As Aussie Toby Price goes for his third Dakar Rally title in January 2022, book stores across the country will be busy stocking up on his biography.
Endurance: The Toby Price Story is his incredible and inspiring journey from childhood racing prodigy on a remote farm in the Australian bush to the top of the podium in one of the world’s most unforgiving race events and recipient of an OAM at age 33.
Widely renowned for his ‘Bush Mechanic’ persona and one of the most beloved figures in Australian sport today, Toby has overcome many formidable bumps in the road: The death of his adored sister, Min; the tragic loss of mentors and rivals in the desert; countless broken bones and an accident that should have paralysed him for life.
The 34-year-old from Maitland, NSW, has seven Finke wins across bike and car classes, five Hattah Desert Race victories, five Australian Off-Road Championships, and two National Enduro championships.
In 2015, Toby made his first attempt at the soul-destroying, 9000km, 14-day Dakar Rally.
A stage win and an overall podium earned Price a full-time seat on the KTM Factory Red Bull Racing Team.
He now has two Dakar titles, in 2016 and 2019, and sadly crashed out while chasing the lead last year in Saudi Arabia.
He will be back next January aiming for his third title.
Endurance: The Toby Price Storyis co-written with Andrew Van Leeuwin and will be published on 1 February 2022.
Andrew is an award-winning journalist who has specialised in motorsport for more than 15 years.
He started his career at Australasian Motorsport News in Melbourne, working his way into the top digital editor role before relocating to Mainz, Germany, in 2012.
During a three-year stint in Europe he covered a number of series, including the DTM, while working for Autosport, before returning to Australia as part of Motorsport.com‘s global expansion in early 2015.
He currently leads Motorsport Network’s Supercars coverage and is considered one of the top motorsport journalists and podcasters in Australia.
He lives in Perth with his wife Anne, kids Nico and Billie and chihuahua Coco.
Three weeks, 20 motorcycles, and a whole lot of landmass to cover.
Bespoke Rallies is offering the experience of a lifetime with their 2022 Dakar Enduro Rally, set to begin February 28, 2022.
The words ‘Dakar Rally’ come with a huge following…and not a little risk. Not to be confused with the original (a blistering 6,200-mile endurance rally founded in 1977, with a bike category installed in 1979), Bespoke’s rally is more of a tour-style experience open to the masses.
It will also be the first rally to maintain as much of the original Dakar route possible, given that 2008 saw the original rally route canceled due to security threats from Mauritania.
Voted as the world’s most iconic enduro event, the Dakar Rally, or “The Dakar,” had many routes pre-2008 – the most famous being the 9,500 miles run in 1986 from Paris, France, to Dakar, Senegal. Today, Bespoke Rallies plans a very similar route, with a starting point in the hills of Britain and a finish line in Dakar.
It’s enough to get any moto head to nerd out – and who wouldn’t with giants like the Yamaha Tenere & Honda Africa Twin owing their birth to this monument of moto and auto history.
At present, the official Dakar Rally is held almost exclusively in Saudi Arabia, with no less risk to the competitors – and their wallets.
Bespoke has commented that the Dakar Enduro Rally will be more laid-back than its predecessor.
“Bespoke Rallies’ Dakar Enduro Rally takes its inspiration from this iconic endurance event, but at an altogether more manageable pace…we will be running in the wheel tracks of the original event wherever possible, using some of the finest roads of the classic route while avoiding the dune bashing of the more extreme sections.”
Dust down and gear up for the ride of the year, gents.
And bring some deodorant – you’re going to need it.
Today saw the Dakar Rally 2021 kick off with the prologue, Maurizio Gerini marking the first biker to enter the 11km stage travelling from Jeddah to Jeddah, however it was last year’s winner Ricky Brabec who stamped his authority on the day.
Ricky Brabec
“Today was good. Pretty short – just a ten-kilometre prologue. Nothing to really lose or nothing to gain. Just enough to shake the bugs out of the bike and the body. We’re now ready for the actual start. Tomorrow we start nice and early. We came away with first and second place in the prologue for me and Joan. So tomorrow Joan and I will open the way and hopefully it will go well. It’s a long race but I think strategy will start to play in, but as of now, it’s time to get lunch, get the gear off and time to focus.”
Ricky Brabec proved the man to beat topping the 2021 Dakar prologue
Joan Barreda looked like an early shoo-in for the win, with Aussie Daniel Sanders in close proximity, however Brabec proved fastest overall, just 13-seconds separating the top three.
Daniel Sanders third in Dakar 2021 Prologue – Image by Rally Zone
Joan Barreda was actually the first of the favourites to get to grips with the motorbike special, with the occasion marking his eleventh Dakar, boasting 17 stage wins under his belt, showing immediate speed. He was outpaced by Brabec by six-seconds, with Sanders a further seven-seconds in arrears.
Joan Barreda
“I am happy with this first day. It was a pretty quick prologue and it wasn’t easy. The first part was in an open river and it was complicated because we had to validate each note within an 80-metre radius. From there we entered a very stony mountainous area which was very quick and quite difficult. I hesitated over some of the Roadbook validations but didn’t really waste too much time. I am quite happy with this first contact.”
Joan Barreda
The 2020 Dakar champion, Ricky Brabec, was of course the last biker to start the special, but that proved no hurdle.
Ross Branch was fourth fastest, followed by Sebastian Buhler, Andrew Short, Kevin Benavides, Pablo Quintanilla and then Australian Toby Price in ninth 22s off pace, with Joaquim Rodrigues completing the top 10. Price’s teammates, Matthias Walkner and Sam Sunderland both also finished within a minute of the leader.
Toby Price was 22s off pace for the Dakar 2021 prologue – Image by Rally Zone
Michael Burgess was the next fastest Australian in 39th, 1m14s off leading pace, while Joseph Houlihan came home in 72th, 2m46s off the leader.
Sunday, sees the first stage of the Dakar 2021, which will be contested entirely on-track between Jeddah and Bisha. Competitors can expect 277 kilometres of special timed out of a 622-kilometre total trek. The route will pass through several valleys with several sections requiring deft roadbook reading skills. Some of the stony sections could prove detrimental to the tyres.
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Ricky Brabec & Honda to defend Dakar crown in 2021
Monster Energy Yamaha Rally Team set for Dakar campaign
Shakedown tests complete for KTM Dakar crew
New rules aimed at boosting Dakar safety
Dakar Rally 2021 schedule
Dakar Motorcycle Entry List 2021
2021 Racing Calendars
Inaugural e-FMX World Champion crowned
The Grand Final of the inaugural e-FMX World Championship produced the best gameplay to date with two new champions and the introduction of a brand new Night of the Jumps Best Trick level in TiMX : This is Motocross.
E-FMX World Championship Trophy
The Grand Final episode featured a three-way battle between the favourite for the series, Nitro World Games winner from Australia, Pat Bowden, who was up against the Spanish FMX Champion and TikTok MX star, Pedro Moreno and the young gun from the Czech Republic, Matej Cesak.
Pedro Moreno put together one of the best runs of the series in the final. After two weeks training since the Semi Finals, Pedro decided to utilise more variety in his run including the McMetz to Cliffhanger combo which was actually performed IRL by Dany Torres from Spain. Unfortunately variety alone wasn’t enough to advance further and Pedro finished the season in third position.
After 11 months out of action due to injury, Pat Bowden returned to his YZ250 only a week ago since his crash in January. However, after his first ride, Pat’s doctor scheduled him in for surgery immediately to remove the Lunate bone in the wrist and replace it with a prosthetic replacement! This all happened two-days before the final run of the game. Somehow, Pat managed to put together an incredibly good run inside TiMX, and the judges voted him to be in second position overall.
With the smoothest of runs, showing incredible variety, dexterity and difficulty in tricks both in real life and inside the game mechanics, Matej Cesak was crowned the first ever e-FMX World Champion by proving every week to be one of the best riders. Perhaps as the youngest in the final he had an advantage on the mobile game, but Matej’s win could not be disputed with such a smooth run and some tricks looking very similar to his style in real life!
Matej Cesak
For the win, Matej takes home $500 for winning the overall series from TiMX and Aussie Adrenaline, but also receiving an invite to compete at a real-world FMX competition at Night of the Jumps in 2021 and also 250,000 Gold Coins of in-game currency.
The first ever FMX eSport series became even more interesting in the final round, with a brand new discipline coming online only four days before the final with an all new FMX Best Trick competition mode inside the Night of the Jumps textured level.
With an invite open to all 16 players who had competed throughout the series and a couple of new riders, the Best Trick competition was on another level with a Roll-in set up to give the rider enough speed before the huge Moon Booter, the largest ramp built into the game, with riders able to try almost any trick imaginable!
There was so much variety from Josh Sheehan’s 720 to Taka Higashino’s Double Backflip California Roll 360 to Maikel Melero’s Quadruple Backflip with a Bike Flip (technically creating the only Quin Flip in the entire series!). However the win came down to the riders who showed variety, degree of difficulty and also innovation.
Tied for third place, was Matej Cesak and Pat Bowden. Matej with his Quadruple Backflip 360 California Roll and Pat with his Triple Backflip 360 with a Bike Flip. The runner-up for Best Trick was the Russian FMX Champion and Crowd Favourite, Nick Ivankov with his very innovative Backflip to Inside Roll (body varial) to Front Flip.
Pedro Moreno – Best Trick Winner – Image courtesy of Pedro Moreno FMX Instagram
The winner for the first ever e-FMX World Championship Best Trick competition was the Spanish FMX Champion, Pedro Moreno. Pulling a Quadruple Backflip including a 360 in the middle and holding the Cliffhanger on the final backflip rotation, Pedro showed an incredible use of game mechanics to produce the trick while stating that he “needs more fingers and hands to perform bigger tricks!”
Not only is the special Night of the Jumps track in the game for this competition series, it is also available for all players who have downloaded the game on iOS or Android platforms with the Gold VIP Membership. The NOTJ Track which was designed from the Berlin World Championship course looks almost identical to the real world and is available in the Early Access area for VIP Members with the option to become available as one of the divisions in the open game.
The e-FMX World Championship series could not have happened without the support of FC Moto. Aussie Adrenaline produced an incredible mobile game, and Night of the Jumps partnered with AA to create this all new eSport series in 2020 and into the future with all new projects.
Brayton to lead all new Muc-Off Honda Racing Team in AMA SX
Konsky Motorsport Group have announce Muc-Off as their new title sponsor for 2021. Muc-Off Honda, run by Australian Yarrive Konsky, will be competing in the premier division of the US world championship – the Monster Energy AMA Supercross as well as select European rounds during 2021.
Heading up the team is four times Australian SX champion and Daytona Supercross Winner veteran Justin Brayton, who will compete in the 450SX class on the new 2021 CRF 450R.
Brayton is considered to be the most consistent rider in the prolific series, finishing inside the top ten 12 times during the 2020 season. 2021 marks Brayton’s 18th year as a professional motocross/supercross racer. In 2018 he achieved a career best where he won the main event in Daytona onboard a CRF 450R and in 2012 he had his best overall championship finish – fourth.
Justin Brayton
“It’s super exciting to be working closely with Yarrive again for 2021, especially with him bringing an exciting new brand to the table. His passion and enthusiasm for this sport has been a positive influence on me. We have seen a lot of success in Australia, so I hope to relive this in the U.S supercross this year. I have been riding the new 2021 CRF 450R and I am feeling comfortable on it, testing has been great so now I just need to put it all together and focus on a strong and consistent season.”
Justin Brayton – Muc-Off Honda Racing Team
Mitchell Oldenburg will also be returning to the team in 2021 where he will be riding the CRF 250 alongside new teammate Mitchell Harrison. Harrison returns to the American Supercross Championship after a brief stint racing in the FIM World Motocross championship in the MX2 class.
Mitchell Oldenburg
“This is my third season with Yarrive and Honda and I feeling more ready than ever to go racing. Riding the same bike for a third season is an advantage as I am feeling so comfortable with the bike and I feel at home with the team. With Muc-Off as the new title sponsor, it has given me the motivation to show the world what I have got!”
Mitchell Oldenburg – Muc-Off Honda Racing Team
Mitchell Harrison
“When I got the call up to race for Muc-Off Honda, I was excited as I have only good things about their program. I went out to test the bike and immediately asked for the contract as it just felt right. The team is competitive and because of both Muc-Off and Honda coming in to support the team for 2021, I am committed to getting top results.”
The Supercross season gets underway at the NRG Stadium in Houston Texas on the 16th January 2021. This will be the first of three races in Houston.
Mitchell Harrison – Muc-Off Honda Racing Team
Yarrive Konsky – Team Owner
“I am really pleased that we can finally shout about our plans for 2021. It has been 4 months in the making, with a final push at the 11th hour to get to this point, but now we are here, I am keen to start seeing results. Working with Muc-Off as our new title sponsor for next year has been really refreshing. Their ethos and work ethic has been instrumental in getting us here and I am looking forward to seeing this relationship develop.”
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Jonny Walker teams up with Beta Motorcycles in 2021
Jonny Walker has signed with Beta in a Factory supported team to challenge for top honours in both the Super Enduro World Championship and the new FIM Extreme Championship in 2021, marking his first appearance on the Beta and along with existing support from worldwide brands Redbull, Leatt, GoPro, POD.
Jonny Walker joins Beta in 2021
Jonny Walker
“It is really exciting for me to undertake this new adventure, seeing the success that BETA has had in World Enduro championship over the years made my decision easy. Being able to carry on with my existing loyal sponsors is amazing and a credit to their vision and direction. I am really looking forward to working with new brands and helping them grow.”
Jonny Walker
Fabrizio Dini Factory Beta Team Manager
“Beta are extremely happy to support Jonny, he is for sure a very professional and strong world class rider. We are excited to work with him as we know that he is serious and professional about his business and the great results that will surely follow. Beta are also very happy that we are starting work as soon as possible and look forward to a good and successful season working together.”
