VRT Yamaha Official EMX250 team’s Ivano van Erp has placed ninth overall at a challenging ninth round of the 2024 EMX250 Championship in Switzerland.
Two weeks on from winning round eight in Sweden, van Erp brought his impressive speed and form into the first race in Frauenfeld, Switzerland, on a dry and rugged race track. Despite not enjoying the best of starts and completing the opening lap in 19th, the Dutchman broke into the top 10 within a few laps and reached fifth by lap 10 of 16. Continuing his charge, van Erp moved into third a couple of laps later, but with the leading riders out of reach, he settled for a hard-fought top-three finish.
Overnight rain transformed the Frauenfeld circuit for Race Two, with heavy mud limiting the racing lines and creating a tough track. A marginally better start saw van Erp move from 16th early on to seventh within a handful of laps. From there, with a comfortable gap over eighth, and sixth a long way ahead, van Erp rode his GYTR-kitted YZ250F with precision until a crash on the penultimate lap ruled him out of the running. Credited with 19th, as he’d lapped so many riders, the youngster placed ninth overall and remains fourth in the EMX250 Championship Standings.
Gavin Towers was unfortunately absent from racing in Switzerland as he continues to recover from his crash last weekend at the MXGP of The Netherlands.
With Jarne Bervoets also out of action because of the thumb injury he sustained in Sweden, the MJC Yamaha Official EMX125 team was represented in Switzerland by Dani Heitink, who was also feeling the effects of a sore shoulder after a mid-week training crash.
The Swiss round was the penultimate event on the EMX125 calendar, and Heitink put in a courageous effort to place 10th overall as a result of his 15-11 finishes across the two races. The vital points secured ensure Heitink remains sixth in the Championship Standings as he heads to the final round in Turkey with the top five still within reach.
The penultimate round of the EMX250 Championship takes place in two weeks’ time alongside the MXGP of Turkey on September 7-8, while the gate drops for the EMX125 season finale at the MXGP of Castilla la Mancha in Spain on September 28-29.
Click here for the EMX250 and EMX125 results from the MXGP of Switzerland.
Photocredits Full Spectrum Media
