The former World Champion Tony Cairoli was back on top with a 1-1 in Teutschenthal. Photo by: Ray Archer
A bunch of riders showed amazing skills on the weekend, but none more than the king of the MXGP class, Antonio Cairoli. He has a long way to go for his condition, and the points chase, but he came bursting back with a stunning 1-1 in Germany last weekend.
Antonio Cairoli: (1st in MXGP) “I feel good for sure although I still miss something. The skills I have on this very difficult and technical track helped me to win today with a perfect score. Winning the qualification on Saturday and the two races today, it hasn’t happened often but I gained some strength this week in my arm and I very happy about that. I feel better and when you feel better you can respond and go on the attack.”
Jeffrey Herlings: (1st in MX2) “My ankle hurts pretty bad but we have to make the best of it and now I have 5-6 day to recover. It has been a bad weekend also because I was sick but I managed to keep my winning streak going and that’s really positive.” When asked about his ankle injury Herlings said: “A rider cut me off and I sort of lost my balance and landed on my ankle. That was not so nice, but I guess that’s racing.”
Jeremy Seewer: (3rd in MX2) “It was a really good weekend for me overall and started with practice. I was feeling good today but made a mistake on the first lap of the first moto that cost me a lot of places. I was happy to manage to come back to fourth because it is not so easy to pass here. I made a good start in the second moto but then Pauls [Jonass] crashed in front of me, which cost me two spots. They had put quite a lot of water on the track so I had to be careful. I took the opportunity when I had it to get in the lead and defend it as well as possible. It is amazing to be up front; it is what we are working for.”
Dylan Ferrandis: (2nd in MX2) “It was a good weekend, even if I’m not yet at my best level. After Latvia I was unable to do any activities for two days, but hopefully I will feel better tonight and we’ll be able to do some testing this week. Due to my injury we had no time to test on hard tracks before coming here, and all weekend long we worked with the team on the settings of the bike. I got two holeshots this weekend and narrowly missed the third one, and then did good races but never took any risks. I wasn’t confident on Saturday but today was better and now I just need some more weeks to be back at my best level.”
Tim Gajser: (2nd in MXGP) “It’s amazing to have the red plate back on the red bike! Seven GPs into the season we’re feeling great. The last two GPs I made some stupid mistakes I would say, but anyway we’re really happy with the weekend. We’re again on the podium, which means from all the races so far this season which is pretty good! To have the red plate is a great feeling, and I want to say a huge thanks to Honda and HRC as the bike is incredible. I also want to say thanks to my Dad because we’ve been working a lot between races and during the weekends too and I’m really thankful for that because it makes us together so strong. It’s been a fantastic weekend, and it was great to see Bobby on the podium too on another Honda!”
Evgeny Bobryshev: (3rd in MXGP) “You know I was almost sick in the last few laps because I was pushing so hard and riding through so much pain. My shoulder was so tired I couldn’t hold the bike properly, but I thought ‘I just have to give this all’. At the end of the race I didn’t know I finished third overall. I’m really pumped to be on the podium. After the crash in Latvia I’ve had no time on the bike, and especially as the track here in Germany is so tough, it’s an amazing feeling to be on the podium again. I wouldn’t do this without the team and the medical centre because again they’ve done such a great job with my shoulder. And also I want to say such a big thanks to the team and I’m so pleased for this podium for them after all the work they put in. At the start of the second race I saw I was in second and I though ‘great, I’m behind Toni so I’ll see how much I can hold’, but then I could stay there. Febvre was pushing so hard behind at the end, so I’m so happy to take second in race two, and to give HRC a double podium with Tim.”
Romain Febvre: (5th in MXGP) “I took a bad start, and when you are behind it’s really difficult to create new lines. It’s not so difficult to change lines, but with the guys in front of you kicking up stones it becomes really painful. Nobody feels pressure from having the red plate, becuase it’s a positive motivator, and Gajser and I are used to having it. It’s gone, but there is still a long way to go.”
Jeremy Van Horebeek: (14th in MXGP) “I crashed in the wind on a big jump and came off the track in the landing. In addition to the difficult lines on the track there was also a really big wind today, and that made it hard for riders in some of the turns. My starts improved all weekend, and the work we did before Latvia is paying off. I went to Italy last week to do some more tests, and the team worked really hard to make the changes to the engine. We are getting there.”
Tommy Searle: (11th in MXGP) “I posted some fast laps during the practice sessions, and then got a good start in the qualifying race but made a mistake in a corner after a few laps and couldn’t pick the bike up as I’ve had pain in my knee and meniscus from a previous crash. I couldn’t ride like my true self but I keep trying to do my best and stay positive. We’ve not had much luck in recent weeks but the speed is there and if we keep going and going the results will come soon.”
Valentin Guillod: (10th in MXGP) “I took a really good start in the second race, and it was really good to match speed with the guys in front, because I can follow, even if the course is really bumpy with deep ruts. But the track was also really hard in some spots and we had to do our best to manage it. I have been looking for this result to help me find my confidence in the GP. Yamaha and the team are right next to me and giving me the confidence and also pushing me to do better, and in Germany we saw the results.”
