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MXON 2026 mx2 QUALI

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00:24Hello everybody, welcome back to Urn A for the 79th edition of the Monster Energy FIA Motocross of Nations.
00:29With me, Paul Malin and Jason Thomas of Fly Racing.
00:33We're live on MXGP TV all day today because we've got the MX2 qualifying race coming up in just a
00:40few moments.
00:40We will head into the Open Class and then of course we've got the 65cc race from the Blue Crew
00:45Superfinale.
00:46So lots to get through here today on the platform, but we've already seen one MXGP, one race today.
00:53That was the MXGP qualifying race and that means the result from that is where the nation's finish at the
00:59moment.
01:00One point for the win, two for second, three for third.
01:02And it was Spain who were victorious in that qualifying race with Jorge Prado.
01:08Roma Fevra second for France and then third was Jan Panza of Slovenia.
01:12Italy's Verrato was fourth and Lucas Koonen who fell at turn one.
01:15He was in fifth place for Belgium.
01:20And we've got the atmosphere continuing to build here as the MX2 riders head out on track for their sighting
01:25lap.
01:25They're almost home actually.
01:26But JT, a decent first race that we saw there with the MXGP qualifying race.
01:31It's no surprise as to who we saw up front with Jorge Prado, Roma Fevra.
01:35The only surprise or the only thing we didn't know rather than the surprise is which one would come out
01:40on top.
01:40And it was Jorge Prado even though Roma Fevra had a few goes at trying to find his way to
01:45the front.
01:46Yeah, hard to think we won't see more of that on Sunday.
01:49Those two, three years ago here this weekend, best of the field.
01:53They'll be joined by the likes of guys like Jeffrey Hurlings tomorrow at times.
01:57But yeah, hard to see a situation where they're not battling for a win.
01:59And of course, Fevra did lead for quite a few lats before he got classed by Roma Fevra, by Jorge
02:05Prado.
02:06So that one is not done yet.
02:08How much of that is Roma Fevra in the end just sort of sitting back and saying,
02:11OK, well, the big race is tomorrow.
02:12Let's get through today.
02:13We will never know.
02:14Jorge Prado, he won't care about that.
02:16He'll just be like, you know what?
02:17A win is a win is a win.
02:18It's one point for Spain.
02:19We're in the driving seat.
02:20I'm in the driving seat more crucially because, as you said in the race,
02:24nothing wrong with his confidence at the moment.
02:26No, no.
02:26He is fully back, I think, to the form he was on when he was in Europe.
02:30And probably the first time he's been all the way back to that same caliber of rider.
02:35It's good to see, though, because he adds a lot to the sport.
02:39Racetrack there, 137 meters above sea level.
02:41It's a hard clay base underneath.
02:43For those of you who are just joining us for the first time today, welcome, of course.
02:46But it was, yeah, a little bit wet here on Monday and Wednesday.
02:49The track still has a little bit of a hangover from all of that.
02:52But they have been out on track, watering in parts of the track as well,
02:56just because of how quickly it can dry with a lot of action on track,
03:00especially with a dry day, the breeze blowing through the valley.
03:03What a great view that is of the drone camp.
03:06Yeah, this is, I don't even think, really representative of what we'll see on Sunday.
03:10It's only going to build from here, as you mentioned.
03:13But we have been so blessed with such great weather every time we've been here.
03:17Even going back to 2005, great weather.
03:19In fact, we've been here four times.
03:20This is the fourth time here, and every time there has been great weather, as you said.
03:24Lisa Layla was down on the grid a few moments ago.
03:26She caught up with a four-time world sidecar champion, Marvin Van Luschen, a Belgian.
03:31But before that, though, Glenn Coldenhoff, riding number 56, for the Netherlands.
03:34He's riding a 250 today. Here he is with Lisa.
03:39We're almost ready for the second qualifying race of the day with the MX2, boys.
03:43But we do have a special guest on the start line.
03:45It's Marvin Van Luschen.
03:47Marvin, congratulations first off on your fourth championship title that you've added to your career.
03:52It's been a good year, hasn't it?
03:53Yeah, that's true. And thank you for this.
03:55And, yeah, now it's amazing to be here.
03:57And, yeah, now we enjoy this weekend.
03:59Well, this is actually your first Motocross of Nations event since 2005.
04:03Because you were here before, weren't you?
04:05But a long, long time ago.
04:06How's the fans? How's the atmosphere for you?
04:08And how's your first impressions?
04:09Yeah, it's crazy to see this in real life, I think.
04:12So, yeah, we stay also on the camping.
04:14Also, this is, yeah, unbelievable to have at once, maybe in a lifetime.
04:18But, yeah, we are here and we enjoy every minute.
04:20Brave to stay in the camping here in France.
04:22Yeah, of course.
04:23But, yeah, we need to see this one time, maybe in a lifetime.
04:26And, yeah, we enjoy a lot.
04:27And maybe less sleep, but that's not important.
04:30Exactly that.
04:30You're experiencing the full effect of Motocross of Nations and Rene.
04:33But, look, I see you wearing Team Belgium's shirt.
04:36Lukas Koenen in that first race, he has had a tough run of it lately.
04:40But good effort from him.
04:41Yeah, I think he made an incredible, came back.
04:44He had lucky in the start, but, yeah, he came back to fifth.
04:47So, Luke's strong.
04:48I hope he not need to push too hard today for tomorrow.
04:51But, yeah, it looks good.
04:53The Belgium are strong.
04:54And, yeah, let's see what the order brings.
04:56Exactly that.
04:57Marvin, enjoy your weekend.
04:58And thank you, Team Belgium, for the hospitality and also the FAM.
