MXGP #116 April 2023

JP61 IN THE RED ZONE

MXGP MAG

Chief Editor: Marionna Leiva

Photos: MXGP

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MXGP Mag #116 2023

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

Then content of this publication is based on the best knowledge and information available at the time the articles were written.

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Dear MXGP Friends,

As we are finalizing the preparation of the Grand Prix of Portugal it is also the time for the April edition of the MXGP Magazine.

During this month, we finally went back to Switzerland, on the typical and historical track of Frauenfeld. It was definitely a great success with more than 30.000 fans that attended the event during the weekend. It was also the occasion for MXGP to reconnect with the Swiss fans, as it was some years that a GP didn’t take place there. Monday racing program was live on the Swiss National television and the President of the Swiss congress of the States honored us with her presence. On the racing side, it brought a new GP winner in the Premier class with Maxime Renaux and in MX2 Thibault Benistant won the Grand Prix.

The week after Easter, the MXGP moved to a classic Grand Prix, one of the most breathtaking places in the calendar, Pietramurata, next to the Lake of Garda. Here again the public answered the call despite the absence of Tim Gajser and all the Slovenian fans that usually come for this race. In the MXGP class, Jorge Prado won his first GP of the season and brought a fourth different overall winner in four Grand Prix! It shows

WE CONTINUE TO IMPROVE AND FINE TUNE THE PYRAMID SYSTEM OF THE TALENTS

how the MXGP class is open this year and how the general level has risen the last couple of seasons. On the other hand, Romain Febvre is getting his pace race after race, and with Jeffrey Herlings, Maxime Renaux and Jorge Prado, we have four riders in 40 points. In MX2, Andrea Adamo made the Italian fans go crazy with his first ever Grand Prix victory, on his home soil. Here again, with Jago Geerts leading the championship but having only 30 points ahead of the top 5, the season will continue to rise new highs!

It is also very good to see the different starting grids full of participants from the beginning of the season in all the classes. The new system of qualification for the MXGP class with the wildcard riders is working great and the adjustments on the age limit for the EMX250 from 23 to 21 years old improved also the

participation in MX2. We continue to improve and fine tune the pyramid system of the talents, which was put in place more than a decade ago to facilitate the road to the MXGP class.

Finally, Agueda will bring a lot of novelties, as the track has been completely rebuilt and we will race the opposite way this weekend of what we were used to race in the past. This weekend will also host the EMX125 and EMX250 series. All the Grand Prix will be broadcasted on MXGP-TV.com as usual and you can stay connected on our different Social Media platforms to stay close to the action!

See you in Portugal.

David Luongo CEO of Infront Moto Racing

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FOXHOLESHOT

UNCHALLENGED REIGN

IT IS OFTEN SAID THAT LIGHTNING NEVER STRIKES TWICE IN THE SAME PLACE. AND YET, IT HAS STRUCK FIVE TIMES AT THE FIRST CORNER OF THREE OF THE FOUR GRAND PRIX AT THE START OF THE SEASON. AND THAT LIGHTNING IS CALLED JORGE PRADO.

The Spaniard, author of powerful starts, keeps shaking up the counters, which allowed him to impose his authority on the tracks of Frauenfeld and Trentino, leaving no possibility for his opponents to pass the famous Fox Holeshot line before him. Only three riders managed to slow down the Galician steamroller. Glenn Coldenhoff had to outdo himself to win the Holeshot in race 2 at Villa Angostura, while Jeremy Seewer and Romain Febvre showed their muscles at Riola Sardo and prevented the Lugo native from taking the black plates of the fox brand. But Jorge Prado demonstrates that he is the exercise specialist of recent years, and one wonders how he will be able to be caught by his opponents.

For his part, Jago Geerts is dominating the Fox Holeshot this season in MX2. But, unlike Prado in the top class, he has only three great starts in the first four GPs of the season, and all of them were in the opening races at Riola Sardo, Frauenfeld and Trentino. Simon Laengenfelder, Andrea Adamo, Oriol Oliver, Kevin Horgmo and Lucas Coenen all stood up to Geerts in the first meters of race 2, obtaining a Fox Holeshot each. And this plurality of riders suggests that the competition in the next few rounds will be much more obvious than in MXGP.

Prado the invincible

Since 2017, three men have won the Fox Holeshot Award for the fastest start-up rider. Tony Cairoli was the first to win it in MXGP and Jorge Prado in MX2. The Italian, now Team Manager of the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team, and the Spaniard,

belonging to Red Bull GasGas Factory Racing team, were able to repeat their feat in 2018 and 2019.

The following year, Toni Cairoli lost his Title, but it was grabbed by his new teammate: Jorge Prado, freshly arrived in the MXGP class. The rookie finished 2020 with 16 points, far ahead of the future world champion Tim Gajser (6 points) while in MX2, Frenchman Tom Vialle was the Fox Holeshot Winner.

The years 2021 and 2022 were identical. Prado and Vialle outperformed the Holeshot competition. In total, the Iberian won 34 black plates in two seasons. Ridiculous. It was two less for the French Maestro, with 32 Holeshots. Equally stunning. But, since Tom Vialle joined the American Supercross this winter, the succession to his throne is now more than ever open. In the top category, the king doesn’t seem to be willing to let other contenders sit in his place. The season is still long...

RACINGCATCHUP

FIRST BACK-TO-BACK GPS OF THE SEASON

THE CAMPAIGN CONTINUED AS IT STARTED, FULL OF INTENSE BATTLES AND HIGHS AND LOWS THROUGHOUT THE BOARD. WE WENT BACK TO SWITZERLAND AFTER A 4-YEAR’S ABSENCE ON THE MXGP CALENDAR FOR THE THIRD ROUND OF THE 2023 FIM MOTOCROSS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP. DUE TO THE EASTER PERIOD, WE EXPERIENCED THE GP RACES ON THE SATURDAY AND MONDAY AND DID NOT WASTE TIME, AS WE QUICKLY WENT TO PIETRAMURATA FEW DAYS LATER FOR THE MXGP OF TRENTINO. TWO WEEKS FULL OF RACING AND JOY FOR FANS, RIDERS AND THE WHOLE PADDOCK!

