Frenchman Gautier Paulin finished today’s MXGP of the Netherlands in fourth place overall just ahead of teammate Evgeny Bobryshev, but the results don’t tell the full story.
Gautier PaulinGautier PaulinGautier Paulin Gautier PaulinGautier PaulinGautier Paulin
In the first race, the Team HRC pairing spent most of the 30minutes running together. By midway round the first lap, Bobby was in second and Gautier third, and just five minutes in, Bobby took the lead with the #21 rider following him through to make a Honda 1-2. As a battle with Shaun Simpson, the top three were shaken up and the flag dropped with Gautier second and Bobby third, both having been strongly in contention for the victory.
Race two got off to a similar start for Bobby as he powered his way into the top three from the start, and then with stunning pace on Assen’s soft sand moved himself into the lead on the opening lap and built himself a cushion of over eight seconds. Gautier didn’t enjoy as good a start and, having been close to the edge in the first corner melee, found himself in thirteenth.
As the race unfolded, the Team HRC pairing found themselves closer together though, as Gautier climbed through the field to an eventual fourth, whilst Bobby was left ruing a couple of mistakes and a crash that robbed him of a race he surely could have won and demoted him to fifth at the flag.
Twenty five thousand fans turned out to watch the spectacle that is MXGP today for the inaugural MXGP of the Netherlands in Assen. They filled the grandstands of the TT Circuit to witness how 250,000m3 of sand had transformed the road racing circuit into a world-class motocross track.
The MXGP of the Netherlands was also the final European round of the 2015 MXGP season, and now only two Grands Prix remain – a back-to-back pairing of overseas races in Mexico and the USA in two weeks.
Evgeny BobryshevEvgeny BobryshevEvgeny Bobryshev Evgeny BobryshevEvgeny BobryshevEvgeny Bobryshev
Honda Comments
Roger Harvey : HRC General Manager - MXGP“In general it was a good day today. Both Bobby and Gautier showed good speed, enough to win, and Bobby’s speed in race two especially was quite amazing, but then a small mistake cost him. Really we should have been on podium today, but it was a good weekend in general to consolidate second and third in the championship. It was a difficult track and a difficult day for everyone. It’s a unique track for the grand prix series, and the grandstands filled so the atmosphere was great and I think it worked really well.”Gautier Paulin 21
Race Result:2nd, 4th 4th overall“It is not a bad weekend. It’s a transition weekend as it's now six weeks since I hurt my knee and with this week off I can start training like normal again to be strong in Mexico and Glen Helen too. In the first moto I could have won it as I had that feeling. I had a good battle with Shaun and I was in the lead but then I had a problem with lappers and he passed me. Then we had a good rhythm, but two laps to go I made a small mistake so I finished second. In the second moto I had a really bad start and I was close to crashing in the first corner and the second corner too. I was really far away from the front, and then on this track even if it’s sandy it’s really hard to pass, first because it was tight and second because it was sandy.”Evgeny Bobryshev 777
Race Result:3rd, 5th 5th overall“I had a good weekend to be honest. I was keeping third place until the end in the first moto and I was happy with that. For the second race I had a really good start and kept it wide open into the first corner and came out third. Then I was leading for ten laps until Febvre passed me, and then I made a few mistakes which cost me a win in this race. So for sure in that way I’m frustrated, but in the other way I had the speed, I got more good points and I go home healthy. I had many fans coming over here and friends from Russia so I had a lot of support. It was my GP and I was feeling for it, but we’ve still two races to go.”
Gautier Paulin, Evgeny BobryshevGautier Paulin, Evgeny BobryshevGautier Paulin, Evgeny Bobryshev
Gajser Takes Victory in Assen to Lead the World Championship
Tim Gajser demonstrated today that he just keeps getting stronger with two fantastic rides in the sand to take his fifth MX2 Grand Prix victory of the season. In doing so, the Slovenian also takes the lead of the hotly contested MX2 World Championship, becoming the first Honda rider since 2009 to hold the red plate.
