MX2

KEGUMS (Latvia) 23 April 2022 – The first day of racing has concluded with Red Bull GasGas Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado and Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jago Geerts dominated the MXGP and MX2 qualifying races, to secure pole positions for tomorrow’s main action.

Though bringing the excitement for the Latvian fans here in Kegums, was Standing Construct Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Pauls Jonass who put on an impressive performance, keeping the championship leader, Tim Gajser of Team HRC at bay to finish second, which gave his home crowd something to cheer about!

Alongside the qualifying action from the FIM Motocross World Championship, we also witnessed the first races of the EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing and EMX Open categories, with home heroes and brothers Janis Martins Reisulis and Karlis Alberts Reisulis of Yamaha Europe EMX125 MJC going 1-2 for an impressive result in the opening 125cc heat. While in EMX Open, the victory eventually went to Jose Butron of JD Gunnex after a penalty was issued for Giuseppe Tropepe.

As the gate dropped for MXGP qualifying heat, it was Red Bull GasGas Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado who got a flying start and led the way ahead of Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jeremy Seewer who was very briefly in second, though home favourite Pauls Jonass of Standing Construct Husqvarna Factory Racing was quick to get around the Swiss, who then dropped to third ahead of Team HRC’s Tim Gajser.

Yamaha Factory Racing’s Maxime Renaux crashed on the opening lap, as Seewer made a mistake of his own, dropping down to sixth, allowing Honda 114 Motorsports' Ruben Fernandez, Gajser and Standing Construct Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Brian Bogers through.

For almost four laps, Fernandez kept Gajser at bay, making it hard for the Slovenian to get around. Gajser was patient and by the fifth lap was able to find a way through and focus his attention on Jonass ahead. 

Diga Procross KTM Racing’s Thomas Kjer Olsen had a big crash on the same lap, as he went out of 10^th. He swiftly received medical attention, but the consequences of this crash are yet to be known as we wait on an official update from his team.

Fernandez then crashed too, as Gajser caught onto the back of Jonass, who was around 3.685 seconds down on Prado, who was set in his how rhythm and pulling away. 

Gajser then went off track as he pushed to get by the Latvian, while further down the field Gebben Van Venrooy Yamaha Racing’s Calvin Vlaanderen was fighting back through the pack, as he got himself into 11^th and then 8^th by the end of the race. Fernandez also was able to come back to sixth ahead of JT911 KTM Racing’s Jordi Tixier.

In the end, Prado went on to win his first qualifying race of 2022 as he crossed the line 4.639 seconds ahead of Jonass who was able to maintain the position and keep Gajser behind him in third. Bogers was fourth with Seewer fifth. 

Jorge Prado: “It was a great qualifying race. I got the holeshot, which is what I really wanted to do, in the sand it’s good to start in the front and then you can ride your own rhythm and that’s what I did, pushed a little in the first minutes and then I was controlling the race. The track was tricky, but I was enjoying it. Thanks to the whole Red Bull GasGas Factory Racing crew, we have been working to achieve this, thanks a lot guys, we are going in the right direction”.

Main Photo: Jorge Prado

Bottom Photos: 1. Pauls Jonass 2. Tim Gajser

MXGP - Qualifying Race – Top 10 Classification: 1. Jorge Prado (ESP, GASGAS), 25:10.704; 2. Pauls Jonass (LAT, Husqvarna), +0:04.639; 3. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:06.899; 4. Brian Bogers (NED, Husqvarna), +0:09.538; 5. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Yamaha), +0:24.226; 6. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, Honda), +0:30.747; 7. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KTM), +0:31.746; 8. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, Yamaha), +0:33.172; 9. Maxime Renaux (FRA, Yamaha), +0:33.700; 10. Henry Jacobi (GER, Honda), +0:37.389;

In MX2, it was Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jago Geerts who was the leading rider in and out of the first corner, with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Tom Vialle, Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing’s fill-in rider Jeremy Sydow and Isak Gifting of Hitachi KTM fuelled by Milwaukee also getting a good start.

