MXGP #122 2023 by MXGP MAG

#122 2023

o d ra

P e rg

SION S I

M PL

2023 MXGP WORLD CHAMPION

T N E T N O C

RA P. 20

P. 10

AT NG C

TCH HOT A S C L COO CING A R P.50

R STE N O M

S P. L R I G

XO UP M

XG M P U

LL O A H P.62

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 #122 2023

ccscscs

7 The articles published in this �� P. � � magazine do not necessarily reflect � � � � � � the official position of Infront Moto �� 0 Racing. � 1 � . � � � P � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � Then content of this publication is �� L � � � A � � I 8 � based on the best knowledge and � 1 � R . � � � P O � � � � � T � � I � information available at the time � � � � � � D � E �� S �� the articles were written. � � T � � � � O � � � H 6 � � 1 S � . � � � L The copying of articles and �� P T �� COO � O � � � photos even partially is H � � � S � � � E � � L � forbidden unless permission � 0 � � O 3 H P �� P. � has ben requested from � X U � � � O � H � F Infront Moto Racing in TC �� A � � � C � � advance and reference is � � �� ING � � made to the source (©MXGP). � C � � � A � � R �P.36 �� E � � � H � � AM IAL ONT �� M OF F SOC E H �� T F O �� R P.46 E � � � � � � D � � I � o � R d E �� e Pra R U Jorg � T FEA �� L A CI E TRUE P.52 � � E � � � P S a M E varn H CA q R S s I U u W EAT varna to H F L .60 CIA om Husq P � E � � � P � � S fr �� ney � r � � u � � o � J AMEey �� F F � P.64 O Whatl � � � � L � � � L HA y ‘Jem’ �� m � � Jere S �� K L P.66 TA � � � � K � � � C �� DO RE 250SX �� U PAD T EA 09 KTM �� P.74 � F � � � � L OR CIA n 20 T I D SPE in Musqui HE E v T O Mar ST N O I ST QUE

L A I R O T I D E

David Luongo CEO of Infront Moto Racing

Dear MXGP Friends, October marks usually the beginning of the winter break for MXGP, but this year, it has been very busy. First, the Monster Energy Motocross of Nations is still in the head of everybody. The most exciting and popular Off-road event on the planet made history this year. A massive crowd came for it, the organization was top class, and the racing was, as always, very open. Team France won the title on his home soil and will defend it on the very much appreciated Matterley Basin track in Great Britain. October was a busy month for our teams at Infront Moto Racing as we are already stepping into the 2024 season with the finalization of the calendar, the site visit of new tracks and some very important event related to the development of our sport. The first one is the annual meeting of the Sportel in Monaco. It is the most important Sport Media Rights meeting of the year, where the sport holders meet with the Worldwide TV Broadcasters to bring their sport on TV. We participate since the very beginning in the early nineties, as TV exposure has always been our priority to make MXGP more popular.

THE PARTICIPATION OF NEW MANUFACTURERS LIKE TRIUMPH OR FANTIC BROUGHT THE NUMBER OF OFFICIAL MANUFACTURER TO 9 WHICH IS THE HIGHEST NUMBER IN MOTORSPORT! Long-time TV partner Eurosport, with a contract in place until 2025, seized the opportunity to meet us and expressed their appreciation for the extensive coverage of the MXGP series. Similarly, FOX Mexico, Direct TV Latin America and IEG in Indonesia were enthusiastic about their partnership and eagerly anticipated offering their viewers thrilling motocross races in the upcoming MXGP seasons, reaffirming the global interest in MXGP. Also, traditional partners such as RAI, All Baltics, Motorvision, MTV Finland further solidified MXGP as a sought-after presence in the world of television broadcasting.

The second important fair this month was the EICMA in Milano where all the motorcycle industry is regrouped during a week. All the bikes manufacturers, gears producers, partners of the MXGP are present during this event and it is always very nice to meet after the season to plan 2024 and discuss about the future development of the sport. EICMA was also the occasion to unveil some teams line up of next year. The participation of new manufacturers like Triumph or Fantic brought the number of Official Manufacturer to 9 which is the highest number in motorsport! With some new coming in the year to come, MXGP will continue to bring excitement and great racing to the fans! We will be heading to Liverpool next week for the annual FIM Awards to celebrate our World Champions and to meet with all the 2024 MXGP organizers. Finally, some ticketing shops are already open for next year like MXGP of France and the season pass for MXGP-TV.com! I wish you a great reading in this November issue of the MXGP Mag!

S T O H S L COO

2024 SEASON COMING UP

r e F f O BUY NOW

Available on multiple devices

Follow MXGP on:

P U G H N ATC I C A C R

T S BE

3 2 0 2 OF 19

ONCE AGAIN THIS YEAR, THE MXGP SEASON HAS HAD ITS SHARE OF MEMORABLE INSTANTS. FROM SIMPLE FACTS OF RACING TO EXTRA-SPORTING EVENTS, EVERYTHING CONTRIBUTED TO MAKING THIS MOTOCROSS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP AN EXHILARATING SEASON. HERE ARE TEN OF THE BEST MOMENTS THE WORLD OF MOTOCROSS HAD TO OFFER ITS FANS.

Adamo & Prado, World Champions at Maggiora This penultimate Grand Prix of the season will inevitably be remembered. Not necessarily for the two winners of this Round 18 - Jago Geerts in MX2 and Jeremy Seewer in MXGP - although they won this Italian stage brilliantly, but because it saw the crowning of two rising stars of MXGP tracks. Jorge Prado and Andrea Adamo, two youngsters from more modest backgrounds, who forced their way into the professional world before the consecration that we all know now. For the Spaniard, things went quickly; the GASGAS rider took the lead from the start of Race 1, ahead of Jeremy Seewer and Romain

Febvre. The Frenchman’s bad luck made the GASGAS rider’s day, as he crashed and then suffered a mechanical problem with his bike. From there, the No. 61 kept the lead and crossed the finish line in first position, which gave him this coveted holy grail. As for the young Italian from KTM, he had to wait until Race 2. In 5th position early in the heat, Adamo managed to move up to 3rd place midway through the race, position he held until the end, but without knowing that Liam Everts, the other title contender, had crashed out, which offered him the title he had been waiting for. Herlings’ 102 At the start of the season, Jeffrey Herlings made a remarkable return to competition, after a 2022 exercise during which he was seriously injured. The Dutchman finished 2nd in the Grand Prix of Patagonia-Argentina, and it was

only a matter of time before The Bullet went for the most coveted record of all time: 102 GP wins, just one ahead of Stefan Everts. Between MX fans and the rider, it’s hard to know who was more impatient, but what’s certain is that Herlings wasted no time in joining Everts at the top of the MXGP galaxy, achieving the 101st victory of his career in Round 5, at Agueda. The following Grand Prix left little room for doubt, with Jeffrey Herlings in fine form, ready to do battle with every one of his rivals on the intu-Xanadú - Arroyomolinos track. Although he wasn’t very comfortable on his starts in the two heats, the No.84 made the most of his ease and speed throughout the course, to finally offer 50 points to the KTM team, but above all to give them the privilege of holding the most successful man in the history of Motocross. Gajser’s back to the competition At the start of the season, we were expecting a titanic duel between reigning World Champion Tim

