In order to contend for a title, you must push your limits. That cost Tim Gajser at the Grand Prix of Latvia, unfortunately, as he withdrew from the second moto after a huge crash. The day was far from perfect before that also, as he got taken out in the first moto and had to overcome a severe dead leg. The MX Vice editor, Lewis Phillips, was lucky enough to catch up with Gajser for a post-race interview. Remember, you can watch the incident to see exactly what happened.
MX Vice: Pushing all the results to one side, it is just great to see you here and okay. That second moto crash was gnarly!
Tim Gajser: Yeah, I am really happy. Really thankful. Actually for the moment I was on the x-ray, everything was okay. Nothing is broken, so I think that is the most important thing. Now we have one week off, so fourteen days until the next race. I hope I can get myself together and be there.
Nothing is broken then? It is just a case of you are beaten, battered and sore?
Yeah, just that. Really happy about that.
Is there one thing specifically that is hurting?
All the left side. Everything on the left side.
Did the crash in the first moto have anything to do with that? Obviously you appeared to be in tons of pain, so has that contributed to this at all?
Yeah. First race I had a good start and then Butron was behind me. He just left the bike, left the clutch in the corner and just cleaned me out. I don’t know if this was on purpose or not, but it was dangerous for myself and for him as well. Even for the other guys as well! I was in a lot of pain after that crash, but I was glad that I could continue riding and still take some important points in first moto. That is how it is, anyway. That is motocross. Bad races also can happen.
Are you bothered at all about losing the red plate, or is that not really an issue at this point in the season? Obviously getting yourself ready for Teutschenthal is the priority.
For the moment I am glad that I’m okay. That’s the main point. The season is still really long. We have still twelve races to go, so anything can still happen. I’m a little bit disappointed to lose the red plate, for sure, but that is how it is. We can’t change that.
What did you think of the track this weekend? Obviously it caught a lot of guys out in the second moto. Maybe it was a bit harder underneath than before? What did you think of it?
The track was really bumpy – it was really damaged. They did not work a lot during the races like they usually do, but that is how it is. It was the same for everyone. I risked a little bit too much and then I went over the handlebars and didn’t finish the moto, so I lost a lot of points. That is how it is and, like I mentioned, hope I can ride in Teutschenthal. I will be back – that is it.
The way you feel right now then, it is questionable whether you could ride? If, say, the race was next weekend, would you be sat here thinking there is no chance at all?
I think we will see. We have like fourteen days, so I go back home tomorrow. We will make some further searches on my body, some further x-rays and everything. Tomorrow we will know how it is, if it is really just the pain and nothing is broken. I hope so. For sure if I will be able to sit on the bike, I will ride in Teutschenthal.
Interview: Lewis Phillips | Lead Image: ConwayMX