Antonio Cairoli: “When you are a kid you wish for such a thing but you never think you can do it. It’s hard work but it gives you back many good things. I managed to finish on the podium in all but three races and that was good to achieve points for the season. This was a track that was nice for training but when you race here there’s a lot of big jumps and not many places where you can really ride your bike and make a difference. Now I will go to Mexico and it’s always my goal to win. Then the next big goal is the Motocross of Nations and I will try to be on the podium for the Italian team.”
Jordi Tixier: “In the first moto I had a really bad start, I think I was last going around the first corner but in the end I came back to fifth. My feeling was not so good on the track but I took a better start in the second moto. Then when I tried to push I made a mistake. Fourth place was not the result I was hoping for and I was not on the box, but I still got some points for the championship and there’s still one more round to go.”
Max Nagl: “I just had a perfect day – I didn’t make any mistakes and I could control the race from the front so I’m really happy about today! From the beginning we had a really good setup and already from Saturday morning we were in a good direction and I was feeling really comfortable. Actually this morning I was a bit nervous because I know everyone expected me to win today because I was so good yesterday, but as soon as we started I was just feeling so well with riding, and very comfortable and confident again.
“After Lommel the team and I have done a really good job in testing and have been able to improve the bike again. Also after Lommel I took a lot of rest and that really helped me so now I’m physically much better again. Today we were just that little bit better than everyone else, and that makes me really proud. I was so happy because all the work is paid off with this – it’s so good!”
Gautier Paulin: “It’s always cool to come to overseas GPs, and it’s great to be back on the podium. In the first race I didn’t find a good rhythm and lost too much time to pass some riders; my second start was better but when I got through to second the gap was too great to catch the leader. With a fourth and a second position I finished the GP runner up; the goal since I returned to racing is to win races and I will try to do it next week at the final GP, and later at the Motocross of Nations.”
Steven Frossard: “I was happy with my result in the first race, even though I twisted my ankle at mid race. It was painful but I could ride the second moto, however when the front wheel slid away in a corner I didn’t want to put this foot on the ground and I crashed, losing time and positions. I’m disappointed as I missed the podium by just one point, but that was good to secure good scores in both races. The track was nice to ride; for me it was the best one of the series with a lot of grip in the corners and I hope we’ll have more tracks like this one next season.”
Dylan Ferrandis: “I’m happy to get another podium this season, but also disappointed to finish second, only one point behind the winner! My starts were not so good; I was in the top ten each moto but had to fight to come back in each race in second position. We had some very nice battles today; the track was nice to ride, and, although there was mainly one line in many sections, there were some possibilities to pass. It’s never easy to race overseas as you can’t train during the week and spend many hours in planes and airports; this evening I’m tired after my two races, but next week the goal will be to do even better in Mexico, and to finally get that first GP win.”
Arnaud Tonus: “It was so great to be back racing, and I was happy with my riding in the first race as I had good lap times and got a podium result. The second race was more difficult; I missed a good start and then couldn’t find a good rhythm during the first few laps. I’m just missing race practice, and here everyone was riding fast. Saturday was more difficult as I had to get used to riding in competition again. But I had no pain in my shoulder; that’s the most important thing and I’m looking forward to Mexico.”
Thomas Covington: “I had good speed all weekend, but this is not my year and I had some problems in both races. In the first moto I had a good start but then my rear brake faded, and in the second one I collided with Tonkov and went into the fence. I will do my best again next weekend and hope to end the season with a good result.”
Tommy Searle: “I tried to follow Cairoli in the first race but my wrist is still sore. I lost about ten seconds when the front washed out and I crashed without losing a place. I got a better start in race two and finished fourth.”
Kevin Strijbos: “I should have been on the podium today with the speed I had. The first moto was good, my start was OK, but it was hard to find a rhythm at the beginning; or the right lines. After about 10 minutes I went a bit faster and looked to gain on Frossard but I couldn’t do anything about the gap. Second moto; my launch was good but I lost momentum on the straight. The track had been watered OK but because it was so hard in places then just a little bit made it slippery. I knew after the sighting lap that it would be quite sketchy but it was Frossard who lost the front. I tried to brake but also crashed and a Brazilian guy behind me slid into us. That was about it. I couldn’t restart quickly but after that my speed was OK. The podium got away this time.”
Jeremy Seewer: “A good and bad GP. On Saturday my feeling on the bike was great but I had some bad luck in qualification because my rear brake failed and I dropped back a little bit. They changed the track today because it was too easy and there were more bumps. In the first race I had a pretty good start and was in third. I struggled to pass Butron and some other guys. It was really difficult in that first race because it felt like a different track out there. It was fast with a lot of grip but there were edges everywhere. When I eventually found a rhythm the race was as good as over. Butron cut my line at the start of the second race but I made some passes straight to second position. I was so close to the podium but couldn’t hold off Tixier and Ferrandis. Anyway, I’m quite happy with fifth and I’m looking forward to next week.”
