#12_SEPTEMBER 2014
Jedi’ of thes
r e s j a G Timhe prodigious son T
Who and how: The 2014 MXoN teams
RACING CATCH UP
RIDERS OF THE MONTH Tim Gajser
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INDEX
COOL SHOT
MONSTER GIRLS
HALL OF FAME Torsten Hallman
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 #12 September 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).
MXGP MAG 2014 MXGP.COM
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EDITORIAL
Dear MXGP Friends, August gave the MXGP a long summer break, but not for the entire Motocross world; the youth have been very active with the FIM Junior Motocross World Championship in Lierneux, Belgium, and with the FIM-E Motocross of European Nations in Pacov, Czech Republic. Despite terrible weather conditions at both events the organisation and racing were excellent. These junior races demonstrate the talent of future champions, and thanks to the various European Championships, the level of these young riders is very high, it’s the perfect preparation for them to enter with ease into MX2 and then MXGP. We have seen great potential in some non-European riders in the FIM Junior World Championship and with the help of the MXGP Academy these riders will find good teams to start their careers in the European Championship and go on to the World Championship. MXGP has never seen such a long summer break which was due to the cancellation of the
Giuseppe Luongo President of Youthstream Group MXGP of Ukraine in Donetsk caused by the war that has broken out there. Apparently it was a quiet month for everyone but in reality things keep boiling; there’s still one especially hot issue, and that is whether Villopoto will come to race the MXGPs or not, I think Villopoto himself will answer this very soon. But what was funny was how this question was treated; one of the hottest news in the history of this sport has been obscured by a part of International journalists, however I think a lot of ink will be used in the future about this subject. With only 2 remaining MXGP events until the end of the season, it will be interesting to see if Tixier manages to take the MX2 crown from Herlings or not. In the MXGP class things look a little easier for Cairoli, but Van Horebeek, who seems to get stronger by the minute, could provide us with some nice surprises. These last 2 MXGP events will be held on new tracks which will make them interesting for competitors and fans, both tracks and organisations will be
outstanding and we’re expecting a huge turnout of spectators. Youthstream staff are already at both venues finalising the last details and, together with the local organisers, are ensuring everything will be perfect. Preparations for the MXoN in Kegums in Latvia are going very well, there have been several modifications made to the venue to improve the racetrack, the spectators’ visibilities, VIP services and naturally the safety. The reigning Champions and favourites, Belgium, will sadly not have Desalle due to him still covering from his injury; will they be able to keep their challengers France, Italy, USA, Germany and Great Britain at bay, and other outsiders will be hungry for a place in the sun. Now we’re eager for the month of September to begin which will be an outstanding grande finale with the MXGP of the State of Goias, the MXGP of Mexico and the MXoN in Latvia. MXGP MAG 2014 MXGP.COM
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HOLESHOT
Big bucks for the young FOX holeshotters at JWC
Ask any parent, racer, former racer or just anyone for that matter, what is one of the biggest keys to a motocross race and nine times out of ten they’ll say, “getting a good start”. For most riders who have the talent to run up front a good start is half the battle won, it’s the only part of the circuit you can pass a whole bunch of riders in a
matter of seconds and is an essential element to any top riders race craft. At the 2014 FIM Junior Motocross World Championship, which took place in Lierneux, Belgium, on the weekend of August the 10th, more than 289 little rippers lined up with someone in their ear saying, “You know what to
do mate! Get that holeshot!!” If they were the one to take the holeshot then not only were they in the good books with Dad and the rest of their support network, but FOX rewarded each of the little talents with a prize which was sure to put some massive smiles on their dials. The prizes for who had the
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fastest reaction, the most commitment, confidence and outright determination were pretty choice. Thanks to FOX two 65cc riders were rewarded with a 500€ gift voucher each, the 85cc FOX holeshot takers were each given a 750€ gift voucher while the holeshot receivers in the premier 125cc class walked away with a whopping 1000€ gift voucher each to spend on the Fox products of their choice. With such a sweet incentive in place, out of the six gate drops we had six different holeshotters with each of the
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six stemming from a different nation. In the Junior 65cc race one it was the recently crowned EMX65 champion Nikita Kusherov from Russia who claimed the first 500€. In race two it was none other than USA’s tiny hard charger Jeremy Ryan who put his name on the second 500€ voucher. In the Junior 85cc class, the EMX85 vice champion and Dutch sensation Roan Van De Moosedijk claimed the first 750€ gift card, while Danish rider Mikkel Haarup was the fastest out of the gate in race
two to take the second. In what’s recognized as the premier class at the FIM Junior Motocross World Championship, for a number of reasons, France’s Anthony Bourdon pocketed the first 1000€ FOX holeshot voucher, while FOX rider and newly crowned FIM Junior Motocross World Champion Brian Hsu took the final big money voucher. After all the effort these boys put in in the first five to ten seconds of the race the little flying foxes have earned themselves a neat shopping spree at www.foxhead.com!
RACING CATCH UP
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BRACE YOURSELVES FOR A GRIPPING
ROUND OFF!
The old cliché of ‘It has been the best season ever’ lives on in 2014, except the difference between this year and previous years is it literally has been a great season, a complete whirlwind, fifteen rounds in and still no champion crowned in either class. The MX2 title hangs in the balance with the great mystery surrounding the early season dominator Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings, who broke his Femur in late July only days before he was set to wrap up his third FIM MX2 world title, and weather he will make a brave attempt to race the final round in Mexico.
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The MX2 title hangs in the balance with the great mystery surrounding the early season dominator Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings, who broke his Femur in late July only days before he was set to wrap up his third FIM MX2 world title, and weather he will make a brave attempt to race the final round in Mexico. His Red Bull KTM Factory Racing teammate Antonio Cairoli has inched closer to clinching his eighth FIM Motocross World Title which looks more than likely to happen at the penultimate round of the season in the state of Goias in Brazil.
