"La Marseillaise" is the French national anthem, and it has a long history that speaks to the history of France itself. In both French and English, the song is a powerful and patriotic anthem known throughout the world. Like so many of the great anthems in Europe, it brings emotion from its people, but also from many others.

If you want to talk emotion, then the French Grand Prix is one of the highlights of the Grand Prix season, and has been for decades as the local spectators take noise levels to the hights we don't get in many countries.

In a little under two weeks time, we return to one of the all-time Grand Prix circuits, when it comes to celebration. Ernee in France has seen its share of special moments, from a retirement party for Stefan Everts, to his triple GP win in 2003, a handful of MXdN events, that saw Team France celebrate, but also Team USA.

With Kawasaki factory rider Romain Febvre holding the red plate for just the fourth time in the last decade but maybe showing the best form of his career, we thought it might be an idea to look at some of the all-time greats of French Motocross.

Eleven Frenchman have tasted championship champagne at the end of a GP season and been crowned FIM Motocross World Champion. The French have picked up 17 titles in total as many of their world champs scored more than one championship in their careers.

Back in 1986 Jacky Vimond became the first ever French rider to win a FIM Motocross World Championship. He did so in the 250cc class, and while Vimond was the pioneer of success for French riders it was Jean Michele Bayle who won 125cc and 250cc titles in 1988 and 1989 and started a frenzy of interest and success for the tri-coloured riders.

Bayle who moved to America soon after his GP success in 1988 did still compete in Europe in the winter at the annual Bercy Supercross. Beating the big American riders and making a long list of young French kids in attendance wish they could be like the good looking and very marketable Bayle.

It didn’t come straight away though, and while names like David Vuillemin, Stephane Roncada and Mickael Pichon looked to become the next J.M. Bayle it wasn’t until the summer of 1996 that another amazingly talented Frenchman stole the hearts of the motocross world.

When a 16-year-old Sebastien Tortelli picked up the 125cc world championship ahead of British rider Paul Malin a new era in French motocross was born. Tortelli added the 250 championships in 1998 after a season long battle with Stefan Everts and this opened the floodgates for French success.

Soon to follow came world titles for Frederic Bolley in the 250cc class in 1999 and 2000, Mickael Pichon also in the 250cc class in 2001 and 2002, Mickael Maschio in MX2 in 2002, Marvin Musquin and Jordi Tixier in the MX2 class in 2009 and 2010 and 2014, with Romain Febvre winning in 2015 in MXGP and Tom Vialle and Maxime Renaux in MX2 in 2020, 2021 and 2022.

The French have also won the Motocross of Nations on seven occasions, in 2001 at the famous Namur, Belgium circuit, Kegums, Latvia in 2014, Ernèe, France in 2015, Maggiora, Italy in 2016, Matterley Basin in England in 2017, Redbud in 2018, and 2023 in Ernee.

Now, as we head back to Ernee in 10 days time, a circuit that holds so much French motocross history, it is Febvre holding the red plate in MXGP and looking a strong bet to not only win his home GP, but also possibly join some of his two-time World championship winning countrymen. It sure seems like a good time and placed to hear La Marseillaise after a hard days work on a Sunday afternoon.

French World Champions

Jacky Vimond 1986

J. M. Bayle 1988 and 1989

Seb Tortelli 1996 and 1998

Frederik Bolley 1999 and 200

Mickeal Pichon 2001 and 2002

Mickeal Maschio 2002

Marvin Musquin 2009 and 2010

Jordi Tixier 2014

Romain Febvre 2015

Tom Vialle 2020 and 2022

Maxime Renaux 2021