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MXGP World Championship

Chatter Box: Mark Yates

Mark Yates on Revo Husqvarna’s rise into MX2.

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Revo Husqvarna have gone from strength to strength in the last year and are now poised to tackle a new challenge when the upcoming season fires into life, as they will tackle the MX2 class in the FIM Motocross World Championship with Alvin Ostlund and Dylan Walsh. Other parts of their programme, such as where Mel Pocock will race, are still up in the air though, hence why now seemed like an ideal time to catch up with the man in charge, Mark Yates.

MX Vice: First off, we will go back to six months ago. There were rumors in the paddock that you were thinking about going into MXGP, rather than MX2. Was that ever a plan or were those just rumors?  

Mark Yates: No. Initially when we started this year… It was the third year of our three-year step plan, if you like, so the third year was always to go back to GPs. Mel [Pocock] has obviously always been like family, so we got Mel and then we took on Martin [Barr]. Both of those riders aged out of MX2 and the discussion was, if we go back to GPs, we are going to have to consider doing MXGP, because of the age of those two riders. That was the option at the start. Mel really did not want to do MXGP at all. He just wanted to do the European series. His injury… It is compounded by a number of things. He felt he did not really want to be riding a 450F in light of the injury, that obviously he has come back from.  

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Martin Barr finished fourth in EMX250 for Revo Husqvarna this season.

ConwayMX

Mel does not struggle, but he has to ride consciously sometimes. On a 450F that would be like starting over again. The second reason is we were not forced to, but we were sort of guided towards… Once we acquired the support from the factory, we were guided towards sticking to what we know and do, which is being an MX2 team. Husqvarna Motorcycles UK were not really interested in MXGP, because they do not sell as many of the FC 450 bikes, so we were asked if we would just focus on MX2. That was the decision then, to go to MX2, which obviously created an issue with our current rider line-up. Everything had to be agreed and understood in a window. It is just unfortunate for Martin. Obviously, it was not going to work for him.

Mel’s been part of the family, so we had already sort of agreed that if we have to stick to MX2 bikes then we would try to actually run him again in the European. We felt he was a strong rider and a strong competitor. Struggled on the hard pack, but again that is his riding style due to the way he is compensating for his hand. Mel rides very forward on the bike, which caught us out a little bit in Switzerland and Bulgaria. The whole MX2 thing came about because the factory guys were trying to push us to sign Zachary Pichon, whilst at the same time we were in negotiations with Dylan [Walsh].

Their biggest push was to take Pichon in the early stages and then to potentially tag Walsh on the side. We said we only wanted one MX2 rider at that time, because we could only cater to two riders. One was obviously going to be in MX2. We went through it and negotiated with Pichon for about three weeks and that came to no end. We were then asked to consider Tom Vialle. There was another rider, who was Australian. I am not sure of his name and, in the end, we said no. We managed to get them to agree to just put everything together for Dylan Walsh in MX2 and put a very small deal on the table for us to support Mel in the European series.

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Revo Husqvarna also had Dylan Woodcock racing in Europe and Britain.

ConwayMX

 I just do not think it is that important to the factory, which is fine. That was that part. We obviously released Martin, then obviously two or three weeks ago the news broke about the EMX rule change and that threw the biggest spanner in the works. Not just for us as a team or Mel as a rider, but obviously a number of other teams and a number of other riders. It was a big problem. The support that we got from the factory for Mel was then taken away, basically, but then when Alvin Ostlund came aboard, we negotiated a deal to run him. That is where we are to date. Obviously, Mel is still sat here and we feel a moral obligation to help him.

We had a meeting yesterday. Nothing has been decided with Mel at all yet. Obviously now he is not in the position to do anything in Europe, because he has aged. Atwo-stroke series is of no interest to the team and obviously the 450F is a no-go for him. We are in limbo. We have had a meeting and at the moment we are trying to find a way to support him in 2019 in any way we can.Whether that is going to be under our awning or not is something we have not made a decision on yet. We are hopefully going to decide on what the path is for Mel in the next few days. If he goes somewhere else, we will probably still support him as a Revo athlete or financially try to help him. Like I say, he has really been extended family to me.

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It is currently unknown what series Mel Pocock will contest next year.

