MX2

MXGP is excited to share that a new video series has been started with a focus on the MXGP athlete’s off-season training.

The new project “MXGP Off Season” is a series of more than 13 different videos which will be shared throughout the month of February, all leading up to the season opener in Argentina.

Each episode will focus on different riders and their feelings and preparations as they head into the 2018 season. The first 2 episodes featuring Max Anstie and Antonio Cairoli are online NOW and can be watched at the following links:

Max Anstie off season Video: https://youtu.be/wRt_hTGfSbc

Antonio Cairoli off season Video: https://youtu.be/5lsRqNChnic

Plus don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel, MXGP-TV, to be notified as soon as each episode is uploaded and available! CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE: http://ow.ly/tPA6Y

Husqvarna Motorcycles are pleased to release the imagery and video of the 2018 Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing MX2 team, featuring official team riders Thomas Covington and Thomas Kjer-Olsen.

Watch the video here: Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing MX2 Video

Placing third and fourth respectively in the 2017 FIM MX2 World Championship both Kjer-Olsen and Covington enjoyed impressive season aboard their FC 250 machinery. With the start of the eagerly-awaited 2018 MX2 World Championship drawing even closer, the Danish and American duo are set to lead Husqvarna Motorcycles’ charge in what is expected to be a long and demanding season. 

The 19-round 2018 FIM Motocross World Championship kicks off with the MXGP of Patagonia in Nequen, Argentina on March 3/4, 2018. 

Please feel free to download the high-res images from the official 2018 Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing MXGP team shooting here.

Copyright: Photo: Husqvarna Racing/ShotbyBavo

Team HRC’s Brian Bogers is on the way to full recovery following the foot injury he suffered in Italy last November. The physical condition of the 21-year-old Dutch rider was evaluated yesterday at the AZ St.-Elisabeth hospital in Herentals, Belgium, by foot/ankle specialist Anne van Riet.

Despite being cleared to resume training, Dr van Riet has suggested a further six weeks’ rest before Brian can perform any activity requiring pressure on the foot. Bogers’ condition will therefore be re-evaluated at the end of March, after which a more accurate time frame for his MXGP debut will be announced.

Team HRC has not yet made a decision regarding the rider line-up for the first events of the 2018 MXGP season.

Brian Bogers: Obviously, every racer would love recovery times to be as short as possible, but I fully understand the need for the foot to be fully healed and strong before making my MXGP debut. On the bright side, it looks like the healing process is going really well and even the doctor was surprised as to how well my foot has progressed in such a short time. Motocross is a tough sport which requires perfect physical condition, and that’s our goal for now. It was nice to get together with the team last week and I can’t wait to join them and get back to racing. Meanwhile, though, I will train as much as I can and prepare in order to be ready for the season ahead.

Marcus Pereira de Freitas, HRC General Manager MXGP: Brian’s healing progress is going very well; quicker than we expected so this is very positive news. Of course all the Team want to see him back as soon as possible but it is absolutely important and necessary to give him the time he needs to have his foot fully healed and to make sure he doesn’t come back too soon. Brian will be back on the bike in around six weeks so we are looking forward to seeing him back in action, and in the meantime he has been cleared by his doctor to work on all other aspects of his physical training as he continues his preparation to make his debut season with Team HRC on the CRF450RW.

Copyrigyht: Photo: Team HRC

Yamaha Motor Europe is offering all talented YZ125 riders that were born between 2002 and 2005 an extended chance to enter the 2018 YZ125 bLU cRU Cup where he or she could win a professional contract with Yamaha Motor Europe to race the 2019 EMX125 European Championship. Registration will now close on the 28th of February. 

In search of new motocross talent, Yamaha is running a competition where one promising young rider will be awarded a place within the Official Yamaha EMX125 team, where he or she will be supplied with a GYTR kitted YZ125 to compete in the 2019 EMX125 European Championship season.

