MXGP #103 March 2022

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MXGP MAG Chief Editor: Marionna Leiva Photos: MXGP INFRONT MOTO RACING MEDIA World Trade Center II Rte de Pré-Bois 29 1215 Geneva 15 Airport Switzerland MXGP Mag #103 March 2022

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AME F F O

The articles published in this magazine do not necessarily reflect the official position of Infront Moto Racing.

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L A I R O T I D E

David Luongo CEO of Infront Moto Racing

Dear MXGP Friends, I would like to start my editorial by sending my big thoughts to all the people who are touched directly by the current situation in the eastern part of Europe. At our very humble level, I would like to spread the message that sport should always be used for uniting people and not dividing cultures. Sport has always been a symbol of peace and sharing of good philosophy.

The season started in Great Britain at the beautiful track of Matterley Basin. When we had to publish the final calendar in December 2021, it is important to remind that UK was the only country in Europe that was giving us the guarantee to host public without limitation, as many other countries were still under restrictions.

Despite the difficulties that obliged us to postpone the GP to the following week due to storm Eunice, the British Grand Prix was a great success as we had a great crowd, good weather and great races! Mantova came a week after and confirmed that the season will be very disputed and very open in MXGP. Tim Gajser and Jorge Prado have the speed of winning races, but Maxime Renaux started his MXGP career with class, already competing for the win, too! The comeback of Jeffrey Herlings and Romain Febvre in the upcoming weeks will add even more competition

SPORT SHOULD ALWAYS BE USED FOR UNITING PEOPLE AND NOT DIVIDING CULTURES between all those champions. In MX2, a great surprise is coming from Germany, with the discovery of the talented Simon Längenfelder who won his first Grand Prix in Great Britain. Here again the title will be very disputed among many talented riders like Jago Geerts, Kay De Wolf, Tom Vialle, Andrea Adamo and Simon Längenfelder.

As I am writing those lines, we are packing the last flight cases for Argentina. We will go back to this beautiful destination of Villa La Angostura for the third GP of the season. We were missing the overseas Grand Prix that give the real flavours of the MXGP World Championship. For sure, it is challenging to travel abroad with the impact of Covid-19, but it is very important for the fans of South America, Asia and Middle East to take the MXGP to their countries. We suffered a lot the miss of those GP’s during the last 2 years, and we are very happy to be back. The last GP

of the season will bring us to Oman for the first time before flying to RedBud for the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations that promises to be epic!

The beginning of the season brought some good news on the TV coverage of the MXGP as well. We were very happy to announce during the GP of Lombardia our new agreement with Stan Sport TV which gives the possibility for the Australian fans to follow to whole championship live.

It is a new step on the path of the comeback of the GP in this amazing country of motocross enthusiasts.

Then we also announced the signing of a two-year agreement with Teledeporte in Spain, one of the most followed free-to-air television channels in the country. It will give a fantastic visibility to our sport in Spain. And for those who prefer to follow the action whenever they want, we continue to improve and develop our OTT platform www.

MXGP-TV.com where you can watch more that 7 hours of live at every GP. Finally, I would like to thank FIM, FIM Europe, all our organizers, the MXGP partners, the teams and the riders for their collaboration.

See you in Argentina!

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T O H S E L O H X FO

FOX HOLESHOT: FIRST GP’S OF 2022 18

MXGP IS EXCITED TO CONTINUE THE FOX HOLESHOT COMPETITION FOR THE 2022 SEASON OF THE FIM MOTOCROSS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP, TOGETHER WITH MXGP PARTNER FOX.

The Fox Holeshot award first launched in 2017 and has run every season since then. As it stands, Jorge Prado has won the competition every year from the beginning of its introduction, as he was victorious in the MX2 category in ’17, ’18 and ’19, along with two titles in MXGP during the ’20 and ’21 seasons.

The Spaniard has the most Fox Holeshots out of everyone in the FIM Motocross World Championship, with the grand total currently at 97. So, it’s fair to say that Prado holds the title for ‘Fox Holeshot King’.

Back in 2017, Antonio Cairoli was the first MXGP rider to win the grand-prize, and he followed that up with two more victories

in ’18 and ’19, before Prado made the move up and dominated the starts in the premiere class, just like he did in MX2. But this left the door open for a new Fox Holeshot start in the 250cc class and his then teammate, Tom Vialle took on the role producing his very own impressive overall score of 43 Fox Holeshots in total across the previous two seasons.

Previous Fox Holeshot winners: MX2

MXGP Antonio Cairoli

2017

Antonio Cairoli

2018

Antonio Cairoli

2019

Jorge Prado

2020

Jorge Prado

2021

In case you needed reminding, this is how the Fox Holeshot competition works…

Every Grand Prix race, during

Jorge Prado

2017 both MXGP and MX2 races, the

Jorge Prado

2018 painted on the ground at the exit

Jorge Prado

2019 Holeshot and receives one point.

Tom Vialle

2020 riders, one per category, with the

Tom Vialle

2021 the mega prize!

rider who crosses the white line

of the first corner secures the Fox At the end of the season, the two

most Fox Holeshot points will win

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Fox Holeshot competition recap:

claimed the red plate heading into the second round.

At the MXGP of Great Britain we saw Red Bull GasGas Factory Racing dominate the starts entirely, with Jorge Prado claiming both Fox Holeshots in MXGP which helped him on his way to a race win in the second heat and onto the second step of the podium at the British Grand Prix. Meanwhile, Simon Längenfelder did the same in MX2, on his way to his first ever race wins and overall Grand Prix victory in the category. He also

At the MXGP of Lombardia, Prado added a third Fox Holeshot to his already growing tally in the opening MXGP race, while in race two it was JM Honda Racing’s Henry Jacobi who was flying out of the gate and got his first Fox Holeshot of 2022. In MX2, we saw Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Tom Vialle assert his Fox Holeshot title from 2021, as he took both Fox Holeshot’s in the races.

As it stands, Prado leads the Fox Holeshot classifications in MXGP with three points, while in MX2, Vialle and Längenfelder are tied with two points each.

