WMX

SAINT JEAN D’ANGELY (France), 31 May 2014 – Fans and spectators literally piled in to make the most of their MXGP experience this weekend filling up the hillside and paddock here in Saint Jean d’Angely to witness the practice and qualifying races for round nine of the FIM Motocross World Championship. Dominating the premier MXGP and MX2 classes from start to finish, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s duo of world champions Antonio Cairoli and Jeffrey Herlings swept their races for first pick of the gate in tomorrow’s program.

Also joining the MXGP of France program, rounds four of the FIM Women’s Motocross World Championship and the European Championship EMX125 took place with Rockstar Energy Suzuki Europe’s Brian Hsu winning the EMX125 after moving quickly into the lead on lap one and going on to take home a convincing win ahead of the red plate holder Red Bull KTM Racing’s Davy Pootjes and TMX Competition’s Dan Houzet. Meanwhile in the WMX race one, fans couldn’t be more pumped for their star Team One One Four’s Livia Lancelot who took the holeshot and completely dominated here on her home turf for her second race win of the season. Yamaha Mx Fonta Racing’s Chiara Fontanesi rode a solid race for second while Team Dragon Moto’s Stephanie Laier rounded out the top three.

MXGP

Right from the drop of the gate Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Antonio Cairoli had his orange KTM350SX-F pinned to claim the holeshot and the title of ‘the carrot’ while Rockstar Energy Suzuki World’s Clement Desalle and Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jeremy Van Horebeek took the tile of ‘the hares’ chasing the speedy Italian from start to finish in that order.

In one of the best qualifying races of the season, behind the trio that top the championship standings Cairoli, Desalle and Van Horebeek, all heck was breaking loose. Initially Sebastian Pourcel occupied fourth place onboard his KTM, holding off a bunch of hotshots like CLS Kawasaki Monster Energy MXGP’s Tommy Searle, Rockstar Energy Suzuki World’s Kevin Strijbos and Red Bull IceOne Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Tyla Rattray.

Four laps in, Strijbos started a game of carnage dominoes when he moved into fifth and was pressuring Pourcel for fourth before coming into a corner too hot and dropping it. Later that lap, Pourcel who is a 2014 MXGP of France wild card, caught an edge just after the finish line and also binned it. Another lap on, Rattray had made an aggressive move on Searle to take over fifth and like the previous top fivers Strijbos and Pourcel, crashed.

Meanwhile, one of the French favorites Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s Steven Frossard was feeding off of the energy of all his buzzing fans, charging hard to catch right up to the trio up front. While back in the battle for fifth, which saw Searle, Team HRC’s Evgeny Bobryshev and Hitachi Construction Machinery UK KTM’s Shaun Simpson all riding wheel to wheel, it was Simpson who threw all caution to the wind in a hair-raising move down one of the fastest hills to pass both Bobryshev and Searle within the space of about 30 meters.

As the race came to a close, the top four in the order of Cairoli, Desalle, Van Horebeek and Frossard remained tight yet none were close enough to make a move, while Simpson was the victor in the fifth place saga just ahead of Bobryshev who also found a way around the Brit Searle for sixth. Searle ended up settling for seventh with an amazing ride from Team 2B’s very own French star Milko Potisek for eighth.

MXGP Qualifying Race top ten: 1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 24:12.057; 2. Clement Desalle (BEL, Suzuki), +0:04.213; 3. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Yamaha), +0:06.522; 4. Steven Frossard (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:09.654; 5. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), +0:45.352; 6. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), +0:45.599; 7. Tommy Searle (GBR, Kawasaki), +0:48.952; 8. Milko Potisek (FRA, Yamaha), +0:50.632; 9. Davide Guarneri (ITA, TM), +0:53.263; 10. David Philippaerts (ITA, Yamaha), +0:55.703.

MX2

‘The Bullet’ Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings hauled out of the gate to take the holeshot only to surprisingly be passed by Wilvo Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing’s local kid Romain Febvre. With Febvre nailing that factory Husqvarna up the inside of the red plate holder, Herlings responded impressively jumping the difficult double on the exit of turn two to take back the lead.

Having Herlings in the lead so early in the race is never ideal for the competitors in MX2 as the Flying Dutchman typically goes on to check out, which he did. Nevertheless the battle for second was still epic with Febvre and CLS Kawasaki Monster Energy’s Arnaud Tonus bickering for the position the entire race.

