MXGP #93 May 2021 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 #93 May 2021

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AME F F O

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

L A I R O T I D E

David Luongo CEO of Infront Moto Racing

Dear MXGP Friends, In a months’ time, we will be landing in Orlyonok, Russia, for the first MXGP round of the 2021 season. All the top riders are finalising their preparation to be ready on the 13th of June! We are very enthusiastic to get closer to this moment after such a long winter break. I would like to specially thank the Organiser of the MXGP of Russia and the president of the Motorcycling Federation of Russia, Mr.Alexander Dzheus for his great support in such a challenging time and for making this Grand Prix happen. As promotor of the world’s most popular off-road championship on two wheels, we can always count on fantastic and very passionate organisers all around the world. This year will be no exception! The comeback of two very special venues on the 2021 calendar is also very appreciated. Matterley Basin (UK) and Maggiora (Italy). Thanks to two very passionate men and their teams, Steve Dixon in the UK and Stefano Avandero for the Italian circuit. They put all their energy to make both events possible. Those venues are in the heart of all the Motocross fans for years and we are very happy to have them onboard again.

THOSE VENUES ARE IN THE HEART OF ALL THE MOTOCROSS FANS FOR YEARS AND WE ARE VERY HAPPY TO HAVE THEM ONBOARD AGAIN Weeks after weeks we see the Covid-19 situation improving. Some governments are talking already about opening professional sport events to limited amount of public. Motocross will benefit from the fact it is an open-air event regarding those decisions! There will be more and more possibilities with the acceleration of the vaccination campaigns. We are in contact with all the federations and governments

where a Grand Prix will take place and are doing our best to allow public at the event. We cannot wait to host you again during the Grand Prix weekend! While we will be waiting for the majority of the paddock to be vaccinated, we will continue to put in place a strict sanitary protocol in order to protect the different stakeholders of the championship. Finally, I would like to thank the FIM, the FIM Europe and all the partners of MXGP for their support to our favorite sport! Don’t forget that you can follow the whole MXGP season on MXGP-TV.com! See you in Russia!

S T O H S L COO

photo: Overlook Farm

P U G H N ATC I C A C R

O T D A O R E A H R T O I G G A M

photo: Overlook Farm WHEN YOU THINK BACK ON THE HISTORY OF MOTOCROSS MANY STILL TALK ABOUT THE ‘GOLDEN ERA’ OF RACING WHEN MOTOCROSS WAS AT ITS PEAK AND AT THE SAME TIME YOU CAN’T HELP BUT REMEMBER ALL OF THE LEGENDARY CIRCUITS OF THE FIM MOTOCROSS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP, MANY OF WHICH STILL SEE PLENTY OF RACE ACTION TODAY.

No doubt somewhere at the top of the list of some of the greats like Hawkstone Park, Farleigh Castle, Namur and Bellpuig, you’d also see Maggiora. The hillside circuit based in the north of Italy is considered a crown jewel of the motocross world, having hosted numerous Grand Prix events including the famous Motocross of Nations in 1970, 1986 and 2016. Since opening doors back in the 50’s, Maggiora has now become an adrenaline paradise, wellknown for its incredible facilities, including the restaurant on the top of the hill called ‘Ristorante il Balmone’ and of course the incredible crowds that the races always attract. In previous years, over 30,000 people have been in attendance of the races, with the

70th edition of the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations in 2016 featuring over 85,000 fans! Now the iconic track is being revived once again, as it gears up to host the 2021 Monster Energy MXGP of Italy on the 4th of July! HISTORY OF THE VENUE Nestled in a town of the same name and just 80km from Milan, Maggiora Park is considered to be one of the best hard-pack tracks in Europe, featuring impressive uphill and downhill sections thanks to its hillside setting. The Italian circuit first opened its doors in the 1950’s and by the sixties the facility was already well known not only in Italy but Europe as well. In 1966 Maggiora hosted its very first FIM Motocross World Championship event that saw Paul Friedrichs take the win on board his CZ in the 500cc class.

Then just four years later, in 1970, the track hosted the prestigious Motocross of Nations, with Team Sweden’s Bengt Aberg, Christer Hammargren, Ake Jonsson and Arne Kring claiming the win ahead of Belgium and Czechoslovakia. It wasn’t until 1982 that the Motocross World Championship would return to the Italian venue once again, followed by the iconic Motocross of Nations of 1986. Further Grand Prix races took place in 1990, 1992, 1995, 1997 and 1999 before the venue was eventually closed in 2004 and re-opened again in 2013. The current Maggiora Park has become one of the top action sports parks in Italy, featuring a wide range of facilities for any two-wheel fan, thanks to its various mountain bike and downhill tracks, making it a dream facility for any adrenaline loving individual. The motocross circuit itself has had a revamp, while the charm of the

original parts of the track that made it so special back in the day have been preserved, with modernised additions to accommodate today’s World Championship standards. MOTOCROSS OF NATIONS There is no doubt that one of the most memorable races to ever take place in Maggiora was the 1986 FIM Motocross of Nations, that saw America’s Dream Team made up of David Bailey, Johnny O’Mara and Ricky Johnson dominate all three races, consistently finishing 1-2, to secure the perfect score and claim Team USA’s sixth consecutive victory on Italian soil. The 1986 edition of the event introduced a brand-new race format that we have come to know today, made up of three races, which featured 3 different categories, now known as MXGP, MX2 and Open. This made the event even more unique, with 3 classes all racing on the same day, though despite the mixed races, they were scored by their individual group. 19

The ‘86 Motocross of Nations has gone down as one of the most legendary events in the motocross world, not only notable for the incredible racing and the achievements of the American team, but also the huge crowds that were recorded at the event. Over 30,000 motocross fans packed on to the hillside of Maggiora that weekend to witness one of the most iconic races in the history of the sport. In 2016, on the 30th anniversary of the ’86 Motocross of Nations, Maggiora hosted the prestigious race once again and there to celebrate were the winning team of the 1986 event, David Bailey, Johnny O’Mara and Ricky Johnson! The trio were in attendance to commemorate the occasion and were presented alongside the participating teams during the official team presentation, which really sent the crowd wild! The 2016 edition of the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations was nothing short of spectacular, with unbeatable atmosphere and even better racing. That time around, Gautier Paulin, Benoit Paturel and Romain Febvre continued to make history for Team France, securing their third consecutive win by defeating Team Netherlands by just a single point. GRAND PRIX IN MAGGIORA Since its first Grand Prix event in 1966, Maggiora has hosted several rounds of the FIM Motocross World Championship, with past winners including the likes of Paul Friedrichs (1966), Kees Van Der Ven (1982), Alessandro Puzar, who was victorious in 1990 and 1997, as well as Andrea Bartolini in 1995 and Pit Beirer in 1999. In more recent years, riders who have triumphed on the hard pack of Maggiora include stars like Gautier Paulin (2013), Antonio Cairoli (2014), Tim Gajser (MX2, 2015) and Romain Febvre (MXGP, 2015). But of course, there is also Jeffrey Herlings, who currently holds the record for the most wins at the Italian circuit, being the only

rider thus far to have won there twice, in MX2 and MXGP back in 2013 and 2014. The last GP hosted in Maggiora was the 2015 round, and despite heavy rain making the race a ‘mud fest’, this did not dampen the mood of the paddock as there was plenty to celebrate. That weekend we were taken back in time as Yamaha celebrated their 60th anniversary, with the factory riders rocking the iconic yellow look for the races. And speaking of races, plenty went down, as Romain Febvre took a back-to-back GP win in MXGP moving up the order in the championship standings, while Tim Gajser added a second GP victory in MX2, after two tough races. THE RETURN OF MAGGIORA The organiser of the 2021 Monster Energy MXGP of Italy is ‘A Sport Group’ headed by Stefano Avandero. Stefano is a long-time fan of motocross and motorsports in general, who has been organising Grand Prix’s in Maggiora since 2013, then under his old company Shava s.r.l, together with Paolo Schneider. Initially the pair worked together to bring back Maggiora Park to the Motocross World Championship scene in 2011, since it had last hosted a GP in 1999. “The reopening of Maggiora happened just by chance,” shared Stefano. “When from a simple chat with some friends, the idea of being able to reopen Maggiora became a reality, my eyes lit up.” After some work on the circuit and meetings with Infront Moto Racing, the promoters of the FIM Motocross World Championship, the possibility to host a Grand Prix in Maggiora became a possibility. “The organisation of the GP in 2013 was very difficult, Paolo and I perhaps were a little bit unconscious and totally inexperienced, but it was a great adventure and a great effort,” explained Stefano. “2012 and 2013 were two very intense years, the circuit was in disastrous condition after almost 20 years of total

