MXGP #87 November 2020 by MXGP MAG

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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 #87 November 2020 The articles published in this magazine do not necessarily reflect the official position of Infront Moto Racing.

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L A I R O T I D E

David Luongo CEO of Infront Moto Racing

Dear MXGP Friends, We are here in Trentino to play out the last three rounds of the 2020 MXGP and MX2 World Championships, and everyone is looking forward to the end of this particular season which I really have to say was extremely complicated for everyone. However, from a sporting point of view, it’s been a wonderfully spectacular season. The races in every class were awesome and day after day they had us all spellbound in front of the TV screens. Up until today both Championships are uncertain of who the winner will be, even if Gajser and Vialle have a good points advantage but still they are in the grips of the riders behind them, it’s enough a little mistake and everything can dramatically change. But it’s clear both of them deserve their leader position because despite the fact, especially in the MXGP class, there are many different riders on the podium at every event and every race was very fought hard for, they were the most certainly the most constant riders and in overall they have been the faster ones. Within the next days we will know the 2020 World Champions, now the major question mark for everyone is what will happen for next year. Clearly, it’s the right question with the also the most complicated answer: we have worked very hard this year to maintain the level, quality,

OUR PLAN WILL BE TO START THE CALENDAR 2 MONTHS LATER THAN NORMAL professionalism and value of the World and European Championships. It cost us a lot of money and a lot of sleepless nights, but thank goodness we have succeeded and we have preserved all the parties involved; firstly the riders and teams, but also all the staff. I have to say now we are ready for the full 2021 programme, with 20 MXGP/MX2 events plus the Motocross of Nations. Clearly the virus is still hanging around but in a moment of pessimism we must also think positively, and we have to build our future because life goes on, and it must go on. There are many companies working on the vaccine and they are close to put a vaccine on the market, the same for the treatments; hospitals are more and more capable to treat the patients. Our plan will be to start the calendar 2 months later than normal, instead of starting the end of February we will to go to the end of April, allowing more time for the virus to pass, and then finish at the end of November, in this way we allow the teams and riders to have a hard-earned break.

It’s also clear, as we have proof this year, if the situation doesn’t change, we will be able to adjust to a plan B and plan C to permit our sport and all the people involved to survive and be ready for the great moment that awaits us. By the middle of November together with FIM we will publish the 2021 calendar. We would like to thank all the organizers who divided this difficult moment with us this year, but also all the other organizers who have continued to believe in our partnership and they have already confirmed their presence on the 2021 calendar, these are the results of a long term partnership and trust between all of us and also to the incredible results we obtain over the last years where MXGP has grown unbelievably, we also would like to thank FIM, FIM-Europe and all the National Federations who were helping and supporting during these difficult times, and last but not least all our partners lead by Monster Energy and the manufacturers, the teams, riders, media and everyone who has been involved in the paddock, the high level of professionalism and the respect of the protocol permitted us all to be here today in Trentino and see the light shine on the 2020 World and European Champions. We wish you all to continue to follow the action on MXGP-TV for this fabulous finale to the 2020 season.

S T O H S L COO

T O H S E L O H X FO

FOX HOLESHOT: SPAIN AND BELGIUM RE-CAP 16

WE’RE NEARING THE CLOSING STAGES OF THIS YEAR’S FIM MOTOCROSS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP AS JUST THREE ROUNDS REMAIN OF WHAT CAN ONLY BE DESCRIBED AS ONE OF THE MOST INTERESTING AND UNPREDICTABLE SEASONS OF MXGP.

Looking at the current Fox Holeshot Award standings, it looks like the competition has already been decided, as Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado and Tom Vialle currently dominate the contest by quite the margin. And with three GP’s, that’s a total of six races remaining, there’s no mathematical way for any of the other riders to catch-up to the pair. In MXGP, Prado leads the way with 16 holeshots, 12 points ahead of his closest rival Tim Gajser, while in MX2 Vialle has 17 and leads Jago Geerts by 11 points. For Prado this will be the third consecutive year that he will win the competition, having previously ruled the starts in the MX2 category in 2018 and 2019 and now he’s been able to carry

that very same success into his rookie season in MXGP, which has helped him on his way to 5 race wins, 3 GP victories and 8 podium finishes so far. While Vialle, this will be his first Fox Holeshot victory, alongside his current 12 race wins, 7 GP victories and 12 podiums. This season in particular, starts have been the key focus for many of the riders who are eagerly searching for every advantage, no matter how big or small over their rivals and getting a good start is the easiest way to get ahead of the competition. And there is no doubt that many of the top teams and riders have put in the hours to study what Prado and Vialle are doing different, which has consistently put them both out in front. During our catch-up with the Spaniard in last month’s issue, he revealed that there’s no real secret to his perfectly timed starts…

“I don’t think there is any secret, I don’t even know what I do. I think is just the confidence and also like a mental thing: you know that you’re going to start good and you are fully focused into the start and fully focused in every single movement from fingers to the toes,” he shared. The last few weeks have been busy as we welcomed back the Spanish Grand Prix alongside a demanding triple-header in Belgium. The Spanish Grand Prix was a special weekend for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado, who took his first double-race victory and stood tall on the top step of the podium, for the first time on home soil. Prado was on another level in Arroyomolinos as he completely dominated the races from start to finish, claiming both Fox Holeshots and then leading every lap of both heats, to secure two very strong victories. While in MX2, the Fox Holeshots were shared between the championship rivals, Vialle and 17

Geerts as they claimed a victory each in the races, though it was Tom Vialle who stood on top of the podium. Then we moved onto Belgium, for the Monster Energy MXGP of Flanders, which saw a new face added to the awards standings as JM Honda Racing’s Dylan Walsh got a flyer in the opening race, as he led the rest of the field into the first corner and for the next half a lap. Though by the second race Prado was back to his usual, as he claimed his 14th Fox holeshot of the season. In MX2, the starts were ruled by Vialle, who put his Red Bull KTM Factory Racing machine out in front in both of the races. Though despite getting the starts, the Frenchman struggled to hold on to the lead, as Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Ben Watson and Jago Geerts got him for the win in both heats. Then we had the second GP in Lommel, this time the MXGP of Limburg that saw Prado completely dominate the starts on his way to a first GP win in Lommel, in the premier MXGP class. Meanwhile in MX2, the start of the first race was extremely close, between Michael Sandner of Diga

Procross GasGas Factory Juniors, Vialle and Geerts. Though in the end it was determined that Sandner was the first to reach the white chalk line, to claim his first Fox Holeshot of the season. Though the second race saw Geerts claim the top spot into the first corner, though a crash is what cost him the possibility of a win. And then it was time for the final race in the sand with the MXGP of Lommel, which concluded our time in Belgium. During the MXGP of Lommel, it was the perfect day for Gajser who claimed both the Fox Holeshots on his way to his first double race win of the season. While in MX2 it was Vialle who led the way in the opening race though Geerts was able to respond and grab his own holeshot in the second race. There has been a few challengers for the Fox holeshots this season, though not many have been able to repeat their success quite like Tom Vialle and Jorge Prado who are this year’s winners in the competition and continue Red Bull KTM Factory Racings winning streak in the competition. Here are the full FOX Holeshot Awards standings!

