VIALLE TRANSITIONS TO RED BULL KTM FACTORY RACING NORTH AMERICA FOR 2023 AMA CHALLENGE2022 Motocross news

Former MX2 world champion and current 2022 title contender, Tom Vialle, will move to the North American wing of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing for the next stage of his career trajectory and will attempt the 2023 AMA 250SX and 250MX national series in the USA.

Vialle, who clinched the 2020 MX2 crown, won six Grands Prix and finished 3rd in 2021 and is currently battling intensely for 2022 honors having led the category four times from 14 rounds, will continue to blossom with the factory KTM 250 SX-F but will compete on American soil next year and for the first term of fresh contract extension inked earlier this season.

The 21-year-old has been part of the works team since 2019 where he shone in his rookie GP outing by scoring a win and classifying 4th in the final standings. He was KTM’s ninth MX2 champion the following campaign and has been a leading protagonist in the division since, routinely dominating holeshot counts and being one of the most prolific riders in the class.

Vialle is a keen and skilled supercrosser and before moving to MXGP with the KTM 450 SX-F wanted to follow the path trodden by the likes of countryman and current Red Bull KTM Supercrosser Marvin Musquin by lining-up for the two AMA 250 disciplines. Vialle confirmed his move this week and should be based near the team’s second HQ on the East coast of the United States where KTM have a close training and practicing arrangement with famed specialist Aldon Baker.

Tom’s MX2 berth will be filled by two youngsters, Andrea Adamo and Liam Everts, for 2023.

Tom Vialle: “We’ve had another strong season this year so far in MX2 and the plan was to move to the MXGP class for 2023 but I really felt this was the best time for me to try and see if I could make it in Supercross. I have a track near my home and there is a SX tradition in my family. I’m desperate to see what I can do, even if I know it is a big learning curve to be ready for 2023. We have to keep realistic, but it is fantastic at the same time that I could speak with Robert, Pit and the guys in the U.S. and to make this happen as part of Red Bull KTM. This GP team is like another family to me, so it will be hard to leave but this is a really exciting new story for me and I cannot wait to move and start it all.”

Robert Jonas, Head of Motorsports Offroad: “We fully understood Tom’s wish to carry on racing with the KTM 250 SX-F and seeing how he can extend his career goals in the U.S. and especially for supercross. If he can learn and develop his potential as he did with us in the world championship then he will be a big surprise. I’m sure the guidance of Ian and Roger in America will help him with the move and the switch. The team here have already done some supercross riding with him and it seems Tom has a natural flair for the sport. It is a case of the right rider at the right time and with the right amount of experience at the top level. We wish him all the best and will be excited to see what heights he can reach next.”

Ian Harrison, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing North America: “We look forward to having a rider of Tom’s caliber racing for Red Bull KTM in the USA. We have heard a lot of good things about Tom; both in terms of racing and his personal side. We have no doubt he will rise to the top in the U.S. as well. I have personally spoken to Tom a few times and I’m impressed with his attention to detail related to all the topics on racing and how to tackle moving to a different country.”

Podium Celebrations & Championship Progress for Elzinga, Bonacorsi & Reisulis in Lommel 

Hutten Metaal Yamaha Official EMX250’s duo of front runners, Rick Elzinga and Andrea Bonacorsi, tied on 40-points for second overall at the seventh round of the EMX250 Championship in Lommel, Belgium. As a result, Elzinga has extended his lead in the championship. At the same time, MJC Yamaha Official EMX125’s Karlis Reisulis finished third overall in the lighter capacity series and has moved up to second position in the EMX125 Championship Standings. 

The EMX250 round of Flanders got off to the perfect start for Hutten Metaal Yamaha’s trio of Elzinga, Bonacorsi and Dave Kooiker. All three riders powered their GYTR kitted YZ250Fs to the top of the timesheets, with Elzinga setting the pace in Group 1, fractionally quicker than Bonacorsi, while Kooiker posted the fastest time in Group 2. 

