MXGP Mag #18 March 2015

#18_MARCH 2015

my e d a c A P MXG land i a h T n o takes

p u t i t a e h e n IceO m a e t y r o t c a f a n r a v t q h s g u i l H a d l r The o w P G e h t g settin

RACING CATCH UP

RIDER OF THE MONTH Max Nagl

07 10 17 20 28 30 38 42 46 48 54 56

INDEX

COOL SHOT

MONSTER GIRLS

HALL OF FAME Hakan Carlqvist

MXGP MAG: Chief Editor: Marionna Leiva Photos: Youthstream YOUTHSTREAM Media World Trade Center II Rte de Pré-Bois 29 1215 Geneva 15 Airport Switzerland MXGP Mag #18 March 2015 The articles published in this magazine do not necessarily reflect the official position of Youthstream.

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

The copying of articles and photos even partially is forbidden unless permission has ben requested from Youthstream in advance and reference is made to the source (©Youthstream).

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EDITORIAL

Giuseppe Luongo President of Youthstream Group Dear MXGP Friends, Already the first two MXGP events showed the highest level of Motocross racing and the unpredictable 2015 MXGP season that lies ahead of us. At the first race in Qatar there were 10 riders within 1 second and 20 riders within 2.5 seconds, this is exceptional for Motocross and it’s proof of the very high level of all the MXGP riders. So far the first 4 heats have given 3 different winners; Nagl, Villopoto and Cairoli, with Desalle leading the Championship.

There is tension in the paddock amongst the top teams caused by this very special

championship, by the investments made and by the desperate search of victories. This is normal as all the manufacturers are strongly present with huge investments being made and with important sponsors wanting the teams and riders to have good results in return for their investments. However, sometimes too much pressure only creates stress on the riders and does not help them at all. There were some discussions in Thailand about the climate, the track and the difficulties to pass, but the reality is that the track is the same for everyone and the climate is the same for everyone; in the end the results, as always, show that the most prepared physically

and mentally are always present. Riders who made a good preparation during the winter period did not suffer, but of course those who were not at 100% of their preparation suffered from the heat and the technical track more than the others. On several occasions we saw top riders who had a bad start came up from last to a good position, showing the possibility to pass, clearly it’s more difficult than before because the level is really high and the riders who are in front are not easy to be passed, and the more the rider get nearer to the top, the more difficult it is.

The value of MXGP is given by its diversity; 18 different tracks, different soils, dif-

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ferent climates, different cultures, different countries, different languages, food, hotels, etc., and this is what makes the MXGP the best off-road Championship in the world and this is what makes the MXGP World Champion the best rider on the planet. The MXGP World Champion has to be constantly competitive in all these conditions, obviously there will be some tracks where some riders feel better than another, for sure there will be different winners from one GP to the next, and of course there will be riders who love one circuit and don’t like another, but this is what makes a World Champion: racing and winning on a variety

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of conditions. And thanks to this diversity every race will be unpredictable and hopefully we will see great racing full suspense right up until the last race. So far this has been the case in both the first races because while everyone’s eyes were on Cairoli and Villopoto, Nagl was victorious in both heats in Qatar, and then in Thailand while everyone was saying it was the track perfect for Villopoto, he merited his win in the first heat, but the 2nd heat was dominated by Cairoli, and we have Desalle being the most constant and it is he who currently leads the Championship. There has been a lot of hype around Cairoli and Villopoto, but do not forget Desalle, Nagl,

Paulin, Van Horebeek, Febvre, Strijbos and the all the others.

A great contribute goes to Jeffrey Herlings who, after only 3 weeks of preparation (due to his long recovery from last year’s injury), has had a brilliant start to the season, winning everything up until now in the MX2 class.

The MXGP in Qatar was, as always, an outstanding organization and we saw an increase of interest in terms of spectators, media, sponsors and VIP. In Thailand there was a significant increase in spectators but proved extremely difficult working on such a tight venue.

COOL SHOTS

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COOL SHOTS

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COOL SHOTS

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F

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HOLESHOT

FOX HOLESHOT AWARD: QATAR AND THAILAND

If you were a betting fan then Qatar might have been a race that saw you lose money on your picks for the Fox Holeshot award in both MXGP and MX2.

Some clever punter might have put money on Max Nagl taking a single point in MXGP on his lighting fast Red Bull Iceone Factory Husqvarna, but to get both of the available points at the

opening round would have been a pretty high odds bet. That is exactly what he did and with some serious space between him and the rest of the field in both races. Taking advantage of the fast and sweeping nature of the first turn he used his mid field gate pick to great advantage in both motos to sweep past the field and lead across the holeshot line. Any question as to how important

the start is was answered by the next 39 laps of the two races, all led by that man Max Nagl.

