MXGP Mag #22 July 2015 by MXGP MAG

#22_JULY 2015

ws: o d a h s e In th

of s e v i l e h T o those wh he t t r o p p u s stars

g n i n n i w The f o y g e t a str

g n i d n Sta t c u r t s Con a h a m a Y

RACING CATCH UP

TEAM OF THE MONTH Standing Construct Yamaha

07 10 18 20 30 32 40 50 54 58 64 68 70

INDEX

COOL SHOT

MONSTER GIRLS

HALL OF FAME John Van Den Berk

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 #22 July 2015 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

Dear MXGP Friends, The MXGP season is more and more unpredictable and the racing is fantastic, but this month I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to talk about racing because I think everyone is seeing it for themselves; I want to talk about the direction our sport has to take. Over the last few years the FIM Motocross World Championship has made incredible improvements and we believe there still a lot of room to improve; we have to visualize how our

sport can be in 10 years and what we have to do to get it to that level. - The European MXGP organizers need to take the overseas events (except Thailand this year) as an example. When you analyze the quality of organization, the investment directed to the quality of infrastructure and especially the race track, the overseas MXGP events are better organized than most of the European MXGP events. The new organizers follow YS and FIM indications; the race tracks are more modern,

more fluid and better maintained, we have all the necessary machinery - often in Europe we struggle to have one more bulldozer, and in many cases when we do get it they are very old and not reliable. This is one of the areas where our sport can be improved - our organizers must understand todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Motocross needs better infrastructures and more modern race tracks with all the necessary equipment to make the appropriate maintenance and watering to the track, the organizers need to understand how important it is to follow YS and FIM indi-

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cations because they have people who are the most expert in Motocross organization and promotion in the world. - Another important issue that has arisen lately is the performance of the motorcycles, especially the 450cc; thanks to the suspension and electronics they have become incredibly fast. With the FIM and manufacturers we are talking to find the right

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are making important investments and need more space and better services for them to be able to better host their - The third subject is that we sponsors and guests. For need to make our sport more these reasons itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fundamental to find new venues where fans-friendly. We have seen comfortable infrastructures over recent years the numare already available and ber of fans increase signifiwhere we can build great Mocantly, we are seeing more and more families and women tocross tracks. attending events and the age We want Motocross to stay of the fans has decreased; the Motocross as we know it, today 65% of our fans are between 15 and 35 years old. but as everything, it has to evolve with modern times. Manufacturers and teams balance for the future between the speed, handling, safety and cost.

COOL SHOTS

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COOL SHOTS

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COOL SHOTS

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FOX HOLESHOT Maggiora and Teutschenthal

Mud, mud as far as the eye can see, that was the scenario for the MXGP of Italy, for the first motos in both classes at least, and with clear vision the key to the entire race the Fox Holeshot was really the only thing needed to guarantee a strong performance. In MX2 it was a timely return to starting form for Wilvo Nestaan Husqvarnaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Aleksandr Tonkov who found grip in the slop to hold a tight and

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defensible line into turn one on the only slightly preferable inside line, squeezing Jordi Tixier in the process but taking his 5th point of the year and moving back into the lead of the standings one point clear of Herlings who was mired mid pack. Tonkov proved the worth of a clean bike and goggles as he went on to win the moto unchallenged. In MXGP there was a start for the ages from the outside of the gate

for DP19 Racing Yamahaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s David Philippaerts as he dug in deep both mentally and with the back wheel to launch his Yamaha from the final gate pick to the lead one corner later. How did he do it? Well with that last pick he had time to look at how the start straight had developed after the surface mud had been cleared and he saw the chance to make the outside line work, and work it did as he was far

HOLESHOT

enough up heading in to turn one to be able to slice through the riders who started inside him, find the dry line created by the MX2 race and pin it to the Fox Holeshot, his first in over 2 years, and an eventual second place finish in the moto. For race two the track was more “normal” though there was still a lot of deep slop on the outside of turn one, slop that caught out Tonkov as he ran it too deep and mired himself briefly in the mud. That loss of momentum let KTM Red Bull Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings through on the inside to bring the championship points back to level pegging at 5 apiece. The MXGP boys had the best conditions of the day and that lead to a Red Bull IceOne Husqvarna lock out of the top two as Max Nagl and Todd Waters took off from the 3rd and 10th gates respectively and stuck their bikes hard into the small berm at turn one to duff up Rockstar Energy Suzuki rider Kevin Strijbos and take the point for Nagl to give

him a 3 point cushion over Cairoli in the standings heading to his home round in Germany. By the end of the two MXGP Motos is Teutschenthal Nagl’s total was the same but his lead had shrunk by one after Cairoli’s very important holeshot in race two, but the damage could have been worse for Nagl, who didn’t make the start of either moto after his crash in Saturday’s qualifying race, as Dean Ferris with some engine changes to his Husqvarna surged through in race one to take his debut Fox Holeshot point of the campaign and helped to defend his brand mates lead in the standings over Cairoli. Watch out for Ferris in Sweden as he is proving that the 350cc is still a weapon in the right hands. In MX2 the duel between Tokov and Herlings for holeshots continued in race 1, as the Russian ran it hard and deep into turn one to take another point for himself

ahead of Herlings and Gajser. That would be the only point for either of points leaders in Germany as crashes and shoulder injuries for the pair of them meant neither lined up for race two, leaving the Fox Holeshot wide open for some new blood. The point most certainly didn’t go to the jumping trio of Standing Construct Yamaha Yamalube’s Valentin Guillod and the Monster Energy Kawasaki pair of Jordi Tixier and Petar Petrov as all three hit the gate and were left dead last in the run to turn one. The point instead went to Monster Energy DRT Kawasaki rider Max Anstie who then took off at the head of the field to win the moto, his first on the Kawasaki. So the big guns have taken a hit in the Fox Holeshot standings right now and things are surely due to get even more interesting at the next set of back to back races on the hard pack 180 of Sweden and the sandy hairpin start of Latvia.

RACING CATCH UP

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THE MID-SEASON SPANNER

The unmistakable quote “consistency wins championships” is sure to strike again this season in MXGP as the intensity continues to increase and the drama shows no sign of slowing down.

