MX2

VILLARS SOUS ECOT (France) 20 May 2023 – The RAM Qualifying Races kickstarted the MXGP of France in an incredible way with Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado clinching his 5th RAM MXGP Qualifying Race while Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Kay de Wolf won his first MX2 RAM Qualifying Race in MX2.

The steep slopes of Villars sous Ecot and the redesigned circuit offered a spectacular racing day in every class as the new demanding layout allowed us to see many overtakes and make riders show their technical prowess.

Alongside the FIM Motocross World Championship races, the WMX and the EMX125 presented by FMF Racing on their first race of the weekend with Big Van World MTX Kawasaki’s Courtney Duncan dominating in WMX while French rider 737 Performers GASGAS’s Mathis Valin made the home crowd go wild as he managed to win his 3rd race of the season. 

The RAM Qualifying Races that took place saw the winners of MXGP and MX2 RAM Qualifying Races and Jorge Prado and Kay de Wolf as well as Special Guests Kawasaki Racing Team’s Romain Febvre, De Baets Yamaha MX-Team’s Benoit Paturel, Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 Team’s Thibault Benistant, Mathis Valin and the 2023 Junior e-Motocross French race winner and red plate Timothy Cez. 

Another special moment was when the MXoN Team France Manager Gautier Paulin joined the paddock show to unveil the 2023 MXoN French Jersey exclusively to the public of Villars sous Ecot and was received with ‘la Marseillaise’ sang by the whole crowd present. 

The MXGP RAM Qualifying Race started with Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP Team’s Jeremy Seewer taking the fastest start but Prado quickly took the lead after a few turns and displayed an impressive performance as the Red Plate led until the end with a nice cushion to win comfortably. Seewer showed that he is back at his best as the Swiss showed good pace especially as he had to make sure to not get caught by a late charge by Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings. 

Herlings crossed the first lap in 5th position and started to charge forward and was quick to power through Team HRC’s Rubén Fernández and then capitalised on Ship to Cycle Honda SR Motoblouz’s Valentin Guillod’s fall in lap 2 while he was 3rd. Herlings went 3rd until lap 5 when the talented SM Action Racing Team Yuasa Battery MXGP’s Alberto Forato boldly but deservedly passed Herlings for 3rd. However, Herlings regrouped for a couple of laps and took back the 3rd place to finish the race in 3rd. Forato finished 4th and seemed very comfortable on this track.

After his fall, Guillod picked up his bike in 12th but managed to finish in the points in 8th. Fernandez who found himself 4th on lap 1, got overtaken several times but still finished 6th, scoring important points. 

Team Gebben Van Venroy Yamaha Racing’s Calvin Vlaanderen proved that he is not only a sand specialist as he rode an excellent race getting 6th until lap 5 when he overtook Fernandez confidently for 5th. He eventually comfortably finished 5th in the end. 

Home hero Romain Febvre had to employ his well-known experience to move up in the leader board. He was 11th when after 1 lap first benefitted from Guillod and Benoit Paturel misfortunes to get to 9th on lap 2. He also capitalised on Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing’s Mattia Guadagnini’s mistake to get to 8th on lap 5 and then following made the perfect move to overtake MRT Racing Team Beta’s Alessandro Lupino for 7th where he finished the race.

After a good display Lupino could not maintain his pace until the end and moved down to 14th. 

Paturel also showed his qualities again after a good start but a fall moved him down to 20th. It shows that the Frenchman his on form as he managed the incredible feat to still finish 11th. 

Guadagnini kept riding as he finished in Spain and quickly went up to 7th but unfortunately fell on lap 5 to pick it up in 12th. The Italian rider did not let that misstep stop him and kept his rhythm to overtake few times to eventually get to 9th on the last lap as he overtook another good performer JM Honda Racing’s Brent Van doninck.  Van doninck made the good operation of the day as he went from 15th to 10th in the end. 

Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP Team’s Glenn Coldenhoff rode for most of the race within the top 10 but had to settle for 12th in the end. 

Jorge Prado: “I had a good start. The track was really challenging so I am super happy to get to the finish line first. That another RAM Qualifying Race win and I feel better every time I go out on this track so we can hopefully have good racing tomorrow.”

MXGP – RAM Qualifying Race - Top 10 Classification: 1. Jorge Prado (ESP, GASGAS), 24:25.434; 2. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Yamaha), +0:02.304; 3. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), +0:04.764; 4. Alberto Forato (ITA, KTM), +0:07.960; 5. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, Yamaha), +0:21.911; 6. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, Honda), +0:22.844; 7. Romain Febvre (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:36.072; 8. Valentin Guillod (SUI, Honda), +0:45.015; 9. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, GASGAS), +0:46.327; 10. Brent Van doninck (BEL, Honda), +0:46.388

MXGP - World Championship - Top 10 Classification: 1. Jorge Prado (ESP, GAS), 304 points; 2. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 296 p.; 3. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, HON), 229 p.; 4. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 218 p.; 5. Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 202 p.; 6. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, YAM), 197 p.; 7. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 196 p.; 8. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, YAM), 190 p.; 9. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, GAS), 188 p.; 10. Alberto Forato (ITA, KTM), 158 p

Main Photo: Jorge Prado

Bottom Photos: 1. Jeremy Seewer; 2. Jeffrey Herlings

In MX2, it was Thibault Benistant who took the best start in front of teammate Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 Team’s Jago Geerts and Kay de Wolf. 