Big Van World MTX Kawasaki’s Mikkel Haarup got a good jump out of the gate, after going fastest in timed practice, though slipped back to around 9^th on the opening lap and had to work his way up the order.

Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Kay de Wolf didn’t get the best start and had to come through the back of the field. After a slow beginning, he was able to find a good rhythm to finish the heat in 8^th, giving him a decent starting position for tomorrow.

Though a rider to watch was F&H Kawasaki Racing’s Kevin Horgmo who, together with Haarup, made some good passes before catching onto the rear wheel of Red Bull GasGas Factory Racing’s Simon Längenfelder by the second lap. At the same time, Gifting made the pass on Sydow for third.

Gifting was looking fast as he went purple in sector one a couple of times and was setting lap times fast enough to run with the front-runners. Throughout the race he was chipping away at Vialle’s lead ahead of him in second and with two laps to go was able to make a pass stick on the championship leader.

All while, Haarup urged Horgmo onto the back of Längenfelder and after a couple of failed attempts, both Horgmo and Haarup were able to get past the German who dropped to seventh. Haarup then looked like he was going to make a move on Horgmo before going down with just two laps to go and eventually came back to 19^th.

Geerts ended up taking his fourth pole of 2022, winning 13.044 seconds ahead of Gifting and Vialle. Horgmo was fourth ahead of Sydow who made his debut on the factory Husqvarna an impressive one.

Jago Geerts: “I just felt really good on the bike. I got the holeshot and then was pulling away throughout the whole race. I am feeling good and feeling ready for tomorrow. I'll try to do the same thing to get a good result”.

Main Photo: Jago Geerts

Bottom Photos: 1. Isak Gifting 2. Tom Vialle

MX2 - Qualifying Race – Top 10 Classification: 1. Jago Geerts (BEL, Yamaha), 25:00.862; 2. Isak Gifting (SWE, KTM), +0:13.044; 3. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), +0:14.050; 4. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, Kawasaki), +0:15.077; 5. Jeremy Sydow (GER, Husqvarna), +0:23.009; 6. Simon Längenfelder (GER, GASGAS), +0:26.051; 7. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, GASGAS), +0:28.615; 8. Kay de Wolf (NED, Husqvarna), +0:41.542; 9. Jorgen-Matthias Talviku (EST, KTM), +0:42.272; 10. Bastian Boegh Damm (DEN, KTM), +0:43.487;

TIMETABLE (Local Timing UTC+3)

SUNDAY: 09:45 EMX Open Race 2, 10:25 MX2 Warm-up, 10:45 MXGP Warm-up, 11:30 EMX125 Race 2, 13:15 MX2 Race 1, 14:15 MXGP Race 1, 16:10 MX2 Race 2, 17:10 MXGP Race 2.

All the photos from the MXGP of Latvia will be available HERE.

You can find the complete results HERE.

MXGP OF LATVIA QUICK FACTS:

Circuit length: 1790m

Type of ground: Hard Sand

Temperature: 17° C

Weather conditions: Cloudy

LINKS

Infront Moto Racing

FIM

FIM Europe

MXGP of Latvia

Dear MXGP Friends,

Three fantastic Grand Prix took place since our last edition of the MXGP Magazine. Our come back to Argentina has been made with great class. It was a big pleasure to come back to such a beautiful venue. Villa La Angostura-Patagonia was missing on the MXGP calendar since the beginning of the pandemic. In fact, it was the first Grand Prix that suffered the global lock down we had to face. In 2020 we had to cancel the GP just 10 days before it would have taken place. So, it is also a very important symbol to be welcomed over there for our very first overseas Grand Prix since 2019! The Argentinian and South American motocross fans answered the call with a massive and impressive presence, breaking the record of attendance with more than 39.000 spectators onsite during the weekend. The local authorities and the organizer confirmed their will of having the GP back in 2023, which will bring to 7 the number of GP that took place on this amazing track! Gajser in MXGP and Vialle in MX2 won this great GP. 

Another important come back on the calendar was Portugal, on the famous red dirt of Agueda. Here also the public answered the call. We definitely felt the demand of the fans to attend the Grand Prix and enjoy live our sport again. We were missing the sound of the chains for the last 2 years along the track and in front of the podium, and we are definitively on the good way. Regarding the racing, Prado was the fastest in MXGP and Vialle won the MX2 class. 

