16 minute read
SPECIAL FEATURE
by MXGP MAG
A LOOK AT 2023…
AFTER AN INCREDIBLE 2022 SEASON OF THE FIM MOTOCROSS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP IT IS NOW TIME TO GET READY FOR THE UPCOMING 2023 SEASON, THAT ONCE AGAIN PROMISES TO BE BIGGER AND BETTER WITH 21 EVENTS DUE TO TAKE PLACE. The championship shakedown will take place in Patagonia, Argentina, at the amazing racetrack of Villa la Angostura in the province of Neuquén� This venue has been something special since its first appearance on the FIM Motocross World Championship calendar back in 2015, after that it won the prestigious MXGP Award for being the “Best Race Track” of the season five times in a row! In 2016 Tim Gajser, during his rookie season in MXGP, won the GP and with his third win in four races, showed to everybody that he was a true title contender for the MXGP title that year�
Villa la Angostura brings back also great memories like the incredible win of the 9-time World Champion
Antonio Cairoli in 2019 on his RedBull KTM Factory Racing machine; Cairoli after a terrible qualifying race on Saturday (DNF) managed to take both race wins and of course the overall in front of Tim Gajser and Jeremy Van Horebeek on the privateer Honda SR Motoblouz� On the same day, Jorge Prado ruled the MX2 class showing everybody that the MX2 title for 2019 was something serious for the Spanish rider�
In 2022 the FIM Motocross World Championship returned overseas for the first time after the pandemic and of course Villa La Angostura was the perfect choice to move outside Europe� Villa La Angostura is a resort town on Nahuel Huapi Lake in Patagonia, and it’s known for its Alpine-style wooden buildings, beautiful mountains, lakes and forests that surround the area and for much of the paddock, the MXGP of Patagonia-Argentina is among the top favourites on the racing calendar� After that the MXGP paddock will move back to Europe for the MXGP of Sardegna in Riola Sardo on March the 26th� The track of Riola Sardo is part of the MXGP Calendar since 2020� The island of Sardegna is one of the most sport-supporting regions in Italy and year after year is becoming the perfect place to practice any kind of sport during the whole year due to the great weather conditions and the high standards infrastructures� The organizers and the local authorities gave the maximum effort to deliver an incredible event and after a great 2020 and a successful 2021 we are sure that this year’s edition will be another good one� In 2021 Calvin Vlaanderen showed everybody that sand and warm weather are the perfect recipe for his success; the Dutch got an impressive 1-1 showing that he’s the real king of the island� In MX2 was the turn of Tom Vialle in front of the all-season title contender Jago Geerts�
For the third GP of the season, we’ll move from the Mediterranean Sea to the Swiss Alps for the MXGP of Switzerland which is taking place in Frauenfeld� The venue held the GP of Switzerland for the first time in 2016 and for 3 years in a row until 2018 where this successful venue welcomed around 30,000 spectators and was watched by more than 50 million viewers worldwide�
The former track saw Antonio Cairoli winning the MXGP in 2016, while in 2017 and 2018 the MXGP class was the land of Jeffrey Herlings� The last MX2 winner there was Jorge Prado on his RedBull KTM Factory Racing Machine back in 2018� Even if Frauenfeld is not new to the MXGP paddock, surprises are coming for the 2023 edition as the circuit will be completely brand new, creating an added challenge for the riders�
The fourth GP of the season will take place in Trentino at the Pietramurata track in the beautiful setting of the Dolomite Mountains of Trentino� The Pietramurata track has one of the best landscapes of all the seasons, with the Dolomite Mountains surrounding the track, every picture taken during the GP weekend looks like something out of a postcard!
