MXGP #94 JUNE 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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Then content of this publication is based on the best knowledge and information available at the time the articles were written.

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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, Here we are! The season is starting this week in Russia – Orlyonok after a 6-month-break! Postponing the start of the season to June has been a good choice. Week after week, the vaccination campaigns are accelerating in all countries where MXGP will be visiting and we are confident that we will be able to host public at most of the venues. It will be the case for Russia, UK and Italy and most likely the next events, too.

I ENCOURAGE YOU TO COME ONSITE AGAIN TO SHARE WITH US THIS INCREDIBLE FEELING OF LIVING SPORT LIVE! Thanks to the determination and the professionalism of our various organisers, we are sure that the GP will be managed in the best way to respect the sanitary protocol and allow all of us to feel this amazing atmosphere again.

We are very excited to go back to this beautiful track surrounding the Black Sea. It will be the kick- Don’t forget that all the races will be broadcasted live on the off of a very unpredictable and demanding season. Then the MXGP World Championship will go to UK – Matterley Basin where we have authorisation to host public as well. The pre-sale is fantastic, with more demand of tickets compared to the pre-covid period. I believe most of us want to go back to watch live sporting events. Nothing can replace the feeling of being next to the track in Motocross and enjoying the racing and the great atmosphere among the fans, in the paddock and in the camping area.

main TV broadcasters around the world and if you want to have the full racing experience, MXGP-TV.com is the perfect platform to follow everything. But as we are finally seeing the improvement of the pandemic situation and the light at the end of the tunnel, I encourage you to come onsite again to share with us this incredible feeling of living sport LIVE! I would like to thank all our partners that never stopped supporting MXGP throughout these difficult times, and of course the FIM, FIM Europe, the teams and riders and all our organisers as well. I wish you a great season!

S T O H S L COO

P U G H N ATC I C A C R

S ’ IT

! E M I T GO 17

photo: KTM/JPAcevedo THE FIM MOTOCROSS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP IS BACK THIS MONTH! AFTER WHAT MAY HAVE FELT LIKE AN ETERNITY, THE WAIT IS OVER AS WE KICK THINGS OFF IN ORLYONOK WITH THE MXGP OF RUSSIA ON THE 13TH OF JUNE.

Once again, the season has started later than expected, as the global Covid-19 situation has not made things easy in terms of organising an international event and the travel side of things. Though on a much more positive note, a later start has given the teams and riders more time to prepare for another intense battle for the title, as well as allowing MXGP the chance to confirm fan attendance at the races – at last! So now all the attention is focused on the season opener in Russia, as the series heads back to the hilly seaside location for the fourth time since the hardpack circuit made its official World Championship

debut in 2017. Though it also hosted the FIM Motocross Junior World Championship in 2016 as well.

There’s been quite a few changes in the line-ups for the new year, with fresh faces making the move into the premier MXGP and MX2 categories, as well as some variations within the teams, as is usual every season. MXGP In MXGP there’s plenty to discuss as anticipation builds for the first race of the championship. One of the most talked about topics is the return of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings. By now, we all know about Herlings’ struggle with injuries over the last numerous seasons,

and last year’s incident in Faenza was another blow for the Dutchman who once again missed out on a chance to fight for the title. The Free Practice crash during the Grand Prix Città di Faenza left Herlings with neck and upper back problems and while he was able to recover well from both, the Bullet took the opportunity to miss the rest of the year to focus on his previous foot injury, which had been causing him issues since 2019. Now he’s set to line-up healthy and ready to go, which no doubt is a threat to the rest of the field, as Herlings will be more motivated than ever to finish the entire season injury free and hopefully with the world title. But of course, it’s easier said than done, when you’ve got the rest of the field fighting for the same goal.

2021 will see Tim Gajser and Team HRC go after their third consecutive MXGP world championship as Gajser linesup to defend the title once again. While much of last year’s off-season was focused on getting to grips with the new CRF450RW and the set-up, this year has been much easier for Gajser who was able to focus on putting in the laps with a good base from 2020, with minimal changes to the bike itself. If Gajser’s stats from last season are anything to go by, where he claimed 15 race wins and 14 podiums, including his 5 Grand Prix victories, there is no doubt we can expected more of that from the Slovenian in 2021. Then there’s Antonio Cairoli and Jorge Prado of the De Carli side of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, who are bound to make things extra interesting this year. As we reached the second part of the season in 2020, we saw Cairoli struggle with the intensity of the triple-headers, 19

which made things harder on his knee injury. Though the 9-time World Champ was still able to fight for podium positions and race wins. After the end of the season, Cairoli underwent surgery for his knee that caused so much bother in 2020, so hopefully that will be nothing, but a distant memory and he will line up healthy and ready to fight for that 10th title.

Meanwhile his much younger teammate, Jorge Prado only seemed to get stronger as the season progressed. On his rookie outing in the premier MXGP class, the Spaniard was impressive to say the least as he claimed his first GP win in Faenza and followed that up with two more in Spain and Belgium, along with five race wins and eight podiums. At one stage it looked like the two-time MX2 World Champion could challenge for the MXGP championship, though ultimately his season was cut short due to Covid-19. It’s important to bear in mind that last year’s off-season and mid-season break for Prado was riddled with injuries, and despite little time on the bigger bike he was still able to challenge with the frontrunners of the category. And now with a full and healthy winter break under his belt, Prado is bound to bring excitement to the table again this season. Also brining the excitement this season is the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing MXGP squad that has seen some changes for the new year. While last-year’s Vice World Champion, Jeremy Seewer remains with the team for 2021, he has however gained two new teammates in the form of Glenn Coldenhoff and Ben Watson. Seewer finished the season with a silver medal for the second

time in MXGP and had a fair share of success throughout the season, including his very first MXGP Grand Prix victory at the MXGP of Lombardia in Mantova. He also went on to secure three race wins and six podiums which will be something he will look to build upon this year and go for gold this time around. Glenn Coldenhoff is the newest addition to the factory Yamaha team. So far things have been going pretty good for the Dutchman, who has been very competitive during the preseason races, regularly placing on the podium. Last season Coldenhoff was also no stranger to the podium, which included a GP win and a race win in Latvia. 2021 will be another new challenge for the ‘Hoff’ but from what we have seen so far online, we can expect more podium success as we kick things off. Then there’s the rookie of the team. Ben Watson concluded his MX2 career in the best way possible, with six podiums and two GP wins in Belgium and Trentino finishing 2020 on a high which ultimately gave him a really good start to 2021. Now moving up to the ‘big boys’ class the Brit is looking at home on the YZ450FM, a bike that he even said himself he is better suited to. While Watson is surrounded by a brand-new team, much of his initial set-up has remained the same, as he moved from the MX2 factory Yamaha team to the MXGP one, which has made for a much smoother transition. And we’ve already seen a glimpse of what can be expected from the Brit thanks to the pre-season races, which have clearly shown that he is capable of running with the top guys as he has the speed and the fitness. Also making the move to MXGP is Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Thomas Kjer Olsen who is joining Arminas Jasikonis in the team. Being

photo: HONDA/Bavo

a tall rider just like Jasikonis, Olsen shared that his riding style was already better suited to the FC450 and it looks like the Dane is really feeling at home on the bigger machine. Much like Watson, Olsen also finished his MX2 career off with a few podiums and race wins which no doubt must’ve given him a nice confidence boost going into the MXGP category. Meanwhile for Jasikonis, his estimated return is not yet clear, though he has been putting in the work over the winter months. Taking it one step at a time, the tall Lithuanian has been determined to get his strength back while also being mindful of his limits and being sensible with his expectations. The brain injury was a big blow for Jasikonis who was on form before the accident in Mantova, and while we have to wait a little longer to see him out on track, the important thing is that he is still able to race at the highest level – which is more than many of us expected! Romain Febvre and Ivo Monticelli is another pair to look out for in Russia and throughout the upcoming season. There’s been a few changes within the Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team for 2021 which is another positive step for the squad. Febvre started last season with an injury and made good progress throughout the year while Monticelli, a new addition to the team, ended his season with one. But now both are injury-free and ready to go, which is the important part. Another change for 2021 is Pauls Jonass and Brian Bogers joining the Standing Construct GASGAS MXGP Team. Looking ahead to the race in Orlyonok, big things could be expected from Jonass who in fact has the most wins at the Russian circuit (2), both from his MX2 days. Nonetheless, the Latvian has been looking strong on the factory GasGas machine as he is set to make his return to racing after missing a large portion of the 2020 championship due to 22

