trying to make some pass was difficult but yeah, I tried my best and also I was careful on that corner but I lost the front and went back to fifth. I was close to Tim (Gajser) sometimes when I tried to catch him but not easy to make a difference. So, a little bit disappointed of course to not win the GP as I won the RAM Qualifying and Race 1 but I’m on the podium and I scored good point over the weekend. Let’s go for the next round!”

Tim Gajser – P3

“It’s okay, I’m happy to be on the podium and I scored good points for the Championship but I definitely wanted more. Second race I didn’t get the fastest start and almost crashed in the first corner and banged bars in the first laps as well but I managed to get back to 4th. It was not an easy race; it was not easy to pass either but anyway happy to be here. Let’s go to Agueda for the next one and I’m looking forward to it. The fans were amazing here today and a huge thank you to all to come here to support me.”

MXGP Round Overall

MXGP Championship Points – Top 20

MX2 – Qualifying Race

Red plate holder Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Kay de Wolf, was fastest in Free Practice while teammate Lucas Coenen struggled to just 12th. However, in Time Practice it was the turn of the series leader to taste some dirt, and he had to straighten out his machine before setting a time good enough for fifth place.

A final lap dash for Thibault Benistant put the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 Team leader into pole position for the RAM Qualifying Race. Monster Energy Triumph Racing riders, Mikkel Haarup and Camden McLellan, again showing great pace to go second and fourth, with Marc-Antoine Rossi of Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing splitting them in third.

The frantic action continued in the RAM Qualifying Race as the familiar sight of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Sacha Coenen launched into the lead from the start, with his teammate Adamo right on his case.

Rick Elzinga pushed past the World Champion briefly on the opening lap, with Everts and Haarup also close behind. Adamo got back through and chased after Sacha, while Lucas Coenen suddenly started touring and pulled into the pits, so far without an obvious explanation.

De Wolf had to work from outside of the top ten and got through to 6th at the flag, but on lap 7 Adamo was able to launch the big triple jump when Sacha Coenen couldn’t, and in the following corner the young Belgian clipped the Italian’s rear wheel and hit the floor! He would eventually recover to finish 8th.

Simon Laengenfelder moved forward for Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing, passing Haarup in a great cutback move. Then, on the last lap, both riders went past Elzinga, who slipped from third to fifth in the space of two corners. Third for the German, with Haarup fourth, gave him a three-point gain over De Wolf to reduce the gap to 26 points in the chase for the Championship.

Everts showed his best speed so far this year to reel in his teammate in the closing laps, but in the end it was last year’s GP winner and Champion that took his first RAM Qualifying Race win of the season to pass Benistant.

MX2 – Qualifying Race Results

MX2 Race One

For the fifth time this season it was Sacha Coenen who fired into the lead from the start, chased by Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 rider Thibault Benistant and Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing’s red plate holder Kay de Wolf.

An aggressive move from De Wolf put him past Benistant, but it took him until lap five to make a move on Sacha, as the young Belgian seems to be building his confidence running at the front.

It wasn’t until lap 12 that Benistant got through into second, and the corner after Adamo pushed past saw the Champ argue with the bank and drop to an eventual eighth. Sadly, just as it looked like Sacha would claim a top three finish, he suffered a bike issue which left him unable to finish.

Mikkel Haarup was in a great third for Monster Energy Triumph Racing, but a strange issue slowed him dramatically on the final lap, and he dropped to an eventual ninth, leaving Liam Everts to claim third, just reward for a consistent push through the pack from outside the top ten, with Rick Elzinga a season’s best fourth for Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2, and Camden McLellan salvaging fifth for the Triumph team.

In the end, no-one had an answer to De Wolf who won by 3.7 seconds from Benistant, and as Simon Laengenfelder could only muster eighth place for Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing, the championship lead stretched to 38 points for the Dutchman. His teammate, Lucas Coenen, rode through the pain of a shoulder injury to finish in 10th position.

MX2 Race One Results

MX2 Race Two

Laengenfelder was desperate to make amends in race two, and fired into the lead to claim his first Fox Holeshot Award of the season. To help his cause further, the points leader De Wolf was picking up his bike in turn one, part of a pile-up that also involved Sacha Coenen, Elzinga, and Laengenfelder’s teammate Marc-Antoine Rossi.

The German took a leaf out of his teammate Prado’s book with a blistering display of speed that left his pursuers with no hope of catching, and Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 rookie Andrea Bonacorsi was a stunning second around the first lap to the delight of his home fans.

It took Everts 13 minutes to get past the reigning EMX250 Champion, and the top three stayed the same from there.

The final top three were Lagenfelder, Everts and Bonacorsi, with Benistant fourth and Triumph mounted Haarup fifth.

Both of the factory Husqvarna men hit the floor in the last ten minutes, but Adamo fared better, unable to climb any higher than sixth, behind Haarup.

MX2 Race Two Results

MX2 Overall

The MX2 round overall went to Everts on 42-points, Benistant second on 40-points, and Langenfelder and de Wolf tied on 38-points, but the final podium spot going to the former. Camden McLellan was a distant fifth on 30-points.

Kay De Wolf retains the championship lead on 213-points, Langenfelder second on 187-points, while Benistant is third on 148, just a point ahead of Lucas Coenen. Andrea Adamo rounding out the top five in the standings on 139-points.

Liam Everts – P1

“I’m lost for words; I really didn’t expect to win it. I wasn’t riding the best in the second race, I felt nervous but now that is done it feels right to get that out of the way and win here in such a special venue.”

Thibault Benistant – P2

“Finally I’m on the box. It took some time but it’s a great feeling. I had some timings on Saturday but I would still like to rider a bit freer. But I’m happy and the positive is that it’s getting better and better every weekend and I’m slowly getting where I want to be.”

Simon Laengenfelder – P3

“The second race was great and I showed what I can do after a good start and I finally got the job done. I was feeling good and making good laps and I thught I had good speed. I was not very happy about the first one but I’m on the podium which is really good.”

MX2 Round Overall

MX2 Championship Standings