"Oh wow! The last race I contested was the 2017 Motocross of Nations in England," said the 26-year-old Danish rider in astonishment immediately after securing best time in qualifying. "I've now come here and have posted the fastest lap time, which is pretty amazing!" He took a break from motocross last year to reflect on things and find fresh motivation. "I spent the winter in Spain and Italy in order to recharge my batteries. It's been really worth it, so let's hope I can do well in tomorrow's two races. My fitness levels are good, but I haven't raced in such a very long time, so it won't be easy to maintain the pace throughout."
"33-year-old Estonian rider Tanel Leok (A1M Husqvarna) was the fastest in the second qualifying group. "That was tough," he told us. Unfortunately, you can even feel the cold while riding, which doesn't make our job any easier, but the track here at Fürstlich Drehna is really good and a lot of fun, but at the same time, you have to stay focused, because the sand is not all that deep and there are quite a few nasty rocks further down that will quickly bring you off if you don't watch out." Leok, who will be contesting the whole of the MX Motocross World Championship in the MXGP class, can foresee one small problem as the points-scoring races get under way on Sunday. "We line up on a metal grid in the world championship, and I can't really remember the last time I set off on actual track," said Leok, setting out his concerns to us. "I hope I don't have too much wheel spin and can get away off the line well along with the other guys."
"Tom Koch (KTM Sarholz Racing Team) was the fastest German rider at Fürstlich Drehna. He has plenty of fans in Brandenburg, as he comes from the neighbouring state of Thuringia. He finished fourth in his qualification group with a deficit of some 1.5 seconds. Stefan Ekerold (Castrol Power 1 Suzuki Moto Base) was 2.3 seconds adrift in ninth place. Dennis Ullrich (Bodo Schmidt Motorsport/Husqvarna) finished in tenth place in the second qualifying group and will have to find around two seconds per lap if he wants to take the lead on Sunday.
ADAC MX Youngster Cup
"Danish rider Glen Meier (Team Specialmontering/Yamaha) posted fastest time in the first qualifying group. He was quickest on Drehna's sandy circuit last year and really likes the track there. "Yes, I really feel at home on this track," said a delighted Glen Meier. "Things didn't go too well in last year's race, so I would like to do better this time! I'm riding with a new team in 2019 and the bike is also new to me. Still, I feel pretty comfortable on the Yamaha. I hope my starts will be good on Sunday and then we'll have to see if I can convert my fast time into decent results."
"The win in the second qualifying group went to Austrian rider Rene Hofer (KTM Junior Racing), who was thus able to make an impressive comeback in the ADAC MX Youngster Cup. "Last year went quite well until I got injured at Tensfeld," he said. "Luckily, I'm fully fit again and will be able to go all out on the attack once more in 2019. The track was very fast today and it was really difficult to be quicker than the others. I hope that the track will bed in even more tomorrow. That would really suit me."
"Local rider, 15-year-old Maximilian Spies (ESP MX Racing Team/Husqvarna), acquitted well of himself in seventh place in his group despite a mishap that probably prevented a better finish. "I rode the first few laps really fast," he said. "But then, I was told to pit, because the bike's transponder was missing." His race against the clock finally got started albeit with a small delay, as he had to make a brief pit stop. "I could have done without the pressure," he said, annoyed with what had happened. "But things went better again subsequently, so let's see what I can do tomorrow in the race."
ADAC MX Junior Cup 125
"Bavarian rider Simon Längenfelder (WZ-Racing/KTM) dominated qualifying in the ADAC MX Junior Cup 125. He posted a hot lap early on, enabling him to move into P1. Some of his rivals improved their times, but the schoolboy showed his determination once again on his final lap and qualified ahead with a one-second lead on Swiss rider Mike Gwerder (KINI KTM Junior Pro Team). "The track is very nice and I really enjoyed it," said Längenfelder, delighted with his pole position. "When I'm having fun, then I can ride fast and good lap times practically post themselves. I now just have to make sure that I get away well off the line tomorrow, and then, we'll have to see how it goes."
"Danish rider Rasmus Pedersen (WZ-Racing/KTM) was third. Two really speedy graduates from the ADAC MX Junior Cup 85, Camden McLellan (Kosak Racing Team/KTM) in sixth place and Nick Domann (Kosak Racing Team/KTM) in P7, finished in the Top Ten of the 125cc class. They are both very strong riders and could do even better in Sunday's two races.
ADAC MX Junior Cup 85
"The first race in the ADAC MX Junior Cup 85 was held on Saturday afternoon. Estonian rider Edvards Bidzans (MX Modules/Husqvarna) comfortably dominated proceedings. He didn't get the best of starts but was able to quickly move into P1 and then gradually extended his lead to over 22 seconds with every lap. "I found some good ruts in the track to follow and was then able to ride at my own pace," said the delighted 13-year-old. "We trained a lot on sand this winter and that's paid off here."
"Danish rider Lucas Bruhn (Becker Racing/KTM) beat fellow Dane, Andreas Krogh Jensen (BvZ Racing Team/KTM), to second place. Sebastian Meckl (Kosak Racing Team/KTM) was the best-placed German rider in P9.