MXGP

Antti Pyrhonen has seen it all in the sport of motocross, once as a Grand Prix racer, then team manager of the Ice One Honda and Husqvarna factory efforts and now as the team manager of the Factory Kawasaki team, which includes Romain Febvre and Ben Watson.

Since the move from Husqvarna to Kawasaki, the team has seen a lot of bad luck and development, going from working with a European brand and now a Japanese brand. Also, with Febvre out for the first rounds of the 2022 MXGP season and Watson struggling to find his best form, it hasn’t been easy for the team. Pyrhonen though is positive that everything will be okay soon.

“We all know how professional Romain is, “Pyrhonen said. “He has the heart and will of a lion, so if anyone can come back strong, we know it is him. I see that Ben is super talented. A very technical rider and has a good work ethic. He has everything to have a very successful GP career, but I do see we need to still be a little bit patient with him. It is a new team for him and the Kawasaki factory team, so we shouldn’t build up too much pressure. Let’s go racing and do everything the best possible way and I think if we do that, then he can enjoy his racing, have fun and get his best results. We have no rush to see his best.”

As for racing on green bikes from Japan instead of white bikes from Austria, that has been a challenge, but one that Pyrhonen has enjoyed a lot. The motivation doesn’t change, either do the goals as the team still looks at adding a number one plate to the green bikes sooner rather than later.

“There are many differences. A big change and we have had a hard-working winter. We made everything happen and we are excited for the season and to work with Kawasaki. It has been great, really positive and to work with the Kawasaki factory and learn a new bike. We are super excited. Motivation has always been there, as high as possible and the change to Kawasaki didn’t make the motivation less.”

As for the support from Japan, for Pyrhonen, it has been an enjoyable experience learning the way the Japanese like to work and is looking forward to even more involvement with the Japanese technicians as the whole Covid situation allows more travel.

“Yes, support has been really good, because we are the Kawasaki factory team, the support is really great. Communication with Japan is very intense, and I feel like we are a real factory team now and Kawasaki Japan they will become more involved in the future and when Covid is gone and travel restrictions are gone, we will see them even more. The change to Kawasaki in a short winter was a big change and they did everything to make it as smooth as possible.”

And now with Ben Watson making progress and scoring more points at each GP, and Febvre expected back some time soon, the team will be at full strength and those podium finishes will return, with the possibility of some Grand Prix victories for the green army.

Photo Copyright: Bavo Swijgers

Diga Procross KTM Racing rider, Thomas Kjer Olsen will not start at the Portuguese MXGP in Agueda due to injury.

In the second race of the MXGP in Argentina, Thomas Kjer Olsen collided with an opponent in the air through no fault of his own and injured his hand in the subsequent crash. On Wednesday, Thomas and the team have decided on the advice of the doctor together, not to start at the MXGP in Portugal to let the hand heal completely.

Thomas Kjer Olsen: "Due to my unintentional crash in Argentina, my team and I unfortunately have to do without a start in Portugal. I tried to ride this week, but the pain in my hand was just too much. I hope to be able to return to full training quickly and continue my performance from the last few weeks."

We wish Thomas a speedy recovery and hope that he is quickly back on the bike.

MONACO (Principality of Monaco) 30 March 2022 – It has been three years since the FIM Motocross World Championship took place in Agueda, Portugal and finally, this weekend, MXGP will see the return of the Portuguese Grand Prix.

Agueda has been on the MXGP calendar since 1985, with the inaugural event won by David Strijbos in the 125cc division. Since then, the Portuguese circuit, known for its distinctive orange clay base has hosted 22 FIM Motocross World Championship events, with this weekend's race being the 23^rd time.

As it stands, Antonio Cairoli holds the record for the most Grand Prix victories at the venue, having won five in 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2017. While in the Women’s Motocross World Championship, it’s Courtney Duncan of Big Van World MTX Kawasaki who has the most victories having won the previous two events that took place there.

