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Romain Febvre back on the podium in Sweden
Kawasaki Racing Team MXGP rider Romain Febvre raced to his eighth podium of the season in the Swedish round of the FIM World MXGP Motocross Championship at Uddevalla to further enhance his second-place standing in the series with four GPs remaining. KRT teammate Pauls Jonass raced to an impressive second in the first moto on his return to GP action.
The Frenchman emerged Top 6 from Turn 1 in the first moto and advanced to fifth on Lap 3 but then faced a frustrating chase for fourth on a hard-pack track where overtaking proved exceptionally difficult for everyone. Time and again he pulled alongside before running out of track space; eventually, with two laps remaining, he was able to force a pass on the third attempt in four corners for a deserved fourth-placed finish. He powered spectacularly through the long sweeping first turn in Race 2 to drive under the rider with the holeshot and hold the lead for half a lap before the dominant force of recent weeks slipped past. After resisting pressure from behind through the first few laps, he gradually made second safe and rode it to the finish of a moto which was red-flagged at the half-hour stage for safety reasons as two riders were receiving medical treatment on the track; the race had run sufficient distance to be classified and Febvre's 4-2 day clinched second overall. He had made his second place in the series standings even more secure with a 44-point buffer to third.
"I had good speed all weekend, but I touched with another rider in the first turn of Moto 1, and that spoiled my start; I was just behind [Andrea] Adamo all race, but I couldn't find any spot to pass until two laps to go. I was pleased when I almost holeshot Race 2 and could take the lead, but I was riding a little too carefully on the first lap, and Jeffrey [Herlings] could pass me. Tim [Gajser] was on my rear wheel in the first few laps, but I could build a gap over him, and I tried to stay with Jeffrey; I could ride my own pace and was only a few seconds behind him when they showed the red flag."
- Romain Febvre
KRT teammate Pauls Jonass had two very different races to narrowly miss the podium on his return to GP action for the first time since suffering a concussion in England last month. The Latvian was in impeccable form in the first moto after an aggressive pass for second at Turn 3; he even pushed the leader hard for a couple of laps before settling into a solid rhythm, which kept the rest of the thundering leaderboard pack off his rear wheel to take the checkered flag second, his first moto podium for more than two years. Another front-rank start in Race 2 saw him fourth after a few corners but, never finding his first moto rhythm, he was gradually relegated to ninth at the finish to narrowly miss the podium in fourth overall. He has further strengthened his 10th place in the series standings.
"I have to be satisfied with my first moto today; it was good to show after my injury that I still believe in my ability to race at the front. I don't feel I used too much energy in that first race - it's actually easier to race second than when you are battling for seventh - but I just didn't have the intensity in my riding in the second moto. I was just too cautious; I started riding too carefully, and when you're not pushing on a track like this, the bike starts to find every bump and is kicking everywhere. Still, fourth overall is my best result of the season. It was a pity that the crash in Foxhills came when it did as I felt really strong going there; I'm obviously not back to that level again yet, and I need to be careful not to overdo things in training, but I am looking forward with confidence to continue this improvement in the next races."
- Pauls Jonass
DRT Kawasaki's Kay Karssemakers deserved a better reward in the FIM World MX2 Motocross Championship, but he suffered bad luck in both motos after showing tremendous speed and commitment. The Dutch youngster rode a stunning first three turns to move into fifth after being outdragged by the factory bikes out of the gate in Moto 1 and he maintained his pace with solid 1:54 laps to resist the defending world champion for 15 minutes. He surrendered to the current red plate holder two laps later but was still looking comfortable in seventh until a mistake 10 minutes from the close cost him two further positions to take the checkered flag ninth. Commitment through the first two turns of Race 2 again saw him quickly into fifth and, brimming with confidence, he was looking for even more when he pulled alongside the previous weekend's GP winner as he searched for a pass. Unfortunately, the move proved too optimistic as the two riders touched and the Kawasaki was sent tumbling down the track. Leaping quickly back to his feet, he frustratingly had no chance to mount a comeback as the clutch lever had been broken off in the incident and he was forced to withdraw. He remains 11th in the series standings and will be hoping for better fortune next weekend in his home Dutch GP at Arnhem.
"Being a Dutchman, I was brought up riding in sand, but I was really enjoying the track this weekend; it flows so well, and I could find a good rhythm. The results were obviously not what I hoped for, but I showed I have the speed and am closing towards a Top 5 finish. Perhaps next week in my home GP!"
- Kay Karssemakers
Venum Bud Racing Kawasaki's Francisco Garcia took another step towards the European EMX250 Motocross Championship title as he raced to his sixth overall victory of the season with yet another two-moto success, thus extending his series lead to 38 points with just two rounds remaining.
The Spanish teenager followed teammate Jake Cannon through Turn 1 in a Bud 1-2 and needed just a few turns to take command and race clear. He soon held a comfortable six-second lead and could concentrate on managing the situation in his first race back after three weeks off the bike due to a knee injury sustained during a midweek training session. He can now look forward confidently to clinching the title next weekend in the Netherlands as he only requires a single eighth-placed finish from the remaining four motos. Kawasaki also holds a secure 54-point lead in the Manufacturers' Championship.
"This weekend was not so easy. I couldn't ride for three weeks, so I had no expectations; I just came here to score some points, but I had two such good starts and just rode my own race after taking the lead already on the first lap in both motos. It was difficult to stay fully focused for the entire race, but today was a little better than yesterday. I will discuss it with my trainer, but I think I may take a break this week for my body to recover; we go to Arnhem with a good gap in the points, so I will try to clinch the title next weekend."
- Francisco Garcia
Jake Cannon put the disappointment of a first-lap fall in Saturday's first moto behind him by taking a clear holeshot in Race 2. He soon surrendered the lead to teammate Garcia and slipped to third on Lap 2, but he remained patient to retake second with a decisive pass three laps from the finish. His first moto 13th meant he was restricted to sixth over the weekend, but he remains a solid third in the series standings, 27 points behind second but 50 clear of fourth.
"I could turn it around today, but I'm still a little frustrated with myself because I've been making a lot of mistakes during the last few rounds, and it's been beating me up. I've been working a lot on my starts the last few weeks and it paid off today, so I'm really happy with that, but my first few laps were not the best again; I found my rhythm again later in the race to come back to second, so let's hope I can carry that into next weekend."
- Jake Cannon