Unfortunately, Geerts crashed on the opening lap and fractured his left wrist. He suffered severe pain and the medical team was quick to respond he was brought directly to the onsite medical centre for closer assessment where the fractured was confirmed. 

Geerts will now return to Belgium to see a specialist. Updates on his treatment plan and a potential return to action will be shared in due time.

The race continued with de Wolf getting the best out of Benistant and took the lead on the opening lap. De Wolf kept a high tempo while Benistant managed to reduce the gap and make a charge on the last lap but de Wolf held his ground and won his first RAM Qualifying Race. Benistant settled for a promising 2nd place.

A sensational four-way battle ensued behind the front two with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s teammates Liam Everts and Andrea Adamo and Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing’s teammates Roan Van de Moosdijk and Lucas Coenen. Between lap 3 and 8 the 4 riders went on to ride to the limit to fight for the 3rd place. 

Van De Moosdijk first got the advantage but following an exciting give and take between him, Everts, Adamo had to give up his spot to Adamo on lap 5. Everts also overtook Van De Moosdijk for 4th a lap later. Adamo started to get pressured by Everts and finally made a mistake to let Everts go 3rd on lap 9. Everts finished 3rd while Adamo settled for 4th. 

Van De Moosdijk 5th on lap 6 got overtaken again, but this time by the excellent L.Coenen, However L.Coenen would go down on lap 9 and pick his bike up in 10th to finish 8th in the end. Van De Moosdijk was 5th until two laps to go when he was passed by the talented French young rider Team VRT KTM Factory Juniors’ Marc-Antoine Rossi. Van De Moosdijk settled for 6th while the astonishing EMX250 rider Rossi finished 4th in the end after showing so much quality.

WZ RACING TEAM’s Mikkel Haarup kept a good rhythm the whole race and never got passed as he went from 10th on lap 1 to a promising 7th place. The other EMX250 rider present in Villars sous Ecot to compete in MX2 was VRT KTM Factory Juniors’ Ferruccio Zanchi. The Italian rider didn’t disappoint as he showed great speed although he didn’t start very well. He found himself 16th on lap 1 and quickly went up to 11th on lap 2 and kept going to finally finished at an excellent 9th place.  

Finishing in 10th was F&H Kawasaki Racing Team’s Kevin Horgmo who rode solidly all along to stay within the top 10 and show good consistency. 

It was not the best day for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Sacha Coenen, TEM JP253 KTM Racing Team’s Jan Pancar and Fantic Factory Team Maddii’s Tom Guyon who all retired from the race and will want to make sure to bounce back tomorrow. 

Kay de Wolf: “I’m pretty speechless after this win. This weekend I feel so good as we put a lot of hours training on hard pack. This one feels amazing and it shows that if you work hard you can make everything happen”

MX2 – RAM Qualifying Race – Top 10 Classification: 1. Kay de Wolf (NED, Husqvarna), 24:42.419; 2. Thibault Benistant (FRA, Yamaha), +0:01.006; 3. Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), +0:27.919; 4. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), +0:34.973; 5. Marc-Antoine Rossi (FRA, KTM), +0:41.206; 6. Roan Van De Moosdijk (NED, Husqvarna), +0:44.667; 7. Mikkel Haarup (DEN, KTM), +0:50.809; 8. Lucas Coenen (BEL, Husqvarna), +0:55.374; 9. Ferruccio Zanchi (ITA, KTM), +0:59.559; 10. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, Kawasaki), +1:02.646

MX2 - World Championship - Top 10 Classification: 1. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 319 points; 2. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), 278 p.; 3. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 273 p.; 4. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, GAS), 259 p.; 5. Thibault Benistant (FRA, YAM), 256 p.; 6. Roan Van De Moosdijk (NED, HUS), 224 p.; 7. Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), 195 p.; 8. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, KAW), 174 p.; 9. Lucas Coenen (BEL, HUS), 157 p.; 10. Jan Pancar (SLO, KTM), 134 p

Main Photo: Kay de Wolf

Bottom Photos: 1. Thibault Benistant; 2. Liam Everts

SUNDAY: 09:45 WMX Race 2, 10:25 MX2 Warm-up, 10:45 MXGP Warm-up, 11:15 MXE Race 2, 11:55 EMX125 Race 2, 13:15 MX2 Race 1, 14:15 MXGP Race 1, 16:10 MX2 Race 2, 17:10 MXGP Race 2.