05:03Let's grab another word with Team Netherlands' Glenn Koldenhoff.
05:06Glenn, it's almost like you're turning back time.
05:09You're on a 250, first time in 12 years.
05:12A strange experience for you, or are you quite enjoying it?
05:16I enjoy it.
05:17I still feel young in my head, so that is good.
05:20And I'm happy to be here again, you know, stepping back on the 250.
05:23I have great support from my friend Frank and, obviously, Amma and all the guys, you know,
05:29giving me the best bike out there.
05:31So, you know, I enjoy it so far.
05:34It's good weather, a lot of crowd, of course, and I'm looking forward to it.
05:39This is your 14th straight Motocross of Nations event.
05:42Just tell us, what is it that keeps you coming back for more?
05:45I mean, there is nothing better than Motocross of Nations.
05:48I mean, it's the Olympics for our sport, I would say, and it's always a special event
05:55and special venue as well.
05:57You know, it's unbelievable what the fans here can see, and they can follow all the races
06:01really good from, you know, from the hillside.
06:04So, it's a unique event, and I'm happy to be here again.
06:07Have a good one.
06:07Thanks for chatting to us, Glenn Koldenov there, Team Neverland.
06:10Good luck to him and his nation.
06:11It's time for the MX2 qualifying race.
06:15As always, after those frequent interviews, the riders disappear out on track then,
06:19and they are led out by the number 98 of Mexico, Fernando Velazquez,
06:26because, as is the norm here, the ballot that was on Friday that officially determines the gate picks
06:34for the riders and their teams getting to the line.
06:36Mexico have first pick.
06:38Ireland go to the line second with Glenn McCormick, third.
06:40For the Australians defending champions, they got third pick with Alex Larwood.
06:43Jaka Pekalov, Slovenia.
06:45That will be a crucial start pick for Slovenia, who are third in race one in the MXGP qualifying race.
06:50They're looking to go through after two results if they can, JT.
06:53Yeah, it's crunch time for some of these teams.
06:56You know, maybe that third, you know, the rider in the open class,
06:59not exactly on the par to get them into this final.
07:02So I'm sure some of them, as you mentioned, Pekalov, probably feeling some pressure here.
07:06Dylan Rempel going to the line fifth for Canada.
07:08And we've got Adam Itis of Lithuania, Sebastian Leok, of course.
07:11Tano Leok's father, who did, what, 2021 races for Team Estonia, Sasha Kunin,
07:18hoping to get around the first turn better than his brother did in that first race in the MXGP race.
07:22Guillem Brezolin, Salking Mansa Kamaki for Finland, Valentin Keese, Jaroslav Katranak of Slovakia.
07:28CSC, we're on a 250, Haruki Yokoyama, Erlen Gudmundsson, and Janis Raceless there.
07:34And you'll see the whole list of all of the riders going to the line.
07:37Kaldunov goes to the line, 17th for the Netherlands, alongside him, Ben Musto.
07:41He had a technical issue in the warm-up, in the free practice, so hopefully they've got that fixed.
07:45Then we've got Evenditch, Skogberg for Denmark.
07:47And I've heard in the break, actually, that Mikkel Harap won't be lining up for their third rider,
07:53so that is a massive blow for Team Denmark already.
07:55It is, it is.
07:56It's probably their best rider, best chance for an individual moto performance,
08:00and hopefully he's okay making his return back to MXGP here.
08:04Yeah, I'm just wondering as to what happened, because I didn't see anything out on track with any yellows.
08:10I saw he only did one lap, so it had to have happened early, I can tell you that.
08:13Maybe he's not well.
08:14Yeah, let's hope for the best.
08:16Something like that would be better than some sort of injury.
08:19Sasha Kunin, he will love for a hole shot.
08:23He would love for a one-score first-place finish in this MX2 qualifying race.
08:28Not going to be easy, though, because we've got a stacked field here in MX2.
08:30Matis Valand is there.
08:31Guillaume Ferez, the world champion.
08:32His teammate, Camden McClellan, who was second in a world championship.
08:36You know, to name just a few.
08:37Obviously, Levi Kitchen from the U.S.
08:39He was within touching distance in the free practice this morning, if you want to take anything from it.
08:45A second down on the leader, Matis Valand.
08:48Not a bad effort for the first time here.
08:50Yeah, it's all right.
08:50Really interesting to see how Valand is here.
08:53He hasn't raced in a long time.
08:55Certainly the pressure of racing for France is immense here, but he looked fantastic earlier in free practice.
09:01So he's looking up for Team France.
09:03Let's just give you the free practice times, actually.
09:05France with Matis Valand was quickest with a 151.554.
09:08He was 0.007 ahead of Sacha Kunis, so nothing in between those two.
09:12Perez was 4 tenths further back, and then Kitchin, another 6 tenths off.
09:16So it was only 1.069 between first with France and fourth place USA rider Levi Kitchen on that 1
09:23.20 pro circuit car sacking.
09:24Then we have Janis Rezquez, Camden McClellan in 6th, Seaworth 7th, Koldenov was 8th, Netherlands 9th, Zanke of Italy, and
09:32Nikolai Skogberg for Denmark was in 10th place.
09:35Looks like we are ready at the back.
09:37Ready down the front here, Miss Dingo Parch.
09:39The FIM race director signals the fly racing.
09:4115th second board to go for the first time for the MX2 riders here.
09:44MX2 qualifying here at the 79th edition of the Monster Energy FIM.
09:51Alex Larwood there in gate 2.
09:53The red plates on the front of that Honda as Australia are the defending champions.
09:58He's gone tighter to the inside than I thought he would do.
10:00Gate drops now.
10:01Keep an eye on the green and gold.
