Geerts takes his tenth podium of the season
Jago Geerts continues to amaze. In only his second GP after his second comeback, the Balenian parked his Yamaha in third place in Afyonkarahisar, Turkey. His tenth podium this year. Rick Elzinga finished seventh in Turkey. The Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 Team traveled to Turkey for round 17 of the FIM World Championship without Thibault Benistant. The Frenchman is still recovering after his heavy fall in the Grand Prix of the Czech Republic. If everything goes according to plan, 'Titi' will make its comeback in two weeks in Maggiora, Italy.
More technical and slower
On Saturday, at the end of the MX2 qualifying race (Geerts 4th, Elzinga 13th), the rain was pouring down. The Afyon Motor Sports Center was flooded in no time, even forcing the MXGP qualifying race to be canceled! On Sunday the riders were presented with a completely different track - which had now dried out quite well -: more deep ruts, more technical and a lot slower. Jago Geerts felt quite good about these new circumstances. The Belgian entered the first corner in fourth place and quickly moved up to second place, behind a surprisingly strong Gifting. Geerts was joined by Längenfelder, who continued to breathe down his neck. Halfway through the series, Jago had to let the German go. Geerts was then able to fend off the attacks of a sitting Everts and jumped over Gifting to P2.
Rick Elzinga lost grip at the starting gate, dived into the first corner in 13th place and then started a tough overtaking race. Halfway through the race the Dutchman was in sixth position. Good, although he did fall back one place in the final phase.
Not such a good start for the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 duo in the second race: Geerts was boxed in in the first corner and relegated to P8, Elzinga entered the field in eleventh. After a good first lap, Jago had already moved up to fourth place. The Belgian increased the pressure on Van De Moosdijk, but was no longer able to wrest third place from the Dutchman. Elzinga used the same recipe as in the first series and was able to move up to eighth place. The Dutchman is now tenth in the World Cup standings, teammate Geerts remains third. The penultimate GP of 2023 is scheduled for two weeks: on the legendary circuit in Maggiora.
#44 Rick Elzinga
“I recovered well after a difficult Saturday. However, it was not easy having to start all the way on the outside. There was only one good line, but I still managed to do a few good passing maneuvers. That's how I fought my way from eleventh to seventh place in the first series. Although my shoulder did get quite tired at the end. In the second series I rode much better, although the result was less good. But my technique was quite good, I just had trouble passing.”
#93 Jago Geerts
“On the podium again, I am very satisfied with that. Don't forget that I had to go under the knife five weeks ago. My shoulder is a lot better now, but still not completely fine. And I'm also still a bit behind on a physical level. I was stone dead at the end of the second series. But I kept fighting to get to that GP podium. And I succeeded. I'm quite happy with that.”
Posted: Steven van Kempen/KEMCO
By: KEMEA Racing
Gallery: Yamaha
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