MXGP

MONACO (Principality of Monaco) 14 May 2022 – Infront Moto Racing is delighted to extend the successful partnership with Athena for the current season of the FIM Motocross World Championship as the Italian brand continues as MXGP’s Global Supplier supporting some of the top riders and teams in the paddock as well as the exciting ‘Best Rider of the Year Sponsored by Athena’ competition! 

Athena and MXGP have been partnered for many years and last season, together they introduced a brand-new social media competition ‘Best Rider of the Year Sponsored by Athena’. The contest gives fans the power to vote for the best rider of each Grand Prix by commenting their choice on a specified Instagram post, with the votes tallied at the end of the weekend and a winner of the GP chosen. At the end of the season, the rider with the most ‘Rider of the Grand Prix’ votes will take away the grand prize of Best Rider of the Year! 

The first winner of the competition was Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings who not only was the declared as the best rider by the fans but was also the 2021 victor in the MXGP championship as he secured his fifth world title. 

As always, you can expect to see the top MXGP and MX2 teams using their mechanical and electronical parts, including riders of Red Bull GasGas Factory Racing Team, Fantic Factory Team Maddii as well as Alessandro Lupino and Kiara Fontanesi.  

Teams and riders using GET ECU’s will include, Monster Energy Factory Yamaha riders, Jeremy Seewer and Maxime Renaux, plus MRT Racing Team KTM, Hitachi KTM fuelled by Milwaukee, JT911 KTM Racing Team and MX Fontaracing GasGas Syneco among others. 

About Athena:

With nearly 50 years of experience and international presence, Athena excels in the manufacturing of high-quality motorcycle parts including gaskets, cylinder kits, pistons, connecting rods and clutch discs for the most modern racing engines and is a global leader for the design, development, and production of Engine Control Units (ECUs) under the brand name of GET. The company is made up of three divisions, Parts & Electronics, Industries and Sportech, all linked by a common goal: to offer the public top-quality products made with solid know-how and selected specifically for the customer.

Athena’s mission is to always be the most reliable, competent, insightful, and rewarding partner by offering the best solution in terms of technology, product, and service to fit each individual need. To find out more visit www.athena.eu

LINKS

Infront Moto Racing

FIM

Athena

RIOLA SARDO (Sardegna) 13 May 2022 – Excitement begins to build for the second edition of the MXGP of Sardegna following the opening press conference which took place in the media center of the Crossodromo Le Dune in Riola Sardo.

The press conference welcomed everybody to Sardinia for the second time in the FIM Motocross World Championship history as round eight is set to get underway this weekend. 

Present for the conference was Infront Moto Racing CEO David Luongo, FIM/CMS Director Antonio Alia Portela, Sardinia Region Minister of Tourism Giovanni Chessa, President of the Motoclub Le Dune Fulvio Maiorca and SM Action Racing Team YUASA Battery’s Alberto Forato. 

Last year’s Sardinian Grand Prix was a huge success with intense racing in both MXGP and MX2 categories as Jeffrey Herlings and Tom Vialle declared themselves the first winners in Riola Sardo. 

Infront Moto Racing is excited to return to Riola Sardo and see what the MXGP of Sardegna has in store this weekend. 

Infront Moto Racing CEO David Luongo: “It is a big pleasure to be here again for the second time. The event will be streamed worldwide so people from 180 countries will enjoy the races and will get to know the paradisiac island of Sardinia. The track itself is really peculiar with this type of sand and the organizer worked a lot to improve with the suggestion we gave to them. I wish to thank the FIM, the Organizer and the Region of Sardegna, especially the Region Tourism Ministry led by Giovanni Chessa for their support to make it happen. I hope to come here for many more years and have the Championship again in this beautiful location”. 

