EMX250

ARNHEM (The Netherlands) 24 August 2025 – The sands of Arnhem delivered a brutal test as the penultimate Round of the EMX250 European Championship pushed riders to their limits. With deep ruts, heavy bumps and a passionate Dutch crowd lining the fences, the weekend provided title-defining moments worthy of the world stage.

In EMX250, Leader Janis Reisulis from Team VHR VRT Yamaha Official showcased his class with a 2-1 scorecard to take his fifth overall victory of the season and extend his championship lead to 39 points. Venum BUD Racing Kawasaki’s Francisco Garcia and Cat Moto Bauerschmidt Husqvarna’s Liam Owens joined him on the podium after two hard-fought races, while title rival JM Honda Racing’s Noel Zanocz saw his challenge falter in the tough Dutch sand.

The twelfth round of the EMX250 European Championship roared into action on the deep and unforgiving sand of Arnhem. A spectacular crash on the opening lap saw Britain’s Billy Askew go over the bars in dramatic fashion after clipping another rider, his bike striking him hard in the back. Fortunately, he was able to walk away but it set the tone for a chaotic and physically demanding race

At the front, it was business as usual for championship leader Janis Reisulis, who stormed into the early lead ahead of Francisco Garcia and closest rival Noel Zanocz. Australian Liam Owens settled quickly into fourth and would remain there for the entirety of the race, a steady and consistent ride on the brutal Dutch circuit.

The early laps saw Garcia pushing hard to match Reisulis’ pace, but a small tip-over while holding second cost him valuable seconds. Remarkably, he remounted quickly enough to stay ahead of Zanocz and keep himself in contention. Meanwhile, further back, the Aussie Jake Cannon from Venum BUD Racing Kawasaki was mounting an impressive comeback. Starting outside the top ten, Cannon worked his way forward with determination, passing KTM Kosak Team’s Bradley Mesters, Gabriel SS24 KTM Factory’s Max Werner, and JK Racing Yamaha’s Jekabs Kubulins in the second half of the race to secure a strong sixth-place finish.

As the race entered its closing stages, the intensity at the sharp end rose. Garcia, having recovered from his earlier fall, closed back in on Reisulis and launched a decisive move that carried a hint of controversy as he cut across the Latvian’s line. Reisulis lost several seconds in the exchange, while Garcia powered ahead to take his sixth race victory of the season. Reisulis had to settle for second, just 3.4 seconds adrift, while Zanocz crossed the line a further half-second back in third. Owens confirmed fourth, with Switzerland’s Nico Greutmann from Cat Moto Bauerschmidt Husqvarna ‘s completing the top five.

Garcia’s victory keeps his momentum alive in the title fight, while Reisulis’ runner-up finish, combined with Zanocz in third, means the Latvian still maintains his red plate with a slim margin as the championship edges closer to its climax.

The second EMX250 race once again showcased the class of Reisulis. Just as he had in Race 1, the Latvian blasted out of the gate very well while his fellow Latvian Kubulins was the one claiming the holeshot in front of him.

It was a less fortunate start for his closest rival Zanocz, who struggled to find his rhythm in the opening stages. Instead, the surprise early challenger was Kubulins, fresh up from the EMX125 class on his Yamaha two-stroke, who took the lead and held his position well through the first laps. Reisulis, however, quickly struck to move past Kubulins and claim control at the front.

Behind them, Garcia once again showed his speed but also some inconsistency. The Spaniard climbed into second by lap seven of sixteen, but a costly crash dropped him back to fourth, allowing Cat Moto Bauerschmidt Husqvarna ‘s Mads Fredsøe and Owens to capitalise. Fredsøe briefly held the runner-up spot before Owens found a way through on lap thirteen, strengthening his claim on a career-first EMX250 podium. Fredsøe kept pushing to secure third, while Garcia had to settle for fourth after his mistake. Zanocz’s recovery ride only carried him to fifth, losing further ground in the championship battle.

At the flag, it was Reisulis who dominated to take his tenth race win of the season, crossing the line more than two seconds clear of Owens, with Fredsøe completing the top 3. Garcia and Zanocz rounded out the top five, followed by Greutmann in sixth. The result delivered Reisulis his fifth overall victory of the year with a 2-1 scorecard, ahead of Garcia (1-4) and Owens (4-2).

