MX Vice Magazine Issue 8 by MX Vice

ISSUE 8 - MAY 2015

FEATURED

RYAN VILLOPOTO

RV ON HIS MXGP ADVENTURE

JAKE NICHOLLS

NICHOLLS ON THE ROAD TO RECOVERY

BRITISH GP BONANZA

EVERYTHING YOU NEED IS HERE!

COLE SEELY – ADAM STERRY - TALON

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WELCOME It is the season that most tipped to be the greatest ever and, truthfully, it hasn’t disappointed thus far. It is not just the introduction of Villopoto that has injected some excitement into the MXGP series, as the resurgence of Max Nagl and the multiple winners in MX2 have made for some great, unpredictable action. Having travelled to a majority of the rounds already this year, there is no denying the fact that there is much more interest in the 2015 FIM Motocross World Championship. In fact, if you are sat reading this issue of the MX Vice magazine at the scenic venue of Matterley Basin, I’m sure you can notice the difference just by taking a quick look around. Yep, it is certainly a good time to be a fan; rarely is there such positivity across the world. Outside of the MXGP series there have obviously been various issues in the Maxxis British Championship, which have been tackled by quite a few people. However, there have even been steps made to improve aspects of our premier domestic series. Whether they have fixed some of the underlying problems remains to be seen, although it is a step in the right direction. It is just a shame that it took such a serious injury to one of Britain’s brightest stars, Mel Pocock, to make people sit up and demand change. Anyway, I guess that is enough rambling on. You’ve got the rest of the magazine to enjoy! It is very topical this month, with a bumper Ryan Villopoto interview. We sat down with him recently to get his take on racing the MXGP series, the transition and much more! To ensure we have every corner of the world covered; you’ll also find insight from Cole Seely, the breakout star in the USA, who recently finished third in the Monster Energy Supercross series. There is also a guide to the British GP, with insight on a few different topics and an insightful Jake Nicholls interview. So, yeah, you have a lot of reading to do. Enjoy!

Lewis Phillips

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FEATURES THE COLUMNISTS 12-14 RYAN VILLOPOTO 18-25 JAKE NICHOLLS 34-40 COLE SEELY 44-51 BRITISH BONANZA 56-61

CONTRIBUTORS

Lewis Phillips James Burfield Andrew Conway Jordan Chaney Jon Bolton Stefan Paetow James Dunford Sean Ogden

Simon Cudby Ray Archer Red Bull Content Pool Garth Milan KTM Images Bavo Swijgers Honda Racing

Cover Image: Andrew Conway

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HOT

RYAN DUNGEY: With Ryan Villopoto and James Stewart missing from the 2015 Monster Energy Supercross series, most predicted that the title fight would be wide open. However, Dungey showed up much more prepared than ever before and, consequently, destroyed the field. Incredibly, he won the title four rounds early; there were no chinks in his armour. Now the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross series is underway and he has to be the favourite to reclaim the crown he last won in 2012.

NOT

RYAN VILLOPOTO: Villopoto’s maiden term in the MXGP series has not gone as planned thus far, as he has not been on the podium aside from his Thai win. There is no denying the fact that he has speed, as he matched the leaders in both Argentina and Trentino, but there just seems to be a piece of the puzzle missing. Of course an injury to his coccyx has made things even more difficult, as he has been forced to miss a handful of rounds. JEREMY VAN HOREBEEK: Van Horebeek was perhaps the greatest surprise last year, as he reeled off eleven straight podium finishes in his sophomore season on the 450F. With that in mind, he had high expectations of himself heading into this year. However, he has had a torrid start to the year with crashes leading to lacklustre results, and now he has been missing in action for a few weeks due to a fractured bone in his foot. He is scheduled to return in Britain, but by now any hopes of a decent finish in the championship standings are gone. JAMES STEWART: The Stewart saga continues, unfortunately, as his appeal was denied by the FIM. Most were hopeful that his ban would be reduced and he would be able to contest the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross series, but, alas, that is not the case. It seems we won’t see him until the Red Bull Straight Rhythm event in October now, as he has made no mention of coming back for the last two nationals. Roll on 2016, I say; the sport needs James behind the gate.

ADAM STERRY: 2015 has been rough for a lot of British riders, with injuries hitting our nation hard. However, Sterry is one of the guys that has prevailed; claiming many impressive finishes in different series around the world. He made his MXGP debut at the end of the March, finishing eighth overall in MX2, and then claimed the red plate in EMX250 a month later. Sterry could potentially take home both the Maxxis British Championship and EMX250 titles this year, making him one to watch… MAX NAGL: The likeable German has been a revelation thus far this year, turning his career around beneath the Red Bull IceOne Husqvarna awning. Max has been a model of consistency and, consequently, has a firm grasp on the red plate in the premier MXGP division at the time of writing. Whether he can maintain these exceptional results remains to be seen, although you’d be foolish to doubt him after the first six rounds…

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STAT SHEET

218,696

People visited MXVice.com in April, again breaking all records. in one day alone....

25,822

...visitors went on MXVice.com on April 19th, breaking all records.

...riders have scored points in every MXGP moto through five rounds.

...times Mike Alessi has taken part in a GP; Matterley Basin will be his third.

6 years it had been since Honda’s last MX2 win when Gajser won in Italy.

5000 ...copies of the seventh MX Vice magazine were sent out in a week.

2… Suzuki riders have scored points in the 2015 MX2 world championship.

