MXGP #117 2023

#117 2023

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Chief Editor: Marionna Leiva Photos: MXGP INFRONT MOTO RACING MEDIA World Trade Center II Rte de Pré-Bois 29 1215 Geneva 15 Airport Switzerland MXGP Mag #117 2023 The articles published in this magazine do not necessarily reflect the official position of Infront Moto Racing.

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L A I R O T I D E

David Luongo CEO of Infront Moto Racing

Dear MXGP Friends, After a weekend off, the MXGP is back on wheel in direction to Kegums for the traditional Latvian Grand Prix. It has been a very exciting and historical month for our championship.

First of all, the previous weeks gave us three very successful Grand Prix in Portugal, Spain and France. Agueda and its very typical red dirt reached a record of attendance. The track was running the opposite way this year for the first time and the result was very appreciated by all the riders and the spectators!

The Spanish fans answered the call to support Jorge Prado and Ruben Fernandez in Madrid. During this amazing weekend of racing, Jeffrey Herlings beat the record of Grand Prix victories of Stefan Everts that he had reached in Portugal the week before.

102, this is the new amazing number that Jeffrey will for sure try to bring higher during the season. On top of this historical moment of our sport, the battle for the title between him and Jorge Prado is getting more and more intense and we cannot wait to go more into the season. In fact, before the Latvian Grand Prix there are five riders in less than 100 points; Jorge Prado, Herlings, Romain Febvre, who won the last heat in France in front of his own crowd, Ruben Fernendez, who is showing more and more the speed to fight for the win, and Jeremy Seewer, who won the MXGP of France last week.

MOTOCROSS AND MXGP ARE ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT PILLARS OF MOTORCYCLING

In MX2 the Championship was totally relaunched in France with the unfortunate injury of Jago Geerts, who will miss some Grand Prix. After the French Grand Prix there are only 16-points difference between the first four riders, Jago Geerts, Andrea Adamo, Kay de Wolf and Thibaut Benistant, and race 1 on Sunday was one of the most beautiful MX2 races of the decade.

During the Grand Prix of Spain near Madrid, we also hosted the visit of the extended Executive Board of the FIM and its President Jorge Viegas, who attended the Grand Prix of Spain during the whole weekend. Motocross and MXGP are one of the most important pillars of Motorcycling/Motorsports, as motocross is one of the most practiced motorsports in the world.

It was very rewarding to have more than 10 Presidents of different National Federation attending the Grand Prix and I would like to thank Mr. Viegas and all the FIM family for their collaboration.

The different EMX Championships are also very popular and successful, in France the EMX125 regrouped more than 75 riders. The fact the EMX250 was not on the race program of the GP, some riders participated to the MX2 and showed an amazing pace. The EMX is very important for the future of our sport, as it is developing the talents of tomorrow and every season we have new examples of riders coming to MX2 with already a great speed to battle for the win!

The Paddock Show popularity is growing significantly race after race. This event, which takes place on Saturday evening after the RAM MXGP Qualifying Race, is very appreciated by the fans that can meet their heroes during some interview and signing sessions!

We have been announcing the comeback of Maggiora on the calendar to replace Vietnam, and the first pre-sales have been very impressive, so we are sure that the historical Italian circuit will make a great Italian Grand Prix in September.

Finally, the 2022 MXGP World Champion Tim Gajser just sent some news about his recovery, posting that he re-started riding the HRC Honda, which is of course fantastic news!

See you in Latvia!

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T O H S E L O H X FO

THE COMPETITION PULLS OUT THE FANGS 18

IN MOTOCROSS THINGS ALWAYS HAPPEN VERY QUICKLY AND FOX IS NOT GOING TO DENY IT. COMFORTABLY INSTALLED AT THE FIRST CORNER OF EACH OF THE 19 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ROUNDS, THE BRAND HAS BECOME A SPECIALIST AT THE START OF MX2 AND MXGP RACES, REWARDING THE BIKE CROSSING THE DOOR OF THE EQUIPMENT SUPPLIER FIRST WITH A BLACK PLATE AT EACH RACE.

A king in danger? of the season due to injury. One man’s misfortune is another man’s gain.

At the end of the season, in addition to the title of fastest in the first meters, the rider in each category with the most Holeshots will receive a rewarding cheque. At the start of the season, two men seemed to dominate the contest, as their ease at the start was almost unrivalled. But today, Jago Geerts and Jorge Prado look increasingly challenged by fierce competition.

Horgmo, in all good moves In MX2, Kevin Horgmo is one of those who have not said their last word for the Fox Award. Already present in the lead at Villa La Angostura in Argentina, the Kawasaki rider took advantage of the absence of Jago Geerts and Simon Laengenfelder to grab a 2nd Holeshot in France. The Monster Energy Yamaha and the GasGas riders, on the top of the exercise with three black plates each, will be absent for part or the rest

With two Fox Holeshots obtained as Kevin Horgmo, another rider will no doubt be keen to show that he can also use his speed in the early stages: Lucas Coenen. So far, the Belgian hasn’t necessarily had the results he was hoping for, but his 1st place in Race 2 in the French Grand Prix will undoubtedly boost his confidence for the upcoming events. Besides, it should also be noted the entry of Thibault Benistant in the first corner’s rankings.

The Frenchman managed to get the better of his rivals at the first corner, during the Race 1 of the Grand Prix of Intu Xanadú Arroyomolinos. Under the already summer sun of Spain, the #198 was imitated by Simon Laengenfelder in Race 2, who at that time of the competition wasn’t yet convalescent.

The German was even in a great period while a week earlier in Portugal, he had performed already getting the Holeshot in Race 2 again. Before him, Andrea Adamo managed to conquer his second black plate this year.

If there’s one rider you think of when you think of the Fox Holeshot, it’s Jorge Prado. The King of the discipline who-starts-faster-than-his-shadow has distinguished himself 6 times for 14 races in total since the start of the 2023 MXGP World Championship.

Consistent in the first five Grand Prix, the Spaniard seemed to crush any potential competition. But that was without counting on the return of one man: Jeremy Seewer.

Unlucky at Frauenfeld, where he was supposed to make the show, the Swiss was keen to prove that his earlyseason performances were far from commensurate with his talent. And that is exactly what he did, winning the French neighbor GP. And this victory is also the consequence of two ultra-fast starts, against which no one could compete. Already winner of the two black plates in Spain and one in Portugal, while Prado was taking the other, JS91 could well instill doubt in the Galician’s mind and - why not prevent him from flying towards a 7th Award. To be continued...

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Agueda Looks the Other Way

IF ONE THING IS SURE, THE 2023 FIM MOTOCROSS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP IS ALREADY IN FULL GEAR AS THE FEROCIOUS COMPETITION HAS REACHED NEW HIGHS. WE LANDED IN AGUEDA, PORTUGAL, FOR THE FIFTH ROUND AND A WEEK LATER TRAVELLED TO SPAIN NEAR MADRID AT INTU-XANADÚ ARROYOMOLINOS FOR THE SIXTH GRAND PRIX OF THE CAMPAIGN. THE PASSION OF THE PORTUGUESE AND SPANISH FANS THAT THE WHOLE MXGP PADDOCK ENCOUNTERED WAS SOMETHING VERY SPECIAL AND MOVING!

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The circuit of Agueda offered a unique experience, as the direction of track was inverted which made riders going into the unknown with a completely different layout. The challenges were welcomed by everyone as the design of the circuit made for some good shows and great speed. The fans showed their excitement as they could cheer on Spanish riders Ruben Fernandez and Jorge Prado, who felt like riding at home.

On Friday many riders were present for the guided tour of the Nucleo Museologico de Macinhata do Vouga in Agueda with the Mayor of Agueda Jorge Almeida present to welcome everyone on-site. This was an amazing opportunity for riders like Mattia Guadag-

hero and RAM Qualifying winner Rubén Fernández, who gave them the win that all locals were waiting for.

nini, Ben Watson, Alessandro Lupino, Simon Laengenfelder, Sacha and Lucas Coenen, Andrea Bonacorsi, Ivano Van Erp amongst other to connect with the past through the stunning historical motorbikes and trains. They were able to learn about the history and memory of the region and its community that is associated with the railway identity and culture until today.

Following the tour, the jovial atmosphere led to the Coenen brothers and Mayor of Agueda Jorge Almeida, to take a spin with the antique bikes displayed in front of the museum. We could sense a genuine excitement and a memorable experience for the people on-site.

The event followed by a welcoming and thankful speech from Jorge Almeida, who was overjoyed to be welcoming MXGP into Agueda. Riders and the Mayor then took a group photo across the train tracks in front of the museum and the event concluded with a lovely tasting of local delicacies to end this beautiful and joyful moment.