With one round remaining in Turkiye, Reisulis now enjoys a commanding 39-point lead in the standings, with Zanocz still second and Garcia just a few points further adrift in third.

Janis Reisulis: "It was very tough but also a very good weekend. The starts really helped me a lot and I’m happy with the improvements we made. In the first race I made a few mistakes, and at the end my back and arms were completely dead, but I managed to pull everything together for the second race. I’m really happy to win here, it’s a big confidence boost, now we focus on Turkiye."

EMX250 -  Race 1 - Top 10 Classification: 1 1. Francisco Garcia (ESP, Kawasaki), 30:00.570; 2. Janis Martins Reisulis (LAT, Yamaha), +0:03.411; 3. Noel Zanocz (HUN, Honda), +0:04.053; 4. Liam Owens (AUS, Husqvarna), +0:04.981; 5. Nico Greutmann (SUI, Husqvarna), +0:35.913; 6. Jake Cannon (AUS, Kawasaki), +0:37.402; 7. Bradley Mesters (NED, KTM), +0:49.781; 8. Jekabs Kubulins (LAT, Yamaha), +0:57.452; 9. Nicolai Skovbjerg (DEN, Yamaha), +1:01.225; 10. Maxime Lucas (BEL, KTM), +1:03.960

EMX250 – Race 2 - Top 10 Classification: 1. Janis Martins Reisulis (LAT, Yamaha), 30:39.340; 2. Liam Owens (AUS, Husqvarna), +0:02.584; 3. Mads Fredsoe (DEN, Husqvarna), +0:08.690; 4. Francisco Garcia (ESP, Kawasaki), +0:21.298; 5. Noel Zanocz (HUN, Honda), +0:24.881; 6. Nico Greutmann (SUI, Husqvarna), +0:26.042; 7. Nicolai Skovbjerg (DEN, Yamaha), +0:27.469; 8. Bradley Mesters (NED, KTM), +0:39.940; 9. Tom Brunet (FRA, Yamaha), +1:04.605; 10. Jekabs Kubulins (LAT, Yamaha), +0:22.513

EMX250 Overall - Top 10: 1. Janis Martins Reisulis (LAT, YAM), 47 points; 2. Francisco Garcia (ESP, KAW), 43 p.; 3. Liam Owens (AUS, HUS), 40 p.; 4. Noel Zanocz (HUN, HON), 36 p.; 5. Nico Greutmann (SUI, HUS), 31 p.; 6. Mads Fredsoe (DEN, HUS), 29 p.; 7. Bradley Mesters (NED, KTM), 27 p.; 8. Nicolai Skovbjerg (DEN, YAM), 26 p.; 9. Jekabs Kubulins (LAT, YAM), 24 p.; 10. Tom Brunet (FRA, YAM), 20 p

EMX250 Championship - Top 10 Classification: 1. Janis Martins Reisulis (LAT, YAM), 478 points; 2. Noel Zanocz (HUN, HON), 440 p.; 3. Francisco Garcia (ESP, KAW), 407 p.; 4. Nico Greutmann (SUI, HUS), 271 p.; 5. Gyan Doensen (NED, KTM), 266 p.; 6. Nicolai Skovbjerg (DEN, YAM), 251 p.; 7. Liam Owens (AUS, HUS), 248 p.; 8. Bradley Mesters (NED, KTM), 200 p.; 9. Jake Cannon (AUS, KAW), 197 p.; 10. Simone Mancini (ITA, FAN), 182 p.

EMX250 Manufacturers - Top 10 Classification: 1. Yamaha, 528 points; 2. Honda, 451 p.; 3. Kawasaki, 449 p.; 4. KTM, 407 p.; 5. Husqvarna, 406 p.; 6. GASGAS, 236 p.; 7. Fantic, 223 p.; 8. Triumph, 147 p.; 9. Beta, 26 p.;

Main Photo: Janis Reisulis

Top Photo: EMX250 Start Arnhem

Bottom Photos: 1. Francisco Garcia; 2. Liam Owens

All the photos from the MXGP of The Netherlands will be available HERE.

You can find the complete results HERE.

