Check out some rider comments from yesterdays MXGP and MX2 qualification races. HRC rider Tom Vialle and Red Bull KTM factory rider, Sasha Coenen got the victories, but a lot of men looked strong.

Tom Vialle: Very happy to get the win, and a great start to the season. I didn’t know where I’d place coming into this year, so it is nice to see that my speed is good enough for the front of this field. I had a good winter of work and I’d like to thank the team for all their effort and for trusting in me, and it is good to repay them so quickly. It is only one qualifying race but it is nice to be running the red-plate tomorrow where I’ll be trying to repeat today’s results.

Lucas Coenen: It wasn't too bad. I took a good start and tried to follow and the track is one lines and you cannot pass and the roost is bad. First race, second is good and first race you gotta be smart.

Andrea Adamo: I was feeling good started in P3 and then had a battle with Maxime and I am pretty happy and lookinf forward to tomorrow.

Ruben Fernandez: Solid start, but not as good as I truly would have liked. Sixth is okay but it was a tough moto out there on a tricky track. I really want to do well here for all my fans, and for the team so tomorrow I will be aiming to get myself further up the field and hopefully battling for a podium. Sunday is a new day and I will be very motivated to improve.

Jeffrey Herlings: The day went really well, right up until the start of the qualification race. I was fastest in free practice and fastest in timed practice, but then I didn’t get a good start in the qualification race and it went downhill. I was battling hard on those opening laps but made a mistake on the start straight and went down. I worked my way back up through to field to 12th but not really the first race I wanted and now I’ll have a tough gate-pick for the motos tomorrow.

Romain Febvre: "I got squeezed by Adamo on the start so I was last at the first turn. My speed was OK and we learnt a few things today for the future. The track is new and it's not making any ruts so we don't have so many options to pass but hopefully I can get a better start tomorrow."

Pauls Jonass: "I showed good speed in both practices and again in the Quali race, but unfortunately I locked bars with Romain on the start straight. My feeling was good and I soon got to eighth, not too far from the guys in front, and then I got seventh when Tim tangled with a lapper. The track was really fast in the morning but it started getting bumpier by Qualifying so there could be more opportunities for passing tomorrow."

Sasha Coenen: I am happy I won, but I need to do things better and wasn't riding at my best and happy to start from pole tomorrow. Track has a lot of stones and you have to be calm on the bike. I am enjoying the track and really looking forward to the races.

Valerio Lata: I’m not really happy with how I rode in the qualification race, and although I finished seventh, I know I am capable of much more. I just couldn’t find my rhythm out there, which was frustrating because my practice times were decent. Still, it is the first race and I know I can improve so that’s what I want to do in the two motos.

Mathis Valin: "Last year I had a lot to learn but I'm coming in with more experience this year and am now more concentrated. This isn't my favourite surface and it took me time to settle down on the track this morning but I have learnt not to put pressure on myself and earnt fifth gate-pick in Timed Training. I had a good start in the Qualifying race but I was a little cautious on the first lap; I soon found my flow however to move into fourth. I ran out of time to pass Guillem for second after catching him but I have a good pick for tomorrow and that was important because the key here will be the start."