LOMMEL? Ah Lommel, a track that may have popped up in the odd conversation or two over the years, the gnarliest sand track in the world
notorious for brewing, and now also weathering, the meanest of storms. The fifteenth stop of seventeen was a fitting round up to the MXGP series European based run, And what a way to do it with a lot of crazy yet awesome stuff happening throughout the weekend. With loads of burning questions heading in, the paddock gossip chambers were firing on all cylinders. One of the hottest topics, naturally, was who would be next to make a claim to fame in MX2. While a lot of eyes were on Jordi Tixier, as the title is now his to win or lose, others were watching Tixier’s French counterpart Dylan Ferrandis who has recently been pinned as the best French MX2 rider on a soft surface, while other headlines surrounded Rockstar Energy Suzuki Europe’s Glenn
Coldenhoff who made a sooner than expected return to the line after sustaining a serious knee injury back in early May which had us wondering if the superfast Dutchman, known to have grown up in the sand, would come in ready to win. Meanwhile in the MXGP class, it was all about local lad Jeremy Van Horebeek who was about to tackle his home Grand Prix fresh off of his first ever MXGP race and overall victory on the contrasting hardpack of the Czech Republic, while many were still expecting Antonio Cairoli to put his best foot forward and prove yet again to be just how strong he is in the soft stuff.
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As the gates dropped and the day cracked on, wrapping up with an epic monsoon with just over 5 minutes plus 2 laps to go in the final race of the day, all the questions were answered. In MXGP we saw Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Antonio Cairoli embrace the whooped out choppy terrain and run away to a double victory, despite the assemblage of gloomy black clouds casting a black shadow over half the circuit as they hammered down heavy rain and minimised his vision. Hitachi Construction Machinery KTM UK’s Shaun Simpson said “I don’t know if Ken (De Dycker) had X-Ray vision or what, but I couldn’t see much and he was still charging hard” in relation to the topic of vision, as he, the predicted dark horse, was under those particular circumstances demoted to the third step of the podium as the total outside shot, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Ken De Dycker bewildered
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everyone with his season’s best display of speed and fitness in what was his last round of MXGP this year. Since the Grand Prix and his first podium of 2014 the big guy known to his fans as ‘Keno’ has gone under the knife to have that niggling plate in his wrist removed. Prior to his second place in Lommel, his season best this year was a tenth!
of his eyebrow. While the Yamaha rider battled through the gruesomeness of gushing blood in both motos to tough out the weekend for ninth, his fellow countryman Strijbos just couldn’t find his groove and was forced to be content with fifth.
While more may have been expected from the typical Belgian front runners, the locals were more As for the fan favourite local boys, than impressed by the revitalised Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jeremy performance of the former sand Van Horebeek and Rockstar Energy king Marc De Reuver, who used his Suzuki World’s Kevin Strijbos, it just wild card entry and many years of wasn’t their weekend. ‘Jere’ was Grand Prix experience to wrap up forced to soldier his way through an outstanding sixth overall. both races after he came up insanely short on the quad. It was a As if the drama of who would take jump which Monster Energy Kawa- the MX2 cake this time around saki Racing Team’s Gautier Paulin wasn’t enough, Max Anstie and his and Shaun Simpson were the only team BikeIT Yamaha Cosworth had two clearing but Van Horebeek to go and double it! In race one, the jumped short and head butted the number 99 was left trying to kick bars so hard it took a deep slice out some life into his YZ250F right
up to gate drop. It was down to the wire for Anstie and as the five-second board went up and his bike miraculously fired up, the Brit smashed it into gear, dumped the clutch and used all the adrenalin pumping throughout his veins to snatch up the FOX Holeshot and then go on to win the first ever MX2 race of his career. Because one near miss wouldn’t be enough for Max and his team who have been up against the eight ball all season long, the charismatic Brit was forced to miss the sighting lap or moto 2 as his mechanics did their best to iron out a technical issue with the engine right before the start of race two. Again, amazingly, the bike started in the nick of time and Anstie was able to race and even recover from a small crash due to a stuck throttle to take second in
that race for his first ever MX2 overall Grand Prix victory.
As for the French duo of Tixier and Ferrandis, both had to recover from a huge crash at the start of the qualifying race that hindered their race day gate picks, but they gave each other a run for their money in race one with Ferrandis being the eventual winner of that particular battle with second place to Tixier’s third, but he was forced back to the third step of the podium as Tixier stepped up to the plate once again in race two for his second race victory of the season and a second place overall behind Anstie. Meanwhile the Dutchman expected to do big things on his return to MX2 admitted maybe his return was a little pre-mature
as Glenn Coldenhoff lacked race fitness yet managed to come home with a decent top-ten finish in seventh. With Tixier steadily picking up momentum and earning credibility from those who doubted his ability to cope with the title pressure, more emphasis has been placed on what Jeffrey Herlings response will be in the rounds to come as his championship lead has shrunk to just 57 points with 100 still up for grabs.
The semi-finale, Brazil It has happened before and come the 7th of September it may just happen again! As the penultimate round of the 2014 FIM Motocross World Championship heads to Brazil for the second time this year to an entirely new location, a lot of the hype is surrounding Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s seven-time FIM Motocross World Champion as
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he pushes to extend that winning streak to eight.
The Final!
There is no doubt we will all be waiting to see if the number 84 What else can we expect from the Red Bull KTM is pushed through semi-final in the state of Goias? technical control at the final First of all, the weather forecast is round of the FIM Motocross looking like it will be pretty warm, World Championship in Leon, hovering up around the 30 degree Mexico. Herlings, who was in Celsius mark; it will be a pleasant attendance at MXGP of Lomchange from in Europe with sum- mel back in early August, has mer starting to shut up shop and openly admitted his number one temperatures dropping at a rate goal was to be back on the of knots. bike before the final round of the series. Anyone that knows Secondly, an insanely passionfirst hand the severity of his ate crowd who aren’t afraid to injury, a snapped and then get rowdy in support of their surgically rodded and plated favourite riders. One of which is femur, would be gasping at most definitely Antonio Cairoli, that statement given that ‘the so therefore we can bank on the bullet’ will only just be ticking fact that the huge crowd which is off the seven week mark since expected to attend MXGP of Goias the crash as Grand Prix of is sure to be ridiculously energet- Mexico is kicking off. ic and loud, particularly if their Nevertheless, we have come to man TC222 can wrap up the 2014 expect the unexpected of JefMXGP title. frey Herlings and it’s safe to
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say most of us would be more surprised to see him not lineup. With that said, Jordi Tixier could also wrap up the 2014 MX2 World Championship and with the possibility of just a few points separating the two team mates anything will be possible in Mexico. The temperature is set to be lower in Mexico while the track is sure to be nothing short of mint! MXGP’s track builder has spent the best part of the last month over at the location in order to have everything prepped and ready to round out with a bang what has been one of the most competitive, action-packed, drama filled and exhilarating seasons of motocross racing!
