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Moto News Wrap for October 3, 2017 by Darren Smart

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Latest News

• Team Australia at the 2017 MXoN – Breaking It Down
• Lawrence to Join Beaton on Honda in MX2
• AJMX at Horsham in Full Flight
• Jessica Gardiner Wins French Enduro Championship
• Monster Energy Kawasaki Announce AMA Rider Line-Up
• Davi Millsaps Replaces Chad Reed on Factory Yamaha Team
• Andrew Short Takes on 2018 Dakar Rally with Husqvarna
• RedBud to Host 2018 MXoN
• Youthstream Outline Future MXGP Locations – No Australia
• Lindgren OUT – Fricke IN
• Brian Anthony Wins Australian Motocross Sidecar Championships

This Week’s Race Reports

• October 1 Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations – GB, Matterley Basin
• YZ125 bLU cRU Cup SuperFinale – Matterley Basin
• World Under-21 Speedway Championship – Pardubice, Czech Republic
• Red Bull Sea to Sky Hard Enduro – Turkey
• 2017 Australian Trial Championship – Barossa Valley, SA

Team Australia at the 2017 MXoN – Breaking It Down

Australia’s record at the Motocross of Nations is a frustrating one and 2017 was no different with a team that was deemed as good as any finishing in a disappointing 6^th despite being in a podium position at the end of the second moto.

Hunter Lawrence kicked off our day with an impressive 4^th place in the opening MXGP/MX2 moto while Dean Ferris came from 37^th to finish in 22^nd place then in the second Open/MX2 moto Kirk Gibbs started strong in third place before Lawrence came from outside the top ten to storm into third place before crashing back to an eventual 8^th place while Gibbs was impressive with a 5^th place finish.

So, heading into the final MXGP/Open moto Australia was sitting in third place on 17 points (dropping Ferris’ 22^nd place) behind France and the Netherlands but it all turn to poo right from the get-go with Gibbs starting the race back in 35^th place and Ferris just inside the top 20.

By moto end Gibbs had passed 16 riders to get up to 19^th place while Ferris suffered more bad luck and small crashes to end up back in 23^rd seeing ‘our best hope in ages’ end the day on 58 points and back in 6^th place.

Looking at our results in the modern era Team Australia riders seem to struggle when it comes to the MXoN format that rewards consistent top ten performances – in fact, over the last 12 years Team Australia has thrown our absolute best riders into the fray but haven’t been able to crack 40 points.

If we are going to be completely honest with ourselves our only podium position during this period was gifted to us on the back of a less than par performance by Great Britain on the day – see our results below:

• 2006 – 11^th – 102 Pts: Brett Metcalfe, Cheyne Boyd, Dan Reardon – (Best Finish: Boyd 18^th in Moto 3)
  • 1^st – USA 15 Pts. 2^nd – Belgium 22 Pts. 3^rd – New Zealand – 35 Pts.
• 2007 – 20^th – 79 Pts: Chad Reed, Michael Byrne, Andrew McFarlane – (Best Finish: Reed 2^nd in Moto 1)
  • 1^st – USA 8 Pts. 2^nd – France 34 Pts. 3^rd – Belgium 35 Pts.
• 2008 – 6^th – 55 Pts: Metcalfe, Reed, Byrne – (Best Finish: Reed/Byrne 8^th in Motos 2 & 3)
  • 1^st – USA 26 Pts. 2^nd – France 31 Pts. 3^rd – Belgium 41 Pts.
• 2009 – 7^th – 73 Pts: Metcalfe, Reed, Byrne – (Best Finish: Reed 2^nd in Moto 1)
  • 1^st – USA 22 Pts. 2rd – France 30 Pts. 3^rd – Belgium 39 Pts.
• 2010 – 6^th – 54 Pts: Metcalfe, Dean Ferris, Jay Marmont – (Best Finish: Metcalfe 3^rd in Moto 1)
  • 1^st – USA 23 Pts. 2^nd – Belgium 30 Pts. 3^rd – Germany 33 Pts.
• 2011 – 3^rd – 44 Pts: Reed, Metcalfe, Matt Moss – (Best Finish: Reed 1^st in Moto 1)
  • 1^st – USA 26 Pts. 2^nd – France 39 Pts. 3^rd – Australia – 44 Pts.
• 2012 – 10^th – 83 Pts: Todd Waters, Lawson Bopping, Luke Styke – (Best Finish: Waters 8^th in Moto 2)
  • 1^st – Germany – 25 Pts. 2^nd – Belgium – 29 Pts. 3^rd – USA 39 Pts.
• 2013 – 4^th – 40 Pts – Waters, Ferris, Metcalfe – (Best Finish: Ferris 4^th in Moto 1)
  • 1^st – Belgium 27 Pts. 2^nd – USA 30 Pts. 3^rd – Italy – 33 Pts.
• 2014 – 14^th – 108 Pts – Reed, Moss, Luke Clout – (Best Finish: Reed 14^th in Moto 1)
  • 1^st – France 17 Pts. 2^nd – Belgium 27 Pts. 3^rd – USA 33 Pts.
• 2015 – 7^th – 77 Pts – Waters, Ferris, Clout – (Best Finish: Waters 12^th in Moto 3)
  • 1^st – France 14 Pts. 2^nd – USA 16 Pts. 3^rd – Belgium 56 Pts.
• 2016 – 8^th – 76 Pts – Waters, Ferris, Mitchell Evans – (Best Result: Ferris 5^th in Moto 2)
  • 1^st – France 29 Pts. 2^nd – Netherlands 30 Pts. 3^rd – USA 33 Pts.
• 2017 – 6^th – 58 Pts – Hunter Lawrence, Ferris, Kirk Gibbs – (Best Finish: Lawrence 4^th in Moto 1)
  • 1^st – France 20 Pts. 2^nd – Netherland 31 Pts. 3^rd – Great Britian – 32 Pts.