The competition started the following day on Saturday with the RAM Qualifying Races. For the first time this season in MXGP, Jorge Prado did not win and fell early in the race to finish 6th, which was an event in itself considering how dominant the Red Plate holder has been in that exercise. It was another fans’ favourite Rubén Fernández who showed his talent and his abilities to ride at the top. He also showed how strong he is mentally as he passed Jeffrey Herlings mid-race to take the lead in front of an euphoric crowd. Herlings ended 2nd, while Calvin Vlaanderen continued his impressive showings as he finished 3rd.

In the MX2 RAM Qualifying Race, it was the beginning of a perfect weekend for Jago Geerts, who overtook Simon Längenfelder early on to win comfortably and showed premises of his speed that weekend. Behind him, Längenfelder and Andrea Adamo, finished 2nd and 3rd respectively.

The RAM Qualifying Races were followed by the now inevitable Paddock Show that was full of fans coming to cheer the riders and especially home

Among the guests were Liam Everts, Sacha Coenen and Lucas Coenen along with MXGP Red Plate Jorge Prado and MX2 Red Plate Jago Geerts. Local Portuguese supercross rider Hugo Basaula also made it to the Paddock Show as special guest to connect with Portuguese fans. The fans kept asking for more and even made few ‘olas’ along the way during the show. The Paddock Show concluded with riders giving signed posters for the number of excited fans.

Sunday was a sunny racing day in front of 26,000 fans, who made themselves heard all along the track. In MXGP, Prado came back to his usual standards as he clinched the FOX Holeshot and kept the lead right until the end to keep his 50% race win ratio intact. Behind him, the excellent Romain Febvre had to fight to stay second with Herlings pushing on his back wheel for a while.

Febvre showed a strong mental and good control to keep 2nd place in front of Herlings 3rd. After his wonders the day before, Fernández was quick and put pressure on Herlings for 3rd but unfortunately made a costly mistake 23

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and fell down. He picked himself up in 7th in the end.

In race 2, Jeremy Seewer had a lively start as he clinched the FOX Holeshot but it was Fernández who quickly took the lead in front of Herlings. As the race went on, we saw the ‘bullet’ getting faster and faster and as he caught up with Fernández on lap 5, Herlings made a sensational move to cleanly pass the Spaniard on the inside prompting a roar from the public who understood that history was in the making. Herlings went on to win the race, synonymous of his 101st Grand Prix win, equalling Stefan Everts’ record.

Two legends side by side with 101 GP wins.

Fernandez finished 2nd for 7th overall. In second position on the podium was Febvre, who is getting into his groove as we saw all his technique in one sensational move when he overtook Seewer for 3rd. He changed his rhythm right before jumping on the inside of Seewer to pass him and get another podium on the 2nd step. Prado was not as incisive as in race 1 and finished 6th, but still got on the 3rd step of the podium to continue his podium showings to 100% this season which is a strong feat given the tough competition.

In MX2, Adamo clinched the FOX Holeshot and led for the most part of the race but Geerts was on a mission to get back to the top after missing the win in Trentino. Geerts showed a lot of patience and maturity as he waited until three laps to go to pounce on the inside of Adamo to power through to victory.

Behind in 3rd was the usual suspect, Kay de Wolf showing incredible constancy so far, and in 4th was the one rider who is getting back to his level after his injuries in 2022 and in the off-season, Roan Van De Moosdijk.

In race 2, Simon Längenfelder got the FOX Holeshot but Geerts continued his dominance in the weekend as he took the lead early on to get a perfect hat-trick win with a 1-1-1 and extending his lead in the Championship. Längenfelder was 2nd until few laps to go and thought he was going to clinch his first podium of the season when de Wolf and Van De Moosdijk overtook him one after the other to find themselves stepping up on the podium. Längenfelder would fail to be on the podium by 4 points behind Van De Moosdijk, who also got his first of the season. De Wolf finished 2nd on the podium with a 3-2.

Riding along both classes were EMX250 and EMX125 presented by FMF Racing for their third round of the season. In EMX250, it was Red Plate holder Andrea Bonacorsi who won in a formidable manner after winning race 1

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but had to had to draw on his fighting spirit in race 2 after getting some clutch problems.

Despite that, he managed an incredible 1-3 to win his second round of the season and maintain his lead in the Championship. Kay Karssemakers and Ferruccio Zanchi completed the podium in 2nd and 3rd respectively.

In EMX125 presented by FMF racing it was the impressive Janis Reisulis who won the round after dominantly winning the first race and showing all his mental strength to finish 2nd in race 2 after crashing down.

Mathis Valin was back to his best after a dip in form in Trentino and won race 2 to finish 2nd overall while Maximilian Werner went back-to-back podium and finished 3rd overall.

Spain Sees Record-Breaking Moment!

We continue our 2023 MXGP journey to Portugal’s neighbour country, Spain near Madrid for the 6th round of the FIM Motocross World Championship. The circuit of intu-Xanadú Arroyomolinos welcomed back the riders with some changes made to the central sectors of the track which added some speed. The MXGP of Spain was the occasion for the home heroes to compete at home in front of excited Spanish fans devoted to support and cheer for their riders such as Jorge Prado, Rubén Fernández, Daniella Guillen, David Braceras, Yago Martinez, Oriol Oliver and Gabriela Seisdedos.

Friday was the occasion for the riders to connect with fans at the bustling intù-Xanadú shopping mall located next to the track. After a visit to the aquarium, riders were invited to try the impressive Snozone’s Ski Slope within the Mall with snow bikes. There was a lot of excitement in the air as riders could swap for a moment their usual motocross bike for a totally different environment. The next activity planned was at the Bowling area where it was the occasion for riders to show their bowling skills with many laughter and amusement for everyone around. The visit concluded with a signing session which was completely full of fans who arrived to be able to get a signed poster from their heroes. The whole event was very special for riders to be able to decompress before the competition, as well as to meet their fans who were there in large numbers to show their support.

Saturday was then time for the competition to start with the RAM Qualifying Races which was marked by a special guest, the Spanish MotoGP Legend Marc Marquez who took this opportunity to drop by and show all his support to Spanish Riders and reiterated his passion for motocross on the 26

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starting grid of the MXGP Race. It was a truly moment of communion between the two sports for the greater enjoyment of everyone present.

The RAM Qualifying Race could start but on the first turn, a multi-rider collision involving Romain Febvre, Brent Van doninck, Tom Koch and Simeo Ubach made the marshals wave the red flag in the interest of safety and stop the race. Medicals were quick to respond and doctors fortunately established no significant injuries for Febvre, but he had to retire from the MXGP of Spain to follow precautionary checks.

The re-start happened 8 minutes later.

Jorge Prado went on to dominate the race as he showed us many times this season.

Jeffrey Herlings never gave up behind and tried a last-gasp charge on the Red Plate, but he was not close enough to catch him up. Herlings 2nd and a strong Jeremy Seewer who showed promising and fast riding finished 3rd.

In MX2 RAM Qualifying Race, Jago Geerts continued where he stopped in Portugal as he took the lead from start to finish to add another qualifying race to his name.

Behind him was the solid Lucas Coenen in 2nd and Simon Längenfelder 3rd, who already showed a glimpse of what he was capable on this track.

The Paddock Show was simply one of the busiest so far with fans congregating right in front of the stands to get signed posters and pieces in a wonderful communion between riders and the Spanish crowd and showing their excitement with olas, flags and many cheers for Spanish Riders present including Prado, Fernandez, Martinez, Guillen and Seisdedos, as well as Geerts after winning the RAM qualifying race.

Sunday racing came quick enough in front of a crowd of nearly 28,000 people vocalising their enthusiasm throughout the whole day. In MXGP, Jeremy Seewer clinched his first FOX Holeshot of the day but it was the excellent Mattia Guadagnini who led a race for the first time this season. The action that everyone was waiting for happened between Herlings and Prado early in the race, as both riders overtook each other in front of ecstatic Spanish fans. Herlings got the last word as he overtook Prado for the 4th place on lap 5 and kept charging for the win. Everyone could feel that Herlings was on a mission to break the ultimate GP

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wins record as he displayed some blistering pace to overtake first Seewer and afterwards Guadagnini to take the lead on lap 12 and ride to the victory. Prado showed incredible pace too, surely helped by the devoted Spanish fans as he finished 2nd in front of Guadagnini.

In race 2, things started similarly as Seewer clinched his 4th FOX holeshot of the season but it was Fernández who gave the crowd a reason to stand on their feet as he led the race in front of Guadagnini and Herlings.

Herlings was just on a league of his own as he set the fastest time of the race several times to put pressure on Guadagnini, who kept a strong pace too. With the speed of both riders increasing, they caught up with leader Fernández. Guadagnini had defended very well until that point, but Herlings saw the opportunity to overtake both riders over the course of one lap and break the record.

