MXGP Mag #11 August 2014

#11_AUGUST 2014

SPECIAL

FEATURE

Dr Wolfg FIM Euro

ang Srb

pe Presid

ent

One shot

THE FRENCH ARMS RACE TO THE

MX2 CROWN Kiara Fontanesi crowned WMX champion

RACING CATCH UP

RIDERS OF THE MONTH The French Arms

07 08 15 18 28 32 39 40 44 50 54 58 62 64

INDEX

COOL SHOT

MONSTER GIRLS

HALL OF FAME PEKKA VEHKONEN

MXGP MAG: Chief Editor: Marionna Leiva Photos: Youthstream YOUTHSTREAM Media World Trade Center II Rte de Pré-Bois 29 1215 Geneva 15 Airport Switzerland MXGP Mag #11 August 2014 The articles published in this magazine do not necessarily reflect the official position of Youthstream.

Then content of this publication is based on the best knowledge and information available at the time the articles were written.

The copying of articles and photos even partially is forbidden unless permission has ben requested from Youthstream in advance and reference is made to the source (©Youthstream).

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EDITORIAL

Giuseppe Luongo President of Youthstream Group Lommel will be the last race in Europe before travelling to Brazil and Mexico for the After 3 years MXGP returns ‘grande finale’ of the Champito the sand cathedral of onships on 2 brand new cirLommel. For this event only cuits, which will surely provide the top 50 of the European for tight racing and surprisEMX125 Championship and ing results. Unanimously ridthe top 50 of the European ers prefer the overseas race EMX250 Championship will tracks, this is understandable participate because there because when we go overwere far too many entry reseas Youthstream and the quests for each class and for After all the investment and local organizer have to start work Youthstream has made obvious reasons related to everything from scratch; the the timetable it was impossi- with the European Champible to allow everyone to race. onships, the Academy and the infrastructure and especialpolicy of supporting the young ly the track is made from the beginning according to modern The European Championships we start to see positive remotocross, the very powerful sults; racing will be extraorare in excellent health, they and demanding bikes and the continue to impressively grow dinary in the 2 major chamdesires of riders and spectapionships when Herlings and and the quality of racing is high; at many events we have other top riders over 23 years tors. It’s going to be a thrilling last couple of races; with Herold move from the MX2 class seen the top 15 European lings missing in MX2, Tixier and participants race with similar to the MXGP class, and when Fabvre are giving all they have lap times as the top MX2 rid- the fast EMX250 guys fill the starting grid of the MX2 class. to try, and with van Horebeek ers. With the recent arrival in fine-form it will be interestof Dr. Wolfgang Srb as Pres- Every event will be like the ing to see what he can do to outstanding racing in Czech ident of FIM-Europe all moupset Cairoli. torcycle sports in Europe will Republic last weekend.

Dear MXGP Friends,

receive a great boost. FIMEurope, in partnership with Youthstream, will take over the management and development of the MXGP Academy with the goals of bringing more and more young to our sport, of discovering talent all around the world and also of forming future trainers.

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F

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HOLESHOT

FOX HOLESHOT

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ne competition that is now sown up is the MXGP side of the Fox holeshot award, Antonio Cairoli proving to everyone that engine size isn’t everything by taking 13 individual race holeshots this year, including 4 on the bounce in Sweden and Finland, and with just 6 points still up for grabs no one can catch the Italian.

How different it may have been if his nearest challenger Gautier Paulin hadn’t missed 8 rounds and 16 potential points through injury, but as it is Cairoli has dominated the start gate in admirable fashion. Those times that Carioli hasn’t broken the line first the black plate has gone to riders from up and down the starting gate, inside line or

outside, the variety of performers has been spectacular. This weekend we saw Milko Potisek on the 2B Yamaha thread the needle for the second time this season, putting his bike between the two Rockstar Suzukis of Kevin Strijbos and Clement Desalle to take the line by a clear 2 meters, before Dennis Ullrich finally made a flawless first

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turn to take the second point of the day.

Ullrich’s holeshot was all the more impressive as he came from around about the 15th gate to sweep outside of Antonio Cairoli, using the berm on the track edge to dig the rear tyre in and get the jump on this year’s holeshot king. Potisek had no hope of repeating his race 1 performance after getting stuck in the gate alongside Gautier Paulin. Proof if it was needed of the level that these athletes are willing to push to in order to get the all important holeshot.

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With Herlings out in MX2 José Butrón on the Silver Action KTM is looking a shoe in to take the largest points haul in the quarter litre class with his consistent speed off the line. He nearly had the holeshot again in race 1 in Loket but Valentin Guillod on the Standing Construct KTM turned inside the Spaniard and took another point for himself. That puts the Swiss star on 4 points, exactly half of the total of Butrón.

Race 2 was more of the same, but in reverse. Butrón, learning quickly from his mistake of race one where he carried

too much speed into turn 1, squared off the corner and drove for the line only to be out dragged on the outside by Aleksandr Tonkov on the Wilvo Neestan Husqvarna. No points for Butrón in the Czech Republic but if he can keep himself at the sharp end of the gate for 3 more rounds, he will be the odds on favourite to pocket the winners prize in Mexico.

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PEAKS AND TROUGHS

IN MXGP In a season made up of fifty-one gate drops, seventeen of which are qualifying heat races and the remaining thirty-four are the all important championship points, the likelihood of making it through for the entire duration, which tallied up is 26 hours and 56 minutes of full on motocross racing action and that’s only in terms of the FIM Motocross World Championship, is an enormous expectation for riders and their entire network of support people to carry, year in year out.

