It was the day of the Coenen brothers, as Lucas and Sasha dominated, then jumped on a plane to USA for their challenge to the best riders in the states. Since they were children, the dreamt of this moment and we in Europe all wish them a safe travels and some success at Thunder Valley, for the third round of the AMA Nationals.

Lucas Coenen: “It’s just amazing, I can’t describe it better. To see me and my brother win all the Races together on the same weekend is just so amazing. Thanks to the team a lot, because they worked really hard after what happened in race1, they put me in really good conditions to go out in the second Race, and then I just tried to control it and not make any mistakes, because the track was really tricky. I was in the lead so I just had to do the laps and try not to make a mistake, and that’s what I did. I was not searching to make a gap because the track was so tricky that you could easily make a mistake, so I was just happy to be up front with clear vision. It was a good weekend.”

Kay de Wolf: “Just positive. We aimed for going 3-3 on the weekend, ended up going 2-3, so we’re really happy. We achieved another goal going second overall. The second Race was a bit tougher, I got pushed wide with the start which put me in around ninth, and it didn’t flow as well as the first one. The first Race I had a way better flow and could ride way easier, so it’s tough to come through the pack. Tim [Gajser] put up a good fight and I made a few big mistakes actually which should not happen, but we’re still learning and we keep achieving new goals so I’m really happy. [About his acclimatation to MXGP Class] The first race in Spain wasn’t so good, I’d basically been lying on the physio table for three weeks doing nothing and then going racing in Spain was two tough Races. After the first one I was like, how am I going to even start the second? But I managed to get a decent result, seventh overall, and ever since then I’ve been going forward;fourth, then fifth last weekend, and now second. We just keep building and trying to be consistent.”

Romain Febvre: “It’s a good weekend, just consistent, 4-2 on Sunday. The start was quite decent and I tried to work as much as possible on that, because even if you are not the best, if you start well it’s easy to stay with the good group, and that’s what I did this weekend. In the first Race I was maybe 20 minutes in second place, but behind me they were pushing, finding other lines, and every time I made a small mistake they came close, so I held on, held on, held on, and then at some point physically I was a little bit not strong, so I decided just to keep it for fourth. In the second Race I didn’t change anything but I was feeling much better physically. I took the holeshot but Lucas and Jeffrey passed me straight away on the first lap, so I was a little bit shocked,I lost two positions in one lap. But I stayed with them, one or two seconds all the way, and then I guess Jeffrey had an issue with the bike and I was behind Lucas. I came close to him with two laps to go, but I was thinking too much about being on the podium because the last few weeks I missed it so many times and was not consistent. Either way, it’s definitely good to be on the podium, and with what happened to Jeffrey in the second Race, we take good points for the championship!”

Sacha Coenen: “It’s amazing, I have no words. It’s really nice to win all the Races at the same time as my brother on the same weekend.. it’s really special! Especially on this track where I won my first GP, and now I’ve won here three times in a row, so it’s quite special. I’m really happy. I just like this track, it kind of suits me. I like everything about it,it’s a bit sketchy in some places and you need to be really careful. I’m not really thinking about the championship, I’m just trying to go race by race and do my best every weekend. I’m still having fun on the bike, just keeping myself at the front every race and making the most points possible.”

Camden McLellan: “All in all, pretty good from my seat this weekend, a lot of sand flying in my face, but for the rest it was pretty good. I think if I could get out of the gate I could run with Sacha, but there are ifs, buts and maybes every weekend, so I really need to polish that and figure out why I’m not getting starts. Overall I’m happy, the team’s done a great job, the track was tricky, the bike was awesome and I was riding well, so if we can continue this momentum going forward I think we’ll be good. It doesn’t need to be a holeshot every time, but if I can round the first corner in the top five it would make my life a lot easier. The issue is Sacha is really good at sprinting in those first two or three laps and can build ten seconds before you blink. I think it’s mental, to be honest; I’m very calculated in terms of risk and reward, and I’m not willing to push over the limit when there’s no real reward. I’ll just build on confidence gradually and calculate it, which is my approach.”

