Yamaha riders head to round 17 of MXGP
The Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP and Wilvo Yamaha Official MXGP Team’s have travelled east for the seventeenth round of the FIM Motocross World Championship that will take place on the hilly, wide, fast and flowing hard-packed clay of Sevlievo, Bulgaria this weekend.
Well and truly into the final quarter of the 2018 MXGP World Championship, Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP’s Romain Febvre is determined to finish inside the top three when the curtain closes. He is currently fourth in the 2018 MXGP Championship Standings, 33-points down on Clement Desalle. The Frenchman has been slowly chipping away at that points gap and after finishing second-place at the Swiss Grand Prix only four days ago, he would like to carry that same momentum into Sevlievo this weekend.
Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP’s Jeremy Van Horebeek was feeling under the weather last weekend where he finished fifteenth overall. The Belgian ace hopes to be back to strength come practice tomorrow, where he would like to prove that he is still a top-five guy.
Following a crazy home Grand Prix that had Wilvo Yamaha Official MXGP’s Jeremy Seewer working around the clock with special appearances, media events and signing sessions, the Swiss talent looks forward to having a slightly more relaxed weekend where he aims to finish inside the top-five overall in the Grand Prix classification.
Seewer and Van Horebeek currently round out the top-nine in the MXGP Championship Standings.
Wilvo Yamaha Official MXGP’s Shaun Simpson is excited to return to the same track and venue that saw him take home his first ever piece of Grand Prix silverware. It was 10 years ago, back in 2008, where he posted an 11-2 scorecard to uncork his first ever bottle on champagne on the third step of the podium. Those good memories combined with the confidence that he has gained from two consecutive top-ten finishes at the two most recent Grand Prixes – in Belgium and in Switzerland – have Simpson motivated for another top-ten in Bulgaria this weekend.
In MX2, Kemea Yamaha Official MX2’s Anthony Rodriguez put in an encouraging ride at the Swiss Grand Prix where he achieved a season-best top-five finish. The Venezuelan talent hopes to do the same again this weekend, while his teammate Ben Watson is looking to get his season back on track after two ‘off’ rounds where he has not finished inside the top-five.
Following a successful operation to his left collarbone, Jago Geerts will miss the next two round of the MX2 World Championship but hopes to be back on the gate for the penultimate round in Assen, The Netherlands on the weekend of September 16th.
Last but not least, Sevlievo will also host the tenth round of the EMX250 Championship, the penultimate round, where the ASTES4-TESAR Yamaha Official EMX250 team has returned to full strength with the return of Nicholas Lapucci. Spearheading the outfit, Roan van de Moosdijk has his eye set on another podium finish as he hopes to take a chunk out of the 22-point gap Martin Barr has on him, in third, while Lapucci and Caleb Grothues hope to put some solid points on the board.
Romain Febvre
4th MXGP Championship Standings, 510-points
“I am not doing anything special heading into Bulgaria, I am remaining on the same training schedule that I have been on for the last few weeks. We are still testing some things with the bike, which we will still do. I have never been to Bulgaria on the 450. The last time I rode there was 2014. I have not been there so many times but I like the track. It’s really fast with hills and some big jumps, perhaps they will change some things, but I am not sure. It is a nice track, but the start is a little bit difficult because the turn is almost 180 degrees and it is really important to get through safely. My goal remains the same, I want to be on the podium every weekend.”
Jeremy Seewer
8th MXGP Championship Standings, 371-points
“I have really good memories from the track in Bulgaria. It is where I stood on the podium for the first time in the EMX125 class. That was a special moment. I also like the track, it’s super nice and awesome to race on. I hope that this weekend I can finish inside the top-five.”
Shaun Simpson
16th MXGP Championship Standings, 170-points
“It’s a track we haven’t been to for a few years. It used to be a fixed location and it’s actually a track that I had my first big success. I got my first ever podium there in MX2, I think I went 11-2 for third overall and my first ever GP podium, so I have some good memories at that venue. It as also been super hot there, and super wet, so it’s always different. I think I know what I can expect; I don’t imagine the track is too different. It’s a nice stop on the calendar, I know it is a good track and will produce some good racing. I will go in there with the view of doing my best, getting a good start and trying to mix it up with the boys. I need to try and get back into the top ten again and I think that Switzerland was good to show me that my speed is there and that my fitness is improving week to week. I think that I can do more or less the same job in Bulgaria.”
Words and Pic: Yamaha
