MXGP

KEGUMS (Latvia) 10 May 2018 - 6 rounds into 2018 and the MXGP FIM Motocross World Championship has a new winner coming into Kegums, Latvia for this weekend’s MXGP of Latvia: Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s Clement Desalle has added to the excitement of the title chase.

Last year we saw the first dominant performance of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings as he took double victories on the sandy circuit. Latvia was an important race in the 2017 championship chase not only seeing Herlings return to form but also a massive and costly crash from Team HRC’s Tim Gajser.

As for the MX2 class the race will hold significant value for the series points leader and defending MX2 World Champion Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Pauls Jonass. Jonass, a Latvian himself, will have the full backing of the fans and look to win his home GP for the first time ever after narrowly losing out to rookie success of Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Thomas Kjer Olsen, who took his first ever GP victory here last year.

The circuit in Kegums, very close to the capital of Latvia, Riga, has seen the World Championship since 2009 with its sandy soil and technical surface. The venue is world class and in addition to the MXGP World Championship the circuit hosted the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations in 2014. Throughout the past years the track has hosted dramatic racing, challenged the world’s best riders, and the same is expected this year.

The weekend will be a busy one as well packed with both MXGP and EMX racing. Adding to the schedule is the classes of EMX250 and EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing. The two classes each have 79 riders entered including points leaders Martin Barr in EMX250 and Rene Hofer in EMX125 presented by FMF Racing.

The MXGP class prior to the Russian GP was dominated by Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings and Antonio Cairoli. However Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s Clement Desalle is gaining ground on the pair of KTM riders and starting what could be a three way battle for the championship after his win only a week and a half ago in Russia.

Last year Herlings found his winning form on the Kegums circuit edging out his rival Cairoli while Desalle finished just off the podium with 2-5 finishes for 4th. Desalle has raced the circuit since its first appearance on the MXGP calendar in 2009 where he finished 2nd. Cairoli meanwhile will race his 222nd GP and has won in Latvia 4 times including the circuit’s first World Championship race in 2009 with 3 2nd place finishes and one 5th. Kegums is clearly a strong track for the Sicilian and one where we may see him atop the podium at the end of the weekend.

BOS GP’s Evgeny Bobryshev found the podium in Latvia last year for one of the best performances of the season. Team HRC’s Tim Gajser is also returning to form and was fast on the Kegums circuit last year before a crash took him out of racing. Gajser won the Latvian GP in 2016 and likely will challenge for the podium this weekend.

Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP’s Romain Febvre sits 4th in the championship standings but last year he came away from Latvia with a disappointing 13th overall. Nevertheless Febvre has reached the Latvian podium twice, in both 2015 and 2016.

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Gautier Paulin is another rider to watch. Paulin, currently 5th in points, finished 5th in Latvia last year but had a strong 2nd in 2015 and has never missed the top ten in the 7 times he’s raced the circuit.

Wilvo Yamaha Official MXGP’s Shaun Simpson has yet to decide wether to race this weekend after a crash took him out of contention in Russia only a week and a half ago. A decision from the charismatic Brit is expected later this week.

Team HRC will return to a two rider MXGP effort in Latvia with the fill in ride of Todd Waters for the injured Brian Bogers. Waters is familiar with the circuit after racing to a 12th overall in 2015 and has been working hard with the team on testing leading into the weekend.

MXGP Championship Top Ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 286 points; 2. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 263 p.; 3. Clement Desalle (BEL, KAW), 212 p.; 4. Romain Febvre (FRA, YAM), 203 p.; 5. Gautier Paulin (FRA, HUS), 180 p.; 6. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 152 p.; 7. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, YAM), 150 p.; 8. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 147 p.; 9. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 135 p.; 10. Julien Lieber (BEL, KAW), 113 p.

2017 MXGP of Latvia MXGP top 3:

            1. Jeffrey Herlings

            2. Antonio Cairoli

            3. Evgeny Bobryshev

In the MX2 class Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Thomas Kjer Olsen will be looking to repeat his winning Latvian performance from 2017 but will be up against the formidable Red Bull KTM Factory Racing duo of Pauls Jonass and Jorge Prado.

