MX2

TICKETS FOR THE MXGP OF SARDEGNA ARE NOW OPEN!

MONACO (Principality of Monaco) 6 February 2023 - Infront Moto Racing is thrilled to announce that tickets are now on sale for the MXGP of Sardegna, scheduled for April 6th and 7th!

The Riolo Sardo circuit is primed to host the third round of the FIM Motocross World Championship, marking the fourth occasion the Sardinian track has welcomed an MXGP event.

In the 2023 edition, Jeffrey Herlings showcased an outstanding performance to claim victory in the MXGP class, in front of Glenn Coldenhoff and Jorge Prado. Meanwhile, in MX2, Jago Geerts triumphed ahead of de Wolf and Thibault Benistant.

This season, alongside MXGP and MX2, Sardegna will also host the FIM Women's Motocross World Championship and the EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing class.

Join us for an electrifying racing weekend and witness the world's fastest riders in action in Sardegna as they vie for the first European victory of 2023! 

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to support your favorite riders. Get your tickets HERE and secure your spot for an adrenaline-fueled experience.

For those seeking the ultimate MXGP experience, click HERE  for more details on VIP Gold Skybox.

 

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Riola Sardo

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Date: 
Tuesday, February 6, 2024
Author: 
Infront Moto Racing

GET READY FOR MAGGIORA! TICKETS FOR THE MXGP OF ITALY ARE OPENED!

MONACO (Principality of Monaco) 2 February 2024 – Infront Moto Racing is glad to announce that tickets are now available for the MXGP of Italy that will take place at the legendary Maggiora Park circuit on the 15thand 16th of June!

The iconic circuit in the north-western region of Italy, just 80km from Milan, is set to host the 10th round of the FIM Motocross World Championship, as well as the 7th round of the EMX125 Championship Presented by FMF, and the 5th round of the FIM Women’s World Motocross Championship.  This will be the twelfth time in its history that an MXGP event has visited the mighty slopes of Maggiora, which also saw iconic Motocross of Nations events in 1970, 1986, and 2016.

The 2023 edition of this race was the penultimate round of the season and saw an emotional weekend with Jorge Prado and Italian hero Andrea Adamo claiming their first World Championships in MXGP and MX2 respectively! Jeremy Seewer and Jago Geerts, who also won in 2022, took the Grand Prix victories after an ecstatic Alberto Forato took his first ever chequered flag at this level, in front of his home fans in Saturday’s RAM Qualifying Race. 

This season’s Maggiora experience will come at the halfway point of the season, so all riders will be giving it everything to establish themselves at the top of the order!

Come and join us for an enthralling weekend’s racing by getting your Tickets HERE

You can also click HERE to have more details on the VIP Gold Skybox packages and have the ultimate MXGP experience at one of the most historic and beautiful circuits on the planet!

 

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Infront Moto Racing

FIM

Maggiora

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Date: 
Friday, February 2, 2024
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Infront Moto Racing

THREE IS THE MAGIC NUMBER AS TEAM HRC GEAR UP FOR 2024

Team HRC are entering into the new motocross world championships with three riders on-board their Honda machinery as Tim Gajser and Ruben Fernandez are joined by young Italian, Ferruccio Zanchi, for what is a return to the MX2 class for this prestigious manufacturer.

Five-time world champion Gajser needs no introduction, as the Slovenian looks to add to his trophy-haul after an injury-hit 2023 campaign. The #243 did return later in the year and ended up winning two of the final three rounds, but his eyes have been firmly set on this year for some time and he will be looking to continue his winning ways, on what is a brand-new Honda CRF450R.

Both him, and teammate Fernandez have been strenuously testing the new machine over this winter period, making sure it is ready for all the challenges that a 20-round MXGP season can throw at it, and after considerable riding time, both are extremely happy with the results and are excited for the first gate-drop on March 9-10.