Gajser and Jeffrey Herlings, but fate decided otherwise in the preseason, when the Slovenian suffered a femur injury that ruled him out of most of the competition. It was a long wait for TiGa243’s fans, who were beginning to despair of seeing him back on the track during the season. But the athlete gave himself the means to come back and signed his return not far from home, in Loket, Czech Republic. For his first round, the Honda rider managed a respectable 9-5 to take 7th place overall. Then, he went from strength to strength over the last seven Grand Prix of the season, notably winning the rounds of Türkiye and Great Britain. Everts, first GP ever The Belgian nugget knew he was expected in several respects. Firstly, because he is the son of the Legend Stefan Everts, one of the best if not the best rider in the history of this sport. Secondly, because he is a member of one of the most prominent teams on the MX2 circuit and in the Motorbike World. We could add that a certain Jeffrey Herlings, with all the 21

track record we know, is part of this Austrian KTM squad, naturally forcing all the other riders to raise their level so as not to remain in the shadow of the Dutch giant. With all these ingredients, the season could have been complicated for the No. 72, who nonetheless showed a great capacity to resist the pressure. In fact, at the Liqui Moly MXGP of Germany, Liam Everts got his first GP win, with an excellent 2-1, ahead of his both teammate and rival Andrea Adamo (3-2), and the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 Team rider Thibault Benistant (4-3). High five for Febvre Despite having ‘only’ one World Championship title to his name, Romain Febvre is no ordinary guy, far from it. The Kawasaki rider is a real machine, a hard worker with a single objective: to become number 1 again. And the Frenchman showed it, despite a slow start to the season. The turning point? Round 10 at Sumbawa, where he finally won his first GP in 2023. A trigger for the native of Epinal, who went on to win the Grand Prix of Lombok, Czech Republic, Flanders and Finland, before losing Uddevalla for the benefit of Jeremy Seewer. High five. Getting five GPs in a row is really quite something. The No.3 even managed a sixth in Arnhem, Netherlands, but it wasn’t enough to overtake Jorge Prado and reclaim the World Championship title. Three Belgians on the podium On April 5, 1981, in what was formerly the MX2 category, called 125cc at that time, Marc Velkeneers won the Dutch GP at Valkenswaard, ahead of Harry Everts and Eric Geboers. A young trio, 100% Belgian, who went on to enjoy a glorious career on the MXGP tracks. Forty-two years later, on June 25, 2023, another Belgian trio achieved the same feat on the island of Sumbawa, Indonesia. On the top step of the podium, Lucas Coenen won the first Grand Prix of his career, ahead of Harry Everts’ grandson Liam and Jago Geerts. The Husqvarna resident won it in style. Sixty points obtained, the maximum possible with the 10 points of the the RAM Qualifying Race. It augurs well for the years to come, particularly in the MXGP class, because apart from Jeremy van Horebeek, who returned from retirement to do some

freelance work for Standing Construct Honda, and young Hugo Moors, who joined JK Racing Yamaha for the last two rounds of the season, Belgian motocross is sorely lacking in representatives at that level. Herlings’ epic comeback Not just anyone can be Jeffrey Herlings, and with good reason. At 29 years of age, the Dutchman never ceases to surprise us, no matter where or what the circumstances. And even after a serious injury, The Bullet gets back on his bike and swallows up the kilometers as if time had no hold on him. On March 26, 2023, in Sardinia, the KTM rider made one of the most spectacular comebacks that sport has ever seen. While he started over 10th position, he began a clinical comeback in the Top 10, overtaking a dozen riders as if he was on a training, to take 2nd position. The battle with Renaux and Febvre was hard and the three guys fought during two laps for that place. Herlings finally took the advantage in last Lap and finished less than two seconds behind Glenn Coldenhoff. But this astonishing comeback sounded like a victory of Jeffrey Herlings, who mathematically won the Grand Prix and recorded the 100th GP of his phenomenal career. Courtney Duncan, at the end of the suspense In WMX, it is difficult to achieve a better performance than that of Courtney Duncan. The New Zealander is a hard worker, and she made that clear to her rivals, winning four of the six rounds of the Championship. Only Spanish Daniela Guillén and the Dutch Lotte van Drunen put up any resistance to the “Kiwi”. But on her Kawasaki, the Queen of the discipline didn’t tremble much, only missing out on the podium in the Netherlands. Her association with Big Van World MTX is one of the most prolific in the history of WMX, the young woman having won four World Championship titles in the last five years, and 16 Grand Prix victories out of the 25 she contested. And the No. 151 isn’t set to stop there, with rumours already circulating that she has her sights set on a fifth title. But with an additional year of experience, the competition Guillén, van Drunen and Valk promises to be fierce. Magic opportunities at Sumbawa/ Lombok MXGP isn’t just about competition. 26

Behind this acronym, it’s also about travelling to some of the most exotic places, discovering some of the most exotic customs, and meeting the local people for some great moments of sharing. In this respect, the double Indonesian Grand Prix was undoubtedly the most memorable moment of the season, particularly during the two Media Opportunities organized by the local authorities. Events rewarded later at the MXGP Awards. In Sumbawa, the ceremony began with traditional dances at the Regent’s office, before a princely parade in horse-drawn carriages pulled by amazing little horses, or on bicycles to get closer to local traditions, through the main streets of the town to meet the locals. All this ended at the Palais, in front of a delighted crowd, for an autograph session and a few selfies. And the magic continued in Lombok, with a dinner organized for the MXGP delegation, for which the red carpet was literally rolled out, with photographers, a local orchestra and a welcoming committee in traditional dress. After a few speeches and a tasty buffet, some of the riders and team members were invited to dance on the dance floor by a troupe of Indonesian dancers to round off this wonderful evening in style. 102,000 attendees at Ernée Again, it’s not the race we’re talking about, but the atmosphere. And when it comes to atmosphere, the French know what to do. This is evidenced by the incredible crowd who came to celebrate the great annual Motocross mass. Indeed, 102,000 fans over the weekend came to the West of France for the 2023 Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations. France wanted to send the signal that it is also a huge land of MX, like its Belgian and Dutch neighbors. This was verified on the track, with an almost unchallenged domination of the Febvre-Renaux-Vialle trio, who brought the Chamberlain Trophy home after seeing the Americans capture it during the previous edition. com

L A I C O S P G X M @teamhondamotoblouzsr We are happy to have for 2024 season two good riders in @mxgp class with @kevinhorgmo24 and @ valentinguillod92 !!

