The stadium in Assen was packed for MXGP racing on Sunday.
There is no doubt in anyones mind, this was a speical weekend in the history of the sport. Youthstream and the event promotes learnt a lot last weekend and I think every single person that was there is looking forward to heading back in 2016 and finding out what improvement they can make to make this a possible crown jewel in the MXGP series. Compare it to Daytona if you like, because that is a motocross track in a Supercross series and while Assen wasn’t a Supercross track, it did have that stadium feel about it. Here is what the riders thought.
Romain Febvre: “I started slowly on Saturday and showed good speed in qualifying already. I knew with some good starts I could be on the podium again and that was the goal. I knew also if I finished in front of [Gautier] Paulin then the championship would be done. It didn’t happen in the first moto but my start was a lot better in the second and I could pass everybody to win…and the 2015 world championship! I cannot thank everybody enough. The team did such a good job and gave me a chance last winter…I’m so happy.”
Tim Gajser: It was an amazing weekend, big crashes on Saturday, many crashes, but we had two solid starts on Sunday, and that was important. I am happy how I rode and compared to Lommel this was a big improvement. I have the red plate, which is a dream of mine, now we have to go to Mexico and America and just ride the best we can. It was a special event for the series, a different type of circuit, but the crowd was amazing and it made it nice to race here. I want to thank all my team and family.”
Shaun Simpson: “There has been a lot going on and I’ve had a busy three weeks. In some ways you could say “he’s done too much” but I don’t regret it. I had the experience of Unadilla and then had the opportunity of the factory bike and we didn’t want to just turn up and ride it. The factory has given me everything possible to come here and do a good job and I totally respect them for that and it’s why they are one of the best teams in the paddock because they really do support their riders. Maybe the schedule has all taken its toll a little bit because I tested, then switched back to the ’15 bike for a race in Belgium then rode again this week. I did one day and wanted to do two but I felt rough. Coming into this week the track looked nice and quite technical. There was a lot of hype going on and a lot of pictures being taken and I could sense the pressure. If I hadn’t have stalled the bike on Saturday then it would have been an easy fifth, instead I got flustered and started riding crap. It hit me a bit Saturday night. I had to take a step back, get fully into my routine and make a fresh start on Sunday. I was quite happy with fifth in the first race, considering the way I was feeling at the end of the moto…but looking back: two laps! Arghh! It was painful. That moto was tough and I knew I would have to ground out another one. Everyone has been so supportive this weekend and my brother was here and talking about having a ‘box of matches’ and making sure you had enough to strike another one at the end – some sort of cycling story he’d read – and I think I just about got away with it today. I just managed to hold on in that second moto for third; I just had enough matches to burn and I’m really pumped with third. Fourth overall, fifth in the championship and manufacturer’s points for KTM: I’m delighted. There is already talk of what we can do to improve this week and everyone’s motivated. We are already planning until the end of the year and that gives me the confidence for the next six weeks knowing I have this entourage of people around me working in the best possible way forwards.”
Glen Coldenhoff: “An amazing feeling, especially here with the crowd. Yesterday went well and having Pole made things quite a bit easier. I didn’t manage the same starts and when the guys are pulling away at the start of the moto it is hard to come back again. I had a really tough first moto and Romain was pushing me hard all the time and I was happy I could keep him behind me. The second moto was great – the track suited me better – and I felt like I could go on and on until the last lap. It was so special to feel the crowd behind me and I’ve actually not seen something like this in Holland before. I had Goosebumps some laps!”
Max Anstie: “The team and myself have made a big step in recent weeks and now I can focus mainly on myself and my riding. It was cool to race here and the fans this weekend were amazing, but unfortunately I had a few issues. It’s a shame that I went down in the first moto; I was pushing a little bit hard but at the end of the weekend we come away with second overall on a bad day. It’s difficult for the championship now as we lost points earlier in the year; all I can do now is to do my job and ride as fast as possible to keep a chance for the title. It will be fun to end the season in Glen Helen; that’s the place where I rode my first professional race and where I raced my first ever GP.”