That aside, the 2017 Motocross of Nations saw Hunter Lawrence put in two great rides to win the MX2 class and get awarded the Ricky Carmichael Award for best young rider.

Hunter Lawrence

“The day started off really well, with a good start on my RM-Z250. It was a good race with the 450s and I ended up fourth which was really cool, finishing ahead of some top-quality riders and I was the first MX2 rider across the line. It was a short break between the two motos and I didn’t get as good of a start in the second race and I had to work my way through the pack. There was so much mud on my helmet and I had to take the goggles off but I was riding well and making passes. I took a rock to the eye at one stage and that hurt a lot but others were making mistakes and I kept charging and eventually got up to third. Unfortunately, my helmet was falling down across my eyes and I couldn’t see so well and I crashed a couple of laps from the end. Obviously it was a massive let down for myself as I ended up finishing eighth after that mistake. I still won the MX2 class and won the Ricky Carmichael award for best young rider so I’m really happy with that and with helping Australia to a sixth overall.”

Lawrence to Join Beaton on Honda in MX2

Australian riders Jed Beaton and Hunter Lawrence are hot property over in Europe right now and there is a very strong chance they could both be on factory Honda machinery in the MX2 class when the 2018 FIM World Motocross Championship kicks off in 2018.

Nothing concrete has been announced for Beaton but in 2018 Lawrence will race the MX2 class aboard a CRF250R and then move to the U.S in 2019 to race for Geico Honda in the 250 class for supercross and motocross. In fact, Lawrence’s GEICO Honda deal is for three seasons (2019, 2020, and 2021) which means he’s locked into Honda for the next four years.

Hunter Lawrence

“To join GEICO Honda and their list of riders past and present is an honor. My family gave up a lot to get me to this point so the decision to sign with Geico was a big one for us. They felt like family from the minute we started talking and are giving me support next year with 114 Motorsports Honda to win a world title. Then I will make the move to the U.S. full time in 2019.”

GEICO Honda team manager Dan Betley said negotiations with Lawrence started before the USGP.

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Dan Betley

“We’ve been talking to Hunter and his family for some time, even well before his strong performance at the USGP in Florida. His talent is obvious, and in the second half of his rookie season in MX2 you could really see him spread his wings and start running up front. Hunter and his family expressed the desire to stay in the GPs for one more season with the goal of winning the World Championship, following in the footsteps of other Australians like Chad Reed, who spent time winning races and battling for a title in the GPs before coming over here. We have watched Hunter ride and feel he will be more than ready by the time he comes here in 2019, and while we haven’t seen him ride supercross yet, we believe he has the talent and skills to excel there, too, and with this deal, also plenty of time to prepare.”

In the deal, GEICO Honda announced it will also provide technical support to the Gariboldi-owned Team 114 Motorsports Honda team, which is the first-such collaboration between the U.S. GEICO outfit and a Grand Prix team.

Gariboldi is well-known in GP circles, as Tim Gajser rode for him en route to the 2015 MX2 World Championship, and Gariboldi has deep ties within the Honda HRC MXGP (450) team, which Gajser rides for today.

AJMX In Full Flight

The best part of 400 riders are well and truly in the thick of the action as the 2017 KTM Australia Junior Motocross Championship (AJMX) at the Horsham circuit in Victoria heads into the business end of the seven day event.

All of the practice and qualifying is done and dusted and at the time of writing several heats had been completed in many of the classes and you will get the full results and run-down of the event in next week’s Noto Wrap.

Jessica Gardiner Wins French Enduro Championship

Australian Jessica Gardiner has won nine of the ten rounds to beat the best female French riders in their own backyard to win this year’s Championnat de France d’enduro, which came to a close in Ambert last weekend.

24-year-old Jess Gardiner entered the fifth and final round leading the championship by one slender point after suffering her first DNF on the second day of action at the fourth round two weeks ago, which resulted her in breaking her left scapula on a fast-downhill section.

However, in true Australian style, Gardiner rode through the pain barrier to score a double race win which saw her locking up the Women’s French Enduro championship, becoming the first Australian to win the title.

Jess Gardiner

“I’m extremely happy to win the championship. This championship is a fantastic reward for all my French sponsors as well as sponsors back home, as they have all supported me so much this year. On top of that, it’s so nice to be able to get the job done for the Ridercamp enduro team, as everyone has put in a huge effort this year.”

Now that the Championnat de France d’enduro has come to a close, Gardiner will now turn her attention to the final round of the FIM European-Enduro-Championship at Gelnica, Slovakia on 13-15 October where she is leading the series by 23-points.