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This year we have seen a host of big names go face to face with the harsh reality of our sport, Searle, Charlier, Coldenhoff, Rattray, Waters, Nagl, Paulin, Bobryshev, Tonus and Desalle are a few that immediately spring to mind with the biggest wake up call being the injury that MX2 phenomenon Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings sustained while on the home stretch towards his third consecutive FIM MX2 world title.

awesome things that have happened over the last three rounds of MXGP and that still includes the mind-blowing speed the flying Dutchman was carrying in Uddevalla, Sweden, and Hyvinkää, Finland, and also the form of his Red Bull KTM Factory Racing teammate Antonio Cairoli, not to mention what may have been the most epic round of racing so far, the MXGP of the Czech Republic in Loket.

It has shocked everyone world wide, not just because Herlings is injured but the fact it happened while play riding on an 85cc, if you could call anything Herlings does on a bike “play riding”, has sent the MXGP paddock into pandemonium. But we can’t let injury over shadow all the

Each and every time MXGP travels to Scandinavia it’s always a breath of fresh air, quite literally as we are surrounded by stunning greenery, crystal clear bodies of water and we are able to relish in the long summer nights and crisp airy mornings. Maybe that is a part of the attraction to

MXGP of Sweden

the area as the FIM Motocross World Championship graced the circuit of Uddevalla for the fourteenth year in succession.

While the track in Uddevalla is familiar to many of the riders in MXGP and MX2, the organizers and track designers decided to mix it up a little for 2014, running it reverse compared to recent years and relocating the start and finish lines as well as making a few other alterations in order to freshen up the battlefield. They also opted not to rip it, which came as a surprise to almost everyone as the riders have become accustomed to deep ruts over the years.

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Slick and choppy was the name of the game and riders were forced to make split second decisions on a regular basis as they struggled to take lines that were less obvious than normal. With few ruts to get stuck into trying to predict where their fellow competitors were going to go proved difficult, which incidentally was one of the things that made the racing so great to watch because we, as spectators, also didn’t know where they would go or what they would do!

Although the unexpected conditions caught almost everyone off guard, two riders took the whole experience in their stride. Both FIM Motocross World Champions, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s duo of Antonio Cairoli and Jeffrey Herlings dominated both races

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Since the old track was just hanging out there in the woods of Hyvinkää, we thought it would be a MXGP of Finland cool idea to get together a bunch The second stop within the Scan- of old racers and their vintage modinavian region was in Finland, in torcycles to go and spin some laps a town called Hyvinkää. While some for old times sake. Around twenty things remained the same that riders showed up with bikes from weekend, such as the dominating the 60’s right through to the early performances of the defending 80’s. Plenty of people showed up champions Cairoli and Herlings, to bear witness to the spitting there was also a lot that was in snarling and roaring sound of the contrast. past and also to show some appreciation for the riders who dustFirst of all while Uddevalla has ed off the retro bikes, bikes which held a solid spot on the calenrequired almost a persons entire dar for fourteen years, this year bodyweight to kick start and had was only MXGP’s second stop in drum brakes that are just about as Hyvinkää with the last time, prieffective as a set of V-brakes on a or to last year, being way back mountain bike. in 1991, even then it was in the Just like the old school bikes, the same place but on a different old circuit was super gnarly. It track, located approximately one wasn’t groomed in the slightest kilometer up the road. and had loads of elevation chang-

with ease to extend their championship points leads.

es with a sandy yet extremely rocky base. A nice challenge for the old-school bikes that aren’t exactly equipped with state of the art suspension. It was a great experience and it was especially cool to see the legend that is ten times FIM Motocross World Champion Stefan Everts ripping around along with the future stars like CLS Kawasaki Monster Energy’s Thomas Covington and Sahkar Racing’s Harri Kullas.

chopped up and were a real tech- data analysis experts calculating the numbers and odds, working nical challenge. out what it would take for someone other than Herlings to be crowned Heading away from Finland it FIM MX2 World Champ. Here’s a looked as though both Red Bull slight insight, heading in, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing riders were well on their way to notching up yet another pair of FIM Motocross World Championship to their belts.

MXGP of Czech Republic

Not this time for Herlings though, one week later and the nineteenAnother thing in contrast to Swe- year-old mega talent was laying den was the new Hyvinkää circuit in hospital with his leg in traction where the Grand Prix took place. after a pin had been surgically inserted into his left femur as a The circuit was reasonably small in comparison to many of the oth- result of a crash while racing a er tracks on the calendar with lap 85cc bike. times hovering around the 1:40 With Herlings out the MXGP of mark; it had a homely feel with the Czech Republic was thrown flowing loamy turns and tricky sand straights that got incredibly into turmoil, everybody turned into

KTM Factory Racing’s Jordi Tixier trailed Herlings by 145. There was, at the start of that round, 200 points up for grabs if he was to win every remaining moto this season. The title was also within reach for Tixier’s fellow Frenchmen Romain Febvre and Dylan Ferrandis, who sit third and fourth in the championship respectively, Febvre trailed Herlings by 178 while Ferrandis trailed by 191.

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One of the most interesting factors going into that weekend was the fact that not one rider on the start line had won a Grand Prix. With CLS Kawasaki Monster Energy’s Arnaud Tonus out with a broken shoulder and Rockstar Energy Suzuki Europe’s Glenn Coldenhoff still on the mend after having his knee reconstructed the field were top step newbies. In addition no one had even won a race this season, leaving an abundance of milestones for whoever wanted it badly enough.

After the absolute pandemonium of race one and race two, which launched 2014’s MXGP of Czech Republic to the top of the charts as one of the best rounds of racing ever, it was Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jordi Tixier who fired back at his critics when he took a

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stellar race win in the first race and went about backing it up with a smart ride in race two for his first ever MX2 Grand Prix victory.

Joining Tixier at the milestone bank was Standing Construct KTM’s Valentin Guillod. The Swiss rider was the surprise winner of THE most epic battle of the season, which can be viewed by clicking on the MXGP button below, and he took home a very deserving second overall for the Grand Prix of the Czech Republic as his career best finish and first ever MX2 podium placing, while Yamaha Factory Racing’s Christophe Charlier was the surprise performer with his convincing win in moto two to land himself on the podium for the first time this year, in third.

