In front of a raucous 45,000-strong home crowd MX2 World Champion Jordi Tixier made it five champagne soakings in a row with third overall at Villars sous Ecot; the eighth MXGP of eighteen in the 2015 FIM schedule. Sunshine coated a busy steep hillside circuit in eastern France and fans packed in around the slopes, trees and vantage spots at the scenic but antiquated and difficult site for racing.
Tixier was consistent and resolute once more around the hard-pack and had the will and cheers of the crowd pushing him on through both thirty minute and two lap motos. When Jeffrey Herlings briefly crashed in the first race Tixier had the top spot and the volume level rose further from trackside. Valentin Guillod gave chase and Herlings later recovered his speed to push the Monster Energy Kawasaki rider down to third by the flag.
In the second moto Tixier survived a scary first lap with the track greasy through watering and set about building a healthy position in third, far enough ahead of Pauls Jonass but just unable to go with Tim Gajser and Herlings in the tussle for the lead. ‘JT’s consistency paid-off and he is now fourth in the championship and just sixteen points away from the top three.
“I felt really good all weekend and only struggled in the second moto when Jeffrey was really fast and I could not follow,” he said. “Riding in front of the French crowd is always different to other GPs. They really push you to the limit. To be on the box at my home GP is pretty good. I think the atmosphere was one of the best ever. It was amazing when I took the lead in the first moto and I want to thank the fans for that.”
Team-mate Petar Petrov took seventh overall in just his second GP with the Monster Energy Kawasaki crew. Bad luck lay in store for Thomas Covington (injured right shoulder with a medical check scheduled for Monday) and Xavier Boog who crashed while replacing Ryan Villopoto and allegedly has a left shoulder problem. Tyla Rattray was fourteenth overall after a fall on Saturday meant the South African rolled into the gate with a sore elbow and right thigh. ‘28’ ended the day on a positive note with a top ten finish in the second moto of the premier class.
Back to Italy for round nine. The hills of Maggiora will once again hear four-stroke race engines echoing out. The mythical track will entertain its third Italian Grand Prix this century on June 13-14 and their last major meeting before preparing for the 2016 Motocross of Nations.