With the Motocross of Nations done and dusted for another year it is time for the Supermoto fraternity to strut their stuff at the third edition of the FIM SuperMoto of Nations to be held in Pleven, Bulgaria, this weekend.
France and Italy both have a win on the board with Italy winning the debut year and France taking the win last year, as fate would have it, in Franciacorta, Italy. Having lost the the event by a single point the Italians are sure to come out firinng in Bulgaria.
Italy has put together a solid line up including three top riders all with World Championship experience. Ivan Lazzarini will steer the 450 twin cylinder Aprilia SXV in the S1 class. Lazzarini has not finished a GP in any lower position than the second place so is in red hot form.
Currently fighting for the S2 World Title Davide Gozzini will take on the SMoN challenge onboard the works TM 660. The Superider looks forward to his second consecutive appearance in the team and to Pleven where he won a Grand Prix last year. Rounding out the Italian squad is Open Class rider Attilio Pignotti.
Defending Champion Team France have mixed their cards this year and put together a new line up for Pleven.
2006 SMoN debutant Sylvain Bidart is back in the team after he missed the battle last year when Adrien and Thomas Chareyre and Thierry Van Den Bosch won the Trophy.
Riding in the S1 class Bidart will head the French team alongside young gun Adrien Goguet (S2), who took his first steps in the World Championship scene last year, and multiple French Champion Stephane Blot (Open).
Ending third in both 2006 and in 2007 Team Great Britain aims at a step forward this year even after Christian Iddon‰Ûªs withdrawal due to a recent wrist injury.
Former Motocrosser and current SuperMoto World Championship racer Matthew Winstanley will be in the S1 class. The Brit has just collected his first S1 National Title and is currently experiencing his best World Championship season being 5th in the standings.
The S2 rider in team GB will be Chris Hodgson, a youngsters that came through the junior ranks via the KTM Red Bull Cup. The ‰ÛÏRacing Snake‰Û