10:02Keep an eye on the guys over on his right hand side as well.
10:06Kitchin has...
10:07Did he take a punt?
10:08Yes, he did.
10:08He went all the way to the left hand side.
10:10We've got a rider down here.
10:11A couple of riders.
10:12The Slovenian Pekela is down underneath that.
10:14But it is Sascha Kunin who leads the way.
10:17I wonder how much of that sort of start practice yesterday with that dry line to the left hand side.
10:23But gate 26, though, wasn't it for the American?
10:26Yeah, Kitchin was really far outside on his gate position choice.
10:29He got an okay.
10:30Starts have been a concern for him all season long.
10:33So see how he ends up at the end of lap one here.
10:35Kunin leads away.
10:36Villan second.
10:37Another good start for the French.
10:38Alex Larwood of Australia third.
10:40Another good start for the Aussies as well.
10:41Yanis Raceless four for Latvia.
10:43Yokoyama of Japan finds himself in fifth place.
10:46Some shigeligans going on down there as the Japanese rider looked like he was about to leave himself open.
10:50Larwood made a mistake.
10:52Raceless has gone through into third place just through that long sweep in left, which is a very problematic corner,
10:57JT.
10:57Yeah, it's been really tricky, causing people problems all weekend long already.
11:02Really curious to see how this race shapes up between Kunin and Villan, though.
11:07You know Villan kind of wants to prove that he's back.
11:10See Kunin already out of shape, but that's nothing new for him.
11:14But, yeah, this is a big moment for Villan to kind of keep the momentum going after a really strong
11:19practice session.
11:19Larwood here, number two.
11:21He's fourth for Australia.
11:23Then we've got Cameron McClellan now, number 41, for South Africa in fifth place.
11:27His normal teammate, Guillen Perez, is down in around about ninth place at the moment.
11:31There he is, just behind the 32 of Yokoyama of Japan.
11:35Aldo Kalemo there of Sweden in number 20 in the yellow and blue.
11:39He had a couple of close calls this morning in the pre-practice.
11:42Perez down inside, can't find his way through.
11:44Oh, and he goes down inside and just runs off the track, loses three positions.
11:49Not a good start for the Spaniard then.
11:52I just wonder if he high-sided over that rut and it shot him to the right or what went
11:55on there.
11:56Some random stuff just went on there for the 29.
12:00But here he is now.
12:01He's under pressure.
12:02He's got Zanke just behind him there in blue.
12:04He's in 11th place.
12:05The Irish rider, McCormick.
12:07Yeah, look at that.
12:10Actually, did he get his front end chopped off there or is it just rider error?
12:13Because two lines do merge into one there.
12:15He may have just caught the rear wheel and just tipped open to the right.
12:17Either way, it's cost him some time.
12:19Perez in 10th place.
12:21Yeah, hard to think he's going to catch the likes of Kunin and Volan out front.
12:26But don't necessarily need to have a great performance.
12:29Jorge Prado already got a race win on the day.
12:32Camden McClellan up the inside of Larwood as he moves forward into fourth position.
12:36So the South African going past the Aussie.
12:38And Levi Kitchen, great recovery.
12:39Didn't make a great start.
12:40He's already there in sixth place.
12:41About what we said about his starts, JT, yesterday.
12:44Yeah, and you can see him coming into the first turn.
12:46He really wasn't even there with the guys that were around him.
12:49But he did push deep into that first corner and stayed aggressive through the first section.
12:55So, yeah, reasonable position here.
12:57Going to the outside through that long downhill left-hander.
13:00Levi Kitchen just having a couple of steps in that corner there on the number five on the Kawasaki.
13:04As McClellan trying to escape the clutches of the number two, the green and gold.
13:08And Alex Larwood.
13:09Larwood in that fifth.
13:10Kitchen in sixth place.
13:12And Siwa, seventh.
13:14But Kitchen finds his way past the Aussie and moves up into fifth position.
13:19As difficult as this racetrack is, and as different as it is from what the American pro motocross tracks would
13:25be, this is a reasonably good setup for Kitchen.
13:29He likes ruddy racetracks.
13:30He likes where you can put your tires into a rut and you follow that around.
13:33Where he struggles is when there's really nothing to pivot from.
13:36A flat, hard surface is really difficult for Kitchen.
13:39So, again, very unfamiliar, but I think it is a good setup.
13:43Siwa charges down the inside.
13:45Left the door open there.
13:46Alex Larwood.
13:47And he hits the brakes a little bit too early at the top of the hill.
13:49And just this intensity in this MX2 category at the moment.
13:52Larwood just getting caught napping there.
13:53He loses another position as he gets pushed down by Ferez on the number 29.
13:59Ferez, seventh.
14:00Larwood down to eight.
14:01Kalemov, Sweden in ninth.
14:02And look at the intensity here from Guillem Ferez.
14:04You wouldn't expect anything less from the new world champ as he goes after Jeremy Siwa through turn one.
14:08Siwa in red and white on the 23.
14:13Holds the inside line.
14:15Ferez bounces off the outside.
14:17Manages to stay on two wheels, but the Spaniards just may be riding a little over himself at the moment.
14:21Yeah, you can tell he understands that they have a chance to win this weekend.
14:24And it's kind of coming out in his riding, not necessarily in the best ways.
14:28I think he'll calm down.
14:29He'll basically come way short there.
14:31So, it's just kind of a cavalcade of mistakes right now.
14:34Just looking further down the order.
14:35The Netherlands at 13th with Glenn Koldenhoff at the moment.
14:40So, Team NL, former winners.
14:42They're going to be 10th overall in the classification as it stands right now because they're on 23 points.
14:48So, Romana Mostyke, who was 10th in race one and he got Koldenhoff now in 13th in the second race.
