MXGP

MANTOVA (Lombardia), 19 August 2015 - After a couple of weekends of rest and recovery, or testing and training, the championship which has already exceeded most of the high expectations laid upon it, 2015 FIM Motocross World Championship, is set to put round fifteen in the books this weekend in Mantova, Italy. While we have already stopped off in this motocross mad country a couple of times this year, fear not, this weekend’s circuit is in complete contrast to the previous two which took place at the iconic clay based and heavily elevated circuits of Pietramurata and Maggiora as the MXGP rounds of Trentino and Italy.

Mantova, located in the north of Italy, is a flat and sandy circuit with a series of man-made jumps. In terms of the sand, it is a different grain to that of Lommel as it is firmer which means it won’t be as deep.

This weekend will be the seventh time a round of the FIM Motocross World Championship will grace the venue, with the first being back in 1991 when American Trampas Parker won, and the most recent being in 2010, when fan favourite Antonio Cairoli took the win in the premier class while Marvin Musquin won in MX2.

If the track shapes up deep and sandy, Hitachi Construction Machinery KTM’s Shaun Simpson, the ‘dark horse’ of MXGP, will go about fifty shades lighter and will probably be pinned for the win. The Scot’s dominating performance in Lommel was exceptional and demonstrated exactly what he is capable of, if he can carry that same speed and confidence through to this weekend there is no reason why he won’t be on the box, the top step even.

Team HRC’s Gautier Paulin is always a threat to the throne, more or less dependent on his own mind set. With 86 points being the difference between him and the championship leader, Romain Febvre, it is essential for him to remain in front of his fellow countryman in order to keep the title in sight.

Speaking of the championship leader Yamaha Factory Racing Yamalubes’s Romain Febvre, he hasn’t been off the podium since round six in Spain, which proves just how deserving he is of the title. All he has to do is keep that same momentum going and the bike rubber side down and it should be smooth sailing from here.

Meanwhile Team HRC’s Evgeny Bobryshev has edged his way into third in the championship standings 40 points shy of teammate Gautier Paulin and 7 points clear of Tony Cairoli, who will not be racing. Red Bull IceOne Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Max Nagl is a further 63 points back in fifth and will finally make his return to racing after a five round hiatus due to an ankle injury.

DP19 Yamaha Racing’s David Philippaerts will also be back on the line after a ridiculously ugly crash in Loket left him sidelined for one round, the MXGP of Belgium. As for the Belgians, Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MXGP’s Kevin Strijbos and Yamaha Factory Racing Yamalube’s Jeremy Van Horebeek, they’ll also be a pair of hard chargers in the sand this weekend.

MXGP Championship Top Ten: 1. Romain Febvre (FRA, YAM), 547 points; 2. Gautier Paulin (FRA, HON), 463 p.; 3. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, HON), 423 p.; 4. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 416 p.; 5. Maximilian Nagl (GER, HUS), 360 p.; 6. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), 356 p.; 7. Clement Desalle (BEL, SUZ), 331 p.; 8. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, YAM), 324 p.; 9. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, SUZ), 290 p.; 10. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, SUZ), 287 p.

MX2 is so stacked, but the odds for the win this weekend given the way he is performing of late, definitely fall in favor of Monster Energy DRT Kawasaki’s Max Anstie who has proven he’s the second fastest rider in the sand, bar the injured Jeffrey Herlings, with his faultless and impressive acts in Kegums and Lommel where he went unbeaten in both qualifiers and all four races.

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Pauls Jonass will be rolling out as the fresh new target after taking the red plate at the last round. The young Latvian said in the press conference in Lommel, “I never imagined that I would have the red plate in my hands so soon, I thought maybe in two or three years”, he now leads Honda Gariboldi’s Tim Gajser by 4 points with the next threat being Standing Construct Yamaha Yamalube’s Valentin Guillod who is a further 25 points back in fourth.

Meanwhile, Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s Petar Petrov is beaming confidence at the moment. The Bulgarian has finally found his mojo and despite crashing in Lommel, managed to land his first ever podium finish. He has since gone on to dominate the latest rounds of the local races he competes in and will be trying to keep that same flow going this weekend.

Another sand race is going to fall in favor of Wilvo Nestaan Husqvarana Factory Racing’s wildcard Harri Kullas who was the cat amongst the pigeons in the sand of Latvia with his first ever podium finish and then again with his fifth at the MXGP of Belgium in Lommel, while fourth in Lommel was wrapped up by Standing Construct Yamaha Yamalube’s Julien Lieber who is also capable of shaking things up from time to time.

