MXGP

FUNCHAL (Portugal), 1 December 2015 - With the goal to improve the track preparation, maintenance, safety and to ensure better racing, Youthstream has come to an agreement with MXGP rider Rui Gonçalves to be the advisor for these issues, this will also help the technical communication between Youthstream and the riders.  Rui will start this role as a part-time cooperation with Youthstream as he is still racing and in the future he will become full-time from the moment he stops his career as a professional MXGP rider.

Youthstream is very happy to start this cooperation with Rui because he has a lot of experience racing at a high level, he speaks many languages fluently, he is respected in the paddock and is an easy person to approach. 

With his help we want to continue to improve our racing tracks and the relationship between Youthstream and the paddock.

LINKS

Youthstream

FIM

FUNCHAL (Portugal), 27 November 2015 – 2016 is going to be a huge year for Italian motocross with two rounds of the FIM Motocross World Championship set to take place in Pietramurata and Mantova as the MXGP of Trentino and the MXGP of Lombardia-Italy with the summit of the year, the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations, set to take place at the magnificent circuit of Maggiora.

Tickets for all three events are already on sale. So beat the cues at the gate and buy online. They will also make excellent Christmas gifts.

Click on the following links to view the prices or purchase:

MXGP of Trentino, Pietramurata, May 14 & 15

http://trentino.motocross-tickets.com

MXGP of Lombardia - Italy, Mantova, June 25 & 26

http://lombardia.motocross-tickets.com

Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations, Maggiora, September 24 & 25

http://tickets.maggioramotocross.com

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

LINKS

Youthstream

FIM

FUNCHAL (Portugal), 26 November 2015 – Do you think you have what it takes to become the new Romain Febvre? Here is your chance to prove it! In an effort to support young motocross talent, Youthstream and Yamaha are proud to present the opportunity of a lifetime with the new YZ125 Cup. The championship, initiated by Yamaha, will be run in Europe on a national level and the winner will be awarded with a contract for Yamaha’s 2017 Official EMX125 Team!

The YZ125 championship will be held in 13 countries and forms an easy entrance into the MX racing world for teenagers who aim to reach the top in the EMX125 class.

The best scoring riders in each national championship who signed up for the European YZ125 Cup will be allowed to participate in a Superfinale at the Veltins Arena, Germany on October 8^th 2016, where the best YZ125 riders will compete for the victory in front of a crowd of 50.000 motocross fans.

In total there will be forty-two YZ125 Cup candidates competing for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It varies per country how many YZ125 riders will be allocated to progress to this YZ125 championship final. For the national championships that won’t be closed before September 12^th 2016, the right to attend the Superfinale will be based on the national championship’s provisional championship standings on September 12^th.

The six top riders of the Superfinale, joined by two wildcards, will win a multiple day Master Class with MXGP rider and 2008 MX1 World Champion David Philippaerts.

During the Master Class the mentors will decide which of these riders will become an official Yamaha rider for the EMX125 2017 season and gets to follow in the footsteps of 2015 125cc Junior World Champion, Maxime Renaux.

Yamaha played their part in supporting Renaux during his breakthrough into the 125 motocross scene and hopes to do the same for many more riders through ‘BluCru’, Yamaha’s new youth talent development program that will support MX racing teenagers and provides a community environment in the Yamaha Racing world.

Signing up for BluCru’s first European effort to support talented youth, the YZ125 Cup, couldn’t be easier; if you’re born between 2000 and 2004 and are racing in one of the selected FIM approved national championships with a Yamaha YZ125, you're in! All you need to do to make the next step in your MX-career is sign up for the European YZ125 Cup by sending a completed registration form to yz125cup@yamaha-motor.nl. Registrations are opened till the January 31^st 2016. To download the registration form click www.yamaha-racing.com.

To welcome you to Yamaha’s BluCru, you will receive a free BluCru welcome pack following your registration. The pack contains a T-shirt, cap, sticker badge and a YZ sticker kit that all European YZ125 Cup contenders are obliged to use whilst racing in their national championships.

LINKS

Youthstream

FIM

FIM Europe

Yamaha Racing

FUNCHAL (Portugal), 26 November 2015 – In preparation for another successful season of world-class motocross, Youthstream hosted their annual organizers meeting in Jerez, Spain, where the expectations and goals for the 2016 FIM Motocross World Championship were revealed and openly discussed.

In 2016, Youthstream and the organizers will do everything within their power to make the FIM Motocross World Championship as safe as possible. Mr. Giuseppe Luongo opened the presentation, “First of all I would like to thank all of you who are here today. Without you, the organizers, it would be impossible to have a world championship,” he said. “However, this year we had many injuries, and this is something we want to reduce in the future,” Mr Luongo added.

