MXGP

Send a motocross training video to score free MXGP Academy week in Spain this February.

No matter that it is off-season for MXGP, we bet you and your friends are having some fun training days that we’d like to see.

Submit HERE a short video about your motocross training by sending us Youtube’s or Vimeo’s URL. After we re-upload the video on MXGP-TV Youtube Channel, the entrance will be finalized and you will receive a new URL to your video. 

The most watched video will win a week training in MXGP Academy in Spain this February 2014.

The winner must be under 16 years of age at the time of entry.

You have time until the 22nd of December to submit the video and have a chance to win.

Follow MXGP on Facebook and Twitter.

Let’s the race begin.
Click HERE to enter now. 

More than five hundred guests packed into the prestigious ‘Salle des Etoiles’ room of the Sporting Monte-Carlo to enjoy a very special evening that rewarded the exploits of the World's best motorcycle riders. Broadcast live on TV in several different countries a host of motorcycling legends were on hand to present the 2013 FIM World Champions with their respective awards, whilst also being honoured themselves for their achievements to two wheel sports.

New FIM Gala Ceremony co-hosts Matthew Roberts and Lisa Leyland showed their passion and knowledge of motorcycling as they steered the live and TV audiences through an evening to be remembered.

Legends such as Harry Everts, Malcolm Rathmell, Ove Fundin, Cyril Neveu, Jutta Kleinschmidt, Phillip William Read and Alessandro Gritti were joined on stage by the likes of Marc Marquez, Pol Espargaro, Antonio Cairoli, Maverick Viñales, Tom Sykes, Jeffrey Herlings, Antoine Meo, Alex Salvini, Christophe Nambotin, Tai Woffinden, Nikolai Krasnikov and many more talented riders. The female side of the sport was once again well represented by Laia Sanz (Double title in Enduro & Trial) and Chiara Fontanesi.

In addition to the many FIM World Champions who stepped forward to receive their awards, the FIM also made two special presentations for FIM Rookie of the Year and FIM Rider of the Year.

These two awards were voted for by more than fifteen thousand people including the media, fans, teams, industry and riders via the FIM-LIVE.com website during more recent weeks.

Patryk Dudek was voted FIM Rookie of the Year, whilst not surprisingly Marc Marquez received the award for FIM Rider of the Year. The FIM Environmental Award was won by the Federació Motociclista d'Andorra (FMA). This award was created in order to encourage a greater awareness of environmental concerns within the motorcycling world. The UK Department of Transport won the 2013 FIM Road Safety Award for its SHARP helmet programme.

Speaking at this unique occasion FIM President Vito Ippolito stated: “It was great to be able to host the fourth edition of the FIM Gala Ceremony in Monte-Carlo and for a second year in a row. The setting was once again a fitting place to celebrate our latest group of FIM World Champions and to share this special occasion with millions of TV viewers around the globe. I want to thank the riders, teams and the whole motorcycling family for supporting this very important event when collectively once again we have shown to the World the great spirit that exists within motorcycling.”

Download pictures HERE Watch the FIM Gala Ceremony HERE
 

Photo: Copyright: FIM

FUNCHAL (Portugal), 2 December 2013 – Youthstream presents the third issue of the MXGP Mag with all the details of how Chiara Fontanesi obtained her second FIM Women’s Motocross World Title. This month the MXGP Mag also describes the best moments of the 2013 European Championships, it also contains a special feature on the MXGP Academy winter camp, and it gives exclusive information on the meeting Youthstream, the FIM, the MXGP Manufacturers and Teams had a few weeks ago.

Click here to read the third issue of MXGP Mag or download it for FREE on Apple Store. The iOs version contain exclusive videos and several photo galleries, and once the MXGP Mag has been downloaded, the reader does not need to be connected on the Internet to go through the content. 

Those users who have already downloaded the first issues on their iOs device can automatically download the third issue by opening the News Stand and clicking on the cover of the MXGP Mag.

