Vlaanderen battles through the pain at Mantova 3
The Gebben Van Venrooy Racing team were dealt a blow heading into the final round of a triple header at the sandy Mantova circuit which left the team down to one rider.
It was Calvin Vlaanderen who was the sole rider for the team and he’d also been through the wars at Mantova 2 which meant he had to ride with pain in his hip. The MXGP rider dug deep though and still had a good day on his Gebben Van Venrooy Yamaha.
In the first moto, Vlaanderen was sitting in fourteenth after the first couple of laps but was determined to move forward. The sandy track at Mantova was very fast and hard to pass but Vlaanderen was able to move forward to eleventh by the end of the race which was a solid race.
Fortunately, in the second moto, Vlaanderen was able to take a better start as he was inside the top ten which always makes life easier. For over half the race, Vlaanderen was in a comfortable eighth and was looking good. On lap ten, Mitch Evans made a move on him but to come home in ninth was a good race as Vlaanderen gains more experience in the MXGP class every week and gets more comfortable. A 11-9 scorecard meant Vlaanderen ended up twelfth overall for the day.
The team will now prepare for round twelve of the MXGP World Championship heading to Spain next weekend which will be a new track for all the riders.
Calvin Vlaanderen (12th overall): It was a solid day going 11-9 in the races. It was mentally and physically a tough day for me with pain in my hip and some stomach issues, but I fought through it and never gave up. A few days rest and then we go again in Spain. I missed my teammates under the tent with me and hope to see them back soon!
Words: Press Release
Pic: SevenOnePictures
