Thomas Covington fifth overall at the GP of Asia

With the Semarang track hosting round 13 of the 2018 FIM Motocross World Championship, Rockstar Energy #husqvarna Factory #racing rider #thomascovington has secured a strong fifth overall in the #mx2 category. Battling through an early fall in #moto one, the FC 250 powered rider came back stronger to cross the line third in the final #moto at the Indonesian track. 

The second consecutive stop of the 2018 series in Indonesia saw competitors faced with slick track conditions around the hard-packed Semarang track. Securing a strong fifth in the #mx2 Qualifying Race, #thomascovington entered the final motos aiming for a potential fourth consecutive podium result in the 250cc category. 

Victim of an early fall in #moto one, the American put his head down to cross the line in seventh position. Getting a strong third in #moto two, Covington remains sixth in the provisional 2018 #mx2 World Championship standings. 

For Covington’s Rockstar Energy #husqvarna Factory #racing team partner Thomas Kjer-Olsen, the GP of Asia was one of mixed fortunes. Involved in the same #moto one incident that saw both Rockstar Energy #husqvarna Factory #racing #mx2 team riders crash, Kjer-Olsen went on to claim 11th at the chequered flag. Improving to fourth in #moto two, the young Dane earned seventh overall at the GP of Asia. Kjer-Olsen remains third in the provisional 2018 #mx2 World Championship standings. 

In the #mxgp category, two strong performances at the Samarang track allowed #maxanstie to wrap up the GP of Asia in sixth overall. Securing an 11th place result in #moto one the Rockstar Energy #husqvarna Factory #racing rider was able to show more of what he is capable of in the second #moto. Claiming sixth in #moto two, Max was just one-point outside a provisional top five overall result in Indonesia. 

Joining Anstie in the battle for a provisional top five overall result in the #mxgp category was #gautierpaulin. Enjoying a steady #moto one performance for fifth at the chequered flag, the Frenchman was #racing in fifth position again in #moto two but a crash late in the race forced him to settle for 11th at the line. 

The Rockstar Energy #husqvarna Factory #racing team will return to action at the 13th round of the 2018 FIM Motocross World Championship in the Czech Republic on July 21/22. 

Thomas Covington: “I felt I had good speed this weekend and I took the battle for the overall podium down to the last laps in #moto two. I got off to a good start in the opening race but a few corners later Olsen crashed right in front of me and I had nowhere to go. Picking myself up I pushed hard to cross the line in seventh place. Things were better in #moto two and I quickly managed to put myself in second place. Pushing a bit too much in #moto one following the crash I felt I was running out of energy at the last few laps of #moto two, so I had to settle for third at the finish line. I am happy with fifth overall following what happened in #moto one and I’m looking forward to returning to Europe now.” 

Thomas Kjer-Olsen: “It was an up and down weekend for us, but I am happy with my performance in the second #moto. Getting a good start in the opening #moto I ended up crashing after the landing of a jump and this made it all harder for me. As a result of the crash the front brake line was damaged, so I had to race the rest of the #moto without a front brake. Things were better in the second #moto. I quickly found myself in fourth position and then did my own race to finish in that same place. I tried my best this weekend and if it wasn’t for the crash in #moto one my overall result could have been a lot better.” 

Max Anstie: “I’m quite pleased with my second #moto. Conditions were slick and slippery and it was easy to make mistakes on this track. In #moto one I struggled to get a good race pace but during the break we made some good improvements on the bike. I can’t thank enough my team and especially our mechanics who work hard in these overseas GPs. I felt good in the second #moto and I managed to push for sixth at the line and sixth overall at the GP. It was a good way to end our trip to Indonesia and now I’m looking forward to going back to Europe.” 

Gautier Paulin: “Everything was working quite well for me this weekend but a crash in #moto two did not let me get the results I expected. In #moto one I had a good start and pushed hard for the rest of the race. Putting in some consistent lap times I finished #moto one in fifth place and that was positive going into #moto two. I got another good start in #moto two and after a few small mistakes in the opening laps I was #racing in fifth position. After a big jump the front washed out and I hit the ground. I got up and started again, doing the best I could. Luckily the crash only caused some muscle pain and we avoided any injury. Getting eighth overall is not what we hoped for, but I am confident we can come back stronger as the series heads back to Europe now.”

