Jeffrey Herlings met the high expectations of the fans in qualifying for the sixth round of the ADAC MX Masters at Bielstein, posting the fastest lap of the day. The Dutch rider went about the task methodically, building up to his faster laps in the second half of the session and eventually finishing the day on a time of 1:45.987 minutes, 1.2 seconds faster than Pauls Jonass (Rockstar IceOne Husqvarna Factory Racing). "The track had been freshly watered, so it was quite slippery early on," said Herlings when asked about his initially cautious approach to the qualifying session. "But after a while, I was able to put in some fast laps, and I began to enjoy myself out there on the track. Tomorrow, it will be important to start well in both races and to build on that to make sure of the podium. Once again, I've seen just how well organised the ADAC MX Masters races are and the quality of the circuits they are contested on. That's why the weekend here is definitely a perfect workout for me."
In the second qualifying group, Dennis Ullrich (Bodo Schmidt Motorsport /Husqvarna) took first place at literally the last moment, displacing Valentin Guillod (KMP-Honda Racing) who had led the session for a long time. "This track is not an easy ride," said Ullrich after setting a fastest lap of 01:47.960 minutes. "I was trying to identify a good line for most of the session and eventually posted a pretty good lap towards the end, though I wasn't taking any risks in the process. For that reason, I'm feeling very confident about the two races on Sunday."
Jens Getteman, who goes into Sunday as championship leader, qualified third behind the two world championship stars Herlings and Jonass in Group 1 and professed himself quite satisfied with his performance. "I like the track and was able to post some fast laps," said the Belgian. "So, for me, everything is in the green zone. However, I suffered a hand injury two weeks ago and have been unable to train in the meantime. Today, it was bearable on the pain front, but let's see how it feels during Sunday's races."
ADAC MX Youngster Cup
In the ADAC MX Youngster Cup, Jeremy Sydow (Diga-Procross Husqvarna) continued his impressive run of strong performances. The teenager from Chemnitz in Saxony missed his chance for one final assault on the timesheets, crossing the finish line just one second after the end of the qualifying session, but the time of 01:51.087 minutes previously set was in any case good enough to be the fastest lap in Group 1. "That's precisely my kind of surface," said Sydow, evidently happy about the grippy Bielstein woodland circuit. "I really like the track and I'm upbeat about the two races on Sunday."
The lap times were generally a bit faster in the second qualifying group, but Mikkel Haarup (Rockstar IceOne Husqvarna Factory Racing) really excelled himself. His time of 01:48.085 was not only three seconds faster than Sydow's best lap but also a clear two seconds faster than the runner-up in his group. "Yes, it went well for me," said a delighted Haarup. "A gap of two seconds is, of course, a reassuring cushion, especially as I have clocked similar fast times on several previous occasions. Still, it's not going to be easy to win both races on Sunday."
ADAC MX Junior Cup 85
In the ADAC MX Junior Cup 85, championship leader Edvards Bidzans (MX Module/ Husqvarna) was on top form in qualifying: "Although I had a lot of traffic on the track for some of my laps, in the end I managed to set a fast one and to secure pole position." With his current lead of 53 points, the Latvian could clinch the championship as early as Sunday, but the prospect does not seem to be unnerving him: "It would obviously be great if we could celebrate winning the title here at Bielstein, but if it doesn't work out, it won't be the end of the world." Sacha Coenen (Grizzly Yamaha Junior Team INDG) and Maximilian Werner (Team Motorrad Waldmann /Suzuki) qualified second and third respectively.