Team Suzuki Press Office – August 28.
The 2015 FIM Motocross World Championship will make a final stop on European dirt this weekend with the Grand Prix of the Netherlands taking place at the fabled road racing facility of Assen.
For Rockstar Energy Suzuki Europe’s Glenn Coldenhoff it will represent his second home event of the season and although the temporary course – that is being constructed over parts of the asphalt – is a new build, the expected sandy terrain should be another happy hunting ground for the 24 year old.
Coldenhoff is the sole factory-supported RM-Z450 runner in the MXGP class after injuries to Clement Desalle and Kevin Strijbos have counted the Belgian duo out of action for the remainder of the year. Desalle is recovering from right shoulder surgery and Strijbos had a procedure earlier this week to repair a snapped right thumb ligament. Neither athlete will return to the track this year. Coldenhoff has won a Grand Prix already in 2015 and took a solid sixth position in the hard-pack sand of Mantova in Italy last weekend. The Dutchman is currently fulfilling his aim of a top-10 finish for the season by holding ninth place in the MXGP standings in what is his first attempt in the premier category.
“It is not such a big deal as I will be focusing on my usual thing and won’t be feeling any extra pressure,” he said referring to his ‘lone’ status for Suzuki. “All I can do is give my best and hope I find the same feeling as I did in Mantova. Of course I love to be in front of my home crowd and I think there will be many spectators but I will try to treat it as ‘another race.’ I don't know what to expect at Assen in terms of the track but the way I am riding at the moment I am ready for whatever is coming.”
Assen steps into the MXGP sphere for the first time with the 16th round of 18 in the 2015 schedule. The area boasts a rich motorcycle racing history that stretches back almost a century but the current circuit has been in use since 1955 meaning the motocross Grand Prix takes place in a 60th anniversary year. Importing sand into the complex – some 25,000 cubic metres according to promoters Youthstream – has allowed Assen staff to form a layout covering part of the famous turns 19, 20, 21 chicane and the start straight.
In MX2 Jeremy Seewer has been recuperating from a sore neck as a result of a frantic weekend in Italy and recovering from two falls in the sand. The Swiss is sixth in the championship standings and with only 14 points in Holland with his RM-Z250 will overtake the absent Jeffrey Herlings to move into the top five and be yet another Suzuki athlete near to achieving his goal for 2015.
Seewer was able to look at teenager Brian Hsu for company in MX2 in Mantova but the German will be on the sidelines and miss out on his EMX250 European Championship role at Assen with team-mate Bas Vaessen. Hsu had been looking good for a top five result in what is the ninth and final round of the feeder series to MX2 and the youngster’s first season on the RM-Z250 and four-stroke technology. A blameless crash at the start of the second moto in Italy led to a sprained right wrist and Hsu has been advised to miss Assen with a view towards more MX2 FIM World Championship appearances in Mexico and the USA in September.
Vaessen has been gaining confidence and prominence in the last two outings in Latvia and Belgium and on home turf could at last breach the leading group and snare a podium trophy that has been within his grasp at Kegums and Lommel.
The weather forecast across the programme in Assen predicts sun and decent temperatures for both Saturday and Sunday but showers on Friday and Monday for a changeable outlook.
MXGP World Championship Standings (after 15 of 18 rounds): 1. Romain Febvre (FRA, YAM), 597 points; 2. Gautier Paulin (FRA, HON), 496 p.; 3. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, HON), 463 p.; 4. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 416 p.; 5. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), 392 p.; 6. Maximilian Nagl (GER, HUS), 384 p.; 7. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, YAM), 366 p.; 8. Clement Desalle (BEL, Rockstar Energy Suzuki), 331 p.; 9. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, Rockstar Energy Suzuki), 321 p.; 10. Todd Waters (AUS, HUS), 300 p.; 11. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Rockstar Energy Suzuki), 287 p.
MX2 World Championship Standings (after 15 of 18 rounds): 1. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), 475 points; 2. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 471 p.; 3. Max Anstie (GBR, KAW), 437 p.; 4. Valentin Guillod (SUI, YAM), 433 p.; 5. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 423 p.; 6. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Rockstar Energy Suzuki), 409 p.; 7. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KAW), 393 p.; 8. Julien Lieber (BEL, YAM), 356 p.; 9. Benoit Paturel (FRA, YAM), 292 p.; 10. Petar Petrov (BUL, KAW), 285 p.
EMX250 European Championship (after 8 of 9 rounds): 1. Nick Kouwenberg (NED, HON), 284 points; 2. Adam Sterry (GBR, KTM), 251 p.; 3. Damon Graulus (BEL, YAM), 243 p.; 4. Maxime Desprey (FRA, KAW), 235 p.; 5. Brian Hsu (GER, Rockstar Energy Suzuki), 190 p.; 6. Alvin Östlund (SWE, YAM), 186 p.; 7. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, KTM), 177 p.; 8. Ander Valentin (ESP, YAM), 166 p.; 9. Steven Clarke (GBR, HUS), 118 p.; 10. Simone Zecchina (ITA, KAW), 114 p.; 11. Michele Cervellin (ITA, HON), 100 p.; 12. Nicolas Dercourt (FRA, KAW), 96 p.; 13. Lars van Berkel (NED, KAW), 95 p.; 14. Ken Bengtsson (SWE, KTM), 86 p.; 15. Frederik van der Vlist (NED, KAW), 83 p.; 16. Davy Pootjes (NED, KTM), 80 p.; 17. Nicholas Adams (RSA, KAW), 78 p.; 18. Bas Vaessen (NED, Rockstar Energy Suzuki), 71 p.