MX2

The Behind The Gate documentary series, which is produced after every GP and aired immediately on MXGP-TV.com, continued with Episode Six, “Making The Break”, which focused on the MXGP of Trentino, before the five-week break in the schedule prior to the MXGP of France.  We went behind the scenes with Venrooy KTM Racing, and their MX2 rookie Noel Zanocz, who was even treated to a fine dining experience at the Arciduca Ristorante in Arco with his girlfriend Paula, which the teenager enjoyed, maybe a little too much! It all made for great content for the programme.

We interviewed Noel on the Friday of the MXGP of France, as Noel sought shelter from the surprising heat of the Lacapelle-Marival sunshine to give his views on his rookie season so far, after finishing 15^th overall at Trentino and holding that position in the Championship.

As always, these interviews have to be edited to fit within a 26-minute programme, but here is the full transcript of what Noel said to the Behind The Gate cameras.

BTG: [Before the cameras roll] Just for sound-check: do you know any more famous people with your name? Noel Gallagher? You know who Noel Gallagher is? Oasis?

NZ: No, I don't know them. Christmas! It's Christmas in French.

BTG: Wow, I wasn't going to go there! I wasn't going to be that unkind to you! So, Noel, coming to Trentino, you’ve had a few decent results in the past there. What are your thoughts on Trentino, and for our recording, tell us about your season so far before that weekend. How are you feeling about being in MX2, for your first season so far?

NZ: Yeah, so I had a pretty rough pre-season. I had a thumb injury, and a ligament problem in my knee. So, I'm still struggling with that, but we tried to make the best out of it. We made a little progress, Sardegna was one step ahead, and yeah, just crossing the fingers to survive Trentino. It’s not been so easy for me there in the past, and yeah, just try to get some feeling on the track, and putting in the hours on the bike to get the feeling, and basically, that's the plan for the weekend.

BTG:  Obviously, you've gone up from EMX250. Not too many of you starting this year compared to before. You know, yourself and Janis Reisulis are really the main two that have moved up there. So, how has it been for you? You know, you're now going from two races across two days to three races instead, you know, one and then two on the Sunday. What's it like for you? How are you finding it? How are you dealing with it? And have you made much changes to your training, for example, to cope with it?

NZ: Yeah, so far it has been quite a big change. Also, as I said, my winter was not so easy, so I'm not fully prepped yet. I'm struggling with many, many things. Also, I'm not super confident yet in myself, and yeah, it's also been a big change. Like, we have way more riding time, so it's a little bit hard, let's say, physical-wise, to really see where you must push or not. Already from Time Practice, it's quite important, I think, to have a good gate pick in the Qualifying Race, and from then on, obviously, we are racing for points, and that's already a big difference from EMX250. But I'm excited to learn, and I'm really here to get the experience this year.

BTG:  Now, you're on the team, obviously, the Venrooy KTM team with Mattia Guadagnini. How are you finding the bike, and how are you finding the team with Mattia as your teammate? Is it good for the atmosphere, and how much contact do you have with him as part of your whole life in the team?

NZ: Yeah, so obviously, the KTM is a really good bike, and I have been enjoying riding it. It's really cool to have Mattia as a teammate, and he has obviously a lot of experience with the KTM group. Yeah, he has a lot of, let's say, nice advice for me on the racetracks and everything. He has been a factory rider, so he knows what it takes to be up front, and he can share his opinion. We spent time together with the team in the pre-season in Sardinia in January and it was going really well. Then, yeah, he was also helping a lot, like just in general. So, yeah, it was a really nice time with him.

BTG: So, yeah, going through to Trentino itself, obviously, you scored points and you had your best Qualifying Race yet to get there on the Saturday. So, how are you feeling before the actual start of the race? The Sunday, you're good with the track, the bike’s dialled in, how's it looking for you before the start?