The Fox Holeshot competition continues at the MXGP of Patagonia-Argentina where we will see if anybody else can join the GasGas and KTM riders to challenge them for the 2022 title!

WATCH THE VIDEO

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P U G H N ATC I C A C R

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F F O T F I L E !

V Y A L H L E A R W E T I L E T I QU 23

AFTER THE SHORTEST OFF SEASON IN HISTORY, THE FIM MOTOCROSS WORLD MOTOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP KICKED OFF IN FINE STYLE AT THE WORLD-FAMOUS CIRCUIT OF MATTERLEY BASIN AND THE MXGP OF GREAT BRITAIN, AND WITH THE MXGP OF LOMBARDIA AT MANTOVA JUST ONE WEEK LATER. WE WERE WELL AND TRULY SPOILED WITH HIGH-OCTANE, GREAT RACING WITH A FEW OTHER SURPRISES THROWN IN ALONG THE WAY. SO, LET’S START AT THE BEGINNING, SHALL WE?

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As the 2021 MXGP season drew to a spectacular close at the MXGP of Città di Mantova on November 10th, we already knew that the ‘off-season’ would be short-lived … and it was! On paper, two months sounds like an eternity, but for the riders changing class, team and bike, that eight-week period would be crucial to getting everything right in order to make their lives easier at the season opener.

It’s not just the riders, but the mechanics as well; take Ice One for instance. Long-rumoured to be switching from Husqvarna to Kawasaki during the 2021 season, the process for the team personnel meant rebranding everything from the colour of its race truck

and support vehicles right the way down to the letterheads in the office. On top of that, there’s the new team-wear clothing, a new rider (Ben Watson), new mechanics and a new hospitality unit; and that’s before the riders could even be ‘officially’ seen on track to begin/continue testing for the new season. And with Romain Febvre side-lined with an ankle injury, the testing programme suddenly became a lot harder and more critical.

Other teams faced a similar situation; Standing Construct - switching from GasGas to Husqvarna, and DIGA Procross - from GasGas to KTM, would also be up against the clock to be ready for round one. Red Bull KTM would be racing an all-new model of motorcycle and whilst testing had already begun during last season, the finer tuning still needed to be taken care of during that eight-week spell, but with

Tom Vialle needing time off to recover from a foot injury, you suddenly realise how quickly time passes by.

With Matterley Basin scheduled for February 19/20, there were the usual doubters who were constantly asking ‘why February?’ despite the British GP being a success at the same time of year in 2020. And had it not been for Storm Eunice, we would have got off to a flyer this year as well. The destruction and devastation that the storm caused - not just in the UK, but also on mainland Europe was huge, so when the decision to postpone the event by one week was announced, it was met with some concern. By now though, we know it was the right decision and once again the GP went off without further problems; and what a GP it was too!

TWO DAYS ARE BACK … and so are the crowds The biggest change to the programme was the re-

introduction of the two-day format, something that has been long overdue. Of course, there will be some who got used to, and preferred the one-day format during the pandemic, but as restrictions have all but come to an end, the time has come to bring the world championship back to its rightful place as the toughest series in the world, and that means two days of racing. With the short off-season, suddenly the extra bike-time for the riders was vital; Free Practice, Time Practice and the Qualifying Race on Saturday means 75 minutes of extra track time under race conditions, and for the fans in attendance, it means more opportunity to watch their heroes in action. Speaking of the fans, as they enter the paddock again, they will notice more in the way of ‘paddock bling’, and by that we mean the workspaces of Kawasaki and HRC. We first saw the glass-fronted unit of Ice One at Matterley in 2021, and by Maggiora, HRC had introduced a similar unit for hospitality purposes. However, with Ice One now the official Kawasaki Racing Team, they have since added another glass unit to 25

accommodate hospitality guests, and whilst they were busy taking care of that, HRC have added another as the team’s workspace.

Nice.

Rene Hofer As the new season was about to begin, there was however, a sombre moment of reflection before the first MX2 race, as the riders and teams from the paddock came together to say a final farewell to Rene Hofer, the Red Bull KTM rider who sadly lost his life on December 4th 2021 whilst skiing in Austria. He was just nineteen years old.

Rene was crowned EMX85 Champion in 2016 in a year that also saw him win the 85cc FIM Junior World Championship.

Last season was his breakthrough year in MX2 where the ‘711’ raced to 6th overall. Along the way, he collected his first podium where he placed 3rd overall at Teutschenthal, Germany, but his biggest success came at the MXGP of Pietramurata where his 4-1 sealed his first MX2 Grand Prix overall victory. The last four rounds in Italy, Rene won two races, won a grand prix, and took the final two Pole Positions of the season at Mantova. He will be sadly missed, but remain forever in our hearts.

In the MXGP class, we were without the top two riders in the championship for possibly the first time in history, but that didn’t stop 2021 MX2 World Champion Maxime Renaux from stamping his mark in the class with a ‘surprise’ Qualifying Race win on Saturday, with Simon Laengenfelder doing the same in MX2. The German was not done there though and went on to win both MX2 races on Sunday, ahead of Tom Vialle and Jago Geerts.

In MXGP, the racing was once again frantic, and had it not been for a slip off late on in Race One, Jeremy Seewer could have been looking at his first race win of the season. Instead, he placed 2nd behind Tim Gajser, as Renaux showed his qualifying race result

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was no fluke by coming home in 3rd.

But it was the second MXGP race that had the crowd on their feet and as Jorge Prado - who else? raced to his second Fox Holeshot of the day - which was also his 102nd career Fox Holeshot Gajser was left hovering around 8th, although by the end of the first lap, the Slovenian was already up to 4th. Two laps later he was past Seewer and into 3rd, and by lap five he had found his way past Glenn Coldenhoff as well.

However, Prado was a tougher nut to crack but when the opportunity presented itself, Gajser made a daring move around the outside to take the lead after trailing the Spaniard for six laps. As the ‘243’ tried to make his escape, a lap later he was on the ground and despite closing back in on Prado, it was the ‘61’ who went on to take the race win, with Gajser claiming the overall. There was also a notable performance from MXGP rookie Jed Beaton; the Australian taking 6th overall in his first MXGP outing for F&H Kawasaki.

