Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP & MX2 Teams Gear Up for Lombok Debut
Following an exciting Grand Prix in Sumbawa, Indonesia, the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP and MX2 teams remain in Southeast Asia and are preparing to conquer new territory as the FIM Motocross World Championship travels 200 kilometers west to an all-new venue on the Indonesian island of Lombok for its 11th round.
Coming off an exciting podium finish at the recent MXGP of Sumbawa, Jeremy Seewer is all set to repeat, if not surpass, his roaring success this weekend. Currently perched at the edge of the championship’s top-three and only 3 points shy of fourth place, the Swiss sensation heads into this round ready to earn more championship points. He is currently fifth in the championship chase, just 14 points behind third place.
Simultaneously, Glenn Coldenhoff is keen to make his mark this round. After narrowly missing the box last weekend, the ‘259’ is determined to bounce back with a podium finish in Lombok. He is currently sixth in the Championship Standings.
Joining the MXGP riders at the brand-new track and venue, the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 team is fired up and ready as the gripping MX2 title fight unfolds. Thibault Benistant is hot on the tail of MX2 Championship leader Andrea Adamo, trailing now by a narrow 5-point margin. Meanwhile, Jago Geerts is aiming to bolster his position after his impressive return to the podium in Sumbawa following wrist surgery. Benistant is second in the MX2 rankings, while Geerts is fourth.
At the same time, Rick Elzinga, embarking on his first Asian Grand Prix adventure, is eager to gain as much experience as he can from the Indonesian double-header. He is currently 12th in the standings.
Jeremy Seewer
5th MXGP Championship Standings, 371-points
“This week has been quite fun. I have been surfing and running and just having fun with the crew here in the south of Lombok. It’s a beautiful island, quiet, with good food. A new track is always exciting because everyone starts at the same level, it’s always interesting to learn a new track, so it’s a positive thing. Riding in the heat is quite challenging. You need to have good nutrition and hydration, then decide when to push in the race and conserve energy because you can’t just ride flat out for 30 + 2 in those conditions. I’m usually pretty good at managing these kinds of things, so I don’t mind. It will be good.”
Glenn Coldenhoff
6th MXGP Championship Standings, 346-points
“This week, we have been in Lombok Kuta, where we just rented some scooters and cruised around, having a nice time. Every day we did some physical training and a bit of surfing. I’m looking forward to this GP. I always like new tracks, and I heard this weekend it’s a flat spot with a lot of jumps. Lombok is well known for its MotoGP round so I expect a lot of fans this weekend.”
Thibault Benistant
2nd MX2 Championship Standings, 434-points
“We couldn’t ride this week because it’s impossible at the fly-away events, but I did some small workouts and rested a bit. Lombok is a new track, and this is always nice to ride somewhere new. I started to feel good on the bike by the end of the weekend in Sumbawa, so I think I will go into this weekend with a better understanding of myself and feeling good.”
Jago Geerts
4th MX2 Championship Standings, 381-points
“I took some extra rest this week to recover from being sick on the weekend, and now I’m looking forward to Lombok and a new track, which is always nice because it’s new to everyone, so nobody has an advantage. It will be hot again, but my body handles it quite well. I will try to save as much energy as possible for the races and keep cool in the downtime.”
Rick Elzinga
12th MX2 Championship Standings, 155-points
“I was not satisfied with the result of the weekend, so I worked hard this week. I always love a new track and we will see if it suits me, but usually, I get used to tracks quite quickly. In this heat, we take precautions as possible to save energy, but it’s mostly a mental game that each rider needs to figure out. It’s not too bad, though. I am looking forward to this weekend.”
