XMOTIONMAG
FEATURES
P.14
P.18
P.66
P.30
P.34
P.58
P.24
P.38
P.46
XMOTIONMAG XMOTIONMAG •• 44
ISSUE 1 - CONTENTS
CORE ELEMENTS I grew up in simpler times, when you could leave home on Saturday morning on your bike and go riding through the farms and mountains, sans phone or any way of your parents reaching you – you just had to be home before sunset. Life was about being outside with the elements. This region is a melting pot of talent with a huge amount of top athletes living in Dubai and throughout the Middle East. However, I have always been underwhelmed by the lack of coverage the athletes get – unless it was a world class event with massive budgets, there was little chance of hearing about them until they had already happened. I wanted to create a platform to bring these communities together. A platform to bring like-minded people together in one place. A platform to recognize some of the brilliant locally based talent go on to do great things. Welcome to a new age in online coverage for action sports in the Middle East and welcome to the most interactive, fully immersive online portal for extreme sports in the region. The team at XMOTIONMAG are passionate about anything that pushes the boundaries of what humans are capable of… And we promise to bring you the latest news, in depth event reports, interviews with top athletes and feature articles on a huge variety of your favourite sports. As is the global trend these days to have everything at your fingertips, XMOTIONMAG will be a free to read, monthly online publication, that will include top notch images from industry experts as well as direct links to some amazing video content that you can watch within the magazine, all at the touch of a button. The four elements are the driving force behind what we do and we believe action sports are derived from the natural fundamental flow of these elements. Earth, Water, Wind and Fire lay the essential foundations for XMOTIONMAG: Earth – The natural movement driven by human forces Water – The careful balance between athletes and Poseidons domain Wind – The definitive human emotion, the quest for flight Fire – Both creative and destructive, man and machine unite in harmony These four key elements are essential to driving all life…
FEATURES 14 Simple Session 17
Action by Red Bull/XDubai
18 Darkfest
Big air MTB in South Africa.
30 Picks Of The Month
Wayne and Ollys monthly picks.
34 Inflight Dubai Sandstorm
Sandstorm competition by Inflight.
58 Qatar MXGP
XMotion heads to Qatar MXGP.
66 Indonesia MXGP
XMotion heads to Indo MXGP.
INTERVIEWS 24 Steven Dauliach 7x Jetski World Champion.
38 Alaa Dandachli
Welcome to XMOTIONMAG. Prepare to scroll through the world of action sports and find out “what drives you…”
We sit down with Dubai Kite-Boarder.
46 Sam Sunderland
To return to features page click the home button top left, and feel free to click links throughout the magazine.
We talk to the new Dakar Champ.
Cover photo: Marcin Kin
XMOTIONMAG • 5
XMOTIONMAG • 6
Jan Hoffman - 50/50 in the shadow of Burj Khalifa. - Maxim Shatrov
XMOTIONMAG • 8
ISSUE 1 - MXGPFRANCE
Nouria Newman performs on the falls in Tree Truck Gorge, Central North Island, New Zealand - Greame Murray / Redbull content pool
Marco Waltenspiel, Amy Chmelecki and Maco Fuerst fly with their wingsuits over the Heart Island near Zadar, Croatia. - Wolfgang Lienbacher / Redbull content pool
XMOTIONMAG • 10
Welcome to ‘Endo-nesia’. Arminas Jasikonis follows Jeremy Van Hoorebeek into the Indonesian dirt. - Wayne Gray
XMOTIONMAG • 12
ISSUE 1 - MXGPFRANCE
XMOTIONMAG • 13
SIMPLE SESSION 17 BMX/SKATE
Words - Simple Session Photos - Eisa Bakos / Red Bull Content Pool
The Saku Arena in Tallinn, Estonia played host to Europe’s longest running BMX and Skateboarding contest series on February 4-5, as the annual Simple Session presented by XDubai and Taffel returned for it’s 17th edition in the notorious Nordic winter. The world-renowned international contest hosted over 150 athletes from 32 countries along with their newest show-stopping tricks inside the cozy Saku Arena, the place that everyone has come to love throughout the series. As one of the most international action sports events out there, Simple Session 17 pitted the globe’s best BMX riders and skateboarders against each other on it’s magnificent one-off contest course in front of more than 8000 spectators. It’s the ultimate show of the most progressive riding ever seen! The electrifying contest was followed by non-stop after-parties that make up one unforgettable festival experience. For the 11th year, the Simple Session course was designed by ramp designer/builder extraordinaire Mr. Nate Wessel. Have a look around the brilliant course that made for a unique riding experience for the street and
XMOTIONMAG • 14
ISSUE 1 - BMX/SKATESS17
XMOTIONMAG • 15
ramp skaters alike, as well as the bike riders. As has become expected from Simple Sessions, the course combines street and park elements into a single huge exclusive course. The course was built by the specialists at MindWorkRamps. In the skateboarding contest, it was last year’s Simple Session champion, Aurelien Giraud from France that defended his title and again took home the gold with a score of 90.33. Second was the contest’s youngest skater, 17-year-old Japanese sensation Yuto Horigame with 87.33 and Danny Leon from Spain was third with 86.66 Beaver Fleming took home the win of the skateboarding Best Trick contest with the first ever pulled cork spin indy grab 720 over the big box jump. He started his run with a big backside 360 melon over the box jump, then skated around the whole course, landing a variety of difficult tricks (kickflip transfer frontside boardslide, backside 360 up the big gap, transfer bs overcrooked on a rail) and finished his run with massive 360 flip down the big gap. Fleming is also known for his insane tricks as part of the Nitro Circus Tour and his love of Taylor Swift!
three-year absence and took the win in the inaugural BMX street contest with a combined score of 177.60 for his two runs. Fellow American Reed Stark was second with 173.60 and Simone Barraco from Italy with 170.00 was third. In BMX park, Larry Edgar from the USA, finally claimed his long-awaited win after being a top qualifier in several past Simple Session’s contests with a score of 181.00. Venezuelan Daniel Dhers placed second with 178.80 points and British rider Jack Clark in third with 178.40 “Larry Edgar took the riding level to new heights, sending his airs higher than everyone else and made it look good with style for miles. For his unique transfers the judges rewarded the Californian with maximum points. You can’t learn going high with style in a foam pit. His one of a kind look at the incredible course and his originality came into place in Tallinn,” said BMX head judge Bart De Jong. Visit Estonia “Epic Estonia” best trick award was given to Mike Varga CAN. Results: Skate:
“The level of skating was better than the last year’s. Aurelien Giraud became the first skater in the Simple Session history to be the first ever back to back champion,” said Simple Session skateboarding MC Dave Duncan. The Simple Session also kicked off the World Cup Skateboarding 2017 season. In BMX, the contest was for the first time held in two separate disciplines, Park and Street. Two-time Simple Session BMX Park winner and eight time X-Games gold medalist, American Garrett Reynolds returned to Simple Session after a
XMOTIONMAG • 16
1st – Aurelien Giraud 2nd – Yuto Horigame 3rd – Danny Leon BMX Park: 1st – Larry Edgar 2nd – Daniel Dhers 3rd – Jack Clarke BMX Street: 1st – Garrett Reynolds 2nd – Reed Stark 3rd – Simone Barraco Simple Session will return this summer with its Simple Summer Session in Riga, Latvia on August 26th 2017.