Did we mention that the weather was amazing? Clear blue skies, no clouds, sunshine all weekend long … okay, it might have been cold, but compared to one week earlier, it proved to be the perfect outcome for this GP. Supporting Acts Joining the MXGP and MX2 classes in England were the EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing and EMX Open classes, where there were more surprises in store for us. In the 125cc class, it was a Fantic Factory Maddii 1-2 as Cas Valk and Alexis Fueri took the top two steps of the podium ahead of Janis Martins Reisulis. As always, the 125cc class produced some great racing as well as some real jaw-dropping moments and we look forward to seeing them again for their second round in Trentino. As for the podium visitors in the Open Class, the top step was occupied by Michael Sandner, the Austrian with a 3-1 after moving up from the MX2 class. Second overall was MXGP

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veteran and former world number three in MX2, Jose Butron. The Spaniard clearly looked like he was enjoying being back at the sharp end, and after winning the first race, the ‘17’ was forced to play catch up after a poor start in race two. His 1-3 tied the lead with Sandner, who got the nod by virtue of his better position in the final race. Rounding out the podium was Michael Ivanov, the Bulgarian finally making it to the EMX podium after years of trying, his consistency (2-2) really paying off.

Lombardia We didn’t need to wait too long for more MXGP action, as one week later we were back at Mantova for the MXGP of Lombardia. Once again, the weather was kind, albeit cold, and as well as MX2 and MXGP, we also got to welcome the EMX250 and WMX classes for their opening rounds of the season.

In WMX, defending World Champion Courtney Duncan was hoping for a good positive start but on this occasion the New Zealander was outshone by her rivals; a combination of her late arrival into Europe (three days prior to the GP), jet lag, and just feeling ‘off’ left her 6th overall after going 3-9. Two riders that did rise to the occasion though were Nancy Van De Ven and Lynn Valk. In the first race it was Valk who stole the show and after passing Duncan on Lap 2, the JK Yamaha rider went on to win by more than six seconds over Van De Ven. The two Dutch compatriots then reversed the positions in the second outing meaning a share of the points, but it was Van De Ven and Ceres 71 Racing who left Italy with the championship leaders Red Plate. Speaking of red, rounding out the podium in 3rd place was a WMX newcomer by the name of Martine Hughes from Norway. The Honda 114 Motorsports rider was impressive from her very first laps on track, and after posting a surprise 2nd fastest time in the Time Practice session, the seventeen-year-old followed up with a stunning 5-3 to record her first podium at the first attempt. No doubt, we will be hearing more from this young talent during the rest of the season.

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Photo: GasGas/Acevedo

In EMX250, we get the feeling that 2022 will be one of those vintage years to remember with so many riders with the potential to claim the championship title. Former EMX125 champion Andrea Bonacorsi came in as one of the favourites, but after a collision with another rider in the first race left him pointless, his 6th place finish in race two saw him leave Italy 12th overall.

Instead, it was his Hutten Metaal Yamaha teammate, Rick Elzinga, who worked his way methodically through traffic to win the first race ahead of David Braceras (VRT KTM Veritise) and Jorgen-Matthias Talviku (Sahkar Racing).

After placing 7th in race one due to a fall whist chasing the front runners, Cornelius Toendel collected the win in race two over Meico Vettik, but the biggest surprise was the rider in third, Haakon Osterhagen; the Norwegian, who won the first two EMX125 rounds in 2021 before breaking his leg, proved that his switch to the 250cc two-stroke was a promising one, and after posting two solid results of 4-3, he joined his fellow countryman and Fantic Maddii teammate Toendel on the podium where they were 2nd and 3rd overall. However, the overall victory went to Rick Elzinga who followed his race one win with 4th in race two, and he will head to Portugal with a four-point lead over Toendel.

In MX2, Monster Energy Yamaha Factory rider Jago Geerts was simply sensational in Mantova as his double-race victory will show. However, the standout performance this weekend was the 2nd overall by SM Action Racing Team YUASA Battery GasGas rider Andrea Adamo. In what was the first GP to be held in Italy in the post Antonio Cairoli era, all eyes were on Italy’s next big hope, and whilst Mattia Guadagnini faltered, Adamo excelled. His 4th in race one was followed up with 3rd next time out, a race he led for seven laps which meant overall, he was classified 2nd for what was his first visit to the podium in MX2. Joining Geerts and Adamo on the podium in 3rd was Nestaan Husqvarna Factory 36

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Racing’s Kay de Wolf (3-4). Whilst challenging Simon Laengenfelder for 2nd in race two on the final lap, the Dutchman came off worse when the two collided four corners from the finish line, but he will bounce back and no doubt be a regular challenger for the podium places anytime soon. Speaking of Laengenfelder, the Red Bull GasGas rider arrived in Italy with the Red Plate but after a tough qualifying race on Saturday where he was run over by Roan Van De Moosdijk, the German was forced to dig deep in order to just make it through the weekend. His ride through the pack in race two from 15th to 2nd was phenomenal, so to place 4th overall (7-2) will no doubt be considered something of a damage limitation ride. The Red Plate changed hands though, and it will be Geerts who will occupy it in Argentina.

Perhaps the biggest talking point of the day though was Tom Vialle’s crash in race two. After placing 2nd in race one, the Red Bull KTM rider led the way next time out, but on lap three, the Frenchman found himself flying backwards through the air … and we are talking thirty feet high, covering a distance of about 30m before fortunately, landing on the downside of the tabletop where he’d made his mistake. The former world champion managed to re-join the race, but was not able to pick up any points for his efforts, and he was lucky to suffer with just a couple of minor grazes to his arms as a result!

Another rider showing some promise on his return to MX2 is Kevin Horgmo; the Norwegian came away from Mantova with 5th overall and will no doubt be keen to improve on that sooner rather than later, and he currently sits 7th in the overall standings.

