The off-season can often be a funny period. Riders changing teams and teams sometimes changing brands. This year's off-season can see a rather strange pattern, as three riders have changed places with each other.

Rui Gonçcalves, Max Nagl and Dean Ferris all had injury-riddled seasons. Gonçalves rode most of the season injured, Nagl started the season late due to injury and Ferris had an early and a late injury, but all in all, they are suffered from some type of body damage.



To make matters even stranger, was the fact Gonçalves will race 2013 for the team Dean Ferris rode in 2012 (ICE1 Racing) and Nagl will replace Gonçalves at the Honda World Motocross team. As for Ferris, he drops down to the MX2 class, where he will race for the Monster Energy Yamaha team of Steve Dixon.





Nagl was the rider who showed amazing speed after coming back from injury and his gladiator like run the team's victory at this year's Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations was simply mind blowing.



"I had a lot of pressure this year," Nagl said. "To come back from injury and to have to find a new ride, that was not a nice experience, but I did it and my results were good. To end the year with the MXoN win was really special for me."



While Nagl experienced the highs and lows of injury and success, it was just simply the toughest year in Gonçalves’ career. The rider who finished second in the World MX2 Championship in 2009 just didn't have anything go his way.



"It was the most difficult season of my career," Gonçalves said. "I mean, one injury after the other. I couldn't train with the bike a lot of times and that made it though. I really like the attitude of the guys from ICEce1 Racing. I know 2013 can be a good season and it's a new adventure for me and one I am looking forward to."



As for Ferris, the Australian who rode in the MX1 class this year, can't wait to get back to Europe and give the MX2 class a shake up. Running top three in a moto at the Grand Prix of Brazil showed he has the speed, although the two injuries really stopped him in his tracks. 2013 needs to be better.



"I am looking forward to 2013 so much," Ferris said. "It is the best deal I have had in my career and I know all I can do is my best. If I can improve the gap between myself and Jeffrey Herlings next year that would be a good thing, he is probably the fastest MX2 rider in the World at the moment."



So the three men, all with something in common, will be working hard in the winter to prepare for what is an important step in their careers. All three are coming off injury riddles season, all three need to make something happen in 2013.

Photo: Max Nagl - Ray Archer image

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