2019 Motocross Of Nations | THOR Kickstart

Five-time champions. France has always been a force in motorcycle racing, but their recent run of success at the MXON made many wonder what it would take to stop a possible dynasty. Turns out it’s wet, heavy sand.

There was a sense of uncertainty long before the race. First was a dispute between the French Federation and Red Bull over logo placement on the team attire for initial MX2 pick Tom Vialle that ultimately led to Vialle’s removal. Relative unknown Maxime Renaux was named the replacement and his on-track results seemed to improve immediately after. Just as one problem was handled, another even bigger one occurred when Romain Febvre broke his femur at the MXGP of Sweden. Within hours of the crash, Jordi Tixier was announced as the replacement in the Open class. For those wondering where Marvin Musquin and Dylan Ferrandis were, the two US-based riders had their reasons for missing the race: Musquin and the FFM have butted heads for a few years while Ferrandis opted out after a season that saw him win a 250 SX title and come second in the 250 MX series.

Friday night’s lottery for Saturday gate pick did not go well from France, as they pulled number 29, worse than the Belgian and Dutch but better than the Americans and British. It didn’t matter much in the races, though, because Paulin stayed out of trouble and finished eighth in the MXGP class, Renaux rose to the occasion and claimed 10th in the MX2 class, and Tixier saved the team with an impressive seventh in the Open class. This put France seventh overall on the day and gave them picks seven and 27 in Sunday’s races.

Moto One showed what Paulin and Renaux were capable of; Paulin’s knack for good results at the MXON continued with a fifth-place while Renaux held his own against the 450s for an 18th. With this, France was ranked fifth and already in the mix for a good overall.

Tixier’s ride in Moto Two saved the day for France. Ranked 10th on the first lap, the Open class rider went back a few spots before a quick regroup and run to sixth place. This offset Renaux’s struggles against the 450 bikes and a last-lap mechanical issue that kept him from finishing the moto; he was credited with 30th.

To say the final moto was eventful would be an understatement. At one point it looked like France would step to the podium, at another they were outside the top-five. Paulin ran as high as 10th in the late stages of the moto while Tixier plugged along inside the top-20 after early issues and a goggle change. But midway through the race, it was obvious that something was amiss with Paulin’s bike, as it let out puffs of steam for a handful of laps; it gave up on the very last lap and put Paulin 23rd. Since the team’s dropped finish was used on Renaux, Paulin’s misfortune greatly impacted the final score and dropped them to fifth overall.

During the weekend the FFM and track promoters at Ernee announced their plans for the 2020 Motocross of Nations. With the race on home soil and a long list of possible riders to chose from, one best believe that the French will do all they can to retake the win next year.