21 minute read
TEAM OF THE MONTHCOOL SHOT P. 10
by MXGP MAG
IT’S BEEN A LONG JOURNEY BACK TO THE TOP FOR TEAM USA, WHO AFTER 11 LONG YEARS HAVE MANAGED TO END THEIR WINLESS DRY SPELL WITH ELI TOMAC, JUSTIN COOPER AND CHASE SEXTON GIVING THEIR HOME CROWD A DREAM END TO THE 75TH MONSTER ENERGY FIM MOTOCROSS OF NATIONS IN REDBUD – BY PUTTING TEAM USA BACK ON THE TOP STEP! When it comes to the history of the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations, the Americans are no doubt the most successful nation� Since the unique team event launched in 1947, Team USA has won the event a total of 23 times, compared to Great Britain who have won 16 times, Belgium 15 and rounding out the top five is Sweden with 7 and France with 6 victories�
A lot of pressure rode on the shoulders of the three riders representing the American flag this year, as everyone knew USA could not afford another loss, especially on home soil�
In 2018, the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations took place in RedBud, which much like this year, saw your typical ‘mud fest’ that we have come to know and expect from the Monster Energy FIM MXoN! That time around USA failed to mount the podium and were beaten on home soil for the very first time, while France took their sixth victory, which they were also looking to replicate this season too… but we all know how that worked out in the end!
2022 was the fifth time that America had the privilege of hosting the event as the US first hosted the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations in 1987 at Unadilla with Bob Hannah, Ricky Johnson and Jeff Ward contributing to USA’s 13year winning streak that ran between 1981 and 1993�
Team USA’s Success…
Team USA’s success at the Motocross of Nations started in 1981 with Donnie Hansen, Danny LaPorte, Johnny O’Mara and Chuck Sun leading the team to victory in Bielstein, Belgium for the very first time! For the following 12 years, the Americans were unmatched as they dominated up until 1994, when Great Britain took back the Chamberlain Trophy� USA missed out on the top step again in 1995, but in 1996 Jeff Emig, Steven Lamson and Jeremy McGrath put American flag back on top!
Another victory followed a few years later in 2000 and again in 2005, where Ricky Carmichael, Kevin Windham and Ivan Tedesco began USA’s next winning streak! The nation won the following six events, the last one being in Saint Jean d’Angely in 2011 with Ryan Dungey, Blake Baggett and Ryan Villopoto�
And then began the 11-year dry spell for Team USA, as the nation failed to win an event since 2011 – but of course that all changed this year in RedBud!
Coming back to RedBud & Team Selection
When RedBud was announced as the host of the 75th Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations in Mantova, many fans and riders rejoiced in having the chance to return to one of America’s most legendary tracks and finally getting to race over the Atlantic for the first time in years� The COVID-19 pandemic added to the excitement of the event, as it gave a glimmer of hope that things were beginning to get back to normality�
explained during Friday’s team’s press conference it was a “redemption round” for the Americans who were solely focused on winning on home turf�
For Tomac it was also personal� There is no doubt that Tomac has had his best season yet this year winning both the Supercross and outdoor championships, so naturally the last one was to finally get the Monster Energy FIM MXoN win under his belt to round out the perfect season� But there was also more to the story, as Tomac was part of the squad in 2018 that was beaten by France, so there was also that motivation to redeem himself and put the US flag back on the top�
In terms of the squad selection, Tomac was the most experienced having previously represented Team USA in 2013, 2014 and 2018, so for him it was his fourth Motocross of Nations� The other two riders, Justin Cooper and Chase Sexton were a little less experienced and probably relied on guidance from Tomac, the team captain, in the approach to the biggest offroad event of the year�
There was some criticism in Roger De Coster’s decision to pick Justin Cooper over Cristian Craig, but Cooper rose to the occasion and delivered a strong result which was key to getting the team on the top step� It wasn’t Cooper’s first rodeo either, as he represented the team back in 2019 in Assen� While the weekend started great for the American who won his qualifying heat, a collision in the race with his teammate Jason Anderson resulted in a hand injury and proved to be costly for the overall result� Maybe it’s fair to speculate that redemption was also on the mind of Cooper who was motivated to prove the naysayers wrong�
The third and final team member was Chase Sexton
