Geerts about his victory in Riola Sardo!
The Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 Team started 2020 with a win. Jago Geerts won the MX2 race in Riola Sardo, ahead of his teammate Ben Watson. Both riders also performed very well in the Superfinal – where they competed against the MXGP riders – with a fifth (Geerts) and sixth (Watson) place.
Geerts immediately sent his YZ250FM into the lead in the MX2 race. Teammate Watson was the only rider who could keep up with the pace of the Belgian teenager. The Briton put pressure on his teammate throughout the race, but was unable to pass Geerts. Both Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 riders also performed well in the Super Final, where they had to compete against the more powerful 450 bikes. Just like in the first series, Jago and Ben stayed close to each other for almost the entire race. Tim Gajser, MXGP world champion, won the Superfinal. Geerts was the best MX2 rider in fifth place, just ahead of buddy Watson.
“It's always nice to start the season with a win,” said team manager Marnicq Bervoets. “But we also have to be honest: the opposition was not that great in MX2 today. It was especially a very good training for our riders. They both took two strong starts, quickly found a good rhythm and were able to maintain the speed well. On the one hand, it was fun to see our two riders dueling with each other. On the other hand, there were also occasional shivers, because you were always a little afraid that they would touch each other. We want to start the World Cup with two riders.”
#193 Jago Geerts
“I'm quite happy with my two races today. I took the holeshot in the MX2 series and immediately got into the rhythm. Gradually I started to suffer from pumped arms, but I was still able to maintain a good pace. It is of course nice to start the season with a win. I also got away very well in the Super Final, but it was difficult to compete with those powerful 450 machines. All in all it was a very good training, because the track was damn tough.”
#919 Ben Watson
“I can look back on my day in Riola Sardo with a good feeling. It was only the first match of the season, so it took some searching to get into it. I managed to get two good starts and rode two solid races without mistakes. We have completed the first of the season. Now we can continue to work on the weaknesses and focus on the next event at Hawkstone Park to prepare for the first Grand Prix in Matterley Basin.”
By: KEMEA Racing
Photo: Photographic Art/Davide Messora
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