After a promising debut season in the MX2 World Championship in 2024, Marc-Antoine Rossi had to put his ambitions on hold due to injuries that sidelined him for much of the year. Now, as he prepares for the 2025 season, the young French rider reflects on his experiences, the challenges he faced, and the lessons he learned along the way. From leading his first-ever MX2 race in Argentina to enduring multiple setbacks, including a serious knee injury, Rossi has been on a rollercoaster journey.
In this interview courtesy of DailyMotocross.fr/Kevin Frelaud, he opens up about his time off the bike, his move to the Red Bull KTM team under the guidance of Joel Smets, and his approach to making a strong comeback. With a fresh perspective and a renewed determination, he shares his thoughts on training alongside top riders like Andrea Adamo, the changes in his mindset, and what he hopes to achieve in 2025.
Let’s dive into his story.
Marc-Antoine, to start, how would you sum up your MX2 debut last year? Unfortunately, your season was cut short due to an injury, but you still had the chance to compete in the first rounds and even lead the first moto in Argentina.
Rossi: It’s true that I learned a lot during my first season in the MX2 World Championship. I started the season strong; I felt like I was building on the momentum from my 2023 season in the European 250 series, and everything I had worked on with Pierre-Alexandre Renet really came together. I could feel it over the winter and in the first few races, where I was quite fast. I had a few minor physical issues last winter – some small injuries – but nothing major. However, I wasn’t fully prepared for a World Championship season. At the time, I thought – and even said – that the preparation had been easy. But in the end, I really felt the effects during the races.
That said, arriving in Argentina and leading the first moto was an incredible experience. Even I wasn’t expecting it. I had always shown that I had good speed, but leading a race like that? I never saw it coming. I think that moment also gave me confidence for the races that followed.
You ran into some issues in the second moto at Trentino, and after that, your season seemed to derail. Can we revisit that period between Trentino and Germany?
Rossi: Yes. In the second moto at Trentino, I took a heavy hit at the start. I ended up carrying an injury – a muscle tear. At the time, I told myself it was nothing and that it would pass. But in the end, I got the medical results too late to realize that it was actually quite serious. I had to sit out one race (Agueda, Portugal), and a lot happened to me during that period. I was resting a lot because of the injury, and I was arriving at the races out of shape – both physically and mentally. As a result, I lacked riding time on the bike, which made things even more difficult. I think that’s also what led to most of my injuries afterward.
Then came the knee injury in Germany, which required surgery. From that point on, it was clear that you had to shift your focus to the 2025 season. During your recovery, what did you do to prepare for your comeback?
Rossi: I was lucky to be taken care of quickly after my injury in Germany, at the Santy Clinic in Lyon. I had surgery right away – I had really messed up my knee; I did the full damage.
During that time, I wouldn’t say I completely gave up on motocross, but I stopped thinking about it altogether. I went back home to Corsica and focused on my family and friends. In the end, I took a long break. I didn’t even watch the races anymore. I think that really did me good. I didn’t want to hear about any of it – people would check in on me, and all I heard about was my knee, motocross, and the 2025 season. So, I made an effort to put all of that aside, and honestly, I think it helped me a lot. Eventually, it really benefited my preparation for the new season.
I heard you had to undergo another surgery in December. Can you tell us what happened?
Rossi: Yes, I had another minor surgery. I had already gotten back on the bike in October, just to have some fun, but the problem was that when I got to Lommel in November/December to start training seriously, I couldn’t ride for consecutive days. That was an issue. My knee would swell up badly, so I had to go through a lot of medical exams again, which made me lose a lot of time.
Eventually, we realized that my meniscus was still damaged. Thankfully, I was taken care of quickly at the clinic at the end of December. They cleaned up my meniscus and removed some fragments. Before the surgery, they told me I would miss the race in Argentina, which wasn’t ideal. But afterward, they reassured me that it wasn’t as bad as they initially thought and that I should recover quickly.