WATCH THE VIDEO

MX2 TABLE Tom Vialle

Jago Geer

Ben Watson

Michael Sandner

Matthys Boirsame

Rene Hofer

MXGP TABLE Jorge Prado

Tim Gajser

Iva Monticelli

Jeremy Seewer

Dylan Walsh

Romain Febvre

P U G H N ATC I C A C R

: P U H C T A C R G E N S I O C RA ING CL G D E 21

YOU KNOW … IT DOESN’T SEEM LIKE FIVE MINUTES AGO THAT THE SEASON RE-BOOTED IN LATVIA AND THAT WAS WAY BACK IN THE SECOND WEEK OF AUGUST. EVEN HARDER TO IMAGINE IS THAT, AS THIS GOES TO PRINT, MXGP HAS BEEN ABLE TO COMPLETE 15 ROUNDS OF THE FIM MOTOCROSS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP, WITH JUST THREE LEFT TO RUN IN ITALY. HERE’S WHAT HAPPENED IN SPAIN AND BELGIUM WHERE OUR FIRST TWO CHAMPIONS WERE CROWNED ALONG THE WAY.

After the triple-header in Italy and the circuit of Mantova, the trucks were packed up for the 1700km drive south-west to Spain where we were met with a brand-new venue. Situated 25km south-west of the capital city Madrid, the intu-Xanadu shopping complex on the outskirts of Arroyomolinos was the focal point, but in the hills above the precinct was a purposebuilt race track for MXGP to do battle. As we passed by the circuit on the highway, you could see the work and effort that had already gone into making the event a great success, but actually, it wasn’t until you arrived at the venue where you could really appreciate the work that had gone into this new facility.

Belgium, at Lommel, and we will look at those races shortly. EMX125 – Spain EMX250 - Spain The Paddock was perfectly levelled, and spacious too. As for the circuit, it had a type of Matterley Basin vibe about it, in that it was situated in a shallow valley. The dirt was heavily ripped and watered, but we all knew that before long, the nature of the terrain would revert back to hardpack. However, there was a downside to this GP and that was, that no fans were allowed to witness the GP from inside the circuit; the downside being that home favourite Jorge Prado’s season was rapidly gaining momentum and from the five GP’s leading into Spain, he had missed the podium just once and it would have been fantastic for the usually vocal and enthusiastic fans to see him perform at home for the first time in more than two years when he raced at Redsand, all the way back on March 25th 2018. A race in Spain, was long overdue.

Joining MX2 and MXGP on the support list was EMX125 presented by FMF Racing and EMX250 and to say there were some nervous moments would be very much an understatement. Heading into Round 8 of 10, Mattia Guadagnini was very much the rider to beat, having just amassed four race wins in a row, and so was full of confidence as you’d imagine. He had also reduced the gap at the top of the championship to Thibault Benistant to just 28 points. By the time we left Spain, the Italian had taken another 10 points out of the Frenchman, having collected two more race wins to Benistant’s two 3rd place finishes. Just behind the two title rivals and standing next to them on the podium in 3rd overall was Kay De Wolf, whose 2-5 combination also ensured he maintained 3rd in the championship standings. Next up for these guys would be the final two rounds; a double-header in

For EMX125 presented by FMF Racing, Arroyomolinos was the sixth round and all eyes were on the series leader, Andrea Bonacorsi, who was then 33 points clear of fellow Italian, Pietro Razzini. Despite not winning a race, Bonacorsi’s 2-2 was enough to secure the overall victory, for the fourth time this season, a welcome return to the top step of the podium after placing 10th at the round of Europe at Mantova, just one week earlier. The riders who claimed race wins that day were Meico Vettik in Race One and Andrea Roncoli in Race Two. For Vettik his 1-5 would earn him 2nd overall and for Roncoli a 9-1 was good enough for 4th, just missing his first podium for the second consecutive round. However, if fans would have been allowed into the venue then the biggest cheer would have been reserved for David Braceras; the RFME GasGas Junior rider landed on the podium for the third time with another 3rd overall, although this time he took 23

two 3rd place finishes. His best podium appearance of the year at that point. As we headed north to Belgium, Bonacorsi had extended his lead to 42 points over Vettik. Title decider’s For the EMX250 riders, their title campaign would come to an end after just two of the three rounds in Belgium, and once again the action did not disappoint. The circuit itself was in good fettle but the deep sand is either something you love, or you hate. Lommel has long been known as the home of Belgian motocross for what seems an eternity, but the reality is, the first GP was only hosted there as recently as 1990. We say recently because there are venues such as Valkenswaard for instance that have been running GP’s since 1974, or Uddevalla in Sweden since 1958. So, by comparison, Lommel is quite young in its history. The town itself is situated in the province of Limburg and is a stone’s throw south of the Dutch border and on a normal GP weekend, the town would be awash with travelling fans from all over Europe, to witness the toughest race of the year. However, this year, the tripleheader would be without the usual characters; the MX1 Drinking Team and their Clément Desalle replica tandem bicycle spring to mind as reluctant absentees. Back to the racing and the EMX250 class did not disappoint with the usual suspects taking the top steps once again, only this time it was Benistant who raced to a perfect 1-1 for the second time this year for his fifth, overall win of the season. After too many mistakes, Guadagnini had to settle for 2-2 and a loss of 6 points to his rival. He would hope for more when the class returned three days later for the final round. Third overall went to the hard charging Norwegian, Hakon Fredriksen (3-4) to claim his fourth podium of the year. After a tedious game of cat and mouse, Guadagnini eventually cleared off for the win in Race One at the final round, leaving

Benistant to collect 2nd; however, it was in the second outing, the final race of the campaign that effectively decided the championship. After falling at the first turn, Guadagnini remounted and went back to work, but on Lap 3, he mis-timed a pass on another rider whilst 12th, sending both he and Matias Vesterinen sprawling to the deck. For Guadagnini it was race over and his title challenge done and dusted for another year. Benistant secured his second EMX title in three years, his first in EMX250, and both he and Guadagnini will move up to MX2 for the next chapter in their fledgling careers. Third overall in the final standings went to Fredriksen. As for the EMX125 class, the eighth-litre warriors would face three gruelling rounds in the sand, which is easier said than done. Apart from the series leader’s dominance in recent rounds, there has been a very notable presence of a particular team, made up of three particular riders; the RFME GasGas Junior MX Team have been making huge gains all -season long, and the last few rounds were no exception. The team itself is sponsored by the RFME, or the Spanish Motorcycling Federation as it is commonly known. With support from the newest brand in the paddock – GasGas, which before it was purchased by KTM in 2019 was a Spanish brand in its own right – this team and two of its riders in particular have gone on to do great things this year. Heading into the triple-header, David Braceras sat 3rd in the standings and had placed 3rd overall on three occasions. Guillem Farres had also taken three podiums, with 2-3-2 on consecutive occasions at Rounds 2, 3 and 4. Both riders had even featured on the box together at Faenza 1 and Faenza 3. In short, they were doing the RFME and GasGas proud, and they were loving every minute of it. This collaboration has no doubt been borne out of the success from Jorge Prado, a two-time MX2 world champion and inspiration