For Jonass this is his home GP and a very special one which he comes into with the momentum of dominating the MXGP of Russia and leading the MX2 championship. Last year Jonass missed the out on taking the win managed a strong 2nd place to the roar of his home fans.

Prado is now 20 points back in the standings from his teammate Jonass but has been the one rider so far this season that has consistently pushed the pace of the reigning champ. Prado’s only race on the circuit was last year where just missed the podium in 4th.

Team HRC’s Calvin Vlaanderen will hope to bring his new Honda to the podium for the first time in 2018 this Sunday. Vlaanderen has been close with strong races but with the podium result of last year in mind, this may be his weekend.

Kemea Yamaha Official MX2’s Ben Watson reached the podium for the first time in his MX2 career just over a week ago in Russia after barely missing it on several prior occasions. Watson now 4th in the points will look to keep the momentum going and improve upon his 19 overall in 2017.

F&H Racing Team’s Jed Beaton is running 5^th in the championship with his most recent result being 8th overall in Russia. Ben Watson’s Kemea Yamaha Official MX2 Teammate Vsevolod Brylyakov will miss the racing due to a knee injury suffered at his home MXGP of Russia. The unfortunate turn of events for Brylyakov comes after his best qualifying performance in 4th and a season high 3rd place race result in Trentino.

Also notable to mention is the possible return of Honda 114 Motorsport’s Hunter Lawrence. Lawrence who suffered an injury in Trentino showed speed early in the season and was expected to contend for the title.

MX2 Championship Top Ten: 1. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), 266 points; 2. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 246 p.; 3. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 219 p.; 4. Ben Watson (GBR, YAM), 176 p.; 5. Jed Beaton (AUS, KAW), 156 p.; 6. Calvin Vlaanderen (RSA, HON), 130 p.; 7. Vsevolod Brylyakov (RUS, YAM), 127 p.; 8. Conrad Mewse (GBR, KTM), 108 p.; 9. Henry Jacobi (GER, HUS), 104 p.; 10. Thomas Covington (USA, HUS), 102 p.;

2017 MXGP of Latvia MX2 top 3:

            1. Thomas Kjer Olsen

            2. Pauls Jonass

            3. Calvin Vlaanderen

All the photos of the MXGP of Latvia will be available HERE

TIMETABLE in Local Time (GMT+3)

Saturday: EMX125 Group 1 Free/Time Practice 07:45, EMX125 Group 2 Free/Time Practice 08:30, EMX250 Group 1 Free/Time Practice 09:15, EMX250 Group 2 Free/Time Practice 10:00, EMX125 Last Chance Race 10:55, MX2 Free Practice 11:30, MXGP Free Practice 12:00, EMX250 Last Chance Race 13:00, MX2 Time Practice 14:00, MXGP Time Practice 14:40, EMX125 Race 1 15:25, MX2 Qualifying Race 16:25, MXGP Qualifying Race 17:10, EMX250 Race 1 17:55

Sunday: EMX125 Race 2 09:45, MX2 Warm-Up 10:25, MXGP Warm-Up 10:45, EMX250 Race 2 11:30, MX2 Race 1 13:15, MXGP Race 1 14:15, MX2 Race 2 16:10, MXGP Race 2 17:10

LINKS

Youthstream

FIM

FIM Europe

MXGP of Latvia

KEGUMS (Latvia) 09 May 2018 – Youthstream is proud to announce next Sunday, May 13^th, fans across the United States and Canada will be able to watch LIVE on CBS Sports Network, the MXGP official North American TV broadcaster, each second race of the MX2 and MXGP class of the 2018 MXGP of Latvia.

