The Kiwi Road to Lommel

The Motocross of Nations event has been staged since 1947, where the Great Britain team took home the Chamberlain Trophy for the first time. This year's Lommel event is the 66th edition.

The event's name has been officially anglicised (as Motocross of Nations - MXoN) since 2004, when Youthstream was awarded promotional rights for the World Motocross Grand Prix, although the general moniker Des Nations or MXdN is still very much in use, especially in Europe.

With Australia’s Team Captain Chad Reed and New Zealand’s Ben Townley currently out with injuries they have now been joined by the USA’s Ryan Villopoto.

Selection is always contentious world-wide and has already ‘blown-up’ in the UK with Neil Prince replacing Steve Dixon over the potential non-selection of Dean Wilson.  Wilson races in the USA and it was alleged that it’s all about money – the cost of getting the rider and his bike from California across to Belgium.

Over recent years New Zealand has been extremely fortunate having Josh Coppins and Ben Townley off-shore with their participation and bike supply, written into their manufacturer’s contracts.

Last year the MXoN was in the south of France and a New Zealand ‘Development Team’ was selected made up of riders already racing in the UK and Europe.  The cost to MNZ was limited to entry fees and the costs of the Team Manager, Tony Cooksley.

Rex Michau from the Dirt Bike Gym NZ MX Team funded Kieran Scheele and Johnny Phillips and brought the team’s full rig over from England. Jan & Jolanda Doeksen brought their very impressive race truck down from Holland for Joel.  The boys actually paid for their own Team NZ race gear and Cooksley himself, sponsored the team’s polos and caps. The Team did not qualify for the top 20 but they made the B Final and rode to the best of their ability.

The cost of participation, caused mainly by NZ’s geographic isolation would have been huge and a few of those senior riders who missed  out, were bemoaning their non selection. At the end of the day, unless you have your very best riders there, the financials just don’t stack up.  The Netherlands never went for the same reason.

Whilst there was criticism at home of the selection, what was important was the praise of NZ’s ‘development‘ effort by Youthstream’s President, Giuseppe Luongo in front of FIM Representatives.  In the recent MNZ President’s Report, Jim Tuckerman said: "MNZ remains high on the FIM radar, we received financial backing to the tune of 15,000 Euros towards sending a development squad to the Motocross of Nations in 2012.” (short version – Alan H.)

Last year, Taupo’s second annual Club of Nations raised $9000 towards the cause. MNZ assure us those funds are still held in a separate MXoN account.  22 teams paid $300 each for their 6 man Junior / Seniors team entry and it was a gold coin entry for spectators - $1600 was taken at the gate last year. Run the same as a MXoN event it’s a great day’s racing. Taupo MCC’s 2012 event is on next Saturday 26 May and again, entries are strong.

This year MNZ have taken a proactive stance, first calling for written applications for the position of Team Manager.  I am told there were five applicants and on Thursday, Tony Cooksley’s appointment was announced – on his Birthday too.   MNZ have also called for rider applications – now that’s a bit over the top! 

Lommel is just four months away and the big question is, will Ben Townley be back to race fitness?

Josh Coppins is back to speed and leads the Australian MX Nationals. Between those Aussie rounds, Josh will do some racing in the UK.  He knows the sand of Lommel well and at the sand track of Wanneroo (Western Australia) last Sunday, he went 1-2-1.

There is no argument that those two are NZ’s best MX1 and Open riders and Cody Cooper is the obvious third man reserve and there’s also the likes of Mike Phillips, Scott Columb and Justin McDonald who are all racing in the Aust Nats. Columb and McDonald are in the Lites Class but’s no problem.  Columb has lived in Belgium and ridden MX1 GPs so he would probably get the nod after Cooper.

The next big question is, who will be the MX2 rider?  The Under 23yrs rule was to disappear but it hasn’t yet.  Unless the MX1 and/or the Open rider has a problem, that selection is not so important as the MX1 and the Open riders really carry the day.  This month’s ‘favourite’ would have to be Kayne Lamont who is riding well in the Aust Under 19s.  Johnny Phillips is also there in the Lites but …. At home there’s riders like Rhys Carter and Ethan Martens.  Don’t forget Hamish Dobbyn who had some excellent results at the NZ Nationals in MX1.  There’s also names like Kieran Leigh and Cam Dillon.  Not an easy job selecting one name from there.

As an MX enthusiast, it’s difficult to appreciate the stature of MXoN from down here in NZ.  Last year I was priviledged to travel to the south of France courtesy of Tony Cooksley and Jan Doeksen. 

The Europeans flocked to the event – all 68,000 of them over two days.  That’s more than was at the Rugby World Cup final and they were twice as loud. 

Once Qualifying and the B Final is out of the way there are only 3 races. Race 1 is MX1 & MX2.  Race 2 is MX2 & Open. Race 3 is MX1 & Open.

Points wise, you get 1 for a win, 2 for 2nd etc etc which kinda adds to the confusion.

The French had a strong chance of winning it as they were 2 points ahead going into Race 3 but in that last race they tripped up.  For the USA Villopoto and Dungey went 1st and 2nd whilst France’s Paulin went 8th and Pourcel (Christophe) was 35th. 

Of the six placings in the three races, you can drop the worst result and that was Pourcel’s 35th.  The USA’s 1-2 clinched it for them (Blake Baggett had a 17th and a 17th) and they won with 26 points against France’s 39.

Australia were on the podium for the first time in a long time with 44 points.  Reed had contributed 1 and 7 and Metcalfe 7 and 10.  Moss (Matt) added a 19th.  Reed recently said that his focus to return is Lommel, so we will have to wait and see.

In the meantime let’s look forward NZ’s Battle of the Clubs on the 26th.  Pukekohe MCC won it in 2010 and Roturua MCC 2011.  Who will it be 2012?

Alan Henderson