Welcome Back Switzerland!

It was a long-awaited Grand Prix for the Swiss fans as well as the Swiss riders such as Jeremy Seewer, Kevin Brumann and Valentin Guillod, who all had the privilege to compete at home and experienced this amazing and noisy crowd. With as many as 43,000 people over the weekend in Frauenfeld, the atmosphere was electric and we could feel the excitement all around us.

We started the Grand Prix of Switzerland with the Opening Press Conference on Friday with Infront Moto Racing CEO David Luongo, FIM/CMS Director Antonio Alia Portela, Organizer of the MXGP of Switzerland Presented by iXS Willy Laderach, as well as Red Plate holder Jorge Prado and home rider Jeremy Seewer. The press conference was the occasion to welcome

back everybody to Switzerland and Frauenfeld in a relaxed environment and also to explain the brand-new circuit that was designed especially for this event. We also witnessed Jorge Prado jokingly awaiting an invitation to brunch from Jeremy Seewer for the day-off on Sunday, which of course made everyone in the room laugh.

On Saturday we of course went back to competition mode with the RAM Qualifying Races. This exercise looks like is made for Prado, as the Spaniard clinched the win and the 10 points to increase his winning series to three in a row. This time though, Prado had to pounce on the last lap to overtake Romain Febvre, who finish second with Jeffrey Herlings ending third.

In the MX2 RAM Qualifying Race, Thibault Benistant went on to win his first RAM Qualifying Race in front of Kay de Wolf and Jago Geerts. The Frenchman showed great pace as he looked comfortable on this tight hard-pack track.

After the RAM qualifying races there was the second Paddock Show of the season with many people there to participate, hear and be very close to the winners of the Thibault Benistant and Jorge Prado, along with special guests Jeremy Seewer, Kevin Brumann and MX2 Red Plate holder Jago Geerts.

With no racing on Easter Sunday, it was the occasion for the riders in the MXGP, MX2 and WMX classes to attend in the morning an important antidoping seminar. The meeting was conducted by the internationally recognised Swiss Sport Integrity organisation and addressed issues surrounding the dangers of doping, ethical misconduct and wrongdoing in sport.

With Sunday off, the only motocross action that happened in Frauenfeld was the pastor arriving to the Easter Mass on a bike behind Kevin Brumann, simply Extraordinary! Still on Sunday, the Easter Bunny made an appearance for the greater joy of all children (and adults) to go on an epic Easter egg hunt around the paddock and fill up on chocolates. Riders were not forgotten and got their chocolates…with moderation of course!

All in all, it was a nice day to relax and prepare for Monday racing.

On Monday the racing competition went back to life and this was bound to be eventful. In MXGP Prado did not want to waste any time, as he clinched the FOX Holeshot and kept riding with no one in front of him. Prado was never worried by what happened behind him and won comfortably the first race of the day in front of a very good Maxime Renaux, who battled in the end with countryman Romain Febvre to keep the 2nd spot. At the other end home hero Jeremy Seewer was very unlucky to crash early in the race, as he could not avoid Calvin Vlaanderen coming across on a jump. The Swiss held by the crowd managed to valiantly finish the race with a broken bike.

In race 2, after a great start…you’d probably guessed it, Prado took another FOX Holeshot although this time, Maxime Renaux got on his rear wheel very quickly and managed to pass the championship leader in the opening lap to show splendid composure throughout the race to keep the lead until the end. Romain Febvre, who had passed Jeffrey Herlings for 3rd on lap 2, went on the charge to catch-up Prado who was riding 2nd. Febvre attacked

again and again but Prado held his ground until lap 12 when Febvre eventually muscled his way pass Prado to get to 2nd, synonymous of first podium for the Frenchman. Herlings more discreet during the weekend still managed to get 4th overall showing that his talent keeps him up in the leader board no matter what.

It was finally Renaux who won the Grand Prix, the first one this season with an excellent 2-1, to also seal his first podium appearance in front of the ever-consistent Jorge Prado who was on the podium for the third time in a row. It was also the first time for Romain Febvre on the rostrum after finishing 3rd with a solid 3-3. Febvre had already showed so much pace and great technique, so it was only a matter of time for him to get there.

In MX2, things got shaken as the dominance of Jago Geerts throughout the first two GPs was a bit disrupted. It started very well for Geerts, who was leading race 1 after clinching the FOX Holeshot, but all went down when he crashed towards the end of the race on lap 15 with Roan Van de Moosdijk, who found the way clear to win his first race of the season. In race 2, Andrea Adamo got the Holeshot, while Benistant went on to dominate the race and rode to his 1st GP win of the season with a 4-1. Geerts managed to salvage his weekend and keep his Red Plate after few crashes to finish 5th overall with a 7-3.

Benistant got his 3rd podium in a row but this time he stood on the very top and made the French national anthem be played for the second time on the day. Adamo was back on the podium after his 6th place in Sardinia with a 3-2, while de Wolf continued on his great performances to finish 3rd of the GP with a 2-4.

Riding along the major classes, we saw some amazing battles for the second round of the WMX series and the first round of the EMX125 presented by FMF Racing. The first WMX race saw the carbon copy of Sardinia for the defending World Champion Nancy Van de Ven, as she went down after few turns, missing on important points. We saw the six-time World Champion Kiara Fontanesi take the lead briefly in race 1, but it was Courtney Duncan who was the fastest as the Kiwi won her first race of the campaign. In Race 2, the young talent Lotte Van Drunen took the lead quickly and increased the gap with the 2nd lap after lap. Duncan managed to pass Van de Ven early to keep

her 2nd position until the end although a last-gasp charge from Van de Ven in the final turns kept the public hold their breath. Van Drunen going 5-1 got the 2nd spot on the podium and grabbed the Red Plate from Daniela Guillen, 3rd on the podium with a 3-4. The winner was Duncan with her first win of the season with a solid 1-2 to also get second in the Championship levelled on points with Guillen. Meanwhile, in EMX125 presented by FMF Racing, Mathis Valin displayed a great performance throughout the whole round, as he went on to go 2-1 to win the first round of the season. The other rider who was showing amazing speed was Janis Martins Reisulis, who won race 1 but unfortunately crashed while he was leading race 2 to finish with a 1-11. The Latvian still managed to be on the third step of the podium, while Vitezslav Marek was consistent with a 4-3 to end up second.