Jonny Walker will compete the Super Enduro World Championship and the new FIM Extreme ChampionshipMoto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Ricky Brabec to defend Dakar crown in 2021
For the first time since the official Honda team returned to the Dakar Rally in 2013 after a 23-year absence, one of the team bikes will compete the event with the number one emblazoned on its fairings. The Monster Energy Honda Team will be seeking to replicate the feat achieved by Ricky Brabec last year, as they face a new goal and a new challenge.
Monster Energy Honda Rally Team – Dakar 2021
The Monster Energy Honda Team is already in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, sitting out the final hours of lockdown in the hotel, after the final COVID-19 testing, ahead of the day of scrutineering. The team is all set to do battle in the 2021 Dakar Rally in a bid to hold on to the title clinched last year by American Ricky Brabec.
Recent months have seen the team undergo very thorough pre-race preparations in order to arrive at the world’s toughest race in the best possible conditions.
Ricky Brabec – Monster Energy Honda Rally Team – Dakar 2021
Ricky Brabec
“We’ve finished the scrutineering and we are now looking forward to the prologue tomorrow. The whole team is ready. I’m ready as well. We will try and do our best to defend the number one. It’s not going to be easy. The target on our back is pretty big. But we are here and we can’t really say much right now. The race hasn’t even started. We’ll get back to you guys in a couple of days and let you know how things are going. That’s the goal – to defend the number one.”
Ricky Brabec, José Ignacio Cornejo, Kevin Benavides and Joan Barreda are the four factory riders lining up for the Monster Energy Honda Team, all having managed to finish the most recent edition of the Dakar. The squad arrives at the Dakar in top physical shape, hoping to relive the sensation of lifting the Dakar winner’s bronze Touareg prize.
José Ignacio Cornejo- Monster Energy Honda Rally Team – Dakar 2021
José Ignacio Cornejo
“I’m happy to be here to start another Dakar Rally, my sixth and fourth with HRC. I’m pleased, the team is solid and highly-motivated, eager to get out and have a good race. Tomorrow, we have the prologue and it will be important to make a solid start, with good pace and without making mistakes. It will be a good chance to get a feel for things ahead of stage one on Sunday. We will give it everything we can, as always.”
Gilles Lalay won the Dakar back in 1989 and no other Honda rider has since adorned the plaque until 2021. The American rider’s CRF450 Rally now proudly sports the winner’s decals. Ricky Brabec will be accompanied by three other top-class riders: Chilean José Ignacio Cornejo, fourth last year, who has proven to be a valuable asset, adapting well to the Saudi Arabian terrain.
Kevin Benavides- Monster Energy Honda Rally Team – Dakar 2021
Alongside will be Argentinean rider Kevin Benavides (#47), runner-up in 2018. He will be another rider aspiring to claim the overall victory and arrives on top form this year after a win at the Andalucia Rally. No introduction is necessary for Joan Barreda (#88). By now a Dakar rider of legendary status, having participated eleven times and the current competing rider with the highest number of stage wins under his belt – 24.
Kevin Benavides
“Everything is ready. The wait is over and I am very motivated to start this new Dakar Rally. I have trained a lot and I was able to win in the only race – the Andalucia Rally – that I competed in, which has made me far more motivated to arrive here in good shape. I am eager to start this Dakar, so let’s get the action underway!”
Joan Barreda
“Today we did the administrative and technical verifications and the truth is that everything went quite quickly because we had practically everything ready to go. Normally everything is slower and more laborious. Now we only need to start tomorrow at noon with the prologue where we can give it some throttle, which is what we all want.”
Joan Barreda- Monster Energy Honda Rally Team – Dakar 2021
The 2021 Dakar Rally begins on January 3 in Jeddah and is set to finish in the same Saudi Arabian city on the 15th of the same month after a total 7,649-kilometre trek, to include some 4,767 kilometres against the clock.
Ricky Brabec- Monster Energy Honda Rally Team – Dakar 2021
Ruben Faria – General Manager
“The bikes have been checked, the documents, too. Everything is done and we are ready to start the prologue tomorrow that will determine the starting order on the first day. It won’t be a very long special, but there will be some navigation and we hope it won’t be too complicated. It will be difficult for the riders as starting the Dakar is always an emotion-filled event. The idea is that they can do the best possible prologue. The goal is to reach January 15 on top sport and with all the bikes in the top ten, with some good feelings. There are many very good riders. Ours guys are good too and they are also in great shape. I’m confident the team to be able to produce a good result.”
The Monster Energy Honda Team at Dakar scrutineeringMoto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Monster Energy Yamaha Rally Team set for Dakar campaign
In 2021, for the first time in history the Monster Energy Yamaha Rally Team will enter the Dakar Rally with five riders. Forming a formidable line-up of experienced, determined racers, all eyes will be on Adrien Van Beveren, Franco Caimi, Andrew Short, Ross Branch and Jamie McCanney as all five take on one of the world’s toughest off-road rally races in the new year.
Monster Energy Yamaha Rally Team – Dakar 2021
With the opening stage of the 2021 Dakar Rally set to kick off, all members of the team are fully prepared for the upcoming challenge. Well aware of the demanding days that lay ahead, each rider heads to the start line with high hopes and with the experience needed to secure a strong result in the desert.
Leading the team is the experienced Frenchman Adrien Van Beveren. Fully focused on his dream of winning the Dakar Rally, after spending the early part of 2020 recovering from surgery, he more recently spent much of the autumn and early winter in Dubai, re-acquainting himself with the same desert conditions he will face this January. Currently feeling strong and riding as well as he’s ever done following a positive outing at the Hail Rally, Van Beveren is set to take on the Dakar Rally in arguably his best ever form.
Adrien Van Beveren
“Since my crash at Dakar in 2020 it took two surgeries before I could work on my full recovery. I had six months off the bike, but I now feel really good. I’m not deterred by my crash last year and I still dream of winning the Dakar. This has been my motivation to work hard and prepare myself for 2021. My training has gone really well and I have been in Dubai riding in the dunes for a while now, so I feel like I am back to my best. I managed to race the Hail Rally recently, which was a positive part of my training. With the race taking place on the same terrain as the Dakar it also included tricky navigation, so it was perfect for me to race there. My bike is good and I feel good, so I am really confident now and I can’t wait to go racing again.”
Adrien Van Beveren
Franco Caimi was a consistent threat for top five stage results throughout the 2020 Dakar Rally, with the 32-year-old ultimately placing eighth overall to match his career-best result from the 2017 edition. Since then, Franco returned home to his native Argentina and following a brief recovery period and time to reflect, he switched his attention to the 2021 edition. Now, with months of focused training under his belt, Caimi is confident in establishing himself as a title contender.
Franco Caimi
“I’ve been at home training in Argentina and my preparations have been going really well. I feel great on the bike and physically and mentally I’m ready to go racing. I’m confident for a good result in 2021. For sure I will be pushing for the win which would be amazing for me and the team and it’s what I have been working for. I’ve studied the schedule and the stages, and the new route looks really good with a lot of mixed terrain, so I’m positive for a good result at the Dakar.”
Franco Caimi
Since joining the Monster Energy Yamaha Rally Team in March 2020, Andrew Short has spent much of the year riding in the Nevada desert, becoming fully acquainted with his Yamaha WR450F Rally machine. Following months of training, he made his racing debut with the team at the Andalucia Rally in Spain where a positive result saw Short confidently adjust to his new team surroundings and further develop his bike set-up. Looking ahead, Andrew has drawn upon his experiences from previous Dakars to form a solid race strategy heading into the 2021 event as he looks forward to taking on the Dakar rally challenge.
Andrew Short
“It’s been a strange year with only one race since the last Dakar, so it’s not been normal that’s for sure. I raced the Andalucia Rally which was only a small race, but it was important as it was the first one for me on the Yamaha. It was good for me to ride the bike in a race environment but also work with the whole team and spend time with the whole crew. I’ve been training a lot in the Nevada desert, continuing to learn the bike and lately I’ve been working on getting back into the racing mindset. The Dakar is a race like no other and for 2021 I’ll be taking it day by day. You learn a lot every year and for me it will be important to know when to push and when not to. I can’t wait to start racing and hopefully by the end of 13 days in the desert we can come away with a solid result.”
Andrew Short
Much like his teammates Franco and Andrew, Ross Branch has spent much of 2020 training, clocking up countless miles on his Yamaha WR450F Rally in his Botswana homeland. Working on further improving his roadbook skills, and now armed with the full support of the Monster Energy Yamaha Rally Team, Ross is excited to race at the 43rd edition of the Dakar. With Branch looking to harness his raw speed to ensure consistently high stage results, the 34-year-old is aiming for a top 10 overall result.
Ross Branch
“My training and preparation for Dakar has gone amazingly well and I’m really excited for January 3 to get things started. I’ve spent a lot of time at home in Botswana on my Yamaha and focussed on my roadbook training. I’m really happy with everything and it’s not long until we can go racing. It’s a strong field for 2021 and I think there’s 20 riders that could win. I’ll be focussing on minimising mistakes and being consistent on every stage. I’m really thankful for the team giving me this opportunity to give the Dakar my best shot and I hope to repay them with a solid result inside the top 10.”
Ross Branch
The team’s youngest rider is 26 years old Jamie McCanney, who is well prepared for what will be his second Dakar Rally. Still very new to the discipline, the Manxman made his Dakar debut a little over a year ago, making positive steps as the event progressed. Towards the end of the two-week race, Jamie enjoyed some rapid progress, delivering his best on stage 11 with sixth overall – a result that helped push him up the leaderboard to 15th in the final classification. With valuable experience earned, and with more time spent working on the set-up of his Yamaha WR450F Rally, McCanney is confident of improving upon his debut result.
Jamie McCanney
“I’m really looking forward to the Dakar Rally. It’s a shame that we only got to race once since the last Dakar and I’ve not been able to ride sand dunes like I’ll experience in January. I’ve been preparing myself in different ways though, working hard on my roadbook skills especially. I’ve been doing as much as I can, riding a lot and I’m really happy with my bike. Throughout the year the team has been working hard and we’re much better prepared than last time, so I’m happy with where we are at ahead of racing again. My expectations are to take it day by day, step by step, but ultimately I want to enjoy my riding and improve upon my 15th place finish last year.”
Jamie McCanney
The 2021 Dakar Rally gets underway in the port city of Jeddah on January 3 and will cover more than 7500km before finishing in the same location on January 15.
Alexandre Kowalski – Yamaha Europe Off-Road Racing Manager
“For sure 2020 has been a challenging year but we are really looking forward to the Dakar Rally. It’s an exciting time for the team as it will be the first time in history that five official Yamaha riders will race in this event. With Adrien, Franco, Jamie, Ross, and Andrew, we have a very strong team. We were fortunate to race the Andalucia Rally in October with all riders present and that was really good practice and preparation for us. The team spirit is really strong and they have all been training hard. Because of travel restrictions they have had to make their final preparations alone, but they are all hard workers and know what they need to do. The bike for 2021 has a few minor changes, so in their final preparations the riders can fully-focus on their riding and roadbook training. For Dakar, there are new regulations, with the new safety air bag and especially with the number of rear tyres that each rider can use. Each rider can only use six in total so there is some race management that the riders need to think about and prepare for. There is a strong line-up of riders and our team is ready for the challenge. We’re excited to start racing.”
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Shakedown tests complete for KTM Dakar crew
Held in the Middle East for the second consecutive year, and celebrating its 43rd edition, this year’s Dakar Rally looks set to challenge all competitors from day one. Following the short 11km Prologue, riders will face 12 demanding stages, totaling 7,646km, taking them through some of the toughest terrain Saudi Arabia has to offer.
Toby Price, Matthias Walkner and Sam Sunderland
Delivering a completely new route for 2021, the event organizers have been working hard to create a race that further tests all competitors’ navigational skills. Average speeds across the 4,767km of timed specials will also be reduced, with the stages expected to comprise of slower, more technically demanding terrain. In the interest of safety, new regulations have also been brought in for this year’s race, including restrictions on tires, an audible warning system that will notify riders of dangers ahead while racing, as well as airbag jackets also becoming compulsory.
The three Red Bull KTM Factory Racing riders already enjoy a huge amount of rally experience – all three are former Dakar winners – together with knowledge of racing the Dakar in the Middle East. Toby Price, Matthias Walkner and Sam Sunderland are fit and fully motivated to take on the upcoming race and have their sights set on securing strong results.
Daniel Sanders – Image by Marcin Kin
KTM Factory Racing’s Daniel Sanders has only contested one cross-country rally in his career and comes into the 2021 Dakar as a relative rookie. Nevertheless, the team’s junior rider has shown great maturity and speed on the run up to the race and will be aiming to complete the event with a solid finish.
Jordi Viladoms – KTM Rally Team Manager
“Things are going well here in Jeddah, it has been a tough journey for the whole team to get here with the various restrictions and tests in place, but we’re 100% ready for the race now. The Shakedown was extremely positive, and although the terrain wasn’t quite what we expect to face in the rally itself, all riders were immediately up to speed and felt comfortable on their bikes. We now just have to complete the final administrative and technical checks and then we can finally go racing!”
Following the short Prologue on Saturday, January 2, the 2021 Dakar Rally starts with the 623km stage one on Sunday, January 3 from Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. In total, the event consists of 12 full stages, covering a distance of 7,646km, with the finish also taking place in Jeddah, on January 15.
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New rules aimed at boosting Dakar safety
It is a question as old as motorbike racing itself: how can one go faster than the competition without being too reckless? Even the Dakar has to come up with an answer to this dilemma for the world of motor sports, as bikers seek to squeeze every last ounce of speed from their machines while organisers place the safety of the competitors at the heart of their concerns.
