Sweden GP - Rider Comments
World MXGP champion Jorge Prado showed off his talent in Sweden last weekend, and began to put some serious pressure on red plate owner Tim Gajser heading into Arnhem this coming weekend. Here is what every told about their weekends.
Jorge Prado: “It was a great weekend for me. I knew I had to be right on my 100% to get overall here, and that's what I did. I made it tough for myself in that first race with a very bad start, but the second race I managed to get out of the gate in a good way and break hard into the first corner, then had good opening laps and managing the race. Track was very tough, we were riding on a good pace so super happy. Let's move on to the sand and hopefully get another win over there”
Tim Gajser: “I mean, I felt solid today, you know. I had a good first race, but there was just one mistake that I made and I just left the door so open when Jorge (Prado) passed me. That was my mistake, but anyway, the pace was good. The second race was sketchy, also the lappers, you know, like a couple of times I had to slow down. But anyway, you know, a solid weekend, good points for the championship and I'm really looking forward to the next one!”
Jeffrey Herlings: “I think I'm okay on the last lap, just a table top before the waves, I came out of the turn, there was a lot of big kickers in there and I was with my hand between the handlebars so it's quite swollen out. But race-wise it was OK, I had a lot of bad luck with Calvin (Vlaanderen) crashing in the RAM Qualifying heat right in front of me and nowhere to go. First race had a really good start and got pushed out of the track and again I lost many positions so definitely the luck wasn't on my side. But the second race, the speed was good and I come out with another podium but for the championship it was not the best”
Lucas Coenen: “Of course, it was a good weekend! I needed to bounce back and I did it. So it was perfect. Won the two races. I was just riding smooth out there and had a lot of fun on the track. So yeah, it was better than yesterday, so very positive. Now we keep on building for the Netherlands and we'll see you guys there.”
Andrea Adamo: “I did struggle so much in RAM Quali race, and I had completely no fire to ride well but today in the first race it was already better.Then in the second one, it was a long time I think since I was riding this smooth and this fast so I'm really really happy. Lucas (Coenen)was fast. I had a good battle with Simon (Laengenfelder), but then the race stayed pretty static. because I was in second and quite far from the lead and also Simon was quite far behind me. So that was nice and I hope to keep going on this on this way”
Simon Laengenfelder: I think this one was a tough one, especially to find all the good lines, to be always perfect, and make no mistakes because you needed to hit the lines perfectly straight. Otherwise, with that stony ground, it's really easy to make a mistake but I could avoid that in the end. straight. I didn't have the speed to win but I think I was consistent and I'm happy about that”
Mattia Guadagnini: “I knew it was going to be a tough weekend, but I gave it everything I had. I was missing some speed, and being on the ground so many times didn’t help. Yesterday in qualifying wasn’t too bad - even though I crashed on the first lap. In the first race on Sunday, I was fighting around 15th, but then I had a crash. In the second moto, I crashed on the first lap with some other riders. We’ve got six races left, and I’m taking everything I learned here into the next round in the Netherlands, hoping to do better.”
Kay de Wolf: “"It was definitely a difficult Sunday. In the first moto, I made three mistakes, which wasn't ideal. However, my overall riding was good, so that's a positive takeaway. In the second moto, I didn't get the best start and got closed in at the first turn, which forced me to fight my way through the pack. At that point, it was about staying calm and making as many passes as possible. It was really tough to make those passes, but I’m trying to take what I can learn from this weekend. I’m feeling more positive about my home Grand Prix coming up next weekend, and I’m really looking forward to that!"
Romain Febvre: " I had a really good start in the first race; I lost two positions but I stayed with the leading group so I was happy with my pace. My start in the second race wasn't good and I was thirteenth at the second corner; on a track like this one that's a real problem! At the same time Prado, Gajser and Herlings were in front from the start so I knew that the best I could expect was a fourth, and that's what I achieved. I'm happy with that, but of course for the podium result it was not quite enough. I had to ride the second half of the race without the visor on my helmet as I took two big rocks when I was behind Vlaanderen; luckily they didn't hit my goggles but particularly on the finish jump it was not easy to see with the low sun in my eyes."
Jeremy Seewer: "The real Jeremy Seewer was back for the first twenty minutes of race one with good pace after a good start but I have not been used to racing at that pace this year so eventually I lost my rhythm and started fighting the bike. It's been a tough season so at least I was happy to show that my skills and potential are still there. I had another great start in race two but I just didn't "go" in the first few laps. I don't know why; I just felt strange already on the sighting lap. I came back to eighth and if I had had the ride of my life I could have been P6 but if you are in pack here it's so hard to come back; it would have been a lot of risks for those two points and I prefered to stay safe. But I keep the positives from those first twenty minutes of race one and keep looking forward."
