The Quote 500 from Agueda.
A lot happened last weekend during the Portuguese GP. Here are the reactions from the MXGP paddock after the fifth Grand Prix of the season.
Commentary Thomas Kjer Olsen: “I was looking forward to achieving a good result here. The goal was to score consistently and I'm happy that we got another podium finish. In the first heat I got a good start and after a controlled race I managed to finish fourth. In the second moto I quickly took second place and managed to hold on to this until the finish. Due to a number of mistakes in the last few laps, Ben Watson came very close, but I am happy that I managed to hold on to second place. I am very happy to have finished on the podium again and I would like to thank the team for all the hard work they do for me."
Commentary Thomas Covington: “I got a very good start in the first moto and quickly took second place. My speed was good and I really wanted to fight for the win. After six laps I entered a bend in a soft part of the circuit and hurt my knee. There was a lot of mud in some places and that made it difficult. It's the same knee I injured at the MX des Nations at the end of last year and the pain was too severe to continue. At this point I don't know how serious the injury is. I will look at it with the doctors and I hope that I can soon make plans to return to competitions."
Commentary Glenn Coldenhoff: “On Saturday the feeling was really bad, luckily I was able to turn it around into a positive result on Sunday. I am really happy with the new situation in my team and the engine is also really great,” said Glenn. He continues “with my training technician I can work optimally at home and this just makes me feel good and I think you see this reflected in my results. Today was good for my confidence and I think if the starts are good I can keep up with the front riders.”
Comments Davy Pootjes: “This was a bit of an unlucky weekend, the driving went very well, but it just wasn't going well. Now take the good feeling of driving to Russia.”
Comments Vsevolod Brylyakov: “It was a very tough course with all those deep ruts. I really struggled in the beginning. But I had a good qualifying race and two solid heats. Although my first series could have been a bit better. I was on my way to the front when I started having problems with my glasses. I couldn't see anything anymore with all that mud and had to slow down. My second series was fine. I made a few mistakes in my choice of lines in the beginning, but was then able to progress to fifth place. Sixth in the final standings and sixth in the World Cup standings: not bad. I'm already looking forward to the next GP, in front of my own audience in Russia.”
Comments Jago Geerts: “I twisted my ankle in free practice on Saturday. It was very painful, especially on this difficult track with all those deep ruts. After the warm-up on Sunday I hesitated for a moment about starting the heats because I couldn't put my foot in the left turns. But I still took a chance and tried to collect as many points as possible. I had to grit my teeth, but I was still able to get a handful of points. Without that little crash in the second moto I might have been able to get into the top 10. I will see my doctor on Monday, but I am confident that I will be fit again by the Russian GP.”
Commentary Ben Watson: “The driving was good, even better than last week. It was a great Grand Prix, with my first podium in a series. That is of course special. It's just a pity that I miss the GP podium by a hair. I knew I had to pass Olsen in the second heat. I put a lot of pressure on him and placed another attack in the last corner. But I fell just a little short… One tenth of a second, to be precise. That sucks. Well, I'm glad I took another step forward. My engine runs well and I drive well.”
Comments Marnicq Bervoets: “Watson and Brylyakov were even better than last week in Italy. They are making progress week after week. Watson was very strong. He is already a fixture in the top five, and with a bit of luck maybe even top three. That's promising. Brylyakov was aggressive, without going over the limit. His second series was, just like last week, the best. Hopefully he can continue this progression for a while. In two weeks we will go to Russia. His home GP, that can be an extra boost. Finally, Geerts injured his ankle. He was in a lot of pain, but decided to race anyway and even took World Championship points. He showed a lot of character.”
Commentary Nancy van de Ven: “We knew in advance that we would survive in the first two games. I am therefore very happy that I am already on the podium here and that I only lost ten points to Courtney Duncan in the battle for the world title. In the coming weeks I can work on my form so that I can be strong again in Germany."
Commentary Nathalie Fasé (F&H Racing Team): “We are extremely happy with the performance of all three drivers. After the blow of a fall on Saturday, it is great that Ruben was able to complete both heats and finished 10th overall. Three of our riders in the top ten and our first podium as the icing on the cake! The Fasé family and the entire F&H Racing Team would like to thank all its sponsors for their support and trust. And of course congratulations because this is also your stage!!”
Commentary Jeremy Seewer: “Overall it was another solid weekend. Not really any special outliers, but not in a negative sense either. I felt good all weekend, my speed was good and I was able to fight with the guys at the front. Unfortunately my starts this weekend weren't really good, but luckily I was able to get to the front afterward. So in itself it was not wrong. Every weekend it gets a little better, and this weekend was my best yet in terms of points. That way you can see that I'm making progress.”
Commentary Shaun Simpson: “I mainly look at the positive points of this weekend. To be honest, seven days ago I didn't think I would be able to start here. The fact that my shoulder was good enough to drive was actually a miracle, I also had an infection and an open wound in my arm. Still, I managed to achieve my second best result of the year. I grabbed the holeshot once and the riding went well at times, I'm happy with that. Two heats in the points and now a small break in the schedule so I can go to Russia fit. All in all, I can't help but be satisfied.”
Door: Steven van Kempen/KEMCO
Photos: Yamaha
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