Forato Undergoes Surgery for Shoulder Blade Fracture, Van Doninck Shows Progress at the MXGP of Great Britain

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The Fantic Factory Racing MXGP Team experienced a weekend of mixed fortunes at the MXGP of Great Britain in Foxhill. While Alberto Forato was forced to withdraw due to injury, Brent Van Doninck showed that his upward trajectory is back on track.

Forato’s weekend started in promising fashion. The 26-year-old Italian posted the sixth-fastest time in timed practice and looked set for a strong result. However, disaster struck in Saturday’s qualifying race when he crashed heavily on the opening lap, injuring his left shoulder.

Following further medical examinations in Belgium, Forato was diagnosed with a fractured shoulder blade. He successfully underwent surgery on Sunday afternoon and will now focus entirely on his recovery. As a result, he will miss the upcoming rounds of the FIM Motocross World Championship.

For Brent Van Doninck, the weekend unfolded much more positively. The Belgian quickly felt at home on the classic hard-pack circuit of Foxhill and built on his 14th-place finish in the qualifying race. In the opening moto, however, he struggled to find the right lines to make passes and had to settle for 16th place.

The second moto was a significant improvement. Van Doninck delivered a strong performance and crossed the finish line in tenth place. That result earned him 11th overall for the day, just outside the top ten, and he now heads to the next Grand Prix in the Czech Republic full of confidence.

Brent Van Doninck:
“It was my first time racing at Foxhill and I really enjoyed it. The organisers did an amazing job, both with the track and the overall event. My riding in the first moto wasn’t actually bad, but the level in this class is so high that it’s incredibly difficult to make passes when you’re stuck further back in the field. In the second moto I was in a much better position after the opening lap, which allowed me to ride a strong race with a consistent pace. It was great to finish back inside the top ten. I’m really happy with the progress we’ve made. We also made a few changes to the bike setup that worked really well. I’m going home feeling positive, and it’s been a while since I could say that. The last few races have been mentally tough, with the crash in Montevarchi followed by illness in South Africa. We’re moving in the right direction now, and there are still a few tracks coming up that suit me well. We’ll keep working hard and never give up. Hopefully we can achieve even more top-ten finishes.”

 

Fantic Factory MXGP Team Comes Close to Top-10 Finish in South Africa

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The Fantic Factory Racing MXGP Team once again scored valuable championship points during the eleventh round of the FIM MXGP Motocross World Championship in South Africa. Racing on the fast and technical Terra Topia MX Circuit, a brand-new venue for all riders, Alberto Forato and Brent van Doninck lined up aboard the Fantic XXF 450.

Forato showed early in the weekend that he had the pace to challenge for a top-10 finish. The Italian posted the 11th-fastest time in Time Practice before finishing 12th in the Qualifying Race. Teammate Brent van Doninck crossed the line in 13th.

On Sunday morning, Van Doninck was the quickest Fantic rider in Warm-Up, setting the 11th-fastest time. However, he was unable to build on that performance in Race One, where he finished 16th.

Forato’s race day got off to an unfortunate start. The Italian crashed on the opening lap of Race One, damaging his motorcycle and forcing him to retire from the race.
He bounced back strongly in Race Two, delivering an impressive ride to finish 11th, just one second shy of a top-10 result. However, due to his retirement in the opening race, he had to settle for 16th overall. Van Doninck finished 17th in Race Two and was also classified 17th overall for the Grand Prix.

Following an intense run of three consecutive Grand Prix weekends, the team now heads into a well-earned weekend off before the FIM Motocross World Championship resumes on 18–19 July with the MXGP of Great Britain.

Alberto Forato:
“The goal is always to fight for a top-10 finish, and once again we came very close in the second race. Unfortunately, a DNF always hurts your overall result. The weekend off comes at the perfect time after this demanding triple-header to recharge the batteries. Over the past few weeks I haven’t always felt at my best. Now we’ll take a few days to recover and then get back to work. A big thank you to my team and to everyone who continues to support me!”

Brent van Doninck:
*”It was a difficult weekend. I just couldn’t find a good feeling with the track today, and my starts didn’t help either. Of course I’m disappointed, but we have to keep looking forward. Since Montevarchi we’ve had a few eventful weeks, and I’m looking forward to getting back home and continuing to work towards the upcoming races.”