Nicolai Skovbjerg has claimed another victory following some impressive comebacks in the ADAC MX Youngster Cup. Moritz Ernecker has come out on top in the ADAC MX Junior Cup 125. The Kosak Racing Team and MX-Handel Husqvarna Racing have won the team classifications.
Last weekend, the junior classes – the ADAC MX Youngster Cup and the ADAC MX Junior Cup 125 – thrilled the large crowds in France with thrilling battles and plenty of overtaking manoeuvres. In the ADAC MX Youngster Cup, Nicolai Skovbjerg (DK/MX-Handel Husqvarna Racing) remains top of the standings following his victory. The European Championship leader, Moritz Ernecker (A/Norman KTM Factory Rookies), won the event classification of the ADAC MX Junior Cup 125 on his guest appearance, but Lucas Leok (EST/KTM MX Futures) significantly extended his lead in the championship with second place. The Kosak Racing Team won the ADAC MX Masters team classification. The Young Talents team classification went to the MX-Handel Husqvarna Racing team.
ADAC MX Youngster Cup: Skovbjerg provides the entertainment
Just as he had done a week earlier, Nicolai Skovbjerg ensured some thrilling races in Bitche. The ADAC MX Youngster Cup is a thrilling competition thanks to the high level of competitiveness at the front, with many riders in contention for top places. In the first race on Saturday, Skovbjerg was unable to catch reigning champion Mads Fredsoe (DK/Cat Moto Bauerschmidt KTM) as he fought his way up from the midfield. Fredsoe celebrated his first win of the season ahead of Skovbjerg and Valentin Kees (D/KTM Kosak Racing Team). On Sunday too, Skovbjerg emerged from the opening lap of the second race only in the upper midfield, whilst Lyonel Reichl (LIE/KTM Sarholz Racing Team) took the lead early on ahead of Fredsoe. By the final third of the race, Skovbjerg had fought his way into the top three. Following a crash by Reichl on the penultimate lap, Skovbjerg took the lead and won ahead of Smulders, who overtook Fredsoe for second place on the final lap. In the third race, the numerous German fans cheered Kees’s Red Bull holeshot, but Nico Stenberg (FIN/Schmicker Silve Racing) overtook him after the first lap. In the following laps, Fredsoe and Skovbjerg first overtook the German driver and then, on the fifth lap, Stenberg as well. Halfway through the race, Fredsoe retired with a broken chain. Smulders and Jan Krug (D/Dörr Motorsport Triumph Racing) overtook Stenberg in the closing stages, pushing him out of the top three. In the event standings, victory went to Skovbjerg ahead of Smulders and Owens. In the championship, Skovbjerg extended his lead over Smulders and Fredsoe.
“My starts were poor again, which is why I had to drive very fast to get to the front. I’m looking on the bright side: it gave me plenty of practice in overtaking. But I’d also prefer to be right up there at the start and take the lead quickly so I can drive my own race. Start training is also at the top of my agenda for the coming weeks,” laughed Skovbjerg.
ADAC MX Junior Cup 125: Ernecker and Leok in a class of their own
Moritz Ernecker and Lucas Leok stood out as the two standout riders of the weekend. They battled it out in all three races. Ernecker continued his perfect Red Bull Holeshot record from last year, winning the start three times. But Leok was right on his tail each time and kept the pressure on throughout the race. The two pulled well clear of the rest of the field. In the first race on Saturday, Ernecker’s front wheel slipped out whilst braking on the final lap, allowing Leok to finish ahead of the Austrian and Dawid Zaremba (PL/SHR Motorsports by Hartje), who took third place from Acerbis Best Qualifier Emil Ziemer (CH/Motobike Racing Team) after the latter’s chain fell victim to a stone. In the second race, Ziemer moved up to third place behind the leading duo in the first third of the race. Ernecker made no mistake this time and won ahead of Leok and Ziemer. In the third race, Finn Lange (GER/KTM GST Berlin Racing) and Max Meyer (GER/Meyer Racing) were in the leading chasers behind Ernecker and Leok, whilst Ziemer emerged from the opening lap only in mid-field. Leok crashed in the final third of the race, allowing Ernecker to comfortably control the lead right to the finish. Leok finished second ahead of Lange. Ziemer overtook Meyer for fourth place on the final lap. Behind the winner Ernecker and Leok, Ziemer thus managed to secure a place on the event podium despite his retirement in the first race. Leok extended his lead in the championship to a 37-point advantage over Ziemer, with Lange in third place.
“The result is good, but to be honest I wasn’t happy with my riding this weekend. Lucas was very fast – huge respect to him. I hope I’ll be able to compete in another race in the series this year,” said Ernecker.
“I had good starts, my pace was good and overall I’m satisfied, even though my front wheel slipped away on the soft ground in the third race. Now I want to make good use of the long break until the next race in Gaildorf to get even better,” Leok summed up.
Team standings: Kosak Racing Team and MX-Handel Husqvarna Racing take the win
In the ADAC MX Masters team standings, the best result achieved by a team in each class is taken into account, with results from the ADAC MX Masters class counting double. In Bitche, the Kosak Racing Team won for the second time in a row. Dörr Motorsport Triumph Racing finished in second place ahead of the KTM Sarholz Racing Team. The Kosak Racing Team thus remains in the lead in the overall standings ahead of Dörr Motorsport Triumph Racing and Schmicker Silve Racing. In the Young Talents team standings, results from the ADAC MX Masters class do not count. Here, victory went to Team MX-Handel Husqvarna Racing ahead of the Kosak Racing Team and SixtySeven Racing Team. In the overall standings, MX-Handel Husqvarna Racing remains at the top, with the Kosak Racing Team moving up to second place, followed by KTM MX Futures.
All races from both days of the event can be watched for free as re-livestreams or as individual races via the ADAC MX Masters playlist on the ADAC Motorsport YouTube channel.