MXGP OF FRANCE QUICK FACTS:

Circuit length: 1780m

Type of ground: Hard Pack

Temperature: 17° 

Weather conditions: Cloudy

LINKS

Infront Moto Racing

FIM

FIM Europe

Villars sous Ecot
 

VILLARS SOUS ECOT (France) 19 May 2023 – The seventh round of the 2023 FIM Motocross World Championship comes to Villars Sous Ecot this weekend for the MXGP of France.

The MXGP of France will mark the comeback of Villars sous Ecot to the MXGP calendar six years after its last event. This time the circuit returns with an 80% renovated track which promised to deliver an exciting racing weekend. 

The MXGP of France will be broadcasted LIVE on Eurosport 2 that will air all races of MXGP and MX2 as part of the full season MXGP coverage. Automoto TV la Chaine will also broadcast LIVE every race of MXGP and MX2 with TV commentator Jean Christophe Vaschetto on site for the live commentating.

On top of that, the TNT Channel, La Chaine l’Equipe that is broadcasting all events in France will be LIVE from 2pm with MXGP Race 1 plus MX2 Race 2/MXGP Race 2 which will be live at 4pm and 5pm respectively. There will also be a large worldwide LIVE coverage which includes Eurosport, CBS Sports Network, Teledeporte, Stan Sports and more.

Below you can find a list of TV channels that will air LIVE and delayed action of the MXGP of France as well as the 26min Behind-the-Gate magazine featuring the best moments from the races, exclusive interviews and more will be available on MXGP-TV.com and via our TV magazine partners following the Grand Prix.

As always, MXGP fans can follow the races LIVE throughout the weekend, all you need to do is log onto www.MXGP-TV.com Saturday and Sunday and you can have a full racing weekend as you will be able to watch MXGP and MX2 and also WMX and EMX125 presented by FMF Racing races from anywhere you wish.
 

USA CANADA
 

CBS Sports Network

Sunday 21 May 2023  – MX2 Race 2 – 10:00 ET – LIVE

Sunday 21 May 2023  – MXGP Race 2 – 11:00 ET – LIVE

LATIN AMERICA 
 

Direct TV 

Sunday 21 May 2023  – MX2 Race 1 – 13:00 CEST – LIVE

Sunday 21 May – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 CEST – LIVE

Sunday 21 May 2023  – MX2 Race 2 – 16:00 CEST – LIVE

Sunday 21 May 2023  – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 CEST - LIVE

BRAZIL
 

Bandsports

Sunday 21 May – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 CEST – LIVE

Sunday 21 May 2023  – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 CEST - LIVE

MEXICO
 

FOX SPORTS Mexico

Sunday 21 May 2023  – MX2 Race 1 – 13:00 CEST – LIVE

Sunday 21 May 2023 – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 CEST – LIVE

Sunday 21 May 2023  – MX2 Race 2 – 16:00 CEST – LIVE

Sunday 21 May 2023  – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 CEST - LIVE

EUROPE
 

EUROSPORT 2

Sunday 21 May 2023  – MX2 Race 1 – 13:00 CEST – LIVE

Sunday 21 May 2023 – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 CEST – LIVE

Sunday 21 May 2023  – MX2 Race 2 – 16:00 CEST – LIVE

Sunday 21 May 2023  – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 CEST - LIVE

BELGIUM 
 

PLAY SPORTS OPEN

Sunday 21 May 2023  – MX2 Race 1 – 13:00 CEST – LIVE

Sunday 21 May 2023 – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 CEST – LIVE

Sunday 21 May 2023  – MX2 Race 2 – 16:00 CEST – LIVE

Sunday 21 May 2023  – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 CEST - LIVE

VRT- SPORZA 

Sunday 21 May 2023  – 18:30 News 

ESTONIA
 

Go3

Sunday 21 May 2023  – MX2 Race 1 – 13:00 CEST – LIVE

Sunday 21 May 2023 – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 CEST – LIVE

Sunday 21 May 2023  – MX2 Race 2 – 16:00 CEST – LIVE

Sunday 21 May 2023  – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 CEST - LIVE

FINLAND
 

MTV Max

Sunday 21 May 2023  – MXGP Race 2 – 18:00 – Finish timing - LIVE 

FRANCE
 

AUTOMOTO TV LA CHAINE 

Sunday 21 May 2023  – MX2 Race 1 – 13:00 CEST – LIVE

Sunday 21 May 2023 – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 CEST – LIVE

Sunday 21 May 2023  – MX2 Race 2 – 16:00 CEST – LIVE

Sunday 21 May 2023  – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 CEST – LIVE

LA CHAINE – L’EQUIPE 

Sunday 21 May 2023 – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 CEST – LIVE