Meanwhile in MXGP, the saying

‘red goes faster’ got tossed out the window in the premier class with both Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jeremy Van Horebeek and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Antonio Cairoli donning fluro yellow kits. The men in high vis gear went to war and while it wasn’t really expected by anyone that Van Horebeek would win in a 100% fair one on one battle with the defending seven-time world champ, he did it, earning himself a standing ovation from the packed hillsides.

After one of the most insanely intense, crazy and emotionally charged weekends it was obvious why these guys do this great sport. The races at the MXGP of the Czech Republic were what MX dreams are made of.

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FIM Motocross World Championship

Standings MXGP CHAMP. STANDINGS

MX2 CHAMP. STANDINGS

1. A.Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 619 points 2. J.Van Horebeek (BEL,YAM), 562p.

3. C. Desalle (BEL, SUZ), 484 p.

4. K. Strijbos (BEL, SUZ), 469 p.

5. S. Frossard (FRA, KAW), 333 p.

6. S. Simpson (UK, KTM), 325p.

7. M. Nagl (GER, HON), 291 p.

8. G. Paulin (FRA, KAW), 235 p.

9. D. Philippaerts (ITA,YAM), 234 p.

10. D. Guarneri (ITA, TM), 232 p.

1. J.Herlings (NED, KTM),594points.

2. J. Tixier (FRA, KTM), 492 p.

3. R. Febvre (FRA HUS), 453 p.

4. D. Ferrandis (FRA, KAW), 425 p.

5. T. Gajser (SLO, HON), 420 p.

6. A. Tonus (FRA, KAW), 389 p.

7. V. Guillod (SUI, KTM) , 354 p.

8. A. Tonkov (RUS, HUS), 335p.

9. J. Butron (ESP, KTM), 321 p.

10. J. Seewer (SUI, SUZ), 289 p.

MXGP MANUFACTUERS 1. KTM 2. Suzuki 3. Yamaha 4. Kawasaki 5. Honda 6. Husqvarna 7. TM

619 587 566 510 426 280 273

points points points points points points points

MX2 MANUFACTUERS 1. KTM 2. Kawasaki 3. Husqvarna 4. Honda 5. Suzuki 6. Yamaha 7. TM

669 points 530 points 469 points 430 points 407 points 389 points 6 points

Total minutes watched on Youtube

more than 22 million MXGP Yotube Channel • 21,500 people subscribed from 207 countries • Total views –7,907,000 • 22,781,000 minutes watched • Predominant gender – male (82%)

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MXGP SOCIAL

TWITTER, FACEB IN THE WORLD OF #MXGP

@JHerlings84 · It ain’t over until its over.

There is still alot of hope.

And a lot of motivation. Everything is still possible, and it looks still positive stephenlowe3 @mxgp @JHerlings84 will not sit back and watch his title go he will be back before for Mexico.

@Prokhorov737 Get well soon Jeffrey! Be strong!!! So sorry. @JHerlings84@mxgp @KTM_Racing @StefanEverts @valentinguillod Ohhhh yessss so good 3-3.

First podium 2nd, thanks to everyone who make that’s possible. #mxgp #loket #podium

Our MXGP Fans are the best!

Thank you Jens for sharing your great experience from the MXGP! MXGP Message from fan, Jens Olssen: Hi guys i just wanna say that MXGP is so awesome and it’s is so good you guys are active with the Facebook page and on Instagram. That’s so nice to see and I want to thank you for an awesome MXGP of Sweden in Uddevalla where I had a chance to take a selfie with Amy Dargan that was awesome!!

Thanks for the best motocross action in the world!!!

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@DunlopLive Huge congratulations to @ kiarafontansi for her 3rd consecutive title in Women’s @mxgp! @AndrewMckinstry I am sooooo happy!! First mxgp win for @Vanhorebeek89, well deserved!!!!

Lots more to come!!! Buzzing!

@MonsterEnergyNO Good to see @StevenFrossard back on the @ mxgp podium last weekend in Finland

Guess top 3 competition continues! Submit your guess at every MXGP and win great MXGP and our sponsors prizes! Click here to follow the competition.

@janbacurnay it’s not what you ride, it’s how you ride it. #mxgp

Are you curious what the top world motocross riders have to say right after their races? Click here to watch Amy Dargan’s interviews with the top 3 riders from MX2 & MXGP Qualifying races.

BOOK, INSTAGRAM, YOUTUBE Visit MXGP Instagram (@MXGP) and have fun!

@jorditixier What a weekend for us patron @jeremyvanhorebeek.

Won both the overall the same day. So happy. I will remember this day all my life. #genieten #mxgp

@MXGP Crowned #WMX champion 2014 - @Kiarafontanesi!

@mx_magazine On a way to Loket for the #MXGP of Czech Republic! @antoniocairoli @ jillcox

@2gio2potenz2 Thanks to great @dylanferrandis! #MXGPselfie #MXGP

@limpan_vik #MXGPselfie #MXGP

@motogpforlife They don’t like selfies but for this time it’s OK! #MXGPselfie #MXGP #legend #foxracing

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RIDER OF THE MONTH

In a normal world, a world without a slightly skewed of humour, Jeffrey Herling would have arrived to the Republic late on the eveni of July 25th, perhaps driv straight to the track to ma sure he had his usual dinn the Red Bull hospitality, re quainted himself with the bike that he calls an exten himself and settled down t before having a very serio at winning his third MX2 w title the following day. As i Herlings lay infirm in Holla

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ld sense gs e Czech ing ven ake ner in eacrace nsion of to rest ous go world it was, and

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One shot: The French Arms Race to the MX2 Crown

First amongst those is Jordi Tixier, the #911, who has spent 3 years huddled in the shadow of his dominant team mate.

