MXGP Women’s Academy returns at MXGP of Spain
The new Motocross season starts with exciting news about the return of the MXGP Women’s Academy on Friday and Saturday, 22-23 March 2024. As the 15 participants get ready to embark on this journey in Intu Xanadú, Spain, during the FIM Women’s Motocross World Championship opening round, and get 360-dergee knowledge about Motocross, the organising team is excited to bring more talented young girls to this dynamic discipline. To get new athletes and talents, who could be future motocross stars.
With support from the FIM, Infront Moto Racing and the MXGP Academy this event has been created to promote gender inclusivity in sport and encourage female participation in Motocross. Therefore, in addition to training and masterclass sessions for riders, the MXGP Academy intends to organise workshops, seminars, and panel meetings for parents, trainers, and Federation representatives involved in Motocross. The first MXGP Women’s Academy was held back in 2018, in Assen, and is finally returning to the annual calendar.
We are happy to announce that 2022 FIM WMX Champion Nancy Van de Ven is joining the MXGP Academy Team with Martin van Ganderen and Jan Postema.
FIM Women’s Commission Director, Janika Judeika said: “I am extremely proud that we are reintroducing the MXGP Women’s Academy after a five year absence. In previous years, Motocross has showed a huge increase in women’s interested in this discipline. Riders are now more and more visible to the world, and motocross is becoming more inclusive. The female participants will show what they can do on track and share their knowledge in practical and theoretical sessions. At the same time, parents will have their own educational programme. We are so fortunate to have Nancy Van de Ven, 2022 FIM Women’s Motocross World Champion, to join the Academy and teach the new riders alongside motocross experts Martin van Ganderen and Jan Postema. Such events bring true excitement about the bright future for Motocross.”
MXGP Academy coordinator and coach, Martin van Genderen added: “It is the first time in 2024 that we are organising an MXGP Academy weekend training, within a series of seven events in Europe. I’m happy that the season opens with an MXGP Academy hosting fifteen girls, in 65 and 85cc, from Spain. It is the second time that we organise such a training camp only for a group of female participants, all coming from Spain this time. I am also happy with the new addition to the team, our new trainer, former women’s world champion, Nancy Van de Ven. She has worked hard to obtain her diploma as an MX trainer and has now joined us at the MXGP Academy. We, therefore, look forward to this new collaboration and are confident of its success.”
MXGP Academy coach Nancy Van de Ven stated: “I am really excited to start training the girls in Spain, but it will take some time to get used to fulfilling a different role than I did before as a rider. I have earned my first MX-trainer’s diploma and am currently pursuing my second. (Level-3). The MXGP Academy has big ambitions, that will give young girls the same opportunities as boys. I’m glad I can contribute significantly to this, and I’m looking forward to the first official training at the MXGP Academy weekend in Spain”.
The MXGP Women’s Academy will take place on the 22-23 March at its Xanadú – Arroyomolinos during the Spanish MXGP round.
