Connect with us
       

MXGP World Championship

Analysis: MXGP of Portugal

A unique look at the Portuguese MXGP.

Published

on

There are so many stories that emerge from each Grand Prix. It may be tough to look past the Red Bull KTM riders right now, as they are on an incredible level, but here is a run through the top-ten riders in each class with some thoughts attached to each. It is a new format for this feature and one that should make for easy reading, but make sure that you offer up your opinions on social media (motocrossvice on Twitter).

MXGP

1st Jeffrey Herlings (1-1): The MXGP title fight rages on, but the tremendous races that took place at the first three rounds are drifting further into the distance. It almost seems like a lifetime ago that Jeffrey Herlings was tearing through the field, then sliding into the lead with just a handful of laps to go and shocking the industry. Now, however, he has led sixty-nine of the last seventy-one laps, swept every moto over the last two weeks and extended his advantage to sixteen. There is now no doubt that he is the strongest contender in the premier division. It is not like that is breaking news, admittedly, but the fact that he has now fixed his starts has made it clear for everyone to see.

Enlarge

Site-Jeffrey-Herlings-9
An image that will be snapped many more times this season.

KTM Images/Ray Archer

2nd Antonio Cairoli (2-2): Considering how much the light has changed things for Jeffrey Herlings, which was explained in detail in this column last week, it was surprising to hear that Antonio Cairoli has not thought about installing something similar. Cairoli does not struggle out of the gate and typically claims more holeshot points than anyone else, but installing a similar system to the light would eliminate any doubt that he is not quite on a level-playing field. In a title fight as close as this, where every inch counts, it seems logical. When questioned about that in our exclusive interview, which was conducted on Sunday, Antonio Cairoli misunderstood and instead went in-depth about crossing over out of the gate.

3rd Tim Gajser (3-5): It has almost been forgotten that Tim Gajser missed the first round with an injury and, considering that he only fractured his jaw two months ago, already being on the podium is impressive. However, as a former champion, expectations are high and anything less than a win is considered a slight disappointment. It would just be interesting to see where the Tim Gajser who swept the Grand Prix of Patagonia-Argentina last year up would fare in the current field, because there is no doubt that he has not reached those heights since that point. This could be the first step to returning that level.

4th Romain Febvre (5-4): Out of the last twenty-four rounds, Romain Febvre has finished in either fourth or fifth overall at twelve of the events. So, yeah, it is hardly surprising that he is growing increasingly frustrated with these results. Both Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing riders are searching for more. How about this for a Romain Febvre-related statistic: Febvre is one of just four MXGP riders to score points in every single moto through the first five rounds. When did the premier division, which is supposed to be full of wily veterans, become so inconsistent? If he needs to cling to something, at least this is a solid start that could lead to greater things in the coming months.

Enlarge

Site-Romain-Febvre-2
Romain Febvre is so close, yet so far from where he wants to be.

Monster Energy Media/Ray Archer

5th Glenn Coldenhoff (7-6): Red Bull KTM have the best two riders in each class, which is a bold statement. What more could they want? A third MXGP rider, who consistently hovers around the top five each time, completes the team perfectly. The Austrian manufacturer are not looking for Glenn Coldenhoff to deliver championships or race wins, they just need him to do exactly this. Performances like the one that he recorded on Sunday may even exceed expectations. It is extremely likely that his contract will get renewed in the very near future, as he only signed a one-year extension last summer.

6th Jeremy Van Horebeek (6-8): Jeremy Van Horebeek is growing increasingly frustrated, it seems, as he thinks that he is capable of much more. Perhaps that is true, but then take a look at the riders ahead of him. There are four world champions and, truth be told, Van Horebeek has only actually claimed two overall victories in his career. There were positives that could be extracted from the Portuguese Grand Prix though, as he actually dealt with some electrical problems in the second half of the final moto. Heck, as well as that issue, he also had to start on the far outside in both races! Those starts deserve a lot more recognition.