MXGP OF THE NETHERLANDS QUICK FACTS:

Circuit length: 1680m

Type of ground: Sand

Temperature: 20° / 22°

Weather conditions: Sunny

LINKS

Infront Moto Racing

FIM

FIM Europe
 

ARNHEM (Netherlands) 22 August 2025 – The 2025 FIM Motocross World Championships fires into deep sand for the last time this year at the MXGP of Netherlands from the Dutch heartland city of Arnhem, with the atmospheric Motorsportpark Gelderland Midden venue primed and ready for another frantic weekend of action which sees two home-grown World Champions in action for the crowd to get behind and make some noise doing so!

In the MXGP World Championship it’s French veteran Romain Febvre who holds a commanding lead over Lucas Coenen, but the pair who have won half of the GPs at this venue between them will battle hard in the sand, just like they did at Lommel, but they will have their work cut out to hold back a determined Jeffrey Herlings, who looks to be in top form again as he goes for an amazing 16^th win on home territory!

2025 Dutch Nations team riders Glenn Coldenhoff and Calvin Vlaanderen are also fired up to justify their selection by grabbing what would be a first GP victory for either of them in The Netherlands!

The MX2 class is still clearly led by German star Simon Längenfelder, but reigning Champion Kay de Wolf heads to his home Grand Prix with an amazing record of seven GP race wins out of eight in sand this year, and for sure he will get the crowd up to full voice if he can continue that sort of form! Former Champ Andrea Adamo also needs to gain points at a track where the Italian scored a podium result last year.

The second Dutch World Champion at Arnhem will be “Queen of Sand” Lotte van Drunen in the WMX Women’s Motocross World Championship, with just a six-point lead to defend over Italian legend Kiara Fontanesi! Local favourite Lynn Valk will also look to get in the mix! The EMX250 European Championship will complete a weekend full of thrills and spills in the sand!

Below you can find the full list of TV channels that will air LIVE and delayed action of the MXGP of Netherlands, as well as the 26-minute Behind The Gate magazine show featuring the best moments from the races, exclusive interviews and more.  All of this footage will be available on MXGP-TV.com and via our TV magazine partners following the Grand Prix. 

As always, MXGP fans can follow the races LIVE throughout the weekend. All you need to do is log onto www.MXGP-TV.com on Saturday and Sunday, from wherever you are in the world.  Every round this season will also feature live screening of Saturday’s Time Practice sessions, so be sure to bring your bucket and spade as the sand masters do their dance for one last time in 2025!

USA CANADA

CBS Sports Network

Sunday 24 August 2025 – MX2 Race 2 – 13:30 ET – Delayed

Sunday 24 August 2025 – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 ET – Delayed

Sunday 24 August 2025 – WMX Race 2 – 00:30 ET - Delayed

BRAZIL

Bandsports

Sunday 24 August 2025 – MX2 Race 1 – 13:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 August 2025 – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 August 2025 – MX2 Race 2 – 16:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 August 2025 – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 CET  – LIVE

CENTRAL AMERICA

Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Panama and Mexico

FOX TUBI

Sunday 24 August 2025 – MX2 Race 1 – 13:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 August 2025 – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 August 2025 – MX2 Race 2 – 16:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 August 2025 – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 CET  – LIVE

EUROPE

Eurosport 2

Sunday 24 August 2025 – MX2 Race 1 – 13:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 August 2025 – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 August 2025 – MX2 Race 2 – 16:00 CET – LIVE

Monday 25 August 2025 – MXGP Race 2 – 11:30 CET  – Delayed

MAX

Andorra, Belgium, Bosnia Herzegovia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech republic, Denmark, Faroe Islands, Finland, France, Hungary, Kosovo, Macedonia, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden.