The Live programming schedule for the seventh round of the current FIM Motocross World Championship, held only 40 minutes away from Latvia’s capital, Riga, at the renowned Kegums race track, is as follows:

MX2 Class:

Highlights of Race 1 + Live Coverage of Race 2 at 9:00am ET (6:00am PT)

MXGP Class:

Highlights of Race 1 + Live Coverage of Race 2 at 10:00am ET (7:00am PT)

For viewers who won’t be able to tune in for the Live airing, CBS Sports Network will repeat same-day the coverage of the MXGP of Latvia just a couple hours afterwards at 12:00pm ET (9:00am PT) for the MX2 class and 1:00pm ET (10:00am PT) for the MXGP class.

LINKS

Youthstream

FIM

CBS Sports Network

Fox Racing has joined forces with MXGP this weekend for the MXGP of Latvia in Kegums with an QUIZ & WIN contest!

One lucky fan will walk away with some amazing prizes courtesy of Fox Racing and MXGP! All you have to do for your chance to be the winner is click the link and and answer the question: what is the newest Fox Racing innovation on their 180 Boot:  TRUMOTION or ACTIVELOCK.

Once entered contestants will automatically be in the draw to win a pair of the new Fox 180 Boots along with the 2018 MXGP-TV season package and a copy of MXGP3 the Videogame! Take your chance to win big and play now before the contest closes on Tuesday the 15th of May!

Click HERE to get in the Contest and have your chance to WIN!

If you are playing through your mobile follow the link below

https://foxcrosspromolatvia.pgtb.me/Nmlggx

The size of Eric Geboers’ heart made sure that he was always in the heat of battle against the best motocross riders in the world. Five FIM World Motocross Championships, 39 grand prix wins and the first man to win World titles in all three classes (125cc, 250cc and 500cc). Geboers was known for his professional approach to the sport and his desire to win at any cost.

Riding in the golden era of the 500cc class, against the likes of Dave Thorpe, Andre Malherbe, Georges Jobe and Hakan Carlqvist, Geboers was everything you would want from a hero.

Joel Smets who also won five motocross world championships remembers his childhood hero and what he means to the sport of motocross.

"He was super professional in everything,” Joel Smets told Belgian radio. "He trained as one of the first with a heart rate monitor. But also, he was far ahead of his time: how he played the audience, how he dealt with the media, his relationship with the sponsors and so on. He was technically perhaps not the most sophisticated rider, but he was someone for whom people came to the races. He compensated a lot with his enormous perseverance and strong condition.  Eric worked harder than the others. Those five world titles did not come out of the blue. That is the result of very hard work. He was immensely ambitious, even too ambitious at the start of his career. So, he skipped the 250 cc class, because he wanted to reach his goal in the highest class. We must put him among the greatest. Not only because of his sporting achievements, but because he crossed the sport.”

10 times world champion Stefan Everts was a rider who Geboers also helped at a young age. Being family friends with the Geboers family and of course Harry Everts was one of Geboers’ biggest rivals made sure that a very young Everts looked up to the rider known as “The Kid”.

“Eric was ahead of his time,” Stefan Everts said. “Always tried to shock people and get more attention to himself and he was a big example for me in that area. He was big in motorsport, but even bigger in sport in general, or even the none sporting public. He brought the sport more into the media and he showed how professional was and I looked up to that and he was a big example. He was a small guy, but a big athlete and one of the biggest in our sport.”

One of Geboers’ biggest rivals was Dave Thorpe, who himself won three world 500cc championships. Despite their tough battles, they had huge respect for each other.

“As a person,” Thorpe said.  “He was a lovely kind guy, very close to his own family, and as a competitor, he was tough. He was tough and a physical guy. He worked hard and trained hard. It wasn’t over until it was over with Eric.  He was small in stature, but he was physically a strong guy. He was always in really good shape and had a very high pain threshold and when he got injured he had the ability to fight through. I am just job smacked and I can’t get my head around it.”

No doubt, more and more tributes come in for one of the greatest motocross riders of all time.

