The Behind The Gate documentary series focused on the Liqui Moly MXGP of Germany for Episode Eight, “An Extra Layer”, and the Triumph Racing Factory Team opened the doors of their considerable travelling paddock unit to show how Guillem Farres and Camden McLellan get through a weekend in the cauldron of the MX2 World Championships.
Guillem had come straight from claiming his first career Grand Prix win at the MXGP of France and was in high spirits as he tackled the challenge of Teutschenthal, but was limited to sixth overall with 6-4 finishes, while Camden fought hard to win both his and Triumph’s first ever Qualifying Race win on Saturday, before taking third overall on Sunday with fighting 3-6 results. The South African left Germany fifth in the standings, with first-time GP winner Mathis Valin just ahead of him, while Farres closed in on reigning World Champion Simon Längenfelder for second in the points behind leader Sacha Coenen.
We caught up with the team on the Friday before the MXGP of Latvia, and first up was Triumph Racing Factory Team Manager Vincent Bereni, who can be massively entertaining with his endless tales of GP life, all contained within a supremely professional and extremely organised way of running what is a very tight ship.
BTG: Vincent, thanks for joining us, obviously it’s your third year now in charge of the Triumph Racing Factory Team. Let's talk about the start of the year first please. How did you approach this year from the outset? Obviously, you've had two race wins in 2025, Camden and Guillem are now regular podium guys, both individual race winners. Before the start of the year, were you aiming to be challenging for the title, taking GP wins now, was this the definite goal this year, and that not much else was going to be acceptable?
VB: Well, going into the winter, you always work for one thing, to be a contender. It is to be a contender. And yeah, we always think we can be, and we work towards that goal. If you go for second, then you're never going to be winning, clearly.
BTG: One of the riders told us about a pit signal that you guys have, something like “Two Cigs”? “Two Cigs To Go”? Can you explain that?
VB: Well, during practice or testing, like if I light up a cigarette, the guys are not allowed to stop, you know? Like, so basically, if they see me with a cigarette on the side of the track, if I show it, then they, yeah, they can stop, you know? Like, even if they're testing, they cannot finish the laps until I finish my cigarette. So, yeah, it's just one thing we do, internally.
BTG: So, this is what you showed Guillem when he's about to win his first GP?
VB: Yeah, basically, yeah.
BTG: Amazing! With Camden winning his first GP overall in Spain, how good was that for him? And how nice is it for you to see the progression in Camden, because he really has emerged now as a prime contender.
VB: Yeah, clearly, Camden made a big step this year, like on his technique, like that was the big work in the winter. It was a bittersweet type of a GP, to be honest with you. Super excited for Camden, and then super disappointed, because we have a failure with Guillem. And that was a potential 1-2, which was a dream for the team after, like you said, the third year into the Championship. So, yeah, super happy for Camden and then at the same time the disappointment, but looking back now, we did it. So, yeah, it's all sweet.
BTG: And then, of course, in France Guillem takes a 1-1, that's the team's first perfect day as well. And you were first and second for the GP, so again, redemption if you like from Spain. I mean, what was the feeling then? I ask because Guillem was very intent in the post-race interview, saying that people are discounting your guys, and it was really nice that he included himself and Camden in that. It's such a good team rivalry, so yeah, if you can please say a bit about the atmosphere in the team after that first and second in France, before Germany started. What's the mood in the team really?
VB: Well, to come back on that, like I don't really care what other people think, if we are contenders, if we're not contenders, the only thing is to focus on the work. And I never doubt either of my riders, and the fact that they work together is a power today. It's not a friendship, it's a teamwork. That's where people misunderstand it, I would say. It's a teamwork from the winter, all the way to racing, and even on the track. So, yeah, for me, it's really cool.
VB Continues: If you think in Spain, for example, Camden is all over Guillem, and people are like, yeah, wow, if it was not his teammate, he would have passed. No, they were battling like dogs on the track, and then it was the same in France. So, yes, Camden was furious because he wants to beat him, but that's what drives them. They drive each other every weekend to show who's the best, and today they're at a really even level, in my opinion, and they're not focusing on themselves, they're focusing on the long shot. Absolutely.
BTG: One thing there to ask about the team in general now, third year, you obviously had the original bikes, the first from the factory. Have they evolved much? Have you had to change much? Is it completely new yet? What can you tell us about how the bikes have moved forward in those three years?