Trentino, Land of the Firsts!

With the Swiss Grand Prix on Monday, only a few days later MXGP arrived in Pietramurata, Italy, for the 4th round of the season. The MXGP of Trentino is well-known for the electric atmosphere and the large number of fans.

Tucked in the Dolomite Mountains, the track is really unique and the surroundings outstanding. This is an important rendez-vous for many Italian public and for fans from neighbouring countries, too. With more than 30,000 people present in Trentino over the weekend, the cheers and noise never faded and only increased as the races went on. Also here to experience this unbelievable atmosphere were the EMX250 and EMX125 presented by FMF Racing for their second round of the season.

It all started with the RAM Qualifying Races. In MXGP, it was the first time since the beginning of the season that someone else than Prado won, and it was Romain Febvre who stopped Prado’s series in great fashion. Febvre looked so tidy on the bike and very quick, as he comfortably won for the first time this season. This was ahead of on-form Maxime Renaux in second and the winner in Argentina, Ruben Fernandez, third.

In MX2 RAM Qualifying Race, it was Simon Laengenfelder who got the best out of everyone to finally get his first win and materialised the speed he had shown since the beginning of the season. Behind him were Thibaut Benistant and Andrea Adamo, in 2nd and 3rd respectively.

Following the qualifications, the huge crowd

present at the Paddock Show showed their overexcitement at the sight of special guest Antonio Cairoli present on the stage to receive Stefano Bressani’s masterpiece “Clothed Sculptures” from the hand of the artist himself. The masterpiece is dedicated to the Italian legend as a sign of esteem and friendship and to celebrate his long and successful career. Cairoli was on stage along with the winners of the qualifications Simon Laengenfelder and Romain Febvre plus Jorge Prado and the home riders Alessandro Lupino, Alberto Forato, Mattia Guadagnini, Andrea Adamo and Andrea Bonacorsi!

Sunday arrived soon enough as Pietramurata woke up with the Italian Anthem and prepared for a day full of action. As if he wanted to make a statement after not winning the RAM Qualifying Race, Prado started very quickly and clinched another FOX Holeshot and led the pack from start to finish. A multiple-rider collision on the first turn involved notably Herlings, Febvre and Seewer and hindered their chance to score maximum points in race 1. On the other side, Renaux went on to finish the race 2nd behind Prado to build on his victory in Switzerland. Fernandez, who was quiet in Switzerland, bounced back as he finished 3rd of the race. Herlings still managed to get back up to 9th after the collision and getting his bike up and leave in last position. The ‘bullet’ overtook no less than 20 times in the space of 18 laps, showing his special talent that made him a 100-GP Winner. In race 2 Prado made it 4 out of the last 4 FOX Holeshots making it up to 5 in total for the season. Prado was leading Renaux until mid-race, but Herlings, who was 7th on lap 1, went on a heroic charge to make up for the bad luck in the first race. Herlings found himself right behind the first two riders and this is when he made his move to make a double overtake to take the lead and keep it until the end to win his first race of the season, magnificent! In the end, Renaux got 2nd while Prado settled for 3rd.

With a 1-3 Prado won his first GP of the season. Really emotional at the end of the race, Prado dedicated his GP win to his grandfather, and he vowed to keep giving his best to win other GPs and keep the Red Plate for as long as possible. He beat Renaux for 1 point, as the Frenchie went 2-2, while the outstanding performance of Herlings in race 1 and his first race win in the second handed him the 3rd spot on the podium.

In MX2, it was another story of firsts for the overall GP. While Jago Geerts clinched the first Holeshot and won the race leading from start to finish, Andrea Adamo got second in race 1 as he overtook his teammate Liam Everts on the last lap. However, in race 2 it was Simon Laengenfelder who completely dominated the race, as he got the holeshot and showed an imperious control to win the race. Unfortunately for the German, this was not enough to get on the podium as he finished 4th overall. Adamo went on to get second as the young Italian rider showed determination to reach for his first GP of his career. Going 2-2 on home soil Adamo won his first GP in front of an ecstatic crowd. It was the first podium appearance for Liam Everts, who ended second with a solid 3-3; in fact the Belgian rider followed his father’s steps, as Trentino was Stefan Everts’s first career podium, too. Finishing 3rd overall was Geerts who after getting caught twice in the opening lap had to go from the last place to overtake many riders and end up finally with an incredible 1-7 and kept his Red Plate.

The second round of the EMX250 and EMX125 saw some amazing riding all throughout the round of Trentino. The Podium of EMX250 saw an unbelievable Italian trio with Valerio Lata winning his first round of the season with a 2-1 just in front of the Red Plate holder Andrea Bonacorsi, who had to give up the first place going 1-2. Third on the podium was Ferruccio Zanchi, who went 3-5 and completed the Italian podium that the crowd cheered with joy.

In EMX125 presented by FMF Racing, the dominance of Janis Martins Reisulis was clear from the get-go, as the Latvian won the round with a perfect 1-1 showing along the way so much confidence. Behind him were Maximilian Werner riding really quick too, as he went 2-4 for 2nd overall and Elias Escandell going 5-2 for 3rd overall. Reisulis took the Red Plate off Mathis Valin who could only finish 12th overall.

