First GP victory for Ben Watson!
After a third and second place earlier this week, Ben Watson took his very first GP victory in the last race of the Lommel triple-GP. Jago Geerts had a disappointing day and only finished ninth! Despite the rain, the course – which had undergone a few changes in sectors 3 and 4 – was in perfect condition on the last day of competition. The Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 riders felt good on the wet track and clocked the second (Geerts) and sixth fastest times (Watson) in qualifying, which gave them a good starting position.
Smart driving
Both Geerts (second) and Watson (fifth) got off to a good start in the first series and immediately settled behind World Cup leader Vialle, who had taken the holeshot. However, the Belgian immediately threw away any potential winning opportunities when he ended up next to the track and went upside down just before the waves. Jago had to restart as 31st and very last. The 20-year-old Balenaar - who crashed again in the third round - finished in a disappointing 13th place.
Watson, meanwhile, rode a very intelligent race. The Briton took the time in the initial phase to find the right rhythm. Once found, he went on the attack. For example, he went around Benistant well and was incredibly fast on the waves to catch Renaux. Watson, who took the first series win of his career on Wednesday, again scored 25 points and was now chasing Vialle, who was about six seconds ahead of him. Ben was briefly two seconds per lap faster than the Frenchman, closed the gap in an instant and raced past Vialle like an express train. He tried to hook up his wagon, but Watson did not give him the chance to return to his wheel. Ben remained spotless until the finish and took his second series victory in five days.
Well deserved
Geerts steered his YZ250FM to a sixth holeshot this season in the second series, while Watson – who was completely boxed in – only entered the first corner in eleventh and had to start a catch-up race. Geerts was eager to put something right after that disappointing first series and immediately made a gap. Unfortunately, things went wrong again in the third round. The Belgian crashed and fell back to fifth place. Watson, meanwhile, made his way to the front. In the first lap alone he moved up five positions, from eleventh to sixth. Ben was given another place when his teammate crashed again (Geerts dropped back to tenth place) and now went after Vialle. Successfully. The 23-year-old Watson finished fourth, more than enough to celebrate his first and well-deserved GP victory. Geerts crossed the line in seventh place, good for ninth place in the final standings.
#193 Jago Geerts
"Ninth. A big disappointment. I know I can win here in Lommel, but today I crashed four times. Four times in the same way, by sliding away from the front. I just can't hold my bike. We are still looking for the right setting, especially when it comes to the suspension. We need to resolve this as quickly as possible. The triple GP in Pietramurata is especially important to get to know the bike better with a view to 2021. I am sure it is not a mental problem. I was already far behind in the World Cup. Then why should I be stressed?”
#919 Ben Watson
“I will never forget this week. Third, second and now first place. Incredible. My first series was great. I started quietly, I certainly wanted to stay on two wheels in that initial phase. Once I got into the right rhythm I started attacking and won. After that series I only had one thing on my mind, the only thing I had not yet succeeded in my career: winning a GP. That's why I felt a bit tense in the second series. All kinds of things went through my head, but I still managed to win the GP. A wonderful feeling. I'm also happy that I can give something back to the team for all the hard work they do for me.”
Marnicq Bervoets
“What a fantastic performance from Watson. Real punishment. I am extremely proud and happy for Ben. He is an extremely hard worker and a very grateful person. He really deserves this win. What a week: third, second and first. It is a shame that Ben has to leave our team after this season due to the age rule. As for Geerts: he is currently hanging in the ropes. He falls down too much. I don't think it's a mental or conditioning problem. Either way, we need to resolve this as quickly as possible.”
Posted: Steven van Kempen/KEMCO
Photos: CDS
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