@simon_516 @romainfebvre 2023 season is ending and I have to turn the page with 2 people who are/was very important to me! @kevinstrijbos22 and @remybertrand422

@glenncoldenhoff Thanks to everyone at @ yamaharacingcomofficial for the past 3 years. Looking back on some great memories together

What a beast! MC 250 2-Stroke💨

@liam_everts72 Mxon’23! Great weekend for me individual I finished second in the Mx Open class super stoked about it! As a nation 🇧🇪 we finished 5th this year. Nice to end my season in a good way thanks to the team and everyone for your support this season!!!

@jeffrey_herlings84 Thank you for the patience @ktmfactoryracing ❤️ 2023 has not been kind with some ups and downs, from highs to lows, and loads of badluck in many different ways. Let’s slowly start working on 2024 in a couple of weeks and drink loads of milk 🥛 so the bones stay a bit stronger.

Team France Win | Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations: Re-live all the emotions of Team France win in front of the incredibl home-crowd in Ernée! 30

@alpinestarsmx An iconic event on home soil. @maximerenaux959 talks us through the joys, pressures, and pride of representing his home nation of France at the 2023 Motocross of Nations in our short film Courir Le Monde. Watch the full video on YouTube via our link in bio now!

@foxmoto Welcome to the fam @ mattguada101

@lucascoenen96 17 TODAY HBDAY LIL ONE @ sachacoenen79

Prince Emanuele Filiberto di Savoia visit MXGP | MXGP of Italy 2023: Prince Emanuele Filiberto of Savoy took the time to enjoy and exchange with many people throughout the whole weekend with an incredible MXGP experience in Maggiora for the MXGP of Italy. Watch some of the best moments!

e @roanvdmoosdijk39 My MX2 career has come to an end and so to my time with the @nestaan_mx family… the last two years have been flying by, but it was a pleasure working with every single one of you!!! With highs and lows, podiums and injury’s. I always felt the full support I needed and The Moose is thankful for that

Monster Energy FIM MXoN Recap | MXGP: Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations was like a MOVIE

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

R E S T L S R I N G MO

P U G H N ATC I C A C R

D N E O H I S S I S L E I M TITOL MP C C A 37

MAGGIORA, ITALY, HE FINALLY REALISED HIS LIFELONG DREAM OF BECOMING MXGP WORLD CHAMPION. THINK ABOUT THAT FOR A SECOND. WORLD CHAMPION, IN THE TOUGHEST SPORT OF ALL, IN THE TOUGHEST CLASS OF ALL. IN DOING SO, THE ‘61’ ADDED THE PREMIER CLASS TITLE TO HIS TWO MX2 TITLES TO BECOME A THREE-TIME WORLD CHAMPION, JOINING AN ILLUSTRIOUS GROUP OF RIDERS TO HAVE ACHIEVED SUCH A FEAT. AND WHILST HIS JOURNEY TO THE MXGP TITLE MAY HAVE LOOKED EASY, ON PAPER AT LEAST, PRADO’S TIME IN MXGP HAS BEEN ANYTHING BUT THAT. MXGP MAGAZINE TAKES A LOOK AT HOW HE MADE IT TO THE TOP OF THE TOUGHEST SUMMIT OF ALL.

After dominating the MX2 Class in successive seasons (2018 and 2019) Jorge Prado vacated the 250cc class for the challenge of MXGP. He was growing in size and stature and the move to the premier class seemed a natural step. His debut season though was hampered by a broken femur during a pre-season training incident, and there were fears it would derail his season completely, but somehow, the new kid on the block showed up at the season opener at Matterley Basin with the hope of scoring a few points. With a 9-12 scorecard and an impressive 26 points in the bag, many were left impressed by Prado’s determination to be there, especially since his fractured leg was still not 100% healed. One week later in Valkenswaard, the ‘61’

claimed his first top three finish with a 3rd in the qualifying race and followed it up with a 4th in race one on Sunday. He also experienced his first big crash as a faller at the first turn in race two, which probably did him a power of good knowing that he could crash, get back up and not suffer any further damage to his still mending femur. And then, the Pandemic hit the world of sport, something which both helped and hindered Prado before the year was done. With a five month break from racing, MXGP returned to action in Latvia for the first of three GP’s in the new triple-header format, and by the time we left the Latvian sands, Prado had secured his first podium with 3rd overall at the MXGP of Kegums, posting 3-4 results. Two rounds later and Prado experienced the podium from the top step at the MXGP of Citta di Faenza, having secured a brace of 2nd place finishes. His first race win followed

a few days later, and by now, he knew he had all the tools he needed to get his title aspirations back on track. He also found how to be consistent too, with four podium finishes on the bounce. By the halfway stage of the championship, JP61 had climbed to 4th and was just 39 points off the lead. An emphatic double-race win at his home GP in Spain was a magical moment and so too were his 3rd overall and 1st overall finishes at the first two Lommel GP’s where he had now moved up to 3rd in the standings, just two points shy of his teammate Antonio Cairoli. Everything was back on track, but less than 24 hours after his stunning victory in the Belgian sand, he was struck down with Covid-19. His season was over. Eight podiums, three GP wins and five race wins showed us all that he would be a contender, but for now, it was time to recover and plan ahead for 2021. After so much promise in his rookie term, fifth overall in year two seemed like he was a million miles

away from where he needed to be; the lingering effects of long-Covid and a series of injuries didn’t help matters, and with just one GP win and a total of five podiums, on paper it was a step in the wrong direction. If he was going to realise his full potential, he needed to go back to the drawing board and start again. Life in MXGP was never going to be easy, and Prado was experiencing those challenges first hand. Bouncing Back After two frustrating seasons in the premier class, Prado knew he needed his 2022 season to count, if only to start believing again, and if he could do that then maybe he would also see the light at the end of the tunnel. Five podiums from the first five rounds was exactly the kind of consistency Jorge had been craving, but even his victory in Portugal (round 4) wasn’t enough to put series leader Tim Gajser off of his stride; the Slovenian winning six of the first seven rounds was on a different level. A shoulder injury ruled him out of the Italian grand prix and when he 39