7th Jeremy Seewer (8-7): It still seems as though Jeremy Seewer is still playing this down a little. Seewer stated that he would be ecstatic with top-eight finishes prior to the start of the season and he has proven that he belongs between sixth and eighth each week. The best signing of the off-season, one could argue, as just imagine how the Wilvo Yamaha MXGP outfit would look without him, especially considering that it is going to be quite a while until Arnaud Tonus hops back onto the YZ450F. There is no reason why he should not land on the podium at some point this season, especially considering he got a bit of a late start on blue.

Enlarge

Site-Jeremy-Seewer
Jeremy Seewer is a brilliant addition to the MXGP division.

Yamaha Racing

8th Evgeny Bobryshev (9-9): Evgeny Bobryshev is ramping things at just the right and, hey, HRC are probably beginning to wonder what could have been. It sounds like Brian Bogers is going to need another surgery, so that will knock him out until the final couple of rounds and the Japanese manufacturer are going to need a replacement rider at some point. Bobryshev already turned that offer down in the off-season, but where would he be with a full-factory bike? The RM-Z450 that he is piloting is mostly stock, which is unbelievable, so one would presume that he would be knocking on the door for podiums with that CRF450RW. Silly season should be interesting. 

9th Clement Desalle (32-3): Unsurprisingly, Monster Energy KRT are being very vague when discussing the technical issue that Clement Desalle encountered in the first moto. It was clear that it was a clutch issue, however, and it is fair to comment that he was not overly stoked about the situation. It is understandable though, because he lost a considerable amount of points and that is reflected in the current standings. Anyway, excluding that sour point, how about the fact that he could have had four podiums finishes from five rounds to start the season? Five was his final total at the end of the previous season, so this is leaps and bounds better than what he has done in recent years.

10th Max Nagl (12-10): It is becoming increasingly difficult to categorise these performances, as it really depends on how much of a disadvantage each person believes that the TM is. There is not much data to go off of, aside from the results that Davide Guarneri acquired a couple of years ago and they were similar to this. It is easy to think that Max Nagl, who has more potential, should be doing more with the package, but just look at the riders ahead of him. It is not like he was handling those guys last season, so it is unlikely that he would be doing much better with the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing outfit.

MX2

1st Jorge Prado (1-1): Hey, look who has all of the momentum! Some in the paddock are hesitant to put too much stock into these performances, as they are just waiting for him to blow up. Prado has made a handful of mistakes in his career, which have been well-publicised, so most believe that he does not possess the consistency to make a significant run at the championship. It is hard to argue against those claims, but he has been faultless since the second round at Valkenswaard. Confidence is a powerful thing too and, just as he said in an exclusive MX Vice interview, he has never felt this good. Not even in the EMX125 days!

Enlarge

Site-Jorge-Prado-3
Jorge Prado has all of the momentum in the MX2 class now.

KTM Images/Ray Archer

2nd Thomas Kjer Olsen (4-2): This is just what Thomas Kjer Olsen is going to continue to deliver. Consistent results, which will put him on the podium frequently, but he is just missing a little something that would make him a contender for wins each week. If Olsen had finished fourth in the second moto in Trentino though, which is an average result for the two-time moto winner, he would still be ahead of Jorge Prado in the series standings and just twelve points down on Pauls Jonass. It just goes to show that a rider like Olsen, who is remarkably consistent and does not necessarily steal headlines, can prosper in the long run.

3rd Jed Beaton (3-4): Jed Beaton raced in Australia, travelled over to compete in EMX250 and is now in MX2. So, taking all of that into consideration, he has to be old, right? Not at all. The F&H Kawasaki rider only just turned twenty, so has another three years in the class and will undoubtedly reel off some wins in that time. Beaton gained a lot of fans, mainly Austrian, with this performance and taking that previous point into consideration, it is just a matter of time until factory teams begin knocking on his door. This result was big for Kawasaki too, which was overlooked a little, as Austin Forkner was the last guy to put them up on the MX2 box.

