MXoN - Rider Comments
Jett Lawrence: “It was good. The first one was nice and cruisy. The second one I didn't get as good a start, but that made it exciting. I had to get a good flow going. I was able to reel the front boys in and got around Tim (Gajser) but then he got payback from last year on the last lap. I got him on the last lap last year. He got me this time for a better position. But no, it was good. I'm more just excited and happy for Australia, man. It's a first timer, and I'm pumped we're able to do that with these two other guys and it's just unreal!”
Eli Tomac: “It was 100% worth it to come here. I mean we gave a strong effort of course, we wanted the win but we did all what we could and I'm proud of both these guys who rode with me. We put in the fight just a little bit short, but overall okay,”
Jeffrey Herlings: “I didn't make it easier myself and I got a good start but then crash and in the second I didn't really have a good start. But I keep fighting for the Dutch country. So we did our best, I'm really proud of the team that we could see on the podium. It was a difficult one, but I hope we get two steps higher again next year! The end of the year and we won a lot this season and took a podium finish at the Nations. The goal was the world championship but that was not possible although I am pleased that I raced twenty GPs and I finished 59 motos. I want to thank the entire team for their hard work and their contribution to all of it.”
Jorge Prado: “It’s always an honour to represent Spain at the Motocross of Nations, especially at such a challenging track like Matterley Basin. The fans and the atmosphere have been amazing all weekend. I felt really strong after qualifying first on Saturday, and getting my 149th holeshot was a great start to Sunday’s motos. But unfortunately, I just couldn’t find my rhythm, which was frustrating. It wasn’t the result I wanted, but that’s part of racing. It has been an incredible year, and we are all still smiling after winning the championship title at the last round at home in Spain. I want to say a big thank you to everyone at Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing, and all my friends and family for their support this season!”
Simon Längenfelder: "This weekend had its ups and downs, but I’m proud of how I fought through the races. I have had some great results here at Matterley in the past - it is the place where I got my first podium and win. After the crash in the first moto, I just tried to push and charged back to 18th. In the second moto, I was fighting for a podium but had to stop for a goggle change, which set me back. Still, I managed to fight back to third, which felt great. Competing against the world’s best riders is always a challenge, and it’s, of course, an honour to represent Team Germany. Thank you to everyone at Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing and all of my family for their support!"
Tom Vialle: “A tough weekend with the rain. Saturday was really good and I won the only race where we are only on track with other 250s. It was cool to do that. I had to stop both times to change the goggles on Sunday which cost us time and positions. P5 for France and we can only hope to do better next year.”
Andrea Adamo: “We finished the world championship in a strong way with a podium but today was a struggle. It was a tough weekend and I’m tired after the last few months. There have been a lot of ups and downs in 2024. We have some work to do for 2025 but we will get some rest and then be as prepared as we can.”
Tim Gajser: It was a great day of racing and I’m extremely happy with how it all went. I wanted to end this season on a high and I think I did that. It was great to battle with Jett and we put on a real show for the fans, but obviously I wanted to take the win and I made it happen on the last corner. I felt good all day and in the first race I got into the lead and didn’t have to push too much to win the race. Then in the last moto, I got into the lead but didn’t know Jett was there, so when he was there, I realised I had to go again. Then he made the pass but I stuck with him and took a different line before the uphill triple, got the drive and made the move. A big thank you for all the support I’ve received this weekend and to all the team. Now we have a bit of a break before we prepare for 2025!
Ruben Fernandez: It wasn’t quite enough to land on the podium, but I’m still happy with my riding and my results today, and after the start of the year, to finish like this is very satisfying. I got a holeshot, I finished second in a race against some of the best riders in the world and fought hard in that third moto to get back to 12th. I have to be happy with that and it gives me motivation for next year.
Kay de Wolf: “It was a tough but super fun weekend, and it all came down to the final race to get Team Netherlands onto the podium. We really gave it our all, and I’m super happy with the result. The atmosphere standing on the podium in front of the huge Motocross of Nations crowds was amazing. Wrapping up the season with another gold plate as the highest MX2 finisher is something very special. I’m very happy! A huge thank you to everyone in the team, my family, and friends for all their support… 2024 has truly been one for the record books!”
Glenn Coldenhoff: “The Motocross of Nations is always something special, I love competing in this event. The podium was amazing, I really enjoyed this one, especially after a season in which we missed out on that feeling. It is also the first podium for Fantic, that is great, and the bike was looking amazing. Representing The Netherlands is always an honor, I am proud of the team. We managed a podium, which was our goal. I went down late in the first moto and didn’t get a good result, so I knew I had to go for it in the second moto. My start was decent, but some other riders crashed in front of me and I couldn’t avoid them. When you are on the ground like this, and you know you still need a result, you kind of switch off your mind and just give everything. I felt quite good in that second moto after some struggles in the first race. To finish here on a high note is a very good feeling. I am looking forward to more of this next season.”
Conrad Mewse: “What a weekend, firstly I appreciate every single one of you that showed your support. @teamgbmxon had a tough weekend but we didn’t give up. I had a really good day going until unfortunately a little mistake early on in Moto 2 resulted in a broken ankle bone so 6-19 was all I could manage. Heart was on the sleeve all weekend and I’m proud to say I gave it 110% for my country. Cheers @maxanstie @tommysearle100.”
Lucas Coenen: "I had a strong qualifying run on Saturday - getting second, and I felt pretty good going into the races on Sunday. In the first moto I was pushing hard and making great progress, even battling with some of the top MXGP riders. Because my bike is lighter than the 450s I could take different lines and make up time through the deep ruts. Unfortunately, I had a crash on lap 13, and that ended my day early. It’s disappointing to not be able to finish the weekend - because I think I had really good speed. It’s the end of a long season now - so I will take some time to recover and train over the winter, and come back stronger."
Romain Febvre: " In the first race I had a problem with my goggles, just like many riders, but I didn't want to risk losing positions by stopping to take new ones! Even without goggles I was faster than Tomac in second and I came right behind him but I took dirt in my eyes and had some troubles with my vision, especially my right eye. I wasn't sure if I would be able to race the final moto but after the sighting lap I decided to try. I had a good start and a good speed, but after twenty minutes I started to have more problems with my vision and couldn't see the ruts clearly; then three laps from the end I slid before a jump and nearly went over the bars. I hit the handlebar with my chest; I just couldn't breathe so I had to stop to recover. Before this crash we were heading for the podium so of course I am disappointed; all three of us in the team had our ups-and-downs today so it's difficult to accept this result."
Jeremy Seewer: "It was a solid performance for my final race of the season. My KX450-SR gave me another two top-three starts and I just tried to enjoy myself as much as possible. We (Switzerland) finished ninth, which is not bad for a small country, but we were not fighting for the podium so I didn't go crazy and just rode two smart races; I knew the track could bite hard so I rode a solid rhythm and concentrated on making no mistakes."