returned to action in Sardinia, Prado found his way to the third step of the podium. There would be three more visits to the box from the next four rounds, and by the time he’d left Indonesia (round 12) he was up to 2nd in the standings, albeit 125 points off of Gajser, who had already claimed eight GP victories to that point. A late season wobble at the following four rounds saw him lose his 3rd spot in the championship to Glenn Coldenhoff, and with two rounds remaining, the two riders were separated by just 8 points. With 3rd and 6th overall at the final two rounds, Prado had done enough to claim his first medal in the premier class - a hard fought bronze for 3rd overall - and maybe, as a result of that, some of the pressure was now off going into the 2023 season. All Change Jorge Prado entered the 2023 season as an MXGP bronze medallist thanks to a newfound relationship with Mr. Consistency. His 2022 campaign saw him land on the podium no fewer than ten times and he’d also learned how to dig deep - deeper than he’d possibly had to go in this class, to ensure his 3rd overall in the championship. Building on that success was now the key, and if he was going to win the MXGP world championship, he knew that change needed to happen, and with that, the ‘61’ packed his bags and moved north from Rome, where he’d been based for five years, and headed back to Belgium to begin to work with Joel Smets. Part of the ‘problem’ with being in Rome was the regular use of Claudio De Carli’s Malagrotta training circuit, and Jorge felt he needed more variety if he was to progress further. Instead of another comfortable winter in Italy, Prado and Smets travelled to France, Italy, Spain and Belgium in order to get the absolute most out of every training session; not just for Jorge, but also the bike, which was all-new in 2022 and not entirely free of any teething problems. A year of racing and further development, along with training on a wider variety of tracks meant that improvements were made to the bike for 2023, and as the first round loomed large in Argentina, Prado felt he was as ready as he was ever going to be. Winning the first RAM Qualifying Race was not a defining moment of his season, but it certainly served notice to his rivals, especially since these races now carried world championship points for the first ten 40

riders over the line. With 10 points for 1st and 1 point for 10th, some would argue that these sprint races - now with added points - were perfect for Prado. And they were not wrong. Over the course of the season, JP claimed eleven RAM Qualifying wins which added 110 points to his world championship tally - 25 points more than his closest rival Romain Febvre. After five grands prix, it was clear that consistency was the driving factor as Prado landed on the podium at each of those five rounds, including a win at Trentino (1-3), the same venue that was the scene of his first MX2 GP victory - the irony here being that these two victories were exactly SIX YEARS apart, on April 16th. And had it not been for his 4th overall at home in Spain (round 6), Prado would have finished on the box a staggering 16 times in a row. Instead, it was fifteen podiums from sixteen rounds! There were some early challenges from the likes of Jeffrey Herlings, and just as it looked as though the title race was going to be between the ‘84’ and the ‘61’, a crash in Germany meant Herlings was back on the side lines, meaning Prado headed to Indonesia with a 67-point advantage. There was no time to relax though because as quickly as one threat had disappeared, another in the form of Romain Febvre began to rear its head. The Frenchman though was already 106 adrift of Prado and sat 3rd in the standings, and not even his impressive six GP wins from seven rounds could dent the advantage the Spaniard held over the Frenchie. History in The Making With three rounds remaining Prado still held a commanding 92 points over Febvre, but after the MXGP of Turkiye, that lead was cut back to 67 after the Spaniard experienced difficulties in both races. Heading into Maggiora for the penultimate round, Prado had won thirteen races to Febvre’s eight wins, and even if Febvre went 1-1-1 and Prado went 2-2-2, Prado would be world champion. The mythical circuit of Maggiora has seen some magical moments over

the years, and we were about to witness one more. Before the GP, there was a real sense of expectation in the air. Jorge Prado, racing for the Italian-owned, Italian-based De Carli Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing Team had a very real possibility of becoming world champion on Italian soil. Not just any soil. Mythical, Maggiora soil. If not in race one, then more likely race two, as long as Prado was at least 85 points clear of Febvre. As Prado led race one and with Febvre in 3rd, the safe money was on the title being won in race two, but when Febvre suffered a technical issue which forced him out of the race, with Prado leading, he was now 92 points ahead. The MXGP World Championship was heading for Spain When Jorge Prado crossed the finish line at the end of the race, it took a brief moment for him to realise he was the new world champion, but when he did, it

didn’t take long for the penny to drop and for the celebrations to begin. All of the injuries and setbacks since 2020, the pain, the suffering, the doubts … all of that evaporated into thin air the moment Jorge crossed the finish line. The relief was immense, and the weight upon his shoulders was no longer a burden. Jorge Prado was now the 2023 MXGP World Champion. His decision to seek help from Joel Smets, to move back to Belgium, to ride and train and test wherever, whenever! All of these decisions were now validated. Jorge knew he needed something to change, and was prepared to do whatever it took for that change or those changes to make a difference. On paper the stats will show he not only won the MXGP world championship, but the manner in which he did it was reminiscent of how he won his second MX2 title. Okay, maybe the amount of GP wins wasn’t there, but the consistency certainly was and that is something both he and Smets prided themselves

on throughout the season, and from the first round in Argentina when he collected the Red Plate, Prado never relinquished his lead once, and claimed the title with a round to go. He became the eighth rider to hold three world championships. From winning the 65cc FIM Junior Motocross World Championship in 2011, Prado’s journey to the pinnacle of the sport was now complete. Congratulations Jorge Prado and to the whole of the De Carli Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing Team and we look forward to seeing what happens next 2023 In a Nutshell … Race Wins 14 RAM Wins 11 Laps Led 219 Podiums 16 GP Wins 2

JORGE PRADO GARCIA 2023 MXGP WORLD CHAMPION

ANDREA ADAMO

2023 MX2 WORLD CHAMPION

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

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

E M A E C É H N S I R E W A E AT U R T

THE YOUNG 17-YEAR-OLD MAXIME VERNATON ADANG HAD THE CHANCE TO GET HIS WISH GRANTED BY THE ASSOCIATION MAKE-A-WISH SWITZERLAND AND GET INVITED BY INFRONT MOTO RACING TO COME AND SEE THE 2023 MONSTER ENERGY FIM MOTOCROSS OF NATIONS IN ERNÉE FOLLOWING A TRAUMATIC EXPERIENCE THAT MADE HIM LOSE HIS RIGHT LEG.

