The 15th round of the FIM Motocross World Championship took place in a stunning rock quarry just north of Gothenburg, in Uddevalla, Sweden. Although a familiar venue, the tight, hard-packed, and stony track surface seems to change every year. This year, the riders described the ground as harder and slicker than usual.
Following a heavy downpour on Friday and a mix of sunny weather and high-speed winds, the MXGP of Sweden produced an exciting weekend of racing.
For Yamaha, the weekend’s highlights came from their talented young riders, Ivano van Erp and Dani Heitink. Van Erp secured his first EMX250 round victory of the season, while 14-year-old Heitink powered his GYTR-kitted YZ125 to his second-ever EMX125 race win.
Yamaha Motor Europe’s Off-Road Racing Manager, Alexandre Kowalski, shared his thoughts on the weekend:
VRT Yamaha Official EMX250’s Ivano van Erp
Young Guns Shine in Sweden
“Overall, it was a positive weekend, particularly for our young riders in the EMX125 and EMX250 Championships.
Ivano van Erp’s win in EMX250 was the obvious highlight. He took an incredible victory, and it was great to see him excel. Ivano is known as a ‘sand rider,’ so for him to demonstrate his speed on the hard-pack at Uddevalla was a significant achievement. It shows he is one of the best, if not the best, in the class. He also picked up valuable championship points.
Gavin Towers also performed strongly this weekend. His smooth, fluid riding style suited the Uddevalla track well. Unfortunately, he faced a mechanical issue in the first race, but he bounced back to finish fourth in the second race.
Jarne Bervoets, on the other hand, had a challenging weekend with a couple of big crashes. His fall in Race One was severe, causing him significant pain, so we decided to withdraw him from the second heat. Despite this, the MJC team had some big positives, with Dani Heitink securing his second race win of the season on Saturday. This was a confidence booster for him, despite the frustration of finishing fourth overall, tied on points with the third-place rider. Consistency is key in motocross, and Dani’s performance was impressive not only for his speed and skill but also for his maturity in handling defeat. He has a great character and mindset, which is essential for success.”
Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2’s Rick Elzinga
Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2’s Rick Elzinga
Races Are Won & Lost in the Start
In MX2, starts were a challenge for both Rick Elzinga and Karlis Reisulis. We all know how crucial a good start is, especially on a tight and slippery track like Uddevalla. Many riders struggled to make passes here, and Rick and Karlis were no exceptions. With better starts, their results could have been much improved. This is something we’ll focus on as we head into the final five rounds of 2024.
Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP’s Calvin Vlaanderen
Battered & Bruised, Calvin Fights to Fifth
“In MXGP, it was a good weekend for Calvin Vlaanderen. Our goal was to finish in the top five, especially after his crash in turn one during the Qualifying Race on Saturday. Falling at the start is never easy, and although most of the pack avoided him, he wasn’t unscathed. He lost some skin and had some tyre marks on his back. Despite not feeling 100%, it was encouraging to see him finish inside the top five and maintain his fourth position in the championship standings.
Andrea Bonacorsi had a more difficult weekend. His starts were off, and he wasn’t comfortable on the bike, which kept him out of the top ten. But heading into next weekend in Arnhem, The Netherlands, where we’ll be back on the sand, Andrea will be much more comfortable, and we suspect he will be back in the top ten.”