2… regional 250SX mains weren’t won by either Yamaha or KTM this year. 9 | MX Vice - May 2015 - Issue 8

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The Columnists

ADAM STERRY Well, what a good start to the season it has been for me! I just need to keep working hard and keep consistent and I’m sure I’ll be there at the end. Let’s start with Hilton Park. Actually, let’s not go there. But, to be honest, the British seems to be making a step in the right direction, which can only be a positive, although there could still be improvements. It would make much more sense to run two longer motos, which is better because it saves all the rushing round, people can look around the trade stands and some track work can be done. A lot of people go home before the third motos anyway! I got the call to head to Argentina to race my first ever MX2 world championship round at the end of March, and what a cool experience that was! Although I hadn’t raced a GP at that point, I’d still been there to either watch or race a European round. The Argentine GP has to be up there with one of the best I’ve been to though. Whether it was because I was racing I don’t know, but everything about the atmosphere, location and track was amazing. Travelling there was a killer though, as it took nearly thirty-six hours. Four flights later we arrived and even then

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we couldn’t take my engines through the airport, because of something to do with importing stuff. It looked like I was going to be spectating at one point but Steve managed to sort it and got them picked up and flown to the track. Not many people can say that they holeshot their first race in the world championship! To take the lead in the first moto was pretty cool too. I had a solid weekend, taking eighth overall, which was a result that I was very happy with and is one that I will look to build on in the other three GPs that I’ll be racing. Those rounds will be in France, Italy (Maggiora) and the Czech Republic. More recently I took the lead in the European championship at Valkenswaard. It was a perfect weekend for me, and I now have a tenpoint lead heading into Spain. I’m hoping to extend it there! In Spain last year it was more than thirty degrees but a complete mud race! It’s pretty flat out for me now with races almost every weekend but, hey, I’m not complaining. I hope to see you all at Matterley, getting behind us all! I can’t wait for that race, but until then ride safe and have fun! #811

The TheColumists Columnists

LEWIS PHILLIPS Those with a burning passion for the sport dream of working within the industry in some capacity, no matter how minor the position may be. Obviously the dream as you’re growing up is to be a professional rider, but that quickly dies when you realise how distinctly average you are. I have long dreamed of being in the position I am currently – I did everything possible whilst going through the rigours of school to ensure I would be ready to capitalise should a position become available. I know I’m not alone in this; there are many that want to get into a similar role, which is why I’m sat here writing this. Most will tell you that it isn’t what you know; it’s who you know. But I really knew no-one and, consequently, had no real idea of how to break into the industry. Truthfully, you could say I lucked into it. I had just started college, so was only sixteen, and I saw a random Facebook group named ‘MX Vice’ asking if anyone would like to contribute articles to their new site. Obviously at this point I knew nothing about the company nor did I know what it would one day become, but I left a comment on that status and waited. Yep, I’m serious. That shot in the dark eventually paid off as I was told to send in articles, whenever I wished, and they may appear on the site. At first my columns didn’t appear on the site, but I just kept sending them in and pestering James [Burfield, the founder and main man]. I had nothing to lose and wasn’t willing to let this, perhaps my one and only chance, slip through my fingers. After around six months, something I wrote went up on MX Vice.

One year later I had another breakthrough, as I’d been invited to all eight rounds of the British Championship to cover the racing. I picked up the live tweets mantle, which is something I do to this day, and again tried to show how enthusiastic and ready I was to do this job. It is also worth noting I had only met James once at this stage, so he could have quite easily hated me once he got to know me. I mean, as I wandered around the pits as a seventeen-year-old, I didn’t exactly look like your stereotypical journalist. But, as the year progressed and the end of my college years began to draw closer, I got offered a full-time position and, after two years of proving myself, I finally acquired my dream job! That year wrapped up with the Motocross of Nations at Teutschenthal, which was an iconic event for MX Vice, as it sent the site nuts and gained us three thousand visitors in a day. Through the winter months we began to plan the debut of the MX Vice magazine, which was a bit different to what you have in front of you. For one, it was digital only. But we rolled that out in the early months and kept that going for a majority of the year. After issue one I was also offered the job of editor. That really was my dream and I had been given an opportunity to fulfil it at the age of eighteen. It is still mind blowing to think that I’m sat here in this position, but really I owe it all to James for actually giving me the opportunity. Many others would have seen my age and lack of experience and moved on. In the middle of 2014 we did twenty-five thousand people in a day. Yep, just six months after being pumped about three thousand, we had completely smashed it. That previous record wasn’t just the norm – it was a disappointment. The growth has been ridiculously quick. Fast forward to now and we’re exceeding two hundred thousand people a month regularly, have a print magazine that is reaching five thousand people bi-monthly and get to travel around the globe. Living the dream is the best way to sum it up.

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The Columnists

ELLIOTT BANKS-BROWNE What’s up everyone? It’s been a while, I know, but it’s nearly time to throw my leg over a bike and get back to it. Recovery hasn’t been easy that is for sure; there have been good and bad days, but I’m nearing the end now and I can’t wait. When I broke my leg I was laying in hospital wondering what I’d done to have such bad luck – you’d have thought I walked under one hundred ladders and smashed every mirror in sight, but I honestly haven’t! The week after the injury I was feeling pretty down about everything – it sucked. Simple tasks like going to the toilet or putting your boxers on in the morning are such a mission, but you soon work out a technique for them all. After two weeks of crap daytime TV, I’d had enough so called my trainer and said ‘we have to train!’ He came over and I started busting out the upper body weights. You know those guys you see in the gym that have skipped leg day? Well that was me for a month or so! Being injured has actually helped me in some aspects; I know that sounds a bit weird but it has given me time to work on areas of my body that I was struggling with. When the season is in full flow it’s really hard to work on those kinds of things, as we have so much other stuff to focus on, but I’ve had plenty of time on my hands. I feel the time off will actually make me better and when I do get back on the bike I’ll be in a better place physically and mentally.