ISSUE 1 - BMX/SKATESS17
XMOTIONMAG • 17
DARKFEST MTB
Until coming across a recent Facebook shared post, my experience with the concept of big air MTB runs has been admittedly fairly limited. The latest ‘Pure Darkness’ MTB series edit ‘DarkFEST – Week3: Shaping up’ seemed to be growing interest throughout my news feed, perhaps more so with my predominantly Moto biased friends list and the edit featuring a 450 hitting a few of the MTB
XMOTIONMAG • 18
Words - Olly Eveleigh
jumps – bare in mind the jumps looked very suited for a good level 450 motocross rider. Big air MTB has intrigued me since seeing riders start to get towed behind cars for more speed in late 90’s, although the Pure Darkness crew have knocked that idea on it’s head and selected a 67 foot 60 degree drop-in
ISSUE 1 - MTBDARKFEST
instead. 67 foot! That is about 6 stories high. Personally I would struggle to look over the edge let alone ride off the edge on a MTB to gain enough speed to hit the world’s biggest mountain bike step-up. 35 feet lip, offering 60 feet peak air “You are probably going 50mph at the bottom of the pit.” Cam Zink says. “Maybe this jump is like 50 feet long but it is also 35 feet up.” Information on this progressive side of MTB seems scarse. We had tried to reach out for more information with a read reciept but no response. It is by no means an underground sport nor have the group intended it to be so, but the viral videos and rapid progression seems to be
ahead of the information accesable. The intentions seem very raw, pure and passion driven. Sam Reynolds is the man behind the big air trails deep into South Africa’s verdant garden route watched over by the Outeniquea Mountains. Sam has brought out Nico Vink and Clemens Kaudela with the aim to build the biggest, most impressive MTB bike dirt jumps in the world. “There is no way this would be allowed in the UK, a farmer would not just let you go to town on his land and build a big dangerous roll in. And that’s why this place is rad, the health and safety is a bit more relaxed, and you can do what you want,” says Sam Reynolds, host of the event.
XMOTIONMAG • 19
“Here we are kind of pushing the limits of a bicycle, but it is also kind of scratching the surface of what we could do.
XMOTIONMAG • 20
ISSUE 1 - MTBDARKFEST
ERIK PALMER
XMOTIONMAG • 21
“If you were to do this in North America you would need full mining permits,” Canadian rider Matt MacDuff adds. Sam admittidely wanted to keep the event an invite only policy for riders he thought could handle the challenge best. “The sky is the limit,” according to Cam. “Here we are kind of pushing the limits of a bicycle, but it is also kind of scratching the surface of what we could do. The jumps don’t feel that far-fetched. They look insane, a lot of the Fest jumps are flatter and longer, and these are steeper but still really long. It is just a case of figuring the sport out. In ten years’ time they will look back at this and there will be step-ups like the one here all over the place.” “Everyone’s pushing their personal limits over and over and it is starting to be dangerous, so you don’t mess around with these things because the consequences are too serious,” Nico Vink adds. Talking to the riders you get the sense that the sport is in its infancy, and that the limits of what is possible on a mountain bike are still being defined. A part of me would love to see this style of big air MTB hit larger events and watch these riders push the limits of what is possible, but at the same time it seems that part of what makeas this type of innovation special is the nature of which the progression takes place. A group of friends with a passion for freeriding challenging their own abilities under their own will to do so. It is understandable to see how a sport of this nature can develop quickly. In the meantime i’m excited to see more of these video edits of massive jumps in the surreal South African landscape harass my newsfeed.
XMOTIONMAG • 22
ISSUE 1 - MTBDARKFEST
“Everyone’s pushing their personal limits over and over and it is starting to be dangerous, so you don’t mess around with these things because the consequences are too serious,”
ERIK PALMER
XMOTIONMAG • 23
STEVEN DAULIACH INTERVIEW 7x Jetski Pro Class World Champion, Team XBJ Racing Athlete, Founder of Searide Dubai. XMotionMag sits down with the Dubai based Frenchman to chat about racing, business and life in Dubai. XM: First and foremost, huge congratulations on the wedding. We love the new touch ‘Just married’ on the back of the Ski. How has married life been treating you? SD: Thanks a lot! Yes it is funny to have it on my racing JetSki. I’m the most surprised this happened in such a short time but it’s a proud moment in my personal life and I couldn’t ask for a better one to share my crazy lifestyle.
time with 2 races to go. My team XBJ racing is working hard to get the championship. XM: Obviously Dubai seems to be a perfect location for watersports. Do you see more potential for growth with Jetski in Dubai. SD: It is one of the best place I’ve been for training and racing in winter time, summer is very hot for the athletes and machines as with all outdoors activities here at that time. There is big potential for sure, we just need more dedicated areas with a permanent track, storage and facilities to get more people involved into it.
XM: You just came back from racing in Abu Dhabi this weekend, how was the race and how is the championship going?
XM: You’ve gone in a slightly different direction the past year into the tourism side of watersports with Searide Dubai. How has the past year been with the business?
SD: It went great in the first half of the day with a win in moto 1 but not so great in moto 2 with a DNF due to mechanical faillure. But i’m still leading the championship at this
SD: After being on the racing scene for 18 years and having won everything in my sport several times, it was time for me to start doing something else. JetSki is what I
XMOTIONMAG • 24
ISSUE 1 - INTERVIEWDAULIACH
“After being on the racing scene for 18 years and having won everything in my sport several times, it was time for me to start doing something else.”