4th Ben Watson (5-2): It is incredible how far Ben Watson has come in such a short space of time. This is not even a surprise anymore! Had there not been a big rut in the final turn, which stopped him from really putting the squeeze on Thomas Kjer Olsen, he would have landed on the podium. It was too big for him to cut over though and he missed out by just a tenth. It is coming though, there is no doubt, and it would not actually be too much of a shock if he wins one of these things before the season ends. After all, he is only going to get better from this point on. 

Enlarge

Site-Ben-Watson-1
It's just a matter of time before Ben Watson lands on the box.

Monster Energy Media/Ray Archer

5th Pauls Jonass (2-8): It would be easy to panic about these results, but it is important to put things into perspective. The season started in an incredible fashion, which no one envisioned, and that caused expectations to climb, but his competitors did come in behind the eight ball. Jorge Prado was nursing an elbow injury, Hunter Lawrence was on a new bike and Thomas Covington was coming off of a torn ACL. The only contender who had no hurdles to speak of was Thomas Kjer Olsen. Could the weekend off between rounds three and four really have made that big of a difference? It is unlikely, but there is no doubt that he can no longer win on his worst days.

6th Vsevolod Brylyakov (8-5): This is another great step forward for Vsevolod Brylyakov, but a shame at the same time. How is it possible to feel sorry for a rider in sixth overall at the highest level? Brylyakov is making great steps forward, following the devastating injury that he suffered twelve months ago, and will challenge for podiums before the season ends, so imagine what he could do with another year in the class. The age-restriction rule will force him to move up to the 450F at the end of the current season though and he will never get to fulfil his potential on the smaller bike. There is a chance that he could sneak a win in though.

Enlarge

Site-Vsevolod-Brylyakov-1
Vsevolod Brylyakov is making huge leaps forward each week.

Monster Energy Media/Ray Archer

7th Adam Sterry (6-9): Although these results do not seem too noteworthy, this is such a huge leap in the right direction. This is just the second time that Adam Sterry has ever finished inside of the top ten in both motos at a Grand Prix! That statistic is incredible and says a lot about the problems that he has encountered throughout his career. Poor luck threatened to spoil things in the first moto, as he lost his rear brake and encountered electrical problems, but he kept it together and recorded a career-best sixth. The same result was acquired in moto two in Indonesia, of course, but this is a finish that no one can question.

8th Henry Jacobi (9-8): It is hilarious how quickly things can change, but races like this are just as encouraging as the podium finish in Italy. The Grand Prix of Portugal was not a great event for Henry Jacobi, as he never really stole the spotlight and was lacking those raw bursts of speed that have raised his profile significantly. If he manages to just hover in the lower half of the top ten on his worst days though, much like he did at Agueda, then he will fare well in the final standings. There is no doubt that this was a poor event for him, as his lap times were really off in both motos.

9th Calvin Vlaanderen (18-6): Calvin Vlaanderen has had a turbulent time of it lately, which is reflected in his scorecard. A crash in the first turn at the Grand Prix of Trentino left him with a sore shoulder, an injury that he was still nursing on Sunday, and then he crashed again in race one. The shoulder was only strong enough to go at full speed for ten or fifteen minutes, so that second race was actually quite impressive. There is no need to panic about the HRC star, with that in mind, as he keeps knocking out respectable results that indicate there is more to come. This small break should do a lot for him.

Enlarge

Site-Calvin-Vlaanderen
Calvin Vlaanderen has had a rough time of it with Team HRC.

Honda Racing Corporation

10th Ruben Fernandez (12-13): How about this? F&H Racing Kawasaki did not really have any noteworthy results to speak of before this season begun, but now they have put three guys in the top ten! Pulling the KRT MX2 team has proven to be a wise move, at this point in the season, as the F&H guys have massively outperformed what they did last year. Anyway, Ruben Fernandez showed plenty of speed when he first stepped up to the MX2 division and, before this past weekend, there had not been much of that. It would not be much of a surprise at all to see him feature inside of the top six in the coming weeks.