pandemic Pietramurata and the local organizer (MX Trentino) hosted a triple header in 2020 and again another one in 2021 with an incredible outcome� In 2020 both champions got the title during the MXGP of Pietramurata: Tim Gajser in MXGP while Tom Vialle secured his very first title in MX2� In 2021, it was the time of Maxime Renaux that during the MXGP of Garda got his hands on the MX2 title on his Monster Energy Yamaha Factory machine� The venue itself was the setting of some of the best battles between Antonio Cairoli and Tim Gajser, who together with Jeffrey Herlings counted five wins each onsite�
After Trentino the FIM Motocross World Championship will move down to the south of Europe as Agueda will host the MXGP of Portugal on 30th April 2023� Agueda is easily recognized by its unique orange clay that is well-known by many, especially because this track has hosted the FIM Motocross World Championship a total of 23 times! When it comes to victories, Antonio Cairoli is the most victorious there, with five victories to his name (2005, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2017)� Last season we saw the first win of the season for Jorge Prado in MXGP with a 1-2 result, while Tom Vialle went 1-1 in MX2�
To keep the Mediterranean atmosphere, the paddock will then move to intu Xanadù – Arroyomolinos; located in the Comunidad de Madrid has been hosting the FIM Motocross World Championship since 2020 and from that edition onwards has been a big success� Jorge Prado is the home hero there and everywhere you turn, you can see the fans with the red flags with the yellow 61 on it� Back in 2020, during his rookie season in MXGP, Jorge got an incredible GP victory� The atmosphere at the Spanish Grand Prix is always special, with a very enthusiastic crowd cheering on every home rider as the pass by! This season though it was the turn of rookie Maxime Renaux, who got is first GP win in the premiere class and on the Spanish track while in MX2 Tom Vialle secured his overall victory once again�
The MXGP of France in 2023 will return to Villar sous Ecot, the French track hosted already the MXGP of Pays Montbéliard back in 2017, and after 5-years’ stop it is back on the calendar again ready to give great emotions� Last time in 2017,
Jeffrey Herlings won in the MXGP category, while Thomas Covington won in MX2, but the main highlight of the weekend was the title of Pauls Jonass on his RedBull KTM Factory Racing machine in MX2; the Latvian got a solid fifth in race one which was enough to be proclaimed MX2 World Champion after fighting all season long with Jorge Prado� The French track also hosted a great edition of the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations in 1988 with a winning Team USA made of Jeff Ward, Ricky Johson and Ron Lechien�
After the MXGP of France the paddock will move to Latvia in sandy Kegums, which hosted the FIM Motocross World Championship for the first time in 2009 when Antonio Cairoli was the winner in MX1 and Rui Goncalves won the GP in MX2� Back in 2014 the track also hosted a great edition of the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations with Team France winning the Chamberlain Trophy and starting a series of consecutive wins� Last season Tim Gajser ruled the MXGP class and Jago Geerts won the MX2 taking the red plate back on his Monster Energy Yamaha machine�
The following weekend, it will be the turn of the Liqui Moly MXGP of Germany on the hard pack circuit of Teutschenthal� The track is historic and hosted the FIM Motocross World Championship for the 26th time in 2022; on the German track, back in 2021, we saw an incredible battle between Jorge Prado and Jeffrey Herlings, which ultimately ended in tears� In 2022 the races in MXGP were exciting, with the battle between Tim Gajser and Jeremy Seewer at the forefront of the action, though Gajser was the winner in the end� While in MX2 Thibault Benistant impressed with his performance to take his very first GP victory of his career, ahead of his teammate Jago Geerts�
After a week off the FIM Motocross World Championship will then move to Southeast Asia for two races in Indonesia� The first race will be in Samota-Sumbawa where the MXGP of Indonesia took place for the first time in 2022 with a great atmosphere� Romain Febvre was impressive upon his comeback from injury going 5-3 but just missing out on the podium by
two point, while it was Gajser again on the top step! In MX2, Tom Vialle was able to win and bring back the red plate onto his factory KTM, while Simon Längenfelder finished second overall�
