PREMIER PODIUM HISTORIQUE MONSTER ENERGY TRIUMPH RACING LORS DE LA PREMIÈRE MANCHE MXGP MIKKEL HAARUP SE HISSE À LA TROISIÈME PLACE DU CLASSEMENT GÉNÉRAL EN ARGENTINE.

Mikkel Haarup, pilote MX2 de Monster Energy Triumph Racing, a écrit l’histoire en se classant à une impressionnante troisième place au classement général du MXGP de Patagonie-Argentine ! Livrant une performance exceptionnelle lors de l’ouverture de la saison 2024, le Danois a suivi sa cinquième place lors de la première manche avec une

deuxième place dans la deuxième course pour assurer son tout premier podium général. C’est le premier podium Triumph au classement général du Championnat du Monde MX2.

Pour Camden McLellan, des départs solides et des chronos en amélioration lui ont assuré la neuvième place au classement général, avec comme moment fort de sa journée une sixième place dans la deuxième course.

Lors de la première course, Haarup a fait partie du peloton de tête dès le premier virage. Septième sur la grille de départ, le pilote s’est hissé à la cinquième position en quelques tours et y est resté jusqu’à la toute fin de la

première manche. Malgré tous ses efforts pour se frayer un chemin jusqu’à la quatrième place, le Danois marquera une belle cinquième position, confirmant un début exceptionnel pour la TF 250-X au Championnat du Monde MX2.

Grisé à l’idée d’améliorer son classement, Mikkel a commencé magistralement la deuxième course en réalisant un superbe holeshot ! En tête pendant près de cinq tours, le pilote de 22 ans a glissé à la deuxième place puis s’est engagé dans une bataille acharnée pour la victoire. Maintenant un gros rythme pendant toute la course, Haarup a franchi la ligne d’arrivée en deuxième position, à moins de deux secondes du vainqueur. Il est récompensé par une très belle troisième place au classement général.

APRÈS UNE INCROYABLE JOURNÉE D’ACTION EN ARGENTINE, MONSTER ENERGY TRIUMPH RACING REVIENT EN EUROPE POUR LA DEUXIÈME MANCHE DU FIM MX2 MOTOCROSS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2024, LE MXGP D’ESPAGNE, LES 23 ET 24 MARS.

Camden McLellan était le deuxième pilote Monster Energy Triumph Racing lors de cette manche en Argentine. Après avoir travaillé ses départs ces dernières semaines, la ténacité du Sud-Africain a porté ses fruits en bouclant le premier tour de chaque course dans le top 10. Après s’être classé 11ème dans la première manche, le pilote de 19 ans a considérablement progressé pour se classer sixième

lors de la deuxième course, terminant juste derrière le champion du monde MX2 en titre, Andrea Adamo.

“ Ce début de saison est vraiment génial ! Ce podium est incroyable et c’est une très belle façon de

commencer l’année pour moi et pour Monster Energy Triumph Racing. Ma course de qualification n’a pas été très bonne, mais je savais que j’avais les capacités d’être dans le top 3 aujourd’hui. Pendant l’intersaison, nous avons énormément construit et progressé. Ce que nous avons réalisé aujourd’hui est le résultat du travail acharné de toutes les personnes impliquées sur ce projet. Je me suis senti à l’aise sur la moto tout le week-end et c’était vraiment important sur une piste aussi délicate que celle-ci.

Aujourd’hui, nous avons montré de quoi cette moto est capable et dans l’ensemble, je suis vraiment content de ma performance.” MIKKEL HAARUP

“ Le week-end vient de se terminer en Argentine et on peut vraiment dire qu’il y avait beaucoup de nervosité et d’excitation. La piste était extrêmement difficile, la moto a été très sollicitée toute la journée et je suis heureux de rentrer chez moi en bonne santé. Ce fut une belle journée pour l’équipe avec le podium de Mikkel, donc je suis heureux pour lui et pour toute l’équipe de Monster Energy Triumph Racing.