XMOTIONMAG • 25
MICHAEL VOSLOO
XMOTIONMAG • 26
ISSUE 1 - INTERVIEWDAULIACH
know the most as I spend my whole life on it so I decide to propose having a JetSki place here to ride around Dubai coast. I got permission for it and was the first one to operate JetSkis and Flyboards in Dubai. So far I have a good team behind me and we are happy to give this opportunity to travelers and UAE citizens to be able to experience what I like to do the most. It’s always cool to have guests reviewing us on social media saying our activities were the best they’ve done during their stay. XM: The life style under the sun in Dubai is quite a bit different than the fast pace world champs. How are you enjoying the lifestyle, obviously there is less pressure than the cut throat racing scene? SD: Sun and beach has been where I spent most of my time since I became a racer as this is were Jetski is. The pressure is different, I have a small team of people giving there best to put everything together, day and night 7 days a weeks to be ready on the racing day, and when
your results are not good it shows right away. At the end of the day if you are not first on the podium at the end on the race you failed. You need to explain to your sponsors the reasons why the victory is not yours and the bonus isn’t going in your wallet. When you win you’re all good, you don’t have to prove anything (Laughs). Running a business is also pressure, what has changed for me is that I have to manage my team push them to do things in the best way possible and the way I want it to make sure we please our guests with a premium services and the best equipment. XM: We’ve been cycling and training a fair amount together. What is the schedule like training for high level Jetski racing? SD: I had a full time personal trainer when I use to be a factory racer. Mainly training was based on cardio. 5 times a weeks, 3 hours sessions plus 3 to 4 times Jetski training weekly. I followed a very similar training
XMOTIONMAG • 27
schedule to the French Taekwondo team with leg renforcement with few variations becuase Taekwondo is 3 minute efforts and mine is between 15 to 20 minutes. I start road cycling to stay fit since I’m in Dubai as it is not that easy to access mountain biking and that’s one of my favorites. XM: We’ve seen you frequently racing the Baja championships for quite some time now and at a good level! How much does the experience translate across to two wheels. Does it help to keep you on
XMOTIONMAG • 28
your toes for the Jetski races? SD: Motocross and Baja are very new to me, I started it in 2015 as beginner and improved by riding with some great riders like you, Benjamin Melot, Sam Sunderland so I learned it the quick and hard way! They’re similar motorsports but two different activities to handle, the riding style and the movement surface are quite far from each other. The guys at KTM UAE pushed me to enter the final round in 2016 and I got on the podium in my class. I was
pretty surprised and happy with it. It actually didn’t help me at all as I fell quite often and wasn’t in the best shape with few minors injuries that bothered me for my JetSki training program and racing, so I put a big gap now between the two activities (Laughs). I couldn’t follow the whole series as I also race Jetski on same days somtimes but it’s great fun, well organized and a good atmosphere between racers. XM: Where would you hope the sport to be taken in next few years
ISSUE 1 - INTERVIEWDAULIACH
locally and in the region? SD: It would be nice to have more young blood in the sport. For this we need a dedicated place to create a good setup to go training everyday to make it attractive to everyone. JetSki is a great sport, it’s safe compared to some other motorsport activities. We have it all, with a good championship supported by governement, now we just need to make it easier to access to any newcomers. XM: What would your advice be for
people interested to get into the sport? I would offer them to meet me or my team to give them all the advise needed. It’s better to try it first to make sure you like it and you know about safety and regulations before getting involved. We are going to have a stand up JetSki available also with lessons for people who want to try the experience. XM: Your resume is pretty weighty now, multiple World, French, UAE,
European Championships and now moving more to the training school and lifestyle side, could you hang your helmet up now and have you accomplished everything you wanted to now or is there more on the radar. SD: I have accomplished my dream in my sport winning it all and several times in the pro class. My goal now is to enjoy my life with people that surrounded me, running my business and grow it and still race on side as it is in my blood.
XMOTIONMAG • 29
WAYNES PICK
2016 Red Bull Rampage Winner Brandon Semenuk going huge in the Utah desert ... it always fascinates me just how far human beings push the envelope in action sports. Red Bull Rampage is one of those events that pushes the boundaries of the what’s capable on a mountain bike. Originally started in 2001 but after 2004 it was cancelled because of the risks the riders were taking. It returned in 2008 and 2010. Since 2012 it has been an annual gathering of “invite only” riders and has become one of the biggest mountain biking events of the year. Red Bull photographer Garth Milan is without doubt one of the top action photographers in the world and for me, this photo reflects everything you need to know about Red Bull Rampage. Massive jumps, massive mountains, massive style. XMOTIONMAG • 30
OLLYS PICK
‘Factory workers race on the roof test track of the Fiat Factory in Turin, Italy, 1923.’ Schlochauer- Published by: ‘B.Z. am Mittag’ Vintage property of ullstein bild. Undoubtably an iconic photo. ‘The track featured is a real race track, built on the roof of a Fiat factory that opened in Turin’s Ligotto district in 1923. The factory’s assembly line began at the ground floor and ended on the top level, where cars were taken for a test run around the track. Spiraling ramps inside the building allowed the cars to be driven back down and into showrooms. The factory closed in 1982, after which Fiat held a competition for its redevelopment.’ To me there is something that makes the photo so special - perhaps an assurance that we are in a different era, where race tracks on roofs of car factories may have a chance of not passing safety regulations.
6D ATR-1 AED 2,500.00 A True Game Changer. The 6D ATR-1 offroad motorcycle helmet has changed the industry forever. Introduced in 2013 it was the first motorcycle helmet ever manufactured incorporating technology that reduced angular acceleration and low-threshold impact energy transfer to the brain during crash impact. 3-dimensional displacement capability of the inner EPS liner, relative to the outer EPS liner, provides a more forgiving helmet over a much greater range of energy demands than any other helmet.
2017 Superjet AED 32,000.00 Stand-up Jet Skis aren’t exactly the easiest PWCs to ride, and as a result they’re largely becoming phased out by the industry. However, with the right amount of practice, their increased maneuverability over their seated counterparts makes them worth the extra effort. Yamaha’s Waverunner SuperJet is one of the last standing jet skis still available for purchase, and with a 74 horsepower 700cc engine and a lightweight body, it’s by far one of the most fun PWCs you can buy.
XMOTIONMAG • 32
ISSUE 1 - PRODUCTS
KARMA GRIP AED 1299.00 Combine the Karma Grip Handle with the Karma Stabilizer1 to capture breathtaking shake-free video with your GoPro. Enjoy professional, cinema-quality footage whether you’re hiking, biking or chasing your kids through the park. Works with GoPro body mounts to capture amazing perspectives only a GoPro can.2 Built-in camera controls let you power on and off, change modes, start and stop recording, and add HiLight Tags on the fly.
