2019 Motocross Of Nations | Mid-September Team Updates
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2019 MOTOCROSS OF NATIONS | COMPLETE COVERAGE
We are less than two weeks away from the 2019 Motocross Of Nations, but there are still quite a few details that need to be sorted out before the gate drops at Assen, all pertaining to European countries and their lineups of riders. The 2019 Monster Energy FIM Motocross World Championship was especially tough on the competition this year and that continued through the final rounds, which saw a handful of riders suffer injuries that could hamper their performance or keep them from making the trip at all.
A handful of developments have taken place in the last few days, some from the 2019 MXGP of China and some from the assorted federations, so here’s a rundown of recent news.
TEAM GREAT BRITAIN LINEUP CHANGES
Injuries to Ben Watson and Max Anstie in the latter stages of the season (Watson broke his arm, Anstie suffered damage to his lungs) forced Team Great Britain to find replacement riders for their MX2 and MXGP spots. There were quite a few riders for the team to chose from, especially considering the small size of the region, but some pulled themself from consideration due to issues of their own (Dean Wilson’s still on the mend from an injuries shoulder and hasn’t raced a full-blown sand track in years, recent crashes by Tommy Searle kept him from racing the final rounds).
On Tuesday, Team Great Britain announced their updated roster for Assen and confirmed that Adam Sterry will now fill the MX2 spot and Nathan Watson will fill the MXGP spot while Shaun Simpson will remain in the Open spot. Sterry was the obvious pick for the 250 position, as he finished sixth overall in the class standings and put together a string of solid results in the closing rounds.
The interesting development was Nathan Watson’s selection for the MXGP class ride. A motocross rider at heart, Watson has moved into the off-road world with a factory ride at Red Bull KTM but has similar skills in the sand to his brother Ben. In terms of last-minute replacements, this is a solid lineup that will keep Team GB in the mix for good final result.
TEAM THE NETHERLANDS PICKS MX2 RIDER
Team The Netherlands has a lot on the line this year, as the host nation of the event and heavy favorites due to the sand skills of Jeffrey Herlings and Glenn Coldenhoff, but there was a lot left to be decided with the MX2 spot. The team management had options with Calvin Vlaanderen and Roan Van de Moosdijk and wanted to see how the two fared in the final rounds and special tests. At certain points in the process, both riders had their bright moments and bad results, like Vlaanderen’s Moto Two win in Sweden and Van de Moosdijk’s strong showing in his first MX2 races, which made the decision even tougher to predict from the outside looking in. Over the weekend in China, the team announced that Vlaanderen had earned the spot.
This is important for Vlaanderen, as the MXON will be his last ride with Team HRC and it will be a chance for redemption after an eye injury sidelined him at the 2018 race. Now that the lineup is solidified, the team can focus on hoisting the Chamberlain Trophy for the first time in the history of the event.
POSSIBLE SETBACK FOR TEAM SWITZERLAND
Team Switzerland is widely considered a sleeper pick for solid results at the MXON with Jeremy Seewer, Arnaud Tonus, and Valentin Guillod again filling spots. Seewer had a career-best year and finished second overall in the standing, Tonus put it together in the middle of the season with a string of podium finishes, and Guillod held his own in the Swiss National championship. All was looking well ahead of the race until Tonus had a crash during the Saturday portion of the MXGP of China and suffered a fracture to his hand and an inability to breathe, which forced him to visit the hospital. Tonus sat out Sunday’s motos and confirmed the injuries, but has not yet clarified if it’ll be enough of an issue to keep him from making the gate at Assen. It’s unlikely that Tonus will recover in the two-week timeframe between China and MXON.
TEAM USA PRE-RACE PREP
Have you been watching the Team Fried videos? Our homies Tom Journet and Matt Rice have chronicled the trip to Europe with Jason Anderson and Zach Osborne for a series of stellar videos that show the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing riders at work on the sandy practice tracks that are everywhere in the region. Justin Cooper recently made his way over and will spend the next few days getting up to speed ahead of the MXON, so he’ll be featured in upcoming videos.
Our ticket to Europe is booked, so we’ll land at Schipol next Wednesday, join the team for a final shakedown test day on Thursday, and be at the track through all three days.
This kind of updates are great! This along with the silly season progression you’ve been keeping up with is much appreciated. More of this kind of content is always great for bench racing.