We caught up with a happy Jago Geerts who won his last ever MX2 race and won it in fine style with two key passes late in the moto. Geerts will now be on a 450 full time from now on with his first race of his new career in just two weeks at Ernee.
This is what he had to say about the day, the tough season and the future. Watch or read below:
Jago, that was quite the performance, second GP win in a row, you went out on a high after a rough season, those last couple of laps were pretty impressive, a couple of slick passes to get the GP win!
Yeah, it was a really nice weekend. I felt better and better on the track every time. First heat, the last ten or fifteen minutes I was feeling better and better, just came up a bit short and finished third. Second heat I didn’t have the best start but I was feeling really good on the track and made a lot of passes on the first laps and then I was behind Adamo and De Wolf, and in the end I found some different end I just found some different lines and made the two passes. Really happy to finish my MX2 career with the win.
The line around the tree, you squared two or three people off there, once you seen that line, did you think ‘that’s my spot?!’
Yeah, for sure that was the main spot to pass for me. I found a really good line on the inside so I was trying to keep going in that line and in the end I made a couple of passes there so it was quite good.
It feels like the last two weekends, you have kept your best for the last motos and played it smart in the first one, is that the way you thought about it or just the way it happened?
It’s just the way it happened, the last few weekend’s I have felt better in the second heat. I don’t know why!
You got second overall in the championship, I know you didn’t want another second place – but it’s better than third! Was that on your mind to try to get second at the end of the season?
Yeah, the goal coming into this weekend was to get second in the championship. I think I can be really happy to finish second after two injuries this season. No world title but in the end I think I can be happy with my second place this season.
I was speaking to Stefan Everts on Friday, he lost world titles in a bad way himself, I asked him what he thought about you (losing two titles) and he said he was very impressed how you were mentally able to come back to this pace. How hard was it mentally? Especially after the second crash, the first one you were back after three weeks but the second one wasn’t even your fault, again another rider crashed in front of your and effectively cost you a world title for the second year in row! That’s not easy for anyone to deal with…
No, for sure. The first injury was not that difficult mentally. I don’t know why, but I just felt that the recovery would not be that long and I would be back quite fast. After my collarbone injury, the first few weeks were quite hard. I didn’t feel good, I was struggling but, after that, I just changed my mindset and tried to come back for Arnhem and it went really well there and that was a really positive point and after that it went better and better.
Do you think all this adversity you have had in MX2 will help you in MXGP? It’s obviously a very tough class, but you have been through so much it’s almost like you are mentally prepared for tough times!
Yeah, I think I have a lot of experience mentally with tough times! I am looking forward to the switch to MXGP next year. I think the bike will suit my riding style a bit better. We will how it goes but I am positive for next year.
It’s a different 450 Yamaha to the one you rode so well on at Red Bud. Have you rode it much yet and how has the adjustment been on that bike?
Yeah, I had two days last week on the 450 and I think it’s a really good bike for sure, an improvement on the bike from last year, so I think it should be okay for Ernee. We don’t have that much time, only two weeks but I think it’s enough to be competitive and try to get a good result for team Belgium.
No-one has been able to beat Jett Lawrence outdoors in America I think everyone is really motivated to be the first one to beat him at Ernee, is that on you mind or are you just looking to do your thing?
Yeah, I don’t know. I think there will be a lot of fast riders, I don’t look at anyone in particular. I just want do my thing and get the best results I can.
How long will you take off after Ernee before you start the 450 prep?
I don’t know yet, I think I will take a couple of weeks extra because it was such a tough season for me but yeah, I think four or five weeks for sure.
The SMX series in America, some people have been wanting GP riders to race that with a similar qualifying system, what are your thoughts on that?
(smiles) I think I will just stick to the world championship!
Interview: Jonathan McCready
Images: Full Spectrum
