Thije Ligtermoed won the opening race of the Yamaha R125 Cup powered by KicXstart in Assen. At the TT Junior Track in Assen, the rookie outdid the competition in both races.
Text and photos Mariska Grob
Last year it was a rookie who won the first day of competition of the season in Assen. Dylan Czarkowski won not only the first race but also the championship in 2021. Also this year, the newcomers in free practice sessions before the season showed that they quickly got used to the Yamaha R125. The established order had already been warned at the start of the first weekend of the NK Junior Moto Racing at the TT Junior Track in Assen. On Saturday 9 April, a free practice session and two qualifying sessions were scheduled to determine the starting positions for race day on Sunday 10 April. Despite the many rain and hail showers, most sessions would be held on a dry track. The drivers, 16 boys and 1 lady, can count on the guidance of class coordinator Bob Withag, rider coach Leon Bovee and support from former Yamaha R125 driver Koen Ligtenberg this season.
Rens Miedema was fastest on track in the first qualifying, but in the second training he saw rookies Thije Ligtermoed, Viggo Megard and Timo Suos, all three coming from the Molenaar NSF100 Cup. That the Yamaha R125 Cup is a great flow for reigning champion Ligtermoed and drivers who have outgrown the smaller race bikes in stature, such as Suos and Megard, was once again proven. Megard surprised not only the competition but also himself by taking pole position, a tenth of a second ahead of Ligtermoed. After merging the qualifying sessions, it was Miedema who managed to achieve the third fastest time, ahead of Suos, Riccardo Bosgraaf and Milan van der Veen. On the third row it was Lars Weterings with seventh place ahead of Timo Aanraad, from the Open 125, and rookie Bart van Duinen.
Race 1
It was Ligtermoed who had the best road at the start of the first race and immediately managed to open a gap to his pursuers. Megard was in second place but got Suos and Miedema behind him, while Bosgraaf also tried to find the connection. Not only did he succeed, he also first managed to outwit Miedema and then Suos. While Ligtermoed rode unthreatened to victory, the battle for second place went between Megard and Bosgraaf and remained tense until the finish. In the end it was Megard who took the longest and managed to secure second place for Bosgraaf. Suos finished fourth ahead of Miedema. Van der Veen was sixth for Aanraad, Van Duinen and Weterings was ninth. Merijn Schipper showed that he had made great strides in the winter and finished tenth. He just managed to keep Tom van Beek behind him.
Race 2
In the second race it was again Ligtermoed who was the fastest out of the starting blocks and could not be kept up with anyone. He would once again ride unthreatened to victory with an even bigger lead than in the first race. Megard was the second away and would again have to fight Bosgraaf, who passed him after one lap. Megard fought back to second place and Miedema managed to connect with the two. Suos and Van der Veen also managed to find the connection and it promised to be an exciting battle for the last two podium places. Unfortunately for Megard, his chances for a cup disappeared when technical difficulties threw a spanner in the works with just a few laps to go. He had to watch from the sidelines as Bosgraaf eventually won the fight and finished second to Miedema. Suos still recorded the fastest lap time of the race but finished just off the podium in fourth place. Behind him, Van der Veen just managed to keep Aanraad behind and finish fifth. Rookie Van Duinen finished in a fine seventh place for Weterings and another rookie, Maxim Westra. Van Beek closed the top ten.
Ligtermoed dominated in the opening race of the season and after merging the races he was the clear winner of the day standings and fastest rookie. Bosgraaf was allowed to take the podium for second place and Miedema for third.
Results Assen April 10
1 Thije Ligtermoed (+ fastest rookie)
2 Riccardo Bosgraaf
3 Rens Miedema
Viggo Megagard saw an almost certain podium place go up in smoke with the finish in sight. “I don’t know what to say… I had never been on the podium before and it was so close now!” The disappointment is understandable, but Megard has clearly shown what he has to offer and will probably meddle for the podium places more often.
Thije Ligtermoed is admittedly a rookie, many saw him as a favorite. However, you still have to fulfill that role and that is exactly what he did. “The plan was to set the pace right from the start and then hope you don’t see the rest! Tire warmers are allowed in this class, I was not used to that and it makes it a lot easier. That goal has been achieved!†
The second game of the season will be held on Saturday 7 May at circuit De Landsard in Veldhoven.
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