MXGP

We talk retirement, Ryan Villopoto & the Monster Energy US GP with Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Tyla Rattray.

The timetable for the MXGP of Latvia which is taking place this weekend in Kegums has been changed. 

Click HERE to download the upated Timetable.

Following the recent announcement of Ryan Villopoto's retirement, the Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team has reached an agreement with Steven Frossard to complete the season alongside Tyla Rattray.

Fifth last year aboard the factory Kawasaki, Steven knows the Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team well and will just need a few hours of training to become acquainted with the 2015 KX 450F-SR. Having won the Open class of the Motocross of Nations at the same track last year, he returns to Kegums with high expectations for this GP and also for the final six GPs of the World Championship. The team will line up two riders again, and wishes to thank all of its partners for their support throughout the season so far.
 
Steven Frossard: “Of course I’m happy to complete this season with KRT, and to be back in a team where I know everyone and have so many great memories from last season. For sure the first goal this weekend will be to get used to the factory Kawasaki again; the 2015 bike has new development evolutions, new suspension, and Kegums could be the best place to discover it as last year we ended the season there by winning the MX of Nations with the French team. A top five result would be great for this first race, then we’ll have a few more weeks to practice before Loket.”
 
Steve Guttridge, Kawasaki Motors Europe Racing Manager: “It’s good to welcome Steven back under our KRT awning ! We know what he’s capable of on our Factory KX450F-SR and I’m sure he’s going to prove it to us all very soon.”
 
Thierry Chizat Suzzoni, Team owner: “We are pleased to see Steven back with us for the rest of the season, including the last two overseas GPs. We reached an agreement with the support of Kawasaki, and he will replace Ryan Villopoto for these races. We know Steven very well of course, so it will be easy for him to find himself within a few days; he has a ‘big heart’ and we know that he will give his best.”

Copyright: Photo: Kawasaki Motors Europe

Evgeny Bobryshev, the affable Russian, has signed an extension to his agreement with Team HRC and will remain on the factory Honda CRF450RW for the 2016 season.

The new deal means that in 2016 the 28 year-old from Kondrovo, Russia, will enjoy his seventh season with Honda in motocross. When Bobby first climbed aboard the CRF450R in 2010 with CAS Honda, it proved an ideal match and he won the British Motocross Championship before graduating to the Motocross World Championship in 2011.

That 2011 season was his best year with the team so far, finishing fourth overall with his first MX1 Grand Prix victory in Germany and a further five podiums. Though injury plagued him in the seasons that followed, 2015 is something of a return to form as he is currently lying fifth in the World Championship, took his first qualifying race win at the MXGP of Pietramurata earlier this season and stood on the podium in France.

This means that the Team HRC line-up for 2016 remains unchanged with Evgeny Bobryshev on the no.777 machine riding alongside Gautier Paulin on the no.21 CRF450RW.

Evgeny Bobryshev: “I said at the beginning of last year that representing Team HRC was a big honour for me, and I’m really happy to be staying with the team for the 2016 season and continuing to be a part of HRC and Honda. I’ve had a long relationship with Honda in motocross riding the CRF450R, and I’m grateful to be able to say I’m coming back for a seventh season with Honda. As a team we all work very well together, the level of factory support is so high, and I have a great crew around me. This season I’m really getting back to my full performance again so to continue next year in the same way is perfect.”

Copyright: Photo: Honda Racing Corporation / Bavo

Red Bull KTM Factory riders Antonio Cairoli and Jeffrey Herlings haven’t had an easy run in 2015. The defending eight times MXGP champion and two times MX2 champion are fighting one problem after the next and while their success of the past is impressive, the present is as tough as it gets.

For Cairoli it’s been nothing like seasons of past. Sure he has won two Grand Prix’s, but apart from those fleeing moments of Cairoli magic he has been battling against one thing or another. His current struggle with his arm injury is as tough as it’s been for the champion.

“It was a tough weekend in Sweden,” Cairoli said. “I was thinking that the two-week break would have better effect on my arm, but in fact since the Saturday in Sweden I realized that it was not going well at all. In race one I was chasing the sixth position, when I had contact with a rider and I fell. I restart in 22^nd place. Luckily I found the pace and managed to close in thirteenth position. In race two, things went much better and after I passed some rider, I took the third position, which is really good considering my injury. It’s a shame for the first heat, because maybe today it would even possible to be back on the podium, but this is motocross. This week, in Belgium, I will make other controls that were in any case already in scheduled and I’ll be back to training for the next race.”

For Herlings the injuries from Germany and Italy have taken their toll. Not surprisingly the Dutchman is fighting to look at the positives and he struggles to find the form of 2012 and 2013, and fighting through one injury after another is taking its toll on his mental strength.

“I don't know how much more I can take, I'm only human,” Herlings said after his Sweden crash. “I could never have expected to win the opening moto in Sweden. I took it easy early because there was a lot of water down, and I didn’t want to take any risk. I just wanted to take my time and I could eventually get the win. A bit of surprise to be honest.”

As for his health issues, the 2012 and 2013 MX2 world champion can’t even remember when he was 100% fit.

