Under a bright Scandinavian sun and on a track both hard and demanding, the riders gave their all at this 15th round of the season. Here's the recap of the MXGP of Sweden, contested this weekend at Uddevalla, a stage that could prove decisive in the race for the titles.
Qualifying : The beginnings of a fierce Scandinavian battle?
On Saturday, the competition got underway with promising qualifying sessions. In MXGP, Tim Gajser (Team HRC) impressed by winning the qualifying race, establishing himself as the clear favourite. Jorge Prado (Red Bull GASGAS) took second place, while Romain Febvre (Kawasaki) completed the top three. Gajser impressed with his speed and determination, while Prado, despite a slightly difficult start, showed he was ready to fight for victory.
In MX2, Kay de Wolf (Nestaan Husqvarna) dominated qualifying, beating Mikkel Haarup (Monster Energy Triumph), who had led for much of the race. Lucas Coenen (Nestaan Husqvarna) finished third, proving that he would be a formidable opponent in the following day's races...
MXGP & MX2 Races 1 Sweden: the dynamics are reversed
Qualifying races are not always a foretaste of what's to come over the weekend, and the round in Sweden proved just that. On Sunday, the races more than lived up to their promise. In the MXGP class, Jorge Prado put in a solid performance, winning the very first race. However, the importance of the start, highlighted during Saturday's RAM qualifying race, was not really confirmed: none of the championship contenders managed to make it into the top 3, with the Fox Holeshot Award going to Romain Febvre for the Kawasaki Racing Team.
The Spanish champion crossed the finish line 0.809 seconds ahead of Gajser, demonstrating perfect control of the track. Jeremy Seewer (Kawasaki) managed to climb to fourth behind Febvre, while Jeffrey Herlings (KTM) made a spectacular comeback from 17ᵉ position to finish fifth. Local Isak Gifting also had his moment of glory, taking the lead during the opening laps before settling for 7ᵉ place. He particularly stood out during the observation laps of each race, sporting a cape in Swedish colors and a plush Viking helmet.
In MX2, Lucas Coenen took a resounding victory. Kay de Wolf, despite solid qualifying, had to settle for second place after a hard-fought battle with Coenen. Mikkel Haarup, who had led the opening laps, finished third, leaving Simon Längenfelder and Liam Everts to complete the top five.
Race 2: valuable points...
The second MXGP race was marked by the total domination of Jorge Prado. Starting from second position after a holeshot won by Glenn Coldenhoff (Fantic) this time, Prado quickly took the lead and never looked back. His lead reached an impressive 14.445 seconds over Jeffrey Herlings, who continued to perform well despite a hand injury. Tim Gajser, although not performing as well, took third place, reducing his championship lead. Romain Febvre and Calvin Vlaanderen completed the top five.
In MX2, Lucas Coenen reaffirmed his domination. Kay de Wolf finished second after an unsuccessful attempt to catch Coenen. Liam Everts put in a solid performance to finish third, while Simon Längenfelder, displaying consistent speed throughout the races, took fourth place.
MXGP Swedish Grand Prix standings (Top 5):
The Swedish track marked the Spanish rider's return to victory, a first since the MXGP of Indonesia on June 30. Romain Febvre will certainly have some regrets this season, as he has shown himself to be a serious contender for the top spots since his return from injury. Jeremy Seewer, winner of the last two GPs on this circuit, finished in 6ᵉ position over the two rounds as a whole.
1. Jorge Prado - 50 points ;
2. Tim Gajser - 42 p. ;
3. Jeffrey Herlings - 38 p. ;
4. Romain Febvre - 38 p. ;
5. Calvin Vlaanderen - 31 p.
Jorge Prado, undisputed MXGP of Sweden winner
It was a great weekend for me. I knew I had to be at 100% to win the overall classification, and that's what I did. I made things difficult for myself in the first race with a very bad start, but in the second I managed to get off to a good start and attacked hard in the first corner. After that, I put in some good laps and managed the race well. The track was very difficult, but we were driving at a good pace, so we're super happy. Now let's move on to the sand, and hope for another win there.
