Photos by: S Taglioni
It was a big day for the Red Bull KTM team as they won all three motos of the opening round of the Italian International championship. Here are the race winners Antonio Cairoli and Jorge Prado, and also comments from the runners-up in both classes, Jeremy Van Horebeek and Pauls Jonass, and also some of the other leading riders.
Antonio Cairoli: (1st in MX1) “Today I’m happy about my races, this is one of my favorite track and finally I start to feel the bike in a better way. This winter we tested a lot and now the bike is fitting better to my riding style, what last year wasn’t possible because of the crash I had here during the winter preparation. I’m satisfied about my speed, even if we miss Jeffrey that is one of the best rider in the sand but hopefully we will see him soon again on track. Now I feel like if I’m one think with the bike and I trust the bike so I can express my self a little bit better compare to the past. I was struggling always in the beginning of the race last year, now it looks like we solved the problem and I’m able to be fast since the firsts laps and it helps a lot. I know that in a race like that on the sand it can be easier for me because I like a lot the sand so now I’m curious to see next week, on the hard pack, if I’m able to do it in the same way. We will race in Malagrotta that is the track where I was almost born and I expect to see a lot of crowds like here in Sardinia today.”
Jorge Prado: (1st in MX2) “I managed to get the holeshot in the first race and I was out front all the way. I had some pressure from Paturel who was coming up behind me in the last part of the race but I just gave it everything I had and I took the overall win in the MX2 class. I also started not so bad in the Elite race and I was riding behind Pauls (Jonass) but then in the third lap my nose started to bleed and I lost a bit of concentration, also the sun was getting very low and that made me a bit uncomfortable on the bike. I’ve been training a lot of hard pack because this was my weak point last year.”
Jeremy Van Horebeek: (2nd in MX1) “It was a really good day today. I was really surprised that it was so easy. To be honest I was a bit lost in the Free Practice because I was back in the sand after being in Spain on the clay and hard-pack tracks for the last three weeks, but then in the races I just found my rhythm, I was not even close to going over the edge I was just riding at a comfortable pace, finding smooth and good lines.”
Pauls Jonass: (4th in MX2) “My main goal was always going to be the elite race because that was going to be when the track got rough and heavy and that was better for me. Overall it’s better to start (the season) slowly and build up to Qatar (the opening GP – February 25), because there are 19 GPs and it is a long season. I just want to stay positive, stay calm and enjoy every race.”
Shaun Simpson: (15th in MX1) “We haven’t spent a lot of time in the sand, although I didn’t feel too bad on the bike, we just struggled with set up a bit, but that is
Arnaud Tonus: (10th in MX1) “It was not a bad day, we just haven’t been in the sand enough, but we made some solid progress.”
Romain Febvre: (4th in MX1) “I had a small crash on the second lap, and then I was coming back through the field when I decided to try and jump some breaking bumps. I got kicked sideways, it was almost 90 degrees sideways so it was too much to save, and I crashed. I hit my head, and strained the muscles in my neck, otherwise, I am okay.”
Glenn Coldenhoff: (8th in MX1) “I had a bad start in the first race and I was quite disappointed because I was really struggling, also a bit with the bike setup and some arm pump problems. But I was quite fired up for the second race and I must say the suspension was working unbelievably well. My start was not so good but I think my riding and my speed were right on point. Next week we’re at Malagrotta and that’s where our team is based. I think I have done about a million laps there but I’m happy to be there. It’s always a difficult track, but I always feel at home.”