FIM/CMS Director Antonio Alia Portela: “When we came last year for the first time it was like a bet for us because nobody knew what to expect; the outcome was incredible and I’m sure this year we’ll have much more. Before this conference I was speaking with Mr. Chessa, David and the organizer and we all know that this will be a long-term project and all the things we have done in these two years will continue for many more. Speaking about the technical side the weekend will be full of races with the EMX250 and the WMX after of course the MXGP and MX2 classes; the track will need to be perfect, but I have no doubt about that to be honest so let’s enjoy the races”. 

Sardinia Region Minister of Tourism Giovanni Chessa: “First of all, I want to thank Infront Moto Racing and the organizer that brought the FIM Motocross World Championship here in the beautiful Sardegna another time after the big success of last season. Our goal is to invest for the future of the region. We are hosting many international events as part of the biggest project that I started with my ministry when Sardinia was presented as Island of the Sport. That was a good strategy as the international events gave the chance to Sardegna to be seen all over the world and to welcome people to the island all year long.”

President of the Motoclub Le Dune Fulvio Maiorca: “I want to thank everybody who helped to make this happen. Even if we are a small Motoclub we are putting so much effort in this race; having the World Championship here is something that make us proud and is also a big push for the track. Besides to have such event here helps also the area because when the people come here, they fall in love with this place and as Mr. Chessa said hopefully they’ll come back again." 

SM Action Racing Team YUASA Battery rider Alberto Forato: “It’s been a long time that I’m coming here to train during the winter so I feel like home; every year I go to Riola Sardo for training and being back for a race is a nice feeling. The track is very technical, it will be challenging for everybody but I’m sure that we’ll have a great event also this year."

Click HERE to watch the Welcome Press Conference of the MXGP of Sardegna. 

Click HERE to purchase your ticket for the event

LINKS

Infront Moto Racing

FIM

FIM Europe

Riola Sardo

RIOLA SARDO (Sardegna) 13 May 2022 – The FIM Motocross World Championship enters the eighth round of the series this weekend, as the action heads to sandy Riola Sardo for the second edition of the MXGP of Sardegna.

Fans in Italy can enjoy the Sardinian Grand Prix on RAI Sport HD and RAI streaming online, along with all the races LIVE on Eurosport 2. Meanwhile, Belgium’s VRT will be onsite in Riola Sardo to deliver LIVE commentary for the MX2 races as they follow the progress of their home hero Jago Geerts.

Don’t miss the action this weekend and check out the full list of channels below that will air LIVE and delayed action of the MXGP of Sardegna, along with the 26min Behind-the-Gate magazine, available to enjoy on MXGP-TV.com and via our TV magazine partners following the GP weekend, featuring the best moments from the races and exclusive interviews, plus more!

As always, MXGP fans can follow the races LIVE throughout the weekend, all you need to do is log onto www.MXGP-TV.com this Saturday and Sunday to watch the MXGP, MX2, WMX and EMX250 action from the comfort of your home.

USA CANADA

CBS Sports Network

Sunday 15 May 2022  – MX2 Race 2 – 11:00 pm ET – Delayed

Sunday 15 May 2022  – MXGP Race 2 – 12:00 Pm ET – Delayed

EUROPE

EUROSPORT 2

Sunday 15 May 2022  – MX2 Race 1 – 13:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 15 May 2022  – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 15 May 2022  – MX2 Race 2 – 18:00 CET – Delayed

Sunday 15 May 2022  – MXGP Race 2 – 18:30 CET – Delayed

BELGIUM 

PLAY SPORTS OPEN

Sunday 15 May 2022  – MX2 Race 1 – 13:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 15 May 2022  – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 15 May 2022  – MX2 Race 2 – 16:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 15 May 2022  – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 CET – LIVE

VRT

Sunday 15 May 2022  – MX2 Race 1 – 13:15 to 13:30 CET – LIVE

Sunday 15 May 2022  – MX2 Race 2 – 16:00 CET – LIVE

ESTONIA

Go3

Sunday 15 May 2022  – MX2 Race 1 – 13:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 15 May 2022  – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 15 May 2022  – MX2 Race 2 – 16:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 15 May 2022  – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 CET – LIVE

