Take a look at the rider comments from a bunch of the riders from todays French GP. More comments to come, so check back soon.

Tim Gajser: It was a really good weekend, on what was a sketchy track. The rain made things difficult but I kept things steady, and I got good starts, especially in race one when I was leading from almost the beginning. It wasn’t easy out there, but I’m very happy with how it went and I’m excited to go to Riola Sardo and the first sand race of the year. We have been working hard in the sand and I’m excited to show off what we’ve done.

Romain Febvre: “It was nice to bounce back after last week. Yesterday the track was like a highway but today it was more challenging so I could make the difference even though I didn’t get the best starts. The first moto I was really charging and came quite close to Tim at the end, but in race two I got hit from behind by someone at the first turn and almost went over the bars; I was eighteenth going up the hill so I am happy with second at the finish. But I need better starts to fight with Tim because he is getting away a little in the points.”

Pauls Jonass: “It was a very positive weekend. P5 overall was not bad; it was just a little unfortunate about the collision with Mattia in the first race. Perhaps I tried to rush it too much for P4 and it was difficult to ride after I lost the front fender. But we are progressing in every way with bike set-up, physically and mentally; we know what we still have to work on and we are getting there step-by-step.”

Lucas Coenen: “What can I say? Speechless! That’s the first podium out the way. We had some difficult times lately but we’ve finally kicked off: 3-3 for 3. I wanted to make another pass in the second moto but it started raining and I just said “stay there and get the first podium. We now have two weeks off to rest and we’ll see what we can do in Sardinia. Thanks to the team and my physio, they worked so hard with me these last few weeks. I cannot thank them enough. We’re now looking forward to building confidence and see where we end up.”

Andrea Adamo: “Amazing! It’s been a long time. I don’t know how many days or months. I’m happy to be back and to feel that fire and be competitive. That last lap was insane. It was not easy at all with these ruts because you can miss the corners. I’m really happy and I want to keep this momentum.”

Simon Laengenfelder: “In the second race I struggled a bit at the beginning to find all the good ruts, it was not that easy, but the riding was not too bad. It was very satisfying to win the first moto and to be on the podium again. I really like the track in Sardinia, so I’m looking forward to it already.”

Kay de Wolf: “It was definitely a tough weekend, and not the way I wanted things to go. The technical issue in qualifying put us on the back foot straight away, and starting from the outside in the first moto made it even harder. But I gave it everything I had - pushed through the pack, stayed focused, and did what I could in the conditions. The second moto was better, and I felt strong, but a small mistake near the end cost me a chance at third place. Losing the Red Plate is tough, but it’s a long season. I’m more motivated than ever to come back stronger at the next round in Sardinia.”

Thibault Benistant: Today was a little bit up and down but it ended really good. My start in Race One was good but I dropped back a little before repassing those guys. Then I had another decent start in Race Two and felt good, my speed was high and the fans were amazing. I tangled with a lapped rider at one point but still managed to battle for the win right to the end. Overall, there are plenty of positives to take away from today, and this season so far, so now it’s onto Riola for the next GP.

Rick Elzinga: We’re getting there step by step. I struggled on this track but as the weekend went on, I felt better and better. My results are improving slowly and we’ll soon be back to where I should be inside the top 10 and pushing for the top five. We’re making progress and to be in the fight up front I need better starts and a little more speed. But we’re getting there.

Karlis Reisulis: My first race wasn’t so bad. I holeshot that one so that was really good but I struggled to find my rhythm. I had another good start in the second moto but crashed on the first lap. I was riding well but then crashed again and my bike hit me, so it wasn’t a good end to the weekend. For the next GP I’ll aim to bounce back and run up front like I know I can.

Liam Everts: "I’m really happy with how the weekend turned out. The track was super sketchy in parts with all the rain, so staying consistent and making smart decisions was important. The first moto went well - I got into the lead early and tried to control the race, but the conditions changed fast, and I had to settle for third. In the second moto, I had another good start and pushed hard, but I faded a bit towards the end and ended up fifth. It wasn’t perfect, but overall I’m proud of the effort, and to come away with the Red Plate feels amazing. Now the focus is on keeping this momentum going when we go to Sardinia in two weeks.”

Sacha Coenen: “Not such a good weekend. I had a good flow in the quali moto but then had that crash coming down the hill. I felt fast in the first moto but just couldn’t pass. 4th was not so bad. I did the hard part in the second moto and had the holeshot but I don’t know what happened on the first downhill. I went over the bars and it was difficult to come back. Everybody was very fast. I did the best I could and we took some points.”

Glenn Coldenhoff:
“It was a tough weekend. I crashed the wrong way – head first – on Saturday, and that didn’t feel good… I also got sick last week, so I wasn’t feeling great on Sunday morning to say the least. In race 1, it took me too long to get past Brian, and I finished eleventh. I knew I needed a good start to run up front, especially after Saturday’s crash and not feeling so well – and, luckily, I grabbed the holeshot, which was amazing. I pushed like crazy for the first four laps, but I felt straight away that I wouldn’t be able to maintain that pace. Still, finishing fourth in the race for sixth overall, and still sitting in fifth in the championship, we couldn’t have asked for much more after Saturday. It is a decent result, and it feels great to take my first holeshot of the year. We need to keep getting more, because it definitely makes life easier.”