Championnat de France d’enduro championship final standings (top 5)

1. Jess Gardiner – 180
2.  Samantha Tichet – 169
3. Juliette Berrez – 152
4. Justine Martel – 126
5. Valerie Roche – 111

RedBud to Host 2018 MXoN

In a press conference held at the 2017 Motocross of Nations at Matterley Basin, Youthstream and the FIM announced that the Motocross of Nations will return to the United States with RedBud in Buchanan, Michigan, hosting the 2018 event.

It will be the first time the event has taken place in the U.S. since Thunder Valley in Colorado hosted the 2010 Motocross of Nations and Red Bud Co-Owner Amy Ritchie had this to say about the announcement. “Red Bud is looking forward to hosting the world, we are really excited to see Youthstream and MXSports working together and it is going to be a great environment and a great team.”

Monster Energy Kawasaki Announce AMA Rider Line-Up

Monster Energy Kawasaki have announced that Eli Tomac and Josh Grant will continue on the green machines in the 2018 AMA Supercross and Motocross Championships in the 450 class while Martin Davalos will join Adam Cianciarulo, Joey Savatgy and Austin Forkner in the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team in the 250 class.

Davalos previously rode for the team for two years (2013-14) before joining Rockstar Energy Husqvarna in 2015. A long time 250 rider, Davalos moved to the 450 Class this summer in Lucas Oil Pro Motocross and enjoyed success. He’s stated several times he’d like to ride a 450 full-time, but there wasn’t any factory rides available for the Ecuadorian.

Dan Fahie – Monster Energy Kawasaki Senior Manager

“Looking into 2018, we have a great team on and off the track. All of our riders have won races and I believe this year will be no different. I’m looking forward to the new season and the success that lies ahead.”

Mitch Payton – Pro Circuit owner

“We have a great team for the 2018 season. I am looking forward to watching our riders and helping them reach their full potential. I have high expectations for them and know they will all do well each weekend.”

The 2018 Monster Energy AMA Supercross drops the gate on Saturday, January 5th, 2018 at Angels Stadium in Anaheim, California.

Davi Millsaps Replaces Chad Reed on Factory Yamaha Team

On the back of a successful supercross season where he finished the season in fifth overall, veteran Davi Millsap will join Cooper Webb on the factory Yamaha team for the 2018 AMA Supercross and Motocross Championships in the 450 class.

Millsaps has raced for Suzuki (2004, 2005, 2013, 2014),  Honda (2006 to 2010), Yamaha (2011 and 2012), Kawasaki (2015) and KTM (2016, 2017).

Andrew Short Takes on 2018 Dakar Rally with Husqvarna

Former Motocross and Supercross star Andrew Short has joined the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Rally team and is looking to take on the 2018 and 2019 Dakar Rally.

Short took the decision to switch to rally racing having taken part at this year’s Sonora Rally, round one of the 2017 Dakar Challenge. Enjoying an impressive first outing the highly-experienced racer wrapped up the four-stage-long event by claiming third overall in Mexico.

Andrew Short

“I’m really excited to be part of Rockstar Energy Husqvarna. It’s an awesome opportunity to take a new step forward in my career as a racer. Rally racing is something I’ve always been interested in. I love riding and racing and to me it seems like rally is the ultimate adventure you can have on a dirt bike. After retiring as a pro motocross racer at the end of 2016 I started riding my bike in the mountains of Colorado and fell in love with it. I took some navigation training lessons and then had a blast at the Sonora Rally. The biggest challenge for me now is to get some more experience and improve my skills in navigation and that’s exactly what I’ll be focusing on this week in Morocco.”

Short is set to make his racing debut aboard the Husqvarna FR 450 Rally machine at the 2017 OiLibya Morocco Rally on October 4 to 10. Looking to gain more experience in navigation and demanding rally stages, he is expected to be a strong asset for the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing team for the upcoming Dakar Rally in January.

Youthstream Outline Future MXGP Locations – No Australia

The 2018 FIM Motocross World Championship season will see several new venues in the 2018 and 2019 seasons including the MXGP of Spain at the new venue of Red Sand in Castellón and a new stop at the Afyon Motorsport Center in Turkey for both 2018 and 2019 with the full support of Turkish Motorcyling Federation (TMF).

A second round in Indonesia has been announced thanks to the increase of the interest of MXGP from the country, thus in 2018 MXGP will be back in Indonesia at the Pangkal Pinang site and in Semarang, on the North coast of Java Island 460 Kilometres from the country’s capital, Jakarta.

The MXGP of Portugal in Agueda and the MXGP of Czech Republic in Loket have been renewed while a round in China for 2019 is foreseen as well.

Lindgren OUT – Fricke IN

Injured Swedish star Freddie Lindgren suffered a heavy fall in heat 13 of Wolverhampton’s SGB Premiership play-off semi-final and remains in hospital with an upper back injury and it has been announced that Vaclav Milik will replace Lindgren in Torun while Max Fricke is a definite starter for Melbourne.

This comes as a cruel blow for Lindgren who was firmly in the hunt for his first ever individual World Championship medal as he is currently fourth in the standings on 107 points – just one behind third-placed Maciej Janowski and three short of Patryk Dudek in second.

