Read what a host of MXGP riders had to say about their weekend at the MXGP of Europe.
Tim Gajser: “It was a really good weekend, on what was a sketchy track. The rain made things difficult, but I kept things steady, and I got good starts, especially in race one when I was leading from almost the beginning. It wasn’t easy out there, but I’m very happy with how it went and I’m excited to go to Riola Sardo and the first sand race of the year. We have been working hard in the sand and I’m excited to show off what we’ve done.”
Romain Febvre: “It was nice to bounce back after last week. Yesterday the track was like a highway, but today it was more challenging so I could make the difference even though I didn’t get the best starts. The first moto I was really charging and came quite close to Tim at the end, but in race two I got hit from behind by someone at the first turn and almost went over the bars; I was eighteenth going up the hill so I am happy with second at the finish. But I need better starts to fight with Tim because he is getting away a little in the points.”
Lucas Coenen: “What can I say? Speechless! That’s the first podium out of the way. We had some difficult times lately, but we’ve finally kicked off: 3-3 for 3. I wanted to make another pass in the second moto, but it started raining and I just said ‘stay there and get the first podium’. We now have two weeks off to rest and we’ll see what we can do in Sardinia. Thanks to the team and my physio, they worked so hard with me these last few weeks. I cannot thank them enough. We’re now looking forward to building confidence and see where we end up.”
Mattia Guadagnini: “I’m really satisfied with this Sunday in France! We needed a good result and a solid points haul to move on from last Sunday’s race. In the first heat, I got off to a strong start and managed to pull away early. However, I struggled with arm pump throughout the race, and it was painful to finish, but I tried to avoid making too many mistakes. In the second moto, the track was much better, and I started well, but I went wide at the first corner and lost several positions. In spite of this, I had a great feeling with the bike and the track. I was aggressive and made several overtakes in the early laps, climbing up to fifth. In the final stages, I made a few mistakes, but I managed to finish fourth overall. I’m really happy with how I feel on the bike – this is the most important thing – and I’m confident we’ll get more quality results.”
Pauls Jonass: “It was a very positive weekend. P5 overall was not bad; it was just a little unfortunate about the collision with Mattia in the first race. Perhaps I tried to rush it too much for P4, and it was difficult to ride after I lost the front fender. But we are progressing in every way with bike setup, physically and mentally; we know what we still have to work on and we are getting there step-by-step.”
Glenn Coldenhoff: “It was a tough weekend. I crashed the wrong way – head first – on Saturday, and that didn’t feel good. I also got sick last week, so I wasn’t feeling great on Sunday morning to say the least. In race one, it took me too long to get past Brian, and I finished eleventh. I knew I needed a good start to run up front, especially after Saturday’s crash and not feeling so well – and, luckily, I grabbed the holeshot, which was amazing. I pushed like crazy for the first four laps, but I felt straight away that I wouldn’t be able to maintain that pace. Still, finishing fourth in the race for sixth overall, and still sitting in fifth in the championship, we couldn’t have asked for much more after Saturday. It is a decent result, and it feels great to take my first holeshot of the year. We need to keep getting more, because it definitely makes life easier.”
Maxime Renaux: It’s been a tough weekend here in France. Bad starts in both races and I just didn’t put myself in good positions. I couldn’t get into a good rhythm in race one and crashed, so that wasn’t great. Race two was better, but while in fifth I got stuck in a really deep rut, so I lost a lot of time. I battled back quite well though and got back to fifth so that wasn’t so bad. We have a weekend off now, and then it’s on to the sand of Riola Sardo.”
Kevin Horgmo: French GP – 8th overall (9-8). Solid weekend on home soil for the team. Big thanks to them for making me fit and comfortable on Sunday after a difficult Saturday.”
Jeremy Seewer: “Another tough one. These crazy conditions just seem to follow us. This weekend was better than last, but it still wasn’t a normal race. We’re clearly struggling in these conditions, and we know it. But we have to learn the hard way, and that’s character-building. We did make improvements in moto two. We know what we need to work on. We’ve already made a lot of progress; we just need more time. But with racing week after week, there’s no time. Still, we know the issue, and we’re working on it while staying focused on the future.”
Image: KTM