Pietramurata and the Grand Prix of Trentino gave us some novelties with the modifications brought to the track and the changes of the direction to ride. The Slovenian fans came across the border to support Tim Gajser, their hero, who won the GP and Vialle confirmed his great period with another win and a perfect score of 50 points. He took back the red plate of Geerts. 

The different European championships also started with a great success and an impressive amount of rider’s entries, especially in Trentino which is very well located to travel from across Europe. 

Finally, we announced the renewal of our collaboration with KTM group for the E-Motocross Series, a electric motocross bike series dedicated to the young talents. This year will see 6 rounds taking place during the GP of Spain, France, Germany and Czech Republic. We are sure that it will confirm its great success of last year by giving a fantastic access to the new generations to new technology of racing.

I would like to thank FIM, FIM Europe, all our organizers, the MXGP partners, the teams and the riders, for their collaboration.

See you in Latvia! 

David Luongo

CEO of Infront Moto Racing 

KEGUMS (Latvia) 22 April 2022 – The FIM Motocross World Championship action resumes this weekend with the sixth round of the series heading to Kegums for the MXGP of Latvia.

Since hosting the first official GP race in 2009, Kegums has become a regular on the MXGP calendar, hosting 14 Grand Prix’s races, including the first ever triple header in 2020, along with the 2014 edition of the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations.

This weekend, all eyes will be on home hero Pauls Jonass of Standing Construct Husqvarna Factory Racing who will no doubt be fired up to put on his best performance for the local crowd. Fans in Latvia can follow the action LIVE on TV3 Sport while those in neighbouring countries Estonia and Lithuania can watch on Go3!

Additionally, Infront Moto Racing is delighted to announce a new TV deal with More Than Sports TV in Germany, Austria and German Speaking Switzerland with the MXGP of Latvia LIVE this weekend.

More Than Sports TV is a new free to air sports channel for Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. More Than Sports offers an attractive program including mix fast-growing and popular sports events such as American Football, Rugby, motorsports, MMA and eSports including Live events as well as highlights, documentaries, and reviews. More Than Sports TV can be watched via dedicated cable networks, as well as via Magenta TV, Waipu.TV, ZATTOO, TV.DE, BLUE TV (Swisscom) and via the More Than Sports TV App (available in Google, Apple, and Amazon App Stores), and via www.morethansports.tv

Check out the full list of channels below that will air LIVE and delayed action of the MXGP of Latvia, along with the 26min Behind-the-Gate magazine, available to enjoy on MXGP-TV.com and via our TV magazine partners following the GP weekend, featuring the best moments from the races and exclusive interviews, plus more!

As always, MXGP fans can follow the races LIVE throughout the weekend, all you need to do is log onto www.MXGP-TV.com this Saturday and Sunday to watch the MXGP, MX2, EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing and EMX Open action from the comfort of your home.

USA CANADA

CBS Sports Network

Sunday 24 April 2022  – MX2 Race 2 – 09:00 am ET – LIVE

Sunday 24 April 2022  – MXGP Race 2 – 10:00 am ET – LIVE

EUROPE

EUROSPORT 2

Monday 25 April 2022  – MX2 Race 1 – 08:30 CET – Delayed

Monday 25 April 2022  – MXGP Race 1 – 09:00 CET – Delayed

Monday 25 April 2022  – MX2 Race 2 – 09:30 CET – Delayed

Monday 25 April 2022  – MXGP Race 2 – 10:00 CET – Delayed

AUSTRIA

More Than Sports TV

Sunday 24 April 2022  – MXGP Race 1 – 13:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 April 2022  – MXGP Race 2 – 16:00 CET – LIVE

BELGIUM 

PLAY SPORTS OPEN

Sunday 24 April 2022  – MX2 Race 1 – 12:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 April 2022  – MXGP Race 1 – 13:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 April 2022  – MX2 Race 2 – 15:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 April 2022  – MXGP Race 2 – 16:00 CET – LIVE

