MXoN Teams

While it is a couple of months away interest for the 2016 Monster Energy Motocross of Nations is building. Of course it will be held at the famous Maggiora circuit in Italy, and while no teams have actually been picked yet, team managers are busy with looking at their final selections, which usually happen in the next month.

Team France as always have a long list of riders capable of doing the job in defending the title they won in 2015. Of course names like Romain Febvre, Gautier Paulin, Dylan Ferrandis, Marvin Musquin, Christophe Pourcel, and Benoit Paturel. Febvre and Paulin both have won moto’s in this event and also the team event, and of course Marvin Musquin and Dylan Ferrandis have also been involved in a winning team.

Team Belgium might be struggling a little at the moment with Clement Desalle coming back from injury, Kevin Strijbos, Julien Lieber, and Ken De Dycker all injured, and only really Jeremy Van Horebeek in good form. It is always hard to leave the Belgians out of the picture though, and no doubt when the time comes, hopefully Desalle, Strijbos and Van Horebeek will be fit to race for their country.

Team USA will have no problems bringing a strong team. Sure Ryan Dungey is out injured, but Eli Tomac, Cooper Webb, Jeremy Martin and Justin Barcia are all in line for team selection. An outsider is Joey Savatgy, although it’s hard not to see last year’s team come, but they have to fit Tomac in there somewhere.

Team Australia is looking likely to be top two in the MX1 championship, so either Dean Ferris, Todd Waters or Kirk Gibbs, and the MX2 champion, who could be Nathan Crawford, Jed Beaton or Caleb Ward. No Chad Reed or Brett Metcalfe as the new era comes in for the Aussies.

Team Great Britain will be solid once again with their top three being, Tommy Searle, Shaun Simpson, and Max Anstie, while Adam Sterry, Conrad Mewse, and Jake Nicholls should be in the selection group.

Ken Roczen has mentioned he would like to race the MXoN this year, and if he did Team Germany would again be a contender with Roczen, Max Nagl and possibly Jacobi, Henry, Dennis Ullrich, or Brian Hsu.

Team Switzerland have three big names who should be picked if fit in, Valentin Guillod, Jeremy Seewer and Arnaud Tonus. On the hard pack of Maggiora this guys could even be an outside team for a victory.

Team The Netherlands will have a strong line-up with Jeffrey Herlings, Glenn Coldenhoff, Davey Pootjes and Brian Bogers in the selection group.

Russia are also strong if their lead three riders are fit, with Evgeny Bobryshev, Vsevolod Brylyakov and Aleksandr Tonkov. All podium guys in 2016 and all will perform will at a circuit like Maggiora.

Unfortunately, riders like Antonio Cairoli, Tim Gajser, and Pauls Jonass, won’t have as much support from their fellow countrymen as Italy, Slovenia and Latvia, as those countries always struggle to have three top level riders.