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MXGP of Italy Capping off the first half of the season, the historic venue of Maggiora just about managed to stay afloat in order to host a strange yet successful ninth round of the FIM Motocross World Championship. While mudders are renowned for their crazy and unpredictable results with so many added variables as the track changes a lot more frequently, mud interferes with grips, levers and brakes, extra roost blasts up limiting vision, more stress is placed on the engine and clutch, and not to mention a higher likelihood of another rider going down or causing carnage, Yamaha Factory Racing Yamalubeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Romain Febvre was the only rider of the top five championship contenders to finish inside the top five on the day and he did so with

his second consecutive overall victory. Febvre winning the round was the perfect gift for Yamaha who had switched up their typical blue attire in exchange for the time-honored USA yellow, which was worn in celebration of their 60th birthday. Along with the birthday bash, which was made merrier with three Yamaha riders coming home in first, second and third in MXGP race one, Yamaha Motor Europe also launched their 2016 line up of dirtbikes which included a retro themed 60th anniversary edition.

haâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s David Philippaerts who was the heart and soul of the Italian public that weekend with his super impressive performance which almost landed him on the podium for the first time since 2012.

While the sun shone on Philippaerts, a dark cloud lingered over the ultimate Italian star; eight-time FIM Motocross World Champion Antonio Cairoli. Before the skies had opened and flooded the premises, Cairoli got off to a mega start in the qualifying race on Saturday and led half of the first lap. Normally when Cairoli is at the pointy end of the field off of the start its All of the Yamaha Factory supgoodnight nurse but in this case ported riders were kitted out disaster struck the number 222 in the retro stuff during that when he came up short on one weekend but the most kudos of the jumps, crashed and broke has to go to DP19 Racing Yama- his arm.

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Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MXGP’s Clement Desalle, who at the time was running third in the championship, attempted to ride but only peeled off a couple of a laps in free practice before withdrawing due to the injury he had sustained to his shoulder and knee at MXGP of France two weeks prior with the knee being the more concerning injury. Meanwhile, Cairoli gritted his teeth and out of sheer determination to claim his ninth world title managed to string together a pair of races on Sunday for a commendable thirteenth place finish.

ing lap and only coming back for fifteenth, but Max Nagl managed to rebound in race two for a second place, that should have been first if it wasn’t for a couple of mistake with 1 lap to got that allowed Rockstar Energy Suzuki World’s Kevin Strijbos to snatch the moto win on his return from injury. Luckily for the IceOne squad, Todd Waters was on form that weekend and took two primo fourth place finishes to land on the MXGP podium for the first time in his short international career.

Meanwhile over in MX2, the mud got the better of Red Bull The Red Bull IceOne Husqvarna KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Factory Racing red plate holder Herlings who surprisingly got had a bit of a shocker in race beat straight up in race one and one after binning it on the open- finished sixth. The Bullet being

the bullet, was back to his usual tricks in race two and dominated from start to finish to salvage second overall for the grand prix. With JH84 not risking anything in race one, Wilvo Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Aleksandr Tonkov put in one of the best rides of his career for his first ever race win. Unfortunately for Aleks, a moment of madness undid his impressive victory when he nailed Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Pauls Jonass to take them both out of the race. That left Honda Gariboldi’s Tim Gajser in pole position to steal that rich chocolate mud cake otherwise known as the MX2 Grand Prix of Italy. By doing so Tiga243 remains unbeat-

en on Italian turf this season with the MX2 trophy from MXGP of Trentino also belonging to him. An Italian hat trick is now on the cards for the Slovenian with MXGP round fifteen taking place in Mantova, Italy, on the weekend of August 23rd.

his ankle in the qualifier. The German, who had thousands of supporters on the fences rocking ‘foam finger’ No.12’s, opted for immediate surgery to speed up the healing process and potentially be back quicker for the next two rounds in Sweden and Latvia. After gifting fifty points back to the class before the gates had even dropped, Nagl now trails Yamaha Factory Racing Yamalube’s rookie sensation Romain Febvre by nine.

MXGP of GERMANY Injuries stole the headlines at the MXGP of Germany with both red plate holders Red Bull IceOne Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Max Nagl and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey HerFebvre is easily the man of the lings failing to complete a scored moment right now after claiming lap due to crashes. his third MXGP victory in a row and with it the red plate. While Adding to the craziness of this the Team HRC duo of Gautier year, a spanner was well and Paulin and Evgeny Bobryshev truly thrown in the works in were also winding it up with Teutschenthal with the MXGP both Honda riders looking uber championship leader and home smooth yet aggressive on the soil racer Max Nagl fracturing chopped up, slick and slightly

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sketchy circuit of Teutschenthal with GP21 finally coming out from under his shell to take a race win in the final moto and Bobryshev recovering from a second moto first turn spill to challenge for the podium until the final lap. Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MXGP’s Kevin Strijbos went from the sofa to the podium in Maggiora at the MXGP of Italy and repeated that same amazing performance the following weekend in Germany which is some good news for the die-hard Belgian fans who are losing hope right now with his teammate Clement Desalle sitting another

race out and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Ken De Dycker crashing pretty hard before the finish line in race one and breaking his shoulder.

on the opportunity to take precious championship points, MX2 round of Italy winner Tim Gajser waxed everyone in race one. Okay, ‘waxed’ may be a little dramatic as Standing Construct Yamaha Also sustaining shoulder injuries, Yamalube’s Valentin Guillod was on that very same hill renowned reeling in the Slovenian towards for the sickest of scrubs that the end of the race despite having caught American ripper Eli Tomac four broken bones in his foot, but out at the epic 2013 edition of the it was a convincing win nonetheMonster Energy FIM Motocross less. of Nations, was Herlings. Caught out right off the start in MX2 race Wilvo Nestaan Husqvarna Factory one the Bullet went down so hard Racing’s Aleksandr Tonkov took after scrubbing and hitting his the Fox Holeshot in race one but bar on the lip of the jump that he had a massive get off through the was probably fortunate to have waves while battling Gajser for only sustained a broken collarthe lead and dislocated his shoulbone which he then had plated on der. In race two, Guillod and the that same day. Monster Energy Kawasaki duo of Jordi Tixier and Petar Petrov Just as in the premier class, MX2 slammed the gate and all three was left wide open. Moving in had to race from last. Guillod got

back to fifth while Tixier got back to sixth. With those three playing catch up, a Fox Holeshot by Monster Energy DRT Kawasaki’s Max Anstie allowed him to show us what he is made of. The Brit put his foot down, or in motocross terms ‘twisted it’ in race two and was unstoppable in his charge for his first race win and podium finish of the year. Two more rounds of racing have just added to the craziness that is MXGP 2015. A free weekend between Germany and the next round in Sweden could be just what the doctor ordered for a handful of riders, while for others it’s an opportunity to take a peak at the drawing board and get re-inspired for the homeward stretch.

