After struggling to get into his groove in Argentina, Max Anstie was back on it for the factory Rockstar Energy Husqvarna team and his fourth in the MXGP opener at Valkenswaard was much more like it.
Dropping from fifth to ninth in moto two with what appeared to be a late mechanical problem was unfortunate but during the race he passed both 2015 world champ Romain Febvre and 2016 world champ Tim Gajser.
Wilvo Yamaha’s Shaun Simpson always goes well in the sand and despite a problem in race one leaving him pointless his sixth second time out points at better things to come.
Graeme Irwin had a real Valkenswaard MXGP baptism of fire but still came away with a couple of points. The Irishman’s a class act and will continue to improve as he settles into the pace of top-flight racing with his new ASA Hitachi KTM UK team.
The major high point from Valkenswaard was Connor Mewse’s performance in MX2. World Junior 85cc champ in 2013, Mewse freely admits his career since moving onto a big bike has been hit and miss but he looks at home on the ASA Hitachi KTM UK team and his 5-4 card earned him fourth overall.
Drop in Kemea Yamaha’s Ben Watson and Adam Sterry on the F&H Kawasaki running seventh and eighth in the second race and there’s every reason to be positive ahead of round three in Spain next weekend.