Maxime was born on 8 March 2006 and has been passionate about motocross from a very young age. He started motocross in a club at the age of 7 on a PW80 and later transitioned to a 65 SX and then an 85 SX. In December 2021, at the age of 15 and while driving his Beta 50cc to work as an apprentice in aeronautical mechanics, he was involved in a motorcycle accident when a driver ran a stop sign at over 40 km/h, resulting in a severe collision that crushed his right leg in the motorcycle’s engine. He was transported to the Geneva Cantonal Hospital, where he spent three weeks and eventually had to have a below-knee amputation. He was fitted with a prosthesis in early February 2022 and began the process of relearning to walk, riding a bicycle, and returning to school in May 2022. Later, he decided to pursue a 125cc motorcycle license in March 2023, purchased a Sherco Supermoto, and had it adapted with the cooperation of Futurall Tech, to accommodate his restrictions, including a rear brake on the handlebar. Maxime also decided to shift his career aspirations away from aeronautical mechanics and aims to pursue a motorcycle mechanics apprenticeship, a passion he has held for a long time. He dreams of joining a motorcycle mechanics team in competition and returning to motocross as a leisure activity. During his hospitalization in December 2021, Maxime was approached by a nurse who introduced him to Make-A-Wish Switzerland, an organization that fulfils the dreams of children with serious illnesses or disabilities. Maxime filled out a form and Make-AWish contacted him to grant his wish. The organization, in collaboration with Roger Dubuis, a renowned Swiss watchmaker, surprised Maxime in February 2021 by inviting him to the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations in Ernée in October 2023. An email from Infront Moto Racing’s CEO David Luongo provided instructions for obtaining VIP badges, and a phone call from Infront Moto Racing Head of Public Relations Guido Becchis prepared them for the special and

amazing trip. The dream was set off.

to allow him to get back on the bike.

Once arrived in Ernée Maxime and his father toured the MXoN paddock, watched the impressive and festive riders’ presentation, and soaked in the typical electric atmosphere found at the biggest off-road event of the year.

On Saturday morning, they went to the VIP Platinum Skybox and they went on a “behind the scene” tour and explored various areas, including the starting grid, the TV compound, the press conference room and MXGP offices. They had the opportunity to meet and chat with riders like Tom Vialle, Marvin Musquin and Gautier Paulin at the FFM VIP lounge amidst passionate supporters. That Saturday was filled with encounters and emotions that will be engraved in their

They also met some riders and near the French Motorcycle Federation (FFM) stand, shared feedback with Futurall Tech, the company that took care of the adaptation of Maxime’s bike

memories as one of the most special days. On Sunday, they enjoyed the races in beautiful weather and witnessed a formidable French Team with Romain Febvre, Tom Vialle and Maxime Renaux claiming victory to top off this experience from the best of ways. With this once in a lifetime experience, Maxime and his family expressed their gratitude to the entire MakeA-Wish team, Infront Moto Racing, especially David Luongo and Guido Becchis, and Roger Dubuis’ team for making his dream come true.

H T N RE MO E D I RF TH O

A N R A V Q S U RNA H M E A O L V T FR THI USQ TO 53

Rising Through the Ranks with Husqvarna Motorcycles

NOW IT’S OFFICIAL, MATTIA GUADAGNINI WILL BE PART OF THE NESTAAN HUSQVARNA FACTORY RACING FOR THE 2024 CAMPAIGN AND WILL RIDE ONCE AGAIN IN THE MXGP CLASS WITH THE FC450.

Mattia Guadagnini is no stranger to success, the 21-year-old has already shown signs of a very promising motocross career through his success in the EMX categories and then in the MX2 and MXGP classes. The Italian claimed the 125cc double crown in 2019, becoming European and Junior World Champion, and then followed that up with a strong season in the EMX250 class in 2020 where he finished Vice-European Champion before making the jump in the Motocross World Championship. Coming back to the start of his career, ‘Speedy Guada’, signed for Husqvarna Motorcycles in

Guadagnini doesn’t forget these outstanding years:

2018 following a first introductive season in EMX, with who he would get great success in the EMX European Championship classes and Junior World Championship. That propelled him to work under the continued guidance of Corrado and Marco Maddii, supported by team Husqvarna Junior Racing Maddii. In 2018, the young Italian would narrowly miss to win the EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing Championship and finished second behind Thibault Benistant. However, the bond between Guadagnini and his team kept growing and they came back in 2019 with more experience and a desire to show what he was capable of. He went on to win three out of seven rounds and clinch the EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing Championship with a 12-point lead on Tom Guyon.

‘Guada’ completed his stellar season by triumphing in Pietramurata at the 2019 FIM 125cc Junior Motocross World Championship in front of his home fans. That would solidify his place among motocross elite, joining the likes of Tim Gajser, Pauls Jonass and Jago Geerts, as a 125cc Junior World Champion. The following season, Mattia jumped in EMX250 where he continued to gain experience on his excellent journey to the elite classes of motocross. The gifted rider acclimated really fast to the new class and won three rounds out of ten and the most race wins of the Championship with nine, but finishing second in the series due to some DNF’s. The three successful years between 2018 and 2020 with Husqvarna Junior Racing Maddii showed the incredible talent of the Italian which attracted KTM to look into the young star.

““I have great memories about my time in Husqvarna in the Team Maddii, it has been one of the best periods of my career where I learned a lot and became a real professional rider. 2019 and 2020 have been two key years for me that made me switch to be one of the many Italian riders, to be a rider of the World Championship and show that to everybody.” 2021 - KTM, MX2 and the MXoN Euphoria! At 18 years-old, Guadagnini officially stepped up to the MX2 class and switched to KTM as one of the most coveted talents in the paddock. His dream of joining the KTM Family with De Carli and Tony Cairoli to fight in Motocross World Championship came true. Following some wildcards done back in 2020 riding for the Husqvarna Maddii Racing Team, Mattia stepped up in the MX2 with the KTM SX-F 250. Under the De Carli Factory awning, he quickly went on to win his first Grand Prix 55

on the third round in Maggiora, Italy. He added his second one, a couple of GPs later in Loket, Czech Republic, and took the Red Plate at the same time. He finished his first MX2 season just outside the podium, in fourth place, and was the best rookie of the season continuing to fuel his reputation of big prospect for the future. His strong first season in MX2 won him a spot with Team Italy to compete in front of his home crowd in Mantova, for the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations, alongside mx legend Tony Cairoli and Alessandro Lupino. Guadagnini played an important role in the legendary consecration of Team Italy by finishing second in the MX2 class and helped the Italian team to lift the Chamberlain trophy for the first time in 19 years. This was the cherry on the cake that sealed an incredible year for the young Italian. De Carli Team Migrates to GASGAS In 2022, De Carli team became the GASGAS Factory Team but the structure did not change for Guadagnini, who entered in his seconds MX2 season with many expectations. These expectations took a turn after a few challenging first races where the rider never looked comfortable on his Factory MC250F. That prompted the team to line the Italian from Bassano del Grappa, Veneto, in the MXGP class after seven MX2 GPs. The idea was for the young prospect to gain as much knowledge and experience as possible before the MXGP 2023 season. Amassing five top 10 in ten rounds, Guadagnini prepared perfectly for his first full MXGP season. Despite facing challenges in his first full MXGP season with Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing, Guadagnini demonstrated resilience and determination. An injury in France disrupted his chances for better results and kept him side lined for threemonth. Despite coming back at the MXGP of Turkiye, another setback happened at the last Grand Prix of the season in Matterley Basin, Great Britain, when he got injured again and missed the opportunity to represent Team Italy at the MXoN. However, all was not doom and gloom in 2023 for Guadagnini as he showed that he was worthy of top 5 finishes at the MXGP of Trentino. The glimpse of glory arrived during the MXGP of Spain. In a spectacular display of skill and perseverance, ‘Speedy Guada’ secured an excellent second place on the podium behind Jeffrey Herlings. The young Italian even led the race for 56

