At the French SUPERCROSS SX TOUR Grand Final in Amnéville, France, fourteen-year-old Carl Ostermann – the youngest competitor by far – was at the start gate for the first time in the SX2 Class. This came as a surprise for those who were expecting the switch from the 85cc Class to the larger motorbike would not occur until after the end of the ADAC SX Cup (11.-13.01.2019).

On Friday evening, the FOX-Youngster proved beyond any doubt that he is ready for this change of class. Qualifying for the “Big Final” and acheiving the victory in the SX Academy JUNIOR CUP classification, Carl’s technical abilities on the demanding track in particular were most convincing.

Saturday did not run ideally because of a crash in the Last Chance Race, but this did not undermine the final result.

Carl on Sunday morning before the departure:

Of course, I had a lot of respect going in to the SX2 Class, and I knew I’d be starting at the very back of the line. I tried to not let myself get distracted or be influenced too much and to just do my own thing. And for the most part, I was able to do that pretty well. I wasn’t expecting to qualify for the Final or winning the JUNIOR CUP, and I was thrilled that I did. But it also became clear to me again what it will take to reach the top in this Pro Class. For now, I have to block that out and concentrate fully on defending my ADAC SX CUP Title in the SX3 Class (85cc).

Seb Tortelli:

Carl rode safely and well! He was a little cautious throughout, but that’s fine to begin with. He has learnt a lot this weekend, and knows what to work on in the next couple of months. The fact that he was able to qualify for the Final the very first evening and achieved the victory in the JUNIOR CUP goes to show this was more than just a good start!