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/1527275
Prado Takes MXGP Championship T he FIM Motocross World Mo- tocross Championship came to a scorching conclusion in Southern Spain on September 29 at the MXGP of Castilla La Man- cha, as the 20th and final round of the season saw reigning World Champion Jorge Prado retain his crown with the overall victory for Red Bull GasGas Factory Racing, but he was pushed all the way to the very last race with a final win - ning margin of just 10 points! The Spaniard clinched the title in the final race, capping off a weekend where he won Satur- day's qualifying race and locked in 1-4 finishes across both mo- tos on Sunday. Prado cruised to secure the holeshot and victories in the first moto and then rode to a well-managed fourth-place finish in the second moto. Tim Gajser, Prado's closest championship rival, was second overall on the day and finished out the season with 986 points to Prado's 996. "I almost don't know what to say. I've got the title here in Spain, and it's just incredible!" Prado said. "It's been a great year, and I think the team and I truly deserve this title after all the work we've put in. At the start of the season, I never imagined being in this position, but today everything just clicked. That second moto felt super long, but crossing the fin - ish line was the best feeling. So much goes on behind the scenes with the team to get results like this, and I'm so grateful to take home my fourth world title here in front of family, friends and fans. It's been an awesome year." "Obviously, to come second in the championship and be so close to winning is difficult, but overall, I can't be too critical of the year we had," Gajser of the Honda HRC team said. "There were a lot of positives to take away from this year, and even though it is hard to see those right at this moment, I am still proud of what we achieved and to be the second-best motocross rider in the world is still incred - ible. The team and I did every- WIND IN THE P60 GasGas' Jorge Prado successfully defended the number-one plate at the final MXGP round in Spain.