FINLAND

Sunday 15 May 2022  – MXGP Race 2 – 18:00 (Local time GMT+3) - LIVE

FRANCE

AUTOMOTO LA CHAINE 

Sunday 15 May 2022  – MX2 Race 1 – 18:00 CET – Delayed

Sunday 15 May 2022  – MXGP Race 1 – 19:00 CET – Delayed

Sunday 15 May 2022  – MX2 Race 2 – 20:00 CET – Delayed

Sunday 15 May 2022  – MXGP Race 2 – 21:00 CET – Delayed

EUROSPORT 2

Sunday 15 May 2022  – MX2 Race 1 – 22:00 CET – Delayed

Sunday 15 May 2022  – MXGP Race 1 – 22:30 CET – Delayed

Sunday 15 May 2022  – MX2 Race 2 – 23:00 CET – Delayed

Sunday 15 May 2022  – MXGP Race 2 – 23:30 CET – Delayed

ITALY

RAI SPORT HD

Sunday 15 May 2022  – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 15 May 2022  – MXGP Race 2 – 22:45 CET – Delayed

RAI STREAMING

Sunday 15 May 2022  – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 CET – LIVE streaming

EUROSPORT 2

Sunday 15 May 2022  – MX2 Race 1 – 13:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 15 May 2022  – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 15 May 2022  – MX2 Race 2 – 18:00 CET – Delayed

Sunday 15 May 2022  – MXGP Race 2 – 18:30 CET – Delayed

LATVIA

TV3 Sport Open

Sunday 15 May 2022  – MX2 Race 1 – 13:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 15 May 2022  – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 15 May 2022  – MX2 Race 2 – 16:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 15 May 2022  – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 CET – LIVE

LITHUANIA

Go3

Sunday 15 May 2022  – MX2 Race 1 – 13:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 15 May 2022  – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 15 May 2022  – MX2 Race 2 – 16:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 15 May 2022  – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 CET – LIVE

NETHERLANDS

NOS

Sunday 15 May 2022  – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 CET – LIVE Stream

Sunday 15 May 2022  – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 CET – LIVE Stream

SLOVENIA 

Sport TV1

Sunday 15 May 2022  – MX2 Race 1 – 13:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 15 May 2022  – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 15 May 2022  – MX2 Race 2 – 16:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 15 May 2022  – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 CET – LIVE

SPAIN

TV Galicia

Sunday 15 May 2022  – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 15 May 2022  – MXGP Race 2 – 19:00 CET – Delayed

Teledeporte

Sunday 15 May 2022  – MXGP Race 1 or 2 – tba

RTVE Play

Sunday 15 May 2022  – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 CET – LIVE Stream

Sunday 15 May 2022  – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 CET – LIVE Stream

BRAZIL

Bandsports

Sunday 15 May 2022  – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 15 May 2022  – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 CET – LIVE

ASIA

Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand

EUROSPORT ASIA

Sunday 15 May 2022  – MX2 Race 1 – 22:00 CET – Delayed

Sunday 15 May 2022  – MXGP Race 1 – 22:30 CET – Delayed

Sunday 15 May 2022  – MX2 Race 2 – 23:00 CET – Delayed

Sunday 15 May 2022  – MXGP Race 2 – 23:30 CET – Delayed

INDIA and Subcontinent (Bhutan, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Maldives)

VIACOM SPORT 18

Sunday 15 May 2022  – MX2 Race 1 – 13:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 15 May 2022  – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 15 May 2022  – MX2 Race 2 – 16:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 15 May 2022  – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 CET – LIVE

PACIFIC

AUSTRALIA

STAN SPORTS

Sunday 15 May 2022  – MX2 Race 1 – 13:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 15 May 2022  – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 15 May 2022  – MX2 Race 2 – 16:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 15 May 2022  – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 CET – LIVE