Pauls Jonass: “I got a really good start in the first race, I was second behind Davy (Pootjes) and I passed him after the first lap and went on to ride my own race. I struggled a little bit with the suspension setting but still managed to finish second behind Gajser. I tried to focus on the second moto and again I got a pretty good start but I lost the front at the first turn. I passed many guys and still managed to finish thirteenth. My pace was very good and I was the fastest guy on the track. I’m only 13 points down and there is still 100 points so we can still do it.”
Davy Pootjes:“I was leading the second moto for the first ten minutes and this has been a really good first year on the 250 bike and I showed I have the speed.”
Brent Van Doninck: “Amazing! A first podium and first for the team also. I think we will celebrate! I liked the track; it was brutal but hats-off to the organisers. It was a nice experience this weekend. I didn’t expect a podium this year and my goal was more towards the top five. It should have been possible in Lommel but I was too aggressive there and I was not ready mentally and I learnt from that race. I was more calm this weekend and it went pretty good.”
Jeremy Seewer: “It was a tough GP and something that we don’t find often, the sand was like being on the beach – on holiday. I didn’t feel bad all weekend but somehow I was also riding a bit too safe. I was scared of crashing hard because some of those ‘kickers’ were huge. I had a good flow and feeling at Lommel but this was something different and it was hard to react to the bumps; you never really knew what the bike would do. In the first moto I had a bad start and it was very tough to come back. I could only manage 10th, which was really disappointing. The second race was much better and started almost with a holeshot. I actually didn’t know that Jonass was lapped when he was riding with me. My mechanic was showing me the board saying ‘P2’ and I was thinking ‘but there are two guys in front of me’. Anyway I finished third, which is really good for me in the sand but I still need to work on it. I know I can get better and better.”
Bas Vaessen: “The weekend overall was pretty good and I was happy with my riding. I was working my way to the front in the first moto when Adam Sterry and I fell together and I couldn’t get my bike started. I was a lap behind but followed Kouwenberg pretty easily until the bike had a problem. It was a bummer but today I was good and rode consistently without many mistakes. At the beginning of the season I was having some tough times and the level of the championship surprised me. All the guys fight so hard and for a kid on a 250 for the first time it was a little scary! I found a good set-up and could charge more in later races. I also saw I could go for podiums but had too many crashes.”
Max Nagl: “It’s been a tough weekend for me and the team. My motivation and confidence was really down on Saturday. It’s hard racing when you’re not at 100 per cent, and even harder when it’s a championship you were leading and no longer in the running for the title. The track was really unlike anything we’ve raced before. It was more like a short beach race style course – a very special type of track. I’m happy with my sixth place finishes considering my fitness.”
Harri Kullas: “Winning the qualifying race was great. But I didn’t get good starts today. In both motos I felt like my speed was good, but I was too far back at the start. I went from fifth to tenth in the first couple of corners in the opening moto and had to fight to get back to fifth. In moto two I got stuck between two riders going into the first turn and was around 20th. I was riding good, and got back to eighth at half distance. Much of the track was graded for the second moto – it was one-lined and not so technical. With better starts I believe a podium would’ve been possible.”
Todd Waters: “Today was fun, but really different. The sand was so deep and parts of the track pretty tight – it was really hard to keep momentum up. I rode a little tight in the first moto and struggled as a result. Being able to get a good rhythm going in these conditions is so important, but I just couldn’t make it happen like I wanted. Things were coming together for the second moto but then I made a silly mistake. It was tough after that. I made a few more mistakes and although I felt like I was riding ok I’d lost a lot of time.”