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FIM Motocross World Championship
Standings MXGP CHAMP. STANDINGS
MX2 CHAMP. STANDINGS
1. A.Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 669 points 2. J.Van Horebeek (BEL,YAM), 588p. 3. K. Strijbos (BEL, SUZ), 498 p. 4. C. Desalle (BEL, SUZ), 484 p. 5. S. Simpson (UK, KTM) , 365 p. 6. S. Frossard (FRA, KAW), 356p. 7. M. Nagl (GER, HON), 307 p. 8. G. Paulin (FRA, KAW), 275 p. 9. D. Guarneri (ITA, TM) , 245 p. 10. D. Philippaerts (ITA,YAM) , 234
1. J.Herlings (NED, KTM),594points. 2. J. Tixier (FRA, KTM), 537 p. 3. R. Febvre (FRA HUS), 489 p. 4. D. Ferrandis (FRA, KAW), 467 p. 5. T. Gajser (SLO, HON), 448 p. 6. A. Tonus (FRA, KAW), 389 p. 7. V. Guillod (SUI, KTM) , 379 p. 8. A. Tonkov (RUS, HUS), 363p. 9. J. Butron (ESP, KTM), 337 p. 10. J. Seewer (SUI, SUZ), 301 p.
MXGP MANUFACTUERS 1. KTM 2. Suzuki 3. Yamaha 4. Kawasaki 5. Honda 6. Husqvarna 7. TM
669 616 592 550 457 307 286
points points points points points points points
MX2 MANUFACTUERS 1. KTM 2. Kawasaki 3. Husqvarna 4. Honda 5. Yamaha 6. Suzuki 7. TM
714 points 572 points 505 points 458 points 436 points 433 points 6 points
MXGP Instagram Insights
230,4Klikes 23,1K followers Tag your #MXGPselfie to win gift voucher on MXGP-STORE.
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MXGP SOCIAL
TWITTER, FACEB IN THE WORLD OF #MXGP
@PSAllNews Here’s What MXGP Looks Like on PS4 http://t.co/QNfH4GGdQZ
@TeamCanadaMX @coltonfacciotti when asked to finish the sentence “I’m representing Canada because...” #mxcana-
@JHerlings84 When u win and u are on top of the world u have thousands of friends, But in bad times the real friends are hard to find
@twmxdotcom Here’s a sneek peek at Eli Tomac and Jeremy Martin’s MXoN bikes. Sweet! http:// oak.ctx.ly/r/1ktqn
@MonsterEnergy Boom! Check out this @GoPro clip of @GautierPaulin #SendingIt HUGE at the @MXGP of Belgium: #MXGP #GP21
@Cocoborde Congrats and cheers @ TimGajser243 for your great race. Really happy for you. #MXoEN @SoFunduk Get behind the British MX of Nations team - Shaun Simpson - Tommy Searle and Dean Wilson - Official merchandise... http:// fb.me/3C3avQM02
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@Moto_Magazine Well done to Taylor Hammal TEAM GB highest placed rider in the Junior World motocross championship, Belgium. #jwcmx
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BE THE 200,000th FAN! Invite your friend to like the MXGP Facebook. The 200,000th fan takes home Airoh helmet signed by 7 times world champion, Antonio Cairoli! Watch the video and learn more about competition:
Many riders have accepted the #ALSicebucketchallenge making a donation to charity supporting Amytrophic lateral sclerosis. Watch WMX champion’s, Kiara’s Fontanesi, #ALSicebucketchallenge video:
BOOK, INSTAGRAM, YOUTUBE Tag your #MXGPselfie to win gift voucher on MXGPSTORE.com!
@egliokas Cutest moment this summer trip! Future riders #MXGP #foxheadnordic #pictureoftheday
@kimsavaste485 I will never forget this! #hardworkpaysoff was absolutely craziest #JWCMX #worldchamp.
Megan Dearman #MXGP #MXGPselfie #lommel
@gautierpaulin Pic from my @GoPro. Stan up paddling first time, SO MUCH FUN!
@dylanferrandis Vacation time!
@jett_lawrence49 Withour my brother I wouldn’t be as fast as I am today. You were on the podium last year, and I so wanted us to stand on the box at the same event this year at #JWCMX in Belgium.
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RIDER OF THE MONTH
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The Prodigious Son
Slovenia, a tiny slice of tree covered land squeezed in between Italy, Austria, Croatia and Hungary in the south west of Europe. With soaring Alpine slopes to the north west and the warm Mediterranean forming the southern border it is one of the most varied landscapes in Europe that has produced world class athletes in alpine sports and ultra endurance racing. And since 2012 they have had a Motocross World and European champion in the rapidly growing shape of Tim Gajser.
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A prodigious talent by any standards, watch his charge through the field in Matterley Basin if you want proof, Tim, the youngest son of two is the embodiment of the whole Gajser family’s dream that has been to build their own place in the World Championship paddock. In 2014 on the strength of Tim’s talent and unreserved dedication that is what they have achieved. Lead by the imposing figure of Bogomir Gajser, the Slovenian MX clan can be found striding confidently amongst the trucks and awnings on a Friday morning in bright yellow t-shirts emblazoned with the ‘Tim Gajser 243 team’ logo. Bogo has been a rock and a guide for both of his two sons, the eldest Nejc races at a national level in Slovenia, as their father and their trainer since the beginning of their
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motocross careers. He himself used to race but never achieved the sort of success that he believes his sons can have.