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I’ve pretty much kept myself to myself whilst I’ve been hurt; I went to a couple races such as Hilton Park and Lyng. They were tough to watch, as I just wanted to be out there racing; there is nothing worse than having to watch and especially your home race – that sucks! My days have pretty much consisted of breakfast, gym, lunch, cycle, physio, stretch and dinner for two months, and I can tell you it’s getting a bit tedious. Every other week I do get a change of scenery, to be fair. I make a trip up to Wilmslow, which is just outside of Manchester, for two days to have physio at Harris and Ross, which has been great. When I’m not there, I get my physio done at Bury Physio, who have generously sponsored me for the year. Without their help I wouldn’t be at the stage I am at now with my recovery. When I got hurt I spoke to Red Bull and said I wanted to film my recovery and show what it takes to recover form an injury in our sport. Well, they were game for it, so ever since Lee Pincer from PIX-L media and I have been filming my training and rehab. We’re making a twopart film of it all; I’ve seen a draft of part one and it looks really cool. I can’t wait to share it with you guys! I plan to be on the bike in the next week, which I am buzzing about. I’ve got all fresh kit sitting here waiting to be worn and it’s killing me, so I’m going to pop the tags and spin some laps. Thanks to all of you who have kept supporting me and sending me messages whilst I’ve been hurt, it really means a lot to me and it keeps me going. See you all out on track soon!

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American Abroad Interview: Lewis Phillips

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The USA vs. Europe debate is one that rages on year after year, no matter the situation. H

owever, the bench racing was just theoretical; the worlds are just so different that there is no real way to muster up an educated answer. This is also why most were so surprised when it was announced that Ryan Villopoto would be giving up the bright lights of the American scene to contest the MXGP series. That is something that never happens, especially with a rider as successful as RV. Unsurprisingly the interest in MXGP has rocketed, as a result, and the amount of discussion that has surrounded each round is unprecedented. We decided to sit down with the man himself, Ryan Villopoto, to discuss his maiden term in MXGP and get an answer to the burning questions that everyone wants to know… MX Vice: At what point last year did you start to consider racing the MXGP series, and at what point did you know it was a done deal? Ryan Villopoto: Originally we just needed a change of pace and to do something different, so we threw out the idea of coming over here. We didn’t know if it was really going to happen, but once it did we started to get everything put in place. That was probably around mid-summer, or late summer. MX Vice: So was it your idea originally, or did someone else in your camp suggest it? Ryan Villopoto: Nah, we all kind of talked about it as a team. We thought it would be cool to get a different experience and see something different, rather than keep on doing the same thing. MX Vice: You were already contracted to Kawasaki in the USA for this year, so what hoops did you have to jump

through to make this happen? Ryan Villopoto: I really didn’t have to jump through a whole lot, but they had to make some changes and things like that. You know, for me it wasn’t too hard but for them I’m sure it was a lot harder. MX Vice: How much did you know about the series, if anything, before coming over? Obviously you learnt a bit from the Motocross of Nations… Ryan Villopoto: Yeah, I just had an idea thanks to the MXoN. It’s really hard to compare, and you just can’t compare the two. It’s very tough, but in a different way to the US. You know, people always try to compare the two series and the two worlds, but you can’t. I find that it’s been a learning curve coming this way, and I’d say it’s probably harder to come to Europe than to go to the US. MX Vice: Once the wheels were in motion and you knew you were coming over, did you start to watch some of the races from last year? You don’t strike me as that type of guy… Ryan Villopoto: No, no, I actually didn’t, just because one year the track can be really good, then the next it’s really muddy and not very good. It’s motocross, so it’s always different and you can never assume that it’s going to be the same every time you show up. You can’t watch video and think ‘well this is how it’s going to be.’ You show up and it’s just different… MX Vice: At what point did you come over here in the off-season, and how much riding did you do here in comparison to the US? Ryan Villopoto: We did everything in the US, pretty much. We came over twice I think, for a week at a time.

MX Vice: Looking back, would you do that differently now? Ryan Villopoto: Well, you know, we did testing over here and tried to test on European tracks. It seemed to go okay, but the weather is pretty bad during that time. Not a lot of guys are even riding at that time, so at least I got to ride in the US. Would I do any of it differently? Not a lot, if anything at all. MX Vice: I guess the bike time was important to you, seeing as the knee injury last year was much more serious than most realised… Ryan Villopoto: Yeah, and I hadn’t raced in more than ten months. MX Vice: When you got to Qatar, it was immediately apparent that your settings were a bit off. Do you attribute that to doing your testing in the US?

Ryan Villopoto: I wouldn’t say it caught me off-guard, I could see that the lighting wasn’t going to be very good. I think that when the lighting isn’t that good; you have to put a little more effort into the track to make sure that it’s safe. MX Vice: Obviously that round didn’t go to plan, but then you won a week later. What led to such a quick change? Ryan Villopoto: We just went back and we changed a lot of stuff on the bike. It was only two days and it was at a sand track, also. I know what I want, and as a team we were able to make good progress pretty quickly. That’s exactly what happened… MX Vice: Would you be able to make more progress when racing in the USA, seeing as the travel isn’t as drastic and the races aren’t as spread out?

Ryan Villopoto: To be honest, the tracks are just very small over here and the speeds are very low compared to the US. So, you know, that was a big part of it. Having stiff suspension you have to have a fast track, and that’s how the American tracks are. They are rough, but it is a different kind of rough. MX Vice: So although most were tipping you to win Qatar, because they thought it’d play right into your hands, that wasn’t the case at all… Ryan Villopoto: Well, when you go inside of a stadium and race it is like daytime. Racing Qatar was like racing with a flashlight. MX Vice: Was it worse than Thunder Valley a few years ago? Ryan Villopoto: It was about the same, but they groomed the track a lot at Thunder Valley because they knew that the lighting would be bad… MX Vice: Would you say it caught you off guard a bit then?