PIVOT NAISH KITE AED 3,900.00 Predictable power development, direct bar feel, intuitive steering and plenty of “sheetin-and-go” are just a few characteristics that make the Pivot one of the most sought-after kites on the market. Adapting to a wide variety of wind and wave conditions, this kite features a medium aspect ratio for substantial lowend power, easy jumping and great upwind performance. Easy-handling, well-rounded and incredibly versatile, it’s clear to see how the Pivot has become the all-around choice for everyone, everywhere.
XMOTIONMAG • 33
SANDSTORM INFLIGHT DUBAI Located off the E66 road to Al Ain, Inflight Dubai offer thrill-seekers the chance to skydive without having to leap from a plane. It boasts the world’s largest indoor skydiving wind tunnel according to the Guinness World Records, which measures 16.5ft across, 68ft in height, can host speeds of up to 175mph and boasts four electric motors. Sessions are available for beginner and experienced flyers alike and feature aid from instructors throughout. The first Inflight Dubai SandStorm 4-way ‘scrambles’ event of 2017 saw competitors Zoe Edwards (GB), Paul Morgan (GB), Shona Morgan (GB) & Hinda Salih (MA) mark a convincing victory. Despite never having competed as a team before, this combination of talented skydivers blew away all the other challengers with huge score of 75 points over 5 competitive rounds. Scores were much tighter between 2nd and 3rd places who were trading places throughout the evening. Second place eventually went to the team of Greg Chape (FR), Khalid Khoory (AE), Asher Jones (NZ) and Laszlo
XMOTIONMAG • 34
Csizmadia (NZ) who totaled an impressive 56 points. Finishing off the podium positions with 51 points were Hannah Winstanley (GB), Saoud Alharmoodi (AE), Gabor Molnar (HU) and Kim Myers (GB).
ISSUE 1 - INFLIGHTSANDSTORM
As a ‘scrambles’ event, competitors enter individually and then based on experience level, are placed into one of four pots. On the evening of the event, teams are then drawn by choosing team numbers from each of those pots. The winning team took home a huge prize stash containing a brand new Casio G-Shock watch, a monthlong membership to The Warehouse Gym, XDubai merchandise and huge discount offers from Inflight Dubai and Firnasfly jumpsuits.
Dubai remarked “I’m so so happy! I didn’t think I would win because I have never done a competition like this before.. but my team mates were amazing and helped me understand what I needed to do!” This event was the first of four Inflight Dubai SandStorm events planned throughout 2017, with the next competition due to take place at the end of May. Competitors can keep up to date with all the news from past and future competitions on the Inflight Dubai SandStorm website: www.inflightdubaisandstorm.com
A delighted Hinda Salih, who is also a Guinness World Record holder and experienced instructor for Inflight
XMOTIONMAG • 35
XMOTIONMAG • 36
ISSUE 1 - INFLIGHTSANDSTORM
XMOTIONMAG • 37
“By the end of it I couldn’t feel my hands anymore (actually most of my body)”
DANIEL TENGS
XMOTIONMAG • 38
ISSUE 1 - INTERVIEWCAPITANO
ALAA DANDACHLI INTERVIEW 27
year
old
Alaa
(Capitano)
Dandachli, originally from Lebanon
many opportunities here to grow the kitesurfing sport.
has resided in Dubai for the past 15 years. ‘Capitano’ has made a
XM: We saw you head over to
name for himself in recent years on
RedBull Ragnarok in Norway, a lot
the beaches of Dubai. We catch up
different than our Dubai deserts!
with the fun loving Lebanese Kite-
You were impressively one of only
Boarder.
32 competitors to finish. How tough was the event?
XM: Capitano! It’s been quite a bit of time since we’ve caught up.
AD: Yes it was a shock of a lifetime
You’ve been busy but it looks like
- going from 30 degrees to -11. It
you’ve been having a lot of fun as
was my first time competing on
usual?
snow and in the cold so it was a great challenge! By the end of it
AD: I’m having a great time! Last
I couldn’t feel my hands anymore
summer I created ‘Kiteboarding
(actually most of my body) It was
Twist’ - an international kitesurfing
tough because of the duration of the
event ‘ in Lebanon. It caused a
race - 5 full hours of snow kiting is
massive buzz and had over 50
hard. I was so happy to finish and it
international participants. Now I’m
is an experience of a lifetime.
focusing on Dubai since there is so
XMOTIONMAG • 39
XM: How did you get into Kite Surfing?
of the government and the creation of Kite Beach it has reached a much
AD: I have always loved the beach
wider audience. Lots of people now
and when I saw the kite surfers for the
see it on the beach and want to learn.
first time I knew I had to try it. I went
We are also lucky to have so many
and bought the equipment and just
of the big names come to Dubai to
started practicing. It was a complete
promote the sport and show their
disaster until I started watching kite
‘magic’ on the beach.
surfing videos online and then went out to try and do it. It took a lot of
XM: Where would you like to see the
trying, failing and then trying again.
sport going in Dubai and Middle East
Practice does make perfect and I fell
region?
in love with the sport. AD: I would love for it to spread even XM: Of course now we have spots like
more since it is an amazing outdoor
‘Kite Beach’ and seen a lot happening
sport. It is hard to learn but once you
in the sport. How have you seen Kite
get it, it is the best feeling in the world.
Surfing progress in Dubai? XM: We’ve seen the progression of AD: I am so happy to see a sport that
Kite N’ Surf, it looks like you guys
I love grow and gain a bigger and
have built a really good environment
bigger following. In the beginning it
for Dubai Kite Surfing.
was a small group but with the support
DANIEL TENGS
XMOTIONMAG • 40
ISSUE 1 - INTERVIEWCAPITANO
XMOTIONMAG • 41
coming up in 2017?
AD: It is important for us that Kite
kite surf. Some need less, some need
N’Surf is a fun and safe environment
more but at Kite N’ Surf we always
to learn in and we have the best
assess student before giving them
AD: I will be launching an exciting
instructors teaching. But it is so much
the go ahead.
new travel project soon where I will share my travel experiences to inspire
more than that - it is a community for people who love the ocean, the beach
XM: Skydive Dubai has been a big
others to get out there and explore. It
and being active. It is a different kind
part of your program. It seems there
will be about kite surfing, surfing and
of lifestyle.
is a mutual respect between the two
everything in between.
sports. How closely related is Kite XM: What training is required at a
Surfing to Skydiving?
people who are interested to get
good level of Kite Surfing. It is all about adrenaline! But AD: First step is learning how to swim
fundamentally it is two very different
and respect the ocean. Normally it
sports.
will require 8-10 hours with one of our instructors before you’re able to
DANIEL TENGS
XMOTIONMAG • 42
XM: How would you recommend
XM: What do you have planned
into the sport? AD: Just call Kite N’ Surf!
