Almost official: Dakar Rally on the Saudi desert rumour alley

The official suite of Dakar Rally did not mention that Saudi is the likely site of the 2020 race. These are still rumours but they are worth mentioning because there are so many of them.

Could the bike, quad, car, SxS and truck rally make a move to Saudi? Why not? It makes sense.

Rumour alley

The Dakar Rally has been held in South America for a decade now and had Peru for the 2019 running at a bid of $3 million to organizers.

Reports from Cycle World say the organizing body is thinking to relocate.

“There were a number of rumours circulating through the competitors, telephone style, that the Amaury Sport Organization (ASO) would be moving the Dakar rally out of South America, perhaps as early as 2020,” the rumours said.

According to Cycle World’s anonymous sources, the plan is to head to Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia reportedly offered $15 million to the coffers of the ASO to win the bid by a landslide.

One report said the 2020 running of the Dakar event will take place entirely within the confines of Saudi Arabia but will expand from 2021 to 2024 to extend the hosting roster to Jordan, Egypt, and the UAE.

Others said the entirety of the event will be held in Saudi alone until a new deal is struck in 2025.

Saudi entertainment agenda

A 2018 report from Flanders Investment and Trade said more than 4.5 million Saudis travel abroad annually spending about $25bn on entertainment in nearby Dubai or Bahrain, or outside the GCC.

Saudi plans to invest billions in entertainment projects to keep Saudi nationals home, while at the same time creating employment for its citizens.

The kingdom’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) said that its combined entertainment projects – which will eventually be able to cater to more than 50 million visitors each year – will provide 22,000 direct jobs and contribute $2.13bn to Saudi GDP by 2030.

Recently, $23.2bn in lifestyle projects were announced in the capital Riyadh to start in H2 2019. The four projects include the King Salman Park, Green Riyadh, Riyadh Art and Sports Boulevard. These are expected to generate 70,000 jobs for Saudis and attract local and foreign investors, the Saudi Press Agency said. Construction for the four projects will start in the second half of this year.

SEVEN, the Saudi Entertainment Ventures company established by the in December 2017 announced government investment plans totalling $64bn to develop its entertainment industry over the next decade.

Cairoli Goes 1, 1 In The Sand

Cairoli dominates at Valkenswaard.

 

Red Bull KTM Factory rider Antonio Cairoli picked up his 88^th GP victory, his seventh at the Valkenswaard circuit and his first at the eurocircuit since 2014. Cairoli won with a perfect day as he scored 1-1 results at the Grand Prix of the Netherlands. So far in 2019 the Italian has gone 1-1-1-2-1-1 and is starting to look in total command as he heads towards the first of his three home Grand Prix’s next weekend.

“Race okay, overall I am happy,” Cairoli said. “I thought it would be difficult with my shoulder, but the second moto wasn't too bad. I controlled the race and it was good for the team to be back at his track and winning.”

Second overall was Clement Desalle and third Tim Gajser.

Cairoli another holeshot in the second MXGP race with Van Horebeek, Monticelli, Gajser, Simpson, Tixier, Tonus, Lupino, Coldenhoff, and Jonass the top ten. Desalle in 11^th spot, and Paulin back in 15^th.

Monticelli into second spot, but then crashed and took Tonus down with him. Monticelli back in ninth and Tonus way back. Desalle again on the charge as he moved into seventh place, and after a lap it was Cairoli, Gajser, Van Horebeek, Simpson, Lupino, Jonass, Paulin, Jasikonis, and Monticelli.

Coldenhoff moved into the top ten, as he passed Monticelli, and Desalle moved into fourth place, with the top ten after two laps being Cairoli, Gajser, Van Horebeek, Desalle, Simpson, Lupino, Jonass, Paulin, Jasikonis and Coldenhoff.

After four laps Cairoli led by two seconds from Gajser, then Van Horebeek, Desalle, Simpson, Lupino, Paulin, Jonass, Jasikonis and Coldenhoff. Anstie in 18^th place.

Gajser wasn’t losing ground on Cairoli as the two did similar lap times, and there was so hope that we saw a battle in the MXGP class.

Cairoli having to push hard as Gajser closed up a little, but not enough to really worry the leader. In third place Van Horebeek was also not losing too much time on Gajser, but fourth placed man Desalle was 20 seconds off the lead rider.