In one of the most competitive races of the season, teammates Bonacorsi and Elzinga finished second and third after an epic three-way battle with the eventual race winner Lucas Coenen. Elzinga led the most laps, but due to some health issues, he could only finish third after experiencing a lack of energy in the latter stages. At the same time, Bonacorsi made a small mistake when he hit neutral, which allowed Coenen to make a pass – he ultimately finished second. 

In Race Two, Elzinga got off to another decent start and dueled with the front runners for as long as his strength would allow. He held on for another third, which was enough for second overall. Meanwhile, Bonacorsi put in a show-stopping performance after colliding with some other riders at turn one and later falling on his own. The young Italian put in a fantastic ride through the pack from outside the top-20 to eventually finish fourth, for third overall.

Dave Kooiker put in a strong ride in both races where he challenged the top-five and certainly had the pace, but faded to eighth in race one and did not finish race two after falling from seventh with three laps remaining. 

From the seven EMX250 rounds raced, Elzinga has been on the podium six times and now leads the championship by 30-points over Cornelius Toendel. Bonacorsi is fourth, only 2-points shy of Coenen in third, while Kooiker is 15th. 

In EMX125, Yamaha’s youngest Official team had to put the GYTR kitted YZ125 through its paces around Lommel’s historically tough sand circuit. In hot and stuffy conditions, the MJC Yamaha trio started strong. Reisulis posted the fastest lap in Timed Practice and was joined inside the top five by teammates Ivano Van Erp who was third and Ferruccio Zanchi, fifth.

Reisulis had two consistent races in which he powered his YZ125 to a fourth and a third for third overall. Consequently, he moves up to second overall in the EMX125 Championship Standings. 

Van Erp proved his sand riding prowess in the opening race with a solid charge to third, even after a fall on lap 9. But he would only finish 11th in the round overall after crashing out of 15th in Race Two on lap 7. 

Zanchi had a challenging weekend spoiled by mistakes. He was unable to score points in both races and was ultimately classified 38th. 

After a challenging round, Van Erp remains fifth in the EMX125 Championship Standings, while Zanchi has dropped to eighth, just ahead of last year’s YZ125 bLU cRU FIM Europe Cup Winner Adrien Petit, who has moved up to ninth after celebrating his first-ever top-10 with an 11-9 scorecard for ninth overall. 

The next round of the EMX250 and EMX125 Championships will take place in Uddevalla, Sweden, on the 6th and 7th of August.

For full results from the EMX round of Lommel, click here. 

BRIAN BOGERS TAKES HIS FC 450 TO MXGP OF FLANDERS VICTORY1-3 SCORES SECURE MAIDEN VICTORY FOR BOGERS IN BELGIUM.

The Husqvarna Factory Racing stars have just concluded a gruelling weekend in the sand of Lommel, Belgium, as the Grand Prix of Flanders was run at the historic venue. The event was the fourteenth round of the 2022 FIM Motocross World Championship and one that’ll go down in history. Brian Bogers claimed an emotional overall victory in the premier division and Kay de Wolf won a moto in the MX2 class.

Bogers simply dominated the first premier-class moto beneath the beating sun. Starting in third aboard his FC 450, he quickly advanced into the lead and was unchallenged from that moment on. Consistently lapping considerably faster than his competition, whilst making it look so easy, he eventually rode away to a fifteen-second lead. To put an exclamation point on his ride, he had the fastest lap by more than a second.

The second moto was another thrilling outing for Bogers, who started just on the cusp of the top five. ‘189’ slowly picked riders off in the laps that followed, until he eventually settled into fourth place. Bogers never gave up, as normal, and continued to strive for more until the last second. Such an attitude served him well in the end, as he claimed third with a lap to go and that was enough to give him the Grand Prix win. The 1-3 scorecard put his FC 450 on top of the box and helped him edge closer to sixth in the championship standings.

For de Wolf, returning to Lommel was rather special. It was a year ago that he claimed his first moto victory aboard an FC 250 and he picked up right where he left off on Saturday, as he took pole position for the first time this season. The first moto was just as successful; he started fourth and jumped into the lead within a couple of laps. First was held all of the way to the chequered flag and, incredibly, he lapped up to ninth.