Last time around in 2019, the MXGP of Portugal saw Team HRC’s Tim Gajser go 1-1 for the second time that season in MXGP, while in MX2, Red Bull GasGas Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado won both of his races too and went on to claim the red plate from Diga Procross KTM Racing’s Thomas Kjer Olsen for the first time that season.

Heading into the races this weekend, there is no doubt that Gajser is the top favourite to win. The Slovenian is yet to let anybody else win a GP this season, having won the last three out of three events. He is without a doubt in great form and positive memories from the last time that he visited Agueda will only add to his strength.

When it comes to the championship standings, Gajser also holds a 17-point lead over Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Maxime Renaux, but he will need to be careful of the Frenchman this weekend, after we witnessed him secure his first race victory in the MXGP category less than two weeks ago. Renaux has certainly made some heads turn as he has solidified himself as a true MXGP competitor and title contender for 2022. He has also shown time and time again that he has the strength, speed and the mentality to run with the front-runners of the premier class and therefore could be a big threat for the championship.

Meanwhile Prado will take the opportunity to bounce back from a tough Argentinian Grand Prix. Despite landing on the podium, the Spaniard did not look like his usual self throughout the weekend, confirming the feeling himself at the post-race press conference, he also declared that he is excited to return to Portugal, a place that holds nice memories. Last time around Prado took the red plate in MX2 and continued the season with a string of victories to dominate the championship and claim his second world title. He will no doubt use those memories to his advantage this weekend as he will look to come back with a strong result.

Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jeremy Seewer had an unlucky weekend at the previous round in Villa La Angostura, as a crash in the second race with Olsen went on to cost both riders valuable points. Seewer is currently fourth in the standings and will need a good result in Portugal in order to not lose the group ahead of him and stay within contention of the title this season. Meanwhile Olsen is seventh and has shown some positive results this season and it will be interesting to see what more he can deliver.

Standing Construct Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Pauls Jonass may have surprised a few people in Argentina, after he claimed the MXGP qualifying race win and led 11 laps of the first race. The Latvian struggled with injury in the off-season and admitted that a lack of bike time was an issue, but despite his wound opening up in Mantova and needing further surgery to fix that, Jonass came to Argentina without any pressure, and that certainly paid off. Now it will be interesting to see if he can carry this momentum to Agueda and continue his year in a positive direction. Meanwhile his teammate Brian Bogers did not get so lucky. After coming close to a podium finish in Mantova, Bogers drew some attention by the time we arrive to Argentina. Things were looking positive until a big crash with F&H Kawasaki Racing Team’s Jed Beaton in the qualifying race saw the Dutchman dislocate his shoulder and not line up for the races. It is unclear how Bogers is at the moment, but his name remains on the entry list for the weekend.

Another name to look out for in MXGP is Honda 114 Motorsports Ruben Fernandez who has finished well inside the top 10 during the last two GP’s. This is Fernandez’s rookie season, but already he has shown a glimpse of what can be expected for the future as he gains more experience and confidence in the category.

Meanwhile, finally making his return to MXGP and his debut with the JM Honda Racing Team is Ivo Monticelli who due to injury was missing from the first three rounds of the season. But now back on the bike and ready to go, it will be interesting to see how Monticelli will match up against his competitors and his teammate Henry Jacobi who has been strong out of the gate the last couple of rounds as he claimed two Fox Holeshot’s this year so far.

2019 MXGP of Portugal Top 3 – MXGP:

1. Tim Gajser

2. Antonio Cairoli

3. Arnaud Tonus

Main Photo: MXGP Start 2019 Agueda

Bottom Photos: 1. Tim Gajser 2. Maxime Renaux

MXGP - World Championship Top 10 Classification: 1. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 141 points; 2. Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 124 p.; 3. Jorge Prado (ESP, GAS), 118 p.; 4. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 94 p.; 5. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, BET), 76 p.; 6. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, HON), 74 p.; 7. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, KTM), 73 p.; 8. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, YAM), 71 p.; 9. Jed Beaton (AUS, KAW), 58 p.; 10. Alberto Forato (ITA, GAS), 58 p.;

In MX2, things are also getting interesting as we finally witnessed Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Tom Vialle make his much-anticipated return to the top step of the podium after a tough couple of weeks. The Frenchman struggled with injury in the off-season and then upon his return had some big crashes, most notably the crash in Mantova and another in the last lap of practice in Argentina. But he bounced back with a win in the second heat to steal the overall victory from Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jago Geerts.