Tyre limits aim to slow riders down, boosting safety, with only six rears allowed – Daniel Sanders’ 2021 KTM 450 Rally
Bikers, manufacturers, organisers, federations and other stakeholders came together in Lisbon in autumn to bridge the gap between these ambitions. “It has become obvious that motorbikes go too fast nowadays”, stresses David Castera, the director of the Dakar. “Today’s 450 cc single-cylinders are just as fast as the 800 cc twin-cylinders of the late 1980s, and they accelerate even faster to boot. There are two main approaches to boosting safety. Active safety is about improving the equipment used, for example, by requiring the use of airbags, whereas passive safety can be increased by capping the speed of the bikers and similar rules.
“Too many bikers want to ride as if it were a motocross race, but a rally raid is completely different. The focus is on endurance and stamina. This is why top bikers will not be allowed to use more than six rear tyres throughout the two weeks of racing. “Going full gas on stony terrain will no longer be an option for anyone who wants to win this race”, insists David Castera. “They will have to take care of their gear to make it to the finish.”
Race official Jordi Pérez was in charge of marking the batch of six tyres for each of the competitors subject to the new rule. “36 bikers are affected, explains the Spaniard, who is serving as a technical scrutineering official. “The tyres all have to be the same model and are branded with a red-hot iron. We also put a special sticker on them and paint them with a stroke of coloured reactive marker.” As abrasive as it is, even the Saudi sand should be unable to erase these markings.
2021 Dakar Schedule
Stage
Date
Start > Finish
Total
Special
P
Saturday, January 2, 2021
Jeddah > Jeddah
11 km
11 km
1
Sunday, January 3, 2021
Jeddah > Bisha
622 km
277 km
2
Monday, January 4, 2021
Bisha > Wadi Al Dawasir
685 km
457 km
3
Tuesday, January 5, 2021
Wadi Al Dawasir > Wadi Al Dawasir
630 km
403 km
4
Wednesday, January 6, 2021
Wadi Al Dawasir > Riyadh
813 km
337 km
5
Thursday, January 7, 2021
Riyadh > Buraydah
625 km
419 km
6
Friday, January 8, 2021
Buraydah > Ha’il
655 km
485 km
Rest
Saturday, January 9, 2021
Ha’il (Rest Day)
–
–
7
Sunday, January 10, 2021
Ha’il > Sakaka
737 km
471 km
8
Monday, January 11, 2021
Sakaka > Neom
709 km
375 km
9
Tuesday, January 12, 2021
Neom > Neom
579 km
465 km
10
Wednesday, January 13, 2021
Neom > Al-Ula
583 km
342 km
11
Thursday, January 14, 2021
Al-Ula > Yanbu
557 km
511 km
12
Friday, January 15, 2021
Yanbu > Jeddah
452 km
225 km
Dakar 2021 Preview
2021 Dakar Motorcycle Entry List
Num.
Rider
Nat.
Team
1
Brabec Ricky
USA
Honda Monster Energy Honda Team 2021
2
Quintanilla Pablo
CHL
Husqvarna Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
3
Price Toby
AUS
KTM Red Bull KTM Factory Team
4
Cornejo Florimo Jose Ignacio
CHL
Honda Monster Energy Honda Team 2021
5
Sunderland Sam
GBR
KTM Red Bull KTM Factory Team
6
Caimi FRAnco
ARG
Yamaha Monster Energy Yamaha Rally Team
7
Short Andrew
USA
Yamaha Monster Energy Yamaha Rally Team
9
Howes Skyler USA
KTM
Bas Dakar KTM Racing Team
11
Svitko Stefan
SVK
KTM Slovnaft Rally Team
12
De Soultrait Xavier
FRA
Husqvarna Ht Rally Raid Husqvarna Racing
15
Santolino Lorenzo
ESP
Sherco Tvs Sherco Tvs Rally Factory
17
Pedrero Garcia Juan
ESP
KTM Fn Speed – Rieju Team
18
Branch Ross
BWA
Yamaha Monster Energy Yamaha Rally Team
19
Goncalves Dias
RUI
Jorge PRT Sherco Tvs Sherco Tvs Rally Factory
20
Tomiczek Adam
POL
Husqvarna Orlen Team
21
Sanders Daniel
AUS
KTM KTM Factory Team
22
Giemza Maciej
POL
Husqvarna Orlen Team
23
Jakes Ivan
SVK
KTM Jakes Dakar Team
24
Bühler Sebastian
DEU
Hero Hero Motosports Team Rally
25
Spierings Paul
NLD
Husqvarna Ht Rally Raid Husqvarna Racing
26
Engel Milan
CZE
KTM Moto Racing Group (Mrg)
27
Rodrigues Joaquim
PRT
Hero Hero Motosports Team Rally
29
Gyenes Emanuel
ROU
KTM Autonet Motorcycle Team
30
Gelazninkas Arunas
LTU
KTM Zigmas Dakar Team
31
Michek Martin
CZE
KTM Moto Racing Group (Mrg)
32
Schareina Tosha
ESP
KTM Fn Speed – KTM Team
33
Koitha Veettil Harith Noah
IND
Sherco Sherco Tvs Rally Factory
34
Patrao Mario
PRT
KTM Credit Agricola – Mario Patrao Motosport
35
Guillen Rivera Juan Pablo
MEX
KTM Nomadas Adventure
36
Brabec Jan
CZE
KTM Strojrent Racing
37
Pabiska David
CZE
KTM Jantar Team
39
Melot Benjamin
FRA
KTM Benjamin Melot
41
Yakp Zaker
CHN
KTM Wu Pu Da Hai Dao Dakar Rally Team
42
Van Beveren Adrien
FRA
Yamaha Monster Energy Yamaha Rally Team
44
Sanz Laia
ESP
Gas Gas Gas Gas Factory Team
45
Min Zhang
CHN
KTM Wu Pu Da Hai Dao Dakar Rally Team
46
Marcic Simon
SVN
Husqvarna Marcic
47
Benavides Kevin
ARG
Honda Monster Energy Honda Team 2021
48
Doveze Mathieu
FRA
KTM Nomade Racing Assistance
50
C. S. Santosh
IND
Hero Hero Motosports Team Rally
51
Al-Lal Lahadil Rachid
ESP
KTM Melilla Sport Capital
52
Walkner Matthias
AUT
KTM Red Bull KTM Factory Team
53
Podmol Libor
CZE
Husqvarna Podmol Dakar Team
54
Chapeliere Camille
FRA
KTM Team Baines Rally
55
Hongyi Zhao
CHN
KTM Wu Pu Da Hai Dao Dakar Rally Team
56
Pacheco Giordano
COL
KTM Calidoso Racing Team
58
Iglesias Sanchez Eduardo
ESP
KTM Fn Speed – Team Monforte Rally
59
Interno Tiziano
ITA
Beta Rally Pov
60
Darques Stéphane
FRA
Yamaha M.O.R.Al
61
Dubois Norbert
FRA
KTM Aventure Moto 61
62
Houlihan Andrew Joseph
AUS
KTM Nomadas Adventure
63
Dabrowski Konrad
POL
KTM Duust Rally Team
65
Picco FRAnco
ITA
Husqvarna Team FRAnco Picco
66
Bouchet Pascal
FRA
KTM Team Baines Rally
67
Lhotsky Rudolf
CZE
Husqvarna Jantar Team
68
Mccanney Jamie
GBR
Yamaha Monster Energy Yamaha Rally Team
69
Roelants Walter
BEL
Husqvarna Ht Rally Raid Husqvarna Racing
70
Alghuneim Mishal
SAU
KTM Mishal Alghuneim
71
Farhan Salman Mohamed Humood Farhan
BHR
Husqvarna Ht Rally Raid Husqvarna Racing
72
Rauber Pascal
FRA
KTM Team 2rm
73
Jaffar Mohammed
KWT
KTM Duust Rally Team
74
Betriu Jaume
ESP
KTM Fn Speed – KTM Team
76
Krejci Roman
CZE
KTM Bo!Beton Team
77
Benavides Luciano
ARG
Husqvarna Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
78
Zacchetti Cesare
ITA
KTM Cesare Zacchetti
79
Baratin Amaury
FRA
KTM Horizon Moto 95
80
Burgess Michael
AUS
KTM Bas Dakar KTM Racing Team
81
Vlcak Erik
SVK
Husqvarna Slovnaft Rally Team
82
Raorane Ashish
IND
KTM Ashish Raorane
83
Chavez David
PER
KTM Club Aventura Touareg
84
Hawker Neil
GBR
Husqvarna Neil Hawker
85
Azinhais Alexandre
PRT
KTM Club Aventura Touareg
86
Herbst Charlie
FRA
KTM Team Charlie Herbst
87
Mena Oriol
ESP
Rieju Fn Speed – Rieju Team
88
Barreda Bort Joan
ESP
Honda Monster Energy Honda Team 2021
89
Saghmeister Gabor
SRB
KTM Saghmeister Team
90
Catanese FRAncesco
ITA
Yamaha Tuttogru
92
Martinez Eric
FRA
Husqvarna Eric Martinez
93
Lorenzo Piolini
ITA
KTM Caravanserraglio Rally Racing Team
94
Susset Olivier
FRA
Husqvarna Xtreme Garage
95
Flick Xavier
FRA
Husqvarna Xtrem Racing
96
Albero Puig Daniel
ESP
KTM Team Un Diabetico En El Dakar
97
Benko Martin
SVK
KTM Norwit Racing
98
Garcia Sara
ESP
Yamaha Pont Grup Yamaha
99
Vega Puerta Javier
ESP
Yamaha Pont Grup Yamaha
100
Rossat Audrey
FRA
KTM Rossat Audrey
101
Knight David
GBR
Husqvarna Ht Rally Raid Husqvarna Racing
102
Jugla Sara
FRA
KTM Team Baines Rally
104
Altoaimi Fawaz
SAU
Yamaha Fawaz Racing
105
Dominguez Fernando
ESP
KTM Club Aventura Touareg
107
Stigliano Giovanni
ITA
Yamaha Team Jbrally
108
Calmet Marc
ESP
KTM Fn Speed – Rieju Team
110
Bartoszek Jacek
POL
KTM Duust Rally Team
111
Cherpin Pierre
FRA
Husqvarna Pierre Cherpin
112
Campdera Juan
ESP
KTM Juan Campdera
114
Carbonell Mendez Eladio
ESP
KTM Pikaeras Team
115
Harmsen Olaf
NLD
KTM Bas Dakar KTM Racing Team
116
Blandin Erick
FRA
KTM Team Baines Rally
117
Alexander James
BWA
Yamaha The Kalahari Madala
118
Bispo Alexandre
ESP
KTM Expresso Racing
120
Trejos Jhon
COL
KTM Jhon Trejos
121
Barthelemy Guillaume
FRA
KTM Team Rs Concept
123
Pedemonte Angelo
ITA
KTM Pedemonte Angelo
125
Barlerin Frédéric
FRA
KTM Rallye Fred
126
Llanos Diego Gamaliel
ESP
KTM Diego Gamaliel Llanos
127
Jobard Willy
FRA
Garnati Garnati Racing
133
Davide Cominardi
ITA
Honda Cominardi
142
Gerini Maurizio
ITA
Husqvarna Solarys Racing
Moto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop
2021 Racing schedule
2021 Provisional MXGP Calendar
Rnd
Grand Prix
Date
1
MXGP of Oman, Muscat
Fri 2 Apr – Sat 3 Apr
2
MXGP of Italy, TBA
Sat 24 Apr – Sun 25 Apr
3
MXGP of Portugal, Agueda
Sat 8 May – Sun 9 May
4
MXGP of The Netherlands, Oss
Sat 22 May – Sun 23 May
5
MXGP of Germany, Teutschenthal
Sat 29 May – Sun 30 May
6
MXGP of Russia, Orlyonok
Sat 12 Jun – Sun 13 Jun
7
MXGP of Latvia, Kegums
Sat 19 Jun – Sun 20 Jun
8
MXGP of Jakarta (INA), Jakarta
Sat 3 Jul – Sun 4 Jul
9
MXGP of Indonesia, Semarang
Sat 10 Jul – Sun 11 Jul
10
MXGP of Czech Replublic, Loket
Sat 24 Jul – Sun 25 Jul
11
MXGP of Belgium, Lommel
Sat 31 Jul – Sun 1 Aug
12
MXGP of Sweden, Uddevalla
Sat 7 Aug – Sun 8 Aug
13
MXGP of Finland, Iitti-KimiRing
Sat 21 Aug – Sun 22 Aug
14
MXGP of Igora Drive (RUS), Igora Drive
Sat 28 Aug – Sun 29 Aug
15
MXGP of Turkey, Afyonkarahisar
Sat 11 Sep – Sun 12 Sep
16
MXGP of China, TBA
Sat 18 Sep – Sun 19 Sep
17
MXGP of France, St Jean d’Angely
Sat 9 Oct – Sun 10 Oct
18
MXGP of Spain, intu Xanadu-Arroyomolinos
Sat 16 Oct – Sun 17 Oct
19
TBA
Sat 30 Oct – Sun 31 Oct
20
MXGP of Patagonia Argentina, Neuquen
Sat 13 Nov – Sun 14 Nov
2021 Yamaha AORC presented by MXStore calendar
Round
Location
Date
Rounds 1 & 2
Nowra, NSW
March 27-28
Rounds 3 & 4
TBA, VIC
April 17-18
Rounds 5 & 6
Kyogle, NSW
July 17-18
Rounds 7 & 8
TBA, QLD
August 6-7
Rounds 9 & 10
Kingston SE, SA
September 18-19
Rounds 11 & 12
Omeo, VIC
October 16-17
2021 Australian Pro MX calendar
Rnd
Date
Location
1
Apr-11
Wonthaggi, Victoria Classes: MX1, MX2, MX3, 125 CUP
2
May-02
Canberra, ACT Classes: MX1, MX2, MX3
3
May-30
Gilman, South Australia Classes: MX1, MX2, MX3, 125 CUP
Toby Price, Daniel Sanders, Michael Burgess & Andrew Houlihan set for Dakar 2021
Dakar 2021 will kick off on January 3, with four Australians aiming to make history at one of the world’s toughest off-road events, with a route of 7,646 km starting and finishing in Jeddah, including 4,767 km of special stages.
