Gajser maintains impressive championship lead after tough MXGP of Sardegna

Team HRC’s Tim Gajser still leads the 2022 Motocross World Championship by 79 points after the hottest and toughest MXGP of year at the Riola Sardo track in Sardinia, Italy. The deep sand track is a difficult enough challenge on its own but with temperatures approaching 30C, it was a real struggle for a lot of the best motocross riders on the planet.

Things were made even more difficult for the Slovenian as he came into the event having not eaten food for the previous couple of days due to an upset stomach. Thanks to the work of the team providing the best medical care possible, he was able compete at a high level for most of race one, but it did mean that he wasn’t able to continue his winning-streak that saw him win the last seven motos and take six overall victories out of seven GPs so far this year.

A holeshot in race one made his life a lot easier, as his Honda CRF450R powered him into the lead and gave him a clean track to try and navigate. Despite pressure the entire race, it looked like the #243 would hold onto the lead and take one of his toughest wins of the season, but with a couple of laps remaining, his illness caught up to him and he had to relinquish first position. Still, a second place was more than he expected coming into the weekend and actually extended his points advantage in the championship.

Race two didn’t get off to such a good start but he was still able to work his way into sixth by the time they crossed the line for the first lap. Settling into a good pace, he knew what he needed to do in order to finish with good results, however a crash halfway through the moto ruined those chances as he re-mounted down the field. Despite that disappointment, he kept it steady for the rest of the moto and crossed the line in 12^th place, knowing that he’d been able to salvage a good haul of points given his condition.

Things were equally as tough for teammate Mitch Evans whose final results definitely don’t reflect the speed the Australian was able to show this weekend. In race one, the #43 was the fastest rider on the track at one stage of the moto, passing riders and moving towards his first top five finish of the season. However, the high temperatures took their toll and with just a few laps remaining, Evans dropped down the field and crossed the line just out of the points.

Looking to make amends in race two, he stormed out the gate and looked like he’d be fighting for a holeshot. Unfortunately, as he looked to sweep around the outside of the turn, he hit a soft spot of sand and buried his front-end. In the aftermath of the crash, another rider ripped off his front brake and he had to pull into the pits to try and fix the bike. By the time he re-joined the race, he was well down the field, but he still was able to do a couple of really fast laps before pulling out to fight another day.

The season now has a weekend off, giving Gajser and Evans a chance to recover, recuperate and prepare themselves for the ninth round of the championship in Spain on May 29, where both riders will be looking for redemption. For Gajser that’ll be looking to get back to winning ways and extending his impressive 79-point gap at the top of series, while Evans will be hoping to put together the complete package at the track and get the points-haul his speed deserves.