Geerts, the Jerre and Strijbos about their MXON silver!
The Belgian team today captured its first Monster Energy MX of Nations medal since 2015. This also marked its first podium since Johan Boonen took over as national coach in 2018. The Belgians came to their northern neighbors for a medal and succeeded in their mission with flying colors!
Jeremy Van Horebeek (5th in MXGP): "A good day! Our goal was to reach the podium and we did that. In both heats I was fourth until a few minutes before the end. A light came on and the engine started steaming in the first heat. I was very happy that the engine lasted until the end. In the second moto I had a problem with the rear sprocket and the chain was behaving strangely. A problem that has never occurred before, but fortunately we were in second place as a team. That's why I knew it was good for the podium. We came here with a strong team because we knew that all three of us are good on the sand, which gave us confidence. In itself, this competition is not special from a sporting point of view, even though it is of course a very nice event with a lot of atmosphere. Other than that it is just the same as a GP. So there is no extra pressure. In the meantime, Kevin and I of course have a lot of experience, but Jago also handles this well. That may have been different last year at his first MX of Nations participation, but he already knew what to expect.”
Kevin Strijbos (8th in MX Open): “I felt very good this weekend and it was great to be on the podium again with the Belgian team. In the first heat I fell twice and couldn't start straight away, so I lost a lot of time. It also fell in the second series, which was a shame. Certainly for myself, although I still came back reasonably well. Of course I would have liked to have done a little better, especially after my strong performance yesterday. However, the most important thing was that we won a medal here as a team.”
Jago Geerts (6th in MX2): “I had a technical problem in the first heat, which was of course unfortunate. But in the second series things went well and I won in MX2. So it couldn't have been better. We are very pleased that we reached the podium again as a team. The fact that I had to start on the outside was not such a disadvantage because the start on the inside was also really muddy. Of course it was tough, but I really don't think it was a handicap to ride the 250 versus the 450s! For me, it was mainly about technique and choosing the right lines, which suits me.”
Johan Boonen (team manager): “It was actually a roller coaster ride with everything that happened, but despite Jago Geerts' bad luck, we always had confidence in a good outcome. Our three drivers did just fine, although you know that something can always go wrong. So it's always exciting! Congratulations to the Dutch team. The Netherlands were simply very strong and today they were a size too big for the rest. But just as the Dutch feel at home in Lommel, we also feel at home in Assen. Because it is a heavy sand track here and because it is so close to home and because of the many Belgian supporters.”
Photos: Gino Maes
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