Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 team’s Thibault Benistant has placed fifth at the MXGP of Spain in Lugo. Fast and consistent all weekend, Benistant narrowly missed out on climbing onto the overall podium by a single point. Rick Elzinga also performed well at the eighth round of the MX2 World Championship, finishing ninth overall, while Karlis Reisulis placed 16th.
After winning the MX2 Qualifying Race on Saturday, Benistant was focused on bringing that speed into the two Grand Prix races. When the start gate fell in Race One, the 22-year-old reacted quickly, claiming the holeshot and leading the way for two laps. After dropping to second, Benistant was pushed back to third around the halfway mark and maintained that position to the finish.
Benistant’s start in Race Two wasn’t as perfect as the opening race as he tangled with Kay de Wolf shortly after the gate dropped. Within a couple of laps, however, the Frenchman climbed to fifth, then moved into fourth by lap five. An intense battle for fourth then began, with Benistant on course for third overall until he dropped to fifth in the closing stages. Ultimately, after losing his position, and with the points incredibly close, Benistant placed fifth overall. After eight rounds, he remains fifth in the MX2 World Championship standings.
Elzinga had the speed but not the luck in Spain. In a very muddy first race, he didn’t execute the best of starts and was also forced to stop for goggles, leading to a 13th place finish. He recovered well in Race Two with an eighth-place result, securing ninth overall. The Dutchman continues to lie 11th in the championship.
For Reisulis, the MXGP of Spain concluded on a positive note. After a DNF in Race One due to a bike issue, he bounced back with a strong ninth-place finish in Race Two. The Latvian rider retains 13th in the overall standings as the series departs Spain.
The team will now take a weekend off before a trio of Grands Prix takes them into the second half of the season, starting with MXGP of France for round nine over the weekend of May 24-25.
Thibault Benistant
“This weekend was probably the best weekend of my season so far as I had good results in all three races. It was a shame to miss the overall podium today and it’s partly my fault because I wasn’t always looking at the pit board to know the points situation. If I knew I needed to make a pass then I’d have taken some risks for sure. But overall, my speed is good and so is my fitness, so I think I’ll have some even better results as the season continues.”
Rick Elzinga
“This weekend was frustrating. On Saturday, I had really good speed but I struggled to ride the same way on Sunday and couldn’t flow around the track. The first race wasn’t ideal with the weather, and I had a bad start. I also stopped for goggles, so it wasn’t the best race for me. The second race was much better, and now it’s a case of putting all the pieces of the puzzle together on race day.”
Karlis Reisulis
“Race one was going well and I felt good despite the muddy conditions. Unfortunately, I had a bike issue, which ended my race. Because of my Qualifying Race result I didn’t have the best gate pick for today but I made it work in Race Two. My feeling on the bike was good and I felt strong at the end. So that’s encouraging for the upcoming races.”
Photocredits – Fullspectrum Media