Four rounds down and fifteen to go, and it seems that every single race will be very competitive in all the categories. With four different winners over the four Grand Prix in MXGP, it shows that few riders are already capable to win and will not settle for less. MX2 also shows that many riders have the potential to win which will give us some extraordinary moments in the months to come. Portugal, Spain and France are now coming quickly, and we cannot wait to discover what the riders will deliver over the next weeks.

MXGP & Acerbis cooperate to award the Fastest MXGP and MX2 Class

MXGP and Acerbis have recently announced their digital cooperation, as long-time partner Acerbis will be official sponsor of the Best Lap for each event of the 2023 FIM Motocross World Championship season.

At the end of each event, the fastest rider in MXGP and MX2 will obtain a point. The rider with the most points in each class at the conclusion of the Championship will receive a prize from ACERBIS, which will be awarded at the MXGP Awards.

MXGP Best Lap

Jorge Prado 3

Jeffrey Herlings 1

MX2 Best Lap

Jago Geerts 2

Thibault Benistant 1

Andrea Adamo 1

MXGPSOCIAL

@mxgp.spain

The Everts dynasty doesn’t hold back

@valeriolata3 LET’S PLAY THIS ANTHEM

Beautiful race, two holeshots and victory here in Trentino

I don’t know how to thank all of you who were cheering on the track, it’s wonderful

@Airoh Helmet

The @mxgp of Trentino just ended. What an incredible weekend, so rich in emotions.

RAM Qualifying Highlights | MXGP of Switzerland presented by iXS 2023: Relive all the best moments of the day in the RAM Qualifying Races Highlights in Switzerland.

@mxgp PURE EMOTIONS

Seeing so many fans back at the last MXGP of Trentino was incredible!

Track Walk with Paul Malin

| MXGP of Switzerland presented by iXS 2023: Brand New Track this weekend in Switzerland. Paul Malin makes a great preview of what MXGP, MX2, WMX and EMX riders will expect this weekend

@Andrea Adamo Yeeesssss P.1!

Today I won my first GP No words for describe my emotions, thank you team for the hard work @ ktmfactoryracing Italian crowd was just amazing. GRAZIE ITALIA

@mx_panda

Glad to join the @ officialtriumph #triumph racing MXGP/MX2 team #mustmotorsports as fulltime test rider

@romainfebvre

3-2 for third overall this weekend in Switzerland! Felt good all weekend, riding was great and bike was on point! We are coming…

@foxwomens @lottevandrunen401 takes over the red plate and the lead in the WMX championship

@jeremyseewer91

You guys are AMAZING! I have the best fans in the world. Thank you for this atmosphere!

GoPro Lap | MXGP of Switzerland presented by iXS 2023: Take an exclusive look at the MXGP of Switzerland Presented by iXS track on board with Jeremy Seewer and his GoPro Hero 11!

IN THE WORLD OF #MXGP

@tiga243

I am really disappointed to be missing the Trentino GP. Will miss my fans and racing there !

MONSTERGIRLS

MONSTERGIRLS

RIDER OFTHEMONTH

TITLE IN THE RED ZONE

JORGE PRADO IS WITHOUT DOUBT ONE OF THE MOST TALENTED RIDERS TO EVER THROW A LEG OVER A DIRTBIKE, HIS TWO MX2 WORLD TITLES MORE THAN PROVE THAT FACT. HIS MXGP CAREER THOUGH HAS BEEN PLAGUED WITH MISFORTUNE, WITH A BROKEN FEMUR AND A POSITIVE COVID-19 DIAGNOSIS JUST TWO OF THE THINGS THAT HAVE SO FAR PREVENTED HIM FROM LIFTING THE MOST PRESTIGOUS TROPHY OF ALL. BUT AS WE HEAD TO ROUND FIVE IN PORTUGAL, THE ‘61’ HOLDS A SEVENTEEN POINT LEAD IN A CHAMPIONSHIP BATTLE HE HAS LED FROM THE VERY START OF THE SEASON. MXGP MAGAZINE CAUGHT UP WITH HIM TO FIND OUT WHAT HAS CHANGED DURING THE OFF-SEASON.

2011: Jorge Prado does the double by winning the 65cc EMX and Junior World Motocross titles in the same season.

To some, that might not mean much, but to those in the know, the youngster from Spain had already done enough to catch the eye of one of the sport’s leading brands. Since then, the ‘61’ has gone on to claim a EMX125 championship and two MX2 world titles, and at the recent MXGP of Trentino, Prado claimed his 37th career victory, which ties him with Swedish legend Torsten Hallman. And, from the first four rounds of the 2023 season, ‘JP61’ has claimed 3 of the new qualifying races and has a 50% strike rate from the 8 main races so far. He has been the Red Plate holder since

the opening round in Argentina and currently enjoys a 17 point advantage over his nearest rival. So far, so good for the man in red.

Jorge Prado’s journey began at three years old, but not in the way you might expect. Where most racers spun their first laps riding or racing a PW50 or something similar, Prado’s first moments were on a trials bike, a present which he received on his third birthday, and it wasn’t until he was around five or six that he got his first motocross bike, and for a short while at least, the young Spaniard combined both disciplines.

At 8 he was racing a 65cc KTM and by the age of 10 he’d won his first major titles, picking up the 2011 EMX65cc title along with the FIM Junior World Championship. From there, destiny pulled him away from a career in trials to one in motocross instead. Looking on at the World Juniors that weekend

was Valentina Ragni, Red Bull KTM’s Team Co-ordinator, who was so impressed by what she saw, that she had to call Pit Beirer to let him know that she’d seen a real talent, at just 10 years old. From there, the rest is history, and Prado became the latest rider to join the KTM family.

During his MX2 days with Red Bull KTM, Prado was placed underneath the ‘Dutch’ side of the team awning, briefly as a teammate to Jeffrey Herlings, and then Pauls Jonass, but after his first full season in 2017, he moved south to pair up with the Italian side of the awning where his mentor would be Antonio Cairoli, and his boss would be Claudio De Carli. After five years of being in Italy though, Prado is back in Belgium and training with Joel Smets, So, why now? And how did the move back north come about?