Brian Bogers:
“I had quite a bit of bad luck all weekend. In the qualifying race, I was making moves in the first couple of laps; I was actually riding really well until I hit a tuff block. That was the story of Saturday. In race 1 on Sunday, the beginning was good, but I struggled a bit in the second half and lost some places, eventually finishing twelfth. In race 2, I was pushed wide at the start and went off the track. And again, in the first lap, I hit another tuff block. This time, it got stuck in the bike, and it took me too long to get going again, so it didn’t really make sense to finish the race. It was just one of those weekends, but we keep our heads up and focus on the next one – finally some sand in Riola!”

Andrea Bonacorsi:
“It was a tougher weekend compared to the last one. On Saturday, I struggled a bit with the fast track, but on Sunday, I felt better right from the morning. Unfortunately, in race 1, after a good start, I had an issue and was forced to retire. In race 2, I was riding a bit tight and couldn’t find my rhythm straight away. This is a track where I usually struggle a little every year, but we are staying positive, especially with two MXGP rounds coming up in Italy. I can’t wait to race on home soil!”

Mattia Guadagnini: “I’m really satisfied with this Sunday in France! We needed a good result and a solid points haul to move on from last Sunday’s race. In the first heat, I got off to a strong start and managed to pull away early. However, I struggled with arm pump throughout the race, and it was painful to finish, but I tried to avoid making too many mistakes. In the second moto, the track was much better, and I started well, but I went wide at the first corner and lost several positions. In spite of this, I had a great feeling with the bike and the track. I was aggressive and made several overtakes in the early laps, climbing up to fifth. In the final stages, I made a few mistakes, but I managed to finish fourth overall. I’m really happy with how I feel on the bike - this is the most important thing - and I’m confident we’ll get more quality results.”

Camden McLellan: “It’s been an up and down weekend. I’m very happy with my feeling on the bike and the steps we made this weekend. We’re definitely on the right track, the speed and fitness are there, but I just need to eliminate the small mistakes. And with some better starts we’ll be good. I’m excited to get training in the sand now, especially as I landed on the podium in Riola last year. It’s a really good track for me so I’m excited for the next GP for sure”

Jeremy Seewer: "Another tough one. These crazy conditions just seem to follow us. This weekend was better than last, but it still wasn’t a normal race. We’re clearly struggling in these conditions, and we know it. But we have to learn the hard way, and that’s character-building. We did make improvements in moto two. We know what we need to work on. We've already made a lot of progress; we just need more time. But with racing week after week, there’s no time. Still, we know the issue, and we're working on it while staying focused on the future."

Ruben Fernandez: Unfortunately, not a good ending, for what was looking like a promising weekend. Third in the qualification race, then fifth in race one and I was looking to challenge for the podium in race two. In the end, having to pull off the track after a lap isn’t how I wanted to end my day but that’s motocross and now I need to just make sure I’m all good before preparing for Riola Sardo in a couple of weeks’ time.

Maxime Renaux: It’s been a tough weekend here in France. Bad starts in both races and I just didn’t put myself in good positions. I couldn’t get into a good rhythm in Race One and crashed, so that wasn’t great. Race Two was better, but while in fifth I got stuck in a really deep rut, so I lost a lot of time. I battled back quite well though and got back to fifth so that wasn’t so bad. We have a weekend off now, and then it’s on to the sand of Riola Sardo

Jago Geerts: It’s been a really difficult weekend. In the first race, I couldn’t get into a good rhythm and then had a small crash. In Race Two, I got held up when a few guys crashed in the first turn, but then I pulled through quite well to 14th before I had a big crash that ended my race. Fortunately, I’m ok, but it’s a shame as I was coming through the pack really well in Race Two.

Ferruccio Zanchi: My speed was better than my results show, but I know that starts are very important in these races, and I need to improve in that area. Still, we are making progress around the rest of the track and I’m happy with my riding, so I don’t want to be too critical of myself. The podium in Spain definitely raised my expectations, so that is the goal now and that starts again in Sardinia next time out.

Mathis Valin: “I had a good start and I was really fast in race one until another rider crashed in front of me. I had pain in my wrist after that and I just concentrated on staying on two wheels. I had another good start in race two but after a few laps I started to feel quite a lot of pain again. I wanted more from this weekend but 13-8 motos for a guy who wasn’t even sure to come here on Wednesday that was not bad. Anyway, we will keep working and it’s good that we now have a weekend off for me to heal up.”

Valerio Lata: I had a really good race one, pursuing the world champion around the track, and finishing in seventh place. I felt comfortable and I was excited for race two. Unfortunately I couldn’t put it together and got involved in some battles that didn’t make things easy and I could only finish 15th. It’s not how I wanted to end the race, but I now have a weekend off to prepare for Riola and the deep sand, so it should be a good challenge and I’m looking forward to it.