Sadly Paulo later died and the eighth stage was cancelled in his honour, leaving less opportunity for Toby to make up time. The 10th stage was also cut short when too many riders crashed.
In the wake of these setbacks, Toby’s podium finish is a truly champion effort.
Toby celebrates with victory donuts!
Toby wasn’t the only Aussie who did us proud in the Dakar as both a tough competitor and aa Good Samaritan.
Mr Consistency, Rodney Faggotter (Yamaha, Queensland) finished most stages in the top 20 and recorded career best 13th outright and a sixth in one stage.
Rodney Faggotter
Like Toby, on the 10th stage Rodney stopped to help a crashed rider and was given the time back by the officials.
“I had a solid 2 weeks and rode the most ‘in control’ but also at the best I have ever done,” Rodney says.
“The riders in front of me are the best rally riders in the world and most of them full time athletes. I’m pumped to be near and amongst these guys!”
Matt finished in last place at 100th and placed last in 96th!
However, even to finish a gruelling Dakar is a massive feat and to have all four Aussie entrants complete the event is a tribute to their heroics.
About a third of the 158 field did not finish due to crashes or mechanical failures.
Five women made it to the finish of the Dakar led by Laia Sanz in 17th place overall, with Dutchwoman Mirjam Pol, South Africans Kirsten Landman and Taye Perry, and Spaniard Sara García also in the general classification.
Like many Aussie sports stars and celebrities, Toby is raising money for the bushfire appeal.
He is auctioning his starting jersey and pants for firefighters
Toby is also doing his bit for the current critical bushfire situation by auctioning his starting jersey and pants with proceeds going to the NSW Rural Fire Service.
It is open worldwide, just send in your bid in Australian dollars on his Facebook page or Instagram.
Current highest bid is still $13,001.
Auction closes on tomorrow (18 January 2020) at 5pm (AEST).
If you can’t bid, please donate on this link. Sp far he has raised more than $5000.
Toby Price has staged a last-ditch attack on American Ricky Brabec’s lead in the penultimate stage of the Dakar Rally but failed to make up enough time.
The Australian two-time Dakar winner attacked early and clawed back almost six minutes on the Honda rider who seemed to take it easy.
Toby’s attack placed him fifth on the 379km special stage that included about 80km of sand dunes. It was the second part of a two-day marathon stage with no outside help for the riders.
Top 5 finishers on stage 11
POS.
N°
EXP.
DRIVE-TEAM
MARK-MODEL
TIME
VARIATION
PENALITY
1
5
ROCKSTAR ENERGY HUSQVARNA FACTORY RACING
04H 09′ 22”
2
2
RED BULL KTM FACTORY TEAM
04H 09′ 31”
+ 00H 00′ 09”
3
16
RED BULL KTM FACTORY TEAM
04H 12′ 10”
+ 00H 02′ 48”
4
17
MONSTER ENERGY HONDA TEAM 2020
04H 12′ 15”
+ 00H 02′ 53”
5
1
RED BULL KTM FACTORY TEAM
04H 15′ 11”
+ 00H 05′ 49”
The leading KTM rider is now third overall with only the largely ceremonial final stage to come tomorrow.
That would mean Ricky becomes the first American to win the Dakar and also end KTM’s record winning streak of 18.
Like many Aussie sports stars and celebrities, Toby is raising money for the bushfire appeal.
He is auctioning his starting jersey and pants for firefighters
Toby is also doing his bit for the current critical bushfire situation by auctioning his starting jersey and pants with proceeds going to the NSW Rural Fire Service.
It is open worldwide, just send in your bid in Australian dollars on his Facebook page or Instagram.
Current highest bid is still $13,001.
Auction closes on Saturday (18 January 2020) at 5pm (AEST).
If you can’t bid, please donate on this link. Sp far he has raised abouot $5000.
Aussie Toby Price has whittled a little off the lead of American Ricky Brabec with a strong second place in the 410km ninth stage of the Dakar Rally.
The 410km stage across rocky terrain was won by Chilean Pablo Quintanilla (Husqvarana) less than two minutes ahead of Toby who is chasing his third win and a 19th consecutive victory for KTM.
Toby says with the stage being so fast it was difficult to make up any time up as riders were able to follow each other.
Brabec finished fourth with Toby shaving two minutes from the American’s overall lead.
With a 26-minute gap and only three stages to go, Toby has a real fight on his hands.
It comes two days after Toby stopped to help fallen rider Paulo Goncalves and stayed with him until the helicopters arrived. Sadly Paulo later died and the eighth stage was cancelled in his honour.
“Now I can really focus on the small number of remaining days to try and close this gap up to the lead,” he says.
Toby is dedicating his race to the loss of his friend, Paulo or “Speedy”.
We didn’t know Toby could speak French! (Sorry, no English video yet.)
Top 5 rankings
1
9
MONSTER ENERGY HONDA TEAM 2020
31H 59′ 29”
2
5
ROCKSTAR ENERGY HUSQVARNA FACTORY RACING
32H 20′ 22”
+ 00H 20′ 53”
3
1
RED BULL KTM FACTORY TEAM
32H 26′ 12”
+ 00H 26′ 43”
00H 02′ 00”
4
12
MONSTER ENERGY HONDA TEAM 2020
32H 27′ 45”
+ 00H 28′ 16”
5
17
MONSTER ENERGY HONDA TEAM 2020
32H 28′ 58”
+ 00H 29′ 29”
00H 01′ 00”
Other Aussies
Queensland veteran competitorRodney Faggotter (Yamaha) is proving consistent with yet another top 20 finish.
He came in 18th and remains in 12th outright.
He says his bike is down on top speed from the factory bikes and he had to ride hard in the rough stuff.
“Last few stages have been pretty boring track/racing wise and super fast, but the scenery is magic! Like moonscape in places.”
Rodney Faggotter
Fellow Aussie Ben Young (KTM) finished 73rd despite a minor fall on the first part of the special stage.
It should be remembered that he rode half of his debut rally last year with a broken hand after a fall on stage 5. He drops back five places to 63rd.
The only other Aussie competing in the bike category is Matthew Tisdall (KTM) who finished 104th and moves up three spots to 99th.
Like many Aussie sports stars and celebrities, Toby is raising money for the bushfire appeal.
He is auctioning his starting jersey and pants for firefighters
Toby is also doing his bit for the current critical bushfire situation by auctioning his starting jersey and pants with proceeds going to the NSW Rural Fire Service.
It is open worldwide, just send in your bid in Australian dollars on his Facebook page or Instagram.
Aussie Toby Price lost 16 valuable minutes when his rear tyre came off in the sand dunes on stage six of the first Dakar Rally to be held in Saudi Arabia.
The stage was won by American and Honda factory team rider Ricky Brabec who moves further ahead in outright first as the competitors reach a valuable half-way rest day in the gruelling event.
Toby, who is the title holder chasing his third Dakar victory and KTM’s record 19th consecutive win, finished 11th.
He had been just nine minutes off the leader in second outright, but now slips one spot to third, some 25 minutes off the pace.
Top 5 rankings
POS.
N°
EXP.
DRIVE-TEAM
MARK-MODEL
TIME
VARIATION
PENALITY
1
9
MONSTER ENERGY HONDA TEAM 2020
23H 43′ 47”
2
5
ROCKSTAR ENERGY HUSQVARNA FACTORY RACING
24H 04′ 43”
+ 00H 20′ 56”
3
1
RED BULL KTM FACTORY TEAM
24H 09′ 26”
+ 00H 25′ 39”
00H 02′ 00”
4
17
MONSTER ENERGY HONDA TEAM 2020
24H 09′ 28”
+ 00H 25′ 41”
00H 01′ 00”
5
12
MONSTER ENERGY HONDA TEAM 2020
24H 16′ 45”
+ 00H 32′ 58”
Down in the dunes
The 455km special sage was 100% sand dunes which usually favour Toby who has won the Australian Finke race a record four times and the Hattah Desert Race five times.
However, he ran into some bad luck.
“Today’s stage started out really good,” Toby says.
“We were navigating really well from the front and I was only losing small amounts of time on the riders who started behind me so I was quite happy with the way I was racing, but unfortunately around the 400km mark my rear tyre fell off!
“I have no idea why this would have happened but I’m super grateful that Andrew Short pulled up and gave me his wheel which allowed me to get to the finish as quick as possible so thank you again for this mate.
“Overall I’m pretty gutted that this is how we finished up today but I guess that’s just how it goes sometimes.”
Toby can be expected to come out fighting in the second week of the rally as he usually does.
Meanwhile, Queensland veteran competitor Rodney Faggotter (Yamaha) was 16th, moving up three outright spots to 13th.
Fellow Aussie Ben Young (KTM) again finished a respectable 60th in his second Dakar, but dropped two spots to 66th.
Matthew Tisdall (KTM) finished 104th out of 117 stage finishers and is up six places to 107th outright.
Like many Aussie sports stars and celebrities, Toby is raising money for the bushfire appeal.