MXGP: When you were in EMX125 and EMX250, didn’t you work with both Stefan Everts and Joel Smets during this time?

JP:Actually, I was a bit unlucky in that situation; obviously I was lucky to have them, but I couldn’t really work with them at that time because I was going to school. So, basically the first time I worked with someone was when I moved to Italy with Claudio (De Carli) and then now with Joel (Smets), so back then I was just doing everything with my father.

In EMX125 my father was still my mechanic and we were basically alone because I was going to school. My other teammates were older and didn’t go to school and so they had more time to spend with them, so yeah, this is actually the first time that I worked with Joel.

When did you move to Italy to be with De Carli and the Italian side, and why?

Basically, in 2017 I struggled a lot with my physical condition because I couldn’t train and recover because I was going to school every day, and obviously, I am not that big of a guy, so I maybe needed a bit of extra training than another guy of my age. And going to school didn’t really help

me get to a very good level and I was struggling a lot, and then KTM proposed me that I move to the Italian side and work with them, also because I struggled a lot with the heat, so it helped me a lot to go back to a place where the weather is warm and to get used that, and this was something between KTM and Claudio and myself, that we decided okay, let’s make a change. Also, it was good for me because I was really used to riding the sand and I didn’t ride so much hard pack, so it was a good opportunity to improve on hard pack, in the heat and my fitness.

Did you see benefits immediately?

Yes, and I think the biggest difference was that I could train, I didn’t have to worry about getting back home and study or where I could rest, or some days I couldn’t train because I had to study the previous years. So, then I became a professional rider. Really! So, then 2018, I was a full professional rider, I could train more, I could recover more and I could see that physically I got better and everything was just improving.

After 5 years in Rome, you’ve decided to move back to Belgium and now you’re working with Joel Smets for the first time - what was the reason for this?

I think we did a great job the last years in Rome, but I wanted to bring myself to the level I’m at right now, and I still can get to, and I believe I can only do that by riding over here (Belgium). So, that’s why! I wanted to do everything a little bit more by myself, go more to different kinds of tracks and not always riding the same track as I did the last four, five years, always riding Malagrotta … so, I wanted that change. I also wanted a little bit of freshness into the training. Also, in the winter I really wanted to go to Spain. We went and rode in Spain for a few weeks before Christmas and after New Year we also went back, I did some training in Italy as well, some training in Belgium. So, I just needed a little bit of freshness into the training, a little bit more fun, changing more the tracks, getting a bit better in one of

my biggest strong points, which is the sand.

I’m happy we did this decision because I feel like I got better, we improved the bike more because we got to ride more different tracks. Last year was a tough year for us, so we needed that change; we needed to get the bike to work in all different kinds of tracks, and I think it helped us this year to do that.

It’s basically that, that I wanted to ride a bit more sand, wanted to ride different tracks, wanted to do the programme also with Joel (Smets) and myself, which is a very good combination because I am not following what Joel says, but we do like 50/50. It’s like he says something, I say something and we combine it and then we have the programme. It’s nice because I can decide, and I’m happy with what I’m doing, and I believe that what I do is the best. It does make sense!

What are you doing now that is different, why are things working better for you this year? Is it just riding different tracks, is it just that freedom, or are you doing something else physically as wellcycling more or less, riding more or less, are you in the gym more or less?

Well, I have always been training hard, it’s just different! So, I wouldn’t call it really more or doing less - maybe a little bit more yes, but nothing crazy! It’s just a little bit here and a little bit there and we have a very strong programme, I believe. But, it’s hard to say. I think also the sand makes me a bit stronger. Once I got used to riding the hard pack it comes quite natural to me, so then I don’t make the same effort while riding in the sand. When the track gets bumpy you’ve got to get over the bumps, so I think that’s a big change and it’s helping me to get my fitness at a great point, the bike and my confidence especially.

Now that you are based in Belgium and working with Joel, who is more neutral within KTM group now, how has this move affected your relationship with Davide and Claudio, and how is that relationship now?

The relationship is strong; this year Davide became my team manager, I’m super happy about that and he is doing a great job. He is working so hard, he’s a very hard working person, he is really open in his mind and I think that is only positive to me because he understands what I want; I mean, I am happy that he is helping me to stay here in Belgium and have my mechanic here and if I want to go to Spain, let me go to Spain and like I said, he is really open and he is doing a great job. I am very happy with Davide as a team manager, he is just going every day for 100%.

How different is the bike this year - last year it was all new; what kind of things have you worked on to improve things like starts - not that you need to improve your starts - but also the rest of the performance, the handling etc …?

Yeah, last year we had a big struggle; it was a very tough year, I couldn’t show my full potential and, you know, it’s hard also mentally to be competing when you know you are limited. But this year, I feel better. We did some good changes over the winter, some good testing and with all the information that we got from last year from me, we could step it up and we could make the bike more competitive to like it is right now. It’s not easy, luckily, I push a lot to the guys to get the bike to 100% and … HOH! We changed so many things! It’s hard to say, but from engine, to pieces on the frame to everything, to make it better, so that KTM Group, KTM, GASGAS, everyone who is pushing hard to make a step in the right direction. I think we still need to improve, but we are in a good way. I need to say that maybe the struggle from last year was needed, to this year be at the point where we are right now.

You had some lingering health issues the last couple of years - are you back to 100% or close to it?

So, in 2020, I got Covid in Lommel, I think it was like four rounds to go or something like that, and I was struggling in the beginning of 2021, a lot. Then, we kind of fixed it and I was feeling better just before the

crash (in Germany) with Jeffrey. Around that time, I was feeling already better; we had some good racing in Loket. We had some good racing in Riola, also with Jeffrey, then also in Teutschenthal and yeah! We had the big crash, but then I got injured.