Paulin all over Lupino, but then the Frenchman crashed hard and dropped a few places, down in 13^th after eight laps. After eight laps it was Cairoli with a four second lead, then Gajser, Van Horebeek, Desalle, Simpson, Lupino, Jasikonis, Seewer, Lieber, and Jonass 10^th.

10 laps in and Cairoli held 3.5 seconds on Gajser, then Van Horebeek 10 seconds back, Desalle, Simpson, Jasikonis, Seewer, Lupino, Lieber and Coldenhoff in 10^th.

Jasikonis moved past Simpson for fifth place and closed up on Desalle. Some big names outside the top ten with Jonass 11^th, Paulin 13^th, Anstie 14^th and Tonus down in 23^rd.

Cairoli doing what Cairoli does, holding down a safe lead without having to push too hard, after 13 laps the lead was 4.4 seconds, then came Van Horebeek, Desalle, Jasikonis, Simpson, Seewer, Lieber, Coldenhoff, and Lupino in 10^th.

Jasikonis all over Desalle and the tall Husky rider pushed the veteran Belgian out of the way as he headed to fourth place. After 16 laps it was Cairoli, Gajser, Van Horebeek, Jasikonis, Desalle, Simpson, Seewer, Lieber, Coldenhoff and Anstie in 10^th.

Cairoli wins it from Gajser and Van Horebeek.

MXGP - GP Classification

1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 50 points; 2. Clement Desalle (BEL, KAW), 38 p.; 3. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 36 p.; 4. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, HON), 36 p.; 5. Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, HUS), 36 p.; 6. Julien Lieber (BEL, KAW), 29 p.; 7. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 28 p.; 8. Gautier Paulin (FRA, YAM), 28 p.; 9. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), 25 p.; 10. Max Anstie (GBR, KTM), 17 p.; 11. Pauls Jonass (LAT, HUS), 17 p.; 12. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 15 p.; 13. Ivo Monticelli (ITA, KTM), 13 p.; 14. Harri Kullas (EST, HON), 12 p.; 15. Tanel Leok (EST, HUS), 11 p.; 16. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KTM), 11 p.; 17. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, KAW), 9 p.; 18. Brian Bogers (NED, HON), 9 p.; 19. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, YAM), 8 p.; 20. Jose Butron (ESP, KTM), 5 p.; 21. Tommy Searle (GBR, KAW), 3 p.; 22. Sven Van der Mierden (NED, YAM), 2 p.; 23. Petar Petrov (BUL, KTM), 2 p.; 24. Anton Gole (SWE, YAM), 2 p.; 25. Gert Krestinov (EST, KAW), 0 p.; 26. Lars van Berkel (NED, HUS), 0 p.; 27. Vsevolod Brylyakov (RUS, YAM), 0 p.; 28. Jonathan Bengtsson (SWE, KTM), 0 p.; 29. Tom Koch (GER, KTM), 0 p.; 30. Matiss Karro (LAT, HUS), 0 p.; 31. Artem Guryev (RUS, HUS), 0 p.; 32. Volodymyr Tarasov (UKR, KTM), 0 p.; 33. Micha-Boy De Waal (NED, YAM), 0 p.; 

How Did He Ride This Out?

Dry Lake Motocross Park prepares for first full season

Motocross facility located north of Gypsum hopes to draw riders from near and far

A young rider kicks up an impressive cloud of dust while rounding a corner at the Dry Lake MX Park north of Gypsum. The park is eyeing a May 11 opening date for the 2019 season.
Photo courtesy Kristin Kohl

Dry Lake MX Park Fees*

• $20 annual rider registration
• $20 day pass for adults
• $20 day pass for rines age 11 to 18 years
• Free day pays for riders under age 11
• $300 adult season pass
• $500 family season pass

*2019 pricing is still tentative

GYPSUM — In a little more than a month, the Dry Lake Motocross Park will open for its first full season and the people charged with operating the facility believe 2019 will mark the time when the park really comes into its own.

