MXGP #42 March 2017 by MXGP MAG

#42_MARCH 2017

! k c a B s â&#x20AC;&#x2122; i l o r i Ca

RACING CATCH UP

RIDER OF THE MONTH Antonio Cairoli

07 10 16 20 28 32 38 40 44 48 50 54 56

INDEX

COOL SHOT

MONSTER GIRLS

HALL OF FAME Michele Rinaldi

MXGP MAG: Chief Editor: Marionna Leiva Photos: Youthstream Photo Cover: Husqvarna/ Bavo YOUTHSTREAM Media World Trade Center II Rte de PrÈ-Bois 29 1215 Geneva 15 Airport Switzerland MXGP Mag #42 March 2017 The articles published in this magazine do not necessarily reflect the official position of Youthstream. Then content of this publication is based on the best knowledge and information available at the time the articles were written. The copying of articles and photos even partially is forbidden unless permission has ben requested from Youthstream in advance and reference is made to the source (©Youthstream).

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EDITORIAL Giuseppe Luongo President of Youthstream Group Dear MXGP Friends,

Gajser gave all he had but being ill all week he couldn’t quite take the overall win, but a 2nd on the podium was well merited. We had all been waiting impatiently for Herlings to make his debut in the MXGP class but due to a bad hand injury 15 days prior to the first MXGP event, he was not able to fight amongst the top, but as soon as he recovers he will become a true menace to the top guys. Desalle has had excellent podium positions at both events and is looking fit.

The heavy rain that fell during the entire week leading up to the After the long winter break it Grand Prix and during the race was fantastic to start the FIM weekend made it a very compliMotocross World Championship cated Grand Prix. Thousands of with a huge bang in Qatar. tons of water came down during the week, the soil was saturated As always it’s a pleasure to remaking it almost impossible to dry turn to Qatar, the atmosphere even with very high temperais perfect for the start of the tures and many sunshine hours. season and the organization is However, the organizer, FIM and top-notch. Cairoli had an excepYouthstream worked hard day tional weekend and returned as and night all week to save the King of MXGP, for the moment, event, which, considering the ciras there are plenty who are on cumstances, we did, and the event his tail. was a spectacular success. Such The MX2 class is also very unextreme conditions have opened After witnessing the first 2 predictable, the usual title cona door to criticism coming from rounds the 2017 season prom- tenders are up there and in ad- people thousands of kilometres ises to be sensational, loaded dition the rookies coming up from away without knowing the reality. with emotions, and the only the European 250cc ChampionI read that the event was held thing certain right now is that ship are amongst them making during the rainy season; In Indothe Championship results will things even more exciting. We’ll nesia strong rain-falls are comremain uncertain right up until have a bit more of an idea after mon throughout the whole year, the end with a lot of surprises: some more racing but for the in fact a real dry season doesn’t Cairoli’s dominant come-back, moment Jonass, Paturel, Lieber, exist in Indonesia. Gajser’s flu, Herling’s injury and Seewer and Olsen have immeothers like Febvre, Desalle, Pau- diately shown they are serious At the MXGP of Indonesia the delin, Van Horebeek, Bobryshev contenders for the MX2 crown. cision to cancel the timed practice look healthy and very strong. and qualifying race was made Then we moved further around to preserve the track as best as At the MXGP of Qatar we saw the globe to Indonesia, where possible for the Sunday program, the Cairoli of his great times, he the Motocross World Champion- this has happened at other venwon everything and deserved it. ship had not been for 20 years. ues in the past when weather MXGP MAG 2017 MXGP.COM

An MXGP in Indonesia is very important for the World Championship and for the manufacturers: Indonesia has a population of more than 230 million, it has the highest motorcycle market Comments were made concerngrowth rate in the in the world; ing the starting position riders they sell more than 6 million bikes for the race due to the canper year and Japanese manufaccellation of the timed practice turers are strongly present and and qualifying race, therefore support having events in IndoneMotocross is one of the few the results of the free practice sports which runs in all types of sia. In addition, Motocross is very were taken into consideration. popular with many fans and riders; conditions and on all txypes of The Regulations are very clear on an island far from the capital race tracks, these are the root regarding these situations: and in these bad weather condi• In the case the qualifying principals of our sport and we tions there were slightly less than want to keep the roots healthy race is cancelled, results from keeping the true value of Moto- 20,000 spectators on Saturday the timed practice will be used. cross. Nobody is surprised why and more than 30,000 on Sunday. • In the case the time practice and qualifying race are Simpson won because Simpson The government, the Federation cancelled, results from the free is a true classical-style MX rider and all the fans in Indonesia are who races every weekend in any very keen on MXGP and the MXGP practice will be used. of Indonesia will remain on the type of weather condition. So, World Championship calendar for Normally, in situations like what racing in the mud is usual for years to come with the will, as him, and we saw proof of this occurred in Indonesia (with obvious possibilities of cancelling in Indonesia; he was exhausted always, to improve. after the race and he found it the qualification race and/or The next stopovers for MXGP are the timed practice), profession- extremely demanding, but for Argentina and Mexico, hopefully him that was part of racing, al riders take part in the free with good weather, but even with nothing exceptional. A big tribpractice, immediately trying to bad weather and difficult condiute goes to Shaun for his outhave a good time at the begintions, it will be the same for all the standing performance and his ning when the track is still flat riders, and … the show must go very well-deserved victory in and in reasonably good condion! Indonesia. tion. Obviously, the decision to conditions have been so extreme and the best thing to do was to try and save the track for race day.