26min Behind-the-Gate Magazine Partners:

AMERICA

Direct TV                     Latin America                          Thursday after each MXGP 8:30pm

USA                             MAV TV                                   During the week after the event

AFRICA

Africa                           AXP                                          During the week after the event

EUROPE

Albania                        GP1                                         Thursday after each event at 20:15

Austria                        GP1                                         Thursday after each event at 20:15

Baltics                          TV3 Sport Open                      Thursday after each MXGP

Belgium                       SPORT TEN                              tba

Bosnia                         GP1                                         Thursday after each event at 20:15

Croatia                        GP1                                         Thursday after each event at 20:15

Finland                        MTV                                        During the week after the event

Hungary                      GP1                                         Thursday after each event at 20:15

Kosovo                        GP1                                         Thursday after each event at 20:15

Montenegro                GP1                                         Thursday after each event at 20:15

Northern Macedonia  GP1                                          Thursday after each event at 20:15

Portugal                      SPORT TV                                Tuesday after the event        

Romania                      Look Sport                               Wednesday after each event

Serbia                          GP1                                         Thursday after each event at 20:15

Slovenia                      Sport TV                                  Tuesday after the event

Spain                           Movistar                                   Friday after each event at 12am

INDIA and Subcontinent (Bhutan, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Maldives)

VIACOM SPORT 18                                                      TBC

WORLDWIDE

Worldwide                  Motorvision                            During the week after the event

                                    Redbull TV                               Race Craft and Vlog

TIMETABLE (Local Timing CEST)

SATURDAY: 09:45 WMX Free Practice, 10:15 EMX250 Free Practice, 10:50 MX2 Free Practice, 11:20 MXGP Free Practice, 12:10 WMX Qualifying Practice, 12:45 EMX250 Qualifying Practice, 13:25 MX2 Time Practice, 14:00 MXGP Time Practice, 14:45 WMX Race 1, 15:30 EMX250 Race 1, 16:25 MX2 Qualifying Race, 17:10 MXGP Qualifying Race.

SUNDAY: 09:45 WMX Race 2, 10:20 MX2 Warm-up, 10:45 MXGP Warm-up, 11:30 EMX250 Race 2, 13:15 MX2 Race 1, 14:15 MXGP Race 1, 16:10 MX2 Race 2, 17:10 MXGP Race 2.

All the photos from the MXGP of Sardegna will be available HERE.

You can find the complete results HERE.

LINKS

Infront Moto Racing

FIM

FIM Europe

Riola Sardo

Prado excited to tackle the sand aboard his MC 450F.

Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing is ecstatic to reveal that Jorge Prado will jump back onto his MC 450F at this weekend's Grand Prix of Sardegna, after missing the last event with a shoulder injury that was sustained at the end of April.

Prado rode earlier this week and confirmed that his shoulder is strong enough to leap into the sand of Riola Sardo for round eight of the 2022 FIM Motocross World Championship. Prado is going to join Mattia Guadagnini in the premier division; '101' will race the MC 450F for the first time. That means that there will be two GASGAS Factory Racing riders in the premier class for the first time this season!

After missing last weekend's Grand Prix of Italy, Prado now sits fourth in the standings. Eleven points separate him from a top-three ranking heading into the Grand Prix of Sardegna.

Jorge Prado: "I am very excited to return to racing with Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing this weekend! I only missed one race, but it was far too long away from my MC 450F. I rode earlier this week and my shoulder felt strong enough to race, so we will head to Riola Sardo and try to take as many points as possible."

Team HRC factory rider Tim Gajser and Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing rider Jago Geerts are without question two competitors racing the crest of a wave that could easily see them extend their MXGP and MX2 championship points lead in Sardinia this coming weekend.

Both sensational in the deep sand, after they took victory at the hard pack of Maggiora last weekend, their confidence is at an all-time high. For HRC factory rider Gajser, the taste of victory champagne will never become boring.

