Ripe for Russian Grand Prix

The track and venue in Orlyonok, Russia, is located on the eastern shore of the Black Sea, 150km North West of Sochi. While the circuit it is new to the MXGP calendar, and will be foreign to most of the riders in MXGP and MX2, it actually made its international debut last year as the host of the 2016 FIM Junior Motocross World Championship. The pale coloured clay track is relatively wide and flowing with plenty of elevation. It was also very long last year, although it is said to be shorter for the grand prix this weekend.

Jeremy Van Horebeek goes in tied on 261 points with the defending world champion Tim Gajser - in fourth place - and is 28-points shy of Belgian compatriot Clement Desalle, who is in third place. Romain Febvre, on the other hand, is currently eighth and is only 5-points shy of the only Russian contesting the entire series, Evgeny Bobryshev. Arnaud Tonus needs 4 points on Glenn Coldenhoff to move into tenth, while his Wilvo Yamaha Official MXGP teammate Shaun Simpson is still in fourteenth despite not attending the previous two rounds after breaking his hand in the final race at the MXGP of Latvia on May 8th. Simpson is aiming to return at the MXGP of Lombardia, which will take place in the sand of Ottobiano, Italy on the weekend of June 25th.