By the end of the 2 races in Thailand Nagl hadn’t lead another lap but he still retained his lead in the Fox Holeshot standings after the two points for round 2 were shared between Antonio Cairoli in race two and a man who scored his first Holeshot since making

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his return to the MXGP World Championship, Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Tyla Rattray. Indeed, after their lackluster showing in Qatar both of the green meanies were much improved in the heat of Thailand with both Rattray and Villopoto constant threats for Fox points in the two motos. If they can make the same kind of gains ahead of the next round in Argentina then the Kawasaki riders will be a force to be reckoned with in 2015.

MX2 saw a new face take his first Fox Holeshot point on his brand new Red Bull KTM as the Latvian teenage ace Pauls Jonass got his

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SX-F250 hooked up and into the groove mid way down the start line to burst clear of the pack in race 1 ahead of Jeremy Seewer on the Rockstar Energy Suzuki and Ben Watson on the Hitachi Revo KTM. He nearly made it two on the bounce in the second moto but this time he was swallowed up by the three Kawasaki’s of Dylan Ferrandis, Max Anstie and Mel Pocock. Of those riders it was Ferrandis who took the spoils, holding a tight line into turn one as the others braked late to run wide the Team Monster Energy Kawasaki rider got himself on the score board at round 1.

Things changed one week later in Thailand as neither of those two riders got a sniff of another point and we gained an outright leader in the Fox standings, no guesses as to who it was. Jeffrey Herlings has begun to exert his dominance on the MX2 class as he’s not a man who likes to be headed and in Thailand he was at the front from the get go, two points from two starts and he is now the Fox Holeshot leader as well as the World Championship leader, with two clear weekends off before the next race he will surely only get stronger and a Herlings dominion over the start straight and first turn could become a reality!

RACING CATCH UP

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M MXGP 2015:

HOT, HOTTER, HOTTEST The first two rounds of the 2015 FIM Motocross World Championship have come and gone, and as the opening rounds to one of the most talked about and touted seasons of motocross in history, they haven’t failed to impress.

To get the ball rolling MXGP returned to Qatar for the third consecutive year and just as in years prior the event was held on Saturday evening at the floodlit circuit of Losail. While the start of any season is always exciting as it is typically the first chance to witness the improvements our favorite riders have made over the winter as they all change teams, kits and colours, this year was something different.

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The buzz heading into MXGP 2015 was like never before.

Bench racers were going flat out with intense discussions over who will rule the roost in MXGP with the most chips being laid on either Monster Energy Kawasaki’s multi-time FIM Supercross champion Ryan Villopoto or the eight-time FIM Motocross World Champion Antonio Cairoli.

As the chatter and debates between enthusiasts in the paddock and around the industry continued to escalate, the checkers were finally waved in Qatar leaving a lot of trackside moto experts speechless.

Not many would have had their money on Red Bull IceOne Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Max Nagl for a double victory,

which was a feat accomplished as a result of two incredible FOX Holeshots and a remarkable thirty-six from thirty-six laps led.

With Nagl bursting the bubble of what was trumpeted as a two horse race, despite the stat sheets being solid evidence that there was never any certainty in who would win, especially with more than fifteen riders on the entry list who have at least one grand prix win already in their career, we shifted our attention to MX2.

It seemed like a matter of now or never in MX2 at the opening round with a weaker version of ‘The Bullet’, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings on the line. With Herlings having

only three weeks of preparation under his belt due to an array of complications that came about with the healing of his broken femur from 2014, the MXGP of Qatar was the prime opportunity for any of the biggest MX2 championship threats to make a statement. Rather than grab the opportunity with both hands and run, some of the fastest MX2 riders such as the Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing’s duo of Dylan Ferrandis and the MX2 world champion Jordi Tixier, Wilvo Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Aleksandr Tonkov and Gariboldi Honda’s Tim Gajser all failed to keep their bikes rubber side down for the thirty minute plus two lap duration of the races meaning Herlings would ease his way to a perfect start to the season.

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While Herlings winning a GP is something we have become accustomed to this win was something else for the twenty-year old Dutchman and there was no hiding the emotion that the victory brought when he dropped his bike less than 100m after the finish line and broke down in tears, “you have no idea what I have been through over these last months” Herlings said, “I’ve been from hospital to hospital, doctor to doctor, seen this surgeon, that surgeon. It was tough, I spent so much time in hospital and it made me think a lot. The last laps of the race, everything was flashing before my eyes, my career, the pain I have been through, the frustration and now I am here. I am so happy.”

With an emotional end to what was yet another spectacular

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event in Qatar, the flight boxes were re-packed and sent off to Thailand where round two of the FIM Motocross World Championship took place at a new track with a whole bunch of variables for the riders to tackle.

