After a brief weekend off, the MXGP of Germany kicked off another intense three-weekend sprint of back-to-back Grands Prix. Despite initial forecasts of storms, the round managed to dodge the rain for most of the weekend, with only one major downpour on Saturday afternoon that eventually subsided in time for the qualifying races.
The eighth round of the FIM Motocross World Championship at the familiar venue of Teutschenthal in Germany was highlighted by Lotte van Drunen’s resilient fight to retain the WMX Championship leader’s red plate and the impressive debut of American talent Gavin Towers. Reflecting on the weekend’s events, Yamaha Motor Europe’s Off-Road Racing Manager Alexandre Kowalski shared his insights:
Gavin Towers’ Impressive Debut
Gavin Towers. After coming over from the USA just a week ago, it was impressive to see how well he handled his first experience in Europe. Considering everything is foreign to him – the country, the language, the team, the bike, the food, and the racing, he showed incredible mental strength and fighting spirit. Gavin had two good rides with fantastic starts, proving that he can keep up with the top riders. Just missing out on the podium by 1 point, he demonstrated his skill. We are eager to see him perform in the sandy tracks as well. In addition to his results, his presence in the MXGP paddock brings a breath of fresh air, as it’s not often that American riders make their way to Europe, so this brings a lot of attention and intrigue, which is nice.
Karlis Reisulis also had a good weekend despite some minor issues with his goggles and a small crash. In the second race, he fell on the first lap after a great start, which cost him a lot of energy. Nevertheless, he showed his speed and determination. Being fit and strong, we look forward to seeing what he can achieve on home soil in Latvia next weekend.
Ivano van Erp’s weekend was affected by his starts. He missed the start in both races and had to spend the entire race fighting his way back, resulting in mistakes and small crashes. It was an off weekend for him, and he needs to find a way to put all the puzzle pieces together. We know he has the speed and talent to fight for the title; he just needs to work on the little things.
Lotte Knows Championships are Won on Your Worse Days
Consistency is crucial in championships, and Lotte did what she needed to do this weekend despite feeling under the weather. The tough track conditions didn’t make it easy, but she powered through and finished third overall. This weekend was important for her championship campaign, as we’ve passed the halfway mark in the WMX Championship. She has been on the podium in every round, so she is on the right track.
The Arrival of Calvin’s Confidence
In MXGP, Calvin Vlaanderen impressed us with his fight against five-time World Champions Jeffrey Herlings and Tim Gajser. Unfortunately, two small mistakes prevented him from securing a podium position, but he can be proud of his progress and his move in the right direction. Despite putting too much energy into the first race, he finished fourth in the second race, earning valuable points for the championship.
Andrea rode really well, especially considering his preference for sandy tracks. He showed strength on the hard-pack track of Teutschenthal, even though it was his first time racing there on a 450. He continues to make progress race by race. In the second race, he had a massive crash when another rider fell in front of him. However, Andrea’s fighting spirit shone through as he started from dead last and managed to score some points, despite being way behind the pack.
Rick Banks Solid Points
In MX2, Rick showed great progress throughout the weekend. His intensity improved with each session, which is one of the areas we are working on. He was consistent and secured fifth place in both races, reflecting his current speed and performance. He earned solid points for the championship.
From Germany, the MXGP series travels 1400 kilometers north to Kegums, Latvia, for the ninth round of the FIM Motocross World Championship.