photo: KTM/JPAcevedo

photo: Yamaha Racing

a neck injury before the return of the season at his home rounds in Latvia. MX2 Meanwhile in MX2 there’s plenty going on too. This season we will see Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Tom Vialle return to defend his world championship title, in the hope of joining the list of multitime MX2 World Championship winners for KTM, like Prado, Herlings and Jonass. Vialle was strong last year and while he and Jago Geerts often took turns at winning, it was the Frenchman’s consistency that paid off greatly in the end. Minimal number of mistakes were the key for Vialle, while it was something that Geerts struggled with. Now entering the season to defend the title, rather than chase it, it will be interesting to see if the pressure will affect Vialle in any way. For Geerts this year will be important as he will no doubt be fired up to rise to the challenge and go after the red plate from the get-go once again. The Belgian’s stats last season were impressive, as he walked away with 14 race wins, 6 GP wins and 12 podiums, pretty close to what Vialle achieved himself. Though it was the crashes and the mistakes that cost Geerts the championship, which he will need to avoid this season and if he can do so, we’re in for another epic championship showdown. But of course, we don’t expect it to be a two-man show, as there are plenty of new and old faces that are considered a threat to this year’s campaign. One being, Red Bull KTM Factory Racings newest recruit, Mattia Guadagnini. Guadagnini is new to the MX2 class for the 2021 season, making the move from the EMX250 Championship, where he finished as runner up to Thibault Benistant. Now a part of the De Carli side of the factory KTM squad, there’s no doubt that being teammates with 25

photo: Yamaha Racing

For Geerts this year will be important as he will no doubt be fired up to rise to the challenge and go after the red plate from the get-go once again. The Belgian’s stats last season were impressive, as he walked away with 14 race wins, 6 GP wins and 12 podiums, pretty close to what Vialle achieved himself. Though it was the crashes and the mistakes that cost Geerts the championship, which he will need to avoid this season and if he can do so, we’re in for another epic championship showdown. But of course, we don’t expect it to be a two-man show, as there are plenty of new and old faces that are considered a threat to this year’s campaign. One being, Red Bull KTM Factory Racings newest recruit, Mattia Guadagnini. Guadagnini is new to the MX2 class for the 2021 season, making the move from the EMX250 Championship, where he finished as runner up to Thibault Benistant. Now a part of the De Carli side of the factory KTM squad, there’s no doubt that being teammates with two multitime World Champions (Cairoli and Prado), along with the knowledge and experience of the team will be huge for the young Italian, who has already made great progress. Of course, he isn’t entirely a stranger to the MX2 category, as he did make a wildcard appearance last season in Faenza, where he even led a total of six laps. But this season he will race the entire 19 rounds which will be much more intense than the EMX series was last year, but with guidance from a team who is known for developing champions, it’s more than likely that we will see Guadagnini challenge for the podium from the get-go. He won’t be the only one, as the guy who beat him to the EMX250 Championship, Thibault Benistant will also line-up in MX2 with the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing squad. Benistant was strong last year, though the competition with Guadagnini was close until the very last race. We also got a glimpse of Benistant in MX2 at the MXGP of Pietramurata where he finished 5th overall, after two strong races of a 7th and a 3rd. Now on the full factory Yamaha team, it will only 27

two multi-time World Champions (Cairoli and Prado), along with the knowledge and experience of the team will be huge for the young Italian, who has already made great progress. Of course, he isn’t entirely a stranger to the MX2 category, as he did make a wildcard appearance last season in Faenza, where he even led a total of six laps. But this season he will race the entire 19 rounds which will be much more intense than the EMX series was last year, but with guidance from a team who is known for developing champions, it’s more than likely that we will see Guadagnini challenge for the podium from the get-go. He won’t be the only one, as the guy who beat him to the EMX250 Championship, Thibault Benistant will also line-up in MX2 with the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing squad. Benistant was strong last year, though the competition with Guadagnini was close until the very last race. We also got a glimpse of Benistant in MX2 at the MXGP of Pietramurata where he finished 5th overall, after two strong races of a 7th and a 3rd. Now on the full factory Yamaha team, it will only be another step forward for the Frenchman. Another title contender for 2021 is Maxime Renaux, who completes the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing MX2 squad alongside Geerts and Benistant. Now part of a factory team, Renaux will look to build upon his results in 2020, when we saw him stand on 5 podiums, win a race and a Grand Prix in Faenza – which was a huge milestone for the Frenchman. Though his winter prep started off a little slow as he struggled with an injury, though with that now behind him and some strong pre-season races already in his pocket, we could see him on the podium in Russia. Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Jed Beaton and Kay De Wolf will also be mixing it up in MX2, with De Wolf moving 28

photo: KTM/JPAcevedo

photo: Husqvarna/Bavo

up from EMX250. Beaton is already well established in MX2 and has had a nice share of race wins and podiums. This will also be the Aussie’s last season in the class, due to the age rule, so he will no doubt want to finish his 250cc career with a bang. Meanwhile, De Wolf is completely new to the category and will be looking for guidance from his teammate and team manager Rasmus Jorgensen who has plenty of experience shaping strong MX2 pilots. Last but certainly not least, there’s the F&H Kawasaki Racing Team. All three of their riders, Roan Van de Moosdijk, Mathys Boisrame and Mikkel Haarup, are strong and their race results and podium success from last season speaks for itself. Yes, each one of the riders had their share of bad luck, especially Haarup who missed out on half of the season due to injury, but we witnessed a Haarup on the podium in Matterley Basin on his first outing in the MX2 class, then a double podium by Moosdijk and Boisrame during the MXGP of Latvia and Riga, with Moosdijk claiming three more podiums after that, including a race win in Lommel. All three riders are more than capable of challenging the leaders, so it’s now down to staying out of trouble in 2021. But really, looking at the big picture, this season like the previous one is hard to predict. Both classes are stacked with fast riders who have what it takes to challenge for the title, so predicting a clear winner is hard – which is great for the fans! Russia will be exciting as we didn’t have the chance to head over there last season and of course it’s the season opener, so everyone will be keen to see how they match up against one another and of course will be motivated to put on their best performance. So now it’s all guns blazing for the first few rounds of the championship!

MOST GP VICORIRES Waiting for the 2021 FIM Motocross World Championship season to start, here the top 10 of the most GP victories in history.

L A I C O S P G X M

@athenamotorsport During the upcoming season, Athena will sponsor a brand-new and very exciting competition that will allow fans to vote for their favourite rider before every Grand Prix on MXGP Facebook and Instagram pages 🗳 A rider of the weekend will be chosen during each GP and the rider who receives the most points by the end of the season will walk away with the ultimate prize and be presented with the special award for ‘Best Rider of the Year Sponsored by Athena’! 🥇🏁

@mxgp #SundayStats 📊Here’s the top 10 for the most GP victories! 🏆Do you think Antonio Cairoli or Jeffrey Herlings can match Stefan Everts’ record in 2021? 🤔

@mxgpstore_official The new MXGP hoodie in Bicolor grey/black is now available at www.mxgpstore.com 🆕 Worldwide shipping 🌍 Road to 2021: Episode 8 Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP Team | MXGP: Episode 8 of Road to 2021 with Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing is here! Watch to find out how Glenn Coldenhoff is finding his move to the factory Yamaha team, while Ben Watson prepares for his MXGP debut and Jeremy Seewer set his sights on the title in 2021. 34

Pitlane Reactions of 2020 | MXGP: exciting races always provide the best reactions from the mechanics and team personnel! Take a look at some of those moments captured in pitlane during the 2020 season of the FIM Motocross World Championship!

@philem68 Tickets booked for Matterley, the flag will be flying again 🇬🇧be great to be able to cheer the boys on again. #mxgpofgreatbritain

@paulsjonass41 Artwork: @davecoekaerts

@olsen.19 Track day mood 😄😄 @pirellimx Head in the game 😤. @ antoniocairoli is ready to embark on his 20th season in @mxgp 💪🏽

@yamahafactorymxgp No matter where we are in the world, it is always a team effort! 💪🏻

@getteholemans #fbf #flashbackfriday Back in 2012 MXON at Lommel . #mxonlommel2012 #party #friends #frutbierenhamburgers

EP.16 GOPRO Lap: MXGP of Garda Trentino 2020 #MXGP: Here is the final GoPro Lap replay from the 2020 season! Watch as Michele Cervellin takes you around the Trentino circuit in Italy.

