MXGP of Maggiora - Rider Comments

Posted on May 08, 2022

Tim Gajser and Jago Geerts looked brilliant in Maggiora today and a bunch of riders played back-up roles to make it a fun GP. Below are some riders comments from today.

Tim Gajser: Today the conditions were a lot different than yesterday and that allowed more lines to form, which gave me more opportunity to make the passes I needed. I was able to get two good starts and move into the top three in both races early on. From there, I just had to choose the right time and the right place to make my moves and try to control the race afterwards. The track certainly wasn’t easy after the rain but I enjoyed creating my own lines and I’m just really enjoying my riding at the moment and this win was a nice moment. A big thank you to Team HRC for all their work with the bike, and just being great people to be alongside during a race weekend. Also thank you to all the fans who come to these races, it is much better this year having a good crowd to cheer us along.                          

Jeremy Seewer: "It feels great to be on the podium and with two very solid second place finishes. Clearly being the second fastest today was very good, but I know it's not my full potential. I still struggle with a few little things that I can improve. Just small details that could make the difference and have me battling with Tim (Gajser). But, for now I am happy with second. I didn't try to push or force the issue to catch Tim. So it was just a big step forward and now I look forward to the racing to come."

Maxime Renaux: "I have to be happy with the result today because I was not happy with my riding. I didn't ride like I know I can. I rushed a little bit and made some mistakes, which was not the best, but I have to see the positive. It's still a podium in my rookie season and I stepped up to second in the championship. I also had two very consistent and good starts, so that was the main goal for this weekend. So, it's a step forward and we keep learning and improving, looking to get closer to fight for the top step of the podium."

Glenn Coldenhoff: "It was a big off weekend, I guess. My starts were not good, and riding was also not the best. It was just an off day, 10th overall is not where I want to be, so it's a terrible weekend, we will put it in the past and look to bounce back in Riola next weekend."

Jago Geerts: "I am really happy. Two consistent motos, two consistent starts and I felt good on track all weekend. I managed to stay out of trouble during the motos, which helped with good starts. I was riding well today, in the second race I did try to go for the win, and went for the pass on Tom (Vialle), but in the end the track was very one lined, and I made the push a bit late. So, I am happy with a 1-2 for today and already looking forward to next weekend in the deep sand."

Tom Vialle: “I missed a little bit of luck in the first moto. My bike was completely blocked behind Mattia and I think a lot of riders crashed behind me. I felt like I was quite far down, maybe 15th or something, but I came back to 5th on a track that was pretty sketchy for passing. The result was not so bad. I almost had the holeshot in the second moto but still took the lead and led every lap. Jago came quite close but I was able to win. I’m quite happy because there were some positives to take from today and the new bike is working really well. We made some improvements and we had two great starts, which is great for the races to come.”

Stephen Rubini: It feels so good to get onto the podium in MX2 and I’m so happy. The way the track was on Saturday, it just looked like a track made for me, but the weekend didn’t start so good with a crash in the Qualifying Race. Although I qualified in 13th, I still felt that I could do a lot better in Sunday’s races, but being honest I didn’t think that I’d be on the podium. I got a great start in race one, but in race two I came around in 10th place on the first full lap. I was fighting hard in the race though and was in a fast group of four or five riders and I was still chasing the lead riders, but I was also being chased hard from the riders behind me. This forced me into a small mistake and I lost a couple of places. Even though I wasn’t at the front in race two, it was still a nice moto and a nice battle. Since the beginning of the season I’ve felt great on my CRF250R and we don’t make too many changes from race to race. It’s easy to see that I’m enjoying riding my Honda and even on this tough track with lots a challenges we can still compete with the factory riders in other teams.

Simon Langenfelder: "Today was a good day! I was almost last in the first race, but I made some passes and my speed was very good in the end. I was quite happy about my sixth place! My start was a lot better in the second race. I was really, really fast and catching the top two. The track was so difficult and I had a nice gap behind me, so I decided to take it easy and stay safe. I finished fourth overall and, unfortunately, not on the podium, but I think that we will be back on the podium soon." 

Mattia Guadagnini: "Today was pretty bad. I was feeling really, really good all weekend though! I took the holeshot in the first moto and felt really confident, but then I threw the race away in the third corner. I did not have such a bad start in moto two; I was fighting for fourth place when I crashed. I re-joined the race and tried my best. I finished tenth – that was not what I wanted. I feel really good on the bike at the moment, but it is just not showing up in the results. We are going to keep working on that."

