A big day for the red plate men, and a lot of drama. Here is what most of the leading riders told us about the Loket GP. As each round ends and those points leads by Gajser and De Wolf stay roughly the same, then its bad news for the likes of Prado, Herlings, Coenen and Langenfelder. Bring on Lommel and hopefully, more drama and excitement. Bavo Swijgers image

Tim Gajser: It’s amazing to finally get a win here in Loket. I’ve had some good moments here, but never been able to take the victory so this is just a great feeling. I didn’t have the best first moto, but we worked together as a team to improve things for race two and I immediately felt a lot better. I got a good start, put pressure on the leader and then made a move midway through and controlled the rest of the race. A big thank you to all the team, and to all the fans Slovenian fans who create such an awesome atmosphere and who support me around the whole track. I’m glad I could finally repay them here in Loket.

Jorge Prado: "A solid weekend overall you could say - with three P2 finishes. Starting from Saturday I just tried to stay consistent. I was struggling a little bit on this track with traction because I’m quite light, but I tried my best and gave it my all, and I think we came away with the best result we could this weekend. I felt ok in the second moto, my start was good but then I just made a mistake with the line and Tim [Gajser] got past me. It’s important to grab points for the championship; I want to catch up - but it is what it is. We’ve got some sand races coming up - I’ve been putting in training time on the sand, so it should be good. I’m looking forward to Lommel, and to make a good bounce back!”

Jeffrey Herlings: “I felt like my old self from a few years ago today. I am still improving, and these kinds of tracks are not easy for me. I went from 5th to 1st in the first moto and wanted to make another statement in the second but I messed up; maybe a bit too much confidence. From dead last to 13th and then I hit someone’s rear wheel and had to do it again. Speed was good, fitness was good but luck was not on my side today. So, not great, not bad and to win my 200th moto was pretty special, nobody else has reached that amount. Still seven races to go and I’m looking forward to the next one.”

Kay de Wolf: “It was amazing to get the victory, even though the starts didn't make it easy, but I’m so happy with the result. I got a little bit emotional on that podium. From last year going through so much pain, I was on the box as well, and then in 2018 I missed out on the Junior 85cc - which also just raced here this weekend - so to finally get the win here feels very special. I couldn't have done it without the amazing team behind me, they are really doing a great job. They had to do so much work overnight to fix the bike, which was completely bent after a big crash on Saturday, so a big shout out to them for sure!”

Lucas Coenen: “For sure, even though we were on the podium, it felt like a tough one. I don't have loads to say about the first moto - I came from 13th through to win, the track was pretty tough and it was quite hot - so it was a challenge physically. In the second moto, my start was good but I got pushed wide from the inside and then I messed it up and I crashed. It was a big hit, but I tried to come back as best as possible. We don't quit, we just race as hard as we can - and I’m looking ahead to Lommel to go as fast as I can!”

Simon Längenfelder: "Almost a GP win this weekend you could say! My fitness is now getting better and better. Just before Maggiora, I had a fever, and since then I had been struggling - but now things are improving. This weekend we managed some strong finishes. The track was really difficult to ride fast - you had to push alot to try to ride over all the bumps out of the corners. I’m happy to be consistent with a 2-2 result. For sure everyone wants to win, but it’s not always easy. I think we will get there though; and I am really looking forward to Lommel.”

Mattia Guadagnini: “It was going well until the second moto - and overall I think I can be quite satisfied with the weekend. I really pushed over Saturday and Sunday, and I felt good with the track. In qualifying I was running fourth, but I couldn't quite keep that pace for the whole moto - so I slipped to 7th. In the first moto - I started around 10th and finished eighth. Then in the second moto, I almost took the holeshot, but then I got together with Jorge in the first corner and couldn't stay on the bike. Some guys ran over me - which I could feel. That was a hard one for sure. I got back on the bike and pushed 100% to the end anyway to make up some positions. For the riding, I can be quite satisfied. I’m getting closer to the front now - and for sure I’m happy about that!”

Calvin Vlaanderen: “It’s been a physically tough weekend. Unfortunately, I picked up a sickness bug after Indonesia but I still came here with high expectations. I knew today would be challenging, and I didn’t have a great start in Race One, but I battled through for fifth. In the second one, I had a much better start and tried latching onto the front guys. I was able to stay third all race, and near the end, I could see Jeffrey Herlings closing in, so I dug deep, gave it everything I had, and pushed to the end to stay in third. Overall, I’m satisfied with today and happy to keep this momentum going.”

