Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP’s Calvin Vlaanderen has fought through the pain barrier in Sweden to place fifth overall at MXGP round 15. After a heavy fall in his Qualifying Race on Saturday, Vlaanderen put in a courageous effort to secure a consistent 6-5 result today despite feeling a little worse for wear. For teammate Andrea Bonacorsi, the Italian was unable to find his flow in the races and placed 14th overall.
Following a weekend off, the MXGP World Championship resumed at the hardpack and rugged circuit of Uddevalla in Sweden. Known for being a difficult circuit to makes passes on, and with an unpredictable riding surface, starts were crucial for securing strong results.
Starting Race One in sixth placed Vlaanderen with the leading riders and in a perfect position to battle inside the top five. Despite feeling sore from his crash, the South African bided his time before passing fellow Yamaha racer Isak Gifting for fifth on lap six. Vlaanderen then withstood serious pressure from Jeffrey Herlings until near the end of the race when the number 10 was demoted to sixth.
Another great jump off the line in Race Two ensured Vlaanderen started well inside the top 10 and ahead of the mid-pack chaos. Within a few laps, the 28-year-old was up to fifth and then moved into fourth after passing the fast-starting Gifting. A lap later, though, Romain Febvre pushed the Yamaha YZ450FM racer back to fifth, where he’d remain until he crossed the finish line. With a sixth and a fifth across the two races, Vlaanderen placed fifth overall and comfortably remains fourth in the Championship Standings.
For Bonacorsi, the trip to Sweden was challenging. Although excited to be racing at a circuit where he’s enjoyed EMX250 success, the Italian was unable to find his usual speed and placed 14th overall in Uddevalla. However, with the points earned, Bona moves up to 12th in the Championship Standings and continues to close in on the top 10 with every passing round.
Following a mixed weekend in Scandinavia, the team returns to action in less than seven days at the MXGP of The Netherlands, taking place on August 17-18 in Arnhem.
Click here for all the results from the MXGP of Sweden.
Calvin Vlaanderen
5th MXGP of Sweden, 31-points
4th MXGP Championship Standings, 538-points
“It wasn’t the best day today. I’m feeling a little beat up after crashing yesterday, so my goal for today was to finish in the top five in both races. I didn’t quite get that by going 6-5 but I ended up fifth overall so that’s not too bad. Ahead of next weekend, I’ll be resting up the best I can to be ready for Arnhem.”
Andrea Bonacorsi
14th MXGP of Sweden, 14-points
12th MXGP Championship Standings, 222-points
“I struggled a lot all weekend and today wasn’t the best day really. I found it difficult to put laps together and just couldn’t get into a good rhythm. Next weekend, we’re back on the sand so I’m looking forward to that. We have some new settings for the bike for sand tracks so I think it will be a good one for me.”
Photocredits Full Spectrum
