Good points for Fernandez in a tough Latvian GP
KegumsHeavy rainfall overnight drenched the Kegums track in Latvia, giving the riders another muddy circuit to start the day with, but as the circuit dried, Honda HRC’s Ruben Fernandez showed his speed in the sand to finish just two points off the podium
Given the nature of the track, starts were once again a crucial factor for all the riders and Fernandez utilised his fourth gate pick to great effect. The Honda CRF450R rider rounded the turn around the top five in both races, which made his life a lot easier for the rest of the moto. In the first race, he was able to move through from sixth to fourth as he showed real grit and determination to maximise his points after a tough week of recovery.
Race two started off in a similar fashion with the #70 in fifth place as they crossed the line for the first time. He then moved into fourth after making a nice pass early on but around the mid-point of the moto, he was trying his best to hold on and eventually had to let a couple of riders through to finish in sixth place with 33 points. That gave him fifth overall, which was an excellent haul considering there were doubts he’d be fit enough to ride in the immediate aftermath of his crash in Germany last weekend.
Valerio Lata’s day in the MX2 class didn’t go very well, as technical issues early on in each of the motos meant he had to pull off the racetrack. After the highs of Teutschenthal, it was a real shame for the young Italian to miss out here, but he’s keeping a positive frame of mind and excited to try again in two weeks’ time, when they head to the UK for the magnificent challenge of Matterley Basin.
Unfortunately, Ferruccio Zanchi has received disappointing news from medical professionals following his recent crash in Germany. The young Italian rider has sustained a knee injury and, as a result, will be sidelined from competition for the foreseeable future.
Further medical evaluations are scheduled in one month to monitor his recovery and determine the appropriate next steps. For now, doctors have advised complete rest and avoidance of any physical activity.
This development is a significant setback for the Honda CRF250R rider, who had shown promising form earlier in the season with a moto victory and podium in Cozar, Spain. However, Zanchi will receive the highest standard of medical care as he focuses on recovery and a potential return to racing.
MX2 Race 1
1. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM), 34:20.890; 2. Simon Längenfelder (GER, KTM), +0:03.203; 3. Liam Everts (BEL, Husqvarna), +0:20.244; 4. Mathis Valin (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:50.899; 5. Camden Mc Lellan (RSA, Triumph), +0:58.856; 6. Karlis Alberts Reisulis (LAT, Yamaha), +1:02.159; 7. Thibault Benistant (FRA, Yamaha), +1:13.213; 8. Kay de Wolf (NED, Husqvarna), +1:23.510; 9. Guillem Farres (ESP, Triumph), +1:26.641; 10. Quentin Marc Prugnieres (FRA, KTM), +1:33.019;… 22. Valerio Lata (ITA, Honda), -9 lap(s);
MX2 Race 2
1. Kay de Wolf (NED, Husqvarna), 35:34.662; 2. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM), +0:03.320; 3. Simon Längenfelder (GER, KTM), +0:07.953; 4. Thibault Benistant (FRA, Yamaha), +0:15.161; 5. Liam Everts (BEL, Husqvarna), +0:18.191; 6. Guillem Farres (ESP, Triumph), +0:19.284; 7. Camden Mc Lellan (RSA, Triumph), +0:20.252; 8. Oriol Oliver (ESP, KTM), +0:24.837; 9. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), +0:51.733; 10. Mathis Valin (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:55.352; … 21. Valerio Lata (ITA, Honda), -17 lap(s);
MX2 GP Overall
1. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM), 47 points; 2. Simon Längenfelder (GER, KTM), 42 p.; 3. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 38 p.; 4. Liam Everts (BEL, HUS), 36 p.; 5. Thibault Benistant (FRA, YAM), 32 p.; 6. Camden Mc Lellan (RSA, TRI), 30 p.; 7. Mathis Valin (FRA, KAW), 29 p.; 8. Guillem Farres (ESP, TRI), 27 p.; 9. Karlis Alberts Reisulis (LAT, YAM), 25 p.; 10. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), 22 p.; … 21. Valerio Lata (ITA, HON), 0 p.;
MX2 Championship
1. Simon Längenfelder (GER, KTM), 515 points; 2. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), 488 p.; 3. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 478 p.; 4. Liam Everts (BEL, HUS), 419 p.; 5. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM), 389 p.; 6. Thibault Benistant (FRA, YAM), 378 p.; 7. Camden Mc Lellan (RSA, TRI), 324 p.; 8. Valerio Lata (ITA, HON), 265 p.; 9. Cas Valk (NED, KTM), 253 p.; 10. Ferruccio Zanchi (ITA, HON), 220 p.;
A little disappointed to miss out on the podium by such fine margins but at the same time, I’m happy to even be here and to score such good points is a big bonus. I had two good starts and that made things a lot easier so I just tried to keep a good pace without taking any big risks and it worked out pretty well. Now we have a weekend off, which I definitely appreciate so we can regroup and get ready for Matterley Basin, and that is a track I enjoy riding so hopefully I’ll be back to 100% by then.
