Check out what the riders thought of their weekend in France.

Jeffrey Herlings: The starts were key in the mud. I got covered at the start of the first moto and then had a pretty big crash and somehow only lost a few positions. I knew it would be tough to take the overall win so I had some luck with that one. I had my first holeshot of the year in the second moto! I had some good lines and Max also, it was hard to pass him and you had to be lucky with the lapped riders, especially in the last two laps when it was really slick. Six overall wins this year and eleven podiums: it has been good and I really want to thank Red Bull KTM. They have believed in me and stuck behind me. There are a lot of good people in the team and they are all motivated. Whatever I have asked for they have tried to deliver it and whenever I wanted to test we went. I really appreciate the hard work they have put in and without them I wouldn’t have been able to come back that strong. The second part of the season we were good and strong and have won five out of the last six and I’m super-pumped about that. It was a shame about the beginning and the injury but congrats to Tony again because he was the most consistent and maybe also the smartest rider this season. I have learned a lot and I underestimated the guys. I was living in a cloud in the winter and I should have been doing other things. I had a reality-check at the first round and I knew I had to change and stick to my programme. I think I am good to go for next year. Our bike set-up is good now and we have experienced a lot. Hopefully next season we can move one step up.

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Thomas Covington: It’s just great to end the season with overall victory in such demanding conditions. It was a perfect confidence booster for the coming season. I got the holeshot in the opening moto and that felt great. My goal was to keep it on two wheels while trying to retain a safe gap to the rest of the field. The track was rough and quite difficult to ride. A few laps before the finish I got stuck in a rut but luckily my gap was big enough to secure the moto win. In moto two I got another holeshot but quickly got passed by a couple of riders. I kept my head down and managed to make a few passes for second at the line.

 

Max Anstie: The weekend started really well for me. I had a good qualifying moto and managed to get the win. It might have just been a qualifying moto win but it was my first race victory in the 450cc class. On Sunday we had a lot of rain and that made things harder for everyone. I did the best I could in the opening moto. Conditions were tricky and it was vital to avoid mistakes. I was happy with fourth and thought I could do even better in moto two. My start was great in the second race and I managed to lead the for much of the race. I had a good battle with Herlings down to the finish line.

 

Pauls Jonass: It has been my dream since I started riding to be world champion and I accomplished that in the first moto. I made it tough for myself by crashing in the second corner then got up, cleaned everything and crashed in the next corner! I started from dead last but could finish fifth for the championship. My motivation was a bit down for the second moto but I was feeling good by the end and started to ‘go’. Fifteen podiums from nineteen is a pretty good season and I’m looking forward for some holidays! I’m also happy to finish the year without injury so we can go straight into preparing for 2018 after some time off.

Cairoli and Jonass celebrated their 9h and 1st world titles.

Jed Beaton: My Saturday went pretty good, I had a good qualifying race which meant I had a good gate pick and that helped a lot. My starts this weekend were a lot better too. I was a bit lucky with Seewer crashing on the last lap of the second race as that enabled me to get third overall. I wasn’t originally going to race in MX2 this weekend but thankfully Carglass Honda released me and allowed me to take up the opportunity and I am really grateful for that. To get third overall in my fourth ever MX2 race is a really awesome feeling, it was awesome to see the team so pumped about it and they have been so good at setting the bike up for me as I only raced it for the first time in Assen last weekend.

 

Tim Gajser: The season for me started really well, I had the red plate for the first four rounds until I crashed in Europe and got injured. From then on, my season went downhill. I was riding in pain and was not the same condition before the crash. Then I crashed again and that was pretty much how my season has gone. I am glad to finish the season strong and today I felt really good in the mud. I made too many mistakes this year and when I make a mistake I end up injured. The last few races I have been in much better condition and the riding is quite ok. I want to say a huge thanks to everyone around me and my family.

 

Hunter Lawrence: I came into today really happy because I had first gate pick after winning qualifying yesterday. In the first moto it was quite wet, as a lot of rain fell so it was really muddy and slippery. It was really difficult conditions. I got a decent start though, and made some passes to come up to fifth and then fourth quite quickly. However, I couldn’t make a dent in the guys in front and finished fourth. In the second moto I went for the start, put it all in, and my RM-Z250 came out well on the inside and I held on to come out in the lead. I just then put my head down, put in my own laps and increased my lead and was really happy with how it all went. I’m really happy for the win and to end the season on a high note. I was pumped because Thomas Covington was closing in at the end because I was just trying to get it over the line at that stage. Leading a race is a whole different ball game from coming through the pack but I enjoyed it and now I get to look forward to the Motocross of Nations.