For Australian Todd Waters the chance to return to the MXGP series is a dream come true. Waters raced two seasons in the MXGP championship and finished 23^rd in 2014 after picking up a mid-season injury and missing more than half the season, and ninth in 2015, scoring a podium finish and really showing improvement as a racer.

Having signed for the HRC factory team, as replacement for injured Brian Bogers, and more matured and experienced, the Aussie will arrive in Latvia this weekend with another shot at the toughest motocross series in the world.

“It is a good track for us,” Waters said about Latvia. “We are looking forward to it. The biggest thing is the new starts, the mesh. It has been in for a couple of years, but I left before it came in. A lot of new things to get used to. It is a familiar track, and the team has been awesome. We have a test coming up before Latvia and we will work towards getting comfortable on the bike and see what we can do from there.”

Always wanting to become a motocross world champion, since he was a young boy, Waters will need some rounds before he feels he is capable of running with the likes of Jeffrey Herlings, Antonio Cairoli and Clement Desalle, but he is confident podium finishes will eventually come.

“I believe I was a top five guy and I proved that in 2015, and that is my goal. I know the guys and I also know new guys are in there. It is a stacked top ten, and I have been racing in Australia with the one race format. I am prepared, not where I would like to be, but I am better prepared than my first year here when I was getting fifth and sixth place finishes. I had no idea what was going on back then, so mentally I am more prepared.”

So now onto Latvia for the Australian, and a chance to join his fellow Aussies, Jed Beaton and Hunter Lawrence in the sunshine and excitement of the 2018 FIM Motocross World Championship. With a solid performance as his main goal, and to learn all he can about how tough the MXGP class is in 2018, you can be sure a top ten result is more than possible.

Copyright: Photo: Bavo Swijgers

Early this morning Youthstream learned of a tragic accident involving Eric Geboers, the 5 time FIM World Motocross Champion and former Suzuki World Motocross team manager.

Mr. Geboers, called the Kid, was attempting to rescue a drowning dog on Sunday evening, the 6th of May. Geboers was reportedly sailing when he jumped into a lake near Mol, Belgium, to rescue the animal but never resurfaced. Search and rescue teams worked into the early hours of the morning before resuming the search again today.

Geboers role in motocross has left a positive and long lasting impact on both the sport and the community which he worked with. Racing for Factory Suzuki from 1979-1984 Geboers achieved the title of 125cc FIM World Champion in back to back years, 1982 and 1983.

In 1984 Geboers moved to the Honda team where he would win the 250cc FIM World Championship in 1987 and the 500cc World Championship in both 1988 and 1990 making him the first ever racer crowned World champion in all three classes, 125cc, 250cc, and 500cc.

Since his retirement from professional racing Geboers has worked to organize the Grand Prix of Belgium at Namur and more recently the MXGP of Belgium at Lommel. In addition he has worked with the Belgian government to encourage the growth of motocross in the country alongside colleagues Joels Smets and Stefan Everts. Geboers also managed the Suzuki factory racing effort with his brother Sylvain for several years furthering the careers of riders such as Clement Desalle and Kevin Strijbos.

Eric Geboers will forever hold a place deep in the heart of motocross and at this time Youthstream would like to extend its deepest condolences and support to both the Geboers family and friends.

Copyright: Photo: Youthstream and P.Haudiquert

In what are thought to be after effects from the horrible crash at the MXGP of Trentino, Team Honda 114 Motorsports’ Bas Vaessen is set to miss the next few rounds of world championship action due to a severely injured adductor muscle.

With initial reports from that Arco incident being positive, and no immediate concerns other than the superficial bumps and bruises, midweek training for the Portuguese MXGP went as normal. However it is thought that during the race weekend at Agueda, the injury was aggravated and now the young Dutch rider will now be forced to sit on the sidelines as the adductor muscle heals up.

It is a big blow for Vaessen, who was starting to find his feet and put in some top 10 performances, in what is a highly competitive MX2 championship. With an injury like this it is hard to pinpoint an exact return date but right now the team are preparing for his return after Ottobiano, although there is the possibility that if the recovery goes well he could return before the French GP on June 9/10.