ISSUE 1 - INTERVIEWCAPITANO
XMOTIONMAG • 43
“After all the ups and downs and injuries, it makes it that much more special.”
XMOTIONMAG • 46
ISSUE 1 - INTERVIEWSUNDERSAM
SAM
SUNDERLAND INTERVIEW 2017 Dakar Winner. Runner up in the 2015 and 2016 FIM Cross Country World Championship, multiple time rally winner…. After a somewhat turbulent start to his rally career, Sam Sunderland has had two very solid and consistent years in the Cross Country Rally World Championship series aboard his Red Bull KTM Factory Racing machine, consistently fighting for rally wins and podiums, capping it all off with his historic win at the 2017 Dakar Rally. Sam first burst onto the rally scene in 2011 at the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, when he was racing a standard production KTM with some bolt on parts and won a stage by almost 15 minutes. Coming from a motocross background in the UK, Sam moved to Dubai in 2009 and was immediately comfortable in the soft sand of the Dubai desert and racked up numerous UAE motocross and Baja titles in his first few years over
here. It was after that impressive display from Abu Dhabi however, that Sunderland started to focus on the rallies, making his Dakar debut in 2012 on a Honda. He then signed on with the Factory HRC Honda Team for 2 seasons before moving over to the Red Bull KTM Factory Team. Now nearly 6 years from his impressive debut we sit down with the talented Brit on the eve of the 2017 Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge to chat about Dakar, injuries and the World Championship. XM: It’s been a little while now since your incredible victory at 2017 Dakar. The first British competitor to do so in any category! Has it actually sunk in yet? Sam: Yeah, since Dakar it’s been crazy, going from one thing to another but it’s definitely starting to sink in now. It feels really good. It’s something I’ve worked for, for so long and now to finally get it done after
XMOTIONMAG • 47
all the ups and downs and injuries, it makes it that much more special. It’s been a cool couple of months after the Dakar and now it’s time to get back to work. XM: You looked to be really well prepared before Dakar, even in the interviews after the stages it seemed like you were dealing with the conditions better than your competitors. take us through the preparation required for the toughest motorsport event in the world. Sam: Obviously, I prepared the best way I could and put a lot of work into that as I always do. I always try to be really prepared and I work pretty hard outside of racing. I am fortunate to be able to do it with a strong team behind me in Red Bull KTM Racing.
XMOTIONMAG • 48
We have facilities in Spain where we can train on navigation throughout the summer and here in Dubai I have XDubai who help me every day in the gym, it all makes it a little easier. I did a lot of altitude training, getting ready for Dakar, along with a lot of cycling and obviously riding the bike,. It was a tough race and to be leading for so long was very tough mentally, constantly thinking about not making mistakes and staying positive all the time. XM: Obviously, the pinnacle of the sport is the Dakar Rally, all the hours of training and testing throughout the year kind of culminate into one event. Before the 2017 edition, you’d had a fair few ups and downs with the Dakar, as you were the youngest rider to ever win a stage in 2014, but you’ve also had a lot
of horrible luck during the event as well as leading up to it? Sam: That’s right. Dakar is the main race of the year for us and obviously there has been a lot of ups and downs. A race like Dakar is not an easy road to get to. It’s such a hard race and there are so many things that can happen. Even to make it through the world championship without an injury is pretty tough. Obviously it’s a dangerous sport, so you have to be really controlled and try to stay calm in the races, and arrive at Dakar in the best shape possible. XM: Looking back a bit, you were runner up in the world championship in 2015 and 2016 by only a handful of points. 2016 was a really good year for you, you showed great speed and consistency and were
ISSUE 1 - INTERVIEWSUNDERSAM
on the podium three times in four rallies. Sam: Yeah I’ve had two second places in the world championship leading up to this Dakar, 2nd in 2015, 2nd in 2016 which were really the highlights of my career before winning Dakar. It went pretty well last year. For the 2016 season I really tried to focus on keeping it safe and not taking any additional risks. I ended up fighting for the world championship again, but that wasn’t something I expected to be honest. I broke my femur at the end of 2015 and had 3 months off the bike at the start of the season before Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge. It wasn’t the ideal preparation but to come back and fight for the world championship was really cool. It come down to the last
race in Morocco and ended up losing by a few points. It’s like that you know, you win some and you lose some. In the end, it wasn’t my goal to fight for the world championship in 2016 – I wanted to try keep safe and not take risks, so to be in a position to be fighting for the title was really cool. Staying safe and injury free throughout the year was my main goal and I think it really paid off in the end with getting that Dakar win. XM: You have a bit of a love/hate relationship with Morocco. You’ve had a lot of success there, with your first ever win in Merzouga Rally 2013, as well as claiming the top spot in Rallye Du Maroc in 2015 and 2nd last year. But you also had one of the scariest moments of your life there towards the end of
2015 in the Merzouga Rally when you broke your femur really badly, which subsequently ruled you out of 2016 Dakar. Does that affect your mindset going in and do you do anything differently? Sam: Yeah, certainly Morocco is one of those places where I have a love hate relationship with it. I had a lot of success there, I finished 2nd to Coma in ’14 and got the win in ‘15. Then I broke my femur, then I go back there this year and was fighting for the win for the whole rally and ended up 2nd to Toby Price. Yeah, it definitely plays on your mind a little bit. We go there to test quite a lot which I guess helps in a way when you come back to race there, knowing you’ve survived a week test and you’ve got through it and out the country safe and that
MARCELO MARAGNI / RED BULL CONTENT POOL
XMOTIONMAG • 49
SAM
SUNDERLAND INTERVIEW Ebis dollia quuntiatqui ut rerunt alignam
non rem hillorum litat alit mod mos et incte
conecul luptaes minciurera pre id quod et
volorem olorio. Namusa commolupta de
omnim et ium quaerunt.
dolorporro maximus et dollabo. Itat.
Uptame sediciur magnit reperibus denis
Del moluptaquis quo blab iumqui conem
molupta voluptaquo offic tem ium que pore
facepel laborror rendunt usapic toreici
voloribus eos esti beatet ped ut at eliquunt
mpeliciet que corepta tatur?
il inulpa corerit omnimil evella is min reium
Accus quas ipsam quostio nseque officiis
rem fugia doluptat que dolorror sed quos
sin et ex et dolorem porest rae odi
rerum volorrum eserum earion cus, nest
odi occum cusam ut volupti totatusam
experrum quidele cepratem faccupta de
exceperiamus ex es vit quo ipienecae est
remposs equistotas et etuscillite conem et
faceaquis qui que volupta sperferepuda
hiliquae ditiur aliquib ustiunto qui voluptios
porem restibus.
eserfer iatesti ossumquation eaquam
Di illandellame pa illabor ibusdam erspid
verferum quat.
untis est di dent adi offic te am sapicipsam
Tem facit, ut vera dellitibus eost offic
a namusan tiantem illaborum remporum
tem et et autecabore odigendi te prae
aligenima im quid ut acipsam volum aut
excepero corende mporit estis eni ut qui
lab idenitate verat.
tem hilitat.
