Lucas Coenen is for real and while some doubted him, his speed is exciting and his mental edge is as impressive as anyone in the MXGP class. The Belgian won his first ever MXGP round this weekend, to do with his 10 in MX2 and its just the start of what will be an exciting season for the Red Bull KTM Factory rider. Here are some rider comments from this weekend. More to come, so keep checking back.

Lucas Coenen: “Really special: I just won two motos and the GP! Saturday wasn’t that great because I had arm-pump and the start was just ‘OK’ but today gave me two holeshots and I led every single lap! I had to deal a bit of pressure from behind but there is not that much more to say today. I still don’t like this track though! With the 450 you had to respect it. No mistakes and it feels like a perfect day. I’m still learning, and we still go step-by-step.”

Romain Febvre: I was fast this weekend. Yesterday wasn't good, and to take a good start was difficult and you get full or roost and you can see that (a swollen lip). I am happy to finish on the podium and lets keep going, but I want one more step to win.

Jeremy Seewer: "It’s insane - Ducati’s first podium is huge! We worked so hard, starting from zero, and these guys have reached such a high level. It’s amazing! And to do it here at home, my first MXGP podium on Swiss soil, with all these fans and in this beautiful weather - I think it’s the best day of my life! The second moto didn’t start well for me. I got hit by a rock in the leg and lost all feeling for over a lap, so I dropped back, but then the race came to me. I’m so happy, and I want to thank everyone at Ducati!"

Simon Laengenfelder: “A first overall win this year! I’m really happy. I felt good on the track and dealing with all those ruts. I got two good starts and could check-out from there. A first win of the season now gives me a confidence boost for the next few races.”

Kay de Wolf: "It was definitely a weekend of highs and lows. Winning the qualifying race on Saturday was a big positive - it was my first one of the season and felt really good. In the first moto I had decent pace and managed second, even though the lappers made things tricky near the end. The second moto was tougher - I had some clutch issues which made it a real challenge from the start. Still, we came away with solid points and I’m already focused on coming back stronger in Portugal."

Liam Everts:"This was a really solid bounce-back weekend for me. Last time out was frustrating – I felt there was more on the table – so I’m happy with how things went here in Frauenfeld. In the first moto I was behind Kay, and in the second I was behind Andrea, but I just focused on staying calm, riding my lines, and keeping the pressure on. Three top-three finishes across the weekend feels great, and I’m looking forward to carrying this momentum into Agueda."

Jeffrey Herlings: “Quite an OK weekend. In the first moto I had a really bad start and the track was really tough for passing. I didn’t manage to make many places. The second start was better and I was in 3rd for a long time. A shame to have some contact with a lapped rider otherwise it would have been P3. It’s just my fourth week back on the bike so 4th is quite decent. 7th is not where we want to be but the others have a lot more race time. Portugal is a difficult track for me so we’ll keep pounding, keep working and get better every week. We’ll work on some more race rhythm before Portugal and hopefully we’ll try and sneak our way into the top five. That will be the aim.”

Andrea Adamo: “A decent weekend. Nothing special. In the first moto I had the speed and a good feeling but I made a mistake in the first three-four laps that destroyed the race because the good start I had from P3-4 became P9. It was not easy to make passes but I managed a few. P5 in the end, but our potential was for better. My feeling was a bit different in the second moto. It wasn’t the best but I could still come home P2. Solid. I missed the podium by a bit and we need to work more to not make mistakes on the first laps. For sure, not every weekend can go super-well but we need to salvage points when they don’t go so well. A week off now and then we go to Portugal.”

Tim Gajser: Definitely not how I hoped the day would end, especially after the second-place in the first moto. I felt like I was doing okay, finding some different lines so I could make my move and try to win the race. I wasn’t too far off the line, but my rear wheel hit a solid mound and just bucked me off the bike. I was sitting off the track for a long time before medics were able to get to me, but eventually we were able to get checked out. After those results, I will get further tests done tomorrow and see where I’m at. I will keep fighting though and use this weekend off to recover as best as possible for Portugal.

Thibault Benistant: “It’s not been an easy weekend. I had a good start in Race One, but then crashed on the first lap. I then crashed again later in the race, and after that it took me a while to get into a good rhythm. My speed was good, it was just the crashes that let me down. Race Two was much better. I had a good start and made passes, but I rode a little tight for a lot of the race. Now it’s onto Portugal in two weeks’ time.”