MX2 Championship Top Ten: 1. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), 433 points; 2. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 429 p.; 3. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 423 p.; 4. Valentin Guillod (SUI, YAM), 408 p.; 5. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, SUZ), 395 p.; 6. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KAW), 393 p.; 7. Max Anstie (GBR, KAW), 387 p.; 8. Julien Lieber (BEL, YAM), 340 p.; 9. Petar Petrov (BUL, KAW), 262 p.; 10. Benoit Paturel (FRA, YAM), 259 p.

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

TIMETABLE

Saturday: MX2 Free Practice 10:15; MXGP Free Practice 10:45; MX2 Time Practice 14:00; MXGP Time Practice 14:35; MX2 Qualifying Race 16:10; MXGP Qualifying Race 17:00

Sunday: MX2 Warm up 11:10; MXGP Warm up 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

MXGP of Lombardia

One hundred and eleventh 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 112: Lorenzo Landing: MotoGP; A fifth win of the season puts Jorge Lorenzo firmly on top as the main man from the 2015 season to-date. Gavin Emmett Blogs from Brno while Marc VDS’ Michael Bartholemy also talks. Putting the boot in: Tech10s; How do Alpinestars make their flagship Tech10 boots? We went to Asolo in Italy to watch the 185 pieces of the immensely popular riding footwear be constructed and fitted for MX stars. Finding a way: Cianciarulo; Coping with expectation unlike any other junior or amateur before him has been part of Adam Cianciarulo’s daily existence. OTOR met the eighteen year old in CA to talk pressure and glory. BMW mix things up: S1000XR; Roland takes a whirl with the company’s new S1000XR to see how they have managed to merge two of their most impressive bikes into a sport tourer that could be the definition of the tag

Che it out HERE

It’s not breaking news that Red Bull IceOne Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Max Nagl will return to the gate at the MXGP of Lombardia in Mantova, Italy, but there is yet to be an official announcement from the Husqvarna squad so until then, or unless we (MXGP) had spoken to him, we couldn’t announce it. Anyway, today at Honda Park in Olmen, Belgium, I saw Max out on the track running a pretty sick pace, so during one of his rest periods I went over to have a chat:

Rumor is you will be back on the gate in Mantova, is it true?

Max: Yes, I will race in Mantova.

In your words, what happened at the MXGP of Germany?

Max: At the start of the qualifying race I slid with the rear wheel and got hit by Gautier (Paulin), and I crashed. I wasn’t injured from the crash but then when I was on the ground David (Philippaerts) hit me and it broke my leg, but it’s not his fault, he could not see because it was on like the second turn and you couldn’t see much.

What went through your head at that moment?

Max: There is a strange feeling you have when you know the bone is broken. I knew it was broken immediately and I knew the season is finished. So I just got on the bike and rode to the truck, and that was it.

What was the official injury?

Max: I broke the Tibia all the way through and I had an operation right away. They put 2 screws to fix it, normally this bone is not an issue if you give it time to heal, but I went training as soon as I could because I had the red plate and I wanted to keep racing.

I saw you were back on the bike quite a while ago, yet you haven’t raced anywhere. Why is that?

Max: Yeah, I started riding quite a while ago because the plan was to be back at Sweden and Latvia, but it was just before Sweden I went riding and it didn’t go well at all so I went back to the doctor and they said there is a small hole in the bone and you will need to rest another 3 weeks. So I stopped riding and I couldn’t train either and now I have just started riding again, on Tuesday this week.

How are you feeling going into Mantova?

Max: I like Mantova. It’s a nice track. I don’t feel 100%, I only started riding this week and I am struggling to do 20 – 25minutes, so it is going to be difficult but there is one point you have to start and we think that Mantova and Assen are good tracks to start again and hopefully we can finish the season strong in Mexico and America.

Normally you don’t ride that often during the week, so what are you doing to prepare?

Max: Yeah normally if I am fit I will ride once in the week. The only thing I could do over the last few weeks was cycling but not too much because every time I went cycling my ankle would swell. If it’s swollen it’s not healing, so I had to find a compromise. So it was that and some gym training and now I can finally start riding. I cannot ride everyday because then it will not get better.