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cancel the timed practice and the qualifying race was taken after the free practice, after seeing the track’s difficult conditions during the free practices - the decision was not possible to be made before as we had to see the conditions during the MXGP free practice.

COOL SHOTS

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COOL SHOTS

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COOL SHOTS

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HOLESHOT

BACK ON THE FOX TRAIL It barely seems like five minutes have passed since the last gate drop of 2016 and that one competition every rider wants to win; but fear no more! We are up and running again for another season and that can only mean one thing: the ‘Fox Holeshot’ is back and for the fifth year in a row, the floodlit sky of Qatar was where it all kicked back into life, only this time the riders were starting on the new mesh system, first seen and used at the Monster Energy SMX Cup in October 2016, and introduced for the first time in FIM Motocross World Championship history at Losail.

MX2 Race 1 at the Losail, Pauls Jonass only had one thing on his mind and for a brief moment, it was touch and go between him and his Red Bull KTM teammate Jorge Prado, but it was the Latvian who struck ‘black-gold’ first before going on to win the first race of the season. In the second moto it looked like Jonass had struck again but this time it was the American Thomas Covington on his Rockstar Energy Husqvarna that got the nod. Unfortunately for TC64 though, it wasn’t to be the same fairy tale ending after tipping over in a turn around the midpoint of the race. When he tried to fire his bike back into life, it quickly became apparent that the battery on his trusty Husky had died, along with the bagful of points he was set to pick up.

After claiming the Fox Holeshot crown in 2016 with a total of 10 foxy looking holeshot victories, the Sicilian was up to his old tricks once again and was the first MXGP rider to register his interest in this competition with a clear-as-daytime advantage over his rivals, letting them know that he ain’t scared of keeping it pinned on the run into Turn 1 despite his advancing years. Nineteen laps later, he was still there when the chequered flag went out at the end of the race.

In MXGP Race 2 it was the Monster Energy Yamaha of Romain Febvre who crossed the Fox MX2 Holeshot line first after a bobble Last year’s top three riders from Cairoli cost the Sicilian as in this competition were Max he shut off the throttle. HowevAnstie (7), Jeffrey Herlings (6) er, RF461 lost the lead almost and Pauls Jonass (5) and with immediately to Tim Gajser and Mad Max and The Bullet vacatTC222, and would have to settle ing the class in search of MXGP MXGP for third as Cairoli stole the win, glory, it seemed appropriate After dominating the pre-season the overall and the show with that the next best trigger-finger races he chose to compete in, two laps to go with a surprise out there hadn’t lost his touch; it appears that Antonio Cairoli, move on Gajser that saw a douhad he not missed the last five 8-time world champion, missing rounds through injury last year, in action for the past two seamaybe ‘PJ41’ could have been a sons, found his way back to the challenger to Max and Jeffrey. MXGP paddock in some kind of style at Losail with outstanding When t he gate dropped for performances all weekend long.

ble-moto sweep and a first ever overall win for KTM and the Red Bull KTM rider in the premier class. The circuit at Losail was in the best condition ever; it was a mix of hard pack and slick, rutty and loamy and a good base to start the season off. However, round two saw MXGP return to Indonesia for the first time in 20 years where in the weeks leading up to the event, the island of Pangkal Pinang was hit by frequent rainy weather and the potential for the first real mudder in a while. Add to that the new, rained-on, shiny new mesh, a whole new element was added right there and a real game-changer at that. Indonesia With Saturday’s Timed Practice and Qualifying Races cancelled due to extreme weather and difficult circuit conditions, the riders lined up for the races as a result of their Free Practice times. The new mesh provided