After battling neck and neck for second with a brief challenge early on from Standing Construct KTM’s Valentin Guillod, it was Tonus who managed to take the position on lap three and resist the persistent attack from Febvre.

In the end Febvre, despite his impressive effort, was forced to settle for third ahead of Standing Construct KTM’s Valentin Guillod and fellow French sensation Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jordi Tixier. The third of the three flying Frenchmen CLS Kawasaki Monster Energy’s Dylan Ferrandis crashed hard on the first lap but eventually recovered to bring home seventeenth.

MX2 Qualifying Race top ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 24:14.610; 2. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, Kawasaki), +0:10.729; 3. Romain Febvre (FRA, Husqvarna), +0:15.317; 4. Valentin Guillod (SUI, KTM), +0:25.614; 5. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KTM), +0:27.757; 6. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:33.102; 7. Aleksandr Tonkov (RUS, Husqvarna), +0:53.947; 8. Damon Graulus (BEL, KTM), +0:59.691; 9. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Suzuki), +1:00.923; 10. Ivo Monticelli (ITA, KTM), +1:05.541.

Click here to obtain the complete results.

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

MXGP will be available across the board in high definition, and is also globally available to view live and in HD on www.MXGP-TV.com. Click here for the complete list of countries and cooperating MXGP broadcasting networks, viewing times can be viewed by clicking on the logo of your chosen broadcasting network.

MXGP FRANCE – QUICK FACTS

Circuit length: 1580

Type of ground: Hard Pack

Temperature: 21°

Weather conditions: sunny with variable clouds

TIMETABLE

SUNDAY: WMX Warm-up 08:15; EMX125 Warm-up 08:30; MX2 Warm-up 09:15; MXGP Warm-up 09:40; WMX Race 2 11:10; EMX125 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 France

FUNCHAL (Portugal), 28 May 2014 – Up there amongst some of the best modernized old favorites Saint Jean d’Angely gears up to host round nine of the FIM Motocross World Championship and is all set and ready for the halfway hype. Halfway? It seems like the year has gone by in a blink of an eye, it’s amazing we are about to embark on the second leg of the journey but as we do we will travel to the west of France to find a typical French style track, fast and flowing, hard packed clay surface with a lot of elevation most famous for the 2000 and 2011 editions of the FIM Motocross of Nations in which Team USA was victorious on both occasions.

MXGP

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Antonio Cairoli redefined strength last weekend when he came from “the worst two weeks you could ever have” were his words to take a win and a second for the overall at MXGP of Great Britain. After his awe-inspiring display of heart and courage the Italian seven-time world champ validated what we all had assumed that he is the strongest player in this game.

After raising the intensity in his riding over the last couple of rounds, Rockstar Energy Suzuki World’s Clement Desalle continues his quest to dethrone the MXGP red plate holder Antonio Cairoli.

More than a few people will be betting on Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jeremy Van Horebeek to top the box this weekend especially after openly saying during the press conference in Matterley Basin “I’m looking forward to going to France, I really like the track there!” MXGP’s competitors are going to have their work cut out for them this weekend with the Belgian adding extra confidence to his propulsion.

Red Bull IceOne Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Tyla Rattray had his season best finish in Matterley with fourth overall. The South African 2008 FIM MX2 World Champion said, “ This result is the confidence boost I needed. This weekend is MXGP of France and I will keep pushing to improve. With a top five result secured my next goal is to get on the podium.”

Fifth place last weekend at MXGP of Great Britain was about all the fan favorite CLS Kawasaki Monster Energy MXGP’s Tommy Searle could expect after his five round hiatus. “A fifth overall is not so bad for my first race in twelve weeks but I know we can do a lot more. We need now to move forward and work with the team and try to improve my feeling with the bike for the coming races,” the Brit said.

Meanwhile Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s Frenchman Steven Frossard could be the hottest prospect this weekend for a few reasons. 1. He was literally hauling last weekend in Great Britain when blitz past Desalle to take over second and charge after a brisk and agile Cairoli for the win but couldn’t get quite close enough. Still a respectable effort for second in race one. 2. He has won an FIM Motocross World Championship round in St. Jean d’Angely before, back in 2011. 3. He will have a ton of roaring fans rooting for him. 