14:55That's a high score already, but you remember you only need two scores.
14:58So, they'll be looking at Jeffrey Herlings to put in a solid performance in race three, which is always possible.
15:03That's a six-time champ.
15:04Yep.
15:05Yeah, he had the quickest time in the third session where the track had deteriorated a lot.
15:11So, that speaks volumes as to what he might be capable of.
15:14Well, Sasha Kunin was fastest at the end of the opening lap here in this MX2 qualifying race with a
15:1853-03.
15:19He's now got a 2.9 second advantage over the French rider Matisse Valland.
15:23Third is the Latvian Giannis raceless.
15:25Fourth, the South African McClellan.
15:27Fifth, the American Kitchen.
15:28Then we've got Seawer of Switzerland, Perez, 7 of Spain, Larwood of Australia, 8, Calamo, Sweden, 9, and Brazilian of
15:34Brazil in 10.
15:35Then Rempel of Canada in 11th place.
15:37And Canada at the moment are in 12th place with your two combined scores.
15:42They'll be hoping to get through.
15:44It wasn't a good sort of French race for them last time around.
15:48I think Dylan Wright got injured, and so that's scuppered their chances after Saturday already.
15:52Yeah, they've had horrific luck at this event, full stop.
15:55So, so far, so good through two races.
15:58I think they're just trying to have some sort of decent result and not end up on the ground, as
16:02you mentioned.
16:03Maxis Valland just set the fastest lap that time around a 52.9 compared to a 53.1 of Kunin,
16:08the race leader.
16:08The gap's still hovering around three seconds, though, between those two.
16:12Rempel, the Canadian, up to that 11th.
16:13He's found his way past the Italian Zanke.
16:15Ricciardo Bauer, the 125 European champion for Austria.
16:18He's moved up to 16th.
16:19Hasn't had a lot of experience on the 250.
16:21So, he's found his way past the Irish rider McCormick.
16:26And then we've got Musto down in 18th.
16:29Skogberg up to 19th.
16:31And Pelle Gundersen of Norway in 20th place.
16:35No one else outside of the top 20 that's really going to trouble things here at the moment.
16:42But, or Avara, doesn't like that corner, does he?
16:46He had a moment there on the opening lap.
16:49He's had another one here now on lap three.
16:50He wouldn't even know what you're talking about.
16:54Show him the video.
16:54He wouldn't even know what you're talking about.
16:56It's incredible.
16:57You know, the mind of a racer, it only kind of believes what it wants to.
17:01And for Sasha Kunin, he doesn't really believe he makes a lot of mistakes.
17:04Now, everybody else with eyeballs would beg to differ.
17:07Not so much for Sasha.
17:09Take a look at the start then again.
17:10And Sasha Kunin, he was your man.
17:12He's going to be over on the left-hand side as we look down.
17:14Right-hand side as he comes through the gate.
17:16In orange.
17:18Just opens up, moves a little bit left before turning right.
17:21And clear as day.
17:22That was Pekalai going down in that first turn.
17:26Here we see it again.
17:27Look, you're just correct.
17:28Head a little bit left as he just there, just to open up the turn.
17:32And Kitchin all the way over here.
17:33Look, trying to carve back immediately.
17:34That was a good run there around the outside of the Italian.
17:36And then held it nice and tight.
17:38He was sixth at the end of the opening lap, JT.
17:40Yeah.
17:40Yeah, it's not so bad from 26th gate pick.
17:43And the difficult part is that's as easy as it's going to get.
17:46You know, yes, a better gate pick tomorrow.
17:48But against 450s tomorrow just adds a whole different wrinkle.
17:51And something he's never faced before, having to start against 450s in a race condition.
17:56Another thing that two of your three riders from Team USA have never experienced before
18:01is a 40-minute free practice session.
18:03A lot of track time this morning for them.
18:05Yeah, and I think it probably helped them.
18:07You know, you think about Beaumere, it didn't have its best race.
18:09But having all of that track time being able to pull in, talk to the mechanics,
18:14talk to the staff about what the motorcycle is doing,
18:16that does not exist in pro motocross for them.
18:18So I'm sure it had to help on some level.
18:21Well, Kitchin has not advanced further than that fifth place at the minute.
18:24He's got about four seconds to make up to Camden McClellan,
18:26the South African on the triumph.
18:28He's in fourth.
18:29Yanis Reis, there's a similar gap head of McClellan in third.
18:34This is the battle for the first two spots, though.
18:37Koenig leads away.
18:38Valland second.
18:39France was second in race one in the MXGP qualifying race
18:44with Romain Febvre.
18:45Got to get over that double.
18:47Koenig wasn't able to.
18:48This time around, Valland does.
18:50And he's off the side of the track again.
18:51He's had a couple of excursions on the space of about 200 meters.
18:55And he's put himself under pressure.
18:57And Valland looking to pick up the first W on the weekend for Team France
19:00as he goes after the Belgian, Koenig.
19:04France on top in the classification at the moment.
19:06They are on four, Belgium on six.
19:10So this would give France another point.
19:16But it's Belgium that's sitting there in second position
19:18against all the odds, especially with Lucas Koenig.
19:21In terms of coming in, unknown how good his fitness was going to be.
19:26Spain are sitting in third, one of the pre-event favourites.
19:29Latvia are fourth, Italy in fifth, Australia six, Switzerland sits seven.
19:33USA are eighth on 19 points, a 14th and a fifth.
19:37And then Sweden in tenth ahead of GB.
19:43Listen to the crowd.
19:44All there for this rider right here, Matis Valland.
19:49Pretty sure Sasha knows who's in second place.
