Championship bronze for Gajser after a podium at Mantova finale

In what was the tightest battle in recent memory, Team HRC’s Tim Gajser ended up with an MXGP bronze medal for his third place in the championship, after finishing second at the 18^th and final round of this year’s motocross world championship.

After an unfortunate incident at the beginning of Sunday’s race one, Gajser came into this round needing to gain 15 points over his rivals and despite his three-two moto scores, he was unable to over-turn that gap and instead had to settle for the third step on the championship podium. It was a disappointing end to what has been an incredible season, filled with many ups and down, but the Honda rider can be proud of an effort that saw him win seven motos and four overalls this year.

In race one, the Slovenian rider was unable to get out front off the start and instead had to work his way through the field. On lap one he was in seventh but as he has proved numerous times during the season, he quickly moved forward and by lap six he was in third and giving chase to the top two. Despite a lot of pressure, he was unable to make the move and as they crossed the line, he had to settle for third place.

Knowing that his championship chances were decreasing all the time, the Honda rider still put in 100% effort into race two, getting a much better jump out of the gate and rounding the first lap in third place. This time he was looking much more aggressive and he quickly moved into second after a mistake by the rider ahead. Setting his sights on a victory in the final moto of the year, he once again put enormous pressure on the leader but he came up just short, crossing the line 1.4 seconds behind the winner.

It was a valiant effort and one that is typical of the #243 who never gave up, despite suffering a number of hardships throughout this 2021 campaign. He also provided a lot of great moments this year with some excellent performances, most notably in Russia when he overtook the entire field, and then when he won in Germany, just a few weeks after recovering from a surgery. However, overall, Gajser will be disappointed not to have added to his four world titles after leading the series for the majority of the rounds.

With the 2022 season scheduled to begin early next year, there won’t be too much time to reflect and recover from this tumultuous campaign, but no doubt that Gajser will ready and raring to go come the first gate-drop of the opening round.