VB: Well, it was clearly like, it's a prototype in 2024. We learned a lot through the year. We bring some improvements in 2025. And this year we made quite a big change on the bike, that Guillem would tell you, we just changed grip and graphics and we go again. But it was a lot of work behind it all. And they were really happy with the changes in the winter. We did decide to not line up in any preseason races as a strategy, also as a team. And my opinion was that you don't see it in the US, nobody does a Supercross before the first Supercross. We were pretty confident. So yeah, if we were wrong today, I think we would not talk the same result, and I would be probably having my ass on the line, I would say. But, yeah, we made a decision that was quite important for us to stay focused and apply it.
BTG: Nice one. And then, talking about Germany, a nice podium for Camden. The KTM guys got a little bit further ahead in the Championship, but yeah, how was your reaction to Germany? From what the riders were saying, you've all worked quite hard on the setup for hard tracks and rutted circuits in particular, I think Camden mentioned. So yeah, how much work went in towards getting the bike improved and the riders improved for that kind of going? And how much did you feel that Germany reflected those efforts?
VB: No, Germany was, to me, not a negative weekend. I mean, you know, who'd take a negative weekend when you're on the podium? Yeah, Camden was the most frustrated from this weekend, and so even was Guillem. You know, they were faster and they could not pass. Like the track was really difficult, and you saw it in another class or even in 250s, making the pass most of the time was ending up with both riders on the ground. So to win a Championship, you need to be in it. You have to be smart also, and I think they play smart. Frustrated because they can be better, but no, we didn't really lose points, to be honest with you. Actually, we gained points on KTM, but I'm not really focused on the points. If you know how I am, I don't even count. So yeah, for me it was a pretty positive weekend. And sometimes they need to be back into the reality, and to work harder, and to find where they need to improve. And that weekend, I think the bike was really good. To be honest, we didn't change one click. I think it was not the case for everyone. And I think the base setup we decided on when we got on the track was good. Both riders were happy. It was really a matter of who was starting in the front.
BTG: One last one for you there. I mean, Guillem is obviously now in his last year in MX2, age-wise. So, the inevitable question is about the 450 Triumph, is it coming? Is it going to be next year? What can you tell us?
VB: Well, the 450 is coming. The choice of riders is not done yet. Yeah, some people think it's late, but I think it's getting later and later by choice. Of course, the team wants to keep their riders. We build riders, we don't buy riders, and that's the way we've been working towards this project. So, when you build a rider, you want to keep him. Now, the bids are open, and I cannot hold a rider if he gets offers, and yeah, he's gonna think about his career. If we can keep him, we will keep him.
Guillem Farres
BTG: Thanks for joining us, Guillem, it’s great to see you having a strong season. Just to talk about the off-season if we can please, you were heading into your second year with the Triumph team, second full year in GPs properly. Was there much that you changed in the off-season? Like with your setup, the team, your training? Was there anything that you can say you changed, as a result of what you learned in 2025?
GF: Yeah, it’s the second year for me with the Triumph team. We stayed in the same place for the off-season. We stayed in Malaga for a solid four months. Nothing changed at all on our program. We still train with Clement [Desalle], me and Camden. We train together. We do literally everything together. We live together the whole off-season. And no, it was great. We had a really good off-season, a really good time in Malaga. We got really lucky with the conditions. The tracks were awesome, and having Clement is always an extra benefit, he’s with us every day. He pushes us to the limit. And on the side of the bike, yeah, we've been changing some stuff. Got a different engine package for this year and a big improvement on the frame, so that was really positive, but yeah, it was a bit of an unknown situation until the first race, and actually, the first race proved that the changes improved the bike quite a lot.
BTG: So, just to talk about your season so far, the first thing, really, is the race win at home in Spain. So, looking back, I know it must be a little bittersweet because of race two, but still, just talk about that feeling if you can please. It the first time you won a race and knew about it, yeah? Because you won a race in Germany last year and didn't know it when you crossed the line! So, yeah, let's talk a little bit about that, if you can. Just how that win felt for you.