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the sought after equal opportunity for everyone and more than did its job, and when the gate dropped for MX2 Race 1 it was the HSF Logistics Motorsport KTM of Davy Pootjes who took full advantage of his lightning-fast reactions to secure his first black plate of the season, eventually coming home in 2nd behind the Suzuki World MX2 machine of Jeremy Seewer, who incidentally took the second Fox Holeshot of the day, in a race that was eventually won by Samuele Bernardini on the Factory TM; the Italian made everybody else look ordinary in the worsening conditions. To make a comparison, watching ‘Bernie’ in the mud was like watching Jeffrey Herlings ride sand, he was that impressive. As for the boys of MXGP, Romain Febvre made it back-toback holey’s after his Qatar Race 2 holeshot showing us that there is nothing wrong with the blue bikes getting away from the grid in 2017. However, it

was another Yamaha that would take the race win in the form of Wilvo Yamaha MXGP’s Shaun Simpson; the Scot mastered the tricky conditions to move from 7th to 1st in what turned out to be an important victory, as it was the only race of the day for the MXGP class after the race officials decided to cancel the final race due to the worsening conditions. Next stop is NeuquÈn, Patagonia, Argentina. MX2 Table Paul’s Jonass 1 (Qatar) Thomas Covington 1 (Qatar) Davy Pootjes 1 (Indonesia) Jeremy Seewer 1 (Indonesia) MXGP Table Romain Febvre 2 (Qatar, Indonesia) Antonio Cairoli 1 (Qatar)

RACING CATCH UP

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UNFORGETTABLE QATAR AND INDONESIA The 2017 MXGP season began for the fifth year in succession at the circuit of Losail in Qatar. Just like previous years the race took place on a Saturday evening on a man-made circuit at a floodlit venue.

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While everyone was eager for the first gate drop of the season before doing so riders and media went to a trip to the AL SHAQAB an equestrian center specializing in Arabian horses, a beautiful and impressive facility.

places and the night air adding unexpected moisture to the surface despite the incredibly dry climate. In 2017 track workers removed large amounts of rocks from the track making the track even better.

Sports Club is host to many events throughout the season aside from MXGP. MotoGP testing was in the process this year when MXGP arrived and next door the 2022 FIFA World Cup finals stadium was reaching completion.

Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Clement Desalle and Jordie Tixier, Suzuki World MXGP’s Kevin Strijbos, Suzuki World MX2’s Jeremy Seewer, Hunter Lawrence, and Bas Vaessen, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Antonio Cairoli and Jorge Prado, Wilvo Yamaha MXGP’s Arnaud Tonus, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Max Anstie, and others were in attendance and were able to look around and interact with the horses inside the center.

Over the last five years we have seen breath-taking, unpredictable, and epic racing here in Losail, which left us on the edge of our seats. We have had a different winner each time in the premier class. Back in 2013, when MXGP first let loose on the soil of Qatar, it was Clement Desalle who was victorious. The following year Gautier Paulin rose to the occasion to claim the first red plate of the year, in 2015 it was dominated by Max Nagl, in 2016 soon to be Champion of Tim Gajser started his season by winning, and this year we saw Antonio Cairoli win in an impressive 1-1 fashion.

Next Stop Indonesia A new motocross track was built on Bangka Island, a region of Indonesia to the North of Jakarta, the countries capital. It was the first time that the riders of the MXGP and MX2 world championships experienced this setting on a track made specifically for the event.

One of the best things about motocross is the fact that the track conditions constantly change. Over the last three years we have seen the soil that makes up the track in Losail pack-down, dry out and become a lot edgier. This caught a lot of riders out last year with the track being unpredictable in

Racing aside Qatar is always special, the nearby capital of Doha is a rapidly expanding city with skyscrapers and construction abound. The Losail Circuit

One of the best things about Indonesia was the people. Time after time riders, teams and the media said they had never felt so welcomed before and the excitement on the island for racing was off of the charts. Whether walking down the street or at the supermarket, it didn’t matter who you were, if you were in Indonesia for the MXGP you where going to be asked for a photo or even an autograph!

Riders posed with the plane for photos and were also able to sit inside the cockpit.

Sunday started with MX2 race one followed by MXGP race one and women. For the women Courtney Duncan came out The overall experience of the MXGP on the top step of the podium. of Indonesia was amazing and is MX2 race 2 started but weathone that will soon not be forgotten. er dampened the situation once The last time MXGP was in Indone- again causing the race to come sia was back in 1997; In fact 2017 to a premature end. The overall will not only be remembered by the win was taken by Jeremy Seecome back of the MXGP and MX2 wer, which was his first overall Upon arriving the special guests victory of his career. Another were welcomed by a group of local classes to Indonesia, but also for the first time a round of the FIM first was one for Samuele Berperformers and offered snacks typical of Bangka Belitung. This was Women’s Motocross World Champi- nardini, who obtained his first onship takes place in the country. career victory in race 2, along followed by a speech from Youthwith his first podium and TM’s stream’s CEO Daniele Rizzi and first GP race win in 20 years. the deputy mayor in which he said, While the new track on its own was a challenge for the riders and For MXGP race 2 was cancelled “It is an honor for Pangkalpinang teams as they didn’t know the soil, giving race one winner Shaun city to be a host of the highest and they had no previous motor Simpson the overall. motocross championship in the world. The whole community is very or suspension settings, the biggest challenge came in the way With 2 rounds of the championenthusiastic and looking forward ship complete all eyes are now to this international event.” Before of the weather with extreme rain conditions. Weather forced the on the MXGP of Patagonia-Arleaving the residence a traditional gentina known as one of the most dance was performed for everyone cancelation of qualifying races on Saturday and instead the times beautiful stops of the season. in attendance. from free practice were taken as qualifying. However, women did The final stop was the Pangkal have their first race of the season Pinang airport, which hosted a on Saturday, in which Nancy Van Sriwijaya Air Boeing 737 branded de Ven won. with the MXGP of Indonesia logo. On Friday the town welcomed the riders, youthstream representatives and the press with a meet and greet with local government officials at the media opportunity. The event was held at the residence of the Mayor of Pangkal Pinang, where he treated riders to a cultural experience.