And finally …

After winning the opening GP of the season in England, Tim Gajser continued his impressive start to the season by taking his 35th career GP victory at Mantova; it’s the first time Gajser has won the opening

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Photo: Messora

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two rounds of the season, and he heads to Patagonia-Argentina with a twelve-point advantage over Jorge Prado, who left Italy 3rd overall. The Spaniard won the first race but suffered a poor start in race two which also saw him crash from 5th with three laps to go.

Standing between Gajser and Prado on the 2nd step of the podium was MXGP rookie, Maxime Renaux who produced a polished performance with 3-2 results. The Frenchman is now up to 3rd in the series, just three points clear of his teammate Jeremy Seewer.

As for the ‘91’, it was a weekend of frustration as the Yamaha man fell from 3rd in race one before eventually finding his way back to 4th, and after taking the lead going into the second turn at the start of the second race, Seewer threw away a golden opportunity once again with a fall midway round the opening lap. After falling again a few laps later, in the same corner, the Swiss ace finally made it back to 5th, but it could and maybe even should have been a podium for the seven-time grand prix winner.

Narrowly missing the podium was the sole Standing Construct Husqvarna rider, Brian Bogers. The Dutchman ran in 4th for much of the first race before eventually being caught by Seewer, Ruben Fernandez and Thomas Kjer Olsen, but in race two, Bogers finished a strong 3rd which left him 4th overall on the day. Not only was it his best result in the MXGP class, but it was also the first time he had finished inside the top five since his 3rd overall in the MX2 class at Orlyonok on June 11th 2017. As we head to Argentina, Bogers is now up to 5th in the standings.

With two rounds firmly in the books, there will be a one week break as we prepare to head to Patagonia-Argentina, and a return to the much-loved Neuquen circuit just outside the picturesque town of Villa La Angostura where you can watch all the action LIVE or On Demand on www.mxgp-tv.com We will see you there …

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FIM MOTOCROSS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

RESULTS MXGP CHAMP. STANDINGS 1. T. Gajser (SLO, HON) 2. J. Prado (SPA, KTM) 3. M. Renaux (FRA, YAM) 4. J. Seewer (SUI, YAM) 5. B. Bogers (NED,HUS) 6. T. Olsen (DEN,KTM) 7. R. Fernandez (SPA, HON) 8. J. Van Horebeek (BEL,BET) 9. G. Coldenhoff (NED,YAM) 10. A. Forato (ITA, GAS)

MX2 CHAMP. STANDINGS 94 p.

82 p.

77 p.

74 p.

57 p.

57 p.

48 p.

48 p.

43 p.

41 p.

1. J. Geerts (BEL, YAM) 2. S. Langenfelder (GER, GAS) 3. K. DeWolf (NED, HUS) 4. T. Vialle (FRA, KTM) 5. A. Adamo (ITA, GAS ) 6. R. Van de Moosdijk (NED, HUS) 7. K. Horgmo (NOR, KAW) 8. M. Haarup (DEN, KAW) 9. I. Gifting (SWE, KTM) 10. S. Rubini (FRA, HON)

MXGP MANUFACTURERS

MX2 MANUFACTURERS

1. Honda 2. Yamaha 3. Gas Gas 4. Husqvarna 5. KTM 6. Kawasaki 7. Beta

1. Yamaha 2. Gas Gas 3. KTM 4. Husqvarna 5. Kawasaki 6. Honda

94 p.

84 p.

82 p.

57 p.

57 p.

50 p.

48 p.

90 p.

86 p.

74 p.

64 p.

60 p.

55 p.

54 p.

54 p.

47 p.

43 p.

90 p.

90 p.

80 p.

76 p.

57 p.

54 p.

BEST RIDER SPONSORED BY ATHENA COMPETITION For the 2022 season of the FIM Motocross World Championship, MXGP see the return of the Best Rider of the Year Sponsored by Athena.

Votes are tallied at every Grand Prix, with the ‘Best Rider of the GP’ being chosen during each event of 2022. The rider who is voted the most times, will walk away with the ultimate prize and be presented with the special award for ‘Best Rider of the Year Sponsored by Athena’!

How to vote: Every Grand Prix Sunday a dedicated post is shared on MXGP’s official Instagram page under which fans can comment who their favourite rider of the weekend is. This competition is only for MXGP riders and the voting closes at 8pm on Sunday.

The comments are then counted and the rider with the most votes is chosen as the best rider of that GP.

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L A I C O S P G X M @thibaultphotography Little @martine.hughess on the box very proud of you

@nicoespo92 #MXGP #Motocross #mantova #mx #italy #gp #italia #selfie #pic #honda #ktm #yamaha #redbull #monster #fox #airoh

Prado vs Gajser | MXGP Race 2 | MXGP of Great Britain 2022: Re-live this epic battle between Jorge Prado in Tim Gajser in the MXGP of Great Britain race 2!

@mxreport @tomvialle28 was flying in Mantova #mx #motocross #mxgp #crf #supercross #ktm #mxlife #motocrosslife Opening Press Conference | MXGP of Great Britain 2022: Watch the official Opening Press Conference of the 2022 MXGP Great Britain!

@riccio_ricciotto Anche l’mxgp ha il suo lato dolce….. vuoi assaggiare??? #mxgp #motocross #dolci #pastarella

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martinalucchesii Thank you, Kimi #mxgplombardia #mxgp #kimiraikkonen #kawasaki #just1

@fullspectrum.media Smile like @mattguada101 , because @mxgp is back on this weekend in Mantova for round 2! Here’s a quick 📸 recap from Matterley Basin

@ac_visualdesign Rider: @tiga243 #mxgp Team: @ teamhondagariboldiracing Gear:@foxmoto @ foxracingeurope

@imagedesigncustom Some great shots of the @ alpinestars custom painted helmets we did for @ maximerenaux959 and @ glenncoldenhoff worn this weekend at the first round of the @mxgp - Matterley Basin, GB.

@stevegarrood Amazing day with an awesome race team 🏁 Many thanks @ stephen_sword7 @

GoPro Lap | MXGP of Lombardia 2022: Jump on board with Alessandro Lupino and his Beta and enjoy the MXGP of Lombardia official GoPro Lap!