Given the chance to shine after The merits and risks of fun Jeffrey’s injury late last year are not something that we will discuss here, Jeffrey lives his fragile self belief crumbled under the weight of factory and his life as he chooses as only he has to live with the conse- fan expectation alike, and when quences of his actions, for us the same moment was offered “I had some problems this what is left is to enjoy an MX2 to him at the beginning of 2014 year, some injuries and stuff so it’s great to hopefully finish title race that has been blown a devious and persistent set of injuries left him unable to throw wide apart and then shrunk off the title already in Loket, back down to centre on three his hat in the ring for race wins. the dream was to win it in This time round he knows he very different riders from Lommel but better to take it must bear the burden better.

France. as early as possible if I don’t with a titanium rod in his leg after perhaps placing his own version of the commentators curse on his head with his post race TV interview in Finland two weeks earlier when he uttered this unbelievably portent phrase,

get injured by Loket or something or don’t have some strange things happen.”

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“Last year when he was injured straight after he sent me an SMS and said, “now is your time!” So yeah he put so much pressure on my mind and I thought, “Ah now I have to win for KTM and I have to be up the front” and I didn’t do it. So that’s why this year I have learnt from the year before and so now I have no pressure on myself, just give my best and we will see at the end of the championship.”

Though he says he’s relaxed Jordi Tixier is not one to go with the flow when it comes to riding and racing and even if he has learnt to keep the pressure off himself he knows that there is a certain level of expectation that comes from pitting out of the orange tent, solo.

“You feel all the pressure is on yourself because Jeffrey is not there but with KTM Red bull you don’t have this, even when Jeffrey is there you don’t have a first rider and a second rider, it is always the

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same. We have the same bike and the same people around you, but for sure when Jeffrey is not there, only one bike is under the tent and it’s mine and all the people are looking at me, so you have to make a result that’s for sure because it’s one of the biggest team of the paddock, I think the biggest team of the paddock. You have to be up the front and you have to be on the box, for sure if Jeffrey is not there for KTM it will be good to have the KTM at the top of the box.”

With a run of Championships in MX2 that extends for 6 years since Tyla Rattray in 2008, the Red Bull KTM Factory team are well aware of how to deal with a rider who is under championship scrutiny and with Tixer it seems they have learnt how to manage their rider, too.

“You know all the KTM crew didn’t speak to me about the championship still, just Stefan (Everts) told me “now it’s your chance” but I know it’s my chance, I’m going to do

my best for that because it’s one of my dreams since I was a kid to be a world champion.”

If Tixier’s greatest challenge up until now has come from himself perhaps his greatest obstacle in the near future will be Romain Febvre. The Wilvo Neestan Husqvarna racer may be in the best spot of the three, it’s his first year on a factory bike, his Husqvarna FC250 is only in its first first year in the championship, he is comfortably beating his team mate and thanks to a recent spate of small crashes (exemplified by one just a few laps from the finish in race two in Loket that robbed him of the overall win) no one really expects him to step up to the plate, taking all that into account he could be in a perfect place to exploit the situation over the next few rounds.

“If I feel some pressure on myself I will switch my mind to not have so much pressure because when I have pressure, I know I can make mistakes eas-

ily, I will ride like in practice.”

Winning the qualifying race on Saturday in the Czech republic was the first big goal for Febvre, and on Saturday evening he seemed to be a rider who had finally gotten the a monkey off his back.

“The last few races I have made some mistakes and I always made one good race one of the two I ride really good and I always think too much to go on the podium in this race and I make these mistakes.

In this race I didn’t look back but I heard Jordi’s bike and I thought he was faster, but he wasn’t and every lap I felt like the gap was getting more, so it’s a good feeling to have and I know if I can ride relaxed like I know, then I can be the fastest.”

Race two in Loket was a vibrant display of guts from all the top riders, but a hats off must go to Febvre, when push came to shove he actually did

the most shoving, passing Tixer and Butrón once and pulling a gap before stalling and having to do it all again in 2 corners, the late race crash not withstanding it seems the #461 is very much up for taking this fight to the wire.

that mantel fell to Dylan Ferrandis. When you now look at the ease with which he rattles off fast laps in races and practice it’s difficult to understand why he has not featured more on the podium in the season to date.

“Earlier in the year I was third in the championship, Tonus was second and my goal was to be the first Frenchman and be selected for the Motocross of Nations but Jordi passed me in the championship and now my goal, well I am third and like I said on the paper it’s possible to be world champion, but it’s more possible to beat Jordi. I will be more focussed to beat first Jordi and then after if it’s possible to be World Champion I will do it.”

“This year all the people in the team were new and we needed time to get closer to everybody and now the team know exactly what I am looking for. Now it’s better and that’s why we have made changes in a good way because some times we made changes and they weren’t right and that was bad, so now I think we are working as a team together and I feel better now in my team than a few GPs ago.”

The third of our triumvirate of fast French is one who lost out on the European MX2 title in 2011 to Romain Febvre due to an injury, Febvre took the glory but he was not the fastest rider in terms of outright speed,

With his more experienced team mate Arnaud Tonus out of the running due to injury, Ferrandis and the new crew lost their way and the young Kawasaki rider knew that he had to try to solve his set up issues.

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“The problem is me, for setting the bike I am not good, on the bike I am just wide open and I just want to be faster and faster, I’m not trying to find if this is best or this is worse, the suspension is too hard or not, and I have difficulty to find this because when I put on the helmet it’s just wide open and nothing more. This is difficult for me and that’s why I find it difficult to have a good setting on the bike.”

With 2 of the 8 remaining motos in the bag Ferrandis is out of the title hunt for this year after a costly no points score in race 1, but with the speed he has at his disposal and the unshackling of his talent from the title race he could well take enough points from the other two to make sure the Championship stays in Dutch orange.

And when you add in his rather fruity views on the other two riders it makes for a mouth

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watering prospect for the season finale.