With SGP reserves Peter Kildemand, Martin Smolinski and Max Fricke already in the line-up for the NICE Torun SGP of Poland this Saturday, fourth stand-in Vaclav Milik has been called up.

And with Lindgren joining Greg Hancock and Nicki Pedersen on the sidelines for the rest of the season, that guarantees Fricke’s place in the QBE Insurance Australian SGP at Melbourne’s Etihad Stadium, as the Mildura-born racer faces the sport’s elite in his home state on October 28.

Brian Anthony Wins Australian Motocross Sidecar Championships

According to his Facebook page Brian Anthony has won the Australian Motocross Sidecar Championships held at Murray Bridge last weekend.

Smart’s Race Reports

Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations – GREAT BRITAIN, Matterley Basin

It was a dramatic day of racing in wet and cold conditions where consistency and experience is the key, and Team France has wrapped up their fourth straight Chamberlain Trophy with a resounding overall victory.

Team Australia let a podium position slip through their grasp at the 2017 Monster Energy Motocross of Nations held at Matterly Basin in the United Kingdom.

Race 1 – MXGP/MX2

Glenn Coldenhoff shot out the starting gate and took the holeshot by less than half a wheel over Max Anstie who had Antonio Cairoli hot on his heels before the Italian tipped over in a corner and dropped back to 12^th – meanwhile Dean Ferris was pealing himself out of the mud in 37^th place.

By the second corner Anstie was in the lead and by the conclusion of lap 1 Coldenhoff had been shuffled back to 4^th by Team France’s Gautier Paulin and Team Switzerlands Arnaud Tonus. Behind Coldenhoff was Slovenia’s Tim Gajser and Australia’s Hunter Lawrence on his 250.

On the third lap Gajser passed Coldenhoff and 4 laps later Tonus. Meanwhile Paulin was keeping Anstie honest at the front but many were on the young Australian rider of Hunter Lawerence who was not only holding his own against the more powerful 450’s but he was out riding many first passing Coldenhoff halfway through the race.

Back at the front Gajser made a pass on Paulin for second look easy as railed an inside line past the Frenchman. Paulin’s teammate Christophe Charlier started the race in 20th but was working his way forward eventually getting up to 14th.

Team USA struggled in the opening race as Cole Seely faced a bike issue and would not finish the race while his teammate Zach Osborne started and finished in tenth and Ferris was up to 22^nd. On the final lap Hunter Lawrence found his way by Arnaud Tonus for 4th position as Max Anstie won the race followed by Tim Gajser, and Gautier Paulin.

MXoN Race 1 top ten

1. Max Anstie (GBR, Husqvarna), 36:10.357
2. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:06.251
3. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Husqvarna), +0:09.398
4. Hunter Lawrence (AUS, Suzuki), +0:41.407
5. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, Yamaha), +0:44.978
6. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), +0:55.596
7. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Yamaha), +1:00.247
8. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), +1:08.634
9. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, Husqvarna), +1:19.761
10. Zachary Osborne (USA, Husqvarna), +1:31.126.
    …22. Dean Ferris.

Nations top ten: France, The Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium, Australia, Estonia, Slovenia, Sweden, Great Britain, Italy.

Race 2 – Open/MX2

When the gate dropped in the second race of the day it was Jeffrey Herlings leading France’s Romain Febvre followed into the second corner by Estonia’s Tanel Leok and Australia’s Kirk Gibbs while Hunter Lawrence completed the opening lap in 9^th place.

Team USA again had struggles as Thomas Covington fell and got back up in 35th before falling again a lap or so later and at around the same time the leader Jeffrey Herlings hit neutral on a jump and fell handing the lead to Febvre.

The MX2 riders of Lawrence, Christophe Charlier and Zach Osborne were in a battle before Lawrence passed Osborne and his teammate Gibbs to move into 4^th while up front Herlings charged down the inside of Romain Febvre to retake the lead. Only a couple laps later Lawrence took 3rd position away from Alessandro Lupino.

Lawrence then fell just after the start straight and before the mechanics area allowing Lupino back by. Lupino didn’t stay in the third spot for long though as Zach Osborne passed him on with one lap to go.

At the finish line Herlings won over Febvre and Osborne with Lupino taking fourth and Kirk Gibbs 5th while Hunter Lawrence came across in 8th taking the MX2 Overall win just behind Charlier and Team Great Britain’s Dean Wilson. Hunter Lawrence not only took the MX2 overall but was also awarded the Ricky Carmichael Award for the best young rider.

Hunter Lawrence

“The day started off really well, with a good start on my RM-Z250. It was a good race with the 450s and I ended up fourth which was really cool, finishing ahead of some top-quality riders and I was the first MX2 rider across the line. It was a short break between the two motos and I didn’t get as good of a start in the second race and I had to work my way through the pack. There was so much mud on my helmet and I had to take the goggles off but I was riding well and making passes. I took a rock to the eye at one stage and that hurt a lot but others were making mistakes and I kept charging and eventually got up to third. Unfortunately, my helmet was falling down across my eyes and I couldn’t see so well and I crashed a couple of laps from the end. Obviously it was a massive let down for myself as I ended up finishing eighth after that mistake. I still won the MX2 class and won the Ricky Carmichael award for best young rider so I’m really happy with that and with helping Australia to a sixth overall.”

