Geerts about winning his home GP
Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 rider Jago Geerts took his fifth GP win of the season in front of his home crowd in Lommel. The Balenaar increased his World Cup lead to 23 points. Thibaut Benistant moved up to fifth place in the World Cup, after finishing sixth in the deep Lommel sand.
After the hard track in Loket, the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 Team took to the deep sand in Lommel for Round 14 of the FIM World Championship. The Municipal Motocross Center is known as one of the toughest – physically and mentally – circuits in the world. Lommel is also a popular 'playground' for most riders, as many teams are located nearby.
Nerve-wracking fight
Jago Geerts, who had regained the red plate in the Czech Republic last week, made a blitz start in the first series on his YZ250FM. The Balenaar took the holeshot, but was quickly passed by Roan van de Moosdijk and teammate Thibault Benistant. However, not for long. By the third lap, Geerts had taken the lead again, followed closely by Kay de Wolf. The two then presented the audience with a spectacular and nerve-wracking battle for the lead. A battle that ultimately turned in the Dutchman's favor. Behind these two, Benistant was involved in a battle for third place with Van de Moosdijk, Längenfelder and Everts. Thibault, who won his EMX250 title on this circuit, crossed the line in fourth.
No second fiddle
Geerts took the holeshot again in the second series. Three guesses who was immediately breathing down his neck? Indeed: the Wolf. The protagonists of the first series once again made it a fun duel. The Dutchman jumped past Geerts to the lead position in the second lap - on the waves.
Benistant crashed in the first corner and had to chase the entire series. The Frenchman had to go deep to move up to eighth place.
At the front, Geerts did not feel like playing second fiddle again and clung to the Wolf's wheel. In the sixth round he struck mercilessly. On the waves, where the Dutchman was outstanding all weekend, he defeated the Wolf. The breaking point for the Dutchman, as Jago then quickly raced to his fifth GP victory of the season. Also a nice gift for team owner Hans Corvers, who celebrated his team's 25th anniversary this weekend. With four Grand Prix to go, Geerts is now 23 points ahead of Tom Vialle.
#93 Jago Geerts
“I'm really happy that I could win in front of my own people, who showed up en masse. It was a tough, but great weekend. I took the holeshot twice, which of course made my job easier. In the first series the Wolf was a bit faster, so I had to be satisfied with second place. He was strong again early in the second heat, but I knew Kay wouldn't be able to maintain that pace. I passed him, opened a gap, took the win and further extended my World Cup lead. A wonderful feeling.”
#198 Thibault Benistant
“It wasn't my best weekend. Far from it, in fact. It was extremely tough. I had a hard crash on Sunday morning and it still haunts me. I had trouble getting back together. I just couldn't focus one hundred percent. I just didn't feel good about myself. So nothing was ingested with the food. In short: a bad weekend. Fortunately, we now have a weekend off so I have a little more time to get ready for the next GP.”
Posted: Steven van Kempen/KEMCO
GALLERY: CDS
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