Fernandez is especially looking forward to heading down to Argentina again, and the fabulous facility in Villa La Angostura, as the #70 was victorious there last year, in what was his first-ever MXGP win. It was an important moment and one that really boosted the Spaniard’s confidence for the rest of the season, and now he’s once again feeling good as this season looks to get underway in the South American country.

It was a big step for Team HRC to be re-joining the MX2 class, but also a crucial one for the brand to be racing competitively on the smaller 250cc machines, and Zanchi was seen as the perfect prospect to lead this new venture for 2024. The Italian already has a couple of wildcard MX2 rounds under his belt, and was successful in the EMX250 class last year, and will now step-up full time in what is a completely blank slate for him and the bike. Both parties know that it won’t be easy to come in and challenge straight away, but both have put in a lot of work over this off-season to be ready for what awaits. This is seen as a long-term project to try and get back to the level that saw Gajser win the MX2 title in 2015, but everyone involved knows there is a lot of potential, and with the expertise and winning-mentality that Team HRC possesses, it will only be a matter of time before they are back where they belong.

So with two new bikes and one new rider, 2024 is shaping-up to be a very exciting season for everyone involved, but before the world championships get underway, there are two warm-up races in Riola Sardo and Mantova for trio to put their respective machines through their first competitive paces and make sure everything is ready for Argentina in just over one month’s time.

 

Click on the links to download more photos of:

Tim Gajser // Ruben Fernandez // Ferruccio Zanchi // Honda CRF450R // Honda CRF250R and make sure to follow Team HRC’s season on their Instagram channel: @HRC_MXGP

 

Tim Gajser  243
I can’t wait for this season to get underway. I found my form at the end of last year and since then we’ve had a new bike which is great to ride and I’m looking forward to going out there and showing it. The off-season has been good, with a lot of extra stuff but I’ve been able to get in the riding I’ve needed to do and basing myself in Sardinia for a month or so has worked out well so that I can really train how I need to. The team have been working hard alongside me to help get everything to where it needs to be, and now we are just looking to get to that first gate drop and getting this 2024 season started.

 

Ruben Fernandez  70
I’ve been really impressed with this new bike and it’s been fun getting it setup how I want it and working how I want it for the season ahead. Obviously, I started off 2023 by winning in Argentina and it would be great to start 2024 off with a bang as well, but the goal is to have more strong moments, and be consistently challenging up the front. The fact we have two Spanish GPs now, with one close to my home is great for me and I’m really looking forward to the new round in Galicia, and there are actually a lot of races I believe I can do well at.

 

Ferruccio Zanchi  73
This is such a great moment for me. It is what every young rider wants to achieve when they first get on a motocross bike – to ride for Team HRC. However, this moment is just the start, and I know that the real work starts now. It is a great honour to be the person they chose to lead the renewal of this CRF250R programme, but I know that I need to give it 100% effort to make sure that this year, and the coming years will be successful for both myself and the machine. I want to thank all the people close to me who helped make this possible and I’d also like to say hello to all the Honda fans around the world who I’ll now be representing on the track. I look forward to meeting you and hopefully I can do you proud in the races.

Photo Credit: shotbybavo
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Friday, February 2, 2024

EYES ON THE (MXGP) PRIZE ONCE MORE AS RED BULL KTM GET SET FOR 2024

Reigning champions in at least one of the two principal classes of the FIM Motocross World Championship for the eighth year in a row, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing will charge into the fresh MXGP season with the same four-rider line-up as 2023 and with the latest generations of the KTM 450 SX-F and KTM 250 SX-F ready for action.

Pre-season races, tests and the final phases of preparation lay ahead for Red Bull KTM in the build-up to the Grand Prix of Argentina on March 10th and the first of 20 events that will culminate with the final round at an unconfirmed location on September 29th.