 

Kiara Fontanesi: It is unbelievable to win five times; it is something crazy. I hoped to win one [when I started] and finally now I have five. It is amazing,” she said. “It has been a tough season and racing and fighting for the title in conditions like this morning was difficult. I just tried to finish the race: this was the important thing…to get to that finish line. I didn’t realise I had won but when they told me I almost couldn’t believe it. I’m so happy.  The championship is not long and with six rounds you cannot really open a gap,” she added. “Indonesia was a disaster with the rain and Assen also. You cannot really put your skills on the track and race when it is a lottery so often and just about survival. Sometimes you cannot get the results you want and that’s why with six rounds we were so close. But, finally, the one who was the most consistent won the title. I tried to get as many points as I could this year and I did it.

 

Jeremy Seewer: We had another mud race this weekend, a really bad one for us as there was a lot of rain yesterday and today again this morning. I wasn’t feeling right with the track, with all the hills and the mud and all the ruts. I got a good start in the first moto though which really helped; Covington was a bit faster, he made no mistakes so I was happy with second place. Then in the second moto I got too much wheel-spin on the mesh which was just strange because I did exactly the same start in the first moto and didn’t get any spin. I was far back on the start-straight because of this but I made a lot of quick passes and got it back to fourth and then set about passing Covington. I got up to second before Covington passed me back after a couple of poor laps. I kept pushing though and at the end of the race I saw an opportunity to win the GP, so I gave it everything I had to pressure him into a mistake but coming down the steep downhill my front wheel slipped away and I had a crash. I didn’t hurt myself, but the bike made a couple of flips. I thought it was worth it to try and win the GP, it just didn’t quite work out ok. A big thanks to the whole Suzuki World MX2 Team, they put in a lot of work to get me to the front of the pack each weekend and get me challenging for the title. I’m disappointed with second overall in the championship but Jonass rode great all year, so congratulations to him. I went to him after the first moto just to say to him “well done” because he did really well with the pressure and rode consistently fast the whole season long.

 

Glenn Coldenhoff: Not so happy today. I picked up an injury in the second moto in Assen and I had a very tough week. I didn’t recover well so coming here was difficult and the conditions were not on my side. Two top ten results are quite solid with how I feel at the moment. I was still looking at seventh in the championship before Assen and I’ve finished tenth so I’m definitely not happy, but it is what it is. Now we have two weeks before the Nations and some injuries have struck [other teams]. I feel that we can win it this year.

 

Antonio Cairoli: I’m very happy with the season. We worked to win ‘the war’ and we made it. We have lowered our pace in the later part of the season but that was part of the plan with such a big points lead. I still enjoy riding so much and we are already looking forward to next year. I want to do some testing. The bike is already in a good place and I really like it but we have some things to do. This week was very tough because after the title we partied a little bit! It was hard to follow the ruts today! It is part of the job. You need to enjoy when you win. It is nice to race with these ‘kids’ because they are quite a bit younger than me but we will come back next year full of fire for the MXGP class again.

Covington closed his season off with a huge win.

Thomas Kjer-Olsen: The track was very rough. In the opening moto I was racing in third place for the biggest part of the race but made a mistake and fell with eight minutes to go. Overall, it wasn’t a bad moto and I managed to secure seventh at the end. Then in moto two I didn’t get the best of jumps at the start and had to start from the back of the pack. It wasn’t my best race for the season and I finished 12th. Looking back to this season, we had some great moments. It was my first full season in the MX2 class and already I’m looking forward to 2018. We have a long winter ahead of us and my goal is to keep working to improve in all aspects of my riding and racing.

 

Conrad Mewse: “I had an off weekend here in France. My speed was good on Saturday but then I couldn’t race the way I wanted to on Sunday. I struggled with the track conditions and not being able to get good starts left me with a mountain to climb. The season might be over but I will keep working hard to get back stronger next year.”

 

Jorge Prado: This weekend was a good experience for me. I had a bad start in the first moto but set a high rhythm until I filled the rear wheel with mud on one section and had to stop the bike and take it all out. So I finished fourteenth which was only OK, because I know I am not great in deep mud. I had a great start in the second moto and if the ground had been a bit drier then I know I could have been first but I just ease off to make sure not to crash. I didn’t feel so great but as it dried further my lap-times were among the fastest. Seventh was good and I leave here with a decent taste in the mouth. This year had a lot of ups and downs and could have been better but I also think it went quite well sometimes. I gained a lot of experience – the kind that you need to be a motocross world champion – so now we’ll look to prepare for the next season.

 

Evgeny Bobryshev: I had a frustrating weekend here. Both races I had a good start but in the first race I fell in the second corner, ended up dead last but managed to come to eleventh. The conditions out there were so tough, it was really difficult and to avoid making mistakes. The second moto started off really good, I was running fourth for most of the race and I was feeling confident. I was really pumped as I knew I was running upfront. Then, I banged bars with Tonus and I went down pretty hard and damaged my thumb. I pulled off as the pain was too much. I DNF’d the second race as a result. The season is finished now and I really want to say a big thanks to all of the team, Honda and the sponsors for seven years together and it is a shame to leave the group and I am a bit sad but I wish everyone and my team mate Tim good luck for the future.

