The Motocross of Nations teams line-ups are nearly complete and riders are bracing themselves for the treacherous sand track at Assen, in the Netherlands.
Italy, Austria, Lithuania, Poland, Australia and Estonia this week confirmed their teams to head to this “Olympic Games of Motocross” on September 28-29.
Team Italy manager Thomas Traversini has selected the following team for Assen: Ivo Monticelli (MXGP), Alessandro Lupino (Open Class) and Alberto Forato (MX2).
Lupino is currently running 19th in the MXGP world championships and this will be his seventh time competing at the MXoN, while young EMX25O rider Forato will be making his debut at the event.
Austria has confirmed its team for the event and it will be Lukas Neurauter (MXGP), Michael Sandner (Open Class) and Rene Hofer (MX2).
Lithuania were one of the countries that didn’t send a team to the MXoN in the United States last year but, with this year’s event closer to home for them, they’re coming.
Team Lithuania will be Arminas Jasikonis (MXGP), Domantas Jazdauskas (Open Class) and Dovydas Karka (MX2).
Australia will send Mitch Evans (MXGP), Dean Ferris and Kyle Webster (MX2), while Estonia have also confirmed their team and it’s pretty solid, with the same rider line up that represented Estonia in 2016 and 2017 when they finished 9th and 8th respectively.
Team Estonia is: Tanel Leok, Priit Rätsep and Harri Kullas (pictured above).
This will be Leok’s 19th consecutive season contesting the MXoN and he holds the individual record. Leok is currently running 16th in the MXGP world championships.
Meanwhile, Team Poland has announced its riders will be Tomasz Wysocki (MXGP), Szymon Staszkiewicz (Open Class) and Maciej Wieckowski (MX2).
© Photo by Andy McGechan, BikesportNZ
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THE TEAMS SO FAR:
Team France: Gautier Paulin (MXGP), Jordi Tixier (Open class) and Tom Vialle (MX2).
Team Switzerland: Jeremy Seewer (MXGP), Arnaud Tonus (Open class) and Valentin Guillod (MX2).
Team Belgium: Jeremy van Horebeek (MXGP), Kevin Strijbos (Open class) and Jago Geerts (MX2).
Team United States: Jason Anderson (MXGP), Zach Osborne (Open class) and Justin Cooper (MX2)
Team Ireland: Jason Meara (MXGP), Stuart Edmonds (Open class) and Martin Barr (MX2).
Team Great Britain: Max Anstie (MXGP), Shaun Simpson (Open Class) either Adam Sterry or Tommy Searle (MX2).
Team Australia: Mitch Evans (MXGP), Dean Ferris (Open Class) and Kyle Webster (MX2)
Team New Zealand: Wyatt Chase (MXGP), Maximus Purvis (Open Class) and Dylan Walsh (MX2).
Team Netherlands: Jeffery Herlings (MXGP), Glenn Coldenhoff (Open Class) and either Calvin Vlaanderen or Roan van de Moosdijk (MX2).
Team Spain: Jorge Prado (MXGP), Carlos Campano (Open Class) and Iker Larranaga (MX2).
Team Denmark: Stefan Kjer Olsen (MXGP), Bastian Bøgh Damm (Open Class) and Thomas Kjer Olsen (MX2).
Team Italy: Ivo Monticelli (MXGP), Alessandro Lupino (Open) and Alberto Forato (MX2).
Team Austria: Lukas Neurauter (MXGP), Michael Sandner (Open Class) and Rene Hofer (MX2).
Team Lithuania: Arminas Jasikonis (MXGP), Domantas Jazdauskas (Open Class) and Dovydas Karka (MX2).
Team Estonia: Tanel Leok, Priit Rätsep and Harri Kullas.
Team Poland: Tomasz Wysocki (MXGP), Szymon Staszkiewicz (Open Class) and Maciej Wieckowski (MX2).
Team Czech Republic: Václav Kovář, Petr Polák and Filip Neugebauer.
Team Brazil: Fábio Santos, Ramyller Alves and Gustavo Pessoa.
Team South Africa: Michael Docherty, Anthony Raynard and Lloyd Verceuil.
Team Iceland: Eyþór Reynisson, Einar Sigurðsson and Ingvi Björn Birgisson.
Team Ukraine: Volodymyr Tarasov, Dmytro Asmanov and Roman Morozov.
Team Germany: Tom Koch (MXGP), Dennis Ullrich (Open Class) and Simon Längenfelder (MX2).
Team Russia: Vsevolod Brylyakov, Timur Petrashin and Svyatoslav Pronenko.
Team Norway: Håkon Fredriksen, Kevin Horgmo and Cornelius Tøndel.
Team Puerto Rico: Justin Starling (MXGP), Chase Marquier (Open Class) and Jose Fernando Rodriguez (MX2).
Team Greece: Kritikos Emmanouil (MXGP), Andreas Andreoy (Open Class) and Alexandros Georgantas (MX2).
Team Cyprus: Christos Tsangaras (MXGP), Chrisanthos Georgiou (Open Class) and Aristos Georgiou (MX2).
Team Portugal: Piixe Sandro (MXGP), Hugo Basaula (Open Class) and Luis Outeiro (MX2).
Team Croatia: Luka Crnkovic (MXGP), Mattja Kevala (Open Class) and Nikola Hranic (MX2).