No one could match the ‘bullet’ in Spain as he clinched a back-to-back GP win with a perfect 1-1 to finally break Stefan Everts’ GP win record. Jeffrey Herlings is putting himself into legend territory and continues to write one of the most successful motocross story.

In MX2, it was Thibault Benistant who clinched the FOX Holeshot in race 1 but Simon Längenfelder was simply a head above the rest. He took the lead off Benistant on lap 2 and kept powering through to win by a large margin. Behind him was Jago Geerts, who was the best of the rest in Spain, as he solidly and cleverly managed to keep a good 2nd place in front of Benistant. In race 2, Längenfelder was even faster as he took the FOX Holeshot and continued on his victorious journey clocking the fastest lap of the weekend and showing all his qualities and speed to win his first GP of the season in amazing fashion with a perfect 1-1. Geerts showed a lot of maturity to be able to settle for 2nd without riding and pushing on the limit to try to catch Längenfelder. The German was simply too quick and Geerts understood that the season is long and consistency on podium is vital. Behind them was the other ultra-consistent Andrea Adamo, who stepped up on the third step of the podium with a great 5-3.

The third round of WMX and EMX250 also happened in Spain. In WMX, Courtney Duncan showed that she is the rider on form, as she went to win a dominant back-to-back while deservedly taking the Red Plate along the way. She went 1-1 and took Lotte Van Drunen’s place at the top of the Championship. Daniela Guillen managed to give the home fans something to cheer on as she 30

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managed well-fought place on the podium in 3rd. Lynn Valk finished on her first podium of the season in 2nd. In EMX250, Lynn Valk’s brother Cas Valk showed all his talent to obtain his first overall win of the season and display an incredible pace to win race 2 comfortably. The Red Plate holder Andrea Bonacorsi settled for 2nd while Kay Karssemakers made a back-to-back podium with 3rd overall.

The return to Villars sous Ecot Following a well-earned weekend off, the paddock finally arrived in Villars sous Ecot for the 7th round of the 2023 FIM Motocross World Championship and the MXGP of France. Six years after the last event, Villars came back with up to an 80% modified track that saw the start changing direction with a first tight turn on the left. However, the circuit was as challenging as ever, which made for a formidable spectacle.

The show of course was heightened by the presence of the French riders coming to impress in front of their countrymen such as Romain Febvre, Benoit Paturel, Thibault Benistant, Tom Guyon and also Mathis Valin in EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing.

Maxime Renaux unfortunately could not be present at his home GP after sustaining a foot injury during the MXGP of Spain.

The French crowd showed an impressive support and they were eager to witness some French success.

Saturday came quickly and the RAM Qualifying Races offered some exciting ridings and overtakes in these demanding steep slopes of the redesigned circuit. In these conditions, it was Jorge Prado who came back from Spain with a statement as he dominantly took the lead after a few turns and kept going without looking back to win his 5th RAM Qualifying Race. The Red Plate showed some great speed as he managed to keep a nice safety cushion in front Jeremy Seewer. The Swiss showed that he is back to his best with an impressive start to finish second, although he had to stay focus until the end with a late charge from Jeffrey Herlings. Herlings settled for the third position.

In MX2, the Red Plate holder did not have the same success that in Spain, as Jago Geerts crashed on the long downhill stretch on the opening lap of the RAM MX2 Qualifying Race and fractured his wrist.

The race kept going with Kay de Wolf getting the best out of Thibault Benistant early

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on to maintain his lead and win his first RAM Qualifying Race of the season. Benistant made a late charge on de Wolf but finished 2nd in the end in front of Liam Everts. Everts had to battle the whole way with his Red Bull KTM’s Teammate Andrea Adamo and the two Nestaan Husqvarna riders Roan Van De Moosdijk and Lucas Coenen in a sensational four-way battle.

The Paddock show followed and it was incredible as the French public could not get enough of the home riders present as guests along with RAM Qualifying Race winners, Prado and de Wolf. Febvre, Paturel, Benistant and the winner of the EMX125 race 1 Valin were welcomed by an outstanding crowd.

However, little did they know that a surprise was coming exclusively for the public of the MXGP of France. Legend Gautier Paulin, the new MXoN Team Manager of Team France, made an appearance with the young French red plate of the 2023 e-motocross Junior series, Timoteï Cez, and they made the crowd go wild. This was not the end of the surprise as FFM President, Sebastien Poirer, also made an entrance to continue the French tradition of unveiling the new MXoN Jersey of Team France during the MXGP of France. This was a communion like we like to see with the public intoning the national anthem “La Marsseillaise”.

With this special moment of celebration, the competition returned on Sunday in front of a massive crowd of 43,000 people. In MXGP, Jeremy Seewer was the fastest out of the gate and clinched the FOX Holeshot, while Prado took the lead early on. Seewer looked really lively on the bike and made an attack on Prado on lap 5 to take the lead.

The track of Villars seemed to suit the Swiss as he kept riding to victory to get his first race win of the season. Battles for the 2nd place raged on between Prado, Febvre and Herlings. Herlings made his talent speak for itself as he came back from the 4th place to overtake Febvre on lap 12 for 3rd and never stopped to put pressure on Prado. On lap 14, Prado had to give in as Herlings was too quick. Herlings finished 3rd in the end and kept his high-level performances that he had shown over last GPs. For Prado things got heated again with home hero Febvre, who was pushing behind the red plate holder.

Supported by the ecstatic French fans, Febvre made the pass stick on lap 15 to get to a great 3rd place. Prado managed a 4th place.

In Race 2 Seewer clinched his 5th FOX Holeshot in a row, catching up Prado with 6.

Seewer this time kept the lead and looked so comfortable that a perfect 1-1 was expected.

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made of. Febvre took his time but kept riding at insane pace, as he managed to get to touching distance with Seewer on lap 12 keeping the crowd on their feet. The moment that every French fan was waiting for arrived, as Febvre took the inside of Seewer and power through to take the lead letting the public roar of excitement. It was a done deal for the home rider, who managed to enjoy the last lap and celebrated with his famous heel clicker. Febvre won his well-deserved first race of the season in front of his public and got to the second step of the podium. Seewer with a 1-2, won his first Grand Prix of the season as he is getting better and better every race showing that we will need to count on him for the Championship battle. Prado secured his 3rd place on the podium with a strong 4-3 while for Herlings things got from bad to worse during race 2. The GP wins record man first got a problem with his goggles that broke and hindered his vision early in the race. Following an improvised stop at the goggle lane to change them quickly, he found himself around the 20th place.

Herlings had already a mountain to climb when on the following lap his foot peg also broke on a landing. This unlikely series of bad luck got him to retire from race 2 and missed on vital points for the championship and letting Prado increase his lead.

In MX2, Kevin Horgmo went on to clinch the FOX Holeshot, while Roan Van De Moosdijk took the lead after that in front of his teammate de Wolf. Benistant joined the fight after going full gas, front wheel in the air to take the 3rd place from Horgmo early on. The battle for the lead was on. It was Benistant, at home, who was simply the quickest and made great moves to overtake both riders on lap 7 and edged away to ride to victory. Van De Moosdijk and de Wolf did not have it easy as the pair Adamo and Everts, who rode all weekend long together, closed in on them. Van De Moosdijk got overtaken quickly by both riders and finished 5th. De Wolf could not maintain the fast pace, and Everts passed him to finish 2nd. It ensued a thrilling give and take between de Wolf and Adamo over many laps.

Adamo finally made the pass and finished 3rd while de Wolf settled for 4th.

In race 2, it was Lucas Coenen who made an impressive start to clinch the FOX Holeshot and took the lead, simply showing the speed he can deliver. Coenen was uncatchable and even set the fastest lap of the whole weekend and went on to win race 2, but unfortunately missed on the

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podium for 2 points. However, it was all about Benistant this weekend who drew strength from the loud support from the public present. Benistant found himself 3rd on lap 1 and looked like he really wanted this home win. The Frenchman tirelessly pushed through to overtake de Wolf for 2nd. He then enjoyed the feeling of wining in front of his countrymen who all cheered for him. He got his second GP of the season and reduced the gap in the Championship in 4th.

Closing the podium were the pair that never left each other during the weekend, Adamo in 2nd with a 3-3 and Everts 3rd with a 2-4, a very good double podium for the team.

The 4th round of WMX and EMX125 presented by FMF Racing also displayed an amazing show in France. In WMX, Courtney Duncan kept her winning ways by extending her remarkable series to 3 round wins in a row. She dominantly went 1-1 and showed all her dominance.

We also saw the return of Kiara Fontanesi on the podium with an excellent 2-2 showing that her speed and rhythm are back and allowed her to rider at the front.