Sunday 21 May 2023  – MX2 Race 2 – 16:00 CEST – LIVE

Sunday 21 May 2023  – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 CEST – LIVE

EUROSPORT 2

Sunday 21 May 2023  – MX2 Race 1 – 13:00 CEST – LIVE

Sunday 21 May 2023 – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 CEST – LIVE

Sunday 21 May 2023  – MX2 Race 2 – 16:00 CEST – LIVE

Sunday 21 May 2023  – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 CEST - LIVE

ITALY
 

RAI SPORT HD

Monday 22 May 2023  – MXGP Race 1 – 11:00 CEST – Delayed

Monday 22 May 2023  – MXGP Race 2 – 12:00 CEST - Delayed

RAI SPORT Play

Sunday 21 May 2023  – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 CEST – Live Streaming

Sunday 21 May 2023  – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 CEST - Live Streaming

EUROSPORT 2

Sunday 21 May 2023  – MX2 Race 1 – 13:00 CEST – LIVE

Sunday 21 May 2023 – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 CEST – LIVE

Sunday 21 May 2023  – MX2 Race 2 – 16:00 CEST – LIVE

Sunday 21 May 2023  – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 CEST - LIVE

LATVIA
 

TV3 Sport Open

Sunday 21 May 2023  – MX2 Race 1 – 13:00 CEST – LIVE

Sunday 21 May 2023 – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 CEST – LIVE

Sunday 21 May 2023  – MX2 Race 2 – 16:00 CEST – LIVE

Sunday 21 May 2023  – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 CEST - LIVE

LITHUANIA
 

Go3

Sunday 21 May 2023  – MX2 Race 1 – 13:00 CEST – LIVE

Sunday 21 May 2023 – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 CEST – LIVE

Sunday 21 May 2023  – MX2 Race 2 – 16:00 CEST – LIVE

Sunday 21 May 2023  – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 CEST - LIVE

NETHERLANDS
 

NOS

Sunday 21 May 2023  – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 CEST – Live Streaming

Sunday 21 May 2023  – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 CEST - Live Streaming

Highlight s– Sport Bulletin        18:45 CET 

SLOVENIA
 

Sport TV1

Sunday 21 May 2023  – MX2 Race 1 – 13:00 CEST – LIVE

Sunday 21 May 2023 – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 CEST – LIVE

Sunday 21 May 2023  – MX2 Race 2 – 16:00 CEST – LIVE

Sunday 21 May 2023  – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 CEST - LIVE

SPAIN
 

TV Galicia

Sunday 21 May 2023 – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 CEST – LIVE

Sunday 21 May 2023  – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 CEST - LIVE

RTVE Play

Sunday 21 May 2023  – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 CEST – Live Streaming

Sunday 21 May 2023  – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 CEST - Live Streaming

TV3 

Saturday 20 May 2023  – WMX Race 1 – 15:00 CEST – LIVE 

Sunday 21 May 2023  – WMX Race 2 – 09:40 CEST – LIVE

ESPORT3

Saturday 20 May 2023  – WMX Race 1 – 15:00 CEST – Live Streaming 

Sunday 21 May 2023  – WMX Race 2 – 09:40 CEST – Live Streaming

ASIA

Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand
 

EUROSPORT ASIA

Sunday 21 May 2023  – MX2 Race 1 – 13:00 CEST – LIVE

Sunday 21 May 2023 – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 CEST – LIVE

Sunday 21 May 2023  – MX2 Race 2 – 16:00 CEST – LIVE

Sunday 21 May 2023  – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 CEST - LIVE

INDIA and Subcontinent (Bhutan, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Maldives)
 

VIACOM 18 – S18 – 1 + S18 – 1 HD

Sunday 21 May 2023  – MX2 Race 1 – 18:00 IST – LIVE 

Sunday 21 May 2023 – MXGP Race 1 – 19:00 IST – LIVE

Sunday 21 May 2023  – MX2 Race 2 – 21:00 IST – LIVE 

Sunday 21 May 2023  – MXGP Race 2 – 22:00 IST – LIVE 

VIACOM  - Jio Cinema

Sunday 21 May 2023  – MX2 Race 1 – 18:00 IST – LIVE Streaming

Sunday 21 May 2023 – MXGP Race 1 – 19:00 IST – LIVE Streaming

Sunday 21 May 2023  – MX2 Race 2 – 21:00 IST – LIVE Streaming

Sunday 21 May 2023  – MXGP Race 2 – 22:00 IST – LIVE Streaming 

PACIFIC / AUSTRALIA
 

STAN SPORTS 

Sunday 21 May 2023  – MX2 Race 1 – 23:00 Aus. timing – LIVE

Sunday 21 May 2023  – MXGP Race 1 – 24:00 Aus. timing – LIVE 

Monday 22 May 2023  – MX2 Race 2 – 01:00 Aus. timing – LIVE 

Monday 22 May 2023  – MXGP Race 2 – 02:00 Aus. timing – LIVE 

MENA (Middle East North Africa)

