Despite horrible weather for the most part, and some less than desirable conditions around the facility, it was a brilliant day for the sport as we saw Tim Gajser get his 50th GP victory and of course, Liam Everts yet another GP, his 6th and again winning in the mud and thanking his father (who was also not bad in the mud) for his amazing mud skills. You really couldn't ask for more as we take a look at what many of the riders thought of their weekend in Spain. More comments soon.

Tim Gajser: It was definitely not easy out there. Yesterday, I think better, for sure in the qualification race. The track was getting better and better yesterday, but it rained a lot overnight and the first and second moto today was really difficult. The starts were really important and I took a solid one in the first one and was third and I made some quick passes and then made a gap and controlled the race. The second one, I didn't have the best jump and I was back in the pack. It wasn't easy with the goggles when you are in the middle of everything. I managed to come out second after the first lap and then Lucas made a mistake and I was in the lead and controlled the race. I am really happy, really happy. It was a good weekend, on what was a very difficult track. I made things difficult in race two by not getting a good start but overall I am very happy with how things turned out. We have all worked very hard to get to this place and it nice to get a win – my 50th – and get the red-plate back and just show everyone that I am still at a very good level. Now the aim is to hold onto it until after the last round of the season!

Ruben Fernandez: I rode really well in the first race, just keeping things as steady as I could and it was great to follow Tim across the line and give Honda HRC a one-two result. In race two I got another good start but messed up in the second corner and was then last place. It was really difficult conditions with rain and sun, and mud and ruts and I tried to pass as many people as I could but I could only get up to 12th place. It is never a nice feeling to finish fourth overall, however I am proud of my riding and it shows I’m on the right track.

Ferruccio Zanchi: It was a really good day today, and one I will remember for the rest of my career. I knew coming into the weekend that I liked the track, but the weather made it really difficult and it is never easy to ride when the circuit is like this. I knew I needed the start and that’s exactly what I got in race one, taking the holeshot and never looking back. I had a bit of pressure, but I focused on myself and picked the right lines and took my first race win. The second race started off badly and I was way down the field, and I wasn’t sure how it was going to turn out. I just kept pushing and my laptimes were goods I knew I was catching the riders in front of me and every pass gave me a boost. I knew it was close, but when I finally received the news, I was delighted and I can’t thank all the team and all my sponsors enough. It hasn’t been easy but we all have put in a lot of work and it is great to reward everyone.

Valerio Lata: A tough weekend overall, and one that I have learnt a lot of lessons from. I felt like my speed was good, but I know that I can’t make as many mistakes as I did and be able to score good points. Still, there were also some positives and I look to bounce back in France.

Glenn Coldenhoff: It was a really good GP. Also in Argentina I wasn't too bad and I was consistent. Fantic made big improvements and I made two good starts, but it was very tough out there and very difficult, but we made it happen. Second overall and two Fantics on the podium. I am so happy to be here and it is something that is amazing. I think it will be a nice season for Fantic this year. They worked so hard and we are working close together and everyone is really motivated and that gives me a lot of energy and today we see it works out.

Kay de Wolf: “It was definitely a challenging weekend with the weather, but I’m really happy to leave with the Red Plate. The conditions were tough - deep mud, heavy ruts - but I gave it everything I had. In the first moto, I focused on staying consistent, but a late mistake cost me some time. Still, I managed to bring it home in third. In the second moto, I pushed harder while keeping things under control, and it paid off. A 1-2 for the team is an incredible result, and I’m really proud of everyone at Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing. We’ll keep working and be ready to fight again in St. Jean d’Angely.”

Liam Everts: "I’m super happy and almost lost for words right now. Just six months ago, I was sitting on the couch at home, unsure if I would ever race again. I worked incredibly hard to get back here, but I didn’t do it alone. The support from my new team has been fantastic, and having our boss, Kay Hennekens, here today makes this 1-2 finish even more special. In these tough conditions, I just focused on letting it flow - something my dad always taught me. It’s an incredible feeling to take this win!"

Lucas Coenen: “I had the speed on Saturday but got a little tight and 6th was OK from the heat. We had a lot of rain for Sunday. I crashed in the start and had to come back from last to 9th in the first moto but the start was a lot better in the second race. It was a shame to have that little tip-over. The rest was history. P8: finito! Onto the next one.”

Simon Laengenfelder: “A difficult weekend in Spain but we worked well. I couldn’t get any points on Saturday: too many crashes and a bad start, but on Sunday better starts! Still some mistakes but I think this is normal in these conditions. 4th overall; not too bad and if I could have passed Andrea at the end then it would have been the podium. It’s still early in the season and already looking forward to the next races.”

Andrea Adamo: “A special weekend. The track was quite dry but with many ruts on Saturday and then we had so much rain in the night and Sunday morning. We knew the races would be like a nightmare. You needed to be a bit lucky out there. The goal was to have two good starts and bring the bike to the finish. Unfortunately, I had contact with Sacha in the first race and filled myself and the bike full of mud! I gave everything I had to come back to P9, which was decent. The start was better in the second moto and I worked my way up to P3. Not bad. It’s only the second GP but I feel good, fast and fit. We will give 100% to be on the podium as much as possible in the next GPs.”