abandonment and putting it back in place was by no means trivial,” he added. Stefano and Paolo were successfully able to revive Maggiora after two decades of inactivity to put on a great Grand Prix weekend in Italy which saw Gautier Paulin and Jeffrey Herlings take to the top step of the podium in MXGP and MX2. The 2013 Italian Grand Prix was a huge success and so well organised that Maggiora was awarded the ‘MXGP Best Organiser’ trophy at the annual MXGP Awards at the end of the season! Two more GP’s followed in 2014 and 2015, before the track was closed once again due to environmental reasons. Throughout the coming years, the partnership between Infront Moto Racing and Stefano Avandero remained great, with Stefano attending several MXGP events in the past few years in the hope of reopening Maggiora and hosting the FIM Motocross World Championship once again. After working closely with the local authorities this became a real possibility and in 2019, at the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations in Assen, the Netherlands, it was announced that Maggiora was back and better than ever, with the organiser ‘A Sports Group’ geared up to host the FIM Motocross World Championship once again. While Covid-19 prevented the event from going ahead in 2020, Maggiora will now get its turn in 2021 as the Monster Energy MXGP of Italy is scheduled for the 3rd and 4th of July! Maggiora has always been a fantastic facility with a rich motocross history, making it a terrific host for MXGP. In preparation for this year’s Grand Prix, a special opening event ahead of the Italian Championship race took place to welcome back this iconic circuit. Top stars including former MXGP rider, Gautier Paulin, two-time World Champion, Alessandro Puzar and MotoGP rider Andrea Dovizioso were present for the occasion.

photo: Overlook Farm

“It was incredible to be here because here I had some of the best races in my life. Winning at Maggiora gave great emotions, nothing is comparable to a victory on this track with the public,” shared Gautier Paulin. “I won here one Grand Prix in 2013 when Maggiora was coming back on the calendar after many years and one Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations in 2016 and I will never exchange with any other of my victories. It’s a historic track and it’s not comparable with anything else,” he added. Two-time Motocross World Champion and Grand Prix winner in Maggiora, Alessandro Puzar was excited to see the return of such a legendary circuit. “Being here it’s great. I am happy that Maggiora is open again and that after a few years we can go back to racing a Grand Prix on this track,” he shared. “Here I won in 1990, I did one of the best races of my life,” Puzar added, “I remember the crowds were going crazy that day and it was a shame that the injury I have doesn’t allow me to ride today, because it’s still a dream to do it”. Testing out the hard-pack track for the very first time was MotoGP rider, Andrea Dovizioso, who was excited to rider alongside Gautier Paulin and the other riders. “Maggiora is a fascinating track, very old-style and there are not many around,” shared Dovizioso. “Unfortunately, Alessandro (Puzar) was not able to ride today as he is injured, but we had some fun with him. It’s a track where he built-up his career during the 90’s, so talking with him was important to understand how tracks have evolved over the years and how Maggiora remains as it was,” he added. Now with just a couple of months to go until we celebrate the return of this incredibly special circuit, it will be interesting to see if Herlings will be able to add another victory in Maggiora, or whether Cairoli, Gajser or Febvre will join the club to become multiple-time winners there, or maybe someone new will write themselves into the history of this hill-side track!

L A I C O S P G X M

@yamahafactorymxgp Happy King’s Day to all of our Dutch followers! This was a historic moment for our squad 👊

Road to 2021: Episode 1 Beta SDM Corse Racing Team: MXGP is back with a brand-new pre-season series, where we catch-up with some of the teams and riders of the FIM Motocross World Championship, as they gear up for the 2021 season. In episode 1, we learn more about the newest addition to the list of MXGP manufacturers as Beta Motor are set to make their championship debut with Beta SDM Corse Racing Team! Take a look to find out what the team’s riders, Jeremy Van Horebeek and Jimmy Clochet have to say...

@dhanisdamon @liam_everts72 with the new @redbullbe look 👀 #liam #everts #mx #dirtbike #yoko #redbull #art #adobe #illustrator #cartoon #ktm #foodmaker

@antoniocairoli My new biography book!! Eccola qui la nuova edizione di Velocità Fango Gloria, la mia vita per il motocross! Un sacco di nuovi argomenti, il doppio delle foto e gli ultimi aggiornamenti. È disponibile in tutte le librerie e su tutti gli store online!

26 minutes behind the gate - FIM SNX Snowcross World Championship 2021 Rovaniemi: Enjoy all the best moments from the weekend in Rovaniemi, Finland for the 2021 FIM Snowcross World Championship! The awesome content.

@mxgpstore_official Counting down the days until the @mxgp season! 📅⏳ @kovomxgp #mxgp #mxgpstore #mxgpofficialmerchandise #mxgpofficial #kovomxgp

@fimlive Vintage MX Racing first ⤵︎ 🛠 Vintage MX bike fixing then! 28

@fhracingteam Patiently waiting for the starting gate to drop again! To show the world how hard we have worked in the past months 🚀

@andreadovizioso Such a great fun and honor today to share the track with these two for some #MX training! 🔝✊ Figata poter condividere la pista con questi due! @gautierpaulin

@athenamotorsport Keep your engine running, something new is coming... 🔥🔥

EP.14 GOPRO Lap: MXGP of Spain 2020: Check out our GoPro Lap with Ruben Fernandez during the 2020 MXGP of Spain and discover all the secrets of the amazing Arroyomolinos track!

@antoniocairoli TODAY IS CARBONARA DAY Hi friends from UK, USA, Australia, France, Spain, Sweden… all over the world. This is an urgent message from me. Because I see your carbonara recipes on Facebook & Instagram. CREAM?? Beans?? Bacon??Mushrooms???! You NEED pecorino, guanciale,egg,black pepper … So please, stop ruin the carbonara. And remember: NEVER add cream,to your carbonara. Please, don’t make an Italian cry

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

@patstottdesigns A HRC Rebrand - that’s the cleanest/simplistic design as possible.

R E S T L S R I N G MO

H T N RE MO E D I RF TH O

G N I G S N I E R G : N E T L A R T I H K T EC H T IN 35

WHEN THE CHEQUERED FLAG FELL FOR THE FINAL TIME AT THE MXGP OF GARDA TRENTINO IN NOVEMBER, THE WORK FOR 2021 HAD ALREADY STARTED, AND WHILST MOST TEAMS MAY HAVE MADE ONE OR TWO CHANGES HERE AND THERE, AT MONSTER ENERGY KAWASAKI RACING TEAM THERE HAS BEEN QUITE A SEISMIC SHIFT WITHIN ITS INFRASTRUCTURE. MXGP MAGAZINE RECENTLY CAUGHT UP WITH KRT TO SEE HOW THEY ARE PREPARING FOR THE NEW SEASON AND HOW IT IS DEALING WITH SOME OF THE CHANGES WITHIN THE TEAM.

