Qualifing MXGP of France 2024

MXGP World Championship RD7 – St Jean d’Angely

With conditions tricky and wet, taking a good start was important and Romain Febvre made sure he done that. The French rider who hurt his wrist in free practice was third after the first corner but was very aggressive and made sure he was leading after turn two.

Febvre then pulled away at the front to dominate the qualifying race. Prado was second and looking comfortable but Gajser who didn’t get the best of starts made quick passes and caught Prado to pass him for second.

Seewer who is looking much better this weekend on his Kawasaki also passed Prado to get into third – the MXGP championship is now tied at the top between Prado and Gajser!

Herlings took a decent start but got tangled up with Pauls Jonass and had to come from way back – he was able to get back up to seventh but then made a mistake on the final lap dropping down to tenth losing vital points.

Triumph...How'd They Do?

Assessing Triumph Racing's first season in Supercross

Motoonline.com Post Kellen Brauer

One season now complete for the new manufacturer on US soil.

Entering Monster Energy Supercross for the first time in the brand’s history, Triumph Racing saw their rider Jalek Swoll finish seventh in the 250SX East Regional Championship. With the element of unknown coming into the season, it was an overall strong debut season for Triumph on American soil that has set them up well moving forward.

Swoll’s final performance on Supercross in 2024 delivered a P9 result in the Dave Coombs Sr. 250SX East/West Showdown. Swoll was the fourth highest finishing 250SX East rider on the night which pushed him closer to a top five overall result on the season, but he ended up falling just short.

“The big picture was to finish the year strong and healthy, and we go into the outdoor season feeling 100%,” said Swoll. “We missed out on some bigger points scoring finishes this season, but it’s been a good first year with the team and the Triumph TF 250-X.”

There were certainly plenty of question marks entering the season on just how Triumph would perform. It’s rare that a new motorcycle manufacturer enters Supercross, but it’s even rarer when that manufacturer had done almost no racing with a dirt bike at all prior.

The only racing the bike had even done before Swoll went racing at the Detroit Supercross in early February was just offseason races completed by the factory team in Europe as riders Camden McLellan and Mikkel Haarup prepared for the kickoff of their MX2 World Motocross Championship. Having such limited experience with the machine in race trim at all, Triumph Racing felt they ticked off plenty of boxes already in 2024.

“Our aim for the Supercross season was top five, and we were just nine points away from that,” said Triumph Racing team principal Bobby Hewitt. “It was Jalek’s best year in the series and we’ve shown the world we’ve got a good bike, a good team and good program. We now go into the outdoor season leading the way as we’re tied on points with everyone!”

Swoll and the team will lament some missed opportunities as he battled for podium results on many occasions this year. But for an untested bike on Supercross, Swoll proved it to be plenty competitive. He even had to deal with some fractures in his back following a crash in Arlington and still continuously found himself battling at the sharp end of the field.

The team even had to deal with the mutual departure of their second rider Evan Ferry who was only able to compete in one race for the team. While dealing with that situation along with an injury for their test rider Ivan Tedesco, it certainly wasn’t easy for the new program. Regardless, they still never suffered a mechanical issue that pulled them out of a main event and Swoll even told MotoOnline earlier this year that he’s been happy with the progress of the bike in a short span.

“What an amazing first season for our Supercross team!” said Triumph’s head of off-road programs Ian Kimber. “They have done an incredible job of showing what the Triumph TF 250-X can do against the world’s best competition. Jalek adapted to the bike very quickly and showed some incredible speed and determination to get us close to a position where we’re fighting for podiums, not to mention so many strong starts out of the gate with a number of holeshots.”

Now the team gets to turn their attention to AMA Pro Motocross where they already have some footwork laid as their MX2 team has six rounds of their season already done. On top of that, they also have Joey Savatgy finally able to debut for the team as Savatgy was ineligible to race 250SX for them having pointed out of the class.

Savatgy and Swoll could make a bit of an underrated powerhouse team rolling into AMA Pro Motocross where both riders come in with race winning experience on their resume. For now, the team can look back and be satisfied with the foundation they have laid knowing a lot of the hard work is already done.