Three rounds in, Geerts leads the MX2 standings by 26 points over Vialle, who is just a point ahead of Red Bull GasGas Factory Racing’s Simon Längenfelder. As it stands, the trio have a GP victory each to their names, while Geerts is slightly ahead with 3 podiums and 3 race victories. But those stats don’t mean a lot at the moment as there are still plenty of rounds to go.

Riders who could challenge the top three include the likes of SM Action Racing Team YUASA Battery’s Andrea Adamo who has caught attention of many in the first few races this season, along with Big Van World MTX Kawasaki’s Mikkel Haarup who celebrated his first podium since 2020 after finishing third overall in Argentina. It will be interesting to see if he can carry on with this momentum and who knows maybe this could be a start of string of podiums for the Dane and regular top five finishes, as he has shown that he has the ability to run at the sharp end.

And the same goes for F&H Kawasaki Racing Team’s Kevin Horgmo who has demonstrated that he can battle with the riders at the front, though crashes have proven to be costly for him. Nonetheless, he has made a lot of progress over the off-season that is evident, and a podium finish is likely on its way.

Despite struggling in the first few races this season, there is still a lot of hope that Red Bull GasGas Factory Racing’s Mattia Guadagnini will turn things around and get back up to podium fighting positions, where he deserved to be. Last season Guadagnini racked up a nice number of podiums, before struggling in the latter part of the season and it’s still unclear what has been holding him back this year, but one thing for sure is if things come together he can run at the front.

Last time around in Argentina, it seemed like the MX2 category took a big hit as two of the top stars, Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Kay de Wolf and Roan Van de Moosdijk suffered crashes and went out with injuries. Now news comes that de Wolf will aim to make a return for Portugal, which is great news as he was among the top guys in the class, while Van de Moosdijk underwent surgery on his shoulder and is nursing a broken collarbone and fracture wrist as well. His return is not yet known.

On a more positive note, this weekend we will see the return of Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Thibault Benistant who was another rider who missed the start of the season due to injury.

Hitachi KTM Fuelled by Milwaukee rider Isak Gifting and Gianluca Facchetti of KTM Beddini MX2 will miss the upcoming GP due to injuries sustained in Argentina. Their return is not yet confirmed.

2019 MXGP of Portugal Top 3 – MX2:

1. Jorge Prado

2. Thomas Kjer Olsen

3. Mitch Evans

Main Photo: MX2 Start 2019 Agueda

Bottom Photos: 1. Tom Vialle 2. Jago Geerts

MX2 - World Championship Top 10 Classification: 1. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 137 points; 2. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), 111 p.; 3. Simon Längenfelder (GER, GAS), 110 p.; 4. Mikkel Haarup (DEN, KAW), 92 p.; 5. Andrea Adamo (ITA, GAS), 85 p.; 6. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, GAS), 81 p.; 7. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 78 p.; 8. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, KAW), 78 p.; 9. Stephen Rubini (FRA, HON), 69 p.; 10. Isak Gifting (SWE, KTM), 67 p.;

Joining the main action this weekend will also be the EMX250 and WMX riders, with Hutten Metaal Yamaha Racing’s Rick Elzinga and Ceres 71 Racing’s Nancy Van De Ven currently leading the standings. It will be interesting to see whether the pair can hold on to the red plate after this weekend or whether they will be challenge by the rest of the field.