All eyes will be on the progress of reigning MX2 world champion Andrea Adamo as the 20-year-old Italian aims to be the fourth rider since the beginning of the last decade to go ‘back-to-back’ with MX2 titles, and following in the tracks of Marvin Musquin, Jeffrey Herlings and Jorge Prado. As in 2023, Andrea will be chased by 19-year-old teammate Liam Everts who excelled with four GP victories in his maiden term as a factory KTM MX2 racer. The Belgian will be prioritizing more silverware to match his impressive consistency and skills for the championship chase in 2024. Sacha Coenen is again the third representative with the KTM 250 SX-F and the many flashes of speed and potential will be backed up by even more promise for the 17-year-old Belgian in ’24.

In the MXGP class Jeffery Herlings has a clear mission. Four wins with the KTM 450 SX-F in 2023 cemented his status as the most successful Grand Prix rider of all time: all 103 of his record-setting wins came with Red Bull KTM 250 SX-F and 450 SX-F technology. The 29-year-old Dutchman will undoubtedly add to that tally as he pursues a sixth world title and third in the MXGP category.

Red Bull KTM will be present in the opening two rounds of the 2024 Internazionali D’Italia in the coming weeks as well as the Spanish Championship and International meetings in France and the UK in the run-up to MXGP round one.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE MXGP RED BULL KTM FACTORY RACING PHOTOSHOOT IMAGES.
CLICK HERE TO SEE THE 2024 MXGP RED BULL KTM FACTORY RACING LAUNCH VIDEO.

ANDREA ADAMO

Andrea, no #1 for you in 2024?

No! I’ll stick with the #80 because I’m not a big fan of the 1 for now. Let’s see in the future if we can do it in MXGP.

What is the main improvement you want to make for 2024?

Well, to be honest, a little bit everywhere. I felt I was quite complete with my riding in 2023; by that I mean I wasn’t bad in many areas but also not super-good in some! Things like starts, speed, consistency, physical was quite OK. So, the goal is to raise the level of everything in general.

Is it another personal goal to boost the wins?

For 2024 I have the same attitude as I did last year. For sure I have a championship on my shoulders and that means the mentality is a bit different, but I will try to enjoy my racing and give the best every race. Keep it consistent, keep it safe, fight for the podium and go for it.

 

LIAM EVERTS

Liam, you had the consistency in 2023, so what’s the main point for improvement in 2024?

To be even more so! I had a few races last season, like in Portugal, where I threw away a lot of points so I really need to minimize those more and manage the harder weekends better. Of course there are always improvements riding-wise and also with my personality and my mentality. I think if I can sort out that side of my racing and my season then the results will come along also. That’s my big goal.

Is there anything you wanted from the team for the 2024 KTM 250 SX-F?

Erm, the only real request I had for the guys and for the bike was a bit more work on the sand set-up. Even though I won the GP in Arnhem, I felt like I missed something there and that there was a lot more potential. We’ve been working in that way with the suspension and to be able to use my technique more and we’ve made some gains, which is great.

At least two more new tracks to discover in 2024. Is it important or part of the fun to master new venues?

It’s cool. With tracks that you know then you are well aware of turns, sectors or areas where you feel there can be improvement or where you had decent speed in the past. New tracks are always a challenge and that ‘reset’ happens for everyone so the field is level. Places like China are far from home but that’s part of the world championship!

 

SACHA COENEN

Sacha, 2023 was a classic rookie season: lots of speed but also lots of mistakes. What was the number one lesson for you?

I think just to get used to the bike and to work out the best set-up. Also, the format of the Grand Prix; it felt like the weekends were long!

Did you want some more fitness and conditioning for this season after discovering the demands of MX2?

Yes, I wanted to build more strength because my size meant handling the bike for the full GP motos was not that easy, but we also worked on the bike and the set-up to help with that and to make it easier to get near the limit.

If you had to pick, which one of your teammates will give you the strongest challenge this year?!

I don’t really mind! The truth is that I want to beat all the riders out there, especially my brother [Lucas]! He’s a reference for me at the moment.

 

JEFFREY HERLINGS

Jeffrey, the record was a big, big achievement in 2024 but you had to reset again after the crash in Germany. Will it be a mistake for your rivals to count you out?