Rendez-vous en Espagne !” AMDEN MCLELLAN

VINCENT BERENI

TEAM MANAGER MONSTER ENERGY TRIUMPH RACING

“C’est un bon début pour l’équipe et aussi pour Triumph. Le chemin a été long pour en arriver là et, de toute évidence, le travail acharné récompense. Tout le monde dans l’équipe, des pilotes aux mécaniciens, a travaillé si dur pour en arriver là ! Ce que Mikkel a accompli aujourd’hui est incroyable. Nous savions que nous serions compétitifs, mais avant la course on ne sait jamais vraiment.

Mais maintenant nous sommes certains des performances. Camden a aussi très bien roulé, l’équipe est maintenant ravie de rentrer chez elle en Europe, et nous attendons tous avec impatience la manche Espagnole dans deux semaines.”

HISTORIC FIRST PODIUM FOR MONSTER ENERGY TRIUMPH RACING AT MXGP ROUND ONE

Sun 10 Mar 2024

Mikkel Haarup goes 5-2 for third overall in Argentina

• Mikkel Haarup goes 5-2 for third overall in Argentina

 

Monster Energy Triumph Racing’s MX2 racer Mikkel Haarup has written history by placing a stunning third overall at the MXGP of Patagonia-Argentina! Delivering a truly outstanding performance at the 2024 season-opener, the Dane followed up his first-moto fifth with a close runner-up finish in race two to secure his, and Triumph’s first overall podium result in the MX2 World Championship. For Camden McLellan, strong starts and improving moto finishes secured ninth overall with his day highlighted by placing sixth in race two.

 

Heading to the start line for race one confident of a strong showing, Haarup emerged from the first turn with the leading riders. Starting from seventh, Haarup was up to fifth within a few laps and stayed with the frontrunners to the very end of the opening moto. Despite his best efforts to find a way through into fourth, the Dane would finish fifth in what was an exceptional debut for the TF 250-X in the MX2 World Championship.

 

Excited to improve upon his race one result, Mikkel started moto two in the best way possible by taking a stunning holeshot! Leading the world for nearly five laps, the 22-year-old slipped to second then found himself locked in a fierce battle for the moto victory. Charging hard to the finish, Haarup would cross the finish line as a close runner-up, just under two seconds from the race win, and be rewarded with third overall.

 

Camden McLellan was the second Monster Energy Triumph Racing rider in action in Argentina. Having worked on his starts in recent weeks, the South African’s commitment paid off as he completed the opening lap of each race inside the top 10. After placing 11^th in moto one, the 19-year-old progressed considerably to place sixth in race two, finishing right behind reigning MX2 World Champion, Andrea Adamo.

 

Following an incredible day of action in Argentina, Monster Energy Triumph Racing will now return to Europe and prepare for round two of the 2024 FIM MX2 Motocross World Championship, the MXGP of Spain, on March 23-24.

 

Mikkel Haarup: “Yeah, it’s been a really amazing start to the season! A podium is perfect and a great way to start the year for myself, and Monster Energy Triumph Racing. My qualifying race was not so good, but I knew that I had the speed to run in the top three today. All through the off-season we have been building and building and what we’ve achieved today is the result of a lot of hard work by everyone involved. I felt comfortable on the bike all weekend and that was really important on a tricky track like this. Today we’ve shown what this bike is capable of and overall, I’m really happy with my performance.”

 

Camden McLellan: “That’s the weekend wrapped up in Argentina and it’s safe to say that there were a lot of nerves and a lot of excitement all weekend. The track was really rough, but my bike felt dialled all day and I’m happy to be going home healthy. It’s been a great day for the team with Mikkel getting up on the podium, so I’m pleased for him and everyone at Monster Energy Triumph Racing. See you in Spain!”

 

Vincent Bereni – Monster Energy Triumph Racing Team Manager: “A great start for the team and also Triumph. It has been a long road to get here and clearly, hard work pays off. Everyone on the team, the riders, the mechanics, everyone has worked so hard to get here and what Mikkel has achieved today is incredible. We knew we would be competitive but until you race, you never really know. But now we do. Camden also rode really well, and now the team is excited to head home to Europe, and we all look forward to Spain in two weeks’ time.”