“With Tixier it’s special because now I am 20 years old and at the age of 7 we started to fight together and he was one or two years older than me and I always rode in a class above my age and I always fought with him. He was taller than me and he always beat me, and for me he was always my special rival on the track and now it’s that again in the world championship, we fight again together but we always have a good relation and no problem, we are not friends but it’s normal when we fight every weekend for the podium.”

To be champion you need the whole package, speed, self-belief, balls of steel and an understanding of the machine that powers you. But most of all you need to want to beat your opponents and for these three

Frenchman there is no love lost as Jordi Tixer puts it so eloquently.

“When I go on my bike my goal is to be on the top and if I can I want to win.”

No one is expecting one man to suddenly rise out of the pack and assume the dominant role in the champions absence, the speed differential between top three is not there, but if Herlings doesn’t return to snatch this one away, there will be more championships for him in years to come, for Tixier this may be his one chance. We can only hope the he steps up to seize the opportunity or else he may forever regret these next few months.

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Tony Cairoli the Movie in European cinemas

This autumn will see the European cinematic release of the story behind Tony Cairoli, the 7 times Motocross World Champion.

Tony Cairoli the Movie has been almost 1 year in the making by the team behind last year’s break out MX movie “Living For The Weekend” Jean-Paul Maas and Nick Janssen.

The due have travelled around the globe to piece together the story A movie dedicated to a motocross and the legacy of one of the greatlegend is new in most European est champions the sport has ever cinemas so LFTW have planned known. specific days for each selected cinema in every country where the Starting with his background stomovie will be shown. “The forecast ry the LFTW film crew went to Toshows great potential for visitors ny’s hometown in Sicily to interview for the special movie nights. Most of the diverse group of people who the time we will need all capacity of were around Tony during his childthe cinemas to be able to welcome hood and at the very difficult start a huge group of fans at the same of his career. When he was a boy time. When you count all the people Tony’s father was not able to make who will visit this movie, it has the the money necessary to finance an potential to be the event with the expensive sport like motocross but largest crowd of the year”. the young rider’s passion for the sport was supported by the enLFTW film premieres are well know tire family which made it possible to be very special events with limto break boundaries. Following the ousines, the red carpet, the press path of Tony’s route to success lead and the excitement of watching the to some very emotional interviews, movie for the first time. Additionally, spectacular never before seen LFTW will be organising dinner befootage and heart breaking stories, fore every premiere and an amazall of which are all revealed during ing after-party when the screening the film.

ends. The most delicious food combined with the right atmosphere will make these nights unforgettable.

In countries where this movie will not appear in cinema, the movie will be available on iTunes very soon after the premieres and the DVD can already be preordered online and will be delivered as soon as it’s available. The movie will be published in two languages, English and Italian and subtitled versions will be available in 13 different languages Please visit the website www. tc222themovie.com for the latest announcements and to buy your cinema tickets for the film event of the year.

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Wide Open with Dr. Wolfgang Srb

From the hare scramble days of tracks marked out by a handful of wooden posts to the outstanding infrastructure and professionalism of MXGP today, the evolution of the FIM Motocross World Championship has been nothing short of astonishing. While the growth of the championship and increase in popularity is obvious it hasn’t come without the initiative, passion and dedication of a few key people.

One of the most intriguing of those is Dr. Wolfgang Srb, the former FIM/CMS Director and the newly elected president of FIM Europe.

Born and raised in Austria’s capital, Vienna, Dr. Wolfgang Srb spent his youth as a keen rally car racer and avid motorsport fan. “I started as a rally driver in Austria where I competed in a few national rallies, although nothing

big as it became too expensive because in the seventies sponsors were hard to come by and I was a student paying everything myself. Anyway, I decided to retire and become a sporting steward for the Austrian Federation.” A decision that eventually led the avid motorsport fan to join the Motocross Commission of the FIM in late 1984.

After obtaining his doctorate in law and becoming a

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very successful legal expert at a well-known bank in Vienna, Dr. Srb was approached by the Austrian Federation to gauge his interest in attending the FIM Motocross World Championships to support fellow countryman and 1984 and 1985 FIM Motocross 250cc World Champion Heinz Kinigadner as a member of the jury. “Back in spring 1984, Heinz Kinigadner mentioned in an interview that he was a little disappointed that the Austrian Federation never sent a jury member to the events to support him despite the fact he was the first Austrian to lead the FIM Motocross World Championship.

To make a long story short:

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I was asked if I would be interested in being ‘that’ guy and I simply said yes.”

From that moment Dr. Srb attended almost all the rounds of the FIM Motocross World Championship with his first being in the Netherlands at Heerlen, “Yes I remember my first event, it rained cats and dogs, there was mud everywhere and the races had to be stopped as the timekeepers could no longer read the numbers. The final jury meeting lasted for hours, as many riders were not happy with the official results. Now, in the age of transponders it is very hard to imagine that!” laughed Dr. Srb.

Dr. Srb became fascinated with the championship, enjoying the challenges and he loved the fact he was sure to learn something new each and every weekend. “Even to this day, I am still learning. You must know the rules in order to be fair, neutral and well founded in your decisions” he said.

In 1987 Dr. Srb was already an instructor at seminars for aspiring FIM officials before being elected CMS vice president in 1989 and then being promoted to CMS president in 1993.

A few years later, the FIM threw some new ideas on the table, one of which

was obtaining a promotion partner for each motorcycling division. While the road-racing sector was the first to take on a promotion partner, it wasn’t long before the motocross community followed. In 1996 the FIM Motocross World Championship joined forces with ‘Action Group’ a company that has since been re-named and is now recognized as ‘Youthstream’.

“The relation between the FIM and Youthstream is very good. It is one that is based on mutual respect.”

Dr. Srb said. “We both work very hard on one target: to develop motocross; to make it bigger, better and global. Together we know we can accomplish our mission, and we feel

we are on target”.