Sacha Coenen: “On Saturday I had a good feeling with the bike and the track but it was flooded on Sunday. I made a good start in the first moto but then slid-out and had to restart. I found my way up to 7th and then had a tip-over on the last lap, which was a shame. The start for the second moto wasn’t good and I crashed too much. I’m just happy to finish the weekend and leave this GP healthy.”

Maxime Renaux: "It was a terrible weekend. A crash in the start of both motos, and it wasn’t even my fault. Very frustrating. And that in such a mud. It made my motos extremely tough.Besides I was not 100% fit, because I have an injury. On one hand, this is a weekend to forget as soon as possible. On the other hand, considering my injury, I should be glad I was even able to compete. I came to win some points for the championship and that worked. Let’s hope the injury will be a lot better for next week so that I can go full speed again in St-Jean d'Angély."

Jago Geerts: "I’ve been struggling with these conditions all weekend - a lot of mud and deep ruts. We have to find a solution to this. Everything is going against me. My first moto was quite good, until I crashed at the end. I lost a possible top 10 position. The second moto? It was over very soon. Frustrating. However, there is no reason to panic. Stay calm, look for solutions and keep working hard: that is the message now."

Calvin Vlaanderen: "A day with two faces. An awesome first moto: good start, immediately the good rhythm and a nice third place. I could have continued riding like that for one more hour. The second moto was the complete opposite: I had a poor start, got covered in mud, and was stuck at the back of the pack. The first laps were a real survival. I couldn’t find the good rhythm and I didn’t find the good lines. The bike was also very heavy, I crashed about five times and the last one was too much - my clutch broke."

Jeremy Seewer: “Today was a full mud race and I was in survival mode. I was doing well at the start of the first moto, but then somebody crashed in front of me. Then someone else hit me from behind and I fell. I restarted last and was covered in mud, so it wasn’t an easy one. The second moto was better, though. I started around tenth, but soon I was layered in mud, and it was a real struggle. It was a very tricky day, so now we are hoping for normal conditions again to see where we stand.”

Mattia Guadagnini: “Today, the conditions were unbearable for everyone. We had some problems with the bike and I made too many mistakes. In the first race, I rode very well, but I was almost two laps behind and I did what I could. In the second, I was near the back at the start, but I made a good comeback to eighth and finished ninth. I didn’t score many points, but we are only at the beginning of the championship. We have time to improve. In any case, I am satisfied with how I rode in conditions that were beyond the limit.”

Romain Febvre: "Actually I'm pretty happy with what I achieved today; there was much more to lose than to win. The mistake I made in Quali yesterday meant that I could not choose a good place at the gate and that made it so much more difficult for the start. And the start was so important today. The guys who started at the front stayed there; their life was so much easier. It was a different race if you were in the pack; you were getting filled in with dirt the entire race and by the finish the bike must have weighed three hundred kilos and there was ten kilos of mud on your helmet. Of course Gajser took some points but I am still second in the championship headed to my home GP at St Jean next weekend.

Pauls Jonass: "I was so happy about my starts - I even took the holeshot in race two - but I was really disappointed about my riding, especially in that first moto. That was terrible; I was riding like an amateur. I just pushed too hard during the first laps, didn't get a flow and struggled in the ruts; I only started riding decent in the last fifteen minutes of race two. It wass the same for everybody and I usually enjoy mud but sometimes it can be a bit of a game of luck and it was super heavy sticky mud after it stopped raining."

Francisco Garcia: "I had a good feeling with the bike and the track both days, even though the track conditions were really difficult because of the rain; I am Spanish so this was my home GP but the weather is not normally like this in Spain (laughs). It's just a pity about the DNF yesterday, but the championship is long and my physical and metal condition are both good. l think this will be a good year for me and next week is the team's home GP in France so let's go for it."

Jake Cannon: "I was over the moon with my first race in EMX yesterday but I crashed off the start today and then I lost another minute when I needed to stop in the pits for fresh goggles and gloves; I felt comfortable riding in the mud both days but I just need to get round the first turn, stay off the ground and minimise those mistakes."

Thibault Benistant: “Today was definitely tough. A good start in Race One made things a lot easier for me in that one, though. I didn’t want to crash so I rode a safe race and it seemed to work as I finished fourth. In the second one I had another good race going until I had a big crash and it damaged my front wheel. I had to call into the pits and the team fixed it quickly so I could carry on, and I ended up 12th. It was really tough as I then lost my gloves too, so gripping the bike was difficult. So, 12th in that one was OK. It could have been better but it could have been a lot worse, too.”

Karlis Reisulis: “I don’t have much to say about today. I think they were the two worst races of my life and hopefully next weekend in France I can bounce back and ride like I did in Argentina.”

Rick Elzinga: “Not a great day. I crashed in both races on the first lap. In the first one my bike was too damaged to continue so that wasn’t a good start to the day and then in Race Two I didn’t get the start I needed to stay out of trouble. So, I had goggle and glove problems because of how muddy it was. The conditions were really, really difficult today and now I’ll regroup and look forward to round three next weekend.”

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