Vitasime
Nihil mi, qui ullaut velesequunt et pariatium
rempostiunt fugit endandio veratum nim
ipidebistiis aut verspel eria sam excesto
andempo raepuda porero voluptatat es
cus sitae quame nulles autat.
delles si re modis audi officii ssitiurem
Pa
earibus
parum
vendem
nonet
volore
minissi
con
ullacep
ullaborpos quibus ea comnimustiur sunt
udaeribus vel moloruptae vene corro
pos velendu cidersperro coribus et que
doluptium quate eatibus ut landenducit
consent ut eaquide bissundis et es quate
quo volorem rendiae dis acculpa rchictatus
laciame nihicitaecta et dolectur modipsam,
evel maximos perersped que nullorepudae
simi, ut lam, quodige nihilitatem quo omnis
MARCELO MARAGNI / RED BULL CONTENT POOL
XMOTIONMAG • 50
ISSUE 1 - INTERVIEWSUNDERSAM
builds a bit of confidence for when you have to go back and race there. It plays on my mind a lot and I think it’s just another thing you have to deal with as a racer in this sport. Every time we go back there, it’s the same airport, the same hotel, you eat in the same restaurants. I think I even had the same room this year as I did the year I crashed. Things play on your mind a little bit and you have fears and worries. The crash I had there was really bad – I broke my femur – the crash itself wasn’t so bad, the worst part was everything that happened afterwards, the hospital was really dirty and they did a bad job of the operation – now I have one leg shorter than the other by 2cm. it’s just one of those things you have to deal with – everybody has been through injuries, but you just have to keep moving forward and not try to think about the past too much.
XM: Looking from the outside, was that the point that maybe your mindset changed? To know that sometimes you got to take a 3rd or 4th for example. Sam: After that crash, like I said, it plays on your mind a lot. I had to try learn something and I think you have to learn the hard way sometimes. That was definitely a hard way to learn but I tried to take away from it what I could. Just to know that you can’t fight every situation – if you’re in dust for whatever reason if you try to fight and rush through it you’re more likely to crash. I try to take from it that my health was number 1 and closely following that, the results. It’s easy to think about what you want in the future and that’s to be healthy. I’ve won Dakar, I’ve had two 2nds in the world championship, im feeling
good with my results and my riding and I will keep fighting and working hard to win another Dakar and win a world championship but staying healthy is my first priority. XM: The rally world has evolved quite a bit in the last few years, with a number of manufacturers developing rally specific bikes, as well as new riders coming in from a bunch of different disciplines, such as World Motocross and Enduro Championships. The talent pool is really big now, do you still keep to your same game plan and not worry too much about the competition? It seems like it can become a big motocross race out there sometimes! Sam: Definitely, the speeds gone up an insane amount the last few years, there so many guys, so many
XMOTIONMAG • 51
ex world champions from so many other disciplines, from enduro, from motocross, from desert racing. The level of rider is absolutely huge in the rally sport. I think it definitely has evolved and got a lot faster. I always try focus on my own race and just do the best job I can and not think about the other dudes too much. They’re going to do what they’re going to do anyway whether you think about them or not, so you’re better of thinking about the things you can control and do the best job you can do. XM: The Cross Country World Championship kicks off again soon at the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge in the first week of April. Your
“home” race. You’ve finished 2nd athere a few times, how satisfying would it be to get a victory there. Sam: Yeah, starting the world championship again in Abu Dhabi, it’s close to my heart – its where I started in the rallies. I’ve had a few second places. I would love to win it…I was in line to win it one year and ended up getting a 10 minute penalty for something really strange. It’s definitely a race that I want to win, I haven’t had the ideal preparation after winning Dakar, it’s been really busy, I’ve only recently got back to Dubai at the beginning of March and I have to prepare in a really short time frame. So yeah, it’s not going to be the ideal situation
ISSUE 1 - INTERVIEWSUNDERSAM
XMOTIONMAG • 53
XMOTIONMAG • 54
ISSUE 1 - INTERVIEWSUNDERSAM
but I will arrive there ready to fight and do the best I can, but I won’t take any unnecessary risks to try win just because it’s the home race. I’ll do my best with the same goal in mind of keeping healthy and working towards another Dakar. XM: Strategy is a huge part of the Rally world. Final results often come down to a matter of seconds over thousands of kilometers of racing. Do you have a team of guys that assist you with it, or is it pretty much down to you to decide? Sam: Yes, we have team managers and rider’s managers but we quite often find ourselves “fighting” amongst the team. In the team I’ve got 5 times world champion Antoine Meo, 5 times world champion Pela Renet, MX3 world champion Matthias Walkner, Toby Price is just a freak on two wheels – Dakar winner and has won just about everything else there is to win on two wheels and we often find ourselves fighting for the win. It becomes a bit tricky sometimes about what the team managers say, they normally tell us when we can’t do too many strategic things which is sometimes good and sometimes bad. Its worked out bad for me at times, but I’m sure at other times it will work out better. We just do the best job we can and see how we end up. XM: Goals for this season
Sam: Obviously, my plan for 2016 is like I said before was to get through the world championships, stay healthy, fight for the win each time I can and be the best prepared that I can be. This year we’ve got a lot of testing for the new bike that KTM are developing for the Dakar so it’s going to be a lot of work and a lot of time away. My main goal is to try and stay healthy and I know I’ll fight for the race wins and get back to Dakar to defend my title. XM: You had extended your contract with KTM just before Dakar which will see you with them through to the end of 2019. Must be a nice feeling knowing the team has the confidence in you and at the same time maybe relieve some pressure? Also nice to bring them their 16th Dakar victory in a row. Sam: Its really nice to repay that confidence that they put in me with the Dakar win. It also makes it feel nice from my side to have a longer contract and not be stressing at each race. For the team Dakar is THE race, for all the sponsors and for everybody, it only happens once a year and it’s so easy to make a mistake and be out of that race – I know only too well. Its nice that they put their confidence in me and nice that ive had the chance to repay that confidence with the teams 16th Dakar in a row – really cool. We’ll Keep fighting and I want to win more, so I better get back to work!
