Monster Energy Yamaha rider Jago Geerts returned to his best on the weekend with a stunning 1-1 performance at the Grand Prix of The Netherlands. The Belgian rider started his season with a knee injury and really struggled in the opening round in Russia and then also made mistakes in England. He has recovered though with 4-5 at Maggiora and then his victory in Holland last weekend put him right back on track.

Still down in sixth place in the series points and 24 points behind red plate owner Maxime Renaux the pressure is off for the time being as he claws his way back into the top three.

With sand tracks in Lommel, Latvia and Finland coming up, Geerts knows that he has a shot at catching his team-mate at the very top of the results sheet.

We caught up with the GP winner and talked about his win, and the struggles of those early rounds. Also, some questions about the MXoN and Team Belgium.

MXlarge: Congratulations on your seventh GP victory. After your start to the season with injury, it must be nice to be back to something of your best form. I can imagine this was an even nicer win due to how your last month or so has been?

Geerts: Yes, it feels a lot better. I am really happy with the win yesterday because the season difficult for me with my knee and everything. Even the GP of England didn’t go that well, and I am really happy to turn it around and win the GP.

MXlarge: You are still working with Steve Ramon?

Geerts: Yes, he is my trainer again this year. We work really well together, and it’s been good to have him with him.

MXlarge: He rode that Oss track back in the day, did he give you any advice or did he have any memory of racing there?

Geerts: No, he we didn’t talk about that, and I don’t know if he rode there. We walked the track together and I had ridden there a few times for the Dutch championship races, so I already knew the track.

MXlarge: How did you find the track, because some of the 450 guys said it was a bit too small?

Geerts: For me it is a really nice track, with some natural hills and stuff. I like it, and it is small and difficult to pass, but for me the layout is nice.

MXlarge: Because of your knee injury you are a bunch of points behind in the championship, but I think that might also be a bit of an advantage, because you don’t have the pressure of leading. Of course, leading is always good, but does it feel a little like you don’t have as much pressure now?

Geerts: Maybe yes, I don’t have any pressure now and I can go out there and do my best and try and win and that is nice, but if course you want the red plate, but that does bring more pressure and you want to keep the red plate. For me know it is nice to ride without pressure and just do my best.

MXlarge: You have a very good team this year and have already had a lot of success. Does that make it nicer, because you have two other guys also pushing for podiums and GP wins and you always want to be the top guy in the team?

Geerts: I think we have one of the strongest teams in the MX2 class and it is nice for the team we have two GP wins and some podiums and there isn’t any bad competition between the riders. We get along well, and I think it is nice for the team we have such a strong line-up this year.

MXlarge: Last year you won two GPs in Lommel and two in Latvia, so you must be excited for those races and then Finland will also be sand. Loket this weekend isn’t a track you do that well on, so I guess for Loket you just want as many points as possible, but those sand races will help a lot?

Geerts: Yes, it is a really special track, and we didn’t ride there last year. The track suits me pretty well, it isn’t one of my favourite tracks and it is one of the most difficult. I will do my best and salvage as many points as possible.

MXLarge: Any Lommel and Latvia?

Geerts: Those are my favourite tracks on the calendar, and I look forward to the next sand GPs. Lommel is of course my home Grand Prix, and I always look forward to that race. With the Belgian fans, I really look forward to that and also Latvia.

MXlarge: You have won seven GPs, Tom (Vialle) has eight, does it matter to you yet how many GP wins you have on your CV?

Geerts: It is nice to win a GP, but I think at the moment it isn’t that important. I look at it race by race and maybe after my career it will be more important, but I just want to do the best I can and at the end of my career I will see how many I have.

MXlarge: The des Nations is in the middle of the season, which isn’t perfect, but obviously racing for Team Belgian is an honour. Have you already had contact with Johan about the team, and do you know when the team will be selected?

Geerts: No, not yet I think in the next weeks we will talk about it. It is difficult the Nations in the middle of the season. I don’t know how they will do it. I think we need more information and then we will make a decision on the team.

MXlarge: How is your week now between Oss and Loket?

Geerts: I will ride one time this week, just to get some time on the hard pack tracks, and then just to recover a little bit. There are a lot of GPs in a row now and I don’t want to be empty for Latvia and Lommel. I need to be smart with my energy and do my best on the weekend.

Roman Borak images