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

@jeffrey_herlings84 182 GP wins, 289 GP podiums, 351 moto wins and 13 World titles in this picture. I saw this picture passing by just a few minutes ago and I thought it was too good not to post. Have a good weekend boys and girls. ✌️🔥

R E S T L S R I N G MO

H T N O M A M E E T F TH O

E B T H G I M Y E L E T I H T T NTS A I G 41

THE 2020 MXGP SEASON WILL ALWAYS BE REMEMBERED AS THAT SEASON; YOU KNOW, LIKE AN EPISODE OF FRIENDS … ‘THE ONE WHERE … COVID-19 TRIED, BUT FAILED TO DENY US OF THE BEST MOTOCROSS ACTION IN THE WORLD.’ AND WHILST THE RACING WAS UNPREDICTABLE, FOR ONE TEAM IN PARTICULAR, IT WAS A YEAR THEY WOULD RATHER FORGET. SO, WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD FOR THE ROCKSTAR ENERGY HUSQVARNA FACTORY RACING TEAM AS THE NEW SEASON KICKS OFF IN RUSSIA IN JUST OVER ONE WEEK’S TIME? WE CAUGHT UP THEM IN A SOCIALLY DISTANT WAY TO DISCUSS HOW THEY’RE MOVING ON FROM 2020 AND LOOKING FORWARD TO THE NEW SEASON.

Before we do though, it’s time for a quick throwback to the start of last year where the season kicked off at Matterley Basin in Great Britain, where the signs of a tough season had already started to surface. Prior to our arrival at the British GP, a trio of storms – Ciara, Dennis and Jorge – forced the organisers to reschedule the event to a one-day format (a sign of things to come) and with a very difficult and technically challenging circuit to race on, it was always going to be a very tough way to start the season. Having enjoyed success at the various pre-season international races, Pauls Jonass and Arminas Jasikonis

rolled into ‘The Basin’ on a high, but they were soon brought down to earth (quite literally) as they succumbed to the brutal English countryside, as Team Principal Antti Pyrhönen explained: ‘Our pre-season preparation was really, really on point, it was one of our best winter seasons. Both of the guys were injury-free, they were both motivated, they were working hard and they’d had some good pre-season races, so we were all ready to go. And maybe that was also part of the problem; they knew they were fit, they were ready, they had done everything, so maybe they kind of built everything up and put too much expectation on themselves.’

When the gates dropped, the results that AJ and PJ had hoped for never materialised, but it wasn’t for the lack of trying as the boss points out: ‘The riding did not exactly reflect their level, but also on that day, many things went wrong. The weather, difficult conditions, the track was really technical. In timed training AJ was 2nd fastest and Pauls was 5th fastest, but if that was good and the ball was rolling in the right direction, then for the race it went the opposite way.Pauls crashed immediately after the start and had to start from last, but then he was into 2nd from last position really quickly because AJ was crashed in the third corner (laughing), so it started out really wrongly. And after that, more mistakes came and it was just a difficult day.’

A week later in Holland and there was a shimmer of light at the end of the tunnel as Jasikonis stunned the Valkenswaard faithful with a shock Qualifying Race win before landing his tall frame onto the third step of the podium, after what was a solid display of riding where he went 3-3 on a quagmire of a circuit. With a Pole Position and a brace of 3rd place finishes, most people would be happy, but there was a still a sense of under-achievement, despite that cool performance: ‘Winning the ‘quali’ race brought a little bit of confidence for Sunday but to be honest, AJ was on the podium with 3-3 with bad riding,’ recalled Pyrhönen, ‘but because of the Matterley disappointment, he had pressure going to Valkenswaard, and without that pressure and if he was able to do his own riding, I think he could have gone with Jeffrey and Gajser also on Sunday, but he was riding really stiff, with lots of pressure that he built up 43

on himself, and still he was able to bring 3-3 and onto the box; so at least it was a good race and type of a good achievement.’ Locked Down and Fully Loaded As for Jonass, he found himself in a couple of scrapes here and there and his 13-12 results were once again irreflective of the level his riding was at, and he would need to visit the drawing board once more. Next stop Argentina in two weeks’ time, or so we thought! By now, the scientists and virologists among us know, that what happened next was unprecedented, and as the world gradually closed down, Pyrhönen and his team were almost caught off-guard: ‘After Valkenswaard we went quickly to Spain to get some hard pack training in good, dry conditions before Argentina but then we quickly recognised oh my god, Covid, lockdown, this is spreading. We came back from Spain and made a quick decision and a correct decision, to send the material (bikes and parts) for AJ and Pauls straight to their home countries where the Covid was not yet really peaking, so they had everything they needed at their home and they could continue their physical training and the preparation there.’ With real training carried out in a virtual way online, the team continued to progress, but then disaster struck as Jonass suffered a training crash that would rule him out for the season: ‘Pauls was sending us videos and man, he was flying but then he had the crash; we knew within a very short period of time that it was serious and that he wasn’t going to return quickly to the GP’s, especially how the GP’s were rescheduled every Sunday, Wednesday, Sunday. We knew the season was finished for him, and it was a real pity because we did so much work together, there was so much to gain and some good moments to 44

come, you know? So, yeah, it was tough.’ Front Runner With Jonass out for the remainder of the season, the weight of expectation fell onto the broad shoulders of Jasikonis and when MXGP returned to action after 154 days, the big man was able to pretty much pick up from where left off. With three GP’s scheduled at the Zelta Zirgs Circuit in Kegums, AJ got stuck in and by the time we’d left Latvia he’d had a race win, a second and a third, made a visit to the podium and almost won his first grand prix overall, and it wasn’t only Pyrhönen who noticed this emerging talent at work: ‘Things started out where we left off in Valkenswaard; we knew he’d also done the work during the lockdown period and he was able to keep his motivation high, which wasn’t easy for everybody. We also knew that he had the speed and the ability; there was no doubting, and that was the reality. But we need to remember that in all the sessions, he was enormous talent, enormous speed and style, boasting fastest lap times and Pole Positions, so it was visible for the whole paddock that okay, there was one big kid who was a real challenge, and everybody also saw that he was also in shape, and he was one of the guys who was able to still make passes in the last 10 minutes. We came away from there, top three in the points and things were looking really positive.’ As the team headed south to Faenza, Italy, AJ sat third in the points standings, just four points adrift of eventual world champion, Tim Gajser, and from the outside looking in, it would be easy to suggest that the mixed bag of results in Italy was down to AJ’s struggles on the hard pack, hillside circuit, something that Pyrhönen fiercely disputes:

‘No! Zero struggles with the hard pack. He had two Pole Positions there; in one of the races, he was coming through the pack from 17th to pass Gajser in the second-last corner, but Tim was able to cut down and keep his position, but AJ had enormous speed and for sure with better starts he would have been battling for a podium at ALL those three rounds. At all the Faenza races it wasn’t easy to make passes, especially not on the hard pack; he started outside the top fifteen in all of the moto’s and he did the best work he could, but the podium or top five positions were more or less already gone after the first hundred metres.’ Difficult Times If AJ was experiencing his best season in MXGP, then things were about to take a serious turn for the worse. A crash in the second race in Mantova left Jasikonis hospitalised with head injuries, and as the paddock waited for news of his condition, the mood amongst the racing community was fairly subdued. After three days, the news that came out of the hospital was positive, but it was clear there was still a long way to go before AJ would be back to 100%. For Pyrhönen, it was a particularly tough moment, perhaps the toughest thing he has had to deal with in his managerial career: ‘Absolutely! (long pause). Not only that Sunday evening but also Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, you know? For sure it was the most difficult 24, 48, 72 hours I went through as a team manager. It was a worry. In my own career I had some quite bad accidents and as a manager I’ve experienced some accidents also with my riders previously, but with all of those, within hours it was visible that it was ‘only’ a broken leg or damaged shoulder or some crack in the wrist or whatever, and you knew it wasn’t going to affect

the rest of your life. But in AJ’s case, while there was a hope, there was a big worry about how things might go, so we were so worried about him and worried for the people close to him, his parents, and that’s the reality.’ The Light at the End of The Tunnel AJ has since made a full recovery and is back to doing what he loves most, riding dirt bikes, and with the support from his family, close friends and his team, he has decided to continue his career as a professional motocross racer. There is no doubting the journey has been a difficult one, met with both physical and mental challenges, but it’s that support that has convinced him to get back to the day job, if you like, and so far, things are looking good for the big man, as Pyrhönen states: ‘To have the opportunity to continue the career I think gave lots of motivation for him, and I think that that was very important for him to have that possibility and make that decision to try to continue; it gave him lots of motivation also for the recovery. Considering the starting point and the challenge and the situation, he is really good! He is capable to do very strong training already and is fully on the training programme, so he is actually doing really good. If he is going to be in Russia, and when is the moment to be race-ready? That is not decided yet, although we are very close to that moment; he is very close to that moment, but we are not forcing it or we are not rushing things, that’s for sure. The end goal when we return back to racing is AJ’s.’ Let’s Hear it For the Big Man When we touched base with AJ in February during the pre-season training camp in Sardinia, he was full of

optimism about his return to racing, and even if there was a sense of caution, it’s clear to see that the fire is still burning deep inside, and it’s that desire that will see him back behind the start gate again in no time: ‘In the beginning I would say I was all the time questioning; questioning myself if I really wanted to do it and everything because in the beginning actually, I wasn’t really myself with the injury, so I was just questioning what the future will bring. But here we are after some months, we are back in the business I would say, preparing; of course, it’s a long way off but it’s interesting what the future will bring me. My goal is to get physically as strong as I can, of course it’s just the beginning; my physical condition is far, far away from where it has to be and my riding also is off, but we are making steps. For me it’s to go step by step and every week come better and better, so that’s our goal pretty much.’ Fast forward to the end of May and we caught up with AJ again as he was making his way to Berghem in Holland for another day on the bike, and we were keen to know about the progress he has made since February: ‘Yeah, we have made of course quite big steps since then but still there is quite a lot of small ones to make actually, mostly the intensity and some track speed also. The ‘touch’ is coming back with the bike, like it came much better. I can still get better and better but it’s quite good I would say.’ Stepping Up Joining Jasikonis and moving up from MX2 is Thomas Kjer Olsen, the Dane who has had a pretty stellar career to this point, a career which has seen him claim four major honours in the last five years, EMX250 champion plus two bronze and one silver medal in MX2. He may have only moved

