Germany has confirmed its three-rider lineup for the 79th edition of the Motocross of Nations, set to take place on October 3-4 in Ernée, France.
The German squad will head to the event without two of its biggest stars. Ken Roczen is expected to miss the race due to contractual commitments in the United States, while reigning MX2 World Champion Simon Langenfelder has opted to focus on his recovery and is scheduled to undergo surgery once the FIM Motocross World Championship concludes.
Germany will field Tom Koch and Valentin Kees. Koch. Kees will compete in the MX2 class, while the final decision on whether Koch or Spies will race in MXGP and Open has yet to be made.
Max Spies OUT due Injury & Noah Ludwig Fill-in
The MXoN Team Germany has to change its line-up ahead of the 79th Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations, which takes place from 2 to 4 October in Ernée, France: Maximilian Spies sustained a neck vertebra injury in a race last weekend and is ruled out of the team world championship. Noah Ludwig of the KTM Sarholz Racing Team steps into the team in his place in the OPEN class.
“I’m really stoked to have been called up, even though the reason for it is obviously not a nice one. It’s my first time at the Motocross of Nations and I think it’s going to be an awesome experience. I don’t really know yet what to expect, but the fans in France are something else. We will definitely give our best and then see what comes out of it,” said Ludwig.
Despite lacking a headline name, team managers Marcel Dornhöfer and Karsten Schneider remain confident in the potential of their lineup.
“We see our team as an opportunity for the future and are confident that we can put up a strong fight with Tom, Maximilian and Valentin. Of course, compared to previous years, we are missing a superstar from the outset, but experience has also taught us that a team without world champions can still achieve a very good result at the MXoN.”
