Read what a host of MXGP and MX2 riders had to say about their weekends at the MXGP of Latvia.
MXGP
Jeffrey Herlings: “Definitely happy. Yesterday was so bad but today I was able to show people I could still ride a bit! The podium was the goal but to come out with a win was amazing. I didn’t quite have the pace for Jorge and Tim in the second moto; I was able to close them down but didn’t have the speed to pass. Anyway, very happy and two good starts today. I hope to keep that going because it’s been a weak point. Pleased with my riding and it’s nice to finally get off that #103 to #104!”
Tim Gajser: “I rode well all weekend, and am happy with the overall effort. Going one-two-two shows that my consistency is good and that my speed is good enough to win, but I wasn’t quite able to make it happen. I got the red-plate back so that is a positive and although there is still a long way to go, it is nice to ride with the red-plate on my Honda CRF450R, especially next week in Maggiora which is a special track.”
Jorge Prado: “It was a pity about the first moto; yesterday, I was feeling super good on the bike, but I just couldn’t make the pass on Tim in the qualifying race. Today in the first moto, I got a good start, but he [Tim Gajser] passed me on the first lap. I was actually feeling really good with my rhythm, but then I went aquaplaning into the face of a jump with all the standing water on the track. So that resulted in P7 in the first moto, which wasn’t the best. But then, with drier conditions in the second moto, I got the holeshot and led until the end! I’m happy with my performance and form in the second moto for sure, and hopefully we can get the red plate back as soon as possible!”
Calvin Vlaanderen: “I’m happy with my riding and my speed but I’m not too happy with results. But that’s racing. I crashed twice in Race One and once in Race Two early on, so it was a challenging day to say the least. But I’m in one piece and fast so I’ll keep at it. I’m just pushing too hard early in the races as I see the guys up front creeping away and I’m rushing passes. I’m up to fifth in the championship now, but we have a lot of races to go. Obviously, it’s nice but my focus for now is to get back on the podium. I’ll be looking to fully recover ahead of next weekend in Italy, where I’ll be giving it my best shot again.”
Jeremy Seewer: “We really needed that second moto. After Germany we took a big gamble on settings and it didn’t work out as we had hoped yesterday; we learnt from that and adjusted the settings for today but then it rained like hell just before our first race. The track changed completely and it’s always difficult to push hard at the speed we are racing if you don’t have confidence. I’m really happy to bring it back in race two. In fact if I could have started fourth I think I could have been there to the finish; the first-three are in a race of their own at the moment but I had the speed of anybody else. Next weekend is Maggiora and it’s a super-fun track to ride and race with good memories; I took my second-ever podium there in MX2 back in 2015 and won the GP there last year. And it’s close to home so the Swiss fans will be there to cheer me on.”
Mattia Guadagnini: “Overall, I’m quite happy. Saturday was great, and I managed to find a really good rhythm in the sand. I’ve put a lot of effort into training, and I think this is paying off. I got a good start during the qualifying race, and then was riding in third for almost all the moto. I just couldn’t quite hold that pace until the end, so some riders passed me, and I finished fifth. Then on Sunday, I didn’t have the best start in the first moto, and I crashed on the second lap, so I was far back. I tried to fight back, but it wasn’t easy. I think I dropped to 20th or more, but then I got to 13th. Then in the second moto, the start was better, and I made up a few positions in the first lap. I could not quite find as good a rhythm as before, but I finished ninth.”
Andrea Bonacorsi: “I tried my best this weekend but the hard hit on my head I got in the start crash last weekend was just too much. Can just rest now and try to be good next weekend.”
Image: Red Bull KTM / Ray Archer