‘next door’ but how is he finding the switch to his new surroundings? ‘I’m quite happy, I would say. It’s the same bike and everything, which helps a lot and obviously I wanted to stay with Husky again but in the end, I was also looking quite a lot at the people behind it. With Antti and Tommi Konttinen, they have a really good programme; Tommi is the full-time trainer, which is a really good thing for me, it’s good to have him there for every training and he’s also at the track with us, so he sees everything that is going on, and for me that was also a huge deal. It’s not all about the bike but of course the bike is very, very important, but it’s the whole package and I just felt that IceOne had that, for sure.’ When Olsen takes to the start gate on his FC 450, it won’t be his first foray into riding the bigger bike. In 2015/’16 he raced a 350cc in the German ADAC Masters series and more recently in 2018 he had a stock 450cc to practice on, but surely there is a big difference between stock and factory, right? ‘The factory bike is so powerful. On the 250cc you’re just wide open; on the sand tracks you just open the throttle and give it all it has, but if you do that on the 450cc, you end up in the fence, but at the end of the moto you definitely have to control that beast a lot more. In the beginning I would say I had to ‘man up’ a little bit because once I got a little bit tired, the 450cc gets so heavy compared to the 250cc. I think on the first day in the sand I had a pretty good get-off, so already then, I had a bit of respect for it; so, then I had to take the control back from the 450cc. It didn’t take long, that was just the first day or something, but after that I knew that once I got tired you have to be even more on it. Once you get tired that’s when you have to be the most

precise actually, but yeah, that first date with the 450cc didn’t end well. I had a meeting with the ground (laughing).’ Despite that painful first impression, team boss Antti Pyrhönen is full of praise for his new signing and so far, he likes what he sees from the rookie: ‘The Rookie is doing good, he has definitely worked hard, he has been doing very good work, he is very motivated. It looks like the 450cc fits his body shape and size very well. Everything is positive, everything is looking good, everything has been going by the plan but once again you know, we don’t want to build up too much pressure for him or have high expectations. Riding-wise, I would say, he is more or less at the level that I expected but he has surprised me with his working mentality and also with his racer’s mentality because he is such an easy-going guy and really polite, really positive, really nice guy. He has a racer’s heart and that I give as a big plus, you know? When he puts that helmet on, the focus he has and the will to be the best – he has that – and that’s important.’ Although it will be Olsen’s maiden season in the premier class, he hardly seems daunted by the prospect of going up against the best racers in the sport’s toughest class: ‘It’s my first year in MXGP but I would definitely say, if I can be around the top five in many races and maybe overall in the top seven, then I will be quite happy, but for sure I wanna show flashes of the speed I know I can do and be battling somewhere near the front. That would be really cool. I was happy with where I was at in Sardinia, I also showed some really good speed and yeah, honestly I surprised myself a little bit, like catching Coldenhoff and Febvre and stuff like that.’

With Russia just days away, the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team will continue training and pushing each other on, something that has become a regular occurrence with the two riders during training; for AJ it gets him back up to speed much more quickly, for TKO it gives him that feeling of being pushed and being put under pressure, and the Dane is just counting down the days before he lines up behind that start gate; and it can’t come soon enough: ‘At this moment it just feels like we’ve been practicing a lot and it’s time to go racing really, because you just need to go out there and compete 54

with everything that you’ve been training for. Like, get a little bit of motivation again from that side; just getting out there and racing again. To get behind that start again and get that adrenaline. The highs and lows, that is something that we miss actually; you miss that feeling of having a really good day or having to go back to the drawing board. Training now, right before the season starts is starting to get a little bit more intense and we are trying to get into more of a race rhythm as well as we can. I didn’t get the chance to practice with anybody directly, but for sure I’ve been to tracks with a lot of guys; you’re always trying to pace yourself a little bit against them, but yeah, I would say I am happy with where I’m at.’

Whatever the outcome of 2021 though Antti Pyrhönen can take great pleasure from having the tallest team in the paddock … ‘Yes! And I’m bloody proud of it (laughing …) but on a serious note, AJ and Thomas get along really well, they work hard, they want to be faster than each other on the track and they seem to have a very good relationship. The team is feeling good and the team spirit is very professional but still on a good level, let’s say! At the moment I am positive and looking forward to a very good working season together.’ The first round of MXGP, the FIM Motocross World Championship kicks off on Sunday 13th June with the MXGP of Russia in Orlyonok, and you can catch all of the action on www.mxgp-tv.com Photos: Husqvarna/Bavo

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S E I D A L G N I D A E L E H T XGP M IN

MOTOCROSS IS NO LONGER THE MALE DOMINATED SPORT THAT IT WAS ONCE CONSIDERED TO BE. NOWADAYS THE FIM MOTOCROSS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP IS FULL OF LEADING LADIES THAT ARE TAKING THE INDUSTRY BY STORM!

The leading ladies in MXGP - Part 2 From riders, to mechanics, media and management, these women are challenging the stereotype that was once known in the motorsport world. In the previous issue of MXGP Magazine we caught up with Lisa Leyland, Jill Cairoli, Courtney Duncan, Kiara Fontanesi and Livia Lancelot in the first part of the special feature, while the second part features more females that are taking on big roles in the MXGP paddock. NIKKI MALIN New Zealander, Nikki Malin is among the group of women working in the media side of the FIM Motocross World Championship with her current position as Press Officer for Yamaha Motor Europe. Nikki started riding at the age of 11, with her brother’s RM80, before lining up for her first race a year later. She followed that up with some wins and national titles before making the decision to pack up and head to Europe in order to compete in the FIM Women’s Motocross World Championship. Though her racing career didn’t quite plan out as hoped, she was able to find a way to stay in Europe, working for Youthstream now known as Infront Moto Racing. MXGP: How did you get into motocross and when did you start riding? Nikki: I started riding quite late. I was 11 years old and my brother wanted a motorbike. To cut a long story short, he begged and begged for a motorbike and when he finally got one, he couldn’t ride it and then decided he didn’t want to ride one… My dad got mad and said I bet Nikki can ride it. Soon I learnt about gears though, because I am a bit of a speed freak, so I wanted to go fast, but an old RM80 can only last so long in first gear wide open! I lunched

the bike on the second ride, but that worked in my favour because instead of fixing it, they bought me a brand-new CR80 and then a Yamaha YZ85 six months later. I was hooked on riding at that point, and back in New Zealand you can ride whenever you want, so I would ride most days. I started racing at 12 years old and moved up the ranks pretty quickly. I did win some titles, but back then, I always had to line up against Katherine Prumm, and while our lap times would often be similar, she was a really good racer and much more consistent. MXGP: What inspired you to take up a career in the motocross industry? Nikki: Well, in all honesty I wanted to be WMX World Champion, so it didn’t go to plan, but that’s life. I kind of ended up here, but it would have stemmed from my love for writing, and at one point I was just at the right place, at the right time, and was given a once in lifetime opportunity from Youthstream to write race reports in the smaller series, MX3 and WMX. I’m also a very creative person, so I actually enjoy coming up with new content. I am from the era that has been very much involved in the evolution of Social Media. So, it’s something I understand and enjoy doing, and skills in writing and Social Media are valuable in the workforce, particularly if you can bring them to a niche environment such as motocross. MXGP: You’re from New Zealand, so how did you end up in Europe? Nikki: I came over to Europe to race the World Championship. I made my racing debut in Belgium at Stefan Everts’ charity event in Genk, and led all three races, though faded in one due to injury, because I broke my collarbone only 2 weeks before the event and had surgery. So, I was racing with fresh stitches and finished third overall. To put that in perspective, I think it was Maria Franke who won, Steffi Laier was second, I