“When was I 100%? Man it feels like it’s been so long since I was 100%. I know for sure when this season is over I will take a couple of months off and get my body back to 100%. Sunday is a different story, I want to get in the lead as quickly as possible and lead, but it all went wrong. Same in Sweden.”

Both Cairoli and Herlings will arrive in Latvia with hopes of a change in their health. Hopefully then they can start to look ahead and try and do what they have done so often in the past and that is win.

Winner of multiple AMA Supercross and AMA Pro Motocross titles, Kawasaki icon Ryan Villopoto has announced his retirement.

As a result of a crash and subsequent injuries sustained at the fourth round of the current MXGP Championship in Trentino, Italy, the 27 year old Kawasaki rider has taken the difficult decision to cease competing in the sport that has seen him elevated to the status of one of the all-time greats both indoors and outdoors.

Villopoto’s first national title came on a KX125 at the AMA Amateur National Championships in 2005. After turning pro, he went on to sweep three consecutive AMA Motocross championships from 2006-2008 in the 250 class while also claiming the 2007 250SX AMA Supercross West Regional championship. Villopoto is one of only four riders to ever win three consecutive 250 class titles.

“Ryan defines the word champion,” said Kawasaki Motors Corp. U.S.A. Vice President of Marketing Chris Brull. “Since he started with Kawasaki on Team Green, Ryan has pushed himself and Kawasaki to be better every year. His dedication to his craft has paid off in the championships that he has won, and the developments we have been able to make throughout our KX line. Ryan will always be a part of the Kawasaki family and I speak for everyone at Kawasaki when I wish him all the best in his retirement.”

Once he moved up to the KX450F, Villopoto won four straight Monster Energy AMA Supercross titles from 2011-2014 while also claiming two AMA Pro Motocross titles (2011, 2013.) Villopoto’s nine professional AMA national championships places him second in the record books behind only Ricky Carmichael.

Taking the typically bold decision to enter the MXGP series this year after a long and successful career in America, the Washington born rider was in contention during the early part of the season resulting in a race win at the Thailand hosted round in March.

Unfortunately the uncharacteristic crash in Italy resulted in both an injury to his coccyx and, upon further detailed investigation, other traumas to his lower back which are still in the process of healing.

Gathering his thoughts on retirement after a lifetime of support from Kawasaki and Monster Energy, Villopoto has written an emotional open letter to his thousands of worldwide fans which includes the following passages:

“I am grateful for having had the opportunity to do something I have loved since I was a kid and make it into my livelihood. I am grateful for the support of my family for all the years they spent hauling my bikes and me around to races, interrupting their lives in the process. I am grateful for the support of my many sponsors through the years, first and foremost Kawasaki, which has been my bike of choice since my Team Green days. They have been with me through ups and downs, serious injuries and great successes. Kawasaki is a brand that is synonymous with my racing career.

I am grateful to have had the chance to race with the very best in world, my competitors in Supercross and Motocross as well as on MXGP. I am grateful to know that our competitiveness helped to continue the growth of our sport.”

For Monster Energy, Mitch Covington, Vice President of Sports Marketing added:

“We have sponsored Ryan and his teams throughout his entire career. Since 2006, Ryan has been able to give us everything we have asked for on and off the track. He is a great racer who started to build his legend from the first time he lined up on the starting gate as a Pro. We look forward to seeing the next chapter in the Ryan Villopoto story.”

While Ryan considers his future and reflects on a career of stellar success, Kawasaki Motors Europe Racing Manager, Steve Guttridge, commented on the Villopoto phenomenon and thanked the star for his grit, commitment and enterprise.

“Ryan brought a real buzz to the MXGP World Championships this season that was incredible to witness and be a part of. It’s such a shame that he was only able to compete at the first four rounds because I honestly believe that Ryan was adjusting well to the big change of racing around the world as he became more acclimatized to the different circuits and race format in MXGP’s.

Though his time in Europe did not go as planned due to the unfortunate injury, everyone on our team is proud to have worked with Ryan and we have all gained a massive amount of experience in the processFollowing such a major career decision, Ryan is now considering his future goals and ambitions. We wish him well with whatever direction he chooses to take from this point forwards”

KEGUMS (Latvia), 09 July 2015 – This weekend the twelfth round of the FIM Motocross World Championship will return to the sand of Kegums where the super prestigious 2014 Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations took place late last year. One of the most interesting things about this weekend will be how well Team HRC’s Gautier Paulin will perform after totally waxing everyone around Kegums last year as he led Team France to victory.

How will things shape up this weekend? It’s anybody’s guess! The MXGP of Latvia is available to the world to watch LIVE and OnDemand on www.mxgp-tv.com, get in quick! And you can save 50% on a season-pass which includes access to the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations that will take place in Ernee on the last weekend of September.

Also don’t forget to check out our feature series ‘Behind the Gate’, which is a filmed production that covers all the action, both on and off the track, with highlights from racing in MXGP and MX2, a GoPro on-board lap of the track, as well as the inside scoop from the pits at each round of the FIM Motocross World Championship. The 26mn Magazine covering MXGP of Latvia will be screened on Tuesday July 14th at 00:00 (CET) on Eurosport International.

