MXGP Mag #10 July 2014 by MXGP MAG

#10_JULY 2014

HALL OF FAM E The O’s how

Johnny O’Mara

The MXGP

Academy Scrapbook F E A R

s n r u t e r l g a N x a M T U O H T W I

RACING CATCH UP

TEAM OF THE MONTH Rockstar Enery Suzuki Europe

07 10 17 20 30 34 42 46 50 58 64 66

INDEX

COOL SHOT

MONSTER GIRLS

HALL OF FAME Johnny O’Mara

MXGP MAG: Chief Editor: Marionna Leiva Photos: Youthstream - Suzuki YOUTHSTREAM Media World Trade Center II Rte de Pré-Bois 29 1215 Geneva 15 Airport Switzerland MXGP Mag #10 July 2014 The articles published in this magazine do not necessarily reflect the official position of Youthstream. Then content of this publication is based on the best knowledge and information available at the time the articles were written. The copying of articles and photos even partially is forbidden unless permission has ben requested from Youthstream in advance and reference is made to the source (©Youthstream).

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EDITORIAL

Giuseppe Luongo President of Youthstream Group Dear MXGP Friends, For the FIM Motocross World Championships the months of June and July are exciting months where the Motocross market looks more like the football ‘mercato’ with 6 top riders going from MX2 to MXGP and with 7 Factory MXGP teams renewing riders’ contracts and looking for new riders for their team. Amongst all these discussions there’s a lot of noise about American stars possibly participating in MXGP. The paddock is bubbling. This year’s ‘mercato’ is the most interesting ever; there are tons of rumors and in the end there’ll be many

This season the value of the European 125cc and 250cc Championships has been confirmed; tough and close racing with a high participation of quality riders will permit the arrival of new blood to the major series. The Honda 150cc European Championship is proving to be a success where, only in its 2nd year, the number of participants has more than doubled with an average of more than MXGP affirms its growing grandiosity with the fact that 30 riders per event. On the same note, the new 300cc 2 many new and reputable stoke European Championship sponsors are in negotiation has gone from 12 riders at the with teams and Youthstream to join the 2015 MXGP Cham- 1st event in Bulgaria with now an average of 25 riders per pionship. The distinguished value of competition together event. The FIM Women’s Motocross World Championship is with the impressive organialso creating more and more inzation and abundant worldterest with an average of more wide media coverage makes than 40 entries at each round. all this happen.

positive surprises making MXGP racing next year more spectacular than ever. What’s most important is that there will be 14 full factory riders with another 14 excellent support riders competing in the major class of the most prestigious off-road motorcycling championship in the world.

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Youthstream, together with FIM, strive to make our sport accessible for everyone; Motocross is a magnificent sport, it’s the only Motorsport where the person is more important than the machine. It’s a family sport where the amateurs can practice together, and where children, fathers, grandfathers and ladies can participate; with the World and European Championships it is our task to make Motocross well-known over every continent and to attract more and more riders and fans. The recipe looks simple, but it is very complicated to achieve; the famous pyramid with its large base made by amateurs and fans, with the 65cc, 85cc, 150cc and 300cc Continental Cham-

pionships on the next level up, the 125cc and 250cc Continental Championships and FIM Women’s World Championship on the level above, the FIM MX2 World Championship almost at the top and the FIM MXGP World Championship as the diamond point of the pyramid must always be kept in mind. To reach this goal an outstanding organization is fundamental along with great infrastructure at events to welcome fans, sponsors and VIPs, promotion of the sport and as the final touch a television, media and social network coverage to increase the Championships’, teams’ and riders’ popularity. Doping was a hot topic last month; Youthstream’s position

is very strongly in support of the anti-doping Regulations enforced by FIM. We really hope that all National Federations apply the FIM Regulations for their National and minor Championships. Motocross is a sport made by true athletes and it must be kept clean, and anyone who loves this sport should do everything to keep it clean and fair. Our message to all the young is to take strong, true athletes who have great results thanks to their training, hard work, belief and talent as their example, and to never use illegal substances. The 2 main principles of sport are health and fairness of competition; doping cheats these 2 principles because it’s atrocious for the health and it destroys true and fair competition.