He is auctioning his starting jersey and pants for firefighters
Toby is also doing his bit for the current critical bushfire situation by auctioning his starting jersey and pants with proceeds going to the NSW Rural Fire Service.
It is open worldwide, just send in your bid in Australian dollars on his Facebook page or Instagram.
An error in the roadbook has forced officials in the 2020 Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia to amend the finishing results after a controversial day three and the second stage of the super marathon.
Aussie two-time winner and current title holder Toby Price was running in the top four when he and Frenchman Xavier de Soultrait veered 900m off the track because of the error late in the stage.
Toby spent time lost in the Saudi desert
The error was only in the roadbook for the motorcycle category. It showed a waypoint wasn’t where it was indicated.
Rally officials wisely decided to record the stage times only up to that point, which meant Toby went from finishing 11th to fifth.
Toby now moves up from ninth overall to sixth and less than 12 minutes off the lead. That gives him plenty of time for an attack in the second week of the gruelling event as he did when he won last year.
He described it as a “difficult day”.
“In the early parts of the stage we were getting on pretty damn good but unfortunately, I made a few mistakes which really cost me,” he said before the officials changed the finishing times.
“One of those mistakes was towards the end of the stage, where I had a hard time tracking down a specific WPC which was marked in a really tricky position; not sure what the go is here.”
Honda looks set to challenge KTM which is pressing for its 19th consecutive victory with the factory team taking four of the top six slots for the 427km stage led by American Ricky Brabec (top photo).
The two-day super marathon stage is a field leveller as riders have to do their own work on bikes and even teammates can’t help.
Toby works on his bike
Top 10 outright rankings
POS.
N°
EXP.
DRIVE-TEAM
MARK-MODEL
TIME
VARIATION
PENALITY
1
9
MONSTER ENERGY HONDA TEAM 2020
10H 39′ 04”
2
7
MONSTER ENERGY HONDA TEAM 2020
10H 43′ 47”
+ 00H 04′ 43”
3
2
RED BULL KTM FACTORY TEAM
10H 45′ 06”
+ 00H 06′ 02”
4
12
MONSTER ENERGY HONDA TEAM 2020
10H 50′ 06”
+ 00H 11′ 02”
5
17
MONSTER ENERGY HONDA TEAM 2020
10H 50′ 23”
+ 00H 11′ 19”
00H 01′ 00”
6
1
RED BULL KTM FACTORY TEAM
10H 51′ 02”
+ 00H 11′ 58”
00H 02′ 00”
7
5
ROCKSTAR ENERGY HUSQVARNA FACTORY RACING
10H 51′ 41”
+ 00H 12′ 37”
8
16
RED BULL KTM FACTORY TEAM
10H 53′ 24”
+ 00H 14′ 20”
9
3
RED BULL KTM FACTORY TEAM
10H 56′ 14”
+ 00H 17′ 10”
10
10
MONSTER ENERGY YAMAHA RALLY TEAM
10H 58′ 59”
+ 00H 19′ 55”
Other Aussies
Queensland veteran competitor Rodney Faggotter (Yamaha) finished 14th on the revised times, moving up two places to 15th outright.
“Had a good solid ride and feeling good,” he says.
“Bit of chaos late in the stage with a missing waypoint that wasn’t set up in the motos GPSs but was in the quads and cars.
“Fortunately commonsense prevailed and they took the stage times up to that point. Was funny for a while and even had a chat and trail ride around in circles with my old mate Toby.
“Was funny until we were still searching for that bastard waypoint a half hour later.”
Other Aussie Ben Young (KTM) finished 90th and moved up four places to 88th and Matthew Tisdall (Duust) finished 124th, with only two riders behind him. He was 131nd outright but is now 124th after riders dropped out.
Tomorrow’s 453km special stage is equal parts stony and sandy.
Like many Aussie sports stars and celebrities, Toby (right) is raising money for the bushfire appeal.
He is auctioning his starting jersey and pants for firefighters
Toby is also doing his bit for the current critical bushfire situation by auctioning his starting jersey and pants with proceeds going to the NSW Rural Fire Service.
It is open worldwide, just send in your bid in Australian dollars on his Facebook page or Instagram.
Honda has stamped its authority on the 2020 Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia by dominating the top four overall positions after day three and the second day of the super marathon.
Meanwhile, Aussie two-time winner and current title holder Toby Price was running in the top four when he and Frenchman Xavier de Soultrait veered 900m off the track.
Toby spent time lost in the Saudi desert
He lost valuable time trying to navigate his way back on track. There was also controversy when a waypoint wasn’t where it was indicated on the road book.
Toby remains in ninth place, biding his time for an attack in the second week of the gruelling event.
The Monster Energy Team took five of the top five slots for the 504km stage led by American Ricky Brabec (top photo), while Tony came in 35 minutes later in 11th.
He is 38 minutes from Brabec in overall timing in his fight to defend his title and pick up a 19th consecutive Dakar win for KTM.
The two-day super marathon stage is a field leveller as riders have to do their own work on bikes and even teammates can’t help.
Toby works on his bike
Top 10 outright rankings
POS.
N°
EXP.
DRIVE-TEAM
MARK-MODEL
TIME
VARIATION
PENALTY
1
9
MONSTER ENERGY HONDA TEAM 2020
11H 17′ 56”
2
17
MONSTER ENERGY HONDA TEAM 2020
11H 32′ 58”
+ 00H 15′ 02”
00H 01′ 00”
3
12
MONSTER ENERGY HONDA TEAM 2020
11H 33′ 10”
+ 00H 15′ 14”
4
7
MONSTER ENERGY HONDA TEAM 2020
11H 34′ 08”
+ 00H 16′ 12”
5
2
RED BULL KTM FACTORY TEAM
11H 35′ 52”
+ 00H 17′ 56”
6
16
RED BULL KTM FACTORY TEAM
11H 37′ 40”
+ 00H 19′ 44”
7
5
ROCKSTAR ENERGY HUSQVARNA FACTORY RACING
11H 39′ 21”
+ 00H 21′ 25”
8
3
RED BULL KTM FACTORY TEAM
11H 52′ 34”
+ 00H 34′ 38”
9
1
RED BULL KTM FACTORY TEAM
11H 56′ 19”
+ 00H 38′ 23”
00H 02′ 00”
10
10
MONSTER ENERGY YAMAHA RALLY TEAM
12H 11′ 56”
+ 00H 54′ 00”
Other Aussies
The three other Aussies in the motorcycle category have not yet finished.
Like many Aussie sports stars and celebrities, Toby (right) is raising money for the bushfire appeal.
He is auctioning his starting jersey and pants for firefighters
Toby is also doing his bit for the current critical bushfire situation by auctioning his starting jersey and pants with proceeds going to the NSW Rural Fire Service.
It is open worldwide, just send in your bid in Australian dollars on his Facebook page or Instagram.
Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
What happened this week
Kayne Lamont dominates 2019 Whakatane Summercross
MA & Kurri Kurri Speedway Club throw support behind fire victims
Ricky Brabec talks Dakar Rally prep
Strong Aussie showing for Anaheim 1 Supercross
AMA Supercross announce Anaheim 1 entry lists
2020 Championship Calendars
2020 AMA Motocross
2020 Monster Energy AMA Supercross
2020 MXGP
2020 American Flat Track
2020 Australian Speedway Senior Solo Speedway
2020 FIM Speedway GP Championship
2020 Australian Dirt Track Championship
2020 Australian Track Championship
2020 Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC)
2020 FIM SuperEnduro Championship
2020 AMA Extreme Off-Road East/West
2020 FIM Flat Track World Championship
2020 King of MX
2020 Australian Motocross National Championship Calendar
Kayne Lamont dominates 2019 Whakatane Summercross
MX1 rider Kayne Lamont of the Altherm JCR Yamaha team had a strong start to the season, dominating the MX1 class at the 2019 Whakatane Summercross.
Held over the weekend, at the Awakaponga circuit, the 48th annual event always sees New Zealand’s motocross elite turn out in droves, as the hundreds of riders use the five races as a springboard into the 2020 national championship season.
Hamilton’s Lamont dived in headfirst and came up with a near-perfect scoreboard. The new race format meant there were five motos, which consisted of two back-to-back motos, with a five-minute break between them. After qualifying in P2, Lamont showed he’s a force to be reckoned with this season. He repeated that successful formula in the next three races, taking the win each time.
Kayne Lamont
“Race 1 was a 10-minute race and then we headed back to start line and raced again for 10 minutes. I managed to get the holeshot in race 1 and race away comfortably on my YZ450F to win it. Race 5 was a single race of 15 minutes, plus two laps, and I managed to sneak another holeshot in this race but was passed mid-way through the opening lap. I ended up settling for second behind visiting Belgian rider Jens Getteman, as I knew I didn’t need to win to get the overall for the day. The track was hectic for me but I’m happy to have some race time under my belt. I’m excited to improve on what I achieved today – with myself fitness-wise and for my bike setup heading into Woodville at the end of January.”