“My father never had the support so he had to buy his own bikes and that meant it was hard for him to do really good.” Says Tim when talking about his father’s own motocross career, but the struggles with low budgets and learning how to live a motocross lifestyle that Bogo went through all benefitted his two boys when it came to their first steps into Motocross. Working as their trainer from a young age and as mechanic, track builder and driver Bogo has put his heart and soul into helping his boys achieve what he struggled to in a country where motocross isn’t exactly top of the list. So it’s understandable that he takes a very keen interest in every decision
that is made in the team, be it the bike set up or what size glove fits best. Although he has stepped on a Grand Prix podium, raced with and beaten most of the world’s best, Tim Gajser is still in the early stages of his motocross career, at 17 years old he, like a number of other young MX riders, still has the twin burdens of training to win and attending school everyday. “I have to get up early and do one training session before school then I go to class until after lunch when I come home and do another session in the afternoon, then rest a bit before I can train in the evening.” It is a testament to both the will power of Tim and the training led by his father that he is able to give 100% to both activities with so little time in the day, “When I am at school
that is what I think about, that is what I focus on and when I am training or riding I am thinking about that totally.” Don’t underestimate the importance of Tim being able to switch off from one commitment or the other, school work and the pressure to secure qualifications that can lead to a non racing career later in life can place a huge amount of pressure on a young man’s shoulders, equally, if not more so, the need to perform on the sole factory Honda in the World championship could be said to be a strong distraction from hitting the books. Spending time with Tim and his family at the races and watching him race this year it is clear that the distinction pervades throughout their life. Racing is racing, that is the focus of a Gajser weekend, everything
else has its own time and place. One of the best examples of the need to focus on the task at hand is how Gajser sits before the sighting lap. Once the gate is ready and prepped to his liking he returns to his bike, puts on his helmet and climbs aboard, once there, nestled in the shelter of the SkyBox, Tim bends forwards to rest his head on the bars and goes into his own world. “When I am like that I can focus on myself, I talk to myself to make sure I am concentrating on the race and calm, if someone could hear me then it would be pretty weird what I am saying, but it works for me, I am in my own zone.” It’s certainly a technique that has worked this year and it’s a part of the system that has seen Gajser go from promising
talent to a genuine contender. After a rough debut in MX2 with the Marchetti KTM team, that saw him score a best of 6th in Belgium, but still claim the FIM rookie of the year award, the switch to Honda with Giacomo Gariboldi’s team and a full factory bike took the Gajser effort to a whole new level.
“This year there is always something to do, testing the bike with new parts or settings during the week, it’s really busy, but I get on really well with the team, in the start of the year it was very different and maybe the first two races were not so good, but in Brazil I got third place in the second moto and now with the team we are really like a family.” That “Family” feeling is something often mentioned by rid-
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ers as a key ingredient, Jeremy Van Horebeek is a great one for using the phrase and his relationship to the Yamaha Factory Racing team is a pretty unique one, but for each rider it’s different and for the Honda Gariboldi team, with new personnel and two new riders, it has been a work in progress. Certainly Tim’s results have helped to steer the ship in the right direction but credit where credit is due and it must go in part to the work of the team as a whole and specifically its owner Giacomo in giving Tim the platform on which to base his performances and allowing him and Bogo to be an integral part of the whole process and not merely a rider and his father.
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The team have been waiting a while for this moment, the Honda project began in 2012 with Max Anstie and high hopes but without the full input from Honda it struggled to get off the ground. A brief fling with a returning rider in the shape of Harri Kullas in 2013 left the team struggling to fill its seats as the season wore on. This year with Gajser, HRC and the other affable team member Kei Yamamoto on hand to balance the crew, a purpose has returned to the Italian outfit and they approach each race with expectations and the positivity that comes from achieving their goals. So what next for Tim Gajser? Well there is only one step left for him to reach on the podium after 2 second place finishes
on two very different types of track in Germany and Finland. He sits just 19 points away from 4th place in the championship, a spot currently occupied by Dylan Ferrandis and with Gajser outscoring the Frenchman in 4 of the 5 last GPs it is well within his grasp, what he needs now though is that win, to step up and put the two solid motos together to grab the overall. He has beaten everyone who is scheduled to line up in Brazil, the new track will mean a level playing field for all the riders and with his 18th birthday falling on the day after the race in Goias, Gajser has a double incentive to make sure he can celebrate properly on Sunday night.
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Twisting throttles at Junior MX World Championship
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SPECIAL FEATURE
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For the youth of our sport the FIM Junior Motocross World Championship is the proving ground for future stars. The crème de la crème of young motocross riders travel from all corners of the globe, mostly family style with their Dad, Mum, Sisters and Brothers in tow, with the hope of propelling their name into the minds of scouts, team managers and other important industry names.
location of the track was set to be the venerable track of Bastogne, a place familiar to all MXGP fans as it has hosted a round of the FIM Motocross World Championship in 2012 and in 2013 and also features in MXGP: The Official Motocross Videogame, the event finally transferred to Lierneux, which is only approximately 15km down the road and well suited to the occasion.
This year, the event that holds the most prestige for any young racer was held in a little French speaking town named Lierneux in the Walloon region of Belgium. While the original
The track was designed by MXGP’s in-house track builders and was set on a hard clay base, a 100% contrast to the European EMX65 and EMX85 championship final at Hyvinkää,
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Finland, one month prior, and also the final European Championship EMX125 round, which took place in Lommel just the week before, both of which set the competitors the challenge of rough and deep sand. Take a GoPro lap of the track by clicking on the link below and you will see, despite the mud, how nice the flow and design really was, and speaking of mud, it was more or less the topic of the weekend as torrential rain lashed the premises all weekend long. Though the paddock ended up sloshy, it was not as bad as you would have thought had you of
seen, heard or witnessed the never-ending down pours, but what was most remarkable was the condition of the track. On Saturday 9 August, qualifying day for the little shredders, the program was delayed by an hour or so as the track staff went to work in effort to drain the accumulated water. While most parents, support crews and event organizers were nervous as to whether anyone would even make one lap, you couldn’t help but grin after the first session concluded and the tricky unique clay compound of Lierneux turned out to be mint! As thick dark clouds loomed, rain continued to
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threaten all weekend long although it wasn’t enough to dampen the atmosphere of the youthful and energetic event. Let’s face it, kids love mud and they love making a mess, so for the young rippers the paddock wasn’t far off heaven. Onto the racing, the most impressive performance was easily that of Rockstar Energy Suzuki Europe’s young German Brian Hsu who rode his Suzuki RM125 off into the glorious sunset as he complimented his recent European Championship EMX125 crown with a convincing double victory in what is the premier Junior World Championship class, the 125cc.