was third and Livia Lancelot was fourth. Very proud moment for me, and actually the only time I have ever been on par with my WMX hero Livia – I am a big fan of her! I still raced despite having surgery 10 days before. So, I was all the way in Europe, and I didn’t know if that was going to be my only opportunity to prove myself. MXGP: You’ve worked in the FIM Motocross World Championship for quite a few years, how did you start out? Nikki: I don’t come from a wealthy family, and I got injured quite badly and couldn’t recover in time to make a return to racing. So, my parents called me and said they couldn’t afford to keep me here and that I would need to go back home. At that point, I didn’t want to leave Belgium, so I spoke to a few people and eventually ended up helping out in the Pit-Lounge restaurant at the track with Youthstream (now Infront Moto Racing). I was washing dishes, serving food in the VIP restaurant, at one point I was a hostess in the SkyBox. I actually enjoyed it; it was cool. They have some great people inside that company and with 18+ rounds of racing, you soon feel like one big family. From there, I was given a chance to prove my writing and Social Media skills. I think I was working 3 years in the Social Media side of things, and 5 years in press for MXGP.com before I took on a new challenge at Yamaha Motor Europe. MXGP’s platforms had hit a million likes on Facebook and I remember that being a really proud moment for all of us involved! Now you look at the growth, it’s truly incredible! I’m so proud of the IMR team and what they are doing for the sport and thankful that I still have a good relationship with everyone inside the team. MXGP: You’re currently working for Yamaha Europe as the MXGP Press Officer, tell us more about your role! Nikki: Being a Press Officer for Yamaha Motor Europe is incredible. The role is always evolving, especially with the importance of Social Media continuing to grow. My role is basically to manage all of the OffRoad racing communications. I am also the Off-Road content creator and executor of content for all of 61

Yamaha’s racing channels, which is the website (Yamaha-Racing. com), Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube. And additionally to that, I am the point of contact between the Factory and Official MXGP, MX2, EMX250, EMX125 and WMX teams and Yamaha Motor Europe for anything to do with digital communications and media. I work very closely with all the Factory riders and teams to create new and exclusive content, but also to write press releases keeping the fans and external media informed of what’s happening in the races and onsite. It’s a big and busy job, you never ever stop learning new things and pushing yourself. I’m like a sponge, and I’m fortunate to work with some highly experienced people. MXGP: What does a typical GP weekend look like for you? Nikki: My GP weekend will start during the week where I will receive requests from sponsors and Infront for riders to attend media opportunities. From there, I am in touch with all of the riders and teams, and eventually I can put together a schedule. I also think up my own unique content, clear all my memory cards on my camera, and arrange with the riders that I am going to cover, a time and a place to make some videos or get an interview. Throughout the weekend, I keep the fans on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter updated of what’s happening and I look for interesting ‘Behind the Scenes’ elements to take photos of and explain. Small but interesting things, such as foam stuffed into certain places on the engine, or what the orange GET unit on the front fender does – stuff like that. When racing is finished, I run through the pits like a headless chicken and speak to every single rider individually. Then I go back to the Media Center, write the press releases with quotes transcribed from the riders and publish on Yamaha-Racing. com followed by an e-mailed Press Release that goes out to the media. I then gather the photos from the photographers

and upload them to the Yamaha Motor Europe server and media platform and create some content for Social Media. By the time that is all finished, it’s normally around 23:00 - sometimes longer, sometimes slightly earlier, there are a lot of factors that go into that. But that’s a rough idea of how a day onsite at a GP works. MXGP: You’re married to ‘the voice of MXGP’ and former GP rider, Paul Malin, does he talk as much at home as he does on TV? Nikki: “Haha, he does! I am not joking. Paul is a natural entertainer though, he absolutely thrives on it, and I love that about him. I’m not going to lie, sometimes it’s hard to live with a mind that always needs to be intellectually stimulated, but it’s funny 99% of the time and I like that he’s very young at heart and passionate about what he does. He loves being a commentator so much, we have been living in Belgium since we got married in 2018 and a lot of our sports channels on TV are in Dutch. I can understand Dutch, but I don’t enjoy Dutch commentary too much, so I mute it and ask Paul to do the commentary live in English for me. He does it, and it blows my mind every single time at how naturally talented he is. I think until you sit in with Paul while he is doing MXGP-TV live and listen to all the stuff that is going on inside the headset he has on, you don’t fully understand how difficult the job is and how incredible he is at it. MXGP: What advice would you give to other women looking to work in motorsports? Nikki: I have been inside the MXGP paddock for almost 10 years, so I don’t remember what it was like ‘trying’ to start out. But anyway, I think regardless of your gender, if you have a skillset and are truly passionate about the job you want to do inside the field you want, you just need to have confidence in your skills and let your work speak for itself. I’ll speak from my own experience, I feel MXGP has a good level of respect for women inside the industry and

it’s cool to see that there are more and more ladies getting involved. At the end of the day, I feel like it’s mindset and if you maintain a strong and professional mindset, you are really capable of doing anything you set your heart on. And I also want to say, all of the girls that are working inside the paddock are very friendly, so I am sure that if anyone wanted advice, we would be very open to helping and giving our opinions.

MXGP: You’re the only female mechanic in the Motocross World Championship, how do you feel about that?

FEDERICA SEZZI

MXGP: What advice would you give to other women wanting to work in motocross?

MXGP mechanics are among some of the most hard-working people in the paddock, putting in countless hours of work into making sure the bikes are running at their best in order to allow the riders to chase top results on track. Federica Sezzi is one of the only female mechanics in the FIM Motocross World Championship, having first started working in 2018, which she had described as a “dream come true” during her MXGP Magazine feature in 2019. During the 2019 and 2020 season, the Italian worked with MX2 rider, Maxime Renaux, helping him on his way to podium success. Now Federica will enter her third full season in MXGP with SM Action GasGas Racing Team, working alongside Andrea Adamo who will make his MX2 debut. MXGP: How did you get into motocross? Federica: When I was young, my grandma used to always take me with him to a place in the hills where he had over 100 vintage bikes! I always played with the tools and stuff and then on the weekends my dad would take me with him to the local races and he also had a workshop, so in the end I started working for him. MXGP: What inspired you to become a motocross mechanic? Federica: I always saw the mechanics work at my dad’s workshop and when I was at the race, I actually liked to watch the mechanics and what they did, more than the actual races!

Federica: For sure it’s not easy to be one of the only female mechanics and you can sometimes have people look at you weird as some would say this is a male world, but I am very proud to represent women in motocross.

Federica: Just do it and don’t be scared of any judgement from people. MXGP: As a mechanic, what does your typical MXGP weekend look like? Federica: I wake up, look outside of the window, have breakfast and go down to check the bike. I check that everything is okay and then I make some toast, because I always get hungry during the races, now it’s kind of become a thing to bring good luck (laughs). Then I talk to the rider, make sure he is good and just go and hope for a good day! MXGP: What are your typical tasks during the GP weekend? Federica: Last year I was a training mechanic for Maxime Renaux, so my task was to help the race mechanic during the weekend. Help him with the bike, bring stuff to pitlane, go to the washing bay, do starts with the rider before the races and basically if anyone else needed help, I was there. MXGP: Do you get nervous when your rider and bike are out on track? Federica: Yes, I do get a bit nervous for sure, but I always try not show this to the rider. MXGP: What is your favourite part of your job? Federica: The favourite part of my job I’d say for sure would be the 65

relationship that you have with the rider. Also, I like trying to find small things on the bike to make it better, and another thing that I really enjoy doing is changing tyres! MXGP: Are you excited for the 2021 season? Federica: Of course! This will be my first year as a race mechanic in the World Championship, so I’m not sure what to expect, but I’m excited! ŠPELA MOTALN Like many of the rider’s partners, Špela Motaln, the girlfriend of defending MXGP World Champion Tim Gajser, plays an important role when it comes to Tim’s career. Not only helping during the race weekends and behind-thescenes, Špela also manages Tim’s merchandise store, along with his company and making sure he is set and ready to go to the races. MXGP: Were you a fan of motocross before meeting Tim? Špela: No, I didn’t know anything about it! I met Tim and at first I thought motocross was just a hobby (laughs). MXGP: You’ve travelled with Tim for quite a few years now, have you enjoyed supporting him all over the world? Špela: Yes, I have been travelling with Tim for 4 years now and I love to support him where I can! It was not easy in the beginning because I had never been away from my family and friends for so long, but now I’ve got used to it. MXGP: What does a typical GP weekend look for you? What are some of the things you do, for example your typical routine for the race weekend…? Špela: When we get to the track, we have our camper there as we don’t stay in hotels anymore. So, Friday is more a relaxing day, I cook, we go with the Team somewhere or alone to explore the local cities. Saturday and Sunday are different. Tim has races so my job is to take care of 66

