MX2

Rockstar Energy Suzuki World’s Kevin Strijbos is still on the bounce back from an injury he received in the winter. How has his recovery been going? Has he thought about hanging up his boots? And what has he been doing in the break between MXGP round two in Thailand and now?

To find out, watch the latest film of Paddock Chit Chat with MXGP host Amy Dargan in the box below. 

BETO CARRERO (Brazil), 27 March 2014 – The 2014 FIM Motocross World Championship will receive live and delayed coverage worldwide via prominent TV networks Eurosport, CBS Sports Network, FOX sports, Mediaset, BEIN Sport, BNT, Bandsport and MotorsTV. For the third year in succession one of Brazils’ top sports channels Bandsport will broadcast all races LIVE with LIVE commentary.

Bandsport will also be in attendance with their own TV crew to film segments for Bandsports motor show as well as reporting for the local TV news. Other Brazilian Television Networks TV Globo, TV Record, TV Band SC, SBT, will be on location to record footage and interviews for local news coverage and sports shows.

The third round of the 2014 FIM Motocross World Championship in Beto Carrero, Brazil will be broadcasted in the UK and Europe on both Eurosport and MotorsTV, Eurosport will cover MXGP race two LIVE at 21:00 CET and MX2 race two LIVE at 20:00 CET. CBS Sports Network will cover the United States and Canada screening delayed coverage on Sunday 30 March starting at 5pm EST. BEIN sport will cover parts of Europe as well as The Middle East, North Africa and South Africa while FOX Sports will cover Asia and Australia while Mediaset will screen the final race of both MX2 and MXGP LIVE in Italy from 20:00 – 22:00 CET on Italia2.

MXGP will be available across the board in high definition, and is also globally available to view live and in HD on www.MXGP-TV.com. Click here for the complete list of countries and cooperating MXGP broadcasting networks, viewing times can be viewed by clicking on the logo of your chosen broadcasting network.

Italia 2

Race 2 MX2 (LIVE)                      20:00 (CET)

Race 2 MXGP (LIVE)                   21:00 (CET)

CBS Sports Network

Premiere on Sunday March 30^th:  

Race 2 MX2                               5.00pm  (EST)             

Race 2 MXGP                            6.00pm  (EST)         

Eurosport2

Race 2 MX2 (LIVE)                     20:00 – 21:00

Race 2 MXGP (LIVE)                  21:00 – 22:00

MXGP BRAZIL – QUICK FACTS

Circuit length: 1562m

Type of ground: Intermediate - Hard Pack

TIMETABLE

Saturday: MX2 Free Practice 10:15; MXGP Free Practice 10:45; MX2 Time Practice 13:00; MXGP Time Practice 13:35; MX2 Qualifying race 15:10; MXGP Qualifying race 16:00.

Sunday: MX2 Warm-up 09:15; MXGP Warm-up 09:40; MX2 Race 1 12:10; MXGP Race 1 13:10; MX2 Race 2 15:10; MXGP Race 2 16:10.

LINKS

Youthstream

FIM

MXGP of Brazil

Team BikeIT Yamaha Cosworth and their MX2 star Max Anstie recently put their gaming skills to the test on the all-new MXGP – The Official Motocross video game. The game will be available for purchase in stores or online at www.mxgpvideogame.com from March 28th and will be available for PlayStation®3, PlayStation®Vita, Xbox 360® video game and entertainment systems as well as for Microsoft and Windows PC.

To watch the hilarious footage of Max Anstie playing MXGP – The Official Motocross Video Game on his nations own Matterley Basin in the United Kingdom, click here.

To purchase tickets for MXGP’s 2014 round of Great Britain, which will take place on the circuit of Matterley Basin on the weekend of May 25 click here.

Every leading rider in the FIM MX2 World Championship just got a little bit more excited about the Brazilian Grand Prix. While the news that Jeffrey Herlings is out of the Grand Prix of Brazil isn’t good, and nobody wants to see the defending World MX2 Champion miss a race through injury, the news does make the MX2 class in Brazil very interesting indeed.

Herlings, who has had a terrible run of late, first having a devastating winter with no riding due to injuries, then struggling at the first two rounds of the FIM MX2 World Championship in Qatar and Thailand. It didn’t get any better though as the Red Bull KTM Factory rider spent a week in bed with a virus from Thailand, then crashing in practice for the second round of the Dutch MX2 Championship and injuring his shoulder.

