Former world champion Romain Febvre was hospitalised during yesterday’s opening round of the 2019 MXGP World Championship in Neuquen, Patagonia Argentina.

The Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing rider looked primed for a strong start to his 2019 campaign, taking out victory in Saturday’s qualification race before finishing third in the opening moto.

Leading portions of race two, the Frenchman relinquished positions one and two, however while maintaining third, a critical mistake throughout the roller section resulted in a heavy fall.

Landing heavily on his right leg, Febvre was transported to hospital for further evaluation, with his injuries still to be confirmed.

The overall win was ultimately captured by nine-time world champion Antonio Cairoli (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), followed by Tim Gajser (Honda HRC) and Jeremy van Horebeek (Honda SR Motoblouz).

Team Honda 114 Motorsports newcomer Mitch Evans starred on Saturday in the opening round of the MX2 World Championship, finishing sixth in the first qualifying race of the year.

At the Neuquen circuit in Patagonia-Argentina, Evans was 16th in timed practice but made gains as he stormed to sixth in the gate-deciding qualifier.

The MX2 qualifying heat was topped by Rockstar Energy Husqvarna’s Thomas Kjer Olsen ahead of world champion Jorge Prado (Red Bull KTM) and Henry Jacobi (F&H Racing Team Kawasaki).

In MXGP it was Monster Energy Yamaha’s Romain Febvre who won, leading Julien Lieber (Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team) and Jeremy Van Horebeek (Honda SR Motoblouz), while Antonio Cairoli (Red Bull KTM) exited with a technical issue.

McLeod Accessories has introduced the AC Performance Systems Sport Band to Australian market, a product used by a number of the sport’s leading riders across the globe.

Breathing through your mouth leads to over-breathing, hyperventilation, dehydration, depleted carbon dioxide levels, vasoconstriction (constriction of the blood vessels), and reduced blood circulation during exercise.

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What you need to do is breathe through your nose the way your body was designed to breathe. This creates the proper mixture of gasses coursing through your blood for optimal health and performance. When you breathe through your nose, your body re-breathes the expelled carbon dioxide and the nitric oxide that is naturally produced in your sinuses.

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A string of European pre-season events have loosened Romain Febvre ahead of this weekend’s MXGP World Championship opener at Nequen in Argentina.

The former world champion believes he rode tight in the Italian championship, however felt back to his usual self in last weekend’s Lacapelle Marival International Motocross in France after securing victory.

“My feeling with the bike and on the team is really good at the moment,” Febvre explained. “Also my physical condition is good. Right from the beginning of the pre-season races I have felt good although I was riding a little bit tight in Italy but it got better and last weekend it was much better.

“I felt in the race last weekend that I was back, that I could race with the same feeling I have practicing. We have been working hard on the bike, we have made some good progress and we are still moving in the right direction to improve even more.

“For the first round of MXGP in Argentina this weekend, it is nothing special- I don’t want to put any pressure on myself. I just want to ride relaxed and enjoy it as it is my favourite track on the calendar.”

Febvre’s 2018 season ended prematurely when he suffered a heavy fall at the MXGP of Turkey, resulting in a concussion and s broken rib.

Attempting to earn a record-equalling 10th MXGP World Championship in 2019, Antonio Cairoli has expressed that this weekend’s opening races at Nequen in Argentina isn’t key to the title hunt, however it is important to build a strong foundation.

Cairoli, who finished runner-up to Red Bull KTM Factory Racing teammate Jeffrey Herlings last year, dominated the pre-season events he contested, setting himself up positively for the grand prix season.

“I’ve never had great results in Argentina and I’m still searching for the win but it’s a really nice GP for me,” Cairoli explained. “The location is great, as is the track and the atmosphere made by the fans so I look forward to going there.

“Of course the season is really long and this is just the first race but we will all see ‘where we are’ and how things will run. The first races are not really the key to the whole championship – and I have seen this in my years in GPs – but it is important to build a good start and momentum from the beginning.”

Reigning champion Herlings will miss this weekend’s opener due to a foot injury, while his return to riding and racing is still to be determined.

Four-time EnduroGP world champion Matthew Phillips has confirmed he’ll return to the Yamaha bLU cRU Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC) this season, which is set to kick off on 9-10 March at Toowoomba in Queensland.

Overcoming a head injury that ended his 2018 campaign on the world stage, the well-credentialed Tasmanian will pilot KTM machinery, starting in the E1 division before sampling different offerings from the Austrian manufacturer in different categories throughout the season, making for a unique effort in his return year.

“Last year I suffered a head injury which put me off the bike for about six months,” Phillips explained. “I was in a negative headspace after that and decided to head home. As I started to recover I decided to help out a young and upcoming rider, Kyron Bacon, which got me back into the love of riding.

“My plan is to compete in all 11 rounds of the AORC 2019 season, beginning in rounds one and two in the E1 class. As the season moves on I’ll change things up a bit by moving across the senior classes with different bikes. The main thinking is that I want to maintain the love for the sport and by changing things up each round will definitely help that.”

Phillips previously contested the world championship with KTM Factory Racing in 2014 and 2015, picking up the E3 title in his first year with the squad. He last competed in the AORC full-time back in 2012. It’s understood Phillips will support and mentor youthful talent Kyron Bacon in the AORC EJ category alongside his own campaign.

Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing has confirmed Justin Barcia will sit out this weekend’s ninth round of the 2019 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship in Atlanta.

It’s understood the number 51 experienced an incident while practicing at his training facility in Florida, prompting him to undergo a medical evaluation at the Tallahassee Orthopedic Clinic (TOC), where he was assessed for a concussion.

“The news of Justin’s accident this morning is a real pity, but our main concern is Justin’s health and recovery,” said Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing team manager Jim Perry. “Following the concussion protocol, we hope that Justin will be back to 100 percent and cleared to participate soon.”

Barcia, who won the opening round of the series at Anaheim, currently sits sixth in the championship standings. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Cooper Webb holds the red-plate over Ken Roczen (Team Honda HRC) heading into the weekend’s round.