Former Dakar and Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC) Champion, Toby Price, aboard the Red Bull KTM, is joined by new team-mate, current AORC Champion, Daniel Sanders. They will be joined by Bendigo’s Michael Burgess and Andrew Houlihan from Albury, NSW.
Toby Price – Image by Marcin Kin
Burgess will be racing with Swiss-based team Nomad Racing aboard a KTM, while Houlihan will be competing with the Nomadas Adventure Coca Cola Racing Team and also has support from Speedcafe.
The Dakar 2021 starts in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on January 2 with a prologue, before riders start the first of 11 gruelling stages which run between January 3-15.
Dakar Rally organisers have ensured this year’s route will be a brand-new experience for all riders, including every single kilometre of the special stages, while the fastest sectors, where the difference comes down to raw power, have been trimmed.
Toby Price – Image by Marcin Kin
Add to this the fact that a majority of riders have barely had any race time on their bikes this year thanks to COVID-19, and anybody could win the Dakar.
Both Price and Sanders had seat time earlier this year with the Andalucia Rally, where Sanders surprised the rally world by not only qualifying for the Dakar, but taking a stage win in his first ever rally event. His impressive speed and handling of the rally machine had tongues wagging.
Price, a two-times Dakar winner, is fierce in the sand dunes, and regarded as one of the toughest rally riders the world has seen. He will be a force to be reckoned with and will have a massive contingent of Australian fans cheering him on from their television screens.
Toby Price – Image by Marcin Kin
Houlihan will be aboard a new 2020 KTM Rally Factory replica he has prepared in his Albury workshop in recent months.
Houlihan trained as much as possible in recent months including riding at night and navigation training aboard 2020 KTM 450 Rally Factory Replica.
Houlihan had plans to leave for Dakar on January 26, but his flight was cancelled amid COVID concerns and was forced to scramble to find alternative flights through Europe to get to Dakar.
Andrew Houlihan
“Dakar has the reputation as the most physically and mentally demanding, as well as the most dangerous race in the world. As soon as I returned to Australia in February from the Africa Eco Race COVID hit, and my plans to return to Morocco and Saudi to train did not happen. I have had to make the most of what time I’ve had available in Australia. It definitely has not been the ideal preparation for me. So for 2021 I just want to get across the finish line safely, get my first Dakar done and then return in 2022. I’m really excited to be there with Toby, Daniel and Michael. I expect all three of these guys to be very competitive. It would be great to see Aussies on the podium in Saudi.”
For Burgess, he is no stranger to desert racing having had plenty of training in the Western Australian deserts and has previously competed in the Sahara Desert sand dunes of Morocco.
Michael Burgess
“My training has been great, probably the best I have had leading into any event, and I have really enjoyed the journey. I’m fit and looking forward to riding the road books. My expectations of Dakar are the whole challenge that goes with the label ‘Dakar’. My expectations of myself are to enjoy it, results are not a factor when it comes to the investment made with an event like Dakar. Riding to finish is the goal. I am looking forward to Riding with Andrew, Daniel and Toby. We have been talking through social media networks helping each other out. I am also very proud to be waving the Australian flag alongside these three legends.”
Michael Burgess
For Sanders, the 2020 Australia Off-Road Championship Champion, this will be his first Dakar rally and only having ridden a rally bike in the past four months, he has adapted quickly and will definitely be a rider to watch.
Daniel Sanders – Image by Marcin Kin
Daniel Sanders
“My expectations are to finish and hopefully I’ve learnt a lot over the last 4-months of roadbook training and with the bike, so I’d really like to get into the top 10 but of course I want to finish it mostly. I’m expecting the worst. I expect long tiring days, low energy so it’s going to be very hard to focus and minimise the fatigue. It’s cool to be in a group of Aussies racing and to see Andrew and Michael racing and seeing their passion for the race. We’ve all been in contact and helping each other where we can in this tough situation of COVID. It will be really cool to catch up and here the stories each day in the race. For the supporters, I’ll be giving it everything. I haven’t left the country for 4-months to not finish. I think it’s going to take a couple of days in the race to get in a good rhythm and see how the race pans out. I hope to be at the pointy end but with only one rally under my belt, I hope I’ve got enough experience in racing and some luck on my side to get up the pointy end. Thanks everyone for their support.”
FIM Hard Enduro World Championship launched in 2021
GasGas announce Australian factory MX, SX and Enduro teams
Waters, Wills, Norton to lead Husqvarna Factory efforts in 2021
Daniel Milner to headline KTM Factory Teams line-up in 2021
Jesse Dobson completes Serco Yamaha line-up for 2021
2021 Dakar Rally showcases global talent
2021 GNCC Series schedule announced
FIM Bajas World Cup 2021 Provisional Calendar
2021 Racing Calendars
Kayne Lamont wins 2020 Whakatane Summercross
Kayne Lamont has won the 2020 Whakatane Summercross MX1 title, with racing coming down to the fifth and final race of the day, which saw Lamont and Cody Cooper tied on points. Each rider had claimed two wins and two second places a-piece, heading into a hard fought final with everything on the line.
Kayne Lamont – Altherm JCR Yamaha
Race 1 saw Lamont take the win from Cooper and Ethan Martens, with Rhys Carter claiming fourth. Race 2 saw a repeat performance with Lamont once again taking the win from Cooper, this time by 5.838s, while Carter moved into the top three, a position he was intent on maintaining.
Cooper turned the tables on Lamont in Races 3 & 4, taking both wins, by 6.272 and 8.021s respectively, while Carter came home in third across both races.
The fifth and final race saw competitors facing a longer 11-lap race, but one that featured the joker lane lap unique to Whakatane, proving the closest race, with only 0.811s separating Lamont and Cooper at the line. A distant third saw Carter wrap up a consistent day.
The final win for Kayne Lamont lent him a four-point lead and the Whakatane Summercross MX1 title, ending the day on 242-points, to Cody Cooper on 238, while Rhys Carter wrapped up third with 213-points. Ethan Martens (206) and Tommy Watts (196) completed the top five in the MX1 class.
Kayne Lamont
“I am still in the mix of finding my final bike setup for nationals, which I will finalise with Ben Townley throughout January. I had decent starts all day and managed to get to the front early in my first two races. In races 3 and 4, I managed to get to second behind Cody but the track was very difficult to pass on so I finished behind him. In the final race I got the holeshot and rode a nice smooth race with Cody right behind me the whole time but I held him off to claim the win and the overall!”
Breingan Earthmoving – MX1 Overall Results
Pos
Competitor
Total
R1
R2
R3
R4
R5
1
Kayne Lamont
242
50
50
46
46
50
2
Cody Cooper
238
46
46
50
50
46
3
Rhys Carter
213
41
43
43
43
43
4
Ethan Martens
206
43
41
41
40
41
5
Tommy Watts
196
39
40
39
39
39
6
Tyler Steiner
190
36
33
40
41
40
7
Brad Groombridge
189
40
37
37
37
38
8
Jacob Steel
187
37
39
38
36
37
9
Richard Horne
178
38
38
28
38
36
10
Isaiah McGoldrick
172
34
35
36
35
32
11
Quade Young
166
35
36
32
28
35
12
Sam Middleton
165
33
31
34
34
33
13
Andy Todd
161
32
34
35
29
31
14
Aydan Palmer
160
31
32
33
30
34
15
Caleb Franklin
151
30
28
30
33
30
16
Craig Dally
150
28
30
31
32
29
17
Travis Rankin
146
29
29
29
31
28
MX2
In the MX2 Josiah Natzke put in a masterclass of control, taking the holeshot in each race with overtaking proving difficult, leaving him with a perfect 250-points after five races.
Ben Townley and Maximum Purvis finished the day on 219-points a-piece, however Townley was awarded second with second place in the final race, leaving Purvis disappointed, sharing, “We’ve got a few things to work on before Woodville so we will go away put our heads down and try to sort them out.”
Maximum Purvis – Altherm JCR Yamaha
Completing the top five was James Scott on 212-points, while Luke Van der Lee was fifth with 197-points.
The Altherm JCR Yamaha Team will now prepare for the Woodville Grand Prix which ties into Round 1 of the New Zealand Motocross Championship, and will be held over the January 30-31 weekend at Palmerston North.
Josh Coppins – Altherm JCR Yamaha Team Manager
“We will spend the next four weeks getting Kayne and Max further tuned in for round one of the nationals which coincides with the Woodville GP on January 31. Our new junior rider Madoc Dixon will return from his wrist injury rehab and we look forward to seeing how he goes in the 125cc class this season.”
Underwood & Wilkins – MX2 Overall Results
Pos
Competitor
Total
R1
R2
R3
R4
R5
1
Josiah Natzke
250
50
50
50
50
50
2
Ben Townley
219
41
43
46
43
46
3
Maximus Purvis
219
46
46
43
41
43
4
James Scott
212
43
41
41
46
41
5
Luke Van der Lee
197
40
39
39
40
39
6
Jacob Hunt
184
37
37
36
38
36
7
Carlin Hedley
178
36
36
34
37
35
8
Luka Freemantle
177
39
40
21
39
38
9
Hunter Scott
170
32
38
32
35
33
10
Carter Hanes
164
30
33
33
36
32
11
Sam Corston
163
35
34
31
32
31
12
Kaleb Livesey
162
34
32
29
33
34
13
Logan Maddren
155
27
30
37
34
27
14
Jack Rodgers
146
28
31
30
31
26
15
Reece Lister
140
38
22
40
–
40
16
Liam Hutton
137
29
25
28
27
28
17
Seton Head
136
31
–
38
30
37
18
Kyle Pickerill
132
26
28
27
26
25
19
Sam Robbie
131
21
26
26
28
30
20
David Ashton
129
25
27
25
29
23
21
Ben Valois
126
23
29
22
23
29
22
Toby McKendry
118
22
24
23
25
24
23
Leslie Longstaff
117
24
23
24
24
22
24
Toby Winiata
103
33
35
35
–
–
Moto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop
FIM Hard Enduro World Championship launched in 2021
The Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) and WESS Promotion GmbH have announced a partnership for the Hard Enduro Sport, with the ‘FIM Hard Enduro World Championship’ launched with an inaugural season in 2021.
A new Pro-Class regulation, in line with all FIM international standards, will offer the highest level of transparency and fairness to professional riders, teams and manufacturers who will compete to win the official world-recognized title of FIM Hard Enduro World Champion.
Extreme XL Lagares
The integration of amateur riders has been promised to stay an inherent and defining characteristic of the series, which will see the common effort of amateurs and professionals competing in the same race to further attract enthusiasts around the world to participate in FIM Hard Enduro World Championship events, ensuring long-term growth of the Championship.
Tony Skillington – FIM CEO
“Every once in a while an opportunity comes to do something very interesting and new in motorcycle sport. I am completely convinced that this Championship will become a very important part of the FIM calendar in the future and I am more than pleased that we are finally signing a four-year contract for the promotion of a FIM Hard Enduro World Championship. I also appreciate the energy and dedication that both FIM and WESS have deployed together to work on all of the ways to make this Championship a success.”
Red Bull Romaniacs
Winfried Kerschhaggl – WESS Promotion GmbH states
“This is a very exciting time for us and our sport. Following an incredibly busy time, building and shaping WESS, work is paying off. The past three years helped us to gain the recognition of the FIM. A special thanks from our side goes to Tony Skillington, who has been very supportive since the conversations about a joint project started. We’re ready to take the next step as the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship. Together with the FIM we move into 2021 with confidence and enthusiasm and look forward to ongoing exciting racing.”
2021 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship Provisional calendar
Round 1
May 7-9
Extreme XL Lagares
Portugal
FMP
Round 2
June 3-6
Red Bull Erzbergrodeo
Austria
AMF
Round 3
July 10/11
TBD
Italy
FMI
Round 4
July 27-31
Red Bull Romaniacs
Romania
FRM
Round 5
August 14/15
Red Bull TKO
USA
AMA
Round 6
September 18/19
TBD
Poland
PZM
Round 7
October 1-3
Hixpania Hard Enduro
Spain
RFME
Round 8
October 30/31
GetzenRodeo
Germany
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GasGas announce Australian factory MX, SX and Enduro teams
GasGas Motorcycles has announced a pair of race teams in Australia ahead of the 2021 season, marking the arrival of GasGas factory motocross, supercross and enduro squads.
GasGas announced 2021 Factory Racing effort in Australia
GasGas signed a youthful combination of Aaron Tanti (motocross/supercross) and Mason Semmens (enduro) for the coming year, set to battle it out among the sport’s best at a national level – a first for the GasGas brand across those categories.
Tanti is transferring into the MX1/SX1 category for the Australian Motocross Championship (ProMX) and Australian Supercross Championship. He will be equipped with the GasGas MC 450F, benefiting from experience gained in the US at the beginning of 2020.
Aaron Tanti – GasGas Motocross Racing Team
“I’m really looking forward to joining the factory GasGas team in 2021, it will be a lot of fun being part of the brand and I can’t wait to get on the new MC 450F. I was always aiming to step up to the premier class for next year if I was staying here in Australia, so it’s worked out well to be joining GasGas in the factory team and having this opportunity. I’ve been putting a lot of effort into my racing for a number of years now, so I look forward to getting things going!”