Zach Osborne

“I was happy to be back racing on familiar British soil. I did my best in the qualifying moto and was happy to get away with the win. Then on Sunday my performance was good. I didn’t get a good rhythm in the opening moto and following a small crash I had to settle for 10th at the line. In the second moto I felt much better and managed to make some good passes in the last few laps for third. I’m satisfied with second overall in the MX2 class. For Team USA it was a tough weekend but I am sure we will come back fighting for next year.”

MXoN Race 2 Top Ten

1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 37:59.364
2. Romain Febvre (FRA, Yamaha), +0:13.730
3. Zachary Osborne (USA, Husqvarna), +1:38.876
4. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, Honda), +1:40.149
5. Kirk Gibbs (AUS, KTM), +1:44.122
6. Christophe Charlier (FRA, Husqvarna), +1:49.117
7. Dean Wilson (GBR, Husqvarna), +2:01.064
8. Hunter Lawrence (AUS, Suzuki), +2:02.897
9. Brian Bogers (NED, KTM), +2:07.211
10. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, Husqvarna), +2:28.124

Nations top ten: France, The Netherlands, Australia, Switzerland, Great Britain, Belgium, Italy, Estonia, Sweden, USA.

Race 3 – MXGP/Open

As the final race of the day started the hometown hero and team Great Britain rider Max Anstie took the final holeshot this time with Romain Febvre and Belgium’s Jeremy Van Horebeek in tow while Dean Ferris was in 20^th and Gibbs in 35^th.

In lap 2 Jeffrey Herlings found his way by Van Horebeek when the Belgian bobbled and missed the rut. Herlings was then third but up front Max Anstie fell out of the lead on the same jump that Herlings crashed on in race 2 while leading.

Romain Febvre then inherited the top spot as has teammate Gautier Paulin was left to battle with Switzerland’s Arnaud Tonus over 5th. Paulin eventually took the spot only to have Tim Gajser pass him at the halfway point.

Ferris had made his way to 16^th by lap four with Gibbs up to 22^nd so the Aussie were moving forward but Ferris then took a dive in the mud to drop back to 26^th thus ending Australia’s hope of the elusive podium finish.

Back up front it was a heated three way battle for the lead as Anstie tried to retake the lead position from Romain Febvre. Febvre made a mistake on the finish line jump coming up just short after threw away his goggles. Anstie flew back by into the lead as Febvre tried to retaliate down the start straight.

One lap later the exact same scenario unfolded for Febvre but with Herlings and as the Dutchman jumped passed Febvre waved to his team for new goggles. As he came down the start he took a face full of roost from Herlings and immediately after pulled into pit lane to take new goggles. Febvre re-joined the race in the same position which left it, in third as Herlings tried to real in Anstie.

Anstie and the British crowd boisterously backing him proved to be too much for Herlings and the rest of the competition as he took his second race win of the day to take the MXGP overall win while Herlings took the Open Overall victory. Gibbs ended the race in 19^th with Ferris battling back to 23^rd.

MXoN Race 3 top ten

1. Max Anstie (GBR, Husqvarna), 37:59.163
2. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), +0:01.108
3. Romain Febvre (FRA, Yamaha), +1:00.011
4. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Yamaha), +1:20.559
5. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +1:27.401
6. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Husqvarna), +1:36.967
7. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +1:44.854
8. Dean Wilson (GBR, Husqvarna), +1:51.593
9. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Suzuki), +2:02.765
10. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, Yamaha), +2:07.648
    …19. Kirk Gibbs
    …23. Dean Ferris.

Nations top ten: France, The Netherlands, Great Britain, Belgium, Switzerland, Australia, Italy, Estonia, USA, Sweden

Team France took the overall win without winning a moto and their third pick for the MX2 class in Christophe Charleir becomes the first rider to win the Motocross of Nations and the ISDE Senior Trophy titles in the same year.

Romain Febvre

“I had two solid motos and two good starts; the new bike is just amazing. We had been working for a few weeks but it already felt better. In the first moto I was battling with Jeffrey and when he crashed I had to take off my goggles because I couldn’t see so well. With the lapped riders it was really difficult so I took a safe second. In the second moto I felt I couldn’t continue again like this so stopped quickly for goggles but anyway we are so happy to have won for the fourth time. People had doubts about Christophe on social media but he won both the ISDE and the Nations and that’s quite amazing.”

Gautier Paulin

“Winning the Nations is a crazy feeling that never gets old. This is such a special event with fans and spectators travelling from all parts of the word to see us race. I really want to thank my teammates Christophe Charlier and Romain Febvre. They did a great job and the overall win belongs to all three of us. The atmosphere this year has been amazing. As for me, it feels great to be able to get a fourth consecutive win with the team. I did my best to secure two good results in the final motos and I made it happen. I loved every moment of this year’s Motocross of Nations.”

Christophe Charlier

“I’m over the moon with this victory. Especially for me focusing all my efforts this season into the EnduroGP World Championship, it’s been a crazy experience coming back to the pinnacle of motocross competition. The Nations is always a huge event and this season it seemed that it was even more spectacular. As for me, I spent the last couple of weeks training on the FC 250 machine and it all worked out pretty well here in the UK. I got 14th in the first moto and then managed to improve to sixth in moto two. It’s been a crazy journey and it feels amazing to have now won the ISDE and the Nations during the same season.”

