European Nations

At the 2014 Monster Energy Motocross of Nations there will be a long list of European nations looking to continue the domination Europe have over the last couple of years.

Of course everyone will remember the way Team Germany won the Chamberlin Trophy back in 2012 around the very tough Lommel circuit. With perfection from their MX2 rider Ken Roczen and solid back-up performances by Max Nag and Marcus Schiffer it was always going to be difficult to beat them as Team USA struggled in the deep sand.

A year later at the Teutchenthal circuit in Germany it was the always competitive Belgian team of Clement Desalle, Ken De Dycker and Jeremy van Horebeek who scored the least points, thus walking away with the winner champagne. Despite a final moto crash by Desalle and DNF the Belgian team still stopped Team USA from adding to their already impressive 22 MXoN victories.

Now in 2014 the nations line up to challenge each other for the most important prize in motocross. This year hasn’t been the most friendly for the European teams, with major injuries to riders like Clement Desalle, Ken De Dycker and Jeffrey Herlings, while the non-appearance of Ken Roczen and Jordi Tixier will make the job of beating Team USA even more difficult.

The French even without their MX2 world champion Tixier have a strong line-up. Gautier Paulin loves this event and has won two motos in his time as a Team France rider, winning motos in 2009 in Italy and 2011 in France. Paulin burst back into form with his victory at the last GP of the season in Mexico, and will be excited to once again line-up against the American riders.

“The Motocross of Nations is a special event,” Paulin said. “Everyone who races the MXoN wanted to perform at their best. I feel lucky to have won two motos, and to be able to represent my country in Latvia gives me great pride.”

Alongside Paulin will be Dylan Ferrandis and Steven Frossard. Frossard too has performed well in the MXoN finishing with a 5^th place in a moto in 2009. Frossard also won an MX2 GP at Kegums a few years ago, so his hopes will be high come next weekend. France have only won the MXoN on one occasion, at the Namur circuit in Belgium in 2001, when David Vuillemin, Luigi Seguy and Yves Demaria shocked the Belgian team to take victory.

Other European teams looking for some success will be Team Great Britain with Shaun Simpson, former AMA 250 champion Dean Wilson and big event rider Tommy Searle, and of course Team Italy with MXGP world champion Antonio Cairoli, Davide Guarneri and former world champion David Philippaerts.

Team GB haven’t won the event since 1994, and despite being one of the most successful nations in the MXoN, it would be a huge surprise if they won in Latvia. Italy have two victories in the MXoN, in 2002 and in 1999.