ConwayMX

MX2 was the only way forward. We have got a lot of development done in the last few years engine-wise. We felt we could take a competitive bike into that MX2 class with two solid riders, if we can keep them fit. I think with Dylan… We took Dylan on. He said he struggled with the Diga bike a bit with tightness in the second races, which he put down to the suspension.We have had him here on a 2018 bike, because we are still getting the 2019 bikes ready and since he has been running on WP, we have got a set-up for him and he is riding that bike and doing two forty-minute motos. He feels as strong as hell.

He is absolutely full of confidence that he has got through that issue of tiredness, where he was over-riding in the first race and then he burnt himself out for the second. Time will tell when we start those races. We will see. Currently Dylan is on a full riding, training and nutrition programme that has been set out by Gareth Swanepoel. Dylan will maintain reporting to him during the winter training and 2019 season.  

On the Mel situation just a tiny bit more, it sounds like no matter how you help him, whether that is in the Maxxis British Championship or somewhere else in the world, that is solely coming out of your pocket. If you wanted to be a ruthless businessman, you could just tell him that these are the rules and there is nothing you can do. This is obviously something that you personally feel strongly about. After all, he has given you just as much as you have given him.

Yeah. I feel a moral obligation. We have been as instrumental in his return and his comeback from his injury as he has to our success and our exposure that we have received. Like I said, he is like extended family. It will be a financial commitment that comes out of our pockets, if that is what we do. It is something that we are talking to him about now, to see what he wants to do. That is where we are.

We are actually a full-factory satellite team, with a factory contract with Austria. We are obligated. We have to run WP suspension. That is where we are at. We know it is going to be a busy year and a hard year. It is not our first rodeo. You know that as a team we were in MX2 with Roger Magee for three years. We are down to do all twenty rounds. 

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Martin Barr won a single EMX250 moto for Revo Husqvarna this season.

ConwayMX

It sounds like, like you said, it was your plan to enter MX2 or MXGP at this point. Do you feel ready? Is there anything that kind of stands out as a bit of a fear of yours?

No, not at all. I feel that we have had a good bike and the package will be better than what we had this year. Where we are with the bike, with the engine and everything else… We have a very competitive bike. We signed Dylan and you always worry about only have one rider, so we were going to be going there with Mel as a back-up rider in EMX250. We had to look at an alternative, because we could not go to GPs with one rider. My concerns were only as a one-rider team and failing to go through a weekend after an early injury, because it is a heavy investment. With two riders I feel more comfortable.We have a lot of support with products and from Husqvarna direct too and we need to perform!

It costs so much to do this, as you know. More of that is funded through Revo. We are fortunate to have our sponsors talking to us, because of the exposure that we are creating. Going with one rider was a problem. Alvin [Ostlund] tested the bike and, from the point he tested the bike after he raced at RedBud, he decided he wanted to be on the team. We negotiated a deal over two weeks, then that was all done and signed. It was a relief, because I feel now that we have the ingredients to go there and be relatively successful and solid.

I feel we have got two riders who are capable of being in the top ten, plus we have the equipment to do the job as well. Now, with two MX2 riders, I feel a lot more confident. It is nothing to do with the workload… The added workload does not impact me mentally at all. It actually took more stress off me having two riders, because I feel we have increased ourchances of success.  

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Mel Pocock missed out on the EMX250 title by fifty-four measly points.

ConwayMX

It really sounds like you were committed to Dylan Walsh from the very beginning of your negotiations. Was there any reason for that? Do you just like the guy? Do you see something in him?

We met with him and spoke with him. We met him a few times during the course of the season, when he was doing EMX. We could see how quick he was and how talented he was. We could also see from the outside some of the issues that he was having. I knew he, as well as his manager, felt that if he could get support and what he thought would be a better bike, he could do well. It just became a thing that the conversations went on and every time he would come and see us in the paddock. It just went from there, really, and we felt that we have got to start with an MX2 rider from somewhere.  

You are looking around at who is going where and what you have got out there. Dylan did one race at Teutschenthal in MX2 and qualified, I think, eighth in the qualifying race, then had some issues in both motos. I just felt that he was a good kid to take a chance on. He is half British! If I can promote British riders, I do. We have been hit with that just recently, because we have signed Alvin and obviously Dylan. Whatever support you get from the factory depends on your rider choice and, as much as I would like to have British riders, we have got to start somewhere back in GPs.