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FIM Motocross World Championship

Standings MXGP CHAMP. STANDINGS

MX2 CHAMP. STANDINGS

1. A.Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 68 points 2. C. Desalle (BEL, KAW), 60 p. 3. T. Gajser (SLO, HON), 56 p. 4. E. Bobryshev (RUS, HON), 44 p 5. J. VanHorebeek(BEL,YAM),42p 6. G. Coldenhoff(NED, KTM) 41p. 7. G. Paulin (FRA, HUS), 39 p. 8. S. Simpson (GBR,YAM), 36 p. 9. R. Febvre (FRA YAM) , 34 p. 10. K. Strijbos (BEL, SUZ), 34 p.

1. J.Lieber (BEL, KTM),78 points 2. J. Seewer (SUI, SUZ), 72 p. 3. B. Paturel (FRA, YAM) , 70 p. 4. T. Olsen (DEN, HUS),67 p. 5. P. Jonass (LAT, KTM) 57 p. 6. S. Bernardini (ITA, TM), 54 p. 7. B. Vandoninck (BEL, YAM), 44p. 8. M. Cervellin (ITA, HON),40 p. 9. D. Pootjes (NED, KTM), 39p. 10. V. Brylyakov (RUS, KAW), 35 p.

MXGP MANUFACTUERS 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

KTM Yamaha Kawasaki Honda Husqvarna Suzuki

72 61 60 56 47 34

points points points points points points

MX2 MANU1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

KTM Suzuki Yamaha Husqvarna TM Kawasaki Honda

Start of the season MXGP Facebook Page Numbers Likes: 1,417,785 Top 3 Markets: Indonesia, Brazil, Italy Weekly Growth 3.1% Total of Posted Media 191 Post Reach: 1,7 million +76% from 2016 Post Engagement: 136k weekly +90% from 2016 Watch Videos: 294,543 users +72% from 2016

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92 72 72 67 54 50 40

points points points points points points points

SPECIAL FEATURE

Watch MXGP From 28

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m Home 29

SPECIAL FEATURE

Have you ever wondered how to watch the FIM World Motocross championship? Well that’s exactly what this article is about, whether you are sitting in the comfort of your own home or traveling the world. The MXGP series strives to provide the motocross community with an extensive amount of television coverage as the championship continues to grow and engage more global viewers. This year the entire season will be broadcasted on LIVE television in countries across the globe. However, if you are the kind of fan that likes the freedom to watch LIVE from anywhere or from any device, every day of every

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race including qualifying, it is accessible worldwide via www.MXGP-TV.com. Not to mention if you saw something spectacular on MXGP-TV you can watch the replay on demand in HD. The American fans can follow the MXGP series one more year on CBS Sports, which continue to show the MX2 race 2 and the MXGP race 2 every Sunday. These races are also broadcasted in France LIVE or delayed thanks to the partnership with L’Equipe 21, and a new agreement with NOS let all the fans in the Netherlands follow all the MXGP races LIVE in Dutch. Besides, Eurosport broadcasts all the MXGP race 2 heats

LIVE or slightly delayed, and Motorsport.tv, former Motors TV, covers all the races in HD. A new agreement allows the Italian fans to watch a dedicated program on Wednesday after each event on the national and widely recognized channel RAI. Do you want to feel like you are at the races and not just watching them? Then check out MXGP’s 26mn Behind the Gate, which is a filmed production that covers all the action, both on and off the track, with highlights from racing in MXGP and MX2, a GoPro on-board lap of the track, as well as the inside scoop from the paddock at each

round of the FIM Motocross World Championship, and it’s all brought to you by MXGP’s lovely host Lisa Leyland. You can watch Behind the Gate on demand and as soon as it is available with your MXGPTV.com account. You can also tune in to Behind the Gate in Europe on motorsport.tv & MotorTrend two days after each round of the MXGP series. It can be viewed in the USA/Canada on BeIn and MAV TV, in Finland on MTV 3, in Croatia on Kreator TV, in Spain on OpenSport, in Slovenia on Sport TV, in South America on FOX Sports, in Asia on FOX Sports, in China on Fox Sports and SINA, and in the Middle East and Africa on BeIn.

