Geerts Makes Incredible Return to MX2 Podium in Turkey
Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2’s Jago Geerts celebrated his 10th podium finish of the 2023 season after a gritty performance at the 17th round of the FIM Motocross World Championship in Afyonkarahisar, Turkey. The Belgian star ended the Turkish Grand Prix third overall, while the team’s rookie, Rick Elzinga, battled through the pack in both races to finish seventh overall.
After a heavy downpour of rain on Saturday afternoon, the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 riders faced a softer and more technical track in Race One on Sunday. Geerts excelled in these conditions as he powered his YZ250FM to an incredible start, keeping Simon Laengenfelder and Isaak Gifting honest for the entire 30-minute plus two-lap race duration. Despite some stiffness in his recovering shoulder, the Belgian showed his resilience and crossed the finish line in second position after a fantastic pass on Gifting on lap-11.
At the same time, Elzinga lost traction on the gate and had to fight through the pack from the very back. Unphased by the task at hand, the determined Dutch rider embraced the challenging circuit and made remarkable progress on his way to an impressive seventh-place finish.
Ahead of Race Two, the track had dried out, which made it one-lined and difficult to pass on. Geerts got off to another strong start but was squeezed back to eighth position at turn-one. From there, the gritty Belgian focused on his laps and posted the fastest lap of the race on his charge back to a commendable fourth-place finish.
Like Geerts, Elzinga was also pinched at turn one in the final race. However, the rookie found it slightly more difficult to pass but still managed to climb back to eighth.
The Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 team now looks forward to the penultimate round of the FIM Motocross World Championship that will take place in Maggiora, Italy, on the weekend of September 17th.
Jago Geerts
3rd MX2 Grand Prix of Turkey, 40-points
3rd MX2 Championship Standings, 650-points
“I’m happy to be back on the podium. Despite the circumstances with my shoulder and also my physical condition, I can be proud of what I did today. It was not easy, but it feels good to be back on the box, and I look forward to making more progress in my recovery to be fitter in Maggiora.”
Rick Elzinga
7th MX2 Grand Prix of Turkey, 27-points
10th MX2 Championship Standings, 352-points
“I bounced back from a difficult day yesterday, but starting from an outside gate today was quite hard. In the first race, I tried to cut to the inside at turn one, but a few riders were already on the line, so I was forced to start from the back. The track here is a bit one-lined, but I made a couple of good passes and fought my way from 11th to seventh. In the end, I was a bit tight and my shoulder was tired. I rode much better in Race Two, although the result was not as good. But, my technique was quite good; I just struggled to pass. It was still decent to end like this, and I look forward to seeing what I can do in a couple of weeks when my shoulder is stronger.”
