RACING CATCH UP

from MXGP #106 June 2022

HALL OF FAME

BACK-TO-BACK ACTION IN SPAIN, FRANCE & GERMANY

AND JUST LIKE THAT WE ARE JUST OVER HALFWAY OF THE 2022 SEASON OF THE FIM MOTOCROSS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP AFTER THREE INTENSE BACK-TO-BACK RACES IN INTU XANADÚ ARROYOMOLINOS, ERNÉE AND TEUTSCHENTHAL. THE LAST THREE GP’S HAVE THROWN SOME SURPRISES ALL OF WHICH WE WILL CATCH YOU UP ON, AS THE NAME OF THIS FEATURE WOULD SUGGEST… MXGP OF SPAIN Let’s begin with the MXGP of Spain at the hard-pack circuit of intu Xanadú-Arroyomolinos, which hosted MXGP for the third year in a row after holding two fantastic events in 2020 and 2021 – with the 2022 edition being no exception!

It was a busy weekend for the likes of Jorge Prado, Ruben Fernandez, Daniela Guillen and more of the home heroes who started their weekend on Friday with some exciting media activities, which included meeting with the local authorities from Arroyomolinos and Madrid! And there was plenty more to keep the Spanish riders busy, apart from racing, they all took time for their fans, taking part in numerous signing sessions, that saw queues upon queues of fans lined

up in the paddock waiting to meet their favourite riders, take plenty of selfies and pick-up some signed memorabilia�

But with all the frenzy that comes with a regular MXGP race weekend, pre-covid and now post, it was time to focus on the racing and there was plenty of action from the MXGP, MX2, EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing, WMX and Junior e-Motocross riders which made for one mega action-packed weekend!

The Spanish Grand Prix was not an easy one for most riders as we reached scorching temperatures in the intense Spanish sun� This was a real test for everybody, but of course that did not get in the way of some excellent battles�

In the main classes, we saw Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Maxime Renaux finally secure his first MXGP overall victory after stint of podium finishes on what so far can only be described as an impressive rookie season for the Frenchman� What was even more striking was the fact that he did it with two races wins� Alongside him on the podium was his teammate Glenn Coldenhoff, who secured his second podium in a row after finishing third in Sardinia and then Spain – two completely different circuits, but the same brilliance� And last but certainly not least was Brian Bogers of the Standing Construct Husqvarna Factory Racing squad who climbed the podium for the second time this season – showing that his third overall in Portugal was no coincidence!

While Renaux, Coldenhoff and Bogers relished in the taste of the 958 Santero Wines bubbly, home Hero Prado and Championship leader Tim Gajser had a tough weekend, as both failed to make it onto the podium� Prado was looking solid in the beginning of both races as he claimed both Fox Holeshot’s, though small mistakes crept in which proved to be costly in the end� While Gajser continued to struggle with illness that he picked up before the Sardinian Grand Prix�

In MX2, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Tom Vialle added to the French assault, as he also went 1-1 to win the overall in Spain for the second time (first time in 2020)� Second on the box was Simon Längenfelder, with the Red Bull GasGas Factory Racing rider finally making his comeback to the podium since his clean sweep at the British Grand Prix� Occupying the third place was Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jago Geerts who had a hard day� A big crash in race one, left the Belgian feeling second hand for the second heat, though he pulled through to get himself on the box, but it was less than what he expected as he ended up losing the red plate to Vialle�

Alongside the regular action we also had plenty of thrills from the Women’s Motocross World Championship as well as the EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing and MXE (Junior e-Motocross) riders�

In WMX, we saw the return of Courtney Duncan and it was a memorable comeback indeed� The

Kiwi went 1-2 in the races to stand on top of the box alongside home hero Daniela Guillen who impressed the Spanish crowd with her incredible performance in race two as she fought her way into the lead and dominated the heat! Third on the podium was Nancy Van De Ven who extended her championship lead heading into the final round in couple of month time�

In the EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing category we saw Ivano Van Erp make his return to the top after a couple of tough races, while Marc-Antoine Rossi celebrated his first trip to the box alongside Janis Martins Reisulis�

And last but certainly not least was the MXE youngster who battled the Grand Prix track on their mini electric bikes! Timoteï Cez was the overall victor as he also took the early lead in the series ahead of Elias Eder and Logan Rodas Liberal�

MONSTER ENERGY MXGP OF FRANCE From the sizzling heat of Spain, we packed up and headed for Ernée as the legendary circuit made its much-awaited return to the calendar! Big things were expected from the French Grand Prix in Ernée, as the venue has been front and centre to some of the biggest moments in the sport, hosting the first GP in 1990, then the 2003 GP which saw Stefan Everts claim the triple-crown along with the 2015 Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations that saw Team France dominate on home soil�

The Ernée circuit was packed with tens of thousands of eager French fans who made sure the vibes were at an all-time high throughout the weekend, no matter the result or the weather!

The exhilarating atmosphere delivered on the promise of a great weekend that was not dampened by the rainy weather, though we did get treated to a good old fashioned mudder… at least on Saturday�

In terms of the racing, we saw some exciting battles between the top runners in MXGP and MX2! In MXGP, Jeremy Seewer, Jorge Prado, Glenn Coldenhoff and Tim Gajser fought closely in both races� In both races, the

Yamaha riders battled closely with Prado and after eventually getting around the Spaniard, Seewer took the race win in the first heat, while in the second one it was Coldenhoff who was able to hold off Seewer until the chequered flag� Overall, it was a big day for Seewer who climbed the top step for the first time since the 2021 season, with Prado second and Coldenhoff third – making his third consecutive trip to the box!