For the second GP in Indonesia MXGP will move to Lombok; a beautiful place in the Indonesian archipelago well known for the sandy beaches, swimming and snorkeling areas, culinary attraction, and other tourism destinations like the motor-vehicle-free Gili Islands and Senggigi island, a real earthly paradise� The MXGP of Lombok-Indonesia will be held at the Selaparang Airport Field (closed from September 2011) in a completely new track built specifically for the event�
After the Indonesian double header, MXGP will come back to Europe for the MXGP of Czech Republic held at the historic Loket track, which has been hosting the FIM Motocross World Championship since 1995 and the hard pack track has seen many champions and rising stars riding there� The MXGP of Czech Republic has been hosting the EMX65 and EMX85 for a long time and has been the perfect scenario for young riders to show their potential� In 2022 Jeremy Seewer won the MXGP Grand Prix while the Championship leader, Tim Gajser had a difficult weekend; in MX2 was the turn of Jago Geerts that took back the red plate on his Factory Yamaha from Tom Vialle having not his best weekend�
The Monster Energy MXGP of Flanders will be next and will again return to the deep sand of Lommel, the home of many of the GP teams and the stomping ground from most of the riders! For many it’s a kind of home race� Lommel hosted a successful triple header in 2020 during the pandemic, and in 2021 it was the very first time that Romain Febvre was able to win at the sandy venue, while in MX2 Jago Geerts gave his home fans exactly what they wanted with a victory!
The 2022 edition of the MXGP of Flanders was great and full of surprises: Brian Bogers won in MXGP ahead of Calvin Vlaanderen and Glenn Coldenhoff to complete a full Dutch podium� In MX2 it was an affair between Jago Geerts and Kay de Wolf with the Belgian going 2-1 and the Dutchman going 1-2; at the end it was Geerts who took the win in front of his home fans�
The MXGP paddock will then move to Scandinavia for the MXGP of Finland which will take place in Hyvinkää for the second time; thinking of the sandy Finnish track from 2022 only great memories can come to our mind� Tim Gajser got his 5th World Title on his CRF450RW while on the same day, the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing MXGP Team got and historic result with his three riders on the first three steps of the podium with Glenn Coldenhoff winning followed by Jeremy Seewer and Maxime Renaux� In MX2 once again was Tom Vialle the winner on Kay De Wolf and Jago Geerts making the title battle tighter and tighter�
A couple of weeks after MXGP will move to Uddevalla, for the MXGP of Sweden� Antonio Cairoli and Stefan Everts are the ones with the most victories at the Swedish track with six victories each� The 2022 edition saw another win for Jeremy Seewer in front of Tim Gajser and Glenn Coldenhoff� In MX2 Jago Geerts took the win once again and kept the red plate on his Yamaha while Tom Vialle was second in front of Simon Längenfelder; the RedBull GasGas Factory Racing making a return to the box for the first time since the MXGP of Indonesia�
The MXGP of the Netherlands is a truly awaited comeback for all the MXGP Dutch fans� The last time the MXGP calendar had an MXGP of the Netherlands it was in 2021 in Oss; the event was one to remember as the home-hero Jeffrey Herlings won the first race with a fracture on his shoulder after a crash at the beginning of the heat� This year the MXGP of the Netherlands will take place in Arnhem, a venue that is not new to the MXGP paddock as it hosts a round of the Dutch Masters of Motocross and it’s home of many riders’ training� The city is situated in the eastern part of the Netherlands about 55km southeast from Utrecht� The Motorsportpark Gelderland Midden was founded in 2017 and, from that moment several races were organized like Dutch Championship rounds but also some international races and an EMX Youth Event�
The weekend of 3rd September will be the turn of the MXGP of Turkiye in Afyon, a venue that has been hosting the FIM Motocross World Championship races since 2018 with
an incredible outcome year after year� The 2022 edition was a busy one, as it was the series finale and saw the crowning of the MX2, WMX and EMX Open Champions! In MX2 after a year-long battle Tom Vialle won the MX2 title against Jago Geerts by only four points� In the WMX class, it was the time of Nancy Van de Ven, who after finishing second for five times during her career, was finally able to win the WMX World Championship title, while in the EMXOpen class the former GP rider José Butron won the Championship with an overall round victory, too!
