FRAUENFELD (Switzerland) 25 August 2024 - The anticipation of the European rounds of EMX250 and the EMX125 presented by FMF Racing in Switzerland was palpable as the riders lined up on the track of Frauenfeld.
In EMX250, with only fifteen points separating the top three riders in the championship, every turn, jump and pass would be crucial in the battle for the title. The fight was on for the red plate Bud Racing Kawasaki’s Mathis Valin, Gabriel SS24 KTM’s Cas Valk second and Beddini GASGAS Factory Juniors’s Valerio Lata.
The tension was also in the EMX125 presented by FMF Racing, held at the Swiss circuit with the championship battle heating up and every position on the track becoming crucial with the Championship top 3 riders all able to become European Champion, red plate Noel Zanocz from Fantic Factory Racing EMX125, Racestore KTM Factory Rookies’s Nicolò Alvisi and Fantic Factory Racing EMX125’s Simone Mancini In the end it was Valerio Lata who came out victorious in EMX250 while it was Racestore KTM Factory Rookies’s Nicolò Alvisi who won his first overall in his rookie year in the EMX125 Presented by FMFM Racing.
In EX250 race 1, as the gates dropped, Valerio Lata executed a perfect start, sprinting ahead from the outside to squeeze the competition at the first turn. Alfio Samuele Pulivirenti from Max Bart Motorsport, and Cas Valk were close behind, but the championship leader, Bud Racing Kawasaki‘s Mathis Valin, found himself in trouble early on. A rough start saw him tip over after being squeezed at the first corner, dropping him down to the last places but getting up the order to 24th by the end of lap 2. VRT Yamaha Racing’s Ivano Van Erp also struggled, finding himself back in 19th on the first lap, though he quickly began clawing his way back, reaching 11th by lap 3.
While Lata continued to push ahead, creating a gap from Cas Valk, Benjamin Garib from Bud Racing Kawasaki made an impressive charge from the start, moving up to 3rd place by lap 2. Meanwhile, Valin was demonstrating his championship calibre with a remarkable recovery, moving up to 14th by lap 3 of 16.
The race began to take shape as Van Erp climbed to 8th place on lap 5, with Valin hot on his heels in 10th. Lata was in command at the front, maintaining a blistering pace and extending his lead to 6.5 seconds over Valk. Beddini GASGAS Factory Juniors’s Mads Fredsoe, showing excellent form, made a decisive move to pass Garib and secure 3rd place.
Lap 7 saw an exchange of fastest laps between Lata and Valk, both riders pushing their limits in pursuit of victory. Despite the fierce competition, Lata held his lead, but the battle for the championship continued to intensify. Valin, undeterred by his early setback, broke into the top 10 and eventually climbed to 9th place, bringing all three championship contenders—Valin, Valk, and Lata—within three points of each other.
Valin’s relentless drive was evident as he refused to settle, determined to push further up the field. By the time the race reached its climax, the positions had solidified. Lata crossed the finish line first, claiming his seventh win of the season. Valk finished strong in 2nd, while Van Erp secured 3rd.
Valin’s extraordinary comeback from 39th to 4th place was the highlight of the race, a performance that kept his championship hopes alive. Behind him, Fredsoe took 5th, followed by Garib in 6th and the Swiss Cat Moto Bauerschmidt Husqvarna’s Nico Greutmann in 7th.
This thrilling race has tightened the championship battle even further, with just nine points now separating the top three riders before the second race.
In race 2 Werner got the holeshot but Lata took the command after the second turn. Valin got a good start too finding himself in 3rd behind Werner and in front of his teammate Garib.
Valin knowing that every championship points will be crucial directly attacked the German and passed him on the outside to move up 2nd 4 seconds behind Lata. Valk had a bad start but was up already to … when he passed the opening lap.
Valin then showed a great pace to get back right on the back wheel of the leader Lata eager to gain more points in the championship to keep the lead in the championship. Valin got stuck behind a backmarker and Lata was off the hook for a little while. However a lap later, it was Lata who got stuck behind another backmarkers with Vali speeding through on the outside and take the lead.
Meanwhile, Valk was moved up 6th in front of Van Erp and 18 seconds from Garib 5th. The Swiss Nico Greutmann was riding with a lot of control in 4th place on his own for a solid rider.