“Winning never gets boring,” Gajser said. “I am super happy you know and so proud of the team and myself, we really work hard for this in the off-season and made some changes with the bike and myself. I couldn’t be happier with the first seven GPs, and I hope we can continue this run. We want to continue this run. You know I don’t really concentrate on how many wins I have, maybe I should and will when it becomes more. Now the numbers are getting bigger I should maybe take more notice and to be up there with such a big names, which is special. I am very proud.”

The 25-year-old Gajser has himself mentioned that he is riding better than ever in his illustrious career and has learnt more than any time in his racing life how to change a track to his liking, even when it seems there is just one racing line.

“This year, I don’t know, it is just such a great year. I can create my own lines and when the rut isn’t deep enough, I can go somewhere else, off the main line and create those lines, lines nobody else is using. The lines I can create are completely off the other lines. When the track gets so rough in the second part of the second moto, when it is brutal, then it is nice if you can find new lines.”

As for Geerts, he took yet another GP win last weekend, making it 13 in his career and is also slowly climbing up the all-time list and is currently the 14^th best Belgian rider of all time when it comes to Grand Prix victories. With a long list of Belgian legends still ahead of him, you just know that with every GP victory his country will follow that progress. For now though, Geerts is just concentrating in holding his nerve and being consistent.

“I feel really good and strong,” Geerts said. “I feel better than ever. I want to keep going like this and try and be as consistent as possible and not make any mistakes. We will see how it goes in the coming races. I just ride with more confidence now and make less mistakes, so that helps. I also make better starts and also, I do better in timed practice, because that is important and now, I make the times practice better and it makes the weekend a lot easier.”

And now, as a Belgian rider everyone will be watching Geerts in the deep white and of Riola, where he could very easily score yet another GP win and take control of that MX2 championship points lead.

“I headed to Sardinia for 10 days to prepare for this next race, rather than head home in between. I travel more alone, and I have more experience how to set-up the bike and that is a point we can’t make small mistakes. It is a long season, but we can’t make mistakes on Sunday now. We have really had a lot of different types of surfaces this year and I really like that, changing from sand to hard pack to clay. Before we had maybe 10 hard pack and one sand track, but now there are many different types of tracks and I really enjoy that change.”

So, while both fields in the MXGP and MX2 classes will be trying to stop Gajser and Geerts, the two red plate owners will be doing everything to not only win in Sardinia this weekend, but also put even more points between them and their rivals.

RIOLA SARDO (Sardegna) 12 May 2022 – The FIM Motocross World Championship continues this weekend with a back-to-back Grand Prix which will head to the ‘Island of Sport’ as Riola Sardo will host the second edition of the MXGP of Sardegna.

Riola Sardo is a well-known circuit among the riders in the paddock, as it is a regular stop of the famous Internazionali d’Italia and now part of the MXGP calendar for the second year in a row.

The circuit itself is a typical sand track, though very particular, as despite any rain or water the ground dries very quickly. In comparison to other sand tracks on the calendar, such as Lommel, Riola Sardo is not as deep but still presents a big challenge to the riders.

Last year there was plenty to celebrate at the MXGP of Sardegna as it made its debut to the FIM Motocross World Championship. Not only did it host one of the most intense racing weekends on the calendar that saw the MXGP title chase take a huge turn, but it also hosted the finals of the EMX65 and EMX85 Championships.

This weekend, alongside the regular World Championship racing we will see rounds of the EMX250 as well as the Women’s Motocross World Championship.

In MXGP, all eyes will be on the championship leader Tim Gajser of Team HRC who will enter the MXGP of Sardegna as the man to beat. Last year, Gajser arrived in Riola Sardo with a fresh shoulder injury and that weekend he also lost to championship lead to Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings. But this time around things will be different, as currently Gajser is 81 points ahead and has an incredible track record so far, with six out of seven GP victories this season so far and having gone 1-1 at the last three Grand Prix’s consecutively.