RÉSULTATS – MXGP DE PATAGONIE-ARGENTINE

MX2 RACE 1

1. Simon Langenfelder (GASGAS) 34:23.626

2. Kay de Wolf (Husqvarna) 34:25.711

3. Thibault Benistant (Yamaha) 34:26.108

4. Marc Antoine-Rossi (GASGAS) 34:35.934

5. Mikkel Haarup (Triumph) 34:36.403

6. Sacha Coenen (KTM) 34:56.363

11. Camden McLellan (Triumph) 35:12.556

MX2 RACE 2

1. Kay de Wolf (Husqvarna) 34:55.608

2. Mikkel Haarup (Triumph) 34:57.163

3. Lucas Coenen (Husqvarna) 35:07.235

4. Simon Langenfelder (GASGAS) 35:09.470

5. Andrea Adamo (KTM) 35:36.258

6. Camden McLellan (Triumph) 35:37.174

MX2 OVERALL

1. Kay de Wolf (Husqvarna) 47pts

2. Simon Langenfelder (GASGAS) 43pts

3. Mikkel Haarup (Triumph) 38pts

4. Thibault Benistant (Yamaha) 34pts

5. Andrea Adamo (KTM) 29pts

6. Ferruccio Zanchi (Honda) 27pts

9. Camden McLellan (Triumph) 25pts

MX2 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS

1. Kay de Wolf (Husqvarna) 56pts

2. Simon Langenfelder (GASGAS) 50pts

3. Thibault Benistant (Yamaha) 40pts

4. Mikkel Haarup (Triumph) 38pts

5. Andrea Adamo (KTM) 37pts

6. Marc-Antoine Rossi (GASGAS) 32pts

10. Camden McLellan (Triumph) 25pts

(Communiqué Triumph Racing)

NESTAAN HUSQVARNA FACTORY RACING POWERS TO MX2 PODIUMS IN PATAGONIAKAY DE WOLF RAISES THE BAR FOR THE 2024 MX2 SEASON – TAKING A WIN AND THE RED PLATE AT THE SEASON OPENER

While it was an MX2-only affair for the Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing Team in Argentina – due to MXGP rider Mattia Guadagnini having to sit out round one due to injuries sustained during pre-season training – Kay de Wolf and Lucas Coenen both put on incredible performances for the team in South America.

In the opening moto, Lucas Coenen looked set to take the field by storm, having secured P1 and the red plate during qualifying on Saturday. However, it was heartbreak on the first lap for the Belgian rider, as he folded the front and crashed heavily. Coenen bravely rode for a few more laps before retiring due to the pain from his wrist.

Meanwhile, Kay de Wolf charged ahead from 5th, putting in a near unchallenged ride for 17 laps. It wasn’t until drama in the top three opened the opportunity for de Wolf to leapfrog into third and then second with a series of inch-perfect overtakes. The Dutch rider crossed the line a mere 0.3 seconds ahead of Thibault Benistant to secure 22 points.

In the second moto, Lucas Coenen truly showed his grit by riding through the pain to battle for the podium. In fact, Coenen nearly took the race win by over 4 seconds until an uncharacteristic error, just 200m from the finish line on the last lap, saw him slip to third. Challenging his teammate for the ride of the day, Kay de Wolf put in a stunning performance to race from 4th through to the podium.

Chasing hard on the last lap, de Wolf launched into the inside line on the tricky uphill hairpin in sector 4 to take the lead. The move secured de Wolf’s 14th podium and second Grand Prix victory. That’s not all, however, with the Dutch rider taking the red plate into the second round of the year.

Next up is the MXGP of Spain at Intu Xanadú – Arroyomolinos on the 24th of March.

#96 – Lucas Coenen: « So the weekend didn’t go as planned, that’s for sure. On Saturday, I was P2 in free practice and then secured pole in the timed practice. Overall, I had good speed. In the first moto, the start was good – I was in P3 and managed to take the lead. But before even half a lap had passed, in the blink of an eye, the front washed away in a corner. I felt like I hurt my wrist really badly – and although I tried to continue, the pain was really bad. I pulled out of the race and worked with the physio to get it fixed. I told myself that if I wanted to be a title contender, I needed to do the second moto regardless of the pain. Unfortunately, three corners before the end, the bike slid away from me again. With the speed I had, I could have been P1, but I will put this behind me and focus on the rest of the season. »

#74 – Kay de Wolf: “It’s really nice to have the red plate on my bike at this stage of the season – even though it maybe doesn’t mean much, with so many races to go with 19 rounds, but I’m really happy with that. I was struggling in the beginning of the weekend, but I kept improving – which is something that we focused on during winter training; doing long motos and then going for a sprint in the end. Overall it was a positive weekend, and all the hard work paid off. Winning a GP is amazing of course and now I’m looking forward to heading to Spain now and battling for more wins.”