Ben Watson: “This result is a big, big relief and really nice, not just for me but for the entire team; everybody’s been working so hard and nobody has given up on me, so it was nice to finally bring something back to them. I still wasn’t feeling how I wanted yesterday; the track wasn’t technical enough in the dry so I was quite happy when it rained and they had ripped the track. There was still just one main dry line and you either had to take the risk of changing lines or wait for a mistake to pass so that’s why the start was so important and we again went with the scoop tyre as we had in Trentino. We sacrificed everything for the start and it paid off with two great starts and tenth and fourth at the finish for sixth overall. I always like the sand so to go to Riola next weekend on the back of a good result is great; I went 7-7 there last year so I’m really looking forward to the next Grand Prix. “

Mikkel Haarup: “I have mixed feelings with the day but I’m happy with my efforts and to come away with two decent motos and sixth overall. I knew this morning it would be a tricky day for me on this track. I didn’t have fantastic starts so I had to work my way up the field both motos; I felt I would have a better rhythm in the second moto but I spent a lot of energy in the first race, making a lot of mistakes and trying too much. “

Kevin Horgmo: “I was stuck in the third corner after a mid-pack start in the first moto when they crashed in front of me and I had nowhere to go. It wasn’t easy to pass and I crashed two times to finish twelfth. The second moto I made a mid-pack start and we were almost riding a train with no-one able to pass. I almost crashed a couple of times but everybody else was on the edge too; a couple of the guys in front of me did crash and I ended up seventh. The starts were so important here. I don’t know why they didn’t work here today but I’m not worried; I had perfect starts in Latvia and I’m confident we can bring the starts back at Riola Sardo next weekend. I have raced the Italian championship there and we were there for pre-season training so I know the track well and it’s a good one for me. “

Isak Gifting: "Good step in the right direction today with P3 in moto one. I had another good start in moto two, but I came together with another rider and missed my chance for the podium. We'll get back in the sand at Riola next weekend, which I like. Bring it on!"

Kay Karssemakers: "All in all, it was a very good weekend! I got a good jump out of the gate in moto one and was riding with some good speed, but a small crash dropped me to ninth and then I lost my rhythm. I had another good jump in the second moto and took the holeshot, which was an amazing feeling! I made another small mistake, unfortunately, but I found my rhythm afterwards. Finishing ninth was my first top ten! A great day!"

Thibault Benistant: "My weekend was quite difficult. It's quite difficult to accept this result, for the past few weeks I have been quite close to the podium, so to finish this far from it; it is quite difficult mentally. But, from here, we will keep working hard to come back strong. I was not riding completely free and flowing today, but I think after a few more training sessions it will come back."

Mitch Evans: Other than my starts, I had a good couple of races, especially race two where I came from 14th on lap one, to finish in sixth place. This was my best moto result of the season and it was such a nice confidence boost to be passing guys, coming through the field and pushing right until the very end. Of course, I’d prefer to be up front to begin with, but I know that will come as I am doing all the right things off the grid, so I’m just going to keep working hard and I’m sure next weekend in Riola will be much better.                   

Rubén Fernández: On Saturday the track was really fast and there weren’t so many lines to make passes, but I finished the Qualifying Race in fourth place, so that gave me a good pick on the start-gate for Sunday’s races and this helped a lot. I didn’t manage to get a great feeling from the track all weekend, but even after what I’d call a bad ride, the result still wasn’t so bad for me with two solid results in both motos. Riola in Sardinia is next for us. A very sandy and tricky track for everyone. Not one of my favourites, but I’ll do my best and try for a good result.                    

Pauls Jonass: "If I did not crash twice in the second moto then it would have been a good day! I was riding comfortably in third in that second moto and just made a mistake. It is just a pity. I was trying very hard to get back to fourth, which is why I made another mistake on the last lap. If you remove those mistakes though then it would have been an okay weekend, overall. I am determined to get back to where I should be."

Brian Bogers: “Today was not good for me. There were too many mistakes, but some of them were not even my fault! A rider made a mistake in front of me in that second moto and that caused me to crash. I just did not have great starts this weekend and that made it difficult on me. Everyone was using the same lines and riding in a train out there, which made it tricky to pass. It was difficult. I am not happy, but very focussed on the next race. I am looking forward to bouncing back there!”

Kay de Wolf: “It was a difficult day. It was really muddy in the morning! I did not have a very good start in the first moto and was lucky that a few people crashed. I was in third or fourth, but I made a small mistake. I had to fight back and then I crashed two more times. We learnt from that, so the second moto was a lot better. I still had a small crash in that moto, unfortunately, but I fought back to fourth. I was pretty happy with that. It was a big learning day."

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