And then, last year I was feeling alright but then I got the Covid again in Lommel, so the last part of the season I was totally off. It was quite a shame because with this kind of sickness, you can’t do anything; it’s just waiting and waiting until you recover. It feels like you train, but once you get on the bike it feels like you didn’t train for a month, you know, so it’s really frustrating. Right now, I’m happy because I’m feeling healthy, and that’s the most important; I’m healthy and I can feel good.

Two home races for you, Portugal and Spain - you dominated in Spain a couple years ago, and won Portugal

last year. The way you’re feeling now, you’re going there with a real positive energy; you’re healthy, the bike is good, you’re leading the championship. There’s every reason to suggest that only a win will do there - do you feel like that?

Yeah. Totally! I’ve had a very good start of the season and I’m at a good point at the moment with the bike, and physical wise I am still improving. So, going to Portugal where last year I got the win and like you said, it’s almost like a home GP, just three and a half hours away from my home in Spain, it’s a track that I also like so hopefully we can get a win there, like I did last year.

And then we have the GP of Spain and that’s really our home race, the GP I’m waiting for all year, because so many fans are coming and I always feel good on that track. It’s quite special, also quite rutty and I think I can perform good in these next two races so

hopefully we can get some wins and extend the points lead.

How do you deal with the home GP because some riders like it, some don’t, because they feel there is a lot of pressure on them, a lot of fans and a lot of attention; are you pretty chilled about it, or do you just embrace it?

Well, it’s not easy because in Spain let’s say, 99% of the fans are coming for myself, so then I have a lot of, kind of like pressure because everyone is expecting me to win. And if it’s not a win, it’s a failure, so it’s a lot of pressure but it’s also something that I kind of enjoy, to have that pressure. I think I perform good under pressure, so it’s nice that the fans come over, they support you. I think I’m in a nice place to be (there) and enjoy the moment, so coming to the Spanish GP, I will just try to enjoy the atmosphere and hopefully bring home some good results.

SPECIALFEATURE TRIBUTE

FEATURE

TRIBUTE TO DAVE NICOLL

DAVE NICOLL, FORMER BRITISH MOTOCROSS RIDER AND FIM MOTOCROSS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

RACE DIRECTOR FROM 2000 TO 2013, RECENTLY PASSED AWAY AT THE AGE OF 79.

Infront Moto Racing, the FIM and the whole MXGP Paddock were saddened by the news of his passing and would like to honour him with this little tribute.

Nicoll began motorcycle racing at the age of 16 and started competing in the FIM 500cc Motocross World Championship in 1964 at the age of 20. He lined up for the first time as a rider, riding for the Matchless factory for the first three years of his career. His first win came at the 1969 MXGP of Luxembourg and the following year, in what was a huge moment, he beat Joel Robert and Jeff Smith to win the Trans AMA Motocross Series.

In his 13-years long career as a rider, Nicoll recalled one of his favourite moments:

“Looking back, that it would have been at the Motocross of Nations in Ernée, France, back in 2005, I was standing in front of the gates before the start of race 1 and I looked over my shoulder and saw so many people in the crowd, it was really packed and it was a really unusual atmosphere, that moment for me was the first step towards how the MXoN is now”.

Nicoll stopped competing in 1978 and worked as the manager of the British Motocross des Nations team. When his son, Kurt Nicoll began competing in the FIM Motocross World Championship, Dave Nicoll became his team manager.

After his son retired from the competition in 1997, Nicoll was hired in 2000 by the FIM to become the Race Director for the FIM Motocross World Championship and he steered the races for the following 13 years. He continued on to work in MXGP and give his invaluable expertise with Youthstream (now called Infront Moto Racing) to continue to improve this beautiful sport and strengthened this important link with the FIM. He also received a special award for his 10th years of service as Race Director during the 2010 Motocross of Nations, in Thunder Valley for his lifetime spent racing, running and working within motocross.

Dave Nicoll was a real gentleman and appreciated by everyone who met him as well as being an invaluable member of the Motocross paddock with a strong dedication to the sport. An emotional minute of silence was taken at the starting grid of the 1st Grand Prix of the season in Argentina to show one last and sincere tribute to Dave Nicoll from the whole motocross family.

SECTIONNAME HALLOFFAME

TITLE

JONATHAN BARRAGÁN

JONATHAN BARRAGÁN WAS THE FIRST SPANISH RIDER TO EVER WIN GP’S IN THE MAIN CLASS, AND DURING TEN YEARS HE WAS THE BEST REPRESENTATIVE OF HIS COUNTRY IN THE MOTOCROSS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP. HE COULD NEVER FINISH A SEASON ON THE FINAL PODIUM, BUT HE CELEBRATED NO LESS THAN SIX TOP TEN FINISHES IN THE MX1 SERIES AND WON ELEVEN SPANISH MOTOCROSS TITLES DURING HIS CAREER.

Born on 19th July 1985 in Getafe, near Madrid, Jonathan has always been lulled by the sound of engines, as his father Jesus and his uncle Juanjo were both Motocross Spanish champions! As did his brother Jesus and his cousins Juan and Christian, Jonathan jumped on a bike when he was young and collected his first title in the Alevin 60cc Championship in Madrid when he was only nine years old.

Winning almost every year a title in this series, he also got podium results in the Spanish championships and had the opportunity to race the 80cc European Championship in 1999. Two years later he entered the Junior World Championship and finished runner up behind Tanel Leok, and in 2002 he did a few rounds of the 125cc European Championship, winning the first one at Castelnau de Levis in France. The following step was racing some rounds of the MX2 World

Championship, and after two learning seasons, he jumped in the MX1 class in 2005 when he was only nineteenth.

His first full season since he raced the World Championship was a good one, as he scored several top five finishes to end the season seventh in the MX1 class. Racing on orange bikes since he started riding a 125cc, he had the opportunity to sign with the KTM Factory team in 2006 alongside Sébastien Tortelli and Mickael Pichon. He finished sixth of the series with his first podium results, second in Portugal and third in Czech Republic, he also won his first heats the following year in Benelux and Bulgaria. He got several top five results, but due to some DNF’s, he couldn’t improve his final standings. That year Barragán won the first out of the four Spanish titles he has in the MX1 class.

