[cycleworld.com] - Triumph To Race MXGP in 2024

[Ninjette Newsbot]

Triumph Motorcycles announced two years ago plans to build motocross and enduro machines. Now, it outlines its plans for competition in the MXGP series in 2024 and 2025.

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Triumph CEO Nick Bloor and MXGP team owner Thierry Chizat-Suzzoni announced they will attack the MXGP championship in 2024. (Triumph/)Back in July of 2021, Triumph intrigued the motorcycle industry with the announcement that it planned to develop a line of dual sport enduro and motocross machines. To prove its serious intentions, Triumph acquired the services of 10-time MX and six-time Supercross champ Ricky Carmichael and four-time Enduro world champion Iván Cervantes to help with development.

Fast-forward to 2022. Triumph has now confirmed that it plans to compete in the 2024 FIM Motocross World Championship with a factory team operated under the new Triumph Racing banner. The team will be run by Thierry Chizat-Suzzoni, one of MXGP’s most experienced and successful team owners. The plan is to field a pair of Triumph 250cc four-stroke MX bikes in the MX2 class in 2024, then participate in MXGP with a 450 the following year. The team manager will be Vincent Bereni, who is currently in that role with the team.

“Triumph have made a major commitment to build an MX bike and go racing in the FIM World Motocross Championship,” Chizat-Suzzoni said. “I am happy that my team is going to be the official Triumph Racing Team in MX2 and MXGP. Nick Bloor and the Triumph board of directors have made their long-term ambitions for the project very clear and I see a huge amount of passion from everyone at the factory. I am happy with progress on the bike, it looks great, has speed on the track, and Vincent and my staff are working with the engineers at Hinckley on building it into a competitive package for entry into the MX2 Championship in 2024. MXGP continues to grow around the world, I am very happy to be back and looking forward to going racing with Triumph.”

To date, Chizat-Suzzoni and Bereni have won more than 80 MXGP races, proving their technical and organizational excellence. They will work hand in hand with Triumph’s in-house motocross design and engineering department to make the bike competitive right out of the first gate drop.

“Our new partnership with Thierry demonstrates Triumph’s long-term commitment to competing at the highest levels of racing,” Triumph CEO Nick Bloor said. “We share a passion for delivering world-class performance, and the experience Thierry and his team bring will prove invaluable in our ambition to make our mark on a very competitive championship. Our entry into the FIM Motocross World Championship with a factory-supported Triumph Racing team signifies a landmark moment at the beginning of our new top-tier off-road racing campaign.”

The new Triumph Racing organization is based at Triumph’s headquarters in Hinckley, UK, and will also run the company’s Moto2 and Supersport racing activities. With this new MXGP endeavor fitting in alongside those existing roadracing programs. Chizat-Suzzoni’s team will be based out of its current Eindhoven facility in Holland.

“The launch of Triumph Racing is a pivotal step in our journey to bring Triumph to the pinnacle of racing across an even wider range of disciplines,” Triumph Global Racing Manager Jeremy Appleton said. “Building on Triumph’s success as the sole engine supplier to the Moto2 World Championship and our participation in Supersport racing, the move into MX2 and MXGP opens the door on a strategically important new chapter in top-tier off-road racing. We well know the demands of World Championship competition and that is the reason for forming the partnership with Thierry. Together with Vincent, their approach to racing and development of performance is impressive and we are looking forward to building the project together and adding to the success that they have already achieved in the Motocross World Championship.”

Currently, Triumph’s engineering group is working nonstop on development of the chassis and engine in conjunction with the team. On-track testing continues in the UK, Europe, and the US.

“I’m really excited about today’s news,” Ricky Carmichael said. “It’s been a long time coming. Since the start of this project with Triumph, I have been amazed at just how hard everyone has been working. It must not go without mentioning, the whole R&D and engineering group that have been a part of the development of the motorcycles have done an absolutely incredible job. From the first stages of the prototypes, I was really taken back at how well the performance was, since then, being in the UK testing the newest developments, I can tell you that it has the capabilities of winning at the highest level and I personally believe the riders, from professional to amateur, across the entire range of off-road models, will really like what has been developed.”

When asked to react to the MXGP championship adding another manufacturer, Infront Moto Racing CEO David Luongo said: “It is great news… Probably one the most important in recent years. Infront Moto Racing will welcome a new manufacturer in the MX2 and MXGP World Championship. We are talking about one of the most emblematic motorcycle brands in the world. Triumph will join our championship from 2024 with a full program in MX2 and MXGP categories. This is a very important announcement and is a fantastic sign about the interest and the importance of MXGP in the international motorsport scene. During the last 20 years, MXGP has been growing and has been established globally. With an average of 19 events per year, it gives the best platform for manufacturers to develop their bikes, components, and to advertise them worldwide. From Asia to South America, going through Europe, MXGP is covering all the different markets and is touching most of the off-road fans in the world. It is with a great pride and excitement that we welcome Triumph to MXGP and we wish them a lot of success in the years to come and a great competition with the other factory teams already present.”