who made his debut at the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations� It was a big moment for the young American who not only made his first appearance at the biggest offroad event during his birthday weekend, but also rode on a track that he grew up close to – making the race even more special�
Looking back on it, there was clearly a lot riding on the shoulders of the riders personally as they all focused on the common goal of getting USA back on top�
The organisers Amy and Tim Ritchie, along with their crew, did an outstanding job with the prep, not only leading up to the event, but especially during the race weekend, as once again, we were all dealt with very challenging weather conditions�
While many joked and reminisced on the 2018 edition and the downpour that resulted in a total mud-fest, everyone hoped that nothing like it would happen again, and the World Championship riders would finally get to enjoy RedBud at its best – of course sometimes not all of the stars align�
The Racing
Day one of racing started on a good note, with perfect weather and immaculate track conditions� Qualifying was very successful for Team USA with Justin Cooper winning in MX2, while Eli Tomac and Chase Sexton both finished second in the MXGP and Open qualifying heats, ending the day with a team total of three points to top the charts ahead of France and Australia – the other two main contenders�
With a strong qualifying result, the team looked confident for the races – that was until the overnight rain had fallen, with more also during the day which put into question whether Cooper, Tomac and Sexton could
The first gate drop of the combined MXGP and MX2 race saw Tomac dominate as he led the race from start to finish making it his very first race victory at the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations! Cooper finished further down in ninth but was the best scoring rider in MX2�
Race two, the focus shifted onto Sexton and Cooper who were the Open and MX2 representatives that time around� Sexton had a very strong race battling with Italy’s Mattia Guadagnini and Australia’s Jett Lawrence� He eventually fought his way into second after some changes between the top three, while Cooper rode a smart and solid race in fourth to deliver two very strong results for Team USA�
The final and third race was the most intense, as historically at the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations is when the drama starts, and things can change very quickly for the teams in terms of the medal scoring positions� All that pressure rode on the shoulders of Tomac and Sexton that time around� As the gate dropped for race three, Sexton managed to get away well with Team France’s Maxime Renaux and Dylan Ferrandis, challenging both of them for the top spot� Meanwhile Tomac had a lot more work on his hands after getting stuck behind Team Belgium’s Jago Geerts who crashed right in front of him� Tomac had to fight back from the back and managed to make some impressive passes to climb back to sixth place, while Sexton brought it home in third with the squad delivering another top result for the team�
As the chequered flag fell, there was no denying in who the winners were, as Sexton and Tomac celebrated with the team just as they crossed the Monster
Energy finish line� USA were declared the winners of the 75th edition with 16 points, while Team France’s Maxime Renaux, Marvin Musquin and Dylan Ferrandis ended up with the silver medals on 23 points and Australia’s Mitch Evans, Hunter and Jett Lawrence celebrating their third-place finish with 26 points�
The podium
The podium ceremony is always the highlight of the racing weekend and the fans in RedBud really delivered on setting the bar for events to come in terms of the incredible atmosphere and support shown for the teams that mounted the podium� There’s no denying that the loudest cheers were heard for Team USA as thousands of fans ran across from all corners of the track to the start area in order to get a glimpse of the squad lifting the Chamberlain Trophy for the first time in 11 years�
A sea of red, white and blue as well as chants of “USA, USA, USA!” filled the RedBud racetrack as Team USA were officially declared the champions of the world!
Following the race celebrations everyone headed to the media centre for the official press conference and medal ceremony where De Coster, Tomac, Cooper and Sexton finally got to share their emotions from the day�
Roger De Coster: “I have to congratulate these three guys a lot and say thanks for letting me be part of this with them� With Justin Cooper, a lot of people doubted the choice, but he really came through and we are really thankful for his ride� And of course, our two big guys here [Tomac and Sexton], everyone expected it from them and they proved that we did the right thing� Thank you to all three of you and all the people that support us!”
