The fifth round of the 2024 MXGP season in Agueda, Portugal proved to be a challenging yet triumphant event for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing. Liam Everts showcased his prowess aboard the KTM 250 SX-F, clinching a skillful 1-1 victory in the MX2 class, marking his second consecutive win after Italy. Meanwhile, Jeffrey Herlings secured his first checkered flag of the campaign in the MXGP category.
The weekend also saw notable performances from Andrea Adamo, who finished 5th overall, and Sacha Coenen, who secured 16th place in the MX2 category. Additionally, Gyan Doensen and Cas Valk emerged victorious in the EMX125 and EMX250 European Championships respectively, further highlighting the success of the KTM Academy structure.
Quotes from the Riders:
Jeffrey Herlings, who finished 9th overall in MXGP: “In drier conditions on Saturday I showed I had the speed. The first moto was a shame. I was closing in for the lead and I think I could have made a pass but we ended up with zero points. I led all the way in the second, so it’s a pity we only go home with one win. It could have easily been a GP victory today. Spain next and my goal is to be back on the podium there. A win would be amazing…but we’ll aim for the top three. I’m just over 50 points down at the moment, but we’ve had our bad luck and we’re still not that far away and there are 15 races to go. A lot ahead.”
Liam Everts, who finished 1st overall in MX1: “These are the kinds of weekends you dream of. Everything goes so well and you are just in the zone, just your focus, your bike and the track. These days don’t come often. You win a championship on tough days but this was a good one! I know tougher ones will come but this was something special.”
Andrea Adamo, who finished 5th overall in MX2: “We didn’t start the weekend in the best way or have the best qualifying race and in those kinds of motos the start position counts for a lot. Today was a situation where you could gain a lot but also lose a lot! We did neither and were pretty solid. It’s not the result we are working towards…but we didn’t make big costly mistakes. It was good to come back to P7 in the second moto. I’m looking forward to Spain now and hopefully better weather because this weekend was crazy!”
Sacha Coenen, who finished 16th overall in MX2: “Not the weekend I wanted. I had a really bad start in the first moto and tried to push but made mistakes a crashed a lot! Second moto was the same and I was flooded at the start. I built up my speed and got quite fast. I was having fun until two tip-offs and then it was done. I had to come in and change goggles and after another crash on the finish line jump that was it. We’ll look to the next one.“