Max Nagl: (4th in MXGP) “It was a really tough weekend for me as I caught the flu a few days ago and that didn’t allow me to race at my full potential. I was happy to get another good start in moto one. I quickly found myself in third and fought hard retaining this spot until the end of the moto. Then in moto two I was racing in third again. I pushed hard knowing I could make it to the overall podium but made a small mistake in a corner and ended up crashing. I went on to finish sixth to earn the same points as Bobryshev but my second moto score kept my away from the podium. A tough GP is over and now I’ll do my best to be 100% again next weekend in Italy.”
Christophe Charlier: (8th in MXGP) “It was a very positive weekend. I felt good on the hard-packed terrain and my riding was pretty good too. All the hard work we’ve been putting in is starting to bring us the results we’re all looking for. I got a great start in moto one leading the pack to the first corner. My riding was good and I ended up getting fourth, which is my best moto result so far in the season. In moto two I hit the ground hard in the first corner but got back on my bike and tried to push as hard as I could. I think crossing the line in 13th position shows the speed is there to fight with the top guys.”
Ben Townley: (6th in MXGP) “It is positive to keep strong for two motos without any major hiccups. My expectations and what is reality is not the same right now so I’m not happy. My mistake yesterday hurt me majorly for the starts. I had to fight for the top 10 from deep [in the pack] in the first laps and made multiple passes. I made hard work for myself and need to clean up my Saturdays to get in a better place for Sunday. The second moto was better and in the last two laps I thought I was going to get Max. It is not all fairy tales; it is a brutal sport!”
Kevin Strijbos: (7th in MXGP) “The first moto was decent. I was happy with fifth but could not follow Charlier and that was a pity. The second moto was a struggle from start to finish; I had no confidence on the track and did not feel strong enough to push. I cannot say I am happy with 10th. Onto the next one.”
Max Anstie: (5th in MX2) “Despite us being a bit unlucky in moto two it was a good weekend and I feel that we’ve made a few more steps in the right direction. We could have won the second race and it felt so nice to be in that position. I was leading the race with less than ten minutes to go but jumped a bit too far, landing in a spot I shouldn’t have landed on and crashed. The track was pretty soft and that made things worse. That’s the way it goes and luckily I’m pretty solid now and haven’t hurt myself. We now have to get things sorted out again and head to the next round in Italy to do battle for the top.”
Bas Vaessen: “I had a bad start yesterday and had too much wheelspin. I had some problems passing the guys because there were a lot of lines but only really one that was good. It was a tough race. Today I had a pretty good start but made a mistake and then had to come back again. I’ve made huge improvements this year and also with the bike. I’m smarter in the race this season and have more confidence. I just need to work on changing the speed into results.”
Conrad Mewse: “This might just be my second GP but already I feel we’re making progress. We’re at a good place with the bike and its setup. It’s all working great but I need to fix a few things on my side, the starts being one of them. The lap times are good enough for me to run inside the top ten in MX2. Obviously, if you don’t get the start it’s very difficult to stay close to the top but we’re working hard on it now. It’s a very difficult class so at the moment my goal is to get two solid motos inside the top 15 and then start building on that.”
Pauls Jonass: (8th in MX2) “Actually yesterday I liked the track because it has deep ruts and it’s very technical. Of course it gets hard at the end of the day but I still enjoy it. Yesterday I got second and I felt pretty good for today. Then I got arm pump after 3-4 laps and I struggled until the end although physically I felt okay. In the second moto I got the holeshot but then I made the classic mistake and crashed in the second turn. I’m very disappointed about that but I try to stay positive. Tomorrow is a new day.”
Davy Pootjes: “Last week I crashed and someone jumped on me and I broke my collarbone in three places. The bone was broken quite badly and I need three weeks to help me heal. It is already feeling better and I can move it a lot. I think I need to rest for another two weeks before I can get back on the bike.”
Vsevolod Brylyakov: (7th in MX2) “The track was very difficult with deep ruts, but at the same time it was technical; to be honest I never felt really comfortable on it, but it was OK. The qualifying race wasn’t easy; I got a bad start and then crashed on a triple jump when I hit the back wheel of another rider. I had to fight back, but it was pretty difficult to pass and I only had the fifteenth gate for the GP races. Ninth and eighth in the races wasn’t too bad, and I’m quite happy with these consistent races after the bad luck I suffered in Latvia. I’m building up again, got two strong finishes and now we need to continue testing and improve my riding.”
Petar Petrov: (11th in MX2) “Even though I didn’t crash I hurt my thumb pretty bad during the timed practice sessions and in the qualified race it was painful. This morning I didn’t know if I could race as the thumb was swollen so I had an injection before the race; it was not too bad at the beginning, but then it was really bad by the end of the first race. I just tried to salvage some points. After the race I had to put a lot of ice on it and for the second moto I didn’t take so much painkillers as I felt dizzy and couldn’t focus the way I wanted. Now I go back home to recover before Italy; I managed to get some good points and that’s part of the sport.”