Words: Lewis Phillips | Lead Image: KTM Images/Ray Archer

Features

Stat Attack: MXGP of Patagonia – Argentina

Read now.

Published

on

With the first round of MXGP in the books, statistics maestro Paul Pearcy has provided MX Vice with some brilliant numbers to tuck into from what was a great round of action. Enjoy

MX2

Timed Practice

  • Top 3
  1. Lucas Coenen: 1:42.114
  2. Kay de Wolf: 1:42.454
  3. Marc-Antoine Rossi: 1:42.895

Qualifying Race

  • Top 3
  1. Lucas Coenen
  2. Kay de Wolf
  3. Andrea Adamo
  • Laps Led
  1. Andrea Adamo: 11
  2. Lucas Coenen: 2
  • Fastest Lap Times
  1. Kay de Wolf: 1:44.697
  2. Lucas Coenen: 1:45.272
  3. Mikkel Haarup: 1:45.342
  • Best Average Lap Times
  1. Lucas Coenen: 1:46.123
  2. Kay de Wolf: 1:46.369
  3. Thibault Benistant: 1:46.976
  • Most Consistent Lap Times (least difference between fastest and slowest lap times)
  1. Lucas Coenen: 1.832
  2. Quentin Marc Prugnieres: 2.173
  3. Andrea Bonacorsi: 2.511

Race 1

  • Top 3
  1. Simon Laengenfelder
  2. Kay de Wolf
  3. Thibault Benistant
  • Laps Led
  1. Marc-Antoine Rossi: 11
  2. Simon Laengenfelder: 5
  3. Thibault Benistant: 2
  • Fastest Lap Times
  1. Marc-Antoine Rossi: 1:46.688
  2. Thibault Benistant: 1:46.917
  3. Simon Laengenfelder: 1:47.243
  • Best Average Lap Times
  1. Simon Laengenfelder: 1:48.666
  2. Kay de Wolf: 1:48.734
  3. Mikkel Haarup: 1:49.257
  • Most Consistent Lap Times (Least difference between fastest and slowest lap times)
  1. Mikkel Haarup: 3.139
  2. Simon Laengenfelder: 3.372
  3. Jack Chambers: 3.337

Race 2

  • Top 3
  1. Kay de Wolf
  2. Mikkel Haarup
  3. Lucas Coenen
  • Laps Led
  1. Lucas Coenen: 7
  2. Simon Laengenfelder: 6
  3. Mikkel Haarup: 4
  4. Kay de Wolf: 1
  • Fastest Lap Times
  1. Lucas Coenen: 1:48.402
  2. Simon Laengenfelder: 1:48.617
  3. Mikkel Haarup: 1:48.924
  • Best Average Lap Times
  1. Kay de Wolf: 1:50.323
  2. Mikkel Haarup: 1:50.655
  3. Lucas Coenen: 1:51.021
  • Most Consistent Lap Times (Least difference between fastest and slowest lap times)
  1. Hakon Fredriksen: 2.538
  2. David Braceras: 2.67
  3. Thibault Benistant: 2.897

Points

  • Qualifying Points Top 10
  1. Lucas Coenen: 10
  2. Kay de Wolf: 9
  3. Andrea Adamo: 8
  4. Simon Laengenfelder: 7
  5. Thibault Benistant: 6
  6. Marc-Antoine Rossi: 5
  7. Hakon Osterhagen: 4
  8. Andrea Bonacorsi: 3
  9. Sacha Coenen: 2
  10. Ferruccio Zanchi: 1
  • Race Points Top 10
  1. Kay de Wolf: 47
  2. Simon Laengenfelder: 43
  3. Mikkel Haarup: 38
  4. Thibault Benistant: 34
  5. Andrea Adamo: 29
  6. Ferruccio Zanchi: 27
  7. Marc-Antoine Rossi: 27
  8. Sacha Coenen: 26
  9. Camden Mc Lellan: 25
  10. Rick Elzinga: 23
  • Total Points Top 10
  1. Kay de Wolf: 56
  2. Simon Laengenfelder: 50
  3. Thibault Benistant: 40
  4. Mikkel Haarup: 38
  5. Andrea Adamo: 37
  6. Marc-Antoine Rossi: 32
  7. Lucas Coenen: 30
  8. Ferruccio Zanchi: 28
  9. Sacha Coenen: 28
  10. Camden Mc Lellan: 25