COOL SHOTS

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COOL SHOTS

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COOL SHOTS

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HOLESHOT

FOX HOLESHOT

Jeffrey Herlings is a class apart in MX2, that is an undeniable fact. The Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider is unbeaten in a moto since Glenn Coldenhoff won moto 2 back at round 4 in Arco di Trento, but that dominance has not extended to his starts. Early season struggles with injury beset the young Dutchman and more often than not he found himself outside the top three at the holeshot line. And yet he has persisted, working on all

aspects of his game to keep on improving. Herlings is a rider who above all likes to dominate, a modus operandi that is now entering into his starts. With 5 points to his name, the latest coming in moto 2 in Germany, Herlings is now tied at the top of the standings with the self proclaimed holeshot king, José Butrón on the Silver Action KTM. With 12 motos left to run it seems as though it will be between those two KTM riders for the prize come sea-

son ends and with Herlings on form with his starts and consistently getting the number 1 gate pick, Butrón is going to have to up his game on Saturday’s qualifying races if he wants to get more favourable gate choices and turn his undoubted starting prowess into Fox Holeshot points. In the MXGP class Antonio Cairoli has extended his lead at the top of the Fox Holeshot award pile to 5 points after his

two stunning first turn exploits in Maggiora. However, looking back across the first 11 rounds of the season, you will see that the Red Bull KTM Factory rider didn’t even get his name on the board until he took back to back holeshots in round 5 in Bulgaria. Since that grey April day in Sevlievo Cairoli has stamped his name on the Holeshot line a further 7 times out of 12 races, a stunning 58% success rate in the dash to the first turn. Something has really started to click into gear in the Italian’s start practice and on this form he will be hard to catch by the final GP in Mexico. Perhaps then Germany was an aberration, a blip in the seamless transmission of Cairoli’s power on the start line as no points ended up on his side of the fence. Or perhaps it was the home return of Team HRC rider Max Nagl that stunned the Sicilian into holeshot silence. After a hugely difficult 3

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months following his wrist injury in a training crash Nagl surprised everyone on Saturday, including himself, with his heat race speed and the belief that he was closer to the front than he thought clearly began to seep into the German’s mind set. So much so that come moto number 1 he was untouchable. Judging the gate drop to perfection meant that Nagl’s twist of the right wrist was a fraction of a second ahead of his rivals giving him a half bike length over Desalle and Cairoli that he used to his advantage as he squeezed them to the outside before diving to the inside the take a clean run through turn one to the Fox Holeshot line on its exit. Nagl’s first point of the season and his first moto win since the opening round of the series in Qatar took a lot out of the Factory Honda man, in moto 2 he was on the receiving end of the squeeze as the

Red Bull KTM Factory of Cairoli came across him and slowed the Honda for a moment, that slight pause meant Nagl was buried in mid pack around turn one and it was the 2B Yamaha of Milko Potisek who won the day. Staring 8 gates outside of Cairoli the Italian managed a clear run down to the apex, putting his Yamaha ahead of the two Rockstar Energy Suzuki’s of Desalle and Strijbos and hanging on to get a valuable and well deserved point for the privateer team. Germany threw up two new points scorers in the Fox Holeshot award and proved that Cairoli’s run of form is not unbreakable; with the Nordic jaunt of MXGP coming up we are entering crunch time for riders to step up and catch the Italian ace.

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THE OLD

SCHOOL

YARD

The adage ‘good things come in three’s’ couldn’t be more suited to MXGP’s month of June. Three iconic circuits all with history almost as old as the hills they were built upon, made famous for their exceptionally successful editions of the FIM Motocross of Nations, rounds nine, ten and eleven of the FIM Motocross World Championship have been nothing short of astonishing.

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MXGP of France MXGP of France got the ball rolling for the month of June with round nine of the FIM Motocross World Championship, and what better place to start than the location of the 2011 edition of the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations, Saint Jean d’Angely. Whilst we are talking about the MXoN, right after the qualifying race press conference in France the Moto Club Ernée made the official announcement that the 2015 Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations will take place in Ernée, France, in late September next year. Which will mark exactly 10 years after the game changing 2005 FIM Motocross of Nations that took place at the very same circuit. As always the track in Saint Jean looked prepped to perfection

with the view from the opposite hillside painting a perfect picture of lustrous wide flowing hard packed inclines, jumps and turns. Also adding a bit of French flare to the circuit, a beautiful Saint Jean d’Angely circuit logo was painted in France’s national colors, of red, white and blue on the hill facing the crowd. One thing that quickly became obvious that weekend was that the French fans know how to make the most of their MXGP experience. By 11am on Saturday June 02, well before free practice was complete, a sea of fans and motocross enthusiasts rolled in to take their positions and set up shop for the weekend. It was great to see such a fanatical crowd really getting behind the athletes and not afraid to

show some love for their favorite riders. While the sun burned bright all weekend, Team One One Four’s French star Livia Lancelot burned a little bit brighter. The stylish WMX star kicked off her home round of WMX with a team presentation and a launch of FOX Europe’s all new Limited Edition gear. Lancelot was the only rider to wear that color scheme that weekend and she wore it with pride as she absolutely dominated both races of round four of the FIM Women’s Motocross World Championship to celebrate her home round win with a giant

whip over the finish line. Meanwhile fellow Frenchman Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s Gautier Paulin couldn’t race as he was still recovering from his broken thumb and collarbone. However, it wasn’t all doom and gloom for the massively patriotic horde as Paulin’s Monster Energy Kawasaki Team teammate Steven Frossard flew the flag high for France in MXGP taking home fourth overall.