In effort to reduce rider injuries Youthstream and the FIM have agreed that the tracks need to be ripped deeper so that the ground is softer, which will in turn become rougher and more technical. It is believed this will slow the riders down and offer more of a challenge. With that said, Youthstream Director Mr. Nikos Gounaris confirmed that this is the plan that the track crew will follow. “Watering is also extremely important,” Mr. Gounaris added, “and it is necessary we have the correct machinery to work in different areas of the track at the same time.”

Also on note of the tracks, it was requested that every track has tunnel access from the perimeter of the circuit to the infield so that the medics and emergency services can access an accident scene or injured rider without crossing the circuit or interfering with the race.

The presentation continued with MXGP’s Director of Communications and Marketing Services Marionna Leiva being the host in a room full of guests which included Youthstream representatives, President Mr. Giuseppe Luongo, Vice President Luigi Zompetti, Directors Nikos Gounaris and David Luongo and CEO’s Daniele Rizzi and Didier Henriod, as well as FIM representatives, FIM/CMS Director Tony Skillington and Race Director Ingo Partsch along with the MXGP round organizers of Thailand, The Netherlands, Italy, Switzerland, Russia, Mexico, Belgium and Maggiora. There were also the organizer of the MXGP of Spain as a guest and a few more Youthstream staff members present along with special guests from Platinum group, the official MXGP ticketing partner, and SEL, MXGP’s official carrier and travel agent.

Mrs. Marionna Leiva presented the 2016 calendar before elaborating on MXGP’s remarkable progress in Social Media and television coverage. MXGP had a massive increase in viewers and exposure in 2015 and the extensive television coverage is set to continue and increase in 2016. In terms of Social Media, Mrs. Leiva explained, “We have seen an increase across all of our social media platforms, we have 106% more viewers on our Youtube channel MXGPtv, 101% more on our own website www.mxgp-tv.com, which I can tell you will be even better in 2016 as we will be screening BOTH days, Saturday and Sunday, LIVE. This means you will be able to watch ALL of the European Championship races and the MXGP and MX2 Qualifying races live and OnDemand in 2016.” MXGP also had a massive 228% rise on Instagram, a 55% increase on Twitter and a 25% increase on Facebook.

Following on, Youthstream’s latest project the ‘Riders Cup’ was presented. The Riders Cup is a unique and exciting prospect which will be organized inside the Veltins Arena, one of the most famous stadiums in Germany. The race itself will be for the manufacturers, KTM, Husqvarna, Yamaha, Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki and TM who will select 3 of their fastest riders, regardless of the riders’ nationality. The Riders Cup will be a team event where the riders will race for the success of their motorcycle brand.

With so much to look forward to in 2016 the organizers meeting concluded with a room full of enthusiastic organizers, promoters and partners, all re-motivated, re-energized and excited for yet another successful season of non-stop bar-to-bar motocross action.

LINKS

Youthstream

FIM

Christmas is such a jolly time of year; it’s almost as exciting as the start of a new motocross season!

To celebrate Christmas MXGP-TV want to OFFER you 25% OFF the 2016 FIM Motocross World Championship season package, which NEW for 2016 will include BOTH days, Saturday and Sunday, LIVE! This means you can watch the MXGP & MX2 Qualifying races LIVE & OnDemand as well as ALL races and rounds of the European Championships and Women’s Motocross World Championship on www.MXGP-TV.com.

Also INCLUDED in the Season Package is the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations which will be once again out of this world as it is set to take place on the home soil of the eight-time FIM Motocross World Champion Antonio Cairoli, in Maggiora, Italy.

But wait! There’s MORE, in 2016 Youthstream will be introducing a new event which will be a stadium style motocross race where each manufacturer will select the three fastest riders who will race for a massive prize. This is called the Riders’ Cup and will take place in the well-known Veltins Arena in Germany on the 8th October 2016. This is also INCLUDED in the package available to watch LIVE & OnDemand!

Give the best gift this Christmas! Give the thrill of MXGP & the 2016 FIM Motocross World Championship season and enjoy 19 epic rounds of MXGP LIVE & OnDemand!

Click here to buy the season package with a 25% DISCOUNT

The offer ends the 10^th January 2016.