TIMETABLE (Local Timing UTC+1)

SATURDAY: 08:45 WMX Free Practice, 09:10 EMX250 Group 1 Free Practice, 09:35 EMX250 Group 2 Free Practice, 10:05 WMX Qualifying Practice, 10:50 MX2 Free Practice, 11:20 MXGP Free Practice, 12:10 EMX250 Group 1 Qualifying Practice, 12:45 EMX250 Group 2 Qualifying Practice, 13:25 MX2 Time Practice, 14:00 MXGP Time Practice, 14:45 WMX Race 1, 15:30 EMX250 Race 1, 16:25 MX2 Qualifying Race, 17:10 MXGP Qualifying Race.

SUNDAY: 09:45 WMX Race 2, 10:25 MX2 Warm-up, 10:45 MXGP Warm-up, 11:30 EMX250 Race 2, 13:15 MX2 Race 1, 14:15 MXGP Race 1, 16:10 MX2 Race 2, 17:10 MXGP Race 2.

All the photos from the MXGP of Portugal will be available HERE.

You can find the complete results HERE.

LINKS

Infront Moto Racing

FIM

MXGP of Portugal

The FIM Motocross World Championship continues this weekend on the 2^nd and 3^rd of April in Agueda for the MXGP of Portugal.

Take a look at the timetable and entry lists below:

Timetable

MXGP Entry List

MX2 Entry List

EMX250 Entry List

WMX Entry List

MONACO (Principality of Monaco) 24 March 2022 – Returning for a second season after a highly positive maiden campaign in 2021, rider registrations for the 2022 European Junior e-Motocross Series – co-created successfully between Infront Moto Racing and  KTM AG - are now officially open. With all 40 places on the gate expected to sell out fast, parents and guardians of interested riders are encouraged to sign up now to secure a place on the start line for what’s set to be another exciting year of e-powered motorsport.

Unified by a shared mission to develop talented young racers, KTM AG and Infront Moto Racing joined forces just under 12 months ago to create the European Junior e-Motocross Series. The all-electric racing series proved to be incredibly popular in 2021 and for 2022 will once again be played out over five rounds alongside selected FIM Motocross World Championship events.

Beginning on May 29 at the MXGP of Spain, the European Junior e-Motocross Series will visit France and Germany, before drawing to a close with a two-day event at the MXGP of Czech Republic over the weekend of July 16-17. Retaining a proven race format, all 40 riders competing in the European Junior e-Motocross Series will take on a timed qualifying session to determine gate pick, followed by two races. At the conclusion of each round the top three riders overall will then climb onto the podium to celebrate their success.

To enter the series, all riders must be aged between 6-8 years old (age taken on January 1, 2022) and ride an electric-powered KTM SX-E 5, GASGAS MC-E 5 or Husqvarna EE 5, committing to racing at a minimum of three rounds. Successful entrants will then receive a special entry package consisting of branded merchandise dependant on the bike they own. For the eventual 2022 European Junior e-Motocross Series champion, an exclusive prize is on offer – a trip for two to the USA to attend the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations on September 25.

David Luongo, Infront Moto Racing CEO: “The partnership that was formed last year between Infront Moto Racing and KTM AG to create the European Junior e-Motocross Series has been really positive. We have received such enthusiastic feedback from the riders and their families, which has made all the hard work behind the scenes worthwhile. It’s a really exciting series that not only allows young riders the chance to compete alongside MXGP, but it allows the manufacturers, KTM, Husqvarna Motorcycles, and GASGAS, to gain valuable information on their bikes being raced in a competitive environment. E-powered motorsport is evolving all the time and for Infront Moto Racing, it’s an important step to have this series running alongside the FIM Motocross World Championship.”

Florian Burguet, Vice President KTM Global Marketing: “The European Junior e-Motocross Series returns for 2022 and marks another exciting and positive step towards the future. For KTM AG and its brands, the introduction of this series, which was created alongside Infront Moto Racing last year, was a pivotal moment for all involved. It’s incredibly important because we can showcase the latest developments in e-powered technologies to a worldwide audience thanks to each round taking place alongside MXGP. As the global leader in the offroad market, we understand the importance of introducing younger racers into the sport of motocross and the European Junior e-Motocross Series is the perfect place for them to begin their racing careers.”

