Finishing third in Lierop’s heat one while runner-up in the Championship Ken Roczen pulled out, allowed 20-year-old French rider Marvin Musquin to become the 2010 MX2 World Champion with a round to spare on Sunday.

It was his second consecutive MX2 world title. With KTM 350 SX-F mounted Antonio Cairoli winning the MX1 title in Brazil a week ago, KTM got a full score at the weekend as they collected also the MX1 and MX2 manufacturers’ world titles. In 2010 KTM won titles in both classes for their first time ever.

Exploiting the experience of his first season with Team Red Bull KTM Factory Racing MX2, Musquin was even more confident in 2010 when he even managed to collect a series of five consecutive GP wins to show the opposition –- including 16-year-old Ken Roczen and 15-year-old sensation Jeffrey Herlings as well as a solid Steven Frossard — he was fully determined to defend his 2009 World Title.

Courtesy of his second World Title, Musquin reaches the level of countrymen Jean Michel Bayle, Fred Bolley, Yves Demaria, Mickael Pichon, Sebastien Tortelli as well as International Legends such as Hakan Carlqvist and Heinz Kinigadner.

Under the guidance of 10 time World Champion Stefan Everts, Team Red Bull KTM Factory Racing MX2 celebrates its third consecutive MX2 World Title with the row of success starting in 2008 with Tyla Rattray.

“I started the first moto with victory ambitions but the track was tough,” said Musquin.

“I dropped down then saw Ken pull out and I realized I was World Champion, it was great to see my team waiting for me trackside to celebrate the win. In the second moto I had a good battle with Gautier, congratulations to him for winning the Grand Prix. Also I am sorry for my rival Roczen’s problems, he has been very unlucky.”

MUSQUIN’S CAREER IN THE FIM MOTOCROSS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

Musquin was one of those French young talents who entered the UEM European Motocross series at young age with the goal of building a solid racing career.

At just 14 years of age Musquin won his maiden European Title in the 85cc class onboard a Kawasaki of the Bud Racing squad. The step forward in what is the ladder leading into Grand Prix racing was Musquin’s participation in the highly competitive EMX2 class, going from 24th in 2006 to fourth in 2007.

His progression granted him the chance to enter the Grand Prix at Faenza in 2007, where he showed an impressive form in heat one – riding with the front runners before fading to sixth. The Grand Prix paddock noticed Musquin straight away and Team NGS offered him a ride for the 2008 season, a proposal Musquin accepted with excitement.

Spending the winter to gain endurance, a quality he discovered to lack when racing in Faenza, Musquin found himself at the gate of the first Grand Prix of 2008 onboard an MX2 Honda machine. The goal of a top ten finish could not be reached because of an injury at the Czech Grand Prix, on a track which will offer the young French more surprises in the future. Musquin broke his collarbone and a bone in his foot, missing two Grand Prix’s but coming back at Faenza to seal a 14th place in the Championship.

The following year was the one of Musquin’s consecration. 2009 started with the French’s maiden podium –third overall- in Faenza’s mud and continued with his maiden win at round two in Sevlievo.

The red plate, which had been held by Gautier Paulin since his win at Faenza, would come just at Bellpuig and at the following Grand Prix at Mallory Park the French would line up with a factory KTM, leaving Honda and Team NGS.

Getting to grips with the new bike straight away, Musquin became even stronger and despite two stops – one in Sweden due to contractual issues and one in Loket due to a mechanical failure – the French rider took victory in the last two rounds of the series and was eventually crowned World Champion in the last round in Brazil.

2010 was the year Musquin had all the pressure on himself, the Frenchman deciding to race with the No.1 on his Red Bull KTM Factory Racing machine. Musquin went on to win the opening two rounds, leaving the third to team mate Herlings — the 15-year-old debutant to become one of Musquin’s main threats alongside Roczen.

After defeat, Musquin came back on top of the podium to take the season’s longest winning streak in MX2 as he topped the podium in Portugal, Catalunya, USA, France and Germany. Building some gap in between himself and his main rivals, those never left Musquin in peace with Roczen, Herlings and Frossard winning one Grand Prix each after Musquin stopped his winning streak.

Heading to Czech Republic to break his unfortunate streak of results at Loket, Musquin came out victorious and continued being on the podium by taking second overall in Brazil behind Roczen. The penultimate round in Lierop saw Musquin take a third place in the first heat while Roczen, who was the only Title threat to Musquin, pulled out of the race. The result granted Musquin the Title, which was celebrated with a second place on the podium behind overall winner Paulin. Eight GP wins out of 11 podium appearances and 14 heat wins have made Musquin the most successful MX2 rider of the year.

Musquin’s 2011 plans will see the two time World Champion head to the USA in order to contest both the Supercross and Motocross series again with KTM, to be managed by MX Legend Roger De Coster.