With Coldenhoff and Bogers combining to score 28 points the Netherlands fell short of Team France for the second year in a row.

Jeffrey Herlings

“We did really good last year and had a bit of luck to finish second but I think we deserved it this time. I’m proud of my teammates and the organisation to make this happen. I just missed the start in the second moto and had so much mud on my helmet and dirt in my goggle. Romain went in for goggles and I wasn’t sure, so I kept going and I caught Max but there was only one dry line and it was very tough to pass. I managed to get him in France [the GP Pays de Montbeliard] but couldn’t do it this time! I feel a bit disappointed because I worked hard and wanted to go 1-1 but I couldn’t. The second part of the season was good for me. I was one of the fastest and it gives me a lot of confidence going into next year.”

Glenn Coldenhoff

“I expected better. I got a good start in the first moto but struggled a bit at halfway. I had to take off my goggles as well and then it was even more difficult. I tried as hard as I could and just came up a little bit short. It was not my day today. I gave everything that I had and in the end I’m happy for the team but disappointed in myself.”

Great Britain had a very strong team but they were dealt a blow when Tommy Searle had a mechanical issue in the opening moto while running inside the top 15 and making his way forward.

Max Anstie

“Getting two moto wins and seeing our team finish on the podium is an amazing feeling. My teammates and myself have done well this weekend. We all put in a great effort into the Nations and it’s great to bring Team GB on the box in front of our home crowd. For me these two moto wins feel like a dream come true. I’ve always wanted to get a win in the MXGP class and now I’ve got two victories at the most prestigious event of the season. In moto one I got the lead quite early and just tried to stay focused and hit my lines correctly. Then in moto two we had a good battle with Febvre and eventually I managed to come out on top. It’s an unreal feeling.”

Dean Wilson

“It was a pretty tough weekend with the weather changing on Sunday. Conditions were treacherous on the track and it was easy to make mistakes. I got seventh in my first moto and then eighth in the second. It was nothing spectacular but we managed to bring Team Great Britain on the podium. Max [Anstie] did an amazing job this weekend getting two solid victories and our teammate Tommy [Searle] rode well too. It’s good that we managed to bring our team on the box for the first time after 20 years, it’s pretty exciting.”

Tommy Searle

“I was going well in the first race until I had to retire, and I felt I’d let the rest of the team down at first as this is a team contest and it put the pressure on the other guys. I knew I had to bring it home in my second ride but I had a bad start and got filled in with the mud as I came through the pack. I was very nervous and fifteenth is not good, but it was enough to help earn third place for the team.”

Final Results

1. France – 20 pts
2. The Netherlands – 31 pts
3. Great Britain – 32 pts
4. Belgium – 53 pts
5. Switzerland – 56 pts
6. Australia – 58 pts
7. Italy – 63 pts
8. Estonia – 84 pts
9. USA – 85 pts
10. Sweden – 87 pts
11. Denmark – 98 pts
12. Slovenia – 108 pts
13. Canada – 119 pts
14. Russia – 120 pts
15. Ireland – 120 pts
16. Portugal – 125 pts
17. Puerto Rico – 134 pts
18. Spain – 134 pts
19. Slovakia – 142 pts
20. Germany – 129 Not Classified Only Two Riders

MXGP Class Top Ten

1. Max Anstie – 2 pts
2. Tim Gajser – 7 pts
3. Gautier Paulin – 9 pts
4. Jeremy Van Horebeek – 11 pts
5. Arnaud Tonus, Arnaud – 15 pts
6. Antonio Cairoli – 18 pts
7. Evgeny Bobryshev – 18 pts
8. Glenn Coldenhoff – 19 pts
9. Rui Goncalves – 32 pts
10. Dean Ferris – 45 pts

 MX2 Class Top Ten

1. Hunter Lawrence – 12 pts
2. Zachary Osborne- 13 pts
3. Tomas Kjer Olsen – 19 pts
4. Christophe Charlier – 20 pts
5. Brian Bogers – 21 pts
6. Alvin Östlund – 34 pts
7. Valentin Guillod – 36 pts
8. Brent Van doninck – 41 pts
9. Darian Sanayei – 44 pts
10. Harri Kullas – 46 pts

MX Open Class Top Ten

1. Jeffrey Herlings – 3 pts
2. Romain Febvre – 5 pts
3. Dean Wilson – 15 pts
4. Allesandro Lupino – 22 pts
5. Jeremy Seewer – 23 pts
6. Kirk Gibbs – 24 pts
7. Kevin Strijbos – 25 pts
8. Tanel Leok – 25 pts
9. Fredrik Noren – 32 pts
10. Tyler Medaglia – 37 pts

YZ125 bLU cRU Cup SuperFinale – Matterley Basin

The only support race for the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations was the 2017 YZ125 bLU cRU Cup SuperFinale which saw Sweden’s Arvid Lüning top the box ahead of the Italian duo of Francesco Bassi and Kevin Cristino.

