Before the start of the 2017 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, a lot of us thought Red Bull / KTM’s Marvin Musquin would be a factor here and there, but the former two-time MX2 World Champion has been a factor everywhere. With Ryan Dungey retired and Trey Canard out injured, Musquin has been the only rider in the Red Bull / KTM pits, and the #25 has definitely made the team happy about focusing all their resources on only him these during first three rounds of the series.
At the 2017 Thunder Valley National last weekend, Marvin struggled with a first turn crash in moto one and a bad start in moto two, but he was still able to make the day a positive one. In moto one, a first turn crash forced Marvin to fight from behind, but he still crossed the finish line with a fourth. Marvin’s moto two start was better, but he was still buried outside the top ten through the first turn. Just like in moto one, Marvin carved his way forward for thirty-minutes plus two laps and, this time, made his way up to third. Surprisingly, Marvin’s 4-3 on the day was good enough for second overall, but inconsistency seems to be the theme of the 2017 outdoor series in both classes.
In a very inconsistent 450MX class, Marvin has shown Dungey-like consistency with a 2-2-1-3-4-3 scorecard, and because of that, he now takes a 17-point lead into the series’ first weekend off. After the Thunder Valley National was in the books, I caught up with the Frenchman by his motor home in the pits.
Marvin, good day overall for you, but a rough patch to get to the good results. How did you feel about your day?
Yeah, exactly! Practice went super good. It was really nice, but I knew the track was going to get harder. Here, they always get deep ruts, and the inside gets soft and crusty on top. It’s rough but a good track. My starts were not really good, especially in that first moto. Unfortunately, Josh Grant went down in front of us and I couldn’t avoid him. From pretty far back to fourth place was awesome. In the second moto, I wish I had a better start to battle with [Blake] Baggett and [Eli] Tomac, but I think Baggett was faster today. Speed-wise, he was on it today, but I wish I was with Eli. Eli got better in that second moto. But to get third in that second moto was good considering the start. We need better starts, but here at high altitude—starting in first gear—I struggled. I couldn’t get a good jump. That’s why it was a tough day. It put me in a tough position and I had to fight really hard. But that’s what we do. I gave 100% and it was good to get second overall.
Do you play around with testing first gear starts versus second gear starts at this altitude, or is it so obvious that only first gear starts work good here?
Yeah, it’s only here in Colorado. I’ve tried second gear here, but you always want to get a good jump, so first gear is better.
Did Blake’s speed here today surprise you at all?
Yes and no. Yes, because he was definitely faster and he won the overall, but then, no because that’s Blake Baggett outdoors. He’s always been a good rider and a tough rider. It was a great day for him, for sure.
Blake’s a lot like you in the sense that if you give him some confidence, he will run with it.
Yeah, exactly. His confidence right now is definitely higher, but we have the same bike and it will be a battle.
You have one of your best tracks coming up at the next round at High Point. Is it important to keep that momentum?
Yeah, I think so. Those first three rounds are tough tracks, especially Glen Helen. To get away from here with a second place and a win the week before and still be leading the championship is awesome.
Surprisingly, you actually gained two point from a 15-point lead to 17 points with a 4-3 scorecard.
Yeah, considering my starts and the crash, it was a good day. I think we’ll have better tracks.
At the beginning of the year if someone told you that you were going to have a win and a 17-point lead in the 450 championship after round three, you would probably be pretty happy with that.
Oh, for sure. You never know where you’re at when you start the season. Last year was not easy outdoors. I got good by the end, but a few guys were injured, and it was only [Ken] Roczen, me and Tomac. And then [Justin] Barcia sometimes. This year, we have Blake Baggett, [Jason] Anderson and Tomac are the top four right now. Sometimes there are others that can ride well. It’s a great championship, and I think it’s good for the fans.
Speaking of other guys stepping up, where did that ride in the first moto by Justin Bogle come from? That win was unexpected.
Actually, I didn’t know. I looked ahead of me in the first moto and I saw Anderson, and I’m like, “Well, Anderson is leading.” I thought Baggett got second and I got third. Yeah, I got to the finish line and saw Bogle winning. It’s really good for him. Me and Justin moved up to the 450 class at the same time last year and we battled in the 250 class. I know how hard it is to move up to the 450, and he has had tough times like me—with a little bit of injuries and stuff—so it’s good for him. Congratulations to him.
With Ryan gone, the class really feels like the 250 class of just a couple of years ago. You’ve battled all these kids for years. What’s your plan for the weekend off now? Do you get to rest up a little?
We’ll be able to have a nice weekend at home and that’s it. Just enjoy being home. Me and Mathilde—my wife—we’ll maybe go on the lake and stuff like that. Take the jet-ski and have some fun. It’s a tough sport and we race a lot, every weekend. The pressure and the work during the week, it will be nice to enjoy some time off.
Photos by: Simon Cudby