Second moto victory gives Gajser podium, as Zanchi charges hard in Patagonia-Argentina

MXGP

Team HRC’s Tim Gajser got his 2024 MXGP campaign off to a strong start, taking the win in moto two, after placing fifth in race one to give him third overall. Combined with the qualification race victory, he sits just three points off the red-plate and well poised for another title challenge. Unfortunately, teammate Ruben Fernandez wasn’t able to line-up for the motos due to the lower left-leg injuries he sustained in the first turn qualification race incident yesterday.

Having first gate-pick after winning the 10-point qualifying race, Gajser didn’t get the best start, but as he was forcing his way through the field, he made a small mistake and dropped down to 13^th as they crossed the line for the first time. Knowing that it was a long race, he built his speed up and made plenty of passes, as the fastest man on the track, eventually coming home in fifth place, just a couple of tenths behind fourth.

Last year, Fernandez won this GP after going five-one so the #243 knew he had a chance to take the overall if he won the second race, and with a great start he was able to just that. He almost grabbed the holeshot, but swiftly moved into the lead and never looked back, riding a fast but controlled pace that the rest of the field couldn’t match. However, unlike in 2023, Gajser’s five-one saw him find the third step of the podium, but it was still a strong start for the five-time world champion.

The Honda CRF450R pair now have a weekend off to recover from their travel back from Patagonia, before they head to Arroyomolinos, near Madrid in Spain for the second round of the series on March 23-24. Gajser will once again be hoping to making it up onto the podium, while Fernandez’s first priority will be concentrating on getting healthy for his home GP.

MX2

In his full-debut for Team HRC, Ferruccio Zanchi put in two really impressive rides to come through the pack and finish seven-eight for sixth overall. The speed and skill that he showed to pass riders on this extremely fast Argentina track should give him a lot of confidence heading into round two and if he can improve his starts, he really should become a permanent feature of this exciting MX2 class.

Both races followed a similar pattern as the #73 started way outside the top 10, before working his way forward throughout the moto. Battling with riders with much more experience, the 17-year-old was able to maintain his composure and make the necessary moves and he was delighted with how his first world championship round on-board a Honda CRF250R went.

Tim Gajser  243

I am very happy with my riding today and to win two of the three races over the weekend is a good way to start the season. I probably rushed a bit too much in the first race and made that mistake but it was good to be able to make some passes and get back up to fifth. Then in race two, I got a much better start and was able to control the race and that is a nice feeling on what is quite a difficult track. Now we have Spain coming up and I hope to go for the win there as well.

Ruben Fernandez  70

I’m really disappointed to miss this round, but it was the right decision as I wasn’t really healthy enough to ride at the level I want to. I could have probably tried but I wanted to be smart and the season is long so the plan is to be ready for Spain in a couple of weeks, which is a home GP for me and one I always look forward to.

Ferruccio Zanchi  73

It was a good start for me with Team HRC, and I’m very happy to be leaving with sixth overall. Even though my starts weren’t the best, I made a lot of passes throughout the weekend which really builds my confidence and it was good to be consistent across the three motos. I am already looking forward to Spain in a couple of weeks, where hopefully I will continue with this kind of riding.

Marcus Pereira de Freitas

HRC General Manager – MXGP

Both Tim and Ferruccio put in some really strong races today, and that was great to see. Tim looked really fast and showed his speed when he controlled race two, and even in race one when he came through the field. Without that small mistake I’m sure he’d be leaving here with the red-plate but it is a long season and this was still a very good opening round. Ferruccio also showed what a great prospect he is by getting sixth overall after seven-eight moto finishes. He came through the field in both races, overtaking some much more experienced riders and we are just delighted with how it went. Of course, Ruben wasn’t able to line-up and we will get back to Europe and check him again, and then make plans based on what those results are.

(Source : Honda Racing Corporation)