A weekend to quickly forget!
Almost everything that could go wrong did go wrong for the Monster Energy Kemea Yamaha Team in Teutschenthal, where the tenth round of the FIM World Championship took place. Ben Watson suffered a broken hand on Saturday and underwent surgery on Sunday. Jago Geerts had a DNF in the second heat after an electronic problem.
The weekend started on a low note for the Monster Energy Kemea Yamaha Team. Ben Watson lost his balance during free practice on Saturday and was catapulted over his handlebars. Verdict: Broken metacarpal bone in his left hand. Watson immediately returned to his doctor in Antwerp and went under the knife on Sunday morning. It is not yet clear exactly how long the Brit will be out.
SEVERE CRASH
Jago Geerts did not really feel comfortable on the Talkessel circuit all weekend. The Balenian had difficulty with the deep ruts and treacherous bumps, crashed hard in time practice on Saturday and did not get further than tenth place in the qualifying race.
The teenager seemed to be feeling better during the first series on Sunday. Geerts got off to a good start on his YZ250F and had already moved up to fourth place after three laps. Unfortunately, after an error in judgment (his front wheel slipped) Jago was able to put his podium ambitions aside. The teenager lost a lot of positions and had to fight back from 15th position. Geerts recovered and was still able to achieve ninth place on the difficult track.
Just like in the first series, Geerts came out of the starting gate well in series two and was already in third position after four laps. But bad luck continued to haunt the Monster Energy Kemea Yamaha Team. Halfway through the race, Geerts had to deal with an electronic problem. DNF and zero points. Despite all that setback, Geerts remains third in the World Cup standings.
#193 Jago Geerts
“At no point did I really feel comfortable on this course. It started on Saturday with that heavy crash in timed practice and ended with that DNF in the second series. Very frustrating, because despite that bad feeling I could have reached the top five in both series. This is a disappointing weekend for me. The problems we encountered were unfortunate, but that is part of our sport. I am especially happy that I can return home safe and sound.”
Marnicq Bervoets
“This was a disastrous weekend for our team. Especially for Watson. Ben broke his hand and already went under the knife. Let's hope he can recover quickly. Geerts also had his share of bad luck. Jago lost a lot of points after a mistake in the first series and a problem with the engine in the second series. That's hard to accept when you've just achieved three podiums in a row. There is only one option: keep working hard.”
Posted: Steven van Kempen/KEMCO
Photo: Yamaha
Also to read
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…Jens Walvoort about his Portuguese Grand Prix
In Agueda, Jens Walvoort managed to make a big impression during the fifth Grand Prix of the season. The KTM rider finished sixth in the daily rankings, Walvoort is now sixteenth...EnduroGP: Interview Jamie McCanney
Manxman Jamie McCanney made EnduroGP history last year by winning the E1 in Slovakia as a privateer. The 29-year-old veteran has had a long and illustrious career, but…
Your reactions