several laps, showcasing his prowess against the world’s best riders. This performance earned his first podium in the MXGP class. Homecoming with Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing As 2023 came to a close, Guadagnini concluded his chapter with KTM/GASGAS to embarking on a new journey with Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing, marking the return of Husqvarna to the MXGP class. Mattia is coming back where he successfully burst into the motocross scene and won the 125cc double in 2019. This reunion is charged with anticipation and high expectations as seeing Mattia back on a Husky will be a massive throwback for all the motocross fans. With this move to the Belgiumbased team, ‘Guada’ will face a huge change in his life, as he will

move out of Italy for the first time. However, the young rider knows that it is a necessary change to bring him to the next level: “Everything is new for me, the team, the bike, the people around me and of course the biggest change is moving to Belgium; I’ll change my environment but I’m quite sure that is a necessary step in my career and be even more professional.” This move will give him a chance to get deeply involved in the development of the bike and train alongside prominent MXGP and MX2 riders who frequent the renowned Flemish country, widely recognised across Europe as the “place to be” for those involved in motocross. The deep sand of Belgian tracks, top-notch facilities, and the vibrant motocross community could serve as a catalyst for the Italian rider to forge a new chapter in his career. Ultimately, he is departing from

his homeland to come back to his motocross roots. Guadagnini recalls his first years with Husqvarna with pride and want to get back to those feelings: “At the time (when he was at Husqvarna), I was still a kid and I was facing everything with a less serious attitude and with a lot more fun! That is of course what I want…bringing some of this “vibes” back.” The only question that remains is that if Mattia Guadagnini can harness the remarkable potential and experience accumulated over his young yet remarkable career. The motocross world will wait the unfolding of this new chapter, confident that Mattia will continue to cultivate and display the extraordinary potential that has defined his impressive journey so far. Photos: Bavo/Husqvarna

L L A H

E M A F F O

JEREMY ‘JEM’ TITLE WHATLEY IN THE EARLY 80’S JEREMY WHATLEY WAS ONE OF THE PROMISING BRITISH RIDERS WALKING ON THE FOOTSTEPS OF NEIL HUDSON AND GRAHAM NOYCE. WINNER OF FIVE GRAND PRIX IN THE 250CC CLASS AND ON THE PODIUM OF THE 250CC WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP IN 1984, JEREMY HAD ALSO THE HONOURS OF BEING ON THE PODIUM AT FOUR EDITIONS OF THE MOTOCROSS OF NATIONS WITH TEAM GREAT BRITAIN. Born on 30th November 1962 in Hampshire, close to where Graham Noyce was from, Jeremy won everything in the fledgling schoolboy scene of the late 70s and early 80s. He was one of the best prospects of the country and was dubbed as “the new Neil Hudson” in reference at the riding style of the 1981 World Champion. He did his GP debut at Hawkstone Park in 1982 and scored his first point at the age of 19 with a tenth position in the second heat. He got selected to race the Trophy and the Motocross of Nations and he jumped with his prestigious team mates on the podium of the MXoN with a third position for Team Great Britain! One year later he entered the 250cc World Championship and narrowly missed the podium at the opening round at Sabadell, Spain, with a fourth overall. Scoring points sporadically, he got his first race podium in Germany, and a few weeks later won his first moto in Switzerland where he got his first ever podium with a third

overall. Considered as one of the favourites of the 1984 championship, he started the season with podiums in Austria and Yugoslavia, and got his first GP win at home during the British Grand Prix organised at Newbury. Runner up in the standings at mid-season, he claimed another GP win in Belgium but also suffered a couple of DNF which relegated him third in the standings behind Heinz Kinigadner and Jacky Vimond. His move to the 500cc class in 1985 wasn’t successful, even if he started the season with a third position at the opening round in Austria. Only scoring a few points at three of the following rounds, he broke his wrist at mid-season and came back at the end of the season to win for the third time the 250cc British Championship. In 1986 he was back in the 250cc class after signing with Cagiva factory, but he missed the first rounds due to a broken collarbone in a pre-season race. He got his first podium with an 61

impressive double win at the Czech round, and collected two other podiums to finish fourth overall, just a few points from the third position. Racing again on a Suzuki the following year, he had a tough season, struggling with a standard bike and an injury which he sustained after the French GP. He rebounded in 1988 winning the opening round of the World Championship in Salindres, France, and obtained two other podiums at the fourth and fifth round of the series, missing by two points the overall at the British GP in Mortimer. Runner up in the standings after five rounds, he failed to qualify one week later at the Belgian Grand Prix, got two more race podiums but couldn’t end the season as he broke his leg whilst practicing. Coming back strongly in 1989 he impressed everyone when he won the opening Grand Prix in Payerne, Switzerland, but that was his last GP win as the season didn’t go so well, including a huge crash at the Czech round. He finally joined the 500cc class in 1991, clinching his fifth British Championship that year, the first one in the 500cc class, and then collected a couple of GP podiums during the 1992 season, with his last ever appearance on the box at the French GP with a third position. Racing a few more GP’s in 1994 and 1995, he stopped racing at the end of 1995. Text and Photos: Pascal Haudiquert

1982:

45th in the 250 World Championship (Suzuki) 3rd at the Motocross of Nations with Team GB

1983:

9th in the 250 World Championship (Suzuki) 3rd at the Motocross of Nations with Team GB 250 British Champion

1984:

3rd in the 250 World Championship (Suzuki). Win 2 GP’s 250 British Champion

1985:

13th in the 500 World Championship (Kawasaki) 250 British Champion

1986:

4th in the 250 World Championship (Cagiva). Win 1 GP 2nd at the Motocross of Nations with Team GB

1987:

16th in the 250 World Championship (Suzuki) 250 British Champion

1988:

5th in the 250 World Championship (Suzuki). Win 1 GP

1989:

11th in the 250 World Championship (Suzuki). Win 1 GP 3rd at the Motocross of Nations with Team GB

1990:

25th in the 250 World Championship (Yamaha)

1991:

12th in the 500 World Championship (Kawasaki) 500 British Champion

1992:

9th in the 500 World Championship (Honda)

1993:

9th in the 500 World Championship (KTM)

1994:

18th in the 500 World Championship (Honda)

Photo: R. Schedl

Please make no attempt to imitate the illustrated riding scenes, always wear protective clothing and observe the applicable provisions of the road traffic regulations! The illustrated vehicles may vary in selected details from the production models and some illustrations feature optional equipment available at additional cost. KISKA.COM

450 SX-F 450 SX-F

IT’S TIME TO GET

GNARLY!