MXGP

Timed Practice

  • Top 3
  1. Romain Febvre: 1:41.071
  2. Pauls Jonass: 1:41.412
  3. Tim Gajser: 1:41.447

Qualifying Race

  • Top 3
  1. Tim Gajser
  2. Romain Febvre
  3. Pauls Jonass
  • Laps Led
  1. Tim Gajser: 13
  • Fastest Lap Times
  1. Tim Gajser: 1:44.173
  2. Romain Febvre: 1:44.571
  3. Pauls Jonass: 1:45.478
  • Best Average Lap Times
  1. Tim Gajser: 1:46.294
  2. Romain Febvre: 1:46.738
  3. Pauls Jonass: 1:46.757
  • Most Consistent Lap Times (Least difference between fastest and slowest lap times)
  1. Jeffrey Herlings: 1.9
  2. Ben Watson: 3.044
  3. Valentin Guillod: 3.487

Race 1

  • Top 3
  1. Jorge Prado
  2. Romain Febvre
  3. Pauls Jonass
  • Laps Led
  1. Jorge Prado: 18
  • Fastest Lap Times
  1. Jorge Prado: 1:46.699
  2. Romain Febvre: 1:46.750
  3. Maxime Renaux: 1:47.151
  • Best Average Lap Times
  1. Jorge Prado: 1:48.446
  2. Romain Febvre: 1:48.807
  3. Paul Jonass: 1:49.149
  • Most Consistent Lap Times (Least difference between fastest and slowest lap times)
  1. Kevin Horgmo: 2.908
  2. Ben Watson: 3.128
  3. Jeremy Seewer: 3.728

Race 2

  • Top 3
  1. Tim Gajser
  2. Jorge Prado
  3. Romain Febvre
  • Laps Led
  1. Tim Gajser: 18
  • Fastest Lap Times
  1. Jorge Prado: 1:47.787
  2. Tim Gajser: 1:47.980
  3. Romain Febvre: 1:48.319
  • Best Average Lap Times
  1. Tim Gajser: 1:49.097
  2. Jorge Prado: 1:49.587
  3. Romain Febvre: 1:50.050
  • Most Consistent Lap Times (Least difference between fastest and slowest lap times)
  1. Glenn Coldenhoff: 3.222
  2. Jeffrey Herlings: 3.259
  3. Jeremy Seewer: 3.371

Points

  • Qualifying Points Top 10
  1. Tim Gajser: 10
  2. Romain Febvre: 9
  3. Pauls Jonass: 8
  4. Jorge Prado: 7
  5. Maxime Renaux: 6
  6. Jeffrey Herlings: 5
  7. Jeremy Seewer: 4
  8. Ivo Monticelli: 3
  9. Calvin Vlaanderen: 2
  10. Valentin Guillod: 1
  • Race Points Top 10
  1. Jorge Prado: 47
  2. Romain Febvre: 42
  3. Tim Gajser: 41
  4. Pauls Jonass: 38
  5. Maxime Renaux: 33
  6. Jeremy Seewer: 30
  7. Glenn Coldenhoff: 28
  8. Jeffrey Herlings: 27
  9. Calvin Vlaanderen: 24
  10. Kevin Horgmo: 20
  • Total Points Top 10
  1. Jorge Prado: 54
  2. Romain Febvre: 51
  3. Tim Gajser: 51
  4. Pauls Jonass: 46
  5. Maxime Renaux: 39
  6. Jeremy Seewer: 34
  7. Jeffrey Herlings: 32
  8. Glenn Coldenhoff: 28
  9. Calvin Vlaanderen: 26
  10. Valentin Guillod: 21

Lead Image: Yamaha MXGP

Love what we do? Please read this article as we try to raise £30,000.

