MXGP #119 2023

#119 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 #119 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, As we are going through the summer, there is no rest for MXGP! We had a weekend off after the MXGP of Finland, and we are on the road again to join the beautiful Uddevalla track in Sweden.

IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO PROVIDE 360 DEGREES OF ENTERTAINMENT BASED ON THE MXGP UNIVERSE TO OUR FANS.

Last month has been full of action and we saw the comeback of the champions; the defending World Champion Tim Gajser joined the Grand Prix again in Loket, and Jeffrey Herlings rejoined the competition in Vantaa, Finland.

comeback of all the top and talented riders is a sign that the end of the season will be fantastic!

But the big performance of the month is for Romain Febvre, who managed to achieve five Grand Prix victories in a row. His fighting spirit is not to prove and there is no doubt that he will put everything into the chase of the world title with Jorge Prado. The Spanish rider is the leader of the MXGP Championship, 98 points ahead of Romain Febvre. He is showing race after race that he can handle the pressure and he is showing an impressive consistency during each racing weekend. The

During the MXGP of Czech Republic in Loket, we were honored by the visit of the President of the country, Mr. Petr Pavel, who is a true fan of motorcycle and Motocross. It is rewarding to bring the MXGP to this level of popularity, as it is opening once again new frontiers in the representation of our sport at the highest level of the State and government. I would like to thank the MotoClub of Loket for all their help and for the great welcome we all gave to Mr. Petr Pavel.

Then we travelled to Lommel for the MXGP of Flanders, and it was very special for many reasons. Firstly because for all the riders Lommel is always the most demanding Grand Prix on the calendar, probably the most difficult track to ride in the World in GP conditions! This year the track was totally revamped to bring new challenges to the competitors and to improve the visibility of the public. The result was just perfect, with great racing and one of the most attended Grand Prix we had in Lommel for years!

During the Flemish Grand Prix we had again the honor to host the Sport Minister of Flanders, Mr. Ben Weyts.

He could witness the the strong lineup of future Belgian stars in the MX2 class like Jago Geerts, Liam Everts, and Lukas and Sacha Coenen, there is no doubt that Belgium will have a great future in MXGP! The MX2 maybe faced a turning point in Vantaa during the MXGP of Finland. It was almost three decades that the World Championship didn’t come back to this historical track

next to the Helsinki airport. I have to congratulate and thank the MotoClub of Vantaa and its President Pasi Jaatinen, as they managed to organize a Grand Prix in less than six weeks after the cancelation of Hyvinkaa.

Jago Geerts was closing his gap on Andrea Adamo after his impressive race in Lommel, he was just 13 points away from the lead, but an unfortunate crash in the first heat of Sunday put him aside of the Finnish Grand Prix.

Andrea Adamo is now 60 points in front of Geerts and 87 from Liam Everts.

Last week we announced our new partnership with Nacon for the development of the MXGP Official Videogame for the next 5 years! As promoter, it is very important to provide 360 degrees of entertainment based on the

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MXGP universe to our fans.

The presence of a videogame is a need. I have no doubt that the result will be very realistic and that it will give a fantastic experience to the gamers!

In Lommel we also celebrated an impressive milestone for my father, Giuseppe Luongo: 40 Years of promoting Motocross.

He started in 1983, when he was 23 years old, with the dream of bringing this sport to more professionalism and to make it more popular in the World.

With his energy, passion, determination, here we are, four decades later, bringing the MXGP in four continents and making the TV production for millions of fans around the world. When he started managing the MXGP World Championship in 1996 there were 10 people, and now

we are more than 150 people organizing Grand Prix in more than 18 countries per year.

During the MXGP of Flanders, we had the time to celebrate this special moment with all the most important champions of our sport history, they were all present. And as we always said from the beginning, our aim is building the perfect scenario for the riders to shine!

Now we are in the last sprint of the season for the title chase with five Grand Prix to go before the race that will probably enter in the history by its attendance, the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations in Ernée – France on the 7/8th of October!

See you in Uddevalla!

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FIVE GRAND PRIX. THAT’S ALL THERE IS LEFT FOR MXGP AND MX2 RIDERS TO TRY TO MAKE A PLACE ON ONE OF THE PODIUM STEPS IN EACH CATEGORY... BUT ALSO TO TRY TO BRING HOME THE REWARD FOR THE FASTEST RIDER FROM THE START. BECAUSE THE FOX HOLESHOT CONTEST IS STILL FAR FROM HAVING DELIVERED ITS VERDICT. THE SUSPENSE THEREFORE REMAINS.

The morality of the fable “The Hare and the Tortoise” by the famous French poet Jean de la Fontaine is something like this: “Rushing is useless, one has to leave on time”. A saying that has not fallen on deaf ears, since Jeremy Seewer seems to have made his own this now popular expression, he who exceeded Jorge Prado in the number of Fox Holeshots gleaned for the first time during the Grand Prix of Finland. It was almost surprising as the Spaniard has dominated the discipline since the beginning of the season, as since 2017 when he registered his name for the first time on the reward list of the Fox race, to never leave it again.

But his rival decided to be faster in his starts. A visibly successful strategy, which allowed him to climb to the top of the Fox Holeshot standings, but also to

display much better statistics at the end of the race, synonymous with podiums on certain Grand Prix.

Seewer, leader for a time Thus, in Race 1 of the Grand Prix of the Czech Republic, the Monster Energy Yamaha rider saw JP61 first cross the white line of the initial curve first, before reacting in the second heat and in turn seizing the Holeshot.

A crucial catch, which allowed him to return to a length of his opponent, bringing his total to 8 against 9 for the Galician before the trip to Belgium. At Lommel, although he was able to return to a tie with Prado, thanks to an excellent start in Race 1, the No. 91 failed at the foot of the podium, finishing with places 5- 4. In the second race, it was the Spaniard Ruben Fernandez

who made the speed of his bike speak, to reach the white line in the lead and collect his first black plate of the season. At the time of taking part in Race 1 of Vantaa, Finland, back to square one for Jorge Prado, who had started the season dominating his contestants, before seeing the tireless Jeremy Seewer return.

The surprise was great when the Monster Energy rider took the lead of the Fox standings, passing the first corner in front of the rest of the pack. The GasGas rider reacted during the 2nd race by grabbing the black plate, as if to remind everyone that he made his own this competition and that he will not let it go easily.

At the time of taking the direction of Sweden, equality is perfect between Seewer and Prado (10-10). Therefore, there is little chance that others will join the battle for the Fox Award as both men have moved away from their pursuers (Glenn Coldenhoff is 21

3rd with three Fox Holeshots!).

It remains to be seen who will gain the upper hand. If Prado has a comfortable lead in the World Championship standings, it’s a safe bet that he will be more cautious approaching the end of the season, which could give the Swiss a significant advantage. On the other hand, Seewer still has the possibility to get on the overall podium and he will have to take risks to do so. But in Motocross, experience shows that risk must always be calculated. So, which of the two will have the last word? There are still five Grand Prix to find out…

Belgian has obtained seven black plates since the start of the season, closely followed

by Simon Laengenfelder, who passed the first corner five times in the lead. Not far away, Andrea Adamo and Lucas Coenen have three units each.

However, the Belgian rider of the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory was injured in Finland and the uncertainty about his return greatly compromises his chances of winning the double Fox Holeshot reward at the end of the season. It must be said that since the GP of Trentino, the game is wide open in this category that none of the riders has really managed to dominate.

Reshuffled cards In MX2, Jago Geerts’ lead in the Fox Holeshot standings remains slim, preventing any real speculation. Indeed, the

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In the last three rounds, Geerts stood out at Loket, crossing the white line first in Race 1, before being imitated by Laengenfelder one heat later.

Six for No. 93 against four for his rival, then a seventh black plate in Lommel, where the child of the country shone in front of his public. The other Holeshot was remarkably won by privateer Haakon Österhagen.

But in Vantaa, no Geerts in the Fox Holeshot standings. Starting badly in Race 1, he could not avoid Österhagen’s bike on the ground and finished under his own bike. Injury for the Belgian.

Confidence regained in several respects for Andrea Adamo, who took the black plate in Race 2, while Simon Laengenfelder grabbed it in the first heat. The Italian now has the opportunity to extend his lead in the World Championship standings if Geerts misses further GPs. And that necessarily goes through cannon starts. So, ready for the next Fox Holeshot?