FIM Motocross World Championship

Standings MXGP CHAMP. STANDINGS

MX2 CHAMP. STANDINGS

1. R. Febvre (FRA,YAM), 369 points 2. M. Nagl (GER, HUS), 360 p. 3. A.Cairoli (ITA, KTM) , 352 p. 4. G. Paulin (FRA, HON) , 324 p. 5. E. Bobryshev (RUS, HON), 306 p. 6. C. Desalle (BEL, SUZ) 291 p. 7. S. Simpson (GBR,KTM) , 227 p. 8.J. VanHorebeek (BEL YAM),194 p. 9. T. Waters (AUS, HUS) , 192 p. 10.G. Coldenhoff(NED, SUZ), 169 p.

1. J.Herlings (NED, KTM),398 points 2. T. Gajser (SLO, HON) , 298 p. 3. V. Guillod (SUI, YAM) , 297 p. 4. P. Jonass (LAT, KTM) , 288 p. 5. J. Tixier (FRA, KAW) , 286 p. 6. J. Seewer (SUI, SUZ), 275 p. 7. A. Tonkov (RUS, HUS) , 256 p. 8. M. Anstie (GBR, KAW) , 248 p. 9. J. Lieber (BEL, YAM), 243 p. 10.D. Ferrandis(FRA, KAW), 205p.

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

409 points 392 points 391 points 374 points 372 points 243 points 70 points

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

449 points 414 points 354 points 331 points 275 points 264 points 24 points

MXGP of Italy Audience

1.685.000 Viewers

On Mediaset, Italia 1 & Italia 2 1.5 more than in 2014

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MXGP SOCIAL

TWITTER, FACEB IN THE WORLD OF #MXGP @roger37thornton‬ Just catching up with @mxgp and well done to @MaxAnstie long time coming good lad keep it up #mxgp

@mrbenparkinson ‬ Watching @mxgp from Germany and it made me want to do two things: buy a yz450f and ride like @RFebvre461awesome. #ride@karamalxxx Yet again another amazing weekend at @mxgp gutted its over!

@roversberg‬ ‬‬ “thumb”s up strijbos ...great job!!!! ‬‬ @darrenjboyd My admiration and respect for @Antoniocairoli grows and grows. True champion spirit. True competitor. @arm71strong ‬ ‬‬ #mxgpTeutschenthal is going to interesting tomorrow , who knows what’s going to happen let alone who’s going to win @mxgp‬ @gracebikes Yay! Teutschenthal at it’s best! Fantastic race action and world class#motocross! Tomorrow with the @mxgp

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@jac_malins At the Tunnel waiting to board! On our way to the @ mxgp Germany!! Via Brugge and Cologne! Ready to support our Brit boys!! You can WIN some awesome prizes this year by participating in the GET, ATHENA Photo Competition. All you have to do to go into the draw to win one of three sweet prizes is: 1.Find any ATHENA or GET Logo at any round of MXGP this year. 2.Take a photo of it. 3.Upload it to the Athena GET Photo Competition app on MXGP’s Facebook page with the hashtag #MXGP #Athenalive. Logo’s can be found on the rider’s gear, on the bikes, on the team trucks, and around the paddock of MXGP on various other banners and advertising panels. The prizes up for grabs are: •Two VIP passes to any 2016 MXGP round of your choice •Go Pro prize pack •Ogio Prize The picture VOTED the best, will win. Sound easy enough? Find an Athena or GET logo, snap a pic and upload it to Facebook. Click HERE To go to the competition page.

Yamaha Factory Racing Yamalube’s Romain Febvre was lucky to come away from this epic crash unscathed.

Check out our video series Behind the Gate which feature and extra look at Jeffrey Herlings massive scrub gone wrong!

BOOK, INSTAGRAM, YOUTUBE

@meglewis12 Nice weekend at the @ mxgpof Germany! Pit boarding @maddz_18! Going to miss you heaps! Thanks@ alice_dp19racing for the pic đ&#x;&#x201C;ˇ đ&#x;&#x2DC;&#x2030;. #bihr#elf #dedoncker @

Ni la lluvia hace perder la sonrisa a las #paddockgirls del @mxgp en Maggiora

@greg18france @RFebvre461 @Cocoborde@Pat459STRANA @ YamahaMotorFr@mxgp Congratulations Romain for this red plate. Bravo Romain

@gracebikes He is just awesome and he was just having a look at the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s coolest ebikes at @MXGP in Teutschenthal! We love young fans!!

@24mxhonda As a rider you know things are about the get serious when you go through the @mxgp riders presentation podium!!

IN THE WORLD OF #MXGP 31

TEAM OF THE MONTH

The winning strategy Standing Construct Yamaha Yamalube 32

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In 2014 the newest version of the Yamaha YZ250F had a difficult debut in the MX2 World Championship, both of the designated factory teams struggled initially to match the speed and reliability of the demon fast 2013 version and it wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t until the Czech Republic where Christophe Charlier was able to take it to a moto win, and it was Lommel before it took an overall in the hands of Max Anstie.

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For 2015 Yamaha took a new direction looking past their traditional teams, with Yamaha Rinaldi focussing on MXGP only, and turned their gaze to the Standing Construct team of Tim Mathys who had done wonders in making an extremely fast KTM for current rider Valentin Guillod and late season addition Julien Lieber. In the 6 months of racing in 2015 the Standing Construct Yamaha Yamalube team have become a true force as a factory team taking podiums right from race 1 in Qatar and overall Grand Prix wins in Spain and Great Britain. MXGP Mag caught up with Tim Mathys after another successful Grand Prix in Germany where his riders took 3rd an 5th on a very tricky Teutschenthal track, to