Kayne Lamont
Altherm JCR Yamaha Team Manager Josh Coppins praised his MX1 rider for bringing it home safe in the fifth moto. The former international motocross GP legend wasn’t just watching from the side-lines at the weekend and instead jumped on board a Yamaha YZ250F to fill in for his recuperating MX2 rider Maximus Purvis.
Josh Coppins stood in for Maximus Purvis
The Mangakino youngster is nearly recovered from an ankle injury and will race with the Altherm JCR Yamaha team at Woodville on January 26.
MX1 Results – 2019 Whakatane Summercross
Pos.
#
Rider
Total
R1
R2
R3
R4
R5
1
94
Kayne Lamont
246
50
50
50
50
46
2
251
Jens Getteman
234
46
46
46
46
50
3
338
Brad Groombridge
211
41
43
43
43
41
4
14
Tyler Steiner
209
43
41
41
41
43
5
7
Hadleigh Knight
197
40
39
39
40
39
6
491
Sam Cuthbertson
196
39
38
40
39
40
7
8
Roydon White
188
38
40
37
35
38
8
9
Sam Guise
182
37
35
35
38
37
9
87
Quade Young
181
34
37
38
36
36
10
27
Daniel White
175
35
36
32
37
35
11
75
Joshua Jack
171
36
31
36
34
34
12
45
Alain Pretorius
161
29
33
34
33
32
13
166
Andy Todd
155
31
32
30
29
33
14
11
James Wilson
152
30
29
31
31
31
15
40
Caleb Franklin
142
27
30
28
28
29
16
125
Joel Trappitt
124
32
27
33
32
–
17
586
Jaakan Horne
116
28
28
–
30
30
18
105
William Ogle
96
33
34
29
–
–
MX2 Results – 2019 Whakatane Summercross
Pos.
#
Rider
Total
R1
R2
R3
R4
R5
1
23
Josiah Natzke
239
46
50
43
50
50
2
2
Wyatt Chase
238
50
46
50
46
46
3
6
Josh Coppins
209
41
41
41
43
43
4
338
Brad Groombridge
200
40
40
39
41
40
5
203
Luka Freemantle
189
31
39
40
40
39
6
935
Scott Barr-Smith
178
28
37
38
37
38
7
615
Joel Johnson
174
37
30
33
38
36
8
108
James Scott
173
43
43
46
–
41
9
982
Aaron Manning
173
33
29
35
39
37
10
157
Logan Maddren
170
38
35
37
27
33
11
197
Nick Hornby
168
25
38
34
36
35
12
270
Dylan Yearbury
166
32
36
31
35
32
13
232
Tom Armstrong
157
35
32
30
33
27
14
81
Carter Hanes
156
30
33
27
32
34
15
278
Yanni Emerson-Rae
146
27
34
26
29
30
16
47
Troy Wilson
138
34
18
21
34
31
17
24
Liam Hutton
136
22
31
25
30
28
18
818
Jack Rodgers
131
24
28
32
24
23
19
266
James Steele
126
20
20
29
31
26
20
279
Sam Corston
125
29
22
19
26
29
21
441
Adam Molloy
122
23
27
22
25
25
22
274
Harrison Chissell
114
21
26
23
23
21
23
394
Richard Horne
103
39
–
36
28
–
24
901
Mitchell Armstrong
100
17
19
20
22
22
25
515
Lee Ormsby
94
19
23
28
–
24
26
2S
Diquon Snookes
82
18
25
18
21
–
27
115
Bradley Watling
71
26
21
24
–
–
28
50
Jonno Barnes
57
16
24
17
–
–
29
88
Brodie Connolly
36
36
–
–
–
–
Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
MA & Kurri Kurri Speedway Club throw support behind fire victims
Motorcycling Australia and Kurri Kurri Speedway Club have announced a fundraiser for victims of the NSW fires as part of a special February 1 speedway event featuring solo riders and sidecars.
Kurri Kurri Speedway Club President, Peter Campton, said the fires had taken a toll on the local community with some not only losing animals but their family property to the fires, with his club wanting to give them something back. Mr Campton said it was important that the victims received directly the money the club would raise.
Peter Campton – Kurri Kurri Speedway Club President
“We just want to try and get a few bucks for the local people that got burnt out, as the insurance won’t cover everything. Hopefully we can get a few corporate sponsors as we won’t have big prize money on the night as we want to give as much as we can to the victims of the fires. It’s Christmas and we just want to help as many people as we can, and do our best by them, as they must be feeling pretty bad, especially losing animals as they are family also.”
Motorcycling Australia Track Events Manager, Sam Redfern, said Motorcycling Australia members had been impacted by the terrible fires in NSW.
Sam Redfern – Motorcycling Australia Track Events Manager
“Many of our members have been in the path of the fires and without the brave men and woman volunteers fighting these fires many more homes and properties would have been lost, so this is a small way our speedway family can help those in the Kurri Kurri region that have lost everything. What Peter and the Kurri Kurri Speedway Club members want to do for fire victims in the region is a wonderful initiative and shows the true Aussie spirit of helping your mates when they are down. We would certainly encourage everyone in the Kurri Kurri region to attend the special fundraiser event not only for the spectacular racing that will be on display but to also help us raise much needed funds for local fire victims.”
With no brakes, gears or fear, the fire victim fundraiser event will be held on February 1, 2020. Organisers are hoping for a star studded field of solo and sidecar riders, which will be announced in the lead up to the event.
Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Ricky Brabec talks Dakar Rally prep
Ricky Brabec proved himself to be one a favourite in the previous Dakar Rally, with the rider within reach of final glory had it not been for a mechanical setback. From the Californian desert, the Monster Energy Honda rider is once again poised to shine in the most important race of the year. Here’s what he had to say ahead of the 2020 Rally:
Ricky Brabec
How are you feeling physically and how are the preparations for the next Dakar going? What are you expecting from it?
Ricky Brabec: Physically, I feel really good. Mentally, I’m still working on it. I had a tough break in the 2019 Dakar and it was pretty hard getting back in the saddle and pushing for victory after that one. There’s a lot of emotions and mixed feelings. But unfortunately what is done is done. So now we have to push and hopefully gain the confidence and the speed back as we head into the Dakar 2020 with more confidence and hopefully with a bit more speed. We will keep the fight alive and show up in Saudi Arabia Dakar ready for a full-on fight.
Last Dakar you took a huge step and you were leading the rally up until a few days from the finish. In the next Dakar you will be one of the favourites for the victory.
RB: Being one of the favourites is cool, but there’s a lot of people that think that if they are favourite, they’ll have a lot of ‘water-boys’ supporting them, but for me, coming from America, we do things a lot differently. I’m not expecting other riders to ride for me and I’m not going to ride for other riders. We are all in the race together. We are all trying to win. But in the end, when one of our team-mates wins, yeah, that guy won, but the whole team also wins. I’m really big at being a fair player. For me I will do the best I can at the Dakar. Hopefully I can come out on top and make all my friends and family proud.
Ricky Brabec
Is it better to start the race as one of the favourites or one of those in the background?
RB: To start as a favourite I think you might have a lot of weight on your shoulders because everyone is watching you. But I prefer to start as an underdog and then come in and show people ‘Hey! Here I am.’
There’s about fifteen riders who could win the rally, so it’s not easy and we are not going very slow. Every day anything can happen and everything changes. The idea is to put in a really good first stage and start the rally on a good note. Hopefully the organization plays it safe. It’s rally. Everything changes. Every kilometre. What really matters is who crosses the line first.
The rally will change this year as they will give you the roadbook in the morning. You’ve already experienced this in Morocco. How will the race change with this rule?
RB: We will get pre-painted roadbooks. On four or six days we will get the roadbook in the morning. It definitely slows the rally down and makes the riders think a bit more. We won’t just look down and see the colours as usual and know what we are going to do. It’ll be more equal. You don’t want to be really far up front or really far back, you always want to be conservative and consistent and right in the middle: if you start at the front, then you are going to be the first one opening with a roadbook that nobody has seen. That can cause a lot of lost time. You want to finish fifth to tenth everyday, that will make you do really well: you won’t lose a lot of time, but you won’t gain a lot of time. You’ll always be in the fight. So you come in on the last day and attack. I’m training with the new roadbook at my house as best I can. Hopefully I can come into the Dakar with a lot of experience of the new roadbook and be more comfortable when I get there.
Ricky Brabec
Saudi Arabia is a new country, so for this year all the riders arrive under the same conditions.