Glen Helen's $10,000 Pro Motocross Warm-Up Race

Glen Helen held their first annual "Stop Watch National" race on Thursday, May 16th, just over a week before the 2024 Pro Motocross series kicks off at Pala. The race had a $10,000 Pro Purse, paid out to the top 10. It drew in a healthy crowd of spectators and a long list of AMA Pro riders, getting ready for the big show next weekend. Broc Tickle, Juilen Beaumer, Dante Olivera, Mateo Olivera, Ryder DiFrancesco, Pierce Brown, Marshal Weltin, Robbie Wageman, Jerry Robin, Josh Mosiman, Derek Kelley, CJ Bernard, Cole Martinez, Parker Ross and more showed up to race. MXA test rider Josh Mosiman is preparing to race the Pala, Hangtown and RedBud Nationals, plus one Canadian National this summer and today was a great warm-up.

Free Spirit

49er Enduro

TrialGP Of Japan Kicks Off 2024 Hertz FIM Trial World Championship

Toni Bou at 2023 Hertz FIM Trial World Championship in Motegi, Japan Photo: Future7Media

The pre-season preparations are done, the riders and their machines are good to go and the wait is almost over as the countdown continues to the opening round of the 2024 Hertz FIM Trial World Championship – the TrialGP of Japan – at the Mobility Resort Motegi on 17-19 May.

The feeling of anticipation for the first round of any championship is always heightened and there is a strong sense of excitement surrounding this year’s opening salvo in TrialGP. Who has put in the hard work in the off-season? Who has the strongest will to win? Who will draw first blood? Who – and this is the question on almost everyone’s lips – can step it up and take the fight to Toni Bou?

The premier TrialGP and TrialGP Women competitors will be in action alongside Trial2 at the iconic Mobility Resort Motegi that is situated less than one-hundred-and-fifty kilometres north of Tokyo. Apart from a three-year absence due to the pandemic, the impressive facility has staged a round of the series ever since the very first TrialGP of Japan in 2000 and it is always an eagerly-awaited fixture on the calendar with its steep wooded climbs and imposing granite rocks providing a suitably tough test for the best Trial riders in the world.

The bad news for competitors in the elite TrialGP class is that defending champion Bou, who has remained unbeaten over a full season ever since he claimed his first crown in 2007, has started the year in incredible form and is currently unbeaten following the first four rounds of the 2024 FIM X-Trial World Championship.

Stopping Bou from taking his eighteenth consecutive title is a seemingly impossible task, but the thirty-seven-year-old superstar Spaniard was pushed extremely hard in the early stages of the 2023 series by his compatriot Jaime Busto who has finished runner-up in the championship for the last two years. Busto would dearly like to go one better this season, but as well as setting his sights on Bou the twenty-six-year-old must also make sure he stays ahead of the chasing pack led by Spain’s Gabriel Marcelli.

A career-best third last season in just his fourth year in the class, Marcelli is currently leading Busto in the X-Trial indoor series and is hoping that his forceful style of riding will see him add to his total of eight podiums, carry him to a first victory at this level and allow him to consistently challenge the top two for the title.

Veteran Italian Matteo Grattarola was fourth last year and is a contender for podiums and it would be foolish to dismiss two-time champion Adam Raga. Having turned forty-two last month, Raga is very much the elder statesman of TrialGP, but with his high-profile off-season move to a new manufacturer could come fresh motivation to succeed.

Outside of last year’s top five finishers, Britain’s Toby Martyn is possibly the most likely to spring a surprise. Only tenth in 2023 after missing four rounds through injury, the twenty-four-year-old already has already scored an X-Trial podium this year and is aiming to carry this form into TrialGP.

With nine TrialGP Women titles in the last ten years, Britain’s Emma Bristow must surely start favourite to retain her title. Last year she suffered just two defeats, but both of these came on the first weekend of the series and her long-time Spanish rival Berta Abellan – who won both opening days in 2023 – knows another strong start is essential if she’s to claim her first crown.

Italy’s Andrea Sofia Rabino was third last season and beat Bristow into third on the opening day of round one, but she knows consistency is key and that she cannot afford to ride at anything other than her best if she is to climb higher up the ladder.

