Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2’s Rick Elzinga finished 10th at round seven of the FIM MX2 Motocross World Championship in Saint Jean d’Angely in France.
After a tough qualifying race on Saturday where Elzinga fought his way through the challenging, wet conditions to place 12th, the Dutchman got his head down in MX2 Race One to secure a top-10 result. Lying 14th at the end of lap one, the ‘44’ made steady progress up the time sheets as the race progressed, ultimately securing a commendable 10th at the chequered flag.
A great start in Race Two saw Elzinga power his Yamaha YZ250FM into fifth place early on. A small mistake before the end of lap one cost him dearly, however, dropping the 21-year-old down to 29th. Once again showing his grit and speed in the worsening conditions, Elzinga fought his way back to challenge for another top-10 result. Reaching the chequered flag in 11th place, less than two seconds from 10th.
Elzinga leaves France eighth in the MX2 Championship Standings. The next round of the FIM Motocross World Championship will take place on June 1st and 2nd in Teutschenthal, Germany.
Rick Elzinga
“It’s been a difficult weekend for me here in France. I’ve been feeling off colour all week and so I found it hard to focus, which is never good on a race weekend. Saturday was tough with lots of drama, and so then on Sunday, I tried to turn it around. The first race went ok considering how I felt – it could have been a little better but I lost my flow towards the end. It could have been P7 or P8 on that one, but I made some mistakes and struggled to pass one rider. I had a good start in the second moto and was feeling really strong. But then in one turn, my shifter hit the edge of a berm and the bike went into neutral. I fell over and got stuck and then was dead last on track. After that, I was riding really well and managed to get back up to 11th. I’m happy to end the weekend with good speed – when it was dry, I was riding fast, and in the wet, I had really good pace. A bit of an off weekend, but overall, I’m happy with how I rode.”
Thibault Benistant has withdrawn from round seven of the FIM Motocross World Championship, in Saint Jean d’Angely, following a heavy fall during the MX2 Timed Practice.
Benistant fell on a steep decent two laps into the Timed Practice session and went over the handlebars. The 22-year-old Frenchman, who holds fourth position in the MX2 Championship Standings, took a hard impact and was immediately taken to the on-site medical center where he was initially cleared of any fractures or serious injury. However, upon closer assessment, a small fracture in his C5 vertebra has been detected.
Over the next few weeks, Benistant will work closely with a team of medical experts in Lyon, France, who will monitor his progress and adjust his treatment plan as needed. An update on his potential return to action will be shared in due course.
