MX2 reactions after Teutschenthal
Marvin Musquin, Red Bull KTM Factory (GP winner, 1-2)
“I couldn't win the second series but I won the GP and that's the most important thing. The circuit had changed slightly compared to last year and was now more difficult. I'm now heading home to train in the sand for the next competition. I will try to do my best as always. I enjoyed the atmosphere here and it was nice to hear the Germans cheering for me. Last time in France it was also great to hear the cheers from the crowd, but that was my home GP. I thought it would be a bit different here in Germany.”
Ken Roczen, Teka Suzuki (second, 5-1)
“The first series was very difficult not only for me, but also for my family and the team. I couldn't get my glasses cleaned and had to throw them away. This made it impossible for me to approach other riders and doubling up on stragglers became very difficult. I had to slow down which was frustrating. After that first moto I wanted to do something special for my fans who were cheering me on. I came to the start very focused. Had a good start and quickly passed a number of people. That meant I had a free job. When I saw that I had created a gap, I dropped my speed a little and kept up that rhythm. The circuit made overtaking difficult, but if you keep an eye out for it you can always find a spot somewhere. There were a few good lines but they were used by many. Driving here was an incredible feeling. The audience went absolutely crazy and I would like to thank them all for that.”
Zach Osbourne Bike-it Cosworth Yamaha (third, 4-3)
“I think my fitness is at a peak now and my riding is as it should be. I am happy with how things are going with the team and the bike. I also have fun during the races. I struggled to get to the front in the first heat and had a moment of luck when Ken Roczen threw away his glasses. I could never really get to grips with the circuit, but it was still a good GP. And I'm happy to be on the podium again.”
Steven Frossard, Monster Energy CLS Kawasaki (fourth, 3-4)
“After the French GP we changed a few things on the bike. That was also the reason why I pulled a wheelie at the start of the first series. I'm not yet used to the way the power is delivered now. After the first lap I was still seventh, but I was able to keep fighting until the finish to finish third. Immediately proof that the changes have paid off, but catching up was, as always, difficult here in Teutschenthal. In the second heat my start was better but then I made a mistake in the second corner. I accidentally kicked the gearbox into neutral and immediately lost four places. I was able to get back to fourth place, but of course the top 3 was flying, so I just missed the podium. Still a bit of a disappointment because I have just as many points as the third. I have always ridden well here and I expected a podium again.”
Jeremy Van Horebeek, Monster Energy CLS Kawasaki (fifth, 2-7)
“I was happy after my first series when I managed to finish in the top three for the first time this season. Especially after I always seemed to be close to it in the previous GPs. I had a good start and from second place I was able to keep pace with Musquin who was in the lead. This confirms that we are moving in the right direction. Unfortunately I wheelied during the start of series two. But after a good first lap I was already eighth again. Then on the fourth lap I had a big crash, but I don't even know how that happened. The fact is that I only came back into the race from 19th place. Fortunately I wasn't hurt and I was able to come back to seventh place at the finish. That is quite an achievement on a tough circuit like this, but unfortunately not good enough to get on the podium.”
Arnaud Tonus, Teka Suzuki (sixth, 6-5)
“I had two good starts and two good heats. We had changed a number of things on the bike and I was quite happy with my speed. I was brimming with confidence and my pace was consistent. In the first heat I had a nice duel with Simpson, who crashed on the last lap so that I easily finished sixth. The second series was also very good and fifth place was again a good result. I had the feeling that the changed setting worked out well and that we were in a better position, especially at the start. It was fantastic to experience this with this team and see the reaction to Ken's results. Definitely a good weekend.” weekend."
Christophe Charlier, Monster Energy Gariboldi Yamaha (seventh, 12-6)
“During the free practice on Saturday I twisted my left thumb on the start-finish jump. Of course, that made me a little worried about my chances. My good starts certainly helped and I was always around fifth place. I was able to pass Herlings, but unfortunately I couldn't match Frossard's speed. I crashed briefly, but to take sixth place here today after yesterday's crash, I didn't expect that. I now have confidence for the matches to come.”
Shaun Simpson, Red Bull KTM Factory (eighth, 9-9)
“I had two good starts. In the first series I was among the top three and in the second series I took the holeshot. In the first heat I should have finished sixth, but I made a mistake and only ended up ninth. I drove through a puddle of water on the circuit and fell. After taking the holeshot in race two I tried to follow Roczen but that turned out not to be possible. Then Marvin and Osborne passed me. I also had a problem with the starting mechanism on the front fork. A thrown stone got stuck and the starting mechanism became blocked. I lost about six seconds because of it.”
Gautier Paulin, Yamaha Monster Energy MX Team (ninth, 7-11)
“I felt really good on the bike this weekend. In the first heat I had a good start but made a few mistakes before getting into a faster rhythm during the last part of the race. In the second race I crashed after just five corners when my front wheel went off in a patch of softer dirt. Too bad because my start had been quite good. Because of that fall I fell far behind and overtaking was very difficult on this circuit. The continuation of the series was somewhat similar to the first. My speed improved as the series progressed and I posted my best lap times towards the end. I now know that I have to be more aggressive during the first ten minutes of the games to be at the front and achieve good results.”
Jeffrey Herlings, Red Bull KTM Factory (thirteenth, DNF-8)
“I've now had three consecutive bad weekends and now I know I have to fight back to get out of this slump. On Saturday everything went well for me. I won the qualification and felt very good. Maybe a little too good. I had a good start but then I was passed by Marvin and I couldn't stay with him. Then I had technical problems that prevented me from finishing. In the second heat I would crash a few times but that was my own fault. Still, I managed to get from eleventh to eighth place, which I felt good about.”
Photos credit: CDS, Massimo Zanzanu, S. Guttierez, Ray Archer
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