By clicking here you can find a special section on MXGP.com where to find the complete list of countries and cooperating MXGP broadcasting networks. Do you want step-by-step instructions? Well, all you need to do to be able to watch the entire the FIM Motocross World Championship LIVE and onDemand, as well as the WMX and EMX classes, plus the long awaited FIM Monster Energy Motocross of Nations on your favorite device is: 1. Register your username by following this link: http://www.mxgp-tv.com/ user/signup 2.

MXGP-TV will send

you an email in order to verify your account 3. When you have your username and password confirmed, you just need to choose ‘BUY NOW’ and follow all the steps until payment 4. After the payment is successful, you’ll see the MXGP-TV package under your account! In case you have any issues do not hesitate to contact MXGPTV by emailing contact@ youthstream-media.com Remember MXGP-TV is available in all devices and your account can be accessed everywhere. Don’t miss any of the action! Subscribe to MXGPTV and Stay on POLE!

RIDER OF THE MONTH

Cairoliâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Back 32

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SPECIAL FEATURE

Antonio Cairoli entered his first FIM Motocross World Motocross Championship race in 2002 and has since become one of the most dominant racers in MXGP history. However, the past 2 years he hadn’t seen the dominance we were all accustom to. Nevertheless, this year he has had an extraordinary start of the season. It appears the 8-time world champion is back with a vengeance leading the points for 2017 and that is why the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider is our MXGP Rider of the month. Tony was born the 23rd of September 1985 in Patti, Sicily, Italy, where he grew up with his three sisters Antonina, Mara, and Sara. Antonio’s father, Benedetto, had a love for racing, a passion which Tony soon took after. It was at the age of 4 when Tony received his first motorcycle, an ItalJet 50cc minicross. In love with the bike he would ride for hours in front of the family’s house. After honing his dirt bike skills

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for a few years, Antonio started racing on a LEM 50 and won for the first time in only the second race he would enter. Eventually Tony grew into bigger bikes and in 2002 he started his professional Career. He was only 17 in his rookie season riding the MX2 class. For Cairoli success in the professional ranks took some time, though it was clear he was beginning to build his foundation and learn the ropes. Tony wouldn’t see his first MX2 win until Namur in 2004 on a challenging track to say the least. He then backed up his win with a podium. 2004 was the beginning of a turning point for Tony, all the puzzle pieces were starting to come together. In 2005, only 3 years into his career, Cairoli won 6 GP’s and claimed his first MX2 title. Tony was 19 years old at the time making him the youngest Italian to win a major motocross world title. After winning his first championship, he narrowly missed repeating the feat in

2006, a year in which he finished 2nd in the championship. The reality of being close but not close enough fueled Tony into clinching the championship once again in 2007, where he won 10 GP’s and secured the title 2 rounds shy of the full season. 2009 was a new beginning for Tony as he decided to join the ranks of the MX1 class. A decision that suited him well, he won the championship in his first season and continued to do so all the way up until 2015 were injury prematurely ended his title hopes. The remaining of 2015 and the 2016 season as a whole Tony was not on top, which was not what him, the media or fans were used to. Many wondered if Tony was on his way out of the sport. That was until 2017 started, as early as the preseason, Tony

SPECIAL FEATURE

impressed his followers. One thing that Tony knows how to do is respond to a challenge and respond is exactly what he has done. The 2017 FIM Motocross World Championship started in Losail, Qatar, for the 5th year in a row. Qatar was a race Cairoli had never won even in his championship years. Tony came into Qatar with preseason confidence and it showed the moment the gate dropped, Tony came away with the perfect 1-1 result asserting that he was back! Later Tony even admitted to having an issue in race 2 after coming together with the defending champ Tim Gajser. Tony thought he had broke spokes and had to back off the pace until he assured his KTM was intact. It wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t until late in race 2 that he blew by Gajser to claim his second race

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victory of the weekend. Not only was it that Cairoli was able to secure his first win in Qatar but he also took the red plate. This was the first time the pointsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; lead was in his hands in 2 years. Next came the MXGP of Indonesia a new race on the calendar for 2017. Indonesia was a location and circuit that no one had seen or experienced before. The City of Pangkal Pinang on the Island of Bangka was a beautiful and culture rich setting for the GP. Tony went into Indonesia focused, determined and once again confident. With the years of experience and the 8 championships Tony has accumulated, he knows what it takes to win one. While every racer wants to win every race a

champion knows how to think past the individual race. Indonesia was a challenging race for everyone including Tony. Due to extreme weather conditions the 2-race format was forced to be shifted to a single race weekend. Tony fought through the technical track better than most and placed 4th overall, a result that would ensure the red plate would stay aboard the 222 KTM. With 17 races in the championship remaining, speed, experience, and consistency are all key attributes, which Cairoli has on his side thus far. So will Tony clinch his 9th FIM Motocross World Championship in 2017? Only time will tell but this may very well be the year he captures his 9th title. Regardless one thing to be sure of is that Antonio Cairoli is back!

