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Latvian GP - Rider Comments

Latvian GP - Rider Comments

Jun 9

  • Interview

A big day for Jeffrey Herlings, Sasha Coenen and KTM as once again, the orange army dominate a Grand Prix. A lot of comments from the leading riders today on mxlarge. Come back later for even more.

Jeffrey Herlings: “Really good! Let’s repeat this nine more times! I’m really thankful. Lucas and Romain [Febvre] were pushing hard so I have to give it up to them. I knew it wouldn’t be easy but it’s great to win again – I got a 1-1 last year and to have another; I’m pleased for that. Let’s keep this ball rolling. I know it won’t be easy but we’ll do what we can.”

Lucas Coenen: “A good weekend but I was hoping for better in the second moto. I ran a bit wide at the start and then I made some mistakes and didn’t really find the flow. It was tricky on track. Positive and negatives today and I know what we have to work on. Another podium though and that’s a positive.”

Romain Febvre: "It was a tough weekend but that's how it is; The racing was just a train and whenever you went off the main line it got too soft. I was running fourth in the first race and looking for a way past into third when I fell. The second race was better and I was battling with the guys at the front but I couldn't get past. I am again on the podium and now we head to Matterley. Everybody enjoys that track; it's wide and fast and normally with many lines so we will see."

Sacha Coenen: “Very happy. Two good starts, and two solid motos after a crash on Saturday and we are getting back some of the consistency. We cannot complain! The goal is to keep going like this and keep at the front.”

Simon Laengenfelder: “We came here without the red plate and we leave quite a few points in front so we have to say it was a good weekend. It’s a pity about the mistake on the last lap when I cross-rutted. I couldn’t get the bike started fast enough to stay up front. Those mistakes happen sometimes. I was perhaps cruising a bit because of the last lap and wasn’t fully focused. I’ll have to try and make sure that doesn’t happen again. There are a lot of fast guys in this class and going for the championship…but I feel quite confident about what we are doing right now.”

Kay de Wolf: “I was still dealing with a lot of pain from last weekend’s crashes, and honestly, it made this a really tough one. I gave it everything I had, but I just wasn’t quite where I needed to be - my body hadn’t recovered fast enough. Every time I went down this weekend, I seemed to land on the same shoulder, which didn’t help. But in that second moto, I dug deep and gave it everything. These are the moments where you have to keep fighting, and the team’s been amazing - always behind me and doing everything they can to help. I’m proud of how we’re working together, and I’m already looking forward to bouncing back at Matterley Basin.”

Liam Everts: “I think it was a solid weekend overall. In the first moto I had a good start, felt comfortable, and managed to bring it home in third. The second race was much tougher - they flattened the whole track again, so it was really difficult to make passes. I was in podium position at one point, but after #27 [Längenfelder] went down, I ended up fourth overall. Still, it’s definitely the best I’ve felt riding here in Kegums, so there are positives to take. We’ll keep pushing and get ready for Matterley.”

Andrea Adamo: “The crash on Saturday compromised everything. I was in a bit of pain because Sacha’s wheel hit my back. It was the base of my problems today: I had bad starts and could not find my way up to the front group. I also had two crashes! It’s the way it is. The only positive thing was my speed when I could get going. A tough weekend but in 20 GPs we cannot always win or be on the podium. I tried the maximum and we still have nine races to go.”

Glenn Coldenhoff: “It was actually a pretty solid weekend – it is just a shame about the second race. I didn’t get the best start, and I knew I had to pass two guys to make the podium, but I simply didn’t have the energy left to move forward. We were in a great position after race 1 and I really feel like this GP should have ended with a podium, which is why I am so disappointed right now – but still, I gave it my all. We scored good points for the championship, and fourth overall is a good step in the right direction after a few tougher weekends. Hopefully, we can keep building from here.”

Andrea Bonacorsi: “It was a tough weekend, also because I got sick in Germany and couldn’t train during the week. So, I knew it was going to be a very long GP here in Kegums, but with a seventh and a fifth in the races, it went quite well. My starts were good, and I know I could have done even better if I had been at my best, but for this time, a seventh overall is a decent result. Now we have a weekend off and we will be back at 100% for Matterley Basin.”

Brian Bogers: “All in all, we can be happy with this weekend. Apart from the qualifying race and race 2, we were inside the top 5 in every other session. Of course, I am a bit disappointed about that second race, but to be honest, I was a little tired, didn’t get a great start, and it was difficult to make passes. But we will take the positives – we are getting better and better. The trend is going in the right direction, and I am happy to be in the top 10 and getting closer to fighting for the top 5 on a regular basis. Now we have got a weekend off to recover, and we will be ready for Great Britain.”