The competition is open to all registered YZ125 riders who will be racing in 1 of 15 approved national championships. Up to 44 of the best performing riders will then be invited to finish the season by racing in The YZ125 bLU cRU Cup Superfinale, which will be held on the 29th and 30th September at the final round of the FIM Motocross World Championship in Imola, Italy. The riders who finish inside the top three in the Superfinale, plus two wildcard riders selected by a jury, will be invited to attend the bLU cRU Masterclass at the end of the season.

The Masterclass is designed to inspire, educate and develop the next generation of motocross riders by providing an exclusive insight as to what it takes to be a champion. It will be run by a highly acclaimed bLU cRU ambassador and will take place over three days where the jury will select and reward one lucky rider who has proved he has the talent, motivation and desire to be something great, with a contract for the 2019 European Championship EMX125 season on the MJC Yamaha Official EMX 125 team.

Due to an increase in popularity, registration has been extended to 28th of February, it is FREE of charge, so get in quick! For more information and to enter, click HERE and fill out the registration form and send it to bLUcRU@yamaha-racing.com

As an official bLU cRU member you will receive a free bLU cRU welcome pack following your registration. The pack contains: two T-shirts, a hoody, an umbrella, a cap, a backpack, a bLU cRU water bottle and an exclusive YZ sticker kit that all European YZ125 bLU cRU Cup contenders are obliged to use whilst racing in their national championships, and, in case qualified, in the YZ125 bLU cRU Cup SuperFinale and Masterclass.

Copyright: Photo: Yamaha Racing

Back in October of 2017, young English rider Max Anstie pulled off an incredible 1-1 result at the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations. It was that performance, and a handful of top five finishes leading into the MXoN that started people believing that the Rock Star Energy Husqvarna factory rider just might have what it takes to win a GP in the very competitive MXGP class.

If Anstie can produce a GP win, he will be the first English rider to do so since Kurt Nicoll back in 1997, more than 20 years ago. Nicoll won the 1997 500cc Grand Prix of Luxembourg with 1-2 results, but even then, it’s a question mark if the 500cc class was the premier class. A few years earlier, in 1994, a guy called Merv Anstie won a GP in the 500cc class, yes, the father of Max.

“At the end of the day,” Anstie said. “My dad reminded me he has a GP win. In fact, I finished ninth in 2017, and even after Matterley, he keeps remining me that he finished 8th in the world and has a GP win. Of course, I want to do that for England, and all the fans, and I want to do it for myself.”

“It’s nice, because Kurt Nicoll has been a part of my life, and I know him from when I rode in the states, and I had a good relationship with him, and of course my dad was one of the last to win one for England, but I want to win more than one.

While Scotsmen (Shaun Simpson and Billy Mackenzie), and Irishmen (Gordon Crockard), have shown good speed in the premier class of motocross, and won a bunch of GP’s between them, has been far too long a wait for an Englishman do get that elusive prize in the premier class.

Sure, Tommy Searle, Max Anstie, James Dobb, and many others have scored GP wins in the MX2/125cc class, but it’s been thin picking for English riders on the world scene in the big bike class.

And while Anstie didn’t get the GP win in 2017, he did finish on the podium and came so close to making history and joining the likes of Nicoll and Anstie Snr as an English GP winner. The question is, will the new Max Anstie, the MXoN winner be able to transfer his 2017 form, and just improve that little bit more to capture a GP victory for his beloved fans.

“Something that helped me was my team,” Anstie said. “The Ice One guys, with Antti, with my team trainer Tommy, with all the guys we have there. They have been able to unlock or free me to just go racing. I don’t have to anything other than what is important, to go fast. That has been a massive part of freeing me up and as the season progressed, I would be doing the Tuesday, or Wednesday or Thursday, and I would be fast and I would do my 30 minute motos and I would be doing really well, then I would come to the weekend and try too hard and make a mistake or crash, but the team had the confidence, we know you do it during the week, now settle down and become normal on the weekend and I think that is how it got at the end of the season.”