Starting with the weather where it was extremely hot and humid to the point that on race day the Event Management made the decision to reduce the second race in both classes by five minutes. The next major variable was the track. It is the world championship after all, and to be the best you have to race the best, on any circuit, anywhere. For this particular race, the riders were faced with something entirely different to any other circuit on the calendar. Built on top of a road race circuit, the track

was man-made out of the local soil which was a mix of clay and what appeared to be some kind of sandy soot, and was riddled with jumps, dragon backs, rhythm sections and wave sections in a non stop roller coaster ride to provide something new and unique for the riders to get their teeth into.

While opinions of the all new track and venue in Nakhonchaisri were mixed, as they always are, there was one rider in particular who stood out on the day. That guy was none other than Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s Ryan Villopoto when he utilized his phenomenal ability to keep the bike low and fast over jumps to deliver the type of bounceback performance every rider dreams of.

Starting with qualifying on Saturday, RV2 whipped out his green machine and absolutely annihilated the field.

Jaws were dropping left, right and center as the number two checked out to win by more than thirty-three seconds.

With the result of qualifying raising more than a few sets of eye-brows, it appeared as though the Villopoto show was about to commence when he put in a similar performance the next day in race one for his first ever MXGP victory.

While RV looked unstoppable, the defending champ Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Antonio Cairoli soon found himself on a mission of his own bursting out of the gate in race two to counteract the performance of Villopoto and claim his first holeshot and race victory of

the season.

With impressive performances in the bag for both of the champs, Villopoto with his debut MXGP win and Cairoli on the podium for the first time this year, the most solid statement was actually made

by Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MXGP’s Clement Desalle, who is yet to have a race win but with his consistent run of four second place finishes now leads the championship by nine points over Cairoli.

In MX2 Herlings was again super smooth and didn’t appear to be pushing much at all on his way to a double moto win. But those that were pushing were Herlings’ Red Bull KTM Factory Racing

teammate Pauls Jonass, who nailed a career best finish with second overall and Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s Dylan Ferrandis who took the bottom rung of the podium just ahead of his Kawasaki team mate Thomas Covington with his best ever overall result.

With two astonishing rounds of MXGP now in the bag it’s clear for all to see that this season will be as unpredictably epic as we had hoped.

Right now most of the riders and teams are back in Europe re-grouping to be fit and ready for round three which is set to take place on March 29th at the Grand prix of Patagonia, Argentina, at the breath-taking new location of Neuquén.

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FIM Motocross World Championship

Standings MXGP CHAMP. STANDINGS

MX2 CHAMP. STANDINGS

1. C. Desalle (BEL, SUZ), 88 points 2. A.Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 79 p.

3. M. Nagl (GER, HUS) , 78 p.

4. R. Villopoto (USA, KAW), 70 p.

5. R. Febvre (FRA YAM) , 67 p.

6. G. Paulin (FRA, HON), 67 p.

7. K. Strijbos (BEL, SUZ), 55 p.

8. E. Bobryshev (RUS, HON), 45 p.

9. T. Waters (AUS, HUS) , 40 p.

10. S. Simpson (GBR,KTM) , 38 p.

1. J.Herlings (NED, KTM),100points 2. D. Ferrandis (FRA, KAW), 78 p.

3. P. Jonass (LAT, KTM), 70 p.

4. J. Lieber (BEL, YAM), 62 p.

5. V. Guillod (SUI, YAM), 58 p.

6. A. Tonkov (RUS, HUS), 56 p.

7. T. Covington (USA, KAW) , 53 p.

8. T. Gajser (SLO, HON), 52 p.

9. P. Petrov (BUL, KTM), 41 p.

10. J. Seewer (SUI, SUZ), 38 p.

MXGP MANUFACTUERS 1. Suzuki 2. Husqvarna 3. KTM 4. Kawasaki 5. Yamaha 6. Honda 7. TM

88 82 79 70 70 67 28

points points points points points points points

MX2 MANUFACTUERS 1. KTM 2. Kawasaki 3. Yamaha 4. Honda 5. Husqvarna 6. Suzuki

100 points 78 points 77 points 61 points 56 points 38 points

2015 MXGP TV Coverage

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Starting with qualifying on Saturday, RV2 whipped out his green machine and absolutely annihilated the field.

Jaws were dropping left, right and center as the number two checked out to win by more than thirty-three seconds.

With the result of qualifying raising more than a few sets of eye-brows, it appeared as though the Villopoto show was about to commence when he put in a similar performance the next day in race one for his first ever MXGP victory.

While RV looked unstoppable, the defending champ Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Antonio Cairoli soon found himself on a mission of his own bursting out of the gate in race two to counteract the performance of Villopoto and claim his first holeshot and race victory of the season.

With impressive performances in the bag for both of the champs, Villopoto with his debut MXGP win and Cairoli on the podium for the first time this year, the most solid statement was actually made

by Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MXGP’s Clement Desalle, who is yet to have a race win but with his consistent run of four second place finishes now leads the championship by nine points over Cairoli.

