A great wild weekend in Italy as the Maggiora circuit handed us some great racing and Europe continues to give winter, even in June. Tim Gajser and Sasha Coenen walked away with victories. Rider comments below. Bavo Swijgers image

Tim Gajser: It is great to win another GP and put in three good races. I’m a little bit disappointed to have that small tip-over otherwise I’d have gone one-one-one and that would have really been great, but still, I can’t complain about how this weekend went. Everyone in the whole of Team HRC works so hard and they do it for days like this so a big thanks to everyone and now we have a weekend off before going to Indonesia which I think is an important couple of rounds for the series. I am looking forward to them because they will also be at a new track for me, and that is always nice.

Sacha Coenen: “I felt really good this weekend. I was leading the first moto but then had a tip-off and finished 4th. Not so bad but I made the holeshot and then led the whole way in the second. I carried on my good feeling from Latvia, and now I want to keep it going.”

Liam Everts: “Very positive weekend. I’m obviously happy but I’m a racer so I want to win! I gave my ‘all’ to make the pass in the second moto but it was impossible and I have no regrets. Anyway, I’m super-happy to be back to form and on the podium again. Improving my training intensity during the week from Latvia, and also Germany, helped this weekend. I just want to keep on giving the maximum for the races to come.”

Jeffrey Herlings: “I feel I am getting better and better each weekend and, here, even my starts were OK! Being on the inside kept me safe and at the front. Hard to overtake in the first moto. With all the rain we had and because it was a tight track it was just so hard to pass when the speed was very close. I tried all I could but not making that move unfortunately cost me the ‘Overall’. I was on Tim’s [Gajser] rear wheel all the time in the second moto but it was like being in a paintball game because I was only eating roost! He was riding perfectly and with good lines and I couldn’t get him until he made a small mistake and that was to my benefit. So, 3-1, but the most important thing is that I am closing to the gap to the others guys. If you see the races at the start of the season [then] they were pulling away from me but now I’m coming closer and closer. We’ll keep fighting from here.”

Ferruccio Zanchi: I feel that after my performance on Saturday, that I could have done better than 10th overall, however on a track that was so difficult to pass on, those couple of mistakes I made really cost me. In race one, I was in sixth place and then a small crash which dropped me to 16th, and then I just got a really bad start in race two and had to fight through to get 10th. Still, I really enjoyed the experience in front of my home fans and I can’t wait to do it again. I am also really looking forward to my first trip to Indonesia where I hope to keep battling near to the front.

Jorge Prado: "We finished the GP of Maggiora, though not in the best way. It was a tough weekend for sure. On Saturday, it was pretty much all mud riding. During the qualifying race, I finished sixth, which was okay - I didn’t want to take any risks in those conditions. Then on Sunday, the conditions were a little better and drier, but that meant the track was pretty much a single line. For the first moto, I got out of the gate quite well, but then in the third corner, Gajser cross-rutted and came into me. He passed me there, and then we were battling pretty much for the whole moto. I caught up to him a little more at the end, and we were pretty close at the finish line. It was a good P2. During the second moto, I also had a very good start, but I went a bit wide into the second corner as I got off balance. Then the guy in front of me crashed, and though I tried to avoid him, I crashed as well. From there, it was difficult to say; there were many riders involved. I got a bit hurt, and the bike was damaged. I pulled off after a lap because I felt a little hurt, but everything seems fine. I just need to take it easy for a couple of days, and I should be okay to fight for the win in Indonesia!”

Simon Längenfelder: "I was having a good weekend until my crash in the second moto, so it was a shame about that. I made some great starts and thought I was riding really well with good speed. It was very difficult to pass on this track - even getting past the lapped riders was almost impossible. I was having a great time; my bike felt fantastic, but unfortunately, the crash took away the podium. I'm a little bit angry about that. However, the important thing is that we are healthy and can fight again in Indonesia!"

Valerio Lata: "It's unbelievable; I don't have the words right now - this is an absolute dream come true! I work every day for moments like this! This is the first time I've cried after a race. Finishing 5th in the first moto and 3rd in the second moto, and securing a third place overall podium here at home in Italy is beyond my wildest dreams! Thank you to my family, my team, mechanics, and sponsors; your support is incredible and means the world to me.”