Times change, people come and go but some things remain the same. As the sun set on the Dolomite Mountains in November, Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team bid farewell to its star pupil after five years when Belgium’s Clément Desalle called time on his MXGP career. After fifteen years on the road, the MX Panda was already looking forward to spending more time with his family as well as indulging in his passion for flying. When you have tasted success as Desalle has, knowing when to stop is never easy, but as he proved at the MXGP of Trentino with his final podium and final race win of his career, ‘CD25’ was still very much at the top of

his game when he decided to hang up his helmet. During his five years at Kawasaki, Desalle secured a bronze medal and eighteen podiums, four of which were celebrated from the top step. In terms of career numbers, the Belgian visited the podium 81 times, with 23 of them as a winner. When Desalle took his first GP win back in 2009 at Loket, his mechanic that day was François Lemariey, and whilst the two would also celebrate the Belgian’s second GP win at the final round of the year in Brazil, they would go their separate ways at the end of the season as other opportunities beckoned. Lemariey eventually turned up at Kawasaki as Team Manager and when the opportunity arose to sign Desalle for 2016, the two partners-in-crime were reunited once more and their

journey of winning races and GPs continued. About a month after Desalle called time on his career, Lemariey decided it was also time for him to do the same and as far as double-acts go, it was the end of an era. The KRT awning will not be the same without them. People go, some things remain the same Despite the departure of two of its most senior personnel, Kawasaki’s journey in MXGP continues and with Romain Febvre at the helm, the future remains bright, his Città di Mantova GP win and six podiums already attest to that. As Febvre moves into the number one role, the number two seat is taken up by the Italian Ivo Monticelli, who will no doubt be looking to break into the top ten on a regular basis, and watching over both of them will be team owner Thierry Chizat Suzzoni, who will also double-up as

Team Manager, the latter now entering his 14th season as KRT boss. And when Suzzoni is not at the reins then the teams Technical Manager, Vincent Bereni, will be there to pick up the slack. Whilst Febvre’s place under the KRT awning might be familiar, his new role as a father is anything but that, so how is fatherhood and how has it changed him and his mindset coming into the new season? ‘On the side of racing, until now I didn’t see any change about what I’m thinking when I’m racing or whatever, but it’s just when I’m off the bike; when I am home or something else then I just switch my mind back to being a father. Obviously when I am home it’s quite busy with the little kid, which is why I’m not thinking about motocross when I’m home, so that’s really good. Usually when you are doing motocross you are always thinking about how to be better but when I am home, 37

I’m just switching my mind and that’s the biggest change, and yeah, I like it, I really like it’. Listening to him speak it is clear that the 2015 MXGP World Champion is somewhat more relaxed as he heads into the brand-new season, despite the changes that have taken place within the team. Some of that is down to his new role of being a father and therefore having some kind of distraction away from racing that allows him to switch off; the other reason and perhaps the most significant is that he is now entering his second term with the KRT squad, and as a result, knows what is expected of him, what he expects from the team, but above all else, he has a year’s worth of data in which to draw from to make his job a bit easier out on track. Of course, it goes without saying that having that database is crucial and can save valuable time when it comes to testing, and as a result, Febvre will line up behind the gate knowing that a lot of the work with the bike was already achieved last year, as acting Team Manager (technical manager) Vincent Bereni explains: ‘We are pretty close to the same bike as last year, we have some upgraded parts and we have some new features on the bike that have been brought up during the winter tests, but when you have a rider who is already very happy with his bike, it’s getting very difficult for the technical staff because, the problem with Romain is that he is very critical of himself. He will critique more himself than he will the bike, so during the season you spend more time watching and learning what the bike does through the data or on track to see where you can help him and bring something to help him during the winter. And that’s what I focussed on a lot during last year because every debrief he was like, ‘yeah, the bike is sweet, the bike is perfect, I don’t want to change 38

anything …’ and even during the week I’m like, ‘dude, what do you want me to change on the bike?’ and he’s like ‘the bike is great!’ But you have to learn all that in order to give that feedback to Japan and to choose your direction of work and that’s what we did. We targeted some areas that we thought needed to be improved, we didn’t want to make a drastic change because obviously he is happy and we want to keep the same kind of base, but improve the area that we thought could be improved and came up with some stuff that he was quite happy with and could feel the difference. Some of the stuff he was actually quite surprised that it could make such a difference, and that’s good. I think we improved but I think everybody improves every year, but you get to a point where you get limited, that’s for sure.’ Joining Febvre on the team is Ivo Monticelli, and the Italian’s goal will be to break into the top ten on a regular basis. Two years ago, he had his best season to date when he placed 11th, during a season which included a couple of top five overall placings. Last year his hopes of improving on that were dashed when he collected a shoulder injury prior to the start of the campaign, before injuring a knee during the season itself, something that required surgery during the winter break. So, how is the 26-year-old feeling about joining one of the most iconic teams in the paddock, and how has it been so far? ‘In the beginning I was three months out because I had the operation on my knee after Trentino, so in the beginning I was struggling, but already after one month we started testing to get the bike how I want and now I really feel good, but I can tell you that I feel the Kawasaki is a bike for my riding style. I feel really good at the moment, they give me everything, because even now (in April), I wanted to go back home so now I am

in Italy with the training mechanic, so we do three weeks here. I really like the team, we have been two months in Sardinia also with Romain, the mechanic and Jacky Vimond in one house which was really nice because training all together, living together, it was a time to get to know everybody really good, and also, they have to know me because you know, I’m crazy. Also, Romain is really open-minded, he likes to train with me, we have the same trainer, Jacky Vimond, so it’s a really good feeling with the team.’ Training buddies In the past, Monticelli has shown signs of his potential and whilst he has clearly had the speed to enter the top five on the odd occasion, it’s his overall fitness that has let him down, something he openly acknowledges and is equally desperate to address: ‘When we were in Sardinia Jacky was always there with us but when I am in Belgium, he is not with me as he lives in Italy. I follow his programme on and off the bike. He didn’t kill me yet (laughing) but some days I can tell you I was really tired, but he knows also when I have to recover. He has the experience to know when I can push or not! But for sure, I change a lot from last year and I think I even trained more than the past years already this year. It’s nice because even though I train more, I really like training with him because he works also a lot with the mind of the rider to make me more relaxed or more comfortable. With the trainer, the bike, the mechanics and everything, I have a really good package. I have improved my endurance because many times I had good speed but now I think I will be stronger than the last years.’

Febvre is also quick to point out the benefits of his teammate working with Vimond as he commented, ‘Ivo is a little bit younger than me, and I think he was missing some training in the years before, but I think with a good trainer, we already saw this winter he can be really good because in some GP’s he was really fast last year or he was doing some fast lap times; so I think it was more with the fitness that wasn’t that good and I think he can become a really top guy, so it’s up to him to achieve that.’ As far as his own fitness goes, the former world champ feels like he is in good shape as we continue the countdown to the curtain raiser, and when asked where he has made the most improvement, Febvre is in no doubt where those gains have been made: ‘Maybe the fitness because last year it was impacted from the year before (when he broke his femur at the Swedish GP in 2019) because I was injured until almost January, so that was quite tough, and then I missed also the beginning of the season because of another injury so I wasn’t as fit as I am now for sure; so yeah, the fitness is better than the same period as last year. With the bike, we didn’t have to learn the bike again and since I started for the winter preparation this year, I am fit, I don’t have any injury and I can push on the bike. We also improved something on the bike for the starts, but we had a long time (in the off-season) so we had time to really work some small things so we can really be precise.’ Another area where Febvre may take advantage of this year is training with his teammate. Last year it didn’t go un-noticed that he and Desalle trained and rode separately, but as ‘RF3’ explains, it was maybe more

a misconception than anything else: Actually, last year it was not me who decided I didn’t want to train with my teammate, it was more like Clément who wanted to do it by himself; he wanted to be on the side or alone every time he was training. I was good to go and train with my teammate for sure, it’s always better, but yeah, last year wasn’t like this. Anyway, with Ivo, we share the same trainer, so now we are all the time together, or most of the time, and now he (Ivo) is in Italy for three weeks but most of the time we are together, like also physically when we are in Belgium or when we were in Italy before when we shared everything. Also, you need to feel comfortable with your teammate and to speak like normal and to be honest with your teammate, so that’s how it is with Ivo for the moment, it’s going really good; he’s quite a simple person, he says the truth, he’s a good person to train with for sure.’ Romain is not the only one who understands the benefits of riding and training together; Monticelli sees it as a huge bonus that has its advantages for both riders: ‘I think he likes to train with me because maybe I don’t put the pressure – I am always with a smile I think – so we are always having fun together in the training, so that’s nice. For me it’s better because I can also improve by watching him.’ As for the acting Team Manager (technical manager), Vincent Bereni, also understands the benefits of this new working relationship and is more than impressed by what Monticelli brings to the team and how he fits within it as well: ‘Ivo is like a little book, he wants to learn a lot, he is a hard worker. We are very happy with him on the way he is working with the team and the way he fits within

