MXGP #98 October 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 #97 September 2021 The articles published in this magazine do not necessarily reflect the official position of Infront Moto Racing.

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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.

L A I R O T I D E

David Luongo CEO of Infront Moto Racing

Dear MXGP Friends, What a season! We just lived a month of September full of action. The MXGP World Championship got higher in terms of intensity with 6 events in a month including the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations! The MXGP World Championship made a stop for the first time in Sardegna. It was a great success and demonstrated the attraction of the motocross to highlight one of the most beautiful and touristic places in Italy. The track was very special, riding between the dunes, and gave the championship a new taste. We also came back to two very important countries for motocross fans that were missing last year because of the Covid, Germany in Teutschenthal and France in Lacapelle-Marival. Those two events were the first ones in the past two years where we were not limited on the number of spectators to be present onsite. The answer of the fans was fantastic. It was such a

WE ARE DEFINITELY ON THE GOOD WAY TO NORMALITY great feeling to have back the atmosphere and the intensity that the fans give to the Grand Prix. It gives us a lot of hope that we are definitely on the good way to normality. On the sport side, the MXGP class is just epic. The top 3 are still in 10 points after the MXGP of France, Herlings, Febvre and Gajser are bringing the competition to new highs and we have no doubt this intensity will continue to grow when we arrive to the end of the championship. In MX2, Maxime Renaux managed to make a gap with the other riders but the last races where full of surprises. Geerts, Guadagnini, Vialle and Beaton will for sure continue to bring him a lot of challenges. September also gave the opportunity of the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of

Nations to be back on the calendar after 1 year off. In the sandy conditions of Mantova, the MXoN kept its reputation of an event full of surprises! 31 Nations participated during this edition! The three Nations on the podium, Italy, The Netherlands and Great Britain stayed within only 3 points and Italy won at the end of the suspense. It brought to Antonio Cairoli the last title that he was missing to complete his amazing career. After his announcement of his retirement at the end of this season, we decided to remove his race number for life, 222 will belong to him forever. Thank you, Tony, for your amazing career! Don’t forget that you can follow the whole MXGP season on MXGP-TV.com! Finally, I would like to thank the FIM, the FIM Europe and all the organizers for their great support to our favorite sport! See you in Spain to initiate the last sprint of the season!

S T O H S L COO

T O H S E L O H X FO

FOX HOLESHOT: SARDINIA, MXON, GERMANY, FRANCE 18

THE FOX HOLESHOT COMPETITION CONTINUES AND THE LAST THREE GRAND PRIX’S, INCLUDING THE MONSTER ENERGY FIM MOTOCROSS OF NATIONS, HAVE ALL DELIVERED SOME SURPRISES… SO, LET’S CATCH-UP ON WHO’S BEEN DOMINATING THE STARTS AT THE LAST FEW RACES!

a 1-1 result which put him on the top step once again. MXGP of Sardegna – Riola Sardo Let’s start with the MXGP of Sardegna… Upon our first visit to the Riola Sardo circuit, we saw Red Bull KTM Factory Racing once again rule the starts with Jeffrey Herlings taking the Fox Holeshot in race one, while Jorge Prado was quick out of the gate in race two. For Herlings, his strong start helped him on his way to a race victory which put him on the top step of the podium for the third consecutive time, while Prado finished second on the box. In MX2, no other riders could match the reaction and speed of Tom Vialle into the first corner, as the Frenchman secured both Fox Holeshot plates, on his way to

Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations – Mantova Starts are always a fundamental part of any race but even more so at the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations as each team fight for every possible advantage of getting the least number of points for their team. With riders taking part in the event from all over the world, this gave an opportunity for somebody new to have a shot and winning the Fox Holeshot competition – and that’s exactly what happened! With three races on the schedule this meant that there were three opportunities to go after the Fox Holeshot prize!

In the first race (MXGP/MX2) it was Team Switzerland’s Arnaud Tonus who was the first rider to reach the first corner and claim the first Fox Holeshot of the day, while in race two (MX2/Open) it was his fellow countryman Valentin Guillod who led the rest of the field. In the third and final race of the day (Open/MXGP) it was Team Great Britain’s Ben Watson who secured the third Fox Holeshot, helping his team to a podium finish for the fourth consecutive time! The winners of the Fox Holeshot Prize at the Monster Energy FIM MXoN not only got the advantage of getting out front in the races but were also awarded with a prize cheque presented by the team at Fox Racing. MXGP of Germany – Teutschenthal Next on the calendar was MXGP of Germany as we all headed to the 19

hardpack track of Teutschenthal! The German Grand Prix delivered some explosive action which once again rocked the MXGP title chase. In MXGP race one, it was Jorge Prado who added an 11th Fox Holeshot to his impressive tally, while in race two, the Fox Holeshot was won by Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s Romain Febvre who led the race for most of the heat until he was caught by Team HRC’s Tim Gajser and was forced to settle for second position. Prado has a strong lead in the classification as he leads with 11 points, while Febvre has six and Herlings three. In MX2 though, it was Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Tom Vialle who went on to dominate once again both starts, as he added two more Fox Holeshots to his award standings. The Frenchman now comfortably leads the competition with nine points, with his teammate Mattia Guadagnini second on three points. Third is Maxime Renaux of Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing who also has three points.

