The 2019 MXGP action continues to bring surprises, only one week after a difficult 6th overall in Lombardia, Italy, Team HRC’s Tim Gajser rode to a perfect 1-1 finish in Portugal just days ago. Gajser’s French resume puts him with 2 podium finishes, a 3rd in 2018 and a 2nd in 2016.
Meanwhile Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Antonio Cairoli made the best of costly mistakes to take 2nd and maintain his championship points lead but it was Monster Energy Wilvo Yamaha Official MXGP’s Arnaud Tonus making his long-awaited return to the podium. Cairoli has reached the podium 6 times of his 9 visits to Saint Jean d’Angely including 2 overall wins and has never missed the top 10. Tonus on the other hand hasn’t raced in Saint Jean d’Angely since 2014 when he took 2nd.
Monster Energy Wilvo Yamaha official MXGP team’s Gautier Paulin currently holds third in the points but will be looking for his best result of the year this weekend for his home GP. Paulin has been on the French podium in Saint Jean d’Angely twice, once in 2012 on the 450 and once the year before in the MX2 category but last year only came away with a 7th.
Fellow Frenchman Romain Febvre from the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP team will be back in action on home soil this weekend after returning from injury just last week in Portugal. Febvre won this event in 2016 and has made the top five two other times with his worst result in 2012 still being a top ten. After showing he hasn’t lost the pace with 8th overall last weekend Febvre may be an unlikely podium contender this Sunday.
Other riders to look out for include Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s Clement Desalle and Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP’s Jeremy Seewer. Desalle has a strong track record here with an overall win in 2014 in addition to 2 other podium finishes and 3 more top 5 results including 4th last year. Seewer on the other hand was in the top ten here during his rookie MXGP season last year along with his MX2 podium in 2016, not to mention both him and Desalle were fighting in top 5 positions last weekend.
2018 MXGP MXGP of France MXGP Podium:
- Jeffrey Herlings
- Antonio Cairoli
- Tim Gajser
MXGP ChampionshipTop Ten: 1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 285 points; 2. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 251 p.; 3. Gautier Paulin (FRA, YAM), 197 p.; 4. Clement Desalle (BEL, KAW), 175 p.; 5. Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, HUS), 166 p.; 6. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 153 p.; 7. Pauls Jonass (LAT, HUS), 137 p.; 8. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, HON), 136 p.; 9. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, YAM), 122 p.; 10. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 120 p.