The Quote 500 from Valkenswaard.
What did the riders have to say about the European Grand Prix on the Valkenswaard circuit?
Thomas Kjer Olsen: “Despite the tough conditions, it was a good weekend. The weather conditions were extreme and the cold temperatures did not help. To be honest I had a hard time getting a good pace in the sand and didn't feel great for the first moto on Sunday. It is positive that I came third twice in these circumstances. I want to pick up my speed again for the Spanish Grand Prix. I am confident in the progress I have made so far and I think we can improve in every Grand Prix from now on."
Thomas Covington: “It was a positive weekend. Two weeks ago I struggled to set a good pace in Argentina and so these results are very good for my self-confidence. After my victory in the qualifying heat, I rode two consistent heats and finished fifth. I am happy with the progress I have made in the last few weeks. The plan is to keep working hard and I hope my results will continue to improve.”
Glenn Coldenhoff: “It was a great weekend and I felt good on both days. I got two good starts and rode consistently both times. In the first heat I rode a little too cramped because I wanted to follow the leaders. Because of this I did not drive smoothly, so I had to slow down a bit. This made it difficult because there were some fast riders behind me. In the second moto I again got a good start, but I immediately saw that Tony was driving much faster. I tried to follow Jeffrey but understood that these two riders were riding a level higher than the rest this weekend. Either way, the same number of points as the guy in third place. It is a great pity that I did not finish on the podium in Valkenswaard because I have never achieved this before. I'm going home a little disappointed, but it's good for my confidence to know that I rode well and had good speed this weekend."
José Butron: “In qualifying I was in seventeenth place until I had to take off my glasses. As a result, I dropped back to 22nd place. On the first lap of the first moto I crashed and hurt my finger. It hurt a lot but I didn't want to give up and I crossed the finish line in 26th place. I was treated between the heats and that's why I decided to give it a try. Unfortunately I fell for a moment and because the effect of the painkiller stopped I left the match.”
Morgan Lesiardo: “In the qualifying heat it went quite well and I finished seventeenth after briefly holding fifteenth. On Sunday I was struck by bad luck: in the first heat I had to pull over due to engine trouble when I was in seventeenth place. In the second moto I started practically last and couldn't find my way. I got nervous and started making mistakes. To avoid a serious fall I pulled myself back. My expectations for this race were probably too high, we will continue to work hard to improve the performance.”
Hunter Lawrence: “I am not satisfied with the weekend in Valkenswaard. I messed up my start because I was too aggressive with the clutch. I had to catch up, which worked quite well until I fell back during a collision. Sixth place was a disappointment. In the second moto I had a good start, but couldn't finish in the first corner. I just couldn't find the right pace and couldn't get any further than sixth place.”
Tim Gajser: “I'm a bit disappointed. I had the right speed in qualifying. I expect a lot for Sunday but after two good starts I made too many mistakes. That took too much time.”
Arminas Jasikonis: “We are getting the engine better and better, finally another step in the right direction. I fell in qualifying and that's why I was sore all over on Sunday. That's why I took it all easy and it turned out to pay off relatively well with 18 points.”
Calvin Vlaanderen: “Things didn't go well this weekend. I expected a lot here in Valkenswaard. Disappointed is an understatement. I can do much better than what I showed. I fell in the first series. In the second series I was passed by the men I normally leave behind. I was sick with the flu, but that's no excuse. I wasn't fast enough this weekend.”
Adam Sterry: “Fortunately the finger injury is going in the right direction. It was terribly cold on Saturday, but qualifying went well. I started well from eighth place on the grid, but in the first lap I crashed twice. I managed to come back and score points, but it was not a good match. The second moto went much better, from 13th place I came back to eighth place. That means tenth place in the daily rankings, which is not great, but it is getting better. I would like to thank the F&H Racing Team and my mechanic for their hard work.”
Jed Beaton: “I look back on the Grand Prix in Valkenswaard with mixed feelings. My goal was to finish both heats in the top ten. I finished eighth in the first moto and I was happy, but the second moto didn't start well. I crashed in the early stages and had to give chase. I had some problems with steering, I probably damaged the bike in the crash. The 18th place in the second heat does not make me satisfied. I look forward to the Redsand match and would like to thank the team and sponsors.”
Ruben Fernández-Garcia: “On Saturday I felt good, especially after the third fastest time in the free practice. In the qualifying race I made a mistake that caused me to fall and not have a good starting position. I finished 17th in the first heat, the start wasn't that good but neither was the riding. The bike was adjusted for the second heat and despite a poor start I quickly got into the race. I managed to work my way up to eleventh place, but crashed twice, causing me to drop back. Fortunately, I managed to score points in both heats.”
By: Steven van Kempen/KEMCO
Photo: Ray Archer
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