Guillem Farres (Triumph) wins the MXGP of Turkiye ahead of Simon Längenfelder

Second MX2 race at the MXGP of Turkey in Afyonkarahisar: Belgian Red Bull KTM works rider Sacha Coenen, who had to retire from the first MX2 race after a botched start saw him fly off the take-off ramp of a kicker during a long jump and was left shaken, lined up for the second race. However, he was not in good shape: “He’d been suffering from severe stomach problems since early this morning,” explained Sacha’s team manager Davide de Carli. “Although he didn’t break anything in his crash, he’s certainly not feeling well.”

Holeshot and retirement for Sacha Coenen

Despite his severe problems, Sacha Coenen took the holeshot and led the race for one lap. World Championship leader Guillem Farres (Triumph) attacked again at the start of the race and overtook the Belgian to take the lead. Coenen put up a brief fight, but after Turn 1 he turned straight into the pit lane and ended his race. “That came as a surprise to us too,” said team coordinator Valentina Ragni, “but we knew he wasn’t feeling well.” Janis Reisulis (Yamaha) crashed again, carried on riding, but was disqualified for receiving outside assistance. Despite his retirement, Sacha Coenen was classified in 14th place and received 7 World Championship points for it. Sacha Coenen has dropped to third in the World Championship standings and is now 60 points behind the leader. Camden Mc Lellan, who finished the Grand Prix in 4th place with a 3-4 result, is now second in the standings. The World Championship is out of reach for Sacha Coenen, even though he still has a theoretical chance of winning the title. Following the drama surrounding his twin brother Lucas in the MXGP, Sacha will now also miss out on a potential World Championship title in the MX2 class. Unfortunately, the Belgian twin brothers’ forays into the US have ultimately cost them dearly.

Guillem Farres takes the day’s victory

The Spanish World Championship leader Guillem Farres (Triumph) won the second race by a margin of 6 seconds, thereby securing victory in the Grand Prix ahead of Liam Everts (Husqvarna) and Simon Längenfelder (KTM). Liam Everts finished second.

Simon Längenfelder: A small mistake, a big impact

In the second half of the race, Simon Längenfelder, who had won the first race, managed to close the gap on Liam Everts in second place, but he stalled his engine in a deep rut on a right-hand bend and lost touch with the leaders. In the end, the defending champion crossed the line in third place, just under 13 seconds behind. With a 1-3 result, he finished second on the podium.

Penultimate round in China

Next week, the action continues in Shanghai with round 18 of 19 in the World Championship. Guillem Farres leads the World Championship standings by a margin of 50 points. Should Farres extend his lead to over 60 points in China, he could clinch the World Championship title there ahead of schedule. In any case, Farres is well on course for his first World Championship title.

MX2 Afyonkarahisar

1. Guillem Farres (E), Triumph, 2-1, 47 points

2. Simon Längenfelder (D), KTM, 1-3, 45, (-2)

3. Liam Everts (B), Husqvarna, 4-2, 40, (-7)

4. Camden Mc Lellan (ZA), Triumph, 3-4, 38, (-9)

5. Kay Karssemakers (NL), Kawasaki, 8-5, 29, (-18)

6. Maxime Grau (F), Honda, 7-6, 29, (-18)

7. Julius Mikula (CZ), KTM, 5-8, 29, (-18)

8. Karlis A. Reisulis (LV), Yamaha, 9-7, 26, (-21)

9. Noel Zanocz (H), KTM, 10-9, 23, (-24)

10. Scott Smulders (NL), Husqvarna, 11-10, 21, (-26)

11. Andrea Rossi (I), KTM, 12–11, 19, (-28)

12. Rodolfo Bicalho (BR), KTM, 13-12, 17, (-30)

13. Tommaso Lodi (I), Kawasaki, 14-13, 15, (-32)

14. Janis M. Reisulis (LV), Yamaha, 6-DNF, 15, (-32)

15. Sacha Coenen (B), KTM, 15-14, 13, (-34)

World Championship standings after Round 17 of 19:

1. Guillem Farres (E), Triumph, 806 points

2. Camden Mc Lellan (ZA), Triumph, 756, (-50)

3. Sacha Coenen (B), KTM, 746, (-60)

4. Simon Längenfelder (D), KTM, 726, (-80)

5. Liam Everts (B), Husqvarna, 696, (-110)

6. Janis M. Reisulis (LV), Yamaha, 607, (-199)

7. Karlis A. Reisulis (LV), Yamaha, 502, (-304)

8. Valerio Lata (I), Honda, 414, (-392)

9. Julius Mikula (CZ), KTM, 383, (-423)

10. Mathis Valin (F), Kawasaki, 352, (-454)