GP victory number seven for Jago Geerts
Jago Geerts has – just like last year – won the Grand Prix in the mythical Maggiora. His seventh GP victory this year! The Balenian also moves up to second place in the World Cup. Thibault Benistant finished fifth, Rick Elzinga eleventh. Maggiora Park, in northern Italy. A resounding name in motocross. Until this weekend, the old school circuit had already been the scene of a Grand Prix several times (10x), the Trophy of the Nations (2x) and the Motocross of the Nations (3x). However, the weather threw a spanner in the works on Friday and Saturday morning. The rain was pouring down, turning the course into a gigantic mud puddle. Jago Geerts pulled his string in the mud and parked his YZ250FM in second place in the qualifying race. Rick Elzinga – the fastest in the time training earlier in the day – settled in 6th place. Thibault Benistant, who made his comeback after two months of injuries, came back strongly after an early fall and finished tenth.
Scrubs
Completely different circumstances on Sunday. The course was in much better shape after hard work during the night and a rising sun. Benistant (2nd) and Geerts (3rd) shot away from the starting gate like a comet, Elzinga followed a little further in 7th. Thibault could not enjoy his nice starting position for long. Titi dropped to eleventh place after a short 'excursion' off the track and a crash. Geerts thus took second place. And the Belgian never gave it up. Elzinga held on well for a long time in P6, but still had to give up two places in the final phase. Including Benistant who really found his feet in the second half of the race. The way he tackled De Wolf and Elzinga – with a scrub – was especially clever. Titi eventually finished seventh.
No shrinkage
Geerts had to leave the holeshot to Längenfelder again in the second series, but immediately went on the attack. Jago took the German well inside in the first round. The Balenian then kept a tight pace, but was unable to shake off Längenfelder. On the contrary, the German kept pushing until the finish. But Geerts did not back down and took his seventh GP victory of the season. A personal record, after six GP victories in 2020 and 2022. Geerts now has a total of 23 GP victories.
Benistant fought for third place throughout the series with Adamo, Everts and de Wolf. Ultimately, he crossed the line in fifth place. After a disastrous start (fall in the first corner), Elzinga was able to move up from 30th to 14th place.
Geerts also did well in the World Cup standings. Jago jumped over Everts to second place. With only one GP to go, next weekend in Matterley Basin, he has four points more than Everts and Längenfelder. Benistant and Elzinga remain in P9 and P10 in the World Cup.
#93 Jago Geerts
“I can look back on my weekend with great satisfaction. This is my first win after that second injury. So it has been a while since my home victory in Lommel. It got better every session. Good qualifying race, good first series too. Although Längenfelder was slightly faster. But in the second series I was able to impose my will. I already attacked Längenfelder in the first round. Successfully. He kept pushing me. Until the very last meters. But I stayed calm and just did my thing. Enough for the GP win. I am now second in the World Cup. Although there are three of us to a handkerchief. That will be a fun battle in the last GP.”
#198 Thibault Benistant
“I enjoyed the whole weekend. I was happy to finally be able to race again after two months of absence. I'm especially happy with my three starts this weekend. They were solid. In the qualifying race and in the first series I always crashed on the first lap. Those mistakes have to be removed, my focus has to be better. I paid extra attention to that in the second series. That was also my best race of the weekend. The speed is already there, my fitness is quite good and my starts are also fine. I still have to work on some details so that the whole picture is correct.”
#44 Rick Elzinga
“I've been sick all week. I still had problems with my sinuses, which were blocked, and I also had a headache and sore throat when I arrived in Maggiora. Saturday went quite well in the mud, with even the fastest time in the timed training. In the first series I came in P6 after a strong first lap. I was able to hold on well there until just over halfway through the race, but then I ran out of energy and fell back two more places. In the second series a lot of things happened for me at the start, which also caused me to crash. I went from last to 14th place. I am satisfied with the driving itself, but not with the result.”
Posted: Steven van Kempen/KEMCO
Gallery: #ShotbyBavo
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