MX2 Qualifying, Uddevalla: Simon Längenfelder wins, Farres retires

MX2 qualifying race for the Grand Prix of Sweden in Uddevalla: World Championship leader Guillem Farres (Triumph) set the fastest time in qualifying. Simon Längenfelder (KTM) was 0.8 seconds behind in fourth place.

Qualifying, Uddevalla

1. Guillem Farres (E), Triumph, 1:49.388

2. Camden Mc Lellan (ZA), Triumph, +0.183

3. Liam Everts (B), Husqvarna, +0.467

4. Simon Längenfelder (D), KTM, +0.779

5. Janis Martins Reisulis (LV), Yamaha, +0.907

6. Sacha Coenen (B), KTM, +1.248

7. Valerio Lata (I), Honda, +1.474

World Championship leader Guillem Farres retires

The Spaniard got off to a good start. Simon Längenfelder, Coenen and Farres were neck and neck through the first two corners. Farres took the first uphill jump a little too short and went down in a highside. Coenen took the lead, whilst Farres had to restart the race from the back of the field. Things then got even worse: Farres set about making up ground, but after a long jump he landed on the bike of the crashed Swedish wildcard rider Noel Nilsson, which was lying on the ground, and was thrown off his bike again. The race was over for both riders. Although Farres did not appear to have sustained any serious injuries, he was bleeding from the head and looked thoroughly shaken in the presence of the medical staff.

Guillem Farres stürzte in der ersten Runde

Foto: MXGP-TV

Guillem Farres nach seinem Crash

Foto: MXGP-TV

Victory for Längenfelder

On the third lap, Längenfelder managed to get the better of Coenen and took the lead, whilst Sacha Coenen, after a few mistakes, was pushed back down the order. Liam Everts got the better of Sacha Coenen to finish second ahead of Mc Lellan and Janis Reisulis, who also capitalised on a mistake by Coenen to his advantage. Simon Längenfelder won the race by a margin of 2.7 seconds.

Längenfelder: Changes to the motorbike paid off

“We made a few changes to the bike,” explained Simon after his victory. “I was a bit unsure whether they would work, but it paid off.”

Standings at the top of the World Championship

Thanks to his qualifying victory and Guillem Farres’s retirement, the German defending champion was able to reduce his deficit from 70 to 60 points. Sacha Coenen, in second place, reduced his deficit from 47 to 40 points, whilst Camden Mc Lellan (Triumph), in third place, cut his deficit from 60 to 52 points. The gap at the top is therefore continuing to narrow.

MX2 Qualifying Race, Uddevalla

1. Simon Längenfelder (D), KTM, 24:35.694

2. Liam Everts (B), Husqvarna, +2.669

3. Camden Mc Lellan (ZA), Triumph, +20.149

4. Janis Martins Reisulis (LV), Yamaha, +21.326

5. Sacha Coenen (B), KTM, +28.181

6. Kay Karssemakers (NL), Kawasaki, +33.030

7. Julius Mikula (CZ), KTM, +35.169

8. Valerio Lata (I), Honda, +52.161

9. Maxime Grau (F), Honda, +54.653

10. Pelle Gundersen (N), Husqvarna, +58.148

World Championship Standings

1. Guillem Farres (E), Triumph, 668 points

2. Sacha Coenen (B), KTM, 627, (-41)

3. Camden Mc Lellan (ZA), Triumph, 616, (-52)

4. Simon Längenfelder (D), KTM, 608, (-60)

5. Liam Everts (B), Husqvarna, 551, (-117)