2013 was dominated by Boris Maillard. Although the Frenchman from Gignac thought that the season had not started very well for him with a sixth place in Fürstlich Drehna, he finished on the podium every time in subsequent events. "I was incredibly proud because my ambition was rewarded at the end of the year. Until then, I´d never won a motocross title, so I was particularly pleased at becoming ADAC MX Youngster Cup champion. I will now endeavour to build on my successes from the past year in a higher class and keep trying to end up in the Top Five," said the 21-year-old hopefully.

Swiss rider Jeremy Seewer from Bülach lifted the ADAC MX Youngster Cup in 2012. However, current champion Boris Maillard was not far behind him back then, as the 19-year old Suzuki rider recalls: "There were several quick Frenchmen that year, like Boris Maillard and Sulivan Jaulin. Neither Lars Reuther nor Ron Noffz were slow off the mark at the time either. I think, though, that my very consistent performance secured the title for me. This victory has taught me to deal with pressure. You can be by far and away the fastest, but if your head is not in step and you end up doing daft things, then you´ll get nowhere. That´s why it was such a big step for me in my career, as I´d never won an international championship before."

Danish rider Stefan Kjer Olsen was champion in class two in 2011. Even today, that experience still counts as one of the 21-year-old´s very best motocross career highlights: "When I saw the chequered flag in Höchstädt, I knew that I´d won the ADAC MX Youngster Cup. The moment was indescribable. I was truly overwhelmed because I´d already ridden in the motocross series when competing on an 85 cc machine. The title has given me enormous encouragement, proving to me that I can hold my own up front come what may. My move up into the Masters class in 2012 has given me a lot of self-confidence too," said the 21-year-old from Sønderborg.

In the run-up to his title win, current ADAC MX Masters champion Dennis Ullrich had a real thriller of a tussle in the final stages with Frenchman Sébastien Pourcel in 2013 and only just managed to win through by a whisker. In 2010, ‘Ulle´ rode against his toughest opponent Lars Oldekamp in the final event in Holzgerlingen, winning the ADAC MX Youngster Cup by a one-point margin just like the previous year in the Masters class – two very nerve-wracking title wins that make the 20-year-old feel very proud: "I´m still benefiting from my victory in 2010 even today. It prepared me well for the Masters class and made clear to me the high level that we are competing at. "A lot has happened since then for the Saarlouis-based rider. In the meantime, he is no longer with Honda but has switched to KTM. In addition, he has found a new coach Thomas Kneipp, who is bringing him on very well as an ADAC MX Masters and world championship rider.

2009 was Dennis Baudrexl´s year. The 22-year-old Bavarian had a fierce battle with his toughest rival Angus Heidecke that year but won through in the end. "I had a comfortable lead at the season half-way point after the event in Ried through my double win there which I then extended in Holzgerlingen when Angus had to retire with a technical problem. At long last, in the finale at Höchstädt, I more or less felt my way to the championship title, as I didn´t want to make any mistakes and rode with all due care and attention. Everything just seemed to go well that year. It was an incredible relief just the way in which the whole pressure that builds up in a championship when you are being hunted down suddenly vanished. It´s not a matter of one or two very full years of preparation that you invest in winning but a lot of hard work, a lot of training and above all a lot of setbacks that you have to accept along the way. The different scenarios that go through your brain after winning the title are incredibly banal – defeats, ups and downs from recent years and the current season suddenly appear in your mind at the speed of light. Winning is almost like an education in life, because you don´t learn anything on the days that are filled with the joy of victory, no, lessons are learned on the bad days."

Ken Roczen, who of all previous the Masters winners has enjoyed the steepest career path, attributes his success to his development in the ADAC MX Masters. He finished on the top rung of the podium in the 2008 Youngster Cup. "I´ve won the series in all three classes and it felt terrific every time. Lifting the Youngster Cup was a huge victory for me. I was very young, so it was a great springboard, enabling me to prove myself in a higher class. I won the Masters again in 2009 and 2010, which still means a lot to me today."

Czech rider Petr Smitka won class two in the ADAC MX Masters in 2007. When Ken Roczen, one of his toughest rivals was forced to drop out that year with injury, the KTM rider seized the opportunity with both hands and finally rode his way to the top of the standings in the ADAC MX Youngster Cup: "I was thrilled to bits. I´d already finished third in the standings in 2006, so I was, of course, particularly motivated to do even better than in the previous year, 2007. Although I had started the season with a bad race in Fürstlich Drehna, I subsequently improved as the weeks progressed and was ultimately rewarded with the title. I´m still benefiting from that today, because being ADAC MX Youngster Cup champion definitely opens doors for you at an international level. For example, I´ve been able to contest one or two GPs during the following years," said the 23-year-old.

26-year-old Austrian Günter Schmidinger was almost more overwhelmed by his title win in the Youngster Cup in 2006 than with his 2011 victory in the Masters class: "The first title was a real highlight for me, because I hadn´t expected to hold my own in this highly competitive international class. At the time, I was also completing my training and had to work the whole week. I made a lot of good contacts as a result of this title win, achieving international recognition," said the Honda rider.