Red Bull KTM’s Antonio Cairoli had the chance to claim the MXGP title last weekend in America and just missed out but can cruise to the crown at Assen this weekend as he only needs to be 75 points ahead of Jeffrey Herlings at the end of race one to finish the job.
In Jakcsonville, Herlings out performed team-mate Cairoli to keep the championship alive for another weekend but will need something to go wrong for the Sicilian this weekend take to the final round in France. Herlings will have the extra benefit of Assen his home GP, one which he won last year in MX2 while Cairoli finished second in MXGP.
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna’s Gautier Paulin holds third in the championship just one point ahead of Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Clement Desalle. Paulin comes into Assen after a hard first race crash in the US and then a strong fourth in race two, which is where he finished in the 2015 overall. Desalle, on the other hand, had only eighth and ninth for seventh overall in the USA but is last year’s overall winner in Assen.
The winner of the 2015 overall in Assen’s MX2 class, HRC’s Tim Gajser, is now fifth in the 2017 title hunt and has been crowned 2016 MXGP Champion in the meantime. Gajser has been on a comeback lately and is a potential winner this weekend.
Other riders to watch include both the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna boys Max Anstie and Max Nagl. Anstie took fourth last year in MX2 and second the year prior. Nagl meanwhile took fourth in 2016’s MXGP class overall.
Last but not least is the other Red Bull KTM rider from the Netherlands, Glenn Coldenhoff, who took third overall during the last MXGP visit to the Assen circuit.
Monster Energy Yamaha’s Romain Febvre is a potential podium finisher as well seeing he has fond memories of the Assen circuit, it is where he claimed his 2015 title.
MXGP Championship Top Ten: 1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 673 points; 2. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 577 p.; 3. Gautier Paulin (FRA, HUS), 545 p.; 4. Clement Desalle (BEL, KAW), 544 p.; 5. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 485 p.; 6. Romain Febvre (FRA, YAM), 441 p.; 7. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, YAM), 400 p.; 8. Maximilian Nagl (GER, HUS), 390 p.; 9. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 377 p.; 10. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, HON), 366 p.
