The 6th GP of the FIM Motocross World Championship takes place in Valkenswaard, the Netherlands this weekend. For the Belgian 24MX Honda team the short haul across the border is synonymous to a traditional home race on the MXGP calendar. It’s also the first event since Thailand where the Honda Europe supported outfit enter their complete line-up of Xavier Boog and Jens Getteman.
Both riders arrive in Holland with a 4th place in international racing under their belt. Boog rode to a comfortable fourth in Wuustwezel last weekend, his young Belgian team mate just failed to make the podium today at the Belgian Masters of Motocross in Moerbeke-Waas.
Coming into the MXGP series short on race rhythm Xavier Boog’s championship campaign has gained momentum over the last few races. Boog steered his 24MX Honda CRF450R to 8th place in Arco di Trento and grabbed 7th in Bulgaria. Xavier is currently 8th in provisional MXGP standings. While the smooth Frenchman posted his strongest sand results in Lierop -and he’s by no means a specialist of the soft stuff- he definitely knows his way around the Eurocircuit. Xavier’s personal best moto results in Valkenswaard include a 6th in MX2 and an 8th place in MX1. To beat his ‘PB’ and remain consistent are his goals for the weekend!
After an intense preparation 20-year old Jens Getteman is ready to make his comeback in the MXGP World Championship this weekend. Getteman won one moto and stood on the podium in the European MX2 Championship three years ago, at this very track. Today’s test in the highly regarded Belgian Masters of Motocross comfirmed his current performance level. Getteman finished 4th and 5th to take 4th overall. Especially his second moto stood out. He nearly grabbed the holeshot but was ultimately denied the lead by Jeremy Van Horebeek. Chasing ‘The Jerre’ in second place for almost 4 laps the 24MX Honda rider showed what he’s capable of. Jens only had to succumb to his more experienced countrymen Roelants and Strijbos.
RESULTS Belgian Masters of Motocross Round 2, Moerbeke-Waas
Full results here: http://www.mylaps.com/en/events/1009829
Moto 1
1. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL-Yamaha), 2. Joël Roelants (BEL-Honda), 3. Kevin Strijbos (BEL-Suzuki), 4. Jeffrey Dewulf (BEL-Yamaha), 5. Jens Getteman (BEL-24MX Honda), 6. Marvin Van Daele (BEL-KTM), 7. Kristof Salaets (BEL-Honda), 8. Ryan Houghton (GBR-Yamaha), 9. Rick Satink (KTM), 10. Steve Ramon (BEL-Suzuki)
Moto 2
1. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL-Yamaha), 2. Joël Roelants (BEL-Honda), 3. Kevin Strijbos (BEL-Suzuki), 4. Jens Getteman (BEL-24MX Honda), 5. Jeffrey Dewulf (BEL-Yamaha), 6. Steve Ramon (BEL-Suzuki) 7. Marvin Van Daele (BEL-KTM), 8. Ryan Houghton (GBR-Yamaha), 9. Nick Triest (BEL-Yamaha), 10. Kristof Salaets (BEL-Honda)
Day classification BMMX Moerebeke-Waas
1. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL-Yamaha) 50 pts, 2. Joël Roelants (BEL-Honda) 44 pts, 3. Kevin Strijbos (BEL-Suzuki) 40 pts, 4. Jens Getteman (BEL-24MX Honda) 34, 5. Jeffrey Dewulf (BEL-Yamaha) 34, 6. Marvin Van Daele (BEL-KTM) 29, 7. Steve Ramon (BEL-Suzuki) 26, 8. Ryan Houghton (GBR-Yamaha) 26, 9. Kristof Salaets (BEL-Honda) 25, 10. Nick Triest (BEL-Yamaha) 22
Xavier Boog: “Valkenswaard is not my best track but I should be okay. Each GP my results have improved so far and I feel very comfortable on the bike. I have been preparing in the sand since Bulgaria and we had a good 2-day training/test session in Grevenbroich (Germany) this week together with the other Honda teams. We have further refined and improved the settings for my suspension, my fitness is good and I feel ready to battle! The track in Valkenswaard can be quite tricky. It’s not exactly deep sand and depending on the weather before the GP the Eurocircuit can be quite fast and even slippery.”
Jens Getteman: “I have been pretty busy this week with three races since last Saturday! However I felt that the competition has helped me to build my confidence and regain race rhythm. Today was fun! Also because it’s close to home and many fans came out to support me. I immediately felt good in Moerbeke, time practice went well. In the qualifying moto I had a good start and came 5th. The first moto was just okay, I found it hard to get into it and I didn’t had the right lines. I made a small mistake at the end that cost me 4th place. In the second moto I was just having a blast! My start was great and I had a good pace behind Van Horebeek. Because Roelants and Strijbos were so fast I couldn’t resist the pressure but I had a good feeling on the bike and finished 4th closely behind Strijbos. I’m happy to be back in GP’s now and I couldn’t have done it with the support from my fans, parents, my manager and everyone who’s behind me.”
Best 24MX Honda (previously LS Honda) results in Valkenswaard
2013: 23rd with Nikolaj Larsen in MX1
2012: 15th with Jonathan Barragan in MX1
2011: 7th (7-8) with Ken De Dycker in MX1
2010: 4th (5-3) with Tanel Leok in MX1
2009: 8th (9-8) with Clément Desalle in MX1
2008: 23rd (3-3) with Wyatt Avis in MX2