The hugely consistent young Spanish rider Daniela Guillen went 3-3 to keep a 100% podium this season and keeping her 2nd place in the championship. In EMX125 presented by FMF Racing, it was home rider Mathis Valin who offered the public another French win as he went on rise above the dominant Red Plate holder, Janis Martin Reisulis. Valin won the first race as he capitalised on Reisulis’ fall. In race 2, Reisulis showed all his power as he went on to win the race, with Valin finishing 2nd for a 1-2, synonymous of an overall win at home for the greater enjoyment of the public. Reisulis, after his crash in race 1, went 6-1 to get on the second step of the podium to keep the Red Plate and continuing his outstanding ridings this season.

Maximilian Werner was the best of the rest as he went 3-3 to go 3rd overall and kept his striking podium ration to a 100%.

Seven rounds down and twelve to go. The back-to-back of Latvia and Germany will come soon enough before heading to another double header in Indonesia. The competition is getting more intense as it goes and the future races will be excellent indicators of where riders find themselves in the Championship. Everything is to play for in MXGP and MX2 which will make for thrilling motocross actions.

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FIM MOTOCROSS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

RESULTS

Behind The Gate Episode 7 – The Takeover is out!

THE BTG SERIES CONTINUE WITH THE SPECTACULAR AND UNFORGETTABLE MXGP OF SPAIN! Home riders Rubén Fernández and Jorge Prado determined to come out victorious at home but Jeffrey Herlings was not ready to pass on the opportunity to break the all-time GP win record…

And the ‘bullet’ did it in style with an exceptional 1-1 to enter into Legendary territory!

Get into the mind of Mattia Guadagnini as he gets his first MXGP podium while Simon Längenfelder evokes his take on life and motocross before showing his dominance in Spain.

Behind The Gate – Episode 7| Experience the most memorable moment of motocross with Herlings Record-breaking performance from the inside! That is what we all dreamed of!

Seventh Episode out! Now Get Ready to Watch the Best of MXGP! JUST CLICK HERE! 40

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L A I C O S P G X M

@romainfebvre 3-1 for second overall!

Really happy about my Sunday, coming a long way down to winning a moto! Fans were amazing like always in France Thanks team!

@vrtfactoryjuniors Motocross isn’t just a sport, it’s a community. We may compete on the track, but we support each other off the track. That’s what makes this sport so special.

@ktmfactoryracing @AndreaAdamo80 and @ Liam_Everts72 were this close throughout much of #MXGPFrance, tying on points and placing second and third overall on the day.

@jeffrey_herlings84 NEW WORLD RECORD!!!

102 Motocross World Championship Wins. @ktmfactoryracing Celebrating the GP win record!

The guys at @AlpinestarsMX came through with a special race gear for @ Jeffrey_Herlings84 at #MXGPFrance, replicating what Jeffrey wore on the day of his first ever GP victory in 2010. We think they got it just right…

@marcmarquez93 Enjoying the @mxgp Good luck tomorrow @ rubenfernandez70 @ jorgeprado61!!

Track Walk with Paul Malin | MXGP of Switzerland presented by iXS 2023: Brand New Track this weekend in Switzerland.

Paul Malin makes a great preview of what MXGP, MX2, WMX and EMX riders will expect this weekend 42

@MXVice.com FRENCH THRILLER // The fans loved seeing Romain Febvre winning that second moto.

RAM Qualifying Highlights | MXGP of Switzerland presented by iXS 2023: Relive all the best moments of the day in the RAM Qualifying Races Highlights in Switzerland.

@jorgeprado61 If this year they asked me how I would have liked to get to the GP of Spain I would definitely have signed this.

Hope we can enjoy an awesome weekend. I will do everything in my power to make it so

@rubenfernandez70 How nice to be back on the podium and even more so when he’s at home. By far the best fans, grateful to each and every one of you

GoPro Lap | MXGP of Switzerland presented by iXS 2023: Take an exclusive look at the MXGP of Switzerland Presented by iXS track on board with Jeremy Seewer and his GoPro Hero 11!

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P G X M # D OF ORL W E H IN T

@MXGP Really special intergenerational moment between Liam Everts and his grandfather and Legend Harry Everts minutes after his podium 43

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Ernée, France: September 17th 2006

WHEN THE RED BULL KTM RIDER CROSSED THE LINE TO WIN THE SPANISH GRAND PRIX AT INTU-XANADU ARROYOMOLINOS, HISTORY HAD BEEN MADE ONCE AGAIN, AND A NEW CHAPTER IN THE PAGES OF THE FIM MOTOCROSS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP HAD FINALLY BEGUN. WITH 102 VICTORIES, THE BULLET SURPASSED THE LEGEND THAT IS STEFAN EVERTS TO BECOME THE MOST SUCCESSFUL GRAND PRIX WINNER OF ALL TIME. THE SCARY THING THOUGH, IS THAT THIS NUMBER IS SET TO RISE EVEN FURTHER AND THAT IS JUST MIND-BOGGLING. SO, HOW DID HE GET THERE? MXGP MAGAZINE DECIDED TO RE-TRACE THE JOURNEY, WHICH BEGAN IN 2010, BUT BEFORE THAT, WE NEED TO GO EVEN FURTHER BACK TO GAIN A BIT OF EXTRA INSIGHT AND PERSPECTIVE.

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Stefan Everts crosses the finish line at the end of MX1 Race 2 to win the French Grand Prix, and with it, his 101st career victory. Think about that for a second! One hundred and one grand prix victories - a number which at the time seemed unattainable for anyone else going forward. Why? Because with 10 world titles, it was highly unlikely that we would ever see the likes of a rider of Everts stature again.

Over time though, we could see there was a new challenger to the throne in the form of Antonio Cairoli, and whilst the Sicilian got tantalisingly close with ninety-four wins, the ‘222’ fell just short of the Holy Grail. The only other rider that

stood a chance of reaching that milestone was Jeffrey Herlings, but his all-or-nothing approach to racing would sometimes leave him vulnerable to crashes, which could also prove to be his downfall. Time to hit the Fast Forward button. intu-Xanadu Arroyomolinos, Spain: May 7th 2023 At 17:45 and 42 seconds, Jeffrey Herlings crosses the finish line at the end of MXGP Race 2 to win the Spanish Grand Prix. It’s his third win of the season, but bigger than that, he has just broken the all-time grand prix win-record held by Stefan Everts. It had taken 16 years 7 months and 21 days for someone to achieve the impossible dream, but it’s fair to say that that ‘someone’ is also a little bit special.

Stand up and take a bow, Mr. Jeffrey Herlings.

Herlings own journey into professional racing began in 2009.

He had just finished 2nd overall in the fourteen-round EMX250 European Championship series behind Christophe Charlier. At the final round in France at Villars sous Ecot, Herlings celebrated his 15th birthday with a race one victory, but for him the bigger picture was a date with destiny at the biggest event of the year in three weeks’ time: The FIM Motocross of Nations at Franciacorta in Italy.

Now that he was 15, he was eligible to represent The Netherlands in the MX2 class. His highlight was finishing 7th in the MX2 Qualifying Race, but perhaps more importantly than that, the young teenager had had his first taste of racing on the biggest stage of all, and it didn’t come any bigger than that day in Italy.

Hurricane Herlings By the time the 2010 season came around in Bulgaria, Herlings had been well-schooled during the off-season, improving his fitness,

honing his skills, doing everything he could to be ready for his rookie season in MX2. And boy, did he impress! The ‘111’ set the fastest time in the first Free Practice session before going on to place 3rd in the qualifying race, which he followed up with 6-3 in the main races for fourth overall. One week later, Herlings won the qualifying race in Mantova. When he faded to 6th in race one, we thought it was a fitness thing, but then Jeffrey being Jeffrey, came out for race two firing on all cylinders and almost shocked the world.

He led for 18 of the 19 laps, but on the final lap with a couple of turns to go, his teammate and world championship leader, Marvin Musquin, passed the rookie to win and save a few blushes, at least for now. But 2nd place was enough to earn him a place on the podium, 3rd overall behind Musquin and Ken Roczen. This was just the beginning.

Two weeks after his first MX2 podium, the teenage tearaway landed at his home GP at Valkenswaard in Holland. Of course, a podium would have been nice, but the Dutch fans were keen 51

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to see a home victory. And Jeffrey being Jeffrey, was already talking himself up for the win, even at 15 in just his third ever grand prix.

Saturday didn’t go according to plan though and for a while it looked as though the occasion of racing at home may have come just a bit too soon. However, when it came to race day, the ‘111’ ripped out of the gates and led every single lap of both races to win his first GP. At home, with that crowd, with all of that expectation at fifteen, was not only impressive, but it was also nothing short of spectacular. If he hadn’t already done so, Jeffrey Herlings had just announced himself to the world, and April 25th 2010 went down in history as the day his GP win streak began.