VRT

Sunday 24 April 2022  – 20mn highlights

ESTONIA

Go3

Sunday 24 April 2022  – MX2 Race 1 – 12:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 April 2022  – MXGP Race 1 – 13:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 April 2022  – MX2 Race 2 – 15:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 April 2022  – MXGP Race 2 – 16:00 CET – LIVE

FINLAND

MTV Max

Sunday 24 April 2022  – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 (Local time GMT+3) - LIVE

FRANCE

AUTOMOTO LA CHAINE 

Sunday 24 April 2022  – MXGP Race 1 – 13:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 April 2022  – MX2 Race 1 – 14:00 CET – Delayed

Sunday 24 April 2022  – MX2 Race 2 – 15:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 April 2022  – MXGP Race 2 – 16:00 CET – LIVE

EUROSPORT 2

Monday 25 April 2022  – MX2 Race 1 – 08:30 CET – Delayed

Monday 25 April 2022  – MXGP Race 1 – 09:00 CET – Delayed

Monday 25 April 2022  – MX2 Race 2 – 09:30 CET – Delayed

Monday 25 April 2022  – MXGP Race 2 – 10:00 CET – Delayed

ITALY

RAI SORT HD

Monday 25 April 2022  – MXGP Race 1 – 16:30 CET – Delayed

Monday 25 April 2022  – MXGP Race 2 – 17:30 CET – Delayed

RAI STREAMING

Sunday 24 April 2022  – MXGP Race 1 – 13:00 CET – LIVE Streaming

Sunday 24 April 2022  – MXGP Race 2 – 16:00 CET – LIVE Streaming

EUROSPORT 2

Monday 25 April 2022  – MX2 Race 1 – 08:30 CET – Delayed

Monday 25 April 2022  – MXGP Race 1 – 09:00 CET – Delayed

Monday 25 April 2022  – MX2 Race 2 – 09:30 CET – Delayed

Monday 25 April 2022  – MXGP Race 2 – 10:00 CET – Delayed

GERMANY

More Than Sports TV

Sunday 24 April 2022  – MXGP Race 1 – 13:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 April 2022  – MXGP Race 2 – 16:00 CET – LIVE

LATVIA

TV3 Sport Open

Sunday 24 April 2022  – MX2 Race 1 – 12:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 April 2022  – MXGP Race 1 – 13:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 April 2022  – MX2 Race 2 – 15:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 April 2022  – MXGP Race 2 – 16:00 CET – LIVE

LITHUANIA

Go3

Sunday 24 April 2022  – MX2 Race 1 – 12:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 April 2022  – MXGP Race 1 – 13:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 April 2022  – MX2 Race 2 – 15:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 April 2022  – MXGP Race 2 – 16:00 CET – LIVE

NETHERLANDS

NOS

Sunday 24 April 2022  – MXGP Race 1 – 13:00 CET – LIVE Streaming

Sunday 24 April 2022  – MXGP Race 2 – 16:00 CET – LIVE Streaming

SLOVENIA 

Sport TV1

Sunday 24 April 2022  – MX2 Race 1 – 12:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 April 2022  – MXGP Race 1 – 13:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 April 2022  – MX2 Race 2 – 15:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 April 2022  – MXGP Race 2 – 16:00 CET – LIVE

SPAIN

TV Galicia

Sunday 24 April 2022  – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 CET – Delayed

Sunday 24 April 2022  – MXGP Race 2 – 16:00 CET – LIVE

Teledeporte

Sunday 24 April 2022  – MXGP Race 1 – TBC – Delayed

Sunday 24 April 2022  – MXGP Race 2 – TBC – Delayed

RTVE Play

Sunday 24 April 2022  – MXGP Race 1 – 13:00 CET – LIVE Streaming

Sunday 24 April 2022  – MXGP Race 2 – 16:00 CET – LIVE Streaming

SWITZERLAND

More Than Sports TV

Sunday 24 April 2022  – MXGP Race 1 – 13:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 April 2022  – MXGP Race 2 – 16:00 CET – LIVE

