Sixth for Vlaanderen at Challenging Belgian Grand Prix
Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP’s Calvin Vlaanderen has finished sixth overall at MXGP round 14 in Lommel, Belgium. Maintaining his impressive mid-season form in Race One to finish third, multiple crashes in Race Two restricted him to a 12th-place finish. For Andrea Bonacorsi, a consistent 8-9 result at the MXGP of Flanders rewarded the Italian with ninth overall.
From the hardpack of Loket to the soft sand of Lommel, the MXGP World Championship calendar featured two back-to-back races on completely different race tracks. Notorious for its ever-changing surface and huge bumps, the circuit is arguably the toughest on the calendar, and with warm temperatures, it was one of the most demanding Belgian Grand Prix’s for quite some time.
In recent weeks, Vlaanderen has shown impressive form. With overall podiums at both Indonesian rounds and fourth last week in the Czech Republic, the South African was fired-up for another strong showing in Belgium. Starting third in Race One, the number 10 rode faultlessly to maintain his position for the duration and claim his sixth race podium of the year.
Knowing another trip to the rostrum was on the cards, Vlaanderen gated well in Race Two but tangled with a rival as he charged towards the first turn. The 28-year-old then carved his way through the pack with precision aboard his Yamaha YZ450FM before crashing and dropping to 18th. By halfway through the race, he was back up to ninth, but then two further falls led to a 12th-place finish. Ultimately salvaging sixth overall, Vlaanderen retains fourth in the Championship Standings.
As a rider with exceptional sand-riding skills, Bonacorsi was excited for the trip to Lommel. Following a mid-pack start in Race One, he charged through the field and reached as high as seventh before losing a position on the penultimate lap.
A much-improved start in Race Two saw Bona inside the top five, battling with the established stars of MXGP. Frustratingly, cramp began to set in mid-race, which slowed the 21-year-old’s pace, but he was able to finish ninth for ninth overall and maintain 13th in the Championship Standings.
After completing the MXGP Qualifying Race, Jago Geerts opted out of competing at his home GP in Belgium. The number 93, now fully healed from his crash at round one, will focus on building up his fitness before lining up again behind the MXGP start gate.
With another tough round of MXGP complete, the team will enjoy a weekend off before returning to action on August 10-11 at the MXGP of Sweden.
Click here for all the results from the MXGP of Flanders.
Calvin Vlaanderen
6th MXGP of Flanders, 29-points
4th MXGP Championship Standings, 507-points
“This weekend was going really well until Race Two. In the first race, everything went to plan and I had a good start, kept the top two in sight and felt like I rode well for third. Then in Race Two, I tangled with someone in the first turn and then crashed at the end of lap one. I was coming through the pack well, re-passing riders I’d already passed, but then crashed again. This one bent my bars and moved my clutch lever down, and I crashed again not long after. By then I was way down the field, but I did what I could to score some points and finished up 12th. A tough weekend in the end, and now it’s on to Sweden.”
Andrea Bonacorsi
9th MXGP of Flanders, 25-points
13th MXGP Championship Standings, 208-points
“I’d say it was quite a good weekend. This was my first MXGP at Lommel and everyone knows it’s the toughest race on the calendar, but I was looking forward to it. I didn’t have a great start in Race One but came through well to finish eighth. My start in Race Two was much better, around fifth, and I was able to pass Jeremy Seewer quickly. But then I began to get cramps and it made the race pretty difficult. With every GP, I keep learning so the experience was tough but also rewarding and now we look forward to Sweden for the next one.”