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Ryan Villopoto: I’d say it’s easier here, because you have a lot of weeks off in this series. It tends to drag on a bit more, and you have time to do more stuff. MX Vice: So, although your results weren’t exactly what you wanted through the first four rounds, knowing that you weren’t panicking? Ryan Villopoto: Yeah, I knew that it is a long season too. The only thing that threw a wrench into the programme was the injury, which caused me to miss Valkenswaard. MX Vice: I guess the three fourths through Argentina and Trentino gave you good, consistent points for the championship? Ryan Villopoto: It wasn’t too bad, but it wasn’t good. I actually felt that at Arco di Trento we made good progress in the week before and we were riding well at a difficult track that everybody thought I was going to really struggle on. Sure, it wasn’t easy, but I was up there with the front guys. MX Vice: So how did you adapt to that track? Did you have to change your style up a bit? Ryan Villopoto: I wouldn’t say I had to

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change my style up a whole lot, but we did make some good bike changes during the week and then we made changes on the weekend. That’s what you do to adapt to the different tracks. Arco was obviously very different to the tracks in Belgium, which were sandy, so you can’t use that as testing for that race. MX Vice: Obviously we’ve got to touch on that crash. In your mind, what went wrong?

still thinking about the championship? Ryan Villopoto: At this point I’m just thinking about the races themselves and we’ll see what happens. It’s definitely not what everyone wanted to see. MX Vice: With the injury, it seems like you can’t do anything to speed up the healing process. Will it just be a case of pushing through?

Ryan Villopoto: I did everything the same as normal and lost my balance a little bit. I wheelied there every lap and didn’t feel like I did anything different. Before I knew it I was upside down. Looking at it, it was definitely a rookie mistake, but what are you going to do…

Ryan Villopoto: Yeah, it’s kind of going to be something quite irritating and awkward.

MX Vice: Initially it looked like you were injured on the side of the track. Was that just your coccyx or were you concerned about another injury?

Ryan Villopoto: We’ve done a fair amount of sand riding, and I feel like I was decent in it. Obviously you don’t know until you race…

Ryan Villopoto: Yeah, it was just my ass. It was just that, for sure. Not that I would have gotten up and rode, as the bike was pretty tore up.

MX Vice: Five rounds have passed at this point, did you underestimate anything about the move to MXGP?

MX Vice: Obviously you now face a large deficit of almost a hundred points, are you

MX Vice: What about the track here, at Valkenswaard, do you think it would have suited you? It’s a little more flat out compared to what you’ve ridden so far…

Ryan Villopoto: No, like I said before, you can’t compare. Take any of these Europeans and put them in the USA, they’re going to

struggle the same if not more. Let’s face it – that’s the way it is. If you can’t ride supercross, stay here, because that’s a huge market and a huge deal for us. We also have a good outdoor series, and you have to do both. It’s about thirty-two races, not eighteen. It’s just as hard, if not harder, just in different ways. Just like we have big cars, big cities, big houses and everything. Europe is a lot smaller – everything is just different. You cannot compare anything about the two places – everything is different. MX Vice: Did you find that you had to forget everything that you know and start again with a fresh outlook here then? Ryan Villopoto: Yeah, I mean, it’s definitely a lot different than racing in the USA. There is a lot more strategy involved here; it’s a two-day weekend with a lot of riding. You know, like I said, I can’t even explain how different it is to get anyone to understand. MX Vice: With it being so different, is there anything that you think the American series could learn from MXGP or vice versa? Ryan Villopoto: Oh, I think everyone could learn from both sides – that’s the way it is. But that will never happen. I think that the guys here have a good programme, and we have a good system over there. That doesn’t mean that things can’t be different though. MX Vice: Obviously your plan is to finish at the end of this year. But, now that the championship is looking less likely, has the idea of continuing popped up at all? Ryan Villopoto: Yeah, but that’s why I wanted to say that my decision is my decision before any gates had dropped. That doesn’t mean it can’t change, but as of right now that’s what I’m still leaning towards.

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JAKE NICHOLLS Interview: James Burfield

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Jake Nicholls has been out of the limelight for a little while now, as he hasn’t raced an MXGP round in almost a year. He has, however, raced two of the Maxxis British Championship rounds this year, but is now waiting for his arm to heal fully again.

metal in it that always had to come out. It was just a wire that was put in there to help it heal and stabilise it.

With that in mind, we felt now would be a good time to catch up with him and get his thoughts on his recovery and what he has witnessed thus far this year.

I rode Canada Heights the next day and it went well, seeing as I’d only ridden the bike four times since Lyng. I had a fifth and two sixths, so it went reasonably well. I just wanted to get through the day, I was very sick, so I went away from there pretty happy. My arm hurt a little bit after the last race, but it wasn’t really anything that I was worried about. After I came in from the sighting lap for the last race I told my mechanic that my arm was a bit sore, but I didn’t think anything of it.

MX Vice: This year has been a bit stop and start for you, so can you take us through the injuries? Jake Nicholls: Well, it has just been a nightmare really. I got injured at the second race of the year and broke both the bones in my arm. After four weeks I had all the checks and it was doing really well, bearing in mind that both bones were fixed with metal. Our local surgeon said that I could start riding, so I did a little bit. I rode like three or four times and then went to Lyng, just to salvage some points and get out there racing. The last time I’d raced, before Lyng, was at Whitby last year. It was a bit painful, but not too bad. I had my arm checked afterwards and I hadn’t damaged it by riding, but the smaller of the two bones had a bit of

I got that taken out the week after Lyng, so obviously I didn’t ride for three weeks after that, and then I tried to ride again in the week before Canada Heights. The arm felt quite good, so I was pretty pleased with that. I rode three days that week and then I got really ill on the Wednesday night. I got to Saturday and still wasn’t right, but decided to go out for a ride to check everything was good. I rode without any tape on my wrist, just my wrist-brace, and it was fine. I was really confident and thought that problem was over.