him, make sure that he eats and drinks enough. He also likes when I help him prepare the goggles, clean the helmet and some other small things. I don’t do a lot at the races; I just take care and make sure he is happy and positive. We always say a happy rider is a fast rider! MXGP: What passions or projects are you working on at the moment? Špela: We have launched the new Tim Gajser shop with Tiga243 clothes and other merchandise. I love to work with clothes so I’m really happy to do this project. Tim also has a new motocross track in Slovenia, Tiga243Land, so we are renovating everything there, the house, the track, etc. I also work for Tim’s company. I organise everything for the races, flights, hotels, rental cars, as well as taking care of all the paperwork for the company. We will also have some more fun projects in the future. MXGP: Would you agree that supporting Tim and his career is like your own career too because you put so much work and effort into it as well? Špela: Yes, for sure! During the first year that I was with Tim I worked full-time, so I could only go to just 3 races and we didn’t see each other much. After one year, we said it was not possible to stay together like that, so I made the decision to stop working and to start travelling with him. Now we’ve been together more than 5 years, I have a job and I have a lot of work to do and that’s really important to me! For Tim I think it’s also great to have a person that he can trust, so he can fully focus on motocross. I would say we are a great team and I love working with him! VALENTINA RAGNI A lady who you may recognise and be familiar with is Valentina Ragni, the long-time Team Coordinator at Red Bull KTM Factory Racing. Valentina has been a part of the KTM family since first joining in 2003 and

has been working in the MXGP paddock for many years. On a race weekend, you’ll always see Valentina beside the KTM factory riders, whether that’s at the team, on the start grid or behind the podium and at the post-race press conference, Valentina is always on hand to support the KTM riders throughout the events. But her role goes way beyond that and it is clear that those who end up at the KTM factory camp always put great trust in her and that is as a result of her caring nature. MXGP: How did you get into the motocross world? Valentina: I was born in Cingoli, Italy and Cingoli, in the past, used to be a very famous location for motocross. There used to be a lot of GP’s. My house is just 1km from the track so since I was a little girl, my parents used to always take me to the races. Since then, the passion was immediately big because I was so fascinated by this sport and I really liked the atmosphere. I was always asking the riders for stickers and autographs; you know I was really a big fan of motocross. Growing up, of course I had other passions and friends who introduced me to other sports, but still motocross was always my first love. I studied at university, but I never really abandoned motocross and I remember once when I was in my 20’s, the moto club asked me to be the translator of the Grand Prix on the jury and I of course accepted, and with my big passion I impressed the motocross commission representative from Italy, who really wanted me to be involved with the federation. I obtained my licence as clerk of the course and then I started delegating the jury. Then during one of the races back in 2000, I met a mechanic from Sweden who was working for KTM and that man became my husband. In 2003, I moved to Austria to work for KTM. In 2001 and 2002 I worked for a road racing team as logistics manager and then when I met my husband, his bosses were really interested in my job because 69

they wanted to build up a bigger team in KTM and they asked me to come and work as Team Coordinator, so I’ve been doing this job since 2003! MXGP: You are the team coordinator at Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, tell us more about your role and what you do at the team… Valentina: I am responsible for the professional running of the team, that means booking flights, rental cars, ferries, tests and organisation of the food at the track for the races, together with my colleague Tania. Besides that, I’m also responsible for the professional appearance of the team so, team clothing, shoes, bags, travel clothes and so on. Additional responsibilities also include rider entries at the MXGP events, taking care of the team’s licences, the OAT agreements and I’m also the contact between riders and media at the races. So, anything concerning interviews, photoshoots, videos. I am also responsible for the KTM autograph sessions, taking care of the passes for the team and other KTM group brands, as well as also being in touch with our technical sponsors. MXGP: We know your role includes a diverse type of activities, one of the most important is supporting the riders. On a GP weekend, what is it that you do? Describe to us your daily routine. Valentina: We arrive on Friday and straight away I take care of the team passes and guest passes when we have guests. In addition, I also take care of the Red Bull hospitality passes. Then, in case riders have interviews scheduled, I am there to take care and make sure that everything goes smoothly. In a normal situation on Saturday, we have practice and qualifying races. After each practice and each race, I bring the riders the results and I’m there for them if they need anything. If there is a press conference, I go with the riders and of course if one of them wins the qualifying race, I am there to make sure they

have the Red Bull can, the cap, proper jersey. Of course, if we have some guests, I take care of them, too. Sunday is race day, so I’m always behind the scenes to check everything, to make sure the riders have everything they need. If they need some help or want some support, I’m always there. I also go to pitlane with them, just for moral support and of course if they need anything from my side, some water, or a towel, I am there. Besides that, I normally, if they are in the top 3, we have the press conference which I always go to with them and take care that everything runs smooth, that they get there on time. This is the Sunday and then we are a team of course, so if anyone needs anything I am there. MXGP: You have worked in the industry for quite a few years, how has the sport changed over time? Valentina: Well, it has changed a lot and I believe over time it became more and more professional because if you want to have more TV coverage, more sponsors to keep the sport going and to grow, you need to show a very professional image and I can see that over time it has changed a lot in that. Still, I’m not saying they were not professional in the past, but I would say that from the organiser to the teams themselves, they all improved a lot in terms of presenting an image, the look, the attention on the track, everything. Also, I think for a normal spectator, motocross is still a big family, but besides the big family you can also see if you walk in the paddock that there are big trucks, big awnings and everybody is dressed in team colours, so from that side it has really improved a lot. MXGP: What would you say is your favourite part about your job? Valentina: My favourite part of my job is of course the relations with the people. Working in such close contact with everybody for such a long time, I would say the team is like my second family, especially with the mechanics

who work here and the manager, we have worked for so long and every year, I would say I spend more time with them than with my husband. In our team, even though we are a big team, there is a lot of fun, we all work a lot, but we also enjoy our job, and we are friends. Also, the relations with the riders. I always feel like they are my sons and I really love them and I really try to spoil them, Pit Beirer would say I spoil them a lot, but I like that because I build up with them not only a working relationship but we also have a lot of respect between us and I know that if I do something for them, and I ask them to respect a timetable or I ask them to do some interviews, they always try to cooperate at their best, this is also part of my job that I love! The big family atmosphere is my favourite part! MXGP: What advice would you give to other women looking to work in motorsports? Valentina: Speaking from my own experience, I would say you should do a job like mine in motorsports if you are really committed and you really love what you are doing. This is a really special job, it’s not a job for everybody. Some people think you must be so lucky, you travel a lot, and you see so many things and so on and that’s true, we travel a lot, but we don’t always see so many things. Every weekend when we go to the races it’s mainly to work and only if you have two GP’s in one place, that you maybe would get to visit something but not much. The most important part of this job is that you must have passion and of course, you must consider that this type of job involves a lot of stress, so I would say the key is passion because you don’t get many weekends free, like you would in a normal job, so it’s also a role that requires some sacrifices but when there is the love for what you do, then you don’t feel it, you do it with big heart and big love. That’s at least what I’m doing. ROMY DE BRUIJN Working among the media of the MXGP paddock, is Romy de Bruijn, the Team Coordinator of Monster Energy Kawasaki MXGP Racing Team. Romy is no stranger to motocross, having virtually grown up at the track thanks to her dad who 73

was always passionate about the sport. Romy took up racing herself before deciding that a career in the industry was what she wanted to do! MXGP: How did you get into motocross? Was this always a passion that you had? Romy: My dad is a motocross racer, so since I was little, I was already at the track. I raced also myself when I was younger, so I know what sacrifices you have to make, and racing is not only about winning. I unfortunately had to stop because of a shoulder injury but my family is very passionate about motocross. As long as I can remember my family and I have been visiting at least one or two GP’s per year and that I’m working here, my parents, sister and grandma are trying to visit as much as they can. When I have time off, I’m at the track to support my dad and friends. MXGP: How did you end up working in the motocross world? Romy: I studied marketing and communications. Then after school I started working as a real estate agent. I was tired of this 9-5 job and my dream was to work in a GP team. I decided that Team Coordinator was the career for me and made a plan to achieve my goal. After many phone calls and emails Francois Lemariey agreed to have a meeting with me and I left the room with my dream job! This is now almost 3 years ago.