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HEADS FULL OF WONDERFUL MEMORIES... THAT’S HOW THE TRIP BACK FROM INDONESIA BEGAN FOR MOST OF THE ACTORS IN THE MXGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP. FOR SOME, THINKING BACK ON THE GOOD TIMES SPENT ON THIS IMMENSE ASIAN ARCHIPELAGO MADE THE JOURNEY A LITTLE SHORTER. BUT AS SOON AS THEY LANDED IN EUROPE, IT WAS TIME TO GET BACK INTO THE SWING OF THINGS, BECAUSE THE SEASON IS FAR FROM OVER...

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After a few days off, the next stage of the program took the MX2 and MXGP riders to the Czech Republic.

Although less exotic, the destination is no less charming. On the edge of the Slavkov forest, about an hour and a half West of Prague, this picturesque village of a few thousand inhabitants owes its fame to the preservation of its medieval appearance, with its castle overlooking the landscape, estimated to date from the 12th century. A notoriety further enhanced by a scene shot in its main square by the film crew of Casino Royale (2006), in which James Bond made a remarkable arrival at the wheel of his legendary Aston Martin. However, in mid-July we’re not talking about cars, but about bikes. And as usual, our riders gave it their

was a success. all, under the watchful eye of the President of the Czech Republic, Petr Pavel, who came to admire the majestic curves of the Loket circuit on Saturday.

Tim is back!

The first piece of good news for the Czech public was the return of World Champion Tim Gajser. The Slovenian was eager to compete after a five-month convalescence following a fractured femur, and he made that clear right from the practice laps. Setting the fastest time in the Time Practice, the No. 243 then took 6th place in the MXGP RAM Qualifying Race, just behind Glenn Coldenhoff but ahead of Calvin Vlaanderen. And it didn’t take long for the Honda HRC rider to find his feet again.

Far from being shy, his 9th place in the first race was undoubtedly due to his lack of competition.

But beyond the performance, the essential was there: the comeback

A performance that Romain Febvre had to follow...out of the corner of his eye only! On mission, the Frenchman had just one objective: to turn his Indonesian double into a treble in the Czech Republic.

And if he succeeded in doing so, the main thing to remember is how close he came to scoring his first 1-1 finish of the season. Third in qualifying, the Kawasaki rider saw the Fox Holeshot slip from his grasp in Race 1, snatched by specialist Jorge Prado, before taking the lead ahead of the Spaniard, Glenn Coldenhoff, Calvin Vlaanderen and Jeremy Seewer. Speaking of the Swiss, he quickly took 4th place ahead of Calvin Vlaanderen, before setting off in pursuit of his teammate, whom he overtook in the second half of the heat.

Seewer then attacked Jorge Prado on Lap 14. Successfully. Second place for him behind Febvre, but ahead of Prado and Coldenhoff.

Calvin Vlaanderen secured a fine fifth place ahead of Honda HRC rider Ruben Fernandez.

In Race 2, the hardworking Jeremy Seewer came out on top at the first corner, ahead of Jorge Prado, Romain Febvre, Calvin Vlaanderen and Ruben Fernandez. In his side, Febvre quickly overtook Jorge Prado, followed a few moments later

by Calvin Vlaanderen. The dream of a double 1st place was ajar for the Kawasaki rider who took the lead when Seewer crashed early in the heat. Fifteen perfect laps for the Frenchman... until he slid out of a bend. The distance to his pursuers was too short. Febvre restarted 4th, under pressure from Tim Gajser.

If the Slovenian had overtaken him, the No. 3 would simply have lost 1st place in the overall standings to Jorge Prado, but this did not happen. The No. 3 held on.

He crossed the finish line on 4th.

Calvin Vlaanderen got his first race win this season, ahead of JP61 and JS91.

Geerts on the right track In the MX2 class, Jago Geerts won his fifth Grand Prix of the season. This success enabled him to take provisional third place in the Championship, while his team27

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mate Thibault Benistant was absent, suffering an injury in qualifying. In Race 1, the Belgian crossed the white line at Turn 1 first. Kevin Horgmo followed the No. 93 Monster Energy Yamaha throughout the race but was unable to put any pressure on him.

Sacha Coenen was initially third, but eventually succumbed to the onslaught of Kay de Wolf and Simon Laengenfelder. He finished 5th behind the Dutchman (3rd) and the German (4th), nevertheless signing his best race result of the season. Having got off to a very poor start, Andrea Adamo managed to climb close to the Top 10. But a contact with the Rick Elzinga forced him to start from scratch. He eventually finished Race 1 in 11th position but was downgraded two places then for not respecting waved yellows.

In Race 2, Simon Laengenfelder took the lead, followed by valiant privateer Mike Gwerder and Sacha Coenen. Jago Geerts spent the first few corners in 8th position, before quickly moving up to 4th ahead of Gwerder and Andrea Adamo. But the Italian rebelled regained the upper hand over the Belgian. On the following lap, Camden McLellan was overtaken by the No. 80. A few minutes later, Sacha Coenen and on Lap 11, Simon Laengenfelder could do nothing to counter the speed of the KTM rider, who officially took the lead until the checkered flag. In his side, the German settled for 2nd place, synonymous with the second step of the podium, behind Geerts, who eventually got 3rd place.

Fourth in the heat was Kay de Wolf, who finished 3rd overall.

Lommel, temple of Motocross It’s often said that the World Championship’s passage through Lommel is like no other stage. First, because most of the MXGP and MX2 riders live nearby or spend several weeks training offseason on this mythical track, so they feel right at home here, and that amplifies their desire to shine in front of a public among the finest connoisseurs of the discipline. You don’t need to be on the track to feel the fervor of the fans. The popular dimension of the event takes on its full meaning as soon as you enter the circuit. An almost entire town responded to make this event a real celebration, and no one was disappointed.

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At home, Jago Geerts had the perfect weekend, winning the RAM Qualifying Race and getting his fourth 1-1 finish of the season. Moreover, the Monster Energy Yamaha rider passed Kay de Wolf (who gave up in the first heat and didn’t take part in the second) in the Championship standings, while closing the gap on Championship leader Andrea Adamo to just 13 points. In Race 1, the No. 93 got off to the best start, ahead of Lucas Coenen, Andrea Adamo, Simon Laengenfelder and Oriol Oliver. Haakon Osterhagen tried to spoil the party in this top ranking, but soon found himself ejected from the Top 10. The battle for the first step of the podium was bound to be Belgian. Geerts and Lucas Coenen took on the roles of belligerents, making people forget that others were potentially chasing them. Unfortunately for the Husqvarna rider, he came across faster than him and had to settle for second place. Behind, Simon Laengenfelder and Andrea Adamo, who battled for quite a while, for third place.

The German finally had the last word, and Oriol Oliver took an honorable fifth place.

In Race 2, Jago Geerts got himself a new Fox Holeshot, crossing the white line ahead of Andrea Adamo, Simon Laengenfelder and the two EMX usual residents, Ferruccio Zanchi and Haakon Osterhagen. Unfortunately for the Norwegian, he soon found himself on the ground, as did Andrea Adamo, who left outside the Top 20. Sacha Coenen and Jan Pancar also tasted the Flemish sand from the first meters of the race.

For their part, Liam Everts and David Braceras joined the Top 5 after overtaking Zanchi. Andrea Adamo made a considerable effort to return to 12th position, but again the Sicilian lost his balance in the waves. He dropped out of the Top 15. On Lap 10, Simon Laengenfelder also made a mistake while falling, but the German got up in front of Lucas Coenen, who just worked hard to reach the 3rd place. The Belgian youngster agreed to go the extra mile, finally overtaking the GasGas rider to eventually take 2nd position behind Jago Geerts, who offered himself the luxury of taking a lap ahead of his main rival: Andrea Adamo.

An unusual guy In the highest class, Romain Febvre left everyone speechless. Easy winner of the first race, but out of the top 15 at the start of the second, the rider had to work hard to make one of the most epic 32

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comebacks in the history of the Motocross. Near the breaking point, he obliterated his rivals one by one, until joining a Jorge Prado undoubtedly still stunned by such a performance, just as the Grand Prix victory was in his grasp. Second with the 3-1 places, JP61 is however far from unworthy. In the first heat, his efforts to take third place from Calvin Vlaanderen on the final lap were far from going unnoticed. In Race 2, while starting 3rd, he beat Jeremy Seewer and Ruben Fernandez on the 1st lap, before pulling away. The rest is known to anyone.