The second MX2 moto had it all for de Wolf. Starting the moto in third, and again making use of that power in his steed, he made passes quite quickly and found himself in the race lead within a couple of laps. It was at that point that a titanic battle for the victory ensued and, unfortunately, de Wolf came up just short and had to settle for second place. A 1-2 scorecard was more than enough for second overall on the day.

Returning to Grand Prix competition after a lengthy recovery period, Roan van de Moosdijk showed plenty of potential. Moosdijk led briefly in moto one, before a crash relegated him to sixth at the end, and backed that up with a fifth place in the second encounter. A rather consistent 6-5 scorecard left him in fifth in the overall classification – a fantastic foundation that he can build off of in the coming weeks.

Pauls Jonass was not present at the Grand Prix of Flanders, following advice from doctors, after cutting his arm in the second moto at last weekend’s Grand Prix of Czech Republic.

The Standing Construct Husqvarna Factory Racing and Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing riders will be able to take advantage of a weekend off now, before a furious sprint to the final chequered flag begins. A three-week run of events will start with the Grand Prix of Sweden on August 07.

Brian Bogers: « I just don’t know what to say! This is just amazing. It is absolutely unbelievable. It was a really, really tough Grand Prix. We made it to the top though. I had so much flow in the first moto, but the second moto was a little tougher. We managed to fight every lap and get the job done. Thank you to my team for believing in me. »

Kay de Wolf: « It was a really good weekend. I got pole position and the win in the first moto, but there was no energy left in the second moto. We have had some difficult times this year. To get back on the podium is just incredible. It was not easy, but I am so happy to get back to where I belong. »

Roan van de Moosdijk: « Coming back at the toughest race of the year was not easy! I led for a few laps of the first moto, but the intensity was so high and you cannot practice that during the week. I tried to follow and learn from the other riders. I think that I should be really proud of my comeback ride, especially as I missed the podium by only one point. »

Results – 2022 FIM Motocross World Championship, Round Fourteen

MXGP – Overall

1. Brian Bogers (Husqvarna) 45pts; 2. Calvin Vlaanderen (Yamaha) 44pts; 3. Glenn Coldenhoff (Husqvarna) 43pts

MXGP – Moto One

1. Brian Bogers (Husqvarna) 34:45.644; 2. Calvin Vlaanderen (Yamaha) 35:01.492; 3. Romain Febvre (Kawasaki) 35:11.120

MXGP – Moto Two

1. Glenn Coldenhoff (Yamaha) 35:05.672; 2. Calvin Vlaanderen (Yamaha) 35:11.078; 3. Brian Bogers (Husqvarna) 35:21.447

MXGP – Standings

1. Tim Gajser (Honda) 605pts; 2. Jeremy Seewer (Yamaha) 483pts; 3. Jorge Prado (GASGAS) 465pts… 7. Brian Bogers (Husqvarna) 332pts; 9. Pauls Jonass (Husqvarna) 287pts

MX2 – Overall

1. Jago Geerts (Yamaha) 47pts; 2. Kay de Wolf (Husqvarna) 47pts; 3. Tom Vialle (KTM) 32pts… 5. Roan van de Moosdijk (Husqvarna) 31pts

MX2 – Moto One

1. Kay de Wolf (Husqvarna) 34:52.109; 2. Jago Geerts (Yamaha) 34:58.242; 3. Simon Langenfelder (GASGAS) 35:31.963… 6. Roan van de Moosdijk (Husqvarna) 35:31.963

MX2 – Moto Two

1. Jago Geerts (Yamaha) 34:49.079; 2. Kay de Wolf (Husqvarna) 35:03.928; 3. Kevin Horgmo (Kawasaki) 35:05.837… 5. Roan van de Moosdijk (Husqvarna) 35:42.021

