MxLarge Story
Grand Prix of Limburg - Rider Comments
News Monday 02nd August 2010 By World Press
The Grand Prix of Limburg was a huge success. With a massive crowd and a circuit that was rougher than any circuit you will find in the World the FIM World Motocross Championship continues to build momentum. Here are the comments from the riders about the weekend.
Ken Roczen:
"This weekend was perfect for me. Saturday started things well and Sunday was even better! I have improved a lot in the sand and I am really happy about that because I remember when I rode here two years ago I was not that good at all! This feels special and we have spent a lot of time at Lommel so this is a race a bit different to the others. The first moto was really good and I had a fast rhythm in the second but I couldn't go as quickly as Jeffrey. We changed a lot on the bike during the week and it was working so well, especially on the starts."
Tony Cairoli
"This weekend was perfect for me. Saturday started things well and Sunday was even better! I have improved a lot in the sand and I am really happy about that because I remember when I rode here two years ago I was not that good at all! This feels special and we have spent a lot of time at Lommel so this is a race a bit different to the others. The first moto was really good and I had a fast rhythm in the second but I couldn't go as quickly as Jeffrey. We changed a lot on the bike during the week and it was working so well, especially on the starts."
Tony Cairoli
"It was a nice race. I like to ride in the sand and this is my favorite track. It's hard and rough and you have to be really technical. You also have to be very fit to win here. It proves my training is going well and my speed is good, also that my technical riding is good so I am pretty satisfied about the weekend and both wins here in Lommel."
Max Nagl
"I'm very happy to be on the podium this weekend and I never expected that. I had some problems yesterday because I couldn't find my rhythm and I wasn't fast enough. Things haven't been going so well for me and I was having a few negative thoughts but last night I had a good talk with Stefan (Everts) and today everything was different. I got two holeshots and that was very important for me. In the first heat I was able to follow Tony and I could see I had the speed. Then I had a crash in the last lap of the second heat because that was because I was very tired. I still have a chance of finishing third in the championships and I will try to do it,"
Clement Desalle:
"It was a difficult GP so I am happy I am on the podium and my shoulder was OK in the sandy conditions. Physically it was hard and I was not that happy with my riding today; I can be better than that. I'm pleased I did not crash or make a big mistake and had some more fun fighting with Philippaerts. Loket is next and I won there last year. It is a good track for me and I like the place a lot. As ever, I will go to the next GP hoping to do my best."
Jeffrey Herlings
"It was a difficult GP so I am happy I am on the podium and my shoulder was OK in the sandy conditions. Physically it was hard and I was not that happy with my riding today; I can be better than that. I'm pleased I did not crash or make a big mistake and had some more fun fighting with Philippaerts. Loket is next and I won there last year. It is a good track for me and I like the place a lot. As ever, I will go to the next GP hoping to do my best."
Jeffrey Herlings
"On Saturday I had my ups and downs and crashed a few times but I managed to get second in the qualifying heat for second on the grid. Then on Sunday I put down a really good start in the first heat. I was second then I got past Marvin after about two laps. I was in the lead and I tried to make a gap but then I had a little slide. I stayed in third place and also finished third. It wasn't great but it also wasn't that bad. I knew it would be hard to win the overall but in the second heat I tried to be as strong as I could. It felt great to win the moto and to feel strong again. Now I'm only eight points behind Steven (Frossard) in the standings and hope to go to the Czech Republic next week and do well there also."
Marvin Musquin
"Today I finished second and third and in the second moto I could come back on Roczen towards the end of the race. I was not fast enough but for sure it is good for the championship even though I would like to have won. Next week in Loket the track will be hard pack - hard and slippery and that will be better for me. I would like to win there!"
Shaun Simpson
"I did my best to come back in good shape for this GP," he said. "The qualifying race was pretty good and I had a good gate pick for the race. I felt pretty good in the first moto. I got a good start in the second and I was going well for the first 20 minutes but after that I got really tired. I was aiming for top five so I would have like to have done a bit better than overall seventh."