Glenn Coldenhoff: “It was a tough one today, especially with the heat. I felt that after a few weeks of training it went way better than before [in Lommel] even if it is not seen in the results. On this track everybody was almost at the same speed. I could see in front of me that the differences were really small and I couldn’t make ground today. We will keep fighting and working and try to be better next week.”
Jeremy Van Horebeek: “At the moment it still feels strange to think I am vice world champion but, you know, it has been a great season. We’ve had many podiums and have been so consistent. There have been a few rookie mistakes and I’m still learning in this class. I’ve ‘grown’ a lot this year and I think I will be ready in 2015 to chase that world title. Overall 2014 has been awesome with more ups than downs like that great win in Czech Republic. Yesterday I messed up. I was consistent in second during the race but I was already thinking about today and made a mistake. It was a tough race [in the first GP moto] but we got it done. It has been so good to work with these guys and like I’ve said before the team is like family for me. We all wanted this bad. We will have one hell of a winter working again to improve further. The bike is awesome but we can get better.”
David Philippaerts: “It was not an easy week after more than a month off the bike. I only started training last weekend. The track was really difficult and it was so, so hot out there. I was finished at the end of the second moto and I am quite angry because it was possible to have a good GP here. It was not easy for my ankle with all the jumps and now I want to finish the year well in Mexico. It has been so busy getting the team set-up and organised for 2014 and now for 2015 I want to concentrate on my condition and being even better.”
Rui Gonçalves: “I was really excited to come here because it is almost like a second home GP for me. The first moto was OK. I didn’t have a great start but I got into the top ten and finished ninth. I was looking for better in the second moto but the start wasn’t there again and it was quite tricky in the first laps with the watering. I made some passes and got up to eighth but then we had a mechanical problem so I had to push it to the pits. That’s the way it is. There is not much I can do so I am already thinking about Mexico and try to finish on a high.”
Christophe Charlier: “I didn’t start well today and it was hard to pass on this track. There are a lot of big jumps so it was difficult to make the time. Overall not such a good day and now I hope it will go better in Mexico.”
Max Anstie: “It was my starts today that held us back. We didn’t quite find the right setting to get off the line and when you get out near the front then you run at the front. The bike worked fine and I could feel the work we’ve done in the break and since Lommel. I think I just missed a bit of that confidence by being able to get in the mix from the beginning. I rode my laps and tried to make positions but a lot of people were at the same pace. Anyway, one more to go, and we’ll look towards the box again in Mexico.”
Matiss Karro: “This weekend I wanted a good result. Today felt good in practice but in the first race I had a terrible start, it was difficult to pass, so I only got 11th place. Second race start was better but I crashed on the first corner and from last I managed to get 11th for 10th overall. It was OK this weekend but I want to do better and I have one more GP left to do that.”
Shaun Simpson: “Today was a lot about keeping those hopes of fifth in the championship alive. My speed had been great all weekend and I was not outside the top four until the first race today. I was really happy on the track and thought there was a few different lines. I was disappointed with how it turned out in the first moto. I crashed awkwardly and my shoulder came out. I did what I could to be able to start the second race. I did the jumps on the sighting lap and thought ‘this is OK’ and it gave me confidence going into the first turn. I was third or fourth and made a small mistake. Tommy was hounding me and I was trying to figure out how the shoulder would affect me when I had a small slip. I went back a few positions. My speed at the end was nice. I passed Philippaerts and was right on the back of Guarneri at the end.
“I felt great and I feel good on the bike; it was just a shame that the crash happened today. Maybe the shoulder is not as bad as we thought. I won’t be riding this week – nobody will actually as we go to Mexico – and I will do what I can to be ready and try for that fifth place.”
Tim Gajser: “I can’t believe that I have won my first race in GP, it’s really so exciting especially after the bad crashes I had yesterday in the qualifying practice and race. It’s really amazing!”
Romain Febvre: “This is an incredible moment for me. I won my first race and took my first overall result – it’s fantastic. I’ve been really sick and I honestly didn’t expect to show this form. During the races I could hardly breathe, I was even sick – it was really hard. Race one was perfect – a start to finish victory. Maybe nerves got the better of me at the beginning of race two or maybe it was the sickness because I was slow to get going. I had to dig deep at the end of the race but when I crossed the finish line in third it felt amazing to know I was the overall winner. A massive thanks to the Husqvarna, the Wilvo Nestaan team and my family for helping me achieve this important result.”
