WHERE IS TONKOV?

OT
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OT
Edited Date/Time 8/7/2020 6:38am
Anyone know where this guy is or any update on him?

Has he been racing in Russia?

When's he due back or did he call it a day?
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Muscle-Milk-KTM 6/28/2019 8:31am
6/28/2019 8:31am
He occasionally posts on Instagram of himself riding but as of late he hasn’t posted anything.

I think he’s done as a professional rider unfortunately, he was one of those rare riders that started GP’s when he was 15, like Roczen, Herlings & Petrov, very talented in his own right. A very weird situation with his passport forced him to not be able to ride in Europe.
Red Crawford
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Red Crawford 6/28/2019 9:59am
6/28/2019 9:59am
Muscle-Milk-KTM wrote:
He occasionally posts on Instagram of himself riding but as of late he hasn’t posted anything. I think he’s done as a professional rider unfortunately, he...
He occasionally posts on Instagram of himself riding but as of late he hasn’t posted anything.

I think he’s done as a professional rider unfortunately, he was one of those rare riders that started GP’s when he was 15, like Roczen, Herlings & Petrov, very talented in his own right. A very weird situation with his passport forced him to not be able to ride in Europe.
Has the precise passport issue been publicly disclosed? Wasn't there a Russian racer many years ago who could not travel due to passport issues? At least there is Borby----when healthy.
Muscle-Milk-KTM 6/28/2019 11:25am
6/28/2019 11:25am
Muscle-Milk-KTM wrote:
He occasionally posts on Instagram of himself riding but as of late he hasn’t posted anything. I think he’s done as a professional rider unfortunately, he...
He occasionally posts on Instagram of himself riding but as of late he hasn’t posted anything.

I think he’s done as a professional rider unfortunately, he was one of those rare riders that started GP’s when he was 15, like Roczen, Herlings & Petrov, very talented in his own right. A very weird situation with his passport forced him to not be able to ride in Europe.
Red Crawford wrote:
Has the precise passport issue been publicly disclosed? Wasn't there a Russian racer many years ago who could not travel due to passport issues? At least...
Has the precise passport issue been publicly disclosed? Wasn't there a Russian racer many years ago who could not travel due to passport issues? At least there is Borby----when healthy.
If I remember correctly, someone stamped his passport wrong or something like that, I don’t even think Tonkov was to blame.
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kevin204
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kevin204 6/28/2019 12:05pm
6/28/2019 12:05pm
Muscle-Milk-KTM wrote:
He occasionally posts on Instagram of himself riding but as of late he hasn’t posted anything. I think he’s done as a professional rider unfortunately, he...
He occasionally posts on Instagram of himself riding but as of late he hasn’t posted anything.

I think he’s done as a professional rider unfortunately, he was one of those rare riders that started GP’s when he was 15, like Roczen, Herlings & Petrov, very talented in his own right. A very weird situation with his passport forced him to not be able to ride in Europe.
The weird thing about it is that he went to Australia and had a factory 450 ride, but seemed to be completely out of shape. Seemed like a good opportunity to at least remain relevant in MX.
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MXMattii
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MXMattii 6/28/2019 4:21pm
6/28/2019 4:21pm Edited Date/Time 6/28/2019 4:43pm
Full story like I've heard it. Aleksandr juggled around with two (even more?) visa. Why he did that... he probably had his reasons. But then he once gave the wrong one, on the wrong time to an customs officer, who saw that there was something wrong with his stamps. So he screwed up and Europe banned him from traveling trough the Schengen-zone for x-time.

Because Australia isn't part of the Schengen-zone he could race over there. But when you stop training as a pro, you get your ass kicked everywhere in the world. He signed that Kawasaki contract at the eleventh hour and he was out of shape, badly out of shape. Maybe he was down and thought that his life as motocross-rider was done, and asked himself why bother working out?! I don't know but his bad results in Australia didn't do him well. Nobody is really waiting for Tonkov to return...
Red Crawford
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Red Crawford 6/28/2019 4:36pm
6/28/2019 4:36pm
MXMattii wrote:
Full story like I've heard it. Aleksandr juggled around with two (even more?) visa. Why he did that... he probably had his reasons. But then he...
Full story like I've heard it. Aleksandr juggled around with two (even more?) visa. Why he did that... he probably had his reasons. But then he once gave the wrong one, on the wrong time to an customs officer, who saw that there was something wrong with his stamps. So he screwed up and Europe banned him from traveling trough the Schengen-zone for x-time.

Because Australia isn't part of the Schengen-zone he could race over there. But when you stop training as a pro, you get your ass kicked everywhere in the world. He signed that Kawasaki contract at the eleventh hour and he was out of shape, badly out of shape. Maybe he was down and thought that his life as motocross-rider was done, and asked himself why bother working out?! I don't know but his bad results in Australia didn't do him well. Nobody is really waiting for Tonkov to return...
Thank you for the info, Matti. That is a shame, as he had talent.
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Shawn142
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Shawn142 6/28/2019 4:39pm
6/28/2019 4:39pm Edited Date/Time 6/28/2019 4:40pm
My best (probably because it's my only) Tonkov memory. I vaguely remember him leading most of this race.

KMC440
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KMC440 6/28/2019 4:52pm
6/28/2019 4:52pm Edited Date/Time 6/28/2019 4:57pm
As a blue blooded 'Murican the one country I enjoy watching riders from is Russia. As a kid growing up practicing the duck-and-cover drills. I was taught to hate them because they were going to kill us and take our way of life away. Fast forward and I've been watching how Bobryshev has been doing as his career developed. Odd since I'll probably never meet the racers from Russia(maybe someday at Millville) but I feel they've been able to break free of their oppressive government. I know I know ... Kev pull your head out it's not 1974... just funny how old stereotypes linger.
Hope Mr.Tonkov is doing well.

Before you youngsters laugh it was a very different world back then.
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Dropbear
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Dropbear 6/28/2019 5:16pm
6/28/2019 5:16pm
I was always fascinated by Russian motocross. From their limited bike choice, mean looking riding gear and 100k plus crowds at their GP’s.
Moiseev was a favourite RIP

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OT
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OT 8/6/2020 12:19am
8/6/2020 12:19am
Anymore news on this situation?
Neo78
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Neo78 8/6/2020 12:33pm
8/6/2020 12:33pm
Did he not have an operation in his spine, after a big crash? Sure he just chills now, with his model gf
Bidirella
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Bidirella 8/6/2020 1:09pm
8/6/2020 1:09pm
You won’t see him again racing at a pro level or MXGP.

His time and prime is sadly long gone. I don’t know if he is able to travel to Europe again, never saw something of him visiting a GP after his visa deal.

Dude got some balls and could ride a bike really well. He also proved at the MXDN at Latvia he could ride a 450 pretty good to. Would have got allot of more years in him, but that’s the past.

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