Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1526730
Prado, Coenen Check The Box at MXGP of China T he penultimate round of the FIM Motocross World Championship took place at the Shanghai International Off-Road Circuit for the Oriental Beauty Valley MXGP of China, Septem- ber 14-15. A unique stop on the tour saw a one-day format due to typhoon warnings in the area but had close racing nonetheless as the series nears its completion. Both Jorge Prado and Lucas Coenen scored repeat wins, with Prado upsetting the champion - ship points in the MXGP division. MXGP Race one of MXGP saw things go sideways when champion- ship leader Tim Gajser crashed spectacularly in the second turn. Suddenly, his 14-point lead over Jorge Prado went up in smoke, as Prado carried on in the front pack. Gajser was then forced to claw through the field, crashing again and later stopping in the mechan- ics area for repairs to a broken footpeg. He crossed the line 17th after a dramatic opening moto. Meanwhile, Romain Febvre capitalized and made his way to the front. The Kawasaki rider rode a smooth race and took the moto win, his first since round four earlier this year. Prado moved to second late in the race and scored massive points due to Gajser's misfortune. Jeffrey Herlings battled his way to third after a poor start. Prado continued his stride in race two with a holeshot over Gajser. The Spaniard led the entire moto, going 2-1 on the day and taking the overall win. Ga - jser's second place in race two helped minimize the damage, as he finished seventh overall, but watched his points lead slip away. Prado now leads by seven going into the final round. "After the first moto, I gave it my all and focused on finishing the week - end as strong as possible," said Prado. "We did that, and now we have the red plate and a seven- point lead with one round left. This gives us a dream opportu- nity at the end of the season, and I'm so excited for the final round in Spain. I don't think anyone expected us to come out of this GP with the red plate. We worked hard on the bike this weekend, and I think my riding was great." Febvre crossed the line third, which earned him second on the day, followed by Herlings 3-4 for third. WIND IN THE P24 Jorge Prado capitalized on Tim Gajser's misfortune and is now the new MXGP Championship points leader with three races/six motos to go.