Swedish MX2 rider Alvin Ostlund joins the Wilvo Standing Construct Yamaha team as a replacement for the injured Julien Lieber.
Swedish MX2 rider Alvin Ostlund has signed onto the Wilvo Standing Construct Yamaha MX2 Team for the 2016 FIM MX2 World Championship. Ostlund was hired as a late replacement for the team’s injured star, Julien Lieber of Belgium.
Lieber, who finished sixth in the 2015 FIM MX2 World Championship, underwent surgery to both hips at the end of 2015, and his recovery has been much slower than anticipated. As it became clear that he would not be ready in time for the 2016 MX2 season opener, Lieber has stepped aside to focus on his health and fitness, though he plans to return to competition when he is fit to compete.
Ostlund brings a solid record to the team. He won the Swedish National Championship in 2015 and finished fifth overall in the FIM EMX250 Championship. In 2014 he finished the EMX125 Championship second overall and was third in the Junior World Championship. The 18-year old from Hudiksvall, Sweden, originally started the 2016 season with former World Champion David Philippaerts’ DP19 Yamaha Official Team, and he has already competed in two Italian Championship races this year, with a Top-10 in Alghero and a very strong podium at Lamezia Terme in the MX2 race, where he just missed a top-10 finish in the MX Elite in just his second international outing on the Yamaha YZ250F.
“This is a big change for me, and I’m going to a lot of races against the best guys this year, so it’s important to thank David [Philippaerts] for the intense and fruitful training and especially my mechanic Daniele Castiglioni at DP19, as well as Tim Mathys and Louis Vosters and my two new mechanics Carlo van Loon and Valentin Touchet at Wilvo Standing Construct for the trust and opportunity,” Ostund said. “I’d also like to thank my parents and my high school trainers Magnus Hultberg and Espen Blikstad at Fågelvikus High School in Sweden.”
Louis Vosters, co-owner of the Wilvo Standing Construct Yamaha MX2 Team, said that Ostlund’s hiring makes the best of a tough situation.
“It’s unfortunate news that Julien Lieber needs more recovery from his injuries and won’t be able to start the season in time, so we are really happy to have this opportunity to welcome the young and talented Alvin Ostlund to our team for 2016,” Vosters said. “He has already raced EMX250 and was fifth last year, so the transition to MX2 will be a big step but not too big for him. For Wilvo Standing Construct Yamaha we see a chance to build a long-term relationship with a young rider and will be very happy to see him in the top 10 this year.”
Yamaha Europe Motocross Racing Manager Alberto Barozzi added, “A difficult situation arises when a rider’s health is not at the top level, and there are many complications when we approach the first race of the season with some question marks on the final roster. The graciousness and tremendous fair-play done by David Philippaerts and his DP19 Yamaha Official Team to accommodate this change at such a late date in the pre-season calendar really reflect a champion’s character, and on behalf of Yamaha Racing we thank David and everyone at DP19 for their teamwork.”
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