Aaron Tanti will join the GasGas Factory Racing team in Australia for 2020 – Image by Jeff Kardas
Alongside him and equally as eager to showcase his talents in the Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC) is Semmens, who has learned his craft within the KTM Group family and will lead the GasGas enduro team on-board a GasGas EC 250F. He claimed runner-up in E1 as a rookie in the shortened 2020 season.
Mason Semmens – GasGas Enduro Racing Team
“To be joining GasGas for 2021 and continuing this journey off-road is super-exciting, I feel like it’s a good fit for me and I know that the bikes will be really competitive from the start. Last season we didn’t get to race as much as we’d hoped in the AORC, but it was a promising opening few rounds that I had and I’ve still been working hard since, so now I have my sights set on what’s to come next and hope to be right there challenging for wins and the title in my class especially.”
Mason Semmens will compete the AORC with GasGas Factory Racing
Brad Hagi – Managing Director KTM Group Oceania
“As we launch this exciting new brand into the market, it pairs perfectly having Aaron and Mason on board to represent us. GasGas is set to be competitive right out of the gates, but there is also an authentic, grassroots element to the brand that these two young guns represent with their enthusiastic and vibrant personalities. Mason has grown up through the KTM Group ranks and both himself and Aaron are ready to step up and stamp their authority on the Australia racing scene with GasGas.”
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Waters, Wills, Norton to lead Husqvarna Factory efforts in 2021
National MX1 champion Todd Waters will remain with Husqvarna in 2021 and will pull double-duty in both the Australian Motocross Championship (ProMX) and Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC).
Husqvarna Australia announce Todd Waters, Dylan Wills and Callumn Norton as their factory racers for 2021
Waters is an ambassador for the Husqvarna Motorcycles brand and will split his time between the Husqvarna Factory Racing Team riding the FC 450 in motocross and the FE 450 in enduro, where he placed third in E2 on debut during 2020.
Todd Waters
“To be remaining part of the Husqvarna family into 2021 is a big deal to me, an exciting project and one that I am happy to be involved in. We haven’t been able to race nationally since winning the MX1 title in 2019, but it has been a busy year in its own ways and now we are definitely looking forward to getting back on track and working hard to defend the championship. I’m also looking forward to continuing off-road, gaining experience there and hopefully being in contention throughout the season.”
Todd Waters will compete in the motocross and enduro events for 2021
Dylan Wills will also be running the Husqvarna flag, and is regarded as one of the country’s top young talents as he prepares to step up to the premier class in supercross. He will also be contesting MX2 outdoors within his own program.
Dylan Wills
“This is a dream come true for me, to be a part of a factory team in supercross and as a rookie on the FC 450. I will have great people behind me and the best equipment possible, so that is a great opportunity that I want to make the most of at this stage of my career and I’m thankful for everybody who has been involved to get this deal together. I’m going to be riding outdoors in MX2 with my own program as well, so we have solid plans in place and I’m looking forward to it all in 2021.”
Husqvarna Motorcycles will also bring their desert racing program back in-house, set to tackle the FINKE Desert Race with up-and-comer Callum Norton aboard the FE 501.
Callum Norton
“I am really excited to be able to go racing again and looking forward to what hopefully should be a good year! This will be my third FINKE desert race and I cannot wait to get out there on the Husky. I have always been attracted to desert racing, ever since I was a kid and went to watch the HATTAH race. Through my junior ranks I realised I liked sand and was pretty good at riding it, so when the opportunities came up when I turned Senior to focus on the desert style of racing, I jumped at the chance. And now to be part of the Husky team for 2021, I am so excited to get out there and see what we can do.”
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Daniel Milner to headline KTM Factory Teams line-up in 2021
KTM has announced its factory teams to contest the national enduro, motocross and supercross championships, as well as desert competition for 2021, with reigning Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC) #1 plate-holder Daniel Milner headlining the line-up and continuing for a fifth-straight year.
Milner will revert to his favoured KTM 500 EXC-F in the E3 division next season, determined to get back to racing after having the 2020 championship cut short and spearheading KTM’s more focused off-road program.
Daniel Milner
“Being able to sign for my fifth year with KTM in 2021 is really cool. I’m looking forward to working with the team again, getting back to the races and seeing what we can do in the new year. I’ve been able to achieve a lot with KTM since joining them and have been really motivated this year, so we will continue that, aim to do the same again next season and deliver some more championships.”
Daniel Milner
In addition, longtime KTM Junior Motocross Racing Team standout Regan Duffy will lead KTM’s return to operating an in-house factory Australian Motocross Championship (ProMX) and Australian Supercross Championship effort.
Duffy captured the 2019 Australian MXD title riding KTM machinery and, following a glowing performance at that year’s Motocross of Nations (MXoN) in Holland riding the KTM 450 SX-F, the teenager has earned his opportunity in the premier class with KTM Motocross Racing Team.
Regan Duffy
“I’m really excited to be joining KTM and riding the 450 SX-F next season. I’ve been part of the brand’s development path for a lot of my career and feel at home on the bigger bike, so it’s a really good opportunity to step up with a great team around me. Not being able to race at the national level in 2020 was disappointing, but we will now set our sights on what’s ahead and look forward to the challenge.”
Regan Duffy
Current Finke Desert Race title-holder David Walsh will also return to the KTM Factory Racing Team in 2021, eager to get back on the KTM 500 EXC-F in a competitive environment as he looks to defend his result achieved in the prestigious event during 2019.
David Walsh
“I can’t wait to get back out on the bike with KTM and it will be good to do some racing again. I’m very grateful to be part of the factory team and I really want to keep the success in the desert going for everybody. I chased the Finke win for so long and managed to hold onto it without even racing this year! Seriously though, we will prepare for 2021 and make the most of this opportunity together.”
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Jesse Dobson completes Serco Yamaha line-up in 2021
After taking a fill-in ride with Serco Yamaha halfway through the 2020 season, Jesse Dobson joins as a full time ride with the Yamaha MX2 team in 2021. He will join Nathan Crawford in the two pronged attack contesting the MX2 championship at both the Pro MX and the Australian Supercross Championship.
Jesse Dobson
Dobson adjusted instantly to the Yamaha YZ250F and gelled with the team and the results showed on the track. His speed was right there with the best MX2 pilots in Australia and with the extra time to fine tune his training and riding, Dobson expects to be a major player in MX2 championships in the season ahead.
Jesse Dobson
“I said when I moved to the MX2 class at the start of 2020 that I wasn’t going to be there to make up the numbers and that I wanted success and that hasn’t changed. In fact, it has only got stronger as I was able to use 2020 as a season to gain experience back on a 250 and learn how to ride one properly and effectively again. I’m stoked to re-sign with Serco Yamaha and have a great bunch of people around me. The bikes are awesome, and we have a great list of team sponsors who provide us with the tools to win races and championships. It’s been a long wait between national events, and I can’t wait to get back behind the gate at round one and feel the excitement of competing at a national again. The MX2 class is always super competitive and there are plenty of good riders capable of winning rounds, so it’s time to get to work and make the most of the pre-season.”
Jesse Dobson
Team owner, Gavin Eales, likes how his team has come together and after a year of not much on track action, is recharged and ready to go for season 2021.
Gavin Eales – Serco Yamaha Team Owner
“In Nathan and Jesse we have two hard working and dedicated athletes who are both focused on winning races. Both of them enjoy the training aspect of racing and now bring a lot of experience to the team as they have been on the scene for several years now. It’s also a benefit that both live near our team base in Brisbane which makes life much easier when testing and maintaining bikes. We have also been fortunate to be with Yamaha Motor Australia and continue our relationship into its 21st year and the team will be the show case for the range of high performance products Serco distributes in Australia.”
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2021 Dakar Rally showcases global talent
The 43rd edition of the Dakar Rally is shaping up to offer an amazing field of competition in the bike category, a year after the victory by Ricky Brabec halted KTM’s long reign. 2020 will however see the Austrian firm counting on three former winners with the ambition of retaking their crown.
Ricky Brabec Dakar 2020 – Image by Rally Zone
The Saudi challenge will probably not be limited to a duel between KTM and Honda, Yamaha’s Van Beveren or Husqvarna’s Quintanilla, among other contenders, boast the capacities to join in the battle for victory.
Their hour has perhaps not yet arrived, but the leaders of the younger generation have already shown a glimpse of their talent, with the likes of Ross Branch, Skyler Howes and Jamie McCanney, alongside rookies like Daniel Sanders and Tosha Schareina, who will be attempting to make an impression.
Daniel Sanders – Image by Marcin Kin
The threat had been growing for several years, but the blows struck against KTM failed to land properly until last January. The saga was commenced by Fabrizio Meoni in 2001, then continued by the reign of Cyril Despres and Marc Coma, as well as via the emergence of a new generation at the end of the 2010s, but was interrupted by Ricky Brabec and his Honda following 18 consecutive victories.
The Austrian firm’s pride may have taken a blow, but it has not lost any of its potential and its trio of former winners, made up of Toby Price, Sam Sunderland and Mathias Walkner are only thinking of climbing back to the rally’s summit.
Toby Price, Matthias Walkner and Sam Sunderland
Among the favourites since his breakthrough in 2016 (claiming fourth), the dreams of Kevin Benavides could come true if he rides a flawless race. He managed to do this on the Rally of Andalusia, dominating his rivals on a less demanding racing format than the Dakar. His team-mate Ignacio Cornejo (fourth at Dakar in 2020), will also be on the lookout for victory, as will Spanish rider Joan Barreda who is still seeking a place on the podium.
Kevin Benavides Dakar 2020
While Honda can point to the boast of having been the first constructor to rock the KTM boat, Yamaha’s ambitions are just as legitimate, despite a 2020 edition marred by the premature exits of its two leaders. Adrien Van Beveren, whose taste of Saudi Arabia’s sands did not exceed three-days last January, has been whetting his appetite on the recent Bajas de Ha’il, where he won ahead of competitors that were less imposing than on the Dakar but sufficient to get him up to the right pace.
Adrien Van Beveren – Hail Baja 2
In the blue bike camp, he will be accompanied by the newcomer to the team Andrew Short (sixth in 2019) as well as by Franco Caimi (eighth in 2020). His former accomplice Xavier de Soultrait will be donning the colours of Husqvarna to join Pablo Quintanilla, the runner-up to Brabec in January, and a rider who also seems perfectly set to triumph after finishing in the top five in four participations out eight.
The places in this tightly packed elite will be even more sought-after given that a new generation is starting to break through, with Luciano Benavides, Ross Branch, Skyler Howes and Jamie McCanney, all finishing in the top 15 off the last edition.
Looking to the future, a watchful eye will also have to be cast over a handful of especially promising rookies who have caught the attention of the main constructors by shining in similar disciplines before making their debut this year on the Dakar.
Daniel Sanders – Image by Marcin Kin
Such is the case for Australia’s Daniel Sanders, who aims to follow in the tracks of Toby Price for KTM, but also Portugal’s Rui Gonçalves enrolled by Sherco and Spaniard Tosha Schareina. Finally, the youngest rider in the category also deserves a mention: Konrad Dabrowski, who is the direct heir to Marek, one of the pioneers of the Polish rally-raid school in Africa (with a ninth place finish in 2003 in particular).
2021 Dakar Schedule
Stage
Date
Start > Finish
Total
Special
P
Saturday, January 2, 2021
Jeddah > Jeddah
11 km
11 km
1
Sunday, January 3, 2021
Jeddah > Bisha
622 km
277 km
2
Monday, January 4, 2021
Bisha > Wadi Al Dawasir
685 km
457 km
3
Tuesday, January 5, 2021
Wadi Al Dawasir > Wadi Al Dawasir
630 km
403 km
4
Wednesday, January 6, 2021
Wadi Al Dawasir > Riyadh
813 km
337 km
5
Thursday, January 7, 2021
Riyadh > Buraydah
625 km
419 km
6
Friday, January 8, 2021
Buraydah > Ha’il
655 km
485 km
Rest
Saturday, January 9, 2021
Ha’il (Rest Day)
–
–
7
Sunday, January 10, 2021
Ha’il > Sakaka
737 km
471 km
8
Monday, January 11, 2021
Sakaka > Neom
709 km
375 km
9
Tuesday, January 12, 2021
Neom > Neom
579 km
465 km
10
Wednesday, January 13, 2021
Neom > Al-Ula
583 km
342 km
11
Thursday, January 14, 2021
Al-Ula > Yanbu
557 km
511 km
12
Friday, January 15, 2021
Yanbu > Jeddah
452 km
225 km
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Twisted Tea/H.E.P. Motorsports Suzuki Racing AMA SX team announced
Suzuki’s 450 class race team for the 2021 Monster Energy AMA/ FIM World Supercross Championship will be Twisted Tea/ H.E.P. Motorsports Suzuki Racing, with riders Max Anstie, Brandon Hartranft and Adam Enticknap on the race-ready 2021 Suzuki RM-Z450.
Max Anstie – Image by Jeff Kardas
Both Anstie and Enticknap had a solid season of racing in 2020 under the H.E.P. Suzuki tent and are excited to start racing in 2021. New to the H.E.P Motorsports Suzuki team for 2021 is Brandon Hartranft, making his rookie debut in the 450 class. All three riders will compete on the 2021 Suzuki RM-Z450 and benefit from the support of Suzuki’s RM Army support program.
Dustin Pipes – Twisted Tea/ H.E.P. Motorsports/ Suzuki Racing Team Co-Owner
“We are thrilled to up our game with Suzuki and its legendary RM-Z450 class bikes for the 2021 Supercross series. With Max, Adam and now Brandon on the squad, we expect strong and consistent results in the premier class this season.”