Nathan Watson: “This isn’t the way I wanted to bring my MXGP season to an end but it was a tough week for me after I got landed on at the last GP. I rested my shoulder as much as I could and didn’t ride, so by the second moto I was feeling pretty sore. I got too bad starts, and that made things hard. In the second moto I was pushing on pretty well but then I crashed. I want to thanks all Antti and all the IceOne team for everything they’ve done for me this year.”
Julien Lieber: “Today was not so bad. I had a pretty good start in the first moto and although I tired at the end of the race the result was OK. In the second moto my start was not as good and I had a problem with my goggles. Fourth again was not too bad but missed the podium again. I really want that podium before the end of the season. Anyway, for the championship and points it was a decent weekend.”
Benoit Paturel: “I think I can be happy with my performance this weekend. Another top ten in a sand race is good. The first race I was struggling a little bit but after a better start I felt more comfortable in the final moto. I had the right speed to follow the top five guys but a little mistake made me lose contact with them. I was able to battle until the last lap and was happy with the result. I’m happy for the team with the podium place and I hope to add another one before the end of the year!”
Valentin Guillod: “Bad luck in Lommel and a crash in Mantova that was not my fault – on Saturday the crash that hurt my shoulder was actually my fault – and the situation is a bit disappointing for the title. There is now two races to go and I think third place is still possible and everything can happen. My shoulder should be OK in a few days. Today I took some important points and I’m happy to finish the races.”
Damon Graulus: “I’m really happy to finish the championship like this. I felt comfortable all weekend long and had a lot of fun on the track. I knew the Dutch riders would be fast at the beginning so I didn’t push from the start on. Second race it amazed me they faded so hard at the end of the race. I could go on until the end and that proves I’m in a good shape. It’s good to finish the year on a good note, it has been a strange year and I learned a lot. I really had fun again while riding with the team and with everybody around me, so thanks for all the support from them!”
Jeremy Van Horebeek: “First of all I’m happy for this team. We’ve had success for two years; with me last year and now Romain. This season was bad for me but it doesn’t matter. Everybody has it at some stage. Today was so-so. In the first moto I was not good at all and the second was better. I was fighting with Shaun for third and I felt smooth on the bike but then the berm washed away around the back of the track and I slid away. I picked up the bike and lost energy trying to find my rhythm, I then went down again. I was seventh and catching Nagl and Paulin but didn’t have any more to give. On tracks like this it was hard with my back injury and the pain in the muscles but that is not an excuse. I’m just happy for this team. It is a wonderful day for them.”
Thomas Covington: “It was a really tough GP here in Assen, but I got some pretty good results in the sand recently and I enjoyed the race. The fans were amazing and I could hear them every lap ! It was a cool event, and everything was going to plan with a good qualifying result in fifth, and then a sixth in the first race, but on the third lap of the second race I just lost the front wheel coming into a corner and it took me a long time to get my bike started again before I recovered from last to eleventh for ninth overall. The track was really rough, on the same level as Lommel I think, and I really enjoyed the atmosphere; it was like Daytona but bigger.”
Ben Watson: “In the morning we made a few changes to the bike and I felt better on it but when someone crashed in front of me at the start of the first moto I went straight into the pile up and it changed the race. I was basically last and had to work my way through. I thought I rode quite well to reach fourteenth. In the second race I could feel the bike vibrating and not running cleanly when the five second board went up. Unfortunately it was another problem but it was out of my hands and I just have to keep on getting my head down and see what I can do.”
Tyla Rattray: “It was a good weekend except for the second race where I crashed and retired. It was fun to be here in Assen for my last race in Europe; I will miss the fans, people and everyone. It was a good and bad weekend, I hurt my back on Saturday during the qualifying race and today I missed a good start in the first race. It was a really difficult track to pass but I managed to make some passes and finish the first race in tenth position. Then I had a better start in the second moto but pulled over at the back of the track, and destroyed the radiator. Obviously it was pretty good event for the first time here in Assen but they need to built a longer track; the lap times were really short, 1’35’’, that’s really crazy.”