P G X M # D OF ORL W E H IN T

@bellhelmets_power Drop a below to congratulate the @nestaan_ mx team on a solid start to the @mxgp of Great Britain season!

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R E S T L S R I N G MO

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R E S T L S R I N G MO

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H T N RE MO E D I RF TH O

S Y A S N E L O T I M T I S 53

FOLLOWING HIS INCREDIBLE PERFORMANCE AT THE SEASON OPENER IN MATTERLEY BASIN, RED BULL GASGAS FACTORY RACING’S NEWEST ADDITION SIMON LÄNGENFELDER QUICKLY DECLARED HIMSELF AS A POTENTIAL TITLE CONTENDER FOR THE 2022 SEASON OF THE FIM MOTOCROSS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP.

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The 17-year-old German, who will turn 18 at the end of April, made his intentions and potential clear by winning the qualifying race, claiming both Fox Holeshots and winning MX2 races one and two, leaving Great Britain with the red plate.

Of course, the big question was whether he could back that up with another strong performance the following weekend and while the MXGP of Lombardia in Mantova saw Längenfelder deliver results good enough for fourth overall, only two points off the box, which also mean he lost the series lead – it was his overall performance, as he battled through the field to top point scoring positions, that was

noteworthy and confirmed him as a very strong competitor.

Längenfelder is no stranger to winning races and standing on the podium, as he did so back in 2019 when he finished third in the EMX125 Championship. The young German podiumed four of the seven rounds, placing second overall in Lombardia, Germany and Sweden, while also winning the round in Lommel, Belgium.

He was then quickly picked up for a MX2 ride in 2020 with the DIGA Procross GasGas Factory Racing squad, now known as DIGA Procross KTM Racing Team, which saw him FastTrack from the EMX125 class straight to the MX2 World Championship, without taking the traditional route of the EMX250 class.

Längenfelder’s first season in MX2 was clouded by an injury sustained in Faenza but his first few races showed a glimpse of promise. Then in 2021 during his full season in MX2, he finished 10th in the World Championship rankings which clearly caught the attention of Claudio and Davide De Carli.

“I always watch some young riders, usually in the European Championship, and I think the first time I saw Simon was 2019 and he was riding in the 125cc class. If I remember well, he had a great race in Lommel, and he was very young,’” shared Claudio De Carli.

“I remember I talked about him with Pit Beirer; Simon was in a GasGas team, we were still KTM but when our team passed to the GasGas brand, we wanted a young rider alongside Mattia (Guadagnini) and talking with Pit we decided that Simon could be a good choice,” he added.

“I always liked his riding style, very clean and ‘light’, but I was sure he could improve a lot, mentally, physically and everything. He joined us in the winter, and he worked so much and is always positive. Before the start of the season, I was sure he could fight with everyone in the MX2 category, but honestly, I could not imagine such a great result in the first GP in Matterley Basin, where he was perfect and unbeatable.

I think he can go on like this because he has the mentality and the preparation,” Claudio explained.

So, for this season, he remains with GasGas but joins the Red Bull GasGas Factory Racing team alongside Jorge Prado and Mattia Guadagnini, which is a very exciting move and a great set-up to be a part of when chasing top results and world titles, exactly what the De Carli Racing Team are known for.

“Simon showed in the first two GPs that he is riding to win. We are not putting pressure on him, and we’ll see what the season brings,” confirmed Claudio. “I think that 55

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Simon can do really good, he is only 17 years old, so he is improving a lot and we are really positive,” added Davide De Carli.

But to get a better idea of who Simon Längenfelder is, MXGP sat down with the young German ahead of the MXGP of Lombardia to find out more about the opportunity to move to the De Carli GasGas team, the results in Great Britain and whether he feels any pressure going forward.

MXGP: How old were you when you started riding? And what actually inspired you to become a rider?

Simon: “I started to ride bikes at five years old. I saw one race and I also wanted to do it and try it out and get better and better all the time and be the best, and this is how it started.”

MXGP: Do you remember your first race? Tell us about that day…

Simon: “I think my first race was ok, I don’t remember everything, but I just remember that I had one wheely in the start and I flew over the back because I made too much of a wheely, this one thing I do remember”.

MXGP: What are your biggest achievements in motocross?

Simon: “I would say to get third in the European 125cc championship, then for sure my win in the MX2 class in Matterley Basin, I would say these were my biggest achievements”.

MXGP: Were you surprised when the De Carli team said they wanted you for this season?

Simon: “Yes, I was surprised. It’s the best team in the paddock I would say and now with the team changing from KTM to GasGas I could keep my colours and now it’s Red Bull GasGas Factory Racing, so it’s really nice to be a part of it”.

MXGP: Is the atmosphere at the team different to the previous teams you’ve ridden for?

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Simon: “The atmosphere in the team is a little different for sure, because it’s also Italian and I would say it’s my first team from Italy and it’s totally different to live in a new country, but I really enjoy it so far”.

MXGP: How was your winter training? Have you been training longer and harder than before?

Simon: “My training this winter was different, definitely hard, but the training is always hard. We went for a few weeks to Sardegna and also did some pre-season races at the International Italian Championship. I was really enjoying the training with the bike and the track in Malagrotta, it was really nice”.

MXGP: Tony Cairoli has retired but is now helping the younger riders.

How has Tony helped you?

Simon: “Yes, Tony has retired but he is helping out. He was at the last training with me and was also there in Matterley Basin, helping with a few line choices, which I am really thankful about”.

MXGP: What were your expectations ahead of the opening round in Matterley?

Simon: “My expectations before Matterley weren’t too high. I was just trying to ride like in training because then I know normally it’s going well, when you are loose and feeling good on the bike then everything is going fine”.

MXGP: After winning the qualifying race, did you feel any extra pressure going into Sunday’s races?

Simon: “After winning the qualifying race, no, I didn’t have much more pressure, I was just thinking why wasn’t this the first race! [laughs] Because I wanted one race win, normally the first race was not a qualifying race last year, but now we also race Saturday and Sunday, it’s easy said but hard to be done”.