Sunday 24 August 2025 – MX2 Race 1 – 13:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 August 2025 – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 August 2025 – MX2 Race 2 – 16:00 CET – LIVE

Monday 25 August 2025 – MXGP Race 2 – 11:30 CET  – Delayed

BELGIUM 

PLAY SPORTS 3

Sunday 24 August 2025 – MX2 Race 1 – 13:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 August 2025 – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 August 2025 – MX2 Race 2 – 16:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 August 2025 – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 CET  – LIVE

ESTONIA

Go3 Sport Open

Sunday 24 August 2025 – MX2 Race 1 – 13:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 August 2025 – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 August 2025 – MX2 Race 2 – 16:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 August 2025 – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 CET  – LIVE

FINLAND

MTV MAX 

Sunday 24 August 2025 – MXGP Race 2 – 18:00 Finnish timing  – LIVE

FRANCE

LA CHAINE L’EQUIPE

Sunday 24 August 2025 – MX2 Race 1 – 13:00 CET – LIVE Stream

Sunday 24 August 2025 – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 CET – LIVE Stream

Sunday 24 August 2025 – MX2 Race 2 – 16:00 CET – LIVE Stream

Sunday 24 August 2025 – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 CET  – LIVE Stream

Eurosport 2

Sunday 24 August 2025 – MX2 Race 1 – 13:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 August 2025 – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 August 2025 – MX2 Race 2 – 16:00 CET – LIVE

Monday 25 August 2025 – MXGP Race 2 – 11:30 CET  – Delayed

AUTO MOTO TV

Sunday 24 August 2025 – MX2 Race 1 – 13:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 August 2025 – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 August 2025 – MX2 Race 2 – 16:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 August 2025 – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 CET  – LIVE

GREAT BRITAIN

TNT Sports 5

Sunday 24 August 2025 – MX2 Race 1 – 12:00 GMT – LIVE

Sunday 24 August 2025 – MXGP Race 1 – 13:00 GMT – LIVE

Sunday 24 August 2025 – MX2 Race 2 – 15:00 GMT – LIVE

Sunday 24 August 2025 – MXGP Race 2 – 16:00 GMT  – LIVE

ITALY

RAI PLAY

Sunday 24 August 2025 – MXGP Race 1 – 13:00 CET – LIVE Stream

Sunday 24 August 2025 – MXGP Race 2 – 16:00 CET  – LIVE Stream

RAI Sport

Sunday 24 August 2025 – MXGP Race 1 – 22:45 CET – Delayed

Sunday 24 August 2025 – MXGP Race 2 – 23:45 CET  – Delayed

SKY ITALIA

SKY Sport Arena  (channel 204)

Sunday 24 August 2025 – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 August 2025 – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 CET  – LIVE

EUROPE

Eurosport 2

Sunday 24 August 2025 – MX2 Race 1 – 13:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 August 2025 – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 August 2025 – MX2 Race 2 – 16:00 CET – LIVE

Monday 25 August 2025 – MXGP Race 2 – 11:30 CET  – Delayed

LATVIA

Go3 Sport Open

Sunday 24 August 2025 – MX2 Race 1 – 13:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 August 2025 – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 August 2025 – MX2 Race 2 – 16:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 August 2025 – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 CET  – LIVE

LITHUANIA

Go3 Sport Open

Sunday 24 August 2025 – MX2 Race 1 – 13:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 August 2025 – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 August 2025 – MX2 Race 2 – 16:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 August 2025 – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 CET  – LIVE

NETHERLAND

NPO1

Sunday 24 August 2025 – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 August 2025 – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 CET  – LIVE

Nos.nl

Sunday 24 August 2025 – WMX Race 2 – 11:20 CET  – LIVE Stream

Sunday 24 August 2025 – MX2 Race 1 – 13:00 CET – LIVE Stream

Sunday 24 August 2025 – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 CET – LIVE Stream

Sunday 24 August 2025 – MX2 Race 2 – 16:00 CET – LIVE Stream

Sunday 24 August 2025 – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 CET  – LIVE Stream

SLOVENIA

Sport TV1

Sunday 24 August 2025 – MX2 Race 1 – 13:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 August 2025 – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 August 2025 – MX2 Race 2 – 16:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 August 2025 – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 CET  – LIVE

SPAIN

TV Galicia

Sunday 24 August 2025 – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 August 2025 – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 CET  – LIVE

TV 3 catalunya

Saturday 23 August 2025 – WMX Race 1 – 14:50 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 August 2025 – WMX Race 2 – 11:30 CET  – LIVE

ASIA

Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand
 

EUROSPORT ASIA

Sunday 24 August 2025 – MX2 Race 1 – 13:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 August 2025 – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 August 2025 – MX2 Race 2 – 16:00 CET – LIVE

