The riders have been picked, the managers named, and now all that’s left is for the Motocross of Nations to happen in Colorado in three weeks’ time.

The Italian team is notable for whom hasn’t been named – world MX1 champion Tony Cairoli and foremer MX1 champion David Philippaerts – thanks to the fact that a resolution was unable to be found in the stand-off between sponsors and federation. Can David Guarneri, Alessandro Lupino and Manuel Monni step up?

Another disappointment? No sign of a team from South Africa this time around.

The South Africans finished ninth in Italy last year, two spots better than our own Team New Zealand.

An ill Chad Reed has been replaced by Jay Marmont for Team Australia and the much-anticipated naming of the “American B Team”, Puerto Rico, eventually held little surprise with a Puerto Rican native, Christian Ruiz, being chosen to run alongside Americans Zach Osborne and Kyle Regal.

Team Great Britain comprises two Scotsmen, Shaun Simpson and Dean Wilson (although we note that Wilson raced for Canada last year, surely making a mockery of the “origins” of riders), to join Tommy Searle.

The dice have been thrown … now let’s see where they fall on September 25-26.