MXGP

MONACO (Principality of Monaco), 1 July 2016 – The 2017 FIM Junior Motocross World Championship will officially take place in Tartu, a small province of Estonia. Tartu is best known for its tranquility, although many refer to it as Estonia’s premier university town which attracts a lot of youthful energy.  Recently, FIM Race Director Ingo Partsch and Youthstream Representative Patricia Maskarova joined General Secretary of EMF Mrs. Helen Urbanik, Clerk of the Course Mr. Marko Saareke and the event organizers Mr. Lauri Roosiorg and Mr. Janek Kaha for the first inspection of the track, paddock and location.

The track itself is a natural terrain circuit to the length of 1720 meters. It is wide and flowing. It also has a permanent watering system in place and has access to bulldozers and other types of machinery for track maintenance. A few small alterations have been requested but otherwise Tartu has been deemed a high standard track well worth the FIM Junior Motocross World Championship. It also will have no problem in accommodating the thousands of fans expected to come out and support and encourage the world’s fastest junior motocross riders, who are also expected to come in big numbers.

As a result of the inspection, all of the authorities that attended the inspection are very satisfied.

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Team Suzuki World MXGP’s Ben Townley will be out of action for the last six rounds of the 2016 FIM Motocross World Championship after suffering a crash while testing earlier this week that required a hospital visit for internal injuries.

The luckless New Zealander went down during further testing work at Mantova in Italy on Tuesday and was hospitalised on his return to Hasselt, Belgium with damage to his intestines that required scans, checks and close observation. Such is the nature of the injury that the projected recovery time means that it is extremely unlikely that the former World Champion will race his RM-Z450 in anger in Grand Prix again this season.

With Kevin Strijbos convalescing from a wrist injury the team is currently searching for a replacement for Townley that can join then Belgian in the gate for the Grand Prix of the Czech Republic towards the end of July and then also for rounds in Belgium, Switzerland, Holland and the USA.

“We feel terrible for Ben who has worked hard and done everything we could have asked to be competitive at this level. He has experienced some incredibly bad luck this year,” said Team Principal Stefan Everts. “We felt we were getting to a point where we could have a strong end to the season but now the most important thing is that Ben can make a full recovery and he has all our support and best wishes in this respect.”

Red Bull KTM Factory rider Jeffrey Herlings continues to show he is the man in the MX2 class and while it seems it will be his last season in the 250cc class, he isn’t thinking too much into the future and MXGP.

With six rounds to go and a lead of 169 points over second placed man Jeremy Seewer, the Flying Dutchman is confident of taking his third MX2 championship and leaving the class with a lot of confidence.

“It is definitely on my mind moving up to the MXGP class,” Herlings said. “But the most important is to win the MX2 championship this year, win it as soon as possible and stay out of trouble and then start focusing on the big boy class. I mean I will be racing guys I have raced the last few years and for sure the competition is really strong in the MXGP class.”

Last weekend in Mantova, Italy the KTM rider put together yet another 1-1 result, and clearly showed he is remaining in the same frame of mind as he was at the very first round in Qatar. While Mantova is known as a sand circuit, it isn’t as familiar as some of his favorite locals like Lommel and Assen.

“Mantova isn’t really like a sand track, it’s not like Lommel or Assen. In the qualification race my gate didn’t fall and we had to restart and I wasn’t focused and was like 15^th or 20^th, then I caught Dylan and was closing. He went down and made life easy. I was still struggling with my injury but we have three weeks off after this round, so I have time for it to repair.

Sunday though roughed up a little more and become a little more like his home circuits. It is in these conditions that Herlings comes into his own.

“Sunday, I enjoyed being there. The track is a little like Holland; I mean we had a Dutch guy on the podium with me. I still had some pain on my heal from the fracture, I need to take some time off, at least that is what the doctor has told me. The first moto I was around 10^th and got the lead quickly and won easily. The second moto I took the lead on the second lap and rode training speed and the track suited me. I will let the body heal up and focus on Loket and Lommel and we have around 170-point lead, so we are happy.”

And with one eye on the MXGP class, his second moto lap times showed that he will be more than capable of running up front in 2017.

“It is strange that my speed is so good, but we have been riding so much, and I got bored of riding during the weeks, but now we are racing a lot, GP after GP. I did better lap times than the MXGP guys and that is something to show for the future.”

Now a rest for his weary body and prepare for the hard-pack of Loket in Czech Republic. Will it be another 1-1, or can some of the competition rise to the occasion and shock the world?

The gates dropped for round twelve of the FIM Motocross World Championship, the FULLBACK MXGP of Lombardia-Italy at Mantova, Italy. Honda Gariboldi’s Tim Gajser set the fastest lap time in MXGP while Red Bull KTM Factory Racing's Jeffrey Herlings impressively set the fastest time, even faster than the MXGP class, in MX2.

