ESome of the best motocross riders have already confirmed their participation in the 2nd edition of the E-MX Race of Champions. They can make it difficult for Stefan Everts on April 29th in his battle for the 2nd title of this very special competition. E-MX Race of Champions is a unique motocross competition for electric motorcycles, where the E stands for Electric. That makes a difference in decibels, but not in spectacle!
MX2 world top riders Tixier and Guillod
Last year, the ten-time world champion won the very first E-MX title. And although Stefan Everts has indicated that he will not give up his title without a fight, he still faces formidable competition from the following top players:
– Jordi Tixier (FRA), MX2 Vice World Champion 2013. Tixier had a hesitant start to the season but he was on the podium at the latest GP in Bulgaria. Interesting detail: Stefan Everts is Txier's boss at Red Bull-KTM!
– Valentin Guillod (ZWI), the MX2 rookie from Standing Construct-KTM is the sensation of the 2014 season. The reigning European MX2 champion also has the reputation of being a strong starter, an important quality in the short E-MX series.
– Damon Graulus (BEL), one of the upcoming Belgian promises. Guillod's Standing Construct-KTM teammate is also in good shape. He won the French MX2 title last weekend! Last year Damon came 5th.
– Yentel Martens (BEL), finished third last year in the first E-MX edition and has the ambition to do even better this year.
– Dietger Damiaens (BEL), a young promise who is eager to compete against the top players. During the first E-MX competition, Dietger finished a creditable 6th.
– Marvin Vandaele (BEL), a versatile ex-GP rider who can always be found at the front in national competitions. Marvin also gained experience with the KTM Freeride-E last year
– Brent Vandoninck (BEL), at 17 years old, is an emerging talent in the MX2 class. He is highly rated by bookmakers as a contender for the title.
– David Cools (BEL), may not be a professional motocross racer, but he sets the bar high for himself. What's more, he promises a 'tournée générale' to all his fans if he doesn't make it to the final!
– Greg Smets (BE), son of five-time world champion Joël Smets and has only entered the competition for 2 years. He has clearly inherited his father's talent and has already achieved some nice victories.
They are all ready to write E-history with the identical KTM Electric Freeride bikes brought over especially for the occasion.
Or will the E-MX Stig take the title?
Anyone who has already bet on Stefan or one of the other already known names could be in for a surprise. None other than the E-MX Stig could make things very difficult for them. But who is he? Where does he come from? Which language does he speak? No one knows, but it is certain that the E-MX Stig has accepted the challenge to keep everyone from the title. His career and qualities as a rider can be described in 3 words; fast, faster, fastest!
High-speed and tactical course with a 'Joker Lane' inspired by BMX and Four Cross
After the training sessions, the riders complete a chrono session two against two. This determines the groups and starting positions of the competitions. The competitions themselves are 4 lightning-fast rounds on a short and technical course. To make the game extra exciting and tactical, a 'Joker Lane' is also provided. This is a short cut that they can only use in 1 of the 4 rounds. The key is to use this Joker Lane at the right time and in the right round. So maybe it's not enough to be the fastest after all... excitement guaranteed.
Connoisseurs will notice that not only the course, but also the way the competition is ridden is inspired by the fast 'short circuits' from the Four Cross, snowboard and BMX competitions.
This is no coincidence, explains Thierry Deflandre, CEO Circuit Zolder and initiator; “With the design of the E-MX competitions, we want to build a bridge between motocross and popular youth sports such as BMX and Four Cross. Short explosive competitions that build up to a super exciting climax, that is what we want to achieve with the E-MX competitions. We notice that BMX and Four Cross are very popular among young people. It is therefore the perfect training ground for getting into motocross. With this new form of motorsport we want to get young people interested in motorcross.”
The second E-MX Race of Champions of Circuit Zolder starts on Tuesday evening, April 29 at 18 p.m. and around 20:30 p.m. we will know who the new E-MX Race of Champions 2014 champion is! The E-MX Race of Champions is an initiative of Thierry Deflandre (CEO Circuit van Zolder) and Stefan Peetermans (CEO Technon) and is organized in collaboration with the Belgian Motorcyclists' Association (BMB), the Fédération Internationale de Motorcyclisme (FIM).
Thanks to the support of Circuit Zolder, KTM, the FIM and the BMB, this competition is completely free.
Photos CDS