8 months of competition, 21 race weekends and the longest championship in history: the 77th MotoGP edition has begun and is already establishing itself as one of the most intriguing ever. From the pits to the tracks, Xpd also joined the race with a record-breaking array of riders in terms of number, performance and background. Between SBK, SSP and Moto2, these pilots are fighting alongside their team with one single goal: to rewrite history, at every turn. At their feet the XP9-R boots, ready to shield and assist in their most extreme bravery acts.
A group of riders that is anything but predictable and packed with future MotoGP promises: here are the nine components of the Xpd team 2024 competing in this MotoGP World Championship.
ON THE STARTING GRID WITH 9 PRO RIDERS
For years MotoGP has been the stage for many Spanish riders drawn out of the most competitive championships. Among these promises, Albert Arenas stands out because of his successes: class ‘96 and number #75, he’s been Moto3 world champion in 2020 and he’s now getting better and better at every Moto2 race alongside the Gresini Racing Team: definitely someone worth betting on. Still Spanish but 6 years younger, Manuel Gonzalez is playing as his team-mate during this season. Despite his early age he already raced in Moto2 and this year he’s retracing his steps back in it, racking up podiums with number #18. The goal? To keep growing faster and faster while eyes on the price.
After Gonzalez the youngest Spaniard is Alonso Lopez. Number #21 and born in 2000, has been starting in the Speed Up pit lane in Moto2 for a couple years now. Coming off a good season in 2022 that carried on into the following one, his name has started to get around pretty fast among podiums and rankings this year.
Well, surprises are not over yet. Jaume Masià, 23 years old and wearing the number #5, is running in Moto2 with Team Pertamina Mandalika after an impressive Moto3 season that saw his triumph as world champion. This year also marks his first with Xpd, which – as for the other riders – realized a made-to-measure, unique and customised pair of boots.
Among the Spanish pilots and with number #44 we couldn’t miss Aron Canet, who proved to be a true warrior on the two wheels: after this year’s fracture he returned in a few weeks, as in 2020, when he won the title of “Rookie of the Year ” after a bad hand injury. Only this year he’s running in Moto2 under the Fantic Racing Team, and despite the recent accident he has already obtained a first place on the podium: determined, confident and full of surprises. Just everything it takes to get back under the spotlight.
Nevertheless, Spain isn’t the only flag to proudly wave with Xpd.
Apart from being a natural actor and the face of Xpd campaign “The Crash Tested Boots”, the 26-year-old Joe Roberts is the first American rider to awake the US presence in MotoGP since Nicky Hayden, and with the number #16 he stands out as a rarity on the paddock: he’s the one and only American in all three categories, and even though he’s unrelated to the 70s Kenny Roberts his name is bringing the stars and stripes flag back with a distinctly above-average number of podiums, flanked by the OnlyFans American Racing Team after three years in Italtrans.
The young Diogo Moreira, born in 2004 and only 19 years old, will take his place in Italtrans Racing. Directly from Brazil with the number #10, he raced in the Moto3 Championship until last year, and he already penned a few chapters in history: this leap to Moto2 is just the beginning of his brilliant career.
But Xpd went even further this season, reaching the heights of Supersport and Superbike categories with two exceptional pilots. Riding alongside Xpd in the first Championship is young Kaito Toba, a 23-year-old Japanese rider who, following a fierce season in Moto3, is now debuting in SSP by the PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team with the number #27, but there’s more: hungry for success,
he’s also running concurrently in the Moto2 JuniorGP Championship.
We couldn’t help but conclude with a Spanish rider, also from the 2000 but who is now competing in the Superbike category: Iker Lecouna, whose number #7 competed at only 16 years old in Moto2 and in a short time found himself racing side by side with the legends of MotoGP. Back to SBK, he’s still running with the HRC Honda Team on his side. The first part of this season didn’t start off with a bang due to injuries and penalties, but he surely doesn’t lack for experience, and his next steps can only prove it.
PROVEN RELIABILITY, UNCONDITIONAL SAFETY
When it comes to safety, Xpd’s support transcends any team. Because it’s the duty of these boots to support every single rider from the most feisty victories, to hardest and dramatic falls. The safety of their feet is in Xpd’s hands, or rather, in the XP9-R and XP9-R AIR racing boots: designed for professionals, these are some of the leading models in the racing category and the outcome of years of successful research and testing all over the world’s racetracks. It’s a cutting-edge technology which combines features such as the AGS3 removable inner boot and the external magnesium steel slider, to withstand and protect at the roughest racing conditions. Why all this? Because Xpd was born on track, and for the track. Because it doesn’t count the class, the age or the engine capacity.
When it’s time to race, there’s only two things you can trust: a good instinct, and the safest protection system you can get.
To ensure maximum protection across all skill levels, Xpd has merged its racing expertise with the world of amateur motorcycling. The XP9-S and X10-R boots stand as testament to this, offering supreme protection both on the track and off. Discover the full Xpd racing collection and stay tuned for the latest Xpdteam news: the MotoGP has kicked off and our riders are wasting no time, fully protected, at the highest speeds. In a nutshell? “Speed on wheels”, of course.
Have a great World Championship 2024 you all!