Romain Febvre spoiled Prado’s party, taking a sufficient second place to allow him to obtain his fourth consecutive Grand Prix of the season.

Behind the two men, the Monster Energy Yamaha bikes of Jeremy Seewer and Glenn Coldenhoff put up a good fight, especially in Race 1 where the Swiss picked up his 9th Fox Holeshot.

With places 5-4, he finished just off the podium behind his teammate who is increasingly establishing himself as the second strongest man of the moment. Winner of the qualifying heat on Saturday, Glenn Coldenhoff (2-3) surprises with an obvious regularity and continues to climb the podiums with insolent confidence, which could open the door to one of the three top steps overall at the end of the season.

And never far from the front pack, Calvin Vlaanderen (4-5) rounded off the GP’s Top 5.

Back-to-back-to-back More than 1,500km as the crow flies from Lommel, in North-Eastern Europe, the Vantaa Moto Club track which backs onto Helsinki airport was preparing to host the last Grand Prix of July for its 70th anniversary. And if the sky was not festive on Saturday, with torrential rain that was on a par with some tropical storms, Sunday was more clement, allowing the Finnish spectators to witness a fine spectacle.

And all the ingredients were there to put the show on, starting from Jeffrey Herlings’ return to the competition. In convalescence since the GP of Germany, The Bullet no longer held in place, and therefore he has decided to make his comeback in Finland, refus-

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ing to see his name continually decline in the World Championship standings.

In Time Practice, the Dutchman took 1st place. The RAM Qualifying Race was more complicated for No. 84, who had to settle for 10th place and see Jorge Prado win it, ahead of Romain Febvre and Ruben Fernandez. Overall, Herlings came out of this GP with a fine fifth place, with the positions 8-4.

During the podium, the Marseillaise sounded for the fifth consecutive time with a delighted Romain Febvre, who therefore exceeded his personal best (he had won four Grand Prix in a row in 2015). On the track, there was relatively little suspense in the leading group during the two races. In the first, Jeremy Seewer took the lead over Febvre and Prado but was quickly overtaken by the Frenchie. Things didn’t change there anymore. In fourth place, Glenn Coldenhoff held his rank until the finish line. Fifth for a while, Ruben Fernandez suffered a heavy fall over his handlebars. Unable to get up, the Honda HRC rider was evacuated by the medical team. He did not take part in the second heat. Calvin Vlaanderen took his place in the Top 5.

In Race 2, Jorge Prado immediately took the lead ahead of Romain Febvre, Glenn Coldenhoff and Jeffrey Herlings.

The four were able to maintain their rank, only seconds apart but unable to attack each other. The fight was therefore played for fifth place. Contender for this position, Jeremy Seewer was overtaken by Tim Gajser and Calvin Vlaanderen at the start of the heat, before regaining the upper hand over the two men and sealing the Top 5.

Hope returns Leader of the MX2 World Championship since the Grand Prix of Germany, Andrea Adamo lived a nightmare on the sands of Lommel. After the Belgian GP, the KTM rider could feel the breath of Jago Geerts on his neck again, after having conceded 24 points to him. And the dynamic was clearly not in his favor when he arrived on Suomi land. But the boy has pride and he made it known to the most skeptical observers, signing the first 1-1 of his career ahead of Simon Laengenfelder and Liam Everts.

The fall of Jago Geerts greatly helped the Italian in his business. Poorly ranked at the start of Race 1, Geerts 36

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was closely following Haakon Osterhagen… before the Norwegian fell, dragging his opponent’s Yamaha to the ground. The toll was heavy. New fracture on the collarbone for the n°93 who left the track and did not take part in Race 2. Surely aware of the situation, while chasing Simon Laengenfelder, Adamo wasted no time in attacking the German rider and passing him on lap 3 to get the lead. Behind them, Liam Everts and Kevin Horgmo had a fairly calm race and finished 3rd and 4th respectively. Lucas Coenen made a fantastic comeback and finished 5th of this Race, after having been 11th at the end of Lap 1.

In Race 2, Liam Everts took the lead ahead of Rick Elzinga, Sacha Coenen, Andrea Adamo and Kevin Horgmo.

But from the second lap, the Italian had yet disposed of Coenen and Elzinga, then set off in pursuit of No. 72. This is the moment chosen

by Lucas Coenen to enter the scene.

Passing his twin, the Husqvarna boy launched into a battle with the Monster Energy Yamaha of Elzinga, managing to outflank him in 7th lap and thus taking 3rd position behind Everts and Adamo. For his part, the Championship leader rushed into a breach in his teammate’s defensive system to definitively take 1st place.

Adamo-Everts-Coenen... it could have formed a very nice trio when they crossed the finish line. However, Simon Laengenfelder did not hear it that way. Returning to 4th position after considerable work, the German rider made short work of the two Belgians, to eventually finish 2nd of the race...and 2nd overall. The advantage for 3rd place turned in favor of Lucas Coenen, but it was the official KTM rider who took the 3rd step of the podium with the positions 3-4 against 5-3 for his opponent. Rick Elzinga closed the Top 5 of the race.

Jago Geerts out, Andrea Adamo was able to regain a 60-point lead in the Championship. Currently third, Liam Everts could take 2nd place at the Grand Prix of Sweden if his compatriot is still convalescent. Same factory but different injury, Thibault Benistant was taken 5th place by a Simon Laengenfelder who already has his sights set on 4th position from Kay de Wolf,

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FIM MOTOCROSS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

RESULTS

Behind The Gate Episode 14 | Shifting Sands

Behind The Gate Episode 14 – Shifting Sands is out!

THE SERIES TRAVEL TO THE HISTORICAL SAND TRACK OF LOMMEL AND WITNESSES THE WINNING STREAK OF FEBVRE AND GEERTS EXTENDING! Witness greatness with one of the most heroic charges ever seen in Lommel. Febvre giving his absolute all to win a Grand Prix on the toughest motocross track in the world. Live that historical GP through the eyes of Febvre himself and his training coach and former champion Kevin Strijbos!

The pressure and intensity in MX2 reach a peak as every rider fight for every positions.

Jago Geerts’ relentless march forward to victories makes Andrea Adamo doing his best to stay at the top. Lucas Coenen gets only satisfied by winning while Kay de Wolf has to ride to the limit of his physical condition!

The BTG Series strikes again with a unique perspective of the Monster Energy MXGP of Flanders!

Behind The Gate – Episode 14| Watch one of the most thrilling Grand Prix of the season in MXGP with an insatiable Romain Febvre!

Fourteenth Episode out! 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 @ktmfactoryracing Here’s to making more dreams come true! �

@jagogeerts93 Big surprise.�

With @AndreaAdamo80 currently leading the MX2 World Championship, there’s no better time to announce that we’ve extended our contract with the red plate holder!

@lucascoenen96 P2! At my home gp � Thanks to all the fans you where

My bike is in different colours to start a year long celebration of 50 years of YZ

@jorgeprado61 Glad to be another weekend the driver with the most points at a Grand Prix.

We keep adding up and widening the distance.

We’re off to Lommel @yamahafactorymxgp Back on the podium at the @mxgp of Lommel. @ glenncoldenhoff finished third overall with a 2-3 in the motos!

FIM Junior Motocross World Championship 2023 Bucharest: Watch the best of the 2023 FIM Junior Motocross World Championship in Bucharest in the News Highlights of the weekend!

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@mxgp Great moments at the @ twin_air signing session with KTM riders @ andreaadamo80 @liam_ everts72@sachacoenen79

@tiga243 Many mistakes, crashes, burn my hand in the race... not the best weekend for me � Focus to next one �� MXGP of Finland

@romainfebvre 1-2 for 1st Overall!

Thoughest track of the season!

4 GP Win in the row!

Frenchman to win �� times Lommel!

@airoh_racing @pierregoupillon is the 2023 EMXOPEN champion!� Congratulation Pierre!

GoPro Lap | MXGP of Czech Republic 2023: Jump on Board with Tim Gajser for a lap around the amazing Loket track!

44 Minutes Behind the Gate | FIM Junior Motocross World Championship 2023 Bucharest: Watch the 44 minutes program gives behind the scenes footage of the event as well as racing highlights, GoPro Laps and more. Immerse yourself into the FIM Junior Motocross World Championship NOW!