Calvin Vlaanderen: Today was OK. I didn’t get the results I wanted, but I had two consistent results. For today, we made some changes with the bike, and they made a positive difference on track. So, that’s good and there are a few other small things to work on between now and Portugal.

Jago Geerts: I’m happy to be racing today, as on Saturday something made the vision in my right eye blurry, but with the team we were able to get it sorted. In the races, my starts let me down, so this is something I’ll be working on next week. My speed is good, so with good starts I know I can be running in the top 10 again.

Karlis Reisulis: “I’m not so happy with my day today. I need to work on some things, as my speed is good in the beginning of the races, but not at the end, despite feeling good on the bike. We have a weekend off now, and then it’s on to Portugal.”

Rick Elzinga: “I was happy to be racing today, as on Saturday I broke my little finger and dislocated the knuckle in Free Practice. For today I taped my little finger and ring finger together, and this really helped. It was painful to ride, but the worst thing was that my hand would cramp up. So, riding was tricky, but I managed and scored points in both races with a 13th and a 10th. I’ll now need to miss some time on the bike to heal, but hopefully by Portugal I can ride normally again.”

Camden McLellan: “It’s been a good weekend here in Switzerland. It was a really technical track, but I felt great on the bike and really comfortable out there. My speed was good, and in race one I was really close to a top three finish. However, in race two, my first lap wasn’t great, and that left me with a lot of work to do. I came back to seventh for fifth overall, so that’s not too bad. It’s been a positive weekend again for myself and the team, and I’m excited for Portugal in two weeks’ time.”

Guillem Farres: “That’s my first race back done, and I’m really happy to be back at the races with the team. The goal this weekend was to get a result to build from, and I think I did that. I finished 11th in the qualifying race, and then in race one today I placed seventh. In the second moto, I was running sixth for a while but finished eighth for sixth overall. It’s been a solid weekend here in Switzerland with plenty of positives to take away, and the aim is to be even stronger in Portugal.”

Alessandro Lupino: "Overall, it was a pretty positive weekend for me. I got the call on Tuesday evening and only had my first test on the bike Wednesday morning, riding with Mattia’s setup. On Saturday, I struggled a bit since I wasn’t fully familiar with the bike, but I made big improvements and was happy to show some good speed. I don’t think the results reflect what I was capable of - mainly due to a setup mistake in race one. In race two, I went down at the start, but I found a good rhythm and fought my way back. The bike has improved a lot, and I’m really happy for Jeremy and his first podium with Ducati. It was special to be part of another historic moment for the team. Now, we shift our focus to Montevarchi."

Ruben Fernandez: I am very disappointed with how the second race went. After a good first moto where I finished third, I was excited to line up for the second moto and try and fight for a podium spot. Unfortunately, I was knocked over in the first turn and had to fight from last. I really fought as hard as possible, pushing the limits and sometimes going over and I passed nearly 30 riders to finish in 12th place. However, during the race I was bumped off the track and had to navigate pitlane, and my focus was just on rejoining in the right position and I didn’t stop. Only when I crossed the finish line, did I find out I was disqualified. This was very frustrating because I tried so hard for the whole moto and then to find out after I finished, after I risked further injury on a sketchy track, doesn’t seem like a good way of doing things. It really is tough to take and I’m very disappointed with the procedures involved.

Ferruccio Zanchi: This isn’t where I want to be battling on the track, and it is frustrating for me. I know that I’m better than this, but I can’t get into the fight for the top spots and instead I’m trying to get into the top 10. We will keep working though, and now we have a weekend off so we can get some testing done and try and figure out how we can get closer to the top guys. I’m trying to stay positive, and I definitely appreciate all the work the team does, so now it is down to me to reward them.

Valerio Lata: It has definitely been a learning weekend, but one that I’m proud of. I am quickly realising the level that you have to be at, not just for one lap, but for every single lap and that is now going to be my focus moving forward. My sixth in race two is much closer to where I want to be and I think I’m showing that I’m getting closer to the top riders with my speed, so now the goal is bring that speed for the whole race.

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