This weekend will see the return of the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations as Mantova, in Italy, hosts the 74th edition of the great event.
Last year, due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, motocross fans all over the world were deprived of the legendary race, but this weekend will be a weekend to celebrate as 33 nations will send their best three riders to Mantova, where they will fight for pride and glory, in the hope of bringing home the coveted Chamberlain Trophy.
Unfortunately there is no entry this year from the United States, Australia or New Zealand and there are many individuals too who are world championship contenders who won’t be coming, but the racing is still expected to be extremely fast and furious.
The photo above from the BikesportNZ.com archives shows New Zealand’s Dylan Walsh (on Husqvarna No.50) racing for Team New Zealand at the previous Motocross of Nations, held in The Netherlands in 2019.
Mantova, located in the north of Italy, is a modern take on a sand circuit, featuring a series of man-made jumps, while the sand sits atop a hard base, which makes this track different to other sand circuits.
While Mantova has hosted the FIM Motocross World Championship since the beginning of the 90’s, this will be the first time that the Italian venue will have the honour of holding the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations.
Team Netherlands will line-up in Mantova as the defending champions following their maiden win in Assen back in 2019. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings, Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Glenn Coldenhoff and F&H Kawasaki Racing’s Roan Van De Moosdijk will fight to repeat the team’s success and add a second victory for the nation.
Herlings is on great form as he currently leads the MXGP World Championship standings, while Coldenhoff has been settling in well with his new team and has plenty of individual overall victories at the event which will no doubt set him up nicely for this year too.
For Van De Moosdijk, this will be the first Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations, with the youngster keen on performing well for the team.
Netherlands are one of the favourites, but another team that will be looking to take Chamberlain Trophy are home heroes Team Italy.
The team, made up of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Antonio Cairoli, Mattia Guadagnini and Alessandro Lupino of MRT Racing Team KTM is one of the strongest line-ups of the event.
Despite a heavy crash during the MXGP of Sardinia, the 9-time world champion will line-up for the races this weekend to represent his nation in the hope of adding another very important victory to his already impressive statistics, as Cairoli is yet to win a Monster Energy FIM MXoN with Team Italy.
Guadagnini who is battling for the MX2 world title and Lupino who has had some incredible results in MXGP this season perfectly complete the team which has a real chance to go for gold this year.
Team Great Britain headed by SS24 KTM MXGP’s Shaun Simpson, Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Ben Watson and Conrad Mewse of Hitachi KTM fuelled by Milwaukee are another strong contender.
The British squad will aim for a podium finish for the fourth consecutive time after finishing on the box in Matterley Basin, Red Bud and Assen.
There’s also Team France made up of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Tom Vialle, F&H Kawasaki Racing’s Mathys Boisrame and Team Honda SR Motoblouz’s Benoit Paturel as well as Team Germany with Max Nagl, SM Honda Racing’s Henry Jacobi and GasGas rider Simon Längenfelder.
Team Denmark, with Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Thomas Kjer Olsen, Mikkel Haarup of F&H Kawasaki Racing and WZ Racing KTM’s Bastian Beogh-Damm, are a real threat this year also.
Team Estonia are another notable team to mention with Gert Krestinov, Harri Kullas and Jorgen-Matthias Talviku representing the nation.
Both Krestinov and Kullas are experienced Monster Energy MXoN riders who will no doubt use their experience to bring Team Estonia the highest team classification.
While this season Team Belgium will feature some fresh new faces as Liam Everts of Liamski KTM, Brent Van Doninck of Gebben Van Venrooy Yamaha Racing and Cyrcil Genot will represent the multi-time MXoN-winning country.
© Photo by Andy McGechan, BikesportNZ
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2021 Motocross of Nations teams entered:
Italy: Antonio Cairoli, Alessandro Lupino, Mattia Guadagnini
Britain: Ben Watson, Conrad Mewse, Shaun Simpson.
Netherlands: Jeffrey Herlings, de Wolf or Van De Moosdijk, Glenn Coldenhoff
Belgium: Jeremy Van Horebeek, Liam Everts, Brent Van Doninck
France: Marvin Musquin, Tom Vialle, Mathys Boisramé
Denmark: Thomas Kjær Olsen, Mikkel Haarup, Bastian Bøgh Damm
Ireland: Jason Meara, Jake Sheridan, Stuart Edmonds
South Africa: David Goosen, Camden McLellan, Tristan Purdon
Finland: Miro Sihvonen, Emil Weckman, Jere Haavisto
Spain: José Antonio Butrón, Yago Martínez, Ander Valentín
Switzerland: Arnaud Tonus, Mike Gwerder, Valentin Guillod
Iceland: Eythor Reynisson, Eidur Orri Pallmarsson, Alexander Adam
Sweden: Alvin Ostlund, Isak Gifting, Anton Gole
Austria: Lukas Neurauter, Michael Sandner, Rene Hofer
Canada: Dylan Wright, Jacob Piccolo, Tyler Medaglia
Lithuania: Arminas Jasikonis, Dovydas Karka, Erlandas Mackonis
Venezuela: Carlos Badiali, Lorenzo Locurcio, Raimundo Trasolini
Poland: Jakub Barczewski, Tomasz Wysocki, Gabriel Chetnicki
Puerto Rico: Coty Schock, Ty Masterpool, Ryan Sipes