MXGP star Gautier Paulin will lead the defending French team into battle at this weekend’s Motocross of Nations at Matterly Basin.

The factory Rockstar Husqvarna rider will be joined by Romain Febvre and Christophe Charlier in the squad which hopes to take the title away for a second year running.

“It feels amazing to be carrying the #1 plate into the biggest event of the year. We have a very strong team for the Nations this year and we are more than ready to defend our title with Team France. Christophe [Charlier] has spent some time testing the FC 250 and I think he’s going to be strong in the MX2 class. As for me, I’ve had a solid season and I will be more than happy to wrap it up with a strong result at the Nations.

“We’ve worked really hard with the team during the season and we now have a bike that suits my style perfectly. I feel very comfortable racing my FC 450 in every condition, I’m really looking forward to racing the MXoN on it.”