MXGP 2024 provisional overall standings:
Thanks to this result, Prado has closed the gap on the world championship, now totalling 740 points, 17 behind leader Gajser. Herlings proved he's in good form despite the challenges, and is still in third place with 709 points.
MX2 Swedish Grand Prix standings (Top 5):
Championship leader Kay de Wolf, missing the podium, also sees the points gap narrow. Lucas Coenen emerged as a serious contender for the MX2 title with his dominant victories, his 5th this season.
1. Lucas Coenen - 50 points
2. Andrea Adamo - 40 p. ;
3. Simon Laengenfelder - 40 p. ;
4. Mikkel Haarup - 37 p. ;
5. Kay de Wolf - 32 p.
Simon Längenfelder reacts after his 24th podium of the season
I think it was a difficult course, especially to find all the right lines, always be perfect and avoid mistakes, because you had to follow the trajectories perfectly straight. With this stony terrain, it was really easy to make a mistake, but I managed to avoid them in the end. I didn't have the speed to win, but I think I was consistent, and I'm satisfied with that.
MX2 2024 provisional overall standings :
MXGP and MX2 Race Calendar 2024
This weekend at Uddevalla was an impressive display of mastery and resilience from the victorious riders. With five Grands Prix remaining, this weekend's performances redefined the dynamics of the championship and set the scene for a thrilling end to the season. As the drivers enter the first round of a three-week race series, fans can look forward to a fierce battle for the titles.
1 MXGP de Patagonie Argentina, Villa La Angostura circuit, March 10. Winners: Jorge Prado (MXGP) and Kay de Wolf (MX2)
2 MXGP of Spain, intu Xanadú - Arroyomolinos circuit, March 24. Winners: Jorge Prado (MXGP) and Kay de Wolf (MX2)
3 MXGP of Sardinia (Italy), Riola Sardo circuit, April 7. Winners: Jorge Prado (MXGP) and Kay de Wolf (MX2)
4 MXGP de Trento (Italy), Pietramurata circuit, April 16. Winners: Jorge Prado (MXGP) and Liam Everts (MX2)
5 MXGP of Portugal, Agueda circuit, May 5. Winners: Pauls Jonass (MXGP) and Liam Everts (MX2)
6 MXGP of Galicia (Spain), Lugo circuit, May 12. Winners: Jorge Prado (MXGP) and Lucas Coenen (MX2)
7 MXGP de France, St Jean d'Angely circuit, May 19. Winners: Tim Gajser (MXGP) and Lucas Coenen (MX2)
8 MXGP Germany, Teutschenthal circuit, June 2. Winners: Jorge Prado (MXGP) and Lucas Coenen (MX2)
9 MXGP of Latvia, Kegums circuit, June 9. Winners: Jeffrey Herlings (MXGP) and Sacha Coenen (MX2)
10 MXGP of Italy, Maggiora circuit, June 16. Winners: Tim Gajser (MXGP) and Sacha Coenen (MX2) 11 MXGP of Sumbawa (Indonesia), Sumbawa circuit, June 30
11 MXGP West Nusa Tenggara (Indonesia), Lombok circuit, June 30. Winners: Jorge Prado (MXGP) and Kay de Wolf (MX2)
12 MXGP Lombok (Indonesia), Lombok circuit, July 7. Winners: Jeffrey Herlings (MXGP) and Lucas Coenen (MX2)
13 MXGP of Czech Republic, Loket circuit, July 21. Winners : Tim Gajser (MXGP) and Kay de Wolf (MX2)
14 MXGP of Flanders (Belgium), Lommel circuit, July 28. Winners: Jeffrey Herlings (MXGP) and Kay de Wolf (MX2)
15 MXGP of Sweden, Uddevalla circuit, August 11. Winners : Jorge Prado (MXGP) and Lucas Coenen (MX2)
16 MXGP of the Netherlands, Arnhem circuit, August 18
17 MXGP of Switzerland, Frauenfeld circuit, August 25
18 MXGP of Turkey, Afyonkarahisar circuit, September 8
19 MXGP of China, Shanghai circuit, September 16
20 MXGP of TBA (Italy), September 29
Monster Energy FIM Motocross des Nations , Matterley Basin circuit (UK), October 6
Photo and video credits : @MXGP