Then MXGP will move to Thanh Hoa for the first ever MXGP of Vietnam� Thanh Hoa is a province in the north central coast region of Vietnam; 150 km away from Hanoi capital in southwards, 1,560 km from Ho Chi Minh City� Thanh Hoa has a convenient location in terms of traffic with all types of transportation, including: roads, waterway, railway, airway, North-South Expressway, international border gate�
With a TBA event on the calendar MXGP will reach the last event of the season that will take place in Matterley Basin, a historic venue inside the FIM Motocross World Championship calendar� The track has been inside the MXGP calendar since 2006 and hosted two editions of the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations back in 2006 and 2017� The track saw World Champions like Antonio Cairoli, Jeffrey Herlings, Tim Gajser, Pauls Jonass, Tom Vialle, and Maxime Renaux winning a GP there� In 2022 Matterley was the season opener that saw Tim Gajser win in MXGP, while Simon Längenfelder impressed everybody in MX2 winning all of the races that weekend upon his debut on the RedBull GasGas Factory Racing team�
The best and most epic event of the season, the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations will be held in Ernée; a track that is full of stories and has been the place where many historic events took place, such as Stefan Everts’ triple victory in 1 day! The Raymond Demy circuit hosted two unforgettable Monster Energy FIM MXoN, in 2005 and 2015� That time around Team France with Gautier Paulin, Romain Febvre, and Marvin Musquin took the win in front of their home fans and sent them into rapture for their favorite riders� On October 21st and 22nd 2023 all eyes will be again on Team France, who will go to Ernèe to repeat the 2015 affair and have back the Chamberlain Trophy�
MXGP SOCIAL
@MXGP
Happy 2023 from MXGP #MXGP #Motocross
@ilcentrodelcross
SCARTIAMO TUTTA QUESTA CARTA RIDERSSSS, BUON NATALE A TUTTI
@yamahafactorymxgp
Happy new year everyone wishing you all the best for 2023!
@spelamotaln
Merry Christmas from our little family
Merry Christmas | MXGP 2022: To celebrate this great time of the year, MXGP wishes you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year by sharing our Christmas video for 2022�
Immerse yourself in the Christmas atmosphere! Ep� 9 | 26 Minutes Behind the Gate | MXGP of Spain 2022: Let’s look back together at the epic 2022 season of the FIM Motocross World Championship with the replay of the 26-min Behind-the-Gate series featuring behind-thescenes look at the events, including interviews, highlights, and more!
@nancyvdven
Thanks 2022 you’ve been probably the best year of my life� More than a few of my dreams came true this year� And the most important one to call myself finally a world champion is a blessing ��� We had to say goodbye to people we love this year, but they will never be forgotten� Also people I love came back in my life and shared the best memories with me� I couldn’t be more thankfull to end this year with the beautiful memories we’ve made� Let’s try again to do this again next year, because it was so so good� And I want to wish everyone a happy new year and full of love
@mattguada101
@frontoceanbmx @ subrosabrand@redbullitalia @etnies @thepit_wdw @ astroclub�y
@dominicmxriders
merrychristmas
@_familyriders06_
Bon dimanche MXGP France 2022
@antoniocairoli
Tanti auguri di buon anno a te e famiglia Che il 2023 ci porti un bel po’ di manetta a tutti�
@jeffrey_herlings84
Verified 2023
Most Impressive Crashes of 2022 | EP�1 | MXGP: The 2022 season had it all - the action, the intensity, the battles and some impressive crashes as well��� Check out all the most impressive crashes from the MXGP and MX2 categories that were captured on camera in this first episode of the series! !