19:52Just based on the unbearable crowd noise all around him.
19:57Well, for a rider that's been missing since Portugal,
19:59early on in the championship, what, round six, seven, something like that?
20:04He's come back with a vengeance here.
20:06He's been on the bike about five weeks.
20:08Gradually worked himself in.
20:10And then the last couple of weeks have been a little bit more intense,
20:12I would imagine.
20:13And some French days.
20:15And actually, once we talk about the motocross relations
20:18and things like that, Team France do that very well, don't they?
20:20Bringing everybody together, no matter what.
20:23The French don't take any kind of nonsense.
20:25Even when you think of Tom Vial and, you know, because he was a Red Bull rider at the time
20:30and they, you know, wanted some placement here on their hat.
20:33It was like, no, it has to go here because this is a Team France hat, not a personal hat.
20:38And he, you know, they overlooked him as a result of that.
20:41You know, it was one of those things.
20:42I'm not sure if it was.
20:42But anyway, here's Ferez on Siwa.
20:45Yeah, just inside and stayed out of the heavy stuff.
20:48Ferez up into sixth place.
20:51Yeah, I think the French, as we see Volant try to make a move on Kunin,
20:55they really rewrote the strategy book on how to approach this race.
20:59Oh, Kunin down.
21:03Wow, big moment for Kunin.
21:05Big one for the MX2 race.
21:07And he's just trying to pick himself up.
21:10Oh, he's surprised.
21:12I'm not.
21:13He might be, but I'm not.
21:16There's so many warning signs that were going on before that.
21:19Just hit that rut.
21:21It kind of went left.
21:22And then when he bounced, it spun him around.
21:24Volando, quick to react.
21:27Look at that.
21:28Shows you how steep the hill is as well.
21:32Yeah, it's hard.
21:33You know, the last thing you want to tell a rider like Sasha is to go slower
21:37or, you know, not push because he's so willing to take chances
21:41that allow him to go faster.
21:42But sometimes those work against him, you know, and you have to find that balance
21:47where I don't think he's still found it for how many years into this career.
21:51And he still is working to find it.
21:53And he's the complete opposite of his twin brother.
21:56You know, it's just such an interesting dynamic.
21:58And it serves him well at times.
21:59But when it doesn't, it's really punitive.
22:02Obviously not helped by his height either.
22:05You know, he has a little bit less leverage.
22:06So when he gets a little bit of movement here and there,
22:09doesn't have the same kind of leverage that a Kaida Wolf or even his brother has,
22:12you know, or even a Balan, where they've got a little bit more freedom,
22:16you know, sort of between the legs with the bike.
22:18Sort of when it starts working as a pogo stick,
22:20it's not going to be hitting you up the backside.
22:23You know, it hits you sooner rather than later.
22:25That's just unfortunate sometimes.
22:27Yeah, it just puts you out of position, you know.
22:28And bad things get worse really quickly is what I noticed at the same issue.
22:32And you don't notice it until things go awry.
22:35And then you notice it in the worst ways.
22:38Balan leads in on lap six.
22:41Helped by that mistake from the Belgian, Sacha Kunin.
22:44A moment ago, Kunin just hitting that row at the back end,
22:48flicking from right to left.
22:49He didn't get on the downside.
22:51Clean, bounced around, came back around on him,
22:54slid him down the track.
22:56Balan, very lucky to avoid him on this part of the racetrack a moment ago.
23:01And Balan now with an eight-second advantage over Giannis Raceless.
23:06But he's got McClellan breathing down his neck.
23:08McClellan will pick him off here at the bottom of the hill.
23:11And McClellan for South Africa looks across the right.
23:14Raceless over on the left.
23:15McClellan now second.
23:18And it's South Africa who are also looking to try and transfer.
23:22They're going to be in 12th going into the final race.
23:25Will that be enough for South Africa to go to the eighth final?
23:29The main event on Sunday.
23:33Their first rider, Slade Smith, was 26th in race one.
23:36You've got McClellan now in second.
23:39That puts him on 26 points.
23:40And there's a lot of teams in that zone.
23:42The Netherlands on 20, Denmark 24, with Sweden on 24.
23:47South Africa 26, Estonia and Great Britain 27, Slovenia 29, Germany, Canada 30, Brazil on 30, Japan on 34.
24:00Coonan here.
24:03He goes through.
24:05Kitchen found his way past him anyway.
24:07Hasn't he moved up into that fourth position?
24:10Coonan just trying to recover from that fall as Kitchen came around.
24:14So the U.S. picking up another place, another point.
24:16They're going to be eighth as it stands right now on 18.
24:22You can see the pass here just down past pit lane.
24:26Sasha lose the rear coming out of that corner.
24:28It makes life a little bit easier for Levi.
24:31Just parks it down the inside.
24:32Now here's the thing with the Nations JT.
24:34We've got two scores in play at the moment.
24:36All right.
24:38France on three with a two and a one.
24:41Take away the two at the moment.
24:43They're on a perfect score with a one.
24:45So too has Spain.
24:46Take away the six from Ferez.
24:48They're on one point.
24:49So the last race is going to pretty much determine how things look.
24:52If you look at Belgium, five and five.
24:54They're on ten.
24:54So they're keeping both their scores at the moment.
24:56Unless Everts can have a better race in that final race.
24:59Latvia, they're eight and three.
25:01So they're looking to throw away an eight from Carlos Raceless at the minute.
25:04Hopefully Jonas can step up.
25:06When you get to the USA, you're a 14, 18 with a 14 and a four.
25:11If you can throw away that 14, then Cooper Webb has a good top five, top three finish.
25:17All of a sudden that changes your position from eight to somewhere, you know, higher up the leaderboard.