It will be good to have you back. Have you been following the championship, do you think Romain Febvre can pull it off?

Max: Yes, and yes he has a good gap now and he is riding consistent.

What do you think about a rookie winning the championship?

Max: Yeah it’s a surprise. He is straight out of MX2 and is winning in MXGP. It’s good for him!

Five times World Champion Joel Smets of Belgium has been appointed KTM Motocross Factory Racing Sports Director, Pit Beirer, KTM Motorsport Director has announced. It is a welcome return to the KTM International Family for Smets whose name is firmly anchored among the finest in the sport.

Pit Beirer: “I’m pleased and proud that we have been able to bring a personality like Joel into this new position. I’m confident that he is going to lead our riders onto even greater things. Joel’s experience and his career achievements speak for themselves, and clearly he’s also a strong role model for both our senior and junior factory riders.”

Although Smets came into the sport of Motocross relatively late at the age of 17, he took his first world title in 1995 and won again in 1997 and 1998. His fourth and fifth titles were while he rode for KTM in 2000 and 2003. Smets started in 168 GPs during his career, and with 57 GP victories, he established himself as one of the sport’s greatest riders. Smets was also six-times Belgian National Champion and was Belgian Sportsman of the Year in 2000.

Smets joins KTM to fill this newly created position within the factory team structure and both Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team Managers, Claudio de Carli (MXGP) and Dirk Gruebel (MX2) welcome him onboard. He will be in charge of overseeing general planning, and will coordinate and facilitate training schedules to the best advantage. Smets will also be head of the race workshop in Belgium.

The MXGP, MX2 and KTM Factory Junior teams will now share two comprehensive base camp facilities, one in Belgium and a second near Rome. The two locations will allow them to take best advantage of prevailing weather conditions, and to work out of two top class facilities.

The Austrian workshop at KTM Factory Racing headquarters, the exclusive location where all factory bikes and engines are built, remains the hub for the company’s worldwide factory racing activities, Beirer confirmed. “This new setup, along with Joel’s appointment, guarantee we have the very best of everything in Italy, Austria and Belgium. With this strong management structure and excellent facilities we will always be READY TO RACE!”

Red Bull IceOne Husqvarna Factory team manager Antti Pyrhonen is very much a man of the sport. Just like so many other team managers in the GP paddock Pyrhonen is a former GP racer and a person who has spent his whole life around the sport of motocross.

So much so that he actually even worked in a Husqvarna dealership as a young child. We sat down and asked him about the Husqvarna team and how it feels to be working for such a strong company.

Q: Antti, obviously the link between KTM and Husqvarna is very strong, but I get the feeling Husqvarna are spreading their wings a little and flying in their own path. How do you feel that that?

Pyrhonen: Actually everyone knows KTM and Husqvarna are the same company, and we have a close cooperation, and it will always be like that. As race teams we are doing well, but of course its different teams and different brands and we try and compete and be the best, that is normal in racing. Husqvarna is in its second year, and it’s getting more established, both in sales and racing. Step by step there will be a separation but it is just going great. In the marketing and in the racing it’s strong.

Q: It must be an honor to be involved with such a big brand, with so much heritage in the sport, maybe the biggest brand ever if you look at their past glories.

Pyrhonen: You know for me it’s a dream come true. For me Husqvarna is the brand, and you know when I was a boy the Husqvarna importer, one of the oldest Husqvarna importers was actually in my town. I had my first summer job there and I know the history of Husqvarna and it’s great. It is growing back to be one of the biggest brands in the motocross paddock. Their marketing with older riders and the history is really great to know and nice to see. I am in such a great position that I can meet the old hero’s like Thorsten Hallman, when a man like Thorsten says Antti your factory team is working well and really professional and that gives me so much satisfaction.

Q: What about the plans for 2016?

Pyrhonen: We have a two year agreement with Max and we are so happy with how he works and how we welded together in the season. Regarding the second rider, currently it is open and we need to see how the season goes on. Both Todd and Nathan are improving week after week and we like what they do.

Q: You seem to do a good job with your riders. What has been the biggest thing you have learnt from being the team manager?

PyrhonenL I think the biggest thing is to work with people. This is such a multi-task job and you can improve in many things so pointing out one thing is tough, but I would say managing the people is the most challenging and on this side I am lucky we have a really great team with a great group of people. I have learnt to select good people around me.