NZ: Yeah, so actually it was better than what I expected on Saturday. And yeah, I had a good feeling, but the track was really, really dry and sketchy. So, that was tricky, but I could manage it, I think, quite good. I had quite a nice start, and then yeah, I could ride a little bit my race. So, I was excited for Sunday as we saw the weather podcast. Maybe it's gonna be a little bit rainy in the first race, but yeah, normally the weather should be fine.

BTG: You had a great start in MX2 Race 1, right towards the front, it was absolutely amazing for you. You got a great start from that side of it. Obviously, a lot of riders came past you, and I guess that's tricky to deal with. But yeah, how did that feel being up there on the first lap? And was it more stress because you had more people around you, or how did all that feel with the start?

NZ: Yeah, I've been always a really good starter when the rain came down, so it might be because of my weight or I don't know. Just why, with the rain, I always love to ride in it, but yeah, the track didn't turn out to be that bad, like what I expected. I thought it's gonna be way more slippery, so I really tried to take it easy and calm in the first couple of laps, but it didn't really pay off because I dropped back really quickly, so I was quite disappointed in that. But yeah, tried to ride a little bit my race, let's say, and just gaining the hours on the bike.

BTG: Were you feeling it much with the thumb injury? Is that pretty much now behind you? You got through Trentino, okay?

NZ: Yeah, I would say the knee is more of a struggle. After the pre-season races, I got injured with my knee. Several ligaments were not completely torn, but a little bit screwed up, let's say. And yeah, I try to survive. I thought ‘Now we're gonna have one month of break. I will really try to use that time to get back my fitness and also a little bit more confidence with the knee, make it stronger, and really just put in the hours on the bike and also off the bike to be fit again’.

BTG: Great stuff, and obviously, we can see there that you're 15th in the Championship right now, and you've only got a few points ahead of you to get past guys like Scott Smulders and Jens Walvoort, and of course, Cas Valk is now out as well. So, you’ve got a chance there of getting in the top dozen in the world. Was this the kind of aim at the start of the year to get up there? I mean, what did you have your sights on at the start of the year?

NZ: Yeah, so actually, till November, I felt really good, and then I had an unfortunate thumb injury in a practice. What I've been struggling with for three months, and it was really hard to get back the trust in it. I've been to many doctors, everyone said different things, and some said some bone injuries, some said the ligament problems. And in the end, they never really could find out the real problems, so that has been a little bit difficult. And then, yeah, I mean, till that moment, I was really hoping for, let's say, a top eight finish, be in the mix with the factory guys, and try to put decent results in every weekend. And now, with the injuries and everything, I had to change a little bit, because it was unrealistic. Now, I really want to take each race as it comes and really to take this year for learning as much as I can and put in the work and see where we end up. I'm still pretty convinced that I can do good in the second part of the season, and I will do everything to get there.

BTG: Just to find out a bit more about you, you ride with the number 716, you have for as long as I've seen you riding. So, yeah, talk us through the number. How come it's 716?

NZ: Yeah, so in Hungary we say always when you're born, you start with which year you're born, then the month, and then the day. And because I was born in 2007, January 6th, I took the 7 of the 2007. January is obviously the first month of the year, and then the 6th when I was born that's how my number came!

BTG: You said about Hungary there. Obviously, there aren't many riders or professional athletes in motorsport at the very top level from Hungary. So, how did you make your way to this point? Did you just start winning everything in Hungary, then went further afield? Tell us please about going through the youth ranks and how you started, and where you started to race through to this level.