Continue Reading

MX Vice Podcasts

Between The Races Podcast: Jeffrey Herlings Fanpage

Listen now.

Published

on

The Between The Races podcast returns with Geert from Jeffrey Herlings Fanpage and Ed Stratmann, as they talk all things Jeffrey Herlings following the MXGP opener.

The Between The Races podcast is always available to listen to on Spotify, iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher and Google Play. Thanks to Fly Racing, Fox Racing, Parts Europe, Scott, AS3 Performance, Kawasaki UK, KTM UK and Even Strokes for supporting the show. If you would like to become a part of the show, don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Lead Image: Ray Archer/KTM

Love what we do? Please read this article as we try to raise £30,000.

Continue Reading

MXGP World Championship

MXGP of Patagonia – Argentina: Rider Debriefs

Read here.

Published

on

Read what a host of MXGP and MX2 riders had to say about their respective weekends at the MXGP of Patagonia – Argentina.

MXGP

MXGP – #1 – Jorge Prado: “I am super happy how everything is going right now. Honestly this weekend has gone so well – I feel good about the bike, and we made some key improvements from last year. I feel like a better rider now than I ever have before – and I’m super happy to leave Argentina with the red plate and the win. Starting the season on the right foot is fantastic. I want to say a huge thankyou to all my team at RedBull GASGAS Factory Racing, as well as everyone beyond me – my trainer, my family – everyone that is putting work into this! Let’s keep rolling and gain more results like this!”

Romain Febvre: “I’m happy to start the season like this; I didn’t have any specific expectation coming here. I tried to close the gap to Jorge five laps from the end of the second moto but the track was getting really rough by then and I nearly went over the bars; a lot of guys got hurt this weekend and experience told me “it’s enough”. I didn’t win a moto but I was fast both days; this is the first time I’ve been on the podium here and I have ended the weekend just three points from the red plate. It’s important to stay consistent all year and not make any mistakes. I’ve been trying a few new things the last few weeks and I think I have found the best way to work; now we fly back to Europe and I’ll continue to work on my physical condition for Spain.”

Tim Gajser: “I am very happy with my riding today and to win two of the three races over the weekend is a good way to start the season. I probably rushed a bit too much in the first race and made that mistake but it was good to be able to make some passes and get back up to fifth. Then in race two, I got a much better start and was able to control the race and that is a nice feeling on what is quite a difficult track. Now we have Spain coming up and I hope to go for the win there as well.”

Pauls Jonass: “3-4=4th overall at the MXGP of Argentina. Happy with the riding and feeling on the bike. Thanks to the Standing Construct team and all supporters! We will keep working.”

Maxime Renaux: “It’s been a really tough weekend here in Argentina. I was not 100% but as always, I pushed as hard as I could. It was a pity to have a small crash early on in race two, but I finished strong, and I know I can be better. With everything considered, I’m happy with my weekend and I’m glad to finish round one with good points.”

Jeremy Seewer: “This weekend was better than any other on the 450 since we’ve been coming here so that alone is a really positive start to the season. I started quite slowly yesterday but the second moto today was good. I was good out of the gate but I got squeezed a little at the first turn or I might even have taken the holeshot. I came here looking for my rhythm, nothing crazy, and the first three were gone, but I was right there on speed for top four. I still have plenty to learn on the new bike but I made no mistakes, no crashes, just steady so I’m happy to go home with this result and look forward to the tracks in Europe where we set up the bike. We have a lot more to show with this bike!”