As Ottobiano would mean six rounds missed, team manager Livia Lancelot is looking at finding a replacement rider that will be able to represent Team Honda 114 Motorsports and all their sponsors, while continuing their high standards both on and off the track.

Everyone associated with the team wishes Vaessen the best with his recovery and hopes to see him back in action at an MXGP as quickly as possible.

Copyright: Photo: Honda Racing

Kemea Yamaha Official MX2's Vsevolod Brylyakov withdrew from the final race at his home Grand Prix, the MXGP of Russia on Tuesday May 1st, after catching his left leg on a rut and twisting his knee. The incident has subsequently resulted in a broken Talus and a torn ACL ligament that will require surgical repair.

The 22-year-old - whose best race result this season was a third at the MXGP of Trentino, Italy - will remain in Moscow, Russia, where he will rehabilitate under the watchful eye of his trusted surgeon, Dr. Sergey Demin at the Moscow Military Hospital.

An update on his return to racing will be published when available.

Vsevolod Brylyakov, I can't explain the feeling I have right now. The weekend in Russia was amazing, my speed was there and everything was going perfect. I was fourth in the qualifying race, I was feeling faster and more confident with every ride on the bike. To have your season ruined by something as stupid as putting your leg down in a wave section and twisting your knee, I can't believe my luck. It is such a bummer. I just need to look at the positives now, and that is that I know I am a fast healer and that it is nothing that I haven't been through before. I don't want to think about the time it will take to heal, I just want to focus on healing up as well and as fast as I can, and we will see when I can be back."

Erik Eggens, Yamaha Motor Europe MX Racing Manager: It is a real pity for Vsevolod, first and foremost, and then of course for the Team and Yamaha as well, to have this happen after what has been a very strong and positive off-season, followed by a very stable start to the season. Initially, we were relieved to see that he had fully recovered from his shoulder injury last year, and his results were consistently getting better. Everything was going well with 'Vseva', he was really gelling with the YZ250F and the structure of the Kemea Yamaha MX2 team and you could see that with his third-place in the second race in Italy. With this injury, we just need to stay positive. I already feel confident in his recovery process, as he will use the same doctor that repaired his shoulder last year and the results from that were outstanding.  From here, the most important thing is that Vseva makes a full recovery, and from there we will see when he can return to racing."

Hans Corvers, Kemea Yamaha Official MX2 Team Owner: It's hard to find the words to say. This injury is purely bad luck. It's hard to see this happen to Vseva, as a kid that gives everything to motocross. He works hard, and trains hard, and now he's injured and it is not even a result of a crash, he just touched his foot on the ground. Everything was going so well this season. He was always improving and he proved what he was capable of many times, even at the Grand Prix in Russia he was fourth in the Qualifying Race, so it's obvious his speed was there. Now I just hope that he can make a strong recovery and hopefully be back before the end of the season. He deserves the opportunity to show the world his speed and his strength."

Defending MX2 champion Pauls Jonass is very much back on track and heading into his home Grand Prix in a week’s time, you can be sure the MX2 world champion will want to put on a big show for his local fans.

The Red Bull KTM Factory rider finally added to his amazing 1-1-1-1-1-1 start to the season, with another 1-1 performance in Russia last weekend. Having watched his KTM team-mate Jorge Prado win in Italy and Portugal, it was a very happy Latvian last weekend.

“We wanted to get the intensity back,” Jonass said. “I feel good. The last few races I was struggling and didn’t feel like myself. It worked out all weekend, on Monday and Tuesday. The start helped on Saturday and I didn’t need to pass anyone. I wanted two good starts on Sunday to get the win. It felt like a long time before I had been on top of the podium and it was also important to stay healthy. I wanted to bring the number one plate to my home Grand Prix.”

With a 20-point lead over Prado going into Latvia, Jonass knows that he has to stay out of trouble, and make sure his starts are up to scratch. Victory at Kegums would be sweet for Jonass, and that is his goal.

