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Red Bull KTM Factory Racing's Antonio Cairoli not only won the MX1 GP with a double victory in the slippery sands of Valkenswaard on Sunday but did it after making two superb recoveries in the second moto with the kind of skill and agility that few riders ever achieve

The Italian reigning World Champion completely dominated the first moto in the shifting sandy surface of the Dutch circuit, again proving that the new KTM 350 SX-F machine, making its world championship debut only this year, is definitely the one to beat. Cairoli soared over the finish some 14 seconds ahead of his closest rival. But it was in the second moto that all of the Italian maestro's riding talents came to the fore when fighting to get back at the front end of the field after a start that was not as clean as his first, he was twice off the bike and twice made remarkable, lightning-quick recoveries to get back in the race. Tony delivered just the kinds of thrills and skills that drew such a big crowd to the Dutch circuit, again showing just why he has 31 career victories to his credit and why he leads the world championship standings.

Cairoli loving the spirit of the competition
 "The second race, well I really liked it even though I crashed. I like it to be on the competition all the time. The first race was hard because I had some big leads and I tried to concentrate. The second heat was pretty exciting for the public and for everybody. I feel very satisfied about my riding so everything is going pretty good. The first moto I took the holeshot so I could ride my lines and my rhythm. In the second race I was riding with David (Philippaerts) we were trying to pass each other all the time and then I caught his back wheel and I crashed, "Cairoli said, adding that despite the crashes he never gave up on winning and clearly it paid off.

Nagl has to overcome stomach cramps in second moto 
Cairoli's teammate Max Nagl picked up enough solid championship points for his fourth and fifth place finishes in the two motos to remain in second place in the standings behind the Italian. Max said it had been a difficult weekend, even though his fourth place in the first heat was "quite okay". "In the second heat I had some bad stomach cramps and I really had to fight with my body but in the end I was coming back a bit and I managed to get past de Dyker." He will go for a medical check during the week.

Goncalves back on his KTM bike 
The Red Bull KTM Factory Team also welcomed their third rider, Rui Goncalves of Portugal back to the track. He was forced to sit out the first two rounds to rest his shoulder after corrective surgery. On a track that was surely challenging coming back from injury, Rui managed to pick up six championship points and will now look forward to his own home GP in Agueda, Portugal in a fortnight's time. "I came here without any expectations, to just use this as a practice to see where I was. It was good. I took points in both motos. I lost all the winter and the races till now so it will take some time to get back my speed but I'm very motivated to work. The bike is awesome and so I'm looking forward to seeing where I will be at the end of the season." Rui said also in Portugal he would be taking his time to get back into his racing mode.

The MX1 and MX2 factory teams continued to draw praise from team boss Stefan Everts and KTM Offroad Director Pit Beirer for their collective efforts in the three GPs so far run. With 147 points, KTM already has a commanding 22-point lead in the Manufacturers Standings after only three rounds.

Results MX1 after Round Three 1. Antonio Cairoli, Italy, KTM, 25-25--50 2. Steve Ramon, Belgium, Suzuki, 20-22-42 3. David Philippaerts, Italy, Yamaha, 22-18—40 4. Tanel Leok, Estonia, Honday, 16-20—36 5. Max Nagl, Germany, KTM, 18-15—33 Other KTM 17. Rui Goncalves, Portugal, KTM 4-2—6

Championship Standings after Round Three 1. Antonio Cairoli, Italy, KTM, 138 points 2. Max Nagl, Germany, KTM, 120 3. Steve Ramon, Belgium, 101 4. David Philippaerts, Italy, 100 5. Ken de Dyker, Belgium, 94 Other KTM 23. Rui Goncalves, Portugal, KTM, 6