Here to Win Since that weekend in Holland, it was clear that the kid was special and had a bright future ahead of him. It was also clear that back then he was not everybody’s cup of tea, so to speak, either. He was brash and cocky and knew how to wind up his opponents, and whilst some sneered at this teenage behaviour, it was also quite refreshing to have this character being open, and honest and outspoken, even if it meant being paid a visit by the FIM stewards who needed him to respect the line in the sand. Above all of that though, if you are going to put your head above the parapet, then you better make sure you have the goods to back it up. And there’s no question that Herlings could back it up.

Two GP wins in his rookie season (2010) improved to five the following year, and in his first world titlewinning season (2012) the ‘84’ stood on the top step a further nine times.

When he won the title again in 2013, he added another fifteen victories to his rapidly increasing tally. There were years where more wins should have been added, but injuries in 2014, ’15 and ’16 meant that by the time Herlings time in MX2 was done, he vacated the class having won 61 grand prix victories.

Power Struggle When Jeffrey Herlings moved into the MXGP class in 2017, KTM was 54

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suddenly in a position where they had the top two riders shooting for the world championship. Cairoli was on 77 GP wins, with Herlings on 61. Stefan Everts target was 101, but with TC and JH now in the same class, surely the win rate for both riders would be diluted somewhat, right? Sure, they would both add more wins, but now they would be in a position where they were about to inadvertently prevent each other from reaching the Holy Grail. Add to the mix the likes of Gautier Paulin, Tim Gajser and Clement Desalle, it was clear that winning might not be as ‘easy’ as it was before. Only time would tell.

A pre-season hand injury kept Herlings off the podium at the first five rounds of his debut season in MXGP, but once that podium had been achieved, it’s almost as if the belief was back as well as the confidence. By the time the ’17 season was over, another 6 wins had been added to his tally.

2018 will probably be regarded as Jeffrey Herlings finest season.

After his ‘failure’ to win the title in 2017 - and for that read hand injury, lack of preparation, lack of fitness, over confidence, and a thrown chain in Sweden when he still had a mathematical chance of winning the title - the ‘84’ came out swinging. It was clear that both he and Cairoli were in no mood for giving up the fight, but when all was said and done, Herlings came away with his first MXGP class championship, along with 17 GP wins, with 13 of those consecutively. He was, quite simply, unstoppable that year, and how appropriate was it that the ‘84’ ended the season with 84 GP wins?

The defence of his title never happened as a foot injury pre-season came him sidelined for a total of 13 rounds. He did come back to win the final two GP’s of the year though, with typical Herlings grit and determination.

After a year ‘off’ it seemed as though 2020 would be another successful campaign, but after winning four of the first six rounds, disaster struck again, this time in Faenza. Another 12 GPs would not be accounted for, and for a rider who loves to chase records,

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you just know that inside, Herlings was fuming at the amount of missed title and GP win opportunities that had gone begging.

Big Game Player If there’s one thing we have come to learn over the years, it’s that JH84 is not a quitter, and if ever there was a season which epitomised that, it was 2021. It was clear from the first gate drop that we were about to embark on one of those magical seasons, as Herlings, Gajser, Cairoli and Romain Febvre stood toe-to-toe in what was the greatest season ever witnessed.

When Cairoli crashed out of the title race in Sardinia, we were down to three riders chasing the title, and with three rounds to go, three riders were separated by three points.

But when Gajser was penalised for failing to rejoin the track correctly in Mantova, we were down to two riders. As we entered the final race at the final round, Herlings and Febvre were tied on points, but as we have seen so many times before, when everything is on the line, Herlings has a way of turning that weight of expectation to his advantage. He rode patient and smart but when it came to making the decisive pass, he absolutely nailed it. When he crossed the line as a 5-time world champion, he did so with his 99th career victory.

And that one was huge.

Sadly, another pre-season injury kept him out of action for the entire 2022 campaign, and once again, winning was put on the back burner.

Changing of The Guard Making a comeback after fourteen months out of action is never easy.

Doing it at world championship level is almost unheard of. By his own admission, Herlings might have needed a few rounds to get back into the swing of things, so when he came away from the opening round in Argentina with 2nd overall, we and even he was left dumbfounded.

With the next round scheduled for the deep sand of Sardinia, we automatically thought he would be a shoe-in for the win, so when Herlings ‘only’ went 2-2, it came as a bit of a shock. But should it have 58

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been? Here’s a guy who’d just had 14 months out, had not raced, was clearly lacking gate drops and race-time, intensity, race fitness and all that other stuff that goes into winning at the highest level. And yet, here he was, putting himself in the mix again, as he had done, so may times before.

With ten minutes to go, he was barely making the podium, but when he made two passes in as many corners in the latter stages of the race to take 2nd, all of a sudden, we were looking at another big day at the office for Herlings.

The relief when he crossed the line said it all. Yes, he was physically spent but that 100th victory had finally been won. All of a sudden there were only two riders in MXGP history that had reached that milestone, so this was huge. Huge for him, and huge for the sport. The blood, sweat and tears of the past 14 months was suddenly worth it.

When Herlings won the Portuguese GP to equal Everts record, it almost passed with a whimper. The big one as far as he was concerned, and the one with the celebratory ‘100’ pit board was Sardinia, because 100 GP wins is a big deal. So too is 101, but that only ties him with Everts. Nothing wrong with that, no matter how you look at it, but for someone of Herlings calibre, he is only interested in winning, not tying for the win. It was now just a matter of time.

Standing Alone GP win 102 came in Spain. It could have happened in many different ways from a 1-2, a 2-1 maybe even a 2-3 or 3-1 … you get the gist. But if you’re going to do it, do it properly. Of course, he was going to win it in style. Of course, he wanted to win in Spain on Prado’s muckheap, and of course, he wanted to do it with a 1-1. Why? Because he’s Jeffrey Herlings, and that’s what he does, he is here to win. Sometimes it comes way too easy but sometimes it’s just a grind. Today was meant to be one of the ‘easier’ days, and from here on out every victory is potentially a target that puts the record out of reach for the likes of Tim Gajser (43 wins) and Prado (37). But as we have seen, nothing is impossible. We all thought that 101 would never be matched. It may have taken 16 years to get there but in the end, the hunger, will and desire of one man was just too much. We will say congratulations for now Jeffrey, but clearly there is more winning to be done. The difference now though is that for every win, he is no longer chasing the target. He is the target and it will be interesting to see how high he continues to set the bar.

15 GP Moments: 1.Valkenswaard, Holland 2010: 1-1

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In just his third grand prix appearance, Jeffrey Herlings shocked the world by winning on home soil at just 15 years old. The race for 102 began here.

2.Lommel, Belgium 2011: 1-1 GP win #6 came in Belgium. This was memorable because of his rivalry with Ken Roczen. After placing 2nd in race 1, Kenny was desperate to reverse the result in the second outing. Both riders were at the top of their game, and everything Roczen threw Jeffrey’s way, he dealt with. The final lap saw one last push from Roczen, which ended with him pushing too hard and going down. Great race, but Herlings had the last laugh.

3.Lierop, Holland 2012: 1-1 The rivalry between Herlings and Tommy Searle was legendary, but when the series hit Lierop for round 14 of 16, we knew it would be a special hunting ground for The Bullet.

Jeffrey’s pace on this weekend was out of this world. His fastest lap in race one was NINE seconds quicker than Searle, and by the end of the race, Herlings had lapped all but his teammate Jeremy Van Horebeek, who was 2nd.

Race two, he lapped up to 4th. Quite simply, he dominated the GP. It was his 15th GP win.

4.Faenza, Italy 2012: 1-1 GP win #16 came just one week after his win in Lierop, on the hard pack of Faenza in Italy. This one was significant because his double-race win was enough for Herlings to be crowned MX2 World Champion for the first time, with one round remaining.

5.Loket, Czech Republic 2013: 1-1 Win #30 came on the day that Jeffrey won his second MX2 world championship. Today, it was an emphatic victory, winning the title with three rounds remaining, ending the year with another 15 GP wins.

6.Hyvinkää, Finland 2014: 1-1 July 13th 2014, and Jeffrey Herlings went 1-1 in Finland for win #43. He had just won 18 races in a row, and his lead over Jordi Tixier was 145 points, with 4 GP’s remaining. What we didn’t know that day, was this would be his last GP win of the season, because prior to the next round in Loket, Jeffrey took part in a charity event in Belgium where he broke his femur whilst racing an 85cc machine. Despite his injuries, he still showed up at the final round in Mexico hoping to salvage the title, but in the end, he lost his crown by 4 points to Tixier.

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7.Valkenswaard, Holland 2016: 1-1 When you are used to winning as much as The Bullet, you look forward to reaching and achieving certain goals, so to take win number 50 in Holland, at the same venue where the winning began in 2010, was something special.

