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1. Vialle Leads Czech MX2 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing restarted their engines with two ‘warm-up’ appearances in the initial rounds of the 2020 Czech national motocross series where current MX2 FIM World Championship leader Tom Vialle celebrated a victory and a runner-up podium finish. The MX2 crew of Vialle and Rene Hofer (with EMX European Championship rider Liam Everts also in competition) traveled to the Czech Republic for the first two rounds of six in the domestic contest. The events at the Dalecin and Kaplice circuits were some of the first in Europe to take place after wide international lockdown restrictions in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak. Visit Vialle flew to a 1-1 set of moto wins at Dalecin on his works KTM 250 SX-F while Hofer was also fast to gain 2nd place overall at the hard-packed opener. The Frenchman and Austrian had last competed at the Grand Prix of the Netherlands at Valkenswaard on March 8th.

2. A week later at Kaplice Vialle ran MX2 Grand Prix rival Jago Geerts close for victory: the gap was less than a second between the two riders in the second moto. Vialle lifted the red plate again on the podium thanks to a 2-2 scorecard as Hofer rode securely to 5th position overall (having qualified fastest) and Everts made the top ten with 10th spot. The Czech outings helped both 18-year olds get back into a racing groove. The re-arranged 2020 MXGP schedule was published last week with the first of three events to take place at the Kegums circuit in Latvia representing the resumption of Grand Prix duty on August 9th. Welcome Tom Vialle: “A pretty good weekend again and I’m happy with the week we’ve had here in the Czech Republic. The track was really good for passing, even if there were a lot of lappers from pretty early in the race and there was only really one line: you had to be patient and ended up losing some time, so that made things tricky. I had the best lap-time in both motos and had a great feeling on the bike. In the end, it was good training. Now we’ll have a small break before working in Belgium this next month and then the GPs start again!”

3. Rene Hofer: “The last two weeks were definitely productive for getting back into the racing routine. Dalacin was a great track and pretty much ‘GP style’ so it was a good day and I finished in second place behind Tom. Kaplice was a good training day but a few issues meant I didn’t get the results I wanted after taking pole position. On top of that, we had two amazing training days during the week with the tracks prepped to Grand Prix spec. Anyway, I am stoked to see the new MXGP calendar and to finally have a date we can focus on. I am feeling in good shape and I can’t wait to restart the season.” Czech Republic MX2 Championship standings 1. Tom Vialle, KTM, 94 points 2. Rene Hofer, KTM, 76 3. Richard Sikyna, KTM, 74 4. Jago Geerts, Yamaha, 72 5. Michael Sandner, KTM, 60

4. 13. Liam Everts, KTM, 30 Flights to the Czech Republic The Czech Republic was only formed in 1993. Yet not only is it home to one of the most beautiful cities in the world – Prague – but it also embodies the historical lands of Bohemia and Moravia and Czech Silesia. This is a country of castles and grand mansions, once home to the richest and most influential of Europe’s elite. Among the most impressive of these is Karlštejn Castle, which looks like something out of a fairy tale. The best way to explore it is to take the official tour; uncovering the incredible history of this special building is fascinating. Aside from the history, there are lots of modern cultural attractions too, from museums and galleries to restaurants and brewery tours. And if you’re more into grapes than grains, the beautiful Mikulov region has a great magnitude of top grape producers as well as the staple picturesque towns and villages. Getting around by bike is a great way to explore the Czech Republic’s larger cities such as Prague, and as you traverse the cobbled streets, there are opportunities to jump off and revive in one of the many charming cafes. As tempting as it is to stick to the delights of Prague, where your flight to the Czech Republic will land, you’ll be rewarded for branching out to explore the more rural side of the country. As you encounter beautiful towns such as Český Krumlov, you might get the urge to pack up and go canoeing in the river or hike up into the inviting rolling hills. But the best thing to do in the Czech Republic, whether living it up in the city or relaxing in the countryside, is to take it all in at your own pace.