David Philippaerts
"I did not have the best start yesterday in the heat race but the team did some good work and we were much better today. I had a good line around the first corner and tucked in behind Nagl, who always seems to be right at the front. So I was really happy with the performance and the tactic at the start and it made things easier for sure. I was riding well in the first moto and was consistent with the lap-times and this is important at Lommel. I had a crash with Desalle in the second moto, and incidents like this are part of the sport. I liked the track more this year compared to 2009; it is faster and more similar to somewhere like Lierop, which I really enjoy and for my style is better. To finish fourth overall is very good for me here and I am in good shape. We go to Loket now and I like this place. I won in 2008 because I was angry from my result in Lommel the week before and I took a podium result last year in difficult times. We will see what we can do next week. The bike is running well and we will keep on working."
"I am feeling strong but I had one bad start - in that first moto - and one average start where I was in the top ten but not closer enough to the front. These were the main problems today that prevented me getting nearer the leaders. I was not competitive in the sand last year but now I feel that I can race with the sand specialists. The track was rough with many bumps but overall I am quite happy with my riding here after a lot of sand training in Belgium over the last few weeks."
Harri Kullas
"I was quite fast all weekend and knew my speed was near the top five. Together with my dad I worked out a good strategy for the starts and it worked really well. I rode with a consistent pace but ten minutes before the end I lost my rear brake so I had to adapt to that and lost the back of Simpson. In the second moto it was a very similar situation and Roelants passed me at the end but the brake fade was another mystery; but still, you have to deal with these things in motocross, it is tough for us and also the bikes out there. I am happy with the result and this was one of the hardest GPs for sure."
Zach Osborne
"It was a tough weekend for me. Coming from last weekend and a concussion but still winning a moto I think I deluded myself as to how much that crash in Britain had affected me, so I came here with big expectations and leave highly disappointed. I struggled with the track all weekend. I rolled the dice and went for it in the last race; gambling like that is not a good thing but it worked out for me and I was pleased to get tenth. Damage limitation was pretty good."
Ken De Dycker
"Today went OK and I was not expecting too much. With everything that has gone on in the last weeks and not being able to ride because of my arm I have to be happy with seventh and fifth. I was perhaps a bit too slow in the first moto but I wanted to save something for the second. The second was better and I think with some training this week I will be sharper for Loket. Normally I don't get blisters but my hands are covered in them now so that's just an indication of the bike time I have missed since Sweden."
"I did not have the best start yesterday in the heat race but the team did some good work and we were much better today. I had a good line around the first corner and tucked in behind Nagl, who always seems to be right at the front. So I was really happy with the performance and the tactic at the start and it made things easier for sure. I was riding well in the first moto and was consistent with the lap-times and this is important at Lommel. I had a crash with Desalle in the second moto, and incidents like this are part of the sport. I liked the track more this year compared to 2009; it is faster and more similar to somewhere like Lierop, which I really enjoy and for my style is better. To finish fourth overall is very good for me here and I am in good shape. We go to Loket now and I like this place. I won in 2008 because I was angry from my result in Lommel the week before and I took a podium result last year in difficult times. We will see what we can do next week. The bike is running well and we will keep on working."
Gautier Paulin
"I am feeling strong but I had one bad start - in that first moto - and one average start where I was in the top ten but not closer enough to the front. These were the main problems today that prevented me getting nearer the leaders. I was not competitive in the sand last year but now I feel that I can race with the sand specialists. The track was rough with many bumps but overall I am quite happy with my riding here after a lot of sand training in Belgium over the last few weeks."
Harri Kullas
"I was quite fast all weekend and knew my speed was near the top five. Together with my dad I worked out a good strategy for the starts and it worked really well. I rode with a consistent pace but ten minutes before the end I lost my rear brake so I had to adapt to that and lost the back of Simpson. In the second moto it was a very similar situation and Roelants passed me at the end but the brake fade was another mystery; but still, you have to deal with these things in motocross, it is tough for us and also the bikes out there. I am happy with the result and this was one of the hardest GPs for sure."