Glenn Coldenhoff: “The weekend started off really good; I had a good feeling in both the free and time practice with a third and fourth place. That was pretty good but the track changed quite a bit for the qualifying race and I struggled with some arm pump. We tried to change the set-up for Sunday but I didn’t feel comfortable and we went a step back again for the first moto. The riding wasn’t good but at least I was able to manage the situation. Finally, in the second moto I took the holeshot. I had been looking for it for quite a while now. Okay, I went a bit too wide and some guys passed me straight away, I need to work on my first laps. Resultswise, I am still not where I want to be, but at least the riding was good in race 2. The weekend ended on a positive note, I was fighting with the guys for fourth place. I feel like this is where I should be, and on a better day I should be on the podium. I am really looking forward to Arnhem now – home GP, special gear, a lot of fans and back in the sand, where I feel comfortable.”
Mikkel Haarup: “It’s been a really good weekend here in Sweden as I battled for the win in race one and also the qualifying race. Nearly winning the qualifying race shows how good the bike is and my speed as well, so the weekend started off almost perfect. This gave me a good gate pick for the races, and in the first one, I started up front in third. Once I got into second, I chased after Lucas Coenen the best I could but he was just too far ahead. In race two, I didn’t find my flow like I did in the first moto so I ended up sixth for fourth overall. With the team we’ve had another great weekend, and now it’s on to The Netherlands.”
Camden McLellan: “This weekend turned out to be pretty good after the rain we had on Friday. I was feeling a bit tight on the bike Saturday, but between the team and KYB, they were able to find me a little extra comfort and I think that it showed in the races. I was able to push to the finish in both motos and felt strong on the bike. I just need to find a little more intensity and take that to Arnhem, and it should be a better weekend. Thanks to everyone, and I’m excited for next weekend.”
Brian Bogers: “I had a really good Saturday, but unfortunately, Sunday couldn’t have gone much worse. I didn’t finish the first race, and I decided not to line up for race 2 after the sighting lap. The good news is that I am actually pain-free, I am just dealing with a really stiff neck. Other than that, I am completely fine. I just need to rest up a bit so I can go full throttle again next weekend.”
Liam Everts: “I was feeling pretty good in the qualifying race, even though I had a tumble and finished 5th: it was OK, nothing to get over-the-moon about. I started around 8-9th in the first moto, got up to 5th and things were going well but then I had really bad stomach cramps. I didn’t feel well. I managed to finish 5th but between the motos was really hard and pretty messy. Considering everything, I was happy to finish the second moto! I managed to make it to the end. I wanted more from the weekend but that’s the way it is.”
Sacha Coenen,“I had a big crash in Timed Practice yesterday and hurt my legs and ankle so it was hard today. I tried my best to race, and to finish both motos was the most important…but the result was not what we wanted. I think I will be OK for next week.”
Ferruccio Zanchi: It was good to get that second moto result and overall, I am happy with the weekend. My riding was good throughout and I felt like I kept a good pace over the course of all three races. Next up is Arnhem, which is a sand track and after Lommel, I am very excited to get back to riding the sand and show what I’m able to do once again. A big thanks to the team for all their work and I really want to finish the season on a strong note.
Calvin Vlaanderen: It wasn’t the best day today. I’m feeling a little beat up after crashing yesterday so my goal for today was to finish in the top five in both races. I didn’t quite get that by going 6-5 but I ended up fifth overall so that’s not too bad. Ahead of next weekend I’ll be resting up the best I can to be ready for Arnhem.
Andrea Bonacorsi: I struggled a lot all weekend and today wasn’t the best day really. I found it difficult to put laps together and just couldn’t get into a good rhythm. Next weekend we’re back on the sand so I’m looking forward to that. We have some new settings for the bike for sand tracks so I think it will be a good one for me.
Mathis Valin: "Yesterday I was not really happy with my performance as I was fighting the track, but today the feeling was much better. I got the same result as yesterday - a third position - but it was really close throughout the entire moto with Lata and van Erp; it was very intense! The start is really important, especially on a high-speed track like this one where it's difficult to pass. Perhaps I could have scored a couple more points this weekend, but we kept the red plate and I only lost one point to Lata. I knew in advance that this track is not really my favourite and in two weeks it will be different as I really like Frauenfeld!"
Benjamin Garib: "I felt great all weekend for 5-5 motos and fifth overall. I got another good start and just rode my own race. The track was a little muddy in places today but I stayed focused and put all the pieces together for my best-ever EMX result. I want to thank all of the team for their help and confidence in me; now we keep training and focused to produce more good results in the races to come."
Billy Askew: "I came out of gate well today but I ran wide at turn one. I was happy with my riding to come back to thirteenth but I got a bit tired after 15 minutes; that wasn't surprising as I've been away from racing for so long. The intensity out there is madness but that's another race ticked off and hopefully by the end of season I'll be back to where I was before I got hurt. So now we go home, practice long motos and get back to race fitness to achieve that."
Rick Elzinga: My starts really let me down this weekend and my riding in Race One was mediocre really. But for Race Two I felt great on the bike, but I just didn’t have the start I needed to run up front like I did in Lommel. I got arm pump trying to make a pass near the end of Race Two and that made things even more difficult. But up next, we have my home GP and of course, I’m really excited for that one.
Karlis Reisulis: It was an OK weekend for me. I had a little bit of arm pump in Race One but besides that my riding was good. But it’s just so hard to make passes around here. I’m a little frustrated that my results weren’t quite as good as previous rounds, but now it’s back to the sand in the Netherlands next weekend.
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