EMX250

AFYON (Turkiye) 7 September 2025 – The high-altitude track of Afyon set the stage for the grand finale of the 2025 FIM EUROPE EMX250 European Championship, a decisive weekend where the title was within reach for Team VHR VRT Yamaha Official’s Janis Reisulis.

Coming into the last round with a nearly insurmountable 38-point advantage over JM Honda Racing’s Noel Zanocz, the Latvian only needed to keep his composure to seal the crown. With the pressure on and the season-long fight reaching its climax, the Turkish round was the final step to the championship title.

Main Photo: 2025 EMX250 Champion Janis Reisulis

Top Photo: EMX250 Start Afyon

The final round of the EMX250 burst into life under the high-altitude skies of Afyon, where riders and teams were forced to adapt quickly in search of the perfect setup. Race 1 saw a superb start as Gabriel SS24 KTM Factory’s Max Werner launched out of the gate to claim the holeshot, with championship leader Reisulis right behind and Zanocz also in the mix. Spanish talent Francisco García from Venum BUD Racing Kawasaki wasted no time in joining the front group, moving into third before capitalising on a mistake from Werner to surge past into the lead woth a quick doubl overhead.

From there, García never looked back, pulling clear to take a commanding victory and his second race win of the season. Reisulis kept his composure in second place, a result that proved enough to secure him the 2025 EMX250 European Championship title, sparking early celebrations in the Latvian camp. Behind them, F4E GASGAS Junior Racing Team’s Elias Escandell charged through the field to claim third, while Cat Moto Bauerschmidt Husqvarna’s Liam Owens and Adria Monné completed the top five.

The battles further down the order provided plenty of drama as Jake Cannon and Cat Moto Bauerschmidt Husqvarna‘s Mads Fredsoe tangled while fighting for fourth, dropping both riders outside the top ten before recovering to finish seventh and eighth respectively. Werner, after his early holeshot, eventually faded to eleventh place

With García on top in Race 1 and Reisulis crowned champion, the fight for the remaining podium spots in the championship standings was not going to be too intense as Garcia needed to score at least 20 points and Zanocz 0 to get to the second step on the championship podium, but the last round win and pride was still very much on before the very last race here in Türkiye.

The curtain came down on the Race 2 in Afyon. Newly crowned champion Reisulis, after race 1 looked eager to end the season in style, powering to the holeshot ahead of Race 1 winner García, with Owens and Escandell close behind. The Latvian quickly established a small gap in the early stages while García slotted into second and began to size up the leader. In the meantime, this wasn’t the dream start for Zanocz as he got buried in 9^th position in the opening lap.

Behind them, Owens rode strongly in third as he eyed back-to-back podiums, while Escandell shadowed him in fourth with Monné and Cannon in pursuit. The battle for the podium positions came alive around the halfway stage when Monné had a big moment and dropped down the order but regrouped quickly. Escandell then suffered a costly fall, landing awkwardly and ultimately forced to retire, which handed Owens the advantage in the fight for third overall.

Out front, the momentum shifted on lap 10 of 14 as García found a way past Reisulis to take control of the race. The Spaniard showed impressive pace, fending off a late charge from the champion to secure a perfect 1-1 score and his third overall victory of the season.  Reisulis settled for second while Owens claimed third both in the race and on the overall podium, marking a strong end to his campaign. Cannon crossed the line in fourth, just ahead of KTM Sarholz Racing Team’s Lyonel Reichl and Monné.

Janis Reisulis: “I would say the season was very long, I had my ups and downs, but in the end I put everything together and managed to take the gold, which is the best outcome. The second race was actually not so bad for me, just some arm pump, but Francesco was riding really good. I tried to put up a fight but I ran out of time. Overall, it’s been a good season and thanks to my opponents, they really helped me improve for next year in MX2. Most of all, thanks to my team and everybody for the season.”

