Tim Gajser heads to Russia to begin MXGP championship defence
By Team TMX on 10th Jun 21
In 2021 Team HRC rider Tim Gajser is looking for his third title in a row on board the Honda CRF450RW and while the first race has continually been pushed back, he still feels like he is in good shape to defend his title successfully, starting with this weekend's MXGP of Russia.
For Gajser the Orlyonok venue holds good memories, winning in 2019, the last time the circuit hosted the FIM Motocross World Championship. In fact, that win gave the defending world champion the red plate as he went on a record-breaking run of form that saw him end up capturing the championship by over 200 points.
With the weather looking good for the weekend, the high-speed, hard-packed circuit should provide more close racing and the perfect spectacle as the MXGP season finally gets underway in Orlyonok.
"Im really excited to finally start this 2021 season," said Gajser. "It has been a long-time training and getting ready and I cant wait for that first gate drop.
"I know that there are a lot of fast riders in the class and that the Orlyonok track isnt easy to pass on so I need to make sure my starts are good and I keep my concentration levels high for both motos.
"It is planned to be a long championship so I dont need to take too many risks in the first event, but instead just enjoy the fact that Im back racing again. Hopefully soon I will get to see a lot of fans at the track but I have really appreciated all the support Ive received during this long off-season."
HRC General Manager - MXGP Marcus Pereira de Freitas: "It feels good to be heading to a race again after over seven months since the last MXGP race. Tim has done a couple of Italian rounds and a warm-up in Slovenia to get rid of the rust after a long absence but Russia is the one weve all been waiting for.
"Unfortunately, Mitch cant join us as his wrist isnt 100 per cent but otherwise, weve had a good preparation and everyone in Team HRC is ready to try and make it three MXGP titles in a row."
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