a brand-new circuit to the MXGP calendar – Lacapelle Marival! In the MX2 category it was Vialle who once again proved to be no match for the rest of the field when it came to the starts as he dominated the Fox Holeshot in both races. The Frenchman put on a strong performance in front of his home crowd to win the French Grand Prix for the first time in his career. Vialle now edges out in the Fox Holeshot standings with 11 points. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Mattia Guadagnini is second on three points together with Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Maxime Renaux. Meanwhile in MXGP, Jeffrey Herlings added his fourth Fox Holeshot award of the season in MXGP race one, while in the second race it was his teammate Antonio Cairoli who secured his first Fox Holeshot of the 2021 season! Herlings went on to win the French Grand Prix with a 2-1 result over home hero Romain Febvre.

MXGP of France – Lacapelle Marival

Jorge Prado leads the MXGP Fox Holeshot classifications with 11 holeshots, five points ahead of Romain Febvre, with Jeffrey Herlings down in third on four points.

Then we moved on to the 12th round of the series with the MXGP of France as we welcomed

The Fox Holeshot competition will continue in intu Xanadú Arroyomolinos at the MXGP of

Spain! Check out the current Fox Holeshot standings below.

WATCH THE VIDEO

MX2 TABLE Tom Vialle

Matti Guadagnini

Maxime Renaux

Simon Längenfelder

Jago Geer

Thibault Benistant

MXGP TABLE Jorge Prado

Romain Febvre

Jeffrey Herlings

Glenn Coldenhoff

P U G H N ATC I C A C R

! E R E H T Y A W F AL

In this month’s MXGP Magazine we’ll take you through the last three MXGP events; MXGP of Sardegna, MXGP of Germany and last but not least the MXGP of France, so keep on reading to find out what happened at these races… THE LAST FEW WEEKS OF THE FIM MOTOCROSS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP HAVE BEEN INTENSE AS WE HAVE CROSSED THE HALF-WAY MARK IN THE 2021 SEASON OF THE SERIES! WE’VE GOT 12 GRAND PRIX’S AND THE MONSTER ENERGY FIM MOTOCROSS OF NATIONS UNDER OUR BELTS ALREADY AND NOW JUST SIX RACES REMAIN AS WE GET READY TO CROWN SOME CHAMPIONS!

WATCH THE VIDEO

MXGP OF SARDEGNA, RIOLA SARDO: Following a very short break after the Turkish double-header in Afyon, the MXGP paddock packed their bags (and bikes etc) and head for the beautiful island of Sardinia! A place that may be better known to some as the perfect holiday destination thanks to all beautiful scenery and beaches surrounding the place, for us Sardinia became

got to witness some exciting races that saw the stars of tomorrow battle for the top spot.

known as much more – the Island of Sport! Over the last months, the Sardinian regional department, headed by Region Minister of Tourism Giovanni Chessa and Region Minister of Industry Anita Pili have been putting a lot of effort into promoting sports in the area and their labours have certainly paid off as not only did MXGP make its very first visit to Sardinia, but many other sporting events have taken place including the Volleyball World Championship Under 21, Junior Sailing Championship and the World Paddle Tour, just to name a few. The race in Sardinia was held at the Riola Sardo venue, a place that many of the riders are very familiar with! When it comes to the off-season, Riola Sardo is the perfect facility for winter training, with amazing weather

and even better motocross tracks! It is also home to one of the most famous pre-season races, the ‘Internazionali d’Italia’ and therefore was the perfect host for round 10 of the FIM Motocross World Championship! The weekend began with the opening press conference in front of a delegation of local media who were keen to report on the event. Present for the occasion was Infront Moto Racing CEO David Luongo, FIM/CMS Director Antonio Alia Portela, Sardinia Region Minister of Tourism Giovanni Chessa, Sardinia Region Minister of Industry Anita Pili and President of the Motoclub Le Dune Fulvio Maiorca. With the event official opened – it was time to enjoy the races! First up were the finals of the EMX65 and EMX85 Championships. After missing out on the race in 2020, it was great to welcome back the youngsters of the sport as we

