Romain Febvre & Liam Everts top MXGP of Netherlands

MXGP 2023

Round 16 – MXGP of Netherlands, Arnhem

The FIM Motocross World Championship landed in Arnhem for Round 16 in the Dutch sand. Great weather and track conditions offered plenty to delight fans and competitors alike.

In MXGP, Romain Febvre won his sixth Grand Prix of the season, heading off Red Plate holder Jorge Prado.

Jeremy Seewer confirmed his return to form after his win in Sweden with a back-to-back podium and now sits third in the Championship standings.

In MX2, a consistent Liam Everts won his second Grand Prix of the season in a last lap thriller that saw Lucas Coenen finish second overall thanks to his win in race two. Simon Laengenfelder completed the podium with another race win to keep his podium streak going.

KRT team-mate Mitch Evans, second in morning Warm-up, rode a solid first moto as he moved forward to finish tenth.

Race two was following a similar pattern as he came from twelfth to challenge for tenth before fading to fifteenth in the closing laps as the effects of the sickness which had laid him low all week kicked in.

The Australian was twelfth overall in the GP and has comsolidated that ranking in the series standings.

Mitch Evans

“Today started with a good feeling in Warm-up and I got two decent starts but just didn’t have the flow. That was OK for P10 in moto one but the sickness I’ve been dealing with all week kicked in halfway through race two; I just didn’t have anything left in the tank and was riding round with my tongue in the chain. I showed good speed considering I was laid up all week so now it’s time to recover and carry the momentum into the last three rounds.”

2023 MXGP of Netherlands Highlights

MXGP Race One

In Race 1 Jorge Prado clinched his 11th FOX Holeshot of the season, levelling the tally with Jeremy Seewer. Seewer was just behind Prado but Romain Febvre quickly overtook the Swiss in the opening lap for second.

Prado led the race but then was threatened by a fast charging Febvre who seemed to enjoy the tough track. On lap 9 Febvre made a great move to overtake the Red Plate rider for the lead.

It looked like Febvre was going for the win after pulling away quickly but on lap 11 a stone got stuck into his rear brake to put a stop to his flow, which saw Prado and Seewer overtaking him.

Febvre eventually got back into it and managed to get back to second by lap 17 after passing Seewer again. Febvre went on to push for the win but fell short and Prado took another important race win, Febvre second and Seewer third.

Behind the top three was Glenn Coldenhoff in fourth, followed by Tim Gajser. Alberto Forate, Maxime Renaux, Pauls Jonass, Brian Bogers, while Mitchell Evans rounded out the top-10.

MXGP Race One Results

MXGP Race Two

In Race 2, Febvre clinched the FOX Holeshot and took an early lead, this time avoiding his race one mistakes and racing superbly for the win, his sixth of the season.

Seewer also had a great start once again to slot into second, but was challenged by teammate Coldenhoff with two laps to go. Coldenhoff had shown great determination to pass Prado earlier for third and kept charging in front of the home crowd.

Seewer managed to keep his cool and fend off Coldenhoff for second, Coldenhoff third.

Jorge Prado finished fourth, well off a podium placing, with Tim Gajser a few seconds in arrears.

Rounding out the top-10 were Maxime Renaux, Alberto Forato, Ruben Fernandez, Pauls Jonass, Brian Bogers, and Aussie Mitch Evans had to settle for 15th.

The round overall went to Febvre on 47-points, Prado runner-up on 43, and Seewer third on 42-points.

Prado retains a strong lead in the overall standings on 821-points, Febre 729 and Seewer on 652.

Romain Febvre – P1 Overall

“Already from yesterday I felt good on the track and had a good flow; the track was heavy and you could really make the difference. Everything was going to plan in the first moto until the bike suddenly stopped on a jump. I thought at first it was the chain but then I realised there was a stone in the rear brake. I came back for second so I knew in race two I just had to make no mistakes; just holeshot and ride my own race. People keep mentioning the championship but for me something now needs to happen to Prado; I just try to win as many times as I can for the rest of the season.”