In the 85cc category, the young Finn riding for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Kim Savaste was the one who got the job done. It’s safe to say the sparkling grape juice wouldn’t have tasted so sweet in Belgium if he hadn’t had the disappointment of throwing away the European Championship 85cc title due to two silly late moto errors one month earlier in front of his home crowd in Finland. Although Savaste crashed twice in the treacherous conditions of moto two at the JWC, he still battled on, set the fastest lap time in the race and managed to come home in second in the moto which paired with his third place in race one made
him the 2014 FIM Junior Motocross 85cc World Champion. As for the littlest dudes out on the track, the Junior 65cc class, it was the two ‘Jett’s’ who initially stole the show, Australian Jett Lawrence and American Jett Reynolds. While Jett Reynolds led most of the first race, a costly error saw the persistent Aussie Jett Lawrence jet right by for the opening race win. In race two we should offer a standing ovation to young Japanese rider Jo Shimoda who is looking likely to be Japan’s next big thing after he took a very convincing race win. Jett Lawrence also rode a flawless in race to bring home second which was enough to be crowned
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the Junior 65cc World Champion rounding the weekend off with the typical Australian victory chant, “Aussie, Aussie, Aussie! Oi, Oi, Oi”. After an awesome weekend racing which saw 289 of the world’s most talented young riders from 45 different nations spanning out across all 6 continents go head to head, three kids reigned supreme and were rewarded by Mr. Diego Clement – Scott Sports Representative – with a super sick SCOTT Voltage YZ 0.3 bike. Don’t forget that this was also a team competition with the Nations prize a big goal for a lot of the riders, and with the most consistent scores across the board it was Team USA
who picked up the winners spoils ahead of Germany and France. While it wasn’t their weekend individually with Jeremy Ryan in the Junior 65cc class being the only American to mount the podium, the talent that the USA had representing them was the deepest as most other countries only had high flyers in one or two of the classes rather than all three. Congratulations to all the champions and also to everyone who participated! We all look forward to seeing what your bright futures will bring.
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Italian MXo and WMXoEN
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One of the proudest moments in any athlete’s career is representing their country in an international event. It’s a bragging right that can be carried for the rest of someone’s life knowing that they were one of a very select few chosen to represent an entire nation. While in motocross the summit of the year and most honorable achievement is being selected for and racing on behalf of their nation at the prestigious Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations, the FIM Europe has developed a similar event that is targeted at the youth, women and other rising talents of Europe as an incentive for bigger and brighter things in the future such as MXoN.
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The FIM Motocross of European Nations, known as MXoEN for short, which also incorporates the FIM Women’s Motocross of European Nations, which for the females is the closest event to the real Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations as they have gotten so far, was held mid August at the popular circuit of Pacov, Czech Republic. The track which is familiar to many of the WMX and former FIM MX3 World Championship riders with both of those championships having stopped there on a number of occasion in previous years, provided a hilly hard packed terrain for the young up and comers to tear up as they competed for their nation’s glory. How it worked was; four rid-
ers represented each nation, one MX2/EMX250 rider, one EMX125 rider and two EMX85 riders. Each rider raced two races meaning eight scores were posted but only the seven best were counted towards the final score, while in the WMXoEN, the teams were made up of two female riders, with three of the four scores counted. The event was run over two days with practice and qualifying on day one, and race day on day two.
Practice & Qualifying
The EMX125/250 kicked off the 2014 MXoEN and WMXoEN as the first class to take to the flowing clay based track. Thanks to the glorious sunshine, the track was mint with
only three thirty minute sessions to have taken place prior to the commencement of the qualifying heats which left the track relatively smooth and grippy. As expected MX2 star, Slovenia’s seventeen-year-old sensation Tim Gajser proved just how exceptional he is as he ran away with the first victory of the weekend in the EMX125/250 class. Meanwhile Holland’s latest star on the rise Roan Van De Moosdijk took the first victory for The Netherlands in the EMX85 while France’s wonder woman Livia Lancelot wrapped up the qualifying heat win in the WMXoEN class. As for the ‘Team’ based qualifying results, the Italians Michele Cervellin and Joakin Furbetta topped the charts with the best
combined score to take pole for the 2014 edition of the Motocross of European Nations while Brian Bogers and Rene De Jong put The Netherlands in second with France’s Nicolas Dercourt and David Herbreteau rounding out the top three. In the Women’s Motocross of European Nations category; Italy led after day one with Kiara Fontanesi taking second and Francessca Norcera taking fifth, France ran a close second with Livia Lancelot’s win and Justine Charroux’ seventh while The Netherlands rounded out the top three with Nancy Van De Ven’s impressive third and Marianne Veenstra’s sixth.
