The FIM Motocross World Championship headed to a brand-new venue in Lugo in north-west Spain for the sixth Grand Prix of the season and Glenn Coldenhoff came away with a solid 7th place after a strong showing in race 2. The MXGP of Galicia also marked round 4 for the EMX125 European Championship that saw a third overall victory for the Fantic XX 125 thanks to an impressive performance by Italian youngster Simone Mancini, while Noel Zanocz still holds the red plate.
Fantic Factory Racing EMX125
Simone Mancini looked right at home from the very beginning, setting the fastest lap time in Time Practice and taking his second Pole Position of the season on the Fantic XX 125. Championship leader Noel Zanocz did not manage to put a perfect lap together and had to settle for fifth in his group, while Douwe Van Mechgelen was 17th.
After a top-3 start in the first moto, Mancini put in a strong performance to secure P2. It was a more complicated race for his teammates, as Zanocz was involved in a multi-rider incident in the first lap. The red plate holder got stuck under his bike and had to restart from the back of the field. Noel tried to work his way up, he fell a second time but still managed to salvage vital points in P12. Van Mechgelen finished 15th coming back from a tough opening lap.
In race 2, Mancini was off to another strong start and moved into second. He put the leader under pressure and took advantage of his rival’s mistake, taking over first place. Unfortunately, he had to relinquish the lead with three laps to go after some issues, eventually finishing second. A 2-2 score still placed Simone on the top step of the podium by a considerable margin, as he celebrated his second overall victory of the season.
Zanocz had to charge through the field again after another crash in the opening lap, an amazing comeback ride and a ninth place allowed him to maintain the championship lead. Van Mechgelen was unlucky again as he was involved in a start crash, he tried to fight back but failed to score points in race 2.
Simone Mancini: “I’m very happy with this result. I have liked this track from the get-go and set the pole position. I was third at the start of race 1, I lost some time to move into second place and, once I managed, the race leader was already too far ahead. In the second moto the start was a bit better, I immediately moved into second. When my rival crashed, I was able to pull away at the front, opening a solid gap. It was a pity I had some issues in the final laps which did not allow me to win the race but I still took the overall victory. Now we will get ready for the next race in France in only one week time.”
Noel Zanocz: “I had a very bad start in the first race with some crashes that affected my performance. The start of the second race was tough as well, as I crashed again and had to start all over but I worked hard to recover till ninth place, which I think is a solid result. It was not the best weekend but we will work hard to get better results next weekend.”
Fantic Factory Racing MXGP
On a new track for almost everyone, Glenn Coldenhoff and Brian Bogers had to settle for P11 and P12 after a tougher start to Saturday’s qualifying race. Fired up for race day, Sunday’s opening MXGP moto saw Bogers quickly move his way into fifth place. The Dutchman managed to hold the position for most of the race but lost a bit of ground in the final stages, eventually finishing in P10. Coldenhoff had to fight back after a start outside the top 10 but his strong race pace allowed him to work his way up to seventh.
In race 2, Glenn Coldenhoff bounced back with a rocket launch out of the gate on his Fantic XXF 450. He was third at the first corner and running at the sharp end of the MXGP field when a big moment at the end of a rhythm section made him lose some ground. Coldenhoff still continued his charge and finished in P5 for seventh overall. On the other hand, Bogers did not get a great start in the final moto and found himself in the middle of the pack. He had to dig deep to secure 12th place for 11th overall.
Glenn Coldenhoff: “On Saturday I struggled quite a bit. It was a bit tricky as it was our first time on this track and we tried to change the set up several times but I am happy with the work we did. The start of the first moto wasn’t that good, I struggled to get through the pack and move to seventh place. The second moto was tough, and I made a huge mistake which cost me one spot. In the end, the race pace was good and I left nothing on the table. Fifth place in the second moto is a solid result. I have to say that a seventh place overall is not what I am looking for but I think I have the speed. I will work hard before France and hopefully I will go way further there.”
Brian Bogers: “It was quite a difficult track, and I needed some time before getting a good feeling. I started to feel better in the qualifying where the speed was good and I was 12th. The start of the first moto was great and I was fifth for a while but then I missed some bike time and I couldn’t keep it. I had a bad start in the second moto but I came back and, despite the track being difficult, the bike made it a bit easier. I think we made good progress this weekend.”
Fantic Factory Racing MX2
Unfortunately, David Braceras could not take full profit from the amazing support of his Spanish home crowd. A crash in the Warm-up on Sunday morning forced him to sit out the GP of Galicia, as doctors advised him not to race due to a concussion. However, the Spaniard is hopeful to return on track for the French GP in Saint-Jean-d'Angély in one week time.
Kay Karssemakers was therefore the sole Fantic Factory Racing MX2 rider lining up for Sunday’s races. His gate pick wasn’t the best after some issues and a 21st place in Saturday’s qualifying moto. The Dutchman struggled to find the right pace in race 1 after a mid-pack start, finishing in P18. He did improve his result and race rhythm in the second moto 2 and worked his way up till the 14th spot for 16th overall.
David Braceras: “It is frustrating as I would have loved to race in front of the Spanish fans but that is just how it goes sometimes. I had a pretty hard crash on Sunday morning and had to sit out the two motos but the most important thing is, there will be a new chance next week in France and I plan on being back on track there. We don’t give up.”