We’re creeping closer to summit of the year, the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations. Here’s how the MXoN line-ups are looking so far:

Team France

Gautier Paulin

Romain Febvre

Marvin Musquin

Team USA

Justin Barcia

Jeremy Martin

Cooper Webb

Team Australia

Todd Waters

Dean Ferris

Jay Wilson

Team New Zealand

Ben Townley

Cody Cooper

Kayne Lamont

Team Great Britain

Shaun Simpson

Max Anstie

The third rider is yet to be confirmed.

Stay tuned to our Social Media platforms, Facebook, Twitter & Instagram. For video’s check out www.MXGP-TV.com or our YouTube channel.

4 rounds have passed since the last issue of the MXGP Mag, that’s 8 motos in each class, that’s a cumulative 9 hours and 20 minutes of racing for this months racing catch up to dissect. 16 starts have passed, not including the drama that is now de rigueur in Saturday’s 20 plus 2 qualifying races, 8 sets of trophies have been handed out and we’ve had new red plate holders in both MXGP and MX2. Let’s start with one of those two men.

Romain Febvre...

Click HERE to read the feature.

Last weekend at the MXGP of Belgium in Lommel we ran a competition where you could WIN a Moto-Master 270 MXGP Brake Kit, a copy of MXGP The Official MXGP Videogame and an all season pass to www.mxgp-tv.com.

All you had to do was name three riders that use Moto-Master products.

The WINNER of that competition was Georgi Stanchev who named Antonio Cairoli, Valentin Guillod & Aleksandr Tonkov.

Congratulations Georgi! 

We would like to say a massive thank you to all of our fans that follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Youtube. Particularly Instagram at the moment as we have just ticked over 101,100 followers.

Thanks to every one of you who have supported us and the growth of motocross as a sport!

Click on the links to view our platforms:

Facebook: @MXGP

Twitter: @MXGP

Instagram: @MXGP

Youtube: @MXGPTV

Standing Construct Yamaha Yamalube are in the heat of battle for the 2015 FIM MX2 Motocross World Championship title with Valentin Guillod but are already putting tentative first plans into place for their move into the MXGP division with the YZ450F for 2016.

Guillod, winner of three Grands Prix this year on the YZ250F, is obliged to head into the premier class due to arriving at the twenty-three year age 'ceiling' for his current category and had confirmed his intention to make his MXGP debut in what will be a third season with the Belgian crew owned and helmed by Tim Mathys.

"It is great to continue with Standing Construct Yamaha and also with Yves - Demaria, mentor and trainer - because at the end of 2012 he took the risk to train someone who wasn't good and it turned out well. At the end of 2013 nobody wanted to sign me and only Tim came and proposed a deal," the Swiss commented. "We started this season from zero with the bike and now we are fighting for the title so it is really cool to be part of this team."

Yamaha Standing Construct Yamalube will expand to a three-rider structure - with Julien Lieber signed to stay - to maintain their direction and focus as one of the front-runners in MX2 with the YZ250F, but will also direct manpower and attention to help Guillod make a splash on the bigger machine.

"Yamaha took us on to get results with YZ250F and I think we have done pretty well," assessed Tim Mathys. "We have already won three GPs and have more podiums with both riders. The idea for next year was to again set up a good structure for MX2 and I think we have that but Valentin wants to stay with the Yamaha and likes the bike and - even more - he likes the co-operation with the team during the last two and a half years. We originally spotted Valentin as a rider that we wanted to work with in 2012 and we almost had a deal but factors outside of our control meant that it didn't happen. So I was happy he came onboard at the end of 2013 and we've been going upwards ever since."

"With Yamaha Motor Europe we were able to find a solution to go to MXGP with him," he adds. "I am really proud, and I respect him even more because he chose the group instead of the money and I know he had some big offers to move away. I think it proves that we give 100%, that we listen to the riders, that we have mutual confidence in each other and that's why we will be in MXGP."

"Being able to keep Valentin in 'Blue' and enhance our MXGP line-up was a priority for us and I'm very happy and excited that the arrangement has come together and all of us are already curious about 2016," said Yamaha Motor Europe MX Manager Erik Eggens. "Of course Valentin has a fantastic chance in MX2 for the four remaining Grands Prix of 2015 and it is reassuring and very promising for Yamaha that he will be making the step into MXGP with the YZ450F."

Copyright: Photo: Yamaha Racing