What kind of preparation and foundation do you have heading into the 2025 season?
Rossi: Fortunately, I didn’t have to stop training completely. I was able to continue working on my physical condition with Joel Smets, so I built a solid base. When I got back on the bike three weeks ago, I didn’t feel like I had lost much physically. My speed was still there. Of course, in the first training sessions, I had some arm pump, and it was a bit tough at first, but I quickly got back into the rhythm. Physically, I feel much better than last year. I really feel that the work I did with Joel has paid off, and that’s going to be crucial for the new season.
Last year, you were with De Carli, and it was an eventful offseason for the team. People expected you to join Nestaan, but you ended up at Red Bull KTM. On paper, you’re still with “KTM,” but your program and environment must have changed a lot this winter.
Rossi: At first, there was talk of joining Nestaan, but in the end, I switched to KTM with Joel. I honestly couldn’t have asked for anything better. Working with Joel Smets is the best thing that could have happened to me. I knew I would be in great hands. Of course, I had to move to Lommel to be closer to Joel and the team, but in the end, I like it here. I enjoy the lifestyle.
You just completed your first preseason race at Lierop at the weekend. You finished 7-7 on a track that’s quite different from what you’re used to. How was this return to racing?
Rossi: The first race of the year at Lierop was tough. I hadn’t done much sand riding lately, so getting back into it on a track like Lierop wasn’t easy. I could feel that I lacked time on the bike in those conditions. My forearms turned to stone, and that was the hardest part. But overall, I’m happy – I got some starts in, I raced, and I wasn’t expecting anything specific from this event. The goal was just to stay on two wheels because the track was brutal. But I had fun, so that was cool.
What have you learned from your 2024 races that can help you in the 2025 season?
Rossi: Even though I didn’t race much in 2024, I learned a lot. Coming from the European series, I realized that MX2 is a completely different world. I only truly understood that now. In Europe, the racing is more aggressive, and there’s less maturity in the riding. In MX2, the riders are incredibly strong, and when you look at the preparation involved, it’s a whole different level – you have to work twice as hard. The championship also has 10 more races per season, which is a huge difference.
Your new teammates, Andrea Adamo and Jeffrey Herlings, are both world champions. Jeffrey is currently sidelined, but I imagine you’ve had the chance to train with Adamo and learn from him. What’s it like working in this new environment?
Rossi: I train almost all the time with Andrea Adamo now. We’re together with Joel, and we also have Cas Valk with us. We make a great team, and training with them is really beneficial because they’re both top riders. Cas is very strong in the sand, and Andrea is excellent on hardpack. They’re both really fast. Without constantly comparing ourselves, we’re very close in training, and we push each other. That’s what I love about this setup – especially with Andrea. We constantly challenge each other, which makes us both stronger.
You’re working with Joel Smets, and in an interview, he said you remind him a lot of Tom Vialle in your approach and riding style. Given what Tom has achieved, that must be a great compliment. What’s it like working with someone like Joel?
Rossi: I read that interview with Joel. It’s definitely a great compliment. He often tells me that technically, I have a really good riding style. It’s amazing to work with someone as experienced as him. He always has a story to tell about any track. You can tell he truly knows what he’s doing – both in motocross and in training.
He sets the workload. He tells you, “If you want to be world champion, this is how you have to train. There’s no other way.” And you realize that you can’t become a world champion by taking it easy – that’s what I like about him.
Given your shortened offseason, it’ll probably take a few GPs before you’re at 100%. When do you think you’ll be back at your best, and what’s the strategy for your return to racing?
Rossi: We’ve talked about strategy, and I know I’m not at 100% yet. But I don’t think it’ll take long. I’ve learned from last year not to rush things. I want to build up gradually this season, avoid injuries, and not push too hard too soon. I’ll start the season calmly, enjoying the races, and I know that at some point, I’ll feel fully comfortable again. When? I don’t know. But it will happen – I’m sure of that.