In MX2 Herlings was again super smooth and didn’t appear to be pushing much at all on his way to a double moto win. But those that were pushing were Herlings’ Red Bull KTM Factory Racing teammate Pauls Jonass, who nailed a career best finish with second overall and Monster Energy Kawasaki Rac-

ing Team’s Dylan Ferrandis who took the bottom rung of the podium just ahead of his Kawasaki team mate Thomas Covington with his best ever overall result.

With two astonishing rounds of MXGP now in the bag it’s clear for all to see that this season will be as unpredictably epic as we had hoped.

Right now most of the riders and teams are back in Europe re-grouping to be fit and ready for round three which is set to take place on March 29th at the Grand prix of Patagonia, Argentina, at the breath-taking new location of Neuquén.

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MXGP SOCIAL

TWITTER, FACEB IN THE WORLD OF #MXGP @Motocrosspics1 ‬ What are your picks for this weekend in both classes? #MXGP

@moecefus ‬ @ryan_villopoto2 Win or loose at #mxgp u got a fan for life.Soon they will see what the #2 is all about “Winning”

@CheridanAndrews When i am home i am made to watch #mxgp every morning without fail. #weebrotherproblems @thompo78 ‬‬ ‬‬ @lisaleylandTV best job in the world #MXGP

@Shannon_G13 Have to wake up at 5am on Sunday to watch MXGP #earlymornings #MXGP #Thailand @tomwilliams14 ‬ ‬‬ All the best to @ryan_villopoto2 in #thailand #thailandmxgp #mxgp #motocross #gopro #kawasaki‬‬ @dakota_rash713 Some of the @mxgp Husqvarna bikes look mean! #MXGP #husky

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@Williamvt79 @alelupino77 good luck at the next round my friend!

Wish you all the best! #mxgp #hondapower You can WIN some awesome prizes this year by participating in the GET, ATHENA Photo Competition.

All you have to do to go into the draw to win one of three sweet prizes is: 1.Find any ATHENA or GET Logo at any round of MXGP this year.

2.Take a photo of it.

3.Upload it to the Athena GET Photo Competition app on MXGP’s Facebook page with the hashtag #MXGP #Athenalive.

Logo’s can be found on the rider’s gear, on the bikes, on the team trucks, and around the paddock of MXGP on various other banners and advertising panels.

The prizes up for grabs are: •Two VIP passes to any 2016 MXGP round of your choice •Go Pro prize pack •Ogio Prize The picture VOTED the best, will win.

Sound easy enough? Find an Athena or GET logo, snap a pic and upload it to Facebook.

Click HERE To go to the competition page.

The 2015 season has started with great two MXGP events in Qatar and Thailand. Subscribe to the MXGPtv Youtube channel and follow the breath taking action and back stage moments with us! Click HERE to follow the 2015 FIM Motocross World Championship.

BOOK, INSTAGRAM, YOUTUBE Tag your #MXGPselfie to win gift voucher on MXGPSTORE.com!

@davideguarneri Yesterday in Woodland after the media opportunity with #team #mxgp #thaimxgp @husqvarnamxgp #Thai #MXGP #Pirelli

@Icesar31 Hohoo… #jeffreyherlings #MXGP #ThaiMXGP

@jessicemucker Today’s filming for #MXGP not the worst place to work #monstergirls @dedysaputra19 With Ryan Villopoto #2 #monsterenergy #kawasaki #mxgp #motocross #gopro

IN THE WORLD OF #MXGP 29

Ic

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ceOne heat it up:

The Husqvarna factory team setting the GP world alight 2015 is sophomore year for Ice One Racing as a fully-fledged factory team in MXGP and with two rounds down they have already proved that the woes of 2014 are far behind them. The team, owned by former F1 World Champion Kimi RäikkÜnen, has spent the last 3 years evolving into what is now a Grand Prix winning outfit, firstly moving from Kawasaki machinery to KTMs in 2013 and then taking on the role as the Factory outfit for the return on Husqvarna to MXGP one year later. That rookie year as a major team was a tough one with severe injuries plaguing their two riders, Tyla Rattray and Todd Waters, throughout the whole season, with Waters missing over half of his debut year to an injury after a training crash in Belgium. However, those dark days are well and truly behind them as Waters has already shown he is in better form in 2015 than ever before and more importantly Max Nagl has taken the teams first ever Grand Prix Moto and overall wins at the season opener round in Qatar.

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SPECIAL FEATURE

With an expanded line up of three riders this year - Nathan Watson was confirmed for the entire season just weeks before Qatar after previously only being slated for the European season - the Red Bull IceOne Husqvarna Factory racing team is looking for big things this year. MXGP Mag caught up with the team manager Antti Pyrhönen and MXGP red plate holder Nagl before the second round of the World Championship in Thailand.

MXGP MAG: Do you feel that you have really hit the ground running this year?