RB: We’re going to a different country, to Saudi Arabia, so no-one is familiar with the country and no-one has any insight into the route. We’re all going in pretty equal, not knowing what the heck is going on. It’s going be fairer. You know, it’s not going to be like, ‘Hey I know a guy that says that here is like this or whatever.’ We are all going in basically blind. We’re all going to go in not knowing what each day is going to be like. We go to Peru, we go to Argentina, we go to Bolivia, we go to Morocco, we go to Dubai and we can go to Chile and we already know what each day is going to be like by looking where we’re going or by what they’re telling us. This time we are going to Saudi Arabia where we haven’t raced before. The new generation hasn’t raced there. So we are going to start not knowing anything. They are going to tell us what the stage is like and that’s all we are going to know. So it’s going to be fairer. All the riders get the same roadbook, at the same time of the day. I think the rally is going to come down to not just speed, but being smart and being collective.
Could this be good for you?
RB: Hopefully. We’ll see at the end of the Dakar.
You are an American and you live in California. If you go back to when you first went to dirt races or desert races, did you ever imagine that one day you would be leading the Dakar Rally, the toughest race in the world?
RB: I would have done a lot of things differently had I known I would be where I am at today. I probably would have paid attention better in math class at school. I would probably have fewer tattoos… I probably wouldn’t have grown up as a punk kid… I don’t know. I never thought that I’d be leading the Dakar, but in 2019 I was doing that, and I believe that there’s a little fight left in me to do it for 2020.
Ricky Brabec
When you started to ride, did you know about the Dakar?
RB: No. I didn’t know about the Dakar until 2008. One of my friends came to watch the Dakar. I was watching Quinn Cody and Robby Gordon.
Out of a Rally bike… Your normal training is with a bicycle?
RB: I ride a bicycle, I ride a mountain bike, I do some downhill… I go to the gym, some motocross track. Hiking… I do a lot of things because I hate to sit still and I hate to sit inside and I hate to watch TV. So I try to do something whether it’s playing in the truck or riding trails, riding Enduro, mountain biking, going to the downhill mountain bike park to go jumping with the bicycle, hiking with friends, camping…
Ricky Brabec
Is there any race similar to the terrain that you are used to?
RB: The terrain near my house is like Morocco. Really rough and really dry. We have many dunes near my home where I do my training and the Baja 1000 is very close to my house. It’s exactly like Morocco. Hopefully it will be like Saudi Arabia, so I will feel comfortable.
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Strong Aussie showing for Anaheim 1 Supercross
With Anaheim 1 landing this weekend, there’s a strong showing of Aussies over in the States battling it out, with Chad Reed and Joel Wightman in the 450SX class. In the 250SX class it’ll be Geran Stapleton, Aaron Tanti, Jay Wilson, Jett Lawrence and Luke Clout representing Australia. You can check out the full rider list below.
Jett Lawrence – Image by AM
AMA Supercross announce Anaheim 1 entry lists
The AMA Supercross has announced the 450SX and 250SX entry lists for the Anaheim 1 event, running this Saturday at Angel Stadium of Anaheim, CA. The current list sees 53 250SX riders line up, while 50 will be racing in the 450SX category.
450SX Entries – Anaheim 1
1
Webb, Cooper
Clermont, FL
3
Tomac, Eli
Cortez, CO
7
Plessinger, Aaron
Hamilton, OH
9
Cianciarulo, Adam
New Smyrna Beach, FL
10
Brayton, Justin
Charlotte, NC
11
Chisholm, Kyle
Valrico, FL
15
Wilson, Dean
Murrieta, CA
16
Osborne, Zach
Abingdon, VA
21
Anderson, Jason
Rio Rancho, NM
22
Reed, Chad
Cornelius, NC
27
Stewart, Malcolm
Haines City, FL
31
Noren, Fredrik
Indian Trail, NC
34
Bowers, Tyler
Lake Elsinore, CA
37
Davalos, Martin
Tallahassee, FL
44
Cunningham, Kyle
WIllow park, TX
46
Hill, Justin
Yoncalla, OR
50
Bloss, Benny
Oak Grove, MO
51
Barcia, Justin
Greenville, FL
53
Decotis, Jimmy
Huntersville, NC
61
Ray, Alex
Milan, TN
64
Friese, Vince
Menifee, CA
65
Weeks, James
Punta Gorda, FL
70
Merriam, Dylan
Corona, CA
82
Autenrieth, Cade
HEMET, CA
86
Cartwright, Josh
Tallahassee, FL
92
Politelli, Austin
Murrieta, CA
94
Roczen, Ken
Clermont, FL
111
Tedder, Dakota
Surfside, CA
114
Schmidt, Nick
Lake Elsinore, CA
135
Fitch, Robert
Watkins, CO
138
Pulley Jr, David
Lake Elsinore, CA
145
Smith, Travis
Lancaster, CA
230
Wightman, Joel
Singleton, NSW
240
Stewart, Bryce
Canyon Lake, CA
256
Milson, James
Granbury, TX
280
Clason, Cade
Tucson, AZ
282
Pauli, Theodore
Edwardsville, IL
330
Catanzaro, Aj
Reston, VA
360
Siminoe, Aaron
Reno, NV
421
Martin, Vann
Cypress, TX
424
Custer, Tyler
Creston, CA
501
Wennerstrom, Scotty
Jefferson, TX
509
Nagy, Alexander
Richmond, IL
526
Aeck, Colton
Simi Valley, CA
651
Hogan, Jake
Acton, CA
722
Enticknap, Adam
Lompoc, CA
817
Clermont, Jason
Plesse, France
848
Cros, Joan
Manlleu, BC
976
Greco, Josh
Lucerne Valley, CA
981
Thurman, Curren
Rosharon, TX
250SX Entries – Anaheim 1
1W
Ferrandis, Dylan
Lake Elsinore, CA
6
Martin, Jeremy
Rochester, MN
12
McElrath, Shane
Murrieta, CA
13
Nichols, Colt
Murrieta, CA
26
Martin, Alex
Clermont, FL
28
Mosiman, Michael
Menifee, CA
29
Mcadoo, Cameron
Sioux City, IA
30
Hartranft, Brandon
Corona, CA
32
Cooper, Justin
Menifee, CA
40
Oldenburg, Mitchell
Godley, TX
54
Smith, Jordon
Ochlocknee, GA
55
Castelo, Martin
Murrieta, CA
57
Drake, Derek
Corona, CA
60
Falk, Mitchell
Costa Mesa, CA
62
Craig, Christian
Orange, CA
72
Wageman, Robbie
Newhall, CA
75
Schock, Coty
Dover, DE
83
Lawrence, Jett
Wesley Chapel, FL
88
Karnow, Logan
Amherst, OH
90
Auberson, Killian
Winchester, CA
95
Brown, Carson
Ravensdale, WA
97
Howell, Chris
Spokane Valley, WA
98
Lionnet, Bradley
Menifee, CA
101
Clout, Luke
Hemet, CA
106
Wilson, Jay
Palm Beach, QLD
108
Tanti, Aaron
Silverdale, NSW
118
Harmon, Cheyenne
Dallas, TX
120
Bannister, Todd
Colorado Springs, CO
154
Felong, Chase
Oceanside, CA
170
Leib, Michael
Temecula, CA
181
Lyonsmith, Wyatt
Boise, ID
227
Kelley, Derek
Riverside, CA
244
Henderson, Mike
Littleton, CO
246
Blackburn, Chance
Newman Lake, WA
259
Hayes, Corbin
Folsom, CA
260
Woodcock, Dylan
Rayleigh, ENG
277
Caro, Kordel
Costa Mesa, CA
284
Camporese, Lorenzo
Campodarsego, PD
311
Gifford, Mitchell
Colorado Springs, CO
316
Newby, Dawson
Eaton, CO
395
Van Eeden, Charl
Menifee, CA
427
VonLossberg, Deegan
Murrieta, CA
474
Hallafors, Niclas
Mission Viejo, CA
522
Zitterkopf, Cole
Hurricane, UT
538
Emory IV, Addison
Queen Creek, AZ
621
Wageman, Rj
Newhall, CA
702
Hempen, Josiah
Argyle, IA
767
Wharton, Mason
Battle Ground, WA
906
Galamba, Adrian
Bucyrus, KS
914
Stapleton, Geran
Cape Schanck, VIC
929
Koga, Taiki
Kurume, Japan
952
Macler, Ludovic
Bliesbruck, FR
974
Marty, Brian
Olympia, WA
Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
2020 Championship Calendars
2020 AMA Motocross race schedule
May 17 – Hangtown Motocross Classic – Rancho Cordova, CA
May 24 – Fox Raceway National – Pala, CA
May 31 – Thunder Valley National – Lakewood, CO
June 7 – Florida National – Jacksonville, FL
June 21 – High Point National – Mt. Morris, PA
June 28 – Southwick National – Southwick, MA
July 5 – RedBud National – Buchanan, MI
July 19 – Spring Creek National – Millville, MN
July 26 – Washougal National – Washougal, WA
August 16 – Unadilla National – New Berlin, NY
August 23 – Budds Creek National – Mechanicsville, MD
August 30 – Ironman National – Crawfordsville, IN
2020 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Calendar
Jan. 4 – Angels Stadium of Anaheim, Anaheim, Calif.
Jan. 11 – The Dome at America’s Center, St. Louis, Mo.