Monday 25 August 2025 – MXGP Race 2 – 11:30 CET  – Delayed

VIACOM  - Jio Cinema

Sunday 24 August 2025 – MX2 Race 1 – 13:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 August 2025 – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 August 2025 – MX2 Race 2 – 16:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 August 2025 – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 CET  – LIVE

INDONESIA

CHAMPIONS TV

Sunday 24 August 2025 – MX2 Race 1 – 13:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 August 2025 – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 August 2025 – MX2 Race 2 – 16:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 August 2025 – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 CET  – LIVE

PACIFIC / AUSTRALIA

STAN SPORTS

Sunday 24 August 2025 – MX2 Race 1 – 21:00 AEDT – LIVE

Sunday 24 August 2025 – MXGP Race 1 – 22:00 AEDT – LIVE

Sunday 24 August 2025 – MX2 Race 2 –00:00 AEDT – LIVE

Monday 25 August 2025 – MXGP Race 2 – 01:00 AEDT  – LIVE

All races on VOD

26min Behind-the-Gate Magazine Partners:
 

AMERICA

Latin America             Direct TV                                 Thursday after each MXGP 8:30pm

Mexico                        FOX Sports                              Thursday after each MXGP 8:30pm

USA                             RACER                                     tba

Central America          FOX Tubi                                 tba

EUROPE

Albania                        GP1                                         Thursday after each event at 20:15

Austria                        GP1                                         Thursday after each event at 20:15

Baltics                          TV3 Sport Open                      Thursday after each MXGP

Belgium                       Play sports                              tba

Bosnia                         GP1                                         Thursday after each event at 20:15

Croatia                        GP1                                         Thursday after each event at 20:15

Finland                        MTV MAX                                Wednesday after each event 18:00                                                               Finnish timing

Hungary                      GP1                                         Thursday after each event at 20:15

Kosovo                        GP1                                        Thursday after each event at 20:15

Montenegro                GP1                                         Thursday after each event at 20:15

Northern Macedonia  GP1                                         Thursday after each event at 20:15

Portugal                      SPORT TV                                Tuesday after the event        

Romania                      Look Sport                               Wednesday after each event

Serbia                          GP1                                         Thursday after each event at 20:15

Slovenia                      Sport TV                                  Thursday after each event at 20:15  

Turkey             TRT                                          tba

INDIA and Subcontinent (Bhutan, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Maldives)
 

VIACOM 18                                                                        Wednesday after the event

INDONESIA                  Champions TV

AUSTRALIA

Australia                      Stan Sport                               Wednesday after each event

WORLDWIDE

Worldwide                  YouTube – MXGP TV               16 days after the event.

Worldwide                  Fuel TV                                   

Watch it LIVE & On-Demand only on MXGP-TV

 Catch all the racing LIVE on MXGP-TV! 

Saturday’s Time Practice (MXGP/MX2), the Qualifying Races (MXGP/MX2), and Races from all classes will be broadcasted LIVE on MXGP’s streaming service www.MXGP-TV.com, while results throughout the weekend will be available  HERE.

LINKS

Infront Moto Racing

FIM

FIM Europe

ARNHEM (Netherlands) 21st August 2025 – The 2025 FIM Motocross World Championships holds its final event on mainland Europe this weekend for round 17, the MXGP of Netherlands, hosted for the third time by the Motorsport Park Gelderland Midden venue to the north of the city of Arnhem, in the centre of the country with the lowest altitude in Europe!  Arnhem has seen two fantastic MXGP events already and is looking forward to seeing a bumper crowd welcome the two Dutch defending World Motocross Champions to their first GP on home sand this year!

The Arnhem venue has seen overall victories for Jeffrey Herlings and Romain Febvre in MXGP, and Lucas Coenen and Liam Everts in MX2, while the record for most GP successes in the country itself is obviously held by Herlings, who has earned 15 wins in his home country, all for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, and rarely been beaten when he’s been fit enough to race!  