Some ride for fun, to simply take part and for the 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,

VISIT KTM.COM

S K L A T K C O D PAD

Marc-Antoine Rossi joins Red Bull GASGAS Factory racing on multi-year contract after a season in EMX250 where he showed a lot of talent

Mikkel Haarup and Camden McLellan become the new MX2 line-up of the new team Monster Energy Triumph Racing

The prestigious exhaust manufacturers, FMF Racing continues the venture with Husqvarna for a further two years

REVO GASGAS Racing to GET ON THE GAS in European and World Motocross Championships in 2024 and 2025 with Brian Bogers lining-up in MXGP with the MC 450F

VRT will spearhead its official EMX250 team operations through to 2025, underlining its commitment to developing emerging talent. Yamaha also confirmed contract extension with the MJC Yamaha Official EMX125 team for an additional year.

TM Moto Steels Dr Jacks signed Brando Rispoli in the EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing for 2024

GASGAS commits to future talent with the introduction of a junior program. The MC 250F will be well represented in the EMX250 class, with the Beddini GASGAS Factory Juniors. Valerio Lata and Mads Fredsoe will be lining-up, starting from 2024

A new, historic chapter opens for Ducati: the red from Borgo Panigale enters motocross. Nine-time MX World Champion Antonio Cairoli will join Ducati as high-performance test rider for the new racing program. The team will do selected Grand Prix in 2024 before commit to the MXGP 2025 season.

Fantic Factory Racing MXGP unveiled their 100% Dutch line-up with the experienced Glenn Coldenhoff and the rookie Roan Van De Moosdijk

10 Team Italy received a prize from the Italian Motorcycle Federation (IMF) for their third place at the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations. Team Manager Alberto Forato, Andrea Adamo and Andrea Adamo Passione Azzurra Supermoto delle Nazioni 2023 11 David Braceras and Kay Karssemakkers will ride in MX2 for Fantic Factory Racing MX2 while Alexis Fueri will ride in EMX250 under the same awning. (Second from the left, Alexis Fueri, third from the left, David Braceras)

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

MARVIN MUSQUIN 2009 KTM 250SX-F 66

A QUICK LOOK BACK THROUGH THE HISTORY ARCHIVES WILL SHOW US THAT IN 2009 MARVIN MUSQUIN WAS CROWNED MX2 WORLD CHAMPION FOR THE FIRST TIME, AND WHILST SUCH AN ACHIEVEMENT SOUNDS GREAT AND NO DOUBT IS GREAT, HIS SEASON DID NOT COME WITHOUT ITS FAIR SHARE OF ADVERSE CHALLENGES. MUSQUIN’S SEASON BEGAN ON A HONDA BUT ENDED UP WITH HIM RACING A FACTORY KTM, AND IT’S HIS 2009 KTM 250SX-F THAT WE WILL FEATURE IN THIS ISSUE OF MXGP MAGAZINE.

track and just six points adrift of the lead.

Marvin Musquin’s first appearance in a MX2 grand prix was at the GP of Citta di Faenza in 2007, riding a Kawasaki, which he followed up two weeks later with a ride in Czech Republic at Loket. His scores, as you’d imagine, were a modest 6-18 and 20-0. The following season he switched to Honda and entered the series full time, finishing 14th overall - his best finishes being 8th overall on three occasions. His best race finish, a 5th in race two in Germany. With three of the title candidates - Tyla Rattray, Tommy Searle and Antonio Cairoli - from 2008 vacating the class, 2009 had the makings of being one of the closest in recent years, but was a rider who placed 14th overall really considered a genuine title threat? Maybe not!

The first round of the season was at Faenza, Italy, an event which was run under contrasting conditions. For Saturday’s qualifying sessions, the track was perfect, but for Sunday, the heavens opened and the event was abandoned after just one race. Marvin placed 3rd which also meant his first MX2 podium. In Bulgaria next time out, he viewed the podium from the top step for the first time having picked up his first race win and a 3rd, and when he landed on the podium (3rd overall) next time out in Turkey, he was just five points off series leader, Gautier Paulin. However, the deep sands of Valkenswaard were not to his liking, and his 8-12 and 7th overall meant he lost ten points to his French rival. But it’s how you deal with those setbacks that determines your character, and when he took 3rd in Portugal, Musquin was back on

Despite a challenging GP in Catalunya at Bellpuig, where he finished 14th and 9th, Marv came away with the championship lead, and for the first time in 2009, the Red Plate had switched hands from Paulin’s Kawasaki to Musquin’s Honda. From the outside, things were looking great, but the reality behind the scenes was so much different. Internal struggles with his team along with budget restraints - it was rumoured at the time that the team might not even make it to the following race - meant something needed to be done if Marvin was going to remain in the championship. Two weeks later, we arrived at Mallory Park for the British GP, where all of the rumours had been confirmed when Musquin showed up as a Red Bull KTM rider, alongside Rui Gonçalves. WOW! Could you imagine such a thing happening today, where the championship leader switches from 67

one team to another before the halfway stage of the series? Not really, so when did ‘MM25’ first test the bike and what were his first impressions? ‘I do remember that I flew to Munich and I tested the bike on the track by the airport; the bike I tested was Shaun Simpson’s bike because he was out injured, so I jumped on it and tested it. I didn’t have much time, I just used whatever suspension they had, but I was just happy to be on that bike. The funny thing is, and I didn’t realise it at first, but I was cornering in 3rd gear, and that was kind of strange. It had good power, but it was weird, but it was something that I got used to, and it was a lot different to what I was used to.’ Surely, it must have taken some getting used to having only ridden Japanese bikes to this point? ‘Honestly, I adapt really quickly to anything because growing up as a kid, my dad would make me ride any kind of bikes. I was jumping on 125’s, on 250’s, even though I was riding an 85cc. I rode whatever. I was jumping on my brothers Yamaha 450cc when he was on Yamaha, you know what I’m saying? So, jumping on different bikes had no issues for me but the biggest thing for me was the start and the traction that the PDS had.’ Speaking of which, at that very first test in Munich, Marvin recalls the track as being very hard packed and rocky, and when the KTM technicians asked him to do some practice starts, the French ace didn’t think it was necessary as these conditions were so different to what he would experience at a GP venue. Begrudgingly he tried, and was blown away by what he’d experienced at that moment, as he reveals: ‘I remember on the track in Munich, it’s really rocky there and really hard pack and the guys at KTM suggested I try some starts, and I told them I thought the conditions were really bad but if they wanted, I would try one. I thought I was gonna spin so much, but that thing was like a rocket ship, it had so much traction, and it was revving to the moon. That was the biggest thing for me, so balance wise or whatever the