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find out just how they have managed to make their strategy work so well with their new challenge. MXGP Mag: Let’s go back to the beginning in those first moments when the Yamaha deal was coming together, what were your ideas on the process that would start from there? Tim Mathys: Well last year around this time I was contacted by Yamaha because they saw the results we were getting as a KTM supported team, they also saw the fact that we had one of the fastest bikes in the pack as a private team, so I had a meeting with them to exchange ideas let’s say and a few weeks later we got the proposal to become their official team in MX2 and to do the development on the bike and to

make the Yamaha even better, just like we did with the KTM. What was important to them was that we had a good structure with good people and that we had a nice and clean set up and for sure the results we were getting. To answer your questions, what I think is that yes, they were interested in our results but also they saw how professionally we were working and after the first meeting we had 5 or 6 meetings more and in mid-August we decided that we wanted to change brands and they decided that they wanted to take us as their official team in MX2. MXGP Mag: You’ve always prided yourself on how your team is represented and how you are presented in the paddock and clearly from what you just said that has

benefits; do you feel vindicated by that, by your decision to put so much attention into that? Mathys: For sure that has helped a lot, but I only look at the sponsorship that is coming from my construction company and for me it is very important. For me in the construction company I am very strict with everything in the places where we are building houses, I want that people can visit them at every hour of every day and everything has to be clean and has to be well organised and that’s also the same idea that I have in the team, and I think that all the sponsors that we have, all the brand sponsors and also the financial sponsors, like my company, for them it’s really important if people are walking through the paddock that they see a nice and clean infrastruc-

ture because that gives them an idea of the people that you are working with. So for Yamaha I think that was also important to see. MXGP Mag: Well if you can keep a building site clean and organised then it’s relatively simple to keep a Motocross pit clean! You had the organisation in place but how did you then go about attacking the challenge of a new bike and to accelerate that so quickly as to be in a podium position in the first race, were you surprised with your rate of development? Mathys : No, because I had a lot of confidence in the people I was working with, Wim Van Hoof our chief mechanic is a very very capable person, he’s like they say in Dutch a guy who doesn’t use a lot of words but who proves it with

his actions, and besides that I had Yves Demaria by my side who is a World Champion and has a lot of experience fine tuning the bike and together with Valentin Guillod who was already signed at that time I knew that I had the good people to attack this challenge. Before we decided anything we had also tested the Yamaha and seen that it was a really good bike and a real good base to make a winning bike off. Then for sure in the winter we had a really tough time and all the people in my team worked really hard, like Wim, he spent days and nights on the dyno to test and develop things so that 2 or 3 weeks before the start in Qatar we knew we

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had a really good bike because we could compare it with the bikes we had in the past. From there on there was still some fine tuning to do and that is still what we are doing now and in the coming weeks we are working on a big development and we are sure that our bike will get even better, and for sure towards 2016 I think we will have a very good bike. MXGP Mag: Yves has been working with Valentin since 2013, how does he fit into the Standing Construct team now? Mathys: Yves is the rider coach but not in such a simple way, he also helps to give me ideas and to test and make some changes on the bike, not just with the engine but also with the chassis. Again Yves has a lot of ideas and we try to solidify those ideas and it’s up to the riders to test them along with Yves, because Yves still does some testing and that’s why I said

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he is not only the coach of the riders but also the man who is giving ideas and then also someone who is testing those things. MXGP Mag: One of the things that is very well known in the paddock is that you are very keen on giving your riders exactly what they want to get the job done, has that become a driving force for you, can it almost override anything else? Mathys: It is, you know, most of the riders I have in my team or have had in my team are riders that in the past nobody believed in, a lot of them like Coldenhoff, like Lieber also like Larssen, people were saying “Oh you will never have results with those guys because they are too wild or they are this or that” but for every rider that came in my team I did exactly the same, I asked them what they thought they were missing to become a better rider. Glenn had a few things, Valentin had a few things, every rider

gave me a list of the things that they thought were not good in the past and I tried to give them those things, and I think that this is what pays off. Coldenhoff, Lieber, Guillod in the past Larsen, all those guys when they came in my team became other riders and got results that nobody believed they could, and also when they are in my team no matter which question they have, no matter which thing they want to change we do, even if we know beforehand that what they are asking will not pay off, or are 99% sure that it will be worse than before we do it because we want them to be right in their head. The mind is very very powerful when they are behind the gate for me they have to be there with what they think is the best bike they can have. So again what you say is 100% the truth, I pay a lot of attention in trying to keep my riders happy and that’s not only what’s concerning the bike, if they have

a problem in their private life or whatever I always try to find a solution together with them and I think until now that is a big factor in getting more out of the riders than other teams did before. MXGP Mag: Now you are a Grand Prix winning team, a Factory Grand Prix winning team, how does that change the day to day, what does it do to the running of the team and can you run it as before or are there more things to consider? Mathys: The working of the team hasn’t changed with that because everyone here was working 100% before and they still are, what has changed is that there is more interest from the press let’s say, this interview for example, and also from the motocross industry we have

got a lot of proposals that we didn’t get before so on that point for sure it’s positive. But for the real running of the team nothing has changed, if only perhaps the people are even more motivated than before. MXGP Mag: Do you feel that all that interest is all positive or do you take it all step by step and keep a level head? Mathys: Well I have always kept my feet on the ground, when in the past I had success in business or now with the good results we have in racing, I have always kept my feet on the ground and even more for all of the people I am working with I tell them daily “We might win one GP but on Monday after the GP that is already forgotten and we have to look forward to

the next one.” Besides that in my life I have always looked for chances, I have always wanted to do better and better, so ok now we have won a GP but again we have to look for the next challenge in the future which for this year is to win more GPs and for next year it is getting a team that is the minimum that it is now and in the future maybe doing the same in MXGP, that is our ambition. MXGP Mag: That leads to a big question, what is happening next year because of course Valentin is ageing out of MX2 and as such the team will have to change its riders, are you confident that you have got guys and there is talent that you can find to fill the team? Mathys: Well, you know that Julien signed a few GPs ago

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so with him for sure we have a top 3 competitor next year, and I am very proud that in Germany we singed another top 3 rider who has also already done top 3 this year but his name will be made official by Yamaha in the coming days, but for sure we will have again two riders who are capable of doing top 3 and that is one thing. Then to answer your question about Valentin, they say that you should never change a winning team and I took Valentin when nobody believed in him and he proved to me that he was worth my confidence and I proved to him that I was worth his confidence and so like you say he has to move to MXGP but he wants to keep working with our team so now we are trying to find a solution

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to cement that together with Yamaha. As you can imagine though with the results that he has got an the riding style that he has, he’s got a lot of proposals from other brands, and I can assure you that if we can find an agreement that matches the same as what he is offered by other teams then I am 100% sure that he will choose our team, and that is what we are trying to work on now together with Yamaha because they are also very happy with the results that Valentin has got for them. We are trying to find a solution together, Yves, Valentin, me and Yamaha. MXGP Mag: That’s good to know! Finally, why do you run a motocross team, why motocross for you? Mathys: Because it’s in my

heart, it’s my passion and it keeps me going. I was lucky in life, let’s say in the business part I was lucky in life so to be honest if I want I don’t have to work anymore, but it’s motocross that keeps me motivated. If I return from a GP at maybe 2 or 3am then I start work again at 6am, no matter how tired my body is after too little sleep my mind is always fresh so I need motocross to keep me motivated to keep doing the rest of the things in my life. Like I said it’s in my blood, it’s in my heart, it’s my passion and that’s also the reason why I am in the paddock, I’m not in the paddock to make money, I am in the paddock to get results because the results are the satisfaction of my passion.