Now the news that he is out of the third round of the 2014 GP season, meaning he could drop as much as 50 points on his rivals and seems sure to lose the red plate he has owned now for so long.

Herlings was quick to point out that he will fight back from this current situation and for sure the rider with the most GP wins in the history off the MX2/125cc class will come back stronger than ever.

“It doesn’t matter how bad things get,” Herlings said. “You just have to BELIEVE. And don’t let negativity take u down. I keep on hoping. I don’t give up that quick.”

What will be interesting now though is which rider from the MX2 class will put their hand up and say, “I am the new man”. So many of this young breed are on fire at the moment. Will it be another Dutchman in Glenn Coldenhoff, the rider who is leading the Dutch MX2 series and is showing great form. Arnaud Tonus who won the overall at the French Motocross Championships last weekend is also a rider who might step up and win a GP in 2014, or the other Frenchman Dylan Ferrandis, the surprise of the 2014 season so far could also get his first GP win ever.

What about English rider Max Anstie who has shown huge signs of improvement this season, or the other Red Bull KTM Factory rider Jordi Tixier? Tixier has lacked the killer instinct compared to the previously mentioned riders, but has the talent to win a Grand Prix in Brazil. Jose Butron who has always enjoyed his trips to Brazil is also a chance, or maybe the two Husqvarna Factory riders Romain Febvre and Alexandr Tonkov.

Whatever happens in Brazil this coming weekend, you can be sure Herlings will be keeping an eye on the results and hopefully he can make the return in Italy for round four and continue his quest for a third straight MX2 title.

Copyright: Photo: Yamaha racing

Steve Dixon always runs a tight ship and his Bike It Yamaha team are very much looking at making 2014 another success story. With Max Anstie starting the season in great form, and shocking many people with his speed, Dixon never questioned his riders’ chances in the FIM MX2 World Championship.

Dixon believes a good winter for Anstie and the right preparation meant that his young rider arrived in Qatar and Thailand with a lot of confidence.

Q: Steve, your team, more importantly Max Anstie, came into the opening two rounds of the FIM MX2 World Championships on fire. How was the preparation for those first two rounds?

Dixon: We did a lot of riding in October and November and we were meant to go to America, but Max’s granddad got sick and Max lives with his granddad and didn’t want to leave him. We still found places to ride and it was a good winter for us.

Q: Pretty clear Max likes the bike he rode in those first two rounds.

Dixon: Max loves the bike, he has also enjoyed the standard 2014 YZ, it’s really good, and he rode the 450 a lot also, and he rides that well as well.

Q: Why the 450?

Dixon: He just wanted to ride when it was really muddy, so he had good speed. Sometimes the tracks were too wet on the 250, and it is easier on a 450. They also went to Spain and France and got good testing in for suspension and stuff. We could have done with another month of testing before the season started, but that wasn’t possible.

Q: What did you expect from Max before the season started?

Dixon: We wanted to be battling at the top, and I knew Max could run at the front. We didn’t want sixth, seventh or 8th, we wanted podiums and that is what our team is used to with guys like Arnaud, Zach and Dean, and that is still the plan for 2014.

Q: I am sure Max was more than happy with the bike he rode in Qatar and Thailand, and obviously you guys started the season with the 2013 bike, which was considered by many even quicker than the 250 KTM. Why was that?

Dixon: The bike is a lot different to the bike (Suzuki) he rode in 2013. He had ridden Dean’s bike in the pre-season, and could see why Dean had the season he had in 2013. The problem with the new 2014 bike is it is new, and it takes time to develop. We knew what we had in 2013 and while the 2014 standard bike is better than the 2013 standard bike, it takes a lot to get to where we were with the bike of Dean.

Q: As for Rui Gonçalves, what do you expect from him? The MXGP class is tough.

Dixon: Every year we say MX1/MXGP is difficult, but everyone can get good results. I mean look at Kevin Strijbos and Shaun Simpson, those guys showed it is possible to get good results, coming back from struggling a little. Of course Cairoli is leading the way and everyone needs to raise their game to get near him. I think the MXGP class is about being fast, but to get a good position in the World rankings you need to finish every race. We have to aim for a top five with Rui. We need inspiration from Rui to get results like he has had in the past. He is only 28 and if you look at Chad Reed you need to use your experience and be smart. I would say we would like around fifth to 8^th with Rui, but of course we couldn’t have expected that in the first couple of rounds, but later in the season that is possible I think.