Chris Wheeler – Suzuki’s Racing Manager
“I’m excited to work with the Twisted Tea/ H.E.P. Motorsports Team, our premier 450 class Supercross team for 2021. This team has the experience and the strength of this rider line-up to make for a competitive and exciting Supercross season for Suzuki, and the RM Army in 2021.”
2021 GNCC Series schedule announced
The Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) Series presented by Specialized have just announced the series schedule for the upcoming 2021 season.
2020 GNCC Buckwheat 100 – Image by Ken Hill
Jeff Russell – GNCC Trail Boss
“We’re excited to get the 2021 GNCC Racing season off and rolling. We have a lot of really great facilities that have hosted some amazing events in the past, and we’re ready to see another season full of excellent racing on some great racecourses.”
The GNCC Series is set to kick off on February 20-21 with the Big Buck GNCC in Union, South Carolina. From there the series will head south for the seventh Annual Wild Boar GNCC in Palatka, Florida, which is also held in conjunction with the 2021 Daytona Beach “Bike Week” festivities on March 7-8.
Then the next weekend, March 13-14, the series continues in Washington, Georgia for a back-to-back round with The General GNCC at Aonia Pass Motocross.
Moving onto round four of the season, the series will head to Society Hill, South Carolina for the Camp Coker Bullet GNCC, March 27-28. Then after a two-week hiatus the series will once again return to Union, South Carolina April 17-18 for the Tiger Run GNCC at Big Buck Farm.
Kailub Russell retired in 2020 – Photo: Ken Hill
Kicking off the month of May will be the Hoosier GNCC in Crawfordsville, Indiana at Ironman Raceway for the first of two GNCC’s to be held on that property. Returning to the series schedule as one of the oldest GNCC events on the circuit will be the 33rd John Penton GNCC held in Millfield, Ohio on May 22-23, followed by the Mason-Dixon GNCC held in Mt. Morris, Pennsylvania on June 5-6. The series will also make its return to Snowshoe Mountain for the 14th Annual Snowshoe GNCC event on June 26-27.
After the summer break, the series will return to Summit Bechtel Reserve for round 10 on September 11-12. The Mountaineer GNCC continues to be a popular addition to the series schedule. Located in the heart of southern West Virginia, the race is hosted at the spectacular 11,000-acre home of the National Scout Jamboree. Round 11 will be held in Millfield, Ohio for the Burr Oak GNCC, with the penultimate round of racing being hosted at the Buckwheat 100 in Newburg, West Virginia on October 9-10. Ironman in Crawfordsville, Indiana, will make its return to host the GNCC season finale race on October 23-24.
Josh Toth – Image by Ken Hill
The 2021 schedule welcomes back many of its most seasoned venues, including Big Buck in Union, South Carolina; The General in Washington, Georgia; The John Penton in Millfield, Ohio; West Virginia’s popular Snowshoe GNCC in Snowshoe, West Virginia; and the Ironman finale in Crawfordsville, Indiana.
Two rain date have been set for the 2021 season for the weekends of July 11-12 and November 13-14, with locations to be announced at a later date, if needed.
2021 GNCC Schedule
Round
Date
Event Name
City, State
Micro/eMTB
Rnd 1
Feb 20-21
Big Buck
Union, SC
Micro
Rnd 2
Mar 6-7
Wild Boar
Palatka, FL
Micro
Rnd 3
Mar 13-14
The General
Washington, GA
Micro/eMTB
Rnd 4
Mar 27-28
Camp Coker Bullet
Society Hill, SC
Micro
Rnd 5
Apr 17-18
Tiger Run
Union, SC
Micro/eMTB
Rnd 6
May 1-2
Hoosier
Crawfordsville, IN
Micro/eMTB
Rnd 7
May 22-23
The John Penton
Millfield, OH
Micro/eMTB
Rnd 8
Jun 5-6
Mason-Dixon
Mount Morris, PA
Micro/eMTB
Rnd 9
Jun 26-27
Snowshoe
Snowshoe, WV
eMTB
Rain
Jul 10-11
RAIN DATE
–
–
–
Jul-31
Loretta Lynn eMTB
Hurricane Mills, TN
eMTB
Rnd 10
Sep 11-12
The Mountaineer
Beckley, WV
Micro/eMTB
Rnd 11
Sep 25-26
Burr Oak
Millfield, OH
Micro
Rnd 12
Oct 9-10
Buckwheat 100
Newburg, WV
Micro
Rnd 13
Oct 23-24
Ironman
Crawfordsville, IN
Micro
Rain
Nov 13-14
RAIN DATE
–
–
FIM Bajas World Cup 2021 Provisional Calendar
The 2021 FIM Bajas World Cup takes place over a Series of Qualifying Events as well as a Final. Each Event in the Qualifying Series has a scoring coefficient of 1 *. The Final has a scoring coefficient of 2 .
The Final is open to all competitors. In order to be included in the ranking of the FIM Bajas World Cup, competitors must have completed and scored points in at least one of the Events of the Qualifying Series. Only these competitors will be eligible for the final ranking of the FIM Bajas World Cup.
The final ranking of the FIM Bajas World Cup will be established on the basis of the two best results of the Qualifying Series, added to the points awarded in the Final. This is valid in all three categories (Motorbikes, Quads and SSV) and in all three classes (Women’s, Junior and Veteran).
FIM Bajas World Cup 2021 Provisional Calendar
Date
Round
Location
Nation
18-20 Feb
Dubai Intl Baja
Dubai
UAE
18-20 Mar
Jordan Baja
Aqaba
Jordan
8-10 Apr
Qatar Int Baja
Doha
Qatar
28-30 May
Baja do Pinahl
Serta
Portugal
17-19 Jun
Baja Jalapao 500
Teruel
Spain
23-25 Jul
Baja Aragon
Teruel
Spain
5-8 Aug
Hungarian Baja
Varpalota
Hungary
29 Aug-1 Sep
Atacama Baja 1
Copiapo
Chile
2-4 Sep
Atacama Baja 2
Copiapo
Chile
28-30 Oct
Baja Portalegre
Portalegre
Portugal
Moto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop
2021 Racing schedule
2021 Provisional MXGP Calendar
Rnd
Grand Prix
Date
1
MXGP of Oman, Muscat
Fri 2 Apr – Sat 3 Apr
2
MXGP of Italy, TBA
Sat 24 Apr – Sun 25 Apr
3
MXGP of Portugal, Agueda
Sat 8 May – Sun 9 May
4
MXGP of The Netherlands, Oss
Sat 22 May – Sun 23 May
5
MXGP of Germany, Teutschenthal
Sat 29 May – Sun 30 May
6
MXGP of Russia, Orlyonok
Sat 12 Jun – Sun 13 Jun
7
MXGP of Latvia, Kegums
Sat 19 Jun – Sun 20 Jun
8
MXGP of Jakarta (INA), Jakarta
Sat 3 Jul – Sun 4 Jul
9
MXGP of Indonesia, Semarang
Sat 10 Jul – Sun 11 Jul
10
MXGP of Czech Replublic, Loket
Sat 24 Jul – Sun 25 Jul
11
MXGP of Belgium, Lommel
Sat 31 Jul – Sun 1 Aug
12
MXGP of Sweden, Uddevalla
Sat 7 Aug – Sun 8 Aug
13
MXGP of Finland, Iitti-KimiRing
Sat 21 Aug – Sun 22 Aug
14
MXGP of Igora Drive (RUS), Igora Drive
Sat 28 Aug – Sun 29 Aug
15
MXGP of Turkey, Afyonkarahisar
Sat 11 Sep – Sun 12 Sep
16
MXGP of China, TBA
Sat 18 Sep – Sun 19 Sep
17
MXGP of France, St Jean d’Angely
Sat 9 Oct – Sun 10 Oct
18
MXGP of Spain, intu Xanadu-Arroyomolinos
Sat 16 Oct – Sun 17 Oct
19
TBA
Sat 30 Oct – Sun 31 Oct
20
MXGP of Patagonia Argentina, Neuquen
Sat 13 Nov – Sun 14 Nov
2021 Yamaha AORC presented by MXStore calendar
Round
Location
Date
Rounds 1 & 2
Nowra, NSW
March 27-28
Rounds 3 & 4
TBA, VIC
April 17-18
Rounds 5 & 6
Kyogle, NSW
July 17-18
Rounds 7 & 8
TBA, QLD
August 6-7
Rounds 9 & 10
Kingston SE, SA
September 18-19
Rounds 11 & 12
Omeo, VIC
October 16-17
2021 Australian Pro MX calendar
Rnd
Date
Location
1
Apr-11
Wonthaggi, Victoria Classes: MX1, MX2, MX3, 125 CUP
2
May-02
Canberra, ACT Classes: MX1, MX2, MX3
3
May-30
Gilman, South Australia Classes: MX1, MX2, MX3, 125 CUP
Tim Coleman has conquered the 11th running of the Wildwood Rock Extreme Enduro in a new knockout format, specifically designed to meet Covid19 rules and restrictions.
The 2020 format was a new creation and riders had to work hard with a ruthless sprint format this year. With no rest between objects, arm pump was the main factor for rider error, particularly after a tough year with the lack of opportunity for many to train. The event was almost called off, however the limited number of allowed riders was very close to full, with racers keen to get back out there.
2020 Wildwood Rock Extreme
Each class had two heats on a longer course (1.5km) involving the well known prologue area and an added natural terrain section that provided further challenges. Riders could not afford to drop any time in either heats with times being combined and the fastest four moving into the final.
Tim Coleman – 2020 Wildwood Rock Extreme winner – Image by Russel Colvin
The final format was the man-made area or prologue course as it’s known bye many, with two laps providing some great chopping and changing in all classes to decide outright winners in each class.
2020 Wildwood Rock Extreme – Owen Lock
Riding for the Motul Pirelli Sherco Off-Road Team Tim Coleman was here to impress, taking out the Gold Class win with a total time of 5m44s with clean wins in both heats leading up to the final. Callum Ceglinski put in a solid second, with the desert king Ben Grabham in third, making it a Sherco 1-2-3 finish.
2020 Wildwood Rock Extreme
Tim Coleman
“Wildwood was my first Hard Enduro and I’d never taken home the win, so it’s something I’ve really wanted to tick off my racing bucket-list. The field may have been slightly depleted, but there was still great competition there and I had to really have a crack to bring home the win. The new 2021 Sherco 300 SE Factory feels great honestly. It’s just so good for this type of racing, and having the full support of the Sherco Factory Team made a big difference on the day. I’m already excited for next year’s event.”
Tim Coleman and Derek Grundy – Image by Russel Colvin
Silver class was won by Billy McCulloch (7m14s), ahead of Ian Derwent and Max Koczak. Bronze class was won by Ash Green, (10m02s), ahead of Michael Chapman and Nathan Xerri.
Being the first post-COVID Extreme Enduro to be held in Australia was a tough challenge and was only approved with easing of the rules one week before the event, as motorcycle riding was not deemed as a professional sport prior.
2020 Wildwood Rock Extreme – Tim Coleman
Under the changed guidelines Wildwood could operate with a total of 500 people in groups of 50, but keeping to the Covid19 Event checklist it was decided to not host any spectators for the event and instead live stream the event to the people at home.
2020 Wildwood Rock Extreme – Sam Preece
Wildwood would normally operate over three hours with each rider doing a individual timed section of the course. In the 2020 edition it was a total different feel with riders parked apart and grouped in 20s to not over crowd the course with people. With further changes seen, each rider was able to bring one support person on the day to help them if needed. Temperature checks done on every person attending the event added yet another new twist to Wildwood.
Ben Grabham – 2020 Wildwood Rock Extreme – Image by Russel Colvin
With no injuries to any riders and most bikes going home with few battle scares the event was seen as a great success from all angles, particularly considering it was so close to being called off, after changing the date to the 29th of November.
The 2021 event date has been set for November 7, 2020, as part of the National Grassroots Hard Enduro Championship. Click the result images below for zoomed in view.
2020 Wildwood Rock Extreme Gold Class Results
2020 Wildwood Rock Extreme Silver Class Results
2020 Wildwood Rock Extreme Bronze Class Results
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Price & Sanders ramp up Dakar prep
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Toby Price, Matthias Walkner and Sam Sunderland are beginning the final stages of their pre-Dakar Rally testing, as they ramp up preparations ahead of the iconic event’s start on January 2. Joined by KTM Factory Racing’s Daniel Sanders, who enters the upcoming Dakar as part of KTM’s junior rally program, the four KTM 450 Rally mounted riders are hard at work in Dubai as they count down the days to the gruelling 12-stage race.
Toby Price, Matthias Walkner and Sam Sunderland
With the 2021 Dakar Rally now just one month away, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing have their sights firmly set on battling for the number one position at the world’s toughest cross-country rally. In what has been a hugely disrupted year, which saw the team make only one competitive outing following the 2020 Dakar, Toby Price, Matthias Walkner and Sam Sunderland are all fully fit and keen to get racing at the 43rd edition of the event.
Looking for his third Dakar title, Toby Price will go into the race armed with the experience gained from the 2020 event and aiming to secure another strong result. Like all riders this year, Toby was forced to spend more time off the bike than he would have liked. However, after travelling to Europe towards the end of the summer, the Australian has committed to an intense schedule of training and preparation on the run up to Dakar and will remain in the Middle East testing on his KTM 450 Rally, in preparation for the challenge awaiting him.
Toby Price
Toby Price
“Obviously, it’s been a really tough year for everyone. With all the restrictions, we’ve not been able to race like we normally would. We’ve only managed to fit in one rally since the Dakar in January, which was great, but I think everyone is looking forward to getting back to some serious racing now. For me, I pretty much had to leave home for the last three months and won’t be heading back to Australia until after Dakar. My base is now in Dubai and I’ll spend Christmas there on the run up to the event. It’s great that we can get out into the dunes for testing but it’s still a big sacrifice to make, missing out on the regular family time over the holidays. For the last couple of months, the team have been testing hard, things have been going well and there’s certainly nothing better to build your fitness than time on the bike. We’ve been able to try out a lot of new things and I’m really happy with how the bike feels. At the end of the day, I know the KTM 450 RALLY is going to get me to the finish, the rest is up to me!”