Do you know in your second year as a factory team what is expected and what you need to deliver?

ANTTI PYRHÖNEN: In a way yes, we are still definitely in a growing process, we are still a rather

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young team and our goal is to improve month after month, year after year, even now. But I feel that we were on a good level even last year but we just had horrible bad luck with the riders injuries and when you have that bad luck you know there is nothing you can do.

MXGP MAG: Is this what you personally expected; is it a true representation for the level of the team?

PYRHÖNEN: I think it is, of course to win both motos with Max was a dream start, that’s just a fact but I think that our base level is really good and all our riders are working hard, we have great mechanics and even with the victory that we had we will keep our feet on the ground and we will keep working for this GP (Thailand) and straight away when we are back in Europe we will look

at the coming Grand Prix.

MXGP MAG: Who was your first phone call on Saturday night?

PYRHÖNEN: Actually it was the team owner! It was great he was watching both motos and he was happy like all of us and he was very proud of the team and he had also a chat with Max to congratulate him immediately after the podium, so it was a great thing and it’s overall so nice that he is following MXGP so intensely and of course how his own team is doing!

MXGP MAG: How has the team’s communication been working and specifically during the races with pit signals, what he wants to be told and what you want to tell him?

PYRHÖNEN: Max is just a great person to get along with and to communicate with and basically from

day 1 we have cooperated brilliantly and I’m very happy, he is a very professional rider to work with, so far it has been a pleasure. Talking about the pit boards it is easy as we went through all those before hand and did 3 pre season races for the rider to bed himself in but also at the same time for the team.

MXGP MAG: Had you, as a team, talked about the importance of the start on the Losail track, is that something you were all aware of?

PYRHÖNEN: Yes but that wasn’t the only key to Max winning, he was riding very fast and he was able to keep the speed consistent for the 35 minutes.

MXGP MAG: That’s something we’ve seen from Max a lot, that when he is rid-

ing his own race he is a faster rider, a more comfortable rider, and when he is further back in the pack he can struggle a bit more, so what were your feelings before the start of the second race?

PYRHÖNEN: I knew and the first moto showed that he can do it, you know, and there was no doubt that I believed before the race that he has all the capacity to run at the front, but it’s not only for max that the start is important, it’s for everyone better when you are in the front and your goggles are clean and you can see and run your pace because when you are at the front you don’t actually need to push harder than basically staying there, you can control it so when others are closing in or dropping their pace, in a way it makes it easier but of course you need to have

the experience to do it as well, there is a lot of pressure from the back and lots to lose as well.

Max Nagl was in a philosophical mood before the GP of Thailand, he’s an old hand at the sport and has never been a rider to get too carried away with results, more to keep his nerves in check than anything else, something that caught up with him the last time he had the red plate MAX NAGL: I had the red plate in 2010, yeah Bulgaria and then went with the red plate to Mantova.

MXGP MAG: And how did that go?

NAGL: Not good at all! (He laughs) I had really bad starts, my riding was not that good, so I lost the plate immediately again!

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MXGP MAG: Well that’s only one time so we won’t call that a pattern just yet ok. What do you think of having the red plate on this bike?

NAGL: Yeah it looks cool, I hope it doesn’t give too much pressure, but that depends on myself, and it’s not really the plan let’s say to make it the same as in Qatar, of course I wish but I cannot expect to win here again.

about having a powerful bike.

NAGL: I think the biggest part is mental because I know that the starts are so important at this time because of so many fast riders, for example the first ten, the one who gets the better start will be up front as they are all the same speed, so that’s why I put all of my effort and focus into the start, more than riding really in the preseason so, I’ve done maybe 100 starts before Qatar, sometimes on my own to get better technique and sometimes with the team mates to have it next to them, it’s always different with 2 or 3 riders.

MXGP MAG: Did you expect to win in Qatar?

NAGL: No, not there either, but if I can make good here and come home in one piece healthy that is the main thing for me and if I get close or onto the podium it’s fine.

MXGP MAG: So it’s more thinking “I will get a good MXGP MAG: Let’s talk start” not “I hope I get a about holeshots, you’ve good start” and that’s a got two out of two, what’s different mentality, isn’t the secret, it can’t just be it?

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NAGL: Yes, it still can go wrong, you can go to every start and talk to yourself and say “I will win the start” but sure one day it will be wrong and you will be only 20th that’s possible but still mentally it’s important to know what you can do on the start.

MXGP MAG: You spent two years with Honda, what are the biggest differences with the two bikes and what are the strong points of the Husqvarna?

NAGL: The biggest differences are the engine and the chassis, the Honda is quite and easy riding bike but it’s not a really powerful bike, Husqvarna is really strong on the engine but it was a bit less good on the steering but now they say with the new bike that is coming the 2016 models it should be similar to the Japanese bike but I don’t know, I haven’t tested it

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yet so I cannot say it, but still with the strong engine so that would be a big step. I know from the past that Japanese bikes are really strong on suspension and now Husqvarna and KTM have improved a lot over the last two years from what I can feel.

so maybe sooner or later I will also get an air fork there.

