Read what a host of MXGP riders had to say about their weekend at the MXGP of The Netherlands.
MXGP
Jeffrey Herlings: “I struggled with a painful back this week. It was something I had to deal with: I’m getting old! Today was quite OK. 1-1 was what I was hoping for. I made work for myself in the first moto but started picking off riders and coming back. I almost made a mistake in the second moto, even if the start was better. The competition is so strong. I’m super proud of another 1-1 and now up to 107. I’m happy and blessed.”
Jorge Prado: “It was a really positive weekend for me. I demonstrated strong speed throughout, and the second moto was particularly engaging. I started around third or fourth and felt confident that I could push my way to the front. Jeffrey managed to pass me, and I had a tricky moment when a backmarker crashed right in front of me, which allowed Jeffrey to extend his lead. Despite that, I kept up the pressure and pushed hard until about three laps from the end. Although I couldn’t close the gap completely, I maintained a solid pace, which I’m really pleased with. I’m feeling great physically, and everything is looking promising for the championship. I’m now just nine points off the lead, and with some favourable tracks coming up, I’m excited and ready to take on Switzerland: let’s go!”
Tim Gajser: “It was a solid weekend, and I definitely felt like my riding was a lot better this weekend than in Lommel. It was a shame I made a mistake in that second race, but I’m happy with the rest of the moto and it was good to get third place and stand on the podium. We have four rounds still to go and I’m still in the lead so I’m excited to go to the next race in Switzerland and put in another strong performance.”
Glenn Coldenhoff: “It was a really nice weekend, and I really enjoyed this one. Looking back at Saturday with the qualifying race win at home, the crowd was so behind me. The biggest positive this weekend was definitely my starts, with three holeshots. That was amazing. When I took the holeshot in the second moto, I gave it my all, trying to open a gap, but the guys were pushing hard and were a bit faster at that moment. Even though I tried to follow them, they were slowly pulling away. In the end, I found a better rhythm – and especially after Gajser’s mistake, I knew I needed to pass him for the podium. I gave it my all. It is such a shame to miss out on the podium. I think we deserved it, and it would have been amazing in front of the home crowd, but still, it was a really positive weekend. Even though I am a bit disappointed with fourth overall, I think it was great for the fans and the whole team. We took a big step forward, and we will keep building. I can’t wait for next week, we will have another go.”
Romain Febvre: “Today my starts were decent but not the best, and twice I was behind Jeremy and it took me time to pass him. That cost some energy, and when I eventually passed him the guys in front were nearly twenty seconds ahead so, even though my pace was good and I could reduce the gap, I had no chance to catch them. Twice fifth was an average result; it’s more difficult to pass here than on some other sandy tracks, especially during the first ten minutes when everyone is going fast. Last night and today I had some pain in my body, especially in the legs, after my crash in practice yesterday, but I’m happy not to be seriously injured as it was a pretty big one. This week I will do some training on hard-pack to prepare for the next GP in Switzerland.”
Jeremy Seewer: “It was just a consistent day with solid starts, fighting for positions for ten minutes and then keeping my pace with no mistakes or crashes. Two-times sixth is nothing spectacular but I earnt good points for the championship and we got this tricky track out of the way. This gives me confidence for my home GP next weekend; the Swiss fans are really special and I hope I can use that energy to achieve something special for them. I will try to be up there but I don’t want to give myself any pressure; the podium would be great but the front-three are amazing at the moment. I just want to enjoy it myself and also give the fans something to enjoy.”
Mattia Guadagnini: “I’m really happy about the weekend! Finally! It isn’t easy for me to ride on sand, but I think I rode really well, and I’m glad to bounce back from last weekend, which was pretty bad. I had a solid qualifying race—just tried to find my rhythm from the first lap and finished eighth. In the first moto on Sunday, the start wasn’t bad. I stayed around the top ten and made a few passes, but by the end, I was struggling physically. The track layout and conditions were demanding, so I unfortunately dropped my rhythm and finished 11th, which is still okay for me in the sand. The second moto was really good; I didn’t put myself in a great position in the first few corners, but after that, I pushed to stay in a good rhythm and kept pushing all the way to the end. I didn’t want to slow down or repeat the mistakes from the first moto. I finished seventh, which is really good for me in the sand and a great turnaround after last weekend in Sweden.”
Andrea Bonacorsi: “I feel really good about today. I didn’t have the best starts, but I worked my way through pretty well in both races. In the first race I was running seventh and trying to pass for sixth and then I crashed with two laps to go. But I caught back up to sixth at the finish although I ran out of time to make a pass. In the second one I took a little too long to find my flow and ended up ninth for seventh overall. The changes we’ve made with the team worked really well so I’m happy with the progress and looking forward to the rest of the season.”
Image: Red Bull KTM / Ray Archer