Estonian Jorgen-Matthias Talviku won the opening moto by 20 seconds over Cristino and Lüning but the 16-year-old Lüning decimated the field in the second moto taking the win by 39 seconds over Bassi and France’s Pierre Moine while race one winner Talviku finished back in 9^th.

On the back of the racing at Matterley Basin five riders have been selected to attend the bLU cRU Master Class in Italy at the end of this month. The top-three finishers, sixteen-year-old Swede Arvid Lüning, sixteen-year-old Italian Francesco Bassi and his fourteen-year-old compatriot Kevin Cristino will be joined by the two kids that made the wild-card selection; Race 1 winner fifteen-year-old Estonian Jorgen-Matthias Talviku and sixteen-year-old Frenchman Pierre Moine.

The five riders that made the bLU cRU Master Class cut will join fifteen talented young road-racers who have been competing in the R3 bLU cRU Challenge – Yamaha’s tarmac-based youth development series that coincides with the World Superbike Championship – will attend a three-day event run by a group of highly acclaimed bLU cRU ambassadors, designed to inspire and educate young aspiring motorsport athletes by offering them exclusive knowledge, insight and training tips from some of their heroes.

Race 1 Top 10 results

1. Jorgen-Matthias Talviku (EST, Yamaha), 22:16.748
2. Kevin Cristino (ITA, Yamaha), +0:20.966
3. Arvid Lüning (SWE, Yamaha), +0:24.667
4. Francesco Bassi (ITA, Yamaha), +0:26.792
5. Mirko Dal Bosco (ITA, Yamaha), +0:42.810
6. Pierre Moine (FRA, Yamaha), +0:46.787
7. Adrian Aminne-Karlsson (SWE, Yamaha), +0:50.337
8. Jeroen Bussink (NED, Yamaha), +1:13.272
9. Pablo Caspani (ITA, Yamaha), +1:18.016
10. Soren Rasmussen (DEN, Yamaha), +1:42.257

Race 2 Top 10 results

1. Arvid Lüning (SWE, Yamaha), 25:52.641
2. Francesco Bassi (ITA, Yamaha), +0:39.998
3. Pierre Moine (FRA, Yamaha), +1:14.204
4. Mirko Dal Bosco (ITA, Yamaha), +1:36.015
5. Kevin Cristino (ITA, Yamaha), +2:40.351
6. Adrian Aminne-Karlsson (SWE, Yamaha), +3:02.168
7. Pablo Caspani (ITA, Yamaha), +3:03.486
8. Santeri Keranen (FIN, Yamaha), +3:27.339
9. Jorgen-Matthias Talviku (EST, Yamaha), +4:13.706
10. Jasse Jukarainen (FIN, Yamaha), +4:59.060

Superfinale Overall Top 10

1. Arvid Lüning (SWE, YAM), 45 points
2. Francesco Bassi (ITA, YAM), 40
3. Kevin Cristino (ITA, YAM), 38
4. Jorgen-Matthias Talviku (EST, YAM), 37
5. Pierre Moine (FRA, YAM), 35
6. Mirko Dal Bosco (ITA, YAM), 34
7. Adrian Aminne-Karlsson (SWE, YAM), 29
8. Pablo Caspani (ITA, YAM), 26
9. Jasse Jukarainen (FIN, YAM), 21
10. Jeroen Bussink (NED, YAM), 21

World Under-21 Speedway Championship – Pardubice, Czech Republic

Polish racer Maksym Drabik is the new World Under-21 champion after sealing the win in the final round ahead of Kacper Woryna, Australian Max Fricke and Bartosz Smektala.

Leszno star Smektala finished second in the final standings on 42 with last season’s champion Max Fricke denied an historic double, claiming third on 41. He was unable to force a run-off for silver after being overhauled by Woryna in the final.

Drabik sealed gold in the second semi-final, when he out-trapped nearest rival Smektala and fended him off for four laps to put the title beyond his compatriot.

Pardubice Scores

1. Maksym Drabik 18,
2. Kacper Woryna 17,
3. Max Fricke 13,
4. Bartosz Smektala 12,
5. Jack Holder 11,
6. Dmitri Berge 11,
7. Eduard Krcmar 9,
8. Jevgenijs Kostigovs 9,
9. Patrick Hansen 8,
10. Brady Kurtz 8,
11. Lukas Fienhage 7,
12. Andreas Lyager 6,
13. Alexander Woentin 4,
14. Robert Lambert 3,
15. Dominik Kubera 2,
16. Patrik Mikel 0.

Final World Under-21 Championship Standings

1 Maksym Drabik 49,
2 Bartosz Smektala 42,
3 Max Fricke 41,
4 Kacper Woryna 33,
5 Brady Kurtz 32,
6 Jack Holder 28,
7 Robert Lambert 27,
8= Andreas Lyager 25,
8= Dimitri Berge 25,
10 Jevgenijs Kostigovs 24,

Red Bull Sea to Sky Hard Enduro – Turkey

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Graham Jarvis has won the 2017 running of the Red Bull Sea to Sky hard enduro in Turkey ahead of the Sherco mounted duo of Mario Roman and Wade Young.

Jarvis made light work of the challenging near four-hour mountain race to finish just under one-and-a-half minutes ahead of runner-up Mario Roman. In doing so Jarvis claimed his fifth Sea to Sky victory.

