Rider Files

KTM has never won an AMA 450 Motocross National, much less a championship. All that could change this year. Ryan Dungey is considered the No. 1 contender as the season opens this Saturday at Hangtown. Read a short history of KTM’s 450 class involvement in this week’s Cycle News Archives. Read more.

Monster Energy Yamahas David Philippaerts blasted back into the spotlight with a fabulous second moto victory on his works YZ450FM. The Italians success closed the first quarter of the FIM Motocross World Championship at a hot and busy Nicolas España for the inaugural Grand Prix of Mexico. 25,000 spectators travelled to the venue a short distance from the centre of Guadalajara and under sunny skies and hot temperatures this fourth round of sixteen was played out on a difficult track that left little room for error. Read more.

Tributes are pouring in for former Grand Prix rider Lee Richardson, who died following a crash in a Polish Ekstraliga meeting at Wroclaw on Sunday evening. The Rzeszow rider was rushed to hospital and underwent surgery after suffering internal bleeding and breathing difficulties in the spill. He died on the operating table at around 8pm (BST). Read more.

Greatest MotoGP™ rivalry continues this weekend at historic Le Mans
MotoGP™ returns this weekend at the Monster Energy Grand Prix de France, where Repsol Honda’s Casey Stoner will look to extend his lead at the top of the championship standings. Read more.

Elías makes it 200 as Marquez continues charge at Le Mans
Team CatalunyaCaixa Repsol’s Marc Marquez will continue his quest at the top of the Moto2™ championship at the Monster Energy Grand Prix de France in Le Mans this weekend, a track where he took his first ever intermediate-class victory last year, as Toni Elías makes his 200th GP start. Read more.

Moto3™ battle resumes at Le Mans
After taking KTM’s first ever win in the Moto3™ class last time out at Estoril, Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Sandro Cortese will look to increase his lead at the top of the championship with another strong showing at this weekend’s Monster Energy Grand Prix de France in Le Mans. Read more.

This photo from the 1986 Loudon AMA Road Race National shows the future and past of American road racing coming together during a special time in the sport. This is Jim Tribou (No. 62) on his Suzuki GSXR750 running inside Henry DeGouw (No. 279) on his Yamaha TZ750 on one of Loudon’s banked turns. In 1986 AMA Formula One was on the way out and most of the F1 bikes, like DeGouw’s TZ, were aging and harder and harder to maintain. Meanwhile Superbikes like Tribou’s GSXR were on the ascendency and the handling and performance in many instances matched or better the purpose-built F1 machines. In 1986 the F1 grids, once dominated by two-stroke GP machines, were increasingly filled by Superbikes. So for a short period in AMA road racing history you had a unique mix of F1 and Superbike race bikes doing battle on the courses across America. Here’s a photo of DeGouw’s restored TZ as it looks today.

Jim Tribou (No. 62) on his Suzuki GSXR750 running inside Henry DeGouw (No. 279) on his Yamaha TZ750 on one of Loudon’s banked turns during the 1986 AMA Formula One race. (Larry Lawrence photo)

motogp.com and Monster Energy have teamed up for a special event ahead of the French Grand Prix, hosting an exclusive live interview with Valentino Rossi! Read more.