Musquin will head Stateside sooner than expected, as he was selected to represent France at the 64th edition of the Red Bull FIM Motocross of Nations set to happen in Lakewood, Colorado, on the September 26 weekend. Team-mates to Musquin at that event will be Christophe Pourcel and Xavier Boog.

© Photo by Andy McGechan, www.BikesportNZ.com

Results – Grand Prix of Benelux

MX1 Moto one: 1. Max Nagl (KTM); 2. Antonio Cairoli (KTM); 3. Steve Ramon (Suz); 4. Tanel Leok (Hon); 5. David Philippaerts (Yam); 6. Ken De Dycker (Yam); 7. Rui Goncalves (KTM); 8. Marc De Reuver (Suz); 9. Davide Guarneri (Hon); 10. Clement Desalle (Suz); 11. Josh Coppins (Aprilia); 12. Jonathan Barragan (Kaw); 13. Xavier Boog (Kaw); 14. Tom Church (CCM); 15. Bas Verhoeven (Hon)

MX1 Moto two: 1. Antonio Cairoli (KTM); 2. Rui Goncalves (KTM); 3. Steve Ramon (Suz); 4. Max Nagl (KTM); 5. David Philippaerts (Yam); 6. Marc De Reuver (Suz); 7. Tanel Leok (Hon); 8. David Guarneri (Hon); 9. Clement Desalle (Suz); 10. Josh Coppins (Aprilia); 11. Jonathan Barragan (Kaw); 12. Seb Pourcel (Kaw); 13. Kevin Wouts (Kaw); 14. Tom Church (CCM); 15. Manuel Priem (Aprilia)

MX1 O/A: 1. Antonio Cairoli 47pts, 2. Max Nagl 42pts, 3. Steve Ramon 40pts, 4. Rui Gonalves 36pts, 5. David Philippaerts 32pts, 6. Tanel Leok 32pts, 7. Marc De Reuver 28pts, 8. Davide Guarneri 25pts, 9. Clement Desalle 23pts, 10. Josh Coppins 21pts

MX1 World Championship points: 1. Antonio Cairoli 625pts, 2. Clement Desalle 494pts, 3. David Philippaerts 473pts, 4. Max Nagl 463pts, 5. Steve Ramon 448pts, 6. Tanel Leok 346pts, 7. Ken De Dycker 324pts, 8. Xavier Boog 299pts, 9. Evgeny Bobryshev 270pts, 10. Davide Guarneri 267pts.

MX2 Moto one: 1. Gautier Paulin (Yam); 2. Joel Roelants (KTM); 3. Marvin Musquin (KTM); 4. Shaun Simpson (KTM); 5. Steven Frossard (Kaw); 6. Arnaud Tonus (Suz); 7. Harri Kullas (Yam); 8. Nick Triest (KTM); 9. Glenn Coldenhoff (Yam); 10. Matiss Karro (Suz); 11. Zach Osborne (Yam); 12. Valentin Teillet (KTM); 13. Jake Nicholls (KTM); 14. Dennis Verbruggen (KTM); 15. Ceriel Kromhof (Yam)

MX2 Moto two: 1. Ken Roczen (Suz); 2. Marvin Musquin (KTM); 3. Gautier Paulin (Yam); 4. Joel Roelants (KTM); 5. Harri Kullas (Yam); 6. Zach Osborne (Yam); 7. Shaun Simpson (KTM); 8. Arnaud Tonus (Suz); 9. Valentin Teillet (KTM); 10. Jake Nicholls (KTM); 11. Michael Van Wezel (KTM); 12. Nikolaj Larsen (Hon); 13. Jeremy Van Horebeek (Kaw); 14. Glenn Coldenhoff (Yam); 15. Nick Triest (KTM)

MX2 O/A: 1. Gautier Paulin 45pts, 2. Marvin Musqin 42pts, 3. Joel Roelants 40pts, 4. Shaun Simpson 32pts, 5. Harri Kullas 30pts, 6. Arnaud Tonus 28pts, 7. Ken Roczen 25pts, 8. Zach Osborne 25pts, 9. Valentin Teillet 21pts, 10. Jake Nicholls 19pts

MX2 World Championship points: 1. Marvin Musquin 613pts, 2. Ken Roczen 524pts, 3. Steven Frossard 446pts, 4. Jeffrey Herlings 391pts, 5. Zach Osborne 368pts, 6. Joel Roelants 366pts, 7. Shaun Simpson 361pts, 8. Arnaud Tonus 356pts, 9. Jeremy van Horebeek 345pts, 10. Harri Kullas 310pts, 11. Gautier Paulin 298pts, 12. Christophe Charlier 222pts, 13. Jake Nicholls 217pts, 14. Anthony Lupino 173pts, 15. Dennis Verbruggen 155pts.