Take a look at what some of the riders thought of their wet and wild Grand Prix of Indonesia today. More rider comments later today and tomorrow morning. Also a handful of riders interviews in the coming days, plus our review on the weekend.
Shaun Simpson: “Fantastic, but a little surreal. It was nice to get off to a good start. I didn’t go out on the sighting lap so I was a little unsure but I talked to the team manager, Louis, and he told me about some good lines so I had a good idea about where I needed to go. I started sixth or seventh and picked off a couple of guys and I knew that once I got past Tim Gajser for fifth that I could get to the front.”
Romain Febvre: “I had some pain on my shoulder but I was still riding good, so to not finish because I was stuck, it’s even worse. I didn’t do the sighting lap to save the bike, so when I pulled the holeshot and didn’t jump the first jump many guys passed me, but I found my rhythm pretty fast, I just got stuck.”
Glenn Coldenhoff:”It was a great moto. I had a great start – thanks to the team for that because we changed a few things and now I’m really happy – and got into the lead. I rode easy but there was one part of the track that was really difficult; I got through it every lap and this was the key. I put all my energy in that one section. I’m really happy with second place and the team have done a great job; I have a lot of confidence in the bike and I’m looking forward to Argentina already.”
Clement Desalle:”Those were not normal conditions. I made the podium today but there is not too much to say. The start was so important and then everybody was just trying to get around. One place on the track was really bad and in the last three-four laps you just hoped that you would get through it. The whole situation was on the limit.”
Antonio Cairoli:”I’m really happy actually because the track was really difficult and it was easy to lose a lot of points. I didn’t have such a good start and managed to make some good passes while others got stuck. I ended up with fourth place which is good for the championship and we still have an eight point lead. We were happy that the Jury decided to stop the second race because the track was becoming very tricky and very dangerous. We’ll go home now, reset and do some training and tests to be ready for Argentina which is a track I really like and one of my favorites.”
Jeffrey Herlings:”It was a gamble and some riders won and some lost; it is pretty devastating to be in sixth-seventh position and to then get stuck. I’m already fifty points down in the championship but I still believe we can make it happen. It has been a tough start and we expected that because of my injury but the weather here meant it was out of my hands! We’ll have to take this and work from here. At least my hand was much better than last week. I hope I can finally be up front in Argentina and it is a track that suits me well. A podium there is realistic.”
Tim Gajser: “It was a bit of a mess this weekend to be honest. With all the mud and the rain, I am quite happy I have taken solid points from this weekend. The first race felt like it was a case of surviving the race it wasn’t ‘racing’. I felt like I was normal for the first 10-15 minutes, I was in second place and almost catching the leader and then I just suddenly destroyed myself and I am not really sure why or how it happened, I just didn’t feel my best. I just ride until the end to get points. Overall I am not actually that happy with the weekend and my results overall but sometimes the bad races are not so bad and we have a chance to have a break and get ready for a better race in Argentina.”
Evgeny Bobryshev: “It was a very difficult weekend for me. Indonesia is not what I expected that it would be. I have had difficulties with the food, the heat and everything here and unfortunately on-top of that we had wet weather which has made the track really sticky with deep ruts. I have never ridden anything like this in all my career. It is normal here for it to rain though as it is the wet season.
I made the best of the first race, I crashed twice and managed to get it to ninth. I was not riding well in the mud, I struggle with it and I am not one of the fastest. I am really pleased the FIM and Youthstream cancelled the second race because it would be dangerous for us to go out there. I have to say a big thanks to HRC and everyone who worked on everything over the weekend as it was a lot to take on in those conditions. I am happy to go back, have a break and get ready for Argentina.”
Pauls Jonass: “The race did not go as hoped or planned. I had so much bad luck. The track was not really well prepared and there were already cancellations on Saturday. I was leading the first moto almost the whole way until I hit a mud hole and just couldn’t get the bike out for a full lap. In the second moto a guy crashed in front of me and I ran over his bike. I started from last and came back to fourteenth again but then we had a problem. I made a mistake and couldn’t restart after that. I’m disappointed but it is only the second GP.”
Thomas Kjer-Olsen: “It was a good race for us. My speed was good despite tough track conditions. I got a mediocre start in the opening moto but I pushed hard to provisionally climb to fourth. It was so hard to get a decent rhythm in these conditions, unfortunately I pushed too hard and crashed two times. To finish sixth under these circumstances is hugely positive for me and the team. We’re still fourth overall in the championship standings and this season has still a long way to go. The speed is there so it’s up to us now to continue battling for the top three in the MX2 class.”
Conrad Mewse: “For me it’s been an extremely tough GP. I got sick with the flu last Thursday and I’ve been struggling to get back my physical strength and stamina since then. In the opening moto I got a bad start and had to battle from the back of the pack to 15th at the chequered flag. Then in moto two I got another bad start and was racing in 24th before the race was red flagged. These first two GPs in Qatar and Indonesia have been challenging for us but the season is long. I’m looking forward to some days of rest now before resuming my training in preparation for Argentina.”
