Read what a host of MXGP riders had to say about their weekend at the MXGP of West Nusa Tenggara.
MXGP
Jorge Prado: “I mentioned before coming to Indonesia that my goal was to win here and every GP. It was disappointing about the result in Maggiora, but I was fully focused on coming back strong. We started the second half of the season well with this result. I felt good today on the bike, but it was physically demanding. Both races were different, but this one was particularly challenging due to the physical conditions. The heat was intense, and the track was extremely rough and sketchy. There was a lot of water put down after the break. I got caught a few times in mud holes, and my bike went sideways. However, I regrouped, controlled my pace, and managed to take the win. Now, let’s have a good weekend of training and rest to be ready for round two here in Indonesia!”
Jeffrey Herlings: “1-1-2: a decent weekend. A shame about the second moto and the watering. I had to hit my handlebar and lever a few times to get them back into place after the crash but I was lucky I could ride again in 3rd place. It was tough. At the end of the moto the lines got so much deeper and rougher. I still managed to close a bit to Jorge but I didn’t want to take more risks. Not bad.”
Calvin Vlaanderen: “I’m so happy! It’s been a long two years since I was on the podium, and it’s taken a lot of work and sacrifices to get back up here. So, I want to say a huge thanks to the whole team and everyone around me. I’ve been close to the podium a few times this year but today I felt really good. To really battle with the front guys though, I need better starts. With the team we’ve been working hard on them, and they’ve improved a lot, but I need to be getting holeshots or at least be in the top three. Overall, I’m super-stoked to be on the box and today has been great for my confidence.”
Tim Gajser: “It is great to win another GP and put in three good races. I’m a little bit disappointed to have that small tip-over otherwise I’d have gone one-one-one and that would have really been great, but still, I can’t complain about how this weekend went. Everyone in the whole of Team HRC works so hard and they do it for days like this so a big thanks to everyone and now we have a weekend off before going to Indonesia which I think is an important couple of rounds for the series. I am looking forward to them because they will also be at a new track for me, and that is always nice.”
Jeremy Seewer: “It was positive to end the day with a third place even if that second moto was crazy; I didn’t see any rain but the track was like a Maggiora mud race. But I could use my experience; I made no mistakes while others did and I was only one point off the podium. Perhaps I could have tried to keep Calvin and Andrea behind me in race one but if you don’t have a good flow on this track you’re fighting the track. Anyway I did my best and collected good points and we don’t have much travelling this week so that will be nice as the last few weeks have been hectic. I will try to rest mind and body this week and we will see how I feel tomorrow before making a plan for the week. Maybe we’ll take in a little surfing on Tuesday morning; that also takes some energy but it’s an alternative to running in the heat.”
Mattia Guadagnini: “It felt good to lead in the second moto, but overall, it was a tough weekend. On Saturday, I had a big crash in the first lap of qualifying, which forced me to pit. I focused on finishing to avoid a bad starting position for Sunday. In race one, I had a decent start, managing to gain positions by cutting inside from the outside. I found my rhythm and climbed up to eighth. Unfortunately, on the last lap, my rear brake got stuck due to a stone or something similar, costing me two positions. It was frustrating because I gave my all throughout the race. In the second moto, I had a strong opening lap and moved up to fifth. I held sixth for most of the race until a small crash due to track conditions dropped me to seventh. This resulted in seventh place overall. I aim to improve next weekend and believe I have what it takes to stay in the top five in the upcoming races!”
Andrea Bonacorsi: “Two good days for me this weekend. Yesterday I worked on finding my flow around the track and placed ninth in the Qualifying Race, so that wasn’t too bad. Today was really good, especially Race One. I started around sixth or seventh and then held sixth all race. Then, on the last lap, I passed Jeremy Seewer for fifth, so I was really happy with my performance. I had another good start in Race Two but lost some positions in the first turn. I was then running in eighth but then I had a small tip-over and lost a lot of places. It was really hot, and I did my best to regroup, but I ended up 12th. So, a bittersweet day let’s say. But I showed that if I start up front, then I can run up front, so that’s really positive, and I’m excited for next weekend.”
Image: Red Bull KTM / Ray Archer
