Miro Sihvonen and Emil Weckman ready for Lommel
Diga Junior Racing riders Miro Sihvonen, Emil Weckman and James Scott used the ADAC MX Masters round of Tensfeld as a dress rehearsal for the EMX250 and EMX125 rounds of Lommel. The returning Miro Sihvonen immediately impressed with his speed. Weckman was close to a win in the final heat, but was disqualified after the first race.
The sandy Tensfeld circuit, about 80 km from Hamburg, has long been a fixture in the German championship. For Miro Sihvonen, the weekend was an important test for his return to EMX250. Surprisingly, it was as if Miro had never left!
'On saturday Sihvonen finished third in his group in the timed training. In the first Youngster Cup leg, the 19-year-old Finn grabbed the holeshot and led until he was passed by Jett Lawrence. Sihvonen continued to chase the Australian but crashed on the final lap when he tried to attack and hit Lawrence's rear wheel. Fortunately, Miro still managed to secure second place. The KTM 250SX-F rider had another great start in the second moto. Miro quickly took the lead and started to pull away from the competition. Unfortunately, he suffered a shock absorber problem, which forced him to slow down and finish fifteenth.
Emil Weckman was also doing well during qualifying. Although he was at the front in the opening race, two footnotes had to be placed on his result. The double EMX150 quickly moved to the front, but had to deal with an electrical problem with the engine. Weckman would hang in second for most of the race before eventually finishing fourth. However, he was subsequently disqualified by a jury decision. After the warm-up lap, his engine was refueled, which is not allowed according to the ADAC regulations.
The Finnish talent just missed the holeshot in the second moto. Once again, Weckman took command early. Emil led for 8 laps, but ultimately had to settle for second place, 0,8 seconds behind winner Raivo Dankers. Although he missed the previous MX Junior Cup race, Emil moves up from seventh to fifth place in the provisional standings. James Scott finished his day in Tensfeld 17th overall. The 16-year-old New Zealander had an unfortunate crash in the opener and never reached his best level.
This weekend the KTM Diga Junior Racing team will compete in front of its own audience on a circuit with which all riders are very familiar. Sihvonen booked his first EMX250 podium in Lommel two years ago. On the tough and treacherous Heeserbergen circuit, Weckman finished first and second in his EMX150 races.
Miro Sihvonen: "I didn't know what to expect, but overall it was a pretty positive first race after my mandatory break. I definitely had some bad luck, but my starts were good, I led in both races and my speed was okay! In the first moto I lost my rhythm a bit, but I recovered well afterwards. I was extremely disappointed with the second heat because I felt that I should have won it. Fortunately, I did set the fastest lap in the last race! In any case, I'm really looking forward to riding in Lommel this weekend. “
Emil Weckman: “Tensfeld was okay but we were a bit unlucky! My bike wasn't 100% in the first moto when I had an electrical problem. The second race was my best of the weekend. I rode well, but made a few mistakes and had difficulty overtaking the doubled riders. Anyway, it was a good preparation for the EMX125 round in Lommel. It would be great to win there on a 125 too!”
James Scott: "I never found the right flow in qualifying. That also gave me a bad starting position. I had a good start in the first moto, but when another rider crashed in front of me, I was done for. I couldn't avoid him anymore, got hit by a car and hurt my stomach. I was 40 seconds behind when I took off again. At the end of the ride I finished 22nd, but I felt pretty sick the whole time. The second moto was better. I started in the top 20 and worked my way up to eleventh place. It wasn't really that great. I felt like I was lacking energy because I hadn't been able to eat properly between heats. That is now behind us. I have trained quite a bit in Lommel in recent months, but it will be tough anyway. It will certainly be an interesting weekend!”
Photos: Eric Laurijssen
Also to read
VIDEO: Inside MXGP and the Yamaha riders' race in Agueda
The Yamaha camp lets us look behind the scenes again and this time it is during the MXGP of Portugal. A new rider had appeared there who goes by the name...New knee injury for Maeron Peeters
A major setback for Maeron Peeters. Last year the Belgian crashed with Maxi Werner in Oldebroek and tore his right anterior cruciate ligament. On April 27…List of participants MXGP of Galicia in Lugo
The sixth MXGP of this year will be held in Lugo, Spain this weekend. After the Portuguese mud bath of Agueda, the World Cup toppers will have a different kind of circuit under the…Test: Polisport's unbreakable levers
Brake and clutch levers have sometimes broken off in a crash, but it has never been different. Polisport has thought deeply about this subject and now has an unbreakable lever on the…
Your reactions