Anyone who has ever played football or picked up a tennis racket for a game knows that there is a gulf in perspective between a team sport and one that you play alone.

or worse and blame or praise is apportioned. As a solo athlete you are the one who makes all the real time calls in your event, you are the only one who can be responsible for what you do when the competition begins. Neither is quantifiably harder With a team of players around you the blame is shared, one than the other, the responsibilmanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s actions in a match or ity to your team mates can be race can turn the tide for better crushing as well as uplifting and

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the pressure to perform on the day is more in evidence when you line up alone, but they are two totally different sport experiences and require different ways of living to tackle them. Motocross is one of the few motorsports left where the totality of the race decisions still lie with the rider. Other sports

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In the shadows: The lives of those who support the stars

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have driver radio and ship to shore telemetry that can alter parameters and add or subtract variables to the mix but in motocross when the gate drops the only line of communication is via pit board and frantic gestures. Perhaps that’s why the bond between a rider and their team is so important, the trust that needs to exist for a rider to roll into the starting grid knowing that everyone has done their best to get him there. For an excellent example look no further than the new MXGP Championship leader, Romain Febvre, he has complete faith in the bike his team give him, Race 2 in Maggiora proved that, and he is using it to good effect. That is one part of the puzzle of winning but there is another, the personal support and the day to day reliance that can’t

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be given by those who you are contracted to work with. Here we are talking about the wives, the girlfriends and the families that hold the riders sometimes fragile emotions in check, the people that see and experience it all from the dark winter training mornings to the race wins, through the good times and the bad, the people that help the riders keep their dreams alive and in doing so share a journey that few will live. A journey that has just gone sharply up hill for Romain Febvre and his girlfriend Megan Closset: “It’s been stressful but actually really good to see him happy with the team, with everyone, with the bike with the results it’s very nice and obviously also he has worked really hard and for me it’s nice to see that for him it pays off. It’s been really good but we also had some

bad times because we lost two animals that died, so it’s been a little bit difficult for us but we have to get through this and now we have a new puppy and everything is good.” Talk about a snap back to reality, these riders and their close groups go through all the same emotional rollercoasters that the fans do away from the rack, life is not just moto. In fact it’s the day to day that can be the linchpin to the weekend’s performance, and in that sense Megan is the one who takes care of all that might be called the mundane, something she is totally at ease with: “The only thing he does is wash the dishes because I hate it, so I cook and he washes.” Talking with these women who stand just behind their partners it’s clear that the public opinion on who they are, how they live

and the reality of each individual situation are wildly different as Yentl Haazen, the girlfriend of Kevin Strijbos explains.

taking care of your guy but at dinner or after dinner it’s like you and me time, that’s with us.”

“People all say, “Oh you are going to go to Sweden and Latvia!” they all talk like it’s one big magic world but they don’t know you know. You arrive on Friday you see the airport, you see the track, and we always stay in the camper, and I am going to make dinner and do the normal house stuff. And I think so many people have something different in their mind that the girls are just relaxing, drinking, if the weather is nice they are in the sun, but it’s totally the opposite. On a race weekend, on Saturday when I wake up the first thing that I’m thinking is “oh I am so looking forward to dinner” because that’s quality time that we have because all the time in between is all about Kevin and you are just in the background

Perhaps a better way to look at the situation is of a couple who work together, from 9am the rider sets off for his day job an at the same time his partner leaves for hers and they just so happen to be at the same place.

“I think that’s a great way of putting in, and for me it’s also that when I am home, I also have a normal job, an office job, and it’s kind of heavy because you come back on Monday, you work Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, you fly again on Friday and it’s again work, you know, and with this job I am so much more stressed than with my job and with my other one I get paid, this one not!” The pay off for the weekend job

is a bit different though and the result for Strijbos in Maggiora with a moto win on his return from injury was a striking example of the rollercoaster for those at the heart of moto.

“Maggiora, wow, I was just so happy because on Friday we said to each other “Top 10, that’s perfect, we will be happy with a top ten”, and in the period before when we were staying at home and just watching the races on TV it was not nice, also for him he was so down and then you come back in Maggiora and think that a top 10 is ok, but then he is riding so good and then I was so stressed and happy and emotional, the whole team actually.” One couple who also went through the emotional grinder at Maggiora were David Philippaerts and his girlfriend Alice Angiolini, and if it’s possible the

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stakes for those two are much higher as they ARE the DP19 Yamaha Racing team. Together they have built it up, together they have made it a strong part of the paddock, and in many ways that is a reflection on the strength on their relationship.

“We spend less time to do a rider’s life, we have to be focussed on the bureaucratic things and relationships with sponsors and this is more difficult when you want to be a top rider because your mind is full of things. Many times we wake up in the night and think, “Oh I have to do this, I forgot” and it’s more difficult. Yes, when you get the result then you have the feeling that you really did the result, not “I did it with...” but “I did this myself”. For Alice, herself the daughter of a motocross racer the two-time Italian Champion

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Alberto Angiolini, the transition into running a team has been one of facing new challenges and working out bit by bit how everything needs to fit together to make it at the highest level of motocross.

“If you have a team manger then when you have a problem you can go to them and normally they can find a good solution and in that time maybe you don’t understand why you need to do what he says but you just do it and when you just do it without wondering if it’s right or wrong then it normally works, and now this is what we try to do with our young rider (Andrea Zanotti, new this year in EMX125). For example, with the gate, sometimes it happens when you are not really sure which one to choose but if someone comes to you and very strongly says “take that one” maybe it’s not right but if the feeling is strong

then you go and you start good. For us it has not changed so much because we’ve been like that from the first day, we helped each other in the same way that we do now, and David chose many thing by himself, he never had a manger so we did everything by ourselves so this was good because when we took the decision to go alone we already knew a little bit how to do it and this is why we do it.” The relationship between David and Alice is one that, though not unique, is perhaps the clearest example of the mutual support that is so valuable at the highest level of the sport, though it does not apply to every rider, each choosing their own path, these two have formed a bond that has seen them win the championship.