In other news, Team HRC’s Evgeny Bobryshev is basically breathing fire after the frustration of being forced to sit Matterley Basin out due to visa denial. This weekend in France he will be back on the gate and ready to take back those lost points. Meanwhile local hero and French motocross legend Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s Gautier Paulin is still out with injury with his return yet to be confirmed.

MXGP World Championship Classification Top Ten: 1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 351 points; 2. Clement Desalle (BEL, SUZ), 323 p.; 3. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, YAM), 316 p.; 4. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, SUZ), 250 p.; 5. Gautier Paulin (FRA, KAW), 205 p.; 6. Maximilian Nagl (GER, HON), 166 p.; 7. Steven Frossard (FRA, KAW), 164 p.; 8. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), 159 p.; 9. Joel Roelants (BEL, HON), 153 p.; 10. Xavier Boog (FRA, HON), 145 p.

2012 MXGP Podium

1. Antonio Cairoli

2. Christophe Pourcel

3. Gautier Paulin

2012 MXGP POLEMAN: Christophe Pourcel

MX2

Fireworks can be expected in MX2 this weekend with three fiery Frenchmen all about to enter the ring in a battle of pride.

As the best placed Frenchman in the championship standings Wilvo Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Romain Febvre has had a pretty impressive run so far. It has been seen this kid is a fighter and this weekend will be no different as he sets his sights on a home Grand Prix podium.

Meanwhile Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jordi Tixier sits fourth, ten points shy of his fellow countryman Febvre. Currently the vice world champion Tixier was expected to set the world alight this year but instead he has been struggling to step up to the plate. It will be interesting to see if the support from his fans can bring out the Tixier we’ve been anxiously awaiting.

Another super fast Frenchman with a super sweet style CLS Kawasaki Monster Energy’s Dylan Ferrandis is one of a handful to have won a race this year. Last weekend he was frustrated with his result, so if he can successfully channel that frustration into his two races this weekend, a podium is definitely achievable.

Seemingly confident stating he always has good results in St Jean d’Angely CLS Kawasaki Monster Energy’s Arnaud Tonus was happy with his speed last weekend as he matched the lap times of Jeffrey Herlings in the second moto. The Swiss rider finished up MXGP of Great Britain saying “I’m happy with my riding and my speed. Next weekend we’ll move to St Jean for the French GP; it’s a kind of home GP for me and I always got good results there.”

The youngest rider in the class and quite possibly the hottest future prospect Honda Gariboldi’s Tim Gajser continues to turn heads uncorking his first bottle of champagne last weekend in Matterley. At the ripe age of seventeen the Slovenian couldn’t even take a sip but spraying it all over two of the best ever MX2 riders in the world would have been just as sweet.

Last but not least, all aboard ‘The Bullet’ express. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings will undoubtedly be the hot favorite this weekend with his confidence soaring sky high. The only thing going up against the nineteen-year-old MX2 legend is the speed of the French on their home soil although the Dutchman has proved before and will more than likely prove it again he is phased by no one.

MX2 World Championship Classification Top Ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 344 points; 2. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, KAW), 305 p.; 3. Romain Febvre (FRA, HUS), 263 p.; 4. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KTM), 253 p.; 5. Dylan Ferrandis (FRA, KAW), 248 p.; 6. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 209 p.; 7. Aleksandr Tonkov (RUS, HUS), 197 p.; 8. Jose Butron (ESP, KTM), 184 p.; 9. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, SUZ), 176 p.; 10. Valentin Guillod (SUI, KTM), 173 p.

2012 MX2 Podium

1. Jeffrey Herlings

2. Tommy Searle

3. Jeremy Van Horebeek

2012 MX2 POLEMAN: Tommy Searle

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

TIMETABLE

SATURDAY: EMX125 Group 1 Free/Timed Practice 08:35; EMX125 Group 2 Free/Timed Practice 09:10; WMX Free Practice 09:45; MX2 Free Practice 10:15; MXGP Free Practice 10:45; WMX Time Practice 11:15; EMX125 Last chance qualifying race 12:20; MX2 Time practice 14:00; MXGP Time practice 14:35; WMX Race 1 15:20; MX2 Qualifying race 16:10; MXGP Qualifying race 17:00; EMX125 Race 1 17:40.

SUNDAY: WMX Warm-up 08:15; EMX125 Warm-up 08:30; MX2 Warm-up 09:15; MXGP Warm-up 09:40; WMX Race 2 11:10; EMX125 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 France

The ninth round of the FIM Motocross World Championship will be held in St.Jean d’Angely, France on the 1^st June weekend and together with MXGP and MX2 classes, it will take place the fourth round of WMX and EMX125 Championships.