The week after Canada Heights I was still quite sick. It got to Wednesday and my arm was aching a little bit. Out of precaution I decided to go and have an x-ray with the guy that was helping me, just to see what he thought. I had that and it basically showed that not enough bone was jumping across the fracture – it was still quite obvious. It’s all still in line and perfectly straight, it’s just not fully healed yet. I’m just staying off my arm and resting it at the minute. MX Vice: I guess it’s hard to keep yourself

fit too, when you’re trying to shield the bone from further injury… Jake Nicholls: Yeah, exactly. After Canada Heights I continued to cycle, but I’ve stopped that now. I’ve been able to run and all that. To be honest, aside from the chest infection, I didn’t feel that bad at Canada Heights. I’m just weak because I haven’t used either arm – I don’t want to just do weights on the one arm. It’s difficult, because even if I get back on the bike next week I don’t have the strength. MX Vice: It’s really difficult for people on the outside to understand the injuries, right? They see you on the bike and wonder why you’re not doing what you did last year, but they don’t understand… Jake Nicholls: Yeah, exactly. It’s really difficult. All the people around me and close to me have been really good and understand what is going on. But, like you

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said, some people don’t understand. MX Vice: Is there one thing that you miss after being out for so long? Jake Nicholls: The main thing is the racing, obviously – I’m a racer. I don’t get that much out of practicing. I put my all into it, but I love racing and sitting on the starting line. Since June last year I’ve spent so much time at my house, so it’s wearing thin. Basically I want to go to work – racing is my work. That’s what I want to be doing. I don’t do motocross for the lifestyle, like a lot of the riders in the British Championship seem to; I do it for the racing. That’s the frustrating thing – I’m addicted to progress. MX Vice: What is your take on the 2015 MXGP series? There have obviously been a few surprises… Jake Nicholls: It is exactly what I expected, other than Villopoto being injured. I really

didn’t expect him to get injured like that. That and Cairoli going to the 450F are the biggest surprises to me. I didn’t think Paulin would be that good or competitive and, realistically, he isn’t. He dominated at Valkenswaard, but he is good in the sand and Cairoli had a bad day. At all the other races he has been a mile off and still is, I think. That doesn’t surprise me, as I don’t think that bike is quite there yet. Febvre has also been a surprise, because I thought he was going to kill himself on a 450. He has literally done the complete opposite and is going unbelievably well. It is actually interesting to watch. When I got injured last year, I didn’t watch one race, but it is slightly different now. I’m watching my opposition in preparation for when I come back, whereas last year I knew I wouldn’t be back because the injury was quite bad. It has been extremely exciting with Villopoto, and I really hope he comes back soon.

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MX Vice: RV has certainly added some spice to the series. He is a racer and so are you, so can you see him staying on for another year? Jake Nicholls: I don’t know, because I think he is shocked by how different the sport is in Europe. He has had a hard life, in all seriousness, and I think a lot of people don’t realise that. I don’t know how old he is, but he has had a lot of knee injuries – the travelling in America is pretty severe too. I’d be surprised if he does another year; I think a lot of it depends on how he comes back this season. I spoke to Ben Townley not too long ago and he said that his injury is quite bad. He saw the x-ray and it’s going to be difficult for a long time, especially for a rider like RV who sits down a lot. I don’t think he’ll be competitive for a little while, which is a massive shame. I really don’t know about him doing another year, just because he seems a little over it. But I know he got a massive pay check this year and I’m sure Luongo would put into that to help the sport again. It’s elevated MXGP around the world – it’s made it so much more interesting. Even for us, people that already loved it. MX Vice: After seeing how much interest there is in MXGP this year, does it make you hungrier to get out there? Jake Nicholls: Oh, definitely. Coming into the season I had a lot of questions from friends about Villopoto coming over and I just said that it is awesome. When I’m up there mixing it up like last year and he gets a bad start, I’ll get to race with someone who I like watching. I’ll also be compared to the guy that the Americans think is the best rider in the world. If you can pass him back or stick with him for a bit, you’ll look even better than you actually are, because they’re all so obsessed with how he’s a legend and the fastest man in the world. He is in America on their tracks, but not on ours. It just raises all of our profiles – it’s cool to have him here.

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MX Vice: With Mike Alessi doing a couple of GPs, do you think it’ll spur on some other Americans to come over or will they see Villopoto struggling and decide to leave it alone? Jake Nicholls: I think so; you’ve hit the nail on the head there. No Americans have really come over and done well recently, I can’t even remember the last American world champion. You’ve had the likes of Albertson, who I think is useless wherever. Osborne, who is a bloody good rider, did well in Europe but didn’t do that well. He went back to America and is kind of the same; he didn’t really set the world alight and gets injured a lot. I think that they already think ‘these boys in Europe don’t hang around’ and we’ve proven it at the MXoN. MX Vice: On that note; it will take you a little while to get back to one hundred percent, but have you got one eye on a spot on the MXoN team? Jake Nicholls: Definitely. I mean, the first thing is to get healthy and then to get back into the GPs. But if I can stay on the path I want to be on, there’s no reason why I can’t be on that team. I’m really confident about the bike this year. At Canada Heights I didn’t push the limits at all, but in every race I ran the same speed as the top two or three. Whatley couldn’t get around me for a little bit, for instance. Don’t get me wrong, he was miles better than me on the day, but I proved that I have the speed still. That was massive for me, because when you’re injured you really doubt yourself. I was nice and smooth, which will never get the job done in our sport and I was fully aware of that, but that’s why I was so happy to be in the top six. Deep down on that day I thought that when I’m fully fit and strong again, I’ll be able to really step this up and do well. I definitely think I can do it.