Graham Jarvis

“It’s a great feeling to win again here at Sea to Sky. This win means more than ever because the level of the other riders is just so much higher now. To get the win after such a closely fought battle feels amazing. I got a good start in today’s mountain race, but as soon as we got into the forest it was just so dusty – I had to just had to ride behind the guy in front. I had a silly crash and broke the clutch master cylinder, but with a bit of string and duct tape I managed to fix it up. It worked but it wasn’t perfect. The middle of the course is quite flowing and fast, so I didn’t think I would be able to catch the guys in front. I just rode steady because I knew it got a lot tougher at the top. Towards the end there’s about 100 metres of rocks, and I got through them really well and managed to get past the others. From there it was just the final push to the top.”

Sherco team-mates Mario Roman and Wade Young finished a mere 20 seconds apart in 2nd and 4rd respectively.

Mario Roman

“I’ve had a really good start, was leading for a while and then had a really good fight with my teammate Wade,” Roman explained. “In the last half hour of the race Graham caught us and the three of us had a battle, passing each other about three times back and forth. But then Graham just pulled away in the last 10 minutes. In the last step-up, right before the finish I passed Wade and am really happy with my second place. The Sherco team has made great efforts, my bike was running very well and hopefully I will win one of the next races!”

Wade Young

“I’ve had a good start and was leading most of the race after I caught Mario. I just kept it smooth, was really fast in the single tracks pushing hard and took it a bit easier in the technical sections to pull away again if the other riders close in. I didn’t really set the pace, I was just riding my own race. Towards the end I’ve messed it up a little bit, I probably should have slowed down a little to save some energy for the last uphills. Mario passed me at the same spot as Letti two years ago – I was really tired. But at the end of the day I’m still on the podium and this is a good feeling since I’ve had some bad luck at the other races lately.”

31 riders made it all the way up to the peak of the Olympos Mountain at an altitude of 2.365m and were rewarded with the treasured Gold Medal.

Final Results – Sea to Sky 2017 (Mountain Race)

1. Graham Jarvis (Husqvarna) 3:45:38
2. Mario Roman (Sherco) 3:47:00
3. Wade Young (Sherco) 3:47:20
4. Alfredo Gomez (KTM) 3:52:39
5. Billy Bolt (Husqvarna) 3:54:26
6. Jonny Walker (KTM) 3:55:54

2017 Australian Trial Championship – Barossa Valley, SA

There were over 200 entries, including the New Zealand team at the 2017 Vine Inn Barossa Australian Trial Championship featuring the FIM Oceania Championship and it was Kyle Middleton from NSW who re-wrote the record books by becoming the first person to win the Open Solo Australian Championship five years running.

Solo

Middleton dominated the solo class to take victory, ahead of Chris Bayles and Neil Price. Middleton’s win puts him amongst the Australian great, Colin Zarczynski as one of the only riders to have a total of five open Solo Australian Championships. The win coming after securing the Trial des Nations International Class, only one week ago.

Kyle Middleton

“I enjoyed riding a lot more today. I’m still jetlagged from the Trial des Nations and I was really nervous, as I put myself under a lot of pressure. There was certainly a huge prize up for grabs with five titles in a row. I just tried to relax and I definitely enjoyed myself today. It’s been a huge week with the TdN and the Aussie Titles in such close succession. Now I can relax for a few weeks now!”

Youth

Haydon Ahrens coasted to victory in the Youth Class ahead of Jake Kearns and Jordan Perkins. Ahrens accumulated 40 points to secure victory in class.

Ahrens stating; “This is now my third Australian Championship in Youth and I will continue in this class next year. The technicality of the sections were remarkable.”

Open Junior 13 to U16

Kiwi favourite, Dylan Ball didn’t lose a single point over the two days, managing to finish just ahead of rival Aussie, David Macdonald who amazingly only droped one point.

Dylan Ball

“Overall many of the tracks were similar and the difficultly level was never over the top. The tracks were setup extremely well. Looking forward to next year in Victoria.”

Junior 7 to U13

Hayden Barwick won the Junior 7 to U13 class, ahead of his fellow challengers Rhys Dundon and Billy Gough. The top three were extremely close in terms of points.

Back to back U13 Champion Hayden Barwick

“This will be my last year in this class and I will be stepping up to the Under 16’s next year. My favorite section was 13 as it was nice and flowing. We only have one more event until we have to start practicing for next season.”

Junior Women

Hannah Rushworth representing New Zealand in the FIM Oceania Trials Championship shared her thoughts after winning the Junior Womens class on 8 points against rivals Lillie Yiatrou and Alisha Harry. Rushworth dominated in class with 48 penalties separating herself and Yiatrou.

Hannah Rushworth

“It was great fun to represent New Zealand for the first time. Several of the sections were really tough but we came out on top!”

Womens Open

Kristie McKinnon took a phenomenal victory on 9 points for the Womens Open class and continued her dominant run from the past several years. McKinnon took the win in front of Sofie Kraft and Sarah Chivers.

Kristie McKinnon

“This is the eight time I’ve won the Women’s Open class. The best part of the weekend was the weather and the awesome riding. There were a couple of tricking sections, in particular section seven. I got the job done and I will be back in Victoria next year. The competition is getting fiercer every year.”