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Gajser Chalks Up Win Number Nine In Lommel T im Gajser, of the Honda HRC factory team, is poised to win his second career MXGP Cham- pionship after claiming his ninth GP victory of the year, the latest coming at the MXGP of Belgium in Lommel, August 4. Gajser took the overall victory with 2-2 results and now leads his nearest rival in the championship, Jeremy Seewer, by 187 points. The Slovenian, Gajser, can clinch the 2019 MXGP Championship with a 13-place finish or better in the first moto at the next round in Imola, Italy. Gajser was the early leader in moto one, but Yamaha's Romain Febvre, who won both MXGP mo- tos the week before, got around him and took over. Febvre ran off with the moto win, taking the checkered flag seven seconds ahead of Gajser. Glenn Coldenhoff (KTM), See- wer (Yamaha) and Arnaud Tonus (Yamaha) filled out the top five. In race two, Gajser again got off to a fast start, but this time it was Great Britain's Max Anstie who settled into the lead. It was a wild day for Anstie who didn't even make it to the first cor- ner in moto one after crashing hard down the start chute and exiting the race with a shoulder injury. But the KTM rider came back in race two and looked determined to grab the win. After taking the lead from Ga- jser, Anstie crashed again but came back to pass Gajser for a second time and ran off with the moto win, which was the first of the sea- son for the Husky rider. Gajser, who didn't want any part of An- stie and knew he had the overall in the bag, cruised to the finish in second ahead of Coldenhoff, Febvre and Seewer. "I had fun today, and it is weird saying that in the sand for me," Gajser said. "I had two good races, and I let Max pass because he was faster, then he made a mistake, and I got him back, then he passed me again. They told me if I was second, I would have won the overall. I am very happy with this GP win, as I didn't expect it. I expected a top five would be good, and to win here is really spe- cial. We have worked in the sand in the winter, and it really worked out. The track was rough, and it was easy to make a mistake. I will try and make a good start and see if I can stay with these guys, but if I can't, I will settle for the points. It is always mental, coming here in Lommel, we know the race will be tough, so deep, and so bumpy and I did my best." Febvre ended up second overall. "I struggled at the begin- ning of the first race a bit," said the Frenchman, Febvre. "Then 10 min- utes before the end, I lost a bit my rhythm. I was super happy to have won the first race. In the second race, I ended fourth for second overall. I couldn't pass [Jeremy] Van Horebeek [early on] and Cold- enhoff, and I lost my rhythm. I am a little bit disappointed. I didn't have so much energy at the end." In MX2, Red Bull KTM's Jorge Prado won again. The Spaniard topped both motos for his 23rd and 24th moto wins of the year, and the 12th straight and 13th overall victory of the season. With four rounds left, Prado now enjoys an even more significant points lead over Rock- star Energy Husqvarna's Thomas Kjer Olsen of Denmark, who crashed out of moto one and didn't return. He did, however, make it back for moto two to take fifth. "I got a decent start in the first moto and moved my way up to fourth and sat there for a while," Olsen said. "I was struggling a little bit and made a few mistakes but thought I could push for second or third. I ended up making a huge mistake over one of the tabletops IN THE WIND P36 Tim Gajser is now poised to clinch the title at the next round in Italy. PHOTO: HONDA PRO RACING