Top Photo: Francisco Garcia

Bottom Photos: 1. Janis Reisulis; 2. Liam Owens

EMX250 -  Race 1 - Top 10 Classification: 1. Francisco Garcia (ESP, Kawasaki), 29:27.191; 2. Janis Martins Reisulis (LAT, Yamaha), +0:06.365; 3. Elias Escandell (ESP, GASGAS), +0:17.679; 4. Liam Owens (AUS, Husqvarna), +0:24.560; 5. Adria Monne (ESP, GASGAS), +0:30.033; 6. Lyonel Reichl (LIE, Husqvarna), +0:32.211; 7. Jake Cannon (AUS, Kawasaki), +0:33.233; 8. Mads Fredsoe (DEN, Husqvarna), +0:39.162; 9. Nico Greutmann (SUI, Husqvarna), +0:41.567; 10. Noel Zanocz (HUN, Honda), +0:49.293

EMX250 – Race 2 - Top 10 Classification: 1. Francisco Garcia (ESP, Kawasaki), 29:26.079; 2. Janis Martins Reisulis (LAT, Yamaha), +0:02.439; 3. Liam Owens (AUS, Husqvarna), +0:24.211; 4. Jake Cannon (AUS, Kawasaki), +0:39.859; 5. Lyonel Reichl (LIE, Husqvarna), +0:49.936; 6. Adria Monne (ESP, GASGAS), +0:54.085; 7. Mads Fredsoe (DEN, Husqvarna), +0:57.996; 8. Nico Greutmann (SUI, Husqvarna), +1:11.145; 9. Noel Zanocz (HUN, Honda), +1:31.666; 10. Salvador Perez (ESP, GASGAS), +1:44.984;

EMX250 Overall - Top 10: 1. Francisco Garcia (ESP, KAW), 50 points; 2. Janis Martins Reisulis (LAT, YAM), 44 p.; 3. Liam Owens (AUS, HUS), 38 p.; 4. Jake Cannon (AUS, KAW), 32 p.; 5. Lyonel Reichl (LIE, HUS), 31 p.; 6. Adria Monne (ESP, GAS), 31 p.; 7. Mads Fredsoe (DEN, HUS), 27 p.; 8. Nico Greutmann (SUI, HUS), 25 p.; 9. Elias Escandell (ESP, GAS), 24 p.; 10. Noel Zanocz (HUN, HON), 23 p.;

EMX250 Championship - Top 10 Classification: 1. Janis Martins Reisulis (LAT, YAM), 522 points; 2. Noel Zanocz (HUN, HON), 463 p.; 3. Francisco Garcia (ESP, KAW), 457 p.; 4. Nico Greutmann (SUI, HUS), 296 p.; 5. Liam Owens (AUS, HUS), 286 p.; 6. Gyan Doensen (NED, KTM), 266 p.; 7. Nicolai Skovbjerg (DEN, YAM), 251 p.; 8. Jake Cannon (AUS, KAW), 229 p.; 9. Mads Fredsoe (DEN, HUS), 206 p.; 10. Lyonel Reichl (LIE, HUS), 201 p.;

EMX250 Manufacturers - Top 10 Classification: 1. Yamaha, 572 points; 2. Kawasaki, 499 p.; 3. Honda, 474 p.; 4. Husqvarna, 444 p.; 5. KTM, 427 p.; 6. GASGAS, 271 p.; 7. Fantic, 223 p.; 8. Triumph, 147 p.; 9. Beta, 26 p.;

With Francisco García’s impressive double win, he sealed the bronze medal in the final championship standings in his first year while Janis Reisulis’ consistent season-long form delivered him the EMX250 title with a commanding margin of 59 points over Noel Zanocz who finishes second in his rookie season. Reisulis delivered an outstanding season, always looking in control and proving himself a true champion with maturity and dominance well beyond his years, a statement performance as he now prepares to take the next step into MX2.

The Turkish round capped off a memorable EMX250 season filled with breakthrough victories, title-defining moments and the emergence of new stars set to challenge on the Grand Prix stage in the future.

Photo: Infront Moto Racing CEO David Luongo, Noel Zanocz, Janis Reisulis, Francisco Garcia, FIM Europe Chairman Andrea Barbieri

All the photos from the MXGP of Turkiye will be available HERE.

You can find the complete results HERE.

