Gajser extends MXGP championship lead in front of record fans

Team HRC’s Tim Gajser increased his lead at the top of the 2019 world motocross championship table to 177 points after finishing second overall at the MXGP of the Czech Republic. Watched on by a record number of Slovenian fans who made the journey north to watch their Honda CRF450RW-riding hero, the #243 rode solidly throughout both races to secure his podium position, his eighth in a row. Team mate Brian Bogers also had a good day, placing ninth in race one, before finishing just outside the top 10 in race two.

On the hard pack Loket track, Gajser made two good starts, placing inside the top three in both races and with passing opportunities limited due to the lack of line options, he settled for two second places to score 44 points on the day. This was good enough for second overall and more importantly, four points more than his nearest championship rival which left the gap at 177 with just 250 points left to race for. Unfortunately it does mean his winning streak ended at a record-breaking seven, but the vast number of Slovenian fans didn’t care one bit as the double world champion took another massive step towards title number three.

Taking a risky outside gate pick in both motos, Bogers stormed around the first corner in race one in fifth position. Holding a good speed early on, he eventually succumbed to arm pump on a track that was really tricky to go fast on. By the end of the race, he crossed the line in ninth place which was still inside the top 10, his goal at the beginning of the moto. Unfortunately the outside gate pick didn’t pay off in race two and he rounded the first bend outside the top 20. Making a lot of quick passes early on, he managed to work his way up to 13^th by the midpoint of the race and although his pace was good, he could only finish in 12^th, which was enough for 11^th overall.

Next weekend the MXGPs head to Lommel for one of the toughest tests of the year as the riders have to deal with the deep sand in the north of Belgium. It is certainly a much different surface than the hard pack surface they found this weekend in Loket, but as Gajser has proved over the last 13 rounds, he is capable on every type of terrain. He also knows that with a couple more good results, his dream of a third world championship title becomes ever nearer. Bogers is also looking forward to racing at a track that he grew up riding on and will once again set his sights on the MXGP top 10 when the gate drops in Lommel on Sunday 4^th August.