Heading to Qatar

While the 2017 MXGP season doesn’t begin for another six weeks, or so, the Grand Prix riders are in serious training for the opening GP in Qatar on February 25.

Be it Tim Gajser, Jeffrey Herlings or Antonio Cairoli the hard work has already begun for what many are saying will be a very special FIM Motocross World Championship.

Word in Italy is that Italian legend Antonio Cairoli is looking super-fast and might be back to his very best, for what will be his biggest challenge to date. Obviously that challenge will come from the new breed, which includes young Dutchman Jeffrey Herlings.

Defending MXGP champion Tim Gajser and 2015 MXGP champion Romain Febvre are the other part of that new breed, and it is going to be interesting to see how Cairoli deals with those three.

Young Spanish rider Jorge Prado has been riding with Cairoli and is surprised how quick he is.

“I have been riding with Pauls Jonass, Antonio Cairoli and Glenn Coldenhoff. I know Jeffrey Herlings will be one of the top guys this year in the MXGP class, he is also one of my heroes, but watching Antonio, he is also quick, and he has surprised me with his speed and what he can do on a bike. I think he will also be up there.”

No doubt these four riders will be the guys who everyone else needs to challenge, but as we all know, nothing is sure until it happens, and riders like Max Nagl, Max Anstie, Gautier Paulin, Clement Desalle, Jeremy Van Horebeek, and many others will all want to take GP victories and battle for the biggest prize in motocross, the MXGP championship.

While the MXGP class is wide open, the MX2 class will be even more exciting. A long list of teenagers are looking at fighting for the 250cc championship. Leading the way should be Factory Suzuki rider Jeremy Seewer, and Red Bull KTM Factory rider Pauls Jonass. Both have won GPs and shown they are the future of this class, but there are a bunch of riders looking to shock the world. Jorge Prado who showed in Assen last year he isn’t scared of anyone. The young Spanish rider will be on another level in 2017, compared to his rookie season.

Also, American Thomas Covington will want to raise the bar and try and bring America their first world championship since 1994, when Bobby Moore won the World 125cc title.

Jeffrey Herlings might be gone from the MX2 class, and that will make all these young riders hungry for their own piece of history.

Come February 25, to the Losail circuit in Qatar where the first piece of the MXGP puzzle will be placed. From there on, week by week, month by month, the best motocross riders in the world will travel to some of the most beautiful parts of the world, and by September, we will once again see two champions crowned.