The support comes with the rider choice, I am afraid. Dylan is British born and has only got a British passport. Obviously, he has lived in New Zealand since he was three or four and then went and raced in America. We are where we are. We also try to support British youth with Ollie Colmer on a TC 85. Now we recently, as of last weekend, support his friend Ryan Waggott. We agreed to give a level of support to those two riders in 85s to try and help the British riders as well. We like to think we could be a British feeder team. That is what we are working towards.

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Alvin Ostlund was a late signing for the Revo Husqvarna team.

Husqvarna Motorcycles UK

 Obviously, the Maxxis British Championship has always been a priority for you. Do you foresee a time when the team has to kind of forego the Maxxis British Championship to put all of the resources into the world series? You are a Husqvarna Motorcycles UK team, so that is still important to your sponsors and everything, but how is it going to be balancing those two?

The British Championship is, I would say, equally as important. I do not think either one of them are more important. Obviously, we have a level of support from Husqvarna Motorcycles UK. Their support is really just for the British Championship, so that is a priority to them and therefore a big priority for us. It is more likely that we couldwin the British than the world title. We have been close so many times like with Mel in 2014, when we were with Roger, as we finished in second then. I think even for Mel, he wants to try to win a British Championship. It is the same for us a team now.

I think that as a three-year-old team, under a new guise, I think we have shown we are more than capable of running at the front in the British, provided we have got the right ingredients in a rider. I think we will have that again this year. It is not going to be as easy in the British, because there are going to be a number of MXGP riders with the Revo boys, the Hitachi boys and a number of others. I think the British is going to be quite exciting next year. I am looking forward to the British as equally as I am looking forward to the world championship.

Finally, moving onto MX2 on the world stage was the end of a three-year plan that you had for the team. From this point on, do you only want to get bigger and better? In 2020, will you be looking to sign a podium contender and then the year after get race wins? Do you want to take this to the very top? 

Yeah, for sure. I always say I only race to win. I do not want to be the first loser. My goal is that I always want to win, but you obviously have to be realistic. I need to appreciate that winning a world championship is quite a long way off. You have got to have that quality of rider, like a [Jorge] Prado or [Jeffrey] Herlings. I would like to think that we could be going for podiums at least. At the end of the day, stepping up to a rider of that stature will always come down to how you perform as a team and how you acquire additional financial support. Taking any of those riders is not cheap.

Again, you just have to take it year by year. That is no different with your contracts and such. You will never do a two-year deal with a factory. They are twelve-month contracts all the time. They do not give two-year deals. I think we have to do the year and see how we are going. Then what level of support you tend to acquire… You need to be successful obviously to acquire that sort of attention and get that support. That will determine I think, at the end of the day, if you can afford that rider and if that rider is willing to leave and take a chance on a private team.

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Dylan Walsh and Alvin Ostlund will represent Revo Husqvarna in MX2.

Husqvarna Motorcycles UK

The under-twenty-three rule in the EMX250… Obviously it has burnt you and it has burnt Mel, but do you understand where they are going with this? Can you see the bigger picture and understand that, although it sucks right now, it may be the best thing for the class?

Yeah. I will give you my full take on it now. I agree on half of it and I do not agree on… Let me explain. This is how I believe it should have been. You should age out at seventeen in EMX125. You should age out of EMX250 at twenty-three. MX2 should be treated as a premier class, just like MXGP. Not every guy makes the transition to a 450F and performs like they did in MX2. I think that is the opinion of a lot of people. You cannot have the same age limit on EMX250 and MX2, then still call it a stepping stone.

The only other thing I am a little bit disappointed about is that they pushed to make this decision four months away from the start of the championship and we have all signed contracts. If this was something for 2020, I think we would have all understood it. I understand the reason behind it. We already had our Husqvarna contract for EMX signed with Mel Pocock. It sent everybody back to the drawing board. Not just us, it has had an impact on a number of people. I do understand what they are trying to do, but I do believe that MX2 should be treated as a premier class.

Interview: Lewis Phillips | Lead Image: ConwayMX

Features

Stat Attack: MXGP of Patagonia – Argentina

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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

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MX Vice Podcasts

Between The Races Podcast: Jeffrey Herlings Fanpage

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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.

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MXGP World Championship

MXGP of Patagonia – Argentina: Rider Debriefs

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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

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