Mathis Valin: “It wasn’t easy this weekend. I wasn’t feeling that great with the track, but I managed a good first Race. I didn’t have the best first corner but I had to fight to come back, and Camden made a mistake at the end so I could finish second, which was a good one. I gave everything in the first Race so I was a bit tired in the second. Overall it was good;four podiums in a row, so I have the consistency now. I’m feeling good mentally. I just take it race by race and give my best, and if I can fight for the championship I will, but I’m not putting any pressure on it.”

Tim Gajser: It was another difficult weekend, but there are still positives to take away from it. I was able to put together two consistent motos and finish all of the races, which was important. In the second moto, I felt much better on the bike. I was closer to the riders ahead, I could maintain my pace until the finish, and overall it was a step in the right direction. The last three weeks have been really demanding, so now the focus is on using the weekend off to recover as much as possible and get back as close to 100% as I can for Montevarchi. That’s the goal. I also want to thank the team and everyone around me for their support. During difficult weekends like this, it’s so important to have good people around you who can keep you motivated and help you stay positive. I’m really grateful for all of their hard work and encouragement.

Maxime Renaux: It was a frustrating weekend for me. The problems started in the Qualifying Race when I landed heavily from a jump and damaged the front wheel, which meant I couldn’t finish the race. That left me with a gate pick right on the outside for Sunday, which made things difficult from the beginning. In the first moto, I didn’t get a good start and struggled to find my rhythm and pace throughout the race. The second moto started much better and I came through the first corner in a strong position, but then I had a small tip-over in the opening laps. Even after that, I was still in a decent position and felt like I could make progress. Unfortunately, I then suffered a technical issue that forced me out of the race. But that’s racing sometimes. We’ll regroup, work hard during the week, and come back ready to fight again at the next round.

Rubén Fernández: I was really good about things after the first race, I fought hard on the first lap to get into the top 10 and worked my way to sixth by the finish. I know it wasn’t easy to pass here, so the first lap was very important and I tried to do the same in race two. Things were going well but then I had a dangerous collision with another rider. Thankfully I’m okay and I was able to come back to 11th place, but disappointing to miss out on a good points tally.

Jeffrey Herlings: Not much to say really (After Sunday). Hard to take when this happens but at least my riding was good and I was challenging for the win. Just got to try and do the best we can from here on in. The goal is to win (Herlings said after Saturday), so I’m not happy with second place. I had the speed in free and timed practice, so to not be able keep it close in qualification was frustrating. The bike is working well and I feel like we are in a good place with that, I just need to perform and make it happen.

Karlis Reisulis: Overall, it was a good day and I’m happy with the way I rode. In the second moto, I was pushing really hard and probably tried a little too much. I made a mistake that, looking back, didn’t really make much sense, but that’s part of racing and something to learn from. The positives definitely outweigh the negatives. My riding felt good all day and I was especially happy with my start in the second moto. The first race wasn’t ideal because the start let me down, but I was able to make up a lot of positions and come through the field. In the second moto, I ran second for almost the entire race and came really close to the podium. The atmosphere was incredible as well. I could hear the fans every lap, on every corner, and their support really pushed me on. It was amazing to experience that and definitely one of the highlights of the weekend.

Janis Reisulis: Even though the result wasn’t as good as I wanted, I actually enjoyed this weekend a lot. I finished seventh overall, which isn’t my worst result of the season, but I struggled physically throughout the races. I felt like I was running low on energy very early on, which made it difficult to fight for positions, and on a track like this every mistake costs a lot of energy. Despite that, this has probably been my favourite weekend of the year so far because of the fans. The atmosphere was incredible and it made the whole weekend really enjoyable. I tried to stay calm and manage my emotions, but I think the occasion still got the better of me a little bit. It was a valuable learning experience and showed me there are still areas where I need to improve and gain more experience. We’ll take the positives from the weekend and keep working ahead of the next round in Italy.

