Read what a host of MXGP riders had to say about their weekend at the MXGP of Spain.
MXGP
Romain Febvre: “It was great to take the holeshot in both motos; it makes life so much easier. In the first moto I had good lines, could ride my own pace, took a good gap and managed the race from the front. But I had to stay calm and concentrated throughout the moto, as there were so many square bumps, and you could not see them under the mud. I took another holeshot in race two, but then I made life difficult for myself. The downhill after the table-top was very sketchy with lots of mud and braking bumps, so I wanted to change my line on the second lap, but I jumped too far to the middle, missed the line and fell. It was difficult to lift up the bike there, and you always lose many positions if you fall during the first laps of a race. I found good solutions to make passes and came back to second; it was a really good ride. There are so many things to think about during a race, and I didn’t realise at first that the overall was still on until I got the pitboard. I am so pleased to take the red plate to Ernee; the French GP is always special, and I hear they have made some nice changes to the track too. I just hope we can finally have some good weather for us and for the fans; I will have special gear from J1, and I have also asked the Japanese for something nice on the bike.”
Lucas Coenen: “I needed a good start and almost had it in the second moto! I was a bit on the edge for the first lap, but I got up to third and then had to send it to take the lead. Romain was really strong this weekend. I didn’t feel so great on the track. It was really slippery in some places and tough to pass, in the first moto especially. Anyway, I’m so happy. We had a really good gap in the second moto. We’re consistent, and this is our third podium in a row. We need to keep on like this!”
Ruben Fernandez: “Last year I wasn’t able to race here in Lugo, which was a massive shame, but this year I am very happy to get to stand on the podium and see all the friends, family and fans who came out to support me. It is a special feeling to do so at a home GP, and now I want to keep getting up on the podiums more in the future. I actually would have liked a little bit more coming into the weekend, but the conditions weren’t easy, and in the end, this was all I could manage, especially after yesterday. I really enjoyed the past couple of rounds, racing in Portugal and Spain and getting podiums in both, so let’s keep the feeling going.”
Maxime Renaux: “Fourth today. Second in race one was a great start to today, but then in race two, I crashed on the first lap. It was difficult to come through then, and in the end, I wasn’t too far from the overall podium. So, it’s been a bittersweet day, I guess. Now, the focus is on continuing to recover fully from my crash in Switzerland in preparation for my home GP in two weeks.”
Calvin Vlaanderen: “The first race today was really muddy. Early on I was able to make a lot of quick passes, but it was tough with the conditions. Race two was a lot better, though. My start was much better, and then when Romain Febvre fell, I led for a few laps, which was nice. I settled into a solid pace and ended up third, so overall it’s been a positive weekend. The track was tricky, but I felt good on the bike, so now it’s on to France in a couple of weeks.”
Jeffrey Herlings: “Getting better and better. P6, and the next step is P5 and then the podium. The weather didn’t help today, and we’ve been unlucky with the mud in the last two rounds, but I’m already looking forward to the next GP. I’m excited. This was not a great Grand Prix but also not a bad one because we’re racing the best riders in the premier class. From where we are coming from, this is OK. We need to improve our starts to gain a bit more confidence and then we should be immediately better.”
Andrea Bonacorsi: “I am really happy with this result. Considering what happened in the qualifying race, getting a sixth and a seventh in Sunday’s races is a good outcome. It is not exactly what we are aiming for, but after yesterday’s crash, the most important thing was to come out of it in one piece. In race two, I struggled a bit because I was feeling a bit sore, but aside from that I felt good on track. I want to thank all the guys in the team and Fantic for their huge support – see you back on track in two weeks!”
Glenn Coldenhoff: “I am quite disappointed after that second race. The first one was okay – I had a good start, my riding was decent in the mud, and fifth place was a solid result. But in race two, I didn’t get the start, and even though I gave it everything, I just couldn’t move forward. I was missing some pace, and that was frustrating – when you push so hard and give it your all but still can’t stay with the guys in front. The track and conditions here were pretty special, and it didn’t really go my way. But we will keep pushing, do some testing next week, and try to come back strong in France.”
Pauls Jonass: “I made life difficult for myself today with the crash at the start of race one and mistakes in race two. I came through quickly in the first moto, but I just blew myself up and got arm pump after I got to eleventh, so I just had to ride cautiously and stay there. I pulled out some good passes to sixth, with a gap to the guy behind, in the second race, but then I had a small tip-over with two laps to go. I am disappointed with those mistakes, but on the positive side, I was feeling good on the bike all weekend; the speed is there, as I showed with P2 in timed practice, and I was moving forward in both motos, so I aim to be battling for podiums soon.”
Ben Watson:” The Spanish weekend was a hard test with the rain and bad track conditions. On Saturday during practice, the track was very fast and without potholes. In qualifying I mainly tried to be consistent; I didn’t have much feeling with the slippery track, but I still finished twelfth. In the first laps of race one I was not fast enough, but in the final I was able to ride better and finished twelfth again. In race two, I got off to a bad start, but after ten minutes, I started to get the feel of the track, which had become very technical as it dried out. I did some overtaking and finished eleventh. Right now my riding is better; I have to work a lot on the first part of the race to collect more satisfying placings.”
Image: Yamaha MXGP
