Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP Team’s Tim Gajser has placed fourth overall at a seriously tough MXGP of The Netherlands. The Slovenian’s day started promisingly with third in Race One, and he was on course to replicate the result in Race Two before a heavy crash relegated him to eighth at the finish. Maxime Renaux crashed out of Race One, ruling him out of Race Two, while Glenn Coldenhoff competed as a wildcard and secured fifth overall.
The sand circuit of Arnhem hosted round 16 of the FIM MXGP Motocross World Championship and, with high speeds, rolling bumps, and square-edged holes, proved to be one of the toughest tracks on the calendar.
After a strong start in Race One, Gajser held fourth throughout most of the opening race until he moved up to third in the closing stages. By the end, he’d opened up a considerable margin over fourth and the rest of the field, underlining his sand-riding capabilities.
In Race Two, Gajser was on course for another third-place finish until he fell heavily with three laps remaining. Able to remount and complete the race in eighth place, it was a frustrating end to an otherwise positive Grand Prix for the Yamaha YZ450FM rider who remains third in the series standings.
Still feeling the effects of a crash last weekend in Sweden, Renaux raced in pain in The Netherlands and held 10th in Race One until a crash ruled him out of the running. Fortunate to escape injury, the Frenchman, together with the team, opted not to line up for Race Two. Leaving The Netherlands, Renaux remains eighth in the championship.
Finishing fifth overall, Glenn Coldenhoff enjoyed his last ever Grand Prix in front of his native fans and delivered solid 7-4 race results. JK Racing Yamaha’s Isak Gifting placed 20th overall.
Following a challenging Grand Prix, the team will now take advantage of a weekend off before returning to action at the MXGP of Turkiye on September 5-6.
Click here for all the results from the MXGP of The Netherlands.
Tim Gajser
4th MXGP of The Netherlands, 33-points
3rd MXGP Championship Standings, 611-points
“Tough end to the weekend. The track was really rough, but I felt my riding was pretty good. Kay and Jeffrey were on another level – that was expected. I was comfortable in third today and I had two decent starts. I was third in moto one. In the second moto it took me a few laps to find my rhythm, but once I passed Tom Vialle, I felt good in third. Then, out of nowhere, I made a mistake in the waves and had a big one. I’m feeling pretty second-hand now. Thankfully, we have a weekend off now, so I’ll use the time to recover to be ready for the final three GPs.”
Maxime Renaux
8th MXGP Championship Standings, 449-points
“I hurt myself in Sweden and wasn’t really able to ride this week. I tried, but it was painful. I was able to ride through the pain yesterday and again today, but unfortunately, I crashed in the first moto. I’m really glad that I haven’t done anything more serious, but we decided not to line up for the second moto. We chose to take the conservative approach, go back home, get some treatment, and then see what we can do for the final few races of the season. It’s tough, but I knew I was coming into the weekend in a difficult situation. I gave everything I had and everything I could, but unfortunately it wasn’t enough. Now the priority is to recover properly and see what we can do for the remaining races.”
Photocredits – Full Spectrum Media