The battle at the top of the MXGP World Championship was blown apart by a maximum for Kawasaki Racing Team MXGP’s red plate holder Febvre in Sweden last weekend, and with his closest rival Lucas Coenen suffering his worst GP for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing since the season opener, the points gap has now opened up to 41 between the veteran and the class rookie.  However, with Coenen’s great record at Arnhem and sense of nothing to lose, the Belgian could be a fearsome opponent this weekend!

Dutch Motocross of Nations team members Glenn Coldenhoff for Fantic Factory Racing MXGP and Calvin Vlaanderen of Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP currently sit in third and fifth in the standings, and are both very keen to win their first GP on home sand. However, the maestro Herlings was amazing here last year and looks close to his top form after taking second overall in Sweden.

MX2 Championship leader Simon Längenfelder regained the initiative with the GP win at Uddevalla for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, and made a small amount of ground on his closest challenger, reigning World Champion Kay de Wolf. The Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing star will wear his number one plate for the first time in front of his home fans, and with perfect GPs in the sand of both Finland and Flanders this year, it’s tough to imagine the local hero struggling this weekend!  The gap is now 40 points between him and the German red plate holder, with Andrea Adamo now 19 points further back in third for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing.  Home riders Cas Valk for Van Venrooy KTM Racing, Rick Elzinga of Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2, and Jens Walvoort of KTM BTS Racing Team will all be trying to improve their Championship positions in the top 20 as well!

The FIM Women’s Motocross World Championship resumes with the start of its second half of the season, and it sees a tight tussle at the top between the “Queen of Sand” Lotte van Drunen, defending World Champion for De Baets Yamaha, and veteran six-time Champ Kiara Fontanesi, who is only six points behind for her own Fonta MX Racing GASGAS squad!  Van Drunen has never been beaten in a race around Arnhem in the two GPs held here, and with Fontanesi finishing sixth in each of those rounds, then the Italian could face a tough weekend ahead! Lynn Valk will also look to enjoy her home GP for Van Venrooy KTM Racing as she looks to challenge from third in the points, just 15 behind Lotte, while Shana van der Vlist and Danee Gelissen could be in the running to make it an all-Dutch podium! Daniela Guillen and Amandine Verstappen can also not be counted out in what could be an almighty battle amongst the world’s fastest girls on wheels!

The EMX250 European Championship has its penultimate round this weekend, and the title chase is getting close between Team VHR VRT Yamaha Official rider Janis Reisulis, who is just 27 points ahead of Hungarian Noel Zanocz after the JM Racing Honda man took overall victory at Uddevalla.  Venum BUD Racing Kawasaki’s Spaniard Francisco Garcia is 40 points back from Zanocz and keen to show improvement in his sand skills after a race win in Finland. Sadly, rising Dutch star Gyan Doensen, who won in EMX125 here last year, suffered an injury in Sweden and won’t be able to defend his fourth place in the standings for Gabriel SS24 KTM Factory Juniors, so the home fans will turn their attention to the prodigious Ivano van Erp, teammate to Reisulis who has shown good form since returning from injury with a race win in France!

The MXGP of Netherlands is sure to be a tough physical challenge as sand always is, and with a passionate crowd cheering on their home heroes in close proximity, the atmosphere should be out of this world!

The MXGP of Sweden saw the first ever maximum 60-point haul across a GP weekend in Romain Febvre’s career, and it was a case of perfect timing for the Frenchman as his closest rival suffered his worst GP since the opening round.  It gives the red plate holder a 41-point margin over Lucas Coenen, as they come to a track where Febvre took the overall win just two years ago.  Romain has said in interviews that the media always talks about nine, ten years ago for him… well, sorry monsieur, we’ll say it again, that he first won a GP in The Netherlands back in 2016 at the circuit of Valkenswaard, as defending World Champion.  Last year here he was twice fifth for that position overall, but with the title on the line he will be aiming for his 16th podium of the season – not bad for the 17th round!

For his part, Coenen is in a similar position to twelve months ago, when he had a gap to chase down in the Championship that gave him nothing to lose! So far this year he has been one of the strongest riders in the sand, with victories in Finland and Belgium, and in the two MX2 GPs at Arnhem he has won the Qualifying Race and the second race on Sunday both times! Second overall in 2023 after a first lap crash in race one, and the overall GP win last year with 2-1 finishes, he must come into this GP with maximum confidence, if he is fully fit.