MXGP: You are the Team Coordinator at Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team, tell us more about your role? Romy: I coordinate everything that has to do with press and media. Think about social media, interviews, press releases, photoshoot, team images. For this I work closely with Kawasaki Motors Europe. Then in preparation for the GP’s I book the hotels, flights, rental cars, PCR tests. I make sure the catering and hospitality is ready for the race weekend and then I prepare all the schedules and 74

credentials. During the week I’m working at the team workshop in Schijndel in the Netherlands, here I also do the admin work as well. My job is very diverse and that’s why I like it!

Haarup, often challenging for race wins and podium positions.

MXGP: What does a typical GP weekend look like for you?

MXGP: First of all, could you explain to our readers your role at F&H Kawasaki MX2 Racing Team?

Romy: On the Friday I coordinate all the media and press activities, credentials and catering. Everything needs to be well prepared and scheduled for the race weekend. On the race weekend I assist the riders with their media activities and then I also keep our fans on social media up to date with all the results and everything what’s going on at the GP, then on Sunday evening I prepare and send the press release to our sponsors and media. Fans might see a weekend as two days but for me a race weekend starts on the previous Monday and will not end after the final race. The day after we are already focussed on the following GP. MXGP: What other passions or hobbies do you have? Romy: I may work in a man’s world, but my other passion is beauty. When I’m off I can spend hours on make-up, hair and clothing. I love learning about the new trends and styles. Is shopping a hobby? haha, if yes, then it is mine! I try to work out or do any kind of sport as much as I can. Ones or twice a week I like to play tennis with my teammates, and on the other days I do my workouts. My family and friends are important to me, so I like to spend the most of my time with them, especially with a busy racing calendar. NATHALIE FASE Nathalie Fasè is among the group of ladies working as Team Managers in the FIM Motocross World Championship. For the last few seasons Nathalie has managed the F&H Kawasaki MX2 Racing Team, which has seen great podium success, especially in 2020, with Roan Van de Moosdijk, Mathys Boisrame and Mikkel

Managing a World Championship team is no easy task but is one that Nathalie has done very well!

Nathalie: My role is Team Manager, a very comprehensive task! From contract negotiations with the riders and all our sponsors, to booking flights, ordering parts, arranging visas and accommodation, administration, maintaining contacts, keeping the workshop running smoothly, making sure that everything is sufficiently stocked, devising new and efficient ideas, things you can’t just make up and for that I work together with our team. MXGP: How did you get into motocross? Nathalie: My brother started racing at a fairly young age at a good national level. I rode in dressage horse competitions at quite a high level myself as well, so my parents used to split up every weekend, Saturday for my hobby, Sunday for my brother’s hobby! So, since I was a little girl, I’ve been around this beautiful sport every weekend. Also, my father’s big dream was to have his own team, where he could give young boys the chance to make their dreams come true, and since 2014 we’ve been active at a European and GP level with Kawasaki! MXGP: You travel to all of the GP’s, so what does a typical GP weekend look like for you? Nathalie: A GP weekend already starts for me during the last finish flag of our previous Grand Prix ... it goes on 24/7. Throughout the week I make sure that everything is arranged down to the last detail. With a European GP we leave on Friday morning most of the time by airplane and once we arrive at the track, I make sure that every staff member does what he or she has to do all weekend, that everything stays tidy all weekend. 77

That our riders are present everywhere on time, that everyone is well looked after in terms of food and drink, that no one forgets any planned interview, that I am ready at the podium to provide our riders with the right clothing and sponsor items, and I can go on like this (laughs). Broadly speaking, I make sure that everything runs smoothly, and the riders can focus on what is important. Competing for the podium! MXGP: What is the best part of working in motocross? Nathalie: The best part about my role in the team is that we have been able to turn anything into something successful, with the support of all of our sponsors and

Kawasaki in particular. And that I can show that in this man’s world a team can certainly be successful under the leadership of a lady! MXGP: Does it make you proud to represent women in motocross? Nathalie: Yes, of course! I really admire the WMX riders; it really takes some guts to do that (laughs). I personally love any individual sport that involves motorcycles or action, but I never considered racing myself. Better let me make it a success behind the scenes as a team manager! MXGP: Apart from racing, what other passions and hobbies do you have?

Nathalie: In addition to racing, I like to make nice memories around the world with my boyfriend Davy Pootjes, also my passion is dressage horse riding, as well as working for our family business and of course my own company, Let Love Blossom, where I style many weddings and events and decorate it with flower arrangements. MXGP: What is your relationship with your riders like? Nathalie: It is businesslike, but certainly familiar. We have a common dream, so it is above all a lot of team work to make our dream come true.

L L A H

E M A F F O

KURT NICOLL SON OF FORMER GP WINNER DAVE NICOLL, KURT WAS ONE OF THE MAIN PROTAGONISTS OF THE FIM MOTOCROSS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP DURING FIFTEEN SEASONS. HE NARROWLY MISSED AN INDIVIDUAL WORLD TITLE IN 1992, FINISHED FOUR TIMES RUNNER UP IN THE 500CC CLASS, AND HE WAS ONE OF THE HEROES OF THE 1994 MOTOCROSS OF NATIONS WHEN TEAM GB STOPPED THE AMERICAN DOMINATION ON THIS TEAM RACE.. Born on 15th November 1964 in Cambridge, Kurt was not really interested in motocross when he was young even if though visited some races with his father. As a kid, Kurt had more passion for cricket and football, and was already thirteen years old when he had the opportunity to ride a bike for the first time. Two years later he entered his first race in the famous schoolboy series at Cambridge, and from that moment his dream was to become a professional racer. In 1982 he claimed a British title, the first one of seven national crowns! Turning 18 at the end of 1982, Kurt started racing GP’s the following season and he immediately jumped on a 500cc Kawasaki to qualify at the opening round of the series in Payerne (Switzerland). During his second Grand Prix he scored his first points in Austria – only the top ten riders got points at that period – and after that first

experience, he had the opportunity to join KTM UK. Eighth of the 1984 campaign with several top five in the last rounds of the series, he again improved his results the following season with a fifth place in the championship. The highest moment of the season was his first ever race podium at his home GP in Farleigh Castle, with a third position behind André Malherbe and Dave Thorpe. Back to Kawasaki in 1986, he had to wait one more year to celebrate his first GP win on one of his favourite tracks, Farleigh Castle. Runner up behind Georges Jobe at the end of season, he did even better in 1988 when he won two GP’s and was the main rival of Eric Geboers, but once more he was the runner up in the series. In 1989 he didn’t improve that result, he finished fourth, and signed with KTM. Again, runner up in 1990 – again behind Eric Geboers! – Kurt was at his best in 1991 and he was dominating the series until a nasty crash at the Dutch GP, when he broke his femur. The season 81

was over, but Kurt came back stronger in 1992, when the FIM introduced a new racing format with three heats per GP. During the mid-season he was leading the championship ahead of Georges Jobe, he lost the leadership due to a couple of DNF’s but ended the championship with three back-to-back GP wins, losing the title by two points! For the fourth time in his career, Kurt had to be happy with the silver medal.

1982:

British Support Champion

1983:

26th in the 500 World Championship (Kawasaki)

1984:

8th in the 500 World Championship (KTM)

When the 500cc class lost its prestige in favour of the 250cc, Kurt didn’t take the easiest decision when he joined this new class with Honda Britain. Racing against former World Champions such as Stefan Everts, Greg Albertin, Donny Schmit, Trampas Parker and Alex Puzar, he scored two podiums finishes in 1993 and a decent fourth overall. His second attempt in this class was even better as he won the final GP in Germany and was member of the winning British team at the MX of Nations in Roggenburg. That day Paul Malin, Rob Herring and Kurt stopped the incredible series of twelve consecutive wins of team USA! Again fourth in the 1995 series with another GP win, Kurt ended his career in the 500cc class with another fourth overall in 1997.

1985:

5th in the 500 World Championship (KTM)

1986:

7th in the 500 World Championship (Kawasaki)

1987:

2nd in the 500 World Championship (Kawasaki). Winner of 1 GP

1988:

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

500 British Champion

1989:

4th in the 500 World Championship (Kawasaki)

500 British Champion

1990:

2nd in the 500 World Championship (KTM)

500 British Champion

Then Kurt stayed involved in Motorsport, joining the management of KTM UK and later moving to Austria as Director of Racing before taking a similar role in America. He remains involved in racing, winning twice the Supermoto Championship in USA – 2004 and 2009 – and also three titles in the Enduro Cross Veteran Championship – 2011, 2012 and 2013 – to end a long career when he turned fifty! Text & Photos: Pascal Haudiquert

1991: 9th in the 500 World Championship (KTM). Winner of 2 GP’s

500 British Champion

1992:

2nd in the 500 World Championship (KTM). Winner of 5 GP’s

250 and 500 British Champion

3rd at the MX of Nations with Team GB

1993:

4th in the 250 World Championship (Honda)

Open British Champion

1994:

5th in the 250 World Championship (Honda). Winner of 1 GP

Winner of the MX of Nations with Team GB

1995:

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

1996:

18th in the 250 World Championship (KTM)

1997: 4th in the 500 World Championship (KTM). Winner of 1 GP

3rd at the MX of Nations with Team GB

S K L A T K C O D PAD

8 7

Red Bull KTM Factory riders Antonio Cairoli, Mattia Guadagnini and Jorge Prado giving us boy band vibes…

2 Congratulations to WMX World Champion Courtney Duncan who was awarded the Sportswoman of the Year and the Supreme Award at the Otago Sports Awards in New Zealand! 3 Thibault Benistant loving his factory Yamaha set-up! 4 Antonio Cairoli and his mini-me Chase.