In the EMX65 category, it was Lucas Leok who won the won the EMX65 European Championship with 47 points, as Dex van den Broek was second on 45 points, with Vitkor Leppälä joining the pair on the podium for third overall! Meanwhile in EMX85 with a 1-2 result Vitezslav Marek repeated his success from 2019 when he won the EMX65 title to win the EMX85 European Championship in 2021 ahead of Janis Martins Reisulis who was second with 45 points, followed by Lotte Van Drunen who was third with 42. But that was just the first day of racing, then it was time for the MXGP and MX2 riders to take on the deep sand of Riola Sardo on Sunday! In MX2, we were treated to another classic Tom Vialle vs Maxime Renaux battle that began in Turkey. The pair once again battle for the top spot 25

and once again it was Vialle who came out on top. Despite Renaux’s best efforts, the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider went on to win both races, winning a Grand Prix for the third time in a row! But in terms of the title chase, it was still a very positive day for Renaux who extended his points lead over Mattia Guadagnini, who only managed 11th overall. While in MXGP, we witnessed a turning point in the championship as news began to circulate of a possible injury for Tim Gajser. This was confirmed following the races as the Slovenian struggled in the races, but in true Gajser style fought hard for every point that he managed to pick up. And then there was the crash of Antonio Cairoli. In time practice, the 9-time world champion fell hard and was forced to miss the Sardinian Grand Prix which was another shake up for the title fight and as a result, for the first time in 2021, we saw a new championship leader as Jeffrey Herlings took home the red plate. Racing aside, there was more excitement in the paddock as fans were once again welcomed back to MXGP! During the MXGP of Sardegna a limited number of fans were able to join us at the venue to cheer on their heroes – which was just awesome! MXGP OF GERMANY, TEUTSCHENTHAL: After the Motocross of Nations, it was time to get back to business with the 11th round of the FIM Motocross World Championship as we returned to Teutschenthal. The first day of racing was dedicated to the EMX action as Ivano Van Erp took his first ever victory in the EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing category, meanwhile in the EMX250 class, Nicholas Lapucci claimed yet another win to extend his championship lead over Kevin Horgmo.

On Sunday the focused was back onto the MX2 and MXGP riders but in-between those sessions, we saw round one of the Junior e-Motocross series! The youngsters whizzed around the old school venue on their electric machines and in the end, it was Eleu Jose who finished the day on the top step of the podium with Elias Eder and Maurice Heidegger rounding out the top three. Back with the main action, the MXGP of Germany supplied some intense fights in both MXGP and MX2 which once again rocked both championships. In MXGP, we saw another change in the lead as Tim Gajser took back control of the championship thanks to his 3-1 result. Not only did he take the red plate, but he also stood on the top step of the podium, with Jeffrey Herlings and Romain Febvre assuming the third and second place spots. But there was more to the races… And race one is probably the one we all remember best. As the gate dropped, we watched Jorge Prado secure his 11th Fox Holeshot of the season ahead of Herlings. Herlings briefly took the lead, but the young Spaniard was able to fire back and just like that the race continued pretty much the same, with Herlings applying constant pressure onto the 20-year-old until the finish – but what happened on the finish line shocked us all. As Prado and Herlings crossed the line the pair collided midair which ended in a huge crash that resulted in a swollen knee for Herlings and stitches in the arm pit for Prado. Herlings was able to push through the knee pain and line-up for race two, in order to pick up valuable championship points, while Prado was forced to miss out. Meanwhile in MX2, Mattia Guadagnini made his return to the podium after a tough race in Sardinia. The Italian took back re-claimed some important

championship points but that did not stop Renaux from edging out further. After another battle with Tom Vialle, Renaux finally got back on the top step after the KTM rider was docked two positions in race two for not respecting waved yellow flags. While the first two positions were filled by the two French riders, the final spot was occupied by Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Rene Hofer. After securing his first MX2 podium at the Motocross of Nations where he won the MX2 overall, the Austrian was able to repeat his success and get on the MX2 World championship podium for the very first time! It was a long-time coming for Hofer, who has had some good battles inside the top five this season, but finally got the job done in Germany. MXGP FRANCE, LACAPELLE MARIVAL: The next stop on our busy schedule was Lacapelle Marival, the new host of the French Grand Prix. While Lacapelle Marival had never hosted the MXGP or MX2 races, it had previously held the MX3 and WMX World Championships. While much of the paddock were already familiar with the track, thanks to the ‘Master of Motocross’ pre-season international, some still needed to familiarise themselves with the hardpack circuit. Nestled in the beautiful village of the same name, Lacapelle Marival was a real treat, not only for the stunning surrounding scenery but also for the racing… In MXGP we were treated to a strong fight between Herlings and Romain Febvre and by the final race the battle become much more than a fight for the race win or podium, but also for the championship. For the second weekend in a row Cairoli struggled with the aftermath of his crash in Riola Sardo, while Gajser was having struggles of his own which prevented him from fighting at the front of the field.

So, the focus remained on Herlings and Febvre, with Febvre being urged on by a huge crowd of French fans. The fan support was truly incredible as restrictions on public attendance was lifted for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic. The track was full of supporters which created an unbelievable atmosphere which had been sorely missed by everyone in the paddock. Back with the action… Febvre went on to win race one, but in race two could not hold off Herlings until the end and it was the Bullet who also stood on the top step of the podium, while a disappointed Febvre was being cheered on by his fans. Gajser managed third but despite a podium finish could not hold on to the red plate as Herlings got back into the driver’s seat of the series. Febvre also gained a position and now is just six points behind Herlings in the 2021 title fight. In MX2, Tom Vialle managed to do what he had hoped to do last season, which was winning on home soil. The Frenchman dominated both starts to add two more Fox Holeshots and led both heats from beginning to the end, going 1-1 at his first French Grand Prix since becoming MX2 World Champion. Renaux had much tougher day but managed to fight back strong, making some good passes to get himself on the podium alongside Vialle and Guadagnini who was third. WHERE TO NEXT? The FIM Motocross World Championship continues this weekend in intu Xanadu Arroyomolinos for the MXGP of Spain! The Spanish Grand Prix will host the 13th round of the series and is bound to be just as exciting as the last few GP’s have been – Who will win? You’ll have to watch to find out (or read the MXGP Magazine next month where we’ll tell you all about it!).