it, because he is a really good fit with Romain. They train together, they get along and this is a good problem to have. He is a fun guy to have around, but his fun-side is probably his shell you know; his attitude is probably his way of covering his stress or pressure or things like that, sometimes? Because even myself, I think I may have a wrong impression of the guy before, but when you get to know him, you see someone who have a family-oriented education, he’s obviously Italian and they are very close to their family and stuff, but he is fun; very much fun to have around. And that’s great because we also need a little bit of that to release a little bit of the ‘corporate’ attitude sometimes.’ Not all fun and games However, it’s not all fun and games though and at the preseason races in Italy at the end of February/March, both riders had their share of issues which they have now managed to put behind them, and for Romain it was a problem with the dreaded arm-pump: ‘At the preparation races in Italy, the speed was good even if I had the problem with my forearms but now this is okay and we are ready. I had the operation to release the muscle; I wasn’t sure to do it before, in the previous years, because I was a little bit scared to do that. We had a really good winter season, I think we worked really hard also with Jacky and Ivo, and I think we developed a little bit more the muscle which caused a big problem when I was riding. So, then I had to do something because obviously the last round in Mantova I was fast but after ten minutes, I could not hold anything. My hands were sleeping and the muscle was hard like hell. I could not do anything and I still won the race. Still, the speed was good but when we still had

a long period to wait (for the start of the season) with the team and with Thierry Chizat Suzzoni we decided we had to do something now, so I could have time to recover after the surgery. So, that’s what we did and finally I don’t get arm pump anymore and it changed my life for sure.’ For Ivo, the initial concern was getting ready for the season, which was originally scheduled for the end of March, but in the end, he needn’t have worried, thanks to his new training regime: ‘We did some races in the Italian championship but this was after only one month on the bike, so I’m lucky the world championship now starts in June because like this, I have a long time to prepare myself and now I’m quite fit. We changed the programme quite a lot because we pushed a lot in Sardinia with the bike and when we went to Belgium, we did much more physical training with the bicycle and endurance. I was out until February but in the end, I still had four or five months to prepare, so I think I will be 100% for when the racing starts again for sure. The feeling with the team was good, there was no pressure. There were maybe seven or eight guys from MXGP there (in the Italian races), my rhythm was good and it was nice to do some starts and make some races. It was good to see where my level was but for sure now, I am much stronger than before.’ The waiting game Unfortunately, at the time of writing, the whole of MXGP is patiently waiting for the new season to begin as the situation with Covid-19, Coronavirus and the global pandemic continues to disrupt not only life in general, but also sporting events all over the world. And as we continue to prepare for the first gate

drop of the year, the toughest part for the riders and teams has been the ‘not knowing’ of when the season will actually start. Due to making sure that MXGP can start and continue in the safest possible way, we have seen the opening GP shift from the beginning of April, to mid-June and as lockdown restrictions continue to ease, we are now looking forward to kicking things off in fine style, but how do Romain and Ivo feel about the delay in proceedings? ‘For sure it’s difficult because you never know when it starts, never know when you have to push more and the season is already long even without Covid, so it’s hard to be always 100%. At the moment we will be 80-90% ready but I know some riders who were really disappointed when the calendar changed because they were riding so good already in February and they still have to wait another three months. Me, I was lucky because in February I had only just started to ride but anyway, I think it’s hard for everybody,’ commented Monticelli who is eager to get that first round under his belt for his new team. As for Febvre, he holds more of a philosophical view about when things finally get started, and whilst there is no talk at present of returning to the triple-header format of 2020, all that matters to him is going racing again: ‘Yeah, it’s tough, but anyway, I think not only me but all the riders, we just want to ride; we don’t care if it’s on one day or two days, every weekend or three times like last year, I think at this stage we don’t care. We just want to go racing. Hopefully they (the promoters) get as many races as they want, I think they want minimum 18 races, that’s the main goal. We don’t care how they fix that; we just want to go!’ Target men

No matter what happens, both Romain and Ivo have their own goals and targets. For Ivo, ‘the goal is to be in the top ten and I really want to do many top fives. That’s the goal, to be always there. To not make mistakes and to improve, always looking forward to the top guys and try to be there with them.’ As for Febvre, well it goes without saying, doesn’t it? The former champ will want nothing more than to lift the magnificent MXGP trophy come the final GP at the end of the season, and as omen’s go, he might just be in the right place at the right time. When you look at the five world titles that Kawasaki has won over the years, one has been won by a Belgian (Stefan Everts), the other four (Sebastien Tortelli, 2), Mickael Maschio and Christophe Pourcel were all French and Kawasaki-mounted, and when asked if he can be world champion again this year, Vincent Bereni said, ‘Yes! If I wasn’t believing that I wouldn’t be here, 100%. Of course, we are going for the title, no question about that. When you see the work from the guys and the effort, the changes we made in the team and the dedication from all the staff, and the challenge we took to make this happen in 2021, there’s no discussion. We are going for to be in the front, or nothing! That’s basically it. We will not be satisfied with 2nd place!’ Profile on Vincent Bereni Technical Manager – Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team ‘I am the Technical Manager, the person between KHI and the team, so my job is basically KHI and Dunlop Japan because we are directly connected with Dunlop Japan from A-Z, and Showa! And then of course, the relation between all the technical sponsors.’ ‘On a weekly basis I am in communication with Japan 50

does this or the bike does that, he would say ‘I’m not sure!’ but it’s because he is more afraid of saying something wrong than telling you the truth.

because they run the same bike as us in Japan during testing and R&D, so we have a lot of communication through the R&D team.’ ‘The other side is following up with both of the riders on the technical matter to make sure they are happy and that whatever they need, I need to adjust. Every time the bike goes out, we are collecting data, so my day is to analyse those data and come back with an option to develop a test. From there I prepare the test, I propose the test to Japan; sometimes they do the test in Japan with the test rider and give me their opinion. Sometimes I am allowed to go alone and apply the test on my own, so 52

it’s quite a bit of work because sometimes it’s on the chassis as well. Showa is only suspension but when we talk with R&D, we are talking frame, swingarm, linkage; a bunch of things on the bikes that need to be adjusted.’ On Ivo ‘With Ivo, what is cool is that he really fits perfectly with the team. Right away I’m quite happy with him because of the way he is as a person, but also the way he fits with the team going through the bike. Romain or Clément, those guys, they know what they want, they have a very good feeling on the bike. It’s not that Ivo didn’t have a good feeling, but he didn’t have a good confidence in himself to tell you what he felt. Instead of telling you, the bike

So, the first work was to get him to believe in himself, with his feeling, with the bike, and then from there it was to read him and understand him because each and every rider has a different way of explaining what they feel on the bike; like some riders will say ‘the bike bogs and does this’ (makes a bogging sound), but another rider will say something different (it makes a different kind of sound), so first you have to learn their language of what they feel on the bike, but also you need to watch them a lot. I spend quite a bit of time behind the data with Ivo and explaining to him the benefit of understanding the data, and this helps him a lot on the track.’ Photos: Kawasaki

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

E H T S N U ! R S O L H R I W G ? D L R WO

WHILE ‘BACK IN THE DAY’ SPORTS LIKE MOTOCROSS WERE TYPICALLY CONSIDERED ‘A MAN’S SPORT’, SUCH A STATEMENT COULDN’T BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH IN THIS DAY AND AGE. TODAY, THE FIM MOTOCROSS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP IS FULL OF LEADING LADIES WHO HAVE TAKEN UP A ROLE IN ALL AREAS OF THE SPORT FROM MEDIA TO MECHANICS, TO RIDING AND MANAGING TEAMS AND EVERYTHING ELSE IN BETWEEN!

The leading ladies in MXGP - Part 1 It’s exciting to see women taking centre stage and breezing through some of the toughest roles in any sport, proving that gender has no limits when it comes to getting the job done, and while there are still steps to be taken to further diversify the industry, there’s no doubt in the fact that women are well and truly making their mark and helping the sport reach new heights. Magazine caught up with some of the leading ladies in the MXGP paddock to learn more about their background, the role they play in the industry and what is like to work in the FIM Motocross World Championship. With so many ladies to talk to and learn about, the special feature has been split in two parts with the second part coming next month! Keep your eyes peeled for that. LISA LEYLAND One of the ladies you’re probably most familiar with is the face of MXGP-TV, the FIM Motocross World Championship presenter, Lisa Leyland! Lisa Leyland started out in the FIM Motocross World Championship back in 2009 after studying film and TV journalism at university and naturally making the move into presenting. Though Leyland’s ‘CV’ goes beyond motocross, with the Brit having worked in sports like Superbikes, MotoGP and Formula 1. MXGP: How did you get into motorsports, specifically motocross, was this something you had an interest in? Lisa: I was working on a film channel and the camera man said he knew a job that I would really enjoy doing. At the time I didn’t know it was for motocross, but I sent my showreel in and after an interview I got it!