MXGP SOCIAL

TWITTER, FACEB IN THE WORLD OF #MXGP @FIM_live #MXGP set for new circuit and com-back to Indonesia after 20 years! @lisaleylandTV Great day filming our team report for Indonesia in some beautiful places. Stay tuned to http://mxgptv.com to find out more! @lock_n_load1 Looking forward to the start of #mxgp this weekend. Should be an interesting season #MXGPofQatar @GateDropMx Two days until the gatedrop for @mxgp 2017 in Qatar! #gatedrop #qatar #mxgp

@monsterenergyME This weekend the #MXGP gates will drop! Who’s ready for another epic season? http://monsterne.ws/U8B3P2SE #MXGPofQatar @qatarliving Live the excitement of the #MXGP of Qatar at Losail Motocross Track this weekend. #MXGPQatar @yamaharacingcom Round 1 of @mxgp will take place THIS Friday night in Qatar! @MxgpYamaha ’s @arnaudtonus will be making his #MXGP debut

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@HondaRacingCRF Gajser & Bobryshev are ready for the MXGP to kick off next week. Are you? #Honda #CRF @MxgpYamaha @shaunsimpson24 is ready, are you? Not long now until the team hit Qatar for #mxgp

MXGP3, The Official Motocross Videogame: In occasion of the official Release Date Announcement arrives one of the most beloved and requested features: 2-Stroke Bikes. Watch the trailer!

Subscribe to MXGP-TV. com and watch MXGP LIVE and onDemand on your favourite device

8-time World Champion Antonio Cairoli is back Watch the #DontCrackunderPressure Action Video from the MXGP of Qatar

BOOK, INSTAGRAM, YOUTUBE

@ajoenk_thomas It is suprising that my Idol and I, have much in common. We share the same height, hold the same number 21.

@sandidwiputraa speechless (1/2) #mxgp #mxgpofindonesia

@ebarajaria Thanks bro “ sudah memberi ttd “ hahahaha “ #suzuki rider “ mx1 #mxgp #gpmx1 #pangkalpinang #indonesia

@sophiedanvers Home time had the time of my life with my girls, Bali & Indonesia have been amazing. Only 1 week till our next adventure

@hanif_hunt Congratulations @samuelebernardini321 #motocross #mxgp #kompastv #pangkalpinang

IN THE WORLD OF #MXGP 39

MONSTER GIRLS

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MONSTER GIRLS

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M 44 Photo: MEYER

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HALL OF FAME

Michele Rinaldi il maestro!

For his first year as a pro rider, Rinaldi finished the season in twelfth position and gained some positions in ‘79 with an eighth overall on the last water cooled production of the TGM factory. In 1980 he won his first GP on his home soil in Montevarchi and all season long he was the main rival of Harry Everts; leading the championship before the final Born in Parma on the 9th of round in Mongay (Spain), he March 1959, Michele Rinalfinally finished runner up, only di started riding a bike pretty five points behind his Belgian late, as he was 13 years old when he did his first race on a rival. Considered as a potential 50cc Ancilloti. With his natural world champion, Michele joined talent he got some good results the factory Gilera team at the and joined one of the numerous end of the season to enter anItalian manufacturers when he other challenge alongside legsigned with TGM, a bike built in endary Gaston Rahier. Twice his home town: Parma! Michele third of the series in 1981 and was only fifteen years old when 1982, he signed with Suzuki he claimed his first regional ti- to represent the brand in the tles in Emilia and Piedmont, and 125cc FIM World Championship in 1977 he was crowned Italian with Eric Geboers. The Belgian won the title ahead of Michele, 125cc Junior champion on the Italian bike. Both TGM and Mi- who finally reached his dream chele improved every year and one year later when he became 125cc FIM World Champion afreached a higher level togethter an epic final. Missing some er, and in 1978 they entered GP’s early in the season due to for the first time the 125cc injuries, Michele was in second FIM World Championship. Not so many riders have claimed a world title as a rider and later as a manager! Italian Michele Rinaldi is a true legend of our sport, as he was the first Italian rider to become Motocross World Champion and later the first World Champion to get other titles as a team owner/manager.

position before the last GP in Luxemburg, but championship leader Corrado Maddii broke his leg during the practice session and lost the title! Michele, who was also a two-time winner with the Italian team at the Cup of Nations (the Motocross of Nations for 125cc bikes, ran from 1981 until 1984), was at that time one of the best riders in this class when he decided to move in the upper category. Moving to the 250cc class still with Suzuki but through his own private team – with pasta Barilla as main sponsor – as Suzuki officially retired from racing at the end of 1983, Mi-

chele would never succeed in this class against Heinz Kinigadner, Gert Jan Van Doorn, Jacky Vimond or Eric Geboers. Winner of one 250cc GP, runner up in 1986 and twice fourth in 1985 and 1987, Michele struggled with an injured shoulder and after racing the Paris Dakar in winter time he officially retired from racing to become team manager. He had his own team with some great sponsors, and he received the official support from Suzuki. He signed American Rodney Smith in 1988 and a year later his fellow countryman Alessandro Puzar, who offered the first World Title in the 250cc class to his manager in his second year in the team (1980). Two years later Michele moved to Yamaha following the wish of his main sponsor Chesterfield, and he immediately obtained a 250cc title thanks to American Donnie Schmit, who beat his