GF: Yeah, the first race win this year was awesome. Especially coming from Argentina, I had a bit of a slow start to the season due to some problems of my own, but we knew that. And yeah, Spain was awesome. I wasn't expecting to be winning so early in the season after Argentina. And at home, it felt amazing. There was a lot of people. The fans were awesome. I mean, it was the first time in Almonte ever for me. And the event was great, I felt super, super motivated with everyone over there.
BTG: Then, of course, you had the GP win in France, a perfect day going 1-1, although you did have that late challenge from Camden there at the end of the second race. So, talk us through that result if you can, like, how much you felt the pressure from Camden in those last laps, and how cool it was to take the overall win and lead the team's first 1-2 in a GP?
GF: France was awesome. It's kind of close to my house, actually, so I had a lot of family, friends, a lot of people were over there, and actually it was a great weekend. I had a lot of fun. A little mistake, from my side, on Saturday, made me finish fourth, but we cleaned things up for Sunday and went 1-1. Camden was pushing in the last laps. I was a bit too slow, too reserved in the last corner, and Camden got pretty close, but yeah, I wanted to tease him a little bit, so it was just all under control. [Laughs]
BTG: Then after winning in France, you were quite vocal about it in the interview with Lisa after the race. You were saying about both yourself and Camden still being considered as Championship contenders. So, you said that you were upset that people were talking about the Championship and not talking about you two. Did it drive you on in preparations for the French GP, after the break in the schedule?
GF: It was just, yeah, hearing everyone talking about other teams, other riders, and not counting on me and Camden. We both had some problems at the start of the season that set us back a little bit, but yeah, I think we're proving and we proved also at the beginning that we were contenders, and this is a long Championship. So, yeah, the team works really hard for that, and we deserve to be considered as contenders.
BTG: The Liqui Moly MXGP of Germany was a good one for you in 2025, taking the first race win for yourself in wet conditions. How do you look back on the event this year?
GF: Germany was alright. On Sunday, I struggled getting out of the gate, and with the rain, the track was really one line. It was difficult to make passes, and yeah, sixth was all I could get in the first race. Second race was a bit of the same story, not my best start, and I was just stuck in fourth. Actually, we were super close to first. I think I finished four seconds behind first place. So, yeah, I was happy with my riding, happy with my speed, but a bit frustrated with my problems trying to pass, and I couldn't make it happen, but at the same time, when we have this kind of race, and the rain, it's easy to lose points. At the end of the weekend, I made a point to the leader. So, yeah, it was not my best weekend, but it was alright.
BTG: Nice one. Just going off track from the racing for a moment there, you run number 99. Obviously, you had a different number before. So, yeah, how come you had the old number and changed it to this new number?
GF: Yeah, since I was young, I always run number 9, just because my dad ran number 9. I had started racing EMX 85 and I had to go to a triple-digit number, so I was #309. And yeah, then I went to America, and there you cannot really choose your number. You just get career numbers, or a two-digit number based on your points, I think if you are top 20 overall, because it's an overall point system, it's with 450 and 250 at the same time, but you know, 450 has more races from supercross and stuff. I think if you're top 20 or top 15 in overall points, you get a career number, or for sure, if you get a Championship, you get a career number. And on the way back to Europe, I knew I wanted number nine, but it was taken already. So yeah, I took a new adventure and went for 99.
BTG: Finally then, your thoughts on the season ahead. Obviously, you've got quite a mix of circuits to come. Where is it, do you think, that you'll be the strongest guy, or do you think there's a time of the year when you think you'll be stronger than most? How are you kind of approaching the rest of the season?
GF: I'm just going to keep approaching the season like I've been doing now. I think I proved, me and my team proved, that we are competitive on every kind of track. Like Almonte was a bit of a sandy hard-pack track, and we were good. Riola, we were in front. Switzerland in the mud, we were also in front. So my goal is just to keep doing that and just focus on myself, be the best version of myself every weekend, and we'll be in the title hunt.
Camden Mc Lellan
BTG: Hi Camden, thanks for joining us in the studio. Just to start things off, thinking about before the season, so you're heading into your third year with Triumph. Was there much you changed in the off-season, like with your setup, the team, your training? Anything that you can say you've improved on since you started with the team?
CM: Yeah, third year with Triumph now. I wouldn't say much has changed in terms of my approach and my training routine, let's say, but we did come with a brand-new package of engine and frame which was, and has been, great throughout the season. So, I wouldn't say much has changed. The bike is updated as you would expect, but for the rest, everything's pretty much been business as usual.