25:21Yeah, it's really important here, as you mentioned, for Webb to have a solid race.
25:25Will they be in the A final?
25:27Yes.
25:28But you need to, you want a good gate position for Sunday.
25:31And that's going to rest on Cooper.
25:32He relishes that type of position.
25:34I don't think him going out and beating Jeffrey Harrellings is anything he's even considering.
25:38But can he get a fourth?
25:40Can he, you know, have a four or five as their two scores?
25:43That would be pretty impressive.
25:44Janis Raceless here hanging on in third for Team Latvia.
25:47The number five of Levi Kitchen, Team USA.
25:50He's there in fourth position, closing in on him.
25:54Looks like he's adapted well to the track.
25:57This was Kunan from our aerial view.
25:59Look, just laid it down.
26:00That was a low side in the end.
26:02But quick reactions here to land on the brakes.
26:05Mattis Vallant to avoid hitting the Belgian.
26:08Well, he kind of took the easier way out there.
26:11If he tries to save it, the odds of him going high side the other way in a violent crash
26:16are pretty high.
26:17So, yeah, you don't want to go down.
26:19But in the end, I think that was probably the better of what could have gone on there.
26:27This fight then for third continues.
26:31The 26th of Rihanna's Raceless, the five of Levi Kitchen.
26:33Sasha Kunin about 3.2.
26:35Further back has another stumble in that turn.
26:37Did he stay up?
26:40Yes, he did.
26:41Just about.
26:41Cost him a little bit of time, though.
26:44Up under the highest point of the racetrack now.
26:46The Latvian under pressure from the American.
26:49Gap was about 1.4 a moment ago.
26:52Between them, it's down to 1.3.
26:53His kitchen homes in once again.
26:56Back marker looking across to the right.
26:57Wants to stay out of trouble.
26:58Here's Ferez closing in on Sasha Kunin now.
27:01These two fighting over fifth place.
27:05Still likes that inside rut, and he's still got stood up.
27:09If I was Sasha Kunin, I'd be looking at a different line through there.
27:13Nice that from Ferez.
27:14Got to think Ferez is going to get by here.
27:16I don't know if that crash just threw him off his rhythm, but he definitely doesn't have the intensity or
27:21the pace he had before the fall.
27:23Well, Ferez was, he's got some nice lines here, hasn't he?
27:27And it's, like I say, it's easier to follow than it is to lead sometimes.
27:29You can just open up the track.
27:31He's going to do the same again here, just as he did earlier on in the race, but not able
27:35to execute cleanly.
27:38But that's a great shot.
27:39When you go down the start straight and you're into that bowl of fans, not everybody can handle that mentally,
27:46psychologically.
27:49Yeah, and you see him, he's cutting back across all the ruts, right?
27:52So he's understanding that the track is not in his perfect condition, so he is completely rewriting how to attack
27:59it.
27:59Couldn't get over the step there, though.
28:01Had to pull out of the channel.
28:02I just wonder if he already saw Sasha maybe jumping from left to right.
28:08Has to sort of stay on hold for now for that fifth position, potentially.
28:14Going to take to the outside.
28:16Can he get across here?
28:17Not quite.
28:20An easy move in the end.
28:22There was a couple of mistakes in that turn for Sasha Kunin, and Ferez didn't even blink.
28:26Ferez moves up into that fifth place.
28:29Helped by the fact that he had the momentum.
28:31I think Sasha Kunin was just going too defensive, and in the end, he just ran out of options.
28:36Oh, Levi Kitchen running out of road.
28:39As Yannis Raceless fences him to the outside.
28:42Got back markers here as well.
28:44The other side of the jump.
28:46Kitchen finds his way past.
28:47Kitchen now up in the third place for Team USA.
28:50Good move, that, from the American.
28:51Yeah, not so bad.
28:52Raceless making life really difficult for him there, but in the end, Kitchen just patient enough, waited, and really it
28:58was just about executing that section.
29:00You can see how they were coming up short from all the jumps.
29:02You don't have to override this racetrack, which I think is what was getting Sasha into trouble.
29:07It's really just kind of being picture perfect and executing corners.
29:12So Levi Kitchen, I'll tell you what, he grabbed the foot peg there, did the inside peg.
29:16Yep.
29:18It wasn't as bad as I looked there.
29:19You know, the panic grab, I think, was more just kind of habit and to recorrect, but still, catching a
29:25foot peg on a face is never any fun.
29:27Especially on a downhill.
29:30Clear vision as he heads into turn one.
29:32He's eight and a half seconds back.
29:34Valen, Max Valen, 8.3.
29:37Clear of McClellan, similar advantage back to Kitchen in third.
29:40This will settle him down, won't it, Levi Kitchen?
29:42Yeah, I think, you know, top three.
29:44Yeah, yeah.
29:45I mean, he won't be super excited that McClellan kind of rode off away from him, but I think getting
29:50a top three in an individual race on Saturday will calm the nerves for sure.
29:54Here is your race leader, Max Valen.
29:56His teammate, Roman Fevre, had to be content with second behind Jorge Prado in the MXGP qualifying race.
30:02And as it stands right now, with Valen leading the way here.
30:06So you've got your second, your two points from Roman Fevre in the MXGP race.
30:11The one here from Valen, they are on three.
30:13Spain are now on six with a win from Prado and a five from Guillem-Ferres as it stands.
30:18Belgium are on 11 with a 5-6 from the Kunans.
30:23Lucas was fifth in race one.
30:24Sasha Kunan currently sixth in race two.
30:27And then Italy on 12, the same as Latvia.
30:30As it stands right now, Australia are on sixth place with 15 points.
30:35They're 6-9, so they've got similar scores.
