MX2

Throughout the year MXGP & Athena ran a competition where you could WIN an OGIO bag at every round of MXGP by posting a picture with the ATHENA or GET logo which you had taken, in and around the track and paddock, on our Facebook Competition page. The photo with the most likes over the weekend would win the prize.

At the end of the season the 3 most liked photo’s won a grand prize!

Ruben Policarpo won the ultimate prize of 2 x VIP Passes to 1 round of MXGP.

Jeketerina Jekarasheva won a GoPro Hero4 Session

Linda Magone won an Ogio ‘Ascent’ Backpack.

Congratulations to all of our winners and stay tuned for more competitions as the 2016 FIM MXGP season approaches.

Discover @Athenasocial following this link:  www.facebook.com/AthenaSocial
 

FUNCHAL (Portugal), 15 December 2015 – Due to complications, the Malaysian round of MXGP, which was set to take place on March 12^th & 13^th 2016 as round three of the series, has been cancelled.

On a more positive note, Youthstream is pleased to announce that the ‘TBA’ round scheduled to take place on the 28^th and 29^th of May will take place in Talavera de la Reina as the MXGP of Spain.

Please find here below the updated calendar.

LINKS

Youthstream

FIM

FUNCHAL (Portugal), 14 December 2015 – VIP Tickets to selected rounds of the 2016 MXGP World Championship are now available.

Make your MXGP experience unforgettable, go VIP and watch all the racing from all the best viewing points such as the VIP Skybox which is located behind the start gate where you will have a premium view of the start, waiting zone, grid and podium. Not only that, you can also enjoy unlimited drinks and snacks throughout the day that will compliment your gourmet lunch which will be served trackside in our fabulous VIP Restaurant. Packages also include a great parking place for your vehicle and access to some of the best viewing locations at the circuit.

Experience the feeling of the 2016 VIP GOLD SKYBOX PASS by watching the video here below

For more information and prices, visit www.MXGP.com/calendar.

LINKS

Youthstream

FIM

Stefan Everts. Enough said. As the most successful racer of all time in the FIM Motocross World Championship, his name alone speaks volumes. As a rider, Stefan achieved everything you could possibly think of. He won a massive ten FIM Motocross World Championships with 101 overall grand prix victories, a number that is still unrivalled as even the rider trailing him in statistics has just 74, and that is none other than eight time FIM Motocross World Champion Antonio Cairoli.

CLICK HERE to read the rest of this feature.

Nineteen-year-old American Thomas Covington, one of the only American riders to complete two back-to-back seasons in the FIM Motocross World Championship, and a name that has been heavily associated with Monster Energy Kawasaki in the past, has announced that he will join the MX2 bronze medalist Max Anstie at Rockstar Energy Huqvarna Factory Racing where they will line up for the 2016 FIM MX2 World Championship.

After being based in The Netherlands for the last two years, the recent Grand Prix winner recently returned home to the USA where he was spotted out turning laps on his new Rockstar Energy Husqvarna in the Californian sun. We managed to squeeze in a 5 minute chat…

MXGP: Thomas, good to see you back home here in southern California, how are you finding the Husky?

Covington: I’m loving the Husqvarna you know, it’s a big change for me but I think it’s a good change. I really like the team, Jacky Martens and everybody there and the whole company and Rockstar are all working really hard to take it to the next level in giving me everything I need to make the next step.

Is there much difference in terms of the structure of the team where you were at Kawasaki compared to where you are now at Husqvarna? 

Yeah, actually it’s a pretty big difference; it’s a lot more structured at Jacky’s in Lommel. I think I had a lot more freedom there at CLS but it’s really good to have Jacky in my corner guiding me on how to train and putting me with the right people and just taking control of my programme there and I’m just trying to learn as much as I can from him.

From the time you first came to Europe to race a round of EMX250 until now where you are entering your third full season in MX2, are you feeling more confident in terms of what you can give now that you’ve found the right structure, with the right people around you? And what is your goal for 2016 bearing in mind you’ve already won an MX2 GP? 

After winning my first GP it’s definitely helping my confidence a lot, knowing that I belong up there running with the top guys. I think if everything keeps going the way it’s going now in testing and training I just want to be up there in the top five every week. I think that’s what you need to do to be up there for the championship. If you can be up there in the top five every week you’ll have a pretty good shot at it, so that’s my goal right now.

Do you feel you’re a contender for the title next year?

I’m still pretty young and learning a lot. You always want to win a championship but right now I’m just gonna take it race by race and do the best that I can. I’m not putting too much pressure on myself this year, I’m still trying to progress and get better each week.

You returned home to the US just before Thanksgiving, how long are you planning on staying here and what’s the plan whilst you’re here?

I’m gonna stay until just after Christmas and then get back to Europe and ride on the tracks that I need to work the most on. I tend to do good in the flyaway races on the more American style tracks but when we get back to Europe that’s where I always lose it so I’m gonna spend a lot of time riding there and in the south of France and all over Europe, just to get a feel for those tracks.

Looking at the championship, the calendar is pretty stacked with nineteen rounds with two in the USA, back-to-back rounds in the US; are you happy about that?

Yeah, I really like the schedule. In my opinion it’s always good when they have more races, I think it’s a good sign. The more races, the better it is for the sport and to have two MXGPs in the US is good. I’m originally from Alabama which is not far from Charlotte so I’ll have a lot of family come up there for that one. And then the next weekend in Glen Helen in California where I’ve lived the last five years is good as well; it’s kinda like two home races for me so it’s gonna be fun. 

Do you know yet what your pre-season schedule is going to be in terms of international races before Qatar?

I’m not real sure yet, but I’ll do whatever the team wants me to do and whatever they think is best for me. 