Image: Honda World Motocross
Rider Comments: GP of State of Goias
Antonio Cairoli: “When you are a kid you wish for such a thing but you never think you can do it. It’s hard work but it gives you back many good things. I managed to finish on the podium in all but three races and that was good to achieve points for the season. This was a track that was nice for training but when you race here there’s a lot of big jumps and not many places where you can really ride your bike and make a difference. Now I will go to Mexico and it’s always my goal to win. Then the next big goal is the Motocross of Nations and I will try to be on the podium for the Italian team.”
Jordi Tixier: “In the first moto I had a really bad start, I think I was last going around the first corner but in the end I came back to fifth. My feeling was not so good on the track but I took a better start in the second moto. Then when I tried to push I made a mistake. Fourth place was not the result I was hoping for and I was not on the box, but I still got some points for the championship and there’s still one more round to go.”
Max Nagl: “I just had a perfect day – I didn’t make any mistakes and I could control the race from the front so I’m really happy about today! From the beginning we had a really good setup and already from Saturday morning we were in a good direction and I was feeling really comfortable. Actually this morning I was a bit nervous because I know everyone expected me to win today because I was so good yesterday, but as soon as we started I was just feeling so well with riding, and very comfortable and confident again.
“After Lommel the team and I have done a really good job in testing and have been able to improve the bike again. Also after Lommel I took a lot of rest and that really helped me so now I’m physically much better again. Today we were just that little bit better than everyone else, and that makes me really proud. I was so happy because all the work is paid off with this – it’s so good!”
Gautier Paulin: “It’s always cool to come to overseas GPs, and it’s great to be back on the podium. In the first race I didn’t find a good rhythm and lost too much time to pass some riders; my second start was better but when I got through to second the gap was too great to catch the leader. With a fourth and a second position I finished the GP runner up; the goal since I returned to racing is to win races and I will try to do it next week at the final GP, and later at the Motocross of Nations.”
Steven Frossard: “I was happy with my result in the first race, even though I twisted my ankle at mid race. It was painful but I could ride the second moto, however when the front wheel slid away in a corner I didn’t want to put this foot on the ground and I crashed, losing time and positions. I’m disappointed as I missed the podium by just one point, but that was good to secure good scores in both races. The track was nice to ride; for me it was the best one of the series with a lot of grip in the corners and I hope we’ll have more tracks like this one next season.”
Dylan Ferrandis: “I’m happy to get another podium this season, but also disappointed to finish second, only one point behind the winner! My starts were not so good; I was in the top ten each moto but had to fight to come back in each race in second position. We had some very nice battles today; the track was nice to ride, and, although there was mainly one line in many sections, there were some possibilities to pass. It’s never easy to race overseas as you can’t train during the week and spend many hours in planes and airports; this evening I’m tired after my two races, but next week the goal will be to do even better in Mexico, and to finally get that first GP win.”
Arnaud Tonus: “It was so great to be back racing, and I was happy with my riding in the first race as I had good lap times and got a podium result. The second race was more difficult; I missed a good start and then couldn’t find a good rhythm during the first few laps. I’m just missing race practice, and here everyone was riding fast. Saturday was more difficult as I had to get used to riding in competition again. But I had no pain in my shoulder; that’s the most important thing and I’m looking forward to Mexico.”
Thomas Covington: “I had good speed all weekend, but this is not my year and I had some problems in both races. In the first moto I had a good start but then my rear brake faded, and in the second one I collided with Tonkov and went into the fence. I will do my best again next weekend and hope to end the season with a good result.”
Tommy Searle: “I tried to follow Cairoli in the first race but my wrist is still sore. I lost about ten seconds when the front washed out and I crashed without losing a place. I got a better start in race two and finished fourth.”
Kevin Strijbos: “I should have been on the podium today with the speed I had. The first moto was good, my start was OK, but it was hard to find a rhythm at the beginning; or the right lines. After about 10 minutes I went a bit faster and looked to gain on Frossard but I couldn’t do anything about the gap. Second moto; my launch was good but I lost momentum on the straight. The track had been watered OK but because it was so hard in places then just a little bit made it slippery. I knew after the sighting lap that it would be quite sketchy but it was Frossard who lost the front. I tried to brake but also crashed and a Brazilian guy behind me slid into us. That was about it. I couldn’t restart quickly but after that my speed was OK. The podium got away this time.”
Jeremy Seewer: “A good and bad GP. On Saturday my feeling on the bike was great but I had some bad luck in qualification because my rear brake failed and I dropped back a little bit. They changed the track today because it was too easy and there were more bumps. In the first race I had a pretty good start and was in third. I struggled to pass Butron and some other guys. It was really difficult in that first race because it felt like a different track out there. It was fast with a lot of grip but there were edges everywhere. When I eventually found a rhythm the race was as good as over. Butron cut my line at the start of the second race but I made some passes straight to second position. I was so close to the podium but couldn’t hold off Tixier and Ferrandis. Anyway, I’m quite happy with fifth and I’m looking forward to next week.”
