MX2 Qualifying Race Report: Ernée
Ernée, France – In a gripping MX2 Qualifying Race at the historic Ernée circuit, Andrea Adamo (KTM) secured victory with a time of 24:13.701, edging out Simon Laengenfelder (KTM) by 2.770 seconds. Sacha Coenen (KTM) rounded out the podium, finishing third, 8.891 seconds off the winner.
Key Highlights:
- Kay de Wolf (Husqvarna), who had set the fastest time in Free Practice, faced challenges after a crash in Time Practice, resulting in a 20th gate pick. Despite starting near the back, he managed to finish eighth.
- Early in the race, Liam Everts (Husqvarna) collided with Thibault Benistant (Yamaha), leading to both riders going down. Everts ultimately recovered to finish tenth.
- Notable crashes included Camden McLellan (Triumph) falling while attempting to pass, alongside a significant incident involving Guillem Farres (Triumph) over a tabletop jump.
Technical Insights:
- Elzinga, initially running fourth, tumbled out of contention on lap five, subsequently diagnosed with a broken clavicle, sidelining him for the foreseeable future.
- Lata (Honda) held strong in fifth, while Benistant climbed to fourth, showcasing competitive pace as he matched his best qualifying performance from last year.
Championship Context:
With this result, Laengenfelder has closed the gap to championship leader De Wolf to just nine points, as Adamo trails just five points behind Laengenfelder. The stakes are high for tomorrow’s two GP races, promising intense competition among the frontrunners.
Adamo’s Post-Race Reflections:
"It was a good race. I got a strong start and took the lead early, but Simon was right there putting pressure on me. I focused on managing the gap without pushing too much, as it’s easy to make a mistake here. Now we’re ready for tomorrow," Adamo stated.
MX2 Qualifying Race Classification:
- Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM) – 24:13.701
- Simon Längenfelder (GER, KTM) – +0:02.770
- Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM) – +0:08.891
- Thibault Benistant (FRA, Yamaha) – +0:18.553
- Valerio Lata (ITA, Honda) – +0:26.877
- Oriol Oliver (ESP, KTM) – +0:29.008
- Cas Valk (NED, KTM) – +0:39.169
- Kay de Wolf (NED, Husqvarna) – +0:46.295
- Karlis Alberts Reisulis (LAT, Yamaha) – +0:47.402
- Liam Everts (BEL, Husqvarna) – +0:47.804
MX2 World Championship Standings:
- Kay de Wolf (NED, Husqvarna) – 383 points
- Simon Längenfelder (GER, KTM) – 374 points
- Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM) – 369 points
- Liam Everts (BEL, Husqvarna) – 314 points
- Thibault Benistant (FRA, Yamaha) – 278 points
- Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM) – 272 points
- Camden McLellan (RSA, Triumph) – 241 points
- Ferruccio Zanchi (ITA, Honda) – 203 points
- Cas Valk (NED, KTM) – 200 points
- Valerio Lata (ITA, Honda) – 188 points
Preparations are underway for what promises to be an exhilarating showdown tomorrow, as the world’s top motocross talent takes to the stunning Norman hillsides once again.