Calvin Vlaanderen: “It’s a little disappointing to be involved in that huge crash in Race Two as I knew my chance of an overall podium was thrown away. But I put my head down and charged all race. I found a good line out on the back of the track where I could make passes and just used it to move forward. I’m really happy with my bike, my riding and my fitness, and it was just unfortunate to start Race Two like that. I had a pretty good start and a few riders crashed in front of me and I just couldn’t avoid hitting Jorge Prado. Now it’s onto Indonesia for two back-to-back races and another shot at the podium.”

Andrea Bonacorsi: “Today was ok I guess. In Race One I didn’t get the best of starts but managed to pass a lot of riders quite quickly, so that was good and I finished in eighth. For Race Two I was hoping to be nearer the top five but then there was a big crash at the start. It was then a tough race back to 12th for ninth overall Next up is Indonesia, so we’ll keep working and go again.”

Rick Elzinga: “In the Qualifying Race on Saturday I crashed and hurt my elbow so for today I had to manage it the best I could. I had a really good start in Race One and ran upfront but because of my elbow, I was overcompensating with my riding so I couldn’t really challenge the guys at the front. My start in Race Two was also good but I almost crashed on lap one and tweaked my wrist. I didn’t feel strong and lost a lot of places. I dropped quite a way back but then when I found my strength and flow again I was able to get back to 14th.”

Andrea Adamo: “I’m a little bit disappointed because my speed and feeling was good and I gave everything but it didn’t pay off. There haven’t been many weekends where I’ve felt this competitive so I want to take this positive and we’ll try to keep working in this way. The results are not great today…and it was so hard to pass, there was very little overtaking without a crash or mistake from another rider. The conditions were the same for everybody though. We’ll regroup and aim for more in the next GPs.”

Mattia Guadagnini: “Overall, I had a really good feeling about this weekend. On Saturday, the rain and conditions made things difficult, and then on Sunday, the track was a little strange because it was almost just one line. This meant that getting a good start in every race was super important. I made some good passes in the qualifying race and finished 8th, which was good for the gate position I had. Then on Sunday, for the first moto, I got stuck behind some guys in front of me and just couldn't make the passes I wanted. I think in trying so hard, I had two small crashes and lost a lot of time. I went from 17th to 14th in the end, so I wasn’t happy with that. The second moto was much better at the start. I made some mistakes again, but I finished 7th in the end, which I’m a bit more happy about. I’m a little disappointed to have thrown away the first moto, which cost me a good result at my home GP. But there were still plenty of positives to focus on from my riding to keep building on, so I can fight for better results at the next GP.”

Kay de Wolf: "Not an easy weekend, but still overall positive! I still have a good margin on the Red Plate, so I’m feeling good! Saturday was difficult; I had a crash on the opening lap, and the bars on my bike were bent, making it hard to fight back. I managed to get back up to 10th and earned one point. Then on Sunday, during the first moto, I had a crash at the start because I couldn't avoid the riders in front of me. So, I had to work my way up to eighth from last, which I thought was okay. In the second moto, it felt like a train ride; everyone was just lined up behind each other, and no one could really pass. I saw Simon and Haarup crash, and that was the only real event during the moto. As the track dried, there was really only one line. So, in general, it was a positive weekend, and I’m looking forward to Indonesia!"

Lucas Coenen: "Maggiora is always a unique challenge, and this weekend was no exception. Starting from 26th in the first moto was tough, but I pushed hard to get 10th place. The second moto was a different story, battling for the lead with my brother Sacha. Finishing just 1.7 seconds behind him in second place was a great feeling; but of course I want to win! Our progress this season shows how much everyone is pushing, and I’m excited to keep building as we head to Indonesia."

Mikkel Haarup: “We’re now halfway through the season with this GP in Italy done. I got beat up really good in a crash on Saturday but I was able to turn it around for Sunday. Even though I had to start on the far outside, my starts were great, and I was able to race hard for decent points. I feel like my riding was really good and for next time I’ll be focused on staying on two wheels to try and get back on the podium.”

Bavo Swijgers image