Seven YZ125 Cup riders selected by Yamaha Motor Europe N.V. have successfully concluded the intense Masterclass training programme from November 18th - 20th, at the Ottobiano Motorsport track in Italy. The upcoming young talents were taken under the wing of 2008 MX Premier Class (MX1) Champion David Philippaerts and Alberto Barozzi, Yamaha Motor Europe N.V.'s bLU cRU Racing Manager, to get a unique insight into all aspects of professional motocross training. The students' progress was carefully monitored by Yamaha Motor Europe N.V.'s racing committee throughout the course, as only one rider will receive the opportunity to step up to the EMX125 Championship with Yamaha's MJC Yamaha Official EMX125 Team next year.
Tim Edberg (15 years old / Sweden), Jeroen Bussink (15 years old / The Netherlands), Arvid Lüning (15 years old / Sweden), Nicolo Folli (15 years old / Italy) and Rasmus Holm (15 years old / Sweden) and wildcards Hugo Johansson (15 years old / Sweden) and Gervasio Cañas (15 years old / Spain) earned their place in the Masterclass after a year of fierce competition in their respective national MX championships and a thrilling SuperFinale at the VELTINS-Arena on October 8th*.
Having been selected by Yamaha Motor Europe N.V.'s racing committee, the seven young riders got to learn first hand all the ins and outs of the off-road racing industry from Philippaerts and Yamaha Motor Europe N.V. bLU cRU Racing Manager, Alberto Barozzi, and that was not all. The MJC Yamaha Official EMX125 Team also made a special visit to support the YZ125 Cup riders and allow their bLU cRU riders, Rick Elzinga (14 years old / The Netherlands) and Thibault Benistant (14 years old / France), to train alongside them.
The YZ125 Cup riders arrived in Italy on Friday evening and assembled for a welcoming presentation, before immediately getting to work. Eager to get started they changed into their running clothes and went out for a jog with Philippaerts before having dinner together. The meal plan for the Masterclass weekend was arranged to educate the young students on the healthy lifestyle that a professional off-road career demands.
Having gone to bed early the day before, the riders were fresh for a 7AM breakfast the next morning before heading to the Ottobiano track. Knowing the vitality of physical fitness, Philippaerts taught the youngsters a quick and effective warm-up routine before the riders got to go out on track for Free Practice as soon as the fog cleared.
After a healty lunch, the YZ125 Cup riders' afternoon training session focused on riding style, body position, technique, starts and more vital elements that contribute to a successful MX career.
The first day on track was concluded with a quick cooling down session before the riders got to warm up at the bonfire and roast marshmallows. Happy and satisfied after a long day's work, they headed back to the hotel where they were allowed to relax for a while and enjoy a healthy and warming meal.
The second day started with a physical check after breakfast to make sure the riders were in perfect shape for the final day of the Masterclass.
To give the YZ125 Cup riders a well-rounded view on how to ride their YZ125 bikes to their full potential, the seven youngsters were taken out on a hard-pack track to practice correct clutch usage. Following the practical session, MJC Yamaha Official EMX125 Team Principal Loïc Le Foll explained to the rider and their mechanics (parents/friends) some of the mechanical features on the bike that are important for take care it and discover more the YZ125's potentiality. After that Barozzi and Philippaerts gave a special ergonomic lesson to create a better understanding of the best interaction with their bike for a correct riding style.
The riders found the tips they received in the morning lectures incredibly helpful during their afternoon riding session back on the sand track David Philippaerts couldn't resist jumping on the bike to have a look at the YZ125 Cup riders' style from up-close while they practiced overtaking in pairs in a race challenge, before they closed the day with some final practice starts and an official ending ceremony.
Having carefully analysed the riders' riding style and skills, Yamaha Motor Europe N.V.'s racing committee will deliberate on which YZ125 Cup rider will join Elzinga and Benistant in Yamaha's MJC Yamaha Official EMX125 Team for the upcoming 2017 EMX125 Championship, which will be announced this Wednesday, November 23rd.
Are you interested in upgrading your MX career to a professional level? The registration for the 2017 YZ125 Cup will soon open. Don't miss out on the opportunity and keep a close eye on Yamaha-Racing.com.
Are you eager to try the YZ125 yourself? You can find more information on the bike at Yamaha-Motor.eu.