Race day
Pacov was painted green,
white and red as the top qualifiers Team Italy verified their hard-earned pole positions in both MXoEN and WMXoEN categories after battling the gnarly elements of wind and rain to claim glory. In the EMX125/250 division, top qualifier, Honda Gariboldi’s Tim Gajser was out to show Europe what he is made of. The Slovenian was super quick out of the gate snatching the holeshot in race one and checking out to cross the line half a lap ahead of Brian Bogers who was flying the flag high for The Netherlands in second. Chasing Bogers home archrival Michele Cervellin, from Italy, pushed the Dutchman to the checkers but couldn’t quite find a way through meaning he
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had to settle for third ahead of Frenchman Nicolas Dercourt and local hero Czech Vaclav Kovar. It was an unfortunate state of affairs in the second moto for Slovenia’s high-flyer Tim Gajser as his day came undone when he buried his bike in a patch of deep mud. While Gajser battled to free himself, Dutchman Brian Bogers took the reigns and took home a comfortable victory for The Netherlands. Meanwhile behind the Dutchman, there was a mean battle for second as Frenchman Nicolas Dercourt went head to head with one of the local legends Martin Krc. Krc put in an extremely impressive effort fending off one of the
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EMX250’s high fliers Dercourt to take the 22 points for second. Taking home a comfortable fourth the Italian Michele Cervellin held off the best finishing 125cc two-stroke rider of the weekend Frenchman David Herbreteau. In the EMX85 Dutchman Roan Van De Moosdijk soared his way to a convincing victory ahead of Italian Paolo Lugana, while a further seventeen seconds back from the top two Frenchman Calvin Fonvielle took third ahead of another Czech star on the rise Petr Polak. Young Italian speedster Gianluca Fachetti rounded out the top five. In race two, Roan Van De Moosdijk proved to be untouchable once again, clean-
ing up for another win while the tiny Italian stallion Gianluca Fachetti had a brief run in with French wonder Calvin Fonvielle but soon shook him for a comfortable second. Fonvielle settled in third while San Marino’s Andrea Zanotti and Italian Paolo Lugana rounded out the top five. After the points where tallied up, Italy topped the Motocross of European Nations charts with their team of Michele Cervellin, Joakin Furbetta, Gianluca Fachetti and Paolo Lugana while The Netherlands put in a super strong effort with their team of Brian Bogers, Rene De Jong, Roan Van De Moosdijk and Rick Elzinga for second. Last year’s champions, France, were forced back to third with their
team of Nicolas Dercourt, David Herbreteau, Calvin Fonvielle and Brian Moreau Strubhart, while the locals Team Czech Republic, Vaclav Kovar, Dusan Drdaj, Petr Polak and Daniel Stehlik edged out Team Slovenia for fourth, who used the awe-inspiring performance of Tim Gajser in race one combined with the efforts of his young teammates Luka Milec and Jan Pancar and Miha Bubnic to wrap up the 2014 edition of the MXoEN in fifth.
FIM Women’s Motocross of European Nations
There was going easy on the women of our sport as the weatherman reiterated that fact allowing heavens to open
up throughout the duration of both WMXoEN races. While it was more or less a mudder, it didn’t phase the current FIM Women’s Motocross World Champion Kiara Fontanesi as she took the less than ideal circumstances with a grain of salt and dominated both races which thanks to the fifth place of her Italian teammate Francesca Nocera landed Italy on the top step of the podium. Meanwhile France had a rough start to the day due to their star rider Livia Lancelot binning it on lap one in the first race. As expected, the French ace remounted and started picking off places but as time expired she was forced to settle for fourth.
Lancelot soon redeemed herself in race two pushing the champ, Fontanesi, home for second which combined with French teammate Justine Charroux’ seventh in race one landed them on the second step of the podium. Germany managed to come away as bronze medalists thanks to the consistency of former FIM Women’s Motocross World Champion Stephanie Laier and teammate Larissa Picoto while The Netherlands rounded out the top four with yet another impressive performance from the youngster Nancy Van De Ven and her teammate Marianne Veenstra.
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HALL OF FAME
Torsten Hallman Mr Motocross When Torsten Hallman was born on 17 October 1939 in Uppsala, Sweden, nobody could have guessed that the tiny bundle of skin and bones would eventually be known as Mr Motocross and would become the first real legend of motocross around the world with four FIM 250cc Motocross World Championships to his name, 37 Grand Prix victories (36 in the 250c class and a single 500cc GP win in Payerne, Switzerland in 1967) and be the first man to head to American to help improve the sport there. He was the owner of THOR clothing back in the 1970’s, long before brands like FOX, JT, or MSR gear were on the market and he was one of the first major signings for the Husqvarna factory, a brand he would stay with most of his career. While fellow Swedish riders Bill Nilsson, and Sten Lundin had won a couple of 500cc World Championships each, it was the arrival of Hallman that attracted a lot of attention with his good looks and professional attitude. “Those men were my big heroes. Riding those big four stroke machines and fighting so hard for success. I learnt a lot from watching them and they inspired me to
always improve as a rider myself. Of course also Joel Robert, who was my biggest competition, he also gave me a lot of good moments in my career.” Hallman’s big break came in 1957 when he won a major junior team race riding a Husqvarna. It was then that Bror Jauren, manager of Husqvarna’s racing team, gave Hallman the chance to become a factory-supported rider. The tall blonde was the first official FIM 250cc World motocross champion in 1962 and won the title again in 1963. This young man brought a lot of charm and character to the GP series and it was his battles with Belgian great Joel Robert that best defined his motocross career. Robert the big strong Belgian who was known for his wild personality and penchant for a beer, vs Hallman the super fit and determined Swede. It was a battle of two men with very different characters but both had a burning desire to be a Motocross World Champion. Between them the two won a total of 10 FIM Motocross World Championships and from 1962 until 1972 won all but one of the available world titles in the 250cc class. Amazingly during the early-1960s,
Hallman was both a full-time university student and a full-time racer. In 1965, his senior year in college, the workload became really heavy and Hallman had to back off on his racing and training schedule yet he still managed to finish fourth in the world championships that year. Hallman made his first trip to America in 1966 at the request of Edison Dye to help introduce the sport of motocross to America and to help promote the Husqvarna marque. Hallman’s method of introduction was to enter scrambles and other off-road events throughout the fall and dominate like no other rider had done before. One race in particular gave Hallman a great deal of his notoriety – the Hopetown GP held near Simi Valley, California, which was then the foremost motocross-style scramble race in America. Hallman’s US visit helped spur Husqvarna sales so he was invited back the following season with other world championship and Swedish Husqvarna riders. “That was basically the birth of the Inter-Am Series. It was the series that made motocross so popular in America and I was very proud to be part of it. For many of
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the Grand Prix riders who visited America for the first time it was a great experience, and one that made me realize that there could also be possibilities for starting my business interests with THOR and really learning a lot. There were some really enjoyable moments and ones I will never forget.” Hallman would add two more 250cc World Titles to his name in 1966 and 1967 although Joel Robert put together impressive 250cc World Titles in 1968, 69, 70, 71 and 72 as Hallman slowly dropped out of contention in those years as a back injury slowed him down. His results suffered and Husqvarna dropped him from the factory squad but the fledgling Yamaha motocross effort quickly picked up Hallman and the factory made the most of the world champion’s knowledge. With Hallman’s input, Yamaha developed its championship-winning YZ series of motocross bikes, the first production motocross machines to utilize mono-shock rear suspension. Besides being a World Champion Hallman proved to be a
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world-class businessman as well. He became a Husqvarna dealer in Sweden and as previously mentioned began the now famous THOR brand. In 2013 Hallman was invited to the end of season FIM awards for his huge success in the sport of motocross. It was a special moment for Hallman as the invitation came 50 years after he had won his first ever 250cc title. “It was a big honour for me to be at that awards, I had been to many, but that was maybe 46 years ago. I also had the honour of giving Ryan Villopoto his award as he was my favourite rider (and also rode in THOR gear all his career). It’s nice to be remembered for your accomplishments and to meet some of the current motocross heroes.” The FIM Motocross World championships are still something that interests Hallman and he is occasionally seen at the Grand Prix races. We were fortunate enough to see him at the Grand Prix of Thailand in 2013 where he was visiting after a trip in Thailand to help friend Kent Ohlin open a new race shop and play some golf.