NZ:  I started really, really young. When I was three, I was already on a bike. And yeah, I think when I was five, I did my first race in Hungary, when I was a five-year-old on a 50cc. And then for two years, I finished last in every race that I started. And then, yeah, obviously, that was not so easy to move from there! I didn't really want to ride back then. My dad always had to, let's say, motivate me with some different kinds of things to keep me on the bike. I really wanted to play football back then, but yeah, I started to get some decent results in Hungary. Then we started to go to the Czech Republic on the 50cc. I started riding really good there. So I moved up to 65cc pretty young. I think I was 10 years old when I won Free Practice in EMX65, in Loket, that was really good. But then, yeah, the races didn't really end up how I wanted. And then I moved up to 85cc really, really young. I rode the 85s for four years, I believe I did some races in the ADAC, and obviously EMX and the Junior World Championship. Then moving up to 125, that was really the time when we started to travel a lot, winter camps in Italy and just do all the series. And my first year I did only a couple of rounds and the Junior World Championship. So, then in 2024, it was the first year when I really got the chance to be a part of a factory team, and then last year with Jackie on the Honda. I had two really decent years, results wise, and everything. Now we are here in MX2! It's kind of a big deal. I don't really remember when was the last time, or if anyone from my country has rode in the past in the MX2 World Championship. So it's really a big thing from Hungary.

BR:  Nice, and there's a few of you coming through as well, like Aaron Katona, for example. So, are these guys riders that are following your way, or has there been a new wave of riders from Hungary that we are likely to see in the future?

NZ: Yeah, I think this opened a lot of doors for kids, just to see that it's possible. And I really hope that we are going to have some other talents from Hungary, because it would be really nice for the sport and everything.

BTG: One last one for you, just a bit of a different one. Can you say, so far, what has been your very best day in the sport? What was the day that you can remember going away from the track, being absolutely full of it, buzzed up? What's your very best moment in motocross, basically?

NZ: That's a difficult one. I have three top ones. Like, obviously, winning the World Junior Championship in Heerde [The Netherlands, 2024], that was something amazing, being the first Hungarian to win a world title, and it was just amazing. Then again, the same year, but in Spain, when I win the European EMX125 title, it was just amazing. I was leading the Championship for the whole year, but then in Switzerland, the penultimate round, I had a broken engine and I dropped back into second place in the Championship. So, arriving there, knowing that, yeah, I have to give my all to make sure that I can win the title, and in the end, it paid off. So, that was really an amazing day.

And a little bit different, yeah, one that was good, was 2022, the Motocross of Nations in Redbud. I had the opportunity to ride with FIM Team Europe there, and I was just 15 at the time. To race the Open class on a 250 bike, and battling with my idols like Dylan Ferrandis, it was just an amazing experience. So, yeah. That was a really, really cool one.

Epilogue: The progress continued for Noel with his best GP yet at Lacapelle-Marival. Fifteenth again in the Qualifying Race was followed by twelfth overall from 13-12 results on Sunday, advancing him to fourteenth in the standings.  Just 14 ahead of him is the injured Cas Valk, who will be unable to compete for most of the season, but the Hungarian is only two behind Maxime Grau before the Liqui Moly MXGP of Germany, so a place in the top dozen in MX2 is well within his grasp. Massive thanks to him for being great with us in Trentino, and to Venrooy KTM Racing for getting him organised!

MONACO (Principailty of Monaco) 3 June 2026 – The 2026 FIM Motocross World Championship is all set to go straight to Kegums for the MXGP of Latvia on the 6th and 7th of June.

Checkout the Timetable and Entry Lists for the MXGP of Latvia below:

TIMETABLE

MXGP ENTRY LIST

MX2 ENTRY LIST

EMX250 ENTRY LIST

EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing ENTRY LIST

TEUTSCHENTHAL (Germany) 31st May 2026 – The cacophony of noise from horns, whistles, voices, and of course the chainless chainsaws meant that we could only be in one place – the Talkessel circuit near Teutschenthal for the Liqui Moly MXGP of Germany!  Round seven of the 2026 FIM World Motocross Championships saw some mixed conditions, a track that had every challenge thrown at it, and some incredible racing action to continue the tradition of the fantastic Germanic atmosphere unique to this classic venue!