The Saudi Sport Company - SSC Extra 1 

Sunday 21 May 2023  – MX2 Race 1 – 13:00 CEST – LIVE

Sunday 21 May 2023 – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 CEST – LIVE

Sunday 21 May 2023  – MX2 Race 2 – 16:00 CEST – LIVE

Sunday 21 May 2023  – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 CEST - LIVE

26min Behind-the-Gate Magazine Partners:
 

AMERICA 

Direct TV                     Latin America                          Thursday after each MXGP 8:30pm 

AFRICA 
Africa                           AXP                                          During the week after the event

EUROPE 

Albania                        GP1                                         Thursday after each event at 20:15

Austria                        GP1                                         Thursday after each event at 20:15

Baltics                          TV3 Sport Open                      Thursday after each MXGP

Belgium                       SPORT TEN                              tba 

Bosnia                         GP1                                         Thursday after each event at 20:15

Croatia                        GP1                                         Thursday after each event at 20:15

Finland                        MTV                                        During the week after the event

Hungary                      GP1                                         Thursday after each event at 20:15

Kosovo                        GP1                                        Thursday after each event at 20:15

Montenegro                GP1                                         Thursday after each event at 20:15

Northern Macedonia  GP1                                         Thursday after each event at 20:15

Portugal                      SPORT TV                                Tuesday after the event         

Romania                      Look Sport                               Wednesday after each event

Serbia                          GP1                                         Thursday after each event at 20:15

Slovenia                      Sport TV                                  Tuesday after the event 

INDIA and Subcontinent (Bhutan, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Maldives)
 

VIACOM 18                                                                        TBC

WORLDWIDE

Worldwide                  Motorvision                            During the week after the event

Worldwide                  Redbull TV                               Race Craft and Vlog 

Worldwide                  Youtube – MXGP TV               16 days after the event. 

MXGP of France  LIVE MXGP-TV Timetable

TIMETABLE

SATURDAY: 08:10 WMX Free Practice, 08:35 EMX125 Group 1 Free Practice, 09:00 EMX125 Group 2 Free Practice, 09:30 MXE Time Practice, 09:50 WMX Qualifying practice, 10:30 MX2 Free Practice, 11:00 MXGP Free Practice, 12:05 EMX125 Group 1 Qualifying practice, 12:40 EMX125 Group 2 Qualifying practice, 13:25 MXE Race 1, 13:45 MX2 Time Practice, 14:20 MXGP Time Practice, 15:05 WMX Race 1, 15:45 EMX125 Race 1, 16:35 MX2 RAM Qualifying Race, 17:20 MXGP RAM Qualifying Race.

SUNDAY: 09:45 WMX Race 2, 10:25 MX2 Warm-up, 10:45 MXGP Warm-up, 11:15 MXE Race 2, 11:55 EMX125 Race 2, 13:15 MX2 Race 1, 14:15 MXGP Race 1, 16:10 MX2 Race 2, 17:10 MXGP Race 2.

LINKS
 

Infront Moto Racing

FIM

FIM Europe

Villars sous Ecot

MONACO (Principality of Monaco) 19 May 2023 – Infront Moto Racing is excited to announce that the tickets for the MXGP of Sumbawa-Indonesia and Lombok-Indonesia are now online!

Sumbawa and Lombok will respectively host the 10^th and 11^th Grand Prix of the 2023 FIM Motocross World Championship this season on the 24^th- 25^th June and 1^st- 2^nd July.

This will be the second year in a row that the MXGP riders will land in Sumbawa. In 2022, Tim Gajser dominated the GP with a perfect 1-1 in front of Jorge Prado and Rubén Fernández while in MX2 Tom Vialle came out victorious also with a perfect 1-1 ahead of Simon Längenfelder and Thibault Benistant.

For the MXGP of Lombok-Indonesia, it will be the first MXGP event on the island and will offer a fantastic back-to-back Indonesian Grand Prix experience for the whole MXGP paddock.

Get ready for some exciting action-packed ridings in Indonesia with these back-to-back GPs!

Get your tickets for Sumbawa-Indonesia HERE

Get your tickets for Lombok-Indonesia HERE

LINKS

Infront Moto Racing

FIM

Sumbawa

Lombok

Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing is excited to confirm that Simon Langenfelder has signed a new deal with the squad, which will ensure that he is able to "get on the gas" in the 2024 FIM Motocross World Championship and beyond.

Langenfelder has competed in GASGAS colors since the manufacturer debuted in the Grand Prix series and transferred to the elite Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing awning in the months prior to round one of the 2022 FIM Motocross World Championship. '516' won the Grand Prix of Great Britain and ended third in the championship standings that year.