“I still love to watch the Grand Prix races. I missed many years because I was so busy with my business interests, but I had two heart attacks and decided to spend more time enjoy life and less working. The FIM Motocross World championship is a great series, and riders like Antonio Cairoli are really very nice to watch. I try to get to some races still, and the professional attitude of the series now is very impressive. It will always be in my blood. I was in Thailand for the opening of the new Ohlins shop and play some golf, and couldn’t miss the Grand Prix.” Torsten Hallman will always be the sport’s first big legend, a rider who not only won on the track but also off it. His business sense and calm attitude made him the champion he was, but it also ensured that after motocross he could extend both his success and his financial gain. He is a true hero and an inspiration to many of the riders who followed in his path. Text G. Meyer - Photos Torsten
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Who and How: The 2014 MXoN
Team announcements for the 2014 Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations are much like London busses, you wait ages for one and then they all come along at once. Since the Finnish Grand Prix in July we have had the top teams step up and put forward their best 3 riders in various press releases, photo shoots and press conferences for the scrutiny of fans and the media alike. Here at the MXGP
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mag we do like a bit of bench racing, what else is there to do on the long trips around Europe, so this is our go at sorting out the who and the how for the 2014 Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations.
be lining up in Latvia, Marc Schiffer, who hasn’t raced time in the World Champion ship for 2 years will take th MX2 slot on a Suzuki from t Rockstar Energy Suzuki Eu team that runs Coldenhoff a Seewer in MX2. We have a few oddballs in the The thing is Germany had a ranks this year, with Germaquandary here already as ny forced into plan B with the since Roczen stepped up to news that Ken Roczen, due to MXGP class this year they contract and team issues, won’t no full time MX2 rider of an
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N teams
cus full nhe the urope an
recognisable stature. Some point to Henry Jacobi who rides alongside Dennis Ullrich in the Sarholz KTM squad as the man to step up and fill that hole in the future, but realistically Germany will be back to their fighting best when Euroa pean and World 125cc Champion Brian Hsu gets to grips with o the the MX2 bike in a few years have time and can step into Roczen’s ny big shoes.
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With Max Nagl riding well since his return from injury 2 months ago and Dennis Ullrich showing that on the right track his holeshot ability can give him the chance to ride at the sharp end, things are ok if not great for the 2012 winners, Germany are 2 thirds but at the same time a shadow of their former winning selves. What of last year’s winners, team Belgium? It’s another odd situation indeed as for a long time the question doing the rounds was which one of their excellent MXGP riders would drop down and take the 250cc slot, most pointed to Jeremy Van Horebeek to recreate his heroics from Germany and plonk himself onto Christo-
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phe Charlier’s bike, but Jere, sitting second in the MXGP World Championship, was not exactly keen on doing that as you can well imagine. Then lo and behold the question was answered, Desalle’s injury from his huge crash in Maggiora raised its ugly head and ruled him out of the game, Ken De Dycker opted for surgery to fix his damaged wrist in order to save his tarnished reputation for 2015 and Belgium were suddenly down to two 450cc riders, albeit with Van Horebeek and Kevin Strijbos they have the two men sitting 2nd and 3rd in the World Championship standings, and looking to youth for an MX2 man. In came Julian Lieber, a rider at odds with his factory Suzuki
team and with his own confidence for most of the year. He dragged himself back into the top ten in races as the season moved past the half way point and now he is on a very fast KTM in the Standing Construct team and riding for his country in the biggest race of the year. For a man so susceptible to his confidence it will be his form in the final two rounds of the MXGP World Championship that may well decide if Team Belgium can do the repeat. Ah team Italy, another team both blessed and yet also cursed with a glut of top 450cc riders but no clear successor to the MX2 machine. Step up please Tony Cairoli a man with very little, if anything, left to
prove on an individual level at the Nations but a gaping hole in his and his country’s overall resumé when it comes to event wins. When it was announced that Cairoli would take the MX2 spot for Team Italy, with David Philippaerts and Davide Guarneri in the MXGP and Open classes respectively, there was a collective wringing of hands and gnashing of teeth as fans drooled over the various what ifs that created. What if Cairoli isn’t fast enough? What if he wins a race overall? What if he loses to anyone? What if Herlings rides the 250cc and we have a head to head of the best? It was almost too much to bear and though sadly we won’t get to see a Herlings vs Caroli shoot out this year we will get to see if his MX2 performance can give Italy the boost it needs to take a step up from it’s 3rd place of 2013. Late to the party was the official announcement of the
green and gold of Team Australia, Dean Ferris will drop back to MX2 from the 350cc he currently rides in a bid to recreate his masterful performance from one year ago, Chad Reed will lead the team from the front in MXGP but though Reed is not quite the rider who won a moto in St Jean D’Angely in 2011, he has ridden himself and his Kawasaki back into decent form in the last few races. Many expected Brett Metcalfe to complete the trio but it will finally be the third man from that podium team of 2011 Matt Moss who will ride the open spot. The reigning 2 time Aussie 450cc national champion has international experience galore and will definitely be a help to the ticket this time round. From a green and gold team to a trio who will all sport the green of Monster Energy Kawasaki, Team France.