By missing the MXGP of Italy due to injury, Red Bull GasGas Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado, lost more vital championship points as he currently sits fourth behind Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Maxime Renaux and Jeremy Seewer who were third and second on the box last weekend. 

Both riders looked strong in Maggiora, but it will be interesting if they can take their success from the hardpack track to the sandy Riola Sardo and repeat their success once again. Last season in MX2, Renaux had some nice battles with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Tom Vialle and ended up on the box, so there is no reason he cannot do that again this time around in MXGP.

Gebben Van Venrooy Yamaha Racing’s Calvin Vlaanderen was impressive during the MXGP of Maggiora as he got his first top four overall result of the season. In the opening heat of the MXGP class, Vlaanderen took his first Fox Holeshot of 2022 and led six laps of the race. The Dutchman eventually drifted back to fourth for his best result of the year so far. And following such a positive weekend, it would be nice to see Vlaanderen build upon that in Riola Sardo, where he actually finished fourth overall too last season with a consistent 4-4 result.

Another rider to watch this weekend is Kawasaki Racing Team MXGP’s Ben Watson who also had his best weekend of the season in Maggiora. The Brit was the second recipient of the Fox Holeshot in the second MXGP race and briefly led too. In the end the Brit was able to bring it home in fourth for sixth overall, which will no doubt be a huge confidence boost. Watson has struggled in the beginning of the season, but hopefully the result last weekend in Italy will be just a stepping-stone for the factory Kawasaki rider onto better things for the rest of the championship.

Home rider, Alberto Forato of SM Action Racing Team YUASA Battery was the top scoring Italian at the MXGP of Italy in Maggiora last weekend, finishing 15^th overall which was probably not his best result this season. But Forato has been consistent this year and often battling at the sharp end, week in week out, therefore a solid result can be expected from him.

In Maggiora we also saw the comeback of Beta SDM Corse Racing Team’s Alessandro Lupino who had several surgeries to clear the infection from appendicitis. In race one Lupino managed 14^th which was his best result but still a very good effort as he rides himself back to strength. This weekend will be tough for the Italian but no doubt a challenge that he will take on with both hands.

Though possibly the biggest news of the weekend is that Red Bull GasGas Factory Racing’s Mattia Guadagnini will step-up to the MXGP class from this weekend as he tests his abilities on the biggest 450cc bike to see if he will be better suited to the more powerful engine. While Riola Sardo is not the easiest track to make an MXGP debut, there is no doubt that Guadagnini will be more motivated than ever to use this weekend as a great learning race.

MXGP of Sardegna – MXGP Top 3:

1. Jeffrey Herlings

2. Jorge Prado

3. Romain Febvre

Main Photo: MXGP Start 2021

Bottom Photos: 1. Tim Gajser 2. Jeremy Seewer

MXGP - World Championship Top 10 Classification: 1. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 336 points; 2. Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 255 p.; 3. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 231 p.; 4. Jorge Prado (ESP, GAS), 220 p.; 5. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, YAM), 199 p.; 6. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, HON), 194 p.; 7. Brian Bogers (NED, HUS), 173 p.; 8. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, BET), 166 p.; 9. Pauls Jonass (LAT, HUS), 149 p.; 10. Alberto Forato (ITA, GAS), 132 p.;

In MX2, Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jago Geerts enters the eighth round of the series with a slim lead over Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Tom Vialle as just six points separate the pair.

Geerts is among the favourites for the top step this weekend as he enters the race with two back-to-back GP victories from Latvia and Italy and is also back on a sand-based circuit, which we all know is one of his strong points.

But Vialle is also a serious contender having gone 1-1 last year in Riola Sardo after some nice battles with Renaux and Geerts too. While the last two weekends have not been the best for Vialle, this doesn’t mean he is not capable of bouncing back with a victory in Sardinia.

Unfortuntely Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Kay de Wolf who is typically another strong sand rider, is forced to miss the MXGP of Sardegna due to a hand injury. 