The MXGP class was dominated, for the third time this season, by Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Championship leader Lucas Coenen, who scored a perfect 1-1 victory and benefitted from problems for his title rivals. Andrea Adamo scored his first MXGP class podium to make it a 1-2 for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, and the Honda HRC Petronas teamster Ruben Fernandez climbed onto his first podium of the season with a fighting third overall.

The MX2 class saw an emotional first Grand Prix victory for Mathis Valin, as the young Frenchman took 2-1 race finishes to become the third first-time GP winner this season, also taking the first GP win for his Kawasaki Racing Team MX2 squad in its current form.  Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Sacha Coenen had to be content with second overall after crashing from the lead in race two, but he can console himself with his new position as the red plate holder after taking the lead of the series. South African star Camden McLellan took a solid third overall for the Triumph Racing Factory Team.

It was a difficult day at the office for many of the fancied runners, and it leaves both of the men’s World Championships in much different shapes than they were in before!

MXGP Start Germany 2026

Under much drier conditions, Maxime Renaux set the fastest time for Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP in the morning Warm-Up, with Honda HRC Petronas’ Jeffrey Herlings in second ahead of Renaux’s teammate Tim Gajser.

Lucas Coenen was irresistible into the first corner at the start of race one, however, and took his fourth Fox Holeshot Award of the season, as Ruben Fernandez and Gajser disputed second place.  The Slovenian passed his former teammate on the exit to the tight corner before Pit Lane, and gave chase to the flying Belgian out in front.  In the meantime, the Spaniard’s teammate Herlings had started down in 15th, and was struggling to progress at the rate expected.

Andrea Adamo held fourth ahead of Qualifying Race winner Romain Febvre, and the Kawasaki Racing Team MXGP man was doing all he could to pass the Italian, who was holding steady!  Alberto Forato, again gating well for Fantic Factory Racing MXGP, was passed by Renaux at the start of the first full lap to lose sixth place, as Febvre’s teammate Pauls Jonass held eighth ahead of Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Kay de Wolf.  Herlings completed the first full lap in tenth.

Passing may have been tough with the rutted conditions worsened by sporadic rain, but there was still plenty happening, as Adamo passed Fernandez briefly on lap four, before tangling with the Spaniard at the end of the start straight, in a collision which left the Italian on the floor!  He remounted in ninth, just behind Herlings!

Suddenly, a visibly struggling Jeffrey pulled into Pit Lane with a technical issue, unable to finish the race!  On the same lap, De Wolf made a forceful move on Forato to take sixth place.  Renaux found some good pace to close in on Febvre, and made a brilliant move to pass his countryman over the new “Dragon’s Back” obstacle after the finish line jump.  The Champ tried to retaliate instantly, but got caught out in the ruts and crashed awkwardly!  He struggled to restart in the sticky conditions, and dropped to 17th at the flag!

Coenen eased away to a five second win over Gajser, with Fernandez a delighted third.  De Wolf had closed on Renaux, but fell in a tight left-handed corner, recovering to hold fifth ahead of Forato, Adamo, Jonass, and with his season’s best race finish, Brent van Doninck, making it two riders in the top ten for the Fantic Factory Racing MXGP squad!  Dutchman Roan van de Moosdijk took a good tenth for Kosak KTM Racing, but his countryman Herlings’ DNF meant that Coenen now held a strong 28-point lead in the Championship.

To add further momentum to his title campaign, the teenaged Belgian took yet another Fox Holeshot Award at the start of race two, although Adamo was able to rail around the outside in the second corner, just as Febvre and the Team Honda Motoblouz SR Motul rider Kevin Horgmo passed Herlings into third and fourth!  “The Bullet” was able to respond quickly, but another title contender then hit problems as Gajser crashed in the fast valley between the Pit Lane and the finish line jump!  It put the Slovenian towards the back of the pack, and he would only be able to recover to 19th at the chequered flag.