Zach Osborne
"It was a tough weekend for me. Coming from last weekend and a concussion but still winning a moto I think I deluded myself as to how much that crash in Britain had affected me, so I came here with big expectations and leave highly disappointed. I struggled with the track all weekend. I rolled the dice and went for it in the last race; gambling like that is not a good thing but it worked out for me and I was pleased to get tenth. Damage limitation was pretty good."
"Today went OK and I was not expecting too much. With everything that has gone on in the last weeks and not being able to ride because of my arm I have to be happy with seventh and fifth. I was perhaps a bit too slow in the first moto but I wanted to save something for the second. The second was better and I think with some training this week I will be sharper for Loket. Normally I don't get blisters but my hands are covered in them now so that's just an indication of the bike time I have missed since Sweden."
Steve Ramon:
"I had good starts and my riding was good and it was a shame that the results did not come. I did not feel so quick in the first moto; I was not very comfortable and was losing concentration. The second moto was going better. I passed Max and just kept the same speed but in the entry to one rut approaching a jump I lost a bit of balance, went off the track and the bike threw me over the bars. I hit my legs hard on the handlebar. It was a big crash. I was up very quickly but once I was back on the bike I could not see so well and needed some time to get my senses back. Overall it was a pity I missed the podium."
"I had good starts and my riding was good and it was a shame that the results did not come. I did not feel so quick in the first moto; I was not very comfortable and was losing concentration. The second moto was going better. I passed Max and just kept the same speed but in the entry to one rut approaching a jump I lost a bit of balance, went off the track and the bike threw me over the bars. I hit my legs hard on the handlebar. It was a big crash. I was up very quickly but once I was back on the bike I could not see so well and needed some time to get my senses back. Overall it was a pity I missed the podium."
Rui Goncalves
"It's my best results for the year so far so obviously I'm happy with that. I was able to focus on my training in the four week break and put in some hard work and that has paid off. I wasn't happy with my starts and that made things a bit complicated in the first laps but I was out there fighting hard and I put myself in a good position to be up front. Now I look forward to Loket and I will try to do the same there."
Arnaud Tonus:
"I'm pretty happy. I did not have a good feeling during Saturday so I went in with a different approach this morning and wanted to enjoy my riding as much as possible. Warm-up went well and I had a good rhythm throughout the first moto to take eighth. Unfortunately I had a big crash on the first lap of the second moto and lost a lot of time. I pushed and did my best to come back. I reached 11th and was satisfied with that. Lommel is always hell, but when you find a good rhythm then it is possible to have fun."
Steven Frossard
“I simply made a bad start in the first race, but the track was strange this weekend; the sand was hard on some places, soft on others and it got rougher than ever. All I could do was to try to salvage as many points as possible. My start in the second race was much better, but I had some problems with my goggles and I couldn’t see the track so well. It cost me time and it also stressed me. I didn’t ride as I can do in sand; I only finished the race in eighth position and I was so tired too ! I’m disappointed, but we must continue to work on the bike for Lierop; I have to get great results in the Czech Republic and Brazil, because Herlings is coming closer now and he proved again today how fast he can be in the sand.”
Jeremy Van Horebeek
“It was a difficult GP, and I want to forget this weekend as soon as possible. I missed the start in both races, and in the second one it got even worse as a group of riders crashed in the third corner and there was nowhere to go ! I managed to get back into the top ten both times, but that’s not the results I can be happy with as normally I should be on the podium on a sand track. I want to thank the team and also Michelin who did a great job to prepare us a good package; I’m just sorry I couldn’t turn it into results. But now I want revenge in Loket; I really want to give the team a podium as soon as possible.”
Jonathan Barragan
“This was my first GP for four months so my goal this weekend was to finish both races. In the first race I rode safe and didn’t take risks to finish fourteenth; then in the second moto my start was better and I pushed to stay in the top ten for most of the race. But I had a small crash three laps to the end, and lost some places to finish thirteenth. I’m not happy with the result but I can be satisfied with my riding, as I stayed with De Dycker, Gonçalves and Bobryshev for a long time. I want to thanks the team as they didn’t put any pressure on me, and let me take my time to recover before coming back to the GPs. I’m still not yet 100% physically so I didn’t enjoy so much this track and this race so much, for sure the GP next weekend at Loket will be different.”
