MX2

One hundred and fifty-third issue of this re-designed bi-weekly motorcycle sport magazine, tackling the latest races and issues in MXGP, MotoGP, AMA Motocross/Supercross and World Superbike as well as general motorcycling and accessories with the best blogs and photographs. In OTOR 153: MXGP: Paulin’s back; two memorable Grands Prix in a week for different reasons but especially for Gautier Paulin. Full reaction and gallery from a cold Valkenswaard. SX: Tomac takes charge; performance of a stellar season for Eli Tomac to defeat Ryan Dungey and rub finger tips on the 2017 AMA 450SX Championship trophy. Blog & pics. MotoGP: Lone Star; Marquez does it again for half a decade of dominance at COTA, Austin. Neil and David Blog from Texas with Cormac on lens duty once more. Por Fin: Prado’s moment; Spain now has a superlative motorcycle athlete in motocross as well. We have a look at the latest teenage sensation in MXGP: Jorge Prado

Read it HERE

MXGP will be back in the cool track Kegums for the MXGP of Latvia on May, the 7th. 

Kegums will host together with the MXGP and MX2 classes also the second round of the European Championships EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing and the third round of the EMX250. 

Here below the links where to downbload the official timetable of the event as well as the Entry Lists in PDF formats: 

TIMETABLE

MXGP Entry List

MX2 Entry list

EMX250 Entry List

EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing Entry List 

Ticket sales for the MXGP of The Netherlands which will take place at the world famous TT circuit in Assen during the 10th September weekend, are now open. Purchasing the tickets online NOW on the official event website you can take advantage of a special doscount.

Don’t miss the chance to go to the MXGP of The Netherlands. Get your pre-sale ticket HERE.

Here we are! One of the most awaited moments of the week: MXGP in collaboration with Monster Energy has the pleasure to interview a Monster Girl at every GP. The feature will go up the week after the event.

At the MXGP of Europe we had the pleasure to catch up with the Dutch Monster Girl Linsey. Here what we asked:

Which was your First MXGP event?

It was Valkensavaard many years ago!!! I live in Holland so love working locally, the fans are awesome.

Which is your favorite rider?

Tommy Searle! He is amazing on a bike, I cant wait for him to return to the MXGP!

What is your favorite part of being a Monster Girl?

The girls, we are like a family! It is so much fun working with them, especially Steffy she is so fun and crazy! It is not a job when you work with your friends.

To get to know more about your favorite Monster Girl, check out our Monster Girls section on http://www.mxgp.com/ or click HERE, and don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Youtube.

Two men walked away from the MXGP of Europe, held at the Valkenswaard circuit last weekend, with big smiles, bigger trophies and a bunch of points.

Red Bull KTM Factory team rider Pauls Jonass , and Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing competitor, Gautier Paulin will go into the next round in Kegums, Latvia with a lot of confidence, and with the circuit once again being sand, you can be sure both will be among the big points once again.

Jonass, who has now won three GPs with 1-1 results in 2017, and holds the red plate in the MX2 class, knows that his tough winter training, has prepared him well for this season. Last weekend was just a part of the success he feels he has earnt from hard work, and his new mentality.

“You know,” Jonass said. “It feels really good. We put the hard work in in the winter and it’s paying off. The track in Valkenswaard was really rough, and physically difficult. I really enjoyed riding it, especially in the second moto. First laps I took a good lap early, and after 15 minutes cruised to the win, I was really enjoying the track, more playing with the track, jumping the bumps, and wheelieing everywhere. Where you can see all those cold days in Belgium in the winter, racing around the sand tracks is paying off.”

As for Paulin, after a couple of years of moderate results, he was more than a little happy to return to the top of the Grand Prix podium. Even more so in maybe the toughest MXGP class ever.

“It’s one of the best wins I have ever had. “Paulin said. “When you win with good racing, it isn’t like winning when you go from the front and win by 10 or 15 seconds. Of course, it was also good for the fans. It reminded me of when I was battling Cairoli in Maggiora a few years ago, when everyone was cheering for him, now everyone was cheering for Jeffrey. It was also a very emotional win; my wife was crying when I was on the podium, she was with me a long time. Every GP I feel better. I felt disappointed in Pietramurata that I wasn’t on the podium, because I felt really good there. It’s started paying off and the game is turning, and I am really thankful for the true people I have around me now. I really love the power of my Husky.”