The Dry Lake Motocross Park, located directly north of the Gypsum Interstate 70 interchange, about 4.5 miles north up Trail Gulch Road, represents one of the more innovative Eagle County Open Space projects. Situated on a 274-acre parcel of property owned by the county’s open space program, the motocross park is the only large, public use facility of its kind located along the I-70 corridor between Denver and Grand Junction. The Rocky Mountain Sports Riders — described as a “family-oriented dirt motorcycle riding club” — operates the park on behalf of the Town of Gypsum.

“We are trying to encourage the sport and get kids into it,” RMSR member Mitch Hayne said.

As envisioned, the Dry Lake Motocross Park will be a regional recreation facility, drawing outside dollars into the Eagle Valley. While its opening season was abbreviated, Hayne said the park is already attracting visiting riders

“We’re pulling in riders from as far away as Nebraska, Colorado Springs and Utah, and we didn’t do any advertising last year,” he said.

At peak times, Hayne said the park saw as many as 70 riders per day.

Opening day

Dry Lake Motocross Park hopes to open for the 2019 season on Saturday, May 11.

“There is a wildlife closure until May 1 and we need a little time to get set up,” Hayne said.

The town-owned park consists of six riding areas ranging from a peewee track for kids ages 5 to 9 years, to a feature track.

“We could run national level events at that track,” Hayne said. “On the feature track, it is possible to get 50 feet of air.

 

Photo courtesy Nick Barns, Peak Aerial Solutions
The Dry Lake Motocross Park features six different riding areas.

Other amenities at the park include a vet track, planned as a throwback to 1970s-era riding and a singletrack that runs 4.2 miles around the park perimeter.

“The singletrack really pushes what a ride and machine can do,” Hayne said.

Building the riding areas was just the first challenge at Dry Lake, he continued. Now that the tracks are built, the RMSR will work hard to maintain the riding surfaces. The club has a well and water truck for ongoing grooming work.

The park opened last fall, but 2019 will be its first full year of operation. Club members hope to plan a grand opening celebration later this spring.

Getting the park up and running for the year is 2019 goal No. 1 for the Rocky Mountain Sport Riders. The club also has identified 10 priority goals for the year ahead and one of its first objectives deals with safety procedures.

‘Not for the faint-hearted’

“This activity is not for the faint-hearted,” Hayne said. “We want to do everything we can to keep it safe without diluting the fun factor.”

To that aim, all riders at the site must be registered users and must sign a waiver. There is a $20 annual registration fee required to use the site and daily fees are charged, with season pass options available.

“We are currently working on a new website with a target date for going live on April 8,” Hayne said. “At that time, folks will be able to register to use the park, join the club, and/or purchase passes to the MX park from their phones or computers. There is cell service at the gate of the park, so the intent is for riders to be able to purchase a day pass right at the front gate if they don’t have one.”

The website is currently still under construction but later this spring it will be found at http://www.rmsrco.com.

As the year progresses, the RMSR plan to amp up their marking efforts and dial in their grooming schedule. Hopefully, Hayne noted, the first full year of operation will set the stage for many years to come.

 “We are just getting off the ground and getting this thing viable so it will be around for some time,” Hayne concluded.

Matterley A Huge Success

Motocross boss says this year's Matterley Estate event was a ‘turning point’

TENS of thousands of spectators gathered near Winchester over the weekend for an annual motocross event.

More than 35,000 people were counted at the award-winning Matterley Estate circuit, which hosted the MXGP and MX2 World Championships across two days.

Event promoter Steve Dixon said: “It went very well. The crowd and the riders all loved it and it’s so rewarding to see so many people show up.”

Mr Dixon said the he believed the success of the event this year was highly significant.

“We’ve been running for ten years now but this year’s event is a turning point for us. I’m from Winchester and having a successful track nearby is like a dream come true.”

He added: “For a while we have been considered a nuisance - associated with Boomtown because of the venue. But I think people now see we value the South Downs National Park.”

Historically, Great Britain dominated the early years of motocross, before the competition became more fierce.

With the rise of the sport in North America from the 1970s, the USA embarked on a famous winning streak, lasting 13 years from 1981 to 1993.

Winchester City Council was asked about the number of noise complaints but had not responded at the time of going to press.

The MX event comes as landowner Peveril Bruce is applying for a significant change to the planning status of events on his land.