Check the guides below to find out how you can watch MXGP of Latvia:

EUROPE 

EUROSPORT INTERNATIONAL

Tuesday 14 July - 00:00 CET - 26mn magazine «Behind the gate » 

EUROSPORT 2 – DELAYED

Sunday 12 July  – 16:00 CET – MX2 Race 1

Sunday 12 July – 16:30 CET – MXGP Race 1

Sunday 12 July  – 17:00 CET – MX2 Race 2 

Sunday 12 July  – 17:30 CET – MXGP Race 2 

MOTORS TV – LIVE 

Sunday 12 July  – 12:00 CET – MX2 Race 1

Sunday 12 July – 13:00 CET – MXGP Race 1

Sunday 12 July  – 15:00 CET – MX2 Race 2 

Sunday 12 July  – 16:00 CET – MXGP Race 2 

BELGIUM

VRT – Sporza – DELAYED

Sunday 12 July - 18:35 till 19:05 - highlights

BULGARIA

BNT - LIVE 

Sunday 12 July  – 12:00 CET – MX2 Race 1

Sunday 12 July  – 15:00 CET – MX2 Race 2 

ITALY 

ITALIA 2

Sunday 12 July – 13:00 CET – MXGP Race 1

Sunday 12 July  – 15:00 CET – MX2 Race 2 

Sunday 12 July  – 16:10 CET – MXGP Race 2 

PORTUGAL

Sport TV5 - LIVE  

Sunday 12 July  – 12:00 CET – MX2 Race 1

Sunday 12 July – 13:00 CET – MXGP Race 1

Sunday 12 July  – 15:00 CET – MX2 Race 2 

Sunday 12 July  – 16:00 CET – MXGP Race 2 

SLOVENIA 

Sport TV - LIVE 

Sunday 12 July  – 12:00 CET – MX2 Race 1

Sunday 12 July – 13:00 CET – MXGP Race 1

Sunday 12 July  – 15:00 CET – MX2 Race 2 

Sunday 12 July  – 16:00 CET – MXGP Race 2 

ASIA

FOX SPORTS – LIVE 

TBA

THAILAND 

TRUE VISION – LIVE 

Sunday 12 July  – 12:00 CET – MX2 Race 1

Sunday 12 July – 13:00 CET – MXGP Race 1

Sunday 12 July  – 15:00 CET – MX2 Race 2 

Sunday 12 July  – 16:00 CET – MXGP Race 2 

USA

CBS Sports Network - DELAYED

Sunday 12 July: MXGP Race 2 – 12.00 pm EST (09.00 am PST)

Sunday 12 July: MX2 Race 2 - 01.00 pm EST (10.00 am PST)

BRAZIL 

BANDSPORTS - DELAYED 

Sunday 12 July  – 12:00 CET – MX2 Race 1

Sunday 12 July – 13:00 CET – MXGP Race 1

Sunday 12 July  – 15:00 CET – MX2 Race 2 

Sunday 12 July  – 16:00 CET – MXGP Race 2 

MIDDLE EAST - AFRICA  

BeIn SPORTS - LIVE 

Sunday 12 July  – 12:00 CET – MX2 Race 1

Sunday 12 July – 13:00 CET – MXGP Race 1

Sunday 12 July  – 15:00 CET – MX2 Race 2 

Sunday 12 July  – 16:00 CET – MXGP Race 2 

AFRICA

Sport TV Africa 2 – DELAYED

TBA

MXGP will be available across the board in high definition and is also globally available to view live and in HD on MXGP-TV.com. Click here for the complete list of countries and cooperating MXGP broadcasting networks.

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

TIMETABLE

Saturday: EMX65 Free/Timed practice 07:45; EMX85 Free/Timed practice 08:20; EMX250 Group 1 Free/Timed practice 08:55; EMX250 Group 2 Free/Timed practice 09:30; MX2 Free Practice 10:15; MXGP Free Practice 10:45; EMX250 Last Chance Qualifying Race 12:10; EMX65 Race 1 12:50; EMX85 Race 1 13:25; MX2 Time Practice 14:00; MXGP Time Practice 14:35; EMX250 Race 1 15:20; MX2 Qualifying Race 16:10; MXGP Qualifying Race 17:00.

Sunday: EMX65 Warm-up 08:50; EMX85 Warm-up 09:05; EMX250 Warm-up 09:20; EMX65 Race 2 09:50; EMX85 Race 2 10:30; MX2 Warm up 11:10; MXGP Warm up 11:30; EMX250 Race 2 12:00; 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 Latvia

FUNCHAL (Portugal), 8 July 2015 - Youthstream is pleased to announce the provisional calendar for the 2016 FIM Motocross World Championship, FIM Women’s Motocross World Championship, FIM Junior Motocross World Championship and the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations.

*: Saturday

TBA: To be announced

TBC: To be confirmed

LINKS

Youthstream

FIM

The unmistakable quote “consistency wins championships” is sure to strike again this season in MXGP as the intensity continues to increase and the drama shows no sign of slowing down.

Click HERE to read more.