5 Stretching is key, as Ben Watson demonstrates here! 6 In light of the recent news of Bas Vaessen’s injury, MXGP would like to send Bas and his family all our strength and best wishes during this difficult time. Stay strong Bas! 7 A moment from the MXGP and our newest time keeping partner MYLAPS test day in Lommel ahead of the season!

8 Last days of ‘off time’ for Mattia Guadagnini before he makes his MX2 debut! 9 Jordi Tixier’s set-up ready for 2021! 10 Stephen Rubini is back! Enjoying a sunny day on his Honda.

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

GREG ALBERTYN’S 1994 SUZUKI RM250WS 94 88

WHEN GREG ALBERTYN ARRIVED IN EUROPE VIA SOUTH AFRICA IN 1990, HE DID SO WITH THE AIM OF LIFTING A WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP, AND BY THE TIME HE LEFT FOR AMERICA AT THE END OF 1994 HE’D WON THREE IN A ROW. HIS FIRST TITLE WAS IN THE 125CC CLASS IN 1992 RIDING FOR JAN DE GROOT, AND HE FOLLOWED THIS UP WITH A 250CC TITLE THE FOLLOWING YEAR WITH THE SAME DE GROOT HONDA TEAM HIS FINAL TITLE WAS WON IN 1994 AND IT’S HIS TITLE-WINNING SUZUKI RM250WS 94 THAT WE WILL FEATURE IN THIS ISSUE OF MXGP MAGAZINE..

eyes on the bike itself, as Harrison recalls:

After clinching his second title under the watchful eyes of Jan de Groot in 1993, Greg Albertyn switched to the mighty Suzuki factory team run by Sylvain Geboers in the hope of winning a third consecutive title. The bigger picture here was for a move to the USA but before he could head Stateside, there was still work to be done in Europe. Jan de Groot was renowned for his tuning ability and not so much for the bling, and so when Albertyn and his mechanic Ian Harrison wound up at Suzuki, the first real impression came after laying

‘Going from the bike of Jan to the Suzuki was a big difference, just from looking at the bike you know? One was a complete works bike and one looked more like a production bike. It was a little bit daunting, because when you’re young like that, you think that everything that’s handmade is better; but it turned out to not be the case.’ The bike was based on the 1995 production RM250 and was similar to the bikes used for supercross in America, as well as the outdoor nationals, but despite that, the bike still looked remarkably factory. The prototype sand casted cylinder was married to a production

cylinder head which was matched/ tuned for the compression ratio. Internally the factory piston was straight out of Hamamatsu, along with a factory crank, and finishing everything off aesthetically was the sandcast crankcase. The clutch may have been factory, but the clutch cover and 5-speed gearbox were standard. Also standard was the 38mm Keihin carburetor, but the ignition was factory, and it’s the ignition in particular that Harrison remembers as being somewhat difficult get on with: ‘The bike was ahead of its time; it had the PowerJet on it, and it had a lot of things that still took a few years before they came to production, but a lot of that stuff also gave us headaches. We switched from analogue ignitions to digital and then reverted back 89

to analogue because we had some problems with the power lines (pylons) affecting the ignition on the bike. The digital ignition gave us so much more opportunity to dial the bike in for better ignition curves at low rpm, whereas the analogue ignition was a much simpler system; it wasn’t as precise on the bottom end, but it was always the same.’ The chassis was production-based although it came with a pretty trick sub-frame which was detachable only on the left-hand side. The foot pegs were factory and wider than the production ones, although Greg preferred to run them in the standard position. Holding everything up was the Showa suspension, all of it factory of course. The forks at that time were 45mm USD units and the upper triple clamps were factory made from billet aluminium, with changeable handlebar positions. The lower clamp was standard. The swingarm was factory and based on the standard offering, but was 25mm longer for improved stability. When it came to wheels, the rims were Excel, but where the front hub was standard, the rear hub was crafted from Magnesium. Stopping power came courtesy of Nissin and there was an option to change the piston diameter on both the front and rear master cylinders for enhanced stopping power, and if you’re interested to know about the disc sizes, then the front disc was a 260mm factory item whilst the rear was a standard 220mm unit. The skid plate was the only carbon fibre item, and titanium was used sparingly, with only the engine bolts and chassis bolts being made from the lightweight material. The fuel tank was aluminium and bigger due to the duration of the 45-minute races, but at the Belgian GP in Lommel, ‘Albee’ ran out of petrol on the final lap in BOTH races, something that irked the team principal Geboers and cost Greg vital championship points. As Sylvain recalls: ‘The aluminium tank was oversized but still too small for Greg, but his teammate Marnicq Bervoets finished the race with almost 1 litre to spare. The problem was, that while we tested with Bervoets on fuel consumption, Greg

Photo: went back home to South Africa, and when he returned, he was sick and refused to test. In the races, he ran out of fuel in both heats. After the race I reminded him of the importance of the fuel test, but he replied with ‘this is what I need to be motivated!’ Ian Harrison also remembers that particular time with similar clarity: ‘That year was so hard for us because Greg didn’t want to be in Europe, he wanted to be in America; while he was going for it, he was there but not there. And Sylvain’s right, Greg went home, he didn’t want to do that test in Lommel, and when we went to Lommel he would do 20-minute moto’s. I still remember Greg’s gas tank was 11.5 litres, I think it was one litre bigger 92

than Marnicq’s; it was the biggest gas tank we had, but Greg used low rpm with the throttle open, so he was always pulling a lot of fuel. Both starts he crashed, so of course the fuel is running out, and both races he ran out right in front of me by the mechanics area, and I think it was about 300m from the finish line. But that fell on his shoulders, it was clearly Greg; if we had done that fuel test, we would have been able to do something about it, so yeah, it was a bad day.’ Whilst the year started off with a race win in Spain, there were struggles throughout the season, with both the power delivery as well as the handling: ‘The Suzuki was fast but harder to ride because it didn’t have as much bottom end like what Jan had on the Honda, and the Honda also handled really, really well

whereas the Suzuki was good in some places and then terrible in others, so the window was a lot harder to find,’ recalled Harrison. ‘I wasn’t up to speed to really make big progress on suspension and luckily, in the end, from what I remember, midway through the season when Greg started winning again, Greg’s dad came out and I remember him talking about how Stefan Everts had the bike set up the year before, which was a different linkage and a different shock setting, and so we reverted back to that and from then he really seemed to catch fire and really started to get going again.’ The title fight went down to the final round at Gaildorf in Germany and it was Albertyn who rode away with the spoils of victory, despite winning just two GP’s that year. It was Albee’s third world championship win in a row and the 26th for Suzuki in all classes at that time. Photos: Pascal Haudiquert

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

Hey MXGP will there be spectators at Matterley Basin? Jodi

❞

Hi Jodi , Yes, we will have public at the MXGP of Great Britain and we will be following the UK government guidelines. Best Regards MXGP

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How can I watch MXGP in the USA? Aidan

❞

Hi Aidan , there are two ways you can enjoy the MXGP races this season, the races will be shown on CBS Sports or you can watch the races LIVE and OnDemand with our very own streaming service on MXGP-TV.com Regards MXGP

❝

Hello MXGP. Where is the first race?

❞

Jose

Dear Jose , The first race of the season will take place on the 13th of June in Russia. You can check out the full season calendar on www. MXGP.com Best Regards MXGP

❝

Hey, do you guys do merch?

Davide

❞

Hello Davide Yes of course. We have just relaunched the www.MXGP-Store. com where you can purchase your MXGP official merchandise for the 2021 season! Thanks MXGP

❝

Hi MXGP, will there be spectators at the MXGP of Maggiora? Alice

❞

Hi Alice Hi Alice, of course! You can purchase tickets HERE: https://lombardia.motocrosstickets.com/en/2464italy-motocross-tickets/ Thanks MXGP