Energy’s Dylan Ferrandis who did literally scorching hot tipping the their nation proud finishing fourth temperature gauges at near 38 degrees Celsius, and heavy as in and sixth respectively. the track is super technical and gnarly which got even more tricky As for the winners of MXGP of thanks to a down pour of rain in France, Rockstar Energy Suzuki the early hours of the morning on World’s Clement Desalle capitalized on two very uncharacteristic race day. errors in both races by Red Bull “A storm is coming,” they said, KTM Factory Racing’s champi“the event will be a wash out” onship leader Antonio Cairoli to they said. But they were wrong, take the overall victory in MXGP while Red Bull KTM Factory Rac- and the event was as extraordinary as expected. Despite ing’s Jeffrey Herlings couldn’t Keeping the rowdy French public be touched all weekend, showing the thick grey clouds lingering, revved up, Red Bull KTM Factory form that is head and shoulders Maggiora lived up to its glorious Racing’s Jordi Tixier finished off reputation, attracting a colosabove the rest. the weekend as the best placed sal 36,000 spectators, which is Frenchman in third overall in MX2 MXGP of Italy pretty impressive considering the just edging out fellow French sen- The MXGP of Italy is almost comments of the weathermen. sations Wilvo Nestaan Husqvarna always one of the hottest and And while it’s normally hard to say Factory Racing’s Romain Febwho is the most passionate out heaviest of the year. Hot as in vre and CLS Kawasaki Monster of the French fans or Italian fans the days leading up to it were

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with both parties more than willing to let loose on the fence line in support of their nations best, the weekend of Maggiora it was easy to hand it to the Italians, which can mostly be attributed to the stellar performance of their superstar, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Antonio Cairoli.

One of the coolest things in Maggiora is the Balmone Ristorante which is a top notch restaurant situated trackside, quite literally, complete with a pool, a roof top patio and a view of the entire circuit from start to finish. Over the weekend, the charity Road2Recovery hosted a dinner with the legends which stared a handSpeaking of Cairoli, his perforful of huge industry names such mance that weekend which led as Johnny O’mara, Jean Michel him to a double victory made Bayle, Stefan Everts, Tyla Rattray every hot-blooded creature’s hair and Paul Malin who all turned up stand on end when hundreds of to dine with a room full of genTC222 fans gathered on the start erous people for a good cause. line under the Skybox podium to Fortunately they didn’t have to eat show their appreciation for their what was cooked earlier that day star. While Red Bull KTM Factory as thanks to the friendly staff and Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings concatering team the second edition tinued his freight train of wins, of MXGP’s Motochef cook-off dominating yet another round of took place. Where MXGP took on MX2. MX2 and two teams battled it out

to make their best version of a meal from the restaurants menu. Find out what happened and who tried to set the kitchen on fire by watching the video here.

MXGP of Germany One track that is sure to lie fresh in the memories of each and every motocross fan is the circuit at Teutschenthal. The very same place that took the word ‘epic’ to a whole new level with its 2013 Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations. This time the track, known by the locals as ‘Talkessel’ presented round eleven of the FIM Motocross World Championship

which fittingly welcomed the repartly in happiness, but mostly turn of Germany’s own MXGP star because they were bamboozled. Team HRC’s Max Nagl. Nobody had expected the German sensation to pull a race win out of Nagl got off to a remarkable start the bag on his first race back not to the season by being the first even Nagl himself. rider in the MXGP class to bank the full twenty-five points with his Although Nagl’s performance was moto 1 win in Qatar, but a freak the talk of the paddock, it was accident while training five rounds Rockstar Energy Suzuki World’s into the season left him with two Clement Desalle who was able to injured hands, both requiring stand on top of the box once again surgery. After eight weeks off the with 2 -1 score. Meanwhile a bad bike, the German returned in time start in race two for Nagl saw him for his home Grand Prix and went fight tooth and nail to the finish, on to do the unthinkable. After rip- only coming back to seventh yet ping the FOX holeshot in race one, it was enough for an astonishing Max went on to lead every lap from second place overall, while in the start to finish to cross the line for MX2 ‘The Bullet’ Red Bull KTM an absolutely breath-taking win. Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings Everyone who is anyone couldn’t blitzed the field once again for help but smile for the German, his forty-second Grand Prix win

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ahead of a career best 2-2 score for Honda Gariboldi’s Tim Gajser. After the last three rounds of action, excitement, thrills and spills the 2014 MXGP World Championship heads into the final four European rounds before heading back overseas to close out the season. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Antonio Cairoli leads Rockstar Energy’s Suzuki Europe by just twenty-five points, while Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings continues to increase his momentum, he now sits one hundred and five points clear of the recently injured CLS Kawasaki Monster Energy Rider Arnaud Tonus who hope to be back to racing for round 12 in Sweden.