It’s hard to say what they think of me but I’m sure they know when I am fit then I’m capable of winning races and I’ve shown that consistently in the last fifteen years. I won four last year and had multiple podiums. When I’m fully fit and strong then I can win…even though it is easier said than done!

Any wishes for the latest version of the KTM 450 SX-F?

We’re testing some parts and going through some things now because in the second part of 2023 I was obviously off the bike, so I didn’t really have the chance. Right now, it is going good and I’m very happy with the bike. I was already happy last season, but I think now we are improving. We still have some things to look at. We’re in positive shape. We will only know how good we are once the races start but, based on how I feel at the moment, it’s shaping up nicely.

This is your 15th season with Red Bull KTM: a home from home?

Yeah! It’s crazy. Fifteen years with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing and even the season before that I was on a KTM doing the European Championship. Fifteen years: I don’t know how many people or riders can say they have been so long with the same team! It’s pretty special. I’m really happy to be here this year and next year. I’m only 30 years old in 2025 so let’s see! I hope I can keep the partnership going. We’re happy and that’s good.

 

Harry Norton, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team Manager: “It is almost ‘go time’ for us so it’s cool to show our bikes and colors for 2024 and to talk about our goals for the season. We have the same rider line-up and it will be a second year for the team staff after some changes for 2023. The consistency and experience should help us to be better prepared for these 20 Grands Prix. Jeffrey set his personal record in 2023, which was also cool for the KTM SX-F bikes, but we know how hungry he is for that title again and to keep chasing success. While he is on the track and has that focus then we know he can set the bar. Andrea, Liam and Sacha each have their own expectations for MX2 and they know what is possible after those results in 2023 and all the education of leading Grands Prix and dealing with pressure. They can only be better and faster for 2024, and we’re really looking forward to how they progress. We are about to start the year with some pre-season races and a bit more testing but round one will rush-up quickly. Before we start, I just want to thank the team and everyone back at the workshop for the work and the effort to get where we are. Let’s bring home what we can!”

Photo Credit: Ray Archer

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Date: 
Friday, February 2, 2024
Author: 
KTM

2024 NESTAAN HUSQVARNA FACTORY RACING LINEUP BREAKS COVER

GUADAGNINI, DE WOLF, AND COENEN PREPARE FOR 2024 MXGP AND MX2 CAMPAIGNS

The Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing team is excited to unveil its formidable rider lineup for the 2024 FIM Motocross World Championship season, featuring Mattia Guadagnini campaigning the premier class of MXGP, alongside Lucas Coenen and Kay de Wolf in MX2.

Boasting a unique combination of seasoned experience and raw youthful talent, the team is poised for MXGP and MX2 golds and podiums, right from the very first gate drop of the season.

Click here to watch the official 2024 Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing team reveal

The most recent signing to the ‘Husky’ factory team is Mattia Guadagnini. Despite only being 21 years old, the Italian boasts a wealth of career experience, having previously claimed a double EMX125 crown in 2019.

Better still, Guadagnini has previously held the red plate, and won multiple Grand Prix in MX2. Graduating to MXGP has proved a little more challenging experience however. With his first full season hampered by injury following a heavy crash at the 2023 MXGP of France. Now back to full fitness, and with a brand new 2024-spec FC 450 underneath him, Mattia is refreshed and ready to give it his all, in the upcoming 20 rounds.

In the hotly contested MX2 category, the Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing team are proud to present a formidable pairing: Belgian sensation, 17 year old Lucas Coenen, and 19 year old Dutch prodigy Kay de Wolf.

Both riders are on a meteoric rise, with de Wolf entering his fourth MX2 season after securing the red plate, as well as five podiums and a victory last year in Latvia. Lucas Coenen, is embarking on his second full season, having finished an impressive fifth overall last season; highlighted by three podium finishes and a spectacular win in Indonesia.

With just over a month to go, Mattia, Lucas, and Kay are currently working through an intense schedule of pre-season testing, before the first MXGP of the year goes live in Argentina on the 10th March.