“We were best friends in the paddock and we started togeth-

er before as friends and I had a little bit of a job at the race service of a goggle brand and I said to David “We can help each other to work inside here and I can teach you something that I’ve seen from these years watching other riders” and with two close together it’s easier than alone, so we pushed each other. We started to get results and then he became World Champion.” David was then succeeded as World Champion in 2009 by a certain Antonio Caroli, and at his side is probably the most well known of the riders other halves but also one of the most reluctant to step into the spotlight, Jill Cox. Jill herself grew up in the paddock and in motocross, her

father raced the sidecar European Championship and her brother also took to two wheels, in fact so did she in local kids races where the two of them shared a bike for the two motos but she stopped when the bike got bigger and gears needed changing, preferring to stay on the side line and support from there, a place where she still is today. The stresses and struggles that David and Alice face together are shared in a different way and from a different emotional perspective by Jill and Tony.

“We have a really family team and we are like the closest people ever, we eat together during the week and we are like 24 hours together so we are like a real family, those ten people that have been around him for

the last years see the same things as me. I always worked before I met Tony and the Dutch mentality is also to take care of yourself and be really independent, so stopping with my work to follow Tony was really a big decision and when I made it, I thought about it really good, I thought about it for 3 years and I never regret my decision to stop working as a beautician in my own company, but when I stopped I wanted to do other things I wanted to do more for Tony and be more in his business, to take work out of his hands so I feel needed because in my head a working person is the happiest person. I have my responsibilities during the weekend and for sure during the week, but I don’t feel it as a job for sure because it’s based on love so it’s like the most

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normal thing for me to do this stuff. But I dream sometimes that things are going wrong, so inside I want to do everything perfect, and that’s the Dutch part again because I am together with an Italian and they are so not organised and living in the moment and I am there in this Italian team as a Dutch girl trying to organise and trying to keep everybody on my schedule, and it’s working pretty good!” For all of the 4 women the biggest part is to support their rider no matter what, that is where the secret and true value of these individual relationships are. Speaking with them individually it’s clear to see the dedication that they have to the men they are with and to the role they play in each rider’s life and success, Yentl sums her version up perfectly.

“I would like people to see

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that I am taking care of my guy, I think every girl is doing this in a different way, like with me and Kevin, Kevin is a really calm guy and “no show” guy, shy, he is not jumping to have an interview or something like that and with a shy and relaxed guy like him you need to take care of him different because when he is down or sad, it is so difficult to say something to him like “Things will be ok” and also for taking care of him I do the cleaning, I do the cooking, I make sure everything is in the camper before we leave, I have my back pack with me and have everything in there that he will need. The first couple of times he said to me “Oh you need to have this and this” and then after the weeks and years you know what he needs. I think where I see myself is behind my guy and I will support him in everything.”

For each it’s different and it’s not always easy, each race is a set of individual circumstance and different challenges as Alice explains: “Many times I have thought maybe it’s more difficult to the girlfriend because you have to give him power 24 hours every day, you have to be always strong, also when you have fever or when you are very tired you have to feel the power to give to them because they need it all the time in every moment, because in motocross there is only 1 that wins, when you arrive second you need support to get to the next one and the next. Every day is like that and when you get to the end of the season I’m completely finished.” Though she may be relatively “new”, if you can call 3 years new, to these pressures Megan is also the youngest of the 4 girlfriends we spoke to but she

Photo:Suzuki

is fully aware of the role she plays psychologically: “When everything goes well and the results are good then it’s ok, but when it’s not what he wants, he knows he can be at the front all the time but some things can go wrong so you are not on the front, it’s very difficult because he is very hard on himself and then I’m like “please, you can ride, sometimes it goes wrong but be positive.” Sometimes it’s very difficult for me, because I have to pick him up and say “You can do that” and sometimes it’s very difficult for me to find the words to get him back to the top. We are just the two of us, he doesn’t like to have too many people around him because he wants to stay away from stress, sometimes my step dad comes to the races and he is very close

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to Romain but he knows that before the races Romain wants to be alone or with me, but that’s it, so we don’t like to have people around us.” It’s best to leave the last words to Jill and her ordered world of disorganised Italians, to sum up just what life is like as the other half of one of the greatest motocross racers ever, and pay heed to what she has to say because she is nothing if not honest.

“I think I am lucky to be together with someone like Tony because he is known for not doing strange moves and strange stuff and we are pretty lucky that he has saved himself a lot of times from big injuries so I am pretty calm, but inside I know how much he wants this and how big his dream is and I want

him to catch his dream so it’s the pressure that Tony puts on himself that I feel. Life is really good, there are a lot of great things about this, I’ve never travelled the world like I do now, I’ve seen all these amazing places and meet all these amazing people, you are friends with the best riders in the world that maybe would otherwise be really far. However, a lot of times I do a lot of things by myself, it’s like we worked so hard to get Tony to where he is today, like he is pretty famous in Italy so he can’t come all the time with me to Ikea or the supermarket and sometimes when I am there all by myself with all these heavy boxes I think “oh my god,” and they are offering me “Girl can I help you?” and then I remind myself that I do all this stuff because I get so much in return for this.”

MONSTER GIRLS

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MONSTER GIRLS

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The European leg of the MXGP world tour will wrap up in style this coming August as the MXGP of The Netherlands, round sixteen of the FIM Motocross World Championship takes place for the first time ever at the world-renowned Van Drenthe circuit in Assen. While the mind blowing facility is already recognised worldwide by being the longest standing venue on the MotoGP cal-

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endar since 1949, this year it will make its mark on the motocross world as the curtains are set to come off on a super sweet purpose built sand track on the weekend of August 29th and 30th. Around twenty-five thousand tons of sand will be imported from a nearby army training facility thanks to the funding and support from the Government of Drenthe

and Assen. While the track wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t boast the same massive natural terrain hills and drop-offs that many of the other MXGP tracks do (that part of Holland isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t the most undulating), what it will do is freshen things up and add some extra diversity to the FIM Motocross World Championship. Just as in Thailand and Argentina, Assen will be a

photo: LDP International b.v.

MXGP armed with Assen

100% level playing field. No one rider will have a perfect bike or chassis set-up or any prior experience of the track, so a lot of the racing will come down to adaptability and perseverance, but not only for the riders. The team and mechanics will also be put to the test at a venue like this as it is their job to watch what the bike is doing and how the track shaping up. It is required of everyone to be

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Photo: Serge Duursma

enthusiastic and on hand to make changes on a regular basis throughout the course of the day. The epicness of the event can be enjoyed from the same permanent facilities used for MotoGP with the grandstands being put to use with enough space to seat 25,000 raging MXGP fans. This means that come rain or shine, the racing can be enjoyed in the dry thanks to the sheltered spectating zone. The spectators will be spoiled, in fact everyone involved in the event will be spoiled with access to all of the immense permanent facilities such as a worldclass media center, lavish VIP areas, flushing toilets, clean showers, the list goes on.