Entering the current term with championship expectations, Langenfelder won his first race of the year at the Grand Prix of Trentino and won the most recent Grand Prix in Spain in a dominant fashion. The flamboyant star suffered an arm injury in the days following that triumph, unfortunately, and is sidelined for the time being. All involved are excited to see him back on an MC 250F and competing for victories in Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing colors for years to come.

Simon Langenfelder: "I am super happy to stay with the GASGAS family! We are a great team and I am sure that if we keep on working and having fun, we can achieve great things together."

Davide De Carli (Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing Team Manager): "We are really happy to renew the contract with Simon. He is a hard working guy and has great potential! I am convinced that sooner or later the results will come. He has already shown good things, finishing third in the MX2 series in 2022. This year, he was unlucky in the first races but he implemented his potential and showed great speed at the MXGP of Spain with 1-1 results. We will continue in that direction upon his return from injury." 

Robert Jonas (Head of Motorsports, Off-Road): "Simon Langenfelder has proven to be a phenomenal talent and has blossomed with support from the Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing squad. We are very happy to secure his services and hope to race towards a world title with him."

Photo Credit: GASGAS

MONACO (Principality of Monaco) 17 May 2023 - The FIM Motocross World Championship is coming to France for the seventh Grand Prix of the of the 2023 season. The circuit of Villars Sous Ecot will be hosting the MXGP of France six years after the last event held there in 2017.

The French track was first introduced to the World Championship in 1982 and went on to host the 1988 MXoN. The 2023 edition will mark the comeback of Villars sous Ecot to the MXGP calendar and its 7th MXGP event, and this time the circuit returns with an 80% renovated track which will be an added challenge for the riders. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings won the last edition in 2017 (MXGP of Montbeliard) in MXGP and in 2015 in MX2 while French rider Kawasaki Racing Team’s Romain Febvre won in 2015 in MXGP.

The MXGP of France will also host the 4th round of WMX and EMX125 presented by FMF Racing. Big Van World MTX Kawasaki’s Courtney Duncan leads the Women’s Motocross Championship while MJC Yamaha Team’s Janis Martin Reisulis is the leader in EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing in front of the young French rider 737 Performers GASGAS’s Mathis Valin.

The MXGP of France is always something special with large number of fans always ‘au rendez-vous’ to cheer on their heroes. While last season, the MXGP of France in Ernée was won by Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP Team’s Jeremy Seewer, the last edition in Villars sous Ecot in 2017 was clinched by Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings in front Team HRC's Tim Gajser and Max Anstie.

In 2023, Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado arrives at the Grand Prix of France as the leader of the Championship although he doesn’t have the momentum with him. He missed the podium for the first time this season at his home GP in Spain but still finishing at very good 4th overall. His consistency his clear as he once again clinched the RAM Qualifying Race in Spain but the Red Plate will want to get back on the top step of the podium and make sure Jeffrey Herlings does not overtake him in the Championship Standings this weekend.

On the other side, Herlings second in the Championship, comes to France with a huge momentum as he won back-to-back Portugal and Spain to break the all-time record of GP wins with 102. He also won the MXGP of Spain with the first perfect 1-1 of the season in MXGP showing that he is simply back to his best. The ‘bullet’ will have the advantage of the track as he won in Villars sous Ecot in MX2 in 2015 and in MXGP in 2017 which will give him this extra confidence that motocross riders crave. Now with only 6 points separating him from Prado, the fight for the lead will be on in France.

Team HRC’s Ruben Fernandez is another rider that his on his way up having clinched the podium on his Home GP in Spain and showed an incredible level of competitivity over last GPs. With 3 Top 5s in the last 3 GPs it is not hard to see that the Spanish rider is getting quickly acclimated to his first MXGP season with a factory team. He showed in Spain his mental toughness to rise up to the occasion with all that added stress to perform on home soil.

Kawasaki Racing Team’s Romain Febvre is coming home. The Frenchman has been very unfortunate in Spain as he was involved in a multi-rider collision during the MXGP RAM Qualifying Race that ruled him out of the MXGP of Spain. However, he clinched 2 podiums before the MXGP of Spain which puts him at a comfortable 4th place. He also has already won at Villars sous Ecot which will be the perfect way to come back with a bang and make his home crowd overjoyed. That would also be the perfect moment to win his first GP of the season.

Unfortunately, Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP Team’s Maxime Renaux, who sits 5th in the Championship will not be present as he sustained an injury during the MXGP of Spain that will rule him out for the foreseeable future. 

Team Gebben Van Venroy Yamaha Racing’s Calvin Vlaanderen, 6th in the Championship is being very consistent as he got an incredible 6 Top 10s out of 6 so far this season. While he was not too far from the podium several times this season, the Dutchman still misses a podium which is definitely within reach for him after showing loads of confidence and regularity in 2023. On the back of another solid 8th overall in Spain, Vlaanderen will as always be a rider to watch in France.