BTG: Nice, and before the year, you had a race win, obviously, yet to win a GP, so I guess that was the clear target. And then, is the thought that, even from the first round, that it’s your time to challenge for the title now? That there's no other goal really?
CM: Yeah, I had clicked off the race win last year in Trentino, and I had been kind of chasing an overall win since then, because that was really the one thing left on the list. So, coming into this year, I knew that we made a great step in the off-season and that I was feeling comfortable. Guillem and I had been pushing each other for months. So, I kind of knew where I was at, but you never really know until you're in Argentina. So, the goal was always to come out swinging and come for the Championship. And the first two rounds were really good. Got the overall win finally, in Almonte at the second round, with the red plate as well. So, everything was kind of trending in the right direction, and we were working well towards the goal of being a World Champion this year. And I think, luckily, we still have a lot of rounds to do still, but it's been up and down since the first two rounds, although it’s stabilizing again slowly.
BTG: Yeah, I mean, you took that win in Spain, and like you say, the red plate with it. Talk us through those emotions. Like you're the first to get a win for the Triumph brand, for a start. I know Vincent [Bereni] said it was bittersweet because obviously Guillem had the issue which knocked him out of contention.
CM: Yeah, obviously, I mean, the first win is, as they say, always the one you're going to remember the most, but indeed, a little bit bittersweet with what happened to Guillem. I try to focus on my part of the story and my first win, so it was a really cool, cool day. I'm really happy my mom and dad were there, my cousin, I just missed my brother, but my family was there to experience my first GP win with me, which is something special. You know, it's a part of it, they're a big part of the story as well. And then, yeah, obviously what happened with Guillem was a bit unfortunate, but he's recovered as well since then. And for the team, it was a massive, massive achievement. I've also achieved the first race win for Triumph, now the first overall, first Qualifying Race win. The only thing I missed was the first podium, as Mikkel Haarup has that one. He got that straight away, off the bat! That was a bit annoying! [Laughs]
BTG: Yeah, he set the standard high immediately! Obviously, the next round after the win, you had the crash in Switzerland. How bad was the crash? No one even really saw it. I don't think we had any replay anywhere, so we're not sure what happened there. And yeah, what were your injuries and how badly did they affect you in the Sardegna and Trentino GPs?
CM: Yeah, so the first two GPs were great, and then Switzerland, a great Saturday, and then Sunday, the rain came. The track was pretty beat up, muddy, technical, and my starts were horrible both races, and I put myself in bad positions. After the first race, I was also not really happy with the results. So, I was kind of forcing the issue in the second race, really pushing, making my way through well actually. And then going through the waves, I clicked into fourth just as we were about to jump out onto the straight. And I had mud on my foot pegs and my right foot slipped off. So, I wasn't necessarily doing anything wrong or out of control. I just lost my foot and it hit the ground. And I “Nac-Nac”ed out of the waves, slammed my left side, and it's fourth gear wide open so it was a really high speed crash. It was a really big one. Initially, I couldn't really feel my left arm, and when I tried to get up, I had a sharp pain throughout my back, like a stinging pain, which was something I'd never felt before. So, I was a little bit in shock. I kind of knew nothing was broken because you know when something's broken, but I had damaged the nerve, which we found out later in the week, which is, they said, worse than breaking or cracking the bone. So anyway, I was really lucky to not have any major damage to my nerve, but for Riola and Trentino, I kind of had a left arm that wasn't really working, and still now it's not 100%, but not hindering me on the bike anymore. Also, I was laying there and I was like, damn, my left arm feels weird. I was trying to move it, but it just wasn't working. It was like, off, switched off! I was like, what’s up with that?
BTG: Well, you picked things up after the break. In France, you chased Guillem across the line in that second race. And then, yeah, obviously, taking the first Qualifying Race win for the team in Germany. So, can you please talk us through that win, first of all?
CM: Yeah, finally, a good Saturday for me, which has previously been a bit of a weak point. I picked up maximum points there. So, I had the inside gate going into the races on Sunday, as well as a good head of steam, feeling really good on the bike, really good on the track. I was enjoying the track a lot, so hopefully thinking we can repeat that success on Sunday.