Jan. 18 – Angels Stadium of Anaheim, Anaheim, Calif.
Jan. 25 – State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Ariz.
Feb. 1 – Ringcentral Coliseum, Oakland, Calif.
Feb. 8 – Petco Park, San Diego, Calif.
Feb. 15 – Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Fla.
Feb. 22 – AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
Feb. 29 – Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Ga.
March 7 – Daytona International Speedway, Daytona, Fla.
March 14 – Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianpolis, Ind.
March 21 – Ford Field, Detroit, Mich.
March 28 – Centurylink Field, Seattle, Wash.
April 4 – Broncos Stadium at Mile High, Denver, Co.
April 18 – Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Mass.
April 25 – Sam Boyd Stadium, Las Vegas, Nev.
May 2 – Rice-Eccles Stadium, Salt Lake City, Utah
2020 MXGP Calendar
March 1 – Great Britain, Matterley Basin (EMX125, WMX)
March 8 – The Netherlands, Valkenswaard – (EMX250, WMX)
March 22 – Patagonia, Argentina, Neuquen
April 5 – Trentino I, Pietramurata – (EMX250, EMX 2t)
April 19 – Spain, (TBA) – (EMX125, WMX)
April 26 – Portugal, Agueda – (EMX125, EMX250)
May 10 – France, Saint Jean d’Angely – (EMX125, EMX Open)
May 17 – Italy, Maggiora – (EMX Open, WMX)
May 24 – Germany, Teutschenthal – (EMX250, EMX Open)
Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
The LATEST News
Musquin and Ferrandis win in Seattle SX
Chad Reed OUT of 2019 Season
2019 A4DE postponed – Date TBA
Cairoli and Kjer Olsen storm Matterley Basin MXGP
Forato and Anderson win EMX in Great Britain
Prado sits out MXGP of Great Britain
Herlings to return to MXGP in May
Holcombe dominates EnduroGP
HRC’s Ricky Brabec wins the Sonora Rally
Ryan brothers shine at Casey Stoner Cup
Musquin and Ferrandis win in Seattle SX
Seattle hosted last weekend’s round of the AMA Supercross Championships and it was French riders Marvin Musquin and Dylan Ferrandis who won the 450SX and 250SX West main events respectively after an action-packed and somewhat controversial night of racing.
AMA Supercross Round 12 – Seattle – Image by Hoppenworld
The race was reasonably stagnant right up to the chequered flag with Musquin, Roczen, and Tomac filling the. Musquin took his second consecutive win but as far as the points go he was docked seven points for jumping through a medical flag.
Marvin Musquin
“I know what I did wrong, I have no excuses, I was leading and going for it and I saw the yellows (flags) and I did slow down but I did jump, but this doesn’t take away from my win because after that I slowed down and was looking back and Kenny was right behind me but I put in a solid main, I am really happy with my riding and that doesn’t take anything away (from the win), so I am really happy.”
Marvin Musquin – Image by Hoppenworld
Chad Reed lost traction as the field entered the second jump section at Seattle on the weekend, and sustained a hefty injury list from the clash, with eight broken ribs, a broken scapula and a collapsed lung. But blamed nobody but himself. See below for more details.
450SX Main Event Results
Marvin Musquin
Ken Roczen
Eli Tomac
Cooper Webb
Joey Savatgy
Dean Wilson
Blake Baggett
Zach Osborne
Cole Seely
Tyler Bowers
450SX Main Event Results – Image by Hoppenworld
Marvin Musquin
Ken Roczen +02.361
Eli Tomac +07.407
450SX Points after 12 of 17 Rounds
Cooper Webb – 262
Marvin Musquin – 248
Eli Tomac – 243
Ken Roczen – 239
Blake Baggett – 200
Dean Wilson – 180
Joey Savatgy – 159
Chad Reed – 151
Justin Barcia – 144
Cole Seely – 142
250 West Coast Report
Cianciarulo made a mistake in the whoops late in the race, handing Ferrandis a handy lead with one lap remaining but Cianciarulo was able to close right back up on Ferrandis and even went for an unlikely block pass on the final turn. He came up short so it was Ferrandis’ first main win in America while Cianciarulo, Decotis, Mosiman and Chris Blose rounded out the top five ahead of RJ Hampshire who came back to sixth after the start straight crash.
AMA SX Round 12 – 250 Start – Image by Hoppenworld
Cianciarulo now holds a 12-point lead over Ferrandis as they head to Houston next weekend while the big losers at Seattle were Shane McElrath and Nichols with the third and fourth placed riders in the points scoring zero on the night thanks to McElrath pulling out after practice with a back injury and the first lap crash of Nichols.
Dylan Ferrandis
“It has taken me three years in America to get my first win, I have suffered a lot of bad starts but tonight I got a good start then my teammate (Nichols) crashed right in front of me so I took the lead and I was leading the main which is new for me so I just tried to ride with no mistakes, Adam was right on my back and it was really challenging for me but I think for the future this is going to help me a lot.”
Dylan Ferrandis – Image by Hoppenworld
250 West Coast Main Event Results
Dylan Ferrandis
Adam Cianciarulo
Jimmy Decotis
Michael Mosiman
Chris Blose
RJ Hampshire
Mitchell Harrison
Cameron McAdoo
Enzo Lopes
Justin Starling
250 West Coast Main Event Results – Image by Hoppenworld
Dylan Ferrandis
Adam Cianciarulo +00.571
Jimmy Decotis +23.247
250 West Coast Points after 7 of 11 Rounds
Adam Cianciarulo – 163
Dylan Ferrandis – 151
Shane McElrath – 123
Colt Nichols – 121
J. Hampshire – 103
Michael Mosiman – 99
Chris Blose – 98
Cameron McAdoo – 94
Jimmy Decotis – 94
Garrett Marchbanks – 85
250 East Coast Points after 6 of 9 Rounds
Austin Forkner – 151
Chase Sexton – 125
Justin Cooper – 123
Alex Martin – 92
Martin Davalos – 89
Mitchell Oldenburg – 88
Brandon Hartranft – 82
Kyle Cunningham – 81
Kyle Peters – 79
Jordon Smith – 70
Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Chad Reed OUT of 2019 Season
Superstar Chad Reed has been forced out of the remainder of the 2019 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship following injuries received in a multi-rider pile-up at Seattle last weekend.
Reed has a hefty injury list from the clash, with eight broken ribs, a broken scapula and a collapsed lung. – Image by Hoppenworld
Reed was on the inside of Cooper Webb going through the second right hand corner of the main event but his JGR Suzuki spun up as he was trying to launch into the next rhythm section and with the rest of the field flying down to the left his Suzuki spewed directly into the path of a heap of riders bringing Ryan Breece and Justin Brayton down before Kyle Chisolm was left with no choice but to land right on top of Reed.
Via social media the 32-year-old Reed announced that the crash has resulted in the multi supercross champion having to sit out the remaining five rounds.
Chad Reed – Instagram
“Yesterday was fun. Finally a halfway technical track; The whoops were so freaking awesome loved every pass, unfortunately a mistake in the main was costly. Eight broken ribs, broken scapula and a collapsed lung. I’m bummed my year comes to an end with five to go.”
Chad Reed – Image by Hoppenworld
2019 A4DE postponed – Date TBA
Motorcycling Australia (MA) have advise all competitors and teams entered into the 2019 Australian Four Day Enduro (A4DE), that the event has been postponed, with a date to be confirmed in due course, find below further details:
A4DE 2018 – Image by Jeff Mawston
Motorcycling Australia (MA) Statement
“Due to government approvals surrounding the environment in which the 2019 A4DE will take place, the date for this prestigious event has been delayed. To ensure that the area spanning the event’s four days are supported and protected to best of the Motorcycling New South Wales Enduro Committee’s and Far South Coast Motorcycle Club’s abilities, this change in date is vital to the success of the A4DE 41st anniversary.
“To ensure the least amount of disruption to riders and teams alike, full refunds due to the date change will be provided, if requested, within 21 days. For a full refund please contact the A4DE secretary via [email protected].
“For further information surrounding the event and how to enter, please head to the A4DE website and Facebook. “MA and A4DE appreciate your patience and understanding in this matter. Further updates regarding the 2019 A4DE official date will be released via MA in due course.”
Cairoli and Kjer Olsen storm Matterley Basin MXGP
Perfect weather and a huge crowd gave Great Britain’s Matterley Basin circuit a boost as it hosted the second round of the FIM World Motocross Championship last weekend and it was Tony Cairoli who clinched his second win of the season while Thomas Kjer Olsen rode the wheels off his Husqvarna in the MX2 class to take his first win of the year.
Tony Cairoli in the lead
MXGP Report
Despite a shoulder injury Cairoli garnered his 87th GP victory with 1-2 moto results but you would have to say ‘the man’ of the GP was Tim Gajser who had a massive high-speed crash while leading the opening moto only to bounce back to finish third THEN get it all together to win the second moto ahead of a determined Cairoli.