Glenn Coldenhoff has a 70-point margin to defend in his quest for the bronze medal, but his focus must surely be on climbing the podium in his home country for the first time since 2016!  That was at Assen, where he took third place in both 2015 and ’16, but since then he has finished fourth overall four times on Dutch sand, including the last two years at Arnhem.  He did take last year’s Qualifying Race win, the first ever for Fantic Factory Racing MXGP, so for sure he will come in confident and hopeful, maybe even daring to dream of a first ever GP win at home, as well as the first ever for Fantic!

Ruben Fernandez was 11th overall here in 2023,  but the Honda HRC rider missed this round last year, and with an average of just 28 points in sandy GPs this season, his main focus will be on keeping Calvin Vlaanderen behind him in the fight for fourth in the series.  The Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP man, who has been selected to line up alongside Coldenhoff for Team Netherlands at the Monster Energy Motocross of Nations,  is just 22 points back from the Spaniard, and with three podium results in the last four rounds, including both of the sandy ones, he will be confident of closing the gap, maybe in its entirety!

Also looking over his shoulder in the standings will be Andrea Bonacorsi for Fantic Factory Racing MXGP, who is just a point ahead of Maxime Renaux for sixth in the Championship, as the Frenchman scored third in race two in Sweden for Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP. The Italian Bonacorsi excels in the sand, and won overall at Arnhem in EMX250 two years ago, while Renaux finished sixth here in 2023, and has scored a best of second in a GP in the Netherlands, at Valkenswaard in 2020, while still in MX2.

Next in the Championship is a rider who might be considered the favourite this weekend, with a record of 15 Grand Prix victories dating back to 2010 in MX2, including last year with an awesome double win on Sunday. Jeffrey Herlings took second overall in Sweden and looked close to his best, which could be ominous for the rest of his competition after his amazing charges through the pack to conquer the field in 2024!

Jeremy Seewer, never a favourite in the sand, is ninth in the series for Aruba.it Ducati Factory MX Team, and actually scored a podium here in 2023, so maybe a good result isn’t out of the question, while Tim Gajser has scored solid results of fifth and third overall at Arnhem so far.  The Honda HRC rider is in his second race back from injury, and proved with an overall win at Oss in 2021 that he is capable in the Dutch sand as he tries to climb from tenth in the Championship.

Jago Geerts will return to action for Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP after his big crash at Lommel, and will be hoping to make his sand skills pay for him, as it did when he won the MX2 class at Oss in 2021.  JK Racing Yamaha’s star of the Swedish GP, Isak Gifting, will be hoping to bounce back from the disappointment of letting that second race at Uddevalla slip from his grasp, and with his best GP of the year so far coming at Lommel, there’s every chance he can do that in the sands of Arnhem.

Other major Dutch players such as Brian Bogers for Fantic Factory Racing MXGP, and Roan van de Moosdijk for KTM Kosak Team, will be hoping for great results in their natural terrain of choice, while Lars van Berkel continues his fill-in ride for JWR Honda Racing, and he knows how to go fast in the sand! 

With many wildcards filling a 40-man entry list, the MXGP of Netherlands should see a full track of the world’s best wrestling their 450cc monsters through some of the toughest terrain of the season! Don’t be missing this one!

MXGP - World Championship Top 10 Classification: 1. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 794 Points; 2. Lucas Coenen (BEL, KTM), 753 Pts; 3. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, FAN), 572 Pts; 4. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, HON), 502 Pts; 5. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, YAM) 480 Pts; 6. Andrea Bonacorsi (ITA, FAN), 424 Pts; 7. Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 423 Pts; 8. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 406 Pts; 9. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, DUC), 341 Pts; 10. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 32

Main Photo: 2024 MXGP Start Arnhem 

Top Photo: Jeffrey Herlings

Bottom Photos: 1. Glenn Coldenhoff; 2. Calvin Vlaanderen

Yet again, the momentum has shifted in the MX2 Championship chase, with Simon Längenfelder taking victory in Sweden to edge his series lead up to 40 points, although Kay de Wolf took his first career podium at Uddevalla to only lose two points across the weekend.  The German took the first ever Grand Prix race win at Arnhem in 2023, although a sixth in race two put him third overall, while crashes and problems limited him to just ninth overall last year.  De Wolf didn’t race here in 2023, but won race one last year, ultimately claiming second overall with fourth in race two.  His form in soft going has been impeccable in 2025, winning all but one Sunday sand race across Sardegna, Latvia, Finland, and Flanders! He will be going all out to please his local supporters who will surely make some serious noise for him in return!