MX2 – Standings

1. Jago Geerts (Yamaha) 590pts; 2. Tom Vialle (KTM) 567pts; 3. Simon Langenfelder (GASGAS) 469pts… 9. Kay de Wolf (Husqvarna) 320pts; 19. Roan van de Moosdijk (Husqvarna) 86pts

Vlaanderen & Coldenhoff on the Podium after ‘The Hoff’ Takes Incredible Race Win

Gebben Van Venrooy Yamaha Supported team’s ‘sand man’ Calvin Vlaanderen went 2-2 for second overall at the MXGP of Flanders, round 14 of the FIM Motocross World Championship in Lommel, Belgium. He was joined on the box by Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP’s Flying Dutchman Glenn Coldenhoff, who celebrated his second race win of the season and finished on the third step. As a result, Yamaha has taken the lead in the MXGP Manufacturer’s World Championship. Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP’s Jeremy Seewer and Maxime Renaux tied on 31-points for fifth after a challenging day. 

A phenomenal start to the Grand Prix saw Seewer secure his second consecutive Pole Position with a stunning Qualifying Race win on Saturday afternoon. Coldenhoff had to overcome some health struggles to Qualify fifth, while Renaux finished eighth. 

In much rougher, drier and hotter conditions, the opening MXGP race was fiercely competitive. The race started with Seewer dicing second position back and forth with Brian Bogers, Romain Febvre and Tim Gajser as Coldenhoff and Renaux fought to break into the top 10.   

Despite low energy levels, Coldenhoff kept grafting and soon found himself in a position to capitalize on the mistakes of the riders, one of which was Seewer, who fell while challenging third with three laps remaining. As a result, Coldenhoff ended up fourth, Renaux was fifth and Seewer was sixth. 

While most of the MXGP fraternity spends hours in Lommel throughout the off-season learning the finesse it takes to ride deep sand with ease; it is still difficult to match the speed of the Dutch and Belgian riders. The evidence was Coldenhoff’s stunning victory in race two over fellow Dutchmen Vlaanderen and the eventual Grand Prix winner Bogers – all Dutch riders. 

Seewer recovered from a crash on lap 3 to finish fifth, while Renaux did all he could with an ‘off’ feeling to finish sixth.

Now with the most demanding Grand Prix behind them, Seewer remains second in the Championship Standings, while Coldenhoff has moved up to fourth, bumping Renaux back to fifth. 

The Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP team will have a one-week break before heading into a triple-header that will see the last three European rounds in Sweden, Finland and France. 

For full results from the MXGP of Flanders, click here. 

Glenn Coldenhoff

3rd MXGP of Flanders, 43-points

MXGP Championship Standings, 442-points

“It’s been a tough week. I have been sick and didn’t do anything all week. Normally when you go into a GP in Lommel, you are prepared, motivated and confident you can win. I didn’t feel like that this time. My energy was low. I knew I had to preserve my energy in race one or I would have nothing left for race two. I managed to still finish fourth and knew that with a little bit of luck I could still take the overall win. But it didn’t happen that way. I have to be happy, and to take a moto win here in Lommel is also pretty special.” 

Jeremy Seewer 

5th MXGP of Flanders, 31-points

2nd MXGP Championship Standings, 483-points

“I did all the work today to be on the podium. I was one of the fastest out there, but I didn’t manage to put the puzzle together. The track today was completely different to yesterday. Yesterday was a cruise on the beach compared to today. I knew it would be tough. Looking at the positives, I had two really good starts and my speed was okay, but I made some mistakes at really crucial moments. My fitness was good; I felt great at the end of the race and could make some passes when the other riders were tired. Still, I am happy with my riding and I also collected good points for the championship.”