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

@casvalk172 European champion 2stroke!� Perfect weekend going 1-1 in the moto’s� Thanks @ fanticracing_mx /@t_sani98 43

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ROMAIN FEBVRE IS THE RIDER OF THE MOMENT AND THE ONE WHO FOUND THE WINNING COMBINATION TO WIN 5 GRAND PRIX IN A ROW. THIS IS AN INCREDIBLE FEAT THAT NOT MANY RIDERS HAVE ACHIEVED IN MXGP OVER THE LAST 25 YEARS.

Over the last 25 years, those who manage at least 4 victories in a row are Stefan Everts, Antonio Cairoli, Tim Gajser and Jeffrey Herlings. We can now count Febvre amongst these astonishing riders thanks to his first GP win of the 2023 season in Sumbawa-Indonesia that began his historical winning streak.

Since then, he climbed on the top step of the podium another 4 times with the Grand Prix of Lombok-Indonesia, Czech Republic, Flanders and Finland.

These wins were not without adversity and challenges for Febvre, who had to fight his way to the top. Being now second in the Championship behind Jorge Prado, Febvre is one of the few riders who can put pressure on

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In 2023, Pyrhönen is delighted to have found the winning combination: been among the top riders. That’s without a question.” the Red Plate holder and disrupt the hierarchy installed by the Spaniard since the beginning of the season.

About his astonishing performance at the Monster Energy MXGP of Flanders in Lommel, Pyrhönen explained:

This winning streak showed that the Frenchman has all the tools in hands and the mental to keep performing and this is what his Team Manager at Kawasaki Racing Team, Antti Pyrhönen, thinks of his current performance:

“Romain got a little bit squeezed in at the first corner, so he needed to start from P24 and he came through the pack. In my opinion, it was his best ride ever and it was incredible to see. He definitely deserved the GP win.”

“Romain does an incredible work at the moment and first of all, he’s healthy, he’s fit, and the confidence is growing. He’s really gelling with the bike and the team. He’s on a good position and we, as a team, are finding all the fine tuning of this great motorbike we have. We have been working really hard for years and all winter, and now the results are visible. He has been battling all year already for podiums and wins and he has

Adding to the story, he reminded that Febvre “had a very serious injury at the Paris Supercross in Autumn 2021 and it took a long time to recover from that serious leg injury and he returned back to GPs halfway last season. His return was already amazing. Directly last year in Teutschenthal on the first race, he finished P4 overall and he podiumed the last race in Turkey which was amazing, considering where he came from.”

“We have a brand-new motorbike, the KX450SR factory bike and the involvement of the Kawasaki Japanese R&D has been enormous and the work they have done for us is priceless.

So they really put all their power to keep the best possible bike for Romain. In my opinion we have the best combo at this moment with Romain and our bike, and you can see it in the results.”

For Romain Febvre, things are looking good and the satisfaction of these recent victories are something that with his great experience, the rider of the month knows he needs to cherish and enjoy.

MXGP: You were chasing after your first Grand Prix win since the beginning of the season and all of sudden you won 5 in a row, did you change anything in your approach, on the bike?

R.F: Nothing stopped me from winning really, it’s just that for 51

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a while I found it hard to get 2 rounds in a row right. Each time there was one better than the other, and obviously it was complicated to get an overall win.

Being on the podium was fine, but winning was complicated.

After that, we were still quite concentrated on developing the bike.

We were finding improvements race after race, so that was good. After that it wasn’t all overnight but it was a case of little things, one by one. Why Indonesia? I don’t know, it’s just that I felt really good. I had a good feeling there since last year, I liked the circuit and the conditions, too. My speed was higher than the others and obviously I won. But when you start winning, it gives you confidence no matter what happens. Even if one day you’re not so good during a practice or a qualifying race, you say to yourself, “OK, tomorrow I’ve got the speed”, I mean, you feel good and that gives you a certain control over the races and let’s say, it’s reassuring. You know you can win.

MXGP: Amongst the 5 wins, which one do you think was the most difficult and which one was the most exhilarating?

R.F: Well, the most difficult was Lommel, that’s for sure, because on the second race I didn’t make life easy for myself by starting so far back. In the straight I wasn’t too bad but as I was on the inside, it got crowded in the first corner and I ended up in the sand. But I did really well and rode really well, so that was the hardest one. The most exciting victory? Well, all of them in fact, because it’s the same great feeling every time I win.

MXGP: Looking at the names of the riders who have won 5 GPs in a row in MXGP over the last 25 years, we have Antonio Cairoli, Tim Gajser, Stefan Everts and Jeffrey Herlings.. How does it feel to be with them now?

R.F: Yeah, it’s true there aren’t many of them, but 5 in a row is something, that’s for sure. It’s really cool, and what’s more is that it’s on really different terrains. In Indonesia, the 2 circuits suited everyone. After that we were on a super-hard circuit in Loket, slippery and all that, and then we found ourselves in the sand. So that was

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something completely different and it showed that I’m good everywhere.

discouraged. The aim is to do the best you can every time, to give 100%.

MXGP: You’ve got a lot of determination. You seem to only care about the first place?

MXGP: It is going to be hard to get Prado this year. But are you setting yourself goals right up to the end of season?

R.F: Yeah, you could say that, I always want to be on the podium at least. Frankly, it’s good for me and for the Team, that’s for sure. After that, of course, when you win or make the podium, when you set yourself a goal and you achieve it, the important is to not go back down and stay at the top to stay happy. On the other hand, there’s only one way to go and that’s to do less well. When you win, you can’t do any better, so that’s what you have to prepare yourself for, and that also comes with the experience of knowing that if I have a less successful Grand Prix and I don’t win, you mustn’t give up or get

R.F: Yes, the aim is to try and win as many races and Grand Prix as possible. That’s how I see the end of my season, firstly because it’s the only way I can try and fight against Prado, but secondly, I know very well that now we’re 5 Grand Prix away from the end, I know it’s going to get complicated because he’s got a large point lead. But my aim again is to win as many races and Grand Prix as possible.

MXGP: Are you looking ahead to next year?

R.F: Not right now, no, I’ll look ahead to next year later, but right now I just need to concentrate. I’m still 2nd in the

championship that’s not bad at all. That’s it, if I can stay second and keep on winning, that would be already great and I’d be happy.

What a milestone it is to get 5 Grand Prix wins in a row, a personal record for Romain Febvre who has definitely written his name even more into motocross history and alongside the greatest riders of the sport.

One thing is certain is that he will not stop to chase after victories.

The French rider will see the next Grand Prix as other opportunities to extend his personal record of GP victories in a row.

Going into the next Grand Prix in Sweden, Febvre can be proud of being the MXGP rider with the most GP wins so far in 2023 with 5, a statistic that, if he continues to perform on that level, could well be his silver lining at the end of the season if he does not win the Title.

LIVE THE VIP EXPERIENCE 6-7-8 OCTOBER 2023

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

G A

O G N O U L E P P E S GIU …

Y T R O F AT

ON THE EVE OF THE MONSTER ENERGY MXGP OF FLANDERS, RIDERS PAST AND PRESENT, TEAMS, TEAM OWNERS, PARTNERS AND STAFF ALL CAME TOGETHER AT THE VIP SKYBOX RESTAURANT FOR A NIGHT OF CELEBRATION TO COMMEMORATE FORTY YEARS OF SPORTS PROMOTIONS BY INFRONT MOTO RACING PRESIDENT GIUSEPPE LUONGO, THE ITALIAN MAESTRO WHO TRANSFORMED MOTOCROSS AS WE KNEW IT, INTO THE SPORT WE SEE TODAY. WITH SO MANY PEOPLE PRESENT, IT WAS FORESEEN THAT IT WAS GOING TO BE A LONG NIGHT, AND IT WAS.

It’s not often that someone comes along, takes a look at something, comes up with a plan and sees it through to the very end, but that is exactly what Giuseppe Luongo did forty years ago.

A self-confessed motocross fan and wannabe-racer, as a kid he would visit motocross races wishing that one day he could be just like them.

Some of us though are not quite cut out to be the next big thing, but it’s how you address it that matters, as Mr. Luongo pointed out in his speech: ‘My dream was to be a rider but frankly, I am much better as a promotor than a rider! I was not a very good rider, so for this I think it was better I do something else for motocross.’