MXGP: Do you remember the first MXGP event that you worked at? Lisa: I remember my first event like it was yesterday! It was in Faenza and the weather was horrendous. I’ve never seen so much rain and mud. The second race ended up being cancelled. Thankfully it only got better from there! MXGP: What it is like working in what once has been described as a ‘male dominated sport’? Lisa: At first, I found it a little nerve wracking, because when I first started there were very few girls in the sport. But now it doesn’t feel like a male dominated sport at all. We all live this crazy life together and there are no divides. It feels very much like a big family travelling around the world. MXGP: What would you say is your favourite part of working in the FIM Motocross World Championship? Lisa: Opening my mind up and experiencing new cultures. I love meeting new people around the world. People I would never have met if it wasn’t for my travels with work. MXGP: And speaking of travel, over the years you’ve visited many different venues around the world. What would you say is your favourite? Lisa: Like many others I have to say Argentina. The scenery is simply breath-taking. It takes what feels like forever to get there, but it’s well worth it when we eventually arrive! MXGP: Women are now playing a much bigger role in motocross than let’s say a decade or two ago, is it exciting to see women working in all areas of the sport, from media to mechanics and team managers, etc? Lisa: Yes! It’s so exciting. Women can do everything a man can do

in the sport and the MXGP paddock is proof of that. It’s so refreshing to see...and I think within time it’s only going to get more diverse. Plus, it’s good for me as I can now have more girly talks over a GP weekend! MXGP: What advice would you give to other women looking to work in motorsports? Lisa: If you are interested in a job in motorsports go to the races.... Meet and talk to people. Don’t be shy in telling people what you want to do and give them your CV. Who knows what’s around the corner and who you may meet who can help you achieve your dreams? MXGP: For those who don’t get to see the behind-the-scenes of the races, describe to us your typical weekend at an MXGP event, race day and not. Lisa: I’ll typically arrive at the track on a Thursday and film a pre-recorded ‘welcome message’ introducing the fans to the country and area where we are and updating them on the season so far. Friday, I do pre-recorded interviews with the teams and riders. Saturday, I host the live studio show with Paul Malin and then the pre-race qualifying and podium interviews. On Sundays we have the live races, and you’ll find me interviewing the riders at the start, as well as hanging out in pit lane and interviewing the podium winners after the race. MXGP: And to finish off, share with us something just a few people know about you and your profession… Lisa: Haha. For those early red eye flights, which I often take, it’s probably best to avoid chatting to me before I’ve had a good strong Italian coffee! JILL CAIROLI When you think of motocross, most will quickly think of the 9-time World Champion Antonio Cairoli, one of the most successful riders in the sports history and one thing Cairoli dedicates his success to, is the team of people who he has surrounded himself with through the most part of his career, and 59

of those people who has been through all the incredible highs and the tough lows has been his wife, Jill. Jill has been one of the biggest support systems for the Italian rider, that’s why you’ll always see her beside Tony at every race he lines-up for and now the support team has grown by one, as the couple welcomed their son Chase in 2019. Though the role Jill plays goes far beyond just being Cairoli’s support system, with the Dutch native managing projects like their distinguished RACR• clothing brand, along with their NEOX Management company and much more. MXGP: How did you get into motocross? Was this a passion you had before meeting Tony? Jill: My father was into motocross, actually sidecar, he was the European Champion, and my brother rode motocross, he was the 65cc Dutch Champion, so I pretty much grew up at the motocross track. My parents used to always joke “don’t marry a motocross rider” and then in 2006 I met Tony and we became best friends. Of course, me being Dutch and Tony being Italian didn’t make it easy, but after being best friends for a year, he then became my boyfriend and now we’ve been together for 14 years, 3 and a half years married! MXGP: It’s often said that behind every successful man is a strong woman, do you agree with this? Jill: I often have people saying this to me or commenting this under my photos on social media, which of course is such a sweet thing to say! Together we have been through a lot, like the loss of Tony’s parents, and people who know Tony’s story and know him personally, would agree that he is one of the strongest people ever, so it’s not easy for me to be as strong as he is sometimes! Yes, I moved to another country for Tony and for our sport, I changed jobs to be able to follow him, but all of this came natural to me. I have been doing this for many

years and will continue to do it with a lot of love! MXGP: Some may not know, but there’s a lot that you do behind the scenes, from supporting Tony to running several successful businesses, can you tell us a bit more about all the things that you do… Jill: Haha. This is the most difficult thing to explain. During the race weekends I am around to support Tony in any kind of way possible. I will make sure that I’m always close by, from getting him his drink, food or snacks, to preparing his race gear and goggles, to cleaning his helmet and boots, basically whatever he needs. I am also there to mentally support him; I know what to say to him and more important what not to say in certain moments. I will always find something positive to say because we always focus on the positive things… Sometimes I drop some advice as well, because after so many years at the track, I am experienced enough to see which lines are faster and slower and it’s not always easy to see these kinds of things when you’re on track, but from the pitlane you can see a lot. Overall, I like to be more in the background, we have the best team and mechanics around us, Tony knows what he is doing, that’s why he’s one of the best in the world! He is the easiest guy to work with, super humble, always thankful, the most hardworking and passionate person, he’s always happy and he believes in himself and is confident, so the pep-talks I had to give him are easily counted on 1 hand. He’s a tough guy and I admire him for this on a daily basis”. Then during the week I run our lifestyle clothing brand RACR• and then our NEOX Management company, which manages a lot of young athletes in motocross, MotoGP, ski, golf and even DJ’s! Over the years we’ve gained a lot of great contacts and work with the biggest brands, which we are connecting to our athletes! But of course, I don’t do this alone, since little Chase arrived, I had to

give some parts of my jobs away, luckily, we have the best TC222 team working with us! MXGP: It’s obvious that you have plenty to keep you busy but describe to us what your typical race day looks like at an MXGP event. Jill: On Sunday, I will wake up in our camper, have breakfast in our Red Bull hospitality, while Tony gets dressed and warms up. Then I watch the practice from pitlane. For the race one, I head to the waiting zone to give Tony everything he needs for the race, before heading to pitlane to watch. After the race we talk with the team about the first race and then we watch the MX2 race and repeat the same for race two. Every evening we have dinner with the team, and we spend a lot of free time with them too. MXGP: Now with the arrival of Chase, has your GP routine changed? Jill: It’s actually pretty much the same. Of course, for years Tony has been used to my little help during the race weekend, so since Chase was born, I tried not to change our rituals too much, we have just added him to it. Luckily Chase is the easiest going little boy and he loves life at the races. Everybody knows we are super close with our team, Claudio and his wife Ornella, as well as their son Davide and daughter Giorgia, the team is like our family and the way they welcomed Chase is heart-warming to see! I am really thankful for that! On race days we have my parents or our friend and personal assistant, Laura to help out with Chase. Though the best moment is after a great nervous race, I can take Chase back in my arms and clap for daddy under the podium! Everything we do is for these little moments; we live for them! MXGP: As you’ve already mentioned, yourself and Tony are founders of RACR•, did you expect such a success? And how was this idea born?

Jill: We’ve wanted to start a clothing brand for many years but never really had the courage to do it. We both have a huge reach on social media, so we decided to give it a try and make this dream come true. We wanted to make something totally different from our fan club clothing and something that not only focused on motocross but the whole racing word! We didn’t want to focus on selling RACR• in just moto related stores, so seeing the RACR• collection for sale in “la Rinascente”, one of the biggest high-end shopping canters in the world, was a dream come true! I never expected it would become such a big success in such a short time, but we have a lot of friends in F1, MotoGP, WRC and MXGP etc. and they really helped us grow our brand”. MXGP: You are a very creative person, is there anything new and exciting that you are working on at the moment that you can share with us? Jill: Tony just launched his new updated biography book, which is on the number 1 selling list in Italy! So right now, we are working on the English translation of the book. We have some new high-profile athletes joining NEOX management and soon we will launch the new RACR• motocross gear which looks amazing! We also launched a goggle collaboration RACR• x 100%, a new RACR• x AIROH helmet and a RACR• x KTM capsule clothing collection! But if you follow us on social media, you see us sharing all these things and what is going on in our life, from all racing stuff to funny Chase videos.” COURTNEY DUNCAN Defending WMX World Champion Courtney Duncan is among the top ladies of the MXGP paddock, having secured her second world title in 2020, after what could have been described as a very demanding season of the FIM Motocross World Championship.

