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Herlings, Cairoli, Nagl and Musquin in Latvia

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Max Nagl leads the charge of the MX1 brigade - Ray Archer image

News Monday 28th June 2010 By KTM

Jeffrey Herlings the 15-year-old "wunderkind" of the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team broke his recent run of bad luck last Sunday in winning style in Kegums Latvia to deliver a brilliant 3-1 moto result to take his second GP career victory in a style fitting of a champion.

But while Herlings was the hero of the circuit, especially in the second moto, which was anyone's race until the last seconds, teammate Marvin Musquin finished a solid fourth with a 1-7 result and retains his stranglehold on the red number plate as the championship leader with a massive 74 points advantage. Factory teammate Shaun Simpson was tenth.

Herlings was fast out of the start gates and with a maturity beyond his years, successfully fended off vicious attacks by both rival Ken Roczen and Frenchman Steven Frossard. The young Dutchman rode a tight and clever line on the tricky course that was part deep sandy burns and part hard surface and hung to deliver a thrilling finish that had the Latvian crowd on their feet.

Jeffrey Herlings: I'm really satisfied with my weekend. I've had my ups and downs this season. I started really good in the first five rounds then I had three bad rounds so it felt awesome to be back on top again. This was my second GP win. In the first heat I was in the lead after two corners and then I got passed by Marvin and Ken (Roczen) and I finished third. Then I took the holeshot in the second and I had a long fight with Steven (Frossard) but I fought hard and I was able to win the moto and the GP."

Musquin, with his usual elegant and winning style was untouchable in the first moto but fell on the first corner in the second. He then found himself dead last trailing the 27-man field and systematically picked off his opponents top finish a very creditable seventh.

Marvin Musquin when asked about the second moto said: "I crashed on the first corner. They had put a lot of water on the track so I crashed and stopped my bike. I was very angry but I made a good and strong comeback to finish seventh. This week I lost just three points in the championship so now I need to be very focused and try to be on the podium every weekend. I think Sweden is a good track but not so easy but like all races, I will do my best."

Did not gel with the track, Simpson says
Shaun Simpson said he had walked the track and had a positive impression before the race. "It looked cool, "he said. It had nice jumps and was quite different to what we're just to. But when we started to ride it was clear there was some fast and slippery in parts. I tried many different liens but somehow I just didn't gel with the track."

Red Bull KTM factor rider and championship leader Tony Cairoli may have been hemmed in during the first MX1 moto at Kegums in the Latvian GP on Sunday but he certainly made up for it in the second. Cairoli rounded off his day with a 4-1 result on the sandy track and overall second place in the GP.

The Italian maestro was a close second behind hole-shotter and factory teammate Max Nagl going into the first corner in the second moto but he snatched the lead before completion of the first lap and never looked threatened from that point onwards. When Tony whipped his 350 SX-F through the finish line of the second moto he was 13.4 seconds ahead of second placed Clement Desalle, who had won the first moto and emerged as the GP winner. Cairoli continues to have his hands on the red plate as championship leader and is 61 points ahead of his closes rival.

Tony Cairoli: I had problems in the first moto because I lost a lot of time trying to get past Philippaerts and I only managed fourth. So I wanted to win the second moto and to show my speed and be aggressive right from the beginning. That worked and I won and was second overall."

Tough guy Max
Nagl's brilliant holeshot in the second moto was another positive sign for the German rider currently hampered by a cracked collarbone and is only riding because surgeons have been able to secure it with a titanium plate and screws. Just one week after his crash, Nagl rode in the German GP and still far from healed, tackled the Latvian GP today. He finished with a 7-7 result for good championship points and is currently fifth in the standings, just one point shy of fourth place. Max, only able to ride with the help of pain killing injections, is still in the running for a good place overall and now only has to manage to pick up some more points in Udevalla, Sweden next weekend then can rest and heal his shoulder during the mid season break. On Sunday he drew praise from KTM racing official Heinz Kinigadner who said between the two motos: "If Max makes good points again this weekend like he did in Germany, we are happy for him. He's a REALLY tough guy!"

Nagl still on pain killing injections
Nagl however was not very satisfied with his racing as it was not quite as good as last week in Germany. He said that the injections for the pain were giving him stomach pains and other side effects and he hopes to be able to just use regular pain killing tablets next week in Sweden. "It was better for me in the second heat," he said. "I got the holeshot and I led the race for four laps but them I got tired because I haven't been able to train. I hope to be able to train once this week so my rhythm will be better next week. I like Sweden and I won ther last year so I have good memories of going there!"

Rui Goncalves, the third Red Bull KTM factory rider also had his best result for the current season after missing the first two GPs and working himself back into the competition after major shoulder surgery. The Portuguese rider finished overall tenth.

Rui Goncalves: It was my best race so far this season after my injury. I had two good motos and managed to finish in the top 10. This makes me happy and more motivated to keep improving. I had consistent lap times in the second moto and I'm getting better every week. Now I am looking forward to go to Sweden.

The next race is in Udevalla, Sweden.