Ivano van Erp Rocks in Sweden
The 15th round of the FIM Motocross World Championship rocked for some and was rocky for others. Held inside a quarry just north of Gothenburg, Sweden, Uddevalla’s tight, hard-packed, and tricky track, combined with mixed weather conditions and high-speed winds, set the stage for some wild racing.
Who said Dutch riders were sand specialists? Monster Energy’s Ivano van Erp absolutely crushed it in MXGP’s gnarliest youth class, EMX250. The 19-year-old Dutchman looked at home in his charge to a 2-2 scorecard and his first overall win of the season.
Uddevalla’s gravelly surface meant you really wanted to be out front to avoid getting pelted with roost and stone spray. 14-year-old Dani Heitink gave it his all in the opening EMX125 race as he thrashed his YZ125 to an incredible race win on Saturday afternoon. But Sunday morning wasn’t as kind to the young Dutchman. A bad start and a fall on the final lap made it tough for him to get the job done. Even though he finished tenth in the race and on the same points as the rider who popped the cork on the third step of the podium, he lost out on the tiebreaker, which favoured the best finish in the final race, leaving him fourth overall.
Romain Febvre, coming from a supermoto background, is regarded as one of the best hard-pack riders out there. His ability to power slide around slippery turns is second to none. The fiery #3, still working his way back from an injury, put in two epic rides to finish fourth overall.
Rounding out the top five, Calvin Vlaanderen had a rough go in Sweden after a first-turn crash in the Qualifying Race. Despite taking some hits, the tall South African pushed through some pain and discomfort to maintain his place in the championship standings – fourth.
As the MXGP leaves the land of meatballs and flat-pack furniture, it’s heading straight to The Netherlands. The buzz is all about the Monster Energy and Ducati debut of the man, the myth, the legend—nine-time FIM Motocross World Champion Antonio Cairoli!