Day one of the Motocross of Nations in Teutschenthal, Germany, today went without a hitch for Team New Zealand, although it is near neighbours Australia who will be celebrating loudest after the qualifications stages of the great event.

Australia topped qualifying, ahead of the United States and Belgium, with the Kiwi trio — Cody Cooper (pictured here), Rhys Carter and Kayne Lamont — finishing the day a solid 13th of the record 40 countries entered.

Kiwi team manager Josh Coppins gives his summary of the day …

 

 

It is interesting to note that the leading riders today were the Canadian national champion, Australian Bret Metcalfe; GP and AMA  rider Ken Roczen, from Germany; and GP rider Clement Desalle, from Belgium.

Italian MX1 world champion Antonio Cairoli set down the fastest time in MX1 free practice, Desalle was fastest among the MX3 riders and Australian Dean Ferris was the top MX2 rider in free practice.

None of the suggested American or AMA dominance at this early stage.

Perhaps this will engender a little respect for the European MX scene and silence, at least for the time being, the blinkered US fans who like to believe their domestic competition is the pinnacle of the sport, despite the fact there’s a little competition called the world championships, a contest that includes riders from all corners of the planet, and that there are dozens of other domestic competitions (such as those in Australia and Canada, for example) that also feature some very fast riders.

Of course, it goes without saying that so many countries entered in the Motocross of Nations don’t have any riders who race either the AMA, Canadian, Australian or World Championships and many also don’t have millions in their populations to call upon for this event, but several individual performances have been outstanding.

Germany’s Dennis Ullrich stepped in for Team Germany in the absence of Marcus Schiffer and he finished a brave sixth in the Open class qualification race, while veteran Marc De Reuver stepped in for an injured Jeffery Herlings in the Dutch team and he managed 10th in the MX1 qualification race.

Slovenia showed up at the Motocross of Nations with just two riders — MX3 world champion Klemen Gercar and Matevz Irt — and they still managed to finish the day 25th overall, although that means they will have the difficult task of having to win the Last Chance Qualifier race tomorrow morning to even reach the main event.

MX1 Qualification:

 

1 28 Metcalfe, Brett AUS AMA Kawasaki 23:35.783

2 7 Dungey, Ryan USA AMA KTM 23:37.416

3 22 Searle, Tommy GBR ACU Kawasaki 23:49.656

4 13 Cairoli, Antonio ITA FMI KTM 23:52.034

5 4 de Dycker, Ken BEL FMB KTM 23:55.283

6 1 Nagl, Maximilian GER DMSB Honda 24:02.732

7 16 Paulin, Gautier FRA MCM Kawasaki 24:19.637

8 25 Goncalves, Rui POR FMP KTM 24:21.027

9 55 Guillod, Valentin SUI FMS KTM 24:26.005

10 10 de Reuver, Marc NED KNMV KTM 24:31.736

11 52 Lynggaard, Kasper DEN DMU Yamaha 24:40.120

12 43 Carter, Rhys NZL MNZ Suzuki 24:49.817

13 73 Barragan, Jonathan ESP RFME KTM 24:51.650

14 110 Thompson, Cole CAN CMA KTM 24:53.646

15 19 Krestinov, Gert EST EMF Kawasaki 24:56.057

16 49 Heibye, Even NOR NMF KTM 25:00.401

17 58 Tiainen, Santtu FIN SML Honda 25:10.087

18 61 Smola, Frantisek CZE ACCR KTM 25:13.373

19 70 Schmidinger, Günter AUT OeAMTC Honda 25:20.149

20 94 Assuncao , Hector BRA CBM Yamaha 25:26.421

 

MX2 – Qualification:

 

1 2 Roczen, Ken GER DMSB KTM 25:02.351

2 29 Ferris, Dean AUS MA Yamaha 25:07.570

3 5 van Horebeek, Jeremy BEL FMB Kawasaki 25:18.061

4 8 Tomac, Eli USA AMA Honda 25:21.885

5 23 Nicholls, Jake GBR ACU KTM 25:25.791

6 17 Tixier, Jordi FRA FFM KTM 25:29.620

7 74 Butron, Jose ESP RFME KTM 25:30.772

8 14 Lupino, Alessandro ITA FMI Kawasaki 25:38.123

9 32 Tonkov, Aleksandr RUS MFR Honda 25:43.471

10 11 Coldenhoff, Glenn NED KNMV KTM 25:53.883

11 71 Rauchenecker, Pascal AUT OeAMTC KTM 25:59.888

12 59 Kullas, Harri FIN SML KTM 26:03.077

13 56 Seewer, Jeremy SUI FMS Suzuki 26:05.353

14 53 Olsen, Stefan Kjer DEN DMU Honda 26:09.393

15 26 Alberto, Paulo POR FMP Honda 26:10.044

16 50 Klingsheim, Magne NOR NMF Yamaha 26:29.694

17 41 Ivanovs, Davis LAT LAMSF Kawasaki 26:31.056

18 20 Kahro, Erki EST EMF KTM 26:33.565

19 44 Lamont, Kayne NZL MNZ KTM 26:36.609

20 62 Neugebauer, Filip CZE DMSB Kawasaki 26:37.205

 

Open –  Qualifying:

 

