The MXGP of Lommel has concluded the Belgian triple-header here in Lommel, which saw Team HRC’s Tim Gajser and Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing MX2 Ben Watson take to the top of the box as the pair finished the week in the sand, on a high note.

A new track layout was introduced for this weekend’s races which saw some changes to sectors three and four that really sped up the rhythm of the races and made for some interesting battles.

In MXGP, Tim Gajser took two quite different race victories in the races today, as he claimed his first double race win of the season and his third overall victory. Meanwhile Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s Romain Febvre occupied the second step of the podium, with two solid second place finishes, which put him ahead of Jeremy Seewer of Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing who was the third rider on the podium.

In the opening race, it was Gajser who claimed the Fox Holeshot. He was closely followed by Seewer and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Antonio Cairoli, who wasted no time to pass into second by the end of the opening lap. Febvre also went through on Seewer on the opening lap, pushing him down to fourth.

Febvre then passed Cairoli and put in some solid laps, as he worked away at the 3.906 second gap between himself and the race leader. A lap later the gap was halved as just 1.716 was in it between the Honda and Kawasaki rider.

Seewer was pushing to go after Cairoli, in the early stages of the race, to claim back third, though eventually lost a bit of ground on the 9-time world champion.

Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Arnaud Tonus was having a really solid ride in the opening race, as he went after Jordi Tixier of JT911 for fifth. At one point in the race the factory Yamaha riders, Seewer, Tonus and Gautier Paulin were fourth, fifth and sixth in the race, before Paulin found a way through on his teammate, who came into the goggle lane towards the end of the race and lost a couple of more spots.

Gajser and Febvre kept things close for the first half of the race, though towards the latter stages, the HRC rider showed that he was on another level as he edged out further and by the end finishing the race with a 22.638 second gap. Febvre was second and Cairoli in a solid third. Seewer settled for fourth, while his teammate Paulin finished behind him in fifth.

Marchetti Racing Team KTM’s Brian Bogers and Tixier both had a solid race to finish sixth and seventh.

Race two saw Gajser out in the lead once again, with Tonus, Febvre, Seewer and SR Honda Motoblouz rider Jeremy Van Horebeek also getting a good start. Meanwhile Cairoli had an unlucky beginning to the heat, as he picked himself up in last after crashing in the first couple of corners.

There was also drama for Gajser on the opening lap, as he went down while in first, which allowed Seewer to quickly sneak into the lead. The Swiss led briefly as Febvre pushed hard to get around him and eventually moved into first.

Febvre then edged away from Seewer, while Gajser was making his way back up the order as he caught onto the back of Van Horebeek. It took a couple of laps for Gajser to get around the #89 and when he was eventually able to do so he then went after Tonus who was third at the time.

By lap 5 Gajser was already ahead of Tonus, as he set his sights on Seewer. The Slovenian carved his way around the deep sand in impressive fashion, and two laps later was up in second, as Seewer dropped to third.

With 10 minutes on the clock the gap was 6.168 between Febvre and Gajser, though Gajser was able to take almost two seconds out of the Frenchman by the next lap and then worked away at the gap even further and by lap 11, the Honda rider, was the new race leader.

With three laps to go, Tonus came under fire from Paulin and Van Horebeek, though Van Horebeek did not finish the race due to what looked like a bike issue.

In the end it was Gajser who claimed a double race win, with Febvre second and Seewer third. In terms of the championship, heading into the final three GPs in Italy, Gajser leads by 74 points, while Cairoli is still second on 509 points, as Seewer moves back up into third with 499 points.

Tim Gajser: “I’m very happy, the races were good, the speed was good, and I was enjoying it a lot. The first race I took a really good position because it was raining and track was wet, so it’s way more easier to ride in front and I made a comfortable lead. In the beginning Romain was pushing but then I managed to make a little gap and win the race. The second one, I took another good start, got the FOX holeshot and then the first lap I got a bit sideways and went back to seventh. I took a couple of laps to re-group but then started to ride good again, found some nice smooth lines and came back to the lead and then won, so I’m super happy”.

“I mean three GPs to go, still six races to go, so I’m 100% focused and will try to give my best and then we will see” he added.

Romain Febvre: “I had a good start and took the lead in the second lap I think. I was really comfortable out there and I was doing some good things but losing in some spots also and I knew it but I was just focused on those sections. I didn’t find a good line where I was slow and I saw that Tim was coming back and I thought for sure he has some good lines and I can see where I’m losing time, two corners after I crashed so could not really follow him but it’s a shame because we were in the lead but we finished second and are on the box”.

Jeremy Seewer: “It’s nice to be back on the podium after a rough week here in Lommel. You know it just really proves a lot out there with the rain, the track, three GPs in a row, with the weather the sand is just more tricky. I did two solid races without any big mistakes. Hats off to Tim he was on another level today, he’s riding really well at the moment and now I’m looking forward to Arco [Trentino] because it’s more my kind of track so looking positive there.”

MXGP – Grand Prix Race 1 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), 36:25.583; 2. Romain Febvre (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:22.638; 3. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:39.629; 4. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Yamaha), +0:55.783; 5. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Yamaha), +1:00.705; 6. Brian Bogers (NED, KTM), +1:09.550; 7. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KTM), +1:14.677; 8. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, Yamaha), +1:14.890; 9. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Honda), +1:23.600; 10. Clement Desalle (BEL, Kawasaki), +1:43.515;