Eli Tomac: “That’s what it was, it felt like a redemption from the team here and I just first off, I want to say how proud I am of my teammates, Chase, Justin�
This is truly a team event and there’s no race like this� Yesterday started great for us for the qualifying heats and then obviously the rain this morning� This really levelled the playing field but we came through strong in these muddy conditions� 11 years is a long time, so I’m just proud of my teammates and everyone who is part of Team USA, this is very special for us”�
Justin Cooper: “I had a lot of pressure� First with how it went here last time but also how it went for me in 2019, it was kind of weighing in the back of my mind, and it was quite a stressful day for me� With the rain coming down, I really tried to get my focus down and try to do what I did yesterday� Overall, it was a fund day and the conditions definitely made it a little tougher because it was really hard to ride� I have to give it up to my teammates, they did awesome, and I just tried to do my best after that first race to put myself in a better position out of the gate, get close to the top five, which I was able to accomplish, to put the team in a good position and take the weight off for the last race for these guys� Everything went to plan and I’m really pumped!”�
Chase Sexton: “It was my first time race this race… This summer I had a lot of pressure, but this race is something that I can’t even explain� I got barely any sleep last night and waking up with rain was not something I wanted, just because of how it went in 2018� I was just super happy about today� Starts were good, but man that third race, it was a long time out there, I was reading the pit board and just didn’t want to make any mistakes and do anything stupid� I just wanted to get to the finish line� Just super proud of this team� It was a great day for us and for me getting my first win on my first time, I won’t take it for granted�
Next year the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations heads to Ernèe, France, a familiar venue for the riders and it will be interesting to see whether Team USA can defend their crown or whether somebody else will beat them to it and steal that Chamberlain Trophy… of course that is all in the future but for now we can all enjoy the incredible effort from Team USA to win the 75th Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations which has been a memorable one�
MXOEN AND WMXOEN BACK FOR 2022!
This year, Talavera de la Reina in Spain had the privilege of hosting the event that made its return for the first time since 2019� It was not the first time Talavera de la Reina hosted a major event, as the track is very well known in the paddock� The hard pack Spanish venue made its first appearance onto the FIM Motocross World Championship calendar back in 1994, with the most recent Grand Prix taking place in 2016�
It was a big weekend that saw riders from all over Europe and the world, gather for one weekend of racing, in the hopes of putting their nation on the top step! A total of 20 national teams competing, including 9 in the MXoEN class and 11 in the WMXoEN category�
Last time, in 2019, the event was hosted in Gdansk, Poland, where Team Italy ended up on the top step once again, while in the women’s division it was Team Netherlands who were victorious for the very first time� This time around, Italy and Netherlands were among the top favourites, as well as home heroes Spain!
The Motocross of European Nations is composed of 3 classes, 250cc, 125cc and 85cc, and each team has four riders: one 250cc rider, one 125cc rider, and two 85cc riders� In the women’s category, each team has two riders� The teams race on Saturday in the qualifying races to determine the start grid, and on Sunday is when the scores are taken and the team will the least number of points is crowned the winner�
TEAM PRESENTATION
The Motocross of European Nations kicked off on Friday with the teams’ presentation to the crowd� The opening ceremony took place in Talavera de la Reina, where the MXoEN and WMXoEN teams were presented to an enthusiastic crowd of fans and supporters�
The ceremony began with the official welcome message video of the event and was followed by
THIS YEAR, THE FIM JUNIOR MOTOCROSS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP RETURNED TO THE FAMOUS LAVANKO TRACK IN THE CITY OF VANTAA IN FINLAND. VANTAA IS NOT NEW TO THE WORLD OF MOTOCROSS, HAVING HOSTED THE FIM MOTOCROSS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BACK IN 1963 WHICH WAS THEN WON BY TORSTEN HALLMAN, THE 4-TIME WORLD CHAMPION AND THE FOUNDER OF THOR MX CLOTHING.