LINKS
Youthstream
FIM
MXGP Mag

Preparation for 2014 hasn’t been going so smoothly. Testing became a nightmare after Clement’s injury at the Motocross of Nations. The news that he required surgery and would need a long recovery time meant we could only push ahead with Kevin. We were able to fill his wishes when it came to a few modifications for engine character, based on the 2013 unit, and found a good direction. It is important to give the rider something that he feels happy with for all kinds of riding conditions and for that the test worked out pretty well. Kevin also chose to start using the Air system for the front forks. We had made some try-outs during the season but normally reverted back to the conventional spring. On this occasion at the test we had time to assure him about the performance and reliability of the equipment and he was in a good position to be able to decide for himself.

For Clement there will be no tests before the end of January but this is no reason to panic. He was already very happy with the setting and feeling of the 2013 bike. Minor changes can and will be included but knowing Clement – and we are into our fifth season together now – he will never use something for a race that he hasn’t already tested fully. 

Both riders, along with the MX2 guys, will travel to Portugal again next month for the annual training camp and will be doing their physical work between December 9-22. The championship again starts early and to have the bikes in Qatar for the first Grand Prix means they need to be packed and ready to go by February 18th. This obviously limits the amount of work we can do. Even though this is the second year that the calendar opens at the beginning of March we are still not dialed-in to the time frame. I don’t think it is a major problem for a race bike that will require only minor modifications, like ours, but if there were radical new components and items to work on then it would be not possible to be set for the first Grand Prix. We would not be able to ship the amount of parts that we need and there would be just too much risk involved for the flyaways. 

Clement is rehabbing well and according to the doctor and the therapist all is going OK. Of course he wants it to go quicker! He has gained enough experience in recovering from shoulder injuries so I have complete confidence that he knows how to work and what to do to be in the best shape. Clement will also go to Portugal and take part. He does not have full movement and there will be some limitations but he should be able to swim and take some benefit from the sessions. 

So with Clement and Kevin onboard the team again for 2014 we are keeping a good and efficient roster together. For Clement, if he hadn’t suffered this injury then I would confidently say that we would be pushing for the title next year. Now it is a bit different. I am sure he will come back to his best but I think it is too much to ask that he will be on the same level that he ended 2013 by the time of the first round at Losail. If he can reach the level of performance that we saw in the last six-seven Grand Prix this year then he is a clear rival for Cairoli. Let’s just hope that is sooner rather than later. 

As for Kevin I really believe he will be even better in 2014 and we will see him more often going for podium positions. He picked up a lot of confidence during the year. In the first half of the season he was a bit ‘up and down’ but in the second half his confidence stayed up there as we improved the bike for him. Seeing his physical level now and the way he is preparing I have great expectations. 

As many will people will know, our team will be part of the new ‘MXGP’ category in 2014 but there are some changes for us in-house. Just recently I made the decision that I will take full control over the technical contribution to the MX2 team. Why? I want that the MX2 operation becomes a copy of what we currently have in MXGP where we function well, have good staff and everything runs almost to routine. Jens [Johansson] held the position for us before but I think by taking on the reins myself then I will be able to command respect and some extra response from our partners. We already have some fantastic collaboration in order to go racing and to be one of the top teams every year and I hope we can push harder and bring the MX2 up to a similar level. There are people sharing responsibilities across the teams when it comes to suspension, fuel injection and data logging and Luc Piccart will take a very hands-on role. Luc is someone we know very well and used to mechanic for Strijbos, De Dycker and also Clement. He is used to ‘the house’. 

We know some people have been critical of the RM-Z250 from the set of results in 2013 and that is something I need to work on right away. We are trying very hard to get the bike ready for the start of the season and we will do our best. We have a great machine with the RM-Z450 and the objective is to work even closer with the same people and same systems to make the 250 equally impressive. Like I said we have been working with Clement for four seasons now and Kevin has many years with us in different intervals. Both have experience when it comes to set-up and development and we know them well. In MX2 we don’t have that experience and we need to learn and respond to the requests we receive. The riders are also younger with less experience and that makes it complicated. It will take more time. 

