MXON 2010: post-race quotes
Ryan Dungey, United States (1-1, winner with the USA)
“This weekend was really great. The track was tough and rough but better than yesterday. I could feel the pressure from Cairoli at the beginning of the first moto but the choice of riding lines increased as the race progressed. This is just the top of what I won this year. To win this event, everything has to go well. It is not easy to put this into words, but it seems to be the experience of my life. I had the feeling that we supported each other through thick and thin, as befits a real team that helped us. We didn't give up and always kept going. I would like to thank the team and everyone who stood behind us.”
Max Nagl, Germany (5-DNF, third with Germany):
“It was great to be on the podium, for Germany it was the first time since 1985 and that was a very long time ago. The last few years have been very tough for the German team, but now we had three top riders. I was quite satisfied with my riding. The speed was there and I had the same lap times as the big boys. I had a crash in the second moto where I hurt my hip. But I'm glad it wasn't an injury, although I will experience some discomfort in the following days.”
Ken Roczen, Germany (6-3, third with Germany):
“I rode two good races today and felt great. My start wasn't too good in the first moto, but my speed was OK. I just felt like I was riding well. There was something surreal about leading that second heat, this whole event is definitely a highlight of my career. I am very happy that I rode for Germany and that we are on the podium. It was also fun to ride against opponents that we had only seen on TV.”
Dean Wilson, Great Britain (8-6, fourth with Great Britain):
“The long banked start was quite a task with a 250 against the 450s. Yet in the first moto I was already ahead of the other MX2 riders quite quickly. I was in the lead until Roczen passed me. The second moto was a little more difficult for me because I didn't have such a good start. But I finished 6the in 8. e among the heavier engines.”
Tony Cairoli, Italy (2-4, fifth with Italy):
“The weekend was OK. I had a good start but due to the high altitude I didn't feel so good and my asthma bothered me. But I ended up finishing second behind Ryan. I could have won the heat, but I made a small mistake on a certain jump that hurt my wrist and back. In the second moto I didn't have such a good start and had to fight my way back from 15th place to finish fourth. All in all, this time it was better for Italy than last year. Because the Italian federation had only called me back two weeks ago, I had not fully prepared. So my condition was not as good as it could have been.”
Alessandro Lupino, Italy (20-25, fifth with Italy):
“The first heat was certainly not bad. I started around 30e place and was then able to make up ten places. In the second series, however, I drove full-on into a rider who had fallen in the first corner. That meant that I was the last to return to the track. I tried to continue but had to deal with stomach cramps. We finished in the top five, which was our target, so I can be satisfied. The event was really great and it was fun to be there.”
Gautier Paulin, France (5-9, seventh with France):
“The team worked hard and I had a perfect bike today. Still, I'm a little disappointed to finish fifth in the first, I felt like I could have actually finished third or fourth. But I was a little too tense on the bike. In the second race I had a very bad start, after which I crashed twice more. Fortunately it wasn't a problem, but I had to switch from a 23 because of ite place to a 9e return place. Together with Marvin we were leading (France) at one point but then conditions became more difficult. In the last series a low sun made my life miserable. Still, it was certainly not a bad end to the season. I would like to thank the Yamaha Monster Energy MX Team for everything they have done.”
Xavier Boog, France (11-7, seventh with France):
“I didn't have much luck with the starts this weekend. I crashed twice, during the qualifying race on Saturday and during the first heat on Sunday. In qualifying it was another driver's fault, but on Sunday I crashed alone and had to leave last. I rode around tensely and could never find a good rhythm. When I crossed the line in eleventh place I was quite tired. There was only a short period to recover between the two heats so the last heat was very tough. Luckily I didn't fall this time, although my start could have been better. Yet I still finished seventh after starting around twentieth place. It was a dream to be able to ride the Nations for my country, but I had hoped for better results.”
Marvin Musquin, France (DNF-DNF, seventh with France):
“It was a bad weekend for me and the French team. I wasn't good on Saturday, but I did better in the warm-up. At the beginning of the first heat I was in a good position and satisfied. I was driving well and the speed was good, but then I had problems with the engine. I really have to learn to drive with the injection now. That also means that I am already looking forward to working with Roger De Coster and the guys from KTM US. I'm glad I can come here (USA) to ride.”
Rui Goncalves, Portugal (9-13, ninth with Portugal):
“In the first moto I finished in the top ten. I had a good start in the second moto, but then I got a big rock on my shoulder. I lost feeling in my shoulder and from then on it became very difficult. I couldn't go deep anymore.”
Zach Osborne, Puerto Rico (15-14, tenth with Puerto Rico):
“It was quite a weekend. However, I made stupid mistakes: first in the first corner of the opening moto, then when I was eleventh or twelfth in the second moto. Today I certainly didn't perform at my best, but with the final of the Maxxis British Motocross championship next weekend I still have a lot on my mind. I'm now leaving back to Europe and then coming back home for a few weeks. The Motocross of Nations was a good experience and the track was about the best of the whole season.”
Arnaud Tonus, Switzerland (16-8, eleventh with Switzerland):
“It was a really cool day. The only downside was a crash in the first corner of the first moto, which meant I had to go very deep to get back to the front. I wasn't riding very well and had problems finding a good rhythm. I finally turned 16e which I wasn't too happy about. I then focused on the next moto and it went much better. I rode Boog the whole time and had a fun battle with him. I really tried my best, but I always had to beat the 450 on the slopes. Anyway, an eighth place was quite good and certainly helped the team.”
Jonathan Barragan, Spain (4-DNF, thirteenth with Spain):
“I was quite happy with my speed this weekend, even though I'm not fit enough yet because I only trained fully a few weeks ago. I took the holeshot in the first moto but I knew Cairoli and Dungey would be faster so I didn't duel with them because I wanted to finish. Later Metcalfe also passed me, which cost me third place. In the second moto I was seventh for a few laps, then I had problems with the engine, perhaps due to the high altitude of the circuit.”
Harri Kullas, Finland (19-19, fourteenth with Finland):
“It was hard to compete against the 450s and when the first moto started I was sleeping. However, after that I was able to go back to a 19e instead of fighting and I had a problem with the clutch. At the start of the second moto, I made a stupid mistake by reacting to Karro's early start next to me, causing me to crash into the starting gate. However, during the first lap I was able to come back strong and was able to follow Tonus for a while. That moto was pretty OK. I finished 19th twicee which makes me a little disappointed. Last year I turned 18e in 16. e. I did my best and rode as fast as I could. I always came to the finish, but there could have been more."
Photo Credits: KTMimages/R. Archer, Suzuki Racing/R. Archer, Kawasaki Racing/S. Guttierez, Yamaha Racing/M. Zanzani
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