Introduced to motocross by her stepdad, Duncan started riding at the age of 7, enjoying bike time as much as she could after school and on the weekends at her own small track in her backyard. In 2016, the New Zealander made an impressive WMX debut in Qatar going on to take two race wins, immediately becoming a title contender. She finished the season fifth in the standings, despite missing two rounds, with five race wins and three GP victories under her belt. The following two years would see Duncan denied the chance at the world title once again due to injury, though in 2019 she was finally able to get the job done and secure the crown for the very first time. 2020 saw Duncan repeat her success, though once again it didn’t come easy. The title chase went down to the very last race of the series in Pietramurata, Italy, where a 1-3 result was enough to secure the gold plate. Now Duncan will enter her fifth season in WMX as she chases her third consecutive world championship. MXGP: Does it make you proud to represent women in motocross? Courtney: Yes, it definitely makes me proud. To put women on the scene in motocross in what is usually called a male dominated sport is pretty cool to show that girls are able to do it too and at a high level also! MXGP: In 2020, you secured your back-to-back world title, that must have been a very proud moment after the years of hard work you have put in? Courtney: In 2020 I secured backto-back titles and that felt really good. For sure it feels even better having gone through the hardships and the previous years, it definitely made it a pretty sweet moment for me to win in 2019 and back it up in 2020 was really cool. MXGP: You’re originally from New Zealand, what made you 64

decide to come over to Europe and compete in the WMX Championship? Courtney: Yes, I’m from New Zealand and for me the decision was made way back when I was like 12 or 13, I happened to catch it on TV at the time and we had a couple of champions from New Zealand competing, they were winning races in the GP’s as well so they were playing it on TV on New Zealand and ever since that day I wanted to be a World Champion and come to Europe and compete and I’ve had that goal for a long time, so to achieve that and to win a world title was cool. MXGP: Is it hard being away from your friends and family? Courtney: It is hard being a way from friends and family, especially with them being so far away, like on the other side of the world. It just takes a long time to get home so during the season I don’t come home that often, there’s definitely times that you miss them, especially after a race weekend if you’ve not had a good result, your family and friends would take your mind off it but at the same time, wanting to be a world champion and doing what I love outweighs all of those thoughts, I’m more than happy to be in Europe, I want to be here and I want to be world champion. MXGP: What would you say is the best part about being a WMX rider? Courtney: The best part of being a WMX rider for me is just doing what I love! I’ve always loved racing dirt bikes and being able to do it at the world level in MXGP, racing alongside the men on the same weekend, same tracks is really cool. It has definitely been a long-time dream of mine to racing the world championships and it’s a huge honour to be able to do that! KIARA FONTANESI One of the most decorated FIM Women’s Motocross World

Championship riders is the 6-time World Champion, Kiara Fontanesi. After making her championship debut in 2011, the Italian then went on to dominate the WMX category, winning four consecutive titles in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015, before adding two more in 2017 and 2018. The 2019 season saw Fontanesi miss out on the chance to fight for the championship as she prepared to welcome her daughter Skyler with husband Devin. Though in 2020, the Italian made an incredible comeback just months after giving birth to finish third on the podium at the opening round in Great Britain to solidify her intentions for the 2020 season. Having fought hard all season long with the likes of Courtney Duncan, Nancy Van De Ven and Larissa Papenmeier, Fontanesi was forced to settle for fourth as the series wrapped up in Pietramurata, Italy, just 14 points shy of the title. MXGP: You are the 6-time WMX World Champion, that’s a pretty impressive achievement and something you must be proud of? Kiara: I’m so proud but more than anything, I’m happy that I could achieve all my dreams and go even further. I wouldn’t ever think I would have gone so far when my dream was to win once a world championship. When I think of it, I have no other dreams left at 27 years old and I feel lucky, but I also know that I can say so because of my hard work, dedication and strong and positive mind that I’ve always had… dreams don’t get reached on their own! MXGP: What is it like to be a mum while also racing at the highest level of the Women’s Motocross World Championship? Kiara: In 2020, the first two rounds were quite normal. Then after the break, we went back to racing and by that point Skyler had grown a lot. She was calling me mum and every week I felt 67

more and more like a mum and with a big responsibility. So then racing became hard, because many things were on my mind before the start and that’s why my starts were the weakest point in 2020. I was just trying to avoid the risk. MXGP: What does a typical GP weekend look like for you? Kiara: My routine has kind of changed. I still get to the track and walk the lap and do a few things the day before the race, but all I do now is with Skyler, so I have to plan when to do things and organise it with family. On Friday, I eat dinner early, to suit both me and Skyler and then we all go to bed early in order to be ready to wake up early in the morning, get to the track and get ready to ride. As we did both races in one day last year, I snacked in between the sessions and Devin helped me to take care of Skyler because I didn’t really have the time, but once the race is finished, she was back with me and the thing I love the most is, no matter how the race went, whether I win or lose, when I see her, I’m happy either way! MXGP: Last year you fought hard for the title, while also being a first-time mum, what were some of the main lessons you learned from this? Kiara: I’ve learnt first that my body can be so incredibly strong and make changes so quickly. I didn’t expect to be so ready and to be on the podium at the first back-to-back rounds. I’ve learnt that if racing was my life before, now isn’t my main reason to live anymore. I only realised it during races in certain circumstances where risk was very high, obviously my priority now is my daughter even though I still want to win! MXGP: Racing aside, what other passions and hobbies do you have? Kiara: I love the mountains, being in the snow and spending

time with my friends. I also like snowboarding and hiking. LIVIA LANCELOT Livia Lancelot was one of the first FIM Motocross World Championship winners back in 2008 when the series officially became a World Championship, previously known as the Women’s World Cup. The French rider battled closely with the likes of Stephanie Laier, Maria Franke, Larissa Papenmeier and Ashley Fiolek to claim the title with a 27-point advantage over Laier. She then repeated her success again in 2016 to win her second World Championship before retiring in 2017 and setting up her own team ‘114 Motorsport’. Now known as Honda 114 Motorsports, the team has become known for launching the careers of the likes of Hunter Lawrence and Mitch Evans, who have gone on to win races and make podium appearances as well as become factory riders for some of the top teams in the sport. Now Lancelot will enter her fourth season with Honda 114 Motorsports with Ruben Fernandez and Joel Rizzi representing the team in MX2, with Axel Louis in EMX250 and Talia O’Hare in WMX. MXGP: You were one of the first Women World Champions back in 2008, how special was that moment for you? Livia: It was not a special moment because I was the first Women World Champion, it was just a special moment because I had been working for this for so many years and got injured the year before in 2007, so it meant a lot because for us riders it was great to be fighting for a world title. You work hard for it, you sacrifice a lot of things and finally you arrive at that moment, it was great to be the fastest woman in the world for that year, I still remember every little second of it!

MXGP: You are a former WMX Champion and now Team Manager, how did your years as a racer help you with your current role of managing a team? Livia: Of course, my years as a racer help me now every day in managing the team. I know what the riders need and also the part of the mechanic. As a rider I was close to my mechanic, so I know all the parts of all the team, the staff and the riders, so it’s easier for me to understand what everybody needs and it’s easier for me to take care of the riders. They just have to think about riding and nothing else because I try to organise all the rest, so they can focus on their practice, on riding their bike, and I think this is helping them to get better”. MXGP: What is it like to manage a World Championship level team? Livia: It’s cool to manage a World Championship team. I was a professional rider until 2017, I used to think about motocross every day and today it’s my job, I have to organise everything but I’m still at the track almost every day and at the races, so this is definitely my passion and much better than a normal job. It’s definitely great. It’s a lot of work of course, when you have to organise all the staff, all the practice with the riders, the riders themselves, all the trips and the overseas, all the paperwork, accounting… It’s a lot of things but I have great staff behind me, the team is great, so we are working all together and it’s a cool job. MXGP: What does a typical GP weekend look like for you? Livia: Most of the time I arrive on Thursday afternoon or evening to be at the track on Friday morning. Friday, I check in with the staff, make sure everything went ok with building the team awning, etc. Then I prepare the hospitality side of things, make sure the riders arrive at the track on time, do the track walk, all of these kinds of details that we have to do on Friday. Then I meet everyone else in the MXGP paddock, talk to everybody as this is basically the only day we have time for that. Then I need to organise everything, make sure everything is ready for 71