One hundred and nineteenth 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 119: Marquez talks off-road; a morning spent with the Marquez brothers and co at Rufea to ask how and why getting away from the slick tyres helps for MotoGP and racing. Pourcel & Herlings chat; a catch-up with the 377 and 84 at the Lille Supecross with answers to some of the questions people are keen to know for 2016 and the forthcoming season. ’15 EICMA Greatest Hits; what bikes were shown off in Milan and what machinery to expect on the road next year. Roland casts his experienced eye over the offerings from the brands last week. Made in France: YCF is a surprise manufacturer from Normandy making serious strides with their comprehensive mini-bike line-up. We went for a visit to see how

Read OTOR 119

The FIM Gala is the event in which all of the champions from all motorcycle sport disciplines, Motocross, Enduro, Track Racing, Trials, Cross Country Rallies and Road racing gather for the official awarding of their FIM Championship Gold Medals.

This weekend the Gala took place in Jerez de la Fontera, Spain, the motorcycling capital of the world, where hundreds of people gathered inside the historic Teatro Villamartato to witness the special ceremony which saw our champions Romain Febvre, FIM MXGP World Champion, Tim Gajser, FIM MX2 World Champion, Maxime Renaux, FIM Junior Motocross 125cc World Champion and Raivo Dankers, FIM Junior Motocross 85cc World Champion join more than 30 other great champions and 7 motorcycling legends on stage to receive their gold medals.

In the down time around new year’s eve in 2012 before the season kicked off, the paddock stirred to rumours that something big was coming, something that would break up the established order, someone that could make huge waves in the sport.

In two back to back races in July of that year the waves hit the shore as the instantly recognisable #777 of Russia’s Evgeny Bobryshev took its place first on and then on top of the MXGP podium in Sweden and Germany. In the sweltering summer heat that blessed the Teutschenthal track Bobryshev took his Honda to a hugely impressive double moto win ahead of Antonio Cairoli and Clement Desalle, and in the process posted a lap time 2 seconds faster than his closest challenger, just to make sure everyone got the point.

CLICK HERE to read the rest of this article

While KTM might have trimmed down their factory effort in the MXGP class 2016, we will still see minimum 15 factory backed riders lining up on the start line of the MXGP class at the opening round of the MXGP series at Qatar in late February. If Jeffrey Herlings does decide to move up to the MXGP class next year, then it will be 16 and what a magnificent 16 it would be.

Already we will have five former or present world champions in the class. Starting with Italian legend Antonio Cairoli, defending MXGP champion Romain Febvre, 2004 MX2 champion Ben Townley, 2013 MX2 champion Jordi Tixier, and this year’s MX2 champion Tim Gajser. All these champions will race factory bikes and all in different teams. How brilliant is that?

Obviously leading the way is defending world MXGP champion Febvre who will race for the Monster Energy Yamaha team alongside Jeremy Van Horebeek, while Yamaha are still deciding what will happen to Valentin Guillod, who is assured a factory machine by Yamaha.

The Red Bull KTM Factory team who had three MXGP riders in 2015 will go with just two in 2016, and of course their main man Antonio Cairoli will lead the orange army into battle next year. It will be nice to see young Dutchman Glenn Coldenhoff move up. Winning a GP in the MXGP class this year showed he is ready for an even bigger season in 2016 and hopefully he can move into the season without injury, which wasn’t the case this year. Of course Shaun Simpson will race on a factory KTM machine, but will race for a privateer team on the bike.

The Kawasaki Factory team have the services of the one man who probably has deserved a world title, but has come up short, and that is Belgian hard-man Clement Desalle. His team-mate in 2016 is 2014 World MX2 champion Jordi Tixier. Tixier is known to love the 450cc bike and his results might surprise many.

The Factory Suzuki team brings New Zealander Ben Townley back to the FIM Motocross World Championships and this is a really special return for the 2004 MX2 champ. Townley who rode the wheels off his Honda at the 2015 Monster Energy Motocross of Nations will be teamed with another veteran in Kevin Strijbos. The effort by new team owner Stefan Everts in bringing out the best in these two riders will be crucial in their performances.

HRC are going in hard in 2016, with three riders on the all new 450cc Honda. While MX2 champion Tim Gajser won’t be inside the HRC tent, his Gariboldi Honda team are more than capable of making sure his bike is dialed in come Qatar. Also on the red rockets next year are world number one and world number two Gautier Paulin and Evgeny Bobryshev.

The only factory team without a former world champion is Red Bull IceOne Husqvarna Factory team, although their riders are more than capable of producing some surprises, as Max Nagl showed this year. The German will be joined by Italian rider Christophe Charlier, a competitor who has the talent to move up the world rankings with the right backing.

PHOTO: Honda