 

Gautier Paulin: This last GP of the season was a tough one for all. It was cold, wet and very muddy. Despite tough track conditions my Husqvarna was working great throughout the weekend. In the opening moto I didn’t get the best of starts so had to battle my way to fifth. Then in the second moto I got loads of wheel spin out of the gate so had to push hard again to get back inside the top six. I really don’t have words to thank the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing crew for all their hard work during the season. Getting third in the championship we showed the base is there to go a step higher in 2018.

 

Max Nagl: It was a difficult GP for me. All the rain falling during the weekend made the clay track too tough to ride. In the opening moto I didn’t get a good start and soon after I found myself stuck behind two riders who had crashed. I feel that I could have done better than 14th but it is what it is. Then in moto two I got too much wheel spin out of the gate and couldn’t get the momentum needed for a decent start. Getting covered in mud right out of the gate made things a lot harder for me for the rest of the moto.

 

Zach Pichon: Today was difficult as we had a lot of rain this weekend so it really wasn’t easy. I had a good start in the first moto, around 15th but then I crashed a couple of times. This made it even harder because of all the mud, which also got into my goggle. I tried my best though, however in the middle of the race I twisted my knee in one of the ruts so now we have to check with a doctor to see what I did. This is why I didn’t line up for the second moto.

 

Romain Febvre:  This weekend started really good. I rode good in the first race today and finished second. In the second race, I slid on the gate and had to start from last but I got back to fourth which put me on the same points as the guy who finished on the podium. It was not a great season, so I am happy that it is over. Now we can focus on 2018.

Herlings (#84) will head into 2018 as the odds-on favorite in MXGP.

Arnaud Tonus: It was a positive weekend. I really enjoyed this track before the rain came, it was so fun. In the first race I had a small crash with Shaun, but we got stuck together and lost some seconds there but I came back to tenth, so that was pretty good and in the second race I was fifth. On these kind of conditions, I am happy with that.

 

Jeremy Van Horebeek: “It was not super today. I had a couple of big crashes, in both races. Stupid crashes because of the mud. My knee is not feeling 100% and mentally it’s tough because I feel like things have not been going my way since I broke my finger in Russia. If you see that I can still run the same lap-times as the guys up front with a few small injuries, I know what I am capable of when I am 100%. This season is done. I am going to work hard for next season now.

 

Shaun Simpson:  Before this weekend I had a good week with Arnaud out in Switzerland, testing the bike and riding. I felt really good doing laps on some hard pack tracks. This morning it rained, and it had my name written all over it really but I couldn’t get in my groove. In the first race I crashed and twisted my ‘bars a bit, and couldn’t get comfortable, and the second race I couldn’t get in my groove, so it was just one of those weekends.

 

Darian Sanayei: The GP started really good with the fastest lap in the free practice and a third position in the timed practice, but then the rain hit the track and it was a mud fest. I crashed during the qualifying race and was stuck on the track, so I had the 26th gate pick. In the first race I came back from nearly last to eleventh which was not so bad, and again in the second heat I got an eleventh position for ninth overall.

 

Stephen Rubini: It was a good weekend for me; I had a good qualifying race on Saturday and I really enjoy riding tracks with deep ruts like we had here with the rain. Unfortunately I was disqualified in the first race as I came into the pit lane in the opposite direction after a crash. But then I had a very good second moto; I was a long way back after three corners but came back through to ninth with great support from the crowd. I had a strong motivation for this last race. The step between the European 125 series which I raced last season and the MX2 GP is big but I learnt a lot and I want to thank the team and their partners for their support.

 

Kevin Strijbos: Race day today was sketchy in some places because of all the rain we’ve had this weekend. In the first moto I made a crash in the start and came back from last all the way to sixth. I felt good though, I had some good lines, even if I did have to come from the back. Second moto was pretty similar as I again had to come from the back. I didn’t get a great start and in the first few corners it was so difficult with all the mud and riders going left and right and trying to keep the goggles clear. Once I got past the first few corners I tried to do my best but it wasn’t easy as it then started to rain again. I ended up eighth, which could have been better but I was happy I could finish as at the end the track was getting quite dangerous with all the rain affecting the track. I’d like to thank the whole team for all their hard work the last two years. It was a shame that we didn’t get the podiums that we wanted due to the injuries that I suffered but I just want to thank them for doing such a good job, they worked really hard with the new RM-Z450WS and all the testing involved with that. It’s sad to leave the brand because I’ve always felt good here, I’ve always felt at home here and on the bikes. Now it’s time to move on, but before we have one last race at the Motocross of Nations where I will try to do my best and end strong, just as I have throughout my career.

 

Alvin Östlund: I felt quite good on this track. I made a few mistakes that cost me some good results, but I felt pretty good on the bike this weekend considering this track is not the sort of track I like. This was the last race of the season so I am already looking forward to the Motocross of Nations in two-weeks.

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Author

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