MXGP - And Then There Were Four

Posted on July 27, 2021

So here we are after rounds in Russia, England, Italy, Holland and Czech Republic we have the battle for the MXGP championship really heating up. Round six set for Lommel in Belgium this weekend and another chapter in what is becoming a very interesting storyline.

As it looks now, you would guess that four men are still in the championship picture, or at least, the favourites heading into the next stage of the MXGP championship of 2021. Series leader and four-time World champion Tim Gajser, nine-time World champion Antonio Cairoli, two-time World champion Jorge Prado and 2015 World champion Romain Febvre look likely to be fighting for the red plate as we enter round six of the title race.

Outside of these four guys, I can’t see Jeremy Seewer, Glenn Coldenhoff, or Paul Jonass getting close to the front again in 2021, at least not in the championship points chase. I can still see both Seewer and Coldenhoff winning races and maybe even GPs, but gaining on the front four, they just haven’t shown the consistency or speed to gain all those lost points back.

One time series favourite Jeffrey Herlings is seemingly out for some weeks after winning his first GP in Italy, and the winning a moto in Holland with a fractured shoulder blade. He wants to come back in Lommel, despite his doctor and team manager saying don’t do it, but we all know “The Bullet” isn’t a quitter, and despite his run of one injury after another, he still remains passionate and determined to become not only he greatest GP winner of all time, but also collect a couple of extra World titles to the four he already has. With or without another GP win, or championship, the Dutchman will go down as one of the greatest GP riders of all time, and without question the unluckiest. If he races Lommel, and can fight through the pain, man, he will go down as the toughest motocross rider ever.

Then we have series leader, defending champion and current favourite Tim Gajser going down really hard in Loket, bouncing up like gumby man, and finishing 15th in the moto. The Slovenian lost valuable points to second placed man Antonio Cairoli, who just keeps on keeping on, and if Gajser is the gumby man, then Cairoli is the Duracell bunny. Until now, the HRC man has been the man to beat in the points race, and I think he might be wanting to show that again in Lommel this coming weekend. I for one wouldn’t bet against Gajser doing a Russian job on the opposition in the deep, deep sand of Lommel. We said after the injury to Herlings that it is Gajser’s title to lose, and if Loket is anything to go by, he is on the edge of disaster.

How about Cairoli though. He has shown speed early in the season since 2004, and that shouldn’t surprise any of us. In recent years around this time of the year though, he starts to fade, and lose ground on the front guys. I get the feeling the 2021 version of Cairoli might just be a little stronger mentally and physically than the one from 2018, 2019 and 2020 and he lasts longer than he has the last few seasons. I think he might even be in the fight until the end this year and he will continue to chip away, remain composed and stick to his podium finish goal. The older he gets, the more impressive he is, title or not title.

Jorge Prado is coming, and if I was Gajser and Cairoli, I would be looking over my shoulder. The young Spaniard won his first GP of the season and that must have been a huge confidence builder. While he hasn’t been as consistent as Gajser and Cairoli, he hasn’t had that costly get off like the two front guys. He has had five less than impressive moto finishes and has looked ragged at times. He complained about problems with his breathing in recent weeks, but you wonder if that is just a tip out of the Antonio Cairoli mind games book, as Tony is a legend at giving information that gives his competition the idea that he isn’t 100%. As we often see, those mind games work when you suddenly see an orange KTM on your rear wheel and obviously not struggling.

What about Romain Febvre, damn, how has he not won a GP yet. Consistently fast, but also consistently making big errors that cost him big points. Like Prado he has had some less than impressive moto finishes, and he has had a lot of crashes while in positions to get a podium, or even GP win. The speed isn’t the problem for Febvre, and he just needs to maybe step it down a notch and remain looking at the big picture like Cairoli does so well. Like the three above him, he will enjoy returning to the deep, black sand of Lommel. Could be a surprise winning come Sunday night. 20 points down on Gajser for the red plate, he needs to keep on the bike and get as many points as possible, instead of making going for the win on every occasion.