The Grand Prix of Sardegna, run at the familiar track of Riola Sardo, poses a rather unique challenge to the riders, as the bottomless sand puts everyone to the test. The Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP squad excelled whilst tackling that challenge. Additional podium joy for the ‘blue’ outfit made the eighth stop of the 2022 FIM Motocross World Championship yet another memorable weekend.
Although race day started in a difficult manner for Glenn Coldenhoff, as he fell in turn two of moto one, he rebounded in such a strong fashion and finished the weekend on the podium in third overall! ‘259’ raced back to eighth after that crash in moto one, then charged from fifth to second in moto two whilst setting some of the quickest lap times of the race. That 8-2 scorecard was more than enough for him to collect his first trophy of the term and edge closer to the top four in the championship standings.
Almost unbelievably, Maxime Renaux was caught up in the same crash as Coldenhoff on the opening lap of the first moto. ‘959’ was just as impressive whilst slicing his way through the pack, however, as he worked his way into sixth by the time that the chequered flag waved. An extremely eventful second moto saw him move from eighth on lap one to fourth; he overcame some intense battles along the way. Fourth overall was the reward for that hard work.
It was a tale of two days for Jeremy Seewer aboard his YZ450FM; he was a podium threat for the ‘blue’ squad despite an eventual qualifier on Saturday. Engaging in the most thrilling battle of the weekend in moto one, he desperately tried to claw his way onto the podium before settling for fourth. More podium pace was on show in moto two, as he fought for third place, but a small crash restricted him to sixth in the moto and fifth in the overall classification.
There is a short break in the schedule now, which will allow Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP to reset before a three-week stretch of events. The Grand Prix of Spain will start that on May 29.
Glenn Coldenhoff: “The first race did not start so well. Somebody crashed in front of me in the second turn and I had to come all the way from the back. I have been sick all week and we did everything we could to line up here healthy, but it seemed like it was staying with me. In the second race, I had a better start and saw Calvin [Vlaanderen] pushing hard straight away. I wanted to go with him but I could not follow today. I still had a good feeling on the bike and it’s good to be back on the podium. It’s been a tough road, but I always knew I could do it. Here we are again.”
Maxime Renaux: “It was a tough weekend like we expected, with really hot weather and a brutal track. I crashed in the second corner in the first race and twice on the first lap. To start dead last and push to sixth was really good. I messed up the second corner again in the second moto and had to come from a little bit further back, so I was really tired at the end after using a lot of energy in the first race. Not the best day, but still good points for the championship.”
Jeremy Seewer: “I struggled so much with bike set-up yesterday. We have made the bike work really well on the hard-pack, but there is still some room for improvement in the sand and I struggled a lot yesterday. I lost a lot of confidence, so to come back from that was mentally tough and I am happy I did it. I am satisfied with the result. Maybe one small crash too much? That is racing. It’s how it goes. I still collected good points and managed to set my bike up really good. I was feeling really strong in the second moto and my fitness is also very good. Overall, there are a lot of positives to take into the next few races. I look forward to that and being back on the podium again.”
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