PR: A dream start for Yamaha in Argentina
The Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 Team has made a dream start in the FIM World Championship. Jago Geerts took home the double series victory and the red plate in Villa la Angostura, Argentina, Thibault Benistant took third place on the podium and Rick Elzinga took an impressive fifth place. “A perfect weekend,” beamed World Cup leader Geerts.
“We have to be realistic: our riders have not had perfect preparation due to illnesses. So we are not immediately counting on a profit in Argentina. If one gets on the podium, we are satisfied.” That's what Hans Corvers said last week. The team boss couldn't believe his eyes when he saw his three drivers finish in the top five in Villa la Angostura. “Simply fantastic,” he beamed.
Jago Geerts started his weekend in a flash with a win in the qualifying race on Saturday. The 22-year-old Belgian was in the lead from start to finish. Good for pole position and ten World Championship points. “I did not immediately expect that, given my disrupted preparation,” said Geerts, who was out for two weeks due to illness. Thibault Benistant, who struggled to find the right rhythm, crossed the line in fifth. Rick Elzinga just managed to crack the top 10 after a poor start.
Duel of teammates
Hectic, the start of the first series in a rainy Villa la Angostura. A few riders – including Elzinga – spun at the starting gate. A turn later, several other pilots crashed again. Geerts and Benistant were able to skillfully avoid all that scrambling and entered the field first and second. The two Yamahas immediately took the lead. Benistant put pressure on his teammate and was able to pass Geerts nicely on the outside in the third lap. The Frenchman seemed to be sneaking away in socks... until the Argentinian Caceres - who was doubled - got in the way and brought down Thibault. Geerts could only narrowly avoid his falling teammate, but the Wolf could not. Iago now seemed to have complete free rein, but that was without Benistant. 'Titi' closed the gap again. Going into the final lap, the difference between the two Yamaha riders was barely six-tenths of a second. But Geerts kept a cool head, also because Benistant still fell to the ground. Fortunately without any physical damage and without losing a place. One and two for the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 Team: a great start to the championship. Rick Elzinga recovered well after a poor start and crossed the line in seventh place.
Strong Elzinga
Another great start from Geerts in the second series. Horgmo took care of the holeshot, but a corner later the Norwegian was already referred to second place by Jago. The Belgian immediately created a nice gap, after which he was able to finish the race in a controlled manner. Also clever: the way in which Elzinga got involved in the debates at the front. The European EMX250 champion even rode in second place for a while, but first had to pass Horgmo and later also Adamo. The Dutchman held on nicely in fourth place, good for a good fifth place in the Grand Prix. Benistant seemed to be on his way to the top three for a while, but made a mistake on the ninth lap. The Frenchman literally and figuratively fell back to eighth place. A position he was able to hold and which was just enough for the third step on the GP podium. A certain Jago Geerts was shining on that stage. Win in the qualifying race on Saturday and a double series victory on Sunday: good for 60 points. A perfect weekend for the Belgian.
#93 Jago Geerts
“Three great starts, three wins: it couldn't be better, a perfect weekend. I have to admit that I didn't expect that at all. My preparation has been seriously disrupted by a severe flu. For three weeks I was barely able to do anything. I only had one match before I came to Argentina. So I missed competition rhythm and also motorcycle training. And then still get 60 points... That's incredible actually. A big compliment to the team too. My Yamaha shot out of the starting gate three times like a comet. That makes the job a lot easier.”
#198 Thibault Benistant
“I have mixed feelings after this first match. On the one hand satisfaction with the podium, on the other hand frustration due to those falls. In the first heat I felt really good and fast. Until that doubled rider crashed. That really sucked. I got back to Geerts' wheel, but then made a mistake myself in the last lap. I also made a mistake in the second series. I was very lucky that no one jumped on me after that. I'm happy that I can go home without any injuries. All in all, third place isn't that bad.”
#44 Rick Elzinga
“Fifth place. Beautiful. I really didn't expect that. Certainly not after Saturday. I felt like I had the flu at the time. Fortunately, I felt a lot better on Sunday. In the first heat I moved away from the starting plate because it had rained a bit. A blessing in disguise: after the first corner, many riders crashed. So I was able to pass that straight away. The second series was wonderful. I started at the front and was able to last a long time with those guys. Although it took some getting used to the pace. These men just keep going, from start to finish.”
Placed: Steven van Kempen/KEMCO
GALLERY: Yamaha Racing
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