• Seewer nearly cracks the top five at the MXGP of Czech Republic
• The Aruba.it - Ducati Factory MX Team rider gains two places in the overall standings
The FIM Motocross World Championship returned to action this weekend for Round 14 at the historic Loket circuit, kicking off the final stretch of the season. The MXGP of Czech Republic marked the first of four European stops before the series heads to Turkey, China and Australia for the finale.
After finishing eighth in Saturday's muddy qualifying race, Jeremy Seewer and his Desmo450 MX bike managed to get off the gate well in race one and claimed sixth. Mattia Guadagnini, who was forced to retire on Saturday, bounced back impressively despite an unfavourable gate pick, as he quickly broke into the top ten and showed a competitive pace throughout. The Swiss rider's speed was also excellent, and after seven laps, he moved into sixth place, close behind the riders ahead of him battling for second, with Guadagnini still ninth. Midway through the moto, Jeremy lost three positions due to his bike stalling, and with no chance of recovering, he finished eighth. Meanwhile, Guadagnini’s push for ninth ended in frustration after contact with a rival sent him to the ground. To his credit, he remounted to secure 17th.
In race two, the #91 Ducati launched off the line smartly once again, with Seewer slotting into seventh by the opening corner, while Guadagnini was buried outside the top 15 but began a determined charge through the field. Both Aruba.it - Ducati Factory MX Team riders maintained a strong pace, with Seewer ultimately clinching sixth at the flag, as Guadagnini fought back to bank 11th.
On the stony, steep hills of Loket, Jeremy Seewer wrapped up the weekend with sixth overall - his third-best score of the campaign - gaining two spots in the championship standings to move up to eighth. Mattia Guadagnini sits 14th. The MXGP paddock now ventures to the deep sand of Lommel, with the MXGP of Flanders just six days away.
Jeremy Seewer: "This weekend we made a positive step forward. We made a major change that seems to be working really well, and now we need to focus on all the little details that will help us progress. We changed the setup, the feeling was really positive, and you could see I was feeling more like myself on the bike. We still need to improve our starts, but I think we'll be where we want to be in a few races. In the first race, I was unlucky with a small issue, without even crashing: after a jump, my engine stalled. Otherwise, I was going super fast, maybe even for a top-three finish. It's a shame, but it was still a solid GP, and now we have something to build on.”
Mattia Guadagnini: “I got a great start in the first race, and even though I wasn’t at 100%, with a calf injury from Saturday and some arm pump after a few laps, I was riding well and holding ninth until four laps from the end. Unfortunately, an incident with another rider, who was trying to pass, and the crash cost me a lot of positions. In the second moto, my start wasn’t as strong, but I pushed hard in the early laps and kept a nice pace. I was closing the gap to the riders ahead towards the end, but fatigue set in, and I finished 11th. Overall, I’m satisfied. It was a solid step forward after coming back from injury, even if I felt I deserved a better result.”
