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MX2, MONSTER ENERGY MXGP OF ITALY - Maggiora, ITALY, 4 Heinäkuu 2021

Dramatic second moto for F&H Kawasaki duo in Italy

Photo Credits: Stanley Leroux / Pascal Haudiquert

F&H Kawasaki MX2 Racing Team duo Roan van de Moosdijk and Mathys Boisrame remain in serious contention for the FIM World MX2 Motocross Championship title after stunning rides in race two at Maggiora.

The magnificent track in northern Italy was in superb condition but overtaking has often proved difficult on the ultra-rapid hillside switchback and, despite their usual top four placings during Qualifying, both the Dutch youngster and the Frenchman faced a tough opening moto after getting caught up with other riders through the tricky first two turns. Boisrame had recovered to tenth by the end of the the opening lap and continued to push for eighth at the finish, while van de Moosdijk showed determination to convert a first lap fifteenth into ninth at the close. Both riders were determined to make amends in race two and they each displayed tremendous speed to soar up the leaderboard during the course of the thirty-five minute race. The Dutch youngster already pushed forward from eighth leaving the first few turns to complete the opening lap sixth and was on the move throughout the second half of the race with a series of dramatic passes, taking the chequered flag third to narrowly miss the podium as fourth on the day. Boisrame was initially outside the top ten but had advanced to eighth by the end of the opening lap and also made some enthralling moves to finish the moto in his teammate’s wheel tracks, fourth in moto and sixth overall on the day. The F&H teamsters are now fourth and fifth in the series points standings, just eight and fourteen points respectively from the series pacemaker as they head to the team’s home GP at Oss in The Netherlands in two weeks’ time.
 
Roan van de Moosdijk: “Qualifying was good as always! I had the first time in the beginning of the session but the track became drier and drier so I dropped back to fourth until the last lap when I pushed one more time and I came back to second. I was around twelfth the first lap of race one but I couldn’t find my rhythm and finished ninth. My feeling for the track was good in the second moto; I was soon sixth and I could push the whole moto to pass Beaton, Hofer and Geerts. I battled the whole race and I was happy to finish third in the moto and only two points from the podium.“


Mathys Boisrame: “I had a good gate-pick after fourth in Qualifying and I was in a good position in the first corner of race one but I lost some places at the second corner. I tensed up, suffered a little arm pump and couldn’t ride as I usually do so it was a tough moto. I missed a good start in race two but my rhythm was better as we had changed some suspension settings between the motos and I was able to come back behind Roan. it was a good moto on a rough track; not an easy track but I like that. I just woke up too late today! But I’m fourth in the standings and feel confident; we’ll continue to work to prepare for the next GP in Oss."
 
Mikkel Haarup, third F&H team rider, paid the penalty for an outside gate from Qualifying and had to chase through the hectic pack in each moto. He had advanced to fifteenth and eleventh by the end of the two motos but was penalised five places for a damaged exhaust, the result of an impact with another rider, in race one. The young Dane is now sixteenth in the series points standings.
 
Mikkel Haarup: “I rode a little tight in Qualifying so I didn’t have the best gate for the races but I made a few good moves through the first couple of corners in race one and kept moving forward to finish fifteenth. Then I was put back five places on the noise control after touching with someone so that was pretty frustrating. I made some good passes for eleventh in race two and was riding better; that was positive but I still have some work to do to be where I should be. “
 
Wilson Todd of Bike It MTX Kawasaki continues his recovery from serious injury last year and posted an impressive eleventh place during Qualifying but the Australian had no luck at the start in either of the GP motos to complete the first lap twenty-first in race one and even further back as twenty-seventh in race two after a collision on the exit from turn one. He showed great resolution as usual, advancing with determination to be classified fifteenth in race one and eighteenth in race two. He is now fourteenth in the series points standings.
 
It was a baptism of fire for his young teammate Taylor Hammal. In his first GP outside England the youngster qualified on the same second as the rider in twentieth and was pushing forward towards a points-scoring race in race one until a late incident put him out of contention. He was forced out of race two early after advancing quickly to eighteenth.