Nicolas Aubin
“I have been able to get some good physical training during the month since the Swedish GP so my physical condition was much better than earlier this season and I came here expecting better results. But nothing went as I would like and I crashed in both races. It was my first GP in the sand with the 450 and it was harder than I could imagine. It was different than when we practice; the sand was soft here and I struggled a little bit. The most important thing is that I’m now OK physically and I will go to Loket with great expectations; everyone knows that I have got good results on this track in the past, and I need some top results now.”
Tanel Leok
I ran out of fuel! I can’t say too much else about it and it cost me on my overall position. My riding style is of course part of the reason but also the track needs to be ridden hard and I think everyone has similar problem. The second moto ran one lap less and this made the difference. I did make a short pit stop but there was no need to and we did not need to refuel. Fortunately it didn’t cost me a position in the end.
Gareth Swanepoel
In the first moto I rode my own pace all race and that brought its reward. I didn’t get tired and felt OK when I finished the race, but as I took my helmet off back at the team truck I was violently sick and during the interval I had problems with my intestines. In the second moto I got a good start again and kept a good pace going for as long as I could. I tried to push it a little more after 15 minutes and paid the penalty; the last five minutes I was dead, but I got two good scores in difficult circumstances today and am now looking forward to the remaining races.
Jake Nicholls:
“It was a total shame today but these things can happen in racing, especially when you are getting the bike to the point where it is performing so well. I was riding so easily in the first race and I had never experienced that before on a sand track. I was really happy and proved that I was a top seven runner on a tough track like this. I think the break of a couple of weeks helped as well as the win last week. I got caught up on the fourth corner in the second race and there was not a lot I could do. I was dead-last and fought hard and got twelfth on the last lap. I am happy rather than pissed off because I have turned a bit of a slump of form around and my sand-riding has been way better than ever.”
Alex Eriksson:
“The team is perfect and so is the bike. I am still coming back to a decent level after seven weeks of injury so I felt like I needed this race. If I can keep on getting the starts then I hope I will soon take some points.”
Evgeny Bobryshev
"I ran into the back of Tanel Leok at turn two in the first race, and then, just after I had fought back into the top ten I stalled the engine and lost three places again. I stalled the engine again just after the tabletop near the pitlane. I went better in the second moto but it was a frustrating weekend in all.
Sébastien Pourcel
“We haven’t found the final solution to my vision troubles, but as I felt good when I went out to practice I decided to come here to race. But it was a bad weekend; I never felt at ease on this track and crashed several times during the races both on Saturday and on Sunday. I had to retire twice but I will not give up, and next week in Loket I will try again my best to be back where I want to be.”
Xavier Boog
Xavier Boog
“I had a crash during the qualifying session. It was not a big crash but I was unlucky as I fell on the bike and hurt my knee. It seems that a ligament of the left knee is broken, but on Monday I will have more examinations at Ortema in Germany. Then we will know exactly how my knee is, and I will see the doctor to get his advice and to decide if I need surgery or not. It’s a pity because everything had been going perfectly; in the winter when we train here we crash many times but usually in the sand you don’t get hurt in the sand. But that’s motocross, unfortunately.”
Michael Leib
“I heard about Lommel from many people before I even got here, so I knew it would be a tough weekend. I learnt a lot but I’m disappointed I couldn’t deliver more because I was expecting to do a lot better than what I did. Next year I want to come training here to improve my riding in sand; if I want to have a good season I must be strong also in sand. This place is unbelievable; I never saw such a rough track in the USA and it was harder than I could imagine. Yesterday I was involved in a collision, and then I hurt my back a little bit in another crash; today I had really bad start in both races but the goal was to finish both races for my first GP in the sand. Now I’m looking forward to Loket, Brazil and Italy; on these hard tracks I’m sure I can do very well and in Lierop I will do my best.”
Stanley Leroux Design