With the FIM sanctioning the sporting aspects of the FIM Motocross World Championship such as rules, fairness and safety, Youthstream has the right to select the location of the events and thereby creating the calendar, promote the championship and cover all areas of advertising, television production and broadcast services.

best riders, the best bikes and the best tracks. We have also an outstanding cooperation with FIM Europe that allows us to run the European Motocross Championship along side the FIM Motocross World Championship at the same venue and on the same weekend. It is a great opportunity for young riders to grow step by step and be ready for MX2 and eventually MXGP.”

“I am happy that I have worked for so many years with professional people such as those from Youthstream as well as from the CMS. I feel the results are obvious; the FIM Motocross World Championship is the best off-road series in the world with the

Even though the success so far is undeniable, Dr. Srb is a realist and he knows there is and always will be room for improvement, “I feel the partnership between the FIM and Youthstream is very successful and is still growing.

As with everything in life,

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not only in sport, there is always room for improvement. We as human beings never stop learning.”

So, what are the official tasks of the FIM/CMS director?

“The main task of my job, in a nutshell, was to manage the development of the sport and the yearly changes, and to maintain the same high level of professionalism as the promotion partner. As for physically being at the Grand Prix, I arrive Thursday and check all of the official paperwork and also the track. Medical services will always be a top priority for me. On Friday, technical control starts, as does circuit control that then leads us to the first inten-

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sive meeting of the weekend that includes the FIM, Youthstream and the organizer or club that hosts the event. Over the weekend, all aspects of the event are constantly discussed to keep everything moving in the right direction.”

After more than twenty years as FIM/CMS director Dr. Srb has taken on a new challenge after being elected president of FIM Europe, a move that sees him leave his former role in the capable hands of Tony Skillington who will now take over the reigns as FIM/CMS director. “Tony is the man! He will do a great job.”

Dr. Srb elaborated on his new role “I was elected FIM Europe president in July at the FIM Europe

congress in Cracow, for a mandate of four years. My main target is to strengthen the position of FIM Europe within the FIM family.

FIM Europe is not only the biggest continental union in terms of affiliated federations (47), but also in terms of the biggest number of riders, licenses, organizers and events.

Since becoming the FIM Europe president I now represent the European federations in front of governments, institutions, manufacturers, sponsors, etc. at various meetings and occasions, might they be sporting as well as political. I also represent FIM Europe in the FIM board of directors and at meetings with other continental unions. It is a full time job.”

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F

EMX65 & EMX85

Finalists fathom their fate in Finland

There is nothing more refreshing than the sound of the next generation of motocross riders running around the MXGP paddock screaming “braaaaaaaaapppp” as they pass every mound of dirt. Just the word, if you can call it a word, said in a few distinct tones with multiple different lengths of exaggeration combined with some unique hand gestures lets any motocross rider from any town, country or continent communicate with another. That turned out to

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be pretty handy for more th seventy of Europe’s hottest young 65cc and 85cc talent they all gathered at the MX of Finland to compete in the EMX65 and EMX85 Europe Championships.

The entire event was an aw some experience for the Eu ropean mini rippers as they parked their vans and set u their pit areas alongside th MX2 and MXGP heroes for perfect and incredibly reali tic insight into what the fut

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r d

han t nts as XGP e ean

weuy up heir ra isture

may hold for them as they take their first steps on the journey into becoming a MXGP pro.

Youthstream has grand plans for these young guns and that plan forms a pyramid with the MXGP class being the peak, MX2 the second tier followed by the European Championships EMX250 and EMX125 classes with the EMX85 and EMX65 categories being the wide and varied base. With this vision of MXGP being the ultimate goal, Youthstream

for them as they pulled into the circuit with some good knowledge of what to expect. But for those who hadn’t yet had the opportunity to participate in a MXGP Academy ‘Masterclass’, joining the paddock of MXGP, racing on the same track on Quite a few of the riders who the same day with the same had qualified in their region conditions would have been a to compete in the European very new and over-whelming Championship finals had alexperience. Though you would ready participated in Youthnever have guessed it from the stream’s MXGP Academy at outside, as the little talents, previous rounds of the FIM hearts filled with passion and Motocross World Championship. This proved to be an asset heads filled with dreams, flaunthave also introduced the MXGP Academy, a support system for serious young hopefuls who are enthusiastic to learn the ins and outs of becoming a professional motocross athlete.

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ed their very impressive speed and skills out on the super burley circuit which embodied one of the most mentally and physically demanding terrains in our sport, sand.

On race day two riders took centre stage with one being the tiny Nikita Kucherov from Russia. Kucherov, who is literally about one meter tall and tips the scales at around 30 kilograms soaking wet, rode impressively in both races to be crowned European EMX65 champion. It was astonishing to see this little dude’s speed on his tiny KTM65SX as he tore through the sand in Hyvinkää to claim the championship with a second place finish in race one followed by a convincing win in race two to defeat Sweden’s latest young rising star Noel Nilsson, who only just edged out another exciting little Russian, Maksim Kraev for second. Kraev actually tied with Nilsson on points but second place ended up going to the rider with the best result in the race 2 which

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was Nilsson.

The slightly bigger lads in EMX85 proved just how far the depth of talent spreads across Europe with all of the top five finishers hailing from different nations. While there were a few favorites for the win, namely Red Bull KTM Factory Racing youngsters Spaniard Jorge Prado, local hero Kim Savaste and the star of the popular Dutch motocross movie ‘Living for the weekend’ Roan Van De Moosdijk, it was Sahkar Racing Team’s young Belgian Jago Geerts who shone the brightest when he used his flashy sand style to dominate both races for a convincing win.

The Red Bull KTM riders had a tough weekend with Prado having somewhat of a ‘freak accident’ in practice and breaking his leg, while teammate Savaste also struggled to keep it on two wheels throwing away two possible race wins by crashing while leading both races. Nevertheless the Finnish prodigy still managed

to wrap up third overall with Dutch Roan Van De Moosdijk taking home a pair of second places for second on the podium.