feeling I had on it was just totally fine for me right away.’ As for the rest of the bike, the KTM 250SX-F looked pretty standard, but the devil was in the detail elsewhere. The factory engine came full of the usual internal trickery with the exhaust system being supplied by Akrapovic. As Marvin said, his first impression was that the engine pulled to the moon, along with a massive amount of traction at the rear wheel. This was due to a combination of the linkage and the WP suspension - back then it was a PDS shock which was connected directly to the swingarm. WP forks, factory clamps and Renthal 997 Fatbar completed the cockpit. The swingarm was standard. The subframe was titanium along with footpegs and nuts and bolts, with carbon fibre the choice of material for the disc covers. Excel rims were married to Talon hubs with Pirelli MT32 being the tyre of choice. A factory Brembo rear brake and radial front system was Marv’s preferred braking set-up, along with standard sized discs. Radiators were the same as the SXS model whilst the clutch and cover were supplied by Hinson. Inside the air box, Twin air supplied the filters, along with a special filter cage. At this time, the bike was still being started using a thing called a kickstart. Marvin showed up in Great Britain as the Red Plate holder having picked up four podiums, including a GP win, and two race wins. On his debut weekend for Red Bull KTM, MM25 topped every session and went on to win both races comfortably. He followed this up next time out in France at Ernée, before going on to win two more races in Germany and Latvia. Four GP’s and four podiums. He now led by 49 points. And then Sweden happened. At Uddevalla, his previous Honda team prevented him from racing the Swedish GP as legal wrangling’s continued behind the scenes, and even though he did not race the GP, he did leave there with a now slender 13-point margin over Paulin. Again, it’s how you deal with this kind of adversity that identifies who you are, and next time out at Lommel, Marv was back to winning ways in decimating fashion. His 1-1 meant he’d extended his lead back out to 38 points. An impressive weekend considering his 8-12 at Valkenswaard earlier in the year:

‘Winning a Belgium Grand Prix like that in the sand for a French guy was just unreal and that bike was just amazing and my confidence was really high, and I also knew I had to win if I wanted to get the championship, and the whole story with the Honda thing really fired me up really bad. That, and also going to Lommel in 2008 where I DNF’d both moto’s and struggling so bad, and a year later with more training in the sand, being on that KTM and going 1-1 was just such a big difference’. The only blemish with his new team came at Loket with three rounds to go. After a 2nd place finish in the first race, Marv failed to finish race two, which was a tough pill to swallow: ‘Loket. I broke the engine in the second moto. That was a tough break because I had to miss Sweden due to the Honda thing, so I didn’t score any points for two moto’s and had to miss the whole GP, and so having that engine break in that second moto cost me more points, so it definitely tightened up in the championship between me and Rui Gonçalves.’

With two rounds remaining, Marvin and Rui were separated by 20 points, but after they left Lierop for the final round in Brazil, Marvin had gained another couple of points. However, huge downpours on Saturday meant the GP programme took place on Sunday only, and with little track time, both riders knew getting dialled was key. As for Marvin, he just wanted to get the job done as quickly as possible, and that’s exactly what he did: ‘I knew if I won the first moto then I would clinch the championship, and that was the main goal. I didn’t want it to go the final race, so I gave everything in the first one.’ Marvin celebrated the world championship with a victory in race one, but winning a world championship on the other side of the world has its drawbacks: ‘In Brazil, I knew if I am world champion … obviously it’s great, but there was no family; I only had my trainer and my wife there, so it was only the KTM team. It was kind of strange; but when you ask me the feeling, yeah, I knew if I won the first moto I would clinch the championship, but still,

if you look at the footage, I cross the finish line but I barely go one handed because I’m like ‘what if?’ ‘But when I saw everyone with the banners saying ‘world champion’ I just threw the bike down and raised my arms in the air. But I think as a kid, I don’t think I really realised what it meant, also because we were in Brazil, pretty far from everyone that I know. The whole thing was like a dream, honestly, since I first jumped on the KTM it was like a dream that kept going. Obviously, getting on the podium and having those Red Plates and the Gold Plate and stuff was just a dream, kind of like being on a cloud, and I don’t think I fully realised what it meant, but it was great.’ On his way to the 2009 MX2 World Championship, Marvin Musquin won a total of 13 races and finished inside the top three no fewer than 19 times. There were also 11 visits to the podium, with 6 of those as a winner, as he became the ninth Frenchman to win a motocross world championship. Musquin’s win was also the third for KTM in MX2 since its inception in 2004.

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

Hello MXGP, I’m organizing a group outing for MXGP fans, and I’d like to know if there are any Grand Prix that already opened their ticketing? Elena:

❞

Hi Elena: , Good timing! The MXGP of France in St Jean d’Angely has recently opened the online ticketing for 2024. Please go at https://my.weezevent. com/championnat-dumonde-de-motocross-2024 Thanks MXGP

❝

Hi MXGP, I’m organizing a motocross-themed party for my friend’s birthday, and I’m looking for official MXGP merchandise. Can you guide me to where I can find MXGP official gear? Lucas Hi Lucas, get all the official MXGP merch at https://www.mxgpstore.com Have a great party! Regards MXGP

❞

❝

Hi MXGP, I’m fascinated by the behind-the-scenes action during MXGP events. Are there any videos or programmes for fans to get a closer look at the world of MXGP? Nina

❞

Dear Nina, Thank you for your question, you can watch the thrilling Behind The Gate series on MXGP-TV.com and on the MXGP YouTube channel at https:// www.youtube.com/@motocross Best Regards MXGP

❝

Hi MXGP, where do I see all results of the season in the different classes? Zach Hello Zach : you can find all the result and standing of the 2023 season and in the past 20 years on mxgp. com at https://results.mxgp. com/mxgp/standings.aspx Thanks MXGP

❝

Hello MXGP, I am working for a magazine and I would like to get accredited for some Grand Prix during the season, could you tell me how it works Maya

❞

Hi Maya, of course we can help you with that request. You can go directly at https://www.mxgp. com/inside-mxgp/mediaapplications and you will see all the steps you need to do to get accredited. Thanks MXGP