BRAZIL

Bandsports

Sunday 24 April 2022  – MXGP Race 1 – 13:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 April 2022  – MXGP Race 2 – 16:00 CET – LIVE

ASIA

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

EUROSPORT ASIA

Monday 25 April 2022  – MX2 Race 1 – 08:30 CET – Delayed

Monday 25 April 2022  – MXGP Race 1 – 09:00 CET – Delayed

Monday 25 April 2022  – MX2 Race 2 – 09:30 CET – Delayed

Monday 25 April 2022  – MXGP Race 2 – 10:00 CET – Delayed

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

VIACOM SPORT 18

Sunday 24 April 2022  – MX2 Race 1 – 12:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 April 2022  – MXGP Race 1 – 13:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 April 2022  – MX2 Race 2 – 15:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 April 2022  – MXGP Race 2 – 16:00 CET – LIVE

PACIFIC

AUSTRALIA

STAN SPORTS

Sunday 24 April 2022  – MX2 Race 1 – 12:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 April 2022  – MXGP Race 1 – 13:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 April 2022  – MX2 Race 2 – 15:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 April 2022  – MXGP Race 2 – 16:00 CET – LIVE

26min Behind-the-Gate Magazine Partners:

AMERICA

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

USA                             MAV TV                                   During the week after the event

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

Spain                           Movistar                                  Firday after each event at 12am

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

VIACOM SPORT 18                                                      TBC

WORLDWIDE

Worldwide                  Motorvision                            During the week after the event

                                    Redbull TV                               Race Craft and Vlog

MXGP of Latvia MXGP-TV Timetable

TIMETABLE (Local Timing UTC+3)

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

SUNDAY: 09:45 EMX Open Race 2, 10:25 MX2 Warm-up, 10:45 MXGP Warm-up, 11:30 EMX125 Race 2, 13:15 MX2 Race 1, 14:15 MXGP Race 1, 16:10 MX2 Race 2, 17:10 MXGP Race 2.

All the photos from the MXGP of Latvia will be available HERE.

You can find the complete results HERE.

LINKS

Infront Moto Racing

FIM

FIM Europe

MXGP of Latvia

Team Ship to Cycle Honda SR Motoblouz rider Stephen Rubini stands in ninth place in the MX2 World Championship points after starting the season on fire at Matterley Basin with 5-10 results and while the French rider has been rather consistent, there have been a few races where he has dropped major points on his top ten rivals. After that British GP performance, Rubini has gone, 16-10, 8-8, 6-13, 9-9.

In the last round of the MX2 World Championships, held in Trentino, Italy, a 9-9 result wasn’t too bad, and many riders would be happy to walk away with two top ten finishes, but not Rubini, who has his eyes set on bigger fish in the MX2 class.

“It was a tough weekend for me” Rubini said. “Earlier this week I strained my right knee, so it was very painful riding in Trentino. I still managed to get some valuable championship points, but it wasn’t easy. At the start of the weekend, we tried the sand tyre which is quite normal when the track is ripped so deep, but once the track compacted and the surface sand had been pushed away it was very hard packed again and felt different to previous years. The first race wasn’t so good for me. I had a good start and went from 6th place on the out-lap down to 13th, but I still pushed hard and came back to ninth, so not too bad. I didn’t start so well in race two, but I was far more aggressive and did not give up. Even though I was in a lot of pain I managed to finish the race in ninth, the same position as race one and I think my lap times were quite good, so I just need better start. “

A round earlier in Agueda, Portugal the Honda rider had a mixed day, with a very well put together sixth place in race one, but a 13^th in race two, which gave him no chance of making a podium finish.