to the future of Spainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s racing heritage in motocross. The Monster Energy Round of Flanders was another spectacular day for RFME GasGas as Farres and Braceras once again stood on the podium, only this time they celebrated from the 1st and 2nd steps. Not only that, between them, Farres and Braceras won both races, the first time either of them had taken a race win. Max Palsson joined them on the podium after going 3-3 for 3rd overall; it was the second podium for the Swede in three rounds. Series leader Bonacorsi seemed to struggle with the sandy conditions and his 7-4 results were only good enough for 6th overall, whilst he extended his lead by two points after Meico Vettikâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 4-0, it was Braceras who was now up to 2nd in the standings. At the round of Limburg just three days later, Bonacorsi saw his lead reduced by 6 points as Braceras went 2-1 to secure his first ever overall win, which also meant back-to-back victories for the team. Although he finished 2nd overall, Bonacorsi did look more at home as a race win in the first outing showed, and with a lead of 38 points heading into the final round, the Fantic rider now had one hand on the championship trophy. Joining them on the podium this time was Haakon Osterhagen who celebrated his first EMX125 podium with 8-2 finishes. At the Round of Lommel, the championship was decided after Race One when Bonacorsi placed 3rd. His closest rival Braceras had problems on the opening lap and struggled to 16th, but in all reality, the Italian only needed 12 points from the round to secure his first EMX title. It was a season of firstâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s for both Andrea Bonacorsi and Fantic, a manufacturer returning to the paddock after more than 45 years; the last points scored by a Fantic rider before this year was back in 1975 in the 125cc world championship by Marcel Deibergen from Holland, who placed 5th in Race two at the Dutch GP at Markelo. It was also the first title for Fantic and another title for Corrado 30

Maddii, the team owner. None of this would have been possible though without the tuning knowledge of Jan Witteveen, the former mastermind behind the world title success of Pekka Vehkonen and Dave Strijbos in 1985 and 1986 when he was the race boss at Cagiva. The overall winner of the final round was Max Palsson, who went 1-1 on his WZ Racing KTM, and yes, you’ve guessed it, it was his first ever race win in Race One, so to go 1-1 for the overall was also his first victory. Meico Vettick was 2nd overall on his TBS Conversions KTM and Guillem Farres returned to the podium in 3rd. As for the final standings, it was Andrea Bonacorsi, David Braceras and Meico Vettik. MXGP and MX2 Back to Spain then and Tom Vialle was starting to look more and more like a world champion in the making, although he probably didn’t realise it at that point. His starting prowess was becoming more prolific, his opening laps lightning-fast, his race craft exemplary! In short, he was doing everything right whilst his closest rival Jago Geerts was starting to crumble. There were just too many mistakes creeping into the Belgian’s game, if you like. Before Spain the gap between these two riders was 46 points; when we left, it was out to 52! Vialle now had the equivalent of a whole GP in hand to play with and with six rounds remaining, it was not a bad place to be. Vialle’s win in Spain was his 5th success of the campaign, and whilst Geerts took the 2nd step, it came at a loss of 6 championship points. Joining them on the podium was TKO – Thomas Kjer Olsen – who celebrated his 5th podium of the season, and his 4th in a row. Perhaps the biggest story from Spain was Jorge Prado. The last time he raced at home he was young, he was a MX2 title contender and he was nervous in front of the Redsand crowd. Since then, he has claimed two MX2 titles, knows how to win races and has nerves of steel by comparison. Coming into Spain, the ‘61’ had secured five podiums from the last seven rounds, including a memorable first MXGP victory at 33

Faenza 2, so he then knew how to win in the premier class. What he did in Spain was sensational and from two Fox Holeshots, the KTM man cruised to victory in both races to put in a performance beyond his years. His mission was to win at home and that is exactly what he did. Nobody else even came close, and as a result, he moved to within 5 points of 3rd overall in the standings. When you think back to how his season began, how he rode at Matterley Basin with a healing broken femur, how he broke a collarbone towards the end of lockdown just before Latvia; to be knocking on the door for an overall top three finish in his rookie season was incredible. Joining Prado (1-1) on the podium was Tim Gajser (2-2) and Romain Febvre (3-3), the Kawasaki rider with his third podium of the season. Belgium Aaah! Lommel. Everybody’s favourite playground! Well, not everybody but either way, a triple-header in the deep sand of Lommel would be tough. The Monster energy MXGP of Flanders, MXGP of Limburg and MXGP of Lommel were the 13th, 14th and 15th rounds of the season and whilst we are all away in Italy and Spain enjoying the sunny weather and warmer climes, Belgium was almost drowning under a deluge of persistent rain. By the time we arrived though, there had been no downpours for a few days, but the track would still be heavy come race day. In a nutshell, the standout performance overall came from Ben Watson. The Brit, who had scored three podiums in three years; (3rd) in Russia in 2018, 3rd in Belgium at Lommel in 2019 and 3rd overall at Mantova 1 (Lombardia), was on the brink of doing something unfathomable, at least to him. At the Monster Energy MXGP of Flanders, Watson got off to a flying start in 2nd and after 7 laps of chasing series leader Tom Vialle, the Brit surged past the Frenchman and when the chequered flag was thrown at the end of 16 gruelling laps, the

Yamaha man crossed the line to celebrate his first ever race win in MX2. After a poor start in Race Two, he then charged through the field to 5th to secure his 2nd podium of the season with 3rd overall; it was the first time he’d taken a double podium in a season. At the MXGP of Limburg, he went one better and after going 3-2 Watson found himself on the 2nd step of the podium for the first time in his career. However, at the MXGP of Lommel, the fairy tale came true. A race win and a 4th after another charge through the field was enough to claim his first ever GP victory, and an emotional one at that. After claiming three podiums in three years, Watson had just landed three in-a-row and they were all hard fought and very well deserved. The last Brit to win a GP before Ben Watson was Max Anstie, who won the MXGP class at Lommel in 2019, but the last Brit to win in MX2 was August 7th 2016; again, it was Anstie who was victorious in Switzerland. On the whole it was a good Belgian campaign for his Monster Energy Yamaha team as well as both he and Geerts made it to the podium at Lommel 1 – the first time that the Hans Corvers owned team had both riders on the podium. This happened again at Lommel 2. As for the title race though, more mistakes from Geerts left him 74 points adrift of Vialle with three rounds and six races left to run; that is a deficit of almost three races. Vialle won two of the three Lommel GP’s which meant the Frenchman had done something he had never done before as well; with his win in Spain and wins in Belgium, he won three GP’s in a row for the first time in his career. The Red Bull KTM rider also became the first Frenchman to win at Lommel since Marvin Musquin in 2010. But with three rounds to go, he will have his eyes firmly on wrapping up the MX2 World Championship sooner, rather than later. Joining Watson on the podium at Lommel 3 was F&H Kawasaki’s Roan Van Der

