A central gate pick proved decisive as each of the other title contenders got entangled at the first turn which had been heavily-watered to combat the thirty-seven degree temperatures which reigned all afternoon in the Tuscany hillsides. Valin wasted no time in building a substantial lead, indeed he was already three seconds clear of the pack after a single lap. He gradually extended the cushion to second to ten seconds mid-moto before being content to control the race to the chequered flag for his second Qualifying victory of the current season.
 
Mathis Valin: "I didn't have the best feeling with the track this morning in practice but I could manage the holeshot well from mid-gate and then concentrated on riding consistent mistake-free laps; the heat was crazy out there so it was important to manage the moto. I still need to work a little on my flow and for sure I will need to step it up tomorrow if the other top guys get a start too. Anyway I have a good gate pick for tomorrow so let's get a good night's sleep and be ready for it!"
 
The KRT riders in the MXGP World Championship were less fortunate at the start of their Qualifying race despite good gate picks after each had shown stunning speed during Timed Practice. For first time this season Romain Febvre posted fastest lap in Timed Practice, with teammate Pauls Jonass sixth. Both Kawasaki riders gated well but the surface of the rising one-hundred-and-eighty-degree first turn was extremely unpredictable after heavy watering to combat the claustrophobic heat and both KRT riders found themselves outside the first ten heading to turn two. Jonass made good early progress but then got stuck in traffic, while Febvre, after hectic opening laps, made terrific progress once the race pattern settled, passing a host of top riders including the series points-leader on his way to fifth.
 
Romain Febvre: "My start was pretty good but the first turn was really muddy on the inside and I slid sideways coming out of the corner. That cost me a lot of positions; I think I was twelfth the first time past the finish line and the race was not easy from there. But I had really good speed and was enjoying it; I passed a lot of good guys to come back to fifth. It will be important tomorrow to manage the first turn as it is really tricky."
 
DRT Kawasaki's Kay Karssemakers recorded his fifth top-ten result of the season in MX2 Qualifying. The Dutch youngster established himself in the top-ten already on the first lap and mantained that ranking to the finish as he nullified position losses to championship contenders through his own passing moves.  
 
Venum Bud Racing Kawasaki's Francisco Garcia extended his lead in the European EMX250 Motocross Championship to sixty-three points with his tenth victory in thirteen motos to date this season. Having taken pole by more than a second the Spanish teenager chose the inside gate to turn tight and avoid any potential collisions at the first corner; he emerged second before sweeping into the lead on lap two. Racing clear at two seconds a lap on the old school track through the early laps he could ease his pace during the second half of the moto yet still take the chequered flag seven seconds clear of second.
 
Francisco Garcia: "For sure it's good to win again; that's ten motos now this year; the track was really tricky but I knew I had the speed. I was soon in front after a good start and I stayed calm to manage the gap to second; I didn't need to push any faster and was content to control the race as I didn't want to take any risks."
 
Bud teammate Jake Cannon was less fortunate at the start from gate eight and had to chase back through the pack from last; the Australian was already into the top-twenty at the completion of the opening lap and eventually finished sixth to maintain his second place in the series standings, extending his advantage over third to twenty-three points.
 
Jake Cannon: "Sixth is a little bitter-sweet as I had the speed for top-three but these things happen. I got a good jump at the gate but then I ended up going down in the first turn and had to come through the pack from last to sixth, and I salvaged some good championship points. It's a difficult track and you have to be really creative to pass so I'm proud of that."