“Apart from the second race overall I had good weekend. For the second weekend in a row, I was in the top ten for the whole weekend and was feeling good and had a great feeling on the bike. I was a bit sick this weekend though and was struggling with my breathing quite a lot. It was quite painful in my chest to race at this level of physical output.  I had a really good Qualifying Race to finish in sixth, then in the Warmup Practice this morning I posted a good lap to give me second place, so I was motivated for the races. The track was a lot more rutted and bumpier which I enjoyed a lot. I pushed hard in race one, but they watered the track so much that I ran out of tear-offs and had to start wiping my goggles and trying to avoid getting too close to the rider in-front because I couldn’t see so well anymore. Unfortunately, I crashed early in the second race and started from last. It was so tough to make passes, but I still managed to get back up to 13th. I was more aggressive on the track this weekend and more aggressive in the early laps and this worked well. We’ve also worked hard on setting up my CRF250R’s suspension to suit my riding style and the engine is also really nice and I’m very happy. It’s a very good bike and very competitive. I just have to build my confidence now. Each weekend I’m getting better, and I think my place now belongs in the top five. I’m going to continue working towards this goal.”

Rubini will of course head to Kegums in Latvia this weekend and many will have their eyes on the young Frenchman as he continues to try and build on what is beginning to look like a very good Grand Prix career.

Photo Copyright: Lovemytraining

MONACO (Principality of Monaco) 20 April 2022 – Infront Moto Racing is excited to share the April edition of MXGP Magazine!

The 104^th edition of the monthly magazine features Big Van World MTX Kawasaki’s Mikkel Haarup as the Rider of the Month with a special feature on the Dane as he opens up about his struggles in the last two years, his new perspective and outlook on racing and his triple podium success in the last three GPs! 

The rest of the magazine includes the monthly Racing Catch-Up of the previous rounds in Patagonia-Argentina, Portugal and Trentino, along with the current standings of the Fox Holeshot competition. 

There’s also a Special Feature on the strong performance of Honda during the 2022 campaign which takes a look at the HRC riders, Tim Gajser and Mitch Evans, as well as Ruben Fernandez and Henry Jacobi who have put Honda at the sharp end of the field! 

In addition, the Vintage Bike section includes Jacky Vimond’s 1986 Yamaha YZ25 while in this month’s Hall of Fame we learn more about the career of Marc Velkeneers!

You can find all this plus more in the 104^th issue of MXGP Mag, which you can download for FREE on the Apple Store or Google Play. Read it HERE!

Users who have already downloaded other issues on their iOS device can automatically download the new issue by opening the News Stand and clicking on the cover of the MXGP Mag. Whereas those readers using an Android device will be able to download the magazine for free thanks to this app: http://bit.ly/IssuuOnAndroid.

LINKS

Infront Moto Racing

FIM

MXGP Mag

MONACO (Principality of Monaco) 20 April 2022 – With the Easter break finished and batteries re-charged, it’s time for the FIM Motocross World Championship to get back to work as round six is set to take place in Kegums for the MXGP of Latvia this weekend.

Since 2005, when Kegums first made its FIM Motocross World Championship debut by holding the MX3 World Championship round, the Latvian track has built an impressive portfolio. The first official MXGP race to take place at the Motocenter "Zelta Zirgs" circuit was in 2009, with the inaugural event won by none other than Antonio Cairoli in MX1 and Rui Goncalves in MX2.

In the years that followed, Kegums has hosted 14 GPs, including the first ever triple-header in 2020. Along with hosting some of the best Grand Prix weekends, in 2014 the Latvian venue had the pleasure of holding the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations which was won by Team France.

As it stands, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings holds the record for the most victories in Kegums, with six ahead of Cairoli who has five. Though with Cairoli retired and Herlings still recovering from injury, this leaves the door open for new riders to write their name in the history books of Motocenter "Zelta Zirgs".

This weekend, alongside the regular MXGP and MX2 action, we will see further rounds of the EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing and EMX Open classes, as Latvia’s Karlis Alberts Reisulis of Yamaha Europe EMX125 MJC and his brother Janis Martins Reisulis will aim for top positions on home soil in the 125cc class. K. Reisulis was one of the podium finishers in Trentino, alongside Alexis Fueri of Fantic Factory Team Maddii who took away the series lead from his teammate Cas Valk who also finished on the box.

Meanwhile in the EMX Open category, Michael Sandner of Raths Motorsports will look to extend his championship lead over Jose Butron of JD Gunnex KTM Racing Team and Raf Meuwissen of Raths Motorsports.

