Tom Vialle 2nd overall in Garda grand prix as MXGP title chase stays close

MXGP of Garda: this weekend took the sixteenth Grand Prix of the 2021 Motocross World Championship in Pietramurata.

MXGP

Herlings takes 4th in Italy and is now 3rd in the MXGP title dispute but 3 points from the top while Cairoli 5th and Jorge Prado 6th with two rounds remaining.

Jeffrey Herlings:“Where can I start?! The day actually began quite good but then went downhill from there! My start was alright in the first moto but I could not get in my rhythm for the first three laps and at one point I was 4th but lost a lot of time passing Jorge. Basically, Romain and Jeremy had then gone. 3rd place was still OK. In the second moto I really wanted to attack and go for the win. I was into 2nd on the second lap and I thought ‘this is going to be my moto’. I went over the finish line jump and wanted to chase Tim because I felt I had the speed but the bike went left-right and I was shot-off. It was my mistake but the bike was then a bit bent and I needed some laps to get used to it. The rhythm was coming back and I was close to Romain but my hand came off the bar over that same jump and I was shot to the moon. That was a big hit with a big crash. The bike was even more bent! I knew then I would need something special today. I was 10th and I needed to keep pushing because every point counts. To go home only 3 points down, I know it is still in my own hands. I didn’t make it easy for myself and the last two GPs here have been tough but it is all still possible. Thanks to Tony. Only the greatest and the biggest champions would do that. To me he not only showed his loyalty to KTM but helped me a lot because those are two very important points. Only a real team player would do that. Jorge as well, I had to pass him three times in that second moto. It was a real team effort and I cannot thank them enough.”

Tony Cairoli: “Pretty good today. In the first moto I had a good start but made a few mistakes on the first laps and dropped from 5th to 7th. I passed back to 5th but it was difficult to make those moves: sadly I couldn’t make the same excellent start that I had on Wednesday. The guys in front were too far by the time I could get through. I felt a podium was possible, even if a top-five is always good. In the last moto I had the pace to go a bit faster but I did not want to get in the middle of the fight for the championship. Jeffrey made a crash in front of me and again there was a big gap. I had settled for 4th when I saw Jeffrey was coming on the last two laps. For me 4th or 5th was not that important because I knew I wouldn’t have been on the podium so I gave [away] my position. I hope a few points more will help him and KTM for the championship. That’s KTM’s goal for this year.”

Jorge Prado: “I’m happy with 6th. The last two races here have not been very good with my back and it’s been hard to get two consistent motos. It’s been a tough few weeks with both the injuries to my arm and then my back. I’ve missed training and haven’t ridden much. I can feel it. Physically I’m still not 100%. It’s only been one-week-and-a-half since I had the fracture, even if it is slowly getting better. Today was less painful than the other races. I had a good second moto start and I enjoyed the riding. We do this sport because we love it and it’s nice to enjoy your racing. It was a pity to have arm-pump in the first moto. I got a bit tight. 6th was the best I could do in the second moto. Overall, I’m happy.”

MX2

Vialle, partially fit, rides to his ninth MX2 podium of the season and is now 2nd in the series while Hofer wins his second MX2 race this year but a second moto fall means 4th overall while.

Tom Vialle: “It wasn’t a bad today. I hurt my ankle in the crash on Wednesday and I wasn’t sure if I could ride. Practice in the morning was OK but during the races it was painful on the landings of the jumps. The first moto start wasn’t so bad but I couldn’t follow the rhythm and had arm-pump. It was a tough one! My feeling during the second moto was better. I just tried to ride the best I can. I tried everything and I’m quite happy to have 2nd. Today was a good for the championship and we’ll try to stay ahead of Jago now.”

Rene Hofer: “Still a pretty good day I’d say with my second MX2 moto win. I’m pretty overwhelmed by all the things that are going on right now. Two wins from six motos here. Unfortunately, I missed the podium because of a crash in the second moto but my riding was good to come back to 8th. I’m doing well and we’re also performing good in the championship: we are only three points behind 5th, and 4th place is also not far. We’ll give it all in the last two GPs to try and improve my standing.”

Mattia Guadagnini: “Not much luck today. I had a good feeling in qualifying and was motivated for a strong race but had a bad start in the first moto. I was riding strong and regaining positions but had two crashes. In the second one I hit my knee and I was last by a long way so I stopped For the second race I wanted a good start and almost had it but for a small mistake in the first turn. I was not feeling 100% and the laps were not coming easy. I took what I could. We’ll reset and look towards Mantova.”

Motocross World Championship 2021, Round 16 – Pietramurata 3 (ITA)

MXGP
4. Jeffrey Herlings (KTM)

5. Tony Cairoli (KTM)

6. Jorge Prado (KTM)

MX2
2. Tom Vialle (KTM)

4. Rene Hofer (KTM)

11. Simon Längenfelder (GasGas)

13. Gianluca Facchetti (KTM)

14. Mattia Guadagnini (KTM)

16. Isak Gifting (GasGas)

21. Filippo Zonta (Honda)

credits: press.ktm.com and gasgas press center