Maggiora Battles: Guadagnini Scores Points While De Wolf Retains Championship Lead

The iconic Maggiora track, which has hosted GP action since 1966 in northwest Italy, provided the perfect venue for the Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Team to reach the halfway point of the season. The team has so far claimed six overall wins and 11 individual race wins in MX2 alone. 

Both Kay de Wolf and Lucas Coenen are placed in first and third place in the championship standings respectively; with de Wolf holding the Red Plate lead by an impressive 48-point margin. While the weekend may not have gone exactly to plan for both riders, their standings in the championship speak volumes about their progress.

In the first moto, de Wolf faced a difficult start when he was taken down in the first corner due to a rider crashing in front of him. Despite dropping to 29th place, he fought his way through the pack, advancing to 20th by lap two and eventually finishing in an impressive seventh place. The second moto saw de Wolf start in ninth place. He steadily made his way up the field, consistently improving his position. By the end of the race, the Dutch rider had secured a solid sixth-place finish.

Meanwhile, Lucas Coenen faced his own challenges at Maggiora. Despite a tough start in the first moto, where he began from 26th place, Coenen gritted his teeth and battled back to a respectable 10th position. In the second moto, Coenen enjoyed a much stronger start, immediately battling for the lead against his brother and rival, Sacha Coenen. He maintained his second place position throughout the race, consistently closing the gap and finishing just 1.7 seconds behind his brother. The 10-2 finishes placed Coenen sixth overall for the weekend.

In MXGP, Mattia Guadagnini also finished an eventful weekend on a high note. Starting from eighth position in the first moto, Guadagnini faced a tough start, dropping to 15th at the gate drop. Despite this setback, he clawed his way back to 14th by the end of the first lap and continued to battle for positions throughout the race. Fluctuating between 12th and 17th, he ultimately secured 14th place by the final flag.

The second moto saw Guadagnini involved in an early incident, being clipped from behind and pushed onto a grass bank. Despite this unusual start, he rejoined the track in sixth place by lap two, just 8.48 seconds behind leader Gajser. #101 maintained sixth place in fine style until lap five, only dropping to seventh position at the finish. These performances moved Guadagnini up to 13th in the championship, continuing his steady trajectory up the standings.

The Nestaan Husqvarna Team now pack up and head to Indonesia for the first of two back-to-back flyaway races, starting with the MXGP of West Nusa Tenggara in Lombok, Indonesia, on June 30th.

#101 - Mattia Guadagnini: “Overall, I had a really good feeling about this weekend. On Saturday, the rain and conditions made things difficult, and then on Sunday, the track was a little strange because it was almost just one line. This meant that getting a good start in every race was super important. I made some good passes in the qualifying race and finished 8th, which was good for the gate position I had. Then on Sunday, for the first moto, I got stuck behind some guys in front of me and just couldn't make the passes I wanted. I think in trying so hard, I had two small crashes and lost a lot of time. I went from 17th to 14th in the end, so I wasn’t happy with that. The second moto was much better at the start. I made some mistakes again, but I finished 7th in the end, which I’m a bit more happy about. I’m a little disappointed to have thrown away the first moto, which cost me a good result at my home GP. But there were still plenty of positives to focus on from my riding to keep building on, so I can fight for better results at the next GP.”

#74 - Kay de Wolf: "Not an easy weekend, but still overall positive! I still have a good margin on the Red Plate, so I’m feeling good! Saturday was difficult; I had a crash on the opening lap, and the bars on my bike were bent, making it hard to fight back. I managed to get back up to 10th and earned one point. Then on Sunday, during the first moto, I had a crash at the start because I couldn't avoid the riders in front of me. So, I had to work my way up to eighth from last, which I thought was okay. In the second moto, it felt like a train ride; everyone was just lined up behind each other, and no one could really pass. I saw Simon and Haarup crash, and that was the only real event during the moto. As the track dried, there was really only one line. So, in general, it was a positive weekend, and I’m looking forward to Indonesia!"

#96 - Lucas Coenen: "Maggiora is always a unique challenge, and this weekend was no exception. Starting from 26th in the first moto was tough, but I pushed hard to get 10th place. The second moto was a different story, battling for the lead with my brother Sacha. Finishing just 1.7 seconds behind him in second place was a great feeling; but of course I want to win! Our progress this season shows how much everyone is pushing, and I’m excited to keep building as we head to Indonesia."

Results - 2024 FIM Motocross World Championship, Round Ten

MXGP – Overall:
1. Tim Gajser (Honda) 47pts; 2. Jeffrey Herlings (KTM) 45pts; 3. Jeremy Seewer (Kawasaki) 36pts; 10. Jorge Prado (GASGAS) 22pts; 11. Mattia Guadagnini (Husqvarna) 21pts

MXGP – Moto One:
1. Tim Gajser (Honda) 33:55.146; 2. Jorge Prado (GASGAS) 33:56.520; 3. Jeffrey Herlings (KTM) 33:57.467; 14. Mattia Guadagnini (Husqvarna) 35:33.543

MXGP – Moto Two:

1. Jeffrey Herlings (KTM) 35:14.215; 2. Tim Gajser (Honda) 35:26.048; 3. Jeremy Seewer (Kawasaki) 36:07.839; 7. Mattia Guadagnini (Husqvarna) 36:29.514; 24. Jorge Prado (GASGAS) 9:28.413

MXGP – Standings:
1. Tim Gajser (Honda) 511pts; 2. Jorge Prado (GASGAS) 477pts; 3. Jeffrey Herlings (KTM) 440pts; 13. Mattia Guadagnini (Husqvarna) 121pts

MX2 – Overall:
1. Sacha Coenen (KTM) 43pts; 2. Liam Everts (KTM) 43pts; 3. Valerio Lata (GASGAS) 36pts; 4. Andrea Adamo (KTM) 36pts; 5. Simon Längenfelder (GASGAS) 35pts; 6. Lucas Coenen (Husqvarna) 33pts; 7. Kay de Wolf (Husqvarna) 29pts

MX2 – Moto One:
1. Liam Everts (KTM) 34:57.023; 2. Simon Längenfelder (GASGAS) 35:03.974; 3. Andrea Adamo (KTM) 35:11.280; 4. Sacha Coenen (KTM) 35:18.749; 5. Valerio Lata (GASGAS) 35:29.496; 7. Kay de Wolf (Husqvarna) 35:54.807; 10. Lucas Coenen (Husqvarna) 35:59.183

MX2 – Moto Two:
1. Sacha Coenen (KTM) 34:07.146; 2. Lucas Coenen (Husqvarna) 34:09.210; 3. Valerio Lata (GASGAS) 34:12.015; 4. Liam Everts (KTM) 34:12.546; 5. Andrea Adamo (KTM) 34:13.160; 6. Kay de Wolf (Husqvarna) 34:15.138; 8. Simon Längenfelder (GASGAS) 34:43.034

MX2 – Standings:
1. Kay de Wolf (Husqvarna) 473pts; 2. Simon Längenfelder (GASGAS) 425pts; 3. Lucas Coenen (Husqvarna) 421pts; 4. Liam Everts (KTM) 394pts; 5. Andrea Adamo (KTM) 368pts; 8. Sacha Coenen (KTM) 278pts; 14. Marc-Antoine Rossi (GASGAS) 122pts