8.Assen, Holland 2016: 2-1 For a while it seemed that Herlings could go undefeated in 2016, winning the first twelve GP’s, but then he was forced to sit out the next three in Czech Republic, Belgium and Sweden, so when he arrived in Assen for round 17, he only had one thing on his mind.

After 2nd in race one to Thomas Covington, Herlings won race two to win at home again - this time for win number 60. When he left Assen for the USA, he had one hand on that elusive third title.

9.Kegums, Latvia 2017: 1-1 Jeffrey’s rookie season in MXGP did not get off to a good start, after picking up a hand injury in a pre-season race in Italy. No podiums in the first five rounds, was unheard of for the ‘84’ so you can imagine the bittersweet relief when he only took 2nd in Valkenswaard, round 6. Win #62 came next time out in Latvia, significant for the fact it was his first win in the premier class.

10.Pangkal Pinang, Indonesia 2018: 2-1 The 2018 season was a battle of the giants, Herlings and Cairoli, but after pulling a 62-point lead over his teammate and rival, Herlings broke a collarbone in a training crash which forced him to sit out Lombardia.

Two weeks later in Indonesia, Herlings bounced back with a 2-1 to win his 76th GP, which many observers believed was ‘the moment’ the title was heading back to Holland. Yes, there were still eight rounds remaining, but from here on out, the only rider preventing Herlings from winning the title was Herlings.

11.Assen, Holland 2018: 1-1 Coming into the penultimate round in Assen, Herlings was on a role and had won 15 of the 18 GPs up to that point. He also knew that in front of a packed house, he could wrap up his fourth title, his first in MXGP and his first at home. Winning in Italy, Czech Republic and The USA were nice, of course they were, but when he crossed the line to win his 83rd GP, the noise and the atmosphere was insane.

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He was now an MXGP World Champion.

12.Imola, Italy 2018: 1-1 Two weeks after winning at home, the final round took place in Italy at Imola, and this one was fitting just because it was GP win #84 for the number 84.

13.Mantova, Italy 2021: 1-1 There would be no defence of the title in 2019 due to an injury-hit campaign and when he led the points in 2020, he was forced out once again due to injury. In 2021, Herlings was up and running again, but a shoulder injury in Holland meant he would miss 3 races.

Surely the championship was done, right? Never say never! Miraculously Herlings had clawed his way back into contention and heading into the race at the final GP in Mantova, Italy, he was tied on

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points with Romain Febvre.

When all was said and done, another 1-1 for possible the biggest GP win of his career because this one came with the title. This one was win #99.

14.Riola Sardo, Sardinia 2023: 2-2 It might have been deep sand, but this wasn’t vintage Jeffrey Herlings. After 14 months out, and just one GP under his belt two weeks prior in Argentina, this was a demonstration of mind over matter, of belief, of never giving up. We often use the term ‘dig deep’ when we need to get the job done, for Herlings, he had to go deeper than deep to win this one. It might have only been a 2-2, but another milestone had been reached. GP win #100 was now in the books.

15.Intu-Xanadu, Spain 2023: 1-1

After a record-equalling 101st GP win in Portugal, The Bullet arrived in Spain hoping to win another GP, and in doing so would automatically make history. The way he rode suggested he was up for this one, and he was. When all was said and done, he out-rode everyone to go 1-1 for the first time this season - and the perfect way to break the record which had stood for 16 years 7 months and 21 days.

Do you know the crazy thing in all of this? Herlings 102 victories is impressive, but when you consider he missed 65 GP’s through injury along the way, you soon realise that that win tally could have been achieved a lot sooner and could also be a lot higher. Yeah, yeah, yeah, you have to be in it to win and all that, BUT, the fact still remains that 102 and rising is what we are looking at in the foreseeable future.

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2023 IS A SPECIAL YEAR FOR FRANCE AND FRENCH MOTOCROSS WITH THE MONSTER ENERGY FIM MOTOCROSS OF NATIONS HELD IN THE HISTORIC TRACK OF ERNÉE WHILE THE MXGP OF FRANCE MADE AN OUTSTANDING RETURN TO VILLARS SOUS ECOT.

The relationship between France and motocross is a long love story that has experienced the most amazing moments whether with riders or with the formidable Team France in the prestigious Motocross of Nations.

France boasts a long list of World Champions that began in 1986 with Jacky Vimond and continued with notorious riders getting silverware such as JeanMichel Bayle and Sebastien Tortelli.

Then came the golden years of French motocross with the 2000s and 2010s that saw tricolour riders increased drastically the number of world championship titles with champions such as Mickael Pichon, Yves Demaria and Marvin Musquin in 2000s and Jordi Tixier, Romain Febvre, Tom Vialle and Maxime Renaux in the 2010s.

Of course, one of the most notorious chapters of French motocross history was Team France’s famous quintuple MXoN wins between 2014 and 2018 that added to the first victory in 2001. The unique bond that always exists between French riders in Team France was highlighted by this fantastic winning streak that finally brought the country in the top five winning nations with six Motocross of Nations.

The 2023 season was designed to spoil French motocross with the MXGP of France returning to Villars sous Ecot while the Monster Energy FIM MXoN will offer an extraordinary opportunity to experience the exceptional communion that exists between French riders and their fans.

Villars sous Ecot, located near Montbeliard in the East of France, was first introduced to the World Championship in 1982 with a victory of the inevitable André Malherbe in 500cc GP. It was followed by the 1986 Grand Prix that saw the first French rider to win on this circuit, Jacky Vimond who became that same year the first French Motocross World Champion. The French track went on to host the biggest motocross event with the 1988 MXoN that was won by Team USA 13-yearslong domination. Ten years later in 1998 it was one of the most revered legends of the sport, Stefan Everts who managed to clinch the title in 250cc.

More recently it was six-time World Champion Kiara Fontanesi who won the two WMX editions in Villars sous Ecot.

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The first one in 2015 and the second time in 2017 during the MXGP of Pays de Montbeliard in one of the most dramatic finishes ever witnessed in WMX. With only five points separating four riders, Kiara 4th going into the round put on the show to go 1-3 and get crowned WMX World Champion for the 5th time in her career. That same year, another rider enjoyed success in France which was Pauls Jonass who got crowned 2017 MX2 World Champion following the ultimate Grand Prix of the season held in Villars to top a sensational season for the young Latvian.

Jeffrey Herlings is an illustrious winner as he won in 2015 in MX2 and kept going in 2017 with a victory in the MXGP class this time while French rider Romain Febvre made the home fans proud in 2015, as he won the GP on his way to winning his 2015 MXGP World Title.

In 2023, Villars sous Ecot came back with a modified track up to 80% which essentially offered a new circuit for the riders, as well as the large crowd that came to enjoy the fantastic show.

It was former rider Jean Luc Fouchet and the experienced Cedric Lucas who designed the changes made for this year. With an added area acquired by the moto club of Villars, one of the most important parts of the modifications changed the start with a first turn on the left squeezing riders up to this area and adding another downslope to the circuit. The new layout was designed to enable overtakes and increase the technical side of the track while keeping its natural aspect with the steep slopes that characterise the French track.

The 2023 edition of the MXGP of France held all its promises with a large crowd that came to show so much enthusiasm throughout the whole weekend and showed their patriotic side when cheering on the many French riders competing and successful. The festive atmosphere topped the impressive Grand Prix as we saw Thibault Benistant winning at home in MX2 while Romain Febvre won his first MXGP race of the season to go 2nd overall. Jeremy Seewer managed an incredible first GP win of the season in MXGP.

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Courtney Duncan continued her sweeping dominance this season in WMX. It was not all for French spectators as Mathis Valin managed to win at home, his second victory of the season in EMX125 presented by FMF Racing, while French young rider Timoteï Cez won in the 2023 Juniors e-motocross series.

The MXGP of France was the occasion as it’s now tradition for Team France to reveal the MXoN Jersey. This year in Villars sous Ecot was even more special with the new Team France manager and legend Gautier Paulin and FFM President Sebastien Poirer.

Paulin is the ambassador of the MXoN for France as he won all five of them between 2014 and 2018, including the legendary win on American soil at RedBud in 2018. Therefore, having Mister MXoN presenting the 2023 MXoN Jersey during the Paddock show was a triumph and resonated in all fans’

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hearts as “la marseillaise’ was intoned by the public making this revealing an unforgettable moment.

With Paulin leading Team France, the 2023 Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations will be full of memories as France won the last edition in Ernée in 2015. The team was composed of Gautier Paulin, Romain Febvre and Marvin Musquin and delivered a formidable performance to win the Chamberlain Trophy just in front of team USA. The undulating track of Ernée is a fan favourite with its illustrious wall of spectators hanging over the first turn in what is as spectacular as it is intimidating for riders standing on the starting grid. Ernée has offered impressive events in the past with the unforgettable win of Team USA at the 2005 MXoN, after a 4-year drought, with Ricky Carmichael, Kevin

Windham and Ivan Tedesco.