MARC BOW / RED BULL CONTENT POOL
XMOTIONMAG • 55
XMOTIONMAG • 56
ISSUE 1 - INTERVIEWSUNDERSAM
XMOTIONMAG • 57
MXGP QATAR
For the 5th year in succession the FIM Motocross World Championship took place under the lights of the Losail International Circuit in Qatar. The layout has worn in well since it’s inception in 2013 and with fresh loads of dirt laid down before this year’s event, it setup up to be one of the best yet. As is customary in Qatar all the action tales place on Friday and Saturday as opposed to the usual Saturday/Sunday timetable with qualifying races taking place on Friday night and the main races on the Saturday. In MX2 it was Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Pauls Jonass that showed his intentions early, with only a lowly 11th place in timed practice the Latvian came out firing in the qualification race and made his way to the front early, taking the win and claiming first gate pick for Saturdays main races. With the “Jeffrey Herlings era” now over in mx2, its anybodies guess as to who will fill “The Bullets” very big shoes. It was all to play for on Saturday and Jonass made the most of his gate picks and grabbed the holeshot in moto 1, followed by Prado, Olsen and Lieber. Title contender Jeremy Seewer went down on the opening lap dropping him way down the field. Jonass would not have it all his own way however as he
XMOTIONMAG • 58
Words and images - Wayne Gray
was pushed hard by Julien Lieber early on and later as Kemea Yamaha’s Benoit Paturel put in a spirited ride to come back from on average start to work his way onto the rear wheel of the KTM. The duo would battle it out for over half the race with Paturel trying everything he could to make a pass. Lurking in the background was one of
ISSUE 1 - MXGPQATAR
the standout riders of the weekend Julien Lieber. Lieber is a privateer entry for 2017 after missing the entire 2016 season through injury. It was Jonass that crossed the line first less than 2 seconds ahead of Paturel. Lieber followed in 3rd. Another standout was Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Racing’s Thomas Kjer Olsen. Olsen has moved up from the EMX250 class where he claimed the title last year and is showing he has what it takes to compete up front. HRC Honda rider Michele Cervillin rounded out the top 5. Race 2 of MX2 saw Thomas Covington get the hotshot but once again saw Jonass work his way to the front early closely followed by Kjer Olsen and Paturel. Jonass and Paturel again had a race long battle and showed the rest of the field they are ready to fight for the title. Jonass took the victory topping off a perfect weekend to claim his first ever overall victory and also became the first Latvian to ever do so. Paturel went 2-2 for 2nd overall and Lieber 3-3 for third. Rookie Thomas Kjer Olsen took 4th overall ahead of HRC Honda new recruit Michele
Cervellin in 5th with 5-8 finishes. Team Suzuki’s Jeremy Seewer is another title contender that will be looking for better finishes at Round 2 in Indonesia, the Swiss rider had a tough weekend, battling bad starts, finishing with 12-5 scores for 6th overall. Seva Brylyakov showed great flashes of speed, evidenced by topping the charts in free and timed practice on Friday and also in the early Saturday warmup. The Russian couldn’t put it together for the races however and took two 9th place finishes for 7th overall. In the premier MXGP class it was 8 time world champion, Red Bull KTM’s Antonio Cairoli that signalled his intentions from the very first practice session, topping the charts in both free practice and timed practice. He narrowly missed out on the win in the qualifying race finishing less than a second behind 2016 World Champion Tim Gajser. Heading into Saturdays races the Sicilian was the man to beat and came out swinging, grabbing the holeshot and leading every lap of the first race to take a convincing win.
XMOTIONMAG • 59
XMOTIONMAG • 60
ISSUE 1 - MXGPQATAR
“To go home with two wins and my first overall makes me so happy. We still have eighteen GPs to go; it is such a long season.”
XMOTIONMAG • 61
He was followed by the 2013 Qatar GP winner Clement Desalle on the Monster Energy Factory Kawasaki. 3rd went to Gajser who managed to get by his team mate Evgeny Bobryshev late in the race. Bobryshev narrowly held onto 4th ahead of the hard charging Jeremy van Horebeek. MXGP race 2 saw Tim Gajser out front early ahead of Cairoli. The Slovenian led for the majority of the race until 2 big mistakes let Cairoli by towards the end of race. The battle for 3rd was a race long affair between 2015 MXGP champion Romain Febvre and Clement Desalle. Febvre would eventually get the better of the Belgian, who I’m sure is happy with his weekend ending up 3rd overall, a far cry from his injury riddled campaign of 2016 when he
was only circulating to collect points at this time last year. 5th went to Rockstar Energy Husqvarna’s Gautier Paulin, 6th overall for the 2014 Qatar winner. Cairoli became the 5th winner in as many years in Qatar and will be looking to continue this run of form into Indonesia. One of the biggest talking points coming into Qatar was Jeffrey Herlings. The Bullet was tipped as a title favourite but is suffering from his injury sustained at the pre season international in Italy.The Dutchman broke a bone in his hand and has had it screwed and plated. He is just out to collect as many points as possible while riding through the pain. he took home 13 points and will be looking for a few more in Indonesia.