Jeremy Seewer: "I have won races here in the past and been on the podium a few times so the final result was a little frustrating. It's always nice to get a holeshot but those three are on a high, high level at the moment and they have a little extra, especially in the first two laps. I managed a good fourth place but I take too long to get into the race. My start was not quite so good in the second race; it's always tough to pass here and I was felt a little empty in the end. But I was happy I get through this GP safe; I didn't make any mistakes and a lot of riders are going home in pain. Now on to Lommel; I think we are fit enough so we just need some laps in the sand this week to get the feeling."

Romain Febvre: "It's never easy to jump back into the championship mid-season after a break, so overall the result was not too bad with a sixth and a fifth. I was missing just a little physically but I had hoped my speed would be a little better in the first race. In the second race I could match the speed of the leaders until I overstretched my ankle on a jump; I had to slow down for two or three laps and that cost me fourth."

Mikkel Haarup: “We’re done here in Loket and looking at the results, it’s been a solid weekend. Two good starts today, and we were competing for the top three in both races. I led for a little bit in the second moto, although I wasn’t feeling 100% and couldn’t bring it to the finish line, but we’ll get another chance next weekend in Lommel.”

Camden McLellan: “The track here in Loket is awesome, and it got really, really rough and made for some great racing. I have a lot of positives to take away from here, including my great start in race two, so my focus is to start like that consistently. Speed-wise, I’m still not quite there after my injury, so I’ll be working on some intensity training during the week and we’ll soon be back to where we need to be.”

Andrea Bonacorsi: “I struggled out there this weekend. In the first race I didn’t find my flow at all, and then in Race Two I fought hard for 11th, but it wasn’t easy. The track was really tricky in Race Two and much more difficult than what we usually see, so it was a bit of a learning experience. It was also my first time racing here, so everything was new. For next weekend we head to Lommel, and I love the sand, so I can’t wait to head there and I’m really looking forward to it.”

Liam Everts: “A good qualifying moto on Saturday and it was enough for a decent pick in the gate. We had two starts and I had a tip-over for the second one, the full race, and 5th was alright. The holeshot helped in the second moto but I rode a bit tight. I’m not super-happy about some things but I was quite happy with my riding today. I just need to cut down the mistakes and hope for better at my home GP.”

Ferruccio Zanchi: I was happy with the majority of my riding, but a few moments cost me once again. I made a lot of passes over the weekend and that is something to be happy about, but I also wanted to be better in the first few laps so that I don’t have to make so many moves. Still, I am healthy and learning all the time and although I’m not getting the end results I want, I still think I am progressing and moving in the right direction.

Sacha Coenen: “Two holeshots but only one counted and I was riding with my brother at the front until I had a small tip-off that was really strange. I got back to 5th but had to bail off the bike on the jump at the bottom of the hill. I was lucky to have just a few scratches. My riding was good in the second moto although I had some pain and the start wasn’t great. I’m really looking forward to racing Lommel; I wish the race was tomorrow!”

Andrea Adamo: “This morning I had a scary crash and I was 50-50 for the races but I said I wanted to try, I wanted to give it a go. I had a pretty good start but then we had the red flag, and I hope everyone is OK. We had to re-group and it was not so easy because I was feeling a bit weak. I fought as much as I could the whole moto but towards the end I made one small mistake and hit my head and also my torso where I had a cut and it re-opened. I had to go to the hospital because my blood pressure was very low. I had some stitches and things are well now. To go home with only five stitches after the fall from the morning is positive and I hope to be back on my bike as soon as I can.”

Glenn Coldenhoff: “It was another tough weekend. Actually, my riding wasn’t bad at all, but my starts were just not the best. I was far behind in every moto. I think we can be happy with the progress we made with the bike, but we definitely need to work on those starts. If we get them right, I believe we can be in the top 6 or top 5, and that is where we should be. We keep working and we will try to be ready for Lommel, which is one of my favorite races.”

Brian Bogers: “The starts were good, and this is the positive this weekend. On the other hand, it was a tough one for me. The riding was a little bit too stiff; I struggled with a track that cost me a lot of energy. The shoulder felt really good, though, and that is reassuring because we won’t have to think about it anymore. The bike felt good as well, so I am really looking forward to Lommel and hopefully getting some good points there.”

Ivo Monticelli: I came back to racing after more than a month which was quite positive for me. Unfortunately, I always had to make up for unlucky starts but still managed to pick up a few points. I started twelfth in qualifying on Saturday, but on the first lap I crashed after a collision with another rider and I had to chase back, finishing twenty-third. On this track the start is very decisive. The start of the first heat did not go as I would have liked and at the end of the first lap I was in around twenty-fifth position. At the start I struggled to find my rhythm but then I started to lap with good times and made up positions, finishing fifteenth. In the second one I crashed in the first corner, just after the start, and when I got up I was among the last ones. I managed to climb back up to twentieth position but by the end I was very tired. The energy spent in the comeback took its toll in the final laps. Over the next few days we will focus on working with the team to try to improve my starts.