Glenn Coldenhoff: “Despite the start of the weekend being a bit slow, in the end we found solutions for the race. I was 12th in Saturday’s qualifying race because of a collision on the first lap. On Sunday, there was quite some action, I was 6th in the first moto while in the second one I didn’t feel comfortable, I couldn’t push and I just couldn’t feel it. I finished 8th which is not what we are working for but still, I am happy because it’s a very sketchy track and not one of my favourites. We will take both results and look forward to the Spanish GP because I know I can do very well there. I’m very motivated and I’m very happy with the bike and the team.”

Jeffrey Herlings, 8th and 7th for 8th overall in MXGP: “It is what it is today. Not too bad but we also gave away some points. We qualified 6th and had an 8th and 7th today. Not where we want to be but hopefully we’ll be better in Spain because I won there last year and also in 2021. I think the track will suit me more, better than this one, which was quite sketchy. It’s nice to watch here but tricky for racing.”

Calvin Vlaanderen: “I’m not overly happy with my weekend as I struggled a little bit with arm pump yesterday and in race one today. I’m just missing some race time, really, and a bit of speed, but that will come in time. Things improved as the weekend went on and I’m really happy with my bike and its set-up. There are plenty of positives to take away from this weekend, so I’m focusing on those as we move on to round two.”

Ruben Fernandez: “I’m really disappointed to miss this round, but it was the right decision as I wasn’t really healthy enough to ride at the level I want to. I could have probably tried but I wanted to be smart and the season is long so the plan is to be ready for Spain in a couple of weeks, which is a home GP for me and one I always look forward to.”

MX2

#74 – Kay de Wolf: “It’s really nice to have the red plate on my bike at this stage of the season – even though it maybe doesn’t mean much, with so many races to go with 19 rounds, but I’m really happy with that. I was struggling in the beginning of the weekend, but I kept improving – which is something that we focused on during winter training; doing long motos and then going for a sprint in the end. Overall it was a positive weekend, and all the hard work paid off. Winning a GP is amazing of course and now I’m looking forward to heading to Spain now and battling for more wins.”

MX2 – #516 – Simon Längenfelder: “I was feeling great all weekend. At a track like this – and a venue like this – with all the beautiful nature surrounding the venue; it’s a great place to come. I really enjoyed riding here this weekend! The first race was a bit better than the second I would say. I just took my time to work through the pack and get the win. In the second moto it was a little more tricky. After the halfway point of the race, the track got a bit sketchy. We made solid preparations over the winter – and I think they are paying off now. Riding motocross is the best thing there is, so I’m just enjoying it!”

Mikkel Haarup: “Yeah, it’s been a really amazing start to the season! A podium is perfect and a great way to start the year for myself, and Monster Energy Triumph Racing. My qualifying race was not so good, but I knew that I had the speed to run in the top three today. All through the off-season we have been building and building and what we’ve achieved today is the result of a lot of hard work by everyone involved. I felt comfortable on the bike all weekend and that was really important on a tricky track like this. Today we’ve shown what this bike is capable of and overall, I’m really happy with my performance.”

Thibault Benistant: “All weekend I haven’t felt 100% and today was a little frustrating. My first race went well, but between races I didn’t feel good at all. Then I had a bad start to race two and it took me a while to get going and find a good rhythm. But, finishing in the top five is a good result for a bad day, so now it’s onto round two.”

Andrea Adamo, 8th and 5th for 5th overall in MX2: “So-so weekend. We showed some pretty good speed on Saturday but things were not really on-point today. We need to work on a few areas but this is only the first Grand Prix of twenty. We have to keep building and aim for improvement every race. We want to fight for podiums and wins so the goal is to be closer to that in Spain.”

Ferruccio Zanchi: “It was a good start for me with Team HRC, and I’m very happy to be leaving with sixth overall. Even though my starts weren’t the best, I made a lot of passes throughout the weekend which really builds my confidence and it was good to be consistent across the three motos. I am already looking forward to Spain in a couple of weeks, where hopefully I will continue with this kind of riding.”