Thanks for talking to us, enjoy the rest of your time here.

Christmas has come early for Emil Weckman, the 2015 Honda 150 European Champion, who took receipt of some Honda-shaped presents today.

The talented Finn, who is too young currently to compete in the European 250 series, has received three 2016 CRF250Rs and two 2016 CRF150Rs from Honda Motor Europe as part of the prize for winning the 2015 Honda 150 European Championship title. These bikes will enable Weckman to continue training with the support of Honda Motor Europe as he aims to defend his title in 2016, before moving to the European 250 series in 2017.

Weckman faced a season-long battle with British rider Jack Bintcliffe for the title and became one of only two riders, along with Albin Larsen, to take two overall GP wins in the season.

Designed to support 11-14 year old riders in moving up the motocross career ladder, the Honda 150 European Championship is the only manufacturer-supported championship to feature on the MXGP race card. The youth riders also benefit from the tuition and guidance of series coach Gordon Crockard, as well as Honda’s top motocross riders, throughout the year.

For more information on the Honda 150 European Championship and to apply for the 2016 season visit www.honda150championship.com

Copyright: Photo: Honda EMX150 Championship

Last Saturday, 5^th of December, the fourth tree planting action took place in Balen (Belgium). Since 2012, on the initiative of former motocross world champions, Eric Geboers, Joel Smets and Stefan Everts, a tree planting action has been organized with the support of the FMB and the motocross community in Flanders resulting in the fourth motocross CO2 forest.

With this initiative the motocross community wants to compensate the CO2 emissions caused by their favourite sport. This shows their concern for the environmental impact of their sport upon the climate change.  Through these actions the motocross community also wants to recall the Flemish politicians their promises to find places for the possible implantation of new motocross circuits. As a matter of fact despite the big number of motocross champions living in Flanders, there are only 4 motocross tracks with training facilities left.

In Balen the former world champions could hand over a check to the Flemish Minister of Environment, Mrs. Joke Schauvliege, bearing the figure of 30,089 trees planted over the last 4 years. These plantations were organized in very good cooperation with the environmental association in Flanders called ‘Bos+’.

Several politicians of different political parties were present in Balen and took part along with the motocross fans and riders in the planting of the trees.

Copyright: Photo: FMB

One hundred and twentieth issue of this bi-weekly motorcycle sport magazine, tackling the latest races and issues in MotoGP, the FIM Motocross World Championship, AMA Motocross/Supercross and World Superbike as well as general motorcycling and accessories with the best blogs and photographs. In OTOR 120 & the last of 2015: The Fives’ Part Two; after our analysis of MXGP a few issues ago Motomatters David Emmett casts his verdict on the MotoGP best performers of 2015. ‘69’s 3 of the best’: at Valencia we cornered Nicky Hayden on the eve of his final appearance in MotoGP and after 213 Grand Prix to ask about the three favourite races of his career. ‘The Fives’ Part Three; MX2 up next. In a series that was impossible to predict 2015 was another vintage for the 250s. Was World Champ Tim Gajser the first pick of the year? Read on. Yamaha Custom Crazy XSR700; there is little doubt that Yamaha have got their act together with a series of desirable models in the last eighteen months. Roland tries the fetching ‘custom’ XSR700. 

Read OTOR Issue 120

The 2016 FIM Motocross World Championship is right around the corner and in 2016 we have even BETTER TV coverage!

BOTH Saturday and Sunday will be LIVE.

This means if you sign-up to www.mxgp-tv.com you will be able to watch ALL of the European Championship Races on Saturday and Sunday LIVE as well QUALIFYING races for MXGP and MX2.

When you buy the season package you will also be able to watch ALL of the races from the 2016 Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations LIVE and OnDemand as well as Youthstream’s newest project the Supermotocross Riders Cup that will take place inside the Veltins Arena, Germany on the 8^th of October.

This month we have a SPECIAL where you can SAVE 25% off the season package. This season is going to be epic; you won’t want to miss it!

CLICK HERE!

FUNCHAL (Portugal), 7 December 2015 - Youthstream President, Giuseppe Luongo, visited the KTM factory and headquarters and the racing department of KTM and Husqvarna in Austria, during this occasion he met with Mr. Stefan Pierer (KTM’s CEO), Mr. Pit Beirer (KTM’s Motorsport Director) and Robert Jonas (Husqvarna’s Vice-President Motorsport).  

Mr Luongo and Mr. Pierer had the chance to talk about MXGP’s strategies, youth activities and the new projects like the Supermotocross Riders’ & manufacturers’ Cup in the Veltins Arena in Germany at the beginning of October next year and the MXGP in Charlotte, USA.  KTM and Husqvarna expressed their full support for these projects and for Youthstream’s plans in developing MXGP and the youth activities. Both brands renewed their partnership for advertising at the MXGP and European Championships.

Mr. Stefan Pierer said, “After having celebrated many great successes in recent years, we are very pleased to continue the partnership with Youthstream in the future. The European Championship is the perfect platform to enter and to move up to the world of professional racing. The World Championship has achieved an outstanding level of development in recent years and has now reached a very professional level. As global leader in the offroad segment it is our aim not only to preserve the sport´s tradition, but also to go beyond its limits to develop it even further.“ 

“It’s always a pleasure to see Mr Pierer because we have a very similar vision of how to develop our sport,”Mr Giuseppe Luongo stated, "KTM has been a very loyal partner since the very beginning when Youthstream took the management of the Motocross World Championship and they have also played an important role in the success of the European Championships.  KTM and Husqvarna are investing a lot into our sport, not only in the top teams but also in youth activities, they support the MXGP Academy and many young talented riders are under the wings of KTM and Husqvarna.”

LINKS

Youthstream

FIM