FIM Motocross World Championship

Standings MXGP CHAMP. STANDINGS

MX2 CHAMP. STANDINGS

1. A.Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 477 points 2. C. Desalle (BEL, SUZ), 452p. 3. J.Van Horebeek (BEL,YAM),440 p. 4. K. Strijbos (BEL, SUZ), 350 p. 5. S. Simpson (UK, KTM), 242 p. 6. S. Frossard (FRA, KAW),237p. 7. G. Paulin (FRA, KAW), 205 p. 8. M. Nagl (GER, HON), 205 p. 9. D. Philippaerts (ITA,YAM),185 p. 10. E. Bobryshev (RUS, HON),184p.

1. J.Herlings (NED, KTM),494points. 2. A. Tonus (FRA, KAW), 389 p. 3. J. Tixier (FRA, KTM) , 369 p. 4. R. Febvre (FRA HUS), 358 p. 5. D. Ferrandis (FRA, KAW), 343 p. 6. T. Gajser (SLO, HON), 313 p. 7. V. Guillod (SUI, KTM) , 256 p. 8. A. Tonkov (RUS, HUS), 256p. 9. J. Butron (ESP, KTM), 238 p. 10. J. Seewer (SUI, SUZ) 211 p.

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

477 468 440 405 340 214 211

points points points points points points points

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

524 points 448 points 366 points 327 points 323 points 290 points 6 points

During the MXGP of Italy

more than 2 million Cumulative Audience on Italia 1 and Italia 2 3h 41’ LIVE on Italia 2 2h 07’ LIVE on Italia 1 28

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MXGP SOCIAL

TWITTER, FACEB IN THE WORLD OF #MXGP

@roversberg @mxgp best game ever.... FUN pic.twitter.com/ crmGrXwb7l

@EMN Max Nagl is back! - MXGP of Germany

@racing_kp MXGP sur Eurosport !!! #whooora

@AndrewMckinstry Coldenhoff will be back for last 2 MXGP series, good news for Dutch Nations team!

@Supermx_Oxford Awesome weekend at matterley basin mxgp. #mxgp #britishgp #motocross #grandprix #supermx

@Team2B “@mxgp: .@FoxEurope goes to Potisek!” That’s what we want to see ! Well done @ Milkopotisek !

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@morich23 Great job, Max”@mxgp: Max Nagl takes 2nd overall at the #mxgp of Germany!!! Great come back for the @ FoxEurope @HondaRacingCRF rider!!!”

@JHerlings84 · Domination is everything. #25-0

@AndrewMckinstry Will be interesting to see who Honda signs as Gajsers team mate next year. And Suzuki MX2 line up too.. #mxgp

@tommysearle100 Very unfortunate in a sport were in things can happen.. one of the toughest riders around #Supportjr

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

@mxgp #mxgpselfie #mxgp

@muhammadyori MXGP day 2 Teutschenthal Deutschland #MX #MXGP #motocross #mxgpselfie #gopro

@alex_ander2310 Schรถnes Wochenende :) #mxgp #teutschenthal #mxgpselfie

@joeyfit4 Monster Energy #mxgpselfie #motocross #MXGP weekend. @muhammadyori The man! #mxgp #teutschenthal #mxgpselfie

@speelca Goo @tiga243 ;) good luck #mxgpselfie #gajser #hrc #honda#gopro

IN THE WORLD OF #MXGP 31

ROCKSTAR ENERG SUZUKI EUROPE 34

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TEAM OF THE MONTH

GY Back in 2010 a flash of yellow at the head of the field was a given, harrying the best and winning races the #94 Suzuki from Lommel was constantly at the front of the field, fast forward 4 years and the name Ken Roczen still bings a swell of pride to the team, a pride born from knowing that it was they who set the young German on his path for World Championship success.

That is a tough legacy to follow, teenage prodigies happen but they are not a given, with young riders it is all about finding the balance for them, a balance between work, training, school and above all parents. 2011 was a dark year for the team; with Valentin Teillet they had an undoubted talent and a rider with great self belief but also a series of troublesome injuries. Crashes weakened the Frenchman’s frame to the point where lining up on he gate itself was a result. In 2012 two new riders joined the fray, the young Bulgarian Petar Petrov and the new Finn on the block Harri Kullas. Neither rider will go down in the record books as mastering the Yellow peril. One year

