Tim Gajser finishes fifth, moves into podium fight

Slovenian motocross rider Tim Gajser secured a fifth-place finish in the first race of the MXGP Latvian Grand Prix held in Kegums. The race on the challenging sandy track was won by Belgium's Lucas Coenen (KTM), who extended his lead in the overall World Championship standings.

Coenen dominated the race from start to finish, overcoming clutch issues to further solidify his position at the top of the championship. He currently holds 379 points. The Netherlands' Jeffrey Herlings (Honda) finished third in the race and trails Coenen by 37 points in the overall standings. Another sand specialist, Kay de Wolf from the Netherlands (Husqvarna), took second place in the first moto.

Gajser, starting from seventh after qualifying, moved up from eighth place in the opening lap. Despite gaining several positions, he finished 35 seconds behind the leader, earning 16 points. This result keeps him in fourth place overall with 276 points.

Slovenia's other competitor, Jan Pancar (KTM), started the race in 19th position among 26 riders. He improved his standing throughout the race to finish a respectable 14th, despite the track not being his preferred surface. Pancar remains in 17th place overall in the season standings with 68 points. The second race at Kegums was scheduled for later in the afternoon.