The MXGP of Germany has been missing from the calendar since 2019, when Gajser also won, but it’s hard pack terrain lends itself nicely to the #243’s smooth, calculating style and this was in evidence once again as he worked himself through the field to record three-one results.
Just over three weeks since an injury jeopardised his season, the reigning world champion fought through the pain at the last event to come into this 11th round of the series, just one point off the lead. However, his 45-point today haul was enough to overturn that small margin and he once again will have a red-plated Honda CRF450RW at the next round in France this coming weekend.
After qualifying in second position, he rounded the first bend of the first moto with a top five start. This gave him a platform to attack those in front of him, and after five laps he moved into fourth, just as the top three started to break away. Putting in a couple of hotlaps to close the gap, he soon joined the trio ahead and began working out where he could make another pass on a rutted Teutschenthal track that wasn’t providing many places to overtake. Six laps later though, and he found a way into third place and although he challenged the front two, he couldn’t quite find a way through and had to settle for third.
Another good first few corners in race two saw him cross for the first lap in second position, however he knew that he’d need to win the moto if he wanted to get his fourth overall of the season. Eventually, after pressurising the leader for 11 laps, he swept through and immediately pulled a little gap at the front. As the chequered flag came out, he was over 12 seconds ahead, sparking scenes of jubilation as all the hard work in the past few weeks had paid off.
The riders now head into a brutal part of the season, with the final seven rounds taking place in less than six weeks, where any mistake can be costly in this tight championship battle. Up next on Sunday 10th October is another new MXGP track, in Lacapelle-Marival, southern France, where the expected hard-pack terrain should once again suit Gajser as he looks to cement his lead at the top of the class.
Tim Gajser #243
"I am so happy with how things went today, to come here just three weeks after surgery and get the moto win, the overall and the red plate is more than I could have hoped for coming into this weekend. A big thank you to the whole team who worked hard to get me feeling as close to 100% as possible and have supported me throughout, I couldn’t do it without them.
In both races I got good starts and that put me in a position to challenge for victory. I had good lines and although I felt I was fast enough to finish further forward in race one, third was still a good result. In race two, I had another good battle, but this time I could make the pass for the lead and win the race and it was just amazing to cross the line in first. I knew I was feeling better after two weeks of recovery since Sardinia so now, I will try to keep this momentum as we go to a new track in France next weekend. Also, a big thank you to all the fans at the track today and who have messaged me online, it really helps a lot to get that kind of support and it was great to hear so many fans whilst racing today.
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Marcus Pereira de Freitas - HRC General Manager - MXGP
"I am really so proud of Tim today. We knew that he was feeling better, but to be able to compete and win in this MXGP class when you’re still not 100% is a massive achievement and a really big confidence boost as we head into this tough finale to the season. He rode so smoothly and just looked comfortable straight away, and the track certainly wasn’t easy with those big long ruts causing riders a lot of problems. This was such a good performance but we need to keep up this level as the races come thick and fast and it is still a very close championship battle. A big well done to everyone in the team, and let’s take this feeling into France!
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