At the furthest end of the circuit from the start, Coenen made his move past Adamo to take the lead in convincing fashion, and again nobody could catch him, even though Herlings did his best after firing across the bows of Adamo to take second into the last corner of the first full lap!  Febvre, Fernandez, Horgmo, De Wolf, and Renaux were all giving chase in the top order!

Febvre caught Adamo quickly, but as the Italian got cross-rutted he had to change direction, just as the Champion was drawing near, and the Frenchman hit the ground as his front wheel hit the back one of the KTM!  He was able to remount quickly enough to stay in fifth.  He was fortunate to do so, as De Wolf nearly crashed trying to pass Fernandez, and just as Renaux was catching them after passing Horgmo for seventh, the Dutchman attacked in the same corner, and they both went down as they hit the same rut in unison!  De Wolf was up quickest, and Renaux pounced on Fernandez to take seventh!  The move dropped Fernandez to third overall, promoting Adamo to second.  Renaux needed one more spot for a podium, but De Wolf had too much pace and finished fifth in the race behind winner Coenen, Herlings, Adamo, and Febvre, who tried again to pass Adamo but was unable to.

Fernandez took seventh, good enough for the podium result by a point from Renaux, with De Wolf fifth overall.  Horgmo, Forato, and Red Bull Ducati Factory MX Team pilot Andrea Bonacorsi rounded out the top ten in race two, after Forato had pulled a late pass in the clash of the two tall Italians!   Forato was therefore a season-best-equalling sixth overall with Gajser seventh, Horgmo eighth, Herlings’ single score good enough for ninth, and Febvre rounding out the overall top ten!

Coenen claimed his 19th career Grand Prix win with another controlled five-second victory, and extends his points lead over Herlings to an impressive 31.  Adamo and Fernandez both scored their first podium results since China in 2025.

Next weekend the series heads to Kegums for the MXGP of Latvia. Herlings has won a record nine times at that circuit, while Lucas has yet to taste victory in the Baltics!  Will this situation change, or will “The Bullet” continue his run in the Latvian sand?  You have to join us for round eight to find out!

Lucas Coenen: “Good weekend, two hole shots and just led every single lap. The track was crazy, every time you hit one you were almost looping out. I had two big moments and I said, let the race finish because I don’t want to end up on my ear. Overall I’m happy, I think I did a good job this weekend. I'm looking forward to the next weekend in Latvia.”

Andrea Adamo: “It’s amazing! It’s my first podium in my rookie season and there are many fast guys out there, many world champions. The line between P3 and P10 is really thin. Following is almost more easy than leading at the moment because I learn quite well when I’m behind. The expectations are not so high; I came into the season just to learn every race, keep pushing, don’t give up and learn. That’s the main goal for this season.”

Ruben Fernandez: “It’s always good getting back on the box, especially after the last podium in China last year. I haven’t been feeling the best on the bike lately. Been working with the team and changing some stuff to try and get a better feeling. Seems like it’s getting better. The speed, the results; it’s the feeling I have when I’m riding. I’m hoping to feel a little bit better and to be like myself again.”

    
1. Andrea Adamo; 2. Ruben Fernandez

MXGP - Grand Prix Race 1 - Top 10 Classification: 1. Lucas Coenen (BEL, KTM), 36:20.693; 2. Tim Gajser (SLO, Yamaha), +0:04.947; 3. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, Honda), +0:16.681; 4. Maxime Renaux (FRA, Yamaha), +0:19.783; 5. Kay de Wolf (NED, Husqvarna), +0:36.312; 6. Alberto Forato (ITA, Fantic), +0:42.925; 7. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), +1:07.904; 8. Pauls Jonass (LAT, Kawasaki), +1:13.145; 9. Brent Van doninck (BEL, Fantic), +1:17.545; 10. Roan Van De Moosdijk (NED, KTM), +1:21.993.