Another good start was needed because we had rain all through the night. There was dominoes going on through the first turn. Valk was buried outside of the top 20 but it was Max Werner who led the way from Lata and Valin.
Werner however couldn’t hold Lata behind him nor Valin in the opening lap and found himself 3rd with the top two battling for the race and the championship. However on lap 6 of 14, Lata got caught behind a backmarker and Valin went through to take the lead. Towards the end, Lata got faster and Valin had to stay focus in the very last laps to keep the advantage.
Werner would stay in 3rd all way through just in front of the Greutmann who performed well at home. Behind them, Valk eventually got himself up into sixth position that was going to be good enough for third overall.
Van Erp fell from seventh place with a lap to go to finish 19th. It was a great ride for Werner to come home in third following a tough first race. Finally on the final lap, running towards the finish line, 3.8 separated Valin from Lata. Valin winning the race, Latte with his first in race one and second in race two, picking up the overall victory.
Valin keeps his red plate onto the next one in Turkiye with Lata 11 points behind for an exciting last couple of rounds.
Valerio Lata: “Not the best second race. Yesterday, it was a perfect win with a good start. And today, good start, first position, but the track is so difficult and Valin passed me but I won the GP, so I'm happy. Second in the championship and yeah now we'll see you in the last round at Afyon. Thanks to everyone around me ”
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Main Photo: Valerio Lata
Bottom Photos: 1. EMX250 Podium ; 2. EMX250 Start
EMX250 - Race 1 - Top 10 Classification: 1. Valerio Lata (ITA, GASGAS), 28:45.554; 2. Cas Valk (NED, KTM), +0:05.116; 3. Ivano Van Erp (NED, Yamaha), +0:08.165; 4. Mathis Valin (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:21.114; 5. Mads Fredsoe (DEN, GASGAS), +0:29.736; 6. Benjamin Garib (CHI, Kawasaki), +0:31.548; 7. Nico Greutmann (SUI, Husqvarna), +0:35.500; 8. Elias Escandell (ESP, GASGAS), +0:41.999; 9. Alfio Samuele Pulvirenti (ITA, Husqvarna), +0:53.896; 10. Nicolai Skovbjerg (DEN, Yamaha), +1:01.341
EMX250 – Race 2 - Top 10 Classification: 1. Mathis Valin (FRA, Kawasaki), 29:55.154; 2. Valerio Lata (ITA, GASGAS), +0:03.825; 3. Maximilian Werner (GER, Honda), +1:41.608; 4. Nico Greutmann (SUI, Husqvarna), +1:46.831; 5. Benjamin Garib (CHI, Kawasaki), +1:57.159; 6. Cas Valk (NED, KTM), +2:03.163; 7. Nicolai Skovbjerg (DEN, Yamaha), -1 lap(s); 8. Elias Escandell (ESP, GASGAS), -1 lap(s); 9. Luca Diserens (SUI, Honda), -1 lap(s); 10. Saad Soulimani (MAR, Yamaha), -1 lap(s);
EMX250 Overall - Top 10 Classification: 1. Valerio Lata (ITA, GAS), 47 points; 2. Mathis Valin (FRA, KAW), 43 p.; 3. Cas Valk (NED, KTM), 37 p.; 4. Nico Greutmann (SUI, HUS), 32 p.; 5. Benjamin Garib (CHI, KAW), 31 p.; 6. Elias Escandell (ESP, GAS), 26 p.; 7. Nicolai Skovbjerg (DEN, YAM), 25 p.; 8. Mads Fredsoe (DEN, GAS), 25 p.; 9. Ivano Van Erp (NED, YAM), 22 p.; 10. Luca Diserens (SUI, HON), 21 p
EMX250 Championship - Top 10 Classification: 1. Mathis Valin (FRA, KAW), 370 points; 2. Valerio Lata (ITA, GAS), 359 p.; 3. Cas Valk (NED, KTM), 351 p.; 4. Ivano Van Erp (NED, YAM), 271 p.; 5. Saad Soulimani (MAR, YAM), 198 p.; 6. Nico Greutmann (SUI, HUS), 183 p.; 7. Francisco Garcia (ESP, GAS), 150 p.; 8. Karlis Alberts Reisulis (LAT, YAM), 149 p.; 9. Maximilian Werner (GER, HON), 149 p.; 10. Benjamin Garib (CHI, KAW), 145 p
EMX250 Manufacturers - Top 10 Classification: 1. GASGAS, 382 points; 2. KTM, 379 p.; 3. Kawasaki, 370 p.; 4. Yamaha, 350 p.; 5. Husqvarna, 219 p.; 6. Honda, 159 p.; 7. Fantic, 112 p.