Q: Finally, the MXGP of Great Britain has changed dates and will now run on the weekend of May 24 and 25. Why is that and what is the positives of changing the date?

Dixon: The British MXGP has changed the date yes, that is true, it is earlier in the year now. There isn’t any negatives about changing the date. I mean weather could be a problem, but in UK that is always a danger. The traditional GP date is in May, that is how it was when they ran at Foxhills in the 1990s. I think the track will be better in May, because it will be moister, give more grip. Also championships had been decided in the past (when the British GP was run in August) and now in May that won’t be the case.

Copyright: Photo: Ray Archer

BETO CARRERO (Brazil), 26 March 2014 – Located in close proximity to the biggest theme and amusement park, not only South America but the entire Southern Atmosphere, ‘Beto Carrero World’, the visually impressive red clay circuit of Beto Carrero gets ready to host round three of the FIM Motocross World Championship. The impact of Brazil hosting a round of the FIM Motocross World Championship has been significant, this year marks the third consecutive year the pits of MXGP will grace Beto Carrero and is proving very popular among the Brazilian public with more than 50% of the online tickets already sold-out.

Last year Red Bull KTM Factory Racing duo Antonio Cairoli and Jeffrey Herlings stole the hearts of the Brazilian fans with their stellar performances. Both Cairoli and Herlings dominated their first races, with Cairoli backing that up with another win in the ‘Super Final’. As for Herlings, the ‘Super Final’ didn’t go to plan after a fall around turn one forced him to slice forward from the back of the pack. While Herlings put in a remarkable ride, reaching second place, he couldn’t carve through the sticky mud of Beto Carrero fast enough to catch KTM Silver Action’s Jose Butrón who went on to claim his first ever MX2 race victory.

MXGP

With two rounds already done and dusted, two different round winners and three different race winners, unpredictability is the key to making MXGP season 2014 that much better than year’s prior. After taking back the red plate in dominating style in Si Racha, Thailand, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Antonio Cairoli will be undoubtedly the hot favourite this weekend in Beto Carrero as he continues his hunt for his eighth FIM Motocross World title.

Round one winner, Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s Gautier Paulin had a tough time at round two in Thailand with the sweltering heat inducing havoc on his machine. Although valuable points were lost, the series is still long and after his outstanding performance two weeks ago where he won the Mantova Starcross in Italy, there is no doubt Paulin’s struggles in Thailand have just fired him up even more.

Meanwhile Rockstar Energy Suzuki World’s Clement Desalle has found another gear since the opening round in Qatar. Desalle proved he’s a genuine threat to this championship when he led the majority of MXGP’s races in Thailand to finish second overall for the day, leaving him fifth in the MXGP standings, five points shy of Max Nagl in second.

Team HRC’s Max Nagl’s determination to come back strong in 2014 has been so far awe-inspiring. After winning the first race of the season and wrapping up second overall at the opening round of MXGP in Qatar, the German held onto that spot with a respectable fourth place overall at round two in Thailand. Coming into this weekend, Nagl will have the confidence of a second place finish in MXGP’s round of Brazil race one last year which in combination with his sixth in moto two left him in fourth overall.

Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jeremy Van Horebeek was proud of his fifth place finish in Qatar, but is definitely not prepared to settle until he is on top of the box. This was evident as the Belgian rode super smooth in Thailand to take home a comfortable third overall, and will be looking to keep moving in the right direction this weekend in Brazil.

Rockstar Energy Suzuki World’s Kevin Strijbos has been recovering from a hip injury he got during a crash while training over the winter. While the on-going struggle to get back to 100% has been slightly hindering his progress in the championship standings, his lap times have been fast and he already has a qualifying heat win under his belt. After standing on the third step of the podium at the MXGP of Beto Carrero in 2013, there is no counting Strijbos out of the chase this weekend. 

2013 MX1 Podium

1. Antonio Cairoli

2. Clement Desalle

3. Kevin Strijbos

2013 MX1 POLEMAN: Max Nagl

MX2

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings bounced back with a vengeance in Thailand, absolutely dominating the MX2, demonstrating what was expected of him coming into the opening round of the 2014 FIM MX2 Word Championship. Unfortunately news has just broke that the reigning two-time MX2 World Champion will not be competing this weekend due to tearing a muscle in his shoulder at the Dutch Championship last weekend leaving the MX2 wide open.