So, bring on Argentina in a months’ time, and let’s see if history can be repeated as the new Max Anstie takes on the best in the world.

Copyright: Photo: Juan Pablo Acevedo

Fox Racing is pleased to announce the agreement of a long-term partnership with IceOne Racing, with support for the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team beginning in the 2018 FIM Motocross World Championship. Established in 2013 by F1 Superstar Kimi Räikkönen, the IceOne Racing program has quickly become one of the most premium teams in the MXGP Paddock – and became the official Husqvarna Factory MXGP team in 2014.

For us partnering with FOX is the next natural step, lifting up our team level of rider safety, performance and visual appeal. We are looking forward to this journey together and we can’t wait to make our own contribution to the great heritage of FOX and Husqvarna in Motocross – great partners who belong together.” – Antti Pyrhönen, IceOne Racing Team Manager.

“Fox and IceOne Racing share a relentless desire to elevate both performance and style, so this partnership is as natural as they come.” – Jeff Taylor, Senior Vice President of Global Marketing, Fox Racing.

IceOne Racing will field a 3-man squad in 2018, with Gautier Paulin and Max Anstie competing in the ever stacked MXGP World Championship. Youth Rider Mikkel Haarup will graduate from the EMX125 class to the EMX250 Class. The team riders will use Fox V3 Helmets with MVRS (Magnetic Visor Release System), Instinct Boots, and both Flexair & 360 Racewear. Max Anstie and Mikkel Haarup will also take to the treacherous MXGP circuits with the all new FOX Vue Goggle.
IceOne Racing will debut on the world stage with Fox Racing on March 4^th when the 2018 FIM Motocross World Championship kicks off with the MXGP of Patagonia - Argentina in Neuquen, Argentina. 

Watch the video HERE

ABOUT FOX

For over 4 decades, Fox Racing has been the global leader in motocross and mountain biking gear and apparel. Fox outfits the world’s best competitive action sport athletes and enthusiasts with products that combine innovation and style, rooted in the brand’s original competitive motocross spirit. The company is based in Irvine, California, with offices, retail stores, and an international roster of sponsored athletes, located around the world.

ABOUT ICEONE RACING

Paulin is coming off an amazing season last year where he finished 3^rd Overall in the MXGP World Championship and again led Team France to their 4^th MX of Nations title in a row. Max Anstie had a strong showing in 2017 as a Rookie in the MXGP Class with multiple podium overall finishes, and enters his Sophomore season in the premier class for 2018 with his eye on race wins. Youth prodigy Mikkel Haarup will continue the progression of his racing career in 2018 and enters the EMX250 Class after finishing 2^nd Overall in the 2017 EMX125 Championship.

Husqvarna Motorcycles are pleased to release the full imagery from the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing 2018 MXGP team shooting, featuring the duo of official team riders Gautier Paulin and Max Anstie. 

Following a stellar season in which the Frenchman secured third in the 2017 MXGP World Championship standings and then went on to top the Nations Classification at the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Gautier Paulin is fired up for more success in 2018. 

Enjoying a solid rookie season of MXGP class competition that ended with the Brit claiming two emphatic moto victories at the 2017 Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations, Max Anstie will be a strong asset for the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing squad alongside Paulin in 2018. 

The 19-round-long 2018 FIM Motocross World Championship will kick off with the MXGP of Patagonia in Nequen, Argentina on March 3/4, 2018. 

Feel free to download the high-res images from the official 2018 Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing MXGP team shooting here

While many eyes will be on the battle between present world or former world champion Antonio Cairoli, Jeffrey Herlings, Tim Gajser and Romain Febvre in the MXGP class, when the series begins in Argentina in early March, you can be sure the MX2 class won’t go unnoticed.

With defending MX2 world champion Pauls Jonass as the early favourite, a long list of riders are waiting to take up the challenge of taking that number one plate from the Latvian.