Many Frenchman also won the different classes such as in 2022, Tom Vialle (MX2), Livia Lancelot (WMX) and Mathys Boisrame (EMX250) but also further back with Mickael Pichon coming victorious in 2001 in 250cc. The legend of the sport also managed to win on the technical track such as Stefan Everts (five times), Antonio Cairoli (two times) and Jeffrey Herlings.

All that history and passion will come together on the 7th and 8th of October in Ernée for the 2023 Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations. Can Team France keep the series of the last four hosting nations victorious going? Could it be a battle for the ages with reigning Champions Team USA? One thing is sure, the show will be something to remember as all nations come in France to win the mighty Chamberlain Trophy.

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TITLE HANS MAISCH AS THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP IS MOVING TO GERMANY THIS MONTH, IT’S NICE TO REMEMBER THAT IN THE 80’S SOME OF THE MAIN CONTENDERS OF THE SERIES WERE GERMAN RIDERS. AND EVEN IF HE NEVER WON A GP, HANS MAISCH DESERVES TO BE HONOURED AS HE WON SIX RACES AND GOT TWELVE GRAND PRIX PODIUMS IN THE 250CC CLASS, BUT ALSO STOOD ON THE PODIUM TWICE AT THE TROPHY AND THE MOTOCROSS OF NATIONS WITH TEAM GERMANY. Born on 6th October 1948 in Bade-Wurtemberg, Hans has always been surrounded by motorcycles, as his father Wilhem was one of the founder of a company named Maisch and Companions, better known as Maico. At the beginning in 1926 Maico produced only bicycles, but five years later they built their first motorcycle and when Hans and his brother Peter finished their studies, they entered in the company. Both had been racing motocross for several years, but Peter chose to be the company’s public relation, while Hans continued his racing career while becoming the firm’s test rider.

There’s no better place to test a bike than racing, and Hans was already 22 years old when he entered his first GP at Bielstein in Germany, where he scored his first points in the 500cc class. But

Maico had already several top riders in this class, so Hans moved to the 250cc class in 1973 for his first full season, and he shocked the world when he won the first round in Spain.

He was the winner of the GP just for a few days, as the Spanish organisers didn’t know about the new FIM rules; both Hans (2/3) and American Jim Pomeroy (1/4) had five points at their credit, but in fact with the new rule Pomeroy scored 23 points and Maish only 22.

Eleventh in the final standings Hans entered the top ten in 1974 with a ninth overall, got his second GP podium at the final round in Switzerland and finished runner up with Team Germany at the Trophy of Nations in Vesoul. It was a good season for Hans, who also claimed the first of his four German titles in his favourite class, the 250cc.

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In 1975 Hans was more consistent than in the previous seasons, even if he missed the last two GP’s; with seven race podiums, including his first heat win in Sweden, he finished the championship fifth behind team leader Adolf Weil. He got similar results two years later with another heat win, three podiums in Czechoslovakia, Germany and Great Britain, and a fifth position overall. But 1978 was his best ever GP season, even if he lacked consistency during the first part of the championship; at the first three rounds he got a podium result in one heat, but retired in the other one. The sixth round, which was organised at one of his favourite tracks, Beuern in Germany, marked the real start of the season for him and with two GP podiums and five race podiums, he ended the season third in the standings, just a single point behind Torleif Hansen. That year and for the first time in his career, he succeeded in finishing on the podium at the Motocross of Nations with Team Germany, who finished runner up in Germany.

The following years, Hans never entered a full GP season, instead, he raced a few GP’s every year and did many International races, especially in France. He had the opportunity to win another GP race in 1981 at the German GP in Beuern, and added two other Team podiums results with a third at the 1979 Motocross of Nations in Finland and a third at the 1982 Trophy of Nations in Germany. But at the beginning of the 80’s Hans was very busy at the factory as Maico tried to resist the Japanese manufacturers, who were more and more involved in the World Championships. In 1983 Hans Maisch stopped racing GP’s after the Spanish round where he ended his last race in sixth position.

Text and Photos: Pascal Haudiquert

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1971:

18th in the 500 Motocross World Championship (Maico)

1973:

11th in the 250 Motocross World Championship (Maico)

1974:

9th in the 250 Motocross World Championship (Maico) 250 German Champion 2nd at the Trophy of Nations with Team Germany

1975:

5th in the 250 Motocross World Championship (Maico)

1976:

9th in the 250 Motocross World Championship (Maico)

1977:

5th in the 250 Motocross World Championship (Maico) 250 German Champion

1978:

3rd in the 250 Motocross World Championship (Maico) 250 German Champion 2nd at the Motocross of Nations with Team Germany

1979:

13th in the 250 Motocross World Championship (Maico) 3rd at the Motocross of Nations with Team Germany

1980:

28th in the 250 Motocross World Championship (Maico)

1981:

14th in the 250 Motocross World Championship (Maico) 250 German Champion

1982:

15th in the 250 Motocross World Championship (Maico) 3rd at the Trophy of Nations with Team Germany

1983:

28th in the 250 Motocross World Championship (Maico)

Photo: R. Schedl

Please make no attempt to imitate the illustrated riding scenes, always wear protective clothing and observe the applicable provisions of the road traffic regulations!

The illustrated vehicles may vary in selected details from the production models and some illustrations feature optional equipment available at additional cost.

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1

Funny moment with Lucas and Sacha going for a spin with the Mayor of Agueda Jorge Almeida during the local museum visit from riders on Friday before the MXGP of Portugal

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Exclusive Unveiling of the new 2023 MXoN Racing shirt of Team France by Legend and Team Frane Manager Gautier Paulin with the FFM President Sebastien Poirer during the Paddock Show in France with a incredible public. What a moment!

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MJC Yamaha Official EMX125 Team celebrated their 10-year Anniversary.

Really proud moment for Team Manager Loic Le Foll.

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Mattia Guadagnini, Simon Längenfelder and Davide De Carli experiencing the historical trains from the Nucleo Museologico de Macinhata do Vouga in Agueda

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Marc Marquez came at the MXGP of Spain to support Spanish riders. Here with Rubén Fernández

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Riders were invited to visit and try the Snozone inside ski slope in the intuXanadu Shopping Mall, in Spain.

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Jeffrey Herlings - Celebratory graphic kits and Anniversary gear in France to celebrates 1st GP win 13 years ago in Valkenswaard

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American Legend Greg Hancock, Fourtime FIM Speedway GP, was present at the MXPGP of Spain

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Two Red Plate holders, Prado and Geerts, bowling together in Spain, That was something truly special!

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10 Jeffrey Herlings holds the ‘102 Legend’ plate after the MXGP of Spain and breaking the all-time GP wins record, previously held by Stefan Everts.

11 Simon Längenfelder signed a new deal with Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing confirming him in for the 2024 FIM Motocross World Championship

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E L R A U I T C A E E SP F

CHRISTOPHE POURCEL 2006 KAWASAKI KX250F 82

ASK ANYONE IN MOTOCROSS CIRCLES WHO IS THE MOST NATURALLY GIFTED RIDER TO THROW A LEG OVER A DIRT BIKE IN RECENT YEARS, AND THE ANSWER YOU WILL RECEIVE IS MOST LIKELY TO BE CHRISTOPHE POURCEL.

The enigmatic Frenchman was just 18 years old when he won the 2006 FIM MX2 Motocross World Championship at the final round of the season at Ernée in France. The bike that took him to the title was a 2006 Kawasaki KX250F and it’s this bike that we will feature in this issue of MXGP Magazine.

History will tell us that Jacky Vimond was the first Frenchman to win a motocross world championship when he lifted the 250cc title in 1986. From there, Jean-Michel Bayle (1988, ’89), Sebastien Tortelli (’96, ’98), Frederic Bolley (’99, ’00), Mickael Pichon (’01, ’02) and Mickael Maschio in 2002 took inspiration from ‘The Pink Panther’ to add their names to a rapidly growing list. With all of the above though, their world titles were achieved in the 2-stroke

era, so when the motocross world championship was re-branded in 2004 as MX1 and MX2, a new generation of motorcycles were about to make history. By the time 2006 rolled around, KTM and Yamaha had already got their brands in the record books with Ben Townley and Antonio Cairoli in MX2, and as the defending champion, all eyes were on the Italian to make a successful defence in the 2006 season. It wasn’t going to be easy, but it soon emerged that there were more than a handful of riders who were also up for the fight.

One of those was Christophe Pourcel. In 2004, he raced a few rounds in the second half of the season and scored points in seven races, earning him 34th overall in the final standings, but by 2005 he improved to 5th overall, and collected no fewer than three podiums along the way: 3rd in

Great Britain at Matchams Park (102), 2nd at Loket in Czech Republic - on a day that he also secured his first ever MX2 race win - and 2nd again on the Isle of Wight, off the south coast of England.

