Motocross Track near Alanya – Training Grounds for MotoGP Stars

While the classic and highly popular form of motocross involves riding across open terrain, it requires a certain level of training and, eventually, access to designated off-road tracks.

And who knows what might follow that training? Will it be a continued pursuit of motocross, or perhaps a transition to road racing?

Let’s focus first on the off-road training tracks, which are accessible even to the youngest riders in the sport. Often privately owned, these facilities are frequently established and operated by clubs or associations. This is the case in Alanya, which has transformed over the last two decades into a veritable mecca for world-renowned motorcycle racers most notably Toprak Razgatlıoğlu, Can Öncü, and Deniz Öncü, all three of whom were born and raised in Alanya.

Let’s begin by introducing:

Deniz Öncü: (Born July 26, 2003, in Alanya) In 2017 and 2018, he and his twin brother, Can Öncü, competed in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup, finishing fourth and second overall, respectively in both instances, one position behind his brother.

Since the 2019 season, Öncü has competed in the Moto3 class of the Motorcycle World Championship.

He made his debut with the Red Bull KTM Ajo team at the Czech Republic Grand Prix.

In his debut season, he did not score any points across the five races in which he participated; his best result was a 16th-place finish at the San Marino Grand Prix.

Can Öncü (born July 26, 2003, in Alanya) made his debut in the Moto3 class of the Motorcycle World Championship at the 2018 Valencia Grand Prix. Competing as a wildcard entry for the Red Bull KTM Ajo team, he won the race convincingly, finishing ahead of Jorge Martín (Honda) and John McPhee (KTM). With this victory, at the age of 15 years and 115 days, Öncü became the youngest Grand Prix winner in the history of the Motorcycle World Championship, breaking the record previously held by Scott Redding.

He also became the first rider to win on his Grand Prix debut since Noboru Ueda won the 125cc race at the 1991 Japanese Grand Prix. He finished the season ranked 24th in the world championship. In 2019, Öncü competed in his first full season with the same team; however, he failed to meet expectations, scoring only eight points and finishing 31st in the world championship standings.

From 2020 to 2024, Can Öncü rode for Triumph, and in 2025 he moved to Yamaha, where he finished as the world championship runner-up that same year.

Toprak Razgatlıoğlu (born October 16, 1996, in Alanya) is also a Turkish motorcycle racer. He competed for BMW and Yamaha in the Superbike World Championship, winning the world title in 2021, 2024, and 2025. In 2026, he moved up to the MotoGP class, competing for Yamaha. Razgatlıoğlu is managed by fellow Turk and former racer Kenan Sofuoğlu.

In 2021, Razgatlıoğlu won the world title with this team, finishing 13 points ahead of record-holding world champion Jonathan Rea. He secured a total of 13 victories and succeeded in ending Rea’s title streak after six seasons.

In both the 2022 and 2023 seasons, Razgatlıoğlu finished as the world championship runner-up behind Ducati rider Álvaro Bautista. On several occasions, he criticized the lack of power in his Yamaha’s inline-four engine compared to the V4 engine found in the Ducati Panigale.

In the 2025 season, Toprak quickly re-established himself as a top title contender. He also matched his record-breaking winning streak from the previous year, securing 13 consecutive victories. He successfully defended his world championship title, claiming his second world title in his second season with BMW. He won 21 of the 36 races held, with Nicolò Bulega riding for Ducati serving as his only serious rival for the championship. Both riders were far ahead of the rest of the field; together, they won 35 out of the 36 races and claimed 11 of the 12 available pole positions.

Enough about the stars - now back to Alanya.

Practice tracks vary in length from 1,000 to 4,000 meters, and this is also the case in Alanya. These so-called "outdoor" practice tracks are not as technically demanding as Supercross tracks, as they are designed to be accessible to beginners and young athletes. These training areas are often wider and longer, with jumps spaced further apart, allowing the next generation of riders to practice effectively a group we have frequently found ourselves admiring.

Since motocross generally takes place outdoors, it is not uncommon for a track’s condition and surface characteristics to change due to weather. On hot, dry days, for instance, visibility can be impaired by dust kicked up from the ground; at the other extreme, the ground may become waterlogged, forcing riders to navigate a muddy, slippery course.

The composition of the surface can also vary across a single track sometimes even from one section to the next which helps riders train for transitions between different types of terrain. Tracks may consist of sand, gravel, wood-based materials, clay, or soil.

Clay tracks tend to be quite hard in some places, almost like asphalt while those made of sand or soil range from medium-soft to soft. As in any other form of motorsport, the equipment must be adapted to the specific surface; this means adjusting the suspension, tires, and various other settings to suit the prevailing conditions.

Essential protective gear includes a helmet certified to ECE standards, as well as back, chest, and knee protectors, gloves, and specialized motocross boots. The motocross motorcycles used also referred to as "cross bikes" or simply "crossers" are off-road machines that are not street-legal (classified as sports equipment). While they are not permitted for use on public roads, they are still subject to strict noise and emission regulations comparable to those for road-legal vehicles yet they offer higher performance than street-legal models. Even for competition machines, there are standards and requirements in place designed to protect rider safety and minimize environmental impact.

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