MXGP - Grand Prix Race 2 - Top 10 Classification: 1. Lucas Coenen (BEL, KTM), 34:47.752; 2. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, Honda), +0:04.841; 3. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), +0:25.605; 4. Romain Febvre (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:28.046; 5. Kay de Wolf (NED, Husqvarna), +0:40.060; 6. Maxime Renaux (FRA, Yamaha), +0:43.987; 7. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, Honda), +0:53.477; 8. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, Honda), +0:56.716; 9. Alberto Forato (ITA, Fantic), +0:58.284; 10. Andrea Bonacorsi (ITA, Ducati), +1:00.488.

MXGP Overall - Top 10 Classification: 1. Lucas Coenen (BEL, KTM), 50 pts; 2. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), 34 pts; 3. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, Honda), 34 pts; 4. Maxime Renaux (FRA, Yamaha), 33 pts; 5. Kay de Wolf (NED, Husqvarna), 32 pts; 6. Alberto Forato (ITA, Fantic), 27 pts; 7. Tim Gajser (SLO, Yamaha), 24 pts; 8. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, Honda), 23 pts; 9. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, Honda), 22 pts; 10. Romain Febvre (FRA, Kawasaki), 22 pts.

MXGP - World Championship - Top 10 Classification: 1. Lucas Coenen (BEL, KTM), 344 pts; 2. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, Honda), 313 pts; 3. Romain Febvre (FRA, Kawasaki), 263 pts; 4. Tim Gajser (SLO, Yamaha), 256 pts; 5. Maxime Renaux (FRA, Yamaha), 251 pts; 6. Kay de Wolf (NED, Husqvarna), 223 pts; 7. Tom Vialle (FRA, Honda), 219 pts; 8. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, Honda), 216 pts; 9. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), 211 pts; 10. Alberto Forato (ITA, Fantic), 142 pts.

MXGP - Manufacturers Classification: 1. Honda, 384 points; 2. KTM, 360 p.; 3. Yamaha, 315 p.; 4. Kawasaki, 288 p.; 5. Husqvarna, 223 p.; 6. Fantic, 156 p.; 7. Ducati, 148 p.; 8. Beta, 49 p.; 9. Triumph, 45 p

MXGP Podium Germany 2026

Mathis Valin

Sacha Coenen yet again showed his one-lap pace with the fastest time in the Warm-Up session, ahead of Honda HRC Petronas’ hardpack lover Valerio Lata and Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 rookie Janis Reisulis.

The Belgian rocketed to yet another Fox Holeshot Award in race one, with Mathis Valin instantly giving chase ahead of Lata and Camden McLellan. Liam Everts ran off-track out of turn one on his Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing machine, and did well to recover to 12th by the end of the first lap!

In the muddy conditions, it was Karlis Reisulis who held fifth initially for Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2, but brother Janis was soon past him and challenging McLellan for fourth!  He struck at the South African before the end of the first lap, as the second Triumph Racing Factory Team rider Guillem Farres passed Karlis for sixth. Julius Mikula held eighth for Osička Racing KTM, with DRT Kawasaki pilot Kay Karssemakers ninth.  Then came the man most of the fans had come to see, reigning World Champion and home hero Simon Längenfelder, and the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider was not 100% after battling with a cold all weekend.  He and Karssemakers both passed Mikula on lap three, with the German then moving to the inside of the Dutchman a lap later.

McLellan got back past Janis Reisulis for fourth on lap six, but Coenen was doing enough to keep Valin far enough back to not be a threat.  Längenfelder and Karlis Reisulis exchanged passes and crashes for seventh place, with the Latvian eventually falling to tenth behind Mikula.  Everts caught the Champion by the final lap, who then fell right in front of him in the penultimate corner! With the Belgian only briefly held up, they would remount quickly to hold seventh and eighth!

With a few laps to go, Lata suffered a small crash on a downhill, dropping from third to fifth behind McLellan and Janis Reisulis. Farres was sixth ahead of Everts.  Coenen’s win put him in front of the Championship, suddenly with a six-point advantage going into race two!