MXGP OF TURKIYE QUICK FACTS:

Circuit length: 1800m

Type of ground: Hard Pack

Temperature: 25°/ 20°

Weather conditions: Cloudy

LINKS

Infront Moto Racing

FIM

FIM Europe

AFYON (Türkiye) 5 September 2025 – The 2025 FIM Motocross World Championships starts its journey eastwards for the final three rounds of the season, with the Afyon Motor Sports Center hosting round 18, the MXGP of Türkiye.

The most recent round of the MXGP World Championship saw the gap reduce between red plate holder Romain Febvre and his main rival Lucas Coenen, but the teenage Belgian still has work to do at a venue where he won in MX2 last year.  The Frenchman in the lead will hope to repeat previous race wins in Türkiye to maintain the distance over his rival!  The two five-time World Champions, Jeffrey Herlings and Tim Gajser, won the first six GPs at this circuit between them, so they could also play their part in the title contest!

German star Simon Längenfelder also saw his MX2 Championship lead shrink in the Netherlands, so the Dutch reigning Champ Kay de Wolf will be looking to get even closer this weekend, while former Champ Andrea Adamo is also in need of a good result, at a circuit which hasn’t been kind to the Italian in previous years.

The WMX Women’s Motocross World Championship continues this weekend, and reigning World Champion Lotte van Drunen returns to the site of her title triumph last year with a 20-point lead, so Italian legend Kiara Fontanesi needs to repeat previous wins in Türkiye to keep the Championship alive! Spanish flyer Daniela Guillen is just one point further back and in great form.  It could be a three-way fight among the fastest ladies on dirt bikes!

The EMX250 European Championship reaches its conclusion this weekend, with Janis Reisulis in a very strong position to clinch the title on Saturday, but Hungarian Noel Zanocz will definitely not make it easy for the Latvian!

Below you can find the full list of TV channels that will air LIVE and delayed action of the MXGP of Türkiye, 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.  Fans can look forward to great coverage in Türkiye, with comprehensive broadcasting bringing every thrilling moment closer than ever to the Turkish audience,

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 join us on the doorway to Asia for every piece of the action!

USA CANADA

CBS Sports Network

Sunday 7th September 2025 – MX2 Race 2 – 17:00 ET – Delayed

Sunday 7th September 2025 – MXGP Race 2 – 18:00 ET – Delayed

Sunday 7th September 2025 – WMX Race 2 – 23:00 ET - Delayed

BRAZIL

Bandsports

Monday 8th September 2025 – MX2 Race 1 –Delayed

Monday 8th September 2025 – MXGP Race 1 –Delayed

Monday 8th September 2025 – MX2 Race 2 –Delayed

Monday 8th September 2025 – MXGP Race 2 – Delayed

CENTRAL AMERICA

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

FOX TUBI

Sunday 7th September 2025 – MX2 Race 1 – 12:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 7th September 2025 – MXGP Race 1 – 13:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 7th September 2025 – MX2 Race 2 – 15:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 7th September 2025 – MXGP Race 2 – 16:00 CET  – LIVE

EUROPE

Eurosport 2

Sunday 7th September 2025 – MXGP Race 1 – 13:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 7th September 2025 – MXGP Race 2 – 15:00 CET  – LIVE

Monday 8th September 2025 – MX2 Race 1 – 08:00 CET – Delayed

Monday 8th September 2025 – MX2 Race 2 – 10:00 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 7th September 2025 – MXGP Race 1 – 13:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 7th September 2025 – MXGP Race 2 – 15:00 CET  – LIVE

Monday 8th September 2025 – MX2 Race 1 – 08:00 CET – Delayed

Monday 8th September 2025 – MX2 Race 2 – 10:00 CET – Delayed

BELGIUM 

PLAY SPORTS 3

Sunday 7th September 2025 – MX2 Race 1 – 12:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 7th September 2025 – MXGP Race 1 – 13:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 7th September 2025 – MX2 Race 2 – 15:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 7th September 2025 – MXGP Race 2 – 16:00 CET  – LIVE

ESTONIA

Go3 Sport Open

Sunday 7th September 2025 – MX2 Race 1 – 12:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 7th September 2025 – MXGP Race 1 – 13:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 7th September 2025 – MX2 Race 2 – 15:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 7th September 2025 – MXGP Race 2 – 16:00 CET  – LIVE