Gautier Paulin’s 2-3 gave him third overall ahead of Clement Desalle, Jeremy Van Horebeek, Arnaud Tonus, Max Anstie, Jeremy Seewer, Arminas Jasikonis and Julien Lieber so after two rounds Cairoli leads the championship by just 8 points over Gajser who in turn has a 15-point lead over Paulin.
Tony Cairoli
“It was a great weekend and this track is for sure one of my favourites but, today it was very difficult to push from the beginning. I couldn’t really push because I am stiff on my right shoulder and neck which gave me arm pump right away. Hopefully I can be 100% again for the next race but overall, I’m really happy, of course for the championship everything is going well and this is my goal.”
Tony Cairoli
Tim Gajser is proving to be Cairoli’s main competition so far this season.
Tim Gajser
“Today was a special day for me and I’m really happy to finish on the podium. The first race I had a good start I was behind Tony and managed to pass him quickly but made a little gap then I made a mistake … thankfully I could continue. I was really happy to win the second race and I’m looking forward to next weekend. We can see that we are going to the right direction so we will continue pushing hard with the team and everybody I’m just happy that the pace and everything is finally back.”
Tim Gajser – Image by Bavo
Gautier Paulin’s second round on the Yamaha earned the French star a solid podium.
Gautier Paulin
“Every weekend on the box is a good weekend. I was happy with the first moto. In the second moto I was riding stiff in the beginning, but overall, we had a good weekend and made a big step forward since Argentina. This was always the goal and this is what we are working really hard towards. I am really happy with my team Monster Energy Wilvo Yamaha MXGP and the work they are putting in.”
Dean Ferris started the opening moto just inside the top 30 but as you would expect our fastest 450 rider made his way to 15th with lap times that were comparable to the like of Max Anstie, Arminas Jasikonis and Glenn Coldenhoff but a fall at the start of the second moto not only put pay to what should have been a great weekend for Ferris and it looks like he has picked up a knee injury.
Dean Ferris
“It was a tough weekend, but I got more comfortable in every session. I thought the last fifteen minutes of the race I found my groove and had some really good lap-times, so I was content with that. In moto two, I went down on the start and I have hurt my knee, so that will need to be assessed.”
Dean Ferris
MXGP Race 1 Top Ten
Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 36:37.831
Gautier Paulin (FRA, Yamaha), +0:01.956
Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:04.473
Clement Desalle (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:24.293
Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Honda), +0:26.271
Arnaud Tonus (SUI, Yamaha), +0:27.618
Max Anstie (GBR, KTM), +0:45.107
Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Yamaha), +0:46.683
Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, Husqvarna), +0:49.675
Julien Lieber (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:56.271
MXGP Race 2 Top Ten
Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), 36:01.717
Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:01.709
Gautier Paulin (FRA, Yamaha), +0:54.204
Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, Husqvarna), +0:57.637
Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Yamaha), +1:00.564
Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Honda), +1:05.984
Clement Desalle (BEL, Kawasaki), +1:20.385
Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), +1:22.071
Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), +1:26.697
Ivo Monticelli (ITA, KTM), +1:28.257
2019 MXGP Podium – Matterley Basin, UK – 1) Tony Cairoli, 2) Tim Gajser, 3) Gautier Paulin
MXGP Overall Top Ten
Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 47 points
Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 45 points
Gautier Paulin (FRA, YAM), 42 points
Clement Desalle (BEL, KAW), 32 points
Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, HON), 31 points
Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, HUS), 30 points
Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 29 points
Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 22 points
Max Anstie (GBR, KTM), 21 points
Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), 17 points
MXGP Championship Top Ten
Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 97 points
Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 89 points
Gautier Paulin (FRA, YAM), 74 points
Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, HON), 66 points
Clement Desalle (BEL, KAW), 65 points
Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, HUS), 56 points
Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 50 points
Max Anstie (GBR, KTM), 39 points
Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), 39 points
Tommy Searle (GBR, KAW), 38 points
Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
MX2 Report
Olsen’s dominant weekend ended with a perfect 1-1 score to take the overall ahead of the hard charging Henry Jacobi’s 2-3 and Tom Vialle’s 3-4 which put the second-generation French motocross star on the podium in his second ever MX2 GP.
Thomas Kjer Olsen
Thomas Kjer Olsen’s first win of the season is not only a confidence booster but the Husqvarna rider now has a 16 point lead over second placed Jacobi in the championship and more importantly a 44 point lead over defending champion Jorge Prado who was forced to sit out the GP with a shoulder injury.
Thomas Kjer Olsen
“It was amazing to go 1-1 for the first time and it was even better when I was on the podium and they gave me the red plate because I didn’t realize I would be leading the points. Overall I had a great weekend, I felt really good out on the track, I had great energy and I felt really comfortable, we even made improvements every time I was out so I was really happy with that and how the whole team is working.”
Thomas Kjer Olsen
Jacobi is supported by F&H Kawasaki but it is far from being a factory team.
Henry Jacobi
“I had some special lines that I was seeing and nobody else took. 2nd overall is really good for us, the team, you know we are not a factory team, but we made some really good steps over the winter with F&H Racing.”
Henry Jacobi
Australian riders Jed Beaton and Mitch Evans had mixed success with Beaton’s return to racing after an injury kept him out of the opening round earned the Husqvarna rider tenth overall with a 9-13 finishes while Evans finished 15th overall after a DNF in the opening moto and an eighth in moto two.
Jed Beaton
“I had a really good weekend here at Matterley Basin. It was my first GP after many months, and I felt strong on the bike. It was good to get a top-10 in the opening moto. In the second moto I was close to the top-10 again and ended up finishing in 13th place. Getting a top-10 result in the overall is really positive for the rest of the season. There’s still a long way to go in this series. I’m pretty happy with where I am, hopefully I can start building from here.”
Jed Beaton
Mitchell Evans
“My weekend started well with a fourth in the qualifying race on Saturday, but Sunday I struggled with my starts. After a bad start in the first race I crashed whilst trying to fight my way forward. After a pit stop to fix a damaged clutch, I found myself almost a lap down and unfortunately, due to the track having such a long lap, I was unable to make up any positions. Another bad start in race two left me with a lot of work to do. I was able to fight my way back to eighth. I am happy with my riding and fitness after ten days of sitting on the couch following Argentina, due to an infection in my knee. We will work on my starts this week and be more prepared for next weekend! Thanks to my team and everyone supporting me!”
Mitch Evans
The next round of the FIM Motocross World Championship is this weekend for the MXGP of The Netherlands in Valkenswaard.
MX2 Race 1 Top Ten
Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, Husqvarna), 35:01.449
Henry Jacobi (GER, Kawasaki), +0:04.278
Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), +0:16.160
Ben Watson (GBR, Yamaha), +0:28.500
Michele Cervellin (ITA, Yamaha), +0:30.179
Conrad Mewse (GBR, KTM), +0:35.271
Davy Pootjes (NED, Husqvarna), +0:36.018
Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, Honda), +0:44.908
Jed Beaton (AUS, Husqvarna), +0:50.189
Dylan Walsh (NZL, Husqvarna), +0:54.010
MX2 Race 2 Top Ten
Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, Husqvarna), 37:10.022
Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, Honda), +0:09.936
Henry Jacobi (GER, Kawasaki), +0:16.035
Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), +0:16.935
Ben Watson (GBR, Yamaha), +0:20.044
Jago Geerts (BEL, Yamaha), +0:38.635
Davy Pootjes (NED, Husqvarna), +0:43.577
Mitchell Evans (AUS, Honda), +0:46.268
Michele Cervellin (ITA, Yamaha), +0:54.765
Dylan Walsh (NZL, Husqvarna), +0:59.920
2019 MX2 Podium – Matterley Basin, UK – 1) Kjer Olsen, 2) Henry Jacobi, 3) Tom Vialle
MX2 Overall Top Ten
Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 50 points
Henry Jacobi (GER, KAW), 42 points
Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), 38 points
Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, HON), 35 points
Ben Watson (GBR, YAM), 34 points
Davy Pootjes (NED, HUS), 28 points
Michele Cervellin (ITA, YAM), 28 points
Dylan Walsh (NZL, HUS), 22 points
Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 20 points
Jed Beaton (AUS, HUS), 20 points
MX2 Championship Top Ten
Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 94 points
Henry Jacobi (GER, KAW), 78 points
Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, HON), 71 points
Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), 65 points
Ben Watson (GBR, YAM), 63 points
Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 50 points
Davy Pootjes (NED, HUS), 50 points
Mitchell Evans (AUS, HON), 49 points
Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 45 points
Michele Cervellin (ITA, YAM), 41 points
Forato and Anderson win EMX in Great Britain
Elberto Forato and Brad Anderson have won the opening rounds of the EMX250 and EMX2T classes respectively at the Matterley Basin round of the FIM World motocross Championships last weekend.
EMX250 Start – Matterley Basin
EMX250 Report
The EMX250 class is now age limited to 23 years of age and the overall winner was clearly Forato who led every lap on the way to a perfect weekend while Stephan Rubini took second with 3-5 finishes ahead of Roan Van de Moosdijk finished third with 6-3 scores.
