Two men did it again, the two men that have dominated on hardpack, clay, and now sand, Jorge Prado and Tim Gajser are just unstoppable in 2019. Below their comments and many more.
Jorge Prado: “Lommel is a very tough race and for sure you need to come here mentally ready – physically as well – but also relaxed and with the knowledge you are going to suffer. I knew the start was going to be key and I made two good ones and had good flow through both motos. I had a big lead and was going through the backmarkers when I had a small crash but it was nothing major. I think the bumps were smoother today but it was still very rough. Another perfect weekend.”
Tim Gajser: “It was a great weekend, finishing two-two for first overall in Lommel. My riding was good, especially because in the past I’ve struggled here but we’ve worked hard this year with the team and it really paid off. We’ve prepared a lot better for these tough conditions and it was certainly helped by two good starts, just like we have done so often this year. I wasn’t able to win a moto but I rode smoothly and smart and I minimised any mistakes. I’m just so happy to win here in Lommel, because it is a special GP and a good test and just shows how much I’ve progressed as a rider.”
Calvin Vlaanderen: “It was a pretty good day today, although I was definitely disappointed after my first moto when I finished seventh. I had a small crash which dropped me down a few spots and that was frustrating. In the second moto I actually had some fun on the track, even with the tough conditions. My plan is to always have fun and the first moto I really didn’t enjoy it, but in race two things went a lot better. I flowed around the track with a good rhythm and even though I finished second, I didn’t expect to be on the podium. Only when they wrote on my pitboard near the end did I realise and obviously I’m really happy to finish second and have my best overall of the season.”
Romain Febvre: “This weekend was good. I took the holeshot in the first moto which made life easy, and I won that race, so I am happy about that. My speed was good. I didn’t get a good start in the second race and had to work hard to fight back which cost a lot of energy. I knew I was close to winning the GP, but I could not make it, so I am pleased with second overall.”
Ben Watson: “Unbelievable weekend for me. I have not been riding in the last 6 weeks, so I have just been focusing on physical training like cycling and stuff. I knew my physical condition was going to be good, but I thought I would miss race intensity because there is no substitute for racing. I wasn’t even sure if I would be able to ride, I just tested my hand a couple of days before the GP and then made the decision. I lined up with no expectation. I enjoyed racing so much. I think this is what I need to focus on in the future.”
Jago Geerts: “It was a disappointing end to my weekend. My speed was good. I crashed in the first race and came back strong for second position. In the second race, I didn’t get the best start but I moved quickly into second position and was riding good until I had a problem with the bike and I couldn’t finish the race.I just want to thank the fans and all of the people that supported me this weekend. It was nice to see.”
Jeremy Seewer: “The first moto was one of the toughest races I have had all season. I slept really bad last night, and I think I was still sleeping on the starts today. I was catching up on sleep in both races on the gate. They kept the gate really long and a lot of guys kept trying to jump it. I worked hard to get into the top-five. I happy with my consistency. This is always the goal. Overall, fourth place in Lommel is really good because it is easy to crash here. Now I look forward to a few days rest before we go again.”
Gautier Paulin: “It has been tough for me. I didn’t feel good all weekend. My bike was working really well, both engine and suspension, but it was just myself that let it all down. Physically, it was a challenging weekend. I was feeling unwell on Friday, so the aim now will be to get healthy and come back stronger at the next GP.”
Arnaud Tonus: “It was a pretty good weekend. The first race was really good, but in the second race I crashed. I was pretty far back, but I came back inside the top-ten, but then crashed again and got stuck under the bike, so I finished 14th.”
Adam Sterry: “I was happy with my riding all weekend, but of course a little disappointed in the end as the podium was there until the crash in the second moto. I couldn’t see Henry’s bike on the ground as it was behind a jump and that crash cost me this podium. Again I missed it by one point, but I have to take the positives and I was happy with my starts and my riding.”
Henry Jacobi: “I wasn’t feeling really good with the track in the first race; I had a good start but my race was really tough as I couldn’t find my rhythm and in the sand you lose so much power when the rhythm is not good. I got another good start in the second race and let some guys pass me as the goal was to have a good rhythm; mid-race I regained some positions until I stalled the bike in the take-off before a jump. I crashed, couldn’t start the bike so fast and could finish only twelfth. It could have been a better day!”
Roan van de Moosdijk: “My start was really good and I could control the race all the way. At the end my legs were getting tired and I made a little mistake when I hit neutral and buried the clutch in the sand but we got up again and still had a big lead. I wasn’t thinking about the points during the race so I didn’t realise until the finish that we also have the red plate to take to the final round. It’s always been my dream to earn the red plate and to do it so close to home with so many friends here is also a bonus; my thanks to everyone in the F&H Racing Team, the sponsors, Kawasaki and my trainer because they have all played their part in this.”
Brian Bogers: “I felt good on the track as it was really deep sand and I like these conditions. My riding also went well, I just struggled out of the gate and that put me behind. Unfortunately I crashed in the first moto when I’d made my way all the way back to 12th and that pushed me outside the top 20 again. I worked my back to 15th, which isn’t bad but I really wanted to get a good start and battle with the top guys as I feel on this track it is possible. Second moto was very similar, starting around 19th but I made my way up to ninth and finished there. Fifteen and nine isn’t bad but I wanted more, so I’m going to put this behind me and concentrate on Imola now.”
Tom Vialle: “A good day. I never rode too much in the sand when I was younger but for one year now I have been living in Belgium and have trained a lot on this terrain with Joel [Smets] and all the team. We made a great effort and I’m very happy to make two good race results on this tough track. It was technically difficult but kinda fun to jump through the bumps. We are third in the championship again and the last four races are on the hard-pack and that’s good for me. I’m focussed for strong results and every time in the top five.”
Arminas Jasikonis: “Overall, it’s been a pretty good Grand Prix for me. Qualifying was tough, I had a good one-lap pace but struggled to find my rhythm. I knew going into the races today it would be tough as the weather was a lot hotter than Saturday and the track was becoming quite rough. My pace was good in both motos but I struggled to maintain my speed on the bike a little and ended up making a couple of mistakes. I feel I could have challenged for the podium in both motos but unfortunately didn’t quite manage it. From here we have some things we can work on before the next round, but I’m really excited to get to Imola in Italy. I’ve never been there before so I’m really looking forward to racing there.”
Pauls Jonass: “It was tough today – conditions were a lot warmer than yesterday and the track got a lot bumpier. The first race went ok, I made a few mistakes, which dropped me down to seventh from fifth, which was frustrating but overall things went well. In the second race I got a good start again but then managed to stall the bike in one of the corners and it took a while to get going again. It’s a shame because this is definitely one of my favourite GPs and I know I have the pace to do well here. Looking at the positives, my lap times were good, and stayed fast right up to the end. I need to work a little on my strength as the weight of the 450 and the added speed around here takes it out of you a lot more than the MX2 bike. Overall, I am happy with how I rode and now looking forward to Italy.”
Thomas Kjer Olsen: “I got a decent start in the first moto and moved my way up to fourth and sat there for a while. I was struggling a little bit and made a few mistakes but thought I could push for second or third. I ended up making a huge mistake over one of the tabletops and landed in the fence. It knocked all the air out of me and took a while to get back on the bike – by that time the race was over for me. I was super disappointed and really banged up from that crash but I knew I had to stay positive for the second moto. In the second race I got up to fifth and was there for most of the race. Thankfully, I’ve got a bit of time to recover from the crash now before the next round, but I’m really looking forward to Imola.”
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