MXGP Awards Ceremony Celebrates the 2019 Season in Assen.
Following today’s qualifying races, at the famous Assen TT circuit, the party moved to the expo hall, where riders, journalists, photographers and team plus more gathered to celebrate this year’s achievements.
The MXGP Awards is a prize giving ceremony, designed to celebrate the accomplishments from this season in the MXGP paddock. The awards were hosted by the voice of MXGP-TV Commentator Paul Malin and MXGP-TV Presenter, Lisa Leyland and it was live streamed worldwide on MXGP-TV.com.
To kick off this evening’s festivities, Youthstream President Mr. Giuseppe Luongo, FIM Vice President Mr. Jacques Bolle and Region of Drenthe Deputy Mr. Henk Brink took to the stage to welcome the MXGP guests for the 2019 MXGP Awards.
Youthstream President Mr. Giuseppe Luongo and FIM Vice President Jacques Bolle personally awarded the seasons most prestigious awards to the 2019 FIM Motocross World Champions, Tim Gajser and Jorge Prado at the end of the celebration while Youthstream CEO David Luongo together with FIM Europe President Martin De Graaff awarded the the 2019 European Champions, Roan Van De Moosdijk, Mike Kras, Mattia Guadagnini, Edvards Bidzans and Vitezslav Marek. David Luongo was joined later on by FIM Vice President Jacques Bolle to award the WMX and the Junior World Champions.
Tom Vialle picked up the Jan de Groot Award that honours the most promising young talent. Also receiving an award was Max Anstie, who was awarded this year’s Fair Play Award for helping Romain Febvre, who was trapped under his bike, during the MXGP of Germany in Teutschenthal. Unfortunately, Anstie was not present to collect the award in person.
As the evening moved on, Heinz Kinigardner was presented a cheque of 10,000 euro as a donation to the Wings For Life charity. Taking the emotional atmosphere on stage Gregoire Courtine and Jocelyn Bloch from IRP joined Paul Malin and Lisa Leyland on stage to tell more about the very important work that they do as part of the IRP charity. The IRP specialise in the rehabilitation of life changing injuries, especially those suffering from paraplegia. It was a special moment, as on stage they showed the public in attendance the impressive work IRP does. The IRP and MXGP have been in collaboration to raise funds for more important research carried out.
World Champions, Tim Gajser and Jorge Prado were both presented as the winners of the Tag Heuer Fastest Lap competition, receiving a fine-looking Tag Heuer watch as an award while Fox Head General Manager, Julien Bretagne awarded this year’s Fox Holeshot competition to Antonio Cairoli and Jorge Prado with their prize. Both riders have previously won this contest in 2018.
For the complete list of award winners, see below:
MXGP Manufacturer World Champion: Honda
MX2 Manufacturer World Champion: KTM
WMX Manufacturer World Champion: Kawasaki
MXGP Winning Team: Team HRC
MX2 Winning Team: Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
WMX Winning Team: Bike it DRT Kawaski
Mechanic of the Year: Luigi Rossini “Cippa”
Lifetime Career Award: John Van Den Berk
Photojournalist of the Year: Adriano Dondi
Best Digital Platform: MX Vice
“Jan De Groot” Award: Tom Vialle
Fair Play Award: Max Anstie
MXGP Best Cooperation: MXGP of Russia
MXGP Best Race Track: MXGP of Argentina
MXGP Best Media Centre: MXGP Italy, Imola
MXGP Best Paddock: MXGP of Turkey
MXGP Best Promotion: MXGP of China
MXGP Best Infrastructure: MXGP of China
MXGP Best Organiser: MXGP of Latvia
Wings for Life: Heinz Kinigardner
EMX 65 European Champion: Vitezslav Marek
EMX 85 European Champion: Edvards Bidzans
EMX 125 European Champion: Mattia Guadagnini
EMX 250 European Champion: Roan Van De Moosdijk
EMX2T European Champion: Mike Kras
65cc Junior World Cup Winner: Vitezslav Marek
85cc Junior World Champion: Valerio Lata
125cc Junior World Champion: Mattia Guadagnini
Women’s World Champion: Courtney Duncan
TAG HEUER Best Lap Challenge – MXGP & MX2: Tim Gajser & Jorge Prado
FOX HOLESHOT Award – MXGP & MX2: Antonio Cairoli & Jorge Prado
MX2 World Champion: Jorge Prado
MXGP World Champion: Tim Gajser
Text/Bild: Youthstream