“I could push until the end in both motos. We are really happy with the result and will be ready for the next GP.” - Tony Cairoli
XMOTIONMAG • 62
ISSUE 1 - MXGPQATAR
“In the last two laps I was destroyed and I couldn’t give anymore but I am happy to start the season with second overall this weekend” - Tim Gasjer
XMOTIONMAG • 63
XMOTIONMAG • 64
ISSUE 1 - MXGPQATAR
XMOTIONMAG • 65
MXGP
INDONESIA Round 2 of the FIM Motocross World Championship took place in Indonesia for the first time in twenty years at the brand new Pangkal Pinang circuit. The GP will go down in the history books and one of the most memorable, but not necessarily for all the right reasons. The clay based facility had taken a hammering from consistent rain and when we arrived, we were greeted with a deep, muddy and sticky layout that would proceed to give all the riders an extremely hard time all weekend long. Saturdays schedule was cut very short, as the MX2 and MXGP classes only went out for their free practice session, all timed sessions and qualifying races were cancelled due to the treacherous conditions and unpredictability of the weather and the circuit. The wet weather did nothing to deter the local fans however, as they came out in force to catch all the action. Official figures stood at around 36000 for the weekends racing. It was only the Women’s class that would go out for their first race of 2017. The track crew had done a remarkable job in making the circuit a lot more rideable than in the MX2 and MXGP practice
XMOTIONMAG • 66
Words and images - Wayne Gray
session. Still far from smooth and easy however, as when you got off the main line you were greeted by deep sticky slop which some of the women found out about the hard way. Coming into the season, all eyes would once again be on the top four title contenders. 2016 champion Livia Lancelot, four time WMX World Champion Kiara Fontanesi, 2016 runner up Nancy Van De Ven and arguably the favourite, New Zealand’s Courtney Duncan. In the opening moto, it looked to be Duncan that would grab the holeshot but she went down hard at the front of the pack in the first turn, leaving herself a mountain to climb in the tough conditions. Out front it was Van De Ven that put her head down and attempted to break away from Lancelot and the rest of the field. Starting just outside the top 5 was Fontanesi, who worked her way into second place on lap 2 and set off after the leader. Fontanesi had made her way onto the rear wheel of Van De Ven and attempted a pass in one of the toughest sections of the track at the halfway point. This would be her undoing unfortunately as she got her Yamaha stuck in the mud and was unable to get going again
ISSUE 1 - MXGPINDO
XMOTIONMAG • 67
Opposite tales for Suzuki MX2 teamates at Indo. Seewer: Overall MX2 winner, Vaessen: fighting in the mud. and was forced to walk back to the paddock. She was credited with 13th position. Lancelot suffered a similar fate, after crashing on the tabletop at the end of lap 4, she was unable to get her Kawasaki fired up and was relegated down the order, eventually classified as 15th. It was smooth sailing out front for No Fear Yamaha Official’s Van De Ven however who had opened up a huge gap over the field and lapped all the way up to 3rd place by the end of the moto. Second place went to Nicky Van Wordragen followed by Anne Borchers and Shana Van Der Vlist. Fifth went to the hard charging Courtney Duncan who had worked her way up from dead last on the opening lap. It was Courtney Duncan that was not to be denied in Sundays 2nd WMX race. Taking the holeshot and only giving up the lead briefly after a small crash, the Kiwi charged to the win and claimed the overall victory with her 5-1 finishes. Kiara Fontanesi made up for her Saturday shortcomings and took second place, good enough for 5th overall. Third went to Livia Lancelot, giving her 9th overall. 2nd overall
XMOTIONMAG • 68
went to Nicky Van Wordragen who was solid and consistent all weekend with 2-4 scores. Rounding out the podium was Shana Van Der Vlist with 4-8 finishes. MX2 Race 1 took place under somewhat drier conditions on Sunday as the circuit had had some time to recover through the night without any rain. It was HSF Logistics KTM’s Davy Pootjes that grabbed the holeshot, followed closely by Jonass, Bernadini, Bogers and Lawrence. Bernadini briefly got around Jonass in the opening laps but the Latvian bounced back quickly to gain second place and eventually the lead on lap 5. The track had started to deteriorate with the back section of the circuit becoming a quagmire. This would be the Red Bull KTM riders’ undoing, as he found himself stuck on lap 10, doing everything he could to free himself and his bike from the deep mud, watching hopelessly as riders passed and he fell further and further down the standings. Jonass would eventually cross the line 14th. Suzuki’s Jeremy Seewer had quietly worked his way to the front, not necessarily the quickest, but definitely the
ISSUE 1 - MXGPINDO
smartest throughout the moto. He would go on to take the win, his first ever moto victory, followed by Davy Pootjes and Julien limber in third. The Kemea Yamaha duo of Brent Van Doninck and Benoit Patrol rounded out the top 5. MX2 race 2 saw race 1 winner Seewer take the holeshot ahead of Brian Bogers, Hunter Lawrence and Bernadini. Bernadini looked to be the most comfortable in the worsening conditions as the rain continued to fall. The Italian quickly took the lead and never looked back, putting on the ride of his career to open a huge gap on the rest of the field. Lawrence attempted a pass on Bogers but went down, dropping him out of contention for a podium finish. Bogers then crashed and handed second place to Seewer. The race was cut short and when the red flag came out it was Bernadini that took the win ahead of Seewer and Bogers. Fourth place was Julien Lieber and Thomas Kjer Olsen took fifth. Overall went to Seewer with 1-2
scores, Bernadini’s 8-1 finishes were good enough for second overall and Julien Lieber, who’s 3-4 scores gave him third overall and the points lead heading into Argentina. Round 1 winner Pauls Jonass only managed to collect 7 points for the weekend and is now 5th in the championship standings. Monster Energy Yamaha’s Romain Febvre grabbed the holeshot in the first MXGP moto, but was quickly swallowed up by the pack through the first few turns, dropping him to 7th. It was Red Bull KTM’s Glenn Coldenhoff that inherited the lead, followed by Van Horebeke, Gajser, Carol, Desalle and Simpson. 2016 MX2 World Champion Jeffrey Herlings had worked his way into the top 5 by the end of the opening lap while team mate and points leader Antonio Cairoli had dropped all the way down to 10th. The battle for second between Gajser, Desalle and Simpson started to het up, with Simpson first getting around Desalle on lap 4 and Gajser on lap 5. The Scotsman was
Bernardini put on a clinic in the MX2 2nd moto.
XMOTIONMAG • 69
XMOTIONMAG • 70
ISSUE 1 - MXGPINDO
MARC BOW / RED BULL CONTENT POOL
XMOTIONMAG • 71
clearly comfortable with the tough, rutted conditions and quickly reeled in Coldenhoff to take the lead before the midway point of the race. Romain Febvre who was riding with an injured shoulder after a nasty crash in the mornings warm up had made his way into 4th after his slow start. The 2015 World Champ would be another rider to add to the list of quagmire victims as he buried his Factory Yamaha with three laps to go and was unable to continue, he was credited with 18th. Other riders who fell victim to the conditions were Tim Gajser who dropped to 7th,
XMOTIONMAG • 72
Jeffrey Herlings who dropped from 7th to 17th as well as Jeremy Van Horebeek who was in the top 5 until he crashed and took Arminas Jasikonis down with him. Van Horebeek would finish 10th and Jasikonis 16th. Simpson was cruising out front, not involved in any of the drama the other riders had experienced until the very last lap, when he got stuck momentarily, but somehow managed to muscle his way out to cross the line with the win ahead of Coldenhoff and Desalle. Cairoli came home in fourth ahead of Rui Goncalves.
ISSUE 1 - MXGPINDO
“I started sixth or seventh and picked off a couple of guys and I knew that once I got past Tim Gajser for fifth that I could get to the front.”
XMOTIONMAG • 73
XMOTIONMAG • 74
ISSUE 1 - MXGPINDO
XMOTIONMAG • 75
WWW.XMOTIONMAG.COM
CONTACT TO: WAYNE@XMOTIONMAG.COM FOR CONTENT OLLY@XMOTIONMAG.COM FOR CREATIVE CONTENT JACKY@XMOTIONMAG.COM FOR ADVERTISING