The sandy hell of Lommel hosted the Grand Prix of Flanders MXGP, the fourteenth round of the FIM Motocross World Championship season. After a two-month layoff due to the injury sustained in Latvia in early June, Andrea Bonacorsi chose to return to competition on the sandy track, known to be the most demanding of the year.
After finishing ninth in Saturday’s qualifying race, Bonacorsi approached Sunday’s two heats knowing they would be a tough test for his body, which is still far from its peak condition. The start of the first heat was particularly difficult for Andrea, who passed among the last positions at the first corner. With his Desmo450 MX, Andrea managed to climb back up to tenth place and fight for ninth, before a contact with a rival caused him to lose his rhythm. Finishing 16th in race one, the Red Bull Ducati Factory MXGP Team rider also managed to finish in the second race, bringing home excellent training ahead of the rest of the season. After a week’s break, the MXGP World Championship will return to the Uddevalla track for the Swedish Grand Prix.
Andrea Bonacorsi: “The Grand Prix of Flanders was a good test; we knew we weren’t 100% yet, but the time had come to get back to racing and do it in Lommel. It was the right choice for both me and the team. Racing here gave us the opportunity to do several tests on the bike and finish without making any major mistakes, allowing me to bring home excellent training ahead of the next races.”
Simone Mancini had a difficult weekend in the EMX250, with the Beddini Racing Ducati Factory MX2 Team rider forced to retire after a crash in race one on Saturday and finishing 15th in the second race on Sunday morning.
The EMXOpen, a single-round series, also took place in Lommel. Spanish rider Victor Alonso, supported by Ducati Spain, finished in the top ten, taking an excellent third place in race two.
