The Quote 500 from Redsand.
What did the riders have to say about the Spanish Grand Prix at the Redsand MX Park just north of Valencia?
Commentary Thomas Kjer Olsen: “There are many positive points that we can take home from this Grand Prix. I am happy with the progress we have made. I felt good all weekend. In the first moto I didn't get a good start, which made it difficult for me. In the second moto I was in much better shape and was able to show my speed. I put pressure on Pauls Jonass for the lead until I crashed. My speed was perfect this weekend and my fitness was good. We continue to work hard and I look forward to the next match in Italy.”
Thomas Covington comments: “It wasn't a good weekend for me. I had a hard time finding a good race speed. The track here in Spain was very fast which made it difficult to pass. In both motos I wasn't in a good position at the start and that didn't help me achieve good results. I also had a crash in the second moto, which didn't make things any easier. It is what it is and we continue to work hard. We are now on a short break and I am looking forward to going home and continuing our work. Our focus now is on the fourth match in Italy and we hope that we can improve our results here."
Commentary Glenn Coldenhoff: “In the qualifying heat and first heat I made a mistake at the start. When the starting gate dropped, the front wheel rose and I had to use the clutch. Because I was still on the starting grid at the time, I had too much wheelspin and had to come back to the front from around twentieth place both times. In the second heat my start was much better and I was able to follow the pace of the riders in front of me. I had the impression that I was a little faster than Gajser and Febvre but in the end I couldn't pass them. Van Horebeek came even closer in the final phase, but I managed to keep him behind. Eighth in the daily rankings and still sixth in the standings is good for me,"
Commentary Vsevolod Brylyakov: “I had ups & downs all weekend long. My first series was a joke. I wasn't myself on this trail. I had no speed and made too many mistakes. Very frustrating. Luckily I had more fun in the second series. However, on the first lap I was already stuck between some machines of riders who had crashed. This time I managed to move up and do some good passing maneuvers. It was a good comeback to tenth place. I know that I am still far from the level I have in mind. But the season is still long. I need more speed, more confidence.”
Commentary Jago Geerts: “This is my first disappointment of the season. Of course I also knew that this day would come sooner or later. Remember, this is only my first year in MX2. I hit the ground twice. In the first series I made a mistake myself. In the second series I could no longer avoid a rider who crashed right in front of me. In exactly the same place as in the first series. Now I have to shift my focus to my studies. I have three exams this week, including math. So I studied every evening in Spain.”
Commentary Ben Watson: “On the one hand I am disappointed with my results, on the other hand I am quite content with the riding itself. On this fast course it was super important to get a good start. Unfortunately, they let me down in both series. I had to work very hard to gain some places. Not easy, because it was not easy to pass on this track. I mainly have to try to remember the positive things and that was the riding itself. Now it's my job to get my starts perfect as quickly as possible.”
Commentary Marnicq Bervoets: “We have to be honest: this was a very tough weekend for Kemea Yamaha. The first series in particular was terrible. Redsand is a fast track, with many jumps. We knew the starts would be crucial. On Saturday our riders did quite well out of the starting gate, but they could not repeat that on Sunday. So they had to fight back from the heart of the peloton. That didn't really work in the first series. The second series was better. They found better lines and were more aggressive. I think it's mainly a mental problem. Our boys have to believe in themselves more.”
Commentary Steven Clarke: ''I'm quite happy with how everything went here, especially as I was only 36th on the grid. In the first moto I had a reasonable start and was able to come back from fifteenth to fourth place. I also drove lap times that were good for the top three and that gave me confidence. The start of the second moto was a lot worse, which made it difficult. All in all, I'm happy to leave here knowing I can fight for the title. I hope I can put this Honda on the number 1 podium at the end of the year."
Commentary Jeremy Seewer: ''I haven't felt so good in a Grand Prix yet this year. In the first moto I achieved sixth place and had some nice battles with the riders in front of me. In the second moto I messed up my start. Everyone knows when you do that, you have to start the match in midfield. This is dangerous and resulted in me colliding with another rider and falling. This happened in mid-air, making it quite a fall. After the crash I tried to have as much fun as possible while riding. I came back to fifteenth place. Apart from the crash, everything is going very well.”
Commentary Shaun Simpson: “It was a frustrating weekend. I felt like I had good speed on Saturday and that made me feel confident going into Sunday. I felt like the starting position didn't really matter. I tried to approach the first corner on the inside but unfortunately this didn't work out well. I got boxed in and then had a small mechanical problem that prevented me from finishing the race. In the second moto I timed the start wrong and ended up at the back of the first corner. The driving didn't go as I wanted and I didn't feel as normal. I felt heavy on the bike and I didn't feel like I was super sharp. We now have two weeks until the Trentino Grand Prix. We have some groundwork to do and from there there is only uphill.”
By: Steven van Kempen/KEMCO
Photo: Yamaha
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