FINLAND

MTV MAX 

Sunday 7th September 2025 – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 Finnish timing  – LIVE

FRANCE

LA CHAINE L’EQUIPE

Sunday 7th September 2025 – MX2 Race 1 – 12:00 CET – LIVE Stream

Sunday 7th September 2025 – MXGP Race 1 – 13:00 CET – LIVE Stream

Sunday 7th September 2025 – MX2 Race 2 – 15:00 CET – LIVE Stream

Sunday 7th September 2025 – MXGP Race 2 – 16:00 CET  – LIVE Stream

Eurosport 2

Sunday 7th September 2025 – MXGP Race 1 – 13:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 7th September 2025 – MXGP Race 2 – 15:00 CET  – LIVE

Monday 8th September 2025 – MX2 Race 1 – 08:00 CET – Delayed

Monday 8th September 2025 – MX2 Race 2 – 10:00 CET – Delayed

AUTO MOTO TV

Sunday 7th September 2025 – MX2 Race 1 – 12:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 7th September 2025 – MXGP Race 1 – 13:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 7th September 2025 – MX2 Race 2 – 15:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 7th September 2025 – MXGP Race 2 – 16:00 CET  – LIVE

GREAT BRITAIN

TNT Sports 9

Sunday 7th September 2025 – MX2 Race 1 – 11:00 GMT – LIVE

Sunday 7th September 2025 – MXGP Race 1 – 12:00 GMT – LIVE

Sunday 7th September 2025 – MX2 Race 2 – 14:00 GMT – LIVE

Sunday 7th September 2025 – MXGP Race 2 – 15:00 GMT  – LIVE

ITALY

RAI PLAY

Sunday 7th September 2025 – MX2 Race 2 – 15:00 CET – LIVE Stream

Sunday 7th September 2025 – MXGP Race 2 – 16:00 CET  – LIVE Stream

RAI Sport

Sunday 7th September 2025 – MX2 Race 2 – 15:40 CET – Delayed

Sunday 7th September 2025 – MXGP Race 2 – 16:40 CET  – Delayed

SKY ITALIA

SKY Sport Arena  (channel 204)

Sunday 7th September 2025 – MXGP Race 1 – 13:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 7th September 2025 – MXGP Race 2 – 16:00 CET  – LIVE

EUROPE

Eurosport 2

Sunday 7th September 2025 – MXGP Race 1 – 13:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 7th September 2025 – MXGP Race 2 – 15:00 CET  – LIVE

Monday 8th September 2025 – MX2 Race 1 – 08:00 CET – Delayed

Monday 8th September 2025 – MX2 Race 2 – 10:00 CET – Delayed

LATVIA

Go3 Sport Open

Sunday 7th September 2025 – MX2 Race 1 – 12:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 7th September 2025 – MXGP Race 1 – 13:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 7th September 2025 – MX2 Race 2 – 15:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 7th September 2025 – MXGP Race 2 – 16:00 CET  – LIVE

LITHUANIA

Go3 Sport Open

Sunday 7th September 2025 – MX2 Race 1 – 12:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 7th September 2025 – MXGP Race 1 – 13:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 7th September 2025 – MX2 Race 2 – 15:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 7th September 2025 – MXGP Race 2 – 16:00 CET  – LIVE

SLOVENIA

Sport TV1

Sunday 7th September 2025 – MX2 Race 1 – 12:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 7th September 2025 – MXGP Race 1 – 13:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 7th September 2025 – MX2 Race 2 – 15:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 7th September 2025 – MXGP Race 2 – 16:00 CET  – LIVE

SPAIN

TV Galicia

Sunday 7th September 2025 – MXGP Race 1 – 13:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 7th September 2025 – MXGP Race 2 – 16:00 CET  – LIVE

TV 3 catalunya

Saturday 6th September 2025 – WMX Race 1 – 13:50 CET – LIVE

Sunday 7th September 2025 – WMX Race 2 – 08:30 CET  – LIVE

TURKEY

TRT

Sunday 7th September 2025 – MX2 Race 1 – 13:00 Local timing – LIVE

Sunday 7th September 2025 – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 Local timing – LIVE