Until now the MX and Boomtown events have had temporary approvals. But now Mr Bruce has applied for permanent planning permission and the application is being considered by the South Downs National Park planning authority.

Mr Bruce argues that after 20 years of hosting events on his land he has shown that the site is suitable.

However many local people object to a permanent permission saying democratic control will be lost. They cite traffic congestion, noise pollution and light pollution of the night skies.

They say that although the Boomtown event only lasts a long weekend the setting up and dismantling of the site take many weeks.

Many people have emailed the planning authority to express their support with the majority coming from outside the locality.

Yamaha head to Valkenswaard

 March 27, 2019

 

The podium champagne Gautier Paulin sprayed at the second round of the FIM Motocross World Championship has barely had time to dry as the Monster Energy Wilvo Yamaha MXGP and Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP teams head to Valkenswaard, The Netherlands, for the third stop on the MXGP calendar.

Situated between Eindhoven and the Belgian boarder, Valkenswaard marks MXGP's first sand race this season. The venue has staged 32 rounds of the FIM Motocross World Championship since its first in 1974; therefore it is one of the most familiar tracks on the 2019 rostrum.

Valkenswaard was the track at which Monster Energy Wilvo Yamaha MXGP's Gautier Paulin won his last Grand Prix. That victory was back in 2017 and was one of his most memorable with the Frenchman proving his sand-riding prowess with a 1-2 finish for the overall win.

Currently third in the 2019 MXGP Championship Standings and fresh off of the podium at the British Grand Prix three days ago, Paulin is driven to keep improving as he continues to test and fine-tune certain aspects of his incredible YZ450F machine.

Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP's Jeremy Seewer has been making solid progress. The 24 year-old surprised himself with top-five finish in the final race at the MXGP of Great Britain last weekend. As a result, he moved up to seventh position in the MXGP Championship classification, which gave him more motivation for this weekend where he hopes to inch towards a top-five overall finish.

Two frantic rounds spoiled by unlucky crashes has left Monster Energy Wilvo Yamaha MXGP's Arnaud Tonus eager to finish both races strong. The 27-year-old has proven he is capable of running the pace of the front-runners after posting quick laptimes at the previous two rounds.  Ironically, the last time he lined up at Valkenswaard was back in 2017 and on that day he topped the charts in Timed Practice beating even the most famed sand riders.

Valkenswaard is renowned for its popularity and hugely animated crowds, which are bolstered by the influx of passionate Belgian motocross fans who cross the border. Monster Energy Kemea Yamaha MX2 will be lining up for the third round of the MX2 World Championship with Ben Watson and Jago Geerts, and as a Belgian based team with two riders who excel in the sand, the team is confident that both riders can improve their current fifth and ninth place rankings. 

Joining the MXGP and MX2 World Championships this weekend, the opening rounds of the FIM WMX World Championship and the EMX125 Championship will also take place. Bearing the torch for MXFonta Yamaha WMX this weekend, as the defending World Champion Kiara Fontanesi focuses on improving her physical condition, Larissa Papenmeier will make her YZ250F debut.

MJC Yamaha EMX125 will enter the EMX125 Championship with three young riders, Florian Miot, Luca Diserens and last years YZ125 bLU cRU Cup winner, Magnus Smith. All three riders will line up on GYTR kitted YZ125 machines.

Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP's Romain Febvre will not be racing, although he will be in attendance, and he will star on MXGP's live Studio Show on Saturday 30that 10:20am (CET). It is free to view on www.mxgp-tv.com.

Gautier Paulin: "Valkenswaard is sand, so it is really high speed and rutted with a lot of big bumps. I really like the track and I have some good memories from racing there. This weekend, we have a blank page so I look forward to going there to test everything we have been working on for the last few weeks. We have been working hard to make everything better for Valkenswaard, so I hope we have improved our set-up and we have a strong weekend."

Jeremy Seewer: "Honestly, Valkenswaard in the past has been the GP that I never looked forward to. I feel like I have struggled there a lot, but I have also had two podiums there in MX2 and last year I posted some good results after my concussion in Argentina the round before. I have had some good results there even if it is not my favourite track, so I am looking forward to it anyway especially as I return to my normal condition physically."

