Jago Geerts and Ben Watson ready for battle
The FIM World Championship finally kicks off this weekend. First of 19 stops for the Monster Energy Kemea Yamaha MX2 Team: the beautiful circuit in Neuquen, Argentina. Ben Watson and Jago Geerts arrived in Neuquen with a lot of confidence, after the recent victories in Hawkstone Park (Geerts) and Lacapelle Marival (Watson).
2018 was a great season for the Monster Energy Kemea Yamaha Team. Watson finished fourth in MX2, Geerts eighth. But the ambitious team wants more and has raised the bar for 2019. 21-year-old Watson is aiming for a place in the top three, while Geerts (18) – named Promise of the Year last season – has his sights on the top five has put. Also high on team owner Hans Corvers' wish list: a GP victory.
“We have had solid preparation races, the riders are in good condition and the YZ250F is a lot better than last year,” says Corvers. “In short: all the ingredients are there to make it a great season.”
The first international races did not really go as Watson wanted, but the Brit was back in top form last weekend in Lacapelle Marival. An impressively strong Watson controlled all sessions in France. Geerts had a solid preseason, with his victory in Hawkstone Park two weeks ago as an outlier. Needless to say, both Kemea Yamaha riders arrived in Argentina with great confidence. They are ready for battle!
Jago Geerts: “I can't complain about my preparation. The feeling on the bike is good, the results are also excellent. One problem: my starts. They have to improve. I've been working on that a lot in training lately. Big advantage: my studies are now behind me. This means I can train much more and, just as importantly, rest much more and take time to recover. I finished eighth in the World Cup last year, while I still combined sports with school. I want to do better every year, so the bar is set a little higher in 2019. I am aiming for the top five in the World Cup and also this weekend in Argentina. I love the surface, the many jumps and the many fans. So bring it on!”
Ben Watson: “The weekend in Lacapella Marival was a mental boost for me. I really needed a race like this after some difficult weeks. Finally I could perform at my best level. All in all, I am quite satisfied with my preparation. Sometimes you just need difficult moments – such as the matches in Riola Sardo and Ottobiano – to become stronger. I am satisfied with the bike and I also feel good conditionally. We started this year on a better footing. You notice that. I think I can be stronger for longer now. My goal is clear: to do better than my fourth place in 2018. Although I don't want to put too much pressure on myself. I want to enjoy my sport as much as possible. Because I know one thing for sure: if I enjoy myself, I go faster.”
Photos: shotbyBavo, Yamaha Racing
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