an introduction and speeches from special guests Monserrat Muro City of Talavera de la Reina Deputy Mayor, Sergio Gutierrez City of Talavera de la Reina Sport Deputy, Andrea Giovanni Barbieri Chairman of the FIM Europe Motocross Commission, Peter Goris Jury President, Tomáš Pavlovčík FIM Europe race director, Jonathan Villa FMNR Jury member and Patricia Maskarova Infront Moto Racing MXoEN general manager�
The crowd was then presented with the best moments from the previous MXoEN event which was the perfect build-up for this year’s edition and got everyone excited to see who will be champions in 2022!
The evening was then concluded with family photos and a special performance from the Society DS Dance Studio�
QUALIFYING DAY
Before the start of qualifying, as per MXoEN and MXoN tradition, the ballot to determine the starting grid for the qualifying heats took place in the Media Centre in Talavera de la Reina� Team Spain drew first position in the MXoEN category while in the WMXoEN it was Team Norway who took to the gird first!
Then it was time to focus on qualifying� The qualifying heats are crucial for the teams aiming to secure the best possible position on the grid for the main races, where points will be counted, and a winner will be determined�
In the EMX125/EMX250 qualifying, Team Italy’s Valerio Lata took the holeshot as Team Slovenia’s Jan Pancar pushed the leader� Pancar applied the pressure and remained close as did Team France’s QuentinMarc Prugnieres and Team Spain’s Gerard Congost�
On lap four, Pancar made a mistake and dropped back to fourth which allowed Prugnieres through into second, with the Frenchman then catching and passing Lata too� The top four riders remained close, but it was Prugnieres who won the qualifying heat ahead of Pancar who managed
to find an opportunity to pass Lata, with Congost finishing fourth and Anton Nordström Graaf of Team Sweden rounding out the top five�
In the EMX85 qualifying heat, Team Italy’s Filippo Mantovani and Nicolo Alvisi started strong� The duo battled each other for much of the race, with Mantovani taking the victory and finishing 3�379 seconds ahead of his fellow countryman� Placing third was Amaury Maindru of Team France, followed by Mano Faure also of Team France, while fifth was Casper Lindmark from Team Sweden�
The WMXoEN qualifying heat, it was Team Netherlands’ Lynn Valk who took a good start with Team Denmark’s Sara Andersen just behind her� Local hero, Daniela Guillen of Team Spain start in around fifth and was pushing hard to get close to the leaders�
By the third lap, Guillen managed to find her way into second after passing Andersen, and the focused on Valk just in front of her� At the halfway stage of the race, Guillen was able to get herself into first, which is where she finished the race� Valk was second, Anderson third, Jordan Jarvis of Team USA and Martine Hughes of Team Norway rounded out the top five in the group�
THE RACING
With the qualifying action concluded, it is time to look ahead to the main races and the beautiful setting of the Talavera de la Reina track, mixed with beautiful Spanish weather made for the perfect recipe in order for everyone to enjoy a great and competitive day of racing!