MXGP: In race 2 you were being pushed very hard by Tom Vialle.

What were you thinking as he

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tried to pass you late in that race?

Simon: “Yeah, Tom was pushing a lot in the second race and also Jago. I was just trying to keep my lines, don’t make any mistakes and go as fast as possible. It’s not easy when you have guys like that so close behind you, but I could hold them off luckily and I could also win that race”.

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time on the podium, that 1-1 is something special”.

MXGP: What was the reaction like from your friends and family?

Simon: “They were all really surprised; they didn’t think this would happen. Everyone was a little bit shocked I would say”.

MXGP: How did it feel to have the red plate on your bike?

MXGP: How did it feel to be on top of the podium and hearing the German national anthem?

Simon: “The red plate was nice on my bike. The bike is red, the red plate is red so it’s matching!”

Simon: “For sure it was emotional. It’s really nice.

It’s been a long time since a German has won and I am really proud that I could make it happen. And yeah the first

MXGP: Has your success in Matterley changed your goals for this season?

Simon: “My result in Matterley didn’t change too much my

expectations and goals for this season. I go from race to race, want to do the best at every race and then we will see where we end up”.

Having seen the potential that Simon has shown in the first two races so far, we won’t be surprised if we see the German flag and hear the national anthem on the podium again very soon.

But the championship is long, so it will be interesting to see whether he can keep the momentum and remain among the top players for the MX2 title.

You can keep up to date with Simon’s progress by tuning into MXGP-TV.com and following this season of the FIM Motocross World Championship LIVE!

E L R A U I T C A E E SP F

E EST H T L T L A A L , E 1 H 2 T 0 2 F O P E G S N MX LIGHT LESTO I H G M I H E BY GAM

WITH AN ALMOST TEN-YEAR RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MILESTONE AND THE MXGP CHAMPIONSHIP, THIS YEAR IN MXGP 2021 WE HAVE RENEWED MANY FEATURES OF THE PREVIOUS CHAPTER, WHILE KEEPING INTACT THE CORNERSTONES OF THE EXPERIENCE, SUCH AS SIMPLICITY, FREEDOM AND RESPECT FOR THE FANS. Our starting point was the user feedback on the previous chapter, and one of the most popular feedback was related to the Career mode. We asked ourselves how to improve the game experience without altering the official championship: the solution for us was to add a parallel career path in which the players can test their skills with dedicated challenges.

We also put a lot of effort on the ruts: using a fixed system has allowed us to adjust the experience to the type of user, allowing more experienced players to approach the corners in the best time-saving way, while other players who still don’t master the cornering will

be able to skip the ruts without compromising the gameplay.

A major part of the game is the customization of the bikes with as many as 26 models to choose from, including the new Beta, the RX 450, and of course the 2-stroke bikes. All the parts are fully customizable, such as exhaust, livery, handlebars and so on..., in order to be able to use them in the personal team of the Career mode, associated with a sponsor of choice.

To increase the realism, the logos of the installed components are “projected” as sponsors on some specific areas of the bike. The bike is not the only customizable item in the game of course, for the rider we have increased the content as well, with the addition of new brands.

This year, the free roaming environment of the playground is set in Wales: we discussed a lot about which area of the world was more suitable for us, and after Norway that was very popular with players last year, it was a bit difficult to choose a confined area capable

of offering both a variety of terrains and a characteristic and recognizable identity.

Eventually our choice fell on Wales.

Compared to Norway, with Wales we had to face a new challenge: the area under consideration, which was the most recognizable, lacked large woodland areas, making the environment too empty. To keep a fun free roaming environment, we added several small areas and paths created to put riding skills to the test and, of course, three MX tracks created by our Level Designers team, to offer a slightly different challenge compared to the official tracks.

This year’s playground environment will be able to also entertain thanks to the Waypoint mode.

Four Legacy Tracks in the game complete a content offer that will thrill the fans of the franchise.

MXGP 2021 is a new enhanced and improved chapter with special additions designed to satisfy some specific requests from our community.

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L L A H

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E M A F F O

BILLY LILES IN THE 80’S AND 90’S A COUPLE OF GOOD AMERICAN RIDERS HAD THE DESIRE TO ENTER THE MOTOCROSS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS, WALKING IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF FORMER WORLD CHAMPIONS DANNY LAPORTE AND BRAD LACKEY. BILLY LILES NEVER GOT AN INDIVIDUAL GOLD MEDAL, BUT AFTER WINNING A COUPLE OF 500 GP’S HE ENJOYED AN OVERALL WIN WITH TEAM USA AT THE 1992 MOTOCROSS OF NATIONS. Born on 9th September 1963 in Fairburn, Georgia, Billy Liles grew up in a family who were fans of motorcycling, and he was just five years old when he had the opportunity to ride a little dirt bike. For several years he tried and enjoyed dirt track, road racing and endure, but finally chose to focus on motocross at the end of the 70’s, more or less when his father opened a big dealership near Atlanta.

Billy had such a good potential in the amateur ranks that he signed with Team Green in 1980 and started a long cooperation with Kawasaki.

Becoming Pro in 1982 he won the AMA’s Rookie of the Year the following season, fighting with Bailey and Burnworth to finish 4th in the 250cc Outdoors. On the podium of the 250cc Motocross series in 1984 he moved to the 500cc class the following season and had the opportunity to race his first ever

GP at Carlsbad where he just missed the podium with a fourth overall!

In 1986 he had to organise everything for his own team with just the support from Kawasaki, and it was another experience for Billy who did even better, as he finished runner up of the 250cc USGP behind Bob Hannah at Unadilla.

During that season he also did a few international races in Europe and realised that he could make more money there than in US and went to live in Italy early in 1987.

Moving from race to race in his motorhome, Billy had a learning year in the 500cc World Championship, earning his first race podiums with a third in France and Austria but also missing a couple of GP’s to end the season in fifteenth position. Italian champion for his first season in Europe, he wasn’t really successful during the first GP’s in 1988 but then he finished the season strongly 69

with an overall win at the GP of San Marino where he beat Geboers, Nicoll and Thorpe, who were the masters of the 500cc class. Forced to move to Belgium when the Kawasaki Italian importer stopped his involvement in racing, he finally claimed some podiums in the last part of the 1989 season and was stronger in 1990 when he won the first two GP’s in the Netherlands and Switzerland. Leading the series after five rounds and two other GP’s podiums, he unfortunately got injured before the Italian round and missed the rest of the season.