the weekend. And then Saturday and Sunday we’re running around practices, qualifying race, go to the truck again and see if the riders need anything and then warm-up and have two races on Sunday. So basically, Friday is pretty cool, you can organise easy, talk with everyone and enjoy the time together and then Saturday and Sunday running after the riders and the races. MXGP: What is your favourite part about working in the FIM Motocross World Championship? Livia: My favourite part of working in the FIM Motocross World Championship is that actually I’m not riding anymore, basically I’m riding like five times a year, but I feel like I’m riding every day because I’m so involved with the practice and the races with the mechanics that I have the feeling like I’m still on the bike every day and this is pretty cool because it’s always hard for a professional athlete to retire. You’re always scared to miss it and to make the wrong choice, but actually I’ve not raced since 2017. I feel like my last race was last weekend, so this is the cool part of it, I retired but I’m still there every weekend, so I don’t really have that feeling that I’m not racing anymore. MXGP: What is your relationship like with your riders? Livia: My relationship with my riders, haha. I’m like everything at the same time. I’m the team manager, because that is the first role that I have, I’m the trainer, I’m the mum sometimes, I’m the good mum that is there when they have a problem, when they are injured, when they need something and the bad mum when they also need to be put back on the right path. I am here to help them to be the best riders out there and be the most professional, so I try to help them with everything. Sometimes I have to be a little bit harder on them but definitely we have a good relationship, I love working with the riders and I love being at the track with them, so definitely I’m enjoying being close to them every 72

day and when I see improvements, when I see they are happy with the work and when I see them stopping next to me at the track asking for some advice, all these kinds of things make me really proud. I’m hoping we will be back on the box this season. MXGP: What is it like working in what some consider ‘a male dominated sport’? Livia: You just have to prove yourself a little bit more. I had to prove that I know what I’m talking about but once you get that respect from everybody, then there is no problem, it’s just a matter of stepby-step proving to everybody that you are here for a reason, you’re here because motocross is your

passion, because you know what you’re talking about, because you know how to ride a bike, because you have an idea of all the mechanics and all the other things. So, once I could prove that to the people around me, I never had any problems of being a female. It’s not that bad and I think everyone can come across this in any job. MXGP: Does it make you proud to represent women in motocross? Livia: Yes, of course I am proud to represent women in motocross. I think there are a few women out there that helped to make the sport better for women. Like Ashley Fiolek in the US and Steffi Laier and I, for the old generation let’s say, and now Kiara or Courtney,

we are all definitely working for the women in sport, in our countries or continent, but since I started racing there is now a national championship for women in France, there is also a national championship in Italy, so this sport is improving, there is more and more women riding and this makes me proud because when I started it was hard. I was racing with the boys all the time, we didn’t see so many women out there and we didn’t have that respect from the beginning. It was hard, but today it’s different, today you don’t hear anyone saying this is not normal, today people are used to it, they know there are fast women out there. We gained this and I am proud to have been a part of it.

L L A H

E M A F F O

ANDREW “SHARKY” MC FARLANE RACING GP’S FIVE SEASONS EARLIER DURING THE 20TH CENTURY, ANDREW MCFARLANE REMAINS THE BEST AUSTRALIAN PERFORMER IN THE HISTORY OF OUR SPORT. WINNER OF FOUR ROUNDS OF THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP, HE CLAIMED A SILVER MEDAL IN THE MX2 CLASS, THEN MOVED TO US AND TRAGICALLY PASSED AWAY ELEVEN YEARS AGO WHILE RACING IN HIS NATIVE AUSTRALIA. Born on 30th May 1977 in Melbourne, Andrew McFarlane discovered motocross when he was six years old, and started to impress when he joined the juniors rank and later appeared as one of the emerging Australian talents in the senior class. Joining the Pro series, he claimed a second place in the outdoor series and later in 1996 he was crowned Supercross Champion in both the 125cc and 250cc classes. In 1997 he had a first taste of World Championship events when he was selected to represent his country during the Motocross of Nations, scoring in Belgium an eleventh position with teammates Troy Carroll and Taylor Cameron. Racing as a privateer he finally clinched the Australian Motocross title in 1999, and signed with Kawasaki for the following season. For the first time in the Motocross history, the World Championship visited Australia early in 2000 for the opening round of the 500cc class. It was a unique opportunity for Andrew to show the world what

he was able to do; he grabbed the holeshot in the first race and scored a third position behind Joel Smets and Marnicq Bervoets. Ninth in the second race he then focussed on the national series where he was successful, winning the Motocross and Supercross titles. It was enough to convince Michele Rinaldi to sign the promising Aussie, who joined Stefan Everts to race the World Championship in the Yamaha factory team. During his learning season he had ups and downs, with two podiums and injuries which forced him to miss the last rounds of the season. Joining Jan De Groot and the Kawasaki racing team he scored twice top eight results in the main class, before joining the MX2 category in 2004. Moving to the MX2 class was a good decision, and on the 13th of June he dominated the Italian round of the series, winning both races and his first Grand Prix in Gallarate. Fighting for a podium in the series, he lost his chances when he got injured and missed four rounds. Working harder than ever he was a title contender in 2005, 77

winning three GP’s (Belgium, Germany and Great Britain) and regularly scoring podiums; leading the championship ahead of Antonio Cairoli after thirteen rounds, he struggled during the last four races to finish runner up in the standings. It was his last GP season, as Andrew moved to the US during wintertime to reach another dream. Racing there for Yamaha of Troy in 2006, Rockstar Energy Suzuki in 2007 and Motosport Kawasaki in 2008, Andrew never found the right timing to be successful in Supercross where his best result was a 23rd position in 2008. He had better results in Motocross, claiming several podiums and a seventh position in 2006, his best season in USA. Back racing in Australia for the 2009 season he scored a third overall in the Pro Open series and announced that 2010 would be his last season; fifth in the points standing before the Broadford round, he unfortunately had a bad crash on the track where he gained the opportunity to race the World Championship and passed away in May 2010. Text & Photos: Pascal Haudiquert

1996:

125 and 250 Supercross Australian Champion

1999: Open Australian Champion (Yamaha) 2000:

Open Australian Champion (Kawasaki)

Supercross Masters Champion

29th in the 500 Motocross World Championship

2001: 8th in the 500 Motocross World Championship (Yamaha) 2002: 8th in the 250 Motocross World Championship (Kawasaki) 2003:

6th in the Motocross GP Motocross World Championship (Kawasaki)

2004:

7th in the 125 Motocross World Championship (Yamaha). Winner of 1 GP

2005:

2nd in the 125 Motocross World Championship (Yamaha). Winner of 3 GPs

2006:

7th in the AMA 125 Motocross Championship (Yamaha)

2007: 12th in the AMA Lites Motocross Championship (Suzuki) 2008: 15th in the AMA Lites Motocross Championship (Kawasaki)

S K L A T K C O D PAD

Our Snowcross World Championship presenter spent a day with Santa during our time in Rovaniemi, Finland!

2 Jago Geerts celebrated his 21st Birthday with a special cake! 3 The Cairoli family don’t do normal family photos. Antonio Cairoli enjoying a day at the track with wife Jill and son Chase.

4 Alberto Forato has got the photoshoot poses dialled. He has recently announced he will race on board the MX450F in the MXGP class. 5 Ben Watson getting his fitness tests done before the start of the 2021 campaign. 6 Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory MX2 Team Manager, Rasmus Jorgensen, reviewing old MXGP races on his HD TV… 7 MXGP and MotoGP worlds come together! Tim Gajser enjoying a day at the track with MotoGP rider Andrea Dovizioso.

8 Henry Jacobi enjoying a day at the beach… 9 Jordi Tixier in training mode! 10 Shaun Simpson is ready to go and has revealed his look for 2021!

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

MICKAËL MASCHIO 2002 KAWASAKI SR125 84

AS A NATION, FRANCE HAS ALWAYS PRODUCED SOME TOP-QUALITY RIDERS AND SOME WOULD ARGUE IT SHOULD HAVE PRODUCED MORE WORLD CHAMPIONS UNTIL NOW. BUT THIS IS MOTOCROSS; IT’S NOT THE EASIEST SPORT TO COMPETE IN, BECAUSE IF IT WAS THEN MAYBE WE WOULD ALL BE WORLD CHAMPIONS AT IT. ONE RIDER WHO DID REACH THE TOP THOUGH WAS MICKAËL MASCHIO AND IT’S HIS 2002 KAWASAKI SR125 THAT WE WILL FEATURE IN THIS ISSUE OF MXGP MAGAZINE.

also because there was a new bike.’