MXGP MAG: What do you think of Antti? Everyone who rides for the team says he is really nice and I’m beginning to wonder if there is some sort of conspiracy going on, surely he MXGP MAG: Talking of can’t be that nice? that, you have gone back NAGL: He is, and the bigto spring forks from air gest thing is that he was forks, was that a strange an ex pro rider and not change? many team managers are, NAGL: It was a bit difficult so he knows what the ridin the beginning because ers need, what the methere is quite a big difchanics need, how the ference between air and travelling and everything spring forks but it’s just a should be organized and matter of getting used to that makes it so much easiit and let’s say that after 5 er for us. days of riding you get used to anything no matter if it’s MXGP MAG: So you feel air or spring and also WP taken care of? are working on an air fork NAGL: Yes really, like a mamma!

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Nagl left Thailand with his regular white number board on the front of his bike as Clement Desalle took over the points lead, but with 2 wins out of 4 to their name the whole team can head into the main part of the season safe in the knowledge that the package and people that they have are ready to challenge for more than they have ever got before, with Nagl winning races, Waters already into the top 10 and Watson recovering well and physically healthy after a nasty crash in Qatar, the 2015 season is one that will surely put Husqvarna firmly back on the map.

MONSTER GIRLS

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Pietramurata: The old becomes new

The 4th race of 2015 is the 3rd in our line of unpronounceable place names, following on from the tongue twister that is the Thai MXGP venue of Nakhonchaisri and the “it’s easier if you speak Spanish” Neuquén in Argentina we have the veritable aged oak cask of a venue that is Pietramurata in Northern Italy, but don’t forget the “only in a Dutch accent” Valkenswaard that completes the set just one

week later on the 26th of April.

Fans will be wondering why the MXGP of Trentino is not at its traditional venue for 2015, but don’t stress, it is at the familiar track but the name has changed, ok?

So don’t go altering your travel plans or worry that the uniquely challenging Italian hard pack will be missing for the start of the hectic European season, it’s there and it’s ready to catch out unwary riders

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who try to dominate the mountain fringed venue.

The best way to approach the track is from Verona, with its handy and well serviced airport. The city, made world famous

by Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliette, is the perfect place to relax and soak up some culture in the days before and after the Grand Prix, from there the roads become winding passes through the foothills of the Dolomite mountains and skirt the shore of lake Garda as you wend your way into the deep north of Italy. If you like wine then make sure you book in some extra holiday time to explore the vineyards that cover the lower slopes of the mountains, if you like your Italian whites with a

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German flair, it’s the perfect place to enjoy a Gerwurtztraminer or a Muller Thurgau, two grapes that thrive in the valleys. If adventure sports are more your thing, then consider a spring windsurf on Lake Garda or if you like heights how about scaling the famous limestone cliffs that rise above the city of Arco Di Trento itself.

If what you really want is to get your pure motocross fix then there aren’t many tracks on the calendar with a better atmosphere, the Italian masses are bolstered by German and French groups that hop across the border to join the fray on the valley floor.

And with a track that is both easily reachable by air and road the Pietramu-

rata track boasts some of the best spectator views of the year. If you want a prime viewing point then get there early and bag a place on the top of the Monster Energy rig that borders the far end of the circuit for unrivalled views of 90% of the track.

If it is pit atmosphere you are after, the first European race of the year is a time for all the teams to debut their new rig set ups, hand out rider posters and host their first signing sessions for the fans, so make sure you leave yourself enough time to soak up the paddock atmosphere over the whole weekend!

The MXGP of Trentino on the weekend of the 19th of April is one race you don’t want to miss.

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MXGP Academy takes on Thailand

This year was the third consecutive year that MXGP has graced the tropical shores of Thailand, a country where motocross is slowly but surely growing. With both the FIM and Youthstream having a solid goal in place of expanding the FIM Motocross World Championship to being the most global motorcycling series in the world, they have taken it upon themselves to start at the bottom in countries where motocross is more or less un-

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heard of and take the time and put in the effort to train the next generation of talent from scratch.

With this in mind, MXGP Academy trainer Jan Postema flew out to Thailand in February to spend a week working with some of the most enthusiastic and ambitious young Thai riders. “It has been great to have a round of the FIM Motocross World Championship in Thailand, it has really opened

up the eyes of the riders here where they can see that if you work hard, racing motorcycles can actually be a job. They are amazed by that.” Postema said when asked what it means for the youth in Thailand to have a round of MXGP take place in their country.

