Kawasaki Racing Team MXGP's Jeremy Seewer stayed cool in the Indonesian heat to narrowly miss a second consecutive podium by just a single point at the eleventh round of the FIM World MXGP Motocross Championship on the paradise island of Lombok.

"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."

After securing his third holeshot of the season with the KX450-SR in race one he was pushed back to fourth already on the opening lap as others cast caution to the wind but his vast experience of GP racing in the tropical conditions which faced competitors through two tough thirty-minute-plus-two-lap motos on race day was to pay dividends later in the day. Moto one ended in frustration as he surrendered fifth on the penultimate lap; the single incident was to cost him the podium at the end of the day.

Late afternoon shadows hampered clear vision of the ruts which developed after liberal track-watering during the interval to add to the challenge in race two but the calm approach of the artisan Swiss paid dividends as he took full advantage of mistakes by his rivals to advance from fifth on the opening lap to third on lap nine of sixteen, bringing it home less than ten seconds behind the winner. His forty-two point weekend points-haul cemented fifth in the series standings.

On the Saturday, Seewer qualified fourth for the eleventh round of the FIM World MXGP Motocross Championship on the Indonesian island of Lombok. Fifth in Timed Practice, the Swiss gated third and, despite surrendering one position to the defending world champion on lap two, maintained a solid fourth position, just thirteen seconds behind the winner, to the finish of the Qualifying race in hot conditions with temperatures hovering in the low thirties centigrade.

"The best of the rest again, but we're not too far. The track was super-tricky; it was difficult to ride smooth and there were many mistakes from others today but I rode smart so maybe I can be top-three again tomorrow. It's hot of course but I have a lot of experience and know what I need to prepare with plenty of drinking and cooling your body. And I prefer it to the cold."

Pascal Haudiquert image and story