Fortunately, Giuseppe realised quite quickly that his future in motocross was not as a racer, and as time went by it soon became apparent to him that something was missing. Yes, we had the stars of the 1970’s, but he still felt there was more to bring to this wonderful sport of motocross that we all know and love so much. Giuseppe Luongo was about to embark on a journey as promoter.

A brief history Giuseppe Luongo began organising and promoting international events in 1983. The first international event was in Ponte a Egola, Italy, in August 1983, which was a huge success with more than 20.000 spectators. Following on from that he went on to create his own company GLO (Giuseppe Luongo Organization) and organized two of the most popular series of that era, the ‘Masters of Motocross’ and ‘SuperMotocross’ in Italy. After taking charge of these International Motocross events, Mr. Luongo reached a turning point in his career when he promoted the successful 1986 Motocross of Nations, which took place in Maggiora, Italy. In the years that followed history has been made with the foundation of Action Group first and the signature of the agreement with the FIM first to manage the television rights of the FIM Motocross World Championship, then to manage the full promotion of the Supercross and Motocross World Championships. The actions taken during these 40 years saw the rise of the FIM Motocross World Championship

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to high standards level that no one could have imagined at the time.

Of those events listed above, one event stood out more than any other that Giuseppe had organized previously, and it was the 1986 Motocross of Nations at Maggiora in Italy. It wasn’t just the fact that the American ‘Dream Team’ of David Bailey, Ricky Johnson and Johnny O’Mara completely dominated, although it certainly helped when organizing future MXoN events. It was more than that, and for those who were present in Italy on that historic day, they will tell you that the crowd and the atmosphere was like nothing ever witnessed before.

Whatever it was, it was magical and still to this day, the ’86 ‘Nations at Maggiora is much talked about as if it was only yesterday. Luongo proved to be a great success, and he was now well and truly on his way to re-shaping the FIM Motocross World Championship.

Other huge successes came in 1998, 1999 and 2000 when he decided to organize an American-style supercross in the French capital, Paris. He was keen on taking Supercross to another level by putting on the biggest supercross that Europe had ever seen. The venue was Le Stade de France, with more than 53,000 spectators. With the top supercross riders from the USA and Europe’s finest riders as well, it was another resounding success.

Live television By now he had added a new ingredient, which was live television, and as a fan first and foremost, it was TV which he felt had been missing.

But it wasn’t going to be easy: ‘I was like many of you, I wanted to make motocross better and bigger than the time it was at the end of the ‘70s, beginning of ‘80s. And the first things I understand, was the television. I was a little bit a fan of Bernie Ecclestone (F1), and Bernie Ecclestone understood everything because he put the television closer to the sport. Our sport is fantastic, because you need the talent, the

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physical preparation, it’s a very complete, tough sport. Our riders, our athletes, they are very unique and very athletic like those who make the Olympics, so it’s very strong preparation. But, it was a sport which was not well known, and from the beginning I was thinking that if we bring this sport to the television, we could have a chance to make it better.’

However, attracting live television was easier said than done. Yes, some countries would show its home grand prix live on Sunday afternoon, but the series itself was not live on TV every weekend like Formula 1, for example. The circuits at the time were long, would disappear through forests; fans could camp track-side and enjoy barbecues while the racing was on, and the promotional banners which were made of cloth looked good at the start of the weekend, but by the end of event, were non-existent as they had been damaged or became unrecognisable on muddy weekends. So, this was an area which Giuseppe focussed on, to try to figure out how branding could be improved, how circuits could be improved and how the show could be enjoyed by an even bigger audience: ‘The tracks from 40 years ago, they were like a country party.

It was nice, but it was another world. We needed to pay the production, we needed to create a product and go to the television with something that was ready and propose, and so this it was.

But, everything really started for the love of this sport and I want to say thank you to the riders.’

And as far as TV goes, from the early 2000’s we could watch the FIM Motocross World Championship live, every weekend and on multiple sports networks as well and by 2013, Giuseppe Luongo’s Youthstream Organisation allowed us to watch the GP’s via livestream. Back then it was known as MX-LIFE.TV but today we know it as MXGP-TV. COM where you get to choose how you watch each race, either 66

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LIVE or On Demand. He’s been a very busy man this past forty years!

The show When you compare the FIM Motocross World Championship today to where it was in the 1970’s, it is clear to see how Luongo’s vision has been met. But he never stopped investing, never stopped improving.

Even when you cast your minds back to the mid-nineties and early 2000’s when the ‘Pit Lane’ was a series of team-branded EasyUp’s - this was the beginning of what we have now. It might look dated now, but it was a simple solution which brought another element of professionalism to the table, and provided somewhere for the riders and mechanics to make changes to the bike or come in for goggles. Prior to this, it was a cordoned-off area on the start straight, which is also where mechanics used to pit-board the riders. So, providing a designated area was more professional and also safer for everybody.

We have seen the introduction of the single-storey Pit Lane, which was increased to a two-story framework, with the podium being transformed from just a podium to a VIP viewing area now referred to as the SkyBox. The podium is how a world championship podium should be, high up where everyone can witness the top three riders in their moment of glory. And below the podium and SkyBox, the waiting zone where riders can also take shelter before the start of the race.

It’s not just the infrastructure either, it’s also how the Paddock has been transformed over the years to where it is now. By the end of the ‘90s we could see American-style semi-rigs being driven into the venues, which meant one vehicle could house two or more riders under the awning.

Less vehicles, more exposure. The introduction of team hospitality areas has also brought interest from outside the sport, and the VIP SkyBox restaurant is not only a place where sponsors and partners can meet, but it is accessible to anybody who wants to treat themselves to that something special on a grand

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prix weekend. Race trucks are also ever-changing and all adds to the higher professional outlook within the paddock. And all of this was the vision of Giuseppe Luongo, during the past forty years. He is always very open to innovation, while respecting the roots and soul of Motocross at all times.

The celebration When the guests arrived at the SkyBox restaurant, we were greeted with aperitifs, and nibbles, before venturing inside for a sitdown meal. Giuseppe addressed the audience and reminisced about some of the things we have already highlighted in this article. There was also a video where distinguished guests, who were unable to make the trip to Belgium, paid tribute to ‘Mr. Motocross’ with various stories and anecdotes. The list was impressive and included messages from SAS Prince Albert II, the FIM President Mr. Jorge Viegas to former riders such as Roger DeCoster and David Thorpe. Other guest’s speeches were made by Philippe Blatter - Infront President and CEO, Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta and Stefano Domenicali the CEO of F1. Former FIM Presidents, CMS Director’s and CEO’s also had their say along with Mitch Covington, Monster Energy Senior Vice President of Sports Marketing, Eric De Seynes, President and CEO of Yamaha Motor Europe and Senior Executive Officer of Yamaha Motor Co LTD, and Pit Beirer KTM Motorsports Director. From the Paddock, guests included Stefan Everts and Antonio Cairoli, who gifted Mr. Luongo with a replica of the official MXGP trophy, Jeffrey Herlings, Tim Gajser, Romain Febvre, Jorge Prado, Harry Everts, Joel Smets, Michele Rinaldi, Jacky Vimond, Sylvain Geboers and the FMB President Jos Driessen to name just a few.

Everyone present paid homage to Giuseppe Luongo with a standing applause of more than 5 minutes,

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and emotions were running high in the room.

support shown to him over the past forty years:

FIM Europe President Mr. Michal Sikora was also on hand to present Mr. Luongo with a special award, along with these kind worlds:

‘I really want to say thank you to all of you and to all the partners.

To the manufacturers who put their belief in us and who invest a lot of money in this sport, and to support our fantastic riders.

For sure Mitch Covington, thank you very much. What you said before touched me very much, we have a partner like Monster Energy which is fantastic, they are in motocross because they love motocross, because in the blood of Mitch and all of the directors of Monster, they have motocross inside. And frankly, this helps very much because Monster is not only with us, it’s with the teams, it’s with the riders, it’s with many activities and many young riders. We also promote the European Championships, to create a pyramid. This is very important because we need to invest in the young. We need to give the young a stage to grow up, and we now see every year

‘On behalf of the FIM President Mr. Jorge Viegas and myself, I would like to congratulate you for these many years in this sport; it was a really tough work to bring your vision to bring everything together and to make motocross one of the most important and attractive sports in the world.

‘I would like to thank you for that. But also, I have to mention that Mr. Luongo is always a good partner for FIM and FIM Europe, and last but not least a really good friend, so thank you for everything and I wish you 40 years more in our beloved sport.

