International Flavor: Hahn to Race Bercy

October 30, 2013, 3:15pm

GEICO Honda Press Release

CORONA, Calif. - In preparation for his rookie season as a 450cc rider in the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Series, GEICO Motorcycle Honda's Wil Hahn will embark on a European tour in the next 10 days participating in the Genova Supercross in Italy and the Bercy Supercross in Paris.

The decision to ride in the two events was made at the last minute, but Hahn plans to have some fun with it.

"We've been talking back and forth for a while," Hahn said. "I ran Bercy last year and I loved every minute of it. The chance to see another country, be a part of its culture, and just experience life on that side of our business is something I jumped all over.

"Some guys pulled out of Bercy. I was on the verge of going to Genova anyway, so I figured while I was there I might as well ride Bercy too."

Hahn boarded a plane bound for Italy on Wednesday and will race Friday at Genova Palasport Fiera, then take his time heading through France to race Nov. 8-10 at the Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy.

"It has all pulled together," Hahn said. "I couldn't be happier about it. I love the atmosphere over there. The fans are so into it. The crowd is so happy we're over there racing.

"Trey Canard and Justin Barcia are going to be over there, too, so it's going to be nice to be with people you know and get along with. We'll be all together in the pits, which kind of brings me back to when I was an amateur."

Hahn, the 2013 250SX East Supercross Champion, has been busy training for his debut in supercross' top level and expects these two weekends of racing to be a good gauge of where he stands.

"It'll be good for me," Hahn said. "I've been putting in a lot of training time now and I feel comfortable and ready on the 450. I'll be able to see where I stack up without the pressure of worrying about points. I'll have some fun, see a few gate drops, and whatever happens, happens."

After his European excursion, it will be back to training for the start of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Series, which begins Jan. 4, 2014, at Angel Stadium of Anaheim (Calif.).