Despite winning race one in Sweden, Andrea Adamo still lost ground over the weekend, and now sits 19 behind De Wolf in his quest to reclaim the title he won in 2023. Fifth overall at Arnhem in 2023 and third last year, he will again be out to dig deep and salvage a good result on a surface he relentlessly practices on. Fellow Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider Sacha Coenen took his only GP win of the season in the sand of Latvia, and after a crash-infested Lommel, he could well be a threat again if he can stay on the bike. A non-starter in 2023, seventh overall here last year is no indication of the speed that Sacha could bring to the table this weekend.

Fifth in the Championship behind Coenen, Thibault Benistant lines up for his last sand dance in the class for Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2, and it will be his first GP in The Netherlands since 2021, when he was 11th overall at Oss. Camden McLellan has been something of a sand specialist this year for Monster Energy Triumph Racing, and after taking second overall at both Riola Sardo and Lommel this season, the South African must surely be hunting for both his and Triumph’s first GP win to spoil the Dutch party this weekend! He took fourth with 5-3 scores last year.

Teammate to De Wolf on the Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing squad, Liam Everts came back well from injury in Sweden, and after winning overall here in 2023, he must be thinking of a little podium action despite finishing fifth last year. Behind him, four class rookies will be jostling for position, with Honda HRC’s Valerio Lata just nine points ahead of the Monster Energy Triumph Racing star Guillem Farres, who is just another ten ahead of the Kawasaki Racing Team MX2 machine of Mathis Valin.  None of them are the most comfortable in sand, so Cas Valk, the Van Venrooy KTM Racing rookie who took tenth here as a wildcard in MX2 last year, will be hoping to catch up the 19-point gap to Valin so he can get back into the Championship top ten, even though he is easily the top non-factory rider in the class.

Regular Dutch riders Rick Elzinga, Jens Walvoort, and Kay Karssemakers for Bike-It Kawasaki Racing Team will be going all-out for good results on home sand, so look for a lot of frenetic racing in the action-packed MX2 class this weekend at Arnhem!

MX2 - World Championship Top 10 Classification: 1. Simon Längenfelder (GER, KTM), 754 Points; 2. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 714 Pts; 3. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), 695 Pts; 4. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM), 599 Pts; 5. Thibault Benistant (FRA, YAM), 558 Pts; 6. Camden McLellan (RSA, TRI), 504 Pts; 7. Liam Everts (BEL, HUS), 497 Pts; 8. Valerio Lata (ITA, HON), 366 Pts; 9. Guillem Farres (ESP, TRI), 357 Pts; 10. Mathis Valin (FRA, KAW), 347 Pts.

Top Photo: 2024 MX2 Start Arnhem 

Bottom Photos: 1. Kay de Wolf; 2. Kay Karssemakkers

All the photos from the MXGP of The Netherlands will be available HERE

You can find the complete results HERE.

TIMETABLE

SATURDAY: 08:20 WMX Free practice, 08:50 EMX250 Group 1 Free practice, 09:20 EMX250 Group 2 Free practice, 09:50 WMX Qualifying practice, 10:30 MX2 Free Practice, 11:00 MXGP Free Practice, 12:20 EMX250 Group 1 Qualifying practice, 13:00 EMX250 Group 2 Qualifying practice, 13:40 MX2 Time Practice, 14:15 MXGP Time Practice, 15:00 WMX Race 1, 15:45 EMX250 Race 1, 16:35 MX2 RAM Qualifying Race, 17:25 MXGP RAM Qualifying Race.

SUNDAY: 09:40 EMX250 Race 2, 10:25 MX2 Warm-up, 10:45 MXGP Warm-up, 11:30 WMX Race 2, 13:15 MX2 Race 1, 14:15 MXGP Race 1, 16:10 MX2 Race 2, 17:10 MXGP Race 2.

LINKS

Infront Moto Racing

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