Thank you very much.’

Before we sat down to eat, Mr. Luongo offered his thanks for the

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many young riders come and so that’s great.’

‘But, you know, the thing which I learnt in forty years, is you cannot do anything alone, and I learnt this many times. The little stone of everybody is very important for the success, now we have a lot of media attention and after the covid pandemic, the public has come back. We have really a lot of people and the level of the riders is higher and higher, the level of the motorcycle is unbelievable, also the technical effort they do. So, this is all thank you to the work we do together.’

On behalf of everyone at Infront Moto Racing, the FIM, all of the riders and teams, manufacturers, partners, media and fans, we say ‘thank you Giuseppe’, for all the hard work and sacrifice over the past forty years, for daring to dream big and for changing the sport of motocross forever. Be sure to know that MXGP is in safe hands, and we look forward to the next forty years.

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VALIN, HEITINK AND CIRULIS TOP IN ROMANIA 74

THE 2023 FIM JUNIOR MOTOCROSS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP AND WORLD CUP REUNITED THE BEST YOUNG RIDERS IN THE WORLD TO COMPETE OVER A WEEKEND IN WHAT IS THE PINNACLE OF THE MOTOCROSS FOR ALL ASPIRING YOUNG TALENTS. THE CIRCUIT OF TCS RACING PARK NEAR BUCHAREST IN ROMANIA WAS CHOSEN TO WITNESS ALL THE WONDER THAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN DURING THAT SPECIAL WEEKEND.

these young champions could take in the future.

Every single rider in the Junior Motocross World Championship and World Cup sees an opportunity to shine and put their hands on silverware. This is also an important event that allows riders to get noticed as future prospects in the world of motocross. A prestigious victory in that competition is a stamp of quality, determination, skills and composure that are the marks of the champions in motocross.

The importance of this event can be seen through the prism of the past champions of the competition in 125cc, 85cc and 65cc, which include the likes of Jeffrey Herlings, Tim Gajser, Jorge Prado, Eli Tomac, Jordi Tixier, Jett Lawrence, Maxime Renaux, Jago Geerts and Pauls Jonass among others, and it gives a clear indication of what kind of path

Regarding the 2023 edition, the pool of riders arrived to the TCS Racing Park, which is regarded as one of the best motocross tracks in Eastern Europe. In 2004 the track hosted the FIM Motocross World Championship MX3 and European Motocross Championship (85cc).

The winner of the 85cc race was Marvin Musquin, who battled with Alessandro Lupino.

The other thing that adds to the significance of the biggest junior motocross event of the season is that the young 125cc, 85cc and 65cc riders were not only competing for their individual glory but also for their country. At the end of the weekend, the best Nation was to be crowned, determined by taking the best three results of its riders, the best results in the 65cc, 85cc and the 125cc classes.

The opening ceremony took place on the Friday in the Promenáda Mall in Bucharest, where 226 riders from 38 nations from all over the world including those making the long trip from Australia, USA, South Africa and Latin America were presented to the large local crowd that came to get a glimpse at the future stars of motocross.

The ceremony started off with an introduction of the FIM Junior Motocross Championship which was then followed by speeches from the Organizers Cristian Popescu and Adrian Raduta, Romanian Motorcycling Federation President Cristian Muresan along with FIM Junior Motocross World Championship General Manager Patricia Maskarova and FIM/CMS Director Antonio Alia Portela.

The team presentation followed the speeches and everyone present could then admire the impressive traditional folk dancing performance from the Ansamblu Folcloric Gorgota, who came from the village next to the TCS Racing Park track.

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On Saturday, the first racing day with the Qualifying Races set the tone for the weekend. In 125cc, it was one of the big favourites for the title and current leader of the EMX125 presented by FMF Racing Janis Reisulis, who was the fastest of the pack with 1:51.221 placing him in front of Nicola Salvini second and the Hungarian Noel Zanocz third.

Meanwhile in 65cc, Latvian rider Patricks Cirulis claimed the top spot of the qualifying race with 2:07.349 ahead of his brother Martins Cirulis and the French rider Tim Lopes.

Sunday was the deciding racing day which was introduced by an amazing Opening Ceremony where the Romanian National Anthem was sung by Silvia Bordainu to begin the festivities following by an incredible Aero Show. Many prices were given by Romanian Motorcycling Federation President Cristian Muresan during the Ceremony who offered celebratory plates to FIM Junior Motocross World Championship General Manager Patricia Maskarova and Organizers Cristian Popescu and Adrian Raduta.

Following the first celebrations it was time for all the races to start.

In 125cc race one, it was Mathis Valin who clinched the first Fox Holeshot of the day and continued with the lead to display a confident performance and never gave up the lead to win race one. One of the big contenders and the one who topped the Qualifying race on Saturday, Janis Reisulis went down early, which hindered his chance to win the race but still managed the 7th place in the end with an incredible and resolute comeback.

While Valin was cruising to victory, a great battle was raging for the 2nd place between the Italians Simone Mancini, Nicola Salvini and the Australian Jake Cannon. The last word went to Mancini who got up to 3rd and kept going until the chequered flag. Salvini settled for 3rd and Cannon for 4th.

In race two, Maximilian Werner came out of the gate the fastest to take the FOX Holeshot but it was once again Valin who took the lead after few corners. However, this time Reisulis made a good start and quickly put pressure on the young French rider in a remake of the battles we are used to

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witness between them this season in EMX125 presented by FMF Racing.

Reisulis managed to pass and kept the lead until the end to win race two while Valin settled for 2nd, knowing he would be the World Champion at the end with this position. Behind them was Francisco Garcia, who rode superbly to come from the back to steal the 3rd place to Cannon on the last lap. Cannon finished 4th for the second time of the day.

With a 1-2, Mathis Valin was crowned the 125cc FIM Junior World Champion to get his gold medal, while race two winner Janis Reisulis finished with the silver medal in front of Simone Mancini who secured the bronze medal.

In 85cc in race one, the Fox Holeshot was taken by Ryan Oppliger, as the young Swiss took the lead, but he could not do anything to hold Dani Heitink who passed him. The young Dutch managed to control the race until the end to win the first race in front of Oppliger. Dex Kooiker was 3rd for the first five laps, but had to unexpectedly retire from the race which gave Dean Gregoire the opportunity to finish 3rd in the end.

One of the favourites, Jarne Bervoets did not have the best start and had to battle to go from 11th to 6th in the end.

In the second race, the Austrian Ernecker Moritz took the second FOX Holeshot but Bervoets this time took the lead quickly after that and showed an immense performance to win with an 8-seconds gap in front of Heitink. Heitink rode also superbly and fought his way to the 2nd place after finding himself 5th in the opening lap. Gregoire showed some good speed once again and managed to finish at a good and comfortable 3rd place again while Moritz had to settle for 4th.

An excellent 1-2 meant that Dani Heitink was crowned the 2023 85cc FIM Junior Motocross World Champion in front of Jarne Bervoets, who showed all his talent in race two to win it and get the second place overall. Dean Gregoire showed consistency to go 3-3 and get the 3rd place overall.

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In the 65cc race one, the young Latvian Patricks Cirulis went on to take the first FOX Holeshot and kept going at the lead during the whole 8 laps to win the race. Behind him Rainers Grasis also got a very good start in 2nd position and kept this rank until the end in front of Easton Graves, who also rode the whole race in 3rd position. Kenzo Jaspers made a remarkable comeback after an average start that saw him going from 9th in the opening lap to finish 4th in the end.

In race two, Cirulis showed that he was a head above again, as he took his second FOX Holeshot of the day and took the lead to keep going with his strong pace until the chequered flag. Graves managed to make a good pass early to move up to 2nd and kept that position until the end while it was a great challenging race for Francesco Assini, who made several overtakes to go from 6th to 3rd in the end. Starting very well and finding himself 2nd over the first lap Tim Lopes had to concede few places to finish 4th in the end.

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A perfect score and a perfect weekend from the young Latvian Patrick Cirulis who dominantly won and was crowned the 2023 65cc World Cup Winner in front of the great and consistent performer, the American Easton Graves with 3-2 synonymous of silver medal.

With his excellent race two, Assini Francesco made it to the third step of the podium.

In the nations’ classifications, it was Team Italy who came out victorious. Although there weren’t Italian riders on the top step of the podium, the solid line-up delivered solid results throughout all categories to win the overall with 10 points in front of Team Netherlands second with 17 points and followed by Team France in third with 19 points.