By clicking here you will be able to download the complete Timetable of the event and the EMX125 Entry List can be found here below:

EMX125 Entry List:

Shigehiko Kiyama San, Managing Executive Officer and President of Kawasaki Motorcycle Division, honoured the FIM World Motocross GP Championship series with his personal attendance at the Dutch MXGP.

Mister Kiyama, involved in the sport for several years in the USA, attended the Dutch MXGP at Valkenswaard during a visit to a number of leading European Kawasaki dealers and branch offices.
 
Together with Mr Ondo (Motorsport Manager, Kawasaki Heavy Insdustries), Mr Tanaka (Director, Kawasaki Motors Europe), Mr Kawakami (Managing Director Kawasaki Motors Europe) and Steve Guttridge (Racing Manager, Kawasaki Motors Europe), Mister Kiyama met the team staff of the Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team and Team CLS Kawasaki Monster Energy as well as their riders. The group enjoyed Gautier Paulin's MXGP moto win, Arnaud Tonus' performance in the MX2 class as well as the overall victory of Meghan Rutledge and the moto victory of Livia Lancelot in the Women's World Championship.
 
“This was a very good opportunity for me to visit the MX GP, as it’s actually a kind of holiday in Japan at the moment so I could plan the trip trip to coincide with a visit to some of our European dealers and some of our European staff“, said Mr Kiyama.
 
“I’m happy to have met our Motocross GP riders as well as the team staff; they have done a great job so far this season in all classes with several GP wins. Kawasaki is a performance company, and of course we try to be a safe and very good energy saving unit too, but we show the power in performance, so Motocross and Supercross bikes are our typical models to show the Kawasaki performance advantage.
 
"It was nice to meet the riders as I didn’t previously know so well the Kawasaki riders in Europe; when I was working in the US I knew our factory riders in Motocross, Supercross, Jet Ski, Supersport and Superbike.
 
"We worked together with Ryan Villopoto, James Stewart and other riders; this was my first opportunity to meet our GP riders, and it’s a very nice starting point for me.
 
"Every week we are watching the results of our riders in Supersport, Superbike and Motocross, and of course as a company we would like to have one round of the Motocross World Championship back in Japan; everyone knows that our country has had some challenges, but right now the market is going better again so let’s hope that MXGP will come back soon to Japan.”

Copyright: Photo: Kawasaki

VALKENSWAARD (The Netherlands), 04 May 2014 – Stunning blue skies were in contrast of the gnarly black sand here in Valkenswaard for round three of the FIM Women’s Motocross World Championship where Bud Racing Kawasaki’s Meghan Rutledge put in two solid and consistent performances to take home her second WMX round victory this year.

When the gates dropped for WMX’s second race this morning, Bud Racing Kawasaki’s Meghan Rutledge nailed the holeshot but was quickly passed by both Team One One Four’s Livia Lancelot and HM Plant KTM UK’s Natalie Kane. While Lancelot went on to pull a small gap and lead eleven solid laps for her first WMX race win of the season, a vast game of cat and mouse was in play between Rutledge and Kane.

Meanwhile back in fourth, local Dutch heroine Nancy Van De Ven was holding off Team Dragon Moto’s Stephanie Laier, while yesterday’s race one winner Chiara Fontanesi was on damage control after a mistake early on in lap one left her buried at the back of the pack.

As Fontanesi continued to pick the riders off one-by-one, which was made a little easier when Van De Ven crashed out of fourth, the battle between Kane and Rutledge started to get serious. With lap traffic coming into play and four laps to go, a determined Rutledge took the advantage and second place.

Heading into the last lap of the race it appeared a battle for the win could have unfurled between Team One One Four’s Livia Lancelot and Bud Racing Kawasaki’s Meghan Rutledge, but after passing pit-lane and realizing she had the overall win in the bag, Rutledge chose to back off and settle for a safe second only one second clear of HM Plant KTM UK’s Natalie Kane in third. Race one winner Chiara Fontanesi put in a remarkable ride to redeem fourth with Team Dragon Moto’s Stephanie Laier rounding out the top five.

