The Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 Team keeps collecting the GP-wins. After Jago Geerts’ victories in Villa la Angostura and Riola Sardo it was on Easter Monday – in Frauenfeld, Switzerland – Thibault Benistant’s turn. So, a hat-trick for Hans Corvers’ team.

After an absence of four years, the FIM World Championship returned to Frauenfeld, Switzerland. Not – like in 2018 – to the artificial track next to the sugar factory, but to the old Schollenholz track where a Grand Prix had last taken place in 1983. The Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2-riders immediately felt good on this rather short track. Thibault Benistant took the pole position after a convincing win in the qualifying race on Saturday. World Championship leader Jago Geerts finished third and Rick Elzinga was ninth.

Crash Geerts
In the first moto the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2-riders came out of the gate like a rocket. Geerts was leading into the first corner, closely followed by Benistant (3rd) and Elzinga (5th). The championship leader did not waste any time and immediately made a gap with the rest of the pack. Jago seemed to be heading to a smooth victory. Until in lap 14, when he made a mistake on a jump and landed next to the track. The damage was big. Especially his bike was seriously bent. The consequences were hard: Geerts fell back to place seven.
One lap before, Benistant – who was attacking Van de Moosdijk for the second place – also had a small crash. The French rider, who was suffering from arm pump, only lost one place and finished fourth. Elzinga, who succeeded to stay in front for some time, had to let go at the end and crossed the finish line in eleventh position.

With two on to
Another blitz start from the ‘blue guard’ in moto 2. Adamo took the holeshot, but Benistant (2nd), Geerts (3rd) and Elzinga (6th) were back in front. Geerts was determined to take revenge after his mistake in the first race and immediately put team mate Benistant under pressure. The two played leapfrog for a while, but the Frenchman succeeded to take the lead after a clever move passing Adamo. Geerts needed a little more time to pass the Italian (at lap 8) and then went chasing his team mate. Jago came back to 1.5 seconds, but lost his chances to win after a small crash. A third place in this moto was the best result possible.
At the front, Benistant was heading authoritarian to the moto and GP victory. His first GP win of this season and the second in his career after Teutschenthal last year. And Elzinga? His second moto was a copy of the first: so, again eleventh.
The Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 Team is now with two riders at the top of the World Championship classification. Geerts is still the leader. After three Grand Prix, the vice world champion has an advance of twenty points on his team mate Benistant.

#93 JAGO GEERTS
5th overall, 1st in World Championship
“This is not the result I hoped for. Still, I can’t complain. The starts were good, my pace was excellent too. But that crash in the first moto ruined everything. I still don’t know exactly what happened. I followed the same track every lap. But suddenly things went wrong. Was it a stone that came loose or so? No idea. It was scary. A big crash. I was seriously shaken, and my bike was completely bent. I’m happy I still could finish seventh. In the second moto I was still suffering from that crash. This week will mainly be about recovering.”

#198 THIBAULT BENISTANT
1st overall, 2nd in World Championship
“The first GP-win of the season is a fact. Nice! For me and the team. The two motos were completely different. In the first moto I was riding too tight. I was suffering from arm pump. I tried to put pressure on the leaders, but then I made some small mistakes and so I had to let go. I felt a lot better in the second moto, more relaxed. I decided to attack immediately. Successfully. Geerts kept putting pressure on me, until he made a mistake. Then I could cruise to victory.”

#44 RICK ELZINGA
11th overall, 12th in World Championship
“I had a difficult weekend in Switzerland. I didn’t really feel comfortable on this track. My starts were however very good. In the early stages I could follow the leaders, but then I cramped up. I suffered a lot from arm pump, and was forced to slow down my pace. Really frustrating. The races now follow each other very quickly. Next weekend Pietramurata is already on the program. I made my GP debut there last year. Immediately seventh. A nice result. Perhaps the ideal spot to relaunch myself.”

Qualifying race

1 THIBAULT BENISTANT (Fra/Yam)

2 Kay de Wolf (Ned/Hus) +0:12.665

3 JAGO GEERTS (Bel/Yam) +0:13.113

4 Roan van de Moosdijk (Ned/Hus) +0:18.307

5 Andrea Adamo (Ita/KTM) +0:19.414

9 RICK ELZINGA (Ned/Yam) +0:45.456

Race 1

1 Roan van de Moosdijk (Ned/Hus)

2 Kay de Wolf (Ned/Hus) +0:04.536

3 Andrea Adamo (Ita/KTM) +0:06.482

4 THIBAULT BENISTANT (Fra/Yam) +0:11.947

5 Simon Längenfelder (Ger/Gas) +0:15.602

7 JAGO GEERTS (Bel/Yam) +0:25.844

11 RICK ELZINGA (Ned/Yam) +1:06.375

Race 2

1 THIBAULT BENISTANT (Fra/Yam)

2 Andrea Adamo (Ita/KTM) +0:04.929

3 JAGO GEERTS (Bel/Yam) +0:07.755

4 Kay de Wolf (Ned/Hus) +0:08.543

5 Simon Längenfelder (Ger/Gas) +0:10.647

11 RICK ELZINGA (Ned/Yam) +0:56.868

Overall

1 THIBAULT BENISTANT (Fra/Yam) 43

2 Andrea Adamo (Ita/KTM) 42

3 Kay de Wolf (Ned/Hus) 40

4 Roan van de Moosdijk (Ned/Hus) 38

5 JAGO GEERTS (Bel/Yam) 34

11 RICK ELZINGA (Ned/Yam) 22

Championship classification (3/19)

1 JAGO GEERTS (Bel/Yam) 159

2 THIBAULT BENISTANT (Fra/Yam) 139

3 Kay de Wolf (Ned/Hus) 136

4 Andrea Adamo (Ita/KTM) 131

5 Roan van de Moosdijk (Ned/Hus) 112

12 RICK ELZINGA (Ned/Yam) 52

Images by @fullspectrummedia – Yamaha racing