Maxime Renaux 

6th MXGP of Flanders, 31-points

MXGP Championship Standings, 441-points

“It was a tough GP, as we expected. Lommel is Lommel; that’s all we need to say; I think everyone except the Dutch and Belgian riders suffered. For me, it was quite a struggle. I tried really hard to make the switch in my head to turn it around in the races, and I kind of managed to do that. I rode pretty well with good pace for fifth and sixth, and just tried to make the most of a difficult day. It was not the best weekend, but we are still here and still charging after a podium finish in the championship. « 

Geerts Strengthens Grip on MX2 World Championship Lead with Scintillating Home Grand Prix Win

Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2’s Jago Geerts celebrated a scintillating win at his home Grand Prix, round 14 of the FIM Motocross World Championship in Lommel, Belgium, to extend his championship lead out to 23-points. The Belgian star’s triumph marks a memorable moment for the Hans Corvers led Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 team as it celebrates its 25th year with Yamaha. Thibault Benistant has moved into the top-five in the championship after salvaging sixth at the Grand Prix of Flanders.

A pulsating start to the Grand Prix of Flanders saw Geerts finish second after a thrilling bar-to-bar battle with the Qualifying Race winner Kay de Wolf. Geerts was shuffled back to third by Benistant and Roan van de Moosdijk after taking his second holeshot of the season, but by lap three, he was back in the lead.

Benistant was forced back to fourth by three of the world’s quickest sand riders, Geerts, de Wolf and Simon Laengenfelder, and did his best to retain the position while riding through some discomfort after a heavy fall in practice. 

On lap 8, Geerts came under attack from de Wolf and, despite posting the fastest lap of the race, he was forced to relinquish the lead. The Belgian tried to respond to the ‘Flying 74’, but with the championship lead in mind, he opted out of the fight and backed off for an easy second-place finish. 

Race two got off to a similar start with Geerts roaring out of the gate for another holeshot before being relegated to second by the race one winner, de Wolf. 

Showing the makings of a true and deserving champion, the ’93’ remained calm and collected as he eased into the race. He stalked de Wolf for five laps before making a pass on lap 6.

After reclaiming the top spot, Geerts was untouchable. The Belgian ace ran a superior pace and eventually won the race by an astonishing 15-seconds. The triumph counts as his 10th race win and fifth Grand Prix victory of the season.

The Grand Prix of Flanders in Lommel lived up to its reputation as the most demanding Grand Prix of the year. With stifling hot temperatures rising above 30 degrees Celsius, it was an intense battle of mental and physical strength. 

Benistant suffered the effects of his fall in practice. He felt ill all day but still put in a gritty ride for eighth in race two after crashing at turn one. 

After an incredible home Grand Prix, the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 team will have a one-week break before heading into a triple-header that will see the last three European rounds in Sweden, Finland and France. 

For full results from the MX2 Grand Prix of Flanders, click here. 

Jago Geerts

MX2 Grand Prix of Flanders Winner, 47-points

MX2 World Championship Leader, 590-points

« Lommel is always a tough GP, and it was a really hard weekend again. I am really happy with the two holeshots. That was really nice, and it always makes it a lot easier. In the first race, Kay (de Wolf) was riding really well and was fast, so I just took second. In the second heat, I felt really good and just focused on managing my pace because I knew it would be a really long race. After I passed Kay, I was able to win my home Grand Prix and extend my championship lead. This one was really important for the championship, so I am happy. »

Thibault Benistant 

6th MX2 Grand Prix of Flanders, 31-points

5th MX2 World Championship Standings, 378-points

« It was not the best weekend. It was really tough out there. This morning I had a pretty big crash, which was a tough hit. I found it hard to bounce back and felt like I couldn’t focus 100% when I was on the bike. Even small things like I was not hungry to eat, and I felt terrible. It was a really tough day, but now we have a week off to regroup and bounce back at the next GP. »

ANDREA ADAMO AND LIAM EVERTS TO LEAD RED BULL KTM FACTORY RACING MX2 GRAND PRIX EFFORT IN 2023 2022 Motocross News

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing have agreed deals with upcoming stars Andrea Adamo and Liam Everts for the 2023 MX2 FIM Motocross World Championship. The Italian and Belgian will race the KTM 250 SX-F for the multi-title winning team.