Jonass, clearly the most experienced and decorated rider in the class, the 2017 world champion knows that his past means nothing, but his consistent approach to this victory last year will be the important aspect of success in defending the championship.

“I am only 21 and I am almost a veteran there,” Jonass said. “It feels a little strange, I did two full seasons in MX2 and this will be the third one. I have a lot more experience than the other guys and there will be good guys, like Jorge (Prado) and Hunter (Lawrence), but I also think (Thomas) Olsen and (Thomas) Covington will be good, many good guys who can win a GP or a race. It will be tough, but I will make sure I will be ready for the challenge.

Jorge Prado, who recently changed to the Claudio de Carli side of the KTM tent, knows that his 2017 results need to improve if he wants to be a serious contender in 2018.

“I mean there are so many guys who can go fast and be consistent and can win,” Prado said. “I think I can be one of them, why not, but I think it’s going to be difficult. I would be happy with top three at the end of last year. Last year I was close to the top five and I had three races where I didn’t get points. If I can keep myself on two wheels the whole year and not missing races with zeros, then I think the top five would be good, but I think we can aim a little higher. But it’s difficult to say, because it’s a long season and it hasn’t even started yet.

American rider Thomas Covington hasn’t been the most consistent of riders in the MX2 class, but like Prado he has won Grand Prix’s and is one of the few in the class with that distinction.

“There are quite a few guys who can run up front,” Covington said. “Like last year, I think a small group of us will probably break away as the season goes on. It is such a long year, which should be to my benefit, as I haven’t ridden much in the off-season I can build into it. I want to stay consistent, which is something I have lacked in the past. I really want to focus on that and be there for the championship at the end of the season. Maybe in the early rounds I won’t light it on fire, but hopefully I will be when we get into the heart of the season.”

So now, with just six weeks until the Argentinian Grand Prix, all the best MX2 riders are preparing for what could turn out to be a very interesting season.

MONACO, (Principality of Monaco) 25 January 2018 - Youthstream is pleased to welcome EVS Sports, a leader in premium protection products over the last 30-years, to the FIM Motocross World Championship.

Founded in 1985 EVS Sports founders developed a strategy that changed motocross safety for the better. After witnessing various knee injuries with no brace on the market to fit the need, EVS Sports was born. The AMX-5 was the first ever motocross specific knee brace.

Now EVS Sports has become a leader in innovation and technology through its development of head to toe products for the majority of today's athletes. What was started as a simple knee brace has flourished into an extensive line of knees braces, neck supports, helmets, chest and back protectors.

“Youthstream is very happy to welcome EVS Sport as an official partner of MXGP. The protection has always been a priority for our company and we are proud to see such a leader in this sector joining the FIM Motocross World Championship,” David Luongo, Youthstream’s Vice-President and Head of Operations, stated.

“EVS is a global brand and the MXGP’s provide the perfect stage to further showcase our premium protection product line to fans and riders around the world,” stated EVS Sports' Todd Lentz.

To learn more about EVS and our full line of premium protective products visit our website: www.evs-sports.com

LINKS

Youthstream

FIM

EVS SPORTS

MXGP-TV is happy to inform MXGP’s fans from around the world of a new promotion allowing the viewing of thousands of hours of premium content!

For the first time in the history of MXGP an archive of all the races since 2010 is available on demand in the new package. So in addition to the highly anticipated 2018 FIM Motocross World Championship season you can catch up on all the racing action from the most epic motocross racing on the planet from the FIM Motocross World Championship plus the EMX, VMX and WMX categories, the Snowcross World Championship, the Junior World Championship and all the Motocross of Nations’ outstanding footage.

Look back at the racing of some of your favorite riders and witness their progression over the past years. Hundreds of epic races full of bar banging battles, top notch action and ultimate competition are waiting to be relived!

The New promo including the Motocross Archive will last until February the 19^th. Click HERE and enjoy the 2018 Season plus 8 years of Actions for free!