Vlaanderen Shines with Impressive Sixth in Spain
Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP’s Calvin Vlaanderen finished sixth overall at the second round of the FIM Motocross World Championship in Madrid, Spain.
Lining up for his second Grand Prix with the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP team, Vlaanderen made considerable progress throughout the weekend. In Race One, the South African ace battled inside the top 10 for the entire race and ultimately finished ninth.
In Race Two, Vlaanderen benefitted from another strong start and after posting a number of fast laps throughout the early stages, was able to slightly break away from the chasing pack to secure his first top five finish of the season. As a result, Vlaanderen has moved up to eighth in the MXGP Championship Standings.
Maxime Renaux showed true grit, powering through pain to secure a commendable fifth-place finish in Race One. However, faced with severe discomfort in his right foot, the talented Yamaha star made the tough call to sit out Race Two.
The 23-year-old Frenchman, who started the Spanish Grand Prix fifth in the MXGP World Championship Standings, will return to France, where he will consult with a specialist to determine the best course of action for his recovery. An update on his treatment plan and possible return to action will be shared on www.Yamaha-Racing.com when available.
The FIM Motocross World Championship now heads to Riola Sardo, Sardinia, for the third round of the campaign, on April 6th and 7th.
Click here to view the results from the MXGP of Spain.
Calvin Vlaanderen
6th MXGP of Spain, 28-points
8th MXGP Championship Standings, 56-points
“Honestly, it was quite a challenging weekend despite the good results. Yesterday, I didn’t ride great, but I was able to turn it around today. The intensity at the start of each race is really high early on, and I just need to be a little more aggressive. My second race was really good. I had a strong start and then rode like I know I can, so that’s encouraging as we head to Riola Sardo for the next GP.”
Maxime Renaux
11th MXGP of Spain, 16-points
7th MXGP Championship Standings, 63-points
“I gave everything I had to ride through the pain barrier and take my chances this season, but after Race One today, it was too much. I have a lot of pain in my foot, and I can’t continue to ride like this, so we had to make the difficult decision to sit out Race Two. We put everything into this game, so to pull out because of this, it’s a tough pill to swallow.”