Thomas Ramsbacher will continue to head the MX2 set-up as Team Manager and my contribution is to make sure everything is in place for the right job to be done. Even though MX2 is a Suzuki International Europe project I want to create more interest for MX2 in Japan; that is the goal. 

A question that has popped up so far is ‘why take on the extra work?’ I know I am not getting any younger but only a couple of days ago I found myself thinking ‘I really like this’. I want the challenge of fighting again, to improve again and really take the MX2 team up. I know I cannot go on forever. For the last two years I have been taking a motorhome to more Grand Prix and that has been a big help. It means getting a bit of time off between the races and my wife accepted to come along and accompany me, which was important otherwise it would have been ‘end of story’! I need to work on finding a solution for the long-term future of the team but I love doing this job and I am fit to do this job and I will try to stay so. 

Copyright: Photo: Suzuki Racing

The 2014 season in all respects should again be controlled by the all-mighty Red Bull KTM Factory teams, as Antonio Cairoli and Jeffrey Herlings are heavy favorites to retain their FIM MXGP and MX2 Championships, although there will always be riders who suddenly emerge as contenders.

The MXGP class is pretty much loaded with guys who can win a Grand Prix, battle with Cairoli, but until now not one has been able to collect an FIM World Motocross Championship.

Names like Clement Desalle, Gautier Paulin, Steven Frossard, Ken De Dycker, Max Nagl, Evgeny Bobryshev, Kevin Strijbos, Tommy Searle and Jeremy Van Horebeek have looked strong in both the GP series and in the Motocross of Nations, and has been proven that they can battle and beat riders like Justin Barcia, Ryan Dungey and Blake Baggett from America. As for beating Cairoli on a regular basis, until now that has been the most difficult proposition.

The Italian just gets better and better and his 1-1-1-1 tally from the last two MXoN events in Lommel, Belgium, and Teutschenthal, Germany, have proven that there is nobody in his class at the moment, only really Clement Desalle making life a little difficult for the 7 times FIM World Motocross Champion.

In the MX2 class the distance between first placed man Jeffrey Herlings and second placed rider Jordi Tixier is huge. Tixier failed to win a Grand Prix in 2013, and with Herlings at the front of the pack it doesn’t look any easier in 2014.

Riders who did win a Grand Prix thanks to Herlings missing two due to injury were Australian Dean Ferris and another Dutchman, Glenn Coldenhoff. Ferris is of course out of the 2014 MX2 series and Coldenhoff has moved to a Factory Suzuki ride, leaving his KTM team and leaving many wondering if he can duplicate his 2014 success on the yellow bike.

Outside of Tixier and possibly (returning from injury) Arnaud Tonus it is hard to see anyone coming close to Herlings in 2014 and as the Dutch teenager continues to improve his move to the MXGP class is looking sure to happen in 2015. It might be then that we finally see a really tough battle for the premier class MXGP championship.

Jose Butron, Christopher Charlier, Romain Febvre and Alessandro Lupino should also cause some surprises, but a GP victory doesn’t look likely to be on their program for 2014, but as we all know in Motocross anything can happen and probably will. 

Who can forget the battle Febvre had with Herlings in Thailand, or the surprise moto wins by Butrón in Brazil, this year and last. Whatever happens in 2014, with a brilliant calendar, countries all around the World involved, and some new exciting stops in Europe, 
the 2014 FIM World Motocross Championships should be even bigger and better than our 2013 season, which was in itself loaded with close racing and large crowds.

Photo: Antonio Cairoli - Ray Archer image

FUNCHAL (Portugal), 28 November 2013 - The Motocross/SuperMoto Grand Prix Commission, composed of Mr Giuseppe Luongo, President of Youthstream, Dr Wolfgang Srb, Director of the CMS/FIM, and Takanao Tsubouchi, Motorcycle Sport Manufacturers’ Association (MSMA) Secretary General, met in Chavannes-de-Bogis (Switzerland) on 31 October.

