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MX2, Kegums, KEGUMS (LAT), 19 Május 2019

Jacobi takes a second in Portugal

Henry Jacobi of F&H Racing raced to a second-placed moto finish in the Portuguese round of the FIM World MX2 Motocross Championship at Agueda to consolidate his third place in the series standings.

The F&H KX250 twice took Henry through turn one in the top three but an incident on the final lap of the opening GP moto cost him second overall. The exuberant German engaged in an exhilarating duel for second place with the series leader throughout the second half of race one which was not decided until the final surge through the waves when Jacobi crashed and was relegated to seventh. Determined to make amends in race two despite a painful hand he took care initially to consolidate third place before reducing his lap times by nearly two seconds mid-moto to significantly close down the leaders and sweep into second place with five laps remaining to equal his career-best moto result and narrowly miss the overall GP podium. His thirty-six point championship haul was sufficient to consolidate his third place in the series standings, opening up his advantage over fourth to twenty-three points.
 
Henry Jacobi: “Normally with a fourth overall I would be happy, but it’s a little bit disappointing because I was third or second during the first race until I had a big crash in the waves on the last lap. I tried to pass back Olsen but he changed his line and took mine so I had to use a different one too but there was a stone and I saw it too late. It was a big crash; I was even wondering if I would be able to race the second moto as my hand was painful but I decided to have a go, made a good start and didn’t feel any pain! I eventually passed Evans for second and it remains very good for the championship so we can’t be unhappy tonight."
 
The Grand Prix was a resounding success for the Kawasaki teams with no less than six Green riders amongst the points scorers, four of them in the top ten and all three F&H riders in the first eight. Roan van de Moosdijk, the team's Dutch teenager whose main target this year is the European EMX250 title, took advantage of a free weekend on the schedule of that series to take a wild card ride and was sixth overall with a sensational fifth place in race two after sweeping through turn one to claim the Holeshot award. His first race hopes of a top placing were devastated at turn two when he was delayed behind a fallen rival at turn two, but he made a spirited recovery from thirty-first to finish fourteenth. Adam Sterry was thwarted by misfortune on the opening lap of each race as other riders crashed right in front of him each time, but the Welshman rode methodically back through the pack each time to finish eighth in race one and and twelfth in race two for eighth overall and the points haul sees him advance to ninth in the series standings.
 
Roan van de Moosdijk: “It was an unbelievable day! In the first moto I crashed with other riders at the second turn but I came back from nearly last to fourteenth which was pretty good for me! The second moto I got the holeshot; Prado passed me after a few corners and then I stayed fourth for most of the race before Olsen passed me near the end. Anyway overall I’m really happy; it was the best possible training before the next round of the EMX250 next week in France.”
 
Adam Sterry: “I felt good all weekend and was expecting two good races today but in both races someone crashed in front of me during the first lap! In the first race I almost got the holeshot and was third when Darian crashed in front of me, and in the second moto Jed crashed on the triple and there was no place where I could go! I had to come from a long way back in both races; hopefully the next race will be different and I can have solid results.”
 
The Portuguese GP also saw BUD Racing Kawasaki's Mitchell Harrison return to the top ten after two difficult GPs in Italy. The American was inevitably pushed wide at turn one each time from gate eighteen, but put in two strong rides to advance from twenty-fourth to thirteenth in race one and from seventeenth to eleventh in race two to earn tenth overall. French teammate Brian Moreau charged even more effectively from twenty-seventh to eleventh in race one after being delayed in the same incident as Van de Moosdijk, and repeated the feat from even further back in race two to take the chequered flag fifteenth for twelfth overall. Darian Sanayei of Bike It DRT Kawasaki was eliminated from the opening moto in the confusion at turn two after a superb start, but the American made amends in race two as he raced top ten throughout the moto to cross the finish line eighth. His young Brazilian teammate Gustavo Pessoa gained a point for twentieth place in race one.