The Motocross World Championship got back to Europe for the second round of the season, which took place in Arroyomolinos, just outside Madrid. Fantic Factory Racing MXGP’s Glenn Coldenhoff showed top 5 speed all weekend long but wasn’t rewarded for his efforts. The Spanish GP also marked the season opener for the EMX250 European Championship with Alexis Fueri placing in sixth overall.
MXGP
Despite feeling unwell during the week, Glenn Coldenhoff managed to put in a strong performance on his Fantic XXF 450 starting the Spanish GP off with a sixth place in Time Practice and a fifth place in the Qualifying Race on Saturday.
In Race 1 on Sunday, Coldenhoff did not get the best of starts but his solid race pace allowed him to quickly move into the top 10 and make his way up to sixth spot. Race 2 started in a similar way. The Dutchman was charging hard and set his sights on a top 5 finish but unfortunately, with three laps to go he tipped over and broke his clutch lever. While trying to restart Glenn received outside assistance which resulted in a disqualification from the moto and, consequently, a 14th place overall.
Glenn Coldenhoff:
“Having spent all week in bed and not doing any training at all it was really tough, even on Saturday I was still a bit sick. Nevertheless, I did a pretty decent qualifying race finishing in P5. Physically I started to feel better on Sunday but for sure it was not ideal because I could not approach the weekend like I am used to do. It was really tough but the first moto was okay, the speed was good and I was happy with the bike and the suspension. To come back from a bad start to sixth place is not that easy in this field, so that was alright.
In the second moto the start was again not so good but I pushed hard and passed quite some riders. I was catching the rider in P5 but then I just tipped over and broke my clutch lever. Restarting the bike was very difficult and I ended up with zero points. Normally, this never happens to me and I am just really sad because I feel like I have been more consistent this year than ever before. Even without making the pass I would have finished in sixth and fifth overall, that would have been decent. It is time to go home now, rest a little bit, try to get healthy again and prepare for Riola. I have some good memories there so hopefully we will do the best there.”
EMX250
In Time Practice, Alexis Fueri set a solid tenth time on his Fantic XXF 250. The start of the first moto on Saturday afternoon did not go to plan, Fueri was involved in a second turn crash and had to charge through the field. Thanks to a consistent race pace, Alexis worked his way up to P12. Starting just outside the top 10 in Race 2, the Frenchmen put in another good ride and was running in P5 but unluckily, with two laps to go he slipped and lost a few positions, eventually finishing seventh. Fueri still placed a solid sixth overall.
Alexis Fueri:
“Race 1 didn’t start off too well because of a crash in the second turn where my bike got stuck with other bikes and I lost a lot of time. I had to restart from last, but I managed to come back to P12. The feeling was good, and I knew I could have fought at the front with a good start. I went into Sunday’s race hungry for more and the start was better, just outside the top 10. I really gave everything I had, I tried to find other lines on track and made my way up to fifth place. Unfortunately, with two laps to go I made a little mistake and lost a few positions. That was a pity because a top 5 result would have been nice to start the season with, but overall, we take the positives looking forward to the next race in Arco di Trento. We will try to get on the podium as soon as possible.”
MX2
The Fantic Factory Racing MX2 squad was back to full force in Arroyomolinos, with Kay Karssemakers joining David Braceras for the Spaniard’s home GP. Both coming back from pre-season injuries, it wasn’t an easy weekend for the duo.
At the start of Race 1, Braceras and Karssemakers found themselves in the middle of the pack. Braceras struggled to find the right flow on the track but was still able to salvage a 16th place. As for Kay, a contact with another rider left him without rear brake and forced him to retire from the moto. Starting again outside the top 15 in Race 2, Braceras and Karssemakers fought hard for every point, eventually crossing the finish line in P15 and P18.
David Braceras:
“The weekend did not start so well, two crashes in the Qualifying Race made it hard for Sunday’s races but I tried my best. In the first moto I was riding quite tight, I did not find a very good flow and finished in P16. For the second moto we changed the suspension setup and I felt much better. I did not get a good start but I could fight my way into P15. It was not the weekend I had hoped for, to be honest, but it is still always a great feeling to race in front of the home fans. I did my best and I progressed during the weekend. Now we have two weeks until Riola to continue the work and train hard. I will be ready in Riola. I would like to thank the whole Fantic crew, my team and my mechanic. Everyone is pushing really hard and I am sure that the results will come soon.”