In MXGP, all eyes will be on the home hero Pauls Jonass of Standing Construct Husqvarna Factory Racing who has been working towards a spot on the podium in the last couple of rounds. Despite set-back in the off-season which then translated in a lack of bike time and a tough first few races, the Latvian did not let this affect him. A win in the qualifying race in Argentina was the boost of confidence he needed and since then has delivered a string of top five finishes. In Trentino, Jonass struggled with illness but here’s to hope that he has had the time to fight that and be on top form for his home GP this weekend.

Meanwhile Team HRC’s Tim Gajser will be the man to beat as he will no doubt be full of confidence following his first 1-1 victory of the season in Trentino. That’s now four GP victories for Gajser out of five, which are very strong stats as he aims for the title this season. Having also won the GP in Latvia last year, he is looking like the favourite for this year too.

Red Bull GasGas Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado was not on the form he may have expected in Trentino, after his GP victory in Portugal. He finished third on the podium, just two points ahead of Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jeremy Seewer who was within touching distance of a spot on the box. Though Prado has been good in Latvia in the previous years, getting his first GP win there in 2019 in MX2 and his first MXGP podium in 2020. Last season he was also on the podium, behind Gajser and ahead of Herlings, so another podium finish is on the cards.

As mentioned, Seewer was within touching distance of the podium at the previous round in Trentino and getting back on the box would be a really positive result for the Swiss who had a couple of tough weeks following his crash in Argentina. Seewer has been on the podium in Kegums once before already, as he placed second overall at the MXGP of Riga in 2020 – so he has what it takes to do it again no doubt.

His teammates Glenn Coldenhoff and Maxime Renaux are another pair to watch with Renaux continuing his strong rookie season having secured his third podium just a couple of weeks ago in Trentino, while Coldenhoff has also been on the rise, producing some very good results. Renaux was also the winner in MX2 at the Latvian Grand Prix last year, so he knows how to lead laps at the Zelta Zirgs circuit, but so does Coldenhoff, having previously won in Kegums in 2015 and 2020.

Gebben Van Venrooy Yamaha Racing’s Arminas Jasikonis is unfortunately set to miss the MXGP of Latvia due to sustaining two broken ribs a few weeks ago. The Latvian Grand Prix is the closest thing to a home race that Jasikonis has, with many Lithuanian fans always making the trip across the border to Kegums. While the tall Lithuanian will not line-up, he will be present at the race to support his teammate Calvin Vlaanderen who has been building in the last couple of races. The first heat in Trentino saw Vlaanderen fight through to sixth, while the second race ended in tears with a big crash ending his race. Though he looks promising as we head into the races this weekend.

An exciting name on the entry lists though is Tanel Leok who after retiring from Grand Prix racing at the end of 2020 will make his comeback for the Latvian GP.

2021 MXGP of Latvia Top 3 – MXGP:

1. Tim Gajser

2. Jorge Prado

3. Jeffrey Herlings

Main Photo: MXGP Start in 2021

Bottom Photos: 1. Tim Gajser 2. Jorge Prado

MXGP - World Championship Top 10 Classification: 1. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 236 points; 2. Jorge Prado (ESP, GAS), 203 p.; 3. Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 184 p.; 4. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 160 p.; 5. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, YAM), 141 p.; 6. Brian Bogers (NED, HUS), 126 p.; 7. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, BET), 126 p.; 8. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, HON), 125 p.; 9. Alberto Forato (ITA, GAS), 94 p.; 10. Jed Beaton (AUS, KAW), 82 p.;

In MX2, things are starting to get interesting, as Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Tom Vialle now leads the MX2 Championship standings after a perfect weekend in Trentino where he went 1-1. Meanwhile Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jago Geerts had a shocking weekend that ended in a costly DNF following a couple of crashes, with the Belgian no doubt fired up to take back the red plate this weekend.

Vialle has been looking strong and much like his old self that we used to see taking Fox Holeshot’s and winning races, but Geerts has the advantage of more GP wins in Kegums (two in MX2 and one in the EMX250 class) compared to Vialle’s one victory. But that doesn’t mean that Vialle cannot make it happen this weekend as he will aim to pull away from his championship rival.

