MATTERLEY BASIN GEARS UP FOR THE 2024 MONSTER ENERGY FIM MOTOCROSS OF NATIONS IN THE UK.
It’s here at last! The 2024 Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations is getting ready to go at the epic Matterley Basin circuit in the south of Great Britain, set to host the event for the third time in its short history!
The rolling Hampshire valley is a perfect setting for this massive event, with brilliant track visibility, dramatic elevation changes, and huge spectator areas which always create an incredible atmosphere for this monumental event! Both of the MXoNs at this circuit have generated winning teams in the middle of a streak of victories, but also been more famous for their individual winners in the memories of fans!
The 2006 event was the second of a seven-year run of team victories for Team USA, but the legend that is Stefan Everts was racing internationally for the last time and took a famous double race win over the revered American James Stewart. That put Team Belgium 2nd overall with Team New Zealand in third.
In 2017, Team France took its fourth win in a run of five, but loudly-cheered local British hotshot Max Anstie defeated an in-form Jeffrey Herlings in both of his races to help put Team Great Britain on the podium at home, behind Herlings’ Team Netherlands trio and a solid team effort from winners France.
Since then, the last four editions of the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations have all been won by the host nations! Team Netherlands achieving a historical first win ever in the event, at Assen in 2019, then in 2021, Team Italy gave the legend of Antonio Cairoli his only career MXoN Gold Medal on home sand at Mantova. Then Team USA ended an 11-year drought in the competition in impressive fashion, winning at their RedBud stronghold with massive home support!
Finally, last season, Team France triumphed in front of a massive home crowd at the incredible Ernee venue, aided by a 1-2 finish in the second race for Maxime Renaux and Tom Vialle. It would probably be the shock of the century to see Team GB continue this trend with three riders who do not compete at GPs regularly, but as always with the Nations, and with Motocross in general, anything could happen!
Team France come in as defending Champions, and in fact they have won six of the last nine Monster Energy Motocross of Nations titles! With exactly the same line-up as last year’s event, Romain Febvre, Tom Vialle, and Maxime Renaux will be wearing numbers 1, 2, and 3, and despite an injury-interrupted year for the two 450 riders, Vialle has had a strong season in the USA and could be the glue that keep this winning combination together. They are the only team with three World Champions in their line-up, although as with all of last year’s top four Nations, none of them have scored a GP win this season.
Team Australia feature two of the biggest stars in Motocross racing with brothers Jett Lawrence and Hunter Lawrence both on factory 450 Honda machinery, joined by top Australian Championship rider Kyle Webster, and could well be the favourites for the event after finishing second last year. It would be their first ever success at the MXoN, and in a country that speaks their language they could well have the busiest transporter area in the paddock!
Team Italy were surprise podium finishers at Ernee last year, and racing with numbers 7, 8, and 9 they return with the same trio that got them there in ’23. Alberto Forato has been in good form since his return from injury, Andrea Adamo also finished on the podium in the final MX2 Grand Prix and has a point to prove after an otherwise disappointing season as defending MX2 World Champion. Andrea Bonacorsi had a promising first year in Grand Prix racing, switching from MX2 to MXGP early in the season and finishing tenth in the series. An outside bet of getting there again, but all three are strong and consistent.
This weekend, Team USA is the defending Champion and historically the best nation of the competition with 23 Titles. Their line-up will be Aaron Plessinger, R.J Hampshire and Christian Craig, and will want to win the first Chamberlain Trophy by Team USA in Europe since 2011.
Team Germany, bring Ken Roczen back once more to the MXoN after he took overall victory in the MXGP class last year, and joined by Simon Laengenfelder he has a good MX2 rider with him as well. Amazingly, Simon wasn’t born when their Open class rider, Max Nagl, first competed at the Nations, but the 37-year-old has dominated the German International Championship in his home country, and re-united with Roczen as two-thirds of their winning 2012 team, they could well rise to the podium.
Team Belgium have had a torrid end to the season with injuries, and at one point their participation looked to be in doubt, but Jago Geerts, Lucas Coenen, and Brent van Doninck will line up at Matterley. Both 450 riders have had injury-affected seasons, but Coenen will be looking to put a few 450s to shame with his blistering speed that saw him win the last three MX2 Grands Prix of the year!
Team Switzerland return with one of the most experienced line-ups with Jeremy Seewer, Arnaud Tonus, and Valentin Guillod, while Team Spain sees now double World Champion Jorge Prado spearhead their campaign for the podium, with the same teammates as last year I the shape of Oriol Oliver and Ruben Fernandez.
Eighth last year, Team USA look to have a stronger squad in 2024, despite the injury to their new 450 National Champion Chase Sexton. The legend of Eli Tomac will make his first appearance in the UK outdoors, and his addition is a mouth-watering prospect, especially alongside his experience teammate Cooper Webb, and the only returnee from last year’s event, Aaron Plessinger. They are definitely contenders for the podium, maybe even the win!
Team Slovenia and Team Great Britain were the other top ten teams last season, and five-time World Champion Tim Gajser will be keen to prove a point after narrowly losing the MXGP world crown a week ago. Jan Pancar is a rising star capable of getting amongst the top guys as well! The home team bring veteran Tommy Searle back to the MXGP class, with 2017 Matterley winner Max Anstie coming across from the USA to get the home crowd roaring once more! The enigma that is four-time British Champion Conrad Mewse, who has defeated Jeffrey Herlings in the UK this year, looks to bring his domestic pace to the Nations for his home fans!
After a disastrous event in 2023, Team Netherlands wear numbers 52, 53, and 54 this year, but Jeffrey Herlings has been phenomenal at times this season and will be going all-out for a second Nations win for his country, especially alongside new MX2 World Champion Kay de Wolf and many-time Nations winner Glenn Coldenhoff. Definitely contenders for the top positions!
The 77th edition of the event will see the huge participation teams, including the special team representing FIM Latin America, and other teams coming from different continents such as Rep of South Africa, Chile, Japan, Venezuela and Brazil. With pride, passion, and patriotism all on display, this will be a Nations unlike any other!
It is a mouth-watering prospect to see the top American and Australian stars battle with the MXGP and MX2 elite at this incredible one-off event – you do not want to be missing this one!
2023 MXoN Nations Classification Top 10 (Ernee, France)
- France
- Australia
- Italy
- Germany
- Belgium
- Switzerland
- Spain
- USA
- Slovenia
- Great Britain
Text/Bild: Infront