Brent van Doninck scores top ten position in the MXGP of Portugal

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Brent van Doninck of JM Racing Honda has scored a top ten moto finish at round five of the world championship MXGP in Agueda, Portugal. Van Doninck scored this position in the second moto. In the first moto he was forced to retire from the race after his chain came off the bike.

Van Doninck started his weekend strong on Saturday. He set the tenth fastest time in time practice and qualified himself in a strong seventh position. Van Doninck had a good rhythm on the track and was looking forward to the races on Sunday.

In the opening moto on Sunday he got a set back because his chain came off the bike and due to this he was forced to retire. In the second moto he took a decent start but in the second corner he went to wide and lost several positions. Van Doninck managed to take them back in the first couple of laps but then had a little dip. After a small mistake he finally finished the race in tenth position.

Brent van Doninck: ‘’I want more than this tenth position. I would like to finish around seventh or eighth position. When we look at my results from the beginning of the year this has to be possible. Of course a top ten finish is not bad in MXGP. We need a little bit more luck as well because here in Portugal we only score in one moto.’’

Van Doninck finished in fifteenth position in the overall classification and sits in thirteenth place in the world championship standings.

Before the start of the first MX2 moto, the organization had watered the track. Joel Rizzi was struggling in the muddy, slippery conditions and finished in 21st position. In the second moto he took a good start and was riding inside of the top fifteen in the first half of the race. Then disaster struck the young Brit because a stone ripped the gear shifter out and damaged the bike. This resulted in a DNF of Rizzi in the second moto.

The World Championship continues in Arroyomolinos in Spain next weekend.

Results MXGP Portugal:
1 Jeffrey Herlings 3-1
2 Romain Febvre 2-3
3 Jorge Prado 1-6
4 Ruben Fernandez 7-2
5 Jeremy Seewer 5-4
15 Brent van Doninck DNF-10

World Championship Standings MXGP:
1 Jorge Prado 246 Pnt
2 Jeffrey Herlings 229 Pnt
3 Romain Febvre 214 Pnt
4 Maxime Renaux 202 Pnt
5 Ruben Fernandez 182 Pnt
13 Brent van Doninck 83 Pnt