KEGUMS (Latvia), 07 July 2013 – Loamy caramel dirt, big fluffy berms, rolling wave sections and perfectly formed table tops sum up the circuit known as ‘Zelta Zirgs’ in Kegums, Latvia. While the circuit sounds beautiful in all its glory there is no denying how choppy and rough it got this weekend while hosting rounds three and four of the EMX125 and EMX250 championships. Taking his fourth EMX125 final win to remain unbeaten this year was the local youngster Wilvo Nestaan JM Racing KTM’s Pauls Jonass, while in the action packed EMX250 final it was Rockstar Energy Suzuki Europe’s Jeremy Seewer who put a stop to the winning streak of Guillod Motorsports Valentin Guillod to take home his first EMX250 race win of the season.
EMX125
The EMX125 Final saw Wilvo Nestaan JM Racing KTM’s Pauls Jonass take the holeshot only to be passed through the first wave section by a dynamic Team MJC rider Nicolas Dercourt. Dercourt rode an amazing two laps looking to be a worthy challenger for the talented Latvian Jonass. Unfortunately for Frenchman Nicolas Dercourt the energy he had in the first two laps soon dwindled and he could no longer hold the pace of the red plate holder Jonass.
As Jonass took over the lead, Dercourt dropped off the pace for one lap allowing a charging Team Kemea-Reytec Van De Laar Yamaha rider Frederik Van Der Vlist to catch him. With Dercourt in his sites Van Der Vlist set the dial to full and went after the fading Frenchman. Around lap four Van Der Vlist found a way around Dercourt and charged on with hopes to catch the local boy Pauls Jonass. While Van Der Vlist put in an outstanding ride, laying down laptimes as fast as the local hero Pauls Jonass, Jonass proved to be just too strong this weekend finishing the race eleven seconds ahead of Van Der Vlist who managed to finish a further fourteen seconds ahead of the third place rider Nicolas Dercourt.
Meanwhile KTM Bodo Schmidt Motorsports Calvin Vlaanderen made hard work for himself after coming around the first turn well outside the top fifteen. Despite the terrible start, there was no holding back the young Dutchman as he fought his way through the pack to finish an incredible fourth only one second behind the third place of Nicolas Dercourt. Rounding out the top five was Swedish rider Anton Lundgren.
EMX125 Final: 1. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), 30:58.470; 2. Frederik Van Der Vlist (NED, Yamaha), +0:11.951; 3. Nicolas Dercourt (FRA, Yamaha), +0:25.012; 4. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, KTM), +0:26.699; 5. Anton Lundgren (SWE, KTM), +0:39.923; 6. Alvin Ostlund (SWE, Yamaha), +0:42.328; 7. Davy Pootjes (NED, KTM), +0:50.675; 8. Henry Jacobi (GER, KTM), +0:58.625; 9. Nicholas Adams (GBR, Yamaha), +1:02.515; 10. Joel Van Mechelen (NED, KTM), +1:08.243.
EMX125 Championship top ten: 1. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), 100 points; 2. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, KTM), 72 p.; 3. Frederik Van Der Vlist (NED, Yamaha), 70 p.; 4. Nicolas Dercourt (FRA, Yamaha), 70 p.; 5. Anton Lundgren (SWE, KTM), 63 p.; 6. Henry Jacobi (GER, KTM), 62 p.; 7. Riccardo Righi (ITA, KTM), 54 p.; 8. Kade Tinkler (CAN, Suzuki), 43 p.; 9. Lorenzo Ravera (ITA, TM), 28 p.; 10. Ivan Baranov (RUS, KTM), 25 p.
EMX250
The EMX250 final witnessed what was arguably the most exciting race of the season hosting an epic series of events. Not only was the winning streak of Guillod Motorsports Valentin Guillod broken, but it was broken by another talented young Swiss in the form of Rockstar Energy Suzuki Europe’s Jeremy Seewer. Taking the holeshot was HSF Logistics JTX KTM Team’s Micha-Boy De Waal followed by his teammate Ceriel Klein Kromhof and Rockstar Energy Suzuki Europe’s Jeremy Seewer. Klein Kromhof and Seewer were quick to get around De Waal and were instantly at war for the lead. With neither party willing to give an inch, the battle raged on until around half way when we saw Seewer finally make a move that would stick scrubbing past Klein Kromhoff into the lead.
Meanwhile a bad start saw the current red plate holder Valentin Guillod be put to the test. After a hard charge in the first two laps the super Swiss Guillod had moved from outside the top ten into fourth position. Despite looking strong on the first two laps it appeared Guillod had settled into the fourth position mimicking the pace of Standing Construct KTM’s Damon Graulus who was in third, but as we approached the twenty five minute mark, it seemed the Guillod Motorsports KTM of Valentin Guillod had come alive when he put in a late charge to pass both Graulus and Klein Kromhof to take over second place.
With two minutes plus two laps to go the crowd was on their feet and two riders were on the attack. One rider was Guillod Motorsports’ Valentin Guillod and the other was the KTM Scott Racing’s Brent Van Doninck. Guillod was chasing his fellow countryman Jeremy Seewer for the win and Van Doninck was chasing fellow Belgian Damon Graulus for fourth. In the end Guillod put in a fantastic effort, but it was Seewer who took the chequered flag, meanwhile Guillod finished second ahead of Ceriel Klein Kromhoff in third. KTM Scott Racing’s Brent Van Doninck came home in fourth leaving Damon Graulus to round out the top five.
EMX250 Final: 1. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Suzuki), 30:37.777; 2. Valentin Guillod (SUI, KTM), +0:03.366; 3. Ceriel Klein Kromhof (NED, KTM), +0:03.858; 4. Brent Van Doninck (BEL, KTM), +0:05.159; 5. Damon Graulus (BEL, KTM), +0:19.272; 6. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, Honda), +0:30.790; 7. Mike Kras (NED, Suzuki), +0:33.866; 8. Joel Milesevic (AUS, KTM), +0:35.980; 9. Kalle Olsson (SWE, Honda), +0:37.566; 10. Brian Bogers (NED, KTM), +0:42.616.
EMX250 Championship top ten: 1. Valentin Guillod (SUI, KTM), 97 points; 2. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Suzuki), 87 p.; 3. Damon Graulus (BEL, KTM), 70 p.; 4. Ceriel Klein Kromhof (NED, KTM), 68 p.; 5. Brian Bogers (NED, KTM), 51 p.; 6. Micha-Boy De Waal (NED, KTM), 42 p.; 7. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, Honda), 35 p.; 8. Benoit Paturel (FRA, Husqvarna), 34 p.; 9. Jordan Booker (GBR, Kawasaki), 28 p.; 10. Brent Van Doninck (BEL, KTM), 27 p;
Click here to obtain the complete results
Photos of the whole event are available here
EMX125/250 Round of Latvia – QUICK FACTS
Circuit length: 1540m
Type of ground: Hard Sand
Temperature: 24° C
Weather conditions: Sunny