Sunday 7th September 2025 – MX2 Race 2 – 16:00 Local timing – LIVE

Sunday 7th September 2025 – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 Local timing  – LIVE

DSMART GO

Saturday 6th September 2025 – MX2 Time practice – 13:40 Local timing – LIVE

Saturday 6th September 2025 – MXGP Time practice – 14:15 Local timing – LIVE

Saturday 6th September 2025 – WMX Race 1 – 14:50 Local timing – LIVE

Saturday 6th September 2025 – EMX 250 Race 1 – 15:40 Local timing – LIVE

Saturday 6th September 2025 – MX2 Qualifying – 16:25 Local timing – LIVE

Saturday 6th September 2025 – MXGP Qualifying – 17:15 Local timing – LIVE

Sunday 7th September 2025 – WMX Race 2 – 09:35 Local timing – LIVE

Sunday 7th September 2025 – EMX 250 Race 2 – 11:25 Local timing – LIVE

Sunday 7th September 2025 – MX2 Race 1 – 13:00 Local timing – LIVE

Sunday 7th September 2025 – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 Local timing – LIVE

Sunday 7th September 2025 – MX2 Race 2 – 16:00 Local timing – LIVE

Sunday 7th September 2025 – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 Local timing  – LIVE

KANAL 3

Saturday 6th September 2025 – MX2 Time practice – 13:40 Local timing – LIVE

Saturday 6th September 2025 – MXGP Time practice – 14:15 Local timing – LIVE

Saturday 6th September 2025 – WMX Race 1 – 14:50 Local timing – LIVE

Saturday 6th September 2025 – EMX 250 Race 1 – 15:40 Local timing – LIVE

Saturday 6th September 2025 – MX2 Qualifying – 16:25 Local timing – LIVE

Saturday 6th September 2025 – MXGP Qualifying – 17:15 Local timing – LIVE

Sunday 7th September 2025 – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 Local timing – LIVE

Sunday 7th September 2025 – MX2 Race 2 – 16:00 Local timing – LIVE

Sunday 7th September 2025 – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 Local timing  – LIVE

ASPOR

Saturday 6th September 2025 – MXGP Qualifying – 17:15 Local timing – LIVE

Sunday 7th September 2025 – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 Local timing – LIVE

Sunday 7th September 2025 – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 Local timing  – LIVE

ASIA

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

EUROSPORT ASIA

Sunday 7th September 2025 – MXGP Race 1 – 13:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 7th September 2025 – MXGP Race 2 – 15:00 CET  – LIVE

Monday 8th September 2025 – MX2 Race 1 – 08:00 CET – Delayed

Monday 8th September 2025 – MX2 Race 2 – 10:00 CET – Delayed

VIACOM  - Jio Cinema

Sunday 7th September 2025 – MX2 Race 1 – 12:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 7th September 2025 – MXGP Race 1 – 13:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 7th September 2025 – MX2 Race 2 – 15:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 7th September 2025 – MXGP Race 2 – 16:00 CET  – LIVE

INDONESIA

CHAMPIONS TV

Sunday 7th September 2025 – MX2 Race 1 – 12:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 7th September 2025 – MXGP Race 1 – 13:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 7th September 2025 – MX2 Race 2 – 15:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 7th September 2025 – MXGP Race 2 – 16:00 CET  – LIVE

PACIFIC / AUSTRALIA

STAN SPORTS

Sunday 7th September 2025 – MX2 Race 1 – 20:00 AEDT – LIVE

Sunday 7th September 2025 – MXGP Race 1 – 21:00 AEDT – LIVE

Sunday 7th September 2025 – MX2 Race 2 –23:00 AEDT – LIVE

Monday 7th September 2025 – MXGP Race 2 – 00:00 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 all LIVE 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

Afyonkarahisar (TURKIYE) 4 September 2025 – The 2025 FIM Motocross World Championships starts the final three-week run-in to its conclusion this weekend, as the Afyon Sports Centre plays host to the MXGP of Türkiye for round 18 of the series, with three World Championships all on a knife edge as the big journey east begins on the doorstep of Asia!