“These kids are so keen on learning and they really love riding their bikes. So with the method of the MXGP Academy in mind I have been out here

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giving them all the crucial information of what it takes to be a professional rider. Some of the things I have been teaching them is throttle control, line selection, body position, braking, passing and jumping as well as enlightening the riders about the importance of fitness and its impact on race results. For the Thai riders, it’s not all about on the bike stuff. There is little education in Thailand so I have been educating them, teaching them self-discipline so they can focus. It is working really well and I am proud of what they have achieved, they all seem

so enthusiastic and it’s so cool to see”, Postema said.

In terms of the MXGP Academy that takes place at European rounds of the World Championship Jan went on to say, “Our goal for the academy in Europe is to give the kids their own goals. We want to bring in an award system, so each time a rider achieves something, like throttle control on slick turns for example, he will be given a certificate. I think this is a good idea because it gives them motivation as well as education.”

With motocross constantly on the rise and its popularity increasing by the minute the MXGP Academy has been introduced just in time and is the perfect tool for any young rider who is enthusiastic about racing motocross. The Academy has a vision and will be handing out essential information as to what the path to becoming a great motocross rider entails. Directed not only at the kids that ride, the Academy is also working on a program for trainers as well as seminars for parents so the youth of today can have the best support systems possible.

Photos: WIKRAN DUMKEAW TON

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HALL OF FAME

Hakan Carlqvist The warrior

Swedish rider Hakan Carlqvist was the last truly top rider to come out of Sweden, a country that was one of the first to claim Motocross World titles with Bill Nilsson, Sven Lundin, Bengt Aberg, Torsten Hallman or Heikki Mikkola. A Double World Champion and winner of 21 Grand’s Prix, Hakan ‘Carla’ Carlqvist was a warrior and a star of the 500cc World Championship in the 1980’s.

Born on the 15th of January 1954 in a suburb of Stockholm, Hakan Carlqvist was the third of four children and was more attracted to the ever-popular sport of hockey than motorbikes. Ice Hockey was THE national Swedish sport in the 1960’s and Hakan started to play it at 7 years old alongside football, as was the choice of most of the kids

at the time. In fact Carlqvist really just loved to be outside and that’s one of the reasons why he decided to leave school early at just 15 years old. He went to work, earned some money and bought his first Enduro bike when he turned seventeen. Soon after he went to a motocross race, won it, and that was the beginning of his story!

first year with Husqvarna was tough for Hakan, who broke his leg during the Belgium GP and lost six months to injury as well as his factory status.

During his recovery he was warned by the doctors that he had to stop Motocross if he wanted to stay healthy, but for Hakan that was not really what he wanted to hear. So with his health coming back he It took him three years to get chose to go it alone for 1978, amongst the top ten riders of getting production bikes and the National championship, in parts from Husqvarna which a country where Motocross led to stronger support for was a very popular sport 1979 as for the first time he thanks to the Husqvarna facgot a factory mechanic to take tory! Carlqvist rode his first care of his new bike. That seasons with various different ‘79 season remains one of brands (Maico, Ossa) and only the best for Carlqvist as he joined the national compawon six GPs and beat Hudny in 1977, after a couple of son, Moisseev, Kavinov, Jobe learning seasons in the 250cc and Van Der Ven to claim the World Championship. That 250cc World title.

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At this stage in history the “real” championship was the 500cc one and naturally ‘Carla’ wanted to be a part of the big show in the main class.

It was a desire that coincided with the legendary Heikki Mikkola taking his decision to retire which opened up a great opportunity for Carlqvist to join Yamaha and replace the famous Finn. During his first trip to Japan late in ‘79 Hakan asked the Japanese to build a new bike just a few weeks after he signed his contract, something that came as quite a surprise for his new employer! But Carlqvist didn’t want to lose any time riding a bike he wasn’t comfortable with as he was already 26 years old

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and needed to make the most of his prime racing years with the knowledge that Malherbe, Lackey, Vromans and De Coster would be extremely tough rivals!

For his first season with Yamaha, Carlqvist struggled with his new bike but still managed to finish third in the standings despite a couple of DNFs due to technical issues. The next winter he went back to Japan, and had tough discussion with the engineers as he asked again them to build a new bike and to develop a new rear suspension system. He clearly had a lot of respect for his employers but he never stopped pushing them, quite forcefully, behind the scenes to consistently try and

get the best material. A stand out example comes form the early part of the 1981 season when, during a testing session, the engineers were surprised to see him taking a shovel to make a hole. “What are you doing?” asked one of the Japanese engineers, “I want to burry this s**t bike!” he answered.

That year would see him take another 3rd place overall in the championship, but with four GP wins to his name Carlqvist and Yamaha had improved the bike so much that the Swedish rider was one of the favourites for the 1982 campaign. However, that was dashed early on as during a pre season race in England Carla crashed and broke

his arm. The result was a disappointing eighth in the World Championship at the end of the year, but he put it behind him and set about a storming 1983 season as he battled all season long for the World title with André Malherbe and despite some physical and technical issues during the season, he came to the last round of the series seventeen points ahead of Malherbe. The venue was the Dutch track of Sint Anthonis, which was like a Swedish village as so many fans travelled to support their hero and they did not leave disappointed as Hakan finally claimed his second World title.

