Italy’s Antonio Cairoli of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing takes a bend during free practice in this March 2, 2013, file photo taken on the dirt track inside Losail International Circuit. INSET: Nasser bin Khalifa Al Attiyah, the QMMF President.
DOHA: Qatar’s iconic Losail International Circuit will host this week’s first MXGP race of the season with live coverage of the 18-stop series set to reach millions of homes in North America.
After staging their maiden event of the hugely popular motocross series last year, the Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation (QMMF) will also stage a women’s race at the specially designed dirt track inside Losail Circuit.
“Like last year, our entire programe this week will be held under lights,” QMMF President Nasser bin Khalifa Al Attiyah said. “And this year we have a women’s race also. So that too is a first for us and we are looking forward to the week,” he said.
“We are the only organisers to stage a MotoGP race in artificial light and it will be the same for motocross riders as well,” he added.
“Our night races are hugely popular around the world. It makes for great television,” Al Attiyah, who is vice present at FIM and FIA, added.
As was the case last year, Italy’s Antonio Cairoli, four-time world champion in the top category of the MX, will be joined by top riders like Jeffrey Herlings (KTM), Ken De Dycker (KTM), Jordi Tixier (KTM), Clément Desalle (Suzuki) and Kevin Strijbos (Suzuki), at the season-opener.
Earlier, Youthstream announced a multi-year agreement for the airing of the FIM World Motocross Championships (MXGP) and the FIM World Snowcross Championship (SNX) on CBS Sports Network throughout the US and Canada.
CBS Sports Network will showcase the FIM MXGP and the FIM SNX as part of its CBS Sports Spectacular programming, Youthstream said in a statement.
The FIM MXGP, the pinnacle of professional world motocross racing, and the MX2, the steppingstone series for new world motocross talents, will both air on a same-day delay basis at sport primetime television slots, providing to the FIM World Motocross a consistent and stunning position on the CBS Sports Network’s programming schedule throughout the season.
Starting with the opener round in Qatar on March 1, the 18-stop series will travel across the globe to reach five continents and to complete its 2014 tour in North America, with the MXGP of Mexico, on September 14th.
The Monster Energy Motocross of Nations also has been confirmed to return on CBS Sports Network. The most important motocross race of the year will be held for the first time in Latvia at the Kegums Circuit on September 28th.
The nations-against-nation event, where the best riders from every country compete for the supremacy of their respective flag colors, will count on complete television coverage of the three main events.
The agreement also provide television exposure to the World FIM Junior Motocross championship, a one-event championship where young motocross prospects from every continent, and particularly of North America, meet for their first ever world-class contest.
The 2014 FIM World Junior MX Championship will be held at Bastogne, Belgium on August 10.
CBS Sports Network will air also the World FIM Snowcross Championship that this year includes two rounds, in Sweden on March 8 and Finland on March 15.
“The partnership with CBS Sports Network represents a new milestone in the prestigious history of theFIM MXGP championship”, Mario Marini, Youthstream’s Director of Corporate Relations, said.
“With the recent upgrade across the entire branding and image of the MXGP series, with unparalleled coverage around the world, we add now this massive exposure in North America to fully serve the US and Canadian audience and industry.”
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