With two solid runs (both second places), he took the win in two runs, his first career MXGP stage win.
After this historic achievement, the “Sportacentrs.com” portal talked to Paula Jonas.
– Paul, congratulations on a great result!
– Thank you. The race has definitely gone very, very well overall.
My first win in the MXGP class and my first win in five and a half years (the previous World Championship win was in 2018 at the UK circuit in the MX2 class).
Emotions are definitely running high.
– It looks like you like mud.
– Yes, I have liked the mud cover since I was a child. If it rained, we didn’t cancel training, but went for a ride, so somehow I feel comfortable in the mud.
Of course, mud racing is a bit of a game of luck, but if everything works out, then I feel comfortable.
– Knowing it was going to be a mud race, did you have a feeling before the start that it could be your race?
– No, it’s not really like that, because you never know how the trip will turn out. Of course, preparation for the trip plays a big role.
One of the main elements is the glasses, which must be properly prepared so that they do not have to be thrown off during the trip.
If you are properly prepared, then you can enjoy driving it, even in the mud.
– I saw that you also had a towel by your side.
– Yes, I take it with me in mud races. If it happens to fall, you can quickly wipe the handles and gloves with that towel.
It’s better to lose time that way than to ride and struggle when the grips and gloves are slipping. Then you can get bigger soap.
– Was there a celebration with the team after the race?
– After the race, we all had fun together, talked a little, ate a good dinner, but there was not much time to celebrate, because the mechanics had to start preparing for the next stage.
I also went home this morning to start preparing for the next stage.
– Did you also receive congratulations from your competitors?
– I didn’t get to chat much with them, but
I received a lot of congratulations from representatives of other teams, which was a great pleasure. Congratulated not only by their own people, but also by other people.
– Are the bikes prepared differently between mud races?
– It is certain that the workload for mechanics in such races is greater.
After the first ride, the mechanics to the tormentor put in another motor so as not to take too many risks, because there was water in many places on the first trip, so it was possible here draw in water in the engine and then everything would be bad.
So, yes, the mechanics had more work to do than after a normal ride, because a lot of things were changed to make sure we could go all the way.
– In terms of driving, does a lot change when you drive on a dry track or a muddy one?
– Yes, absolutely. It is very necessary to take care of the motorcycle, the clutch, because the engine has a heavy load. Also in terms of driving, you have to think differently, how and more correctly to leave.
Of course, if you go ahead of everyone, it’s easier to drive, because visibility plays a big role in such conditions.
If mud is thrown at your glasses all the time, or sometimes you even drive without them, it’s not easy.
– I saw that many people struggled to pick up their motorcycles after falling. How much would a motorcycle weigh if it is full of mud?
– If the standard motorcycle weighs around 110 kilograms, then I think that after such a good mud race the weight could be around 150 kilograms.
If you fall in the mud, it is not easy to lift such a weight.
Hands are slipping and it is definitely not easy.
– What about fatigue after a race like this? Is it bigger?
– Hard to understand. The fatigue is definitely different than after other races, because you can feel other muscle groups hurting, because here the spurs were big, so their legs and ankles were being pulled off every now and then.
Therefore, you ride a little differently on the mountain, so the fatigue at the end of the day is different.
Now you will have a week to recover and be ready for the next stage.
– How do you assess your start of the season in general?
– The beginning of the season has turned out to be quite successful and most importantly – stable! We drive without unnecessary mistakes, without risks, and it paid off.
At the moment I am happy with the start of the season, so I have to continue riding in the same spirit.
This stage has made changes in the leading position of the overall standings. After the Portuguese stage, the leader is Tim Gajser with 252 points, who is now 14 points ahead of Jorge Prado.
Romain Febvre is third with 220 points, while Geoffrey Herlings (198) is six points ahead of Jonas (192).
