Van Horebeek Top 5 on Home Sand

2016-08-02 07:46
Jeremy Van Horebeek finished fourth overall on Sunday in Lommel, tackling the deep ruts and treacherous sand at the MXGP of Belgium to delight the home crowd. On a day of extremes his Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing Official MXGP teammate Romain Febvre was fifth in the first moto, but crashed late in moto two to place back in 13th overall at the finish.

Kemea Yamaha Official MX Team rider Valentin Guillod put his YZ450F through its paces on the Lommel circuit, and the Swiss rider finished 19th overall as first rain then sun turned the sand track into a soft and physically exhausting motocross spectacle.

Van Horebeek trains nearly every week at the motocross circuit in Lommel, and the Belgian rider used his local knowledge to come back from a poor start in the first moto, threading his way from 20th to 7th overall as the ruts and roost put his YZ450FM to the test. In the second moto Van Horebeek started much better, hovering in the top five throughout the 35-minute race. With a new engine and extra training this month, "Jerre Man" crossed the finish line in fourth, exhausted but happy.

Febvre's first moto was a tough battle with fellow Frenchman Clement Desalle and overall winner Kevin Strijbos of Belgium, with the 2015 FIM Motocross World Champion finishing fifth at the line. In the second moto Febvre was unlucky in the deepening ruts, and crashed soon after the start. Despite working his way from 23rd to ninth after his first tumble in the sand, Febvre's second forced dismount in the race proved his undoing, and he withdrew to classify 27th, preserving 13th overall.

Guillod struggled but survived on Sunday, showing speed in the first moto early, only to fade as the physically exhausting circuit took its toll. The Swiss rider is racing his first season in the premier class, but was a top champion in MX2, and knows Lommel from past experience. Despite the difficult conditions, Guillod preserved a top 20 in Belgium, and will look forward to his home race next week at MXGP of Switzerland.

Van Horebeek pulls to within 43 points of teammate Febvre in the 2016 FIM Motocross World Championship points standings, with the Belgian in sixth overall and the Frenchman in fourth. Guillod holds on to seventh, pulling away from Glenn Coldenhoff to a 15 point lead with five races remaining in the season.

Jeremy van Horebeek Jeremy Van Horebeek
7th and 4th for 4th overall. Championship position: 6th

"It's been a good day overall. We worked hard for this weekend, because I don't like this track, and I came here a lot to get ready before the race. It's a tough circuit here and you need all your energy for both motos."

"I started off the back in the first moto and guys were blowing past me. So to come from dead last to seventh takes a lot of energy, and in the second moto I paid cash for what I spent. Still, fourth is great, and the team did an awesome job. We are getting there."
Valentin Guillod Valentin Guillod
18th and 18th for 19th overall. Championship position: 7th

"The sand here is really deep, and the bumps are really tricky. It's difficult to ride here."

"Next week the race in Switzerland is on hard pack with great jumps, and I'm really looking forward to putting on a great show for my home crowd."
Romain Febvre Romain Febvre
5th and 27th for 13th overall. Championship position: 4th

"I bruised my back but I will recover from the injury quickly. There were two crashes in the second moto today, one early and then at the end, and I had to leave with a disappointing result. I know the team works hard, and I know that next week in Switzerland I can get a good result."

Source: Yamaha Motor Europe N.V.

Click here to visit our forums to discuss this story