Team World Champions will bring a formidable line-up of Christophe Pourcel, Alessio Chiodi and David Philippaerts to the 2026 VMXdN Hawkstone, with the trio boasting five Motocross World Championships and two AMA Supercross titles between them.
Images courtesy of Dave Rich
It’s a team name that certainly isn’t lacking confidence, but with the CVs of the three riders lining up under the Team World Champions banner, it’s difficult to argue with it.
Christophe Pourcel, Alessio Chiodi and David Philippaerts will join forces at Hawkstone Park over the August Bank Holiday weekend, creating one of the most decorated teams on the International class entry list.
There’s also some unfinished business from last year’s VMXdN.
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Pourcel was one of the standout performers of the 2025 event, winning all but one of his races, with home favourite Brad Anderson the only rider to deny him a clean sweep.
Racing as part of the victorious American team – Pourcel holds an American passport – he helped the USA to the overall win in the closest possible circumstances. The Americans and Team Italy finished tied on points, with the USA taking the victory courtesy of their greater number of race wins.
Chiodi and Philippaerts were both part of that Italian challenge. This year, however, they won’t be trying to beat Pourcel – they’ll be lining up alongside him as Team World Champions.
Pourcel back for more
Pourcel needs little introduction. The Frenchman won the 2006 MX2 World Championship before heading Stateside, where he became a two-time AMA Lites Supercross Champion in 2009 and 2010.
His speed certainly hasn’t disappeared either, as he demonstrated with his performances at VMXdN last year.
For 2026, Pourcel will return aboard the same 2001 Kawasaki 250 he raced at the event in 2025, built and prepared by Christiano Bianca from Turin.
Chiodi returns on the YZ250
Alongside Pourcel will be one of the most successful 125cc racers of his generation, Alessio Chiodi.
The Italian claimed three consecutive FIM 125cc World Championships and was a dominant force in the class during his prime.
Chiodi is already very familiar with VMXdN and will once again line up aboard the DocWob-built 2002 Yamaha YZ250 he has raced at the event in recent years, with Sonny Mee-Harris again taking care of the spanners.
Philippaerts brings the KX500
Completing Team World Champions is former MX1 World Champion David Philippaerts.
Philippaerts claimed the 2008 FIM MX1 World Championship during his time with the factory Rinaldi Yamaha squad and has shown at previous VMXdN events that he’s still more than capable of mixing it at the sharp end.
For Hawkstone, he’ll have plenty of motorcycle underneath him too, with Philippaerts set to race a Kawasaki KX500 prepared by Bruno Maprin.
Three former Motocross World Champions, five world titles between them and some seriously impressive machinery – Team World Champions certainly have the credentials to live up to their name.
They won’t have things all their own way, though.
The British squad of Tommy Searle, Brad Anderson and Elliott Banks-Browne will be racing on home soil, while the American team of Ryan Sipes, Jeremy Martin and Mike Alessi provides another seriously strong combination.
That’s nine big hitters across just three teams before the rest of the International field is even taken into account, setting up what should be a cracking battle for the team honours.
And while VMXdN Hawkstone is built around celebrating the bikes, riders and atmosphere of motocross’s golden era, once the gates drop and national pride comes into play, the racing is anything but an exhibition.
The 2026 VMXdN Hawkstone takes place from 27-30 August over the August Bank Holiday weekend.
The gates open at midday on Thursday, August 27, with plenty happening before the racing gets underway. The weekend includes the trade and food village, open paddock, track walk and Friday’s Show’N’Shine, while BBC DJ Andrew Marsden will once again provide the soundtrack to proceedings.
Racing takes centre stage on Saturday and Sunday, when legends past and present from around the world will go bar-to-bar around one of Britain’s most iconic motocross circuits.
Spectator tickets and camping passes are available through the official VMXdN Hawkstone website. Camping spaces are limited and are already selling.
Purchase your tickets >>HERE<<
