Dutch rider Roan van de Moosdijk has joined Team HRC in a replacement deal for the injured Ruben Fernandez. The Spaniard injured his knee in a first-turn incident at the MXGP of Patagonia-Argentina and has since undergone surgery, which will leave him on the sidelines for the foreseeable future. As such, Team HRC decided that bringing in another rider was the right decision, and with v/d Moosdijk available and ready to race, the deal was swiftly put in place so that he could line-up at the third round of the 2024 MXGP World Championship in Riola Sardo, Sardinia.
Works | Press release
After an injury-hit 2023 campaign v/d Moosdijk was still able to finish within 20 points of fifth place in the MX2 championship, including two podiums and one race win. But with the age-rule meaning he had to move up to the MXGP class this year, and with rides at a premium, the rookie wasn’t able to make his debut in the first two rounds of 2024, and has instead kept training in the hope of getting an opportunity to impress at a later date.
However, that opportunity has arisen quicker than even he expected, with Fernandez getting injured in the first turn of the first qualification race of the year, and although the #70 did try to make it to the line at his home GP in Spain a couple of weeks later, it just wasn’t meant to be. This has opened the door for the 2019 EMX250 champion, and although the single-week of preparation on a brand-new machine isn’t the ideal way to make your debut in the toughest motocross championship in the world, the talented 23-year-old will give it everything he has to establish himself at the top of the MXGP class.
Team HRC has had a great deal of success spotting and nurturing young talent, with Tim Gajser and Fernandez both showing that the Honda CRF450R is a great platform to make that big step up from the MX2 class, and now it is v/d Moosdijk’s turn to make that leap, starting on April 6-7 in the deep sand of Riola Sardo.
Roan van de Moosdijk #39: “When I heard about this opportunity, I knew I had to take it with both hands. The chance to ride for Team HRC doesn’t come along very often and I am hopeful that I can show everyone what I am capable of, in what will be my full-time debut in the MXGP class. It certainly won’t be easy to get up to speed on the Honda CRF450R straightaway but seeing how well Tim (Gajser) has been riding it, I know that it is a very competitive bike and I’m excited to get started and get comfortable on it. Thanks to everyone that has supported me, to get me to this moment, and I can’t wait to get to Riola and get lined up for that first gate-drop.”