1st June 2008 was a great day for Jonathan and the Spanish Motocross, as he won his first ever MX1 GP at Mallory Park, Great Britain, just one week after winning the Spanish round of the MX3 series. More confident than ever after this double win, he was ‘the man to beat’ in the second part of the season and added three more GP wins (Sweden, South Africa and Belgium) to his score board to finish the championship in fourth position. Considered as one of the favourites in 2009, he won two of the first six rounds of the championship but an injury forced him to miss six GP’s.

Moving to the Kawasaki Racing Team in 2010 he again suffered several injuries and missed most of the season. In 2011 he did his first full campaign since 2008 and he got GP podiums at the first and last rounds to finish eighth overall. Moving to Honda LS in 2012 he had to deal with a hand injury, then he went back on a KTM for his last season in Motocross. Afterwards he had the opportunity to start another career in Enduro with GasGas and he got a podium result at the 2014 ISDE with the Spanish Team. Later he also entered the Paris Dakar Rally.

1999: 80 Spanish Champion (Kawasaki)

10th in the 80 European Championship

2001: 125 Spanish Junior Champion (KTM)

2nd in the 125 FIM Junior World Championship

2002: 125 Spanish Senior Champion (KTM)

8th in the 125 European Championship

2003: 28th in the 125 World Championship(KTM)

125 Spanish Senior Champion

2004: 22nd in the MX2 World Championship (KTM)

125 Spanish Senior Champion

2005: 7th in the MX1 World Championship (KTM)

2006: 6th in the MX1 World Championship (KTM)

2007: 10th in the MX1 World Championship (KTM)

MX1 Spanish Champion

2008: 4th in the MX1 World Championship (KTM). Win 4 GP’s 24th in the MX3 World Championship. Win 1 GP

MX1 Spanish Champion

2009: 9th in the MX1 World Championship (Kawasaki). Win 2 GP’s

2010: 18th in the MX1 World Championship (Kawasaki)

2011: 8th in the MX1 World Championship (Kawasaki)

MX1 Spanish Champion

2012: 14th in the MX1 World Championship (Honda)

MX1 Spanish Champion

2013: 18th in the MX1 World Championship (KTM)

Text and Photos: Pascal Haudiquert

T ’S TIME TO GET

GNARLY!

joy of the wind in their face. Well, the all-new 2023 KTM 450 SX-F was engineered for something else entirely. So, if you’re serious about kicking ass,

PADDOCKTALKS

1 Paddock Show Selfie in front of a packed-crowd Paddock Show in Trentino, with Alberto Forato, Andrea Adamo, Jorge Prado, Mattia Guadagnini, Andrea Bonacorsi, Alessandro Lupino.

2 EMX250 full Italian podium (Valerio Lata, Andrea Bonacorsi and Ferruccio Zanchi with the President of the FMI Giovanni Copioli, plus the representatives of the FMI (Roberto Rustichelli, Gianluca Avenoso and Thomas Traversini) and the Enduro World Champion Andrea Verona.

3 Antonio Cairoli Receives Masterpiece from Artist Stefano Bressani during the Paddock Show in Trentino

4 MX2 Starts, Jago Geerts, Rick Elzinga and Thibault Benistant from the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 Team visited Sidi at its Maser headquarter.

5 Kimi Räikkönen came to the MXGP of Switzerland presented by iXS to see and support Romain Febvre on the Podium.

6 Easter Bunny made an appearance in the Paddock in Frauenfeld, Switzerland to look for chocolates all around the paddock with the children present.

7 Antonio Cairoli switched his bike for a RAM Truck for the official launch in Trentino of the new TRX Havoc Edition.

8 David Luongo and Franco Acerbis celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the brand Acerbis during the MXGP of Trentino.

9 The Enduro World Champion Andrea Verona on the starting grid of the MX2 Race 1 in Trentino gets interviewed by Lisa Leyland.

10 The Italian 2013 Enduro World Champion Alex Salvini was another star present for the MXGP of Trentino in Italy.

SPECIALFEATURE

PIERREALEXANDER RENET 2009

SUZUKI RMZ450

WHEN WE DELVE INTO THE REALMS OF HISTORY, THE ARCHIVES WILL SHOW US THAT SUZUKI WAS ONCE THE MOST PROMINENT AND MOST DOMINANT BRAND IN THE FIM MOTOCROSS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP, WINNING 21 WORLD TITLES IN 14 YEARS FROM 1970-1984.

The following 24 years were not so kind and from 1985-2009, Suzuki added just nine more. When Pierre-Alexandre Renet clinched the MX3 World Championship in Denmark on 30 august 2009, what we didn’t know then, was that this would be the last motocross world championship for Hamamatsu, and so, in this issue of MXGP magazine, we will feature the 2009 Suzuki rmz450 that took ‘pela’ to that historic title.

In 2007, Pierre-Alexander Renet placed 15th in the MX1 World Championship riding a carburetted Honda CRF450, but for 2008, the Frenchman joined the Teka Bodo Schmidt Suzuki team, but after missing six rounds through injury, ‘Pela’ found himself slipping down the world rankings. When ‘Teka’ (the title sponsor) decided to channel all

of its efforts into the Geboers factory Suzuki team, Bodo Schmidt - who was now missing quite a sizeable chunk of his budget to continue in MX1 - decided instead to shift his team’s attentions to the MX3 class, with Pierre-Alexandre Renet as his main rider.

Coming from the Honda CR-F450 at the end of 2007 though didn’t come without its problems. In 2008, Suzuki had just released the first mass-produced fuel injected motocross bike, and as ‘Pela’ recalls, there was a significant difference between what he’d been riding and what he was now going to race:

‘The power was quite smooth - it was the first bike with injection for me, but in 2007, I was riding a Honda 450 with a carburettor, and when I first arrived on the Suzuki injection, I didn’t like it so much because there was not enough character; the power was really flat.

