What a weekend it was for Rick Elzinga racing in Lommel and even he described it as the best GP of his career so far! The Dutch talent will be one to keep an eye on as he didn’t even had an off season this year dealing with injuries throughout the winter. 2025 will be his last year racing the MX2 World Championship and he’ll be looking to be a regular podium visitor next year.
We caught up with the likeable Dutch talent after the brutal Lommel GP which you can read, watch or listen to below:
GateDrop: Lommel in the books, probably the best GP of your career?
Elzinga: Yeah, I would say so. Yeah, right now, the difference from my last podium in Portugal was that the track was dry. So yeah, I’m happy to show that I can ride also on dry tracks and show my ability in the sand. So yeah, I would say one of my best weekends ever, yeah.
GateDrop: In the second moto, when you were right at the front, I think you were leading, what was going through your mind? Because I’m sure at that stage you knew that you were going to win the overall if you stayed there…
Elzinga: Yeah, well I knew, and to be honest it gave me a lot of strength and energy. I was ready to put in some hot laps to break the mentality of the other riders. I still had to pass Sacha, and Sacha is not easy to pass sometimes. So yeah, I was just trying to make a gap for myself, a little bit of a cushion. But yeah, then the bike had a small issue, so that was over pretty quickly. But yeah, I’m really happy with finishing second overall.
GateDrop: Obviously you’ve won races at the EMX level, but I can’t really remember you leading an MX2 race, correct me if I’m wrong… But what did it feel like being right at the front and battling with those guys? Did you feel like you belonged there?
Elzinga: I start to believe it more and more. Once I do it more and more, I will believe it more and more. But yeah, I led a couple of laps, and to be honest, leading now was one of the best times leading. Usually I get a bit stressed because now I’m in the front, I have to keep the pace and that kind of stuff. And now I was just doing my own thing and just feeling it. And if they would pass me, they would pass me. And if not, they’re not. And somehow I just had a lot of speed this weekend and made a gap. So I was surprised a bit by myself.
GateDrop: The track yesterday, for Lommel, I don’t think was that rough. But today was Lommel as we know it, very, very rough and bumpy…
Elzinga: Yeah.
GateDrop: Did you enjoy the track?
Elzinga: Yeah, it was a big difference already from Saturday time practice to the qualifying race and also from qualifying race Saturday to Sunday was a big difference. The track was pretty fast and to Sunday it was a lot slower, I think even like 12 seconds a lap slower. So yeah, it was just back to old school Lommel fighting the bumps. And yesterday in the morning it was just a casual sand track, not that deep, fast riding, fast pace. Sunday was just fighting.
GateDrop: During winter is the time where a lot of riders make up speed, make up fitness. But you did not have a pre-season. Can you just remind me of your winter and how much time you actually had on the bike before Argentina? And what injury you had?
Elzinga: Well, I had a shoulder injury since Arnhem last year and I managed to finish the season. I got the operation straight away after the season and it was quite a long one. Shoulder is quite complex, so it took about three months… Usually it should take six months. But I made it work to three months. And then, yeah, just did some physical training.
Then finally in January, like the third week of January, went back on the bike in Sardinia. And then the third day I crashed and broke my back. So yeah, it was a big setback. I would say, yeah, back on the couch, sitting out the back. I managed to do about a week or two of riding before Argentina. So I was not fit at all in Argentina. I have used the season to get myself into shape, that is never easy because I didn’t do much testing at all. So I had to do that as well during the season. But yeah, I think the team and I managed it pretty well.
GateDrop: What were the expectations going to Argentina? I mean, the first few rounds I thought you were pretty good, considering you had no off-season. Were you happy with where you were, considering?
Elzinga: To be honest, the expectation was just to take a good start and to try my best. And yeah, just also get fitness from the racing itself. So yeah, just have a good start, stay in front as long as I can until I get tired or something happens to just get used to the pace. But yeah, that’s it basically.
GateDrop: You’re improving in hardpack all the time. But I would say you’re still not as good in hardpack as you are in sand. Is that the goal, to ride lots of hardpack and try and raise your level there? Because if you could be the same in both, you’d be a complete rider then?
Elzinga: I would say I’m already quite a complete rider. In the hardpack, I’m pretty good. Like in Teutschenthal, I was pretty consistent all weekend with fifth all weekend long. Tracks like Loket are a bit more difficult to me. But yeah, I think if I had the same feeling that I have this weekend, coming in, I would do also better. But yeah, I would say it’s really close. Sand tracks and hardpack. Not there yet, but pretty close to be a complete rider.
GateDrop: Just on the plans for next year? I’m not sure if you have a contract for Yamaha or not…
GateDrop: I have an option for next year. In a couple of days they will tell me if I stay or not. And hopefully I will because I’m happy with Yamaha and the team, so we’ll see.
GateDrop: The goal will be to have a full winter. If you can be this fast without one, hopefully next year you’ll be even better, I think it’ll be your last year in the class…
Elzinga: Next year will be my last year. And yeah, we’ll try to make everything possible for next year. Even trying to get into it right now, already for next year. So yeah, we’ll see.
GateDrop: Just on MXGP, there’s been a lot about rider safety this year… With track prep and obviously medical things happening. Just what’s your perspective on it all? On what to do well and what to improve on?
Elzinga: Like I see, there were some blocks around the track this weekend to stop cutting. That’s pretty dangerous, because sometimes we just lose the bike. And yeah, something can happen. If you are just in front of that block, you’ll get just catapulted off. Which is dangerous. I feel like they have to be just a bit more on it. Just to say, hey, you went off track there and you kept the throttle on, you’ll get a penalty because right now they don’t. And also last year there was some stuff going on with a couple of riders that cut in the first lap a couple of corners. They gain positions and not get penalized so that was something. And I would say the medical stuff on track is good. But yeah, I would like to see off the track that it gets guided as well. Because right now the riders will get exploited off track. Then they will leave them to their own fate which is okay in Belgium or Netherlands. But if you are in Argentina or Indonesia, you are pretty scared what’s going to happen. Especially if you break a leg or something. So yeah, that’s not a nice feeling to ride with if you are at those countries.