“After the last two GPs I was a bit bummed about my riding and was disappointed in myself. After Portugal I was telling people I would be ‘back in business’ for Russia and my trainers pushed me hard in Belgium building up to this GP. It was tough, but I believed in their programme and people were saying to me already from Saturday morning here that the ‘old’ Pauls was back. Now we need to keep working and not repeat those mistakes. It is always nice to go 1-1 and especially just before my home GP. I hope many fans will come to Kegums and cheer me on because the fans’ support is important. I’ll have a bit more pressure but I’m going as World Champion and will enjoy it. I hope to hear that Latvian anthem on the podium again.”

While those 1-1 victories in the opening three rounds and in Russia showed how good Jonass is when its going right, the tough days are the best days to learn what is needed for the future.

 “I would say the speed was there in Italy, but I didn't get the best starts. The track was really difficult for passing and I didn't find my flow. Fifth overall was still OK and some good points for the championship​. It was nice to have the championship lead, but I was disappointed with my weekend in Portugal.”

So now its back home with the family in Latvia, to rest his mind, and find that consistency he has shown in Argentina, Holland, Spain and Russia, and not make the same mistakes he made in Italy and Portugal. Only time will tell which Pauls Jonass turns up at his home GP, but with extra motivation and crowd support it is looking positive.

Copyright: Photo: Ray Archer

Monster Energy Kawasaki rider Clement Desalle proved too strong for the Red Bull KTM Factory riders last weekend in Russia. During the Grand Prix of Russia, the Belgian rider put together a very solid 1-2 result.

While a GP victory was long over-due for the former world number two, his 23^rd GP win was a nice reward for not giving up against the might of KTM. Still 74 points down on series leader Jeffrey Herlings, the Kawasaki man will need to put more performances together like his win in Russia.

“I feel good,” Desalle said after his win. “It was a good race for me. Already on Saturday I felt fast. I'm really happy about my riding today and to be able to put a green bike on the top of the podium. I found some really good lines in the early laps of the first race to take the lead and build a good gap; they came back at me in the last few laps, but I was able to control the race for the victory. I got another good start in race two, Jeffrey was really fast, and I could keep with him, I could stay with the leader for several laps and stayed focused to the end to take the overall GP win. It was great to win again at this track, and now we will work for more GP victories."

The previous Grand Prix didn’t go as well though and failing to finish a race and then claiming a third place in his second race was very unlike Desalle. Usually consistent and reliable, this time he was let down.

“Portugal was a tough day as I had to retire in the first race. I had a pretty good start and was third until I had to stop after ten minutes. I recovered mentally for the second race, but I got wheelspin on the metal plate; thankfully I had an inside gate, so I could do some good moves in the first turn to come out in fourth place. I finished third despite a small mistake at the end of the race. We didn’t know what we would find here as they have had a lot of rain in Portugal; I must say that they did a great job to prepare the track between the races.”

At the hard-pack of Trentino, it was another podium finish, and his 2-3 results showed the improvement was coming. Known for his hard track skills, Desalle rode as we all remember him, and it didn’t surprise anyone that he was in the top three at this Grand Prix.

"I knew the starts would be even more important than usual on this track because it is so difficult to pass; we have worked hard for that and I made a top five start in every race. My riding was also really consistent all weekend and in the first race I could stay with the leader for many laps to finish second which was good for my confidence. In the second race it was a little more difficult to pass Coldenhoff; I got a stone in my goggles and dust in my eye and when I finally got into third place the leaders were gone. I'm happy to come so strong on hard pack; we have a good base to keep working and get even closer to the first two."

Now onto Kegums in Latvia, where he will continue to try and improve and battle the orange army of Antonio Cairoli and Jeffrey Herlings. One thing is for sure, known for his fighting skills and never give up attitude, you can be sure he won’t have to wait another year before his 24^th GP win.

Copyright: Photo: Kawasaki Racing