FIM MOTOCROSS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

RESULTS MXGP CHAMP. STANDINGS 1. J. Herlings (NED, KTM 2. R. Febvre (FRA, KAW) 3. T. Gajser (SLO, HON) 4. J. Prado (SPA, KTM) 5. A. Cairoli (ITA, KTM) 6. J. Seewer (SUI, YAM) 7. P. Jonass (LAT,GAS) 8. G. Coldenhoff (NED,YAM) 9. A. Lupino (ITA, KTM) 10. T. Olsen (DEN, HUS)

MX2 CHAMP. STANDINGS 460 p. 454 p. 450 p. 398 p. 387 p. 344 p. 321 p. 284 p. 215 p. 201 p.

1. M. Renaux (FRA, YAM) 488 p. 2. J. Geerts (BEL, YAM 397 p. 3. M. Guadagnini (ITA, KTM) 393 p. 4. T. Vialle (FRA, KTM) 372 p. 5. J. Beaton (AUS, HUS) 359 p. 6. T. Benisitant /FRA, YAM) 336 p. 7. R. Hofer (AUT, KTM) 333 p. 8. K. DeWolf (NED, HUS) 313 p. 9. R. Fernandez (SPA, HON) 262 p. 10. M. Boisrame (FRA, KAW) 223 p.

MXGP MANUFACTURERS

MX2 MANUFACTURERS

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

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

565 p. 459 p. 459 p. 388 p. 359 p. 228 p.

2021 MXGP IN NUMBERS

531 p. 531 p. 405 p. 359 p. 303 p. 280 p.

L A I C O S P G X M News Highlights | Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations 2021: Re-live the incredible day of the 221 Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations and watch how Team Italy win on home soil! @noah.mx11 Ein mega Tag beim #mxgp in Teutschenthal und ein riesiges Dankeschön an @ paulsjonass41 und @ gasgas.official für die tollen Sachen

@laeviculuslabs Took a month off to prepare some heat for the @mxgp of Germany this weekend. Will drop every design within the next couple of days!

@dennytischendorf93

Prado vs Herlings battle | MXGP of Sardegna 2021: Watch the epic battle between the two RedBull KTM factory Racing rider on the track of Riola Sardo!

@ulbrichracing Was ein tolles Wochenende gewesen schön beim @ msc_teutschenthal die @ mxgp angeguckt spannende rennen tolle zwei Kämpfe richtig gut. Danke an alle die dazu beigetragen haben das trotz der schwierigen zeit so etwas stadt finden konnte. Ride on ulle

What a great day at @ mxgp @msc_teutschenthal Unbelievable to see the fast guys smashing their machines around the track 😈 see ya next year

@ces_on_art “Velocità, fango, gloria. Per me è il senso del motocross. Si arriva al successo solo con il lavoro che plasma il talento.”

@koehlair MXGP of Germany in the books @mxreport Ultime due cartoline dall’MXoN 2021! @ motocrossmantova .

@bigballsmxjannis MXGP MXE juniors Teuschenthal Germany , awesome weekend with my crew , family. Thea had some crashes in the motos , but her riding was awesome.

@moncik_98 Do alba♥️ #mxgp

Cairoli Lifetime Number | | Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations 2021: The tribute to Antonio Cairoli one of the greatest riders of the last decades!

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

@neginghaderii 🏍 Professional MX racer for Standing Construct GASGAS Factory Racing Team •🥇MX2 World Champion in 2017

R E S T L S R I N G MO

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

Photo: Yamaha Racing

X M MA

N I C I G A E L T M I T N O X OVA T N A

AFTER AN ABSENCE OF 728 DAYS, THE MONSTER ENERGY FIM MOTOCROSS OF NATIONS MADE A WELCOME RETURN WHEN THE 74TH EDITION OF THE EVENT WAS HELD AT MANTOVA, ITALY, AT THE END OF SEPTEMBER, BUT DESPITE ITS BRIEF SPELL ON THE SIDE LINES DUE TO THE GLOBAL PANDEMIC, THERE WAS STILL THE USUAL RACE THREE DRAMA THAT WOULD EVENTUALLY DETERMINE THE OUTCOME, WHERE AT THE END OF IT ALL, TEAM ITALY WERE CROWNED WORLD CHAMPIONS FOR THE THIRD TIME.

