Between intense rain and periods of sunshine, the Águeda International Crossódromo was the stage for yet another thrilling edition of the Portugal MXGP. Today was marked by four exciting races and a Herculean effort from the organizing club - ACTIB - to ensure the success of this grand event. Despite the rain, a vibrant and dedicated crowd stood firm, filling the CIA and creating an electrifying atmosphere of support for the riders, making the event even more memorable.
MXGP
Today's races in the premier class were filled with drama and many twists and turns. If many fans thought that the Portugal MXGP would be another certain victory for Jorge Prado - who won three GPs this season - they were mistaken. Overall, the Spanish rider ended up only in 13th place, losing the championship lead in Águeda.
In the first race, the victory went to former world champion Tim Gajser - winner of the qualification - and everything seemed to be heading towards another triumph with a blazing start in the last race of the day. Unfortunately, a fall by the Slovenian rider in the first lap demanded a doubled effort in the mud to secure crucial points. Despite being considerably weakened at the finish line, Gajser secured the third place in Portugal and rose to the top of the championship standings.
But the biggest surprise in this Portugal MXGP was Pauls Jonass. With consistently strong performance, the Latvian secured his first victory of the year by finishing second in both races. With this result, Jonass climbed to 5th place in the MXGP championship.
The only Portuguese rider in the premier class - Luís Outeiro - ended up not racing today.
MXGP Standings: 1st Pauls Jonass; 2nd Romain Febvre; 3rd Tim Gajser; 4th Brian Bogers; Cornelius Toendel...
MX2
In the MX2 category, Liam Everts was unstoppable in Portugal. The young Belgian, after dominating the Qualification yesterday, won both races today, closing the gap to his closest competitors in the points standings (Everts has one less result due to absence from the opening round in Argentina). Rick Elzinga secured the second position in Portugal, while Frenchman Thibault Benistant claimed the lowest spot on the podium in this MX2 category.
Notable were the issues faced by Kay de Wolf in Portugal. The current championship leader struggled, particularly in the second race of the day, conceding some points to the chasing pack. Nevertheless, Wolf heads to Spain still leading the MX2 class.
Afonso Gomes - the only Portuguese registered in this class - chose not to race today, after experiencing some discomfort yesterday due to an old injury.
MX2 Standings: 1st Liam Everts; 2nd Rick Elzinga; 3rd Thibault Benistant; 4th Kay de Wolf; 5th Andrea Adamo...