With Herlings out, the MX2 has just caught fire with the red plate within reach of more than five of the top ten riders. Flying the flag for the Dutch fans, Rockstar Energy Suzuki Europe’s Glenn Coldenhoff has taken it up a level this year. The young Dutchman is currently sitting third in the MX2 overall standings, and will be coming into this weekend with added confidence after dominating every race of the Dutch Championship over the last two weekends.

Sitting second in the overall standings, CLS Kawasaki Monster Energy’s Dylan Ferrandis has the taste of his opening race victory lingering in his mouth. The super talented Frenchman has proved he’s got the goods, and is out to show the world he is a solid threat to the MX2 championship.

BikeIT Yamaha Cosworth’s Max Anstie is not shy in putting it out there that he has what it takes to challenge the FIM MX2 World Champion Jeffrey Herlings. In Qatar there was no doubt Anstie had the speed, but bad luck hindered what could have been his best ever result. At round two in Thailand, the charismatic Brit had a shot at the win, but didn’t quite have enough to seal the deal.

Wilvo Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Romain Febvre shifted up a gear in the second race in Thailand. Coming into the closing laps it was obvious the Frenchman was on a charge, cutting down the gap to second place considerably. Obviously fitness and heat is not a problem for the youngster, which could be a determining factor as we prepare for another warm one here in Brazil.

Racing along side a theme park may seem familiar for CLS Kawasaki Monster Energy’s Arnaud Tonus with a ‘rollercoaster’ symbolising the Swiss sensations’ start to the season. With two brilliant races already in the bag which saw him ride to second place in race two in Qatar and third in race one in Thailand, Tonus will be looking to be consistent this weekend and post two solid scores.

Meanwhile, another one to watch this weekend is KTM Silver Action’s Jose Butrón. MX2’s number three seed has had a somewhat rough start to the year as he only sits eighth in the standings, but this weekend could be the Spaniards turning point as he lines up with the sweet memory of his first ever race win here at this very circuit.

2013 MX2 Podium

1. Jeffrey Herlings

2. Jose Butrón

3. Jordi Tixier

2013 MX2 POLEMAN: Glenn Coldenhoff

All the photos of the MXGP of Brazil will be available here

TIMETABLE

SATURDAY: MX2 Free Practice 10:15; MXGP Free Practice 10:45; MX2 Time Practice 13:00; MXGP Time Practice 13:35; MX2 Qualifying race 15:10; MXGP Qualifying race 16:00.

SUNDAY: MX2 Warm-up 09:15; MXGP Warm-up 09:40; MX2 Race 1 12:10; MXGP Race 1 13:10; MX2 Race 2 15:10; MXGP Race 2 16:10.

LINKS

Youthstream

FIM

MXGP of Brazil

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing advises that current MX2 World Champion Jeffrey Herlings will not compete in this weekend’s MX2 World Championship Round 3 in Brazil, the last of the fly away races.

Jeffrey received a painful knock to the shoulder in a racing incident in last week’s round of the Dutch National Championship and the team has decided he should rest it this weekend to ensure he recovers complete fitness as soon as possible.

Pit Beirer, KTM Head of Motorsports “We naturally regret that Jeffrey will not be on the grid for the Brazil round as we are sure his fans will be disappointed. But the season is long and we feel he is well advised to sit this one out.”

Dylan Ferrandis is one of the outstanding riders from the first two rounds of this year’s FIM MX2 World Championship. The Team CLS Kawasaki Monster Energy rider holds down second place in the series points and has battled with series leader Jeffrey Herlings, of the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team on more than one occasion.

To everyone’s surprise Ferrandis won the opening moto of the 2014 season at the MXGP of Qatar and maybe even more surprising was the fact he was disappointed with his overall result.

“I was disappointed with my result in the second race,” Ferrandis told the press in Qatar. “I was riding smoothly but got some mud on my goggles and I had vision troubles. I lost a few positions and that cost me the overall GP victory after I had won the first moto. The last few laps of the first race were intense as Jeffrey was just behind me; it was stressful but I beat him and I am now even more determined to do it more often.”

A week later in Thailand Ferrandis suffered some problems with his bike, but overall still looked strong and maintained his second place in the series points. It was another showing that this young Kawasaki rider is going to make it tough for Herlings on occasions in 2014.