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team mate Bobby Moore. Now, twenty-five years later Rinaldi and Yamaha are still together, with a couple of World titles under their belt with Bobby Moore (125cc in 1994), Andrea Bartolini (500cc in 1999), Stefan Everts (six consecutive titles in 500cc/Motocross GP/ MX1 from 2001 to 2006), David Philippaerts (MX1 in 2008)

and Romain Febvre (MXGP in 2015). And the story is not finished, as team Yamaha Rinaldi is still involved in the main MXGP class with Romain Febvre and Jeremy Van Horebeek. There are still some other wins and titles to come for the Italian manager! Text & Photos: Pascal Haudiquert

1978: 12th in the 125 Motocross World Championship (TGM) 1979: 8th in the 125 Motocross World Championship (TGM). 1980: 2nd in the 125 Motocross World Championship (TGM). Winner of 1 GP 1981: 2nd in the 125 Motocross World Champion (Gilera). Winner of 2 GP Winner of the 125 Cup of Nations with team Italy 1982: 3rd in the 125 Motocross World Championship (Gilera). Winner of 1 GP Winner of the 125 Cup of Nations with team Italy 1983: 2nd in the 125 Motocross World Championship (Suzuki). Winner of 3 GP 1984: 125 Motocross World Champion (Suzuki). Winner of 5 GP 1985: 4th in the 250 Motocross World Championship (Suzuki). Winner of 1 GP 1986: 2nd in the 250 Motocross World Championship (Suzuki). 3rd at the Motocross of Nations with team Italy 1987: 4th in the 250 Motocross World Championship (Suzuki).

PADDOCK TALKS

Paddock Talks 01/The new metal grid, similar to a wire mesh, was used for the first time in the FIM Motocross World Championship at the MXGP of Qatar. 02/Losail also hosted the annual opening press conference of the season. 03/Evgeny Bobryshev has very good supporters at the races! 04/Traditional photo of the MXGP and MX2 riders before the season kicked off in Qatar. 05/Paul Malin and Lisa Leyland are back hosting the Studio Show, which is LIVE on www.mxgp-tv.com and Facebook every race weekend.

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Paddock Talks

06/A new beginning for Jeffrey Herlings. 07/Rookie Jorge Prado taking notes of the valuable pieces of advice of Joel Smets. 08/Monster Energy drift rider Dimitriy Illyuk did not want to miss the first race of the season in Qatar. 09/The MXGP and MX2 riders went to the Pangkal Pinang airport, which hosted a Sriwijaya Air Boeing 737 branded with the MXGP of Indonesia logo. Riders posed with the plane for photos and were also able to sit inside the cockpit. 10/Colourful traditional Indonesan dance opened the MXGP of Indonesia on Sunday.

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Photo: T. White

Heikki Mikkola 1977

Yamaha 500cc

Heikki Mikkola was and still is one of the true legends of our sport. Four world titles in two different classes, The Flying Finn was the first rider to win titles in two different categories and the first ever back-to-back winner in different classes: 250cc world champion in 1976 and 500cc world champion in 1977, and it’s his 1977 500cc Yamaha that we will feature in The 125cc class in the European this month’s MXGP Magazine.

in 1969 he was placed outside of the top five finishing fourteenth. His first title came with Husqvarna in 1974 as a 500cc rider and he followed up in 1976 in the 250cc class for the same team, but when Yamaha came knocking, it was an opportunity he grabbed with both hands.

things happen. It wasn’t until December 1976 that he was able to ride the bike for the first time, riding every day for two whole weeks over the Christmas period in order to get to grips with his new machine.

Everything about it was factory. The engine displacement like so There were many obstacles for many ‘500’s’ of that era wasn’t him to overcome; he’d never the true capacity and when Championship usually puts a spotlight on the next raced a Japanese bike before asked whether he knew exactly, big name in motocross. In fact both of the 2015 FIM Motocross World Champions and and so the way the team worked all he would say was ‘I think it was also very different to what Heikki Mikkola’s racing career likeJonass 450cc, something vice-world champions Romain Febvre, Gautier Paulin, Tim Gajserwas andmore Pauls he’d been used to. The overall was split between racing Husqlike that.’ In actual fact, it’s not have alland won the EMX125 on bike theirwas paths motocross supremacy. feel of the alsoto very varna Yamaha, with justchampionship surprising Mikkola couldn’t be different but with his own hard the last three years being spent precise about this detail, beworking spirit and determinawith the Japanese marque, and cause if you try looking for any in the eleven years he spent as a tion, he got his head down and information about this bike, it did everything he could to make GP rider, only in his first season is very hard to come by, mainly

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SPECIAL FEATURE

because this was a time when the manufacturers were starting to take things more seriously in terms of factory development, and this Yamaha came right at the beginning of that period, and usually when the season was over, the factory bikes were destroyed in case they fell into the wrong hands where important information could be garnered. An FIM rule meant that no more Titanium parts were allowed like in the days of Jeff Smith’s BSA for instance, but the frame was specially made and suspension was taking a different direction as well; you only need to see the 1973 Yamaha of HÂkan Andersson, Yamaha’s first ever word champion in the 250cc class riding the revolutionary Monoshock, to see that.