BTG: Is it good just to get that monkey off your back? Like you say, you keep talking about ticking things off. So, you ticked off the race win, the overall GP, and the Qualifying Race was the last one. So yeah, what was that like for you then?
CM: Yeah, it was good to tick it off. I mean that's, as a racer, it's kind of what you chase, I have a list of goals, and at least for me, that's really what gets me up in the morning and gets me going. It’s now, you know, the next thing to have is the Championship, I'd say, for me, and a lot more GP wins. I'd like to be in the front a lot more, but what gets me going initially, also since I started with the Triumph team, is to start clicking off these race wins, Qualifying, winning overall. When I go running, when I go cycling, that's really what's playing in my head. And a lot of these times, a lot of the times I see it before it's happened, which is also something really cool.
BTG: So you actually visualize it type of thing? Is that like a technique you're doing?
CM: I don't know, I just run and a certain song will come on, and then I start to go deep into it. It's crazy. It's like a law of attraction. It happens naturally almost. It works!
BTG: Cool. So yeah, talking about the races themselves, you got on the podium with a 3-6 in the end? Please talk us through your day in Germany, how you got on with the track. You said to us, you said to the cameras recently that you've been working a lot on the hard-pack surface as well. So please tell us what sort of work you've put in to improve on hard-pack and how well it's paid off with the podium and everything.
CM: Yeah, I would say my Sunday in Germany wasn't really what I was looking for, especially after the Saturday went so well. Still, it was clear to see that the work that I've done in the break on the hard-pack has paid off, but I just didn't really get out the gates on Sunday as I would have hoped. And then the track, due to the weather, was kind of difficult for passing, not very raceable, and I also just couldn't make things happen. I would say I was pretty disappointed with my Sunday. I think it was very clear to see. But anyway, oftentimes with me, it's going forward, if I'm disappointed from a weekend, it fires me up even more for the next weekend. So hopefully, going forward, that can be the benefit of the Sunday in Germany.
BTG: Nice one, and you're recovering in the Championship, obviously, after the issues from Switzerland there. You're now into fifth place. You know, it's not out of sight. There's 42 points. There's still a lot of racing left to go, and you're only three behind Liam Everts. So, yeah, can you talk about your hopes for the rest of the Championship?
CM: Yeah, I mean, I'm still pretty much in a positive mindset, I would say. Still a lot of racing to go, and I'm not necessarily too far back. And I've seen it, I've been leading the Championship, and then two weekends later, I've been 60 points down. So, things can swing really, really quickly. And after the break, I would say I'm back on track. And if I can keep this podium streak going, I think I can slowly but surely claw my way back into the Championship, which is, of course, the goal. And we have South Africa coming up, which is going to be really, really special for me and really interesting as well with the altitude there. I think it's going to catch a lot of people by surprise. Then we have a lot of sand rounds in the future: Arnhem, Lommel, Latvia. So, possibly a lot of things that could swing in my favour, and I hope do swing in my favour! So, I'm remaining still very optimistic and looking forward to the next couple of rounds.
BTG: Awesome stuff. Just to go slightly away from racing there, not much, but just a little bit. Your race number, where does the number eight come from? I can't remember what you had before, but yeah, how come you had that old number and changed to number eight from there?
CM: Originally, my number was 122 when I first came to Europe. Actually, I've changed a lot. I started as 48. That was my cousin. He used to ride before me. He had 48, kind of ran in the family. I became 48, and then my brother, who's two years younger than me, he started racing. He became 48, and I picked up 122 from my first ever trainer that I actually trained with up until 2024, from around 2008 up until the end of 2024. I had trained with him, so I took 122 from him, but in European rounds on the 85, I was 422, so I've kind of been all over the place. And then when I signed with Triumph, I was 122 when I raced with Jacky Martens, and Triumph said 122 is too big for the front board, so if you could choose a smaller number, that would be appreciated. And I thought, why not do a little bit of a rebranding? I'm changing team and structure, and the whole look is changing, so why not do a little bit of a full rebrand? And then there was Grant Langston [the second South African racer to win a Motocross world title, who also took a title in the USA], who had run the #8, and I think he's quite a badass, so that came into my mind. Then also just looking at the #8, it's clean, you can kind of play with it a lot in a few artistic ways, if I want to sell something as a brand. Or any sort of thing like that. And I thought, being number eight now is the perfect time, perfect number, looks good, has some heritage, South African heritage, so why not? And I'm fast enough now to pull it off! Still not a World Champion, but it's coming.