At the start of race two, the Belgian duly won a drag race with Valin to claim his eighth Fox Holeshot Award of the year, but Längenfelder was much higher up in third ahead of McLellan and the Maddi Racing Honda ABF Italia of Maxime Grau!  Farres soon got by the Frenchman, who dropped down the order quickly with a few mistakes despite the track being considerably improved during the break in racing. McLellan also lost places down to eighth with his own mistake!

Janis Reisulis held fifth behind Farres at the end of the first full lap, then came Lata, Karssemakers, McLellan, and a slow-starting Everts.  Towards the end of lap four, Coenen dropped the bike in a dip between jumps, and both Valin and the Champ got past, sending the crowd into its loudest cheer of the day!  It was short-lived though, as Coenen was able to re-pass the German into the very next corner! 

The track became very tough to pass on, and Mikula suffered a big crash on lap 12.  The next time around, Sacha Coenen jumped on the yellow flags, instantly apologising with a wave, but the Penalty was then applied and he was to be docked five points as a result. 

Noel Zanocz fought his way into the top ten, his first such finish in MX2 for Venrooy KTM Racing, with Karssemakers ninth behind a crestfallen Lata.  Crestfallen because Everts had passed him on the very last lap for seventh!

The top six stayed in place as Valin, Coenen, Längenfelder, Farres, Janis Reisulis and McLellan all fought with the conditions.  Valin’s first career Sunday win gave him his first ever Grand Prix victory, and his third podium result in a row.  The Frenchman becomes the first rider from his country to win in MX2 since the heroic Thibault Benistant in 2023.  We obviously wish Thibault well in his current struggles, and we’re sure that he would not be unhappy at seeing this result today.

Valin’s win is also the first in the class for Kawasaki since Dylan Ferrandis back in July 2016 at Loket, and it lifts him back up to sixth in the Championship this year.  Sacha’s penalty from second overall still leaves him with a three-point lead over Längenfelder, and the Belgian leaves a GP for the first time in his career with the red plate in his pocket!  McLellan scores his second straight podium, and Janis Reisulis achieved another career best with fourth overall. The Champion salvaged fifth from a rough day, ahead of Farres, Lata, Everts, Karssemakers, and Karlis Reisulis.  

The Championship moves to Latvia, home of the Reisulis brothers, in a week’s time, where Sacha Coenen has won for both of the last two years, so he will be as confident as ever of bringing home a win and defending that red plate!

Come and join us in just a few days’ time for round eight – yes, we’re that far into 2026 already!  Time flies when you’re having fun and following MXGP Motocross!

Mathis Valin: “It was a nice weekend. I had a good speed and two good starts. In the second race Sacha had a small crash, so I had the opportunity to pass, and after that I was quite good. I don’t know exactly what changed about my starts especially because we didn’t change so many things but it’s working. Just having more confidence is key. I know that if I can start in front and that my speed is coming back I can keep performing. I did three podiums in a row, so I think I can do it every weekend.. I hope so!”

Sacha Coenen: “I did two good starts, two FOX holeshots, led the first race all the way and managed to win. Second race was a bit different, I was in the lead and lost the front coming off the start straight, had to come back from third, passed second quickly and chased my pace, but it was quite difficult to pass. I was a bit disappointed because of the five-point penalty. Two brothers having the red plate on the same weekend, it’s quite nice. I’m just going weekend by weekend and having fun on the bike.”

Camden Mc Lellan: “It’s not been the best day to be honest because I screwed both my starts. I spent 35 minutes in the second race trying to find somewhere to pass and there was nothing. I’m pretty upset. A lot of it’s on me, I needed to start. I have the speed, that’s not an issue. I have the fitness, that’s far from the issue. I need to get out the gates consistently. I believe I’m back on the level where I should be winning races and I’m the best guy on the track when I’m feeling it.”

