Manuel Priem is back!
Just over two months ago, Priem crashed in the Bulgarian GP. The Aprilia factory rider suffered, among other things, a serious back injury. The GP of Limburg at the beginning of August was set as the target for his return to the World Cup. 'Diesel' has now fully recovered much faster than expected. He made his comeback in Kester and will be at the start of the German GP this weekend!
What was it like to be back on the bike?
Manuel Priem: "Awesome! At the start of the day I was a bit nervous about how things would go. Fortunately, that turned out not to be so bad, I had not yet forgotten how to cross. I qualified tenth for the qualifying series. I was so eager to get back into it that I even crashed into the bar! As a result, I had to leave last, I arrived at the age of 14de. "
You were doing well, especially in the second series
Manuel Priem: “In the first series I had a hard time getting into my rhythm. It all felt quite stiff, especially in the beginning. My start was also much better in the second moto because I almost took the holeshot. Only I turned on the gas too quickly. However, the driving itself now went well. I found good lines and when I dueled with Coppins I immediately got the feeling of competing again. I was able to pass him twice, but towards the end I consciously slowed down a bit. With a thirteenth place I was certainly not dissatisfied with my comeback.”
Judging by the reactions in the paddock and along the track, had people not forgotten you yet?
Manuel Priem: “That's fun, yes. A lot of fans showed up to see me ride at my return appearance and also on the mobilehome it was quite busy all day. I also noticed those encouragements along the track. It's fantastic to be back, because being a professional motocross rider remains a wonderful profession!”
A BC is not yet a GP, what do you expect from Teutschenthal?
Manuel Priem: “Bah, the riding is starting to come back and all in all the condition is not too bad. Still, I don't have too high expectations. The first task now is to get points every time. We now have three GPs in a row, so that is positive to quickly gain a competitive rhythm. I would like to achieve a result against Lommel, not only for myself but also for Aprilia.”
Photos credit: Michel Hennebert, CDS
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