What these two can deliver in Kegums in 10 days’ time, nobody knows, but one this is sure, their victories in Valkenswaard will give them the upper hand when it comes to confidence. How far that will get them we will see when the gate drops in round seven of the FIM Motocross World Championships.

Copyright: Photo: Ray Archer

The Fox Holeshot award runs across the entire MXGP season. The way it works is 1 point is awarded for each race holeshot. He, who has the most points in MXGP at the end of the season will win the grand prize of €10,000 while he with the most points in MX2 will win the grand prize of €5,000.

At the 6th round of the 2017 FIM Motocross World Championship which was held in Valkenswaard, the Netherlands GP Winner Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Gautier Paulin and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Antonio Cairoli took the FOX Holeshot in MXGP Class race a and race 2 respectively.  

Meanwhile in MX2 it was Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Duo Pauls Jonass and Jorge Prado got it in Race and Race 2.

Watch the MXGP of Europe ‘Fox Holeshot’ films here below.    

MXGP of Europe FOX Holeshot MXGP Film

MXGP of Europe FOX Holeshot MX2 Film

Suzuki World MXGP rider Kevin Strijbos will be sitting-out the next few rounds of the MXGP season due to an elbow injury that he sustained at the MXGP of Trentino. After consultations with Dr Claes and Dr De Schrijver, it was decided that Strijbos would undergo surgery yesterday morning, with initial reports suggesting that the operation to repair the tear in the tendon and remove the inflammation in his elbow being a success. 

At Valkenswaard, Strijbos was only able to complete half of the first moto before the pain became too much and he had to pull off the track, which meant he was then unable to line up for the second race. 

The disappointed Belgian had this to say about his injury: “Sunday night I was in so much pain, so I knew we had to do the operation. Dr De Schrijver who has operated on me before performed the surgery and he said it went well. The tear has been fixed and the inflammation removed. Now I am in a cast for a week or 10 days, with the plan then to remove it and see how the recovery is going. If all goes well, I’ll replace the cast with a brace so I can start to do some more things with it. From then on, we have to see how it goes before I can give a real estimate for my next race. Prior to the operation, they said it’d be around four weeks before I can start mountain biking and then six weeks before I can be back riding motocross, only if everything goes really, really well. 

“I prefer to take it week by week though and see how it’s progressing because I don’t want to come back too early and have the inflammation return. I’m going to rest-up for now and try to let it heal as much as possible before this next check-up. Then we’ll have a bit more of an idea about my recovery period.” 

“We’re extremely disappointed to lose Kevin for these upcoming races” said General Manager Stefan Everts, “but unfortunately injuries are a big part of our sport. Of course everyone here wishes him the best with his recovery and that we’ll see him at the races soon.” 

Obviously this is a big blow to Strijbos and to the Suzuki World MXGP team, who will now have Arminas Jasikonis as their sole representative on the RM-Z450WS for the next few rounds.

Copyright: Photo: suzuki-racing.com

TAG Heuer has been the official timekeeper of the FIM Motocross World Championship since 2014 and together with MXGP are running a fastest lap competition across the season, with the #DontCrackUnderpressure spirit.

The way it works is: at each and every round of the MXGP season, the rider that sets the best lap time in each class, MXGP and MX2, will receive 1 point in the TAG Heuer competition. The rider that has set the fastest lap at the most rounds throughout the season in MXGP and MX2 classes, and has the most points, will be awarded.

At the MXGP of Europe which was taking place in Valkenswaard this weekend the Dutch hero Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings, who also was on the Podium for the first time this season in MXGP, and LRT KTM’s Julien Lieber set the fastest lap time for the weekend in MXGP and MX2 respectively.

Please find here below the details for both riders:

Jeffrey Herlings: 1:50:068 at Race 1 Lap 8

Julien Lieber: 1:51:000 at Race 1 Lap 6

Check out MXGP.com home page for the the Top 3 TAG Heuer Best Lap competition’s ranking.