This year’s event will be the ninth time that MXGP has visited Turkish soil, with the first one being held at Hezarfen near the capital Istanbul in 2009, when Antonio Cairoli and Zach Osborne were victorious.  Since 2018 the event has been staged at the Afyon Sports Centre in the centre of the country, missing the 2020 season but hosting two events in 2021.  Jeffrey Herlings is the most successful rider here after taking the first four MXGP victories for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, with Tim Gajser taking the two following years for Honda HRC.  Jorge Prado was triumphant last year in MXGP, with Lucas Coenen winning both Sunday races in the MX2 class.

Coenen was on fire at the last round in the Netherlands, but still unable to topple Herlings on home sand. His performance for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing brought him to within 31 points of Championship leader Romain Febvre, with the red plate holder for Kawasaki Racing Team MXGP suffering his worst weekend since the second round of the season. It’s still all to play for between the teenager and the veteran!

In MX2, reigning World Champion Kay de Wolf caught back up in the series for Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing with his first home GP win at Arnhem, while Championship leader Simon Längenfelder struggled to sixth overall for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing. This has brought the gap between them to just 15 points, and the German will hope that his hardpack form serves him well at Afyonkarahisar.  The second Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider, Andrea Adamo, will also be on his favoured surface and looking to close in his 23-point gap to De Wolf. This three-way scrap should go all the way to the final finish line in Australia, but the initiative will be crucially grabbed by one of them this weekend in Türkiye!

The penultimate round of the FIM Women’s Motocross World Championship also takes place this weekend, with defending World Champion Lotte van Drunen in the lead for De Baets Yamaha, with a 20-point advantage over veteran six-time Champ Kiara Fontanesi, and the Fonta MX Racing GASGAS rider won her first GP as a mother here in 2021!  Daniela Guillen of the RFME Spain National Team is just a single point behind Kiara in third place, and she won here last year while Van Drunen clinched her title and Fontanesi took third. The fastest women on dirt bikes will be chasing hard for the title this weekend with just the final round in Australia to come for them!

The EMX250 European Championship reaches its conclusion this weekend, with Team VHR VRT Yamaha Official’s Latvian rider Janis Reisulis enjoying a 38-point lead over Hungarian Noel Zanocz on the JM Racing Honda. An eighth-place finish in race one will clinch the Championship for Reisulis, so it’s a case of holding the nerve to take the title!

The MXGP of Türkiye usually provides a hot and physical challenge for the MXGP elite, and should result in some intriguing racing across the classes.

With Lucas Coenen putting in an incredible performance at Arnhem, it tightened the gap in the Championship between the leading contenders, although he still needs to make up over ten points at each of the last three rounds to catch Romain Febvre. The Kawasaki man has won races at Afyon before, in 2022 and ’23, and finished fourth last year as part of his return from injury.  Coenen’s double win in MX2 proves that he can get a feel for the circuit, although on hardpack it would appear that the pace between the top two is more evenly matched this year!

Glenn Coldenhoff has a 94-point margin to defend in his quest for the bronze medal, but was only seventh overall last year for Fantic Factory Racing MXGP. The Dutchman took second overall here in 2019 behind Herlings. Ruben Fernandez is fourth in the series for Honda HRC,  and holds a slim 26-point advantage over Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP man Calvin Vlaanderen, who missed this race last year with a knee injury, while Fernandez only took tenth overall in 2024.

The overall winner at the last round, Jeffrey Herlings, won GPs here in 2018, ’19, and both in 2021, although he suffered a rough weekend last year.  Having just passed Fantic Factory Racing MXGP’s Andrea Bonacorsi for sixth in the series, “The Bullet” has just won a British Championship round on similar hardpack terrain, and could be out to prove a point after his omission from the Dutch Motocross of Nations team selection!

Bonacorsi took eighth overall here in 2024, but won the EMX250 round in 2023 to clinch that title a round early! He lies 14 points ahead of Maxime Renaux for seventh in the Championship. The Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP rider has been in good form on hardpack recently, and took second in race on here last year, so he could be an outside contender for a podium at Afyon.

The riders who sit in ninth and tenth in the Championship right now both climbed the Turkish podium in 2024. Tim Gajser took the runner-up position for Honda HRC after winning the GPs here in 2022 & ’23.  Jeremy Seewer, now riding for Aruba.it Ducati Factory MX Team, took the most recent race win of his career at Afyon last season on his way to third overall, and should enjoy a return to hardpack as he defends his top ten position in the Championship.

