World championship leader Tony Cairoli caught and reeled in race leader Tim Gajser to take his fifth qualifying race win in the MXGP at Loket in the Czech Republic.

Honda man Gasjer led from the start while Cairoli battled with Max Nagl for second place. The KTM eventually went past the German and reeled in Gajser. Cairoli made a clean pass and pulled away to a clear lead and win by five seconds. Gajser held on for second from Nagl.

Cairloi said: “My start wasn’t the best but it was good. I got into a good rhythm and passed Nagl. I’m happy. In the past I have struggled here a lot so I hope this year will be better.”

Jeffrey Herlings had a top 10 start and slowly carved through the pack to take fourth place, demoting his KTM team-mate Glenn Coldenhoff on the last lap who managed to hold off Gautier Paulin. Romain Febvre took seventh from Clement Desalle, Arnaud Tonus and Kevin Strijbos. The only Briton, Max Anstie took 13th.

In the MX2 race, series leader Pauls Jonass pulled a holeshot and led every lap, tailed all the way home from the first corner by his team-mate Jorge Prado. Husky rider Thomas Covington, master of the qualifying races, was third from from Benoit Patuerl, Darien Sanayei and Brit Conrad Mewse. Ben Watson, who was passed by Mewse towards the end of the moto, finished eighth.