Estonian Gert Krestinov has won on the big stage before, winning a round of the FIM World MX2 Championship at the Lommel circuit in Belgium. To many it was a surprise win, although to his then trainer John Van Den Berk it was expected.I remember speaking to Van Den Berk (a two time World Motocross Champion) just prior to Lommel and he mentioned that they had spent a lot of time at the circuit, and in sand to prepare for the Belgian Grand Prix.
Now racing for the Apico ANSA Racing Kawasaki team, a team that contests the British Motocross Championship, and occasional rounds of the FIM World Motocross Championship, Krestinov knows that a good performance in front of the Grand Prix Factory teams is only a positive thing.
Last weekend at the Valkenswaard circuit, which is just 30 or so kilometres from that Lommel circuit where he took his Grand Prix victory, the Estonian did it again, scoring a round overall win in the sand.
“Of course winning in Lommel was for me special,” Krestinov said. “It was my first major win and it was a big of a surprise to many people. Last weekend at Valkenswaard was also really good. I won the qualification race on Sunday and I knew I had the speed. In the first moto on Monday Mike (Kras) had a big lead, but I closed up, it wasn’t enough though to get the moto win, and I finished second. The second moto I managed to win, and I am very happy about that, also getting the overall win.”
Not surprisingly Krestinov liked it when the Valkenswaard circuit started getting rougher. Racing in the final moto of a weekend when MX1, MX2, and the women had raced two motos each, plus the first MX3 moto had been run, it was clear that when the going got rough and tough Krestinov performed at his best.
“The track was much better in the second moto, because it was rougher and it was better than the first moto. I liked it because it was more difficult, more challenging, and I train hard for that. I enjoyed racing the MX3 class, and I would like to do more, but my team races the British Motocross Championship and I am not sure if I will get the chance to race in this series again in 2013, although I really want to.”