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/570763
IN THE WIND P32 COVINGTON WINS IN MEXICO W hat better way to head into your home grand prix than as the most recent round win- ner? Well, that's what happened to Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team's Thomas Coving- ton who reached a couple of milestones at the Grand Prix of Leon in Mexico, September 13. The American proved just how versatile he is with a solid ride in race one for fourth, which he followed up with his first ever race win in race two and overall victory. "I am beyond stoked. I didn't even know I had the overall win until I walked up to the podium and I had to ask where I should stand. It is an amazing feeling," Covington said. Honda Gariboldi's Tim Gajser didn't have the best start to the day. The red plate holder (points leader) crashed out of the lead in race one but only lost one position. A couple of laps later a message was put out on his pit-board "save bike!" and he complied and made it a nail- biting end to the race. Neverthe- less he nursed it home for fifth and then rode smart in race two for second place and second overall. He retains the lead in the championship, now with 18 points over Pauls Jonass. Kemea Yamaha Yamalube's Benoit Paturel was visibly pumped to uncork his first-ever bottle of bubbles. "It is incred- ible for me," Paturel said. "This year I have progressed step by step and to take my first podium, the sensation is incredible, I think for every rider it's the same." Red Bull KTM Factory Rac- ing's Jonass had the craziest weekend. Just when it looked as though the title challenger had made things interesting again with his race-one win and nine point gain on Gajser, it all turned sour when he crashed in the first turn, then again a lap later in spectacular style when he was catapulted off his bike. Even though the Latvian lessened his chances of claiming the 2015 FIM Motocross MX2 World Championship, he can count himself lucky that he walked away from such an enormous crash unscathed. Monster Energy DRT Kawa- saki's Max Anstie was fast in race one where he was second behind Jonass. In race two he crashed out of fourth and only managed to salvage 10th but still rounded out the top five. In MXGP, recently crown World Champion Romain Febvre, on the factory-backed Yamaha YZ450F, grabbed his 14 th moto win of the season and seventh overall victory of the year after topping motos. KTM rider Sean Simpson went 2-2 for second overall, while Honda's Evgeny Bobryshev grabbed third overall. CN American Thomas Covington claimed his first career GP win in the MX2 class at the Grand Prix of Leon in Mexico.