#101 - Mattia Guadagnini: “I’m very excited to get back to racing this season. I felt like I made a good start in 2023, but then with the injury in France everything had to stop until I could heal. Now I’m feeling strong again, and all the preparations are going well. For sure it will be a long season, but I have the best team around me, where everyone shares the right attitude, I’m very excited to get started!”

#96 - Lucas Coenen: “It is a big deal to be part of a factory team, and especially with Husqvarna! The 2024 colours and everything are super nice, and the bike is also really fast. After the last GPs and the MX of Nations, I just wanted to be straight back out [on the bike]. But now, after such a long winter, it’s great to be out testing again. We have pre-season races now, but my focus is on the first race in Argentina, and see what others have!”

#74 - Kay de Wolf: “Being part of such a significant group with multiple factories and brands, especially on the Husky side, is truly special for me, and I'm really hungry to start the new season. I had a challenging 2023. I took time out to focus on being ready for this season, and now I’m feeling positive and really looking forward to starting racing again. My aim is to work on consistent performances and improve at each race!”

Rasmus Jorgensen (Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing Team Manager): “I’m super proud to be managing and representing the Husqvarna Factory Racing team. I’m a fan of the brand, and I’m so proud of the overall look of the team and its rider line up. I can honestly say that every one of our team members are extremely passionate about their profession in the sport. This already gets us a long way. It’s a very nice challenge to enter the premier class with Mattia. He is a laid back guy who enjoys the smallest things in life, but at the same time a hardcore racer who goes for it. With our FC 450, it’s a great package for sure. We also have two highly competitive MX2 riders under the same tent and so far this is going well. Again, I’m so proud of the overall look of the team and its rider line up. We will continue to work hard and never give up on the ultimate championship goals.”

Click here to read an exclusive pre-season Q&A with Mattia Guadagnini, Kay de Wolf, Lucas Coenen

Photo Credit: Bavo Swijgers

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Date: 
Tuesday, January 30, 2024
Author: 
Husqvarna

MXGP PATAGONIA ARGENTINA 2024 IS MOVING FORWARD WITH PREPARATIONS AS TICKET SALES BEGIN!

The eighth edition of the MXGP Patagonia Argentina is moving forward with the preparations for the race to be held, as scheduled, on March 9-10 in Villa La Angostura. 

Infront Moto Racing is delighted to launch the 2024 FIM Motocross World Championship season in Villa La Angostura. Thanks to the cooperation of all stakeholders involved, +Eventos (local organizer), the Government of the Province of Neuquén and the Municipality of Villa La Angostura, in a joint public/private work understanding the scope of the event and the significant positive impact of this international competition in Patagonia, the organization of the race ratifies the development of the FIM Motocross World Championship in Argentina.

Infront Moto Racing CEO David Luongo: “We are very excited to head back to Villa La Angostura once again. We thank +Eventos and the Government of the Province of Neuquén for their background work to make this happen. We are very committed to bringing the best of the sport to the thousands of MXGP fans in Latin America, see you soon at the season opener on March 10!”

David Eli, Director of +Eventos and local organizer of the MXGP in Argentina, added: "The MXGP Patagonia Argentina is an extremely important event for the region as well as for the World Championship and this is understood by all stakeholders. We also have an unbreakable commitment to the thousands of fans who come to this race and are looking forward to March. Thankfully, we were able to resolve all the formalities to be able to start the ticket sales. We look forward to welcoming you once again on the best track on the world: the Patagonia Race Track”.

The Province highlighted the importance of the sporting competition in terms of tourism, especially for the cities and towns that make up the southern region. It was also emphasized that thanks to the dialogue and understanding with the organizers, this event, which places the province in the international calendar, will become a reality.