30:37But the nine is their highest score from Alex Larwood in the second race at the moment.
30:42But if you throw away your worst score at the moment, France and Spain are tied on one point each
30:47going into the last race, if you could do that.
30:51So it all comes down, as it does on a Sunday, to the final race in this qualifying day on
30:55Saturday.
30:56Two-lap board goes out to the right-hand side as Matis Valen launches downhill here.
31:02He will be urged on, I'm sure, as he rounds out that first turn about 100 meters from now.
31:11There you go.
31:12Just here, building.
31:14It'll get louder as he gets out of his left into the next right.
31:20In the history of this race, Paul, say, you know, the French team here, they have a 2-1 on
31:24the board.
31:25They don't even need a third score.
31:26Has any country ever said, you know what, we're not taking the risk.
31:29But Tom Vial, go back to the truck.
31:31We'll take the zero.
31:33I doubt it.
31:34And why would you not want to go out, though?
31:36Because you need that track intel, don't you, for the racing on Sunday.
31:40Perez gets around the outside of raceless.
31:42He moves up into fourth place.
31:43That was a bully boy tactic there, wasn't it?
31:45He just absolutely led on the 17-year-old then to make that pass happen.
31:48Yeah, I mean, this is world champion for him.
31:51You know, like, is the result going to be what he wants?
31:53No.
31:53But you've seen the passes.
31:55He's been able to execute.
31:55And what I'm most impressed by is the approach to the racetrack.
31:58You know, he's using lines that no one else is really using, kind of thinking differently
32:02about how to go around it.
32:04Doesn't always work.
32:05You know, that line really wasn't there.
32:06But he's the only one that's experimenting with new lines.
32:09Yeah.
32:10And you have to.
32:11And the thing is, you can, psychologically, we're all trained to be where this guy is
32:15on the inside here.
32:16Probably, you know, tight, shortest route around.
32:20But then they get very deep ruts.
32:23Just let on him there.
32:24Gave him nowhere to go.
32:26Of course, Yannis Races could have nailed that jump.
32:28But both would have taken off to the right-hand side.
32:31Would have been a pile of scrap metal.
32:32But you see these ruts here.
32:35You think, yeah, let's go inside.
32:36But they only get deeper and more and more sort of unpredictable.
32:39So you've got to find something else, you know.
32:41And that's what makes this racetrack so fascinating, you know, to watch, to race.
32:49Because there is no clear line.
32:51You can, you think you've got the quickest line.
32:53All of a sudden, somebody comes up inside, outside, or finds a line across of it.
32:57So you're always having to think, especially when it's as technical as it is right now.
33:04Into the final lap.
33:06Vallant and McClellan already.
33:07Kitchen about to hit the line any moment now.
33:09And the American does go through in that third place.
33:16There he is, bottom of the hill.
33:19Fourth for Perez now.
33:23There's your Brazilian.
33:24Brazolin.
33:26He is in 18th position for Brazil.
33:30Brazil, they are in 19th place at the moment.
33:33They are transferring to the main.
33:36Japan, one point behind them.
33:37So we're seeing again the likes of Japan, Finland, Norway, Slovakia, Ireland, Czech Republic, Lithuania.
33:46Going through to the B final.
33:50This has been immaculate.
33:52For your first race back after all that time off.
33:54That's impressive.
33:55Yeah, just watching him in practice sessions, or the session earlier today.
34:01Honestly, when I watched him put in his first fast time, I said, okay, Francis is immediately the favorite.
34:06Because he was my only question mark for this team.
34:08And the way he looked, he was not a question mark anymore.
34:11And he's backing that up here.
34:12And when he's going, setting the fastest time into free practice, okay, it wasn't by a lot.
34:150.007, 7,000th over Sacha Kunin.
34:19Even to do that, puts everybody in a good mood, doesn't it?
34:22And like you say, you see that.
34:24If he was languishing in around about 9th or 10th, 1.5, 2 seconds off the pace, then you have
34:29a question to ask.
34:30Well, then you're just like, can he put in one heroic finish?
34:32And then you count on Febra and Bial using their four.
34:38Sacha Kunin down again.
34:42And that is into that long sweeping down or left in the middle of the circuit.
34:47No such problems, though.
34:49For number eight, Matisse Vallat.
34:51He will ride downhill.
34:53He wins the MX2 qualifying race.
34:56Goons it over the line.
34:58France are on top as we head into the final race of the weekend.
35:02On Saturday.
35:05Just the open qualifying race to come.
35:09But France sits on top with three.
35:11Spain on five.
35:12Belgium on 11.
35:17Milan first.
35:18McClellan crossed the line in second.
35:20Probably realizes, well, let's just get a good result.
35:23And he's done just that.
35:27South Africa, 14th now.
35:29They need a good, solid performance from their final rider.
35:32Trey Cox, who turned 18 on Thursday.
35:36Never raced to 450.
35:37They've had some movement and some shaking in that team infrastructure.
35:42Tristan Perlin should have been on the team earlier.
35:46But that got changed last minute.
35:48This was Sacha Kunin into that long downhill left.
35:50Oh, he just ran out of track.
35:53Tried to force a move that wasn't really there.
35:56And ends up going down hard.
35:59Yeah, it's just...
36:01If you're looking for the prototypical, how does Sacha get himself into trouble, that was probably what you'd look for.
36:07So Kunin then going out of...
36:10He was in sixth position.
36:11He was challenging Giannis Raceless.
36:12He ends up crossing the line in seventh.
36:17So it only cost him, yeah, a position.
36:20But you can't...
36:21You know, the bigger thing is you do that on Sunday a couple times and your team is virtually counted
36:26out of this thing.
36:29Should we go down to Lisa?
