Swiss rider Valentin Guillod continues to impress in the MXGP paddock, proving that determination and talent can go a long way – even without factory support. After securing a strong ninth overall at the MXGP of France in Saint Jean d’Angely, the privateer opened up about his weekend, the challenges of racing on a tight budget, and his motivation for the 2025 season.
In this interview, conducted by Dailymotocross.fr’s Kevin Frelaud, Guillod provides insight into his performances, his decision to skip Cozar, and his efforts to improve in the sand by racing the Dutch Masters.
Valentin, you finished 7-11 at Saint Jean d’Angely and secured another top 10 in the World Championship. Mission accomplished?
Guillod: Mission accomplished, absolutely. Ninth in the GP as a privateer rider—I’m happy. I do the best I can with the resources I have, but I’ve shown that I have the speed to be in the top 10, so that’s cool. I’ve been working for this since November 1st, so I’m pleased with my European Grand Prix.
You got a great start in the first race from the outside and quickly found yourself with no one in front of you. How do you manage to keep up the pace in that situation?
Guillod: Yes, in the first race, I got a good start from the very outside. I was seventh and suddenly found myself with no one ahead of me. I saw that Pauls Jonass had crashed, and I thought he might slow down and that I could catch up, but he picked up the pace again. Behind me, there were a few riders, so I couldn’t afford to make mistakes. I had to stay focused, keep doing my laps, and concentrate on what I was doing. At one point, I made two mistakes by coming into corners too fast. But overall, I managed to stay focused until the end, and I was happy with my race.
It was tougher in the second moto after a bad start. You made a strong comeback but got passed at the end of the race. What was missing?
Guillod: I couldn’t use the same starting gate for the second race, so I was still on the outside. After the first turn, Guadagnini slid out in front of me, and I had to cut the throttle because I was right behind him. That put me far back, but I made a strong comeback. I was riding really well at the start of the race and felt good. Then I struggled to switch up my lines, which cost me a lot of time.
I had a good battle with Horgmo for two laps, passing each other multiple times. After that, I lost focus, made a few mistakes, and Kevin pulled away. Then, Seewer caught up to me and was right on my rear wheel. I’m a bit frustrated with myself for making a rookie mistake—I didn’t realize Jeremy was so close to me in the final sector. In the second-to-last corner before the big triple, I went wide, and he dove inside to pass me and take 10th place. I’m a little disappointed with the way that second moto ended—losing focus and making that mistake that cost me a position, even though it didn’t change my overall result in the GP.
For those who don’t know, you went to Cozar but didn’t race. Why?
Guillod: Why didn’t I race at Cozar? Well, I finished 5th in a moto in Argentina, and after that, I had no more money, no more sponsors, and no contract. No factory team came forward with an offer. Maybe I looked at the situation the wrong way, but I figured there was nothing to gain by finishing 12th twice in the mud while burning through €3,000 worth of equipment.
On top of that, the Grand Prix at Saint Jean followed right after, and we were already running low on parts. We expected another muddy weekend there too. Luckily, it wasn’t as bad as we thought, but we still used up a lot of equipment.
In the end, it was a matter of costs and logic. Finishing 15th twice wouldn’t have changed anything for me—it might have even hurt me more than helped. In those conditions, it’s a gamble, and people might have said, “Guillod is bad in the mud, Argentina was just a fluke.” At least now, people still remember my strong result in Argentina.
I say I might have looked at it the wrong way because, in the mud, anything can happen—I could have had a good result at Cozar. But financially, logistically, and logically, it just didn’t make sense.
You signed up for the Dutch Masters this year—what’s the reason behind that?
Guillod: I signed up for the Dutch Masters because, throughout my career, Grand Prix races in the sand have always been a struggle for me. That’s why I did a lot of sand training this winter. For me, it’s a chance to show that I enjoy riding in the sand, that I’m motivated to race in it, and that I have the technique for it.
I’m doing all three Dutch Masters races this year—not expecting anything special from the championship, just looking to gain experience in sand races. Also, maybe some teams will see that I actually like riding in the sand, contrary to what they might think. It’s not that I wasn’t capable of getting good results in the sand before—I just wasn’t preparing properly for it. That’s why I signed up.
You seem really motivated this year, racing with a chip on your shoulder. Can we say you’re even more motivated than when you were at the front in MX2?
Guillod: For sure. When you drop down three levels, go back to being a privateer, and have to pay for everything yourself, you start questioning things a lot less. Just to give you an idea—my clutch has been used in the Argentina GP, on Saturday at Cozar, and again this weekend in France. I think I’m the only Grand Prix rider running a clutch with that many hours on it.
I do what I can with my resources. My front tire was used on Saturday at Cozar and again this weekend at Saint Jean. I had to change my rear tire twice because of all the rocks wearing it out. I mention these things because I want people to realize the difference between factory teams—who replace everything after every race—and my situation. Despite all that, I still finished seventh in a Grand Prix moto, which shows that I’m motivated and that I can still perform.
Seeing what you can do on a stock bike, people might wonder what would change if you had a factory bike. What’s the difference, really?
Guillod: I wouldn’t magically gain 10 seconds a lap and start landing on the podium just because of a factory bike. But I’d be able to push the bike harder during races. When the ruts get deep like they did this weekend, you can abuse the clutch on a factory bike, whereas I have to be mindful of my parts.
The biggest difference is everything surrounding the bike. Tomorrow (Monday), I’ll wash the bike, do maintenance, and then do a recovery session. Tuesday, I’ll finish preparing the bike, put on my sand tires, and on Thursday, I’ll drive up to the Netherlands. I’ll train on Friday, maintain the bike on Saturday, and race the Dutch Masters on Sunday in Harfsen.
For example, this Friday, I changed my own rear tire—I think I’m the only GP rider doing that. It all takes a lot of energy. Since returning from Argentina, I can feel the fatigue building up. I’ve driven a lot—Cozar by car, Saint Jean by car, back to Switzerland by car—that’s 4,000 kilometers of driving.
A factory rider can fly to the race on Thursday and fly back home afterward. The biggest difference isn’t just the bike—it’s everything else. A factory bike helps a little with starts, electronics might help find an extra half-second per lap, and the chassis, suspension, and parts all make a difference. For example, I can feel my shock overheating after 15 minutes, and the bike doesn’t handle the same. These little things add up. Instead of finishing 7th and 11th, I might have finished 5th and 8th.
What do you think of the track changes at St. Jean this year? Should tracks be modified more often to bring some variety?
Guillod: The new St. Jean track is better. There were things I really didn’t like about the old layout, like the off-camber before the pit lane where everyone stayed inside, making passing impossible. The small chicanes at the back of the circuit were the same.
I think they should make a rule that every track changes direction every year. That would be more interesting for spectators and force riders to adapt. It would be a win-win for everyone.
This weekend, you were parked with the young European riders in the paddock. Did it feel like going back 15 years?
Guillod: Yeah, I was with the 125cc and EMX250 kids in the paddock—but that’s my choice. I only have a small setup, just a tent, so I don’t want to park next to the big rigs. It’s quieter that way. It proves you don’t need a big truck to get good results.
Honestly, it was a great GP. We’ll keep pushing and see what happens!