Daniele Rizzi, Youthstream CEO, presented MXGP of The Netherlands to all the biggest names in Dutch television and print media. Both MXGP and MX2 world champions Antonio Cairoli and Jordi Tixier were present and took the opportunity to express their excitement. Tony Cairoli said, “I really like the idea of having races at the circuits of MotoGP, we can all benefit from the permanent facilities and it will be good to see more races at venues like this in the future.” One of the most successful Dutch motocross teams Team HSF Logistics Motorsport KTM also made an appearance and said a few words, as did Holland’s latest young prodigy Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Davy Pootjes.

Last month, at MotoGP’s Dutch Grand Prix, Mr. Lee Van Dam, organizer of MXGP of The Netherlands and Mr.

All the riders were clearly excited to witness some MotoGP action in Assen, whereas MotoGP rider Scott

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Redding was happy to be at the presentation of MXGP of The Netherlands where it became obvious he enjoys riding dirtbikes in his freetime. With the development and evolution of MXGP being a never-ending work in progress which has delivered impressive results to date and continues to do so, MXGP of The Netherlands in Assen is certain to be a special and unique event which can looked forward to by riders and fans alike. You can expect that upon entering the paddock and venue there will be a different vibe, just as there is in Qatar where MXGP made use of the firstrate facilities at the MotoGP circuit of Loasil, except this time in Europe, on the home turf of The Bullet, Jeffrey Herlings who could potentially wrap the MX2 title up on that weekend.

MXGP Academy helps Hess chase the dream The bar in motocross is constantly being raised, while mechanics strive for more power, riders keep pushing that little bit hard harder on track while families and support networks linger in the background providing unconditional support. With the level constantly increasing, it has never been more important for young riders with big dreams of one day going pro on the motocross scene to have the best guidance and knowledge possible. Not only does correct guidance help them achieve their goals as smoothly and as efficiently as possible, it is also crucial to rider safety and health, especially in young kids who are still growing and developing.

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MXGP ACADEMY

For the last eighteen months, FIM Europe and Youthstream have been developing the MXGP Academy, a training program with the concept of giving young talent, their families and support systems the right perspective in terms of what it takes and what is required to evolve into a professional motocross athlete. Getting to see behind the World Championship dream is a priceless thing, especially for kids under the age of fourteen who are completely blown away by the professionalism of the FIM Motocross World Championship and the seriousness of the athletes that race. While in the previous issues of MXGP Mag we have explained the academy and its concept

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more in depth, this time we thought it would be cool to catch up with one of the kids who has taken part in the MXGP Masterclass, so at the MXGP of Germany which took place on the world renowned circuit of Teutschenthal we managed to nab a super talented boy by the name of Ben Hess. Ben is twelve years old from Germany, he has been riding for seven years and spends most winters riding in the USA. At the MXGP of Germany Ben rocked up on his Husqvarna 85cc to give the MXGP Academy Master-class a whirl and was more than excited to speak to us about his experience.

Ben Hess: I am racing the European Championship and the Junior World Championship for Germany so Mario, the guy looking after the young riders in Germany asked us to come to Teutschenthal to ride on the track and see the factory Suzuki team and learn what MXGP is all about.

MXGP Mag: What did you learn? Hess: I learnt a lot. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nice, Joel Smets, Team Manager of Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MXGP and former FIM Motocross World Champion, told us how the team works like how they prepare the bike. It was really cool. We also got to ride on the track and the jumps MXGP Mag: How did you find and the corners are really out about the MXGP Academy? nice.

MXGP Mag: What did you like most about the MXGP Academy? Hess: Going out riding. MXGP Mag: What was so cool about that? Hess: The track! It was amazing. MXGP Mag: What did you learn? Hess: Lots of things, but I remember learning the corners the most. The trainer was really good and I think he did a great job and I learnt a lot. MXGP Mag: What do you want to be when you are older? Hess: My goal is to race MXGP. I want to win a world championship. MXGP Mag: Earlier you said you will be racing the FIM

Junior Motocross World Championship, are you looking forward to it? Hess: Yes, the track this year looks really good.

Hess: 7 years MXGP Mag: What do you think is the hardest thing about trying to be a professional rider? Hess: Having discipline and training for the races. It is very hard to always train during the week especially for us kids are still at school.

MXGP Mag: What are your goals there? Hess: Qualify for the race because there are a lot of good riders and it’s my first year on the 85cc so, yes, my goal is definitely to qualify and race MXGP Mag: So, what does the main race. your week look like? Hess: I go from 08:15 to MXGP Mag: Did you race last 15:15 to school. When I get year? home I do some exercise like Hess: Yes I raced 65cc last bicycling or trampolining or year, but it wasn’t my best physical training and then I weekend because my bike have a little bit of free time. wasn’t running very good but I think I was tenth or someMXGP Mag: What does your thing like that. path to being an MXGP pro look like? Do you plan on goMXGP Mag: How long have ing to the EMX125 and then you been racing for? onwards?

Hess: Yes, I will try to win a junior world title. I think last year I could do it, but I was so nervous that I messed it up. But this year I feel better and I think I can do it this year or maybe next year. Then I will go to the 125cc class. MXGP Mag: How are those nerves now? Have you got them under control? Hess: Yes, I learned lots of things and now I am more relaxed. MXGP Mag: What did you do to try and control or combat them? Hess: First of all it’s getting older and then it’s lots of learning and gaining experience. MXGP Mag: What races have you done this year and how

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have you gone? Hess: I raced the European Championship 85cc and some local races. I didn’t race the last race in the European Championship so I finished twentieth. MXGP Mag: What do you like most about MXGP? Hess: I love the tracks. They are so big and the set up is good too. But the tracks are amazing, the jumps are nice and so are the corners. The tracks are really cool. It will be a dream come true to be on the start line one day. MXGP Mag: Lastly, your English is so impressive. How long have you been learning it? Hess: I learn English in school. I go to an interna-

tional school, so since the first grade I’ve been learning English. MXGP Mag: Was there a reason behind going to school an English speaking school? Hess: I just went to school in English for a better education basically, but I think it’s good to learn English for motocross because to be a GP rider you will need to speak English. After another successful MXGP Master-class the next time we will see the little guys out throwing down laps on a motocross track at unbelievable speeds will be at the 2015 FIM Junior Motocross World Championship which will take place at the incredible circuit of El Molar in Spain on the weekend of July 18th and 19th.