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The tension was high as the riders lined up for Race 1 of the 125 European Championship, held at the Swiss circuit of Frauenfeld. With the championship battle heating up and the Championship top 3 riders all able to become European Champion, every position on the track was crucial.
As the gates dropped, it was the home rider Ryan Oppliger who took the early lead, much to the delight of the Swiss crowd. Ofir Casey Tzemach was right on his tail, putting pressure on the leader. Meanwhile, Noel Zanocz from Fantic Factory Racing EMX125, the championship leader, made a strong start, quickly moving from fifth to third within the first few turns. However, other top contenders like Gyan Doensen (19th), Mancini (11th) found themselves struggling after poor starts, leaving them with significant work to do to climb back up the field. Other riders like Dani Heintink from Yamaha Europe EMX125 MJC, Racestore KTM Factory Rookies’s Nicolò Alvisi, Maximilian Ernecker from F4E GASGAS Junior Racing had a tough start too.
The battle at the front was intense, with Tzemach briefly taking the lead from Oppliger, only for the Swiss rider to snatch it back, spurred on by the cheers of his home fans. Unfortunately, the pressure took its toll on Oppliger as he made a mistake on lap 3, nearly going down. Zanocz seized the opportunity to move up into 2nd place, while Jayson Van Drunen, who was 4th, stalled his bike, allowing Perez to slip past him. Van Drunen finished 17th in the end.
As the race went on, Mancini, who had started poorly, began to find his rhythm, amazingly moving up from 9th to 5th in the course of one lap, ahead of Anthony Gaspari, who had shown promise earlier in the day during time practice. The recent round winner, Francesco Bellei from Dreams Racing was also making his way through the field, determined to replicate his earlier success.
On lap 5, Zanocz, who had been steadily pushing, took the lead from Tzemach. RFME GASGAS MXJunior Team’s Salvador Perez, riding with blistering pace, quickly moved up to 3rd and then 2nd, putting pressure on the leader. But heartbreak struck Zanocz on lap 7 when he encountered a significant bike issue, causing him to drop back dramatically, watching helplessly as Perez and a dozen other riders passed him by. As he couldn’t finish the race, this misfortune saw him lose the coveted red plate to Doensen, who had climbed to 8th at that time.
Perez, now in the lead, was not content with just leading; he set the fastest lap on lap 10, pulling a 3.5-second gap over Mancini in 2nd. However, a couple of mistakes, a lap later saw Perez lose some of his advantage, as Mancini closed in, eager to capitalise and take the win.
Sensing the urgency, Perez regained his focus and began to extend his lead once again, but a determined Mancini managed to take the lead with 3 laps to go. Mancini won the race while Perez secured 2nd place, with Bellei rounding the top 3. Gaspari, Alvisi and Doensen rounded out the top six, with the latter benefiting from Zanocz's misfortune to take the championship lead before the second race.
With the conditions extra wet from the overnight rainfall, Race 2 was going to be tough and technical in the the muddy conditions making a good start crucial. Alvisi, understood this perfectly, taking the holeshot and leading from the very beginning. Alvisi was followed closely by Ernecker, while Dani Heitink initially held third place before a fall on the opening lap pushed him back. Heitink showed remarkable resilience, fighting his way back through the field from 37th to finish just outside the top 10 in 11th place.
Among those who started well was Doensen, who had a strong start but faced challenges as the race progressed. The tricky conditions claimed several victims, including Bellei, who fell from 4th place on lap 3 of 13, allowing Mancini to make a move up the order.
Zanocz, who had a disappointing first race and failed to finish, was on a mission in Race 2. He carved his way through the pack, overtaking his teammate to move into 4th place. There were some tense moments but Zanocz managed to secure 3rd before getting passed by Mancini.
Perez, despite a challenging race and a fall, managed to cross the line in 9th place. The race saw crucial passes, including Zanocz getting around the outside of Doensen, the new championship leader coming into Race 2.
Mancini also made his way past Doensen and caught up to Zanocz, eventually passing him on the outside on lap 9 to finish 3rd.