Glenn Coldenhoff: “It was a tough one today, especially with the heat. I felt that after a few weeks of training it went way better than before [in Lommel] even if it is not seen in the results. On this track everybody was almost at the same speed. I could see in front of me that the differences were really small and I couldn’t make ground today. We will keep fighting and working and try to be better next week.”
Jeremy Van Horebeek: “At the moment it still feels strange to think I am vice world champion but, you know, it has been a great season. We’ve had many podiums and have been so consistent. There have been a few rookie mistakes and I’m still learning in this class. I’ve ‘grown’ a lot this year and I think I will be ready in 2015 to chase that world title. Overall 2014 has been awesome with more ups than downs like that great win in Czech Republic. Yesterday I messed up. I was consistent in second during the race but I was already thinking about today and made a mistake. It was a tough race [in the first GP moto] but we got it done. It has been so good to work with these guys and like I’ve said before the team is like family for me. We all wanted this bad. We will have one hell of a winter working again to improve further. The bike is awesome but we can get better.”
David Philippaerts: “It was not an easy week after more than a month off the bike. I only started training last weekend. The track was really difficult and it was so, so hot out there. I was finished at the end of the second moto and I am quite angry because it was possible to have a good GP here. It was not easy for my ankle with all the jumps and now I want to finish the year well in Mexico. It has been so busy getting the team set-up and organised for 2014 and now for 2015 I want to concentrate on my condition and being even better.”
Rui Gonçalves: “I was really excited to come here because it is almost like a second home GP for me. The first moto was OK. I didn’t have a great start but I got into the top ten and finished ninth. I was looking for better in the second moto but the start wasn’t there again and it was quite tricky in the first laps with the watering. I made some passes and got up to eighth but then we had a mechanical problem so I had to push it to the pits. That’s the way it is. There is not much I can do so I am already thinking about Mexico and try to finish on a high.”
Christophe Charlier: “I didn’t start well today and it was hard to pass on this track. There are a lot of big jumps so it was difficult to make the time. Overall not such a good day and now I hope it will go better in Mexico.”
Max Anstie: “It was my starts today that held us back. We didn’t quite find the right setting to get off the line and when you get out near the front then you run at the front. The bike worked fine and I could feel the work we’ve done in the break and since Lommel. I think I just missed a bit of that confidence by being able to get in the mix from the beginning. I rode my laps and tried to make positions but a lot of people were at the same pace. Anyway, one more to go, and we’ll look towards the box again in Mexico.”
Matiss Karro: “This weekend I wanted a good result. Today felt good in practice but in the first race I had a terrible start, it was difficult to pass, so I only got 11th place. Second race start was better but I crashed on the first corner and from last I managed to get 11th for 10th overall. It was OK this weekend but I want to do better and I have one more GP left to do that.”
Shaun Simpson: “Today was a lot about keeping those hopes of fifth in the championship alive. My speed had been great all weekend and I was not outside the top four until the first race today. I was really happy on the track and thought there was a few different lines. I was disappointed with how it turned out in the first moto. I crashed awkwardly and my shoulder came out. I did what I could to be able to start the second race. I did the jumps on the sighting lap and thought ‘this is OK’ and it gave me confidence going into the first turn. I was third or fourth and made a small mistake. Tommy was hounding me and I was trying to figure out how the shoulder would affect me when I had a small slip. I went back a few positions. My speed at the end was nice. I passed Philippaerts and was right on the back of Guarneri at the end.
“I felt great and I feel good on the bike; it was just a shame that the crash happened today. Maybe the shoulder is not as bad as we thought. I won’t be riding this week – nobody will actually as we go to Mexico – and I will do what I can to be ready and try for that fifth place.”
Tim Gajser: “I can’t believe that I have won my first race in GP, it’s really so exciting especially after the bad crashes I had yesterday in the qualifying practice and race. It’s really amazing!”
Romain Febvre: “This is an incredible moment for me. I won my first race and took my first overall result – it’s fantastic. I’ve been really sick and I honestly didn’t expect to show this form. During the races I could hardly breathe, I was even sick – it was really hard. Race one was perfect – a start to finish victory. Maybe nerves got the better of me at the beginning of race two or maybe it was the sickness because I was slow to get going. I had to dig deep at the end of the race but when I crossed the finish line in third it felt amazing to know I was the overall winner. A massive thanks to the Husqvarna, the Wilvo Nestaan team and my family for helping me achieve this important result.”
Image: Honda World Motocross
Lewis Phillips
MX Vice Editor || 25
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