J 64 Photo: MEYER

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HALL OF FAME

John ‘Berky’ Van Den Berk

In the mid 1980’s, the 125cc World Championship saw two talented Dutch kids coming to the top of class to battle with the Belgians and Italians who had been getting most of the titles and GP wins in the class. Just one year after his fellow countryman Dave Strijbos won, John Van Den Berk claimed the 1987 125 World Championship and one year later the 250 crown in flamboyant style. Born in Oss on the 11th of August 1967, John discovered motocross through his father who was a big fan of the sport and soon he had his own 50cc machine to start practicing and then racing on in the Netherlands. With the full support of his father, who had always been deeply involved in his racing career, John entered the World Championship in 1984, scoring his first points to

end the season in thirteenth position. That same year, with Jan Postema, Kees Van Der Ven and John Hensen he won in Dalecin (Czech Republic) the 125cc Cup of Nations, his first International success (at this period it was organised differently to today with the Motocross of Nations for 500cc, the Trophy of Nations for 250cc and the Cup of Nations for 125cc. There were only four editions of the Cup, from 1981 to 1984).

the series John didn’t get the title and finished as runner up. He came back even stronger the next season, and this time clinched his first World Title which was also the first one for Yamaha in this class. With his modern, fluid and flamboyant riding style, John was one of the first European riders to be also successful in Supercross, and he even won the Geneva Supercross beating famous US riders Broc Glover and Guy Cooper.

From there John never stopped improving on his results, and joined the factory Yamaha team where he got his best career results. Fifth in the series in 1985, he claimed his first GP wins one year later and fought for the title with his ‘rival brother’ Dave Strijbos. It was a tough battle on and outside the track, and even if he won three of the twelve rounds of

In his career John never spent too long in the same place, so the following season he moved to the 250cc class; winner of two GP’s and as always very consistent, John was at his best and got another title with Yamaha. The 250cc class was more and more competitive and he faced new rivals in the years that followed. Third in 1989 for his last season

with Yamaha, John moved to Suzuki and got another third position; then Johnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s winning career was stopped rather abruptly by injuries. In 1992 he claimed his last GP win in the 125cc GP of Hungary, then changed classes and bikes but finally retired from racing in 1995, after eleven seasons at the highest level. Even before he stopped racing, John started his second career as an MX trainer and became as famous as he was as a racer. He raced over 20 years, and last year he celebrated his 20th season as a trainer! Opening his own school (JB Pro MX Training) based in the Netherlands and in Spain, he also worked successfully as a private trainer with riders such as Remy

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Van Rees, Kevin Strijbos, Gert Krestinov, Davy Pootjes and Jose Butron just to name a few. John also joined the FIM Europe and Youthstream to become one of the trainers of the MXGP Academy with Jan Postema, coaching young teams and looking worldwide for new talents.

Always as motivated and dynamic as the rider that he was earlier in his career, John remains deeply involved in his sport and is now also involved with the Dutch kids racing for the HSF Logistics MX2 team. Text and photos: Pascal Haudiquert

1984: 13th in the 125 World Championship (Yamaha) 1985: 5th in the 125 World Championship (Yamaha) 1986: 2nd in the 125 World Championship (Yamaha). Winner of 3 GP 1987: 125 Motocross World Champion (Yamaha). Winner of 3 GP 1988: 250 Motocross World Champion (Yamaha). Winner of 2 GP 1989: 3rd in the 250 World Champion (Yamaha) 1990: 3rd in the 250 World Championship (Suzuki) 1991: 16th in the 250 World Championship (Suzuki) 1992: 9th in the 125 World Championship (Suzuki). Winner of 1 GP 1993: 10th in the 125 World Championship (Honda) 1994: 14th in the 250 World Championship (Suzuki) 1995: 11th in the 500 World Championship (Honda)

PADDOCK TALKS

Paddock Talks 01/Antonio Cairoli went and saw Italian singing sensation Jovanotti live in concert last weekend in Milan. Jovanotti is a huge fan of motocross and even wore a UFO body armor on his latest album cover so you can imagine how stoked he was to hang out with TC222. 02/Thanks to these two motorcycling stars Romain Febvre and Valentino Rossi, Yamaha leads both premier motorcycling championships, MXGP and MotoGP. 03/Team HRC Team Manager and former racer Roger Harvey leads the launch of the new 2016 CRF250 and CRF450 machines. 04/Italian company UFO presents their new Recon boot to the media at MXGP of Italy. 05/The official 2015 Monster Energy FIM Motocross Team Italy team shirt is presented in Maggiora. 06/Yamaha celebrated their 60th anniversary in style. They even rolled up in a retro Yamahauler with Pierre Karsmakers!

03 08

06 05

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Paddock Talks

07/Scott Sports present their super rad lines of 2016 race wear, protective wear and goggles. 08/The new Monster Rig was a hit in the paddock of Teutschenthal. 09/The European based orange army huddles up for a group photo with the legend, Roger DeCoster. 10/Formula1 star and owner of Red Bull IceOne Husqvarna Factory Racing, Kimi RĂ¤ikkĂśnen was onsite in Villars sous Ecot for the MXGP of France. 11/Alexandr Tonkov and Lisa Leyland pit chat in Germany

QUESTIONS TO THE EDITOR

QUESTIONS TO THE EDITOR Hi MXGP, Can you tell me if in Mantova there is the possibility to enter in the paddock? Thanks, Sara Hello Sara, Yes, it will be possible for the fans to enter the paddock. We would like to remind you that you can buy your tickets here: http://lombardia. motocross-tickets.com/9571mxgp-of-mantova/ All the best, MXGP Hello MXGP, Is it possible by any chance to watch the Saturday’s qualifying races somehow? Thanks, Marc Dear Marc, Thanks for your email. On Saturday evening we publish the Qualifying races Highlights Video on MXGPTV.com and MXGP-TV Youtube channel. Regards MXGP

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Hi MXGP Who should I contact in case I have an issue on MXGP-TV. com? Thanks, François Hi François, Thanks for contacting us. You can reach MXGP-TV Team at the following email for any kind of issue: contact@youthstream-media. com Regards MXGP

Hi MXGP I’m Carlos and I work for a media from Mexico. I wish to attend some rounds of the FIM Motocross World Championship. Can you please let me know who is the right person to contact? Thanks, Carlos Hello Carlos, You can find some useful information by following the link below: http://www.mxgp.com/inside-mxgp/media-applications Best Regards MXGP

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