Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Antonio Cairoli not only won the MX1 GP with a double victory in the slippery sands of Valkenswaard on Sunday but did it after making two superb recoveries in the second moto with the kind of skill and agility that few riders ever achieve.

MX 1

Tony Cairoli – 1st:
“The second race, well I really liked it even though I crashed. I like it to be on the competition all the time. The first race was hard because I had some big leads and I tried to concentrate. The second heat was pretty exciting for the public and for everybody. I feel very satisfied about my riding so everything is going pretty good. The first moto I took the holeshot so I could ride my lines and my rhythm. In the second race I was riding with David (Philippaerts) we were trying to pass each other all the time and then I caught his back wheel and I crashed.“

Steve Ramon – 2th:
"The whole day was pretty good. I had a decent spot in the gate but started to wheelie and had to shut off the gas and lost some places. The first few laps were crazy and I had to pass a lot of riders while making some mistakes. After a while my rhythm came and fifth place is OK for tomorrow."

David Philippaerts - 3rd:
“I am really happy today but I made mistakes in Bulgaria and Mantova so this should not have been my first podium of the season; mistakes are part of the sport and today things went well. In the second moto I was pleased to get the holeshot and lead at the start. I was riding good but the track was very difficult and bumpy. I did not want to crash so I was not pushing over the limit. Leok passed me on the last lap but it was OK; I still made it up on the podium.”

Max Nagl – 5th:
“In the second heat I had some bad stomach cramps and I really had to fight with my body but in the end I was coming back a bit and I managed to get past de Dyker.”

Ken De Dycker - 6th:
“The whole weekend was tough. I had some pain in my right arm and it was difficult to hold on at times. I had arm-pump from the first lap of the first moto and could not get into the corners like I wanted; it was hard to be consistent. I was more relaxed in the second moto and could fight a bit more but again struggled near the end. We can only hope for better in Portugal.”

Rui Gonzalves – 17th:
“I came here without any expectations, to just use this as a practice to see where I was. It was good. I took points in both motos. I lost all the winter and the races till now so it will take some time to get back my speed but I’m very motivated to work. The bike is awesome and so I’m looking forward to seeing where I will be at the end of the season.”

MX 2

Jeffery Herlings – 1st:
“It was an indescribable feeling. Just amazing, I had two good starts from not a very good starting position. But one GP is not the whole season so I am just going to try to be consistent and take it one race at a time. Maybe it was that confidence that let me win my first Gp.”

Ken Roczen - 2nd:
"Second place again but this is OK because I want to keep a cool head and keep on taking results like these. I am runner-up here but I have the red plate. There are some small things we still need to work on but nobody is perfect! My riding on the sand has 'gotten better and we still have some races on this type of track to come. I am now the leader of the Championship but I want to keep on having fun on the bike. I am looking forward to Portugal and getting on the podium again."

Steven Frossard – 3rd:
“I did not achieve good results on sand tracks last year but I have flown several times between Marseilles and the Netherlands this winter to practice under the watchful eye of ex-GP rider Kees van der Ven and the team’s technical advisor Harry Nolte. Last week we trained at a track which is similar to Valkenswaard, and the positive tests helped me a lot to feel confident on this type of surface. I had a strong qualifying race which gave me third choice of gate today and I was able to finish 4th and 3rd in the two motos today after top ten starts in each. It’s the first time in my career that I have got in the podium at a sandy track and that confirms that the training we did during the winter is bringing its rewards. I really like the track at Águeda in Portugal where the next GP will take place and I am confident I can go for the win there to reduce the gap to the current points leaders.”

Marvin Musquin – 5th:
“The problem was with my crash yesterday. I had no energy and I was very tired in my legs and my arms. In the first race I came eighth and in the second it was better, I was fifth and I came back to third but I crashed two laps before the end and finished fifth.”

Shaun Simpson – 4th:
“It was a tough weekend and I had to put in some speed. The other two KTM guys were very fast so I had to think a bit and be consistent and do a good result. My pace and rhythm was really good in the first race so I just stuck with that for third. Then I did a really bad job of the first two or three corners of the second race and was back at about eighth. I just had no rhythm and about ten minutes to go I was burnt out. But I finished fourth overall and just a few points off the podium so its coming back.”

Jeremy Van Horebeek – 7th:
“Saturday just wasn’t my day as I crashed no less than six times, but in the warm-up this morning I was much more comfortable with the track and felt that a podium result was possible. Unfortunately at the start of the first race I was involved in a pileup and lost a lot of time. I came back through the field to finish eleventh, but that took a lot of energy. I was still feeling it in the early laps of race two and I didn’t settle into a rhythm for the first 15 minutes. But once I found my rhythm I was able to set fast lap times and charged back from fifteenth to finish fourth behind Steven. My confidence on the bike is growing all the time and I’m looking forward to the next GPs. I won in Spain last year and I’m impatient to start winning again for Kawasaki.”

Arnaud Tonus - 9th:
"I am quite happy; it was just a shame about that crash in the second moto. I can feel the improvement in my sand riding and I know a better result was possible here today. In a way it is pleasing to see the work I have done has shown on the track and it means that I know even more where I can improve and concentrate my energy. I lost my rhythm a little bit in the second race, so it was not a perfect GP but of course it could be worse."

Nicolas Aubin – 22th:
“Each week we work hard, I feel great on the bike and we come to the race expecting good results but they just don’t want to happen. I was involved in a crash at the start of both races here, and after that it was impossible to come back for a good result. All we can do is to continue to work at it because we’re sure that the run of bad luck must end soon.”