Pourcel had grown up very much a part of the fabric at Kawasaki having raced 65cc and 85cc classes on his way up the ladder, and it’s fair to say that Kawasaki had been keeping an eye on him especially since his race win and podiums the previous year.

In 2005, his race bike was nothing more than stock, with a little inhouse tuning from his mechanic, Jeremy Fontaine, with most standard parts being switched to offer up more reliability as opposed to outright performance. Another reason for this ‘stock’ feel was that Christophe himself preferred the overall feeling of the standard bike, so when it came to tuning, he requested that the engine not be too aggressive because he preferred a smooth engine characteristic, something rideable.

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For 2006, there was a relatively new bike though, with new chassis, new plastics, new engine parts; it wasn’t an all-new bike, but not far off.

Somewhere between old and new.

The GPKR Team was also new and so starting from scratch, the budget was not where it should have been, and so when it came to tuning, it was down to Jeremy to come up with the goods: ‘We modified a little bit the 38mm Keihin carburettor and also a little bit the head, not with the special parts but only cleaning, you know? Like we did in the past. In the beginning we didn’t get any factory parts, but Kawasaki believed in Christophe where they thought he had the potential to be world champion one day, and in 2006 we got some special parts to be more reliable, not to be performant, but just reliable. We also got the opportunity to make the bike with titanium bolts, airbox with titanium parts also, but overall, the bike was not so special.’

‘The suspension was factory Öhlins 48mm - because normally it should be 52mm - but Christophe didn’t want to use 52mm. His brother Sebastien was using 52mm so he tried, but he said he didn’t like the feeling, because the fork was too big, he didn’t have the good feeling. He wanted to be close to the production feeling.’

‘Triple clamps were also supplied by Öhlins, and the handlebars were by Neken.

The rear shock was also Öhlins, with a standard swingarm and stock linkage; the wheels were supplied by Haan.

The brakes were Moto-Master with Christophe opting to use the bigger disc at the front. Back then, production was 250mm but he chose to run 270mm, which nowadays is standard.

The rear disc was 240mm.’

When it came to power, the GPKR team enlisted the help of Devil exhaust pipes, a brand that came from road racing, who were keen to show what they could do in the motocross world championship. The titanium pipe looked fantastic and was married to a carbon muffler, but in the beginning, there were some reliability issues that needed fixing. The issue was, the carbon was not strong enough, but

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once the problem had been solved, there were no further issues. Well, later on we will let you into a little secret, but for now, keep reading. As you can imagine though, coming from road racing with titanium and carbon at that time, we are talking high-end materials here, and for an aftermarket item, it was not financially sustainable to sell them as a production pipe to the public. But working so closely with the company had its perks and between everyone involved, the overall product was a good one.

The seat and fuel tank were standard, but the radiators were upgraded to ones from the factory in Japan, and although the size remained the same, they were re-enforced for better strength. The fuel tank also got an upgrade later in the season, but more on that towards the end of the feature.

As for the clutch, for reliability purposes this was supplied by the factory, the only difference being it was similar to standard but with a different coating. It was also lighter in weight.

When it came to gearing, Christophe was quite particular. Standard gearing was set at 13/48 but due to his riding style where he carried more corner speed, where he could let the bike be ‘more free’ through the turns, Christophe would often run 13/47 to enhance that style of riding.

Not ideal though if you are more of a stop-start, clutch slipping type of rider, which CP377 was not. Overall, the gain in power was around 2-3bhp, so not much really, so when Jeremy Fontaine says “the bike was pretty standard”, he was right.

As for the championship itself, the first few rounds were a real tussle between Pourcel, Cairoli, David Philippaerts, Tyla Rattray and Marc De Reuver, with five different riders winning races in the first four rounds, but when Pourcel went 1-1 to win the German grand prix at Teutschenthal, he had closed to within 8 points of series leader, Rattray. After Japan, round six, Pourcel was the new leader by just 2 points over De Reuver.

Two rounds later though, and Pourcel had pulled clear as some of his rivals ran into some issues, and by round nine, his lead was out to 46 points, which meant from here on out he just needed to stay out of trouble and be consistent.

By the time the series reached Lierop for the penultimate round, Christophe’s lead had been cut to 28 points as Cairoli gained momentum.

The issue with Lierop though was Pourcel was reluctant to train in the sand ahead of the GP, as Jeremy Fontaine recalls: ‘This was a big weekend. From my side, I remember he didn’t want to train for one

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month, one month and a half before the GP in Lierop. His father came to me and said, ‘push him, please! In the sand!’ but Christophe told me he didn’t want to ride because he wanted his body to be fresh for the GP. He told me, Jeremy, everybody goes three or four times a week to train for Lierop. He would be tired if he did this before Lierop. He wanted to be fresh, ready to ride in the sand.’

Now, remember we said there was a fuel tank upgrade? Well, the other potential issue was the introduction of a bigger fuel tank to make sure he finished the races due to the heavier conditions, but for someone as ‘picky’ as Pourcel, you can imagine this wasn’t exactly met with too much enthusiasm: ‘I came with the big fuel tank to be a little bit safe’ said Jeremy, ‘with one litre more from the factory, but this goes on the top. Christophe came the first time to ride, he saw the bike and said ‘what are you doing, why do you do that?’ I told him that we needed to because it’s heavy sand; normally we might be okay, but we were leading the world championship. Please, use

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it. He told me ‘I don’t want that shit, take it away.’ But, I said please, do it Saturday and then we know for Sunday; this is the professional thing to do. Anyway, he tried on Saturday, and he used it in the race.’

Whatever the ‘issues’ surrounding the GP in Lierop, Pourcel went 3-1 to take the overall, and two weeks later was heading to Ernée, France, his home GP, with a 28-point lead over Cairoli. The atmosphere was amazing, the stage was set for a Frenchman to be crowned on home soil, the weather was great, and when Pourcel crossed the line in 2nd behind Cairoli in race one, the gap was down to 25 points.

But, due to Cairoli winning more races than Pourcel - 11/4 - the title would need to go down to the final race, which meant Pourcel just needed to finish in the points.

But, after race one, there were one or two nervous moments.

Remember when we said we would let you into a little secret?

Read on as Jeremy Fontaine picks up the story: ‘We never had a problem with the bike or the exhaust all season,

because we changed always the parts on a regular basis, but when Christophe finished the first moto, I noticed the exhaust was almost cracked. Maybe one or two laps more, and he had lost the exhaust!

Maybe there was some impact.’

‘From my side, if there was noise then there was a penalty, but anyway, we fixed the bike and before the second moto he said to me ‘we are very close to win the title, so if I have some problem, it’s your fault!’ So, you imagine the pressure, but it was good pressure.

I told him, ‘I do what I do, I do all the best for all the year for you, so now it can happen. I’m sorry but don’t kill me for that!’ Anyway, it was fine.’

When Christophe Pourcel crossed the finish line in 4th place in race two, it was enough to be crowned MX2 World Champion, to become the seventh Frenchman to win a motocross world championship.

It was also only the fifth world title for Kawasaki and the first of the modern 4-stroke era.

Unbelievably, it remains the only title for Kawasaki in the 4-stroke era in MX2 or MXGP.

TIM GAJSER

2022 MXGP WORLD CHAMPION

TOM VIALLE

2022 MX2 WORLD CHAMPION

“WE SELL WHAT WE RACE, WE RACE WHAT WE SELL”

S N R O O I T T I S E ED E U QO TH T ❝

Hey MXGP, could you please tell me where I can watch MXGP RAM Qualifying Races?

Matthieu:

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Hi Matthieu: , You can watch all the MXGP RAM Qualifying Races Live on MXGP-TV.com Thanks MXGP

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Hi MXGP, where can I see the Calendar of the season?

Julie

Hi Julie, you can see the calendar updated at https://www. mxgp.com/calendar Regards MXGP

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Hello MXGP, where can I buy tickets for the MXGP of Italy?

Vaclav

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Dear Vaclav, You can buy the tickets at https://maggioratickets. italianasoluzioni.com/artafiles/ maggiorapark/index.html Best Regards MXGP

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Hi there, I’m hesitating between the VIP Gold Skybox or Platinum Skybox Package for the MXoN, where can I see the details?

Declan Hello Declan : You can go at https://ticketsmxgp.com/en/60987-vipmxon-france/, you can check all the details you need about both packages to make a decision.

Thanks MXGP

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Hi MXGP, where is the best place to buy cool MXGP clothes?

Paulo

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Hi Paulo, The only official MXGP merchandising can be found at https://www.mxgp-store.com/ shop/. You can buy hoodies, windbreaker, accessories, sport bags, gloves and much more.

Thanks MXGP

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