Ever since the first edition of the Motocross des Nations at Wassenaar in The Netherlands in 1947 where there were just three teams present, more and more countries have since entered teams to make it the biggest motocross event in the world, and whilst we may not have been able to welcome Team USA, Australia, New Zealand and others on this occasion, the ‘Nations’ still attracted 31 different countries, and all were keen to rip it up around Mantova. On Friday there was the teams’ pre-race Press Conference and this was followed up with the riders’ parade. Usually this would be done in front of thousands of noisy, patriotic

fans, but on this occasion the Friday parade was a little quieter; there would not be any fans until Saturday. However, it was still good viewing on MXGP-TV and another chance to chat to some of the riders from teams such as Canada, Ireland, Venezuela, Lithuania, MFR, Austria, Switzerland, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Great Britain, Belgium, The Netherlands and of course the host nation, Italy. From the parade, our attention shifted to the world renowned ‘Ballot’ which took place at 19:00 in the Media Centre. For those who don’t know what this is, it’s basically the process in which the teams are given the gate picks for the qualifying races on Saturday. With two Perspex boxes on the main stage, both filled with a series of balls where

one set contained the names of the countries, the other a series of numbers from 1-31, a ball would be pulled from Box A denoting the country, followed by a draw from Box B which denoted the grid position. The first ball to be pulled from the box contained the country ‘Poland’ and the ball that followed contained the number ‘20’ – meaning that Poland would go to the start line with 20th gate pick. And so, the process went on. The Republic of South Africa managed to pull Gate 1, whilst some of the more fancied teams in this event found themselves more towards middle to outside of the grid: GB (16) – FRA (19) – ITA (28) – NL (29). The Qualifying Races went pretty much according to plan with defending champions from 2019 The Netherlands qualifying in first place, followed by France, Italy, Great Britain and Germany.

However, with only 19 teams going directly to the main event, the ‘non-qualified’ teams would have to race a B-Final on Sunday morning. This race is always a great one to watch as all three riders from each team line up, with their best two (lowest) scores counting towards the end result. So, in this case, the final qualified team was Finland with 9 points scored from two riders; Miro Sihvonen (1st – 1 point) and Emil Weckman (8th – 8 points). As for the rest of the B-Final riders, well, they’d just have to wait another year to try and qualify all over again. RACE DAY What a difference a day can make when it comes to the weather! For the qualifying races on Saturday, we had glorious sunshine and humid temperatures, but come Sunday, the forecast was grey skies all day long and a very real threat of rain from around midday. Unpredictably, that rain arrived ahead of 45

schedule and for the B-Final it was a constant drizzle but unbelievably, the circuit was still in a good condition for racing. The first race of the day was the MXGP + MX2 riders, so 2 riders per team, 20 countries = 40 riders behind the gate, and because The Netherlands qualified 1st on Saturday, they would have first pick of the gates. With a heavy start straight and a tight first turn, team managers needed to make the tough decision as to who to send to the line first and twenty-first: the MX2 rider or the MXGP rider. As always, there is a difference of opinion when it comes down to strategy at this race and so it was no surprise to see a rider like Tom Vialle for France be positioned on the inside gates, a rider known for his quick getaways. When the gates dropped, our eyes were drawn to the outside as The Netherlands and Italy saw their MXGP riders Glenn Coldenhoff and Antonio Cairoli rolling around in the Mantova mud in the first turn, and whilst that was happening, Arnaud Tonus of Switzerland was busy claiming the first FOX Holeshot of the day. By turn two though, we already had a new leader in the form of Latvia’s MXGP rider, Karlis Sabulis. Before the end of the opening lap, the fast-starting Tom Vialle (MX2) was already up to 2nd and challenging Sabulis for the lead … until he tipped over in a slow turn. That simple mistake allowed Denmark’s Thomas Olsen to advance another position and three laps later, he was the new leader of the race. As Vialle bounced back to 2nd, Great Britain’s Ben Watson (MXGP) was also moving forward and eventually claimed 3rd ahead of Tonus and Mattia Guadagnini (MX2 – Italy). As for Coldenhoff and Cairoli, they struggled to 15th and 21st respectively after their first turn falls. 46

Belgium’s Cyril Genot, riding his first ever ‘Nations claimed a very credible 6th ahead of Seva Brylyakov of MFR. STANDINGS – After Race 1: MXGP + MX2 1st France 11 (2-9) – 2nd Belgium 23 (6-17) – 3rd Great Britain 25 (3-22) – 4th Italy 26 (5-21) – 5th MFR 26 (7-19) RACE 2 – MX2 + OPEN After a quick turnaround, the MX2 riders were back behind the gate for Race Two with their Open Class teammates. With conditions out on track slowly deteriorating, the start was even more crucial than before and this time it was the turn of the other Swiss rider Valentin Guillod to put his name into the FOX Holeshot books. Once again, his lead like his teammate Tonus was short lived as Jeffrey Herlings eased past at turn five, and from there the Dutchman went on to win by almost 50 seconds. However, his teammate Roan Van De Moosdijk could only manage 20th and after his 18th in Race One, it was clear that team NL would need to pull something out of the bag in the final race of the day if they were to retain The Chamberlain Trophy. Guillod managed to secure 2nd in what was a very impressive performance for the former MX2 GP winner. Equally impressive was Rene Hofer (Austria) who was the best MX2 rider in 3rd. Belgium’s Brent Van doninck claimed 4th, despite feeling unwell as his wingman Liam Everts picked up 13th (4th MX2). After a superb 2nd in race one, Tom Vialle was forced to withdraw due to a rare technical issue, all but ending any hopes of the win for France. As for the Italians, the pairing of Guadagnini and Alessandro Lupino proved solid as they came home in 6th and 7th and after race two, it was Italy who now led the overall classification by a single point.