Adamo, a former European Champion, is currently in his second season at Grand Prix level and the MX2 class. He ended his debut term in 2021 with 14th place and has quickly accelerated his development to capture a maiden podium result this year at Mantova for the Grand Prix of Lombardia. The 18-year-old has been on the KTM radar for some time and his work ethic, attitude and clear progression has helped Red Bull KTM Factory Racing management take the decision to put him on the KTM 250 SX-F for 2023.

Everts, soon to be 18, is also discovering the full demands of Grand Prix level but has the fortune to be guided by two generations of former world champions in his family. Everts made his mark in EMX125 and EMX250 European Championship competition before stepping full-time in MX2 in 2022 with the DIGA Pro Motocross KTM set-up; the fourth campaign of a five-year KTM plan. He has impressed with top ten results and honed the speed to enter the top five on several occasions.

Adamo and Everts will collaborate closely with the rest of the works crew and will hopefully follow the same excellent career trajectory enjoyed by the likes of Jeffrey Herlings, Jordi Tixier, Pauls Jonass, Jorge Prado and Tom Vialle by filtering into the MX2 line-up. Andrea and Liam will have Herlings as an MXGP teammate in 2023. Adamo follows other successful Italians in Red Bull KTM colors such as Thomas Traversini, David Philippaerts, Tony Cairoli and Mattia Guadagnini while Everts will be the first Belgian in the factory squad since Ken De Dycker almost ten years ago.

Andrea Adamo: “This is really cool news and like a dream come true for me. It’s one of the best race teams in the world so I’m excited and proud to have this opportunity. It makes me already excited for 2023. Tony Cairoli is obviously a big influence and it’s great that I’m able to give Italy another factory rider in Grand Prix. I want to thank the whole Red Bull KTM Factory Racing family for this chance.”

Liam Everts: “Next year will be a new challenge and a big one! It’s a dream of mine that is now coming true and such a cool opportunity with be part of Red Bull KTM. We’ll work hard together and push for the ultimate result. I’m already looking forward to it.”

Robert Jonas, Head of Motorsports Offroad: “Andrea was making good results throughout last season and with a clear sign of improvement almost race after race. Over the winter he has made another good step and finally finished 2nd at the GP in Mantova. He is only 18 years old but knows exactly what he wants and once he is set for a target he won’t back off until he’s reached his target. We can say very much the same about Liam, who has been part of the KTM racing strategy for a few years now and has shown us that he is able to rise up the ladder and meet each new step with maturity and no shortage of that Everts talent. We feel both riders make a good combination for the future and an important new episode in our KTM MX2 program. We strongly believe that with KTM’s backing, Joel on their side and Jeffrey Herlings as their teammate, Andrea and Liam will be able to fight for the MX2 crown within one or two years.”

COMMUNIQUÉ DE PRESSE

A Paris, le 20 Juillet 2022

CHAMPIONNAT DU MONDE DE MOTOCROSS JUNIOR
COMPOSITION DE L’ÉQUIPE DE FRANCE

La Fédération Française de Motocyclisme a le plaisir d’annoncer la composition de l’Équipe de France qui portera nos couleurs lors du Championnat du Monde de Motocross Junior qui se déroulera en Finlande sur le circuit de Lavanko le 26 août prochain.

Composée de 6 pilotes répartis en 3 catégories, la délégation tricolore sera confrontée à une quinzaine de Nations avec à la clé un titre par équipe et également en individuel en 65cc (Coupe du Monde), 85cc et 125cc (Championnat du Monde).
Lors de la dernière édition en Grèce en 2021, les Bleus avaient terminé à la 4ème position. Ils tenteront le tout pour le tout cette année afin de monter sur la plus haute marche du podium et ajouter une 2^ème étoile à leur palmarès !

La Fédération Française de Motocyclisme exprime son plein soutien à l’Équipe de France qui défendra nos couleurs. 
 

ÉQUIPE DE FRANCE MX JUNIOR

65cc
Rafael MENNILLO
Louis MORETTE

85cc
Mano FAURE
Amaury MAINDRU

125cc
Alexis FUERI
Mathis VALIN