Febvre Roars Back in Loket2016-07-25 07:41Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing MXGP Team rider Romain Febvre roared to a podium finish on Sunday in the Czech Republic with a lightning-fast display of speed and agility on the challenging motocross circuit at Loket. His teammate Jeremy Van Horebeek also finished in the top five as sporadic summer rain showers made for humid and slippery conditions. Kemea Yamaha Official MX Team rider Valentin Guillod overcame an early struggle in his second moto to finish 12th overall, strengthening his top 10 in the FIM Motocross World Championship standings with five more rounds in the 2016 season. Febvre got off to a ripping start in the first moto, and posted the first best lap time of the day in a head-to-head battle with Slovenian rider Tim Gajser before backing off late to a safe third-place finish. The 2015 World Champion missed out on the previous two MXGP rounds in Italy and the United Kingdom after a crash in qualifying at Matterley Basin sent the Frenchman to the hospital with a concussion. With nearly one month of solid recovery, Febvre looked like his old self in Loket, riding the hard and slick dry line on a day where rain moved in and out of the sky, turning the hillside track into a slippery test of agility and balance that punished over-aggressive maneuvering in favor of a light touch. In the second moto Febvre again crossed the line in third on his YZ450FM, capturing 40 points in the Championship standings and placing himself back into the race for the points leader's red plate. Van Horebeek battled Dutch rider Glenn Coldenhoff for most of his first moto, finishing fourth as skies turned grey. In the second moto the Belgian's start was less explosive, and on the uphill 180-degree left turn he was 15th across the hole-shot line. A steady effort at high speed brought him back up to the top five, despite the greasy track conditions. For his debut season in the premiere class, Guillod has improved consistently from race to race. Last year the Swiss rider won the MX2 overall at Loket, and on Sunday he found himself in a three-way battle with Kevin Strijbos of Belgium and Jose Butron of Spain in the first moto, finishing 13th. In moto two Guillod managed a better start in fifth, but then struggled on the rutted dry line to fade to 10th by the end of the race. In the World Championship standings Febvre gains ground on second-place rider Antonio Cairoli of Italy, who passed him in his two-race absence, closing the gap from 32 to 19 points. But German rider Max Nagl, who won both motos on Sunday, slips up into third with a 3-point lead over the Yamaha rider. Van Horebeek remains in sixth overall, closing his gap to Russia's Evgeny Bobryshev from 46 to 34 points. Guillod sits in seventh, widening his gap to Van Horebeek from 79 to 99 points. Romain Febvre Romain Febvre 3rd and 3rd for 3rd overall. Championship position: 4th "For sure I am happy to be back on my YZ450FM and racing again. I was out for nearly one month to recover from my crash in England, and in that time I missed some training because it was not possible to get on the bike until I recovered completely. I was fine physically, but the reaction time between my vision and my brain needed rest and attention in order to come back. Now I am 100 percent and it's very good to get this result today." "The conditions here were very slippery, because this is hardpack and there was a little bit of rain today. Next week we go back to the heavy sand at Lommel and it will be a very differenty GP in Belgium." Jeremy Van Horebeek Jeremy Van Horebeek 4th and 5th for 5th overall. Championship position: 6th "I had one of my best starts of the season in the first moto. But in the second race I was 14th in the first lap, and with the humidity after three laps my goggles were fogged, so I rode in fifth and limited the risk. It's a pity, but we are going in a good direction and it's a good solid top five for the team." Source: Yamaha Motor Europe N.V. Click here to visit our forums to discuss this story |
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