Jorge Prado – P2

 “This weekend was a tricky one. My rhythm was not quite right, but the first moto was good with a holeshot and win. I had a worse start in the second moto and was in a fight at the beginning before putting myself in a decent position. It was super tough, and I did not want to make a mistake. It was an okay weekend in the end.”

Jeremy Seewer – P3

“It’s never easy to have the local hero behind you, especially when he was charging hard for a podium finish at his home Grand Prix. I managed to have the better finish, but it was a tough fight. It was very very close. I am super happy with today, even though the mistake I made in the first race cost me a potential win or at least second overall. But, besides that, I am super happy with today, especially after the day I had yesterday, where I struggled with my bike set-up. I thought it would be tough, but we managed to make it happen, and that’s what counts.”

Glenn Coldenhoff – P4

“Very disappointed. I felt good all weekend, other than in the first race today, where I struggled to pass Maxime (Renaux) and Pauls (Jonass). I eventually managed to pass them both at the same time, but by then, the top three were gone, and there was nothing I could do about it. I could not do more than fourth in moto one. In Race Two, the start was decent, but somehow, I ended up back in seventh-ish. I got one position from Maxime crashing, and then I had to close the gap to Jeremy. I managed to do it, and I knew I had to pass him for at least a podium finish, which anyway, was still not a win, but even a podium finish at my home GP would have been nice. It was nice to race in front of my home crowd, the support was definitely there, but I just didn’t have enough to get the job done today. I need to live with it and go for more in Turkey.”

Tim Gajser – P5

“Overall, even though it is my best points haul since I returned from injury, I wanted higher and to challenge with the podium guys so I’m not 100% happy to only finish fifth. My riding was good today and we improved a lot and worked on some things that will definitely help in the future so it was positive and really, I shouldn’t be too hard on myself. I felt I could have got a couple of extra points in the second moto and came close to the pass for fourth, but couldn’t quite make it happen. It is another step up though and for that I am looking forward to Turkey which is a track I’ve done well on before and should be good after a weekend off.”

Maxime Renaux – P6

“It was a super tough weekend. I would say this was one of the worst tracks to ride when you’re coming back from injury. Especially because I haven’t been back for long, so I am not at the level I should be in terms of physical condition just yet. I also struggled a little bit with my settings, and it was only in the second moto that I felt more comfortable. I had quite a good rhythm at the beginning of the second race but crashed on the left-hander and lost quite some time. I then struggled to get my rhythm back and ended up finishing sixth. Overall, I am happy to be in one piece and taking experience and working my way back to my best level.”

Ruben Fernandez – P11

It’s been a tough few weeks for me and today didn’t go to plan, with the crash on the first moto start straight. Picking up the bike in last certainly wasn’t ideal, and then coming into change goggles delayed me even further but my riding after that was good and I showed some good speed to make my way all the way back up to 17th. The second race went better and I was inside the top 10 off the start, but having used up a lot of energy in the first moto, I couldn’t push forward like I wanted to and ended up eighth. I’m glad to get through it though and I’m glad for another weekend off to recover from this event and hopefully by the time we reach Turkey I’ll be much closer to 100%.

MXGP Race Two Results

2023 MXGP of Netherlands, Round Overall

MXGP Standings – Top 20

MX2 Race One

Simon Laengenfelder took the MX2 FOX Holeshot and flew away with the lead in race one.

No one could catch the German and he went on to win race one comfortably continuing on his impressive showings.

Behind him it was a battle between KTM teammates, Andrea Adamo and Liam Everts. Everts started the best of the two, Adamo following closely.

Adamo piled on the pressure, which saw Belgian’s riding gets a bit untidy, with a close call in a turn.  On lap 10 Everts made a mistake and nearly ended up off his bike, only just salvaging it, but Adamo capitalised on that mistake to move up to second, where he’d finish

Everts had to settle for third, with Jago Geerts and Kevin Horgmo rounding out the top-five.

Lucas Coenen, Camden McLellan, Roan Van De Moosdijk, Rick Elzinga and Isak Gifting completed the top-10.

