Round 17 of the FIM Motocross World Championship in Frauenfeld, Switzerland, started on a high note – with sunny skies and a strong performance by Glenn Coldenhoff, who secured sixth place in Saturday’s MXGP qualifying race. However, heavy overnight rain presented a different challenge on Sunday, and ultimately, the Fantic riders weren’t rewarded for their efforts.
Coming off his outstanding performance in the sand of Arnhem, Glenn Coldenhoff adapted well to the tight and technical hard-pack track of Frauenfeld. He secured seventh in time practice, while his teammate Brian Bogers was close behind in ninth.
However, the start of the qualifying race didn’t go as planned, with both Fantic Factory Racing MXGP riders finding themselves down the order in 18th and 19th after a tricky first corner. “The Hoff” was on a mission, steadily picking off riders to break into the top 10 by lap 7, eventually finishing with an impressive sixth place. It was a more challenging race for Bogers, who was caught up in another rider’s crash, losing more ground and finishing in 22nd.
Track conditions changed significantly for Sunday, as rain had arrived overnight. In race 1, Glenn Coldenhoff had a decent start around P10. He managed to maintain a solid pace while avoiding mistakes in demanding conditions to secure seventh place. Brian Bogers struggled to find the right rhythm in the deep ruts and had to settle for 14th.
In race 2, Coldenhoff was quick out of the gate once again. The Dutchman moved into sixth on his Fantic XXF 450, holding the position for several laps before settling into eighth. Unfortunately, his race ended prematurely when his chain came off, forcing him to retire with four laps remaining. Bogers faced a tough start and couldn’t find the pace needed to make significant progress, finishing 16th. Coldenhoff ended the day 13th overall, thanks to his top-7 finish in the first moto, while Bogers placed 14th overall.
Glenn Coldenhoff: “I felt really good on Saturday, the pace was there and I had a good feeling. The rain came overnight and the track was completely different, and I didn’t feel as good on Sunday as I did the day before. I didn’t quite have the pace and finished seventh in race 1. My start was really good in race 2, I could hold on in the beginning but I rode a little bit too tight and lost a few positions. Unfortunately, my chain came off and we ended the weekend with a DNF. I think I hit a stone in a deep rut and that was it. It is such a shame because I was getting closer to the top 5 in the championship. We could have gained a lot of points but it didn’t go to plan. Luckily, we have a weekend off now. I will also get some treatments as I hit my shoulder and ribs in a crash on Saturday. We will prepare in the best possible way for Turkey and I hope to finish the season strong. I will keep fighting and we will keep working together with the team and Fantic. I am still aiming for that podium, we don’t give up, we keep working hard and we keep believing, which is the most important.”
Brian Bogers: “Well, what can I say? It was a struggle all weekend long. I wanted to push, but somehow, I just couldn’t manage it. Even though the track isn’t one of my favorites, you need to be good on any track. That is what I always keep in mind. For example, in Maggiora, another difficult track for me, I had one of my best races so far. This weekend was one of the most challenging. Of course, I made it very difficult for myself with a bad gate pick. The track is quite tight, I was struggling – when you put everything together, it just wasn’t good enough in the end. I think we actually found a good setup for the bike, but from my side, it wasn’t as good as I had hoped. We will keep our heads up and try again next time.”
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