Arnaud Tonus: "I feel a little bit second hand going into this weekend after the crash in moto two last weekend. This week I am doing everything I can to recover so that I can post some decent results, and that's all I can do at the moment."

Dutch GP gives good motivation for Team HRC

March 27, 2019

For the third round of the 2019 MXGP world championships, Team HRC head to the Valkenswaard circuit on the Netherlands / Belgium border, in what will be a good opportunity to show everyone their sand skills after two tracks that offered vastly different terrain.

Tim Gajser’s confidence is extremely high, coming off the back of his second moto victory in England last weekend, which was a culmination of his speed every time he went on the Matterley Basin track. The Slovenian rider was the fastest rider in almost every session and his performance on the Honda CRF450RW gave everyone a boost heading into this weekend at Valkenswaard. While sand hasn’t always been kind to Gajser, his work over the winter has seen solid improvements and now is chance for him to show those improvements against this competitive MXGP class.

For Brian Bogers and Calvin Vlaanderen, the MXGP of the Netherlands is the only chance for them to ride in front of their home crowd before the Assen Motocross of Nations in September, so they are both very eager to put on a good showing.

Calvin had a second place in the second race in England so he is hoping to put in a repeat performance this weekend on this dark sand surface that is located just a few minutes from his home. For Brian, the sand is a welcome switch, after growing up riding on this kind of terrain since he was a child. He’ll be looking to get his 2019 campaign going in a positive direction after a tough opening couple of rounds and this provides a great opportunity to do so.

After last year’s freezing temperatures, the weather is looking to be quite good for the weekend, which should lead to a good spectacle for riders and fans alike. This weekend sees the first rounds of the Women’s and the EMX125 championship, but the Team HRC riders get on-track at 11:30 local time (MX2) and 12:00 (MXGP) on Saturday 30th March, with the racing starting at 12:15 on Sunday 31st March.

Tim Gajser 243
It was great to that second moto win at the British GP last weekend, on what was such a special day for me. It was a shame I couldn’t get the overall, but I am very happy to be able to prove I have the speed to win races. Over the winter we have worked very hard to improve my feeling in the sand and this race is the first chance to see what impact that has made. I am confident that I can do much better and am really excited to just get back to racing again.

Brian Bogers 189
The Great Britain GP didn’t go so well so I definitely want to make improvements at my home GP at Valkenswaard. I hope that the Dutch crowd will be behind me to give me some extra energy so I can push even harder and get the results I know that I am capable of. I think if I can try and enjoy the experience, I can get two good results.

Calvin Vlaanderen 10
Getting that second place in Matterley Basin really gave me some good motivation for this week, to really work hard for this home GP. It was great to get the result, but now I want to do even better and that starts here at Valkenswaard, which is just a couple of minutes from where I live. This round is also the first sand round of the year and it is a chance for me to see how well my winter training went. I really think we made good strides with the bike setup and how I feel on the bike so I’m excited to see if I can put that into practice.

Marcus Pereira de Freitas
HRC General Manager – MXGP
After two rounds at tracks where it was quite nice dirt, we now go to Valkenswaard where it is sandy, providing another challenge for our riders and our team. However everyone is excited to show that all the work we did over the winter is paying off and I’m confident that we will see this in the results. Tim is riding really well right now and he is having fun on the bike and that is important, while for Brian and Calvin, this is their home GP so they both really want to do well in front of their home crowd. I am very much looking forward to this weekend.

TM Racing hitting the ground running in 2019

Podiums and red plates – EnduroGP team (and two-stroke) focus on TM Racing’s solid start to the 2019 season.  

World Championship podiums for Danny McCanney, a championship leaders red plate for Loic Larrieu and “one of the most incredible races of my career” for Verona. Add into the mix the leader of the new Open World Cup senior class, David Knight is also on TM 300 two-stroke and it has been a strong start to 2019 for this small, Italian manufacturer. 

In reality Steve Holcombe looks to be flying his Beta to a different planet right now above the rest of the world of enduro. But next best and certainly in good numbers have been the TM Racing riders. We’ve seen it in national championships – most notably the Italian Championship which is attracting many of the big GP teams and riders in 2019 – as well as the opening round of the Enduro World Championship last weekend in Germany. 