If any team selection courted controversy it was this one, Gautier Paulin, fit and healthy again as proven by his pace in Lommel, was an easy choice, his GP team mate Steven Frossard was a shoe in too after once again becoming a podium finisher after his second place in the sands of Finland, oh wait did you say sands? That’s pretty handy that both French 450cc riders are good in the sand, isn’t it? Now all they need is a 250cc guy who can ride the soft stuff and they’ll be good to go. Rise please Mr Dylan Ferrandis, 3rd year MX2 rider, 1st year on an official bike, first time in the French team for the Nations and fast as you like when sand is on the track. Realistically France could have gone with 4 guys, Jordi Tixier, fast and consistent and nothing like the rider who crumbled under the weight of expectation in Germany 2013, Marvin
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Musquin, back on form after a knee reconstruction that saw him race his way back into fitness, Romain Rebvre who has proven he can run with the best consistently this year, or Ferrandis, a man who has shown that he can do the goods in one race as well as anyone on the planet. Often for the MX2 rider all it takes is one stunning race result to secure a podium spot for the team and Ferrandis is certainly capable of that, what they do need to hope for is that Frossard, another man who has struggled to string two finishes together this year, will bring his A game to Latvia. In terms of the big hitters we
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are nearly there, Team GB are pushing for an army of supporters to join with them this year as Dean Wilson, Tommy Searle and Shaun Simpson don the Union Jack once more as a very strong trio. Oddly enough it will be Tommy Searle who will take on the MX2 mantle for the team, which makes some sense if you remember how fast he was back in 2012 when he finished a close runner up to Herlings in the World Championship. That means Dean Wilson will step up to ride a factory Monster Energy Kawasaki in the Open field and Shaun Simpson the second ranked KTM rider in the World Championship standings will get his first
shot at the MXGP role. The last 3 years have seen GB produce a team that was always an outside podium threat but this year they know that nothing less than a top 3 will do. We’ve covered two of the last 3 winning nations, what of the third, Team USA. Ryan Dungey, Eli Tomac and Jeremy Martin, all three of them have AMA outdoor national championships to their names and all three are blindingly quick. This year as with most years the top of the US talent pool is deep and picking the best 3 to go is akin to choosing what supercar you’d buy if money was no object. Ryan Dungey will once more be the old
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hand steadying the tiller of the good ship Red White and Blue, as he put fears of his non-participation to rest with a strong rebuttal at the team launch. Flying, hopefully not literally this year, the flag alongside him will be returnee Eli Tomac, who was picked to the surprise of some over Honda stable mate Trey Canard, Tomac learnt a lot last year and will be a dynamic Open class threat this time around. What of Jeremy Martin then, a man who doesn’t have the most encyclopaedic knowledge of the event but does have remarkable speed, from an outsiders perspective the toughest thing for Martin in Latvia will not be beating other riders, it’ll probably be what to have for breakfast!
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Beyond the teams already mentioned it looks as though there will be some standout individual performances, Tim Gajser could muck up a few countries chances with his pace, José Butrón riding in the MXGP class could be a surprise package as well as the younger Martin brother Alex riding for the always interesting Team Puerto Rico. Team Holland, this year without the recuperating Jeffrey Herlings, may well take a few scalps at the hands of Glenn Coldenhoff, a revitalised Marc De Reuver and new boy Ceriel Klein Kromhof, while the outside bet for anyone could be Team Switzerland. With Arnaud Tonus expecting to ride himself back into shape in the final two MXGP rounds, Valentin Guillod as fast as he has been
all year and Jeremy Seewer benefitting from some renewed tlc on the Factory Rockstar Energy Suzuki, the sleepy country might be the sleeper team for this year. Perhaps even more than in previous years it would take a brave punter to bet against Team USA righting the perceived wrongs of the last two years, but you might get some attractive odds on the having the Marseillaise ring out across the Latvian woodland come Sunday night. Click here to read the full rundown of the teams for the 2014 Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations.
PADDOCK TALKS
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Paddock Talks 01/Samuele Bernardini taking a selfie with a Monster Girl. 02/Thomas Covington new car was parked by the Monster rig in Lommel. 03/FOX organized an autograph session at the Gear2win shop in Lommel. 04/During the MXGP of Belgium all the European Champions were awarded by the FIM Europe President Dr Wolfgang Srb. 05/Dylan Ferrandis proved his riding skills playing the MXGP Video Game at the Monster Rig. 06/Jeffrey Herlings did not want to miss the Belgian Grand Prix and watch the races from the Skybox on Saturday.
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07/Jeremy Van Horebeek had a lot of fans supporting him in Lommel. 08/Superbike rider and former Moto2 World Champion visited the MXGP of Belgium. 09/The sandy track of Lommel hosted the last MXGP Academy session of the season with all the European Champions and future promises like Liam Everts. 10/ Glenn Coldenhoff has missed most of the season this year. Find out how the Dutch rider felt coming back for the last rounds of the MX2 World Championship. Watch the video.
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QUESTIONS TO THE EDITOR
QUESTIONS TO THE EDITOR Hello, Where can I find the results from the FIM Motocross of Nations in Pacov? Thanks, Thanks, Sebastjan Gajser Dear Sebastjan, Thanks for reaching us. First, congratulations with Tim’s victory one more time. Regarding the results, you can find them on the official MXGP.com website. All the best, Youthstream Dear MXGP, Can you please tell me where I can find number plate logos of the EMX125, EMX85, MX2 classes? Regards Sandy Nemcic Dear Sandy, You will receive the logo files from the Sport Office. Please contact us by this e-mail: sportoffice@youthstream.org Regards Youthstream
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Hi MXGP, Where can I buy tickets to the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations? Thanks, Freddy Future Hi Freddy, You will find both VIP packages and weekend tickets on the official MXGP.com website. See you at the MXoN! Youthstream Dear MXGP, Where can I buy tickets to the MXGP of Mexico this September? Thanks, Cimberly Canedo Hi Cimberly, You can buy MXGP of Mexico tickets here. Regards Youthstream
Hi MXGP, I would like to have more information about the MXGP Academy, how often it is held and what is the membership cost. Regards, Thanks, Natalia Vulcheva Dear Natalia, Thanks for your interest in the MXGP Academy. Please contact the MXGP Academy responsible for any information on training this winter season: secretariat@ mxgp-academy.com Best Regards Youthstream
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