The Motocross/SuperMoto Grand Prix Commission unanimously adopted the following changes to the 2014 Regulations:

FIM Standards for Motocross Circuits
047.3.8 Contiguous tracks
Contiguous tracks should, where possible, have a minimum width of approximately 10 m between them.

Contiguous tracks must be separated and protected by any of the following: wood fence, plastic fence, straw bales and/or advertising material.

Special attention must be focused on contiguous areas so that no unfair advantage can be gained by any rider cutting them out.

047.4 Track marking and fencing
In the FIM MXGP/MX2, the Women's, Junior and Sidecar Motocross World Championships, the FIM Motocross of Nations and the FIM Veteran Motocross World Cup, the course should be defined by the following:

a) Course markers
The course markers define the side of the track and may be manufactured plastic course markers, straw bales, earth banking or flexible advertising material, etc.
Riders must stay inside the original marked course all the time.

b) Neutral zone
The neutral zone is the area between the side of the track marked by course markers and the track marking (neutral zone outer limit). The neutral zone may vary in width but, where possible, should be approximately one meter wide. Wherever possible, this zone should be an earth banking, continuous or intermittent and approximately 50 cm high.

c) Track marking
The exterior of the track may be marked by course markers, straw bales, foam rubber blocks, earth banking, advertisement banners and/or flexible fencing.

d) Spectator control barriers
The spectator control barriers may be of varied types of construction, preferably chain-link fence and should be of sufficient strength to control spectators and not restrict their vision. These barriers should, where possible, be approximately 2 meters high and a minimum of approximately 5 meters from the track marking (neutral zone outer limit), creating a free area for official personnel. These barriers will also be used to create spectator zones.

047.5.2 Starting straight
3rd paragraph deleted:
The starting straight may only be used for the start and must not be crossed or used as part of the course except at the end of the lap.

FIM Motocross World Championships/Cup
2.10 Rider behaviour and assistance
18. Riders must use only the marked track. However, if they accidentally leave the track, they may continue at a greatly reduced speed until they can re-enter the track safely. They must re-enter, without gaining an advantage, at the closest point to where they left the track. 

FIM Motocross of Nations
Where there are more than 36 countries present (= from 37 countries onwards) a C-Final will be added. The team winning the C-Final will move up to the B-Final. The maximum number of teams participating in the C-Final is 13.

LINKS
Youthstream
FIM

Photo: Bird view of Teutschenthal during the 2013 MXoN

FUNCHAL (Portugal), 26 November 2013 – The second 3D model dedicated to Clément Desalle, which will be included in MXGP, The Official Motocross Videogame has been released by Milestone.

This new exciting videogame is based on the official FIM World Motocross Championship and it will be available in spring 2014 for PlayStation®3, PlayStation®Vita, Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and Windows PC®.

Developed by Milestone Studio, one of the most recognized racing videogame developers and publishers for consoles and Windows® PC, MXGP, The Official Motocross Videogame features all riders, teams, bikes and rules from the official MXGP 2013 calendar including a redesigned career mode to experience the feelings of Motocross.

The video of Clément Desalle presentation is now available on MXGP-TV Youtube Channel, by clicking here. 

Follow MXGP, The Official Motocross Videogame on Facebook and Youtube Channel or check the #mxgpvideogame hashtag.

LINKS
Youthstream
FIM
Milestone

Australian rider Luke Styke might just be the dark horse of the 2014 FIM World MX2 Championships. The Australian MX2 Champion will make his Grand Prix debut at the opening round of the 2014 season in Qatar and some inside the paddock feel he could be a bit of a surprise.

The only time Styke has been able to match his speed against the FIM World Motocross Championship riders was in the 2012 Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations, held in the deep sand of Lommel. Styke put together two strong motos, going 26-20 for 8th overall in the MX2 class. While it might not sound that impressive he did beat home riders such as Jeremy Van Horebeek, Tim Gajser, Jake Nicholls, Glenn Coldenhoff and Alessandro Lupino in the MX2 class results.