Toby Price’s Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 Rally – Image by S Fleischer
Toby Price – Image by Marcin Kin
Toby Price – Image by Marcin Kin
Toby Price’s Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 Rally – Image by S Fleischer
Toby Price’s Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 Rally – Image by S Fleischer
Toby Price’s Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 Rally – Image by S Fleischer
Toby Price’s Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 Rally – Image by S Fleischer
Toby Price’s Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 Rally – Image by S Fleischer
Toby Price’s Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 Rally – Image by S Fleischer
Toby Price’s Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 Rally – Image by S Fleischer
Toby Price’s Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 Rally – Image by S Fleischer
Toby Price’s Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 Rally – Image by S Fleischer
Toby Price’s Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 Rally – Image by S Fleischer
Toby Price – Image by Marcin Kin
Toby Price’s Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 Rally – Image by S Fleischer
Toby Price’s Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 Rally – Image by S Fleischer
Toby Price – Image by Marcin Kin
Toby Price – Image by Marcin Kin
Toby Price – Image by Marcin Kin
Toby Price’s Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 Rally – Image by S Fleischer
Toby Price – Image by Marcin Kin
Toby Price
2018 Dakar winner Matthias Walkner prides himself on his navigational skills and with the 2021 event promising a more technically demanding route, this should fall into the Austrian’s favor. Happy with recent improvements made to his KTM 450 Rally, Matthias feels he is on form both physically and mentally and is looking forward to another solid race in the desert.
Also back at full fitness, Sam Sunderland is known for his speed in the dunes and with the 2021 Dakar Rally expected to contain more deep sand than seen in this year’s event, Sam is confident of making the most of his skills.
Facing his first ever Dakar, KTM Factory Racing’s Daniel Sanders comes into the demanding race with only one cross-country rally under his belt. Joining the team in September, Sanders has endured an intense period of testing and training to get him up to speed with the skills required for success in the sport. Racing the Andalucia Rally just weeks after throwing his leg over a KTM 450 Rally for the first time, the 26-year-old put in an excellent performance including a win on the final stage. The Dakar is far more demanding however, but the young Australian racer knows the magnitude of the challenge ahead.
Daniel Sanders
Daniel Sanders
“The year has been a crazy one for me for more reasons than one. When I got the call to come ride for the team it was really cool. I flew over to Europe with Toby and I think I’ve spent about five months here testing and learning the skills needed for rally racing. We raced the Andalucia Rally back in October, which was a real eye opener, but other than a couple of mistakes, I was really pleased with my pace and my navigation. Winning the final stage was great but I’m realistic about the Dakar – I know it’s another level completely. Testing has been going really well – every day I spend on the bike I feel more comfortable. I couldn’t wish for better people around me either, all three of the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing guys have won a Dakar – Toby has won two – and Jordi (Viladoms) has been amazing getting me up to speed in such a short amount of time. I know I have a lot to learn, but that will come with racing a few more events. Right now, I’m fully focused on the big one in January.”
2021 Dakar Schedule
Stage
Date
Start > Finish
Total
Special
P
Saturday, January 2, 2021
Jeddah > Jeddah
11 km
11 km
1
Sunday, January 3, 2021
Jeddah > Bisha
622 km
277 km
2
Monday, January 4, 2021
Bisha > Wadi Al Dawasir
685 km
457 km
3
Tuesday, January 5, 2021
Wadi Al Dawasir > Wadi Al Dawasir
630 km
403 km
4
Wednesday, January 6, 2021
Wadi Al Dawasir > Riyadh
813 km
337 km
5
Thursday, January 7, 2021
Riyadh > Buraydah
625 km
419 km
6
Friday, January 8, 2021
Buraydah > Ha’il
655 km
485 km
Rest
Saturday, January 9, 2021
Ha’il (Rest Day)
–
–
7
Sunday, January 10, 2021
Ha’il > Sakaka
737 km
471 km
8
Monday, January 11, 2021
Sakaka > Neom
709 km
375 km
9
Tuesday, January 12, 2021
Neom > Neom
579 km
465 km
10
Wednesday, January 13, 2021
Neom > Al-Ula
583 km
342 km
11
Thursday, January 14, 2021
Al-Ula > Yanbu
557 km
511 km
12
Friday, January 15, 2021
Yanbu > Jeddah
452 km
225 km
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Nathan Crawford returns to Australia to Serco Yamaha for 2021
After a season in Europe racing MXGP, Nathan Crawford has returned to Australia and will take up a seat on the Serco Yamaha team for the 2021 season. The 23 year-old, Brisbane resident, is back on Australian soil and already back in the saddle of a Yamaha YZ250F as his preparations begin for the 2021 Australian motocross and supercross championships.
Nathan Crawford
He has returned after a 12 month stint in Europe where he had to grow up fast in his year contesting the MX2 (250cc) championship. Ultimately, injury and a desire to come home were the reasons for his return to Australia but he is still grateful for the international experience and racing at the highest levels.
Nathan Crawford
“Racing the world championships for a manufacturer supported team has always been a dream of mine and I’m glad I got to experience racing the best riders in the world firsthand. It was an amazing experience, and despite COVID, a year I will never forget. Travelling from country to country and racing on tracks that I had only ever seen on video or YouTube was awesome and I’m so glad I got to do it. I would love to have stayed longer, but a few things didn’t work out and I began looking at my options racing back here in Australia. Joining back up with the Serco Yamaha team is cool as we have a good working relationship from my time there in 2018 and 2019. The same mechanics are still there and not a lot has changed so it was nice to walk back into familiar surroundings and feel welcomed. It was much the same way stepping back onto the YZ250F. The bike feels so good and as a production bike, it is the best in the class. It’s great to be back. I feel motivated and determined to get my career back on track and I have unfinished business in the MX2 class, so I’m really looking forward to getting things started in 2021.”
Nathan Crawford
The second rider on the Serco Yamaha Team will be announced in the coming days. Racing for the newly restructured ProMX championship gets under way on April 11 and will run eight rounds to a double header conclusion at Coolum in August. The Australian Supercross Championship is pencilled in to start in September with five rounds to make up the series.
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Purvis & Larwood return with WBR Bulk Nutrients Yamaha for 2021
Two rising stars of ANZAC motocross racing, Maximus Purvis and Alex Larwood will return to the WBR Bulk Nutrients Yamaha Team for 2021, but with a slight twist. Both will make their debut in new classes for ’21 with Purvis making the leap to the MX1 (450cc) class while Larwood will step into the MX2 (250cc) class.
Purvis, the current New Zealand MX2 champ, is keen to return to Australia for the new season and 2021 marks his third year with the WBR Yamaha team. During the break in racing this year, Purvis was able spend time on the Yamaha YZ450F back in his NZ base and found the bike exactly to his liking.
When the discussion of 2021 came up, Max expressed a wish to race the YZ450F and the WBR Yamaha team were able to make that happen and support him in the same manner as previous years.
Maximus Purvis
“2021 needs to be a huge year for me and one that establishes me in Australian motocross. The move to the 450 class is one that excites me as I have been riding one in New Zealand for the last eight months and I feel really comfortable on the bike and suits the way I ride. I love the horsepower it generates and think that I’m now at the right size and age to step up and make a go of it. Being back with WBR Yamaha is also great. We have a great working relationship that has grown over the past few years and they are a good group of guys to go racing with. The dealership is also close to where I base myself while in Australia, so they are always available if I need anything. My first goal is to defend my New Zealand MX2 championship with JCR Yamaha and then head over to Australia in March to get set up and ready for the Pro MX championship starting in April.”
Maximus Purvis
Continuing into his second year with WBR Yamaha, South Australia’s 17-year old-Alex Larwood will move into the MX2 class and is set to rattle the cages of the big names in the class. Larwood was slated to race the MXD (under 19) division in 2020 but with the cancellation of racing and also a change to the class structure in 2021, he will make the transition into the MX2 class.
Reports early in the 2020 season had Larwood down as superfast, but a broken leg halted that progress. He is now healed up and returning to full training in preparation for the new year and will no doubt be a force to be reckoned with when national racing gets under way in April.
Alex Larwood
“It’s great to be back with WBR Yamaha again and racing the MX2 class on the YZ250F. I had put in a lot of work at the start of 2020 and was feeling great on the bike but my leg injury kept me sidelined for a while and that has only made the motivation stronger. I’m looking forward to racing the MX2 class and going against the best guys in Australia. It will be a big step but I have been training with a lot of riders already in that class and feel comfortable riding with them. The leg is nearly 100% and I have a full program ready to go in the off season to ensure I hit round one in great shape. I can’t wait to get started.”
Alex Larwood
WBR Yamaha is a motorcycle dealer in the Victorian border town of Echuca. Ran by the Whitten family, the racing arm of the business has become a great promotional tool for WBR Yamaha and one that owner, Travis Whitten, is passionate about.
Travis Whitten
“Our whole family is into racing and as the business has grown, so has both our and Yamaha’s investment in racing with us. In 2021, we will be fielding two riders in the major classes and I’m confident in both the talent and determination of Maximus and Alex to succeed. The knowledge that we learn from racing can be feed directly back to our customers and we can provide them with real world information that can make the most of their purchase. 2021 is a step-up up for our race team and one that we are looking forward to and the season can’t get here soon enough so we can be back at the track and doing what we love with two riders determined to achieve their goals.”
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MJC Yamaha Official EMX125 announce 2021 line-up
Yamaha Motor Europe and the MJC Yamaha Official EMX125 team have announced a three-rider line-up for the 2021 EMX125 Championship. The team has retained Dutch talent Ivano Van Erp and welcomed two new riders, Latvian Karlis Reisulis and Italian Ferruccio Zanchi.
As the 2017 Junior Motocross 65cc World Champion, Van Erp is already a recognised name in European motocross. The 15-year-old Dutchman joined the MJC Yamaha Official EMX125 team in 2020 and completed a positive first term inside the EMX125 class aboard a GYTR kitted YZ125 with three top-10 race finishes during the latter stages of the championship.
Reisulis made his EMX125 debut in 2020 at round five of the nine-round series, in Mantova, Italy. The 15-year-old finished seventh in both races for seventh overall and quickly established himself as one of the best performing rookies. Having scored a total of four top-10 race finishes during the five rounds he attended this year, Reisulis has proven he has potential for the future.
Completing the 2021 line-up, Zanchi will become Yamaha’s youngest Official motocross rider as he makes the step up from the 85cc class to the 125cc category. The 14-year-old will join van Erp and Reisulis on the EMX125 Championship gate, where all three riders will race GYTR kitted YZ125s throughout the 2021 season.
Loic Le Foll – MJC Yamaha Official EMX125 Team Owner
“I am very happy to announce our team for 2021. We have already spent a year with Ivano, and he is an exciting rider for the future. This year was a learning year. He showed good speed at the end of the year, which is positive as he looks to move up the standings next year. As for our two new kids, I am very happy to recruit Karlis and Feruccio because they had already caught our eye last year at the Junior Motocross World Championship in Arco Di Trento, inside the 85cc class. These boys are very young, very talented and very hardworking. 2021 will be the first year on a 125cc for Ferruccio and the second season on a 125cc for Karlis, who will aim for a big result. We are going to organize a lot of training sessions together because I am sure our three riders will upgrade each other.”
Thorsten Lentink – Yamaha Motor Europe MX Racing Coordinator
“At Yamaha Motor Europe, our aim for the 2021 season is to strengthen the MJC Yamaha Official EMX125 team, and the presence of the GYTR kitted YZ125 inside the EMX125 Championship. The EMX125 class makes up the bottom step of the Yamaha Racing pyramid alongside the YZ bLU cRU FIM Europe Cup and is one of the first steps to becoming a full-time professional racer. I am confident that we can make some good progress inside the series with our 2021 MJC Yamaha Official EMX125 rider selection. It is exciting to keep Ivano van Erp for another year. This year he entered the EMX125 championship as a rookie and has already shown some positive progress. Karlis Reisulis rode a few EMX125 races this year and had great speed for a rider that was new to the class. He immediately felt confident after his test on the Yamaha YZ125, and we think that both Ivano and Karlis will be upfront fighting for good championship points in 2021. As for Ferruccio, he is only 14 years old and has been on our radar since the 2019 Junior Motocross World Championship. At such a young age, he will have the time to adapt to the YZ125. Consistency will be his main priority in 2021.”
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Brad Freeman renews with Beta until 2023
Beta has announced the renewal of rider Brad Freeman, who will continue his collaboration with the Beta Factory Team for three further years, until 2023.
Brad Freeman
The English champion owns a long series of consecutive successes in recent years, including five titles in the Enduro GP world championship, where he has shown great consistency of results, always competing for the title.
Brad and the Beta Factory Team will represent the colors of the Italian manufacturer on his Beta 300 RR 2T Factory in the Enduro GP World Championship, E3 category, where he defends the 2020 world title, as well as in the Italian Enduro Championship.
Brad FreemanMoto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop
2021 Honda UK ‘Crendon Fastrack’ motocross team announced
Honda UK have announced they are back in British Motocross Championship action with a brand new title sponsor and will be known as Crendon Fastrack Honda. The squad, backed by one of the UK’s leading Timber Engineering companies Crendon, will be formed of British champion Tommy Searle and Jake Nicholls returning in the MX1 class, with Jay Hague joining the team for an MX2 championship assault. The team will contest the UK’s two highest-level series, the British championship and MX Nationals.