Naomi Monnier has finished fourth for the last two seasons, but the French rider has proved herself to be a podium contender and she too will be aiming to advance up the rankings, as will Britain’s Alice Minta who scored two third-placed finishes on her way to fifth in 2023.

Trial2 was extremely unpredictable in 2023 with six different winners before Britain’s Billy Green took the title at the final round and the series’ biggest class – no fewer than thirty-four riders will be in action in Japan – is shaping up to be equally as exciting with Green returning to defend his title.

While Spain’s Pablo Suarez – who was second last year – and French rider Hugo Dufrese who ended 2023 in sixth have both opted to move up to TrialGP, former champion Sondre Haga from Norway and the British pairing of Jack Peace and Jack Dance all know what it takes to win at this level and are genuine title contenders.

In total there will be a record five electric bikes in action in Trial2 with Haga debuting the new GASGAS, France’s Gael Chatagno riding for Electric Motion and home heroes Kenichi Kuroyama, Seiya Ujikawa and Fumitaka Nozaki mounted on Yamahas.

Manuel Lettenbichler Takes Victory At FIM HEWC Season Opener

Manuel Lettenbichler got his 2024 FIM Hard Enduro Championship (HEWC) campaign off to a winning start, dominating proceedings at the Valleys Hard Enduro in the UK. Following

The opening round of the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship saw Manuel Lettenbichler take a commanding win at the Valleys Hard Enduro.

Teodor Kabakchiev and Mario Roman completed the podium in second and third.

The FIM Hard Enduro Junior World Championship supported by KLIM saw Mitch Brightmore start his title defence off with a victory in Wales.

Round one of the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship saw riders take to the start line on Sunday for the feature Race. After two exciting days of racing on Friday and Saturday, Sunday’s three-lap Hard Enduro would decide the outcome of the season opener at Valleys Hard Enduro.

As the defending champion and winner of Friday and Saturday’s racing, Manuel Lettenbichler was the red-hot favourite for victory on Sunday. And he didn’t disappoint. Fast off the line, the KTM rider quickly worked his way into the race lead and was never headed.

Teodor Kabakchiev finished 3 minutes back in second place.

Despite the hot and dusty conditions, Lettenbichler found his rhythm and opened up a strong lead. A mid-race charge by Teodor Kabakchiev saw that gap reduce slightly. But as they began the third and final lap, Manuel upped his pace even further and took a very commanding three-minute margin of victory.

“It wasn’t easy out there,” Lettenbichler said. “The pace was so fast and the intensity was high. It was difficult to find a rhythm but being able to build a gap helped. However, on the final lap, Teodor began to close in and I had to pick it up again. It’s great to take the win at round one and get the championship started in such a strong way. I’m really happy and now looking forward to the next round at Red Bull Erzbergrodeo in two weeks.”

Behind Manuel, the battle for the remainder of the podium positions was ever-changing. Initially, it was Jonny Walker who held second place on lap one. But the Kabakchiev and Mario Roman closed in and overhauled the Brit.

Kabakchiev looked strong on the technical climbs and wasn’t suffering in the heat. The Bulgarian did appear to have Lettenbichler in his sights on lap two but couldn’t bridge the gap he needed. Distancing himself from Roman, he crossed the finish line as the runner-up.

Once up into third, Roman wasn’t able to keep the pace of his teammate. Managing a comfortable gap over Walker in fourth, the Spaniard did enough to take third and claim his first podium result of the season.

After a solid start, Walker just missed out on a potential podium result with fourth, while Will Hoare completed the top five. Wade Young was sixth.

In the FIM Hard Enduro Junior World Championship supported by KLIM, it was defending champion Mitch Brightmore who took the win. The young Brit was kept honest by his younger brother Ashton, who followed him home for eighth.

After an incredible start to the 2024 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship, round two takes place at Austria’s Red Bull Erzbergrodeo on May 30-June 2.

Chase Sexton on Salt Lake City

Chase Sexton ticked some massive boxes at the final round of the 2024 Monster Energy Supercross series, Salt Lake City, as he completed the trifecta in the 450SX class. Here, he discusses that and how his starts have improved so drastically in recent weeks.

MXGP of Galicia 2024