MXGP Patagonia Argentina had an unforgettable edition. Rubén Fernández (Honda) and Jago Geerts (Yamaha) won their classes before a crowd of 42.500 spectators.
Record number of spectators
This seventh edition of the FIM Motocross World Championship set a new spectator record with 42,500 people coming to enjoy this magnificent event.
There is no weather that can stop a passion. Villa La Angostura had a dream weekend with the MXGP Patagonia Argentina. A huge crowd came to the Patagonia Race Track massively, despite the adverse weather conditions, confirming that this is an event that continues to grow.
Fernández and Geerts celebrated in style at Patagonia Race Track
Rubén Fernández (Honda) took the first MXGP race of the season and the first win of his career in the category, after a strong victory in the second race on Sunday.
In addition to the fourth place achieved in the first race – where he lost ground after a mild fall when he was second – the Spaniard collected the necessary points to lead the overall classification and achieve the second back-to-back victory in our country for the Japanese manufacturer.
«It was very special. I didn’t expect this after the crash in the first race. At the beginning I couldn’t find good lines, but I got better and better. I like coming here because all of us Spaniards get a lot of support from the Argentinean fans. This is going to be a race that will stay in my memory,» the Honda rider said.
Second place went to Jeffrey Herlings (KTM), who scored a brilliant podium finish on his return to the FIM Motocross World Championship after missing the 2022 season due to injury. Third place went to Jorge Prado (Gas Gas), who won the first race of the day, but then had a bad start in the second race and finished sixth.
In addition to the winners, the rider most cheered by the public was Jeremy Seewer (Yamaha), who suffered a couple of crashes in the first race that dropped him back to 17th place, but made a tremendous comeback that left him third in the last heat.
In MX2 there was a clear winner: Jago Geerts (Yamaha). The Belgian rider was unbeatable at the start of every race on Sunday and won both races of the MX2. In the first race he beat his teammate Thibault Benistant (Yamaha), while in the second one his runner-up was Kevin Horgmo (Kawasaki).
The Grand Prix podium was completed by Andrea Adamo (KTM) who was second in both races while the last step of the podium went to Benistant.
«I am very happy. I like the way I rode this weekend, I had three good starts and I hope I can do more testing in the next two weeks,» the race winner said.
Latin American Motocross Championship crowned its winners
The best rider of the Latin American Motocross Championship in the MX1 category was the Argentinean Joaquin Poli (Kawasaki), who was the one to beat among the non-priority riders in the two races of the day and finished 19th overall in the MXGP. He was followed by his brother Agustín Poli (Kawasaki) and the rider form Costa Rica José Pablo Chaves (KTM).
In MX2 the best place was also taken by an Argentinian Kawasaki rider, in this case by Tomás Moyano form Cordoba, Argentina. Uruguayan rider Franco Iavecchia (Husqvarna) and Ecuadorian Máximo Cáceres (GASGAS) completed the podium.
Present and future
This Sunday the Press Conference was held at the Media Center with the presence of Omar Gutiérrez (Governor of Neuquén), Marcos Koopmann (Vicegovernor on leave of absence), Fabio Stefani (Mayor of Villa La Angostura), Sandro Badilla (Minister of Tourism of Neuquén), Alejandra Piedecasas (Minister of Sports of Neuquén), David Eli (Head of +Eventos), Antonio Alía Portela (FIM/CMS Director) and David Luongo (Infront Moto Racing CEO) where they spoke about the great 2023 edition of the MXGP in Neuquén and they also spoke about the future.
In this sense, Omar Gutiérrez said: This is the 1st round of FIM Motocross World Championship 2023 and this time its finds us together with the Motocross Latin American Championship all in Villa La Angostura. I want to thank everyone for the hard work and cooperation which makes it possible for the event to continue to come here and for giving us the chance of having this 7th edition of FIM Motocross World Championship. This weekend we have been working toward the possibility of having this event here for another 3 years, which is possible thanks to the great effort made by the local and provincial governments.
In turn, Marcos Koopmann said: “I want to thank the Province of Neuquén and the Municipality of Villa la Angostura for the chance of receiving this event here for the 7th time and this time with a full grid. We are already dreaming of having the 8th edition next year and we have just been talking about it. This event is not only surrounded by our natural beauties but it is also the one with the best track. This kind of events help boost tourist activities and it also helps the hotel and food services sectors, which in turn strengthens the possibilities of the province of Neuquén to continue organizing international sports events.
David Eli, owner of +Eventos said: «We are very happy to have MXGP Patagonia Argentina here once again. We have renewed our commitment with the category for another period and it is our will to continue enjoying this wonderful show in Villa La Angostura».