Kevin Strijbos:”It’s a shame that it’s been cancelled as from our side, we were here all week waiting for the GP and then they cancelled yesterday after free practice and then today after the first race. The first moto I just tried to stay on two wheels, I wasn’t riding great, a bit too tight, scared to make a mistake. Others were faster but they were getting stuck so I was doing ok. Then the last lap I got stuck in the mudhole and Rui Goncalves passed me for fifth so that’s disappointing as I felt I was good enough for that top-five. Some main guys lost a lot of points so that’s good for me in the championship; now I just need to go home, work on some weak points and get ready for Argentina.”
Arminas Jasikonis: “I completely screwed up. I was running good, in like sixth place but that one mud place really messed me up each lap. I finished 16th or something so I’m really disappointed as I feel I could do so much better. My speed was good but that one part cost me everything. I was one of the fastest guys on the track and I was riding easy everywhere except that one place. I definitely feel that I can be there at the top, I just need to do it now,” commented the Lithuanian who is desperate to show his true skills in this stacked MXGP class.”
Thomas Covington: “It’s been a challenging GP. With not much time on the track before the opening moto I was feeling a bit insecure as to how to approach the race. When the gate dropped I got close to a few other riders so quickly found myself outside the top 20. I tried my best to get closer to the top but as I was battling for the top 10 I crashed and couldn’t get the bike to start again. Then in the second moto my start was better and I was racing in eighth before the race was red flagged. Unfortunately, race two was officially cancelled so we did not get any points from that moto.”
Gautier Paulin: “Overall, I’m satisfied with our results in Indonesia. The first and only moto we raced was more like a gamble and you had to remain focused and patient. The key for me was to keep going and not get stuck in the mud. Line choice was also crucial as in most places you could not tell how deep the ruts could be. I take my 13th place and move on. It is an OK result and I’m happy we’re now going back to Europe for some more training and testing with the team.”
Max Anstie: “We really did the best we could do at this GP. With so much rain over the last couple of days, the track was more like an enduro test. You had to remain 100% focused on avoiding the softer spots and keep your wheels moving at all times. It was more like a survival race for everybody and to get away with a 14th place result is not so bad. Now it’s on to the next overseas GP and we’re looking forward to some better luck in two weeks in Argentina.”
Max Nagl: “It was a tough GP for all of us. I got a mediocre start in the first moto and found myself racing inside the top 10 for a few corners. Then I lost a few spots and had to battle hard to get back to 10th. The track was almost impossible to ride in some places. The ruts were so deep that our footpegs were getting stuck. Unfortunately, I got stuck in a very deep rut before the face of a jump and it was impossible to take my bike out and continue. It’s not been the best weekend for us but now we’re going back to Europe for a few days and our plan is to work even harder for the next GP in Argentina. I really like the track over in Patagonia so I will do my best to collect as many points as possible for the championship.”
Jorge Prado:”When we came here and saw it was raining every day we knew the track would be tough and when we had a look it was under water! Saturday was already tricky for me and I had to start from 28th place and I was too far along the gate. I was around fifteenth in the first moto but then got stuck in the mud and lost a lot of laps. I was not happy about missing the points and was motivated for the second race. I almost got stuck in the second moto again but made a start that allowed me to be near the top five. The track was getting worse and the bike so heavy. It was really difficult. When I was eighth I then couldn’t help being stuck. Some others were stopping and breaking but thanks to KTM I was able to keep on riding and got some points: better than nothing. I’m pretty happy that we were able to finish.”
Michele Cervellin: “This weekend in Indonesia was difficult. The track was really muddy and it was a strange race as it wasn’t really a motocross race, it felt more like an Enduro. In one part of the track it was so bad that you have to stop every lap to get through it. One The first Moto I didn’t have a bad start but I crashed in the first lap on the third corner and had to work my way through the pack from last. Then, I slipped off the side of the jump and re-joined the race just after the jump but they disqualified me for joining on a different part which I was a bit unhappy about. Before the second Moto it rained really heavily and I just told myself to ride steady in order to finish the race and as a result I got third which I am really happy about as it is so tough out there.”
Chihiro Notsuka: “This weekend was so not good for me. In the first Moto I crashed and in the second Moto there was a technical fault which made the bike come to a complete stop. I was pushing all race and although I like riding in the mud today was very hard, even harder than yesterday. It rained heavily just before we went out and it made it so slippery. Every lap the track was different and I had to take different lines which means I was focusing more on the track then on racing. I just want to say thanks to everyone at HRC though as they worked so hard this weekend in the wet conditions and it is a shame it didn’t go the way I wanted it too.”
Brent Van doninck: “It was a tough day, in the first race I took a really good start and I made a few mistakes but I kept calm the whole race and didn’t crash once so I finished fourth. My speed was okay, but I was consistent with my lap times and this is why I finished fourth. I am really happy with that. I just hoped I could do the same again in the second race.”
Benoit Paturel: “The result was not so bad when you see the condition of the track, but I rode so bad and I am not happy about that so I need to refocus and try to ride better.”