Another Dutchman is Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP Team’s Glenn Coldenhoff who sits only one point behind Vlaanderen with 190 points and still very much in contact with a podium place. Coldenhoff has shown a lot of maturity after his dip in form in Switzerland as over the last 3 Grand Prix, Coldenhoff has finished 6th twice and 5th in Spain which makes him a constant threat for podium finishes as the season goes.

His teammate and 5-time Vice Motocross World Champion Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP Team’s Jeremy Seewer did not have the smoothest ride so far but still shows up in 7th position in the Championship which shows his undeniable talent. The Swiss rider is getting back to his rhythm as he got 5th in Portugal and 6th in Spain clinching 3 FOX Holeshots along the way to get to 4 in total this season. We can expect Seewer to come back challenging the top spots as we already saw him in Spain leading his first laps of the season.

Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing’s Mattia Guadagnini is also nearly levelled with Seewer and very close to Vlaanderen in 6th with 186 points. Guadagnini seems at peace in his riding at the moment and it shows on the track with him deservedly clinching his first MXGP podium in Spain in 2nd position. He is one who also took lead of a race for the first time this season in Spain. His impressive riding style looks like is becoming very efficient too which bodes well with the importance of the next GPs to chase higher position in the standings and get more podium along the way.

SM Action Racing Team Yuasa Battery MXGP’s Alberto Forato is a solid performer and a rider that is very reliable in 2023. 10th in the Championship, the Italian has shown many great ridings throughout the first 6 rounds and will also be determined to ride at the front more often than not to get more points and prove he can fight amongst the top riders.

De Baets Yamaha MX-Team’s Benoit Paturel will be one of the home riders this weekend and the privateer, 12th in the Championship, has shown plenty of quality riding so far this season as he clinched several top 10s in races. Riding at home may give him an added boost to get his first overall top 10 this season which is more than possible given what he displayed so far in 2023.

For Ship to Cycle Honda SR Motoblouz’s Valentin Guillod who is 11th, the MXGP of France is not far from his home too. The Swiss will want to continue on his journey as he has been in the top 10 over the last 4 GPs and will want to keep these performances going in the neighbouring country.

Main Photo: Rainbow over starting gates MXGP Montbeliard 2017

Bottom Photos: 1.Romain Febvre; 2. Jeffrey Herlings MXGP Montbeliard 2017

Championship Standings Top 10

1. Jorge Prado (ESP, GAS), 294 points;
2. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 288 p.;
3. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, HON), 224 p.;
4. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 214 p.;
5. Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 202 p.;
6. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, YAM), 191 p.;
7. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, YAM), 190 p.;
8. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 187 p.;
9. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, GAS), 186 p.;

2017 MXGP of Pays de Montbeliard (Villars sous Ecot) - MXGP Top 3:

1. Jeffrey Herlings
2. Tim Gajser
3. Max Anstie
    

The last time MX2 competed in Villars sous Ecot was in 2017 and it was Thomas Covington who came out victorious in front of Hunter Lawrence and Jed Beaton. However the last MXGP of France in 2022 saw home hero Tom Vialle win in front of the other French rider Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 Team’s Thibault Benistant and Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 Team’s Jago Geerts. 

Jago Geerts is still the MX2 leader as he finished 2nd on the podium in Spain behind the imperial Simon Längenfelder who sustained an injury in training last week and will not compete in France. Geerts showed plenty of maturity as he settled for the 2nd place and accepted this place knowing that the season is long. The Red Plate holder has been 5 out of 6 time on the podium which is a testament to his consistency and which is crucial to be able to stay on top of the Championship. 

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Andrea Adamo is also a model of regularity which is why he is 2nd in the championship and continues to show strong ridings. He got 4 out of 6 podiums so far and will be coming in Villars sous Ecot on the back of a 3rd place overall in Spain. The Grand Prix winner in Trentino paradoxically has not won a race so far and he will want to rectify that at the MXGP of France.

Another rider who performs and always fight at the top is Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Kay de Wolf who is 3rd in the championship and missed the podium in Spain but with the same points as Adamo. De Wolf has won one race in Sardinia and even if has not won a GP yet he is not far from it as he already showed he can beat all his rivals over the course of a race. The MXGP of France will be the perfect occasion to align everything a get a deserve GP win.

Now 4th in the championship thanks to his impressive performance in Spain with a perfect 1-1, Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing’s Simon Laengenfelder has sustained an injury on the back of his win and will unfortunately not be able to compete for the foreseeable future. Thibault Benistant, 5th so far and very much in the course for the MX2 Title has experienced a dip in form over the GPs of Trentino and Portugal, 6th and 10th respectively. He got back into his usual showings in Spain with a 3-5 for 5th overall. This is a perfect timing to get back to his best with the MXGP of France coming this weekend. The Frenchman will be supported by the passionate home crowd that will him perform on home soil.