What was interesting here was that most of the development seemed to be done on the smaller capacity bikes before it ever reached the 500cc class and whilst he was running the Monoshock, he was still riding an aircooled bike instead of the new water-cooled system that came standard on the production 1977 Yamaha 250cc. Imagine that; a production being ‘more factory’ than his factory 500cc? That wouldn’t happen today. His decision to move to Yamaha was not so difficult as Mikkola recalls; ‘the factory between Husqvarna and Yamaha were little but different, and obviously the bikes were different, but with time spent testing everything was okay. I’d seen the bike in some places before but the

first time I rode it was in Japan in December 1976 around Christmas time. We spent two weeks testing, riding every day. It was difficult to ride in the beginning but it was coming better and better every day. Eventually I had a bike exactly how I wanted and one that was capable of winning the world championship.’ When it came down to it, turns out he was right, winning almost 8 of the 12 GPs on offer and ‘that means bike is very good’. Roger De Coster won the opening round of the 1977 season in Austria at Sittendorf but Mikkola responded at round two taking the next five wins on the bounce, and with that kind of dominance Mikkola was crowned world

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champion at Namur before the season ended, with two rounds remaining. The bike may have been difficult to ride in late December 1976 but with his hard work and the dedication of his mechanics, Mikkola was able to get the bike exactly how he wanted it and whilst there was no real such thing as Factory suspension like we know it today, what he did have was the certainly the next best thing, and it was this that made all the difference. The man responsible for dialling it in was a Belgian by the name of Lucien Tilkens and it was he who was believed to be the man responsible for creating the Monoshock for Yamaha, pioneered by HÂkan Andersson

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in 1973. The factory engine was very strong off the bottom and middle such was the way Mikkola rode; he liked to carry momentum, drifting for fun through the turns where his rivals were maybe more cautious. The gear box was 5-speed and the tryes he used ‘were mostly Pirelli’ but other important details such as form dimensions and carburettor brands and size of carb’ he couldn’t recall. ‘Maybe there was some Magnesium, but I don’t know exactly. It was 40 years ago now,’ was his response when quizzed about the bikes finite details. The swingarm was factory and ‘cornering was very good. There was no difference between riding in the

sand or on the hard pack, the bike was very good on both, but personally I preferred the hard pack.’ Mikkola won the title again for Yamaha in 1978 but injury during the ’79 season left him fifth in the standings. He retired at the end of the ’79 season with his legacy intact but will forever be remembered as Yamaha’s first ever winner in the 500cc class, the first Yamaha back-to-back winner in the same class (1977 / 1978) and the first ever backto-back world champion in two classes (1976 250cc, 1977 500cc). In total Mikkola won 32GP’s with 18 of those being won for Yamaha.

QUESTIONS TO THE EDITOR

QUESTIONS TO THE EDITOR Dear MXGP, It’s Laura from Italy. How can I do to watch the MXGP of Indonesia now? Is there any reply available? Thanks, Laura Dear Laura, You can purchase the MXGP-tv Package either for the whole season or Race by Race following this link. https://tickets.mxgp-tv. com/2396-mxgp-tv/en/ With the premium access all races area available LIVE and Ondemand. Best Regards MXGP Hi MXGP, Are there any VIP tickets for the MXGP of Patagonia Argentina? Thanks, Alex Hi Alex Follow the link below for more info on the tickets shops for the MXGP of Patagonia Argentina http://www.ticketek.com. ar/mxgp-patagonia-argentina/ villa-la-angosturaRegards MXGP

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Hi MXGP, I’ve heard that in Italy RAI will broadcast MXGP from now on. Can I have more info? Thanks, Carlo Hi Carlo We have the pleasure to confirm RAI is broadcasting MXGP with a dedicated program which will be showed each Wednesday after each event. For more info on MXGP broadcaster click HERE http://www.mxgp.com/ inside-mxgp/tv-broadcasters Regards MXGP Hi MXGP, I’m very happy the MXGP video game added the 2 stokes mode. Can you let me know when the video game will be out? Thanks, Gavyn Hi Gavyn MXGP3, the Official motocross Videogame will be out the 12th May 2017. Regards MXGP

Hi MXGP I was wondering where I could get some info on the venue of MXGP of Portugal Thanks, Carlos Hello Carlos, Please follow this link to have the details on the venue http://www.mxgp.com/ tracks/agueda. Do not hesitate to contact us for any further requests. Best Regards MXGP

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