MXoN - what the riders saidCourtesy KTM Motorcycles Australia
Todd Waters: "It was a hard day but I had a ball. Coming down in the first Moto and bending my front disc I had no front brake the whole race. Teutschenthal is not the kind of track I would like that to ever happen on again, but I did what I could. Second race I came down again with a heap of other top guys but I put that behind me and did my best. Yes I didn't get the result and starts I was after but from here I know what I can work on for my racing over here next year. The Aussie team did a great job and I’m proud of all you guys. I’d also like to say a massive thanks to MA and the people who made this happen this year. Rob T and Jeff Leisk have been a massive part of my racing this year as have my Mum, Dad, sister Nikki and my girlfriend Gillian. You guys rock. Thanks.”
Courtesy Honda Pro Racing
Max Nagl: "In the first race I had a bad start. The gate moved and my reaction wasn’t good enough, then I got caught a little with Jake Nicholls with our handlebars. I was around 35th, but I passed a lot of people every lap to come through to a decent result. In the second race I got a good jump and a holeshot. I was leading the race for a long time, and to be honest it wasn’t that tough. I was pushing, but not too hard, and I still had everything under control. After 20 minutes Tony passed me, but I planned to follow him and he didn’t pull away. With one lap to go I was caught out with a side wind on one of the big jumps, which blew me off the track and I was lucky not to land on the fence. De Dycker and Bobby closed up on me, as I lost so much time, then I was a bit stressed because I lost my rhythm, so I lost a few places. The riding and my result for myself was good, so it was a positive way to end the year. The track was really difficult, as it wasn& rsquo;t graded since yesterday, so it was bumpy and hard. In some places there was grip, but not in others, so it was important to be smooth with the throttle. I am happy, as I can go with a good feeling into the winter. The Nations requires a lot of luck, and everyone tried hard, so we were just unlucky this year not to be closer to the podium. I am happy the season is over so we can start a good preparation for next year.”
Evgeny Bobryshev: "In the first race I was a bit unlucky. I didn’t get such a good jump, but with some moves in the corners I was around 13th, battling with five people including Tomac, Dungey and De Dycker. It was difficult, because if I made a mistake I knew I would lose a lot of places. I had a technical problem, which may have been caused by a collision or a stone in the front brake, and this made me crash. I had to retire quite early on without the use of the brake. The last race was good and to end the season with a strong ride was nice. I had a good start and was second for a long time, but I made a little mistake and Tony (Cairoli) passed me. The sun was low, and I went in a hole, which kicked me off the track. I tried to pass Ken in the last few laps, and Max made a mistake so I got by him, which meant Team Russia was eighth overall. We’ve improved and it was good to be in the top 10, as well as a positive end to the season.”
Eli Tomac: "I didn’t get a good start in the first moto, as I spun off the line and I think my dirt was a little dry; I thought it was going to work, but it didn’t. I went through the pack a little bit, and was in third place at one point, before I made a really big mistake that sent me flying over the bars. I was flying through the air without my motorcycle, which was a little scary, but I was lucky to get up, be healthy, get back to the bike and finish it out. In the second moto I had a big battle with Roczen. He got the start, and to me whoever got the start was going to win, because we were so close with a big battle all the way through. I did get shuffled back a few times with lappers, which was what hurt me the most, and the fans were really behind him, but he rode a great race. It’s been a really cool experience, and although we are disappointed not to win, hopefully I can come back and we know we’ve got to put together all five motos for the result.”
Justin Barcia: "The weekend was good; I struggled a little and I have much respect to Team Belgium and Italy, as the tracks here are extremely tough and a lot more challenging than back at home. I know we said that last year in the sand, but these guys ride some gnarly stuff. We wanted to win bad, but these guys just outrode us this year. I got a decent start in the first race, but I rode a bit tight and struggled with some stuff, although I ended up fourth. In the second race I fell on the start and had to fight my way back from the back of the pack, which was some frustrating racing. I didn’t ride very well all weekend, but there’s a lot of cool fans here. We are disappointed to finish second, but it’s been another good experience. I love racing with these guys, as it’s awesome. The European series is cool and the tracks are way gnarlier than back at home. I wish our tracks got like that; we can’t find anything like that in the US to ride with it being so choppy and gnarly. Hopefully one day I can maybe come back and race the GP’s after hopefully winning some US championships. No excuses for the race, we got beaten, but there’s nothing more in my heart I want than to win every race. I always want to win, and that’s my goal, so I did give it 100%.”
David Philippaerts: "I am very happy to get on the podium. We know Antonio is so strong and it’s possible for him to win, so we knew that Alessandro (Lupino) and I had to be in the top 10 for the overall result in every moto. After three years of not being at the Nations due to injuries, to come back has been a dream, and to get a podium is so important. We are a private team with a private bike, so to get on the podium is more special for me.”