To discover everything there is to know about the European Junior e-Motocross Series and to secure a place on the start line, please visit - www.junioremotocross.com

Calendar – 2022 European Junior e-Motocross Series

Round 1: 29 May MXGP of Spain – intu Xanadú - Arroyomolinos

Round 2: 5 June MXGP of France - Ernée

Round 3: 12 June MXGP of Germany - Teutschenthal

Round 4: 16 July MXGP of Czech Republic – Loket

Round 5: 17 July MXGP of Czech Republic – Loket

LINKS

Infront Moto Racing

European Junior e-Motocross Series

MONACO (Principality of Monaco) 22 March 2022 – MXGP is excited to continue the Fox Holeshot competition for the 2022 season of the FIM Motocross World Championship, together with MXGP partner Fox.

How does the competition work?

Every Grand Prix race, during both MXGP and MX2 races, the rider who crosses the white line painted on the ground at the exit of the first corner secures the Fox Holeshot and receives one point. At the end of the season, the two riders, one per category, with the most Fox Holeshot points will win the mega prize!

At the MXGP of Patagonia-Argentina the Fox Holeshot awards were presented to four different riders across the MXGP and MX2 categories.

In MXGP, the first Fox Holeshot went to Henry Jacobi of JM Honda Racing, while the second one was received by Team HRC’s Tim Gajser who went on to win his third consecutive Grand Prix.

Meanwhile in MX2, the Fox Holeshot’s went to Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Tom Vialle in race one, while in race two it was Red Bull GasGas Factory Racing’s Simon Längenfelder who got out of the gate fast. Vialle went on to claim his first GP win in 2022.

As it stands, Red Bull GasGas Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado continues to lead the Fox Holeshot classifications in MXGP, meanwhile in MX2, Längenfelder and Vialle remain tied on three points.

The Fox Holeshot competition continues in a couple of weeks’ time at the MXGP of Portugal!

MXGP Fox Holeshot Classifications

MX2 Fox Holeshot Classifications

Watch the Fox Holeshot Films from the MXGP of Patagonia-Argentina below.

MONACO (Principality of Monaco) 21 March 2022 – For the 2022 season of the FIM Motocross World Championship, we see the return of a very exciting competition, that is the Best Rider of the Year Sponsored by Athena.

Throughout the season fans have the opportunity to cast their votes race-by-race and decide who becomes the ‘Best Rider of the Year Sponsored by Athena’ in MXGP at the end of this year’s championship.

Votes are tallied at every Grand Prix, with the ‘Best Rider of the GP’ being chosen during each event of 2022. The rider who is voted the most times as the best rider, will walk away with the ultimate prize and be presented with the special award for ‘Best Rider of the Year Sponsored by Athena’!

How to vote:

Every Grand Prix Sunday a dedicated post is shared on MXGP’s official Instagram page under which fans can comment who their favourite rider of the weekend is. This competition is only for MXGP riders and the voting closes at 8pm on Sunday.

The comments are then counted and the rider with the most votes is chosen as the best rider of that GP. 

During the MXGP of Patagonia-Argentina, Team HRC’s Tim Gajser secured his third consecutive victory, along with his 90^th career podium and as a result received the most votes on the post shared on MXGP’s Instagram page and therefore was declared the ‘Best Rider of the MXGP of Patagonia-Argentina’.

Gajser received 48.7% of the votes, while third place podium finisher Jorge Prado from Red Bull GasGas Factory Racing was second with 26.8% ahead of Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Maxime Renaux who celebrated his first ever race victory in MXGP and collected 9.7%. of the votes.

Tim Gajser now edges back out in the competition after three rounds, though there are still 17 Grand Prix’s to go, so the competition for the ultimate prize is still wide open!

2022 Best Rider of the Year Sponsored by Athena Standings