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KTM riders sweep Junior Motocross 125 and 85cc World titles | Latest

Talented junior riders this weekend gathered in Orlyonok, Russia to contest the FIM Junior Motocross World Championship, an occasion that saw KTM riders win the two titles up for grabs.

Jago Geerts of Belgium came away with the 125c title and Austria’s Rene Hofer is 85cc World Champion. Orlyonok also hosted the EMX65 Open Cup for the sport’s youngest riders and this went to Russia’s Kirill Vorobyev, who also rode a KTM.

JWC125
While Dutch rider Roan van de Moosdijk was the fastest in practice and qualifying it was Jago Geerts who took the title with a 2-1 moto result leaving on his KTM 125 SX second place for his Dutch rival with a 1-2 result. Geerts had already established himself this season as the outstanding rider in the last two rounds of the EMX125 in Belgium and Switzerland. Jakub Teresak of the Czech Republic rode his KTM to the podium third, followed by the two Australians contesting the class, Riley Dukes and Caleb Grothues (both KTM riders).

JWC85
It was particularly pleasing for Austria’s KTM to see home-grown rider Rene Hofer, also winner of this season’s EMX85 title, wrap up his year with a well deserved 85cc world title. Hofer, who also dominated the qualifying on the KTM 85 SX, hit the front after two laps in his opening moto and from then on never looked back. He was an impressive 31 seconds in front of second placed Meico Vettik of Estonia when he crossed the line.

Hofer was in blistering form in his second moto, and although challenged by Japanese rider Job Shimoda, who finished just under three seconds behind him, he preserved his unblemished record of winning every 85cc race this season. Vettik (2-4) took the second overall and Russia’s Maksim Kraev (3-5) finished in third place. All top ten riders in the class rode KTM machines.

EMX65 Open Cup
The event in Russia was also one for the youngest competitors to shine in the EMX65 Open Cup. The glory went to home rider Kirill Vorobyev who wrapped up the two-moto competition with a 1-1 result to seal the title. Latvian Karlis Alberts Reisulis bounced back from a third in the opening moto to finish behind the Russian in race two to take the second podium place. Third overall also went to a Russian rider, Aleksey Orlov, the fastest qualifier, who finished with a 2-4 result. All top ten riders in the smallest class rode KTM 65 SX machines.

JWC125 Nations
At the end of the weekend, it was the Australian riders who took honors in the final classification for the JWC125 Nations 2016 with just nine points, one less than second-placed Russia. Dutch riders incurred 15 points to give the Netherlands the podium third in the Junior Nations 125 category. As in the Motocross of Nations (MXoN) annual face-off, an event often referred to as the “Olympics of Motocross”, it is the national team with the least points that wins the competition.

Results JWC125 Orlyonok 2016
1. Jago Geerts (BEL), KTM (2-1)
2. Roan van de Moosdijk (NED), Yamaha (1-2)
3. Jakub Teresak (CZE), KTM (3-3)
4. Riley Dukes (AUS), KTM (5-4)
5. Caleb Grothues (AUS), KTM (4-5)

Results JWC85 Orlyonok 2016
1. Rene Hofer (AUT), KTM (1-1)
2. Meico Vettik (EST), KTM (2-4)
3. Maksim Kraev (RUS), KTM (3-5)
4. Nikita Petrov (RUS), KTM (4-8)
5. Dante Hyam (AUS), KTM (6-6)

Results EMX65 Open Cup Orlyonok 2016
1. Kirill Vorobyev (RUS), KTM (1-1)
2. Karlis Alberts Reisulis (LAT), KTM (3-2)
3. Aleksey Orlov (RUS), KTM (2-4)
4. Edvards Bidzans (LAT), KTM (7-3)
5. Sergey Glebkin (RUS), KTM (4-7)

Results JWC125 Nations 2016
1. Australia, 9
2. Russia, 10
3. The Netherlands, 15
4. Czech Republic, 15
5. Latvia, 19