The 2024 Motocross World championships reach the halfway stage in Italy this weekend, with the 10th round of 20 set for the spectacular hillsides of Maggiora Park.
The history behind the iconic Italian circuit in the north-western area of the country is such that it hardly needs to be told, even though there have only ever been 11 MXGP events at the venue, plus five Motocross of Nations events over its near 60-year history.
The first visit was in 1966, for a 500cc Grand Prix won by East German legend Paul Friedrichs, before the Motocross des Nations first went there in 1970, won by a five-man Swedish team, then two Trophee des Nations (for 250cc machines only) events, which were both won by Team Belgium.
Current MX2 star Liam Everts’ grandfather Harry Everts was on both of those teams.
Of course, one of the most famous Motocross events of all-time was held on the Italian slopes in 1986, when the incredible Team USA line-up of David Bailey, Rick Johnson, and Johnny O’Mara (the terrific trio pictured here at the 30-year celebration of that event at Maggiora in 2016) left the whole world in their wake in a perfect display of riding, only beaten by each other individually.
The venue was re-opened in 2013, holding five MXGP events since and the Motocross of Nations once again in 2016.
Tim Gajser, who won in 2015 and 2022, Jeffrey Herlings (2013-14 in MX2), and Jago Geerts (2022-23 in MX2) have each matched Puzar’s total of two wins at the circuit in that time, so will the 2024 edition see the first three-time winner crowned?
Last year’s racing was held later in the year, and saw Jorge Prado and Andrea Adamo clinch the two World Championship crowns, while Jeremy Seewer and Geerts took the Grand Prix winner’s trophies.
Herlings has won the most individual races at the circuit, five in total, although they were all in MX2, and he hasn’t visited the circuit since the 2016 MX of Nations, where he took the individual Open class win, despite The Netherlands losing the team trophy to France on the final lap of the entire weekend.
The WMX Women’s World Motocross Championship returns to Maggiora for the first time since 2013, when Italian legend Kiara Fontanesi took the overall win on the way to the second of her six World titles.
She reaches her home race lying third in this year’s series for her MXFontaRacing GASGAS Syneco team, although she is tied on points with Lynn Valk of Schmicker Racing, 42 points behind De Baets Yamaha’s series leader Lotte van Drunen.
Daniela Guillen lies second in the standings, just eight points behind off the lead for the RFME Spain National GASGAS team. The WMX class could serve up some seriously close racing at Maggiora.
EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing series also returns, with Hungarian Noel Zanocz leading by 26 points for the Fantic Factory Racing EMX125 team after his win in Latvia, while Racestore KTM Factory Rookies star Gyan Doensen holds second place.
Zanocz’s Italian team-mate Simone Mancini will be cheered on by his local supporters, as will fellow home favourite Francesco Bellei of the Dreams Racing team.
For the fifth straight MXGP weekend, the red plate changes hands as the crews head to north-western Italy.
Team HRC’s Gajser, who took only his second ever GP win at Maggiora back in 2015, on his way to the MX2 world title, and another in MXGP in 2022, carries just a four-point lead in the standings over defending MXGP world champion Prado.
The Spaniard won the first race in Maggiora last year, as a problem for Romain Febvre made the points gap insurmountable, leaving the Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing team to celebrate with their new World Champion. So far this year, when the conditions have been dry and straightforward, the #1 plate holder has been close to untouchable, but mistakes on rain-affected circuits have cost him his championship lead despite winning 6 of the 9 Grands Prix this year.
Herlings took his first win of the season for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing last weekend in Latvia, and is now 68 points behind Gajser in the standings.
Having never raced a Grand Prix at Maggiora on a 450, it’s difficult to guess where his pace will be on the Italian slopes, but that Nations appearance saw him take a 2-1 scorecard when a fall cost him the win in his first outing.
He will probably be quite happy if wet weather follows the series again this weekend.
One rider having a great year so far in MXGP is Schmicker Racing pilot Cornelius Toendel, who lies 12th in the standings and has winning history at Maggiora, having won in EMX250 back in 2022.
Mattia Guadagnini sits 14th in the standings and is the highest-placed Italian in MXGP so far, although last year’s EMX250 champion Andrea Bonacorsi is currently 16th for Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP, having switched to the bigger bike at round five.
If Guadagnini repeats his recent lightning starts on the Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing machine, the noise from the crowd will be deafening.
Ivo Monticelli is the sole survivor for the Italian MRT Racing Team Beta squad, and will again be looking to break the top ten in his home country.
PHOTO ABOVE: The winning Team United States from the Motocross of Nations in 1986 (from left) Ricky Johnson, David Bailey and Johnny O’Mara. They are pictured here at the 30-year celebrations of that at Maggiora in 2016. Photo by Andy McGechan, BikesportNZ.com
THE VIDEO: The incredible 1986 Motocross des Nations in Italy. America totally dominates with the team of Rick Johnson, David Bailey and Johnny O’Mara. The ‘O’Show’ (CR125) famously smoked the UK’s 500cc world champ David Thorpe (CR500) on the hilly Maggiora circuit. All the Americans go 1-2 in every moto and lay waste to the best motocross riders in the world.
© Photo by Andy McGechan, BikesportNZ
Find BikesportNZ.com on FACEBOOK here
2024 STANDINGS AFTER ROUND 9:
MXGP – World Championship – Top 10 Classification:
1. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 454 points; 2. Jorge Prado (ESP, GAS), 450 p.; 3. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 386 p.; 4. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 327 p.; 5. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, YAM), 299 p.; 6. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, KAW), 289 p.; 7. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, FAN), 277 p.; 8. Pauls Jonass (LAT, HON), 274 p.; 9. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, HON), 188 p.; 10. Valentin Guillod (SUI, HON), 175 p.
MX2 – World Championship Classification:
1. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 443 points; 2. Lucas Coenen (BEL, HUS), 388 p.; 3. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, GAS), 381 p.; 4. Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), 341 p.; 5. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), 327 p.; 6. Mikkel Haarup (DEN, TRI), 287 p.; 7. Rick Elzinga (NED, YAM), 278 p.; 8. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM), 228 p.; 9. Thibault Benistant (FRA, YAM), 226 p.; 10. Quentin Marc Prugnieres (FRA, KAW), 174 p.