All the attention will be focussed on the title challengers however, as the series could go either way from here!

MXGP - World Championship Top 10 Classification: 1. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 835 Points; 2. Lucas Coenen (BEL, KTM), 804 Pts; 3. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, FAN), 617 Pts; 4. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, HON), 523 Pts; 5. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, YAM) 497 Pts; 6. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 466 Pts; 7. Andrea Bonacorsi (ITA, FAN), 461 Pts; 8. Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 447 Pts; 9. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 368 Pts; 10. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, DUC), 346Pts.

Main Photo: MXGP Start Afyon 2024 

Bottom Photos: 1. Jeffrey Herlings; 2. Jeremy Seewer

The MX2 World Championship has tightened up again after the MXGP of Netherlands, leaving Simon Längenfelder with a slim 15-point lead over reigning Champion Kay de Wolf.  The pair have history at Afyonkarahisar after a brutal collision here in last year’s Qualifying Race! They each took home a fourth and a second in Sunday’s races to finish second and third overall, with Kay in front of Simon.  The German has been able to score more points on hardpack this season and will be hoping to swing the momentum back in his direction one more time!

Andrea Adamo has also been strong on hardpack this season, but had a torrid weekend here last year to finish seventh overall, a place lower than he did in Türkiye during his 2023 title-winning campaign.  So the Italian needs to fix whatever issues he has with the circuit to claw back the points he needs to keep his title challenge alive! In the same way, fellow Red Bull KTM Factory Racing flyer Sacha Coenen finished a lowly 15^th overall here that year, and didn’t line up in 2024 due to injury.  The young Belgian is 97 points behind Adamo and unlikely to get higher than fourth in the series this year.

Fifth in the Championship behind Coenen, Thibault Benistant has a fight on to keep that spot for Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2, as Camden McLellan is just 27 back from the Frenchman for the Monster Energy Triumph Racing squad. Meanwhile, the only rider in the MX2 line-up this weekend with a Turkish GP win, Liam Everts, is only ten points behind the South African, in seventh for Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing.  Winner of last year’s Qualifying Race, the Belgian’s smooth style could pay dividends again on the slippery Turkish hardpack.

Over 150 points behind Everts is a mighty scrap for eighth in the series, with Honda HRC’s Valerio Lata now just two points ahead of the Monster Energy Triumph Racing star Guillem Farres, who is still just another ten ahead of the Kawasaki Racing Team MX2 rookie Mathis Valin after they scored the same total last time out!  Valin won here in EMX250 last season, with Lata in third, but Farres has never seen this circuit before so has that learning curve to face!

Can Längenfelder take back the initiative in the series, or will De Wolf stop the pendulum swinging back towards the German as it has many times this season?  For sure the MX2 class could go right down to the wire this weekend!

MX2 - World Championship Top 10 Classification: 1. Simon Längenfelder (GER, KTM), 783 Points; 2. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 768 Pts; 3. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), 745 Pts; 4. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM), 648 Pts; 5. Thibault Benistant (FRA, YAM), 575 Pts; 6. Camden McLellan (RSA, TRI), 548 Pts; 7. Liam Everts (BEL, HUS), 538 Pts; 8. Valerio Lata (ITA, HON), 386 Pts; 9. Guillem Farres (ESP, TRI), 384 Pts; 10. Mathis Valin (FRA, KAW), 374 Pts.

Top Photo: MX2 Start Afyon 2024

Bottom Photos: 1. Kay de Wolf ; 2. Simon Laengenfelder

All the photos from the MXGP of Turkiye will be available HERE

You can find the complete results HERE.

TIMETABLE

SATURDAY:
09:30 WMX Free practice, 10:00 EMX250 Free practice, 10:30 MX2 Free practice, 11:00 MXGP Free practice, 11:30 Onboard Camera (2 laps), 12:20 WMX Qualifying practice, 13:00 EMX250 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:
09:45 WMX Race 2, 10:25 MX2 Warm-up, 10:45 MXGP Warm-up, 11:30 EMX250 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

FIM

FIM Europe