Alberto Forato
“For me it was a good weekend, I lead from the first lap of every race, so I was able to focus on myself and I want to do this every weekend. It is a different bike and a different team this year but now I am really comfortable with everyone, the bike, the mechanics, and everything so it is good for me.”
EMX250 Race 1 Top Ten
Alberto Forato (ITA, Husqvarna), 32:04.381
Ruben Fernandez (ESP, Yamaha), +0:07.871
Stephen Rubini (FRA, Honda), +0:13.441
Jimmy Clochet (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:17.624
Pierre Goupillon (FRA, Honda), +0:20.202
Roan Van De Moosdijk (NED, Kawasaki), +0:24.296
Rene Hofer (AUT, KTM), +0:25.668
Karlis Sabulis (LAT, KTM), +0:29.951
Josh Gilbert (GBR, Honda), +0:31.131
Caleb Grothues (AUS, Yamaha), +0:53.522
EMX250 Race 2 Top Ten
Alberto Forato (ITA, Husqvarna), 32:24.557
Kevin Horgmo (NOR, KTM), +0:09.886
Roan Van De Moosdijk (NED, Kawasaki), +0:22.042
Pierre Goupillon (FRA, Honda), +0:23.370
Stephen Rubini (FRA, Honda), +0:26.631
Giuseppe Tropepe (ITA, Yamaha), +1:01.793
Rene Hofer (AUT, KTM), +1:06.422
Michael Ivanov (BUL, KTM), +1:10.730
Jimmy Clochet (FRA, Kawasaki), +1:13.653
Josh Gilbert (GBR, Honda), +1:17.062
EMX250 Championship Top Ten
Alberto Forato (ITA, HUS), 50 points
Stephen Rubini (FRA, HON), 36
Roan Van De Moosdijk (NED, KAW), 35
Pierre Goupillon (FRA, HON), 34
Jimmy Clochet (FRA, KAW), 30
Ruben Fernandez (ESP, YAM), 29
Rene Hofer (AUT, KTM), 28
Josh Gilbert (GBR, HON), 23
Kevin Horgmo (NOR, KTM), 22
Michael Ivanov (BUL, KTM), 22
Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
EMX2T Report
The EMX2T class is the newest category of EMX racing and with this weekend being the first round of the championship a long list of riders entered for their chance to become the first winner and in the end it was Brit Brad Anderson who earned the overall with 1-1 moto results ahead of Vaclav Kovar’s 3-2 results while Andrea Gorini battled hard to go 6-4 for third overall.
EMX 2T Start – Matterley Basin
EMX2T Race 1 Top Ten
Brad Anderson (GBR, KTM), 32:30.711
Mike Kras (NED, KTM), +0:11.823
Vaclav Kovar (CZE, Gas Gas), +0:18.398
Todd Kellett (GBR, Yamaha), +0:28.185
Andero Lusbo (EST, Husqvarna), +0:29.117
Andrea Gorini (SMR, Yamaha), +0:41.229
Jamie Law (GBR, KTM), +0:48.410
Emanuele Alberio (ITA, Husqvarna), +0:51.244
Marco Lolli (ITA, Yamaha), +0:53.367
Andrea Vendruscolo (ITA, Yamaha), +0:54.018
EMX2T Race 2 Top Ten
Brad Anderson (GBR, KTM), 31:53.709
Vaclav Kovar (CZE, Gas Gas), +0:13.016
Brad Todd (GBR, Yamaha), +0:23.472
Andrea Gorini (SMR, Yamaha), +0:31.933
Ben Putnam (GBR, Yamaha), +0:39.101
Todd Kellett (GBR, Yamaha), +0:41.262
Andero Lusbo (EST, Husqvarna), +0:42.289
Matt Burrows (GBR, Husqvarna), +0:53.431
Marco Lolli (ITA, Yamaha), +0:57.771
Youri van t Ende (NED, KTM), +0:59.480
EMX2T Championship Top Ten
Brad Anderson (GBR, KTM), 50 points
Vaclav Kovar (CZE, GAS), 42
Andrea Gorini (SMR, YAM), 33
Todd Kellett (GBR, YAM), 33
Andero Lusbo (EST, HUS), 30
Ben Putnam (GBR, YAM), 26
Marco Lolli (ITA, YAM), 24
Mike Kras (NED, KTM), 22
Matt Burrows (GBR, HUS), 21
Emanuele Alberio (ITA, HUS), 21
Prado sits out MXGP of Great Britain
Defending MX2 World Champion Jorge Prado did not take part in the second round of the 2019 FIM Motocross World Championship last weekend in Great Britain after sustaining a shoulder injury thanks to a crash while practicing three weeks ago.
Jorge Prado – Image by Ray Archer
Prado did complain of a sore left shoulder after the crash but the Spaniard continued to prepare for Matterley Basin but felt the condition of the joint deteriorate and become more painful.
Further detailed medical examination with renowned surgeon and specialist Dr Claes in Belgium revealed a haematoma under the left shoulder blade was causing the discomfort so the best course of recovery involves rest, and Prado will return for another check-up on Tuesday 26th for further evaluation ahead of the Grand Prix of the Netherlands at Valkenswaard.
Jorge Prado – Image by Ray Archer
Claudio De Carli – Red Bull KTM Team Manager
“After such a strong start to the season for the team and Jorge it is disappointing for everyone that he and Jeffrey are now missing Matterley Basin and the first European round of 2019. Unfortunately this is part of the sport but, fortunately, it could be worse and we hope Jorge will be back on the bike very quickly. We’re in good shape and we are confident, and we believe this will not be such a big setback for us in what is a long season.”
Herlings to return to MXGP in May
In the wake of a complex operation on his broken right foot, MXGP World Champion Jeffrey Herlings has stepped-up his physical training program with a view to start riding his Red Bull KTM 450 SX-F in late April and return to competition in the FIM MXGP Motocross World Championship action sometime in May.
Jeffrey Herlings – Image by Ray Archer
The four-times World Champion was already missed the opening two Grands Prix and he will also miss Holland and Italy but will then hopefully be counting the days until he can again be behind a FIM World Championship gate.
Jeffrey Herlings
“Rehab has been going very well and I cannot wait to be back and to throw a leg over the bike again. I want to be back at the GPs as quick as possible but we cannot say which race yet until I get some riding time. I’m also able to step-up my cycling and swimming now. For sure we’ll miss the next three rounds and we also don’t want to rush things and risk a setback.”
Jeffrey Herlings – Image by Jeff KardasSmarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Australia to host MXGP in 2020?
There was some noise made at the British GP last weekend with Australian GP promoter Willie Thomson on hand to hold talks with Youthstream, but it must be noted that nothing is concrete right now and that Thomson has yet to convince the WA government to foot the bill.
Holcombe dominates opening EnduroGP round
2019 EnduroGP Round 1
In almost perfect conditions Germany hosted the opening two rounds of the World EnduroGP Championships and it was defending champion Steve Holcombe who dominated both days but it was Aussie Will Ruprecht who etched his name in history to win Friday night’s Super Test against the best in the world before backing that up with a pair of podiums in the Junior class.
Steve Holcombe celebrates the win in Germany – Image by Future7Media
Holcombe won the overall EnduroGP class as well as the E3 class and Brad Freeman dominated the E1 class while it was Loïc Larrieu and Eero Remes who shared victories in the E2 class.
Loïc Larrieu – 2019 EnduroGP Round 1
Steve Holcombe
“It’s difficult to sum up how much of a surprise it is to win both days. My goal was to podium and claim strong points, so as you can imagine a double victory in EnduroGP and Enduro 3 is a huge result to take. I didn’t have a great Super Test on Friday – I never really do – but I wanted to push hard from the beginning on Saturday to see where I was at. That strategy paid off and I won by 70 seconds. I went with that tactic again on Sunday and made things count on the opening two laps. I ran out of steam a little on the final lap but knew that with the effort I’d put in earlier on, barring any major mistakes, I could win. We’ve a couple of weeks now until round two in Portugal, so the plan remains unchanged – keep working with the goal of getting stronger. I know there’s room to improve. Finally, a huge thanks to Beta and all the team – a result like this is very much a team effort.”
Steve Holcombe – 2019 EnduroGP Round 1
Danny McCanney
“I finish third today, I’m a little disappointed, but overall I’m very happy with my weekend. I can’t wait to continue the season and gain some more good results.”
Danny McCanney – 2019 EnduroGP Round 1
Brad Freeman
“I’m happy because today (day 2) I was able to increase my pace to catch up with Danny. I’m still a long way from Steve, but I’m happy to be on this 100 per cent British podium.”
Brad Freeman – 2019 EnduroGP Round 1
Eero Remes
“The first day was very disappointing for me and the team, but I told the team that the season is very long and we are going to catch up. I feel good and this victory in E2 is a first great reward.”