Viewpoint: Gautier Paulin

Gautier Paulin on a successful event

Gautier Paulin has claimed many times that he has gelled perfectly with Monster Energy Wilvo Yamaha MXGP and, based on how he has performed at rounds one and two, fans have no choice but to believe him. Paulin landed on the podium at the Grand Prix of Great Britain and then reflected on his first trip to the box in his new colours in this exclusive MX Vice interview. This interview was originally posted a podcast elsewhere on the site.

MX Vice: You have said many times you feel good on the Yamaha. You look good on the Yamaha. Now it's coming together, because you have got your first podium with the team. All positive things.

Gautier Paulin: Yeah, we are positive. We are only at the second round and we did a podium, so for sure it's positive. It was a strong ride. Second and third today. First moto without the mistake I could have pushed to maybe do something better. It was good. We improved a lot. Like I said in the interview before Argentina we had to pack the crate and put the bike in.

Now after the race we have been working hard, so it paid off. The second start was much better. We will continue working hard on our weak points, myself to get to the speed where I want to be and also with the bike. The team is strong behind me and we are pushing. 

When you said in Argentina that there was that one thing that you needed to work on, that was something to do with the starts then?

Yeah, there are many things we need to work on actually. The bike since December it's a Monster Energy Wilvo Yamaha, so we need to work on maybe a little detail that makes me happy riding the dirtbike. The starts are one of the things we need to improve. Of course, we always need to be better in every single parameter. 

In the first moto you didn't close in on Tony [Cairoli] and run him down to take the win, but you did keep the gap at five seconds for ten laps in a row. That obviously proves you were riding at exactly the same speed as him, which is still a really positive thing. That proves if you get alongside him out of the gate and start with him, then great things are going to happen.

I did close the gap. I did close the gap when Antonio got the lead and [Tim] Gajser crashed. Then I closed the gap and I made a mistake on the off-camber, which gives Antonio his comfort zone of five seconds. He did two good laps in a row, so when he is on that situation he is the strongest. I know Antonio. We'll keep working to be better. 

Any difference for you between motos one and two? Obviously, moto one you kept Tony close. Moto two you drifted back a little bit more. Track conditions? Bike set-up? Anything that kind of played into that? 

I had a much better start actually in the second moto, so this was really good. Then the sun was really low. The track was really hard. I didn't put myself in a good spot with good lines and stuff. I make a bit too much of stop and go in those deep ruts and that cost me that gap. Once you are alone, then of course pushing to be ten seconds closer wouldn't put me in a better position.

I build up. Need to enjoy this weekend with this podium. We'll keep working on my weak points, but it was good. There is plenty of stuff to improve, but the second moto definitely a bit more tight track. Was a little bit more dusty. Sun was low. To push on the spots that you don't control one hundred percent and that wasn't the best. The track of Matterley was really good, I have to say.

Finally, going to Valkenswaard and a track that's been pretty good for you in the past next week. How are you feeling in the sand on the Yamaha? are you excited?

You will see. No one has seen already in the sand with the Yamaha, so nothing comes for free. We'll keep on the same line. 

Interview: Lewis Phillips | Lead Image: ConwayMX

Hot Gossip...MXGP Down Under

Australia to host a round of the Motocross World Championship in 2020?

 

Kirk Gibbs at the tough Cosy Creek Circuit circuit at Manjimup.

Hot word around the paddock at the MXGP of Great Britain was that Australia may once again host a round of the Motocross World Championship in 2020 in Perth, WA.

Prominant and long time West Australian promoter Willie Thomson attended the round and reportaly mentioned to the crowd that that a round will be held early in the season, possibly March.

While anyhing is a long way from official it would be safe to say that the famous Cosy Creek Circuit circuit at Manjimup would be the obvious venue.

Manjimup has long been the venue for the historic Manjimup 1500 and also hosted the Motocross of Nations in 1992 that saw the American team take victory.

Australia last hosted a round of the World Championship, known as the World 500cc Motocross Grand Prix, back on March 19 2000 at Broadford in Victoria.

Local riders selected for the event, which was the opening round, included Chad Reed, Craig Anderson, Daryl Hurley, Michael Byrne, and the late Andrew McFarlane.

There have also been rumblings about Horsham hosting a round after the success of the World Junior Championshoip last August.

Stay tuned.