Team Suzuki Press Office – August 29.
Glenn Coldenhoff shone in the Dutch sunshine to lead the Qualification Heat at Assen and on home sand to register his first Pole Position of the season today.
Round 16 of 18 in the 2015 FIM Motocross World Championship took place on a curious temporary course built over the final corner and start straight of the permanent road racing facility in northern Holland. The Rockstar Energy Suzuki Europe rider gunned his RM-Z450 to the holeshot and barely looked back as he headed the pack around a narrow and short layout.
The Grand Prix of the Netherlands began with riders acclimatising to the ‘beach’ sand terrain and the rough and demanding hard-pack base that was also being carved by four other support classes.
With Rockstar Suzuki World MXGP riders Clement Desalle and Kevin Strijbos out of action it was left to Coldenhoff to represent the ‘yellow’ in the best way possible in the premier class and ‘#259’ gave a busy and large grandstand reason to cheer when he swept to the chequered flag.
In MX2 Jeremy Seewer was also sprightly out of the gate and slotted into second place with his RM-Z250 in pursuit of Harri Kullas. The Swiss tried to establish a consistent pace but a bout of arm-pump in the second half of the 20-minute and two-lap sprint meant he had to ride sensibly and eventually secured seventh.
Glenn Coldenhoff:
“It was cool today, I could really feel the crowd behind me. My riding was OK; I pulled the holeshot and that was the most important thing on this track. I could then do my own thing and make a gap. I could see the guys behind me and controlled the race. I was a bit nervous at one stage because the fans were cheering so much…but it was good!”
MXGP Qualification Heat Classification: 1. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, Rockstar Energy Suzuki), 24:09.280; 2. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Yamaha), +0:06.192; 3. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Honda), +0:07.504; 4. Romain Febvre (FRA, Yamaha), +0:12.089; 5. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), +0:17.662; 6. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), +0:24.581; 7. Tyla Rattray (RSA, Kawasaki), +0:37.423; 8. Dean Ferris (AUS, Husqvarna), +0:45.246; 9. Todd Waters (AUS, Husqvarna), +0:48.266; 10. Nathan Watson (GBR, Husqvarna), +0:50.780.