Loket GP - Rider Comments
It was a big day for five time world motocross champion, Jeffrey Herlings, who won the GP, took the red plate and now heads to Lommel, one of his favourite tracks in the world. He and a bunch of riders talk about their weekend, including MX2 winner, Guillem Farres.
Bavo Swijgers image
Jeffrey Herlings: One-one-one is exactly what I needed to do and I just felt really good all weekend. The Honda is so good on this hard-pack terrain, it just sticks to the ground and when I get three starts like I did, it really makes life a lot easier. I know I have the red-plate right now, but I also know that it doesn’t really mean anythingand that I have to keep performing like this for the last six rounds. We’ve seen what has happened already this year, and I’ve lost big leads before myself, so I’m not going to stop working until we have the gold plate. A big thanks to the whole of Honda HRC PETRONAS for all their hard work this year, because I think you can see that it is really paying off.
Tom Vialle: It was great to get back on the podium after a tough stretch of races, including missing a few rounds with injury. It was hard after that, because the guys are running so fast, and it is still my first season back in the GPs and on a 450, so I’ve been working extremely hard and now the work has paid off. There is definitely more to come though and I’ll keep working and with these starts I’ve been getting, I know I am capable of even more in these remaining six rounds.
Romain Febvre: "After I came back strongly to second in the first moto I knew the start would be important in race two but I got caught up in a crash at the first corner; my bike was blocked with that of other riders; I was stuck on the top of one bike with another on top of mine and it took me something like twenty seconds to rejoin the race. I thought the podium was over but I dug deep and had good lines to finish fifth; I am so proud for this podium. Nothing has changed in my approach to the championship. I always try to ride as well as I can; that's the only way to fight for the title."
Guillem Farres: “I’m really happy to have taken my fourth Grand Prix victory in a row and scored more good points for the championship. In the second moto, my start was decent, although not my best, and I moved into second quite quickly. From there, I tried to match Liam Everts’ pace, but he was riding really well, so I settled for second and secured the overall victory. I’m happy with the weekend and already looking forward to the next round.”
Camden McLellan: “It's good to be back on the podium, but I can't say I'm completely happy with my weekend. My starts just weren't good enough, and that's something I need to figure out. My riding was good, but I feel like there was a lot more on the table this weekend. We'll work on improving the starts this week, and hopefully I can come back stronger in Lommel next weekend.”
Lucas Coenen: “Not much to say. I did what I could to be ready for Loket: physio, massage…but I was in pain all day. It’s tough to take. I can only hope I will feel a bit better with each day, and we can think about Lommel.”
Tim Gajser: "It was another Grand Prix where we had to search for the right feeling. We tried a lot of different things this weekend, and before the second moto we made some changes to the bike. That definitely brought an improvement. I'm happy with the second race, although of course I would have preferred to be fighting for the win or second place. My pace was much better, and Herlings and Vialle weren't that far ahead. That's something we can build on."
Andrea Adamo: “What to say? I was really going for the podium this weekend. Normally I’m quite realistic and I knew I had the speed, the good starts and the rhythm. Everything was clicking but, unfortunately, I had a crash in the second corner of the second moto and I was completely last. I got back to chase 6th place but then crashed again so P10 and P6 overall. Not bad… but considering what could have been I’m a bit disappointed. Again, I learned something today; a stupid mistake in the second corner. Lommel now and I’m actually looking forward to it. It’s a tough track but I feel I can do well there.”
Sacha Coenen: “A difficult weekend. My riding was not bad on Saturday and I tried my best but I was not feeling good; very sore. I started well in the Heat race and ran at the front but then I was not where I needed to be. Still, ten days post-surgery it was not too bad. I just did two solid motos today…but I was missing some energy and was just trying to survive. I’m really looking forward to our home GP next weekend and I’ll try to do my best.”
Simon Laengenfelder: “Positives? I had three good starts and I was fighting in each moto…but I came up a bit short. Winning the Quali race was a good start to the weekend and, with hindsight, the highlight. I battled in the first moto but that small slip put me to P5. Not optimal. I really wanted to push in that second race and was up front. I tried to block Farres but I made a mistake. I was a bit too battered and bruised to keep hanging on for another 30 minutes. I need to reset, refocus and go again in Lommel”
Maxime Renaux: "I gave everything I had again this weekend. It's a shame about the crash in the first moto. My bike was too badly damaged to continue, and I also took a heavy hit to my hip in the incident. I regrouped for the second moto and gave it everything again, but sixth place was the best I could achieve. I'm going through a difficult period at the moment, but I'm doing everything I can to turn things around."
Kay Karssemakers: "Liam Everts and a few others crashed in front of me at the first corner in the first race and I could not avoid them, but I was really happy with my riding as I came back from last to thirteenth; it's not the easiest track to pass on and we have a full grid today but I fought to the end. My lap times were good so I knew that if I rode like that again in the second moto I could be top-ten ... and that is exactly what I did! I made several good passes during the first few laps and just did my thing, riding smooth. I really enjoyed the track today and now I'm looking forward to the sand next week at Lommel; the track is fifteen minutes from my home, just over the border in Nederland."
Rubén Fernández: I think I did about as well as I could have done today, and I can leave with my head held high. Race one was a tough one, and I got knocked about a bit before finding my rhythm. This dropped me a few spots, but I moved up through the field to fifth, with the top four too far ahead. I knew I needed a better start in race two and that’s exactly what I managed to do, putting myself in position to see the front guys. I did lose touch a bit, but I still finished fourth and that gave me fourth overall – again. I’d love to be on the podium, but we have six rounds remaining and I’m determined to get up there before the end of the season.
Kay de Wolf: "It was a really positive weekend overall, and it's great to be back. We had good speed on Saturday, and I felt really good on the bike with the changes we've made. I didn't get the best start in the first moto and made a few small mistakes, but there was still some nice riding. In the second moto, I crashed at the start and bent the bars, so unfortunately I had to DNF. There are still lots of positives to take, and I'm really looking forward to Lommel. We'll keep building and hopefully aim for the box."
Liam Everts: "I felt really good all weekend. It's one of my favourite tracks to come to because the dirt reminds me a bit of my home track, so I was excited to be here. The qualifying race was really good, but in the first moto I had a big crash in the first turn on lap one. It took me a while to get going again, but I still managed to come back to 12th. The feeling on the bike was still really good. In the second moto I got a much better start, around third, then worked my way into the lead and controlled the race from there. It was a really good moto and something I really needed for my confidence. To come away with a race win just before my home GP is a super nice feeling."
Valerio Lata; I was hoping that after the seventh in race one, I could build upon it and get inside the top five, however that first lap ruined any chance of that. I tried my best to pass as many guys as possible, and almost reached the top 10, but ran out of time. Lommel will be a tough track, but I’ll give it my all and keep working hard until the end of the season.
Calvin Vlaanderen: “It wasn't the weekend I was hoping for this GP, on one of my favorite tracks. On Saturday I had a good feeling and everything seemed to be going well. My riding was good in qualifying, even though I had a small crash that cost me a few positions, but I was confident for Sunday. Unfortunately, this morning, during the warm-up, I crashed, hit my head, and that was the end of the day. Now I'll try to be ready for Lommel next weekend.”
Simone Mancini: “It was a positive weekend for me, and I'm grateful to have had this opportunity to compete with the world championship riders. Here in Loket, I felt comfortable with the track right from free practice and had the speed to stay in the top 10. Until midway through the second heat, everything was going well, but unfortunately, towards the end, I suffered a physical decline and lost positions, finishing 13th. Now let's get back to thinking about the European Championship, which takes place next weekend in Lommel.”