David Philippaerts: 2008 MX Premier Class (MX1) Champion and DP19 Racing Yamaha Official MX Team Manager: "I'm very pleasantly surprised about how great this unique opportunity from Yamaha for these young riders has turned out. We worked with these seven greatly talented riders and I'm so happy about the improvements they made during the Masterclass. We took riders from various European countries, we did the SuperFinale race and then they came here with the Yamaha family. We worked very hard over these last two days and it was so nice to see that the riders' styles and aggression really changed from Friday till the last day. The riders really liked to stay together with Yamaha and I'm so happy that Yamaha gave them this opportunity to learn. The Masterclass is not just Yamaha working on their future, it's about the young riders and helping them. They now know a little bit more about training and how to work with the bike and this will help them with the rest of their careers."
Alberto Barozzi, Yamaha Motor Europe N.V. bLU cRU Racing Manager: The Masterclass has been an awesome river of emotions. Staying close to this fantastic multiethnic group for three days and discovering the huge passion for this sport and for our brand was the confirmation of the bLU cRU message. Technically I saw an incredible upgrade for all these boys and I'm sure they're not finished learning, they will continue to improve more and more in their next bike training sessions thanks to the information and their parents and trainers follow up our work here in correct way as well. Now, we have a perfect overview of all the riders' skills and I can tell it will not be easy for our racing committee to choose just one rider. The level is so high and all these young boys have proven to be good. A special thanks to whole bLU cRU group, the parents, David and Loic (MJC team owner) and YME's staff for their professional job as well as Ottobiano Motorsport and MX Caresana Park for great hospitality. Discovering new talents is a mission and bLU cRU is the way to do it."
Tim Edberg, 15 years old, Belgium: "I learned a lot during the Masterclass. On the second day, Alberto Barozzi told us to not use the clutch and use the front brake more. I listened to him and it worked really well, so that was very positive. I'm very grateful for everything I've learned this weekend. It's really good that we had David Philippaerts and Alberto here to help us. The atmosphere has been great since the first outing on the track and our experience has been so good. The tip to hold down the front lever made riding a lot easier and that is something I will remember for later."
Jeroen Bussink, 15 Years old, The Netherlands: “I had a great time during the Masterclass and especially the second day was helpful. The hard-pack track was nicer than the sand track. We learned to ride without using the clutch and go on the gas before the corner and that made a big difference, it felt a lot better! They showed us how to do things first, which was nice, and I feel like I've learned a lot during the Masterclass and I'm going faster than before."
Arvid Lüning, 15 years old, Sweden: "We learned that when you pull the handlebar levers down a little bit, you have more strength in your arms and have better feeling in corners and bumps as well as a better feeling on the gas, so you can get on the gas earlier. It's just another thing to change and a new sensation to experience from the many great tips we received, but it really made a difference and I think it will help my future career. Not knowing these things can hold you back a little, so it's good to be aware. My experience throughout the Masterclass has been really good. It's been so much fun with all the happenings: the shirts, the caps and everything! We have been so lucky with the weather and we got some really good tips from David Philippaerts and Alberto Barozzi, such as the levers thing, which really helped me."
Nicolò Folli, 15 years old, Italy: "For me this experience has been incredibly interesting. It was a great opportunity to learn how to ride in a better way from people with a lot of experience. I will take away from this to not use the clutch in the corners as well as many other useful tips. This will definitely help me in my next races."
Rasmus Holm, 15 years old, Sweden: "I think it's great to have been given the opportunity to take part in the Masterclass. It has been so much fun and I've learned a lot. For example, the way we have worked on our body positioning on the bike is something that will be very useful for the rest of my motocross career."
Gervasio Cañas, 15 Years old, Spain: "The Masterclass was really great, it was an amazing experience. Alberto Barozzi explained that if you don't use the clutch the bike is much smoother. My riding style is kind of aggressive and the Ottobiano track suited that perfectly because it's very fast and has great corners and a nice layout. Alberto and David Philippaerts and the entire Masterclass team did such a great job in giving us a great experience. I liked it so much! It was a great experience."
Hugo Johansson, 15 years old, Sweden: These last few days have been a great experience. It's so nice to be here and learn from David Philippaerts and Alberto Barozzi about all aspects of the motocross industry. We weren't just instructed on how to do things, but we were also encouraged to try them for ourselves out on track. It was a great opportunity to try to become a better motocross rider. I think the most important thing I learned is to not use the clutch in the corners, because when I didn't do that the flow improved a lot."
Copyright: Photo: Yamaha Racing
