Valentin Guillod

Valentin Guillod (born 18 December 1992) is a Swiss professional Motocross racer. Guillod has competed in the Motocross World Championship since 2010 and is a three-time grand prix winner in the MX2 class.

Guillod was the 2013 European Motocross Champion in the EMX250 class. He has represented his country at the Motocross des Nations ten times.

He was the 2023 French Elite Motocross Champion in the Elite MX1 class and is a five-time Swiss Motocross Champion throughout his career.

250 career
Guillod first appeared in the European Motocross Championship on 2009. In the following season, he was able to take two overall wins on the way to third place in the final standings of the EMX2 class. This came alongside making his grand prix debut in the MX2 class of the 2010 FIM Motocross World Championship in the Czech Republic.

These performances allowed him to make his full-time MX2 World Championship debut in 2011 for the KTM Scott Racing Team. However, he was only able to compete in the first four rounds of the series with a best position of fifteenth. He was kept on by the same team for 2012 where he scored consistently throughout the season, finishing in an eventual twenty-first position in the final standings. Guillod was, for the first time, selected to compete for Switzerland at the Motocross des Nations in 2012.

For 2013, Guillod dropped into the EMX250 class of the European Motocross Championship, riding for his own Guillod Motorsports team. After a season long battle with compatriot Jeremy Seewer, Guillod was able to win the title picking up five overall wins and never finishing off of the podium along the way. He helped Switzerland to eighth position in that season's Motocross des Nations, stepping up to the 450 to race in the MXGP class. These performances were enough for Guillod to be signed for a full-time ride in the MX2 class of the 2014 FIM Motocross World Championship with Standing Construct KTM. This would result in a breakthrough season at world championship for Guillod. A final championship standing of seventh was backed up by his first two overall podiums in Czech Republic and Mexico.

2015 would be Guillod's final season in the MX2 class due to the under-23 age rule. Staying with the Standing Construct team who switched to Yamaha machinery, Guillod took three Grand Prix victories in Spain, Great Britain & Czech Republic finishing fourth in the final standings. In an opening part of the season dominated by Jeffrey Herlings, Guillod managed to outright beat the Dutchman in race two in Great Britain. At that season's Motocross des Nations, Guillod again rode in the MXGP class and formed part of the Swiss team who finished fifth.

450 career
For Guillod's first season in the MXGP category, he would sign for the Kemea Yamaha team. He had a consistent season, scoring points in all but three races and collecting a third place in race one in Great Britain. Ninth place in the final standings was followed up by helping Switzerland finish sixth at the 2016 Motocross des Nations. Guillod changed teams for the 2017 FIM Motocross World Championship season, joining the Assomotor Honda team. The move saw his fortunes take a downturn, only competing in ten rounds of the season due to a hand injury and never breaking the top-10. He dropped down the 250 to ride the MX2 class in the 2017 Motocross des Nations for Switzerland, helping them to another fifth-place finish. Guillod returned to the Standing Construct team for MXGP in 2018, however, this would once again only be a part campaign due to pre-season leg injury.

For 2019, Guillod stepped back from racing at world championship level full time, focussing instead on the Swiss Motocross Championship (where he became champion in the MX Open category) as well as the ADAC MX Masters in Germany. Despite racing outside of the FIM World Championship, Guillod represented Switzerland for the eighth time at the 2019 Motocross des Nations. The COVID-19-hit 2020 world championship season would see Guillod return to the MXGP class full-time with the Honda SR Motoblouz team. His results improved as the season went as he was able to return to the top-ten in the final few rounds. 2021 would see Guillod join the new Swiss-based Hostettler Yamaha squad, competing in MXGP as well as both the MX Open and MX2 classes of the Swiss Motocross Championship. Dominating both Swiss Championship classes, Guillod also competed at the 2021 Motocross des Nations, recording his highest ever individual overall.

2022 would see Guillod mix a full-time presence in the Swiss Motocross Championship across both classes with racing in the French Elite Motocross Championship and a part campaign in MXGP. He once again became a double national champion dominating both classes and was runner-up in France. In addition, a return to form closer to his earlier career was noticeable in MXGP. Out of ten races started, Guillod was able to score top-ten results in six of them, including a sixth-place finish in the first race in Turkey. To round the season off, Guillod competed in his tenth Motocross des Nations.

Guillod signed for the Ship to Cycle Honda Motoblouz SR Team for a full-time return to the MXGP class in 2023. He continued to show the improvements from the previous season, posting consistent top-10 finishes in MXGP for ninth in the final standings and winning the 2023 French Elite Motocross Championship. Making his eleventh appearance for Switzerland at the Motocross des Nations, Guillod helped his country to sixth overall.

Honours
European Motocross Championship French Elite Motocross Championship Swiss Motocross Championship
 * EMX250: 2013
 * EMX2: 2010
 * Elite MX1: 2023, 2022 & 2024
 * MX Open: 2019, 2021 & 2022
 * MX2: 2021, 2022
 * Inter Open: 2010 & 2013
 * Junior 125: 2008