BTG: Well commentators always like a single digit, so we’re all for it! Just to talk about your teammate, obviously, you and Guillem are going for the same goals. You clearly get on well, you're working well together, but does there come that moment where you're like, okay, well, I really want it, so obviously you can't have it? That sort of thing? I'm intrigued to see how you guys do it. You're racing so close, and I know you don't give each other any room on the track. The French round kind of made that clear! Yeah, I’d just be interested to hear what you've got to say on that sort of dynamic. You're obviously getting on well, but you want what the other person also wants, so one of you is going to lose out. How is that to deal with on a week to week, day to day basis?
CM: Indeed, both Guillem and myself, we want the exact same thing. We want race wins. At the end of the year, we want to be a World Champion, and there can only be one! You would think that it creates some friction, but we really handle it well. I mean, in France, we got pretty close, and even people come up to me after the race and say, “Man, he cut you off pretty bad”, and you know all of that, but it's business, and I understand that, he understands that, we're out there for the same goal. We can work together, and we are working together very well. We do help each other, you know, I don't think there's many teammates that can go on a training day, training together, and we do that every single week, and still the vibe is great. We get along really well, we talk our rubbish. You know, there's a lot of good times with him, and yeah, we keep it professional on the track. We don't cross the line. Maybe we will have to at the end of the year, but that's the thing. I think still when we come off the track, we understand that it's business. He understands, I understand, the team understands. So there is no need for friction, I believe. And even with my competitors, I don't think I have any friction with anyone. So yeah, it's really good to have a good relationship with Guillem. Just yeah, he's every now and again a bit difficult to pass, which everyone struggles with as well, anyway. So maybe I gotta move him out of the way sooner rather than later!
BTG: [Cameraman] Never mind that, would you take him out for the title?
CM: Would I take him out for the title? Absolutely, I would take him out for free! [Laughs]
BTG: Finally, I have to ask, what does the MXGP in South Africa mean for the South African riders?
CM: Yeah, I mean, MXGP is coming home, after 18 years now, it's massive. The sport has kind of died down a lot since the golden era of Motocross in South Africa. We used to be really good, produce a lot of good riders, and then, yeah, like I said, over the years it's slowed down. And I'm really happy that I can, kind of, be the one to revive it. And as well as having a GP in South Africa, with the place where I'm at, everything's just, the timing is perfect, really. I'm fighting for a World Championship here, and we finally bring the GP back home. I think if all things go really well and to plan, I can win a GP in South Africa, the first one in 18 years. I think it would be really big, and I think also for the sport there to show people that Motocross can be a way of life, and can be a way to make money and to live off, I think that's really good.
BTG: So, it's a huge moment for the South African motocross community?
CM: Yeah, a massive moment. I mean, we haven't had a big event there for, like I said, 18 plus years. So MXGP coming home, and not only just MXGP, just motorsport in general is very popular in South Africa, but we haven't had anything over the recent years. So, I think it's going to be massive. I think the fans are going to show up, they've done an awesome job with the track, it looks unreal. I think the whole event is going to be super. I'm most excited about racing in front of my family. A lot of them have never seen me race a GP, so it's going to be their first GP experience, and they get to experience it with me, hopefully racing at the front, which I think will be very, very special for them. Yeah, the fourth and fifth of July is going to be a massive weekend for South African motorsport in general. The Motocross World Championship is finally making its return, so I think it's going to be awesome, the venue is looking great, and for South African motorsport fans, I don't think you'd want to miss it!
Epilogue: Since Germany the team has been super-consistent, despite being unable to stop Sacha Coenen from romping to two straight GP victories. McLellan took a fine second overall with 3-2 finishes in Latvia, while Farres went 4-4 for fourth overall. Then at Montevarchi for the MXGP of Italy, on a slick and technical hard surface, both riders claimed a race victory on Sunday on their way to second and third overall, Guillem with a 1-5 score and Camden with a 7-1. As they head to Portugal, and then South Africa, they sit second and third in the MX2 World Championship, with the Spaniard 41 points behind Sacha Coenen at the top, while the South African is just 17 more markers behind, and super excited for his upcoming home GP!
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