Moosdijk in 2nd; the Dutch rider went 6-1 to claim his first ever race win in MX2 and his fifth podium of the season. Rounding out the top three was Maxime Renaux; the Yamaha SM Action – M.C. Migliori – J1 Racing rider went 2-5 for his fourth podium of the year and heading into Trentino 1, he now has a 20-point buffer between him and Jed Beaton in the battle for 3rd in the championship. And finally … Heading into the Belgian rounds, Antonio Cairoli had never finished off the podium in all the years he had raced there; he was also one of just three riders to have won at Lommel from all the riders in both MX2 and MXGP. The other two were Tim Gajser and Jorge Prado. After struggling to 13-6 scores at the Monster Energy MXGP of Flanders, TC222 ended the day 9th overall. He did bounce back for 3rd overall at Lommel 2 though. Tim Gajser repeated his success of 2019 by winning Lommel 1 with a 2-1 for Team HRC and extended his lead over Cairoli in the fight for the championship in the process. Joining him on the podium was Monster Energy Yamaha’s Gautier Paulin (1-5); the Frenchman collected his first race win since April 23rd 2017, when he won the first race at Valkenswaard. It was also his first podium since Germany, June 23rd 2019, so this one was long overdue. It was also an emotional one as his comments in the post-race press conference alluded to injuries sustained during lockdown, and so to get back to winning races and standing on the podium was quite overwhelming. Jorge Prado took a 3-4 to the 3rd step of the podium, was tied on points with Jeremy Seewer for 3rd in the championship and was now just 11 points behind Cairoli in 2nd. At the MXGP of Limburg, Prado (2-1) was pretty spectacular once again and his battle with his teammate Cairoli was typical Prado and reminiscent of how he fought with Jeffrey Herlings at Assen on his MX2 debut in 2016. This time though, it was Prado who won the battle of the teammates and it was enough to

secure him the overall victory, his third of the season. He was now just TWO points from 2nd overall in the standings. It was also his fourth success around this circuit, the most ever wins recorded by a single rider. Tim Gajser comfortably won the first race but was forced to settle for 3rd in Race Two after colliding with track side banners, which caused him to lose too much time on his rivals. He was leading when the incident happened. But, 2nd overall meant he once again increased his lead over TC in the title race. On the eve of the final instalment, the MXGP of Lommel, news broke that Jorge Prado had tested positive for Covid-19 and therefore would not be lining up on Sunday; a huge blow for his championship campaign. Of course, it goes without saying that everyone at MXGP and Infront Moto Racing wish him a speedy recovery and a swift return to racing. For Tim Gajser it was the perfect day which began with Pole Position and ended with two Fox Holehots and two race wins. Romain Febvre was his closest challenger, but the Monster Energy Kawasaki rider had to be content with 2-2 and 2nd overall as Jeremy Seewer somehow found his way to 3rd after 4-3. It looked like it would be a difficult day for the Monster Energy Yamaha rider who struggled in Time Practice, but in the end, it was a much-needed podium for the Swiss rider, who leapfrogged Prado to 3rd in the standings. It was another off-day for Cairoli (3-10) who left Lommel 3 slightly bemused with 5th overall. As we head to the final three rounds of the season in Italy, a tenth world title is looking more and more out of reach for Cairoli, who now sits 74 points adrift of Gajser; the Slovenian marching closer towards his fourth world championship success. The battle is now on for 2nd overall between Cairoli and Seewer who are now separated by 10 points. Whatever happens, there is bound to be more drama between now and the final race of the season and you can catch it all on MXGP-TV.COM. 40

FIM MOTOCROSS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

RESULTS MXGP CHAMP. STANDINGS 1. T. Gajser (SLO, HON) 2. A. Cairoli (ITA, KTM) 3. J. Seewer (SUI, YAM) 4. J. Prado (SPA, KTM) 5. R. Febvre (FRA, KAW) 6. G. Paulin (FRA, YAM) 7. G. Coldenhoff (NED, KTM) 8. C. Desalle (BEL, KAW) 9. J. Van Horebeek (BEL, HON) 10. J. Herlings (NED, KTM)

583 p. 509 p. 499 p. 476 p. 465 p. 403 p. 375 p. 362 p. 289 p. 263 p.

1. T. Vialle (FRA, KTM) 651 p. 2. J. Geerts (BEL, YAM) 577 p. 3. M. Renaux (FRA, YAM) 476 p. 4. J. Beaton (AUS, HUS) 456 p. 5. T. Olsen (DEN, HUS) 446 p. 6. B. Watson (GBR, YAM) 440 p. 7. R. Van De Moosdjik (NED, KAW) 417 p. 8. C. Mewse (GBR, KTM) 307 p. 9. R. Fernandez (SPA, YAM) 279 p. 10. M. Boisrame (FRA, KAW) 234 p.

MXGP MANUFACTURERS

MX2 MANUFACTURERS

1. KTM 2. Honda 3. Yamaha 4. Kawasaki 5. Gas Gas 6. Husqvarna

1. Yamaha 2. KTM 3. Husqvarna 4. Kawasaki 5. Honda 6. Gas Gas

MXGP STATS

MX2 CHAMP. STANDINGS

658 p. 620 p. 565 p. 534 p. 428 p. 342 p.

675 p. 667 p. 536 p. 499 p. 340 p. 266 p.

L A I C O S P G X M

@jeffrey_herlings84 Would you like to win this Art piece created by @ xpro.designs? (Plexiglas painting 50x70cm)

@Fantic.Racing 2020 European Champions đ&#x;?&#x2020;. Today we have a lot to celebrate: Fantic and Andrea established themselves in 2020 European championship. We are glad to announce that our Fantic XX 125 successfully ridden by Andrea, won one of the most prestigious and highly qualified championship in the world

Want to know more about the track in Lommel? Check out our track preview by Dunlop, where we find out more about what type are more suites to certain conditions here at Lommel circuit!

@lisaleylandtv #MonsterEnergy MXGPFlanders #motocross Enjoy the Monster Energy MXGP of Flanders News Highlights with all the epic battles and overtakes from the first of the triple header from Lommel:

@Linseyfauve Good to be back! đ&#x;&#x2019;&#x161;MXGP Lommel! @_loco102_ La passione Ă¨ tutto nella vita!

@mikelzabala111

@mxgp What a career for @mx_ panda ! đ&#x;?&#x2020; Since his first GP in 2006 (GP of Flanders, Zolder) Clement Desalle has raced more than 200 GPâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, won 23 of them, and racked up 48 race wins, in addition to 80 podiums! đ&#x;?&#x2020; He also represented Team Belgium at the Motocross of Nations numerous times and won with the team in 2013!

@jorgeprado61 eres un genio. Hoy nos has hecho vibrar y disfrutar de lo lindo!!! DĂa histĂłrico para el motocross espaĂąol. Gracias!!! â?¤ď¸? #mxgp #mxgpspain

How epic was the @ MonsterEnergy triple in Arroyomolinos for the MXGP of Spain! đ&#x;&#x201D;Ľ Check out some footage of the MX2 and MXGP riders taking on the big leap of 38 meters! đ&#x;&#x201D;Ľ #MXGPSpain #MXGP #Motocross

@dhanisdamon Last home GP for @mx_ panda today, so I had to make something special! Thank you for all the memories in Lommelđ&#x;&#x2021;§đ&#x;&#x2021;Ş

@ed_bersanelli267 Niente di meglio della combo @foxmoto e @ dcshoes !!đ&#x;&#x201D;šď¸?

