After a bruising weekend in Germany, Team HRC’s Ruben Fernandez has been cleared to race and will line up for this weekend’s MXGP of Latvia, while local favourite Pauls Jonass will be forced to miss his home Grand Prix due to injury.
The FIM Motocross World Championship rolls into the sandy Kegums circuit for round eleven this weekend, marking the final stop in a demanding three-week stretch of consecutive events. Fernandez had a heavy crash on the opening lap of Moto One at Teutschenthal when he came up short on a double jump while battling for second. He was unable to continue, but after rest and medical clearance, the Spaniard is set to return as he continues his pursuit of a top-three finish in the MXGP standings.
“Definitely not a good weekend in Germany,” Fernandez admitted. “But after getting checked out by the doctor, I was told that I should be fine for this race in Latvia. Of course, it isn’t ideal preparation for what is always a difficult event at Kegums. The track is tough to get the right settings for, because it is like a hard-pack sand race, but I’m hoping to score some decent points and get back on track.”
With Tim Gajser still sidelined and MX2 teammate Ferruccio Zanchi also ruled out after crashing on the same jump in Germany, Fernandez will be the sole rider flying the HRC flag in the premier class this weekend. Zanchi is undergoing further assessment before mapping out his return.
For Pauls Jonass, the disappointment is twofold — injury and missing the opportunity to race in front of his home fans. The Latvian crashed heavily in the final laps of moto one in Germany, later diagnosed with two clean fractures in his shoulder. While he won’t require surgery, recovery will still take several weeks.
“For sure, it’s tough mentally to miss more GPs after my crash in Germany, but it is what it is; it’s motocross racing and these things can happen,” Jonass said. “I don’t really remember what happened in detail but there were a lot of ruts just before that jump. I didn’t suffer a concussion and my head is clear but now I need to take it easy for ten days followed by a rehab process to be back as soon as possible. The feeling is not too bad at the moment, though there is quite a lot of pain, but luckily I don’t need surgery and that’s positive. A few days in the sling, two weeks taking it easy and then I can slowly start the rehab before getting back on my KX450-SR in four to six weeks. The goal will then be a strong end to the season. Of course, it’s disappointing to miss my home GP again, but good luck to Romain and Mathis this weekend.”
His Kawasaki Racing Team teammate Romain Febvre will again carry the red plate and lead the charge in the MXGP class, while Mathis Valin continues to gain experience in MX2.
With more wet weather in the forecast for Kegums, the stage is set for another unpredictable and challenging round as the world championship hits the halfway point.
