Yamaha Germany held their fifth annual YZ bLU cRU camp, this year held at MSC Grevenbroich, with 29 riders aged between eight and 16 years old taking part in the fun and learning from coaches such as Gautier Paulin, Bernd Eckenbach, Petr Polak, and Gerrit Heistermann.
Yamaha Germany’s two-day camp, now in its fifth consecutive year, is open to all competitors in the YZ bLU cRU FIM Europe Cup that is part of Yamaha’s award-winning bLU cRU program, which forms the foundation of the Yamaha Racing pyramid and is designed to cultivate the next generation of young riding talent in road and off-road racing.
The program creates a professional environment featuring coaching, technical support, and mentoring from some of the biggest names in racing to encourage, develop, and nurture the stars of tomorrow while providing an uninterrupted career path from national to world championship level. The 2024 season has been a record-breaking season for the YZ bLU cRU FIM Europe Cup, with 754 riders registered from 29 countries, including entrants from the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, and Indonesia.
The venue for the German camp in 2024 was MSC Grevenbroich, which, with its newly built hard-packed track and numerous different layouts, was ideal for the occasion. Arriving on Friday night, the riders and their families were gifted a 3mx3m tent from Weber Werke GmbH, supporters of the German YZ bLU cRU Cup. This meant everyone could benefit from a professional setup in front of their campers in the paddock
A total of 29 riders, on a mix of YZ125, YZ85, and YZ65 machinery, took part in the camp and not only created memories that will last a lifetime but also picked up some expert tips and tuition, on track and off that will benefit them in their budding racing careers.
The coaches for the camp were former MXGP race winner and championship runner-up, European MX Champion, and winner of five consecutive Motocross of Nations (MXoN), Frenchman Paulin. He was joined by former MXGP rider, six-time German MX Champion, and former BMX German Champion Eckenbach, plus current MX2 Czech rider Polak (SHR Motorsports) and young German rider Heistermann (TYK Racing).
With rain forecast for overnight and perfect weather on Saturday, the schedule was changed, with timed practice taking place on the first day. This saw the young rippers getting to hit the track under the watchful eyes of the coaches, with each session being timed. This was not only to let the youngsters benefit from the coaches’ years of experience but also to help prepare them in case they qualify for the YZ bLU cRU FIM Europe Cup SuperFinale, which this year will take place alongside the MXoN at Matterley Basin in the UK from October 4th to 6th, with the sessions following the same schedule as the end-of-season event.
As always at the camp, the focus over the weekend was not just on preparing the young riders for what they will face on track but also on aiding them in the best way possible off track. With this in mind, numerous classroom sessions were held throughout the weekend, covering everything from nutrition to training and technical workshops, plus how to prepare physically and mentally for a race.
Heavy overnight rain, before the sun’s return during the day, saw the camp switch to the sand layout on Sunday to continue the training, allowing the riders to experience different track conditions without the hassle of changing venue. Adding to the Yamaha Racing family experience over the weekend was the fact that all involved ate together in a giant marquee, plus everyone also got to watch the Germany vs Denmark European Championship match that took place over the weekend at the SHR Motorsports Team truck, adding to an already fantastic atmosphere in the paddock.
Just like the previous camps, the 2024 edition was certainly one to remember, with all participants not only getting the chance to experience such a unique event but also creating moments that will last with them forever. To cap it all off, the weekend ended with the traditional awards ceremony, with prizes awarded not only to the fastest riders but also to everyone who took part, adding to the feel-good nature of the event.
To learn more about the activities of Yamaha bLU cRU riders around the globe, make sure you follow them on their dedicated Instagram channel here.
Karsten Neumann
Yamaha Motor Europe – Marketing Coordinator Marine, RVPP & MX
“The 2024 Yamaha YZ bLU cRU Camp was, as in the past years, a highlight event for all YZ bLU cRU cup participants in the cup schedule. Being hosted on one of the most famous German MX tracks – the track of MSC Grevenbroich – where all European factory MX top teams and top riders hold their training sessions made this year’s camp even more special. The participating young cup riders and their families had a lot of fun during the weekend, and they improved their riding skills due to the professional trainers present. All that took part truly experienced the Yamaha Racing family vibe, and hopefully, this camp fueled their motivation for the remaining races in the national championships. The next level of the cup will be SuperFinale in Matterly Basin, UK, at the beginning of October for those who qualify for it, and everyone that took part in this camp now knows what to expect if they do make it through.”
