The 10th round of the 2019 FIM Motocross World Championship season has had its opening today at the German bumpy hills of Teutschenthal where Team HRC’s Tim Gajser and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado proved not to be wasting any time enjoying their previous perfect weekend’s victories but are fully concentrated on the present. Both scored race wins in the MXGP and MX2 qualification races today and head into tomorrow’s program with the confidence growing to another level.
The German round also included the European Championship classes of EMX250 and EMX125presented by FMF Racing. Saturday saw the first of the two races in each category while Sunday will decide the overall winners of each class.
While it was F&H Racing Kawasaki’s Roan Van De Moosdijk who came out of the first lap with the lead in the EMX250 race, it was Honda Redmoto Assomotor’s Stephen Rubini who pushed hard to win the race in the final stages. Van De Moosdijk finished second eventually and Team Maddii Racing Husqvarna’s Alberto Forato came home third.
In the EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing opener, it was Maddii Racing Husqvarna rider Mattia Guadagnini who took the win from Team VRT’sTom Guyon and KINI KTM Junior Pro Team’s Mike Gwerder. Guadagnini led on lap one and controlled the race from up front and Guyon rode an amazing race, coming from six on lap one to move into second on lap eight.

MXGP
When the gate dropped in MXGP it was Team HRC’s Tim Gajser who took the lead early in the MXGP qualification race from the pair from Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team Romain Febvre and Jeremy Seewer, followed by Monster Energy Wilvo Yamaha Official MXGP’s duo Gautier Paulin and Arnaud Tonus. Febvre made a mistake on lap one and dropped a bunch of positions, dropping to 10th place.

Frantic action up front as the World’s fastest motocross riders pushed to the limit once again. After a lap the lead was more than three seconds as Gajser was again showing his hard pack skills. Teutschenthal proved to be always very technical and challenging allowing the MXGP riders to show who is the master of the dark soil. After three laps Gajser was leading by 5.6 seconds and, while Febvre managed to move into sixth place after passing Standing Construct KTM’s Ivo Monticelli and Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s Julien Lieber, Tonus crashed on lap 6 dropping down to 13th leaving Seewer and Paulin as second and third.

Standing Construct KTM’s Glenn Coldenhoff was looking fast today and after battling Romain Febvre for third position he reached his best qualifying position of the season finishing 3rd.

After 11 laps the lead was more than 10 seconds as Gajser continued the best form of his career winning his 4th qualifying race of the season while Seewer and Coldenhoff rounded up the top 3 of today’s qualification race.

Tim Gajser: “It was a great day today, I enjoyed the track, but it wasn’t easy. I had a good start and I was leading from the beginning, hopefully I’ll do the same tomorrow. Today I had the Yamaha guys just behind me and we had good battles, when we arrive at this time of the season everybody is pushing very hard, I’m looking forward for tomorrow, starts are going to be very important.”
KTM Sarholz’Max Nagl was back for his home GP but after making some laps during today’s free practice, he didn’t feel secure to continue as he again felt pain at his injured knee: “I got injured in Argentina and after the surgery I was very confident and keen on coming back especially because my recovery was faster than expected. I trained a few days and I felt fit to race again. Then something happened today and I’ll see the doctor during the weekend to go through that, I think I just had bad luck.”

MXGP – Qualifying Race Top 10:1. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), 25:33.189; 2. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Yamaha), +0:06.404; 3. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), +0:07.508; 4. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Yamaha), +0:09.389; 5. Romain Febvre (FRA, Yamaha), +0:10.823; 6. Julien Lieber (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:11.888; 7. Ivo Monticelli (ITA, KTM), +0:26.124; 8. Pauls Jonass (LAT, Husqvarna), +0:29.289; 9. Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, Husqvarna), +0:30.852; 10. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Honda), +0:31.653;

MX2
In MX2 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado won the MX2 qualifying race after being the fastest one in time practice. Prado led from the second lap of the MX2 qualification race, ahead of Honda 114 Motorsports’ Mitchell Evans and Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Thomas Kjer Olsen. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Tom Vialle was fourth and BIKE IT DRT Kawasaki’s Darian Sanayei was in fifth place.
Local rider F&H Racing Kawasaki rider Henry Jacobi was down in seventh place but dropped to eighth when got passed by Honda Redmoto Assomotor’s Mathys Boisrame. Prado looked like he loved the hard-pack of Teutschenthal and after three laps held a four seconds lead over Olsen, with Evans in a solid third place. Monster Energy Kemea Yamaha Factory rider Jago Geerts, who has had very solid performances so far had a terrible start and after five laps was down in 11th place while his teammate Ben Watson didn’t line up due to an injury in today’s free practice which forced him out of the GP as a result of a double fracture to his left hand.
Jacobi was making a charge on lap six as he pulled up on the back wheel of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Tom Vialle and was giving the large home crowd something to cheer about. Prado seemed to be cruising as he remained four seconds ahead of Olsen on lap seven, and Evans was a further two seconds back in third place.
Jacobi blasted into fifth place on lap seven as he pushed past Vialle, and just ahead of him were Bud Racing Kawasaki rider Brian Moreau and Evans. Prado won his 6th qualifying race by a little more than two seconds from Olsen and Evans.

Jorge Prado: “It was a good qualification race. I didn’t have a good feeling today, but hopefully tomorrow I will feel better. I still got the qualification win and we’ll try our best tomorrow.”
Henry Jacobi, who is now 4thin the championship points, is the local hero here in Teutschenthal: “it’s always good to race here as I leave very close to Teutschenthal. This year I’m racing for F&H Kawasaki and we have worked a lot together to improve the bike and to be ready for this season. I hope to have a good start tomorrow and I really wish to be on the podium.”

MX2 – Qualifying Race Top Ten:1. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 25:35.754; 2. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, Husqvarna), +0:02.499; 3. Mitchell Evans (AUS, Honda), +0:08.488; 4. Henry Jacobi (GER, Kawasaki), +0:15.989; 5. Brian Strubhart Moreau (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:17.922; 6. Maxime Renaux (FRA, Yamaha), +0:19.059; 7. Jed Beaton (AUS, Husqvarna), +0:22.959; 8. Michele Cervellin (ITA, Yamaha), +0:23.723; 9. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), +0:24.850; 10. Jago Geerts (BEL, Yamaha), +0:26.195.