As is tradition at the MXoEN, the morning of the race began with an opening ceremony with speeches given by José Ramón Garcia Vice President of FIM Europe, Jesús Bermúdez President of Motoclub Talavera and Patricia Maskarova Infront Moto Racing’s MXoEN general manager who also handed a special plaque to Mr Jesús Bermúdez as a thanks for organising such a fantastic event�
At the end of the opening ceremony, the national anthem of Spain was played before everyone shifted their focus onto the racing�
EMX125/EMX250 RACES
In the first EMX125/EMX250 race the holeshot went to Team Italy’s Valerio Lata who was the leading rider for the first three laps of the race� Team Slovenia’s Jan Pancar briefly led before being pushed back as Team France’s Quentin-Marc Prugnieres took over first place as Team Spain’s Gerard Congost moved into second�
Lata dropped back to fourth and then eventually did not finish the race due to a bike problem, while Prugnieres went on to win ahead of Pancar, who fought back to second, while Congost and Anton Nordström Graaf of Team Sweden rounded out the top five�
In race two, it was Congost who took the holeshot ahead of Lata and Pancar, while Prugnieres started in fourth� Congost led for six laps before being passed by Pancar, and then four laps later, the Spaniard was also passed by Prugnieres, as Lata dropped down the order to fifth where he eventually finished�
Pancar won the race ahead of Prugnieres, Congost and Nordström Graaf while Lata rounded out the top five in the group�
EMX85
In EMX85 race one, the holeshot went to Team France’s Amaury Maindru with Team Italy’s Filippo Mantovani following closely behind in second� Team France’s Mano Faure started third, with Team Italy’s Nicolo Alvisi in fourth just behind�
A lap later, Alvisi passed Faure to move into third all while Mantovani was able to take over the lead from Maindru, but only for a lap, as the Frenchman got himself back into the lead by the fifth lap and maintained first until the end of the race� By lap seven, Alvisi managed to get around Mantovani for second, but just three laps later was passed back by his fellow countryman� In the end, Maindru was the winner
In race two, the holeshot went to Faure, as Mantovani and Maindru pushed the Frenchman from behind� The top three opened up a nice gap to the rest of the field, as they focused on the battle among each other�
By lap five, we saw a change for the lead as Mantovani was able to take control of the race, but the trio continued to battle for much of the race�
With two laps to go, Mantovani looked well in control, though Maindru was keen on pushing for the win from third on the final lap, though was not successful� In the end, Mantovani was the winner ahead of Faure and Maindru, while Viktor Leppälä of Team Finland and Enzo Badenas of Team Spain were in the top five�
Strong results from Prugnieres, Faure and Maindru put Team France on the top of the nation’s classifications as the French squad were crowned the 2022 champions with 19 points, ahead of Team Italy who were forced to settle for second with 34 points and home heroes Team Spain rounding out the podium and taking home third also with 34 points!
MXoEN Overall Nations Top 5 Classification:
1� France 19pts
2� Italy 34pts
3� Spain 34pts
4� Slovenia 63pts
5� Bulgaria 72pts
Women’s Motocross of European Nations
But that was not all in terms of racing, as the Women’s Motocross of European Nations title had to be decided!
In WMXoEN race one, it was Team Spain’s Gabriela Seisdedos and
Daniela Guillen who got off to a strong start, with Seisdedos taking the holeshot� Team Netherland’s Lynn Valk was nestled in between the pair, before Guillen found her opportunity to get by both and take over the lead by the second lap�
After starting in the mid-field, Team Denmark’s Sara Andersen worked her way up the order and on lap six was in third behind Valk� But Guillen was in control around 12�521 seconds ahead of Valk who remained second�
In the end, Guillen took the race win ahead of Valk, Andersen, Team USA’s Jamie Astudillo and Malou Jakobsen of Team Denmark�
In the second race, it was Andersen who took the holeshot that time around with Valk, Guillen and Seisdedos just behind� Within the first two laps, the top three pulled away from the rest of the field, as Guillen passed Valk on lap three�
By lap six, Andersen began to fade which worked to Guillen’s advantage and just three laps later the Spaniard was able to pass for the lead� Guillen won the second race, taking a perfect 1-1 score for Team Spain, while Andersen crossed the line in second, putting Team Denmark on the third step of the podium, while third was Valk for Netherlands as the finished second overall on the podium and failed to defend their title this time�
Team Spain’s Daniela Guillen and Gabriela Seisdedos celebrated big with their team and local fans as they crossed the line as the 2022 Women’s Motocross of European Nations Champions!
WMXoEN Overall Nations Top 5 Classification:
1� Spain 8pts
2� Netherlands 10pts
3� Denmark 12pts
4� USA 19pts
5� Norway 21 pts�
Check out all of the best moments from the event with our highlights video! Click HERE to watch