At the end of the weekend, seeing the youngsters on the podium bought forth the realization that motocross is one of the very few sports in the world that offers kids the opportunity to embrace new cultures, travel to new and exciting places as well as interact with a lot of different people right from a very young age. Whether they ‘make it’ as a pro or not, the experience that it offers is priceless.

The next stop for the fastest youths in the world will be the FIM Junior Motocross World Championship which is all set to take place in Lierneux, Belgium on the weekend of August 10. Keep your eyes peeled for the full story in the next issue of MXGP mag.

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HALL OF FAME

Pekka Vehkonen the other Finn

In the history of World Motocross only two Finnish riders have won more than one Motocross world title. Heikki Mikkola was the first and had the greatest impact but a few years after his retirement another young Finn put his name forever on the FIM history books: Pekka Vehkonen.

Born in May 1964 in Vantaa, close to the former GP track and not so far from Hyvinkää, Pekka Vehkonen started his racing life in 1977 following in the steps of Heikki Mikkola who that same year claimed his second 500cc World title. With his uncle Kalevi, a former GP rider with a 4th position in the 250cc World Championship in 1972 as his best ever placing, it was only natural that Pekka would have an interest in this sport and it was on a 25cc Montesa trials bike at the age of seven that he got his first off-

road experience. But he had to wait a few more years to do his first real race in 1977, going on to claim his first Finnish title two years later.

Cagiva started pretty well with a couple of podiums, but Pekka broke his leg during the season and missed several GPs to finish just fourteenth in the standings. The He had a taste of GP’s during 1985 season was to be his the 1981 Finnish Grand best ever and he served up, Prix in Salo; not many peoalong with Dutch Dave Strijple paid any attention to this bos, one of the most exciting young kid, the Finnish 125cc seasons in the history of the champion, who didn’t score 125cc series. Heading into a single point, but fourteen the last GPs in Argentina and months later everyone knew Brazil with barely anything the name of Pekka Vehkonen between them in the standas the Finn got a strong ings, they fought until the second position behind Eric last minute of the last race Geboers in the opening round as Pekka beat the Dutchman of the 1982 World Champiby nine points to become the onship! Later he went on to claim his first ever heat win in Germany and then his first GP win in Sweden, Pekka was a Yamaha hopeful but as the Japanese brand stopped its investment in Motocross he signed with the Italian factory Cagiva for the next few seasons. His first year with

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caravan with his mechanic for second, and unfortunately the but when the gate dropped I the first few seasons, but Peklast, Finnish World champion. always gave 110% to get the ka had a successful career and best possible result. I know Strijbos also moved to Cagiva that many people talked about now shares his time between in 1986 and went of to bring my riding style but I don’t know Monaco, Belgium and Finland. another title to the Italian why I should ride as the other When we met him during the brand, while Pekka scored a riders. I have my own style, get last GP in Finland in front of us it was the same fit, happy and fourth overall and decided to good results and don’t want smiling man that we had always join the 250cc class. He twice to change anything,” he said known. finished runner up in that se- in 1989. He personally had to ries, missing a bit of consis- put a lot in to launch his interText and Photo by P. Haudiquert tency to be able to truly fight national career, he lived in a with Geboers and Van Den Berk. Back on a Yamaha again for 1989 he got two runner 1982 125 cc Motocross World Championship - 15th (Yamaha) up spots behind Jean Michelle 1983 125 cc Motocross World Championship – 4th (Yamaha) Bayle and Alessandro Puzar 1984 125 cc Motocross World Championship – 14th (Cagiva) to head into retirement with 1985 125 cc Motocross World Championship – 1st (Cagiva) one gold and four silver FIM 1986 125 cc Motocross World Championship – 4th (Cagiva) medals. Always very quiet in 1987 250 cc Motocross World Championship - 2nd (Cagiva) his day to day life, Pekka was 1988 250 cc Motocross World Championship – 2nd (Cagiva) another man when he put 1989 250 cc Motocross World Championship – 2nd (Yamaha) his helmet and jumped on his 1990 250 cc Motocross World Championship – 2nd (Yamaha) bike. “In fact I was never so 1991 250 cc Motocross World Championship - 6th (Yamaha) 1992 250 cc Motocross World Championship - 15th (Yamaha) good and so motivated when I entered a practice session,

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Fontanesi crowned champion

MXGP of Czech Republic was momentous for a number of riders but for none more so than Yamaha MX Fonta Racing’s Kiara Fontanesi, who clenched her third consecutive FIM Women’s Motocross World Title. In her own words it was “the first title I have really ‘won’ because I only had four victories (out of a possible twelve) and ALL of the best girls in the world were racing this year”.

With the return of two of the most successful WMX riders in the world, 2008 FIM Wom-

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en’s Motocross World Champion Team One One Four’s Livia Lancelot and multi-time FIM Women’s Motocross World Champion Team Dragon Moto’s Stephanie Laier, not to mention the latest young star on the rise hailing from Australia last years WMX runner-up Bud Racing Kawasaki’s Meghan Rutledge, the 2014 WMX series provided one of the most intense seasons to date.

While it was Rutledge who imposed the biggest threat, especially after her stellar start to

the season where she absolutely dominated the opening round in Qatar with a double race victory which was strengthened in the third race of the championship in Trentino when she made it three from three race wins, it all came undone when a lapse in concentration saw her tumble to the ground and fail to gain points in race number four.

Fontanesi was quick to capitalize on the Australian’s fumble to take home her first race win and one and only WMX overall this season.

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After WMX’s round of Trentino, which was round two of the championship, Hitachi Construction Machinery UK KTM’s Natalie Kane claimed the WMX red plate for the first time in her career. At round three in Valkenswaard, The Netherlands, Kane led the championship one point clear of the defending champion Fontanesi who was a further three points clear of the early red plate holder Rutledge.