Guillem Farres: “It was an OK day here in Latvia, although I definitely feel like there was more on the table. In the first moto, I didn’t get the best start and was around 13th on the opening lap. I managed to work my way through the field and recover to fourth, which was a solid ride considering where I started. The second moto was even more difficult. I actually got a pretty good start, but I got pushed off the track in the opening laps and dropped all the way back to around 17th. From there, I had to pass almost the entire field to get back to fourth again. It was frustrating because I felt like the start was finally there, but circumstances put me on the back foot straight away. Still, there are positives to take from the weekend. My pace was good, I was able to come through the field in both races, and I never gave up fighting. It’s disappointing to miss out on a stronger result, but that’s racing sometimes. We’ll take what we learned, keep working, and come back ready for the next round.”

Liam Everts: “Honestly, I think the pace was better than the results show. In the first moto I had to recover from a difficult start and by the time I got going the front guys had already gone. The second race was a little bit tougher because I couldn't quite make the progress I wanted. It's not the weekend we came here for, but we still leave with solid points and that's important over a long season.”

Andrea Adamo: “A solid one. Nothing special. We had the first podium last weekend but not this time. I had some stomach issues but that’s not an excuse. I was riding good but I think I could have been better. We always aim for the top five or to try and finish as close as possible…so 6th is not too bad. We now have two weeks for some rest and training before Montevarchi.”

Simon Laengenfelder: “A tricky weekend. I hoped to turn things around. It was a nice feeling to holeshot the Quali race but it was not easy after that. Top three, and I wanted the same after a bad start in the first moto today but unfortunately on those last laps things came apart and I was 5th. We made some changes to the bike and I felt good for the second moto: a great jump from the gate but a bad first corner! I was 12th and moved up and when I jumped too far I went sideways and off the track. I was winded for a bit and hurt my back…but it seems OK now. We should be fine for Montevarchi.”

Valerio Lata: Frustrating day because my riding was good, but the results don’t really show it. I was in the top five in the first race when I had a crash which meant I couldn’t finish the moto and then in race two I had a good race, riding in third for most of the time, before finishing fifth. It was still a good weekend with a lot of positives, but I know there is more to come and that will be the goal at the next GP, which is a home GP for me in Italy.

Pauls Jonass: "Not so bad; I felt good all weekend and this track is never easy but I think we did a good job as a team. We found good solutions on the suspension and even made some more good decisions for the second moto to make me even more comfortable. I came out good on the inside from the starts and made some good passes through the first few corners of race two to come out fourth. It was nice to see so many fans and I felt their love all day; it was nice to celebrate with my first top-five of the season."

Kay Karssemakers: "It was another consistent weekend with 9-10-9 motos. I was riding pretty good in the first moto until I made a small mistake and fell when another rider crashed in front of me but I came back to tenth, almost to ninth, with good lap times. I took a really good start in the second race but I was riding a little tight and eventually had a small crash but I fought hard again to come back for ninth. We will keep on working hard and hopefully I will be able to stay with the front group soon."

Francisco Garcia: "The track was pretty sketchy and demanded respect. I got a little armpump in both motos but I stayed calm; I didn't need to pull a bigger gap but I could play with the track for another perfect weekend. I have a big lead in the championship but we cannot relax; we will remain concentrated and keep improving."

Calvin Vlaanderen: “Weekend was going well until an unfortunate crash in the start and the throttle cable was broken so couldn't continue. We won't let bad luck get us down and we'll make up for it soon, giving it our all as always.”

Andrea Bonacorsi: “The surgery went well, now it's just a matter of focusing on recovery. Feeling already better now and hopefully I'll see you guys very soon again. Thanks to all my team and Ducati Corse for their support, and my fans for being so supportive. We'll be back soon and stronger than before.”

Ferruccio Zanchi: “These have been three really challenging GPs in a row, and we've all had to make a huge effort to get this far. The first race started well, and we showed some of our potential, but then a crash cost us a lot of time and a top 10 finish. In the second race, I got off to a good start, had a good pace, and even though we're still getting used to this intensity, I'm satisfied with the result. This is a good starting point for Montevarchi.”

Simone Mancini: “It was a difficult weekend for me. Yesterday I struggled to find a good feeling with the track, but if it hadn't been for the penalty, I would have scored some points. Unfortunately, today, due to a technical problem, I had to stop. We'll make up for it in the next race in Trentino, before heading to Montevarchi in two weeks.”