During the last race in Italy, a few rides stood out which should be interesting to keep an eye on for this weekend, one of those riders being Stephen Rubini from Ship to Cycle Honda SR Motoblouz. The Frenchman looked impressive in the opening race as he challenged Geerts for the race win and ended his weekend with his first ever MX2 podium, which means he will enter this race full of confidence. Of course the biggest thing will be whether he can deliver the same performance on the sand as he did on the hard pack.

It will also be interesting to see what Hitachi KTM Fuelled by Milwaukee’s Isak Gifting and Kay Karssemakers can show this weekend after some strong results in Maggiora. Gifting finished race one in third last weekend which was one of his best rides this season, but if we also look back on his results last year, where he finished fifth overall, we could see another nice ride from the Swedish rider this weekend.

There’s also Diga Procross KTM Racing Team’s Liam Everts who turned heads at the Italian Grand Prix, finishing in fourth, after battling at the sharp end for the entire race, but then unfortunately failed to match the result in race two. This weekend it would be nice to see Everts deliver two solid results for a strong overall scorecard, especially coming back to a track that he lined-up for one of his first races in MX2 just last season.

Red Bull GasGas Factory Racing’s Simon Längenfelder had a positive weekend in Maggiora with a fourth overall. In the last few has struggled, but last week it looked like Längenfelder made a step in the right direction.

This weekend, F&H Kawasaki Racing’s Kevin Horgmo could be another rider challenging at the sharp end as he proved in Latvia that his sand riding is rather strong, which is no doubt thanks to the hard work put in by the Norwegian and the team coach Marc De Reuver. In Kegums Horgmo scored his first ever MX2 podium and led some laps too.

MXGP of Sardegna – MX2 Top 3:

1. Tom Vialle

2. Maxime Renaux

3. Kay de Wolf

Main Photo: MX2 Start 2021

Bottom Photos: 1. Jago Geerts 2. Kay de Wolf 

MX2 - World Championship Top 10 Classification: 1. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 291 points; 2. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), 285 p.; 3. Simon Längenfelder (GER, GAS), 216 p.; 4. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 211 p.; 5. Mikkel Haarup (DEN, KAW), 211 p.; 6. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, KAW), 199 p.; 7. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, GAS), 172 p.; 8. Andrea Adamo (ITA, GAS), 169 p.; 9. Isak Gifting (SWE, KTM), 165 p.; 10. Stephen Rubini (FRA, HON), 158 p.;

TIMETABLE (Local Timing CEST)

SATURDAY: 09:45 WMX Free Practice, 10:15 EMX250 Free Practice, 10:50 MX2 Free Practice, 11:20 MXGP Free Practice, 12:10 WMX Qualifying Practice, 12:45 EMX250 Qualifying Practice, 13:25 MX2 Time Practice, 14:00 MXGP Time Practice, 14:45 WMX Race 1, 15:30 EMX250 Race 1, 16:25 MX2 Qualifying Race, 17:10 MXGP Qualifying Race.

SUNDAY: 09:45 WMX Race 2, 10:20 MX2 Warm-up, 10:45 MXGP Warm-up, 11:30 EMX250 Race 2, 13:15 MX2 Race 1, 14:15 MXGP Race 1, 16:10 MX2 Race 2, 17:10 MXGP Race 2.

All the photos from the MXGP of Sardegna will be available HERE.

You can find the complete results HERE.

LINKS

Infront Moto Racing

FIM

FIM Europe

Riola Sardo

Ready to get on the gas and face a new challenge, Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing's Mattia Guadagnini will jump onto the MC 450F for the remainder of the 2022 FIM Motocross World Championship.

• Guadagnini enters the MXGP class for the first time.
• Riola Sardo will mark his debut aboard his MC 450F.
• The entire Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing team excited about his potential.