Team Italy was also declared the winners of the Ride Green Cup for showing their incredible commitment to protecting their environment.

2022 Junior World Championship Nations Top 5 Classifications:

1. Italy 10p 2. Netherlands 17 3. France 19 4. USA 25p 5. Latvia 30p The 26 minutes programme of the FIM Junior Motocross World Championship will soon be broadcasted and will go online on MXGP-TV.com showing the full highlights of this great event.

The 2023 edition of the Junior Motocross World Championship and World Cup was a complete success and delivered an amazing show that will be remembered for a long time. The TCS Racing Park in Romania provided the perfect ground for all the young riders to express themselves to the fullest along with a celebratory and festive atmosphere. In the end Mathis Valin in 125cc and Dani Heitink in 85cc can now proudly call themselves Junior World Champions, while Patricks Cirulis is the 65cc World Cup Winner.

TIM GAJSER

2022 MXGP WORLD CHAMPION

TOM VIALLE

2022 MX2 WORLD CHAMPION

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

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E M A F F O

TITLE KEVIN STRIJBOS TWICE VICE WORLD CHAMPION IN THE MAIN CLASS AND WINNER OF THE 2004 MOTOCROSS OF NATIONS WITH TEAM BELGIUM, KEVIN STRIJBOS IS A FAMILIAR FACE IN THE MXGP PADDOCK. DURING MORE THAN TWENTY SEASONS HE RACED THE GP’S AND SINCE HIS RETIREMENT AT THE END OF THE 2021 SEASON, HE SHARES HIS EXPERIENCE WITH THE KAWASAKI RACING TEAM RIDERS. Born on 13th August 1985 in Geel, Kevin was only three years old when his parents offered him his first bike. Not a real surprise as his father was himself a racer, and as soon as he was allowed to race in Belgium, he took part to his first competitions, winning his first races and his first National titles in the 65cc, 85cc small wheels and big wheels’ classes!

In 1998 he went racing in the Netherlands and got another title there, and for the first time he entered the European championship. Vice champion in 1999 (80cc) and 2000 (125cc), he also did a few 125cc GP’s that year, scoring his first point in Finland just after celebrating his fifteenth birthday. He finally clinched the 125cc European title in 2001 and raced more GP’s, to enter the top twenty of the series with a sixth position at Lierop as best result.

Moving on private Suzuki in 2002, he raced again the 125cc World Championship, but also entered the 250cc Belgian GP,

where he scored a sixth position! It was enough to convince Sylvain Geboers to sign him in the factory team alongside Michael Pichon.

After obtaining top five results several times in 2003, he had to develop the 450cc Suzuki with Joel Smets in 2004, when the race format was back to two motos instead of one. It was a good season for Kevin, who won his first GP motos at Gallarate and Uddevalla, enjoyed twice the podium that season in Lichtenvoorde and Gallarate to finish fifth in the World Championship. Kevin got selected for the first time to race the Motocross of Nations with the Belgian team, and ended the season on top of the podium alongside Stefan Everts and Steve Ramon.

The 2005 season was a mixed of joy and tears for Kevin, who got his first GP win in Loket but also missed seven rounds of the series due to injuries.

Sixteenth overall, he could only do better in 2006; very 85

consistent as he finished all the motos and went six times on the podium, he got his best ever result with a second position in the championship behind Stefan Everts, who retired at the end of the season. Considered by many as the next Everts, Kevin confirmed his ambition with a second position in Spain and a win in Portugal to be a title contender against Joshua Coppins and Steve Ramon.

Unfortunately, a knee injury forced him to miss the French and Bulgarian GP’s and even if he won three other GP’s when he came back, he couldn’t beat his teammate and was again runner up in the championship.

He moved to Kawasaki in 2008 and he had a bad season due to injuries, and 2009 was not better for him on a Honda.

When Sylvain Geboers approached him to be back with Suzuki, Kevin took the opportunity to rebound, but again he was affected by injuries. In 2012 in Latvia he won his first heat since 2007, and finally it was in 2013 that he could do a full season and enjoy the podium ceremonies at five rounds of the series. Fourth in the championship, he did even better in 2014, with seven podiums and a bronze medal; later that season he ended on the podium at the MXoN with team Belgium, for the fourth time in his career. In 2015 he won one moto in Italy, and in 2016 he won his sixth and last MXGP at Lommel, always with Suzuki. His last podium appearance would be at the 2019 Motocross of Nations, when team Belgium finished runner up behind the Netherlands.

Kevin finally retired at the end of 2021, and immediately joined KRT to coach the riders. Maybe he will get that world title which is missing at his scoreboard in his new role?

Text and Photos: Pascal Haudiquert

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1988:

4th in the 80 European Championship (Suzuki)

1999:

80 World Champion (Suzuki) 80 European vice Champion

2000:

2nd in the 125 European Championship (Yamaha) 59th in the 125 World Championship

2001:

125 European Champion (Yamaha) 19th in the 125 World Championship

2002:

18th in the 125 World Championship (Suzuki) 27th in the 250 World Championship

2003:

9th in the Motocross GP World Championship (Suzuki)

2004:

5th in the MX1 World Championship (Suzuki) Winner of the MX of Nations with Team Belgium

2005:

16th in the MX1 World Championship (Suzuki). Win 1 GP 3rd at the MX of Nations with Team Belgium

2006:

2nd in the MX1 World Championship (Suzuki) 2nd at the MX of Nations with Team Belgium

2007:

2nd in the MX1 World Championship (Suzuki). Win 4 GP

2008:

24th in the MX1 World Championship (Kawasaki)

2009:

19th in the MX1 World Championship (Honda)

2010:

13th in the MX1 World Championship (Suzuki)

2011:

10th in the MX1 World Championship (Suzuki)

2012:

6th in the MX1 World Championship (KTM) MX1 British champion

2013:

4th in the MX1 World Championship (Suzuki)

2014:

3rd in the MXGP World Championship (Suzuki) 2nd at the MX of Nations with Team Belgium

2015:

12th in the MXGP World Championship (Suzuki)

2016:

11th in the MXGP World Championship (Suzuki). Win 1 GP MX1 Belgium champion

2017:

14th in the MXGP World Championship (Suzuki)

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.

KISKA.COM

IT’S TIME TO GET

GNARLY!

Some ride for fun, to simply take part and for the joy of the wind in their face. Well, the all-new 2023 KTM 450 SX-F was engineered for something else entirely. So, if you’re serious about kicking ass,

VISIT KTM.COM

S K L A T K C O D PAD

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Celebration of the 40th Anniversary of the promotion of the Motocross World Champioship in Lommel with Giuseppe Luongo and all the champions present.

(Left to right) Romain Febvre, Stefan Everts, Joel Smets, Jeffrey Herlings, Jorge Prado, Giuseppe Luongo, Antonio Cairoli, Tim Gajser, Jan Postema, Harry Everts, Corrado Maddii, Michele Rinaldi, Jacky Vimond

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The Czech Republic President Petr Pavel visited Loket for the MXGP of Czech Republic as he met with Infront Moto Racing CEO David Luongo.

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Legends Stefan Everts and Antonio Cairoli gifted Giuseppe Luongo a replica of the MXGP trophy for the 40th Anniversary celebration.

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Flanders Minister of Sport Ben Weyts visited Lommel and met with Belgian rider Jago Geerts and owner of the Owner of Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 Team Hans Corvers

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Andrea Adamo to remain in Red Bull Factory Racing Colours with MX2 contract extension. (Left to Right) Robert Jonas, Antonio Cairoli and Andrea Adamo

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Team Italy 2023 Maglia Azzura unveiled for the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nation

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Sami Hyypia, 2005 Champions League winner with Liverpool FC was present in Vantaa for the MXGP of FInland

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Liam Everts and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing continue their MX2 story for 2024 and beyond

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Kwasaki Racing Team owner Kimi Räikkönen and Team Manager Antti Pyrhönen together with WRC World Champion Tommi Mäkinen at the starting grid of the MXGP of FInland in Vantaa.

