Team USA pulled out all the stops in the final race of the three-race
series to finish 1-2 and steal the Chamberlain Trophy in their seventh
consecutive win in the Motocross of Nations and deprive host country
France of the victory. Team Australia finished in third place.
KTM congratulates all riders especially Red Bull KTM factory rider
Marvin Musquin who returned from the USA at the end of the AMA MX
outdoor season to ride for second placed Team France in the 65th edition of this annual MX face-off.
Marvin Musquin: “For sure it was a bit disappointing (to
finish second) but overall it was a good weekend for me. We went into
the last race with a three-point lead but the US team is very strong. It
was a good feeling to be back in France and to race at Saint Jean
d’Angely and it was a great atmosphere with all the French fans so
finishing second is also okay.”
Roczen and Herlings shine at MXoN
But while the big guns from the US, managed by the legendary Roger
DeCoster, the team boss of Red Bull KTM in the USA, may have been
victorious, KTM riders Ken Roczen and Jeffrey Herlings certainly raised
eyebrows with spectacular rides in their respective races. Roczen, KTM’s
recently crowned youngest ever MX2 World Champion had two spectacular
rides on the KTM 250 SX-F finishing second in race one, even beating US
rider Ryan Dungey to the checkered flag – and Dungey was on a 450
machine. Just 40 minutes later Roczen returned to the track to finish
fourth, again against the Open class. In the absence of his Red Bull
Teka KTM factory teammate Max Nagl, who couldn’t compete because of
injury, Ken was successful in vaulting Team Germany into seventh place
overall.
Ken Roczen: For sure it was a good weekend for me especially
in the firs race. I got a good start and was around seventh and from
there I was able to finish second. I even got close to Chad Reed
(eventual winner). I also had a good start in the second race but then I
twisted my knee and I broke my goggles and that brought me down a bit
but I did have a good battle with Villopoto .”
Similarly, KTM’s 17-year-old Dutch rider Herlings had two great rides
on the KTM 350 SX-F in the Open class registering a 2-9 result in races
two and three to give his country ninth overall. Herlings, who finished
second to Roczen in the MX2 World Championship is much better
acquainted with his 250 SX-F but as the strongest rider in Team
Netherlands assumed a leadership role and contested the open class on
the KTM 350 SX-F.
Jeffrey Herlings: The first moto went really well and I led
for a long time and finished second which was a great result. I didn’t
get a good start in the second moto but I came back from about 20th
to finish second. The riding was good and I felt good and I really
think I cold have finished in the top five. I’m looking forward to next
year already!”
Although it was a top day for the two young stars of the Red Bull
Teka KTM Factory Team, luck did not ride with KTM’s Tony Cairoli of
Italy, the newly crowned 2011 MX1 World champion. He went down hard in
the opening race, broke handlebars with the impact and had to retire.
After injuring his hand he was also unable to finish the second race.
Tony Cairoli: yesterday we were very happy with second in
qualifying then today I had a good start in the first race but there was
some soft mud in the first corner and I went down. I got back in the
race and I was in 16th place and riding well and really pushing, maybe a bit too much and I crashed again and damaged the bike and hurt my hand.”
KTM riders in other prominent teams were Matt Moss, the 2011
Australian MX Lites champion for Team Australia in third place, Joel
Roelants for Team Belgium in fifth place and Jose Antonio Butron for
Team Spain which finished eighth overall. Around 35 nations competed in
the MxoN.
MXoN competition format
The Motocross of Nations is made up of three separate races – MX2 and
MX1, MX2 and Open and MX1 and Open. Each team fields three riders who
each compete in two races. The team may discard their weakest result and
the team with the lowest aggregate score is the winner.
KTM scoops annual awards
The Motocross of Nations weekend in France was also the occasion for
the Annual MX Awards ceremony where KTM and its title winning factory
riders picked up an impressive collection. Joining KTM’s MX1 and MX2
World Champions on the podium was ten-year-old Jorge Prado from Spain
who won the FIM 65 cc Junior World Championship title on his KTM.
Factory Team boss Stefan Everts collected the FIM Women’s Motocross
World Championship award won by Steffi Laier who was unable to be
present because she is currently in the USA. KTM also picked up the MX1
and MX2 manufacturer’s titles and the MX1 and MX2 team awards.
MXoN RACE 1 (MXI + MX2) Results
1, Chad Reed, Australia, Honda
2, Ken Roczen, Germany, KTM
3, Ryan Dungey, USA, Suzuki
4, Tommy Searle, UK, Kawasaki
5, Tyla Rattray, Republic of South Africa, Kawasaki
Other KTM
8, Marvin Musquin, France, KTM
10, Joel Roelants, Belgium, KTM
DNF, Tony Cairoli, Italy, KTM
MXoN Race 2 (MX2 + Open) Results
1, Gautier Paulin, France, Yamaha
2, Jeffrey Herlings, Netherlands, KTM
3, Ryan Villopoto, USA, Kawasaki
4, Ken Roczen, Germany, KTM
5, Kevin Strijbos, Belgium, Suzuki
Other KTM
11, Marvin Musquin, France, KTM
12, Joel Roelants, Belgium, KTM
16, Martin Michek, Czech Repulic, KTM
MXoN Race 3 (MX1 + Open) Results
1, Ryan Villopoto, USA, Kawasaki
2, Ryan Dungey, USA, Suzuki
3, Tyla Rattray, Republic of South Africa, Kawasaki
4, Tommy Searle, UK, Kawasaki
5, Davide Guarneri, Italy, Kawasaki
Other KTM
9, Jeffrey Herlings, Netherlands, KTM
DNF, Tony Cairoli, KTM
MXoN Final Results
1, USA 26 points: Ryan Villopoto, Kawasaki, Open; Ryan Dungey, Suzuki, MX1; Blake Baggett, Kawasaki, MX2
2, France 39 points: Gautier Paulin, Yamaha, Open; Marvin Musquin, KTM, MX2; Christophe Pourcel, Kawasaki, MX
3, Australia, 44 points: Chad Reed, Honda, MX1; Brett Metcalfe, Suzuki, Open; Matt Moss, KTM, MX2
4, Britain, 46 points: Tommy Searle, Kawasaki, MX1; Dean Wilson, Kawasaki, MX2; Brad Anderson, Honda, Open
5, Belgium 54 points: Kevin Strijbos, Suzuki, Open; Joel Roelants, KTM, MX2; Marvin van Daele, Honda, MX1
Other top teams with KTM riders
7, Germany 68 points: Ken Roczen, KTM MX2; Marcus Schiffer, Suzuki, Open; Daniel Siegl, KTM MX1
9, Netherlands 81 points: Jeffrey Herlings, KTM, Open, Donny Bastemeijer, Honda MX2; Herjan Brakke, Yamaha, MX1
9/19/2011 4:35pm
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