STANDINGS – After Race Two: MX2 + OPEN 1st Italy 39 – 2nd Belgium 40 – 3rd Great Britain 51 – 4th MFR 51 – 5th The Netherlands 51 RACE 3 – MXGP + OPEN By now the Italian tifosi were borderline euphoric as they dared to dream about a Nations win on home soil, but with 30 minutes + 2 Laps still to run, along with worsening conditions, heavier rain, thunder and lightning all thrown in as well, they also knew that the last race would be the determining factor, as always. In years gone by, we have seen teams on the verge of causing an upset, only for something to happen in the closing stages of the race which would cruelly rob them of a deserved victory. Would today be any different? Rounding out turn one and passing the FOX Holeshot line for the final time of the day was Ben Watson but before the end of the lap he was moved back to 3rd by Herlings and Cairoli. Behind the trio of MXGP regulars came Karlis ‘Fabulis’ after the Latvian made another epic start to the race in 4th. As Herlings started to ease clear at the head of the field, his teammate Coldenhoff found his way into 3rd just before half distance, and for Team GB, Watson’s teammate Shaun Simpson was circulating nicely in 8th, despite a damaged thumb from Saturday’s qualifying race. For Italy, as Cairoli relaxed into 2nd, all eyes were on Lupino, who had started the race in a comfortable 7th place. As he went to make a pass on Sabulis for 5th, he crashed hard and fell back to 9th, which was still going to be enough to help bring Italy over the line as champions. BUT THEN …

With around 15 minutes still to run in the race, the Live Timing screens in Pit Lane suddenly flashed up against Lupino’s name: it read PENALTY PENDING … Whilst the racing was happening on screen to those viewing on MXGP-TV and elsewhere, the fans trackside were oblivious as to what was happening ‘behind the scenes’ … or they were until the penalty warning flashed up in front of those who were in a position to see it, including the circuit announcer. As the laps passed and the clock moved closer to zero, it was now clear that Lupino was suddenly facing a possible 10 place penalty for over-shooting the first turn at the start and re-joining the circuit at turn 2, higher up the field than many thought was acceptable. Either way, it suddenly became a three-nation race to the title as Italy and The Netherlands were now tied on points, with Great Britain one point back, in 3rd. For Italy to be sure of the win, Lupino now needed to finish in 7th or higher, so that by the time the 10-place penalty was added, Italy would still be crowned world champions. By now the circuit announcer was full gas, wide open, urging the home crowd to get behind ‘Lupo’, and as the race drew to a close, the mistakes crept in, the tifosi held its breath; we held ours and Lupino’s heart must have been in his mouth. Even Cairoli could sense the panic and hysteria around the circuit from what he could hear over the speaker system. Herlings went on to win the race ahead of Cairoli, not knowing if this was good enough for Team NL to regain the title, and as Coldenhoff crossed the line in 3rd it was clear there was still something happening out on track, and it was a long wait before Lupino finally made it to the final turn. When he crossed the finish 52

OVERALL STANDINGS

line in 7th, it was enough for Italy to be crowned world champions and winners of the 74th edition of the FIM Motocross of Nations for only the third time in history, and for the first time since 2002. The scenes that followed in Pit Lane, at the finish line and all around the Mantova circuit were of pandemonium, joy, euphoria and more. For Mattia Guadagnini, it was his first experience racing for Team Italy at the MXoN, and to have it end like this was just perfect! For Lupino and Cairoli, of all the times they’d raced it together previously,

there had only ever been one podium in Germany 2013, so to finally win The Chamberlain Trophy, in Italy, with Team Italy was the stuff dreams are made of. Perhaps the most poignant though is that this was possibly Cairoli’s last chance to win the only trophy he had still yet to win, and so to do it in his final year as a professional racer is the stuff of fairy tale! Just missing out on the podium was Team MFR who placed 4th overall with Evgeny Bobryshev and Seva Brylyakov who placed 5th and 8th in the final race of the day, and along with Timur Petrashin this result was long overdue. Maybe next year guys?