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10 Flanders Minister of Sport Ben Weyts with KTM Motocross Sports Director Joël Smets gifted the racing shirt of Belgian rider Sacha Coenen

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

JEFFREY HERLINGS 2012 KTM 250SX-F 90

JEFFREY HERLINGS REALLY NEEDS NO INTRODUCTION, DOES HE? BUT IN CASE HE DOES, HERE’S A REMINDER. JUST TWENTY-ONE DAYS AFTER HIS 15TH BIRTHDAY, THE YOUNG DUTCH SUPERKID LINED UP FOR THE NETHERLANDS AT THE MXON IN ITALY. SIX MONTHS LATER, IN JUST HIS THIRD MX2 GP APPEARANCE, HE WENT 1-1 TO WIN HIS HOME GRAND PRIX AT VALKENSWAARD.

The kid had well and truly arrived, although he would have to wait until 2012 before he could lay his hands on his first world championship gold medal. Since his move into the pro-ranks, Herlings has only ridden for one team and one brand, KTM, and so in this issue of MXGP Magazine, we take a closer look at the 2012 KTM 250 SX-F that took Herlings to his first MX2 world title.

In his first season in MX2, Jeffrey Herlings was on course to finish 3rd overall in the championship, and had it not been for a shoulder dislocation in Loket with four rounds remaining, he might have just done so as well. In 2011, he finished 2nd overall behind his teammate, Ken Roczen, so when he entered the new 2012 season, he was the firm favourite to go for

gold. Although, speak to Tommy Searle and he might have shared a different view at the time.

In 2010, Herlings and the Red Bull KTM team took delivery of a new bike which featured a new chassis, where the biggest change was moving away from the old PDS rear shock to a new linkage system, which brought it into line with all of the other manufacturers. For 2011, the bike featured an electric start and fuel injection and for 2012, there were further revisions to the engine, which to Herlings at least, did not go unnoticed, as he recalls: ‘I know we got an upgrade on the engine because in 2011 it was the first time with the electric starter and I think with the injection, and then for 2012 we had again some updates, and so then it was definitely an improvement.

‘In 2010, we had the carburettor and then we got injection in ’11 and ’12 we made again a huge step with the engine. Definitely we gained some power. I think the power curve was really good everywhere. I remember the Yammies at the time, the Dixon ones, they had a lot of top power, because when those things started going, they were like rockets. The Kawi’ was good too but I think our bike had a really good curve so it wasn’t a particular point where it was really strong, like bottom, or middle or top - just the complete curve was really good.’

The engine was factory, whilst internally, the piston and conrod were provided by Austrian firm Pankl. The fuel injection system was from Keihin with Akrapovic the exhaust system of choice, made from titanium, no less, with the ECU coming from GET. As for the gearbox, the 2011 came equipped with a 4-speed ‘box whereas the 2012 reverted back to five, and in case you are wondering why KTM opted for a five-speed, it was more for safety reasons; not safety as in 91

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mechanically or a crash waiting to happen, but more of a safety net for the rider. By taking out first gear, neutral found itself between second and third and that was too big a gap between the two gears, meaning less room for error.

By placing first gear back in it was less of a risk. First gear was way too low, but second and third was where it was at with this bike. The clutch was from Hinson. Just watching Herlings ride his 250cc you could see how good his corner speed was, how effortless he powered through the turns compared to everyone else, and his motor and gearing set-up was key. Long second and third gears were the defining factor, so much so that if he had to, Herlings could have completed a moto in third gear alone and still finish inside the top five.

The chassis was production-based, as was the swingarm and linkage, but holding everything up at both ends was the preferred suspension of choice, WP. The front forks were 52mm whilst the rear shock featured the unique ‘Track System’ which allowed the rear wheel to track the terrain with even more precision, particularly over hard-pack ground. New for 2012 was a bigger shock reservoir, around 10% larger than its predecessor. The triple clamps were X-Trig with a 20˚ off-set, the ‘bars were Renthal 997 and the brakes were factory from Brembo, or ‘special edition’ as they were referred to, complete with different pumps and cylinders and pistons machined from billet. The 260mm (front) and 220mm (rear) discs were supplied by MotoMaster. The hubs were from Kite and special to KTM whilst Excel provided the rims.

As for the season itself, from the first 10 moto’s, Herlings placed inside the top three on nine occasions - including six wins and two seconds. The only ‘blip’ was in the mud in Brazil where he was 12th in race one. That result brought Tommy Searle back into contention and from there, both riders either won or placed second, keeping the gap stable from anywhere between 16-24 points. That changed in Latvia when Searle suffered with 2 DNF’s, and even though Herlings had a rear tyre come off the rim in race two, he still managed to score three points. Added to his 2nd from race one, all of a sudden, the gap

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was out to 41 in favour of The Bullet.

After going 1-1 next time out in Russia, Herlings had extended his lead to 49 points, but on the drive back to the airport in the evening, he was involved in a car crash which saw him collect head, facial and rib injuries and with hindsight, he was lucky to have been sitting in the back seat of the car. Two weeks later he travelled to Loket, and dominated the GP with another double victory, and even if Searle took the double-win at home in England - in front of a highly charged crowd - Herlings lead was now out to 51 points. In short, he now held a whole GP advantage over his rival.

In Lierop a week later, Herlings had the last laugh - quite literally - as he lapped all but one rider in race one, and in race two, he lapped up to Searle, who was 4th and with a gap of 65 points, he just needed to play it safe at Faenza in Italy, if was to win the title with a round remaining. Another 1-1 meant that Herlings was world champion at 17 years-old, just three days before his 18th birthday.

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When asked which GP’s stood out the most, Herlings replied ‘Lierop, because I lapped Tommy! And then 2nd moto, I know he hated the sand, and on the last lap in moto 2, I was just behind him and I was like … you just go and do another lap, when I came by the pit lane I was like you go boy, you just do another lap. Those were the fun days. Matterley was also crazy; it was really like a football crowd and all the British people were behind him, which is normal, because he is from England, but first practice I even got tomatoes thrown at me, beer or whatever so yeah, it was a fun day!’

As for a GP that he thought was a real game-changer, his response was matter of fact: ‘Loket! I had the car crash in Russia and I had broken ribs and he came up the inside of me and cleaned me out. So, I chased him back down again and actually, Loket is not a track that I really favour, it’s really hard and slick, but for Tommy he was pretty good on those tracks. So, that 2nd moto, I closed back the gap from 10-15 seconds, passed him and won, and I think coming into that race

we didn’t even know if we were gonna race, because I broke three ribs in the car accident, hit my entire head, I had a huge scar on my head - so yeah, that was the championship make-or-break, I think!’

As for winning the title itself, how was it and what did it mean?

‘It was pretty special; I mean the first one always is. As a small kid your ultimate dream is to win a world championship or AMA championship, so once you reach that point in the championship it’s such a relief. But then you have to do it all over again. Haha!’

On his way to his first world title, Jeffrey Herlings raced to eighteen race wins and nine grand prix victories and stood on the podium on thirteen occasions. It was KTM’s sixth title in MX2 and their fifth title in a row. 2012 was also the only year that KTM won the title in all three classes: MX1, MX2 and MX3, something which would never happen again. Herlings went on to win the title again in 2013 in what was a successful defence of his crown.

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

Hello MXGP, where can I check the results from the MXGP of Finland?

Sandrine:

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Hi Sandrine: , You can check all the results of the season at https://results.mxgp.com/ mxgp/standings.aspx Thanks MXGP

❝

Hi MXGP, I want to check the different VIP tickets for the MXoN in Ernée, how can I do it?

Paul

Hi Paul, please go on https://ticketsmxgp.com/en/60987-vipmxon-france/ and you can see in details what the VIP Platinum Skybox, VIP Gold Skybox and VIP Gold Skybox Camping offer.

Regards MXGP

❞

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I am thinking of going by car to the MXGP of The Netherland, can you please give me the address?

Jeffrey

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Dear Jeffrey, the address is Koningsweg 51, 6816 TJ Arnhem. You can also check all the details of the track at https://www. mxgp.com/tracks/arnhem Best Regards MXGP

❝

Hi there, I am interested in buying the monthly pass of MXGP-TV but can I have access to all the content?

Bart Hello Bart : Yes, with the 2023 Monthly subscription you have access to the same content as the season pass including the MXoN in Ernée. You can also cancel any time you want.

Thanks MXGP

❝

Hello, when is the MXGP of Great Britain this year?

Hughes

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Hi Hughes, The MXGP of Great Britain will be on the 23-24 September at Matterley Basin. You can also check every other MXGP event on the calendar of the MXGP website at https://www.mxgp. com/calendar.

Thanks MXGP

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