Both riders have added one point to their TAG Heuer fastest lap score sheets.

If you don’t know about this competition, the way it works is; he who sets the fastest lap time in each MXGP or MX2 over the weekend at each round of MXGP this year will be awarded 1 point towards the TAG Heuer sponsored ‘fastest lap’ competition. At the end of the season, the rider who has the most points will be awarded an elegant gift of prestige, a TAG Heuer watch.

If you scroll down on the main page at MXGP.com you will see the TAG HEUER Fastest Lap results grid which is situated directly underneath the FOX Holeshot results grid

MONACO (Principality of Monaco), 28 June 2016 – The 70th edition of the Monster Energy FIM MXoN which will take place in Maggiora the next 24th and 25th September was presented to national media at the majestic Unicredit Tower in Milan.

Institutional representatives such as Renato Vichi, Head of Media relations at Unicredit in Italy, Pier Francesco Caliari, General Director of Confindustria, Luca Ferrazzi, Chairman of the Sport and Culture commission of Lombardia joined Giuseppe Luongo, Youthstream President, Stefano Avandero and Paolo Schneider, organiser of the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations for this important launch.

Renato Vichi, Head of Media relations at Unicredit in Italy welcomed the public, `We are very glad to host the presentation of this international event here in Milan. I wish the best to everyone involved in the event: organisers, promoter and riders. ‘

Pier Francesco Caliari, General Director of Confindustria, ANCMA, continues, “ It is a great pleasure for me to be here and take part of the presentation of the Monster Energy Motocross of Nations. I personally think ‘off-road’ is a synonym of freedom and creativity and I think it can help to attract young people to the two-wheels world. The owners of Maggiora Park, Paolo Schneider and Stefano Avandero embody this value as well as the promoter of the event, Giuseppe Luongo, that I wish to thank.”

Luca Ferrazzi, Chairman of the Sport and Culture commission of Lombardia took the microphone to express the support from the institutions to this event.

The presentation was hosted by the popular Italian journalist, Pierluigi Pardo, who welcomed to stage Mr. Giuseppe Luongo, Youthstream President, and Stefano Avandero and Paolo Schneider, Organisers of the MXoN at Maggiora Park.

Giuseppe Luongo stated, “I’m delighted to eventually be in Italy, my country, to announce the return of the Motocross of Nations in Maggiora after 30 years since the historical edition of 1986. That edition marked the debut of my own company and brought the Motocross to a worldwide level. Since that 21st September this sport has grown considerably and now the Monster Energy FIM MXoN is the most important event of the year without anything similar in other Motorsports, it attracts a huge crowd onsite every year and is broadcasted in more than 170 countries. I wish the best to Stefano Avandero and Paolo Schneider who are investing in that dream”.

Stefano Avandero and Paolo Schneider went on to express their gratitude to all the people involved in the organisation of this event and manifested their enthusiasm in being part of that project.  They also mentioned the track will have some changes comparing to the previous years.

Pierluigi Pardo launched a video showing the Maggiora while the 8-Time World Champion, Antonio Cairoli, and the Belgian MXGP star, Clement Desalle, took the stage.

Antonio Cairoli stated, “The circuit is spectacular, I see there are some changes and I can’t wait to ride there, on Tuesday we will go there to train with other Italian riders. After eight world titles a victory at the Motocross of Nations is a great goal I'd like to achieve this year together with my team.”

Clement Desalle went on to say, “The Motocross of Nations is a special event, different from all the others. The crowd is huge and the competition is different. We are working to be there in our top shape”.

A final greeting from Federmoto’s Presidents, Ivan Bidorini  from the Lombardia region and Vittorio Angela from the Piemonte region, concluded today’s Press Conference.

The appointment is for 24th and 25th September in Maggiora for the 2016 edition of the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations.

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The Fox Holeshot award runs across the entire MXGP season. The way it works is 1 point is awarded for each race holeshot. He who has the most points in MXGP at the end of the season will win the grand prize of €10,000 while he with the most points in MX2 will win the grand prize of €5,000.

At the FULLBACK MXGP of Lombardia - Italy which was held in Mantova on June the 26^th, Honda Gariboldi’s Tim Gajser and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Antonio Cairoli took the FOX holeshots in Race 1 and Race 2 respectively.

Meanwhile in MX2 Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Thomas Covington took the FOX holeshot in race 1 while Wilvo Standing Construct Yamaha Official MX2 Team’s Aleksandr Tonkov took the FOX holeshot in race 2.

Watch the FULLBACK MXGP of Lombardia - Italy ‘Fox Holeshot’ films here below.

FULLBACK MXGP of of Lombardia - Italy FOX Holeshot MXGP Film

FULLBACK MXGP of of Lombardia - Italy FOX Holeshot MX2 Film