In MX2, it was a dream result for Vialle who was surprised to make it onto the box after a 1-3 result� The home crowd urged him as he led the way in race one but had to work harder in race two� While Vialle was third in race one, Benistant filled the spot in the lead as he fought off his teammate Geerts who was looking to take every point from Vialle as he could!

Vialle stood on the top step as the La Marseillaise was sung by the French crowd, with Geerts second ahead of Benistant who finished third on the box, making it two Frenchie’s on the podium�

Alongside the regular FIM Motocross World Championship races we also saw rounds of the EMX250 and EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing categories which were won by Rick Elzinga as he took more points away from his closest rival Cornelius Toendel who was second, while Yago Martinez celebrated an emotional trip to the box – his first ever, marking a proud moment to his tough career�

In the EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing class, Cas Valk went 1-2 to win the overall ahead of Karlis Alberts Reisulis, while local rider Alexis Fueri was forced to settle for third�

Again, we also had the Junior e-Motocross riders race the same track as the MXGP stars for their second round of the series� That time around, Birthday boy, Berry Cameron was the overall winner, as the commentator asked the French crowd to sing him a Happy Birthday on the podium, while Austin Edwards finished second ahead of Noé Mathais�

LIQUI MOLY MXGP OF GERMANY After the French Grand Prix, there was no time to relax, and we packed up and went straight to Teutschenthal for the Liqui Moly MXGP of Germany� Before the weekend started, it was important

to get into some regular GP festivities� First started off with a family photo of the MXE riders who lined up on the start line, to show off and celebrate the biggest number of entries in the series to date! The parents got involved too and got the chance to stand proudly behind their youngsters to pose for the memorable moment�

And that was not all, as on Sunday before the opening race of the day we witnessed the traditional opening ceremony that we see every year in Germany, with kids from the local club and community presenting the German flag on the start line as the anthem played to the large crowd of fans that packed the hills of Teutschenthal�

Another exciting activation for the weekend was the Monster Energy trials show that really brough the adrenaline levels up a notch for the real thrill seekers!

In terms of the racing, the big news came from the Kawasaki camp as they announced the return of Romain Febvre!

All eyes were on the Frenchman and his first race back was very impressive� With only two weeks on the bike, Febvre was able to post the seventh fastest time in time practice, finished sixth in qualifying and then went fourth and seventh in the races for fifth overall�

While a returned rider was celebrated, MXGP sadly lost another, with Maxime Renaux crashing big on the opening lap of the MXGP qualifying heat which left him with broken T1, T2, T5 and T7 vertebrae� Renaux was second in the series but with the Frenchman now out, this means Seewer and Prado are the closest rivals for Gajser�

And if one heart break for the French riders was not enough, the second MX2 race dealt another! Vialle was looking solid as he was placed in second before his bike cut out and would not fire back up� This forced the KTM rider out of the race but most importantly he lost vital championship points to Geerts who took over the championship lead by the end of that heat� Though a silver lining of the weekend for the French fans no doubt came from the incredible performance

of Thibault Benistant who went 3-1 to win his first ever Grand Prix in the MX2 category ahead of his teammate Geerts while Mikkel Haarup made his return to the box to claim his fourth podium of the season!

While in MXGP, Tim Gajser made his return with a bang! The Slovenian struggled in the last few weeks as he failed to mount the podium at the last three GP’s, though in Germany he was looking to break that negative streak� Instead, he grabbed the Fox Holeshot in race one, led the entire race until the chequered flag, while in race two he finished second which handed him his first overall since the MXGP of Italy! In the second race, Seewer did exactly the same as he got the better jump out of the gate than the rest of the field and led every single lap to claim his second race with of the season, and second race win on the bounce! Seewer was second on the box ahead of Prado who continued his healthy podium streak�

Gajser now holds a 101-point lead over Seewer who takes over second, while Prado is now third just 18 points adrift�

In the support classes, Rick Elzinga won the EMX250 overall as he extended his championship lead to 20 points, while in the EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing class it was Alexis Fueri finally got back on top, while Cas Valk was forced to settle for second as Ferruccio Zanchi celebrated his first podium of the season on the third step�

And again… last but certainly not least, we were treated to some cool action from the cutest but most fierce Junior e-Motocross riders! This time around Timoteï Cez won the overall, ahead of Austin Edwards and Cameron Berry who now took the red plate�

WHAT’S NEXT?

Now the riders will have a small break before making the second overseas trip, this time to Indonesia for the MXGP of Indonesia which will head to a brand-new venue on the Island of Samota-Sumbawa… which you will be able to read about in the next MXGP Mag issue! ;)

FIM MOTOCROSS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS

Best Rider of the Year Sponsored by Athena

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.

Most Voted Rider: Tim Gajser

Average of Reach: 70000 People Average of Views: 40K Average of IG Stories Impressions: 60000

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Es war großartig, ein mega Erlebnis bei der #mxgpacademy dabei sein zu dürfen und hinter die Kulissen der ganz großen MX-Sportler sehen zu dürfen� Vielen Dank an alle die mir das ermöglicht haben und das Wochenende zu einem unvergesslichen Erlebnis gemacht haben�

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Meanwhile in France

� #mx #mxgp #mxgpfrance #ernee #mx2 #motocross Message for TKO | MXGP of Spain 2022: The entire MXGP paddock is still thinking of you TKO We’re all sending you all the best wishes, stay strong and we hope to see you back with us soon

Qualifying Highlights | MXGP of Spain 2022: Don’t miss all the best battles of the MXGP and MX2 Qualofying Races of the day in the News Highlights!

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