While in the last couple of races Vialle has been the man to beat, he has been challenged by the likes of Mikkel Haarup of Big Van World MTX Kawasaki and Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Kay de Wolf. This weekend Haarup will aim for his fourth podium finish on the bounce, as he continues his most successful season in MX2 to date. The last couple of weeks have been important for the Dane who has admitted that his performance during timed practice and Qualifying needs work in order to get that strong starting position for Sunday, which will be vital this weekend with the sharp right first corner.

de Wolf is among the podium favourite for this weekend too, having delivered his second podium of the season in Trentino with a second overall. He fought hard against Vialle and with confidence building since his crash in Argentina, we could see him fight for the top spot this time around.

Kevin Horgmo of F&H Kawasaki Racing is another rider to watch, along with Red Bull GasGas Factory Racing’s Mattia Guadagnini who was on the podium last year in Latvia. Guadagnini needs to deliver some good results as he is yet to make his podium appearance in 2022 – but this weekend could be his weekend.

Looking to represent on home soil will be wildcard rider Mairis Pumpurs who will be the only Latvian set to line-up in MX2 this weekend. There is no doubt that Pumpurs will be more motivated than ever to put on his performance in front of home fans.

2021 MXGP of Latvia Top 3 – MX2:

1. Maxime Renaux

2. Jago Geerts

3. Mattia Guadagnini

Main Photo: MX2 Start in 2021

Bottom Photos: 1. Tom Vialle 2. Jago Geerts

MX2 - World Championship Top 10 Classification: 1. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), 208 points; 2. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 194 p.; 3. Mikkel Haarup (DEN, KAW), 169 p.; 4. Simon Längenfelder (GER, GAS), 154 p.; 5. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 150 p.; 6. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, GAS), 138 p.; 7. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, KAW), 136 p.; 8. Andrea Adamo (ITA, GAS), 133 p.; 9. Stephen Rubini (FRA, HON), 116 p.; 10. Isak Gifting (SWE, KTM), 111 p.;

TIMETABLE (Local Timing UTC+3)

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

SUNDAY: 09:45 EMX Open Race 2, 10:25 MX2 Warm-up, 10:45 MXGP Warm-up, 11:30 EMX125 Race 2, 13:15 MX2 Race 1, 14:15 MXGP Race 1, 16:10 MX2 Race 2, 17:10 MXGP Race 2.

All the photos from the MXGP of Latvia will be available HERE.

You can find the complete results HERE.

LINKS

Infront Moto Racing

FIM

FIM Europe

MXGP of Latvia

MONACO (Principality of Monaco) 14 April 2022 – Infront Moto Racing is excited to continue working together with GoPro who will remain as MXGP’s official action camera bringing fans closer to the epic FIM Motocross World Championship events!

GoPro joined the FIM Motocross World Championship back in 2013, giving all MXGP fans the opportunity to enjoy motocross from a variety of new perspectives and angles, all thanks to the creative technologies of the GoPro cameras and mounts. 

During Grand Prix weekends, MXGP uses numerous GoPro cameras mounted on athletes and in the paddock to capture some of the best behind-the-scenes action and unique angles up close and inside of the race. This includes the official GoPro Lap and the 360 GoPro MAX Lap with the GoPro MAX that gives an even better look around each circuit on the calendar. Additionally, MXGP introduced the Paddock Talks and Team Tours on their social channels that are recorded using the GoPro HERO10 Black! And of course, the on-board footage from the likes of Team HRC’s Tim Gajser, Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jeremy Seewer and Maxime Renaux and Honda 114 Motorsports’ Ruben Fernandez among others, who have allowed fans to view the best action from the races from their point-of-view. 

Additionally, around the circuit you can find GoPro branding and on-site activations giving the brand and their latest products prime TV visibility. 

Infront Moto Racing is delighted to continue working together with GoPro and bring even more exciting content from the FIM Motocross World Championship! 

To learn more about GoPro and their exciting product range, visit www.GoPro.com

LINKS

Infront Moto Racing

FIM

GoPro