After a few challenging first races in MX2, Mattia Guadagnini will race an MC 450F at the upcoming stops of the 2022 FIM Motocross World Championship. '101' has already tested his new steed and there is plenty of excitement in the air as the GASGAS squad head to the Grand Prix of Sardegna.

Competing at just twenty years of age, Guadagnini will be able to absorb a lot of knowledge on the MC 450F and put that to good use in the future. It is such an exciting time for him to learn and grow in the very competitive MXGP division. Everyone at GASGAS Factory Racing is pleased to see him hit another milestone in his career.

Mattia Guadagnini: "I had great expectations for this season. I prepared very well with the team, but things in the races have gone wrong too many times. I have made mistakes and also had some bad luck! We are not yet halfway through the season, but realistically it is very difficult to achieve the goals that I had set for myself. I thought that it would be more logical to look forward and prepare for next season, especially as I have so many rounds to adapt to the MC 450F. I talked about it with De Carli and the team, and perhaps this change will be positive for everyone? I thank the team and management for this opportunity."

Claudio De Carli: "Between mistakes and unlucky episodes, Mattia is going through a difficult period. We all know his talent – he can return to doing very well and is still in the top ten in MX2. Mattia always works with great commitment and is a mature, determined, professional and very fast rider. We talked about it, for his interest, and among the various possibilities he himself decided to move to the MXGP category. This transition was planned for next season, but we are all convinced that it is a good solution to make the move immediately. In MXGP he will not have to worry about the results. There are thirteen rounds to race, in which he can become familiar with the 450 and thus prepare himself as best as possible for 2023."

Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing will continue to be represented by Simon Langenfelder in the MX2 division. Langenfelder sits third in the championship standings and has one Grand Prix win to his name so far.

Copyright Photo: GASGAS Factory Racing

The FIM Motocross World Championship heads to Riola Sardo for the eighth round of the series and the second ever edition of the MXGP of Sardegna!

Check out the timetable and entry lists for the event below:

TIMETABLE

MXGP ENTRY LIST

MX2 ENTRY LIST

WMX ENTRY LIST

EMX250 ENTRY LIST

Romain Febvre successfully rode his factory Kawasaki twice last week in Belgium. The 2021 MXGP World Championship runner-up will continue his recuperation with the full support of the Kawasaki Racing Team MXGP.

Four weeks after renewed surgery to undertake a bone-graft on his right leg Romain Febvre had a further appointment with his surgeon on Tuesday and underwent several medical examinations to evaluate the situation. “Of course, I would want it to go faster but the healing process is going normally; the bone-graft is looking good even if it will still take some time for the bone to be definitively consolidated,” explained Romain who made several short test-sessions on his bike last week before this latest visit to his surgeon. “In fact, we wanted to know how painful my leg was when riding a bike, and also to see how my leg felt a few hours after a training session. They were not long sessions, but they were enough for me to evaluate the pain and for my doctor to understand how my body had reacted,” he continued. As the medical examinations were encouraging it’s now up to Romain to determine his future training programme. “My doctor told me that the pain-level will guide me, and it’s up to me to decide the frequency and the intensity of the training sessions on the bike. At the moment the plan is to progress step-by-step, and to determine the evolution. It’s too early to consider a date to be back racing; time will tell us,” he added, although of course he is impatient to once again line-up at the start-gate alongside his teammate Ben Watson.
After his impressive second race at Maggiora on Sunday, where he took the holeshot award and finished fourth, Watson will line up this weekend at Riola Sardo (Sardinia) for the eighth round of the FIM MXGP Motocross World Championship.
 
Antti Pyrhonen (KRT team manager): “We are very happy that Romain is reaching the next stage in his recovery and can start riding! We have all been waiting for this moment and we are looking forward to continuing the work together at the track, but we will do this carefully step-by-step. And we are convinced that it will also help Ben, who gave a strong performance last weekend in Maggiora, to have Romain at his side when training.”

Photo Copyright: Kawaski Racing Team MXGP