A little disappointed to miss out on the podium by such fine margins but at the same time, I’m happy to even be here and to score such good points is a big bonus. I had two good starts and that made things a lot easier so I just tried to keep a good pace without taking any big risks and it worked out pretty well. Now we have a weekend off, which I definitely appreciate so we can regroup and get ready for Matterley Basin, and that is a track I enjoy riding so hopefully I’ll be back to 100% by then.
This wasn’t the news I hoped for when I visited the doctor, but I thought it might be the issue. We now have a long road to recovery which starts with just resting it as much as possible. I feel pretty disappointed to leave the series like this because I really thought I could come good in the second half of the championship, but now I just need to focus on getting healthy. Thanks to all the team and my friends and family for all their support, I really appreciate it.
This wasn’t the news I hoped for when I visited the doctor, but I thought it might be the issue. We now have a long road to recovery which starts with just resting it as much as possible. I feel pretty disappointed to leave the series like this because I really thought I could come good in the second half of the championship, but now I just need to focus on getting healthy. Thanks to all the team and my friends and family for all their support, I really appreciate it.
Not much to say about the day really. Luck certainly wasn’t on our side all weekend and to leave here with zero points is not good for anyone. We will keep working though and now we have a weekend off to get everything ready for Matterley Basin.
Not much to say about the day really. Luck certainly wasn’t on our side all weekend and to leave here with zero points is not good for anyone. We will keep working though and now we have a weekend off to get everything ready for Matterley Basin.
Ruben really put in an excellent effort to score as many points as he did. He certainly wasn’t 100% healthy today so to almost finish on the podium was very impressive. We are sure he’ll be feeling much better when we go to Great Britain for round 12 and it’ll be exciting to see what he can do there. Things definitely didn’t go to plan for Valerio and we will work hard to make sure it never happens again. It was a tough end after these three races in a row, but we’re sure he’ll bounce back in Matterley. Unfortunately, it seems like Ferruccio won’t be joining us for a while after his news from the doctors has ruled him out. We’ll workout a plan after his next appointment, but it is a real shame for him and for the whole of Honda HRC.
Ruben really put in an excellent effort to score as many points as he did. He certainly wasn’t 100% healthy today so to almost finish on the podium was very impressive. We are sure he’ll be feeling much better when we go to Great Britain for round 12 and it’ll be exciting to see what he can do there. Things definitely didn’t go to plan for Valerio and we will work hard to make sure it never happens again. It was a tough end after these three races in a row, but we’re sure he’ll bounce back in Matterley. Unfortunately, it seems like Ferruccio won’t be joining us for a while after his news from the doctors has ruled him out. We’ll workout a plan after his next appointment, but it is a real shame for him and for the whole of Honda HRC.