    
1. Sacha Coenen; 2. Camden Mc Lellan

MX2 - Grand Prix Race 1 - Top 10 Classification: 1. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM), 36:17.071; 2. Mathis Valin (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:05.492; 3. Camden Mc Lellan (RSA, Triumph), +0:33.211; 4. Janis Martins Reisulis (LAT, Yamaha), +0:35.096; 5. Valerio Lata (ITA, Honda), +0:40.721; 6. Guillem Farres (ESP, Triumph), +0:43.140; 7. Liam Everts (BEL, Husqvarna), +1:02.204; 8. Simon Längenfelder (GER, KTM), +1:09.283; 9. Julius Mikula (CZE, KTM), +1:22.819; 10. Karlis Alberts Reisulis (LAT, Yamaha), +1:31.319.

MX2 - Grand Prix Race 2 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Mathis Valin (FRA, Kawasaki), 35:09.458; 2. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM), +0:01.049; 3. Simon Längenfelder (GER, KTM), +0:02.549; 4. Guillem Farres (ESP, Triumph), +0:04.136; 5. Janis Martins Reisulis (LAT, Yamaha), +0:25.711; 6. Camden Mc Lellan (RSA, Triumph), +0:27.042; 7. Liam Everts (BEL, Husqvarna), +0:33.726; 8. Valerio Lata (ITA, Honda), +0:34.693; 9. Kay Karssemakers (NED, Kawasaki), +1:07.330; 10. Noel Zanocz (HUN, KTM), +1:21.070.

MX2 Overall – Top 10 Classification: 1. Mathis Valin (FRA, Kawasaki), 47 pts; 2. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM), 47 pts; 3. Camden Mc Lellan (RSA, Triumph), 35 pts; 4. Janis Martins Reisulis (LAT, Yamaha), 34 pts; 5. Simon Längenfelder (GER, KTM), 33 pts; 6. Guillem Farres (ESP, Triumph), 33 pts; 7. Valerio Lata (ITA, Honda), 29 pts; 8. Liam Everts (BEL, Husqvarna), 28 pts; 9. Kay Karssemakers (NED, Kawasaki), 22 pts; 10. Karlis Alberts Reisulis (LAT, Yamaha), 20 pts.

MX2 - World Championship Classification: 1. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM), 320 pts; 2. Simon Längenfelder (GER, KTM), 314 pts; 3. Guillem Farres (ESP, Triumph), 294 pts; 4. Liam Everts (BEL, Husqvarna), 273 pts; 5. Camden Mc Lellan (RSA, Triumph), 268 pts; 6. Mathis Valin (FRA, Kawasaki), 258 pts; 7. Janis Martins Reisulis (LAT, Yamaha), 243 pts; 8. Karlis Alberts Reisulis (LAT, Yamaha), 187 pts; 9. Valerio Lata (ITA, Honda), 185 pts; 10. Julius Mikula (CZE, KTM), 142 pts.

MX2 - Manufacturers Classification: 1. KTM, 377 points; 2. Triumph, 359 p.; 3. Kawasaki, 288 p.; 4. Husqvarna, 281 p.; 5. Yamaha, 270 p.; 6. Honda, 212 p.; 7. TM, 87 p.; 8. Ducati, 58 p.; 9. GASGAS, 27 p.; 10. Fantic, 8 p.;

​MX2 Podium Germany 2026

All the photos from the Liqui Moly MXGP of Germany will be available HERE.

You can find the complete results HERE.

MXGP OF GERMANY QUICK FACTS:

Circuit length: 1550m

Type of ground: Hard Pack

Temperature: 24˚

Weather conditions: Cloudy

Crowd attendance: 31,068

LINKS

Infront Moto Racing

FIM

TEUTSCHENTHAL (Germany) 30th May 2026 – After overnight rain gave the Talkessel circuit a little soaking before the Liqui Moly MXGP of Germany, the sun shone brightly today over the typically boisterous Teutschenthal crowds, and the re-worked circuit provided some fantastic racing