Fifth overall for Thomas Kjer Olsen at MXGP Round 13

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Thomas Kjer Olsen has placed fifth overall in the MX2 class at round 13 of the 2020 FIM Motocross World Championship. Racing at Lommel, the MXGP of Flanders, the Dane scored a fifth-place finish in the opening moto before claiming a strong fourth in race two. Kjer Olsen’s MX2 teammate Jed Beaton put together two consistent results, claiming seventh in both races for seventh overall.

Thomas Kjer Olsen arrived in Lommel in confident form following four consecutive MX2 overall podium finishes in recent GPs. No stranger to the infamously deep sand of the Belgian circuit, TKO battled with the track in the opening moto as he fought to find a comfortable rhythm. Despite this, he held a strong fourth position for much of the race before being passed with three laps to go and finished in fifth place.

Race two was much more enjoyable for Kjer Olsen. Running third until the halfway stage of the moto, he dropped just one position and slipped back to fourth. Quickly regrouping, he latched on to the rider ahead of him and rode well on the ever-changing track surface to finish fourth. TKO placed fifth overall and is optimistic of better results at the next two Grands Prix set to take place at Lommel.

Jed Beaton enjoyed his racing at the MXGP of Flanders. Not making the best of starts in race one, the Australian placed just inside the top 10 and maintained his position during the early stages of the moto. Finding his flow 20 minutes into the race, he pushed hard and advanced forwards to finish seventh.

A calculated ride in the second moto saw Beaton again claim a seventh-place finish. Well aware of how brutal the track was, and with two more rounds of the MX2 World Championship set to take place at Lommel in the coming days, he avoided unnecessary risks and claimed seventh overall on the day.

In the EMX250 class, Kay de Wolf recorded a strong fourth-place overall result, narrowly missing out on a trip to the podium. Showing impressive speed in both races, the 16-year-old’s results ensure that he maintains his comfortable third-place ranking in the championship standings with one round remaining.

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing return to FIM Motocross World Championship competition on October 21, for the second of three visits to take place at the Lommel circuit.

Thomas Kjer Olsen: “The track was so rough today. I practice here a lot but it’s nothing like it is for a GP. It’s the same for everyone and I actually think it made for better racing as you had to be precise and really think about your lines. I leave here with a good feeling for the next two rounds and I’m positive for better results. For sure the track will be difficult and super-rough, but I feel good and race two was good, I was able to play on the bike with the bumps and had fun out there.”

Jed Beaton: “Not the greatest day but we’re here for two more rounds so it’s a solid start to the week. My starts weren’t great in both races, which didn’t help but we’ll be better on Wednesday. It took me a while to get going in race one, by around 20 minutes into the race I found my flow and felt really good, but it was too late to move forwards. Race two I felt good from the start and rode a smart race. I know what to expect for the next two, so we’ll be ready for them and I look forward to Wednesday.”

Results – 2020 FIM Motocross World Championship, Round 13

MX2 – Overall
1. Tom Vialle (KTM) 44; 2. Jago Geerts (Yamaha) 43; 3. Ben Watson (Yamaha) 41… 5. Thomas Kjer Olsen (Husqvarna) 34; 7. Jed Beaton (Husqvarna) 28; 14. Alberto Forato (Husqvarna) 13; 15. Josh Gilbert (Husqvarna) 10

MX2 - Race 1
1. Ben Watson (Yamaha) 16 laps, 36:16:844; 2. Tom Vialle (KTM) 36:38:867; 3. Maxime Renaux (Yamaha) 36:45:047… 5. Thomas Kjer Olsen (Husqvarna) 36:59:390; 7. Jed Beaton (Husqvarna) 37:35:361; 16. Josh Gilbert (Husqvarna) 15 laps, 36:34:457; 17. Alberto Forato (Husqvarna) 36:35:800; 22. Johannes Nermann (Husqvarna) 37:13:874

MX2 - Race 2
1. Jago Geerts (Yamaha) 16 laps, 36:22:920; 2. Tom Vialle (KTM) 36:32:431; 3. Roan Van De Moosdijk (Kawasaki) 36:50:471; 4. Thomas Kjer Olsen (Husqvarna) 36:53:902… 7. Jed Beaton (Husqvarna) 37:21:762; 12. Alberto Forato (Husqvarna) 38:25:709; 16. Josh Gilbert (Husqvarna) 15 laps, 36:46:202; 21. Johannes Nermann (Husqvarna) 38:16:560

Championship Standings – After Round 13

MX2
1. Tom Vialle (KTM) 569pts; 2. Jago Geerts (Yamaha) 516; 3. Maxime Renaux (Yamaha) 407; 4. Jed Beaton (Husqvarna) 407; 5. Thomas Kjer Olsen (Husqvarna) 381… 13. Alberto Forato (Husqvarna) 150; 20. Josh Gilbert (Husqvarna) 83; 26. Mattia Guadagnini (Husqvarna) 62; 33. Gianmarco Cenerelli (Husqvarna) 21; 34. Enzo Toriani (Husqvarna) 21; 38. Johannes Nermann (Husqvarna) 8; 42. Roland Edelbacher (Husqvarna) 5