MXGP heads to the hills of Tuscany this weekend for round nine of the FIM Motocross World Championship, bringing the series back to the old-school venue of Montevarchi, Italy, for the first time in two decades.
Montevarchi has hosted seven Grands Prix to date, with its inaugural event in 1980 won by Michele Rinaldi—a name that is now synonymous with the Yamaha’s off-road Research and Development program. The track was also the site of Stefan Everts’ legendary 2003 “double,” where he took victories in both the 125 class aboard a YZ250F and the premier Motocross GP class aboard a YZ450FM on the same day. Everts also went on to win the last Grand Prix held in Montevarchi back in 2006.
Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP’s Tim Gajser enters the weekend with renewed confidence, having used the brief break to heal up and refine the set-up of his YZ450FM. The five-time World Champion arrives fourth in the points, just 16 back from Romain Febvre. On the other side of the awning, Maxime Renaux is out for redemption. After a difficult weekend in Latvia, the 2021 MX2 World Champion is eager to find his flow on the traditional Italian style track as he looks to climb from sixth in the standings.
In MX2, the Reisulis brothers, Karlis and Janis, aim to continue their steady curve of progression. Both Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 riders have demonstrated the pace to run at the front of the field, and they will be looking to convert that potential into a podium result as the series enters the summer grind. Janis and Karlis currently sit seventh and eighth in the MX2 Championship Standings, respectively.
Tim Gajser
4th MXGP Championship Standings, 294-points
“The weekend off was good. We did some testing and went to Croatia for Spela’s birthday, which was nice. It was good to have a break after three races in a row, but I still kept training hard and we did some testing too. I’ve also focused on my recovery, and that is getting better; I am feeling much better now. I think in Montevarchi I will be able to race without a lot of pain, so I’m feeling positive.
I have raced in Montevarchi a few times—some Italian championship races and also some races when I was little. I’ve seen they’ve made some changes, so it should be good. It’s a small track for a GP, but I hope they prep it well. I just want to enjoy and have fun on the bike. I know what I am capable of, but the main thing for me is to enjoy riding, because I know that when I feel good and I am having fun, I can be really fast and up front.”
Maxime Renaux
6th MXGP Championship Standings, 261-points
“The weekend off was good. I just kept training and we did some testing to get ready for the next few races. I’ve raced at Montevarchi before for the Italian Championship, but that was the old track layout going in the opposite direction. I like the track; it’s hard pack and typical Italian style, so it suits me. The goal for this weekend is to get some good points, forget about the horrible weekend I had in Kegums, and just focus on being more consistent and bringing home a solid result.”
Janis Reisulis
7th MX2 World Championship Standings, 280-points
“I enjoyed the weekend off with more training, of course—the work never stops. I’ve never raced in Montevarchi before, so it’s going to be a new adventure and challenge, which is good because I like experiencing new things. The plan is to strike first in the starts and, from then on, ride the bike how I know.”
Karlis Reisulis
8th MX2 World Championship Standings, 223-points
“The weekend off was nice; I was just training at the team workshop. I’ve never raced in Montevarchi, but I’ve been there for training, and it seems like a nice track with some good elevation. The plan is the same as it always is: just do what I can on a bike.”