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COLE

SEELY Interview: Jordan Chaney

ollowing Cole Seelyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s recent success on the 250F, it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t seem too surprising that he has stepped up to the bigger bike with relative ease. However, his background is far from similar to the typical factory rider.

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“ I THINK IT PROBABLY DID, BUT I ALSO GOT BURNT OUT MYSELF ”

MX Vice: Where did you grow up? What was the racing scene like there? Cole Seely: I grew up in Newbury Park, California, and there weren’t a lot of tracks around. I would say the closest track was about an hour away, so I didn’t get to ride a whole lot during the week. I still tried to make all the big amateur races and travelled as much as I could. Honestly, I probably didn’t ride much compared to the typical amateur rider these days. That’s kind of how my whole amateur career went; I was pretty much just doing it for fun with some buddies, trying to compete when I could. MX Vice: Do you think that had a positive impact on your development as a rider? A lot of guys get burnt out. Cole Seely: Yeah, I think it probably did, but I also got burnt out myself. There is really no avoiding that, because there is so much that goes into it that when things don’t go your way it is hard to not want to step away for a little bit. It was good for me though, because I still got to live a normal childhood. I wasn’t so

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involved in the sport to a point where I didn’t have a social life. MX Vice: You have one of the smoothest styles, what do you think helped you develop that? Cole Seely: I guess it just comes naturally, because I have a little bit of a BMX and skate background. I spent a lot of time on the BMX bikes and at the skate parks, and I think that definitely has had an influence on my style for sure. I still spend a lot of time on the BMX bike and skateboarding. MX Vice: As a kid, was there one defining moment when you realised that you wanted to put everything towards pro racing? Cole Seely: No, not really [laughs]. It was pretty much the opposite of that. I pretty much got through my amateur career and when I was eighteen it was my last season, which was obviously pretty late, especially these days. When I was eighteen I got an offer to go race supercross. At the time, I thought that I had put so much time and effort into this sport that I might as well go for it and see what I can do. Thankfully I was able to show a little bit of speed and that’s when I

I JUST WASN’T HAVING A GOOD TIME OUT THERE AND KIND OF FELT LIKE I WASN’T DOING IT FOR ME ANYMORE

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started getting noticed as a really good supercross rider. That was probably the biggest point in my career, when I was nineteen. MX Vice: Didn’t you take a step away from the sport before you turned pro? Cole Seely: Yeah, when I was seventeen I did for a little bit. I just wasn’t having a good time out there and kind of felt like I wasn’t doing it for me anymore, so I just decided to step away and got a job and all of that kind of stuff. It only lasted about six months or so before I wanted to start racing again. MX Vice: If you look back at the time you took off, at that point could you ever imagine that you would be riding for factory Honda and winning races one day? Cole Seely: No, obviously not. It has been a pretty crazy ride so far but I have enjoyed it a lot. MX Vice: Can you remind everyone of who you rode for during your first season and some of your finishes? Cole Seely: Yeah, it was the Fun Center Suzuki team – they aren’t around anymore but they were based out of Durango, Colorado. It was a lot of fun, at my second race I got an eleventh which was pretty good for me at the time. I think the biggest race for me that year though was San Francisco, where I held off Canard in the heat race to get third behind Brayton and Morais. Then later in the main event I got a second place start and ran there for a couple of laps before dropping back to fourth for a while. I remember that I was really sick that week and I ended up fading back to around tenth or eleventh. I think that race was when people really realised that I was pretty good at supercross. MX Vice: Not a lot of people may remember this, but you were also picked up briefly by Makita Suzuki during the Nationals that year (when Nico

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Izzi was injured). What was that experience like? Cole Seely: Yeah, I did get to ride his bike for one round that year at Budds Creek. It was a pretty cool experience for me to get to ride the factory bike even if it was for just one race. MX Vice: You had a pretty good rookie season, can you talk a little bit about how the ride with Troy Lee Designs came about? Cole Seely: Well, it was interesting how that worked out because they didn’t approach me at first. My agent, Brian, did most of the footwork with that and landed a meeting with Troy and David Pingree, who was the team manager at the time. Things went well and they actually had one rider at the time, Christian Craig, but he had just broken his back and they were scrambling trying to find someone to race. They were talking to Wil Hahn and Ben Townley, who both ended up being my teammates that year. It was crazy because it wasn’t until early November when I got that ride and I wasn’t planning on racing any supercross. It was a last-second deal and David Pingree got me set up with my trainer, Charles Dao, who I ended up working with for four or five years. They got to work right away and helped me get ready to race as quickly as they could in 2010. MX Vice: You showed tons of potential during your first season with TLD, was there a lot of pressure going into the following SX seasons with the team? Cole Seely: Yeah, kind of. I wanted to do well, because it was a really good opportunity for me after coming from nothing. In September of 2009 I was actually planning on going back to school and had signed up for some college classes. It wasn’t really high pressure from them, but I did put a lot of pressure on myself. It was a huge learning year for me and I was lucky enough to be teammates with Wil