The countdown for the MXGP Patagonia Argentina, which will be the opening of the 2024 MXGP season, has started. Tickets (General admission and VIP) will be online at Paseshow: https://mxgpargentina.com/entradas-generales/

 

LINKS

Infront Moto Racing

FIM

MXGP Patagonia Argentina
 

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Date: 
Friday, January 26, 2024
Author: 
Infront Moto Racing

THE 2024 MXGP CALENDAR WELCOMES THE MXGP OF GALICIA

MONACO (Principality of Monaco) 19 January 2024 – Infront Moto Racing is glad to announce updates to the 2024 FIM Motocross World Championship Calendar.

Scheduled for the 11th and 12th of May, the MXGP of Galicia in Lugo will host its first-ever MXGP Grand Prix held at the spectacular Jorge Prado Municipal Circuit. The birthplace of our current MXGP World Champion Jorge Prado will welcome the best riders in the world.  In addition to featuring the MXGP and MX2 classes, the event will showcase the FIM Women’s Motocross World Championship and the EMX125 presented by FMF Racing.

This event will also be the second Grand Prix in Spain in 2024 and as a result of this exciting addition, the MXGP of Spain at intu Xanadú – Arroyomolinos has been anticipated to the 23rd and 24th of March. The MXGP of Spain will keep the same supporting classes, the WMX and the EMX250. 

Building on the success of past events in Spain, and with local heroes such as Jorge Prado, Ruben Fernandez and Daniela Guillen, these two Grand Prix staged by leading national Promoter Last Lap promise to deliver amazing racing and great atmospheres fuelled by the passion of motocross enthusiasts from Spain and around the world. 

See below the updated 2024 calendar:

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Infront Moto Racing

FIM

MXGP of Galicia

MXGP of Spain

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Date: 
Thursday, January 18, 2024
Author: 
Infront Moto Racing

MXGP OF CHINA MAKES A GRAND RETURN TO THE 2024 MXGP CALENDAR

MONACO (Principality of Monaco) 9 January 2024 – Infront Moto Racing is delighted to announce the latest update in the 2024 FIM Motocross World Championship Calendar.

The MXGP of China will make a thrilling return to the MXGP Calendar on the 15th and 16th September 2024. As in 2019, the event will be held in Shanghai. The organizer is Shanghai Hehui Sports Culture Development Co., Ltd, part of the same Group owning the Just1 brand. 

The group is dedicated to develop sport in the country as well as aiming to boost the local social and economic landscape through the hosting of globally acclaimed events.

The much-awaited event is scheduled to take place on September 15 and 16 which coincide with the popular Moon Festival holiday, offering locals a thrilling weekend of motocross action along with a traditional festival.

In 2019, the MXGP of China amassed 25,000 fans who witnessed the spectacular races. Jeffrey Herlings and Jorge Prado emerged victorious in the MXGP and MX2 categories, respectively, delivering an unforgettable show for everyone present.

The addition of the MXGP of China in Shanghai to the 2024 MXGP calendar is an exciting new date and venue that will further expand the influence of motocross worldwide.

LINKS

Infront Moto Racing

FIM

MXGP of China
 

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Date: 
Tuesday, January 9, 2024
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Infront Moto Racing

CALENDAR UPDATE: MXGP OF ITALY IN MAGGIORA, MXoEN IN ROMANIA AND EMX UPDATES

MONACO (Principality of Monaco) 22 December 2023 – Infront Moto Racing is excited to unveil updates to the 2024 racing calendar for the FIM Motocross World Championship.

Maggiora, one of the most historic motocross tracks in the world, is set to host the MXGP of Italy on the 15th and 16th of June, for the 10th round of the 2024 MXGP series. 

The Italian venue witnessed the triumphant crowing of Jorge Prado and Andrea Adamo in MXGP and MX2 in 2023. The old-school circuit of Maggiora has a rich history dating back to its inaugural event in 1966, and has been the centre stage for many spectacular races since then. 