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later and hope began to spring again as both Max Anstie and Julian Lieber began to put the bikes inside the top 8, and for the British rider inside the top 3 in a few motos. For Anstie the experience went south, confidence, speed and tenacity left his side of the team and like many before him he went to pastures new for 2014. However, for Julian Lieber a second year beckoned, alongside new but sadly now injured recruit Glenn Coldenhoff, the first rider to get a double stint on the Suzuki since Roczen, and despite the injury that robbed him of the second half of 2013 the Belgian was ever hopeful of a return to form, a hope that turned quickly to expectation. “It’s tougher this year be-

cause I trained a lot in the winter so I thought I was ready for the beginning but then I did not so good result, after mentally I was not so good and it was difficult to do good results and stay on the bike so yeah, I put a lot of pressure one me!” Team manager Thomas Ramsbacher has more to say on the subject: “Julian is a fantastic rider, he can do things in practice that you can’t believe, when he goes practicing with other riders, also with Jeffrey sometimes, then you see how he is on the bike and how easily he can do it, an that was the point how he joined the team, how he jumped in and also the beginning of last year up to his injury. He had a really difficult

knee injury, up to this day he was already there top 7 in the world but after the injury I think he put on himself too much pressure and too much lad on his shoulders to come in and he couldn’t achieve this goal now which brought himself a lot of pressure, and since this moment he is struggling around to find his place in the class and then you know, he is in a really difficult situation in his career, but if he works through that he can be, I believe in him, he is a good rider.” He may yet have rediscovered that form in the last two races in Germany, average starts gave way to better races as Lieber, for the first time this year, moved forwards. Putting passes on fast riders, looking forwards all the race and posting back to back 7th place

finishes, the top Belgian in MX2 might yet make his mark in 2014. Throughout this time of experimenting with riders and short term deals one gets the feeling that the team have been waiting for something, that next generation of youth and speed to come through the ranks, and with a completed education finally behind him and a two year factory contract bearing his signature it seems that Suzuki at least have finally got what they were waiting for in the shape of Jeremy Seewer as Thomas Ramsbacher explains. “He is intelligent, a really intelligent persona and that means for us as a team it’s easy to work with, he is realistic and never puts his goals too high. He gives his

goals also to the outside, of course his personal goals are different but he is intelligent enough to keep it like that, so that makes the work with him and the family pretty easy because they are clear on the way, but on the other hand we know them personally since he was 13 years old and he has been on a Suzuki his whole life so I think that is also a strong point in the relationship.” It was a case of planning for the future when Jeremy first came to the team’s attention many years ago. “It was a fantastic day in Reutlingen, on that day Clement Desalle won his first ADAC MX Masters race for us and there was another young guy with the 94 on the bike who won the youngster cup,”

Ramsbacher remembers, “the family from Seewer, he was doing good in the 85, came to me and the parents told me straight “please never try to look at him as if he was Ken, Jeremy does everything slower but he will do it step by step, he is a person since he was a kid who is learning year by year, but he never did a huge step” and that was the first experience, the first 5 minutes when I was talking with the family.” And now is it proven? “It’s proven, he’s now 20 years old and in the world Championship and they never tried to copy Kenny, many riders, many parents, many teams have tried to do it and destroyed riders and careers

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and they have been intelligent enough to say “no, accept how he is, let him grow how he is and I think it worked well.”

just fight till the end, not too aggressive or completely full, but I just want to get back in it.”

MXGP Mag spoke with Seewer a few times over the course of the weekend, the last of those was just after the Saturday Qualifying race where he was taken out by an errant Jordi Tixier, and the way that he deals with those kind of situations backs up the teams take on the Swiss rider.

Has it sunk in now that you are a full professional MX racer, that this is the next 10 years of your life, your career?

“It’s been one week so for me I’m not really used to it, having 5 days in the week to practice, to recover from everything, do everything as professionally as you can so “You can’t go crazy, you have I mean I think I first have to to find a good solution behandle this situation and I cause if you go completely will see in some weeks how it crazy then you will also crash, fits and if it’s ok or maybe I so you have to put everything need to make some changes. together and do your best and You can’t be just on 100% and not be like “ah damn now I’m do everything right when you out of the race.” Some guys do first go pro, before my life was this but that’s not my style, I completely busy with school,

work and this and that, and knowing what I had to do, now I have to make a plan, different training, more professional, I think that everything is going to change and I need to find out what is the best for me, what is the best for my future. You can’t think about motocross 7 days a week, you need to have some things to click off, maybe 1 or maybe 5 hours to do something else, to have fun and not think about the race and no pressure and stuff like this, I need to find out now what I need to do!” “The last few years were really difficult with school and everything but I needed to make it like this, it was not possible to make a step from this to this year. For me

it was important to do school because in Switzerland without this you are just nothing, you need to think about what you do after motocross, there are still 30 more years and you need to be really good to not need to do something else.” There is one more rider currently on the racing roster at Rockstar Energy Suzuki Europe, competing in his second year in EMX125, Brian Hsu. The violin playing German teenager won both motos in his class at his home GP and stated in the post race press that he can’t wait for recently injured Dutch wunderkid Davy Pootjes to return so he has some tougher competition, big words for the former 85cc

World Champion but proof that he is starting to come of age. Last year he struggled to get to grips with the bigger 2 stroke in his class debut, this year he has grown another inch and filled out a bit more which has made it easier to throw the bike about on track. That was slightly hindered in Germany as a little know fact is that two weeks ago Hsu broke his shoulder in a national race something he only discovered on Saturday night after finishing 2nd in his qualifying practice. “I went to the medical centre to get an X-ray and check how it was going and we found out it was broken, it’s like half broken so if I crash then it’s done, over. We came here and

I prepared so hard so I just can’t quit, it’s not the right thing.”

Perhaps it’s the Taiwanese side of his upbringing that brings that dedication and family based focus, the unit of Brian with his mother and father is a cohesive and supportive band that travels Europe together with his father working alongside him in the pits and cheering him on from pit lane during the races.

That should be the motto of Brian Hsu, smooth and cool, a persona and attitude that he is working hard to put across. Not many 16 year old school Right now, as he starts to boys have World Championcome under gaze of the media, ships to their name and spend this was the third interview their weekends racing around in the row for the young GerEurope and of those that do man, and into the spotlight he not all can manage both. still has shades of boy who is not quite sure how he should “School is very important beact, but I for one hope that cause when you come to the “Like in France when I was fresh faced exuberance for track you can see who is smart wining he wrote down “damn the whole MXGP experience and not smart. For my friends good” and I felt really good doesn’t go away too fast and in my home? I don’t have many and like today when I had a with the guidance and support because I’m always training gap of 8 seconds then in the of the Rockstar Energy Suzuki and doing hard work, I want lower half of the pit board he Europe team Hsu will blossom to be like James Stewart in wrote “8 seconds gap” and into a true professional when riding style and aggressive like usually he writes smooth or be the time is right. Villopoto.” cool.”

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RV: The latest VIP in MXGP

There were plenty of visitors to the Grand Prix of Germany and the eleventh round of the FIM Motocross World Championship but one in particular generated a hefty amount of buzz. Team USA could have used some of Ryan Villopotoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s speed and prowess nine months previously at Teutschenthal in their plight to wrestle back the Chamberlain Trophy for the Motocross of Nations. RV was on his own, and with-

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out his race kit, but still fascinating the fans that were lucky to enjoy some brief moments with such a decorated champion of the sport. Ryan is no stranger to Grand Prix. He first visited the Belgian round of the FIM series in 2012 where, in the rain of Bastogne, he commented that heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like to compete in MXGP one day. Now, three AMA championships later and anoth-

SPECIAL FEATURE

er visit to Europe while crocked – he was recovering from more knee surgery – and that possibility seems closer. At 25 years of age Villopoto has won all there is to celebrate in the United States. A curiosity and fascination with life and cultures outside of the USA is syncing nicely with the last remaining challenge of an exemplary career: the premier class title owned by Tony Cairoli for the last five years. When he wasn’t facing questions on his future,

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RV was busy. His presence created the longest line of fans seen this season at the Monster Energy rig for the autograph signing session on Sunday morning and there was the small matter of the unveiling of the 2015 gear for sponsor Thor with fellow racers like Gautier Paulin. Media and Parts Europe guests were also queuing for his time. He was set to return home after visiting Tyla Rattray in Holland post-GP. Ryan and wife Kristen had already taken-in several days at the Catalunya MotoGP as well as a tour of

the Alpinestars office and HQ at Asolo in Italy before travelling to Germany. Many admirers and followers of MXGP will hoping the next time Ryan is seen in a Grand Prix paddock then he might be carrying a helmet and strolling towards a racebike being revved and warmed in preparation. Whether he is in the gate or standing behind it in the Skybox then the American Champion is always a welcome face at the FIM Motocross World Championship.

MONSTER GIRLS

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MONSTER GIRLS

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T MXGP ACADEMY

Germany

The MXGP Aca

MXGP of Germany saw the promising little Germans meet their hero Max Nagl in the Team HRC pits. That weekend Nagl went on to take an awe-inspiring win in MXGP race 1, his first race back since MXGP of Bulgaria in late April. After a bad start in race 2, Max proved to the kids you always need to have a ‘fight to the finish’ attitude, as his fighting 7th place earned him second overall.

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Team HRC Team vey takes the ‘h the tour guide f

Honda

ademy Scrapbook A picture says a thousand words, which is why this month we have been flicking through and cutting out pictures for our MXGP Academy Scrapbook. Check it out!

m Manager Roger Harhands on’ approach as for the factory

a set up.

Meet the coaches, (Left) Jan Postema – Physical conditioning expert and motocross trainer. (Right) John Van Der Berk – 2 x FIM Motocross World Champion and seasoned

motocross trainer. 51

MXGP ACADEMY

After learning the perfect stance for ultimate rear wheel control, this little Spaniard will soon be leaving more than the UFO sign in his

dust.

Even the son of MXGP stoked to have the opp swaard at MXGP of Th already following in th times FIM Motocross

There’s more to a jump than not letting off the throttle, especially in the sand. Coach Jan explains how acceleration and body position affects the

pre-load of the bike.

Kawasaki’s former slogan was “Let the good times roll” which was quite fitting for this

tour.

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What to do in a sticky situation. John and Jan use their unique teaching techniques to prove

Academy helps their traineeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s believe they can

just what works.

fly.

Pâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Greatest Of All Time was portunity to tear up Valkenhe Netherlands. Little Liam is he footsteps of his father; ten World Champion

Stefan Everts. Introducing the track maps. Did you know that the MXGP circuit is split into three sections? Riders can see their section times which can indicate a riders strengths and weaknesses.

Cool huh?

MXGP ACADEMY

‘Attack position’

How to carry speed into a corner by

John Van Der Berk. 54

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Italy

is vital to minimize errors. Antonio Cairoli is the perfect example and this little dude will soon have it down pat.

MXGP of Italy at the iconic circuit o cial flare. Here the Italian MXGP Ac through TM Ricci Racing, which is the only Italian motorcycle bra

of Maggiora always has a specademy enthusiasts took a tour something special given TM is and in the MXGP paddock.

John

illustrates how to be strong on the bike.

Behind the table at an MXGP press conference

is the ultimate goal. To sit here can mean a few things, you have achieved something great, you have been on the podium in a MXGP or MX2 race or youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a rider to watch. The MXGP Academy kids are taught what to do when they finally make it. Communication and presentation are key qualities every top rider should have as marketing yourself to the media means and marketing yourself to sponsors

MXGP ACADEMY

Ciao! Group picture at

TM Ricci Racing.

This is what dreams are made of.

The legend himself, Stefan Everts guides the kids through Red Bull KTM Factory Racing set up, MXGP’s most dominant team over the last few years.

For those that don’t already know, the MXGP Academy is Youthstream’s vital program put in place to develop, guide, train, teach, mentor and inspire our younger generation of motocross talent. At a select number of MXGP rounds, the academy hosts a MXGP Academy Master-class which allows six to ten young racers aged between eight and twelve on 85cc or 65cc motorcycles the chance to train with the best on one of the circuits which is prepped and ready to host a round of the FIM Motocross World Championship. For more information, check out the previous issues of MXGP Mag or e-mail secretariat@mxgp-academy.com.

Competing in any sport at an elite level demands discipline. John goes over the

rules.

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The kids check out the set up behind one of the most stylish riders out on the circuit, Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s

Gautier Paulin.

Using your eyes to pick good lines not only helps if you up front and leading, but also if you are at the back of the pack and need to

make passes.

58 Photo: MEYER

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HALL OF FAME

The O’show; Johnny O’Mara Johnny O’Mara is one of those riders whose name will forever be remembered. His silky smooth style and fluidity on the bike was second to none and when paired with his boy next-door look, blonde hair and blue eyes, O’Mara was the 1980’s poster boy of American motocross.

Born and raised in Southern California, his upbringing was constantly focused around dirt bikes with his father being a keen desert rider, so it was only natural Johnny would be inclined to swing his leg over one. While joyous family outings on motorcycles were great it didn’t feed Johnny’s hunger for success and at the age of ten the eager beaver began dabbling in local the motocross scene. Lining up next to the nearest milk crate, a petite-framed Johnny O’Mara would climb aboard his 100cc motorcycle in an effort to bring home some amateur race glory. Although the road up to and through the amateur ranks wasn’t easy, Johnny had one quality a lot of other motocross talents didn’t have – a fierce work ethic.

The saying “Hard work will beat talent when talent doesn’t work hard” is one that Johnny swears by. “I am definitely one that would say with physical training you can never do enough. I believe your body is the only thing that can make you win. They say it’s a lot about the motorcycle, but I don’t agree, I say its more about your body because if you have a weak body you are not going to be able to ride fast on a motorcycle. It’s a combination but it starts with your body.” In the 1980’s, Johnny O became that guy all kids aspire to be, he signed a deal with the dominant force of Factory Honda and was officially living the dream. While most Americans remember him for rolling out dressed in white motocross gear and making it look effortlessly cool, or his famous ‘boot gatorz’, the kids across the Atlantic, in Europe, remember him as a key player on America’s first ever victorious Motocross of Nations team. “My first trip to Europe was in 1981 for the Motocross des Nations in Lommel, a track that will be in my head forever. It was really

gnarly; we had never seen sand like that, just like everybody still says. You can think you’re a sand rider but until you really ride Lommel in race conditions, you can’t say.” In the years that followed Johnny’s first taste of international success he went on to win the Motocross of Nations a further three in more times in ’81, ’82 and ’84 to rack up a record of four Motocross of Nations victories with the pinnacle of his career being his victory on the team named as America’s ‘Dream Team’ featuring David Bailey, Ricky Johnson and himself, at the 1986 FIM Motocross of Nations in Maggiora, Italy. “I am fortunate enough to say that I was always on a winning team or had a winning performance at the Motocross of Nations, so doing that as an athlete you are always happy and that’s the finish deal when you can win.” After a storming eleven years as a pro motocross rider Johnny accumulated 16 AMA national wins of which 7 were onboard a 125cc in the AMA outdoors and a further 7 in supercross with

the final 2 deriving from his days on the bigger, more lethal 250cc. In the 1990’s, Johnny hung up his boots for good, shifting his commitment to another form or racing.

