KEMEA Yamaha Official MX team: GP6 Kegums, Latvia
After the South American adventure, the MXGP caravan headed to Eastern European Latvia for the sixth GP of the season. Brent Vandoninck received the green light from the doctor last week and joined the team in Kegums. Only 4 weeks after his fall in Wuustwezel, he felt strong enough to get on his motorcycle again.
Full house under the KEMEA tent because Maxime Renaux was also present for the second test of the EKMX2. After the disappointing match in Valkenswaard, Renaux was keen to show his speed in Kegums. After finishing second in his group, Maxime got off to a good start in the first heat. He quickly moved into the lead but had to let a few drivers pass after a few laps. Maxime finished fifth in the first series.
Maxime also had a super start in the second moto and fought for the lead at the front. Just like in the first moto, Renaux fell back to fifth place towards the end, but after a super good last lap he managed to regain fourth place in the end. He finished fifth in the final standings but missed the podium by 1 point. In the European Championship standings, the Frenchman moves to 11th place.
In the MX2 class, Brent and Benoit finished in 8th and 9th place respectively in qualifying. Brent surprised friend and foe on Sunday by crossing the line in 7th place in the first heat. The goal was a top 10 place but Brent managed to steadily move up. For Benoit it was the other way around. After a good start, he fell from sixth to ninth in the final phase.
Paturel was able to recover well in the second heat. After a solid start, he quickly moved up to fifth place in Petrov's wheel. Both fought a nice duel throughout the heat, but Paturel was unable to pass the Bulgarian. Brent only finished 20th on the first passage over the finish jump. Once again he rode a strong race and finished in 11th place. In the final standings, Benoit finished sixth and Brent ninth. Paturel remains sixth in the World Championship standings while Brent is close to joining the top ten with eleventh place.
Valentin Guillod finished 11th in the final MXGP class standings in Latvia. He started in the top ten in both series, but was unable to keep up with the leaders on the treacherous circuit. In the first heat he crossed the line in 13th place and in the second heat he finished tenth. In the World Cup standings, the Swiss climbs to 10th place.
Maxime Renaux: “After the difficult first race in Valkenswaard, I am satisfied with this result. I made some mistakes so maybe it could have been a bit better, but all in all it was good. Some of the others in the top 5 are a lot older and that makes it a bit more difficult. They have a few years more experience and are also physically stronger, but that makes it interesting and I can learn a lot from them. I'm already looking forward to Teutschenthal next week.”
Benoit Paturel: “ I felt good in the second moto and rode much more comfortably than in the first moto. It was a step in the right direction and I hope I can continue this trend to the next match.”
Brent Vandoninck: “It was actually a miracle that I was able to ride here, so I was already very happy to be here. The aim was to limit the damage in the championship, but in the end it turned out well. The first series went really well, but in the second series I had a lot of pain and my leg was really tired. My condition is not great due to the medication, but I am happy that I rode here. I can now rebuild and hope to be 100% again soon. “
Valentin Guillod: “ It was a difficult weekend here. I had trouble finding the right tracks on this circuit both days. With the hard surface under the layer of sand it was very slippery and I had no confidence. I've had a lot of fun this weekend, but I'm already thinking about Germany. I'm already looking forward to riding some circuits that suit me better.”
Photos @shotbybavo
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