Ruben Fernandez: A little disappointed to miss out on the podium by such fine margins but at the same time, I’m happy to even be here and to score such good points is a big bonus. I had two good starts and that made things a lot easier so I just tried to keep a good pace without taking any big risks and it worked out pretty well. Now we have a weekend off, which I definitely appreciate so we can regroup and get ready for Matterley Basin, and that is a track I enjoy riding so hopefully I’ll be back to 100% by then.

Ferruccio Zanchi: This wasn’t the news I hoped for when I visited the doctor, but I thought it might be the issue. We now have a long road to recovery which starts with just resting it as much as possible. I feel pretty disappointed to leave the series like this because I really thought I could come good in the second half of the championship, but now I just need to focus on getting healthy. Thanks to all the team and my friends and family for all their support, I really appreciate it.

Valerio Lata: Not much to say about the day really. Luck certainly wasn’t on our side all weekend and to leave here with zero points is not good for anyone. We will keep working though and now we have a weekend off to get everything ready for Matterley Basin.

Mattia Guadagnini: “This weekend was a step forward compared to the previous ones, but I'm still struggling to set a strong time in the timed practice sessions. On this track, the start was manageable even from the outside, and in qualifying, I was able to make up some positions, which allowed me to start from a better spot today. The track during the races was rough and in extreme condition, but I got off the line quite well in both motos. I lost a few positions in the early corners, but in race one I managed to recover and finished 14th. In race two, I was running in 10th until my body began to fade, and I dropped back to finish 12th, ending the day 12th overall. It’s certainly a better result than in the last few rounds, but it has to be a starting point to get back towards the front in the upcoming races.”

Jeremy Seewer: “There’s not much to say - on paper, it was a tough race. But in race two, things were actually going quite well until a crash with a lap and a half to go cost me a lot of positions. We’re struggling, but we understand why, and that’s a positive. We know what we need to work on, and we will. On hard pack tracks I can adapt better, but in these conditions, there’s still work to do. We’re definitely not giving up - everything is still new for us, and we just need more time.”

Camden McLellan: “The MXGP of Latvia wasn’t too bad for me. I had the pace on Saturday, but in the qualifying race I fell and damaged my front brake. Then for today, after the rain, it made the track tough. The track crew did a good job, but starts were so important. Unfortunately, I didn’t get the best of starts in either race, but I climbed my way up to fifth in the first moto then seventh in race two. Not the best day but not the worst, and now it’s on to England in two weeks.”

Guillem Farres: “That’s the weekend in Latvia done. During Saturday we made a few small adjustments to the bike and they worked really well. Then into Sunday we had a lot of rain, and that made the track really one-lined for race one. I was stuck behind other riders for a while but finally made a few passes for ninth. My start in the second moto was really good, but I got pushed wide in the first turn. I then settled into fifth for the whole race until I was passed on the last lap. That was frustrating, and overall, I know I can be better, so we’ll keep working.”

Maxim Renaux: "This was a black weekend for me. It was two days of struggling with the bike and with myself. I’m very disappointed, this is a hard blow to take. What now? It seems obvious to me: back to work and try to bounce back for the next Grand Prix."

Jago Geerts: "This was finally a good weekend again. I had the good pace in each session. Only a pity my starts were so poor in the qualifying race and the first moto. It’s not easy to move up from the back. In the second moto I had a good start and then you see immediately that I can compete in the top five. This boosts my confidence for the upcoming races"

Calvin Vlaanderen: "Due to the knee injury it was a very tough weekend for me. I’m glad that all-in all I got through it okay. My goal was two top ten finishes. I only managed to do that in the second moto. I’m not really satisfied with my riding. Perhaps I was too careful because of my knee injury. I’m happy that now we will have a weekend of rest to recover."

Mathis Valin: "My start in the first moto was really good; that is so important nowadays. I found a good rhythm behind Everts and kept pushing for fourth. The second start was more difficult and I had to push even more but I was even able to pass Adamo at one stage and he is normally fighting for the win. For sure I still miss some riding and race experience because of my injury earlier in the season but I am improving each week and the speed is coming back. I learnt a lot this weekend and now we will continue to work for the next two weeks to be ready for Matterley."

Francisco Garcia: "Track conditions were so difficult this morning after the rain; it was the same for everyone but I never had a good feeling on the track and there were unpredictable ruts on the jumps. I crashed once and then I had a really big moment on the finish jump and scared myself; but the most important thing is that I am leaving here in one piece and have kept my third place in the championship."

Jake Cannon: "My riding's OK and I had two good comebacks through the field, but the starts are killing me at the moment; it all begins with Qualifying and I need to sort that out. I got two good jumps but particularly here it's a really big detour at the first turn from the outside. Let's hope I can sort out my Qualifying before the next round in England."

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