MX2 Race One Results

MX2 Race Two

In Race 2, The FOX Holeshot went to Everts who took the lead in front of L.Coenen, who made a successful move on lap two to pass Everts for the lead, although he lost it completely and only just somehow saved it.

L.Coenen pulled away and kept pushing, only to lose control and fall off, to be passed by Everts and Horgmo. That was shortlived, it only took a lap for L.Coenen to overtake Horgmo and Everts.

This time L.Coenen did not give his lead away and went on to victory by almost 4.5-seconds.

Geerts had found himself in fifth on the opening lap, and the Belgian overtook Horgmo by lap seven for third and kept charging towards second, with Everts in his sights.

Geerts momentarily passed Everts on the last lap which would have put him on the podium and denied Everts a GP victory, however Everts’ was having none of it, and passed Geerts back on the penultimate corner on a jump, clinching second place and the Grand Prix victory.

Horgmo and Adamo rounded out the top five, and Laegenfelder, McLellan, Van De Moosdijk, Gifting and Oriol Oliver rounded out the top-10.

The round overall saw Everts take the win by two-points, Lucas Coenen and Simon Laegenfelder tied on 40-points, but second going to Lucas. Geerts and Adamo tied on 38-points.

Adamo retains the MX2 lead on 705-points, Everts second on 633, while Jago Geerts is third on 603. Laegenfelder isn’t far off in fourth, on 595 points, but there’s a large gap to L.Coenen in fifth on 511 points.

Liam Everts – P1

 “I didn’t expect to have the win today. I should have been 2nd in the first moto but made that clumsy mistake with two laps to go. I pumped myself up for the second moto and got the holeshot. I needed to keep Jago [Geerts] behind me and that’s what I did.”

Lucas Coenen – P2

“I crashed in the first race in a corner and costed me a lot of energy so it got me really hungry for the second race. I rode very well in that second one as I passed Liam (Everts) quite quickly and I made a good gap and I control my race so it was good.”

Simon Laengenfelder – P3

 “I took the holeshot in the first race, which was really nice. I could choose my own lines. I could not quite find my rhythm in the second race – I made mistakes whenever I pushed. I still came away with a podium, so I am really happy about that.”

Jago Geerts – P4

“I am really happy with my weekend considering the injury. Obviously, I have missed a lot of time on the bike, and I felt that today. So really, the results were really good considering. I am only frustrated to miss the podium because of a lapped rider messing up the last corner, but in terms of everything else, I am very proud of what I did.”

Andrea Adamo – P5

“Not bad motos for me today, mainly because I felt quite lost on the track after Saturday. I was struggling. So, we made some changes and the first moto was good. I was even able to catch Simon [Laengenfelder] for a while until I had a little issue with the goggles. The tip-over in the second moto cost me the podium or maybe more. But I’m happy anyway because I felt fast and comfortable on the bike, especially when the track was so rough. I’m looking forward to the last three races of the championship and I will go to the hard-pack in Turkey with a smile!”

Kevin Horgmo – P6

“It was a heavy race but I got two good starts, rode my own race and tried not to make mistakes. In the first moto I found my rhythm mid-moto and I was feeling good in fifth until a lapper crashed in front of me and Jago could pass but I got the place back when another rider crashed near the end. I couldn’t really do anything about Lucas – he was so fast today – in race two but I could stay with Everts and was looking at second until I lost my momentum towards the end of the race when I was too careful in the lappers and Jago got me again.”

Rick Elzinga – P13

“I had a great start in Race One, but then a rider cut across the whole track and I had to brake to avoid him, so I lost quite a few positions. I managed to work my way back to fifth pretty quickly and had a nice battle to take fourth. I stayed there for the whole race, which was quite happy with because I worked really hard for it. But then, with one or two laps to go, a lapped rider turned in on me, and I went down. That was quite a shame. I lost quite a lot of places and finished ninth. In the second race, I had an alright start, but got pinched into the first turn and crashed. In that crash, my shoulder popped out, and while it went back in and I tried to keep racing, it popped out again twice, so I had to stop because I didn’t have any power left.”

MX2 Race Two Results

2023 MXGP of Netherlands, MX2 Round Overall

MX2 Standings –  Top 20