Akrapovic Super Test Award Standings
Wil RUPRECHT 10 points
Benjamin HERRERA 9
Thomas OLDRATI 8
Daniel MCCANNEY 7p
Steve HOLCOMBE 6
Kirian MIRABET 5
Hamish MACDONALD 4
Andrea VERONA 3
Loïc LARRIEU 2
Alex SALVINI 1
EnduroGP Day 1 Top 10
Steve HOLCOMBE – United Kingdom
Daniel MCCANNEY – United Kingdom
Brad FREEMAN – United Kingdom
Christophe NAMBOTIN – France
Loïc LARRIEU – France
Matteo CAVALLO – Italy
Albin ELOWSON – Sweden
Christophe CHARLIER – France
Thomas OLDRATI – Italy
Benjamin HERRERA – Chile
Steve Holcombe on the podium
EnduroGP Day 2 Top 10
Steve HOLCOMBE – United Kingdom
Brad FREEMAN – United Kingdom
Daniel MCCANNEY – United Kingdom
Eero REMES – Finland
Alex SALVINI – Italy
Loïc LARRIEU – France
Davide GUARNERI – Italy
Thomas OLDRATI – Italy
Matteo CAVALLO – Italy
Benjamin HERRERA – Chile
Brad Freeman – 2019 EnduroGP Round 1
E1 Day 1 Results
Brad FREEMAN – United Kingdom
Matteo CAVALLO – Italy
Thomas OLDRATI – Italy
Davide GUARNERI – Italy
Rudy MORONI – Italy
E1 Day 2 Podium – EnduroGP Round 1 Germany, 2019
E1 Day 2 Results
Brad FREEMAN – United Kingdom
Davide GUARNERI – Italy
Thomas OLDRATI – Italy
Matteo CAVALLO – Italy
Rudy MORONI – Italy
Loïc Larrieu – 2019 EnduroGP Round 1
E2 Day 1 Results
Loïc LARRIEU – France
Albin ELOWSON – Sweden
Benjamin HERRERA – Chile
Giacomo REDONDI – Italy
Antoine BASSET – France
E2 Day 2 Podium – EnduroGP Round 1 Germany, 2019
E2 Day 2 Results
Eero REMES – Finland
Alex SALVINI – Italy
Loïc LARRIEU – France
Benjamin HERRERA – Chile
Antoine BASSET – France
E3 Day 1 Results
Steve HOLCOMBE – United Kingdom
Daniel MCCANNEY – United Kingdom
Christophe NAMBOTIN – France
David ABGRALL – France
Anthony GESLIN – France
E3 Day 2 Podium – EnduroGP Round 1 Germany, 2019
E3 Day 2 Results
Steve HOLCOMBE – United Kingdom
Daniel MCCANNEY – United Kingdom
Anthony GESLIN – France
David ABGRALL – France
Dennis SCHROETER – Germany
EnduroGP Juniors
The Junior classes were as hard fought as the senior division and it was Italian Andrea Verona who came away with victory in both days but Ruprecht kept him honest all weekend in the overall Junior class and the J1 class while Jack Edmondson and Enric Francisco shared victories in the J2 class with Kiwi Hamish Macdonald dominating the J3 class.
Andrea Verona
“This might be the most beautiful victory of my career so far. When I lost so much time this morning after the bike stopped in the Cross Test I knew I had the potential to win. My body hurts because I really attacked all day, but I’m super happy.”
Andrea Verona
Wil Ruprecht
“I don’t know what to say to you, I am so disappointed, I cracked under the pressure, I crashed three times on the last test. Andrea was the better man and he deserves it. I can only try to learn and improve after such a defeat.”
The next round of the Maxxis FIM EnduroGP World Championship will take place in Portugal in the city of Valpaços from May 3rd to 5th.
Junior – Day 1
Andrea VERONA – Italy
Théophile ESPINASSE – France
Wil RUPRECHT – Australia
Jack EDMONDSON – United Kingdom
Matthew VAN OEVELEN – Belgium
Junior – Day 2
Andrea VERONA Italy
Wil RUPRECHT Australia
Théophile ESPINASSE France
Enric FRANCISCO Spain
Jack EDMONDSON United Kingdom
Junior 1 (J1) – Day 1
Andrea VERONA – Italy
Théophile ESPINASSE – France
Wil RUPRECHT – Australia
Matthew VAN OEVELEN – Belgium
Thomas DUBOST – France
Junior 1 (J1) – Day 2
Andrea VERONA – Italy
Wil RUPRECHT – Australia
Théophile ESPINASSE – France
Matthew VAN OEVELEN – Belgium
Thomas DUBOST – France
Junior 2 (J2) – Day 1
Jack EDMONDSON – United Kingdom
Enric FRANCISCO – Spain
Leo LE QUERE – France
Emanuele FACCHETTI – Italy
Till DE CLERCQ – France
Junior 2 (J2) – Day 2
Enric FRANCISCO – Spain
Jack EDMONDSON – United Kingdom
Emanuele FACCHETTI – Italy
Ruy BARBOSA – Chile
Jimmy WICKSELL – Sweden
Youth Cup – Day 1
Hamish MACDONALD – New Zealand
Claudio SPANU – Italy
Matteo PAVONI – Italy
Alejandro NAVARRO HUERTAS – Spain
Hugo SVARD – Finland
Youth Cup – Day 2
Hamish MACDONALD – New Zealand
Matteo PAVONI – Italy
Claudio SPANU – Italy
Hugo SVARD – Finland
Nathan BERERD – France
Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
HRC’s Ricky Brabec wins the Sonora Rally
The Sonora Rally takes place in the border region between Mexico and the United States near the Gulf of California and after five day Monster Energy Honda Team’s American rider Ricky Brabec claimed victory for the second time in the five year history of the event.
Ricky Brabec – Image by Boyd Jaynes
In conditions that varied from high speed arid tracks to 500km of sand dunes, Brabec set the pace of the race from the start, grabbing victories in the first three stages, which opened a significant margin of more than half an hour over rivals before the American masterfully managed the two final days of rallying, before reaching the final finish-line in the Sonora region capital with a 37’15” gap back to his nearest second place rival.
Ricky Brabec
“This rally was the first of the year for me so I was excited to just be able to ride the big bike again with some navigation. This desert to me is like home and very close from my home town so it makes it easy to show up with a small crew to race and as well to train. The terrain is sandy in spots with great dunes and a little more south is rocky hard pack, there’s a little of everything and for this I believe it’s proven training grounds. Looking forward to the rest of the year racing and training; hungry for more and to top it off Dakar 2020 will be in a good way, I believe. We must stay strong in the fight.”
Ricky Brabec – Image by Boyd Jaynes
Ryan brothers shine at Casey Stoner Cup
Kurri Kurri hosted the Casey Stoner Cup last weekend and for the second weekend in a row the Ryan brothers have dominated a major dirt track meeting with Harrison Ryan winning the Junior Cup minutes before older brother Connor led the field home in the eight-lap Senior Cup.
While Harrison scored big winning margins in an unbeaten run over the two days of racing in the 13-16 years age class, Connor was made work much harder.
In the Junior Cup Wade O’Keefe and Jayden Rodgers followed Harrison Ryan home to complete a clean-sweep of placegetters from the host club but in the Senior Cup it was Coffs Harbour rider Bailey Spencer who lead for the opening six laps before one mistake was punished as Connor Ryan and then Boyd Hollis took over the front running.
In other senior classes Connor Ryan also won the Pro 450 final over Hollis and North Queensland rider Harry Maxwell before Taree rider Blake Wilby topped the very competitive Pro 250 class ahead of Brisbane rider Ben Montgomery and Taree’s Kye Andrews, while Anthony Farrell was best in the Over 35s.
All junior classes produced plenty of close battles with Bray Bowden (13-16 years) and Noah Grabham (7-10s) both scoring class victories after winning all five rounds, while Gold Coast rider Viv Muddle amassed nine wins and a second placing to win both of his classes.
There was more success for Taree riders with Cody Wilby and Will Bisley finishing 1-2 in the 80cc class, while Hayden Nelson also scored a class win as did Cameron Dunker and Jayden Holder but perhaps the most stirring win came in the 65cc – 9 to 13 years final when diminutive Forbes rider Beau Bailey led home Jayden Holder and Gold Coast rider Riley Nautam less than hour after Bailey had crashed heavily in an earlier race.
The next major dirt track meeting is the 30th staging of the Trackmasters at the Barleigh Ranch track on the weekend on April 13 / 14.
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Toby congratulates Ricky
Toby celebrates with victory donuts!
Rodney Faggotter
Ben Young
Trevor Wilson
Jack Miller’s MotoGP helmet
Deus Trumpy
Ricky Brabec
Rodney Faggotter
Ben Young (foreground)
Trevor Wilson on debut
Jack Miller’s MotoGP helmet
Deus Trumpy
Rodney Faggotter
Jack Miller’s MotoGP helmet
Jack Miller’s MotoGP helmet