Hahn, who ended up becoming one of my best friends and taught me a ton as far as bike setup and training is concerned. That whole group really helped me figure out the next steps in my career. MX Vice: I’m sure you could have ridden for any 250F team at some point in your career, what made you stick with TLD? Cole Seely: Well, for the first couple years it was because he gave me the offer when no one else did and I felt like I needed to be loyal to him, and rightfully I should have been. The only reason I am here now is because of him. I really liked the atmosphere at Troy Lee, because everyone is super friendly and gets along really well. I just really enjoyed that aspect of it. Honestly I never really wanted to leave, because I felt like I had a really good home. MX Vice: Obviously there are differences in the 250 and 450 bikes, but what would you say the biggest differences are in the actual style of racing in the two classes? Cole Seely: I would say they are way more prepared. You could see at Anaheim that everyone had put in their time and they were all ready to go racing. I think it is just an experience thing, there are so many guys that know how to go fast and know how to prepare during the week to go fast. There are also positives though, usually the racing is a little bit more respectful. Not everyone is trying to kill each other and take each other out. Even in practice people are usually getting out of the others way so they don’t mess up their fast lap. MX Vice: You have been putting up some amazing rides against some of the most physically fit riders in the world, how has your training regimen changed since your rookie season? Cole Seely: I would say experience. You need to know that if you put in time now that it is going to better you later on

in months like March and April when you can feel pretty beat up sometimes. I just have the experience now to know that if I put in the work in November and December that it will pay off later. Also just knowing what type of training works for me or doesn’t. Now I know when I need to take some time off, get a massage or take time to really listen to my body. In the past I really didn’t do that as well. MX Vice: A lot of people expected you to do well this year, but not many predicted you would finish third in the series. What were your goals before the season? Cole Seely: I have been asked that a couple of times but, honestly, I really didn’t have any. I had a good idea of where I could be, speed-wise, and all that. Last year I went out and filled in and got a podium so it is hard to set a goal lower than that, but I knew that I just hired Jeff Ward as my riding coach and rehired Brian Lopes as my trainer. Everyone is so fast in that class that it felt great to go out and get a win in my rookie year. MX Vice: For a while there this season you were amazingly consistent, was everything just clicking for you? How do you explain how well you were riding? Cole Seely: I don’t think there is really an explanation for it. My biggest thing was figuring out my programme. Knowing when to work hard and learning when to tone it down. Everyone is different, you’ve got the guys like Dungey who are just work horses day in and day out. It’s different strokes for different folks. You just have to figure your own thing out and run with that. Once I figured it out I just went with it and the results came. MX Vice: The nationals will be here soon, do you have any goals going into them? Cole Seely: No I don’t. I don’t even know what to expect. I’m just kind of preparing myself as

best as I can. I have never raced an outdoor national in the 450 class, so I don’t really know what to expect or know what the pace will be like. Now I’m just trying to get as fit as I possibly can and get my bike set up so I can go out there to do my best. MX Vice: As a pro rider, you have to be under a considerable amount of pressure daily. What do you like to do to unwind and relax? Cole Seely: Yeah, I used to be into cars quite a bit. I don’t have one right now but I think I might build another one soon. I try to skate as much as I can, but with riding it is hard because I don’t want to roll an ankle or anything like that. BMX is a huge hobby of mine and I use it to train a lot. I try to do the safest things the most, so a lot of times I’ll pull out an RC car so I don’t have to worry about getting hurt [laughs]. MX Vice: Do you have any plans for after your career? What do you see yourself getting into long term after racing? Cole Seely: I don’t know, I have thought about it before. I’m definitely not afraid to work after racing. I have already had a job before so it is nothing that scares me. If I use my resources well enough, I could work with a cool company that I have been with in my career like Red Bull or GoPro, where we already have a good relationship. I would enjoy that a lot even if I didn’t need the money. It would be cool to stay in the sport, even something like Wardy does with me and train someone coming up in the sport would be interesting. I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it, it’s all about racing right now.

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BRITISH GP

BONANZA

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THE BRITISH GP HOLDS A SPECIAL PLACE

IN THE HEARTS OF MOST...

nd for good reason. When reflecting on the GPs of yesteryear, most immediately think of Foxhill, Hawkstone Park or Farleigh Castle. That prestige and legacy has lived on and, even now, the GP of Great Britain is a popular stop for all on the MXGP tour. A majority of you that are reading this will currently be sat in the Matterley bowl, and may be in need of a quick breakdown of who to cheer for in either the MXGP or MX2 classes. The British fans are known for their patriotism, so this will ensure youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re prepared to cheer on your favouritesâ&#x20AC;Ś

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MXGP Shaun Simpson is currently the best-placed British rider in either class, sitting a respectable eighth in MXGP. Shaun is the ‘best of the rest’, so to speak, as the riders ahead of him have filled the podium in each moto. The goal for Shaun was to get through the first three rounds with consistent results, and then turn it up once the series returned to Europe. He has done just that, showing both speed and consistency thus far. He has been gradually building over the last handful of rounds and is set to raise the bar at his home GP, a race that has served him well in the past. He has hovered just outside of the top five the last two years and led laps previously. The #24 is one of the more patriotic riders in the field! Initially slated to make his return at this GP, Tommy Searle was able to get back on-track

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over a month ago at the GP of Trentino and has been building himself up since then. He claimed that his goal was to put himself in a position to battle for a spot on the podium at his home GP and we have seen gradual improvements in recent weeks. Each week his speed and intensity have been good, but race fitness has understandably eluded him – that shouldn’t be an issue now though. It’ll be easy to spot the Red Bull KTM rider, just follow the sound of cheers and air horns. Jake Nicholls suffered a pre-season arm injury at the most unfortunate time, just days before the opening round. Since then he has hit various stumbling blocks and is, unfortunately, still trying to get back to one hundred percent. There is no telling when he’ll return to the MXGP starting line, but the #45 will certainly be missed this weekend. Oh, the injuries! Nathan Watson has been missing since the week following the GP of