1 6 Desalle, Clement BEL FMB Suzuki 25:08.470

2 9 Barcia, Justin USA AMA Honda 25:21.794

3 21 Leok, Tanel EST EMF TM 25:25.241

4 30 Waters, Todd AUS MA KTM 25:27.202

5 24 Simpson, Shaun GBR ACU Yamaha 25:29.161

6 3 Ullrich, Dennis GER DMSB KTM 25:29.643

7 18 Charlier, Christophe FRA FFM Yamaha 25:42.941

8 33 Mikhaylov, Evgeny RUS MFR KTM 25:59.112

9 72 Walkner, Matthias AUT OeAMTC KTM 26:00.845

10 45 Cooper, Cody NZL MNZ Suzuki 26:03.283

11 69 Nicoletti, Phillip PUR AMA Yamaha 26:04.256

12 39 Irwin, Graeme IRL MCUI Suzuki 26:08.235

13 63 Michek, Martin CZE ACCR KTM 26:09.504

14 15 Philippaerts, David ITA FMI Honda 26:16.314

15 84 Svoboda, Bence HUN MAMS KTM 26:17.539

16 75 Lozano, Alvaro ESP RFME Yamaha 26:21.451

17 51 Gundersen, Kenneth NOR NMF Kawasaki 26:25.481

18 42 Karro, Matiss LAT LAMSF KTM 26:26.794

19 12 Brakke, Herjan NED KNMV Yamaha 26:28.006

20 96 Faria, Rafael BRA CBM Yamaha 26:32.724

 

Nations Qualification:

 

1 Australia 4

1 28 METCALFE, Brett AMA Kawasaki MX1

2 29 FERRIS, Dean MA Yamaha MX2

3 (4) 30 WATERS, Todd MA KTM Open

 

2 USA 4

2 9 BARCIA, Justin AMA Honda Open

2 7 DUNGEY, Ryan AMA KTM MX1

(4) 8 TOMAC, Eli AMA Honda MX2

 

3 Belgium 4

1 6 DESALLE, Clement FMB Suzuki Open

3 5 VAN HOREBEEK, Jeremy FMB Kawasaki MX2

(5) 4 DE DYCKER, Ken FMB KTM MX1

 

4 Germany 7

1 2 ROCZEN, Ken DMSB KTM MX1

6 3 ULLRICH, Dennis DMSB KTM Open

(6) 1 NAGL, Maximilian DMSB Honda MX1

 

5 Great Britain 8

3 22 SEARLE, Tommy ACU Kawasaki MX1

5 24 SIMPSON, Shaun ACU Yamaha Open

(5) 23 NICHOLLS, Jake ACU KTM MX2

 

6 Italy 12

4 13 CAIROLI, Antonio FMI KTM MX1

8 14 LUPINO, Alessandro FMI Kawasaki MX2

(14) 15 PHILIPPAERTS, David FMI Honda Open

 

7 France 13

6 17 TIXIER, Jordi FFM KTM MX2

7 18 CHARLIER, Christophe FFM Yamaha Open

(7) 16 PAULIN, Gautier MCM Kawasaki MX1

 

8 Russia 17

8 33 MIKHAYLOV, Evgeny MFR KTM Open

9 32 TONKOV, Aleksandr MFR Honda MX2

(40) 31 BOBRYSHEV, Evgeny MFR Honda MX1

 

9 Estonia 18

3 21 LEOK, Tanel EMF TM Open

15 19 KRESTINOV, Gert EMF Kawasaki MX1

(18) 20 KAHRO, Erki EMF KTM MX2

 

10 Spain 20

7 74 BUTRON, Jose RFME KTM MX2

13 73 BARRAGAN, Jonathan RFME KTM MX1

(16) 75 LOZANO, Alvaro RFME Yamaha Open

 

11 The Netherlands 20

10 10 DE REUVER, Marc KNMV KTM MX1

10 11 COLDENHOFF, Glenn KNMV KTM MX2

(19) 12 BRAKKE, Herjan KNMV Yamaha Open

 

12 Austria 20

9 72 WALKNER, Matthias OeAMTC KTM Open

11 71 RAUCHENECKER, Pascal OeAMTC KTM MX2

(19) 70 SCHMIDINGER, Günter OeAMTC Honda MX1

 

13 New Zealand 22

10 45 COOPER, Cody MNZ Suzuki Open

12 43 CARTER, Rhys MNZ Suzuki MX1

(19) 44 LAMONT, Kayne MNZ KTM MX2

 

14 Switzerland 22

9 55 GUILLOD, Valentin FMS KTM MX1

13 56 SEEWER, Jeremy FMS Suzuki MX2

(28) 57 AUBERSON, Killian FMS KTM Open

 

15 Portugal 23

8 25 GONCALVES, Rui FMP KTM MX1

15 26 ALBERTO, Paulo FMP Honda MX2

(24) 27 SANTOS, Hugo FMP KTM Open

 

16 Denmark 25

11 52 LYNGGAARD, Kasper DMU Yamaha MX1

14 53 OLSEN, Stefan Kjer DMU Honda MX2

(38) 54 LARSEN, Nikolaj DMU Honda Open

 

17 Finland 29

12 59 KULLAS, Harri SML KTM MX2

17 58 TIAINEN, Santtu SML Honda MX1

(23) 60 SÖDERBERG, Ludvig SML KTM Open

 

18 Czech Republic 31

13 63 MICHEK, Martin ACCR KTM Open

18 61 SMOLA, Frantisek ACCR KTM MX1

(20) 62 NEUGEBAUER, Filip DMSB Kawasaki MX2

 

19 Norway 32

16 49 HEIBYE, Even NMF KTM MX1

16 50 KLINGSHEIM, Magne NMF Yamaha MX2

(17) 51 GUNDERSEN, Kenneth NMF Kawasaki Open

Countries admitted to the B-Final

 

20 Ireland 33

12 39 IRWIN, Graeme MCUI Suzuki Open

21 38 BARR, Martin MCUI KTM MX2

(27) 37 GIBSON, Gary MCUI Suzuki MX1

© Words and photos by Andy McGechan, www.BikesportNZ.com