Results – 2018 FIM Motocross World Championship, Round 13 

MXGP - Overall 
1. Jeffrey Herlings (KTM) 50pts; 2. Tim Gajser (Honda) 42; 3. Clement Desalle (Kawasaki) 40… 6. #maxanstie (Husqvarna) 27… 8. #gautierpaulin (Husqvarna) 26… 18. Lewis Stewart (Husqvarna) 10… 20. Rizky Hanif Kusparwanto (Husqvarna) 6; 21. Aidi Lazaroni (Husqvarna) 6; 22. Andre Sondakh (Husqvarna) 2 

MXGP - Race 1 
1. Jeffrey Herlings (KTM) 17 laps, 33:54.179; 2. Tim Gajser (Honda) 33:55.965; 3. Antonio Cairoli (KTM) 34:08.058… 5. #gautierpaulin (Husqvarna) 34:14.783… 11. #maxanstie (Husqvarna) 34:53.289… 16. Lewis Stewart (Husqvarna) 16 laps, 34:49.931; 17. Aidi Lazaroni (Husqvarna) 15 laps, 35:11.000; 18. Rizky Hanif Kusparwanto (Husqvarna) 35:17.426 

MXGP - Race 2 
1. Jeffrey Herlings (KTM) 17 laps, 34:21.626; 2. Clement Desalle (Kawasaki) 34:27.163; 3. Tim Gajser (Honda) 34:32.937… 6. #maxanstie (Husqvarna) 34:47.624… 11. #gautierpaulin (Husqvarna) 35:03.752… 18. Lewis Stewart (Husqvarna) 16 laps, 35:33.966… 20. Rizky Hanif Kusparwanto (Husqvarna) 15 laps, 35:26.025 

MX2 - Overall 
1. Jorge Prado (KTM) 47pts; 2. Pauls Jonass (KTM) 40; 3. Calvin Vlaanderen (Honda) 38… 5. #thomascovington (Husqvarna) 34… 7. Thomas Kjer-Olsen (Husqvarna) 28… 9. Brent Van doninck (Husqvarna) 24… 12. Muhammad Delvintor Alfarizi (Husqvarna) 17; 13. Diva Ismayana (Husqvarna) 15; 14. Jy Roberts (Husqvarna) 15; 15. Hilman Maksum (Husqvarna) 13… 18. Yoshua Pattipi (Husqvarna) 3 

MX2 - Race 1 
1. Pauls Jonass (KTM) 17 laps, 34:59.013; 2. Jorge Prado (KTM) 35:03.150; 3. Ben Watson (Yamaha) 35:21.114… 7. #thomascovington (Husqvarna) 35:56.183… 9. Brent Van doninck (Husqvarna) 36:13.146… 11. Thomas Kjer-Olsen (Husqvarna) 36:27.883; 12. Jy Roberts (Husqvarna) 16 laps, 35:42.137; 13. Muhammad Devintor Alfarizi (Husqvarna) 35:49.748; 14. Diva Ismayana (Husqvarna) 15 laps, 35:10.957 

MX2 - Race 2 
1. Jorge Prado (KTM) 17 laps, 35:13.784; 2. Calvin Vlaanderen (Honda) 35:16.715; 3. #thomascovington (Husqvarna) 35:18.868; 4. Thomas Kjer-Olsen (Husqvarna) 35:35.436… 9. Brent Van doninck (Husqvarna) 36:32.899… 12. Muhammad Delvintor Alfarizi (Husqvarna) 16 laps, 36:01.271; 13. Diva Ismayana (Husqvarna) 15 laps, 35:51.454; 14. Hilman Maksum (Husqvarna) 35:55.861 

Championship Standings – After Round 13 

MXGP 
1. Jeffrey Herlings (KTM) 583pts; 2. Antonio Cairoli (KTM) 559; 3. Clement Desalle (Kawasaki) 447… 6. #gautierpaulin (Husqvarna) 389… 12. #maxanstie (Husqvarna) 212… 21. Tanel Leok (Husqvarna) 65… 28. Harri Kullas (Husqvarna) 15; 29. Lewis Stewart (Husqvarna) 15; 29. Ander Valentin (Husqvarna) 8; 31. Aidi Lazaroni (Husqvarna) 6; 32. Rizky Hanif Kusparwanto (Husqvarna) 6 

MX2 
1. Pauls Jonass (KTM) 550pts; 2. Jorge Prado (KTM) 550; 3. Thomas Kjer-Olsen (Husqvarna) 422… 6. #thomascovington (Husqvarna) 331… 9. Henry Jacobi (Husqvarna) 223… 12. Iker Larranaga (Husqvarna) 185… 18. Brent Van Doninck (Husqvarna) 116… 27. Muhammad Delvintor Alfarizi (Husqvarna) 28; 28. Diva Ismayana (Husqvarna) 24… 33. Hilman Maksum (Husqvarna) 20… 36. Jy Roberts (Husqvarna) 15… 41. Yoshua Pattipi (Husqvarna) 8; 42. Dylan Walsh (Husqvarna) 6… 46. Enzo Toriani (Husqvarna) 3; 47. Anthony Bourdon (Husqvarna) 3; 48. Andrea Zanotti (Husqvarna) 2