Not previously known as a sand specialist, Gajser gave everyone reason to think differently with a masterclass. In race one he made what may well prove to be a pivotal pass in the title chase, fighting his way back from sixth place to get the better of his championship rivals in a straight fight and take the moto victory.
In the second race, the 18 year-old didn’t have as good a start and found himself in tenth, but that didn’t slow his progress. By the halfway point he was fifth, and with six of the 20 minutes remaining he slotted into second with a dominant ride, earning him his fifth win of the season, more than any of his rivals, and 13-point advantage in the title chase.
Now just two Grands Prix remain – Mexico, where Tim won the second moto and took second overall, and America which is another fast hard-pack track which will suit him very well.
Honda Comments
Giacomo Gariboldi, Team Principal“It’s been an amazing day and an amazing season. It’s a red bike and a red team so it’s the perfect place for the red plate! We came here expecting not to lose many points in the sand, but we came out of the weekend with the GP win and the red plate. I have no words to describe the feeling. I’m so happy for everyone in the team, for Honda and HRC. Everybody has been working so hard for this result. Now we have to keep the focus for the last two GPs. Still it’s not finished so we keep with the hard work, but I think now we are in a better position after this weekend.”Tim Gajser, no.243“I feel just amazing to be leading the championship. It’s just a dream for me. I didn't expect this from this weekend because I'm more of a hard-pack rider and I don’t train so much in the sand, but anyway the weekend went really well and I was just riding so easily and comfortably. I'm so happy we take the red plate. We have four more motos until the end and anything can still happen, but the goal is just to keep having fun. It’s been an amazing year and I’m so happy with where we are now and to have extended the deal with Honda because I really feel like we are a really good family and everything is working just so well. Now I’m really looking forward to the Mexico, where I won a moto last year, and to America and doing our best to finish the season well. Right now I feel fantastic!”
2015 FIM MXGP / MX2 World Motocross Championship
Round 3: Assen – Netherlands
MXGP - Race 1 Result
Rank
Rider (Machine)
1 Simpson, Shaun(KTM)
2 Paulin, Gautier(Honda)
3 Bobryshev, Evgeny(Honda)
4 Coldenhoff, Glenn(Suzuki)
5 Febvre, Romain(Yamaha)
6 Nagl, Maximilian(Husqvarna)
11 Bengtsson, Filip(Honda)
17 Delince, Jeremy(Honda)
22 Yamamoto, Kei(Honda)
23 Boulard, Bryan(Honda)
24 Edmonds, Stuart(Honda)
MXGP - Race 2 Result
Rank
Rider (Machine)
1 Febvre, Romain(Yamaha)
2 Coldenhoff, Glenn(Suzuki)
3 Simpson, Shaun(KTM)
4 Paulin, Gautier(Honda)
5 Bobryshev, Evgeny(Honda)
6 Nagl, Maximilian(Husqvarna)
16 Delince, Jeremy(Honda)
17 Bengtsson, Filip(Honda)
19 Edmonds, Stuart(Honda)
23 Yamamoto, Kei(Honda)
25 Boulard, Bryan(Honda)
MX2 - Race 1 Result
Rank
Rider (Machine)
1 Gajser, Tim(Honda)
2 Jonass, Pauls(KTM)
3 Lieber, Julien(Yamaha)
4 Van doninck, Brent(Yamaha)
5 Kullas, Harri(Husqvarna)
6 Covington, Thomas(Kawasaki)
20 Lapucci, Nicholas(Honda)
MX2 - Race 2 Result
Rank
Rider (Machine)
1 Anstie, Max(Kawasaki)
2 Gajser, Tim(Honda)
3 Seewer, Jeremy(Suzuki)
4 Van doninck, Brent(Yamaha)
5 Petrov, Petar(Kawasaki)
6 Lieber, Julien(Yamaha)
23 Lapucci, Nicholas(Honda)