al cross-country mountain bike racer, because I was still young enough to do it then. I raced from 1991 – 1996 on the highest level in mountain biking, I even travelled to Europe a little bit to race but then after that I got to the age where I With a passion for endurance just started doing age group stuff training in his heart all those and that’s what I am currently years of pounding the pavedoing now. I have been 6 times ment or grinding out hours upon the national champ, like for me it hours on a bicycle served Johnny replaced what these guys, in motowell, “Since I was already cross cross do, like I am still competitive training a lot, like I was a runner and I have always been into the but then my knees got a little bit physical fitness side of things and hammered so I started cycling, this way it keeps me in good shape I was already doing quite a bit and all of that.” of endurance sports, so when I retired I literally just put my Amongst his achievements after motorcycle aside and just start- retirement as a motocross rided focusing on riding my bicycle, er, Johnny played a key role in like I was instantly competitive the success of the man named as in mountain biking because of America’s ‘GOAT’, Greatest Of my fitness from motocross. In All Time, Ricky Carmichael. “I met 1991 I became a professionRicky when he was a teen-ager, I

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was just retired from racing and it was kind of interesting like we just kind of gravitated to each other. He knew about my career and we just kind of clicked right away and I met his parents and somehow they just couldn’t get enough information from me, they liked me and they trusted me. Our relationship grew and I became his mentor that was something special, they didn’t let a lot of people in, so I was that single person for him. I built his training programs and just prepared him for the national stuff, at the time he was about 1.5 years away from going pro. I worked with him on everything from A – Z, even down to the set up of his bikes. He already had the speed; he was a natural and naturally a winner. I have been there pretty much his entire career, which has been great.” Since guiding Ricky throughout

his phenomenal racing career, Johnny has gone on to mentor a few more up and comers with one of the freshest faces on MXGP’s scene being one of them. CLS Kawasaki Monster Energy’s young American Thomas Covington spent a couple of years under the wing of Johnny O, “Thomas Covington has been my job for a couple of years, I’ve been trying to prep him for what he is doing today. Although my gut told me he should race in the US, that was our plan, but as you can see that has changed a little now. I think there was a part of me that wanted to see him at least get on the starting line at the US nationals, but things change and he had an opportunity to come over here and race and he felt like this was his spot to be and I can’t really influence his feelings on that, all I

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could do was try to prepare him as best I could for professional racing. I will always support him, he knows my work ethic and still does some of the stuff I taught him already like with his physical training, his cycling and endurance stuff, so I’m not worried about him too much, I am sure he is still doing the stuff I have taught him already and he will be alright.”

super smooth it doesn’t allow the most technical guys to win.”

These days, when he’s not out cycling, Johnny dedicates most of his time to his family “I’ve got my kids at home a 7 year old boy and a 10 year old girl, and my wife, so I don’t like to be away too much but if it’s for the right reason, you never know I am happy to do some quick trips. Like I have heard that in two years the Motocross of Nations will Although Johnny wanted to see his latest prodigy shine in America be back in Maggiora. I would really before venturing off to Europe he love to be apart of that, that would did say “The tracks here look good, be awesome!” at one point I used to think US tracks were rougher but I want to It’s safe to say that Johnny will change my ideas on that because I have an invite to the 2016 Monster have seen them here that they are Energy FIM Motocross of Nations just left rough. I also hear it from which will take place in Maggiora, Italy, a perfect 30 years after the guys here when they come in. I understand that they leave them the 1986 edition at the very track where he took the world by storm. rough because when they are

PADDOCK TALKS

Paddock Talks 01/David Philippaerts made some bread for his team in a real Boulangerie in France. 02/The Mexican organizers and the most important Mexican media travelled to Saint Jean dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Angely to take some notes to have everything ready in Leon during the 14th September weekend 03/At MXGP of Italy SDM Racing was using the new twin disk front brake system. 04/ Road2recovery charity dinner was organized at the beautiful Balmone Restaurant in Maggiora. 05/Loads of fans visited the new GoPro truck that was present in Maggiora.

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10 09

Paddock Talks 06/Rocco Siffredi did not want to miss the Italian MXGP. 07/All the paddock gave full support to Joel Roelants through the Pit Chat recorded in Germany. 08/Valentin Guillod, Tanel Leok, Arnaud Tonus and Rui Gonรงalves showed their cooking skills at the 2015 Motochef edition! 09/Mariana Balbi travelled to Europe with her brother to race the German round of the WMX. She impressed everybody with an overall fifth position. 10/The Italian fans were absolutely amazing in Maggiora! 07