Showing its importance in motocross, the picturesque Italian track has hosted 3 Motocross of Nations and 12 events of the FIM Motocross World Championship. There’s no doubt that the hilly Maggiora track will continue to deliver a fantastic show for the enjoyment of all motocross fans. The MXGP of Italy will also be featuring the WMX and the EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing.
Still in relation to the support classes, there will be a change in the MXGP of Flanders at Lommel. Specifically, the EMX125 presented by FMF Racing and the EMX250 will swap, with the EMX250 category racing alongside the EMXOpen category.

Further updates for 2024 includes the long-anticipated return of the Motocross of European Nations on the 14th and 15th of September 2024 following its regrettable absence in 2023.

The venue that was chosen to host the promising event will be the TCS Racing Park, near Romanian capital, Bucharest. Renowned as one of the best motocross tracks in Eastern Europe, the venue is not new to international events as it successfully hosted the FIM Junior Motocross World Championship in 2023 and is fully geared up to welcome European teams and riders for this prestigious event. 

In 2022, the competition took place in Spain at Talavera de la Reina where Team France emerged victorious in the Motocross of European Nations category and Team Spain triumphed at home in the Women's Motocross of European Nations.

Make sure to save the dates for the MXGP of Italy and the MXoEN in Romania.

LINKS

Infront Moto Racing

FIM

FIM Europe
 

 

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Date: 
Friday, December 22, 2023
Author: 
Infront Moto Racing
Short title: 
MAGGIORA IN 2023, MXoEN IN ROMANIA

TRIUMPH HEADING INTO 2024

 

One of the most exciting aspects of the 2024 MXGP season will be the involvement of the two new brands, Ducati and Triumph. No doubt, the complete involvement of Ducati next year is still unknown, but the Monster Energy Triumph Racing team are already in heavy training and testing for their assault on the MX2 World Championship.

Camden McLellan and Mikkel Haarup are both riders who have shown immense confidence and are two riders with huge potential in the sport. Having worked hard in Spain, preparing the new bike for the season, both McLellan and Haarup know that the next 12 months will be exciting as they’ll show what they are capable of.

“In 2022,” McLellan said. “I had a pretty good season in the European Championship. I was on a privateer team at the time and going up against certain teams with much bigger budgets and better bikes and I was doing really well — consistently on the podium and fighting from the back a lot of the time. I stood out to the current Triumph team manager, Vincent Bereni, and I had one really, really good race where I came from far, far back and ended up third. Since then, he knew that I had a fire under my ass, and I was always on his radar from that point. Last season on the Honda with Jacky Martens, I started doing really well around midway through the season. I was getting some top fives and was knocking on the door for podiums. Vincent saw all of those races and I think what was the closing or deciding factor with him regarding me was just that I was doing well in the world championship on a private Honda team, and he could see the potential in me with a factory ride and a whole factory behind me.”

Haarup, who has more Grand Prix experience than the South African is really looking forward to showing his skills on the all-new bike in their testing in Spain.

“We’ve been testing quite a few things on the bike,” Haarup said. “Just to know more about it. And the reason that we chose Spain to test and train, is because like California, it’s one of the best places with the weather which allows you to do a whole lot of work without having to worry about the track conditions or having to worry about getting sick because it’s too cold. So that’s basically what we are up to right now. I’m very impressed. It’s a positive surprise. When you hear about a new brand coming into the sport, you’re very nervous that it might not be very legitimate. You see all of these brands coming in at times, especially in Europe, and they just never really make it because for some reason or another, they don’t have either the financial support to back it up, or they struggle with just building a bike that will last. What surprised me when I tested the bike the first time was how prepared the guys were, and as far as I know, if you come in prepared you will have a lot less issues. I could feel the bike was strong. It had great power and handling. It’s a great-looking bike, as well.” 

Now as the pre-season races get closer and closer, you just know that the Triumph men are digging deep and finding out the best settings for what will be a really exciting time for the sport. No doubt, many fans will want to see this team succeed and success will without question bring more eyes to the sport.

Photo Credit: Triumph

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Date: 
Thursday, December 21, 2023
Author: 
Geoff Meyer

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