However, due to the non-respect of a waved yellow flags and overtaking a rider, the Italian was penalised, pushing him down the order to 13th and losing the overall win. Bellei, who had been holding his own, managed to overtake Doensen for 5th that turned into 4th at the end of the race, with Doensen finishing 5th.
In the end, it was Alvisi who emerged victorious, taking his first overall victory of the season. Bellei got another podium with the 2nd place and a 3-4 while Ernecker secured his 3rd spot on the podium.
With one round to go, Doensen takes the championship lead, but his lead has been reduced to just six points. The battle for the EMX125 title is now more intense than ever, setting the stage for an epic finale. Game on!
Nicolò Alvisi: " My first year in EMX125, and my first round win, so this is for me an incredible moment! Thank you to the team, to my family, my sponsors and see you at the next race.”
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Top Photo: EMX125 Podium
Bottom Photos: 1. Nicolò Alvisi; 2. EMX125 Start
EMX125 - Race 1 - Top 10 Classification: 1. Simone Mancini (ITA, Fantic), 29:37.932; 2. Salvador Perez (ESP, GASGAS), +0:04.050; 3. Francesco Bellei (ITA, KTM), +0:04.501; 4. Alessandro Gaspari (ITA, KTM), +0:07.295; 5. Nicolò Alvisi (ITA, KTM), +0:07.845; 6. Gyan Doensen (NED, KTM), +0:27.601; 7. Maximilian Ernecker (AUT, GASGAS), +0:29.321; 8. Áron Katona (HUN, KTM), +0:39.893; 9. Cole McCullough (IRL, Fantic), +0:42.407; 10. Carlos Prat (ESP, GASGAS), +0:53.777
EMX125 – Race 2 - Top 10 Classification: 1. Nicolò Alvisi (ITA, KTM), 33:20.188; 2. Maximilian Ernecker (AUT, GASGAS), +0:05.449; 3. Noel Zanocz (HUN, Fantic), +0:47.804; 4. Francesco Bellei (ITA, KTM), +1:50.877; 5. Gyan Doensen (NED, KTM), +1:57.649; 6. Alessandro Gaspari (ITA, KTM), +1:59.734; 7. Cole McCullough (IRL, Fantic), +2:33.705; 8. Dean Gregoire (NED, KTM), -1 lap(s); 9. Salvador Perez (ESP, GASGAS), -1 lap(s); 10. Tom Brunet (FRA, KTM), -1 lap(s)
EMX125 Overall - Top 10 Classification: 1. Nicolò Alvisi (ITA, KTM), 41 points; 2. Francesco Bellei (ITA, KTM), 38 p.; 3. Maximilian Ernecker (AUT, GAS), 36 p.; 4. Salvador Perez (ESP, GAS), 34 p.; 5. Alessandro Gaspari (ITA, KTM), 33 p.; 6. Simone Mancini (ITA, FAN), 33 p.; 7. Gyan Doensen (NED, KTM), 31 p.; 8. Cole McCullough (IRL, FAN), 26 p.; 9. Noel Zanocz (HUN, FAN), 20 p.; 10. Dani Heitink (NED, YAM), 16 p
EMX125 Championship - Top 10 Classification: 1. Gyan Doensen (NED, KTM), 348 points; 2. Noel Zanocz (HUN, FAN), 342 p.; 3. Simone Mancini (ITA, FAN), 316 p.; 4. Francesco Bellei (ITA, KTM), 269 p.; 5. Salvador Perez (ESP, GAS), 247 p.; 6. Dani Heitink (NED, YAM), 220 p.; 7. Maximilian Ernecker (AUT, GAS), 195 p.; 8. Áron Katona (HUN, KTM), 186 p.; 9. Mano Faure (FRA, YAM), 185 p.; 10. Markuss Ozolins (LAT, GAS), 148 p
EMX125 Manufacturers - Top 10 Classification: 1. Fantic, 426 points; 2. KTM, 410 p.; 3. GASGAS, 355 p.; 4. Yamaha, 314 p.; 5. TM, 133 p.; 6. Husqvarna, 81 p
MXGP OF SWITZERLAND QUICK FACTS:
Crowd Attendance: 31,000
Circuit length: 1500m
Type of ground: Hard Pack
Temperature: 32°/21˚
Weather conditions: Sunny/Cloudy
LINKS
Infront Moto Racing
FIM Europe
Frauenfeld
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