Maschio’s first foray into the 125cc world championship was in 1993 where the Frenchman scored a handful of points in the selected rounds that he competed in. The following year he rocketed to 12th in what was his first full season, but from there his star really started to shine. By 1995, he’d won his first race and stood on the top step of the podium at Bellpuig in Spain on his way to 5th overall in the series. However, having not advanced higher than 5th, Mickaël moved into the 250cc class where for the next few years he was a regular fixture

inside the top ten. In 2001 he had dropped to 15th after a difficult campaign which also forced his decision to return to the 125cc category for the 2002 season. Racing for the official Kawasaki Racing Team run by Jan de Groot, the decision to return to the 125cc class was a joint decision, as Maschio recalls: ‘We both made the decision, because the last year in 250cc (2001) I did some crashes and my mental state was not good, so Jan asked me if would like to go back into the 125cc class for 2002 (the next year) not only for my confidence, but

The bike in question was a complete, new model for the Japanese manufacturer, so not only was it a pre-production 2003 bike, but it was also labelled as a full-factory SR125, something that Kawasaki was keen to push. The initial tests went well, and so the goal then was to dial the bike in to suit Maschio’s riding style, and whilst the team worked to get as much power as possible, the Frenchman preferred an engine that came with a bottom to mid hit, something which his mechanic Gerald Wever remembers well:

‘The pick-up feel at lower rpm’s was very important for Mickaël, as well as the over-rev. We had an adjustable rod and different spring rates to adjust the power valve to get the pick-up feel to his liking. He was a technical rider and liked to play with the throttle, and at nearly every race we would spend more time at the test track to adjust the power valve to the get the pick-up power to his liking.’ Fine-tuning the bike meant scrapping some of the factory parts though, as Wever continues: ‘I remember that two Japanese technicians arrived in February ’02 and we tested in Holland, Belgium and the south of France. They came with cylinders, heads, exhaust pipe and CDI’s, along with different types of carburettors, jets, needles and reed valves. One of the carb’s was made from Magnesium, but by the time we arrived at the first GP were already using VHM heads, HGS pipes, factory CDI and an aluminium carburettor as we could not get the Magnesium carb to work. We did run a Magnesium clutch cover and water pump though! Jan tuned the engines and KYB (Technical Touch) took care of the suspension.’ With de Groot as meticulous as ever the engines were competitive to a point, but the biggest advantage as far as Maschio was concerned was the chassis and just how good it was: ‘I remember that this year, compared to the KTM bike our engine had less power but the bike was much better with the chassis, better everywhere; the chassis and suspension was really, really good. We did a good job with that; we did a good job with KYB. The power was good but with the chassis and suspension it was even better, even if the power of the KTM was a little better on top power. The

engine was good but the most important was the chassis,’ reflected Maschio. Having a bike that generated good power was critical for de Groot and even though he was expected to run factory parts, he also knew that this was a new project and the whole reason that this bike was being raced was to make it as good as possible when it was launched as a production bike for 2003. So, with the key focus on engine performance, the SR125 ran a factory cylinder which was modified by Jan, and even though Gerald Wever recalls running ‘VHM heads 99% of the time, we also had a couple of factory heads, but with VHM we had more options and they (VHM) could react quickly if Jan wanted to change something. It was the same with the pipes from HGS.’ On the inside, the team used Vertex pistons, but as Wever recalls, not before Jan had grinded the cylinders ‘to his secret port-timings and made different shaped power valves. These parts were mixed with all kinds of different VHM head inserts, HGS pipes, base gaskets … I must have made close to 600 Dyno runs that year!’ The CDI was a factory KEIHIN unit, but could not be adjusted. It was just a case of changing the ‘black box’ as and when it was needed. The clutch cases were modified by de Groot, with the clutch cover being bigger than standard. This, along with the water pump cover were factory items and made from Magnesium. When it came to cooling, more ‘in-house’ modifications were made by Jan himself, when he made the lower water chamber of the left-hand radiator bigger for more volume, and if he could have done the same to the right-hand side as well then, he would have done, ‘except there was no room to go lower as the exhaust pipe routing was in the way.’ 88

The new bike came with a 6-speed gearbox and with his engine set-up, Maschio needed to ‘change many gears!’ The standard chassis was already very, very good and as a result the swingarm, linkage and aluminium sub-frame also remained as standard items. Holding everything up at both ends was full-factory, ‘proper KYB suspension’ provided by Technical Touch. The front forks were 50mm and the clamps and bar mounts were typical factory KHI parts, made from Magnesium. Haan Wheels were married to Excel rims and whilst the Motomaster disc was bigger, the brake, brake calliper and master cylinder were all standard, although the calliper hanger was made from yes, you guessed it … Magnesium. After placing 5th overall at the season opener in Valkenswaard, Maschio followed up with 1-2-21 at the next four GP’s in Spain, Germany, France and Italy, and it was the Italian round that holds the strongest memory for the Frenchman: ‘Castiglione del Lago! I was really strong there. I remember during Time Training I was 2 seconds, maybe 2,5 seconds faster than everybody, in all the sessions. Also, in the race I pushed to have a 15 second gap and then I was in cruise control. It was a good GP for me.’ In Austria one week later, he had to settle for 6th, and despite that ‘poor’ result, he still held a 15-point lead over Belgium’s Patrick Caps; but, if Austria was poor, then the next round in Bulgaria was a disaster for Maschio, as he remembers: ‘I crashed, but the bike was not really good that day because I remember this GP there was a big trouble with that. After the GP I spoke about that with Jan; Jan sometimes was good and

photo: Ray Archer

Photo: sometimes not good. He did a change on the bike in the week and for sure he don’t tell me, and the bike was not good; the engine was not good and I remember on Saturday I did many tests with the carburation, and I said to him, ‘I don’t know what’s happened but for sure was not good …’ And I remember my crash; it was on one jump. I don’t remember who’s the rider behind me, but he touched me in the air on the tabletop and I did a big crash. The bike was not good, and Jan tell me ‘oh no, it’s not the bike, it’s you …’ so I say, ‘ok, it’s me …’ but a year later at the same GP, I win the GP.’ 92

With five rounds to go, Maschio’s lead was now just three points, and two rounds later he’d lost the lead to Caps; if ‘MM71’ was going to win the championship, he needed to dig deeper than ever. And that’s exactly what happened next. Back-to-back wins at Gaildorf and Loket saw Maschio regain the championship lead, and his performance in Czech Republic holds more lasting memories: ‘The GP in Loket, I don’t remember why but I was the last rider to the gate and I did a start from the complete outside right. I did a really, really good start. And even Jan, he say ‘woah!’ Already three or four GP’s before I said

if I don’t win this GP then …’ Anyway, I make a really good start and I win so that was also special. It was a good memory, one that stay in the head for sure.’ Heading into the final round in Russia, all Maschio had to do was hold his nerve and he would be crowned world champion. His lead over Patrick Caps was just ten points with Steve Ramon another point adrift in 3rd. Ramon won the race and the GP, Caps DNF’d and as Maschio crossed the line in 4th, it was good enough for him to be crowned world champion by just four points over Ramon.For Maschio, at 29 years old, a lifelong dream had been realised, and whilst we didn’t know it at the time, it would turn out to be the last 2-stroke world title for Kawasaki.

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

Hi, I’m a Spanish student, where can I find some information about the MXGP riders for a school presentation? Javier

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Hi Javier , you can check out more information about the riders HERE: https://www.mxgp. com/riders?race_category=1 Best Regards MXGP

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For my son’s birthday, where can I find an MXGP cap? Melany

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Hi Melany , Happy Birthday to your son, you can find the cap on MXGP-Store HERE: https:// www.mxgp-store.com Regards MXGP

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where can I watch the old races? Adam

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Dear Adam , Hi Adam, you can watch all the old races on MXGP-TV, follow the link bellow https:// www.mxgp-tv.com/home Best Regards MXGP

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Where can I learn more about the MXGP Academy activities Lili

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Hello Lili you can find more information about our MXGP Academy HERE: https://www.mxgp.com/ inside-mxgp/academyThanks MXGP

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where can I check the result of last year? Tom

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Hi Tom You can find the result of all races in our website, follow the link bellow https://results.mxgp. com/mxgp/standings.aspx Thanks MXGP