After a sixth in 1990 and a fifth in 1991, he finally stopped racing in green to join Honda in 1992, which was his best GP season. That year the FIM fixed a new rule for the GP’s with three races per GP, and Billy was with Kurt Nicoll the single rider to do the perfect score with three wins the same day; that happened for him at Hawkstone Park, and after a second position in France and another GP win in the deep sands of Lichtenvoorde, Billy was fighting for the title against Georges Jobe and Nicoll when he lost all chances at Namur, after not finishing the races.

Finally, third in the standings he had the opportunity to race the MX of Nations in Australia, as American riders such as Bradshaw, Stanton or Kiedrowski declined their selection for the US team. With a win and a second position at Manjimup, he helped team USA to add a twelfth consecutive win at the MXoN with his teammates Jeff Emig and Mike Larocco. The following two seasons would not be as good as 1992, and after winning another GP in Italy he stopped his racing career at the end of 1994 to go back to his native Georgia with his wife and his little daughter.

Text & Photos: Pascal Haudiquert 70

1982:

10th in the 250 US Motocross Championship (Kawasaki)

1983:

4th in the 250 US Motocross Championship (Kawasaki)

1984:

3rd in the 250 US Motocross Championship (Kawasaki) 9th in the 250 US Supercross Championship

1985:

28th in the 500 Motocross World Championship (Kawasaki) 5th in the 500 US Motocross Championship

1986:

24th in the 250 Motocross World Championship (Kawasaki) 7th in the 500 US Motocross Championship

1987:

15th in the 500 Motocross World Championship (Kawasaki) 500 Italian Champion

1988:

8th in the 500 Motocross World Championship (Kawasaki). Win one GP

1989:

7th in the 500 Motocross World Championship (Kawasaki)

1990:

6th in the 500 Motocross World Championship (Kawasaki). Win two GP’s

1991:

5th in the 500 Motocross World Championship (Kawasaki)

1992:

3rd in the 500 Motocross World Championship (Honda). Win two GP’s 500 Belgian Champion Winner at the MX of Nations with Team USA

1993:

15th in the 250 Motocross World Championship (Kawasaki)

1994:

5th in the 500 Motocross World Championship (Honda). Win one GP

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S K L A T K C O D PAD

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1

Antonio Cairoli signed autographs to a large crowd of fans at the Airoh stand during the MXGP of Lombardia!

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The MXGP paddock took a moment to remember the late Rene Hofer during the MXGP of Great Britain.

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Italian music producer and current X Factor Italy judge ‘Hell Raton’ enjoyed his first ever MXGP race in Mantova.

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Former GP rider, Tommy Searle made an appearance at the MXGP of Great Britain and gave an update on his life, LIVE on MXGP-TV with Lisa Leyland.

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3-time Italian Pole Vault champion, Great Nachi supporting Stephen Rubini, fellow Lovemytraining athlete at the MXGP of Lombardia.

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Pure emotions! Andrea Adamo celebrated his first ever MX2 podium on home soil.

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Finally. For the first time since 2020, Jago Geerts claimed back the red plate in Mantova.

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Nancy Van De Ven claimed her first overall win 2022 and now holds the red plate in the Women’s Motocross World Championship.

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Kimi Räikkönen and family enjoying the MXGP of Lombardia.

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10 Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing riders, Mattia Guadagnini and Simon Längenfelder signed autographs at the Sidi stand in Mantova!

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E L R A U I T C A E E SP F

STEVE RAMON 2007 SUZUKI RMZ450WS 76

AS A TWO-TIME MOTOCROSS WORLD CHAMPION STEVE RAMON WILL REMAIN AS ONE OF AN ELITE GROUP OF THIRTEEN BELGIAN RIDERS THAT HAVE ALL WON WORLD MOTOCROSS TITLES, WITH AN ASTONISHING 52 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS BETWEEN THEM; 29 MORE THAN THE NEXT BEST NATION. RAMON’S FIRST TITLE CAME IN 2003 IN THE 125CC CLASS; FOUR YEARS LATER HE WON THE MX1 TITLE AND IT’S HIS SUZUKI RMZ450WS THAT WE WILL FEATURE IN THIS ISSUE OF MXGP MAGAZINE.

were that the bike had good power and equally impressive turning and handling capabilities.

After winning the 125cc world championship in 2003 Steve Ramon moved into the premier MX1 class where he finished 4th overall in his rookie season, but after placing 4th again the following year, he moved from KTM to Suzuki to try his luck there. With Kevin Strijbos as his teammate, the Suzuki pairing ended the year 2nd and 3rd overall, with the bronze medal going to Ramon, and with Stefan Everts retiring at the end of the year as a ten-time world champion, it was very much game on to see who would be crowned as the new world champ in MX1.

After two years at KTM, switching from the Austrian brand to the Japanese Suzuki meant different ergonomics, from a bike that had no linkage to one that did, but all in all, the initial feelings from Ramon

‘When I switched from the KTM to Suzuki, my first feeling was … of course it’s something new, so you always like something new, most of the time, so I was feeling good from the beginning, that was my feeling; that the bike was handling really good and steering was easy. Powerwise, of course, you can always work on the power and make it how you want but it was already good in the beginning, and when you are in a factory team there are always many, many things to test so they can make the bike like you want!

Overall, I would say my first impression was the bike was light and the handling was really good.

Because of my riding style I had to take the power a little bit down; I preferred a smooth bike instead of an aggressive, more powerful

bike, which I could use on the track which was sometimes an advantage. Most of the time the bike was the same during the year, but when we were in deep sand let’s say, then we needed to make it a bit more powerful.’

