Read what a host of MXGP riders had to say about their weekend at the MXGP of Portugal.
MXGP
Lucas Coenen: “A really good weekend. 1-1 again and the three motos! The rain made the track so sketchy, and I was all over the place, but it was a positive first moto; good start and I tried to ride smart. It was hard to handle all those edges in the ruts with the 450 but we made it happen. In the second moto I managed the pressure from Romain, and I was a bit nervous at times, but I’m so happy to win again. Let’s go again in Lugo.”
Romain Febvre: “I have spent the last four years chasing the red plate, so I really wanted it; for me it is no pressure, and it gives me confidence for the rest of the season. But it’s still a long series, and anything can happen, so I need to stay sharp,” he insisted after his second overall, which earned him his sixth podium of the campaign. “I tried to go for the win, but my goal heading into the races today was to take good starts and not crash, as it can be so difficult in these conditions if you crash and get mud on your gloves. We saw today that we have got the starts sorted, as I was immediately at the front with Lucas in both motos, and that will play in our favour as the season continues. Of course, I wanted to pass him, and indeed I made it happen twice in the first moto, but Lucas could respond immediately both times. In the second moto I could come back onto his rear wheel, but I could not find a line to make the difference. It’s hard as a racer to accept, but I had more to lose than to win if I had taken a risk, and I leave here with second overall and the red plate.”
Ruben Fernandez: “I really like Agueda, but when the weather is like this, I wasn’t sure how it was going to go, but thankfully it went really well. I certainly didn’t expect my first podium to come in these conditions, however, I know I’ve been riding well, and I just needed to stay consistent across both motos, and I’d make it happen. My starts were excellent, which was crucial, and I kept any mistakes to a minimum. A big thank you to the team and my friends, family and fans for all their support and I can’t wait to try to do even better in Lugo next weekend.”
Andrea Bonacorsi: “Two solid races – sixth and fifth – and another fourth overall. I have to be satisfied with this result because I struggled a bit with the track on Saturday, but I knew I would find my rhythm in the races. It is not easy at all to be consistently in the top 5 in MXGP, so we have to be happy with that. We have made a big step forward. I want to thank the whole Fantic Factory Racing MXGP team and everyone at Fantic, because without them, I wouldn’t be here. We are doing an amazing job, and we are proving it.”
Pauls Jonass: “It was nice to get back to the intensity of racing. I felt good in the first race and was rewarded with fourth, but I was a little disappointed about moto two; I just didn’t find such a good flow, but P5 overall was a good result first race back and I look forward to building step-by-step from here. The conditions were tough, but the track crew did a great job to give us a track where you could race.”
Glenn Coldenhoff: “The rain wasn’t too nice, at least not for me. In race 1, I stalled the bike at the start and even crashed in the second turn. From last, I came back to eighth, which was quite okay. It’s a pity I lost five points due to the yellow flag – I didn’t see it, unfortunately. I got a good start in race 2 and had a solid ride. I pushed quite hard, but the conditions were difficult. An 8-6 for sixth overall is definitely not what I am aiming for, but I am happy to be healthy. Hopefully, next weekend the conditions will be better, so we can have some real racing again. I am looking forward to that because I am feeling strong.”
Maxime Renaux: “It was good to go 5-9 today because earlier this week I didn’t think I’d be racing. I crashed twice in the first race, but I was happy to finish fifth in that one. I then rode most of Race Two without a front brake lever after I crashed a couple of times, so I could only push so hard. That was a little frustrating, but I came here to score points, and that’s what I did. So, I have to be happy.”
Calvin Vlaanderen: “It’s been a positive weekend. I felt really good on the bike and it was a shame to crash in Race One while in sixth. That ruled out any chance of the podium really, but I still fought hard in Race Two and placed fourth. I was really happy with my riding in that one and kept my mistakes to a minimum, which is hard to do in a mud race like that. It’s a shame about the rain we had, but it was the same for everyone, I guess.”
Jeffrey Herlings: “Yesterday we were quite hopeful until the crash in the Heat when I was thinking about pushing for the lead. I was hit by another rider and bruised my ribs and had a sore elbow. I was struggling with the ribs today and I could feel every bump. It was annoying! We could finish 10-7, and that’s not what we wanted from this GP, but after Saturday I think it was OK. I’ll definitely be 100% for the next race and I hope to be closer to that top five.”
Mattia Guadagnini: “Not bad; it was hard to hope for anything more, even if in these conditions anything was possible. I started well in the first moto, but I struggled a lot in the last 10 minutes, and I lost four positions, which made a big difference in the result. In race two, I started less well, and I tried not to make too many mistakes. After half the moto, I was tired, so I just tried to bring it home because it was really tough. Top 10 on the way back is fine. I couldn’t have hoped for much more, but I didn’t aim for less, so for today it’s fine like this.”
Image: KTM