Following in the Championship are Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Roan Van de Moosdijk and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Liam Everts, 6th and 7th respectively. They both recently tasted their first podium and are riding more often at the front of the pack. Everts got a good 7-6 for 6th overall in Spain collecting important points and not falling behind too much behind the top five. Van De Moosdijk is on the rise in term performance as he is getting his fitness and rhythm back after his injury in pre-season.

F&H Kawasaki Racing Team’s Kevin Horgmo finds himself 8th while Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Lucas Coenen is 9th. After his 4th place in Patagonia-Argentina Horgmo has not managed to get back to this kind of showings but the qualities of the Norwegian are well known as he is consistently into the top 10s, with his recent 7th place in Spain. Lucas Coenen managed a 14th overall in Spain with some misfortunes but the Belgian has already all he needs to perform with the best riders and simply need to put it all together over one full GP. The MXGP of France will be another chance for these riders to clinch their first podium.

TEM JP253 KTM Racing Team’s Jan Pancar who is 10th in the standings is the first privateer in the MX2 Motocross World Championship. That speaks volumes for his riding qualities and determination and it will be interesting to see if he can get even higher as the season goes. In Spain, he went 16-9 for 12th overall to keep his solid 10th position.

Another home rider will be Fantic Factory Team Maddii’s Tom Guyon who finds himself 22nd in the championship as he missed a couple of Grand Prix due to a sore shoulder. He came back in Spain for a 19th overall but getting along the way precious competition time and fitness before coming to Villars sous Ecot. The MXGP of France is ideal for Guyon to draw extra confidence from the fans support and get back to compete at the front of the pack.

The 11th in Championship, Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 Team’s Rick Elzinga will unfortunately not take part in the MXGP of France after sustaining an injury. On the other hand after the return of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Sacha Coenen to the competition in Trentino, S.Coenen has definitely kickstarted his season after a promising top 10 in Spain, 9th overall which will give the young Belgian plenty confidence to continue his ascension to the Championship Standings (18th) starting with the MXGP of France. 

Main photo: MX2 Start MXGP Montbeliard 2017 

Bottom Photos: 1. Thibault Benistant; 2. Andrea adamo

Championship Standings Top 10

1. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 319 points;
2. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), 271 p.;
3. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 263 p.;
4. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, GAS), 259 p.;
5. Thibault Benistant (FRA, YAM), 247 p.;
6. Roan Van De Moosdijk (NED, HUS), 219 p.;
7. Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), 187 p.;
8. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, KAW), 173 p.;
9. Lucas Coenen (BEL, HUS), 154 p.;
10. Jan Pancar (SLO, KTM), 134 p.;

2017 MXGP of Pays de Montbeliard (Villars sous Ecot) – MX2 Top 3:

1. Thomas Covington
2. Hunter Lawrence
3. Jed Beaton

TIMETABLE
 

SATURDAY: 08:10 WMX Free Practice, 08:35 EMX125 Group 1 Free Practice, 09:00 EMX125 Group 2 Free Practice, 09:30 MXE Time Practice, 09:50 WMX Qualifying practice, 10:30 MX2 Free Practice, 11:00 MXGP Free Practice, 12:05 EMX125 Group 1 Qualifying practice, 12:40 EMX125 Group 2 Qualifying practice, 13:25 MXE Race 1, 13:45 MX2 Time Practice, 14:20 MXGP Time Practice, 15:05 WMX Race 1, 15:45 EMX125 Race 1, 16:35 MX2 RAM Qualifying Race, 17:20 MXGP RAM Qualifying Race.

SUNDAY: 09:45 WMX Race 2, 10:25 MX2 Warm-up, 10:45 MXGP Warm-up, 11:15 MXE Race 2, 11:55 EMX125 Race 2, 13:15 MX2 Race 1, 14:15 MXGP Race 1, 16:10 MX2 Race 2, 17:10 MXGP Race 2.

LINKS

Infront Moto Racing

FIM

FIM Europe

Villars sous Ecot

MONACO (Principality of Monaco) 15 May 2023 – The seventh round of the 2023 FIM Motocross World Championship is coming to France and will be held at Villars sous Ecot on 20-21 May!

Checkout the Timetable and Entry Lists for the MXGP of France below

TIMETABLE

MXGP ENTRY LIST

MX2 ENTRY LIST

WMX ENTRY LIST

EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing ENTRY LIST

Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2's Rick Elzinga sustained an injury to his right collarbone during practice on Wednesday, May 10th, and underwent surgery yesterday, Thursday May 11th.

Due to this setback, Elzinga, who currently ranks 11th in the MX2 World Championship Standings, will miss the upcoming MXGP of France, which is scheduled to take place in Villars Sous Ecot on the weekend of May 20-21.

However, the young Dutchman remains optimistic about making a comeback at the MXGP of Latvia, which will be held in Kegums on the weekend of June 4th.