At the end of the 2006 season, work began on refining and improving the bike for 2007, with, according to Team Principal Sylvain Geboers, particular attention being paid to optimising the transmission ratio and power outlet. During this test period, Geboers recalls ‘there had been a number of test parts varying between cylinder heads, cam shafts, crank shafts and different carburettor diameters, as well the usual components such as compression ratio and gear ratios. More importantly, the focus, as always with Suzuki, was setting the bike up as per the rider’s request, and with such a well-drilled team behind the scenes, the test programme went off pretty much according to plan.’

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The engine, now in its final cycle before switching to the 2008 fuel injected model, came directly from Japan and was fitted with a factory Keihin carburettor, with the team alternating between 37mm and 39mm, depending on the circuit conditions.

The 4-speed gearbox was also full factory and specially treated to allow for the tough demands of racing at the highest level, with the clutch being supplied by Hinson, and the clutch cover being made from billet aluminium. The ignition cover on the other hand was supplied by Suzuki and was a works item, made from magnesium. The factory RM-Z450WS was also fitted with an Akrapovic exhaust system.

When it came to cooling, standard sized radiators were used, and that also included the material they were made from, but when conditions were on the heavy side like deep sand or muddy conditions, then the team would switch to wider radiators, albeit made from the same standard material as the stock items.

The triple clamps were made from billet aluminium and supplied as works items direct from the factory in Hamamatsu, and these were married to USD 48mm factory KYB forks. At the rear, the factory KYB RCU (Rear Cushion Unit) came with titanium spring and works adjuster system and factory linkage. Finishing off the factory look were the works Excel rims and works billet hubs.

As far as stopping power, the 07 RMZ450WS came equipped with factory Nissin brakes with the brake discs supplied by Braking; the front disc was 270mm and the rear 240mm. The handlebars were Renthal.

Finally, when you think of factory bikes you think of the precious metal or special lightweight parts that not only look trick but also serve a purpose in weight saving gains, and Ramon’s Suzuki was no different.

His footrests came from the factory and made from titanium along with all nuts, bolts, suspension axels and brackets for the footrests. Also lightening the load were the carbon fibre parts; subframe, fuel tank, skid plate, engine hanger (front) and guards for the rear brake calliper and rear brake disc.

As for the season itself, Ramon got off to a decent start with a podium at the opening round of the campaign, placing 3rd with 2-6 results but shortly after that during training, the Belgian picked up scaphoid injury which meant for much of the season

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to 4th, but after the race I knew there was a problem …’ he was riding injured, unable to ride or train as frequently as he’d have liked, or even to the standard he expected from himself. Despite this setback, Steve was still able to pick up points every step of the way, and with four rounds to go, there was a real possibility that he could still be crowned world champion after the series leader, Josh Coppins suffered his own injury setback.

Ramon’s title chances were almost dealt a severe blow though in Ireland, with three rounds to go, when during the second race he tried to jump a double jump for the first time during the weekend, as he recalls: ‘It was the first lap of the second race, and as I took off, I got off balance and jumped off the side of the track and landed in a big pile of mud that they had moved from the track. I stopped immediately, so it was quite a big hit. I finished the race quite good, probably because of the adrenalin, coming from last 80

X-rays later revealed he had another fractured scaphoid, this time in his other wrist. With the British GP just one week away, Ramon was unable to train or ride during the week, like so many times during the season, but through gritted teeth, he came away with a 6-4 and emerged as the new championship leader, with one round to go.

Two weeks later after taking 2nd in the first race at Lierop, Holland, Steve Ramon was crowned MX1 World Champion.

‘It was a big relief, like, finally it’s all over, but also very happy. It was the title in MX1, the big class. The championship was difficult for me all season long, always riding with small injuries where I just wanted to be 100% healthy again, where I could train 100%, and get better results. If you are riding for 6th or 8th places like I was in the beginning then you cannot be champion, so you have to keep working, and hopefully it’s getting

better, with the injury and the results and you see where you end up in the championship. Of course, when Josh had his crash then things became different again for the championship … but in the end I became champion because I was the most consistent rider; I scored points in every race.

Of course, I wanted to be more on the podium and win more GP’s, but with the injuries, I just did the best I could, and in the end, it worked out well.’

When Steve Ramon won the MX1 World Championship in 2007 it would be the last time that Suzuki would win a world title in the premier class. It was also the 29th title won for Suzuki in all classes and the last of the carburettor generation before switching to fuel injection in 2008. The 30th and final title won by Suzuki came two years later when PierreAlexander Renet was victorious in the MX3 World Championship.

Suzuki’s last GP win came in the MX2 class at Uddevalla, Sweden on August 20th 2017, in the hands of Jeremy Seewer, and sadly, there has not been a factory supported Suzuki team since that 2017 season.

S N R O O I T T I S E ED E U QO TH T ❝

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Where can I watch the older studio shows?

Willy

❞

Hi Willy , for getting in touch! you can watch replay of studio show from home on our YouTube channel. Follow this link https://www. youtube.com/user/mxgptv.

Best Regards MXGP

❝

I am a subscriber of MXGPTV and I would like to see behind the scene content where I can find it?

❞

Filipe

Hi Filipe , you can see some team reports on our MXGP-TV platform where you can see everything that happens behind the scenes for each team during the season. https://www.mxgp-tv.com/ videos;q=Team%20Report.

Regards MXGP

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Hello, I bought my ticket for the MXGP of Germany but I would like to know the exact address?

Camille

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Dear Camille , yes here is the exact address of the track in Teutschenthal Poststrasse, D-06179 Teutschenthal, Germany.

The GPS coordinates are 51°27’32.17”N, 11°47’42.01”E Best Regards MXGP

❝

where can I buy one ticket to go inFor MXGP of Patagonia – Argentina with the time difference at what time will be the last race of the MXGP category on Sunday?

Hugo

❞

Hello Hugo: You will be able to watch the last round at 19:00 GMT on https://www.mxgp-tv.com.

Thanks MXGP

❝

Where can I buy the MXGP 2021 game for Playstation 5?

Jacob

❞

Hi Jacob you can buy our new available on all platforms on the following site: https:// mxgpvideogame.com/fr/buy/.

Thanks MXGP

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