Although Chiara Fontanesi had a tough second race, her win in race one in combination with her fourth in race two was enough for second overall and to claim the WMX red plate for the first time this season. Meanwhile Natalie Kane added up two third place finishes for third overall and now sits second in the overall standings one point behind Fontanesi. The Australian Meghan Rutledge was consistently second this weekend and now jumps from fifth to third in the championship standings, only two points short of the red plate.

Due to a mechanical failure in race one, race two’s winner Team One One Four’s Livia Lancelot only finished ninth overall for WMX’s round of The Netherlands and has now dropped back to fifth in the overall standings trailing the lead by twenty-two points.

WMX Race 1 top ten: 1. Chiara Fontanesi (ITA, Yamaha), 26:20.086; 2. Meghan Kat Rutledge (AUS, Kawasaki), +0:04.392; 3. Natalie Kane (IRL, KTM), +0:06.894; 4. Nancy Van De Ven (NED, Yamaha), +0:21.413; 5. Stephanie Laier (GER, Suzuki), +1:05.213; 6. Marianne Veenstra (NED, Husqvarna), +1:24.911; 7. Anne Borchers (GER, Suzuki), +1:27.478; 8. Larissa Papenmeier (GER, Suzuki), +1:45.634; 9. Gabriela Seisdedos (ESP, Kawasaki), +1:47.792; 10. Joanna Miller (POL, Suzuki), +1:55.694

WMX Race 2 top ten: 1. Livia Lancelot (FRA, Kawasaki), 26:06.326; 2. Meghan Kat Rutledge (AUS, Kawasaki), +0:05.394; 3. Natalie Kane (IRL, KTM), +0:11.851; 4. Chiara Fontanesi (ITA, Yamaha), +0:30.727; 5. Stephanie Laier (GER, Suzuki), +0:32.093; 6. Nancy Van De Ven (NED, Yamaha), +1:02.877; 7. Larissa Papenmeier (GER, Suzuki), +1:15.291; 8. Marianne Veenstra (NED, Husqvarna), +1:25.336; 9. Anne Borchers (GER, Suzuki), +1:40.392; 10. Nina Klink (NED, KTM), +1:50.628

WMX Overall top ten: 1. Meghan Kat Rutledge (AUS, KAW), 44 points; 2. Chiara Fontanesi (ITA, YAM), 43 p.; 3. Natalie Kane (IRL, KTM), 40 p.; 4. Nancy Van De Ven (NED, YAM), 33 p.; 5. Stephanie Laier (GER, SUZ), 32 p.; 6. Marianne Veenstra (NED, HUS), 28 p.; 7. Larissa Papenmeier (GER, SUZ), 27 p.; 8. Anne Borchers (GER, SUZ), 26 p.; 9. Livia Lancelot (FRA, KAW), 25 p.; 10. Joanna Miller (POL, SUZ), 20 p.

WMX World Championship Classification Top Ten: 1. Chiara Fontanesi (ITA, YAM), 121 points; 2. Natalie Kane (IRL, KTM), 120 p.; 3. Meghan Kat Rutledge (AUS, KAW), 119 p.; 4. Stephanie Laier (GER, SUZ), 104 p.; 5. Livia Lancelot (FRA, KAW), 99 p.; 6. Nancy Van De Ven (NED, YAM), 93 p.; 7. Larissa Papenmeier (GER, SUZ), 85 p.; 8. Marianne Veenstra (NED, HUS), 75 p.; 9. Francesca Nocera (ITA, SUZ), 68 p.; 10. Anne Borchers (GER, SUZ), 68 p.

WMX Manufacturer: 1. Kawasaki, 138 points; 2. Yamaha, 126 p.; 3. KTM, 120 p.; 4. Suzuki, 104 p.; 5. Husqvarna, 75 p.; 6. Honda, 20 p.

Click here to obtain the complete results.

All the photos of the MXGP of The Netherlands will be available here

MXGP NETHERLANDS – QUICK FACTS

Circuit length: 1500

Type of ground: Sand

Temperature: 14°C

Weather conditions: sunny

MXGP will be available across the board in high definition, and is also globally available to view live and in HD on www.MXGP-TV.com. Click here for the complete list of countries and cooperating MXGP broadcasting networks, viewing times can be viewed by clicking on the logo of your chosen broadcasting network.

LINKS

Youthstream

FIM

MXGP of the Netherlands

Watch race one highlight from rounds three of the FIM Women's Motocross World Championship and the European Championship's EMX125 in the videos below.

WMX race one:

EMX125 race one: