Vialle wins maiden MXGP overall in Switzerland

Honda HRC PETRONAS’s Tom Vialle won his first MXGP overall in just his third attempt, after storming through the field in the second moto to back-up his victory in the first moto. Starting from 18^th gate-pick, the Honda CRF450RW rider powered away to lead the whole of race one, showing his speed on a tricky Frauenfeld track.

He wasn’t able to repeat that in race two though, and instead had to come from outside the top 20 to power his way to sixth place. It was a remarkable comeback that surprised even the Frenchman as he didn’t know he’d won the Swiss GP until he got behind the podium. It was a crazy turn of events, which showed that the rookie MXGP rider is already a force to be reckoned with, especially as he can make the necessary passes on what is traditionally a difficult track to move through the field. This victory now sees him to within seven points of the title-lead and after three completely different terrains, he is proving he will be a threat at every round.

At one stage of the second MXGP moto, Ruben Fernandez looked like he might join his teammate on the podium, but the Spaniard wasn’t able to keep his momentum in race two and instead finished just three points shy of third. It was a shame for the #70 because he looked so good in race one, when rode to a very impressive third and after another good start in race two, he was well-placed for a first appearance on the box. Instead he’ll be hoping to make another challenge in Sardinia in a couple of weeks’ time.

Jeffrey Herlings will also be hoping for better fortune after falling foul of a treacherous corner that took the chain off three GP riders in that race. It was unfortunate because the #84 was in second place at the time, and combined with a third in the second moto, it would have been enough to see him win the GP. While he disappointed with the end result, the Dutchman is still just 12 points behind the championship leader and with more favourable tracks coming up, he will be hoping to close that gap.

In the MX2 class, Valerio Lata came into this weekend with confidence after a good moto result in Spain, and he carried that on with excellent five-four moto scores for fifth overall. Both races saw the Italian take strong starts on board his Honda CRF250RW, and he rode a consistent pace, avoiding any mistakes and keeping pace with the guys in front. He has now improved in each GP and will be looking to maintain that streak the next two races, which are a double-header in his home country.

Now though, there is a weekend off, which gives the riders a chance to prepare themselves for the deep sand of Riola Sardo, and the hard-pack rocky terrain in Trentino, before they get an unprecedented four week break.

MX2 Race 1
1. Simon Längenfelder (GER, KTM), 35:05.114; 2. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM), +0:04.545; 3. Liam Everts (BEL, Husqvarna), +0:09.916; 4. Guillem Farres (ESP, Triumph), +0:36.476; 5. Valerio Lata (ITA, Honda), +0:41.381; 6. Karlis Alberts Reisulis (LAT, Yamaha), +0:43.606; 7. Janis Martins Reisulis (LAT, Yamaha), +0:49.573; 8. Camden Mc Lellan (RSA, Triumph), +0:56.614; 9. Maxime Grau (FRA, Honda), +1:25.672; 10. Kay Karssemakers (NED, Kawasaki), +1:39.128;

MX2 Race 2
1. Guillem Farres (ESP, Triumph), 34:50.386; 2. Liam Everts (BEL, Husqvarna), +0:00.332; 3. Simon Längenfelder (GER, KTM), +0:11.850; 4. Valerio Lata (ITA, Honda), +0:13.813; 5. Mathis Valin (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:14.431; 6. Karlis Alberts Reisulis (LAT, Yamaha), +0:25.810; 7. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM), +0:47.433; 8. Julius Mikula (CZE, KTM), +0:53.373; 9. Janis Martins Reisulis (LAT, Yamaha), +0:59.441; 10. Jens Walvoort (NED, KTM), +1:02.785;

MX2 GP Overall
1. Simon Längenfelder (GER, KTM), 45 points; 2. Guillem Farres (ESP, TRI), 43 p.; 3. Liam Everts (BEL, HUS), 42 p.; 4. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM), 36 p.; 5. Valerio Lata (ITA, HON), 34 p.; 6. Karlis Alberts Reisulis (LAT, YAM), 30 p.; 7. Janis Martins Reisulis (LAT, YAM), 26 p.; 8. Kay Karssemakers (NED, KAW), 21 p.; 9. Jens Walvoort (NED, KTM), 20 p.; 10. Cas Valk (NED, TM), 19 p.;

MX2 Championship
1. Simon Längenfelder (GER, KTM), 149 points; 2. Guillem Farres (ESP, TRI), 127 p.; 3. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM), 124 p.; 4. Camden Mc Lellan (RSA, TRI), 121 p.; 5. Liam Everts (BEL, HUS), 121 p.; 6. Janis Martins Reisulis (LAT, YAM), 105 p.; 7. Mathis Valin (FRA, KAW), 98 p.; 8. Valerio Lata (ITA, HON), 90 p.; 9. Karlis Alberts Reisulis (LAT, YAM), 88 p.; 10. Jens Walvoort (NED, KTM), 60 p.;