Styke, who has just finished racing the Australian Supercross Championships, will spend the majority of his off-season time in Australian, enjoying better weather conditions in preparation for the opening round of the 2014 FIM World MX2 Championship, set for Doha, Qatar, in early March.

“From mid December to January I’ll ride a stock 250F that I picked up from Yamaha at their YZ250F launch at Toowoomba,” Styke said. “I’ll get a feel for the bike, then head to Europe for a month and do some testing and engine development.”

“I’ll be back in Australia for a month leading up to the first round at Qatar on March 1, because it makes sense to train during our summer for a race that’ll be in 40-degree heat. I spoke to both Dean [Ferris] and Ben Townley and they both said that would be the perfect scenario.”

With the departure of Dean Ferris from the Grand Prix series Styke picks up the apartment of his fellow Aussie and will be based in Belgium, right around the corner from the Lommel circuit where he enjoyed his first taste of International battle.

“As for accommodation, Dean has given me first dibs on his unit. I’ve bought all the internal stuff from him and I’ll rent it from there. It’s all worked out pretty perfectly.”

No doubt many will keep an eye on Styke as he tries to keep the Australian tradition of racing in the FIM World Motocross Championships alive, and like Jeff Leisk, Chad Reed, Andrew McFarlane and Dean Ferris will be working as hard as possible to get himself on top of the Grand Prix podium. 

Photo: Luke Styke - Motoonline image

Last weekend some of the best well-know Italian MXGP riders took part in the 4th edition of “Ride for Life”, a charity event were the participants show their riding skills on motorbikes, bikes, pitbikes and karts. This year the event was held in Pavia, in the north of Italy, and the MXGP riders together with some other off-road and cycling champions offered a great show to the fans and helped the Foundation to raise funds to assist injured riders and support the research for the cure of spinal cord injuries.

Davide Guarnieri, who was wearing the colours of his new team TM Ricci Racing, won the off-road race with a confortable advantage over Alessandro Lupino who was defending the colours of CLS Monster Energy Kawasaki Team. However, Lupino was much better on the pitbike and led the final race ahead of Ivo Monticelli and Gianluca Facchetti. 

Alessandro Lupino also obtained a good result in the kart race and helped his team to be on the first step of the podium. Lupino’s teammates were Marco Melandri, Filippo Pozzato and Vincenzo Nibali. 

During the same weekend the seven-times FIM Motocross World Champion Antonio Cairoli played the charity football match “Tutti insieme per Simoncelli” at the Stadium Tardini in Parma in memory of Marco Simoncelli. Cairoli was part of the team “Friends of SIC” with other motorcycling world champions such as Valentino Rossi and Loris Capirossi. The athletes played against the team “National Singers” formed by famous Italian voices, actors and other Italian sportsmen. 

The match ended 4 to 2 for the team “Friends of SIC”, after 90 minutes of pats on the shoulders, laughs and jokes. However, the most important thing is that they helped raising funds to build a day care center for disabled people in Coriano by Marco Simoncelli’s Foundation. 

Copyright: Photo: Massimo Zanzani

n less than one year the MXGP Facebook Page has reached and overtook the 100,000 fans. In order to celebrate it, the 100,000th fan, Kay-Arne Bulsink, will receive two permanent paddock passes for the 2014 MXGP season.

During the 2013 FIM Motocross World Championship the MXGP Facebook Page has been updated with news, pictures and videos from the Motocross Grand Prix events, and the fans have been able to participate in numerous contests to win very special gifts, such as the racing gear of the best MXGP riders of the moment. 

MXGP is not only active on Facebook, but also on Youtube, Twitter, Foursquare, Pinterest and Instagram.

MXGP thanks everyone for supporting the MXGP Facebook Page and helping it to make it grow.