An unfortunate Qualifying on Saturday had left the Norwegian with a tough task on race day as he was forced to start from the disadvantageous gate on the extreme outside in both points-scoring motos and, despite getting a great jump out of the start each time, he was inevitably pushed wide at turn one to emerge outside the first dozen. He took several laps to settle ino a rhythm in race one before advancing dramatically during the second half to finish sixth, narrowly failing to catch the rider in fifth at the close. Even further back leaving turn one in race two he immediately started making moves to take over eighth within two laps; two further impressive moves mid-moto saw him advance to sixth and close down fifth but there was just no way past and a brace of sixth-placed motos also earnt sixth overall on the day. His thirty-point haul has consolidated his fourth-place in the series standings.
Kevin Horgmo: “It’s never easy starting from the outside heading into a 180 degree first turn; I got a great jump each time, but I just started too wide. I had two difficult races but I passed many riders. The first moto got better and better as the race wore on; I made a nice pass on Everts and got close to Bénistant at the last corner but couldn’t quite make the pass. The second race was the same at the end when I got stuck behind Längenfelder, but I stayed healthy and two sixths from that gate position were good points for the championship. “
Big Van World MTX Kawasaki’s Mikkel Haarup deserved much more from a dramatic day’s racing. The Dane was justifiably confident of a top result after a sterling third in Qualifying and needed just a couple of turns to move into fifth in race one, completing a fast-moving quintet at the head of the field. He took over fourth at half-distance and was still pushing for a moto podium on the final lap when he got pushed wide by a backmarker entering the waves, fell and was relegated in an instant to eighth. Determined to make amends in race two he shot into the first turn top-three but, running wide on the exit, got involved in a clash which pushed him to the back of the pack. Tenth within two laps he continued to advance and was seventh until he came together with the points-leader after twenty minutes and was relegated to eleventh. He remains sixth in the series points standings.
Mikkel Haarup: “It was a tough day but I gave everything I have. In the first moto I had a solid ride and battled into fourth but on the last lap there was a lapped rider in the way for half-a-lap and, when I went to go outside him, he went wider and took me out. I don’t think he saw me; that’s racing. I came back to seventh from a crash at the start of the second moto with good speed all around the track but Geerts took me out quite hard; at that point I had used all my energy and had to settle for eleventh. It was a tough day, but I’ll be ready to go again in France next weekend. “
The 9MM Energy Drink BUD Racing Kawasaki team again played a prominent role in the penultimate round of the FIM European EMX250 Championship. Quentin Marc Prugnières, in discomfort to his groin and lower back after a start-crash during Saturday’s first moto, was in sparkling form in Sunday morning’s race two. From twelfth at the start he needed just eight minutes to advance to fifth; lapping significantly faster than the riders around him he swept into fourth at half-distance and was poised to take over third two laps later until he jarred his back in the waves. Forced by the pain to slacken his pace he nevertheless persevered to take the chequered flag a brave sixth. The French youngster remains seventh in the series standings heading to the final round on home soil at St Jean D’Angely next weekend. Teammate Eddie Jay Wade, so impressive on his way to seventh in race one on Saturday, was out of luck in race two; a first corner incident left him last but he charged all moto to salvage eighteenth on the penultimate lap, missing the top-ten overall only on the tie-break. He has advanced to fourteenth in the series standings and has a shot at the top-ten next weekend in France.