In race one in Holland, the eager twenty-year-old Fontanesi took home her second race victory of the season but only managed to clasp fourth place in race two which saw Lancelot re-emerge to the front of the pack for her first victory of the season, after a mechanical failure in race one left her pushing

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her bike off of the track. On that particular weekend Fontanesi lost the overall by one point to the Australian, Rutledge, who was the most consistent banking two seconds for her second overall round win. Nevertheless, Fontanesi made three points on Kane, which was enough to reclaim the all-important WMX red plate.

Round four in Saint Jean d’Angely, France was deemed the ‘Livia Lancelot show’ with the flamboyant local lady being on in a league of her own that weekend, absolutely dominating both races for her first round win of the season.

The penultimate round in Teutschenthal, Germany was hard fought for both main championship contenders

Fontanesi and Rutledge as they both put away 1-2 results to tie on points for the round. With Rutledge winning the final moto of the day, she was awarded the victory, marking her third of the season, yet Fontanesi remained as the championship points leader.

With only four points in it, the sixth and final round of the FIM Women’s Motocross World Championship was set to be a race to the checkers and when the gate fell for the penultimate race of the season it was Fontanesi who proved to be the most hungry for the win battling from behind and passing every title contender, Rutledge, Lancelot and Laier to extend her points lead with one to go.

Heading into the final race,

seven points separated the two most likely to be crowned world champion, the defending champ Fontanesi and last years runner-up Rutledge. Anticipation, anxiety, excitement were just a few of the many emotions flooding pit lane as friends, families and support crews watched the championship unfold. For a few moments throughout the race, the championship sat in the hands of Rutledge, but when the clock struck twenty minutes and the two-lap board came out, it was Lancelot who had complete control up front. On the final lap, Fontanesi sat in behind Rutledge to take home a safe third sealing her fourth consecutive second overall result and proving to the world that consistency does win championships as she graciously took the WMX crown for the third year in

succession.

“I am so happy to get the title because the season didn’t start so well for me” the Italian from Parma said, “I had a big crash in Qatar and I was also struggling with many other things, but after Teutschenthal I was still leading the championship so I told myself now is the time to take it seriously, I knew I had to push like hell for one month.”

Going into the final round in Loket the young Italian admitted she had been racing as much as possible and training on a lot on hard packed tracks in order to be fully prepared to clinch the world title once again, “I came here with a strong mentality and I knew I could get it.

I wanted to get the first race victory because I knew it was more important than the second one and after I had a really

bad start (in race one) I said to myself I really need to push because it’s now or now, I can’t get it later!” she laughed, “So, I gave everything I can, I don’t even know how I did that first lap, I started like fifteen and by the end of the first lap I was leading, so I found my rhythm and I won.”

“In race two I wanted to ride like I did in race one but it was not possible because I wasn’t feeling good on the bike, it was difficult to ride, it’s hard to explain. I did try to get Meghan (Rutledge) but in the end I decided it was better to stay in third and not crash. I wanted to win the overall because it is always nice to win, but it was not possible. Anyway I got the title and I couldn’t be more happy than I am now!” the Yamaha rider smiled.

PADDOCK TALKS

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01

Paddock Talks 01/MotoGP rider Andrea Dovizioso supported his friend Antonio Cairoli in the MXGP of Sweden.

02/Teemu Sel채nne, Former NHL player, visited the Finnish MXGP and had a great time with former MX World Champion Pekka Vehkonen.

03/Stefan Everts had the opportunity to ride a vintage bike in the old track of Hyvink채채.

04/Christophe Charlier and Heikki Mikkola at the start line of the MXGP of Finland.

05/Gautier Paulin, Steven Frossard and Dylan Ferrandis will ride for France at the 2014 Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations.

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Paddock Talks

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06/Sylvain Geboers and Heikki Mikkola remembering old good times in Finland.

07/On Saturday night in Loket the MXGP paddock could enjoy the beautiful and spectacular fireworks. 08/The top management of HRC visited the Swedish MXGP. 09/Matti Tarkkonen and his wife reencountered all the MXGP paddock in Finland. 10/The Italian team for the MXoN was presented in Finland with the big surprise of having Antonio Cairoli riding the MX2 class. 11/Russian delegates visited the MXGP of Finland showing great interest in expanding motocross in Orlyonok, Russia.

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QUESTIONS TO THE EDITOR

QUESTIONS TO THE EDITOR Hello, Where can I see the results and LIVE TIMING from the MXGP? Thanks, Aurelien Moreau Dear Aurelien, Thank you for reaching us. You can find the results and championship standings on www.

MXGP.com. If you visit www.

MXGP-TV.com, you can follow not only the LIVE TIMING but also the LIVE stream of races on Sunday.

All the best, Youthstream Dear MXGP, Is MXGP – The Official Motocross Videogame available on PS3?

Thanks, Thanks, Tibor Nagy Dear Tibor, Hi Tibor, The game is indeed available on PS3. In Fall 2014 the game will also be released on PS4. For more information, please visit the official website: www.MXGPVIDEOGAME.com.

Regards Youthstream

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Hi MXGP, I live in Italy. I was wondering where can I watch MXGP races LIVE? Thanks, Umberto Fiametta Dear Umberto, You can watch LIVE MXGP & MX2 races LIVE on Italia 2 TV channel. For the MXGP of Czech Republic and MXGP of Belgium all races will be LIVE on Italia 1.

Otherwise, you can always watch Sunday races LIVE on www.MXGP-TV.com.

Best Regards Youthstream

Hi MXGP, I have heard that MXGP-TV Mid Season package includes Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations pass, too. Is it true that the MXoN will be LIVE both on Saturday and Sunday? I have to say, that’s a pretty good deal since the MXoN pass itself is 20 euros!

Thanks for the reply Thanks, Janis Cinzas Dear Jamis, Thank you for contacting us. The 50% off mid-season package does include Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations pass. The event will be LIVE both on Saturday’s Qualifying races and the races on Sunday. Thanks for enjoying the Championship and the MXoN with MXGP-TV.com!

Best Regards Youthstream

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