Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP team’s Maxime Renaux and Calvin Vlaanderen have maintained their strong mid-season form, with Renaux finishing fourth and Vlaanderen fifth at MXGP round eight in Spain. Meanwhile, Jago Geerts, who won the Qualifying Race, suffered from crashes in both races and placed 16th overall on the day.
One week after a challenging Portuguese Grand Prix, the MXGP World Championship remained impacted by wet weather. The opening race at the Lugo circuit unfolded in slippery, rain-soaked conditions, but by Race Two, the sun had emerged. Although the surface improved significantly, deep ruts ensured it remained a technically demanding race track.
With the track at its worst for Race One, Renaux took full advantage of his third-place start. On lap three, he moved into second when Jeremy Seewer fell from his machine. As the conditions continued to deteriorate as the race unfolded, Renaux remained focused, maintained his strong pace, and finished the opening race of the day as runner-up.
Renaux enjoyed another strong start in Race Two, which set him up for a place on the overall podium. Frustratingly, disaster struck on lap one, as the Frenchman suffered from a small crash. With the track only offering one fast racing line because of the heavy rain, passing proved difficult for all riders, including Renaux, who could only climb back to ninth at the finish. In placing fourth overall, the 24-year-old remains sixth in the championship standings while closing in considerably on the riders ahead.
The MXGP of Spain was a positive round for Vlaanderen. Feeling at one with his Yamaha YZ450FM all weekend long around the technical circuit, he placed eighth in Race One. The second race underlined Vlaanderen’s true ability, however. After a strong start, he briefly led the way before dropping to second, and he slipped to third with a handful of laps to go. Placing third in Race Two secured fifth overall on the day to mark his best result of the season so far. Following his strong showing, Vlaanderen moves up to eighth in the series standings.
One day on from his stunning Qualifying Race win, Geerts was eager to deliver a repeat performance. However, early on in both races, he fell, and combined with a track that was difficult to pass on, he was restricted to a pair of 15th-place finishes. By claiming 16th overall on the day, the Belgian has moved to 14th in the championship after eight rounds.
Up next on the calendar is a home race for Renaux with the MXGP of France taking place at Ernee over the weekend of May 24-25.
Maxime Renaux
4th MXGP of Spain, 34-points
6th MXGP Championship Standings, 259-points
“Fourth today. Second in Race One was a great start to today but then in Race Two I crashed on the first lap. It was difficult to come through then and in the end, I wasn’t too far from the overall podium. So, it’s been a bittersweet day, I guess. Now, the focus is on continuing to recover fully from my crash in Switzerland in preparation for my home GP in two weeks.”
Calvin Vlaanderen
5th MXGP of Spain, 33-points
8th MXGP Championship Standings, 201-points
“The first race today was really muddy. Early on I was able to make a lot of quick passes but it was tough with the conditions. Race Two was a lot better though. My start was much better and then when Romain Febvre fell, I led for a bit, which was nice. I settled into a solid pace and ended up third, so overall it’s been a positive weekend. The track was tricky but I felt good on the bike so now it’s on to France in a couple of weeks.”
Jago Geerts
16th MXGP of Spain, 12-points
14th MXGP Championship Standings, 125-points
“Yesterday was really good but today I had small crashes early on in both races. Nothing major, I just lost the front end both times and fell. Without them I think I would have been much closer to the front today, so it’s frustrating. But I’m happy with my win in the Qualifying Race yesterday and it shows that I have the speed.”
