The MXGP of Europe, the third round of the FIM Motocross World Championship, was held on the hard-pack soil of the Saint Jean d’Angely track in the south of the French Atlantic coast. Variable weather conditions, including frequent showers, made the track extremely challenging for all.
Starting from 12th and 16th after the qualifying race on Saturday, Mattia Guadagnini and Jeremy Seewer lined up for the two motos of the Grand Prix on a very treacherous surface.
At the start of the first moto, Mattia moved into sixth at the first corner and quickly gained two more positions during the opening lap, advancing to fourth. He maintained an excellent pace throughout and eventually crossed the finish line in fourth. It was a more challenging start for Jeremy, who found himself outside the top 20 after the first corner, and in 17th after the opening lap. The Swiss rider did not lose heart, though, and produced a strong comeback to claim 13th.
Guadagnini got off to a rapid start in race two but lost grip entering the first corner, exiting outside the top 15. 10th after the first lap on his Desmo450 MX, the Italian pushed hard to recover as many positions as possible. By the halfway point, he had powered into fifth place, ultimately finishing seventh as the intense effort took its toll in the final laps. Despite this, he secured his second fourth overall of the season and moved up to seventh in the championship standings.
Seewer also had a positive race, starting behind his teammate and moving up to 15th after the first lap. He tenaciously fought his way through the field to clinch 10th.
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.”
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.”
