The MXGP podium guys talk about their Sunday. Gautier Paulin, Jeffrey Herlings and Jeremy Van Horebeek. These three guys really put on a show for the large Dutch audience. Looks out next week for exclusive interviews with Pauls Jonass, Jeffrey Herlings, Gautier Paulin, Giuseppe Luongo and Stefan Everts.

Gautier Paulin: (1st in MXGP) It was a long time ago, and it feels really great. It was an emotional win, because it’s been so long and now back on the podium and the first step. It’s been for more than a year. Not just for the win, but also for the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna team, I feel so good with this team and they are pushing so hard behind me and its good having people like this behind you. The track changed a lot from yesterday and today and its totally different from two years ago, when I won here it was totally different. It was still really good, and awesome today. Being part of Husqvarna is a big thing, they push so hard from the first GP at Qatar. They are so close to me and we are making changes and it isn’t just about being under the tent or at the races, I feel their power and this gives me strength and its great racing like this. I felt racing with Jeffrey, and the Dutch fans were really cheering for him, so hard and I felt like the track was getting smaller and from today there will be some good memories.

Jeffrey Herlings: (2nd in MXGP) We wanted to be one place more to the left, but we got second, so from where we came from, we had a bad start to the season. We came to Qatar with a broken hand, and we were riding, but we couldn’t ride, with so much pain. In the second round as well, then I couldn’t ride for five weeks almost. We went from GP to GP and I felt terrible, I even felt embarrassed. Now I have been back on the bike for a couple of weeks, and I am pain free, so that is positive. Now we can work on getting better and better. These guys are super-fast and during the winter, I didn’t expect them to be so fast. MXGP is like all-out war, from the start of the race until the end. That is something we are not used to, but I think we will get there. We are back on the speed, now we need to get the starts sorted. Gautier is on the same bike as is Tony and they pull one after the other holeshots. I just have to get it all together and once we have that I think we are on a good way. For sure the championship is over, but maybe we can get top five. I have been winning here seven years in a row and even though I have had a bad season, they expected me to be on the podium and that is what I did. I wanted to be in Gautier’s spot, but I felt close today to the win and that is good, but for the Dutch fans I felt for them. We got second, and that is like a win for me at the moment. I think I came from outside the top ten in the first moto and 15th in the second moto, and all these guys are fast. I don’t want to be disrespectful to the MX2 guys, but when I was racing with those guys I would pass them and be gone and these MXGP guys fight back. It’s been a good day and I just want to work from here.

Jeremy Van Horebeek: (3rd in MXGP) It’s been a good weekend. I was really sick after Mexico with a virus in my stomach and throwing up a lot and I lost four kilos. Last week it was getting good and this week I thought it was over, but I had big cramps in the second moto, but overall it was really good. The first moto I felt good for 15 minutes and I thought let’s go for the win, but health problems stopped that. We were consistent and I am glad to be on the podium. When you are consistent like this it pays at the end of the season. I like Latvia and me and Gautier had a good battle at the MXoN in 2014 and let’s keep that going. The fans enjoy our racing and it’s a tough class, we have to fight for every position.

Juan Pablo Acevedo image

Author

Dan Lamb is a 12+ year journalist and the owner of MotoXAddicts.