2021 Crendon Fastrack Honda motocross team – Tommy Searle, Jake Nicholls and Jay Hague
Derbyshire-based Searle stays with the squad for a second year, following his successful 2020 season when he won the only professional championship to run in the UK, the MX Nationals. For Nicholls, who narrowly missed clinching the British title by a handful of points in 2018 after an injury, it will be his fourth year with the squad. This time both men will be armed with the all-new 2021 Honda CRF450R and are two of the most experienced riders in the class.
Former British youth champion Hague, who lives in Durham, heads up the MX2 category on the Honda CRF250R. The 22-year-old has tested the Crendon Fastrack Honda and says he’s excited to join the most respected and highest-profile team in the UK.
The Crendon Fastrack Honda squad is run by triple world 500 champion Dave Thorpe.
Dave Thorpe
“Our goal is to be the dominant team in British championship racing and we have everything in place to achieve that. After personally testing the brand new Honda CRF450R, I know we have the best machinery. And our team of mechanics and technical partners will ensure they are the ultimate bikes on the track. With Tommy Searle and Jake Nicholls, we have not only the fastest but also two of the most experienced and professional riders in the MX1 class. And with Jay Hague in the MX2 class, it’s a real opportunity for him to really shine. It’s great to have the full backing of Crendon. And of course we still have backing from many of our long-time partners who make it possible for the team to operate at such a high level. I’m certain the Crendon Fastrack Honda team will be the team to beat in the UK.”
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Albert Cabestany join GasGas TrialGP Team as manager
Experienced former Spanish and indoor World Champion is switching from competition to team management to lead GasGas’ 2021 factory trial team. Stepping away from full-time competition, defending Trial-E World Champion will now take charge of our factory trial team and guide them through both the X-Trial and TrialGP World Championships.
Albert Cabestany goes from competitor to team manager in 2021
A rider with more than 20 years of international trial experience, Cabestany is not only hugely capable on a bike, he’s also incredibly knowledgeable off one. A consistent challenger for world championship honors, with no fewer than 85 outdoor and 90 indoor podium results to his credit, including 27 victories, it’s fair to say he’s been there, done it, and got a whole bunch of t-shirts!
Turning a page in his highly-successful career, Albert, who started his professional career riding for GasGas before returning to win two Trial-E World Championship titles in 2019 and 2020, will now start an exciting new chapter, leading from the front as he manages the GasGas Factory Racing Trial Team.
Focused on developing the team’s testing, training and competition program, the Spaniard will provide invaluable knowledge, experience and guidance, ensuring the team is perfectly prepared to take on the 2021 FIM X-Trial and TrialGP series.
Albert Cabestany – GASGAS Factory Racing Trial Team Manager
“After so many years competing in trial, this is the perfect next step for me. To be the GASGAS Factory Racing Trial Team Manager is such a unique and exciting opportunity, I’m really looking forward to working with our riders and doing all I can to continue the team’s success. For sure I’m going to give it my all and enjoy the experience. It’s an important team within the trial paddock, with high expectations, so I’m really excited about the future.”
Albert Cabestany
Robert Jonas – VP Motorsports Offroad
“Trial remains hugely important to GASGAS, both from a production bike point of view and also from a motorsport perspective. This is why we are pleased to have appointed Albert Cabestany as our new trial team manager. Albert is hugely experienced when it comes to all things trial, and while he is best known as a successful competitor, he also has considerable testing and development experience. We believe he will inject the right mix of energy and focus into the team and push it forward in 2021, allowing our riders to perform at their very best.”
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2021 Racing schedule
2021 AMA SX calendar
Date
Event
Venue
Location
E/W
Jan 16
Houston 1
NRG Stadium
Houston, TX
East
Jan 19
Houston 2
NRG Stadium
Houston, TX
East
Jan 23
Houston 3
NRG Stadium
Houston, TX
East
Jan 30
Indianapolis 1
Lucas Oil Stadium
Indianapolis, IN
East
Feb 2
Indianapolis 2
Lucas Oil Stadium
Indianapolis, IN
East
Feb 6
Indianapolis 3
Lucas Oil Stadium
Indianapolis, IN
East
Feb20
Glendale 1
State Farm Stadium
Glendale, AZ
West
Feb 23
Glendale 2
State Farm Stadium
Glendale, AZ
West
Feb 27
Glendale 3
State Farm Stadium
Glendale, AZ
West
Mar 6
Daytona*
Daytona Int. Speedway
Daytona Beach, FL
East
Mar 13
Arlington 1
AT&T Stadium
Arlington, TX
West
Mar 16
Arlington 2
AT&T Stadium
Arlington, TX
West
Mar 20
Arlington 3
AT&T Stadium
Arlington, TX
West
Round 14
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
Round 15
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
Round 16
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
Round 17
Salt Lake City
Rice-Eccles Stadium
Salt Lake City, UT
TBD
2021 Provisional MXGP Calendar
Rnd
Grand Prix
Date
1
MXGP of Oman, Muscat
Fri 2 Apr – Sat 3 Apr
2
MXGP of Italy, TBA
Sat 24 Apr – Sun 25 Apr
3
MXGP of Portugal, Agueda
Sat 8 May – Sun 9 May
4
MXGP of The Netherlands, Oss
Sat 22 May – Sun 23 May
5
MXGP of Germany, Teutschenthal
Sat 29 May – Sun 30 May
6
MXGP of Russia, Orlyonok
Sat 12 Jun – Sun 13 Jun
7
MXGP of Latvia, Kegums
Sat 19 Jun – Sun 20 Jun
8
MXGP of Jakarta (INA), Jakarta
Sat 3 Jul – Sun 4 Jul
9
MXGP of Indonesia, Semarang
Sat 10 Jul – Sun 11 Jul
10
MXGP of Czech Replublic, Loket
Sat 24 Jul – Sun 25 Jul
11
MXGP of Belgium, Lommel
Sat 31 Jul – Sun 1 Aug
12
MXGP of Sweden, Uddevalla
Sat 7 Aug – Sun 8 Aug
13
MXGP of Finland, Iitti-KimiRing
Sat 21 Aug – Sun 22 Aug
14
MXGP of Igora Drive (RUS), Igora Drive
Sat 28 Aug – Sun 29 Aug
15
MXGP of Turkey, Afyonkarahisar
Sat 11 Sep – Sun 12 Sep
16
MXGP of China, TBA
Sat 18 Sep – Sun 19 Sep
17
MXGP of France, St Jean d’Angely
Sat 9 Oct – Sun 10 Oct
18
MXGP of Spain, intu Xanadu-Arroyomolinos
Sat 16 Oct – Sun 17 Oct
19
TBA
Sat 30 Oct – Sun 31 Oct
20
MXGP of Patagonia Argentina, Neuquen
Sat 13 Nov – Sun 14 Nov
2021 Yamaha AORC presented by MXStore calendar
Round
Location
Date
Rounds 1 & 2
Nowra, NSW
March 27-28
Rounds 3 & 4
TBA, VIC
April 17-18
Rounds 5 & 6
Kyogle, NSW
July 17-18
Rounds 7 & 8
TBA, QLD
August 6-7
Rounds 9 & 10
Kingston SE, SA
September 18-19
Rounds 11 & 12
Omeo, VIC
October 16-17
2021 Australian Pro MX calendar
Rnd
Date
Location
1
Apr-11
Wonthaggi, Victoria
2
May-02
Canberra, ACT
3
May-30
Gilman, South Australia
4
Jun-27
Maitland, NSW
5
Jul-25
Wodonga, Victoria
6
Aug-08
TBC, Queensland
7/8
August 14-15
Coolum, Queensland
2021 Speedway GP Calendar
Date
Round
Location
Apr-24
2021 FIM Speedway Grand Prix
TBC
May-15
2021 PZM Warsaw FIM Speedway Grand Prix of Poland
PGE Narodowy
May-22
2021 German FIM Speedway Grand Prix
Bergring Arena
Jun-05
2021 Czech Republic FIM Speedway Grand Prix
Marketa Stadium
Jun-19
2021 FIM Speedway Grand Prix
TBC
Jul-17
2021 Adrian Flux British FIM Speedway Grand Prix
Principality Stadium
Jul-31
2021 Betard Wroclaw FIM Speedway Grand Prix OF POLAND
Olympic Stadium
Aug-14
2021 Swedish FIM Speedway Grand Prix
G&B Arena
Aug-28
2021 Russian FIM Speedway Grand Prix
Anatoly Stepanov Stadium
Sep-11
2021 Danish FIM Speedway Grand Prix Sponsored by ECCO
Vojens Speedway Center
Oct-02
2021 Torun FIM Speedway Grand Prix of Poland
Marian Rose MotoArena
2021 Australian Senior Speedway Solo calendar
Round
Location
Date
Round 1
Gillman Speedway, SA
3 January, 2021
Round 2
Olympic Park, VIC
5 January, 2021
Round 3
Diamond Park, Albury Wodonga, VIC
7 January, 2021
Round 4
Loxford Park, NSW
9 January, 2021
Round 5
Mick Doohan Raceway, QLD
13 January, 2021
2021 Australian Speedway events
Championship
Location
Date
2021 Australian Under 21’s Speedway Championship
Gillman Speedway, SA
16 January, 2021
2021 Australian Junior Speedway Sidecar Championship
Pinjar Park, WA
3-4 April, 2021
2021 Australian Senior Speedway Sidecar Championship
Pinjar Park, WA
3-4 April, 2021
2021 Speedway FIM Oceania Speedway Championship
Gillman Speedway, SA
30 January, 2021
2021 Speedway FIM Oceania Speedway Sidecar Championship
Gillman Speedway, SA
17 April, 2021
2021 Provisional Australian Supercross dates
25 September – Further information TBA
9 October – Further information TBA
16 October – Further information TBA
23 October – Further information TBA
30 October – Further information TBA
6 November – Further information TBA
20 November – Further information TBA
27 November – Further information TBA
2021 Australian Four Day Enduro (A4DE) May 19-22 – Harvey, WA
2021 Enduro Australian Three Day Vintage Enduro (A3VE) 7-9 May – Blackwood, VIC
2021 Finke Desert Race 11-14 June – Northern Territory
2021 Hattah Desert Race 3-4 July – Hattah, Victoria
2021 Motocross Australian Classic Motocross Championship 9-11 July – Nowra, NSW
2021 Motocross Australian Post Classic Motocross 16-18 July – Nowra, NSW
2021 International Six Day Enduro (ISDE) 30 August – 4 September – Italy
Seriously, COVID-19 has managed to bugger its way into all our lives and destroy everything that we hold dear; especially motorcycle events. Although MotoGP had a successful start-up and managed to make do with this series of unfortunate events, many other motorsports divisions haven’t had the same luck.
If I made a list of things far more dangerous than the Coronavirus, Dakar Rally would be up at the top. Dakar Rally is bad-ass, tough, excruciating, nauseating, dangerous…. Should I continue? Luckily for those of us locked in the house, organizers of the Dakar Rally event have confirmed that the event will take place in January 2021 without a hitch.
“The preparation, and in particular the reconnaissance, had to be conducted according to a schedule adapted to the 2020 travel restrictions. The rally will be held under unusual conditions drafted in a protocol designed to ensure maximum protection against the spread of the Covid-19 virus”, the organizers said in a release.
Unfortunately, the Rally loses some of its “WTF” potential with the addition of a new route that will shorten the original 8000-mile trek to the tune of 3200 miles. This new route will take place in Saudi Arabia and is planned to be 4750 miles long in its entirety.
Although we are losing some distance for this event, the organizers assure us that there are far more technical areas that will put riders’ navigation skills to the test resulting in a much more interesting race. Previous Dakar Rally’s feature long stretches of desert sand before things get spicey, so hopefully, this new event cuts some of that ‘nothing-ness’ out of the equation.
James Hillier won the Isle of Man TT in 2013, and now he has his sights set on something just as, if not even more impressive, the Dakar Rally.
This is the first Isle Of Man TT Champion who will have attempted the Dakar Rally. The rally is one of the most grueling events in all of motorsports. While the Isle of Man TT is a wild and tough race in and of itself, the Dakar Rally is a whole new challenge.
The Dakar Rally covers more than 500 miles over some of the toughest terrain in the entire world, including massive sand dunes and rough rocky sections. It’s tough for the riders and the bikes themselves to simply survive the race. Hillier will have his work cut out for him.
Hillier will ride in the 2022 Dakar Rally with the OMG Racing team sponsored by Rich Energy, according to Visordown. What’s interesting is that Hillier originally joined the racing team to do road races, but COVID-19 put an end to those races and now he and the racing team has shifted its focus to the Dakar Rally. Hillier is obviously one of the best people on a bike in the world, but the Dakar Rally is no road race. His skills will certainly be put to the test.
As Jack Miller prepares to return to MotoGP racing this weekend, a video has been released of a motocross track showdown with fellow Aussie Toby Price.
It’s like one of those pub questions come to life: “Who would win a motocross race out of Jack Miller and Toby Price?”
The pair both started in motocross at regional tracks, so this showdown is held in Rockhampton.
He won the German IDM 125ccc championship in 2011 and was runner-up in the 2014 Moto3 championship.
The Townsville racer made his MotoGP debut in 2015 at the age of 20 and joined Ducati in 2018 with the Pramac Racing Team, the factory-supported team of the Bologna manufacturer.
He has one MotoGP win to his name and finished last season eighth overall in the standings last year, taking five podiums.
Toby Price
Toby, 32, is Australia’s first Dakar Rally champion.
He won the gruelling event in 2016 and again in 2019.
Toby also became the first Australian to win the FIM World Cross Country Championship and has scored a record six wins in Australia’s toughest motorcycle rally, the Finke Desert Race.
The motocross race
To find out who won the motocross showdown and claimed the unusual prize, you’ll just have to watch the video.