Courtesy Kawasaki Motors Europe
Jeremy Van Horebeek: "It was a big challenge to return to the MX2 class, and I’m proud with the result I achieved today. My first race was good with a seventh position, but I went down in the second moto and I thought that it was over ! I came back from twenty-sixth to seventh, and thanks to the results of my teammates that was enough to win the race. As a kid I dreamt about winning the Nations one day; I was looking for a podium all season long and I finally got it here. What a way to end the year!”
Alessandro Lupino: "This weekend I made good improvements with my starts, and that’s important for next season. The lap times were good and I was fighting in the top ten of each race; it was so great to be on the podium with Team Italy. I want to thank all the guys who worked with me this season in the team, our results were not always what we were expecting but we know what we have to do for next year.”
Gautier Paulin: "We were expecting a podium and for sure we are disappointed even if everyone did his best in the French team. In the first race my start was average but I recovered to fifth; I was close to the fourth place when a lapped rider got in my way just before a jump and I was lucky to stay on both wheels. My second start was good, but after half a lap I got a stone in my rear brake and had problems for several laps; I knew that we couldn’t reach the podium whatever was my result, but I kept Dungey behind me to finish sixth."
Tommy Searle: "To finish third and fifth at the Motocross of Nations is a great way to end the season; we'll go into the off-season with confidence as we know that we made good improvements on the bike. We had only one day testing with the suspension before this race; WP never really tested on Kawasaki in the past and we scored the second position in the MX1 class at the biggest event in the world. The track was one of the roughest I have ever seen, it was really tough! But it was a great weekend; I enjoyed the atmosphere with the British fans who travelled here to support us.”
Courtesy Yamaha Motor Europe N.V. Dean Ferris: "It would have been awesome to get on the podium but the boys put in everything they could today and we’re pumped…I’m super-pumped about the way I rode! Three decent starts and solid top five all day…and P1 in practice. I liked it out there. The more ruts the merrier and the more technical it is the better I go especially when the bike is working good. Today was probably the fastest I have ridden – after a bit of testing during the week - and there is no reason why I cannot get faster and faster with that set-up.” Shaun Simpson: "I expected a lot more from today and Team GB went into this event with hopes of a podium. As it turned out Cairoli pulled Italy through with two wins and we knew Australia would be strong. I was feeling great in my first moto and like I had time to really make something happen, so to lose the front brake was devastating. I couldn’t really make it better in the last race of the day because I was taken-out and then somebody did a wheelspin on my shoulder that knocked me down again. I feel disappointed because people will look at the results and think I was the weak link but the truth is that I had little luck today.” Courtesy Rockstar Energy Suzuki Clement Desalle: "I'm sorry to miss out a little bit because I have some pain and I'm worried about my shoulder but it is so nice to finally win. We have been speaking about how it would feel for several weeks. I made a mistake in the first moto and started so far behind. I felt good and strong on my bike and it was a good race. I'm sad to have had a last moto of the season like that but I will try to enjoy the moment before we go to the doctor. I want to thank all of Team Belgium and my team-mates. We did a good job." Jeremy Seewer: "My day was really good. I started from 34th position and didn't get away that well but I passed a lot of riders to get up to 15th or 16th. I was ahead of Butron and Nicholls and behind Lupino. Tomac passed me on the last corner but 16th was still OK for me and for Switzerland. In the second race I was taken out at the start and had to fight back to get near the top 20. I was dead-last and so far behind but my times were really good and among the top MX2 guys. Team Switzerland finished ninth so it wasn't such a bad day and my speed overall was pretty good. I'm also very happy to have won the Ricky Carmichael Award; a nice way to finish the season." Courtesy KTM Racing Tony Cairoli: "Just an amazing weekend. It was our goal to finish on the podium but there are so many good teams. My dream was to finish on the podium and this is the first time in the eight years I have been riding for Italy that we made it. It was like a victory for us. My own goal was to win both my races and the MX1 class and I managed that.” Ken Roczen: "I didn’t feel so good in the first moto but I had a good start in the second and Eli (Tomac) and I were hammering down the whole moto. It was very important for me to win a moto and overall I’m very happy with my performance. I reached my personal goal and the fans were great.” Ken de Dycker: "The MXoN was special and I made a few mistakes. For sure its nice to win the MXoN but it it was a tough track. it was very hard and I made a few mistakes and had to be careful with choosing the lines." Ryan Dungey: "Second place is pretty respectable but for us it was important to win. Eli and Justin rode awesome today and I gave it all I had even though I wasn't riding to the level I'm capable of. It was a very tough track for us. The European tracks are a little different to what we are used to." |