MX2 – #28 – Marc-Antoine Rossi:“I have just finished my first MX2 World Championship race here in Argentina, which was also the first overseas race of my career, and what an experience! Starting from Saturday, I placed 1st in free practice, 3rd in time practice, and 6th in qualifying. On race day in Moto one, I started at the front, leading the race for almost 20 minutes. A small mistake cost me a top 3 finish, and I ended up 4th. Moto2 was challenging; I started in the top 10 and made a comeback, but at one point, I felt tired and didn’t push any further, finishing 12th for a 6th overall. Not a bad start at all. Thanks to the entire Red Bull GasGas Factory Racing team for supporting me from day one. Time to head back and train in Spain!”

Sacha Coenen, 6th and 10th for 8th overall in MX2: “The weekend was quite OK. Not the best but my speed was OK and my feeling also. We just need to put all the things together at once for the right result. My starts were good and that was very positive. We’ll keep fighting for what we know we can achieve.”

Camden McLellan: “That’s the weekend wrapped up in Argentina and it’s safe to say that there were a lot of nerves and a lot of excitement all weekend. The track was really rough, but my bike felt dialled all day and I’m happy to be going home healthy. It’s been a great day for the team with Mikkel getting up on the podium, so I’m pleased for him and everyone at Monster Energy Triumph Racing. See you in Spain!”

Rick Elzinga: “I’m happy to complete round one, especially after only three weeks on the bike before this race. I feel like my level of riding was pretty good and each time out on track I felt better and better. I had really good starts all weekend, which is important, and my pace kept improving as well. I’m happy with my consistency and I’m looking forward to building on this result.”

#96 – Lucas Coenen: “So the weekend didn’t go as planned, that’s for sure. On Saturday, I was P2 in free practice and then secured pole in the timed practice. Overall, I had good speed. In the first moto, the start was good – I was in P3 and managed to take the lead. But before even half a lap had passed, in the blink of an eye, the front washed away in a corner. I felt like I hurt my wrist really badly – and although I tried to continue, the pain was really bad. I pulled out of the race and worked with the physio to get it fixed. I told myself that if I wanted to be a title contender, I needed to do the second moto regardless of the pain. Unfortunately, three corners before the end, the bike slid away from me again. With the speed I had, I could have been P1, but I will put this behind me and focus on the rest of the season.”

Jack Chambers: “Most important is that I’m healthy. This was a tough track, particularly as I’ve been riding a lot of deep sand tracks with ruts to turn on in Florida; nothing like this. I need to work on the starts; I was coming from the back in both motos. I feel my fitness is way better than last year but I haven’t raced since the Nations last October; I was just missing the race craft and felt a bit of nerves. But we have a good base moving forward. We fly to Madrid tomorrow; I’ll be ready for that one so I’ll be looking for redemption in Spain.”

Andrea Bonacorsi: “This is my first time racing here in Argentina and it’s quite a fast and tricky track. But it was a good learning experience, and this year is all about learning for me. I’m not overly happy with my performance but we’ll keep working and focus on the upcoming races.”

David Braceras: “The first GP is over. Saturday was my first race after my injury and, despite being a bit tight, it was a solid day as I finished 13th in the qualifying race. On Sunday I felt much better. The first moto didn’t start well but I got to tenth place in the first lap, then I dropped a little bit because of a crash and I couldn’t get up fast. I finished 21st. Second moto didn’t start well either, but I felt much better after a change on the suspensions and I finished in 13th place. I was close to the top ten so it’s positive even if it’s not where I want to be but step by step we’ll get there.”

Bobby Bruce: “It was tough but we enjoyed it. This was my first race since June last year. The weekend started off good with P10 in practice and I was up there in Qualifying but I had a crash first lap and lost the rear brake. In the first race today I was running sixteenth but crashed, and and I was P13 for a long time in the second moto but I just couldn’t hold on to it. But we leave here healthy and I’m looking forward to Madrid.”

Lead Image: GasGas MXGP/Juan Pablo Acevedo

Love what we do? Please read this article as we try to raise £30,000.

Continue Reading

Latest