Knowing that absolutely
anything can happen at this
event is what makes it so
exciting...
p. Monster Energy
from ‘des’ in 2003 - most people
mispronounced the word anyway).
Knowing that absolutely anything
can happen at this event is what
makes it so exciting. For once
riders are forced to push the
limits and ride their best, not
only for themselves but for their
country. The notion of a team race
in motorsport may seem a little
ridiculous given the solitary nature
of the sport, however nearly
everything about the Nations mark
it out as something different. From
the gathering of national fans
around each squad to the special
liveries, the camaraderie and the
well-planned team strategies –
the Nations is truly a motocross
race like no other. Its sole peer
has to be the International Six
Days Enduro: the only other
motorcycle contest built on the
same cosmopolitan philosophy
and even older in scope with
origins going back to pre-First
World War. Again, unlike a Grand
Prix (the FIM Motocross World
Championship has been coming
to Ķegums every year since
2009), there are no established
favourites, regardless of star
presence like Tony Cairoli, Ryan
Dungey, Chad Reed, Max Nagl,
Jeremy Van Horebeek and Dean
Wilson. Saturday’s qualification
had given some good clues as
to who had the nicely prepped
course dialled-in. Everyone was
very aware however that there
was still the ruthless hairpin first
turn and two thirty-minute-plustwo-lap races against the best
in the world for each of the three
riders to negotiate.