P G X M # D OF ORL W HE IN T

@patstorrdesigns A bit of Conrad Mewse editing đ&#x;&#x201D;Ľ original images courtesy of @crush_ motorsports

R E S T L S R I N G MO

H T N RE MO E D I RF TH O

: E L L A S E ! D A R T E L E N T IE T W M E E N L A C F O T R A T S

However, the Belgian is now ready to hang up his GP boots for good and say goodbye to the FIM Motocross World Championship. Following the news of his retirement, we caught up with the Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team rider to hear the story of his career in his own words … CLEMENT DESALLE HAS BEEN A PART OF THE FIM MOTOCROSS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP FOR OVER A DECADE, FIRST COMING ONTO THE GRAND PRIX SCENE BACK IN 2006. AND SINCE THEN THE BELGIAN HAS HAD AN EXCITING CAREER THAT SAW HIM BECOME A FACTORY RIDER, BATTLE FOR THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS AND WIN THE MONSTER ENERGY FIM MOTOCROSS OF NATIONS

THE DECISION TO RETIRE CD25: “About my retirement, it was thought over and it’s difficult to tell you when I made this decision … You know, this sport is my passion before being my job, and after the week in Latvia, I was disappointed. Then, weeks

passed, and I was satisfied. But a few weeks ago, I started to think about next year and a mix of reasons made my decision. During my career I have made some irrational decisions for my physical health, now I decided to listen to my body”. It was a decision made prior to the MXGP of Spain, though the news broke just after as we prepared to head into the Belgian triple-header in Lommel, which would be the last few home GP’s for the Belgian. Looking back at his career, Desalle has had some impressive moments claiming a total of 23 GP wins, 80 podiums and 48 race wins, among many other achievements including the Motocross of Nations victory with Team Belgium, back in

2013. Though numbers are something that the MX panda, as he is affectionately known, hasn’t spent his time focusing on. CD25: “I don’t pay attention to the number of wins or podiums, but since I announced my retirement, I see a lot of information. I am not someone who counts but I knew my wins in GP that’s for sure,” he shared. “It’s a nice career and I am still thankful for what this sport brought me”. Now reflecting on his career, Desalle has had time to look back on his success and also accept the fact that the title was something he could not conquer. CD25: “On one hand people see me as an angry or negative person but on the other hand, I am thankful for doing my passion as a living. It’s a dream to do what you love in life. I

am a straight person and I have always followed my values. Overall, I did a good career, but I fought for the title that I didn’t get, so it was difficult to accept”. During the last 14 seasons we have seen Clement Desalle in the forefront of many battles, with many of his fellow racers describing him as one of the toughest guys to pass. Though when asked who his most respected rival has been during his career, the answer was Steve Ramon and his main championship rival Antonio Cairoli. CD25: “It’s a tough one, but I would say that my most respected rival is Steve Ramon, my teammate at that time. I really enjoyed being with him and racing with him. He was always correct and respectful. I will also answer Antonio Cairoli because I had a lot of battles with him, a lot of championships that he won and I finished second. He was always the one that I had to 55

beat. He’s of course one of my toughest rivals”.

the MX1 category (as it was previously known), without taking the usual route that riders take nowadays, to rise through the ranks.

THE BEGINNING The story of Clement Desalle and his motocross dream started back at a young age and was something that he says he was born with. Things started the same as they do for most riders, he got a bike at a young age just for a bit of fun in the garden not realising that it was the start of what would be an epic journey to the top stage. CD25: “My first race was in 1999, for sure I remember this one like yesterday”. And from then on it was full steam ahead and fast forward seven years and the then 17-year-old entered his first Grand Prix season in 2006, though the first few GP’s were not so easy for the Belgian, who failed to score points. CD25: “I remember the year before I was watching the GP in Nismes as a spectator, and then the year after I was racing, because I did very well and had the opportunity. I remember that one thing that was very difficult at that time was to be on the list because of the rules … You had to prove that you had your chance on the track and that you could be qualified to be on the list for the following race”. CD25: “It took to the German GP in the same year to score a point. It was great and I was very young. I gained experience during the season and I ended the season with 70 points if I am not mistaken. I progressed step by step and I am thankful for that. So, that year was an unforgettable memory”. For Desalle his career was a little different than most riders, as he entered the world championship straight into

Then fast-forward to 2009, Desalle started the season off with a bang, as he took his first podium finish at the opening round in Italy, which he then followed up with his first race win in Latvia, to then finish the year off with two overall victories in Czech Republic and Brazil. CD25: “First GP podium of my career was something big. Especially in that year, my bike changed. It was a new bike, so we weren’t well prepared, we just got the correct suspension two weeks before the GP. Everything was last minute, and the conditions weren’t suitable for a podium place. It was great and unexpected to have my first podium in those conditions”. CD25: “When I had my first podium, I knew I still had a lot to prove. And not every podium is easier than the year before. Every race is different and challenging. On my first race win, the feeling that I was able to win a race in the GP class was a great feeling. I could finally feel my improvement and the result of hard work”. THE MOVE TO FACTORY Things then reached a whole new level for the Belgian, who was drafted onto the factory Rockstar Teka Suzuki World MX1 Team in 2010, a dream come true for the teenager, who took a big step forward in his career. CD25: “It was really nice, and a dream come true. It was difficult to realise that I was a Suzuki rider because it was one of the best factory teams in the paddock, so I was so excited to try the bike and improve

myself much better and to reach the next step.” And Desalle proved himself as a worthy choice, as he took his first Grand Prix podium with Suzuki at the fourth round of the championship in Portugal. CD25: “That moment was special because I proved them that they made a good choice by taking me as their factory rider. Especially this one was very strange because I had dislocated my shoulder two weeks before. I couldn’t train properly in between races and I didn’t know what to expect, even if I could ride or not”. Desalle ended his debut season with Suzuki second in the MX1 championship standings, 88 points down on Cairoli. The following season (2011), the Belgian added four more GP victories to his count and finished the year third, behind Cairoli and Steven Frossard. When looking back on his career, 2012 is a year that sticks in Desalle’s mind and one that he would consider as one of the toughest of his career, as he watched the title slip through his fingers for the third year in a row. CD25: “2012 was a difficult time balanced between good and bad moments. I felt very strong, but it was difficult to accept the bad moments and accept that I lost that race. There are 2 years in particular during my whole career that I couldn’t accept my failure and 2012 is one of them,” he shared. The 2013 season was another tough one for the MX Panda and things got even tougher when the Belgian picked up an injury at the Motocross of Nations in Teutschenthal, Germany, and what should have been a happy moment as Team Belgium were victorious that year, turned out to be quite the opposite.

Joel Smets, Team Belgium Manager: “We were amongst the favourites and we were doing really well, Jeremy [Van Horebeek], Ken [De Dycker] and Clement of course. And before the final run we were looking really good and confident, but then in the first corner unfortunately Clement had his crash and dislocated his shoulder, so myself together with all the Belgian fans gave up all hope. I went with the first aid people to the medical centre and it took quite a while but finally the doctor managed to put the shoulder back and the race was almost over. So, I was heading back to the paddock to the team truck as I thought for sure we had lost the race, but then I heard the speaker say Belgium are still leading and I really thought that speaker had been drinking too much or maybe that he saw ghosts but then anyway I went to have a look and yes indeed, Ken was riding the race of his life and we managed to win that race”.

back in sharing how tough it was to stand on the podium and celebrate a victory, while also dealing with a painful injury and personal defeat.

This was the only victory that Belgium has had at the MXoN in recent years and a special one for the fans, who thought all hope was lost.

CD25: “The thing about Rockstar Energy Suzuki team that I really liked is how professional they were with all the details, I’m speaking about everybody in the Team, also how Sylvain worked on the bikes. I learnt a lot from him and I really lliked it because I also have a passion for mechanic”.