In the beginning, compared to the carburettor bike, I didn’t feel super good on the Suzuki 450cc with injection.’

Pela’s preparation for the 2009 season began in Spain where he joined up with Harry Everts winter training camp, something which the Frenchman had never done before. With the attention focussed on the quality of moto’s rather than the technical side, his time in Spain was well spent. However, prior to the first GP of the season at Hawkstone Park in England, Pela suffered a shoulder injury in a training crash, which hampered his performance. After failing to finish on the podium, Renet recalls the meeting with the boss that followed:

‘I struggled with my injured shoulder, so the first GP was tough. I remember after Hawkstone, I had a meeting with Bodo and he told me ‘okay, we will go to Spain and Portugal but if your results are not going better then I don’t know if we are going to finish the season.’

No pressure there then!!

8-6 results in England were followed by 5-4 in Spain at Talavera, but even though the results were not what Pela was looking for, he felt it was a positive step forwards, and by round three in Portugal, the ‘15’ got to view the podium from the top step:

‘In Spain I knew I could win already because I took two bad starts, but I had really good speed and I made two good moto’s, so I knew I was able to win, and in Portugal I did it, so this was good.’

Another podium (2nd) in Chile was followed by another knock to his already problematic shoulder injury in Bulgaria, which kept him off the podium for the next couple of rounds, but by round 8, he was back to winning ways in Italy, and had closed the gap to the leader Julien Vanni. When Vanni picked up an injury in Slovenia, Renet pounced and by the end of the weekend he had turned over a 16-point deficit into a slender championship advantage.

By the time the series reached Round 12 at Lacapelle Marival, France, Renet and Alex Salvini were practically inseparable, but the home crowd advantage came at the right time, and Pela came away with a 1-1, the overall victory and an extension of his points lead:

‘It was quite a big day because it was quite close between me and Alex Salvini - we were almost tied on points - and in Lacapelle I won the GP, but I did so with a really big gap; he started just behind me, but I made a big, big moto. This was a good day for the championship.’

At the following round in Finland, both Renet (7-4) and Salvini (8-6) failed to make the podium, and as the championship reached Denmark for the penultimate round, Renet and Salvini were separated by 29 points. When Renet placed 3rd in race one to Salvini’s 4th, the gap was then out to 31, so all Renet needed to do was stay out of trouble, bring it home and head to the final round in France where he would hope to be crowned world champion in front of his home fans.

Someone had a different plan though, and when Renet crossed the line in the second race in Denmark (Salvini was 18th), the Frenchman was crowned world champion - a week earlier than expected.

‘Because of how the points were going to Denmark, (29 in front, with 50 on the table) we were thinking to win the title at the last race in Villars, but I got the title one race before. After the title, it was good because in Villars there was less pressure, there was a lot of people, so it was a good moment.

Xavier Boog came with Suzuki (as a wildcard) to make the race - he won with 1-1, I was 2nd with 2-2. This also was good.

As far as standout-moments, there were a couple, as Pela points out:

‘Lacapelle was a really good weekend because I had a lot of

friends and family there to support me, and I won both moto’s so that was a really good moment. And of course, winning the title in Denmark - although there was nobody there from the team - only my mechanics, so it was strange to celebrate because nobody was there. But it was nice to win the title, of course.’

The bike

For a world title-winning bike, Renet’s RM-Z450 was surprisingly standard. The engine was modified by the team and the exhaust system was provided by Akrapovic. The only ‘factory’ items were the hubs, and these were only on the bike because the team received some factory support in 2008 from Suzuki, and there were a few sets left over from ’08. The rims were by Excel.

The 48mm Showa forks were standard, but modified, and were married to X-Trig triple clamps with Pro-Taper the handlebar of choice.

All chassis-related items, from frame to swingarm and footpegs were also standard, and so too were the radiators. The 5-speed gearbox remained unchanged. The brakes were Goldfren and Renet opted for a bigger front disc for better stopping power.

With the initial feeling of the power being quite smooth, the team provided more ‘character’ with different mapping, and this is all it took to turn this bike into a title-winner. What we didn’t know at the time was that Renet’s world title would be the 30th and last for Suzuki. It was and remains to be the only world title for the fuel injected Suzuki since it entered the market in 2008.

TIM GAJSER 2022 MXGP WORLD CHAMPION TOM VIALLE 2022 MX2 WORLD CHAMPION

“WE SELL WHAT WE RACE, WE RACE WHAT WE SELL”

TOTHEEDITOR

QUESTIONS

❝ How can I watch the RAM Qualifying Races?

Morgane: ❞

Hi Morgane, The RAM Qualifying races can be watched on MXGP-TV with the season pass. Follow this link to to buy your pass https:// www.mxgp-tv.com/home

Thanks MXGP ❝

Hi, I’m looking at going to the MXoN in Ernee with my Camper Van, is it possible?

John

Hi John, the tickets for Camping access for the MXoN are available at https://ernee.motocrosstickets.com/en/6551-mxfr/.

Regards MXGP

❝

Hi guys, I want to see photos from the last Grand Prix, is there anywhere I can go for that?

Lucy

Dear Lucy, yOf course, you can check the Photo Gallery on the MXGP and the last events on the website right here https://www.mxgp. com/photos?year_filter=2021

Best Regards MXGP

Hey guys, I would like to watch some great videos of MXGP, where can I go?

Leo ❞

Hi Leo, you can check great videos on MXGP YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/@ motocross. Thanks MXGP

Hi, I want to go to the Liquid Moly MXGP of Germany by car, can you guys show me how to get there?

Pascal

Hello Pascal : of course click here https://www. mxgp.com/tracks/teutschenthal to see all the details and location of the track of Teutschenthal. Thanks MXGP