Teutschenthal played host to the MXGP of Germany this past weekend, where changing conditions and a demanding circuit tested the field across every lap of racing. Hear more from the leading riders of each division in this Reaction feature.

MX1

Image: Supplied.

P1 | Lucas Coenen (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing):
A good weekend. Two holeshots and led every lap. I managed to pull a gap and control it. On that type of track you can easily made a mistake so I had to stay calm… but it was tricky! I had some pressure…but I think I did a good job. Sacha also, and it’s a nice thing to have two red plates [in the family] but it’s a long season.

P2 | Andrea Adamo (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing):
Amazing. My first podium in my rookie season. There are many fast guys, many world champions and world titles. The line between P3 and P10 is really thin. I didn’t have the best first moto. My feeling was good but I had a crash. P9 then to P7 was okay but I thought the podium had gone. Anything can happen though! A great start in the second moto and then, for me, following is almost easier than leading at the moment because I could learn quite a lot. I managed P3, and I’m really happy.

P3 | Ruben Fernandez (Honda HRC Petronas):
This was my first podium since China, so I’m very happy to back on the box here in Germany. It’s been a long time and it certainly wasn’t easy and even now, I still don’t feel like I’m at my very best, but this was a step in the right direction. It was a shame to have that crash in the second moto, otherwise I’d have been second overall, but overall I have to be happy . Now I really want to kick-on for the rest of the season.

P4 | Maxime Renaux (Monster Energy Yamaha):
It’s a weekend of mixed emotions for me. On one hand, I’m disappointed because I missed out on the podium by a single point, and unfortunately that’s happened three times now this season. It’s tough to accept when you come so close. At the same time, I’m happy with the way I rode. Starting from the 14th gate pick, right on the outside, made things difficult and the starts weren’t ideal, so there wasn’t much more I could have done today. We still scored some good points for the championship, which is important, but it’s frustrating to be so close to the podium once again. We’ll keep working and hopefully take that final step next weekend.

P5 | Kay de Wolf (Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing):
It was a tough weekend because the conditions changed so much from one day to the next, but overall I think we can be satisfied. We scored good points in both races and another top-five overall is solid. Of course, you always want a little bit more, but we kept moving forward and gained another position in the championship. The goal is to keep building and carry that momentum into Latvia.

P6 | Alberto Forato (Fantic Factory Racing):
The result didn’t show really the feeling that I’m getting and the step we are making,but there are still many races to go! Thanks to all the people around me, I’m really grateful.

P7 | Tim Gajser (Monster Energy Yamaha):
Yesterday and the beginning of today were actually quite positive. The first moto went really well and I felt comfortable on the track. Finishing second was a great result for us, especially because we knew coming into the weekend that it was going to be difficult with the pain I’ve been dealing with in my knee. The second moto was much tougher. I didn’t get a good start and then made a couple of mistakes on the opening lap. I came together with Maxime on the start straight and then, a little later, I lost the front end on one of the jumps heading down towards the finish line. I tried to save it with my leg, but it kicked me off the bike and I had a pretty big crash. It took a while to get going again because riders were still jumping through the section, and when I did restart, the handlebars were badly bent, which made the bike really difficult to ride. Even so, I didn’t give up and just focused on getting to the finish. It was frustrating because it was a mistake that could have been avoided, but at the same time I’m thankful that I’m OK after such a big crash. There are definitely lessons to take away from this one. I need to be a little more patient in the opening laps, especially when I don’t get the start I want. Thank you to the whole team for all of their hard work and support throughout the weekend.

P8 | Kevin Horgmo (Team Motoblouz Honda):
11-8 for P8 overall in Germany. Baby steps in the right direction. Let’s continue to fight hard for myself, the team, all the supporters, and especially my teammate.

MX2

Image: Supplied.

P1 | Mathis Valin (Kawasaki Racing Team):
Finally my first GP win! I have been waiting for this moment for several weeks but after my shoulder injury it took time. After two podiums in a row it’s such a good feeling to finally stand on the top step for both myself and the team! Today the track was really rough. On TV maybe people could not realise just how deep the ruts were; they were similar to Switzerland two months ago.I already had a good feeling in the first race and could chase Sascha all the way for second. In the second moto I started to put the pressure on him and he crashed. When I took the lead I knew that I had to ride very technical, and I was able to do just that! I made a few small mistakes but that was inevitable; it was the first time for a while that I have been leading a race on Sunday but I stayed calm and now I want to repeat as soon as possible! We worked hard with the team and of course we will continue to do so as the goal is to be on the podium every week. I’m feeling good with the bike, I’m consistent at the starts, and everyone in the team does a great job.

P2 | Sacha Coenen (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing):
I’m quite happy to have the red plate! I made two good starts, two holeshots, and led every lap in the first. The second moto was a bit different. I lost the front on the start straight and had to come back from third. It was difficult to pass and I was bit disappointed. Two brothers having red plates on the same weekend is nice! I’m just going weekend by weekend.

P3 | Camden McLellan (Triumph Factory Racing):
Ending the weekend third overall and back on the podium is obviously a positive, but I have to admit I’m a little disappointed because I felt like I had more potential to show today. There were plenty of positives throughout the weekend, but I just didn’t quite nail my starts in the races, and that made things much more difficult. That’s something we need to work on because consistent starts are so important, especially in conditions like these. The good thing is that we’re back racing again next weekend. We’ll head home, recover, get some rest, and focus on improving the areas where we weren’t quite strong enough this weekend. Then we’ll come into Latvia ready to fight again.

P4 | Janis Reisulis (Monster Energy Yamaha):
Fourth overall is my best result of the season so far, but being just one point away from the podium is a little painful. Still, it was a solid weekend. I stayed on two wheels across both days, which is always important, and I was able to put together two consistent races. That consistency is something we want to carry into the next round in Latvia, so there are plenty of positives to take away from this weekend.

P5 | Simon Laengenfelder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing):
Not the best weekend but considering all the conditions and my sickness I’m happy to bring home a 3rd place and make a good start in that second moto. Super-happy to be fighting again in the top three. Now it’s time to relax a bit and get the energy back for Latvia.

P6 | Guillem Farres (Triumph Factory Racing):
It was a difficult Sunday here in Germany. We had some rain before the first moto, which made the track really challenging. After a decent start, I was running around seventh and spent most of the race following the riders in front. It was a tough moto and the lapped riders didn’t make things any easier. In the end, I finished sixth, which I wasn’t particularly happy with. The second moto started a little better, although it was still only a mediocre start. I was around sixth early on, made a few passes, and worked my way into fourth. From there, I held that position for the rest of the race behind the top three riders. We were quite close, but it was really difficult to find a place to make a pass. I finished fourth in the race for sixth overall for the day. I felt like I had more in the tank, but we’ll take the positives and come back stronger next weekend.

P7 | Valerio Lata (Honda HRC Petronas):
My riding was a lot better, especially in the first moto so that is a positive to take away from this weekend. Conditions weren’t easy, with the rain affecting the track in that first moto quite a lot, but I got a good start and held my position well to begin with. I will keep fighting hard to improve and I definitely feel there is more to come.

P8 | Liam Everts (Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing):
The speed was definitely better than the results show this weekend. Unfortunately, the starts put me on the back foot both times, so it was all about fighting through the field and limiting the damage. Conditions were tricky all day, but we kept scoring points and that’s important for the championship. We’ll take the positives and look ahead to Latvia.