Joel Smets: “It was clear that it was really mixed emotions of course, especially for Clement because he was really down and he knew he just won a world title but still he would have loved to have had a bigger part in it, but the whole of Belgium was really proud of him. He even went up to the podium and actually he couldn’t put his arm up in the air but at least we could put a smile on his face, and I hope that Clement really knows, maybe he has not won an individual world title, but he definitely has his part in that team world title for Belgium in 2013, and myself together with all Belgian MX community are really proud of him for that”. And looking back on that memory, Desalle didn’t hold

CD25: “It was very complicated for me. We won but I couldn’t celebrate and enjoy that national victory. I couldn’t show happiness and joy because I had physical pain. So that was complicated, it’s a nice moment for the team as a whole, for the riders and it’s the last race of the season. I was feeling very strong during the season but then I knew I needed surgery. Not a nice memory for me as a rider, but a positive memory for Belgium riders. Overall, showing happiness for the team was difficult because I had to face my personal defeat,” he recalled. Until the end of 2015, Desalle was part of the Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MXGP Team managed by Sylvain and Eric Geboers.

The Belgian had the perfect base with Suzuki to be on top, though injuries proved to be costly and saw the rider withdraw from the championship prematurely on several occasions. In 2013 Desalle finished the season as vice world champion, once again, picking up four Grand Prix victories along the way. Then in 2014, the Belgian struggled to finish the season. He was back at the MXGP of Czech Republic following a crash in Sweden, though ended up hurting himself again, this time breaking his scaphoid and

instead shifted his focus towards healing, missing the last three GP’s. Despite missing the last three rounds, Desalle managed to hold on to 4th in the championship standings. 2015 was another tough season for the then Suzuki rider, who missed half of the season due to a knee injury he picked up during round eight in France. He made a comeback in Loket for the MXGP of Czech Republic, where he finished third overall, though at the following GP in Lommel, Belgium, he suffered another shoulder issue in Time Practice, which put an end to the rest of the season as he underwent surgery to the joint. CD25: “Unfortunately, injuries are part of our sport … My dad always taught me to take care of myself and to respect my body. So, at every new injury, it was of course physical pain but mainly emotional pain. To be totally honest, it’s challenging to accept new injuries. But on the other hand, you give everything that you have when riding, so it’s part of the game. To be the best, you have to risk it. Sometimes, it’s a kind of bad luck and it’s difficult to accept it”. MONSTER ENERGY KAWASAKI RACING TEAM 2016 was the start of a new chapter for Desalle, who made the move to green and geared up to conquer the world championship once again. CD25: “In 2016, signing with Kawasaki was a new chapter, and having François by my side was exciting. I had a good feeling with him in the past and it was one of the factors that I took into consideration when signing with Kawasaki. It is important, maybe more important compared to others, for me to have a good feeling with the people that I am working with,” he shared. In 2017 Desalle finished the season in 4th, behind Cairoli, Jeffrey

THE FUTURE

Herlings and Gautier Paulin, though in 2018 was back up in a medal scoring position, as he finished the season as second runner up with 9 podiums, including his overall victory at the MXGP of Russia. The 2019 season was a write off for the Belgian, who was once again looking strong at the beginning of the season with some top 5 finishes. Though his season was cut short by the time we reached the Russian GP, for which he was a favourite to win, as the Kawasaki rider suffered a big crash which resulted in a broken left tibiafibula and a sprained right ankle. This forced him out for the rest of the season. 70

Since joining team green, the squad have achieved 17 podiums and 4 GP overall’s, though the Belgian wanted more … CD25: “Overall, I am very proud of the work we have achieved together. But to be honest, I wanted to offer them more. More podiums, more GP wins, and the title that I was working for. I am happy in one way, but I wanted more,” he added. This season Desalle has been a constant top 10 finisher, with his best results in Mantova and Spain, where he finished 5th overall. Now we head into the final triple-header of the 2020 season, in Pietramurata, Italy, with what will be the final few races for the MX Panda of his professional Grand Prix career.

CD25: “I will miss racing of course. I often say to my team and to my family that I have adrenalin when racing. I think it’s important to adapt yourself and I will see with my project. Anyway, it will be different. As a pro motocross rider, you know that racing must come to an end at one point. I decided that my time has come, but for sure I will miss it”. And there’s plenty that will keep the Belgian busy, as he has plenty of other passions one of them being flying. CD25: “My passion for flying is great. I discovered it not so long ago and I gathered information and step-bystep I learned. It helped me to recover and to think about something else than racing. In 2010 Roger De Coster told me something important: “You have to find something that recovers your mind,” he shared.

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

: E G H N I T C N A O R D C I N T A N A F IAN BR L A IT ! E S I R

FANTIC RACING HAVE STEPPED UP TO BECOME A CHAMPIONSHIP WINNING MANUFACTURER AND TEAM THIS SEASON, AS TOGETHER WITH THEIR RIDER, ANDREA BONACORSI, THEY STORMED TO VICTORY TO CLAIM THE EMX125 PRESENTED BY FMF RACING TITLE IN LOMMEL, BELGIUM JUST A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO.

The hillside Monte Coralli Circuit is situated just over eight Italian brand, Fantic Motor Racing was established in 1975 with the focus on enduro bikes. By the 90’s the Fantic Motor Racing team had acquired numerous national and European titles in the different classes of the championship, though after some time, things shifted, and racing was no longer in the plan for the factory. In 2014, Fantic was bought by a group of entrepreneurs who started a new line of business, which has taken Fantic to where it is today. The Fantic factory, based in Dosson del Casier (Treviso), Italy, is where the main testing on the engine is made, while other tests are carried at the surrounding Italian circuits, as the team don’t have their own private facility. “When you speak about Fantic Motor you speak about racing, about Italian genius that wants to win everywhere and develop the best technologies and the best solutions with hard work and a lot of passion. For us the most important thing is that we want to speak to the young generation and our goal is to support the next generations of riders. We couldn’t miss the opportunity to get inside a such competitive championship and don’t fight for the title and first positions with our brand and our mission,” explained Pietro Secco, the Marketing and Communications Manager at Fantic Motor. And with such motivation, Fantic made the decision to return to the racing world and step into the motocross paddock with a proper racing division run by mechanical engineer Jan Witteven, with a professional structure managed by Corrado Maddii. “It was last season, on 15th August, which in Italy is a bank holiday, I received a call from the Fantic Motor responsible Mariano Roman who wanted to inform me that they had a new bike on their future projects and they were thinking about me to take care of this project,” shared Corrado Maddii.

“At the beginning I didn’t answer them immediately because at that moment I was still busy helping my son Marco and his team, whose riders competed in the EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing and the EMX250 Championships. Fantic also informed me that they made a deal with Jan Witteveen, one of the best Mechanical Engineers that can work on a 2-stroke bike. We spoke about that and we decided to start for fun with not so many expectations for the first season. Fantic Motor gave us the full support; they also set up a small research and development division inside the factory and they started to work on the bike and on the engine,” he added. And with the support of the factory, Fantic began their journey to the top, as the all-Italian squad entered the European 125cc Championship in Matterley Basin, Great Britain. Like many, Corrado Maddii started out as a rider who also had an interest in the technical side of the sport and the coordination of a team. In 1988, Maddii suffered a serious knee injury, which ultimately led to the decision of retirement. “On the way from hospital I started to think about my retirement; I was already 31 and I had already the idea to stop riding maybe in a couple of years, so I took that chance and I decided to retire. I remember that there was one guy of the Italian Federation, Bruno Comanducci at the time Technical Responsible of the Italian Motocross Federation, that was always pushing me to make a team to train and teach the young riders. So I decided to call him and he was super enthusiastic to help me to make my own team. At the time it was not so usual for the riders that retire becoming a team manager or team coordinators so also for me everything was new,” Maddii shared. The 2020 season has been full of many surprises and for Fantic Motor Racing the EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing

Championship title has been the absolute icing on the cake! The team entered the opening round in Great Britain with a completely new bike, not knowing what to expect and the outcome was a combination of good and bad. In the first race, Bonacorsi suffered a mechanical problem, though the second heat was much more positive as he finished the race inside the top five. Then the season came to an abrupt halt and we didn’t see any races for around five months. Though this worked out as a favour for the Fantic squad, who used the time to make further developments on their machine, working a lot on the engine dyno to increase power and make a much more reliable engine, which in the 125cc class is no easy task. “After the first race the Research and Development division started to work really hard to improve the engine that was the biggest weakness of the bike and we can say that on our side the lockdown due to the Covid-19 virus helped us because they had a lot of time to work on the engine and develop it in a proper way without any rush,” Maddii explained. As things started to open up again, the team then headed to Belgium for some testing, where they were pleasantly surprised by all the improvements that were made. And the result was evident, as the team entered the first Italian triple-header of the season with a much stronger machine. Faenza was a turning point for Bonacorsi, who claimed six consecutive race wins and three overall victories, which he explained as a turning point and the moment when he and the team realised that they could go for the title this season. And from a technical standpoint, things were plain sailing for the rest of the season, as the team didn’t fail any races due to technical problems. “We didn’t think that we could get those results by accident. When we started the season we already knew that we had the chance to compete at the same level of our competitors 77

the fact that he took home that championship gold plate! I’m super proud of what I’m doing, what we are doing together this season is simply amazing,” shared Andrea Bonacorsi.

with our know-how, our skills, our technician, our partners and our Team Manager and our great rider Andrea Bonacorsi. Races are unpredictable but when you put all your effort and your passion, the results always come out,” revealed Pietro Secco. The following rounds were a little tougher for Bonacorsi, who only managed to finish on the podium two more times, once in Spain, where he won the round with two second place finishes, and then again in Belgium during the round of Limburg, where a race win and a fifth was enough to put him on the second step of the box. Though this didn’t matter as he racked up a decent championship lead anyway 78

and was looking comfortable for the title, as he entered the races with a 38-point advantage over his closest rival David Braceras of RFME GasGas MX Junior Team and only needed to finish the races with a solid result in order to seal the deal. Bonacorsi finished the opening race of the day third, which was enough for him to claim the title in race one. The Fantic Racing rider then had a much tougher second race after getting caught out in a first turn crash, which meant he had to start from way back and 11th was the best he could do. And while he missed out on a podium finish at the final round of the series, that really didn’t matter as the main focus was on

“Fantic worked really hard to develop the bike and gave us full support; the first race we did in Matterley we had some technical issues and we were not so happy about the result. After that we had the lockdown and the factory took that chance to work a lot on the bike and improve the field that we asked them, and with their help we made a big step forward and in Faenza we were able to win 6 races,” he added. Now it’s time to look ahead to the future, as Bonacorsi steps into the EMX250 Championship for 2021 and Fantic look forward to a second season in EMX125, as well as setting their sights on the future of tackling European 250cc category and going even further into the four stroke class to continue their journey in the motocross world.

L L A H

E M A F F O

PETER “PJ” JOHANSSON SWEDEN WAS ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL NATIONS INVOLVED IN MOTOCROSS IN THE SIXTIES AND SEVENTIES, AND PETER JOHANSSON HAS BEEN THE LAST SWEDISH RIDER ABLE TO FIGHT FOR A WORLD TITLE IN THE LAST CENTURY. WINNER OF NINE GP’S AND FOUR TIMES ON THE PODIUM OF THE 500CC WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP, HE RACED NEARLY 180 GP’S DURING HIS CAREER. Born on 11th January 1966 in Kinna, a little village located 50 km south east of Goteborg, Peter was the third member of the family to start racing motocross behind his brother Magnus, who was one of the best Swedish talents. And when his brother finished one season as 50cc Swedish champion, Peter immediately got his bike, built by a road racing trimmer. Racing many classes in 1982 he wasn’t so successful but learned a lot and the following year he won all junior competitions. In Autumn all the best Swedish riders like Carlqvist, Nilsson or Eriksson were used to compete in Sweden, and even if he was only 17 years old Peter scored top five results regularly. Unfortunately, 1984 was not that good for him as he broke his arm twice. Racing a few GP’s in 1985, Peter was impressive during the last one of the season, in Germany, when he claimed a podium result. From there he slowly improved his results and entered the top ten first time in the 250cc World

Championship in 1988. In 1989 he was crowned Swedish champion, then in 1990 he stood on the podium with team Sweden at the Motocross of Nations and finally won his first GP in 1991 at Nismes, Belgium, ahead of Marnicq Bervoets and Trampas Parker. Fourth of the series that season, he then had a couple of mixed results for the following three years due to injuries and DNF’s. He probably took the best decision of his career when he decided to change class, and to join the 500cc World Championship in 1995. For the first time in his career Peter raced a GP season on a European bike, being involved in the Zupin Husqvarna Racing Team; fourth in the series with nine podiums that year, he learned a lot and did even better in 1996 as he won two rounds to finish on the podium in the championship for the first time in his career, with a third position behind Shayne King and Joel Smets. It was enough to convince Yamaha to sign the Swedish multiple champion for their come back in the 500cc 81

class with the revolutionary YZM400F, alongside Andrea Bartolini. Both riders had up and down results in 1997, with several DNFs due to technical issues but with a double victory in Jinin, Czech Republic, Peter proved that this bike had a huge potential. More consistent in 1998 he claimed his second World Championship podium with a third overall, and at the end of the season joined the KTM Factory team. With three DNFs during the first three rounds of the 1999 season, Peter didn’t start his campaign that well, but in Castiglione del Lago he dominated all his rivals to win the fifth round of the series. Winning three other GP’s that season he finished as runner up in the championship behind former team mate Andrea Bartolini and also claimed his fourth Open Class title in his native Sweden. Again third in the 500cc World Championship in 2000, Peter won his last GP that year in Schwanenstadt, Austria, and his thirteen and last moto in Tibro, Sweden. It was his last “full season” and in 2002, after eighteen seasons at the highest level, he retired at the age of 36 years, but remained involved in the sport as sales manager for KTM Scandinavia. Text & Photos: Pascal Haudiquert

1985:

23rd in the 250 World Championship (Honda)

1986:

10th in the 250 World Championship (Honda)

1987:

13th in the 250 World Championship (Yamaha)

1988:

8th in the 250 World Championship (Yamaha)

1989:

6th in the 250 World Championship (Yamaha)

250 Swedish Champion

1990:

12th in the 250 World Championship (Yamaha)

3rd at the MX of Nations with team Sweden

1991:

4th in the 250 World Championship (Yamaha). Winner of 1 GP

1992:

9th in the 250 World Championship (Yamaha)

1993:

16th in the 250 World Championship (Yamaha)

Open class Swedish Champion

1994:

16th in the 250 World Championship (Yamaha)

1995:

4th in the 500 World Championship (Husqvarna)

1996:

3rd in the 500 World Championship (Husqvarna). Winner of 2 GP’s

Open class Swedish Champion

1997:

6th in the 500 World Championship (Yamaha). Winner of 1 GP

Open class Swedish Champion

1998:

3rd in the 500 World Championship (Yamaha)

1999:

2nd in the 500 World Championship (KTM). Winner of 4 GP’s

Open class Swedish Champion

2000: 3rd in the 500 World Championship (KTM). Winner of 1 GP

Open class Swedish Champion

2001:

6th in the 500 World Championship (KTM)

2002:

33rd in the 500 World Championship (KTM)

Photo: C. DESMET

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

N E A M OR M S I E V ON

Y T E F A S : N G A N I H H T T T L N A A T H NT IMPOR RE NCE!? E I N E

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MAXIMUM AIRFLOW The Reflex offers extensive intake venting with strategic channels, enhanced by the benefit of Koroyd® material, 88

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an all gloss finish - ACCELerate your style! Not so much into colors? No problem: The REFLEX BLACKOUT is understatement and elegance in perfection! The matte dark finish makes this REFLEX design so magnetic – come to the dark side! Top your style: Combine each REFLEX helmet with matching gears – no matter which one of the four racewear lines you prefer: The PRIME PRO, THOR’s most advanced gear to date that was developed with insight and testing from THOR’s elite riders to reduce the interference between man and machine. The PULSE line, built tough to last you moto after moto. The PULSE AIR, having all the same features as the PULSE racewear line with the added benefit of fully perforated panels for maximum airflow. The SECTOR – best value in moto. Legendary performance and function on a low cost level. All THOR MX products are available at Parts Europe dealers. Find your local Parts Europe dealer by using our dealer search: https://partseurope.eu/cms/en/ dealer-search. Did you already try our App? Here you can get prices and availabilities of the products you want whenever and wherever you are! Download the PARTS EUROPE app for free!!

WATCH THE VIDEO

S K L A T K C O D PAD

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We wonder what was so interesting on Jill Cairoli’s phone before the MXGP race in Lommel…

2 Thumbs up for Clement Desalle who completed one of his final GoPro Laps at his home GP in Belgium. 3 Thibault Benistant picking up his gold plate in Lommel as he was crowned this year’s EMX250 Champion!

4 Last minute pre-race focus before the gate drop… 5 Behind the scenes with Evgeny Bobryshev during the team report with PAR Homes RFX Husqvarna. 6 A winning team is a happy team! Team HRC celebrated a double race victory and the overall during the MXGP of Lommel.

7 Wonder what was discussed during this pre-race chat… 8 Behind-the-scenes of what it takes to bring MXGP to the big screen! 9 When it comes to the competition for how many passes you can collect over a single GP, it’s clear who the winner is! 10 During the MXGP of Spain, local riders Jorge Prado, David Braceras, Guillem Farres and many others took part in the FIM Ride Green campaign to plant some trees at the brand-new circuit in Arroyomolinos. 11 Speedway World Champion Artem Laguta enjoying the MXGP of Limburg.

Photo: Yamaha

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

1997 YAMAHA YZM400F

IN 1997 YAMAHA CHANGED MOTOCROSS FOREVER WHEN IT LAUNCHED THE PROTOTYPE YZM400F, A STATE OF THE ART, FULL FACTORY 4-STROKE MACHINE AT A TIME WHEN WE WERE STILL HELLBENT ON RACING 2-STROKES.

It might not have won the world championship that year, but it did win races in the FIM 500cc Motocross World Championship in the hands of Andrea Bartolini, as well as the final AMA Supercross round in Las Vegas with Doug Henry at the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;bars. So, in this issue of MXGP Magazine we will take a look at the 1997 Yamaha YZM400F. Of course, with any new bike there is always speculation and rumour, along with secret pictures of the supposedly new project, and in this instance, when it finally broke cover it really was a thing of unrivalled

beauty at the time. We had never seen anything like it. As 4-strokes went, the benchmark machines were the big and cumbersome Husqvarna, Husaberg and Vertemati, but the Yamaha was sleek, light, nimble and at just 400cc, even more powerful. As a prototype, we witnessed the transformation of what is probably regarded as the last true factory motocross bike. Where production 2-strokes came with traditional steel frames, the YZM400F was produced with much lighter, state of the art steel which was much lighter than aluminium. To the eye it didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t look much different,

but the reality was so much different. The bike bristled with titanium nuts, bolts, footpegs and footpeg brackets. It came with carbon fibre fuel tank, sub-frame, air-box and skid plate, and some engine brackets, as well as various other lightweight parts. The wheel hubs were made of Magnesium for instance and were produced in-house at Yamaha, and even the clutch cover and head cover were made from Magnesium as well. The engine cases were also Magnesium. The titanium exhaust system was a complete one-off, a real work of art. It had to be, as this bike was quite literally unique. Full factory, no messing! Straight out of Japan. The forks were 48mm KYB conventional units, factory of course, with the bottom 97

Photo: Photo: Yamaha clamps being Magnesium and the top clamps being aluminium. The clamps were produced directly by Yamaha. The rear shock was also KYB. The brakes were by Brembo, complete with a slightly bigger 260mm front disc and special calliper. The bike also came with a 4-speed gearbox and factory clutch, although when the bike became production the following year, it came with a 5-speed unit. As for all of the internals, we are talking no expense spared, full factory; from the head, the titanium valves, the piston, ignition … you name it, it was 98

factory. It was also very loud, something which would be addressed as time went on, but as a motorcycle, it was very, very fast indeed. Of course, a bike like this does not come without its problems and after an eighth in Race One at the 1997 season opener at Lommel in Belgium, Bartolini followed that up with a DNF in Race Two. By the second round on home soil though at Castiglione del Lago, Bartolini made a piece of history when he went 1-2 to win the Italian GP. Over the course of the season Bart’ and Yamaha claimed four race wins for an eventual fifth overall in the championship.

The season high points were his win in Italy and two third overall’s in Holland (Halle) and Belgium (Namur). On the other side of the pond, Dough Henry raced to victory at the final round of the American supercross series to become the first rider to win a stadium race on a 4-stroke machine, something that else that changed the face of racing forever. It was clear there was still work to be done, but as a first-time effort, the YZM400F was the bike that changed the course of history, and is solely responsible for the way we go racing today.

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

Hi, where can I follow all the updates of the MXGP and MX2 Championships? Andrea

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Hi Andrea , thanks for getting in touch! For all the latest in the world of MXGP you can follow our social media pages @mxgp (on Twitter and Instagram), meanwhile during the race weekends you can enjoy the races LIVE with www.MXGP-TV.com Regards MXGP

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Hello, where can I watch the final round of the championship taking places in Trentino? Luke

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Hi Luke , You can watch all the races from the MXGP of Trentino, LIVE with MXGP-TV.com or one of our TV partners, more details can be found on www.mxgp.com Regards MXGP

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Hi, is the studio show on every Saturday? Vanessa

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Hi MXGP, where can I find some pictures of the races from Lommel 2020?

Dear Vanessa , the Studio Show is LIVE from each GP on Saturday at 11am! Best Regards MXGP

Jakub

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Will you show the WMX races? Julie

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Hello Julie Of course, both of the WMX races are available to watch LIVE on www.MXGP-TV.com on Saturday. Thanks MXGP

Hi Jakub tyou can check out our picture galleries HERE: https://www. mxgp.com/photos?year_ filter=2020 Thanks MXGP

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