“It was a tough weekend for us in Thailand. It was difficult to breathe on the track but everyone had the same problems. In the first race I had a good start and was a close second when the leader rode through a puddle; I got water in my goggles and had to take off my tear off, and later I made a few mistakes to lose two places.”

His second moto was a similar story to Qatar, after putting in a solid opening ride, problems caused him to drop off the podium place with 4-5 results for fourth overall.

“My second start was not as good; I started fifth but had caught back up to Coldenhoff when I had problems with the engine. I just missed a podium result but I’m happy to fly back to Europe second in the championship after this GP, which is probably the most difficult of the series.”

With 74 points to his name he is 23 points back from Herlings and five points ahead of Glenn Coldenhoff in the series points. The MXGP of Brazil this weekend will see if the free-flowing Frenchman can continue to hold down that second place spot and maybe give Herlings some trouble.

Photo Credits: Kawasaki

Just two Grands Prix into the FIM Motocross World Championship and Glenn Coldenhoff has already made an impact. The 23 year old Dutchman gave the Rockstar Energy Suzuki Europe team their first podium result in two years at Si Racha in Thailand almost two weeks ago and also swept the board at Emmen last weekend for the opening round of the ONK Dutch Championship. Here he checks-in with his first Blog of 2014.

I first rode the Suzuki a week after the Motocross of Nations and of course it was in Holland! First we went on holiday for a week to Turkey – I was due a birthday present from my girlfriend so she booked up some days there and we had some rest. After that I started my physical training and work; overall it was not a long break and I felt like I didn’t need it. I began slowly and built it up over one and-a-half months until I started riding again. We had a lot of testing to do.

I’m an active guy and it feels like life is only about training, training, training… When I have to stop then it’s normally a bit of TV, seeing some friends or family. Where I am based in southern Holland it is ideal because I’m close to the Suzuki workshop and central for quite a few tracks. Also for mountain biking. We don’t have any hills but in the local forest there are some nice trails. I also take the time to see private sponsors because some of those guys have backed me since I started racing and it is important to keep in touch. I appreciate them a lot.

Coming to Suzuki was a change for me. It was the first time back on a Japanese bike for two years and the biggest difference I felt right away was the weight. It was unbelievable; so much less and one of the main reasons why I feel so comfortable on the RM-Z250. The team has worked a lot on the engine and I’m pleased with the improvements they have made. I think we are in pretty good shape after two Grands Prix already.

I’m a factory rider now and I’m conscious of the fact that sometimes I have more things to do! Like in Thailand we visited a Suzuki dealer for signings and photos; so that is a bit different. Working with a team like Rockstar Energy Suzuki Europe we have an engine guy, a suspension guy and quite a lot of people dedicated to specific jobs. In the beginning I thought it would be a bit strange for me because I’m used to just working with a single mechanic but I like the professionalism and the whole system in place.

As most people know the Suzuki MX2 project went through some changes over the winter and there was a moment where I thought ‘what happens now?’ We had to start talks again but once we found an agreement and I was talking directly with Suzuki then I was really happy because the people in the whole set-up are so nice and helpful. I found I could get some good assistance for my physical conditioning and that the environment around me was optimised for racing. After all, the bike can be good but it is still the rider that needs to go out and deliver. I think this system of support is one of the best things about Suzuki.

So 2014 is my last year in MX2 but I’m set for two years with Suzuki. This was something very important for me when I signed the contract because most of those who have to move for 2015 don’t yet have a ride confirmed for MXGP. For sure Suzuki is ‘not bad’ in MXGP! They have a very competitive 450 and, from what I’ve learnt so far, they can make a bike that handles really nicely for me. I’m not too worried about heading into MXGP because I rode the 450 in the winter and have some experience. In the beginning I really liked it but after about six weeks I was ready to get back on the 250! I’m not 100% ready yet for the 450. I need a different training programme and a bit more weight because I’m very light.

As everyone knows Jeffrey Herlings is the World Champion and he’s also from Holland but I really don’t mind that he takes the spotlight in terms of Dutch riders doing well at GP. I quite like being in the wings and he can take all the media attention. He is a double World Champion whereas I’ve had to cope with four years of injury problems. When you get injured then you always have to start again from zero and from the bottom. Last year, finally, I was uninjured and now you can see that in many motos and practice sessions I am always up there. It is a big difference compared to other years and I hope it continues through 2014.

Copyright: Photo: suzuki-racing.com