Patagonia in Argentina with a broken wrist and immediately set the GP of Great Britain as his goal for a return. There is no confirmation on whether he will participate or not as we go to print, so keep an eye out for the #991 Red Bull IceOne Husqvarna. He has scored just twelve points at this stage, but that is certainly not an indication of his speed and ability. Unfortunately these health issues will restrict him from showcasing that for a little while. Some intriguing wildcards always pop up at Matterley Basin, but no one will garner as much attention as Lewis Gregory, who will be going up against the regulars on his 250 twostroke. Lewis would usually be contesting the EMX300 division, but they will not be taking part at round seven of the FIM Motocross World Championship. Not wanting to let down his loyal legion of fans, Lewis decided to take up the challenge… Lewis Gregory: “Basically, we talked about it

a little while ago. Originally, when we saw the EMX300 calendar and noticed there wasn’t a race at Matterley, we were gutted, because it was such a good race last year. We just kind of joked about jumping into MXGP. It came around like that, started to materialise then we got the nod for it. So, yeah, we’re just mega excited. I have to thank the entire GL12 Racing Yamaha team and our sponsors for making this happen.” MX Vice: So you’re not feeling nervous at all? Obviously there’s no telling how it’s going to go… Lewis Gregory: “We were trying to think about the last time a two-stroke raced MXGP. I thought it was a long time ago but someone did it at Lierop, the final GP of 2013. The guy actually had a pretty good result. It’s a pretty rare thing and you’re always nervous about any race that you care about, but I’m just really looking forward to the experience alone and

being on the gate with the world’s best. It’s definitely a bucket list kind of thing…” MX Vice: I guess once the gate drops it won’t be too different to racing the British Championship against the 450F’s… Lewis Gregory: “Yeah, I know what it’s all about with that. Obviously the field’s stacked, as we all know. I think the track will suit the bike quite well; I enjoyed it on it around there last year. It’s not too wide open, where you get too much of a disadvantage. I’ll just try my best and enjoy it, that’ll be the main thing. When I’ve done GPs in the past, I’ve been so nervous that I didn’t fully enjoy it. So that is the main thing, to enjoy it while we’re there.” MX Vice: I guess it’ll be great to see all the fans cheering you on too. Have you noticed much of an increase in support since jumping on the two-stroke?

Lewis Gregory: “Yeah, I mean, I didn’t do it for that alone. But I knew that people would get behind it. I’ve had a few more people show quite a bit of support, and I’ve also noticed a few more riders jump back on a two-stroke. That’s good to see – I’m definitely enjoying it. I’m hoping that I can bring a few more people out to the GP. I know there will be a good crowd anyway this year, with RV coming over. It’d be good to get my friends and family there to line the fences.” Ashley Wilde is another MXGP wildcard, taking part in his first round ever, that most will be urging on. Wilde has been a revelation in our various domestic series this year and even showed promise at the Valence preseason international back in February, so the international competition shouldn’t faze him. Martin Barr will be contesting the MXGP class too, along with Graeme Irwin. Both riders have previous experience at the highest level.

“ YOU’RE ALWAYS NERVOUS ABOUT ANY RACE THAT YOU CARE ABOUT, BUT I’M JUST REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO THE EXPERIENCE ”

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MX2

The MX2 class has been a little kinder to our British pilots, although not by much. Max Anstie is, unsurprisingly, the top homegrown rider in tenth, despite missing a round with injury earlier this year. That isn’t a problem at all though, and in recent weeks, he has proven to be a consistent podium contender. Bike issues and various other incidents have kept him off the overall podium up until this point, but don’t be surprised to see him up there this weekend. Beating Jeffrey Herlings may be a step too far for the likeable DRT Kawasaki rider though… Ben Watson has had a turbulent time in his full-time GP debut, as he has scored points consistently but has not yet become a regular inside of the top fifteen. The potential is there though; his results back at round three serve as proof of that. Remember, Ben brought joy to the thousands of fans last year when he won the opening EMX250 moto, so he is no

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slouch around the spectacular circuit. It certainly isn’t ludicrous to think he could take a career-best finish this weekend. Gradie Featherstone’s MX2 GP debut has been anything but uneventful, as he has dealt with a team and manufacturer switch already. Starting on a Suzuki, he has now returned to the familiar surroundings of the Oakleaf family and has been gaining experience each week. Points have not been easy to come by for him, but this year is all about experience. Matterley Basin could lend itself to his style though. Jordan Booker has already scored a point in a wildcard appearance at Valkenswaard, and will be looking to do the same this weekend. Not only do we think he’ll do it; he should take home more than a few.

EMX Of course there are many EMX classes taking to the track this weekend, and there’s the potential for a British winner in all of them. Adam Sterry is one of the favourites for the EMX250 title and has already dominated at Valkenswaard this year. Michael Eccles has shown speed at different points, finishing sixth in the first moto of the year, but has also hit inconsistent patches. Steven Clarke, the defending champ, has run into many issues this year that were out of his control, such as having his bikes stolen at round two in The Netherlands. Consequently the title is now out of reach, but he’s gunning for redemption. These three are not alone, as there are a large amount of British riders taking part. James Cottrell, Nathan Dixon, Robert Davidson, Liam Knight and Albie Wilkie are among some of the British regulars. Conrad Mewse will receive a lot of the attention from British fans in EMX125, as the young hotshot has hogged a lot of headlines in recent years. Following a torrid season on the 125 last year, Mewse is back to his best and will be looking for a top three finish at his home GP. Aaron Booker, Taylor Hammal and Brett Pocock should make it into the main show like they did in Spain, although they’ll be hoping to take home some points this time around. The younger EMX150 riders will also complete round two of their series, where Jack Bintcliffe has a good shot at taking the win and also the championship. Jack won the second moto last time out in Trentino with a commanding ride, and one that made the industry take note. He hasn’t been riding for long either! Archie Osmaston is another British rider in the line-up that could break into the top ten, whilst David Robson should be looking at a top fifteen finish.

“ THE MX2 CLASS HAS BEEN A LITTLE KINDER TO OUR BRITISH PILOTS ”

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