It would be the last good season for the Swedish rider as he began to struggle with injuries during the later years of his career; a fact he still pays for now with all the old injuries still bothersome in his retirement. Now living in the sunny south of France, Carlqvist has never

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come back to a Motocross race since he retired at the end of the 1988 season. It was a season to remember for all his fans especially when he did an incredible “Stop and Drink” in Namur during the GP of Belgium; riding a private Kawasaki Carla won the first race, and while leading the second one he took his time to stop at the

famous Chalet du Monument to drink a beer! He ended his career a few weeks later at the Motocross of Nations, but this last GP win in Namur will remain as one of the most famous stories of the World Championships!

Text and photos: Pascal Haudiquert

1974: 25th in the 250 World Championship 1975: 23rd in the 250 World Championship 1976: 14th in the 250 World Championship 1977: 17th in the 250 World Championship, 2nd at the Trophy of Nations 1978: 7th in the 250 World Championship, 2nd at the Trophy of Nations 1979: 250 World Champion, winner of the Touquet, 2nd at the Trophy of Nations 1980: 3rd of the 500 World Championship 1981: 3rd of the 500 World Championship, 2nd at the Trophy of Nations 1982: 8th of the 500 World Championship 1983: 500 World Champion 1984: 10th of the 500 World Championship, 2nd at the Trophy of Nations, 3rd at the Motocross of Nations 1985: 16th of the 500 World Championship 1986: 8th of the 500 World Championship 1987: 12th of the 500 World Championship 1988: 10th of the 500 World Championship

PADDOCK TALKS

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Paddock Talks 01-02/ The QMMF are the first organization to install CCTV cameras around a motocross circuit. Some of the fastest motocross riders in the world were proud to be apart of the great unveiling.

03/ Former Football Champions League winner Sami Hyypi채 could not miss the thrilling start of the 2015 MXGP season.

04/ Antonio Cairoli showed his drifting skills during the MXGP of Thailand.

05/ Youthstream President Mr. Giuseppe Luongo and FIM/CMS Director Tony Skillington joined the Thai officials and organizers at the MXGP of Thailand opening ceremony.

06/ The Ipone girls know how to stay cool!

07/ The orange army sent out their troops for a signing session at MXGP of Thailand.

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Paddock Talks 08/ Alpinestars athletes Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s Ryan Villopoto and teammate Tyla Rattray and ‘The Bullet’ Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings were bombarded by Thai fans at the Alpinestars signing at MXGP of Thailand.

09/ With the FIM Motocross World Championship going more and more global, riders are able to experience an array of different arts and cultures. It’s not just a sport, it’s a life style.

10/ The QMMF are solid members of the ride green community. At MXGP of Qatar they took some of the most popular MXGP and MX2 riders and planted

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QUESTIONS TO THE EDITOR

QUESTIONS TO THE EDITOR Hi MXGP, When I try to login on MXGPTV I can’t login because it keeps saying my login is wrong, even after making a new account and clicking on lost password....

Thanks, Yannick van Vugt Hi Yannick, First, thanks for enjoying the MXGP LIVE Coverage on MXGP-TV.com. Regarding the issue, please double check your junk mail in case the activation email went there. For any further MXGP-TV questions please e-mail contact@ youthstream-media.com.

All the best, MXGP

Hello MXGP, I’m from the UK and looking to buy tickets for this years MXGP, I’m a big fan of RVP and wonder if I buy paddock passes will I be able to get his autograph and maybe a sneaky picture? or do i have to buy VIP ticks only? Thank you very much Thanks, TR

Hi TR, Thanks for reaching us!

For the ticketing please visit the following page: http://greatbritain.moHey guys, tocross-tickets.com/ Where can I watch MXGP races LIVE in French commen- en/2943-great-britain-motocross-tickets/. You do tary? not need VIP pass in orThanks, der to meet riders, with Jeremy Tyvaert the paddock pass you can enter area were all teams Dear Jeremy, are located. Also, Monster You can follow the champiEnergy will be doing signing onship LIVE on BeinSports and Motors TV in your home session at their rig so just stay tuned with the MXGP country. Enjoy the 2015 Facebook page or official MXGP Season! page www.MXGP.com for Regards more news!

MXGP Regards MXGP

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Hey guys, Where can I enter the GET Athena photo competition?

Thanks, Manuel Trembacz Hello Terra, Please click on the following link where you can enter the competition and win awesome Athena, Ogio, GoPro and MXGP prizes: http://mxgpathena.pgtb. me/rdBQ6b Best Regards MXGP

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