1st ITALY (37) – 2nd The Netherlands (38) – 3rd Great Britain (39) – 4th MFR (44) – 5th France (50) – 6th Belgium (74) – 7th Estonia (78) – 8th Switzerland (80) – 9th Austria (82) – 10th Denmark (84) OVERALL CLASS WINNERS Ben Watson (MXGP 3-4) – Rene Hofer (MX2 3-8) – Jeffrey Herlings (OPEN 1-1) Ricky Carmichael – Best Young Rider Award: Liam Everts Next year the 75th edition of the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations will return to Red Bud in the USA, the venue for the 2018 event. We will see you there!

L L A H

E M A F F O

ANDRÉ VROMANS EARLIER IN THE EIGHTIES THE 500CC WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP WAS THE MAIN CLASS OF OUR SPORT, AND SEVERAL BELGIAN RIDERS WERE FIGHTING FOR THE WORLD TITLE AGAINST AMERICAN BRAD LACKEY, BRITISH DAVID THORPE OR SWEDISH HAKAN CARLQVIST. ANDRÉ MALHERBE, ERIC GEBOERS AND GEORGES JOBE ALL CLAIMED SEVERAL TITLES, BUT ANDRÉ VROMANS STAYED IN THEIR SHADOW DURING HIS ENTIRE CAREER. Born on 25th November 1955, Andre Vromans was living near Lommel when he discovered motocross, and he was sixteen years old when he had the opportunity to ride an off-road bike for the first time. It was the first step of his career, and when he won the famous Cup de l’Avenir in 1975 things became more serious for him. As many riders at that time, in 1997 André made his first GP appearance in the 500cc class, very popular in his country thanks to Roger De Coster. Racing selected events on a Suzuki, he scored his first points in Great Britain and added some more during the final round in Switzerland to finish thirtieth of the series. Of course, with more experience and better support, his second campaign was better as he scored points in ten races, missing a podium result at the opening round in Switzerland

with a fourth place. Eleventh in the series, he improved his result in 1979 with a seventh position behind Roger De Coster and finally got a factory deal with Yamaha. Teammate with Hakan Carlqvist, André had to be patient until the mid-season to be really competitive. He got his first GP podium at Fermo in June, and one week later he atomized all his rivals at Valkenswaard when he won both races and his first Grand Prix! Later that season he also won the German round, but due to his inconsistency, he ended the season outside the podium in fourth position. But 1980 was definitively one of his best seasons, as he won both the Trophy and Motocross of Nations with Team Belgium, and also clinched his first national title in the 500cc class of course. Again, fourth in the standings in 1981, he was back on a 57

Suzuki the following season alongside Brad Lackey. It was an intense duel throughout the season between the two teammates, and when they arrived at the final round in Ettelbruck (Luxembourg) the suspense was total as Brad was leading the series by only eleven points. The American star only won one GP that season, but he was more consistent than his rival who retired twice in Finland; winner of the penultimate round in Namur, his fourth GP win that season, André came confident to the final one. In the first race Brad increased his advantage to eleven points as he finished one position in front of André, who had to do a great performance in the last heat to be champion. But probably too nervous, he forgot to turn after the start, and when he realised his mistake, it was too late … The 1983 season was a tough one for André, who got injured in Sweden and had surgery to his left leg; missing four rounds he ended the season with a podium at the final round at St Anthonis, and was lucky to have a good manager who signed him with Team HRC just before Suzuki announced their retirement from the sport! He integrated the ‘red army’ as Eric Geboers also moved from Suzuki to Honda and joined André Malherbe and David Thorpe to form the most powerful team in the history of the sport! It was the last good season of André, who scored two podiums to finish fourth in the standings and then joined the KTM factory to develop their new 500cc. He then raced two seasons on that bike, with a sixth rank in 1985, and then he only did a few appearances before he retired at the end of 1989 after thirteen seasons as a Pro rider. Text & Photos: Pascal Haudiquert 58

1977: 30th in the 500 FIM Motocross World Championship (Suzuki) 1978: 11th in the 500 FIM Motocross World Championship (Suzuki) 1979: 7th in the 500 FIM Motocross World Championship ( Suzuki) 1980:

4th in the 500 FIM Motocross World Championship (Yamaha). Winner of 2 GPs

Winner at the MX of Nations with Team Belgium

Winner at the Trophy of Nations with Team Belgium

500 Belgian Champion

1981: 4th in the 500 FIM Motocross World Championship (Yamaha)

500 Belgian Champion

1982:

2nd in the 500 FIM Motocross World Championship (Suzuki). Winner of 4 GPs

500 Belgian Champion

1983: 6th in the 500 FIM Motocross World Championship (Suzuki) 1984: 4th in the 500 FIM Motocross World Championship (Honda) 1985: 6th in the 500 FIM Motocross World Championship (KTM) 1986: 59th in the 500 FIM Motocross World Championship (KTM) 1987: 18th in the 500 FIM Motocross World Championship (Kawasaki) 1988: 21st in the 500 FIM Motocross World Championship (Kawasaki) 1989: 34th in the 500 FIM Motocross World Championship (Kawasaki)

S K L A T K C O D PAD

3 7

MXGP Academy in session at the MXGP of Germany!

2 Antonio Cairoli received the TC222 Lifetime Award to celebrate his incredible career. 3 Junior e-Motocross riders enjoying the Monster Energy FIM MXoN 4 They did it! Team Italy won the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations on home soil. 5 Serious guys… Team Italy’s Alessandro Lupino, Tony Cairoli and Mattia Guadagnini posing with their brand-new Champions bling! 6 YZ bLU cRU riders giving the thumbs up in Mantova.

7 So good to have fan support back at the races! A photo from the MXGP of Sardegna.

8 Maxime Renaux joined Automoto La Chaine for some commentary at the French Grand Prix. 9 Young stars in the making! The top three podium finishers of the Junior e-Motocross series at the round of France. 10 A familiar face came to visit MXGP in France… Gautier Paulin pictured with the FFM President Sebastien Poirier.

E L R A U I T L C A A E I E P R SDITOF E

1974 KAWASAKI KX250 Kawasaki’s first foray into motocross grand prix racing was in 1972 with a pre-production/prototype KX250. Two years later, the green corner of Japan followed up with its first production KX250 which was deemed as its first purpose-built motocross bike, and it’s the 1974 KX250 that we will feature in this issue of MXGP Magazine, or rather the journey of how it came to be.

Pettersson placed 14th overall with the high point being a couple of 6th place finishes along the way.

In 1973, fellow Swede Torleif Hansen joined Pettersson at Kawasaki, and after racing to 4th overall in the championship with 7 top three race finishes, and 4 overall podiums, it was clear the bike was heading in the right direction. Pettersson though, It all started in 1972 when Swedish still believed that more could be GP racer Olle Pettersson was achieved and whilst the Kawasaki approached by Kawasaki with technicians originally stalled at the aim of building a motocross the idea, they soon came to realise bike which could be considered that Olle was right, and so the bike competitive enough to challenge for underwent a complete re-design, world championship glory. For those which included the engine. who do not know, Pettersson was a two-time bronze medal winner By 1974, Kawasaki introduced in the FIM 250cc Motocross World the KX250 to production with the Championship, finishing 3rd behind most notable difference being Torsten Hallman and Joel Robert in the colour scheme and where the 1967 (10 world titles between those 1972/’73 prototype bikes came two riders alone), and again 3rd in with white mudguards and a RED 1969 behind Hallman and Sylvain fuel tank, the ’74 production model Geboers. After finishing 3rd in in ’67, Pettersson was hired by Suzuki to develop its first motocross 250cc, and when it became clear that that particular project was successful he placed 3rd overall in 1969 before Joel Robert took the title in ’70 - the Swede was then offered a testing role with newcomers Kawasaki at the end of 1971, with the view to develop a race-going bike for them. Much of the development took place in Sweden in Pettersson’s hometown of Strängnäs and was always supervised by Japanese technicians, and whilst the prototype 1972 Kawasaki 250cc was deemed okay, it was clear there was much more work needed in order for it to be more competitive. Needless to say,

came with the more familiar lime green colourway. After a full season of racing the Kawasaki under his belt, Torleif Hansen once again guided his SR250 to another 4th place overall in the championship and whilst he took another seven top three race finishes, three of those were race wins, and with that, Kawasaki had finally arrived as a major player in the world of off-road. More importantly, the Swede managed to find the top step of the podium on three occasions; in Yugoslavia, Great Britain and at home in Sweden at Upplands Vasby, his home track in the town where he was born. Even though he placed 4th overall for the second consecutive year, Kawasaki had shown that they were to be taken seriously, marking the beginning of a journey that continues to this day. Photo: Kawasaki Press Archive

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

When will the next video game be released? Adam:

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Hi Adam: , the next video game will be released on November 30, 2021, he will be available on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC Steam. Best Regards MXGP

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I’m a fan of motocross and I would like to go to MXGP of Trentino, where can I buy a ticket? Lucas:

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Hi Lucas , OHello Lucas, you can buy your tickets by clicking here: https://www.gootickets.com/ en/52717-motocross-tickets/. gy-fim-motocross-of-nations/ Regards MXGP

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I want to know if it is possible to see racing replay from the 2000s because I participated in a championship event and I am nostalgic to see these images again Francesco

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Dear Francesco , yes, it’s possible now with MXGP-TV, you can watch lot of old races by purchasing the archive pass here: https://www. mxgp-tv.com/subscribe, and after you go in “Vidéo” and you select the year that you want. Best Regards MXGP

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Hi, I have a child, who rides an electric motorbike, I would like to register him in the junior e-motocross series in our country, Spain, how can I do? Lorenzo:

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Hello Lorenzo: Hello Lorenzo, you can register by clicking on this link: https:// www.junioremotocross.com/ and we hope to see you in Spain! Thanks MXGP

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Where can I find cool mx videos? Monique

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Hi Monique you can find many awesome MXGP videos on our YouTube channel HERE: https://www. youtube.com/user/mxgptv Thanks MXGP

MXGP #98 October 2021

Articles inside

RACING CATCH UP