36:31She is with our winner from France.
36:34His First Nations race win is Matisse Valan.
36:40Matisse Valan, you are well and truly back.
36:42That was a great result for Team France, but also on a personal level for you.
36:46Yeah, for sure.
36:47I had a tough moment the last few months.
36:51And yeah, so happy to be back on the track.
36:53I mean, yeah, it was a tough moment, I said.
36:55But yeah, I have a pump.
36:58I mean, it's been a while I didn't hide the race.
37:00But yeah, really happy to put France on top for the moment.
37:03And yeah, really happy for it.
37:05And we'll see tomorrow.
37:06Best luck for tomorrow.
37:12Matisse Valan, even with a little bit of arm pump, goes on to win comfortably by six seconds over Camden
37:17McClellan and Levi Kitchen.
37:20Another 12 and a half seconds further back.
37:22The gap between the first three, nearly 19 seconds.
37:24But it's Matisse Valan and France who are already through to the main event.
37:30They have three points.
37:31Spain, they can also go through with five.
37:34That's a single digit for them.
37:36But Matisse Valan on fire here at Ernais.
37:43I do like a goon shot over the finish line, JT.
37:47Well, the best is when you're the skill set of a guy like Valan and still can make a goon
37:53ride look incredible.
37:54Matisse Valan picks up the one point for France.
37:57Camden McClellan, two for South Africa, three for Levi Kitchen, U.S.
38:01Perez, Spain picking up four points.
38:03Giannis races Latvia 5C on the final lap into six.
38:07Six points for Switzerland.
38:08Sasha Kunin fell from two-seventh position on that final lap.
38:11And then Fruccio Zanke, Italy, eight.
38:13We'll give it the nation's classification in a moment.
38:15Koldenov, nine.
38:16And Alex Larwood of Australia, ten.
38:18Nikolai Skogberg, Alvi Kalemo, Dylan Rempel, and Riccardo Bauer.
38:22And then Sebastian Leok, Ben Mosto.
38:26Pele Gundersen, Guillaume Breslin, and Valentin Keyes, and then Yokoyama.
38:32The rest of there, look, McCormick, Mansikimaki, Widerwill, Adamaitis of Lithuania.
38:37It's giving the nation's classification as it stands right now, then, after two races.
38:41Remember, you can drop your worst score.
38:44So France sitting on top with three at the moment with a 2-1.
38:47They can drop that second, maybe, if Tom Vial goes and gets a 1-1 for France in the final
38:52race.
38:53So France on three, Spain on five, Italy on 12, with Belgium, Latvia, and Australia.
39:02They're Switzerland tied on 17 with the USA in 17.
39:06But you look at the USA.
39:06They have a 14 and a three.
39:08Cooper Webb comes out, gets a top five, top three finish.
39:11And they can drop that, or even in the top ten, they drop that 14.
39:14It improves their score and their gate pick.
39:16Yeah, the math changes really quickly at this race, always has.
39:20So if you think that things are static, and you're like, oh, this is how it's going to go,
39:24you're always going to be wrong.
39:26Look how tight it is.
39:2719 go through to the main event.
39:2820 go to the B final.
39:30Japan, one point off of that at a moment.
39:32Finland, Norway, Slovakia, Ireland.
39:34They are all in the drop zone, along with Czech Republic, Lithuania, FIM, Latin America,
39:39Croatia, Morocco, Iceland, Mexico, and Ukraine.
39:48It's going to be an interesting third race, if you're in that nervous sort of...
39:53I'm nervous.
39:54Yeah, for them.
39:55I'm nervous for them.
39:57Anyway, let's take a look at the highlights then, shall we?
40:05In the MX2 qualifying race, over on the left-hand side, the right-hand side in orange, it was
40:09Sasha Kunin of Belgium who pulled the whole shot.
40:12Jakob Ekele, who went down in the first turn, putting pressure now on Slovenia, after they
40:17had such a good ride in third in the MXGP race.
40:19But it was Kunin who led the way.
40:20Valand there in second.
40:21The Australian, Larwood, in third.
40:24The Japanese rider was there in fourth place, Yokoyama.
40:29And as we headed uphill, the French already starting to celebrate, potentially.
40:33Bottom of the hill, that was Guillem-Ferres.
40:35He just made a pass and lost three, all in the blink of an eye.
40:38He left himself with a lot of work to do.
40:41Larwood came under attack.
40:42The 41 of McClellan found his way past.
40:45That was into fourth, and Levi Kitchen was lurking in the background as well.
40:48Big moment here for Sasha Kunin.
40:50He fell out of the lead.
40:51That handed the advantage to the number eight.
40:54You can hear their reaction, and that just goes to show how steep that downhill is as
40:58well.
40:58McClellan up the inside of Raceless.
41:01That put him up into second position.
41:06Then Kitchen went through into third with that move on the Latvian.
41:14And then Ferez also found his way past Raceless here.
41:17That put him up into fourth with about a lap or two to go.
41:21This was the final lap.
41:23Sasha Kunin going for a gap that wasn't there.
41:25He paid the price.
41:26He only lost a position.
41:27He went from six to seven.
41:29But it was Matisse Wallin who crossed the line victorious by a six-second margin over
41:34McClellan, Kitchen, Ferez, and Raceless.
41:36And as we head into the final race, it's France, Spain, Italy, Belgium, and Latvia.
41:44Right.
41:44We are going to take another break.
41:47Coming up in about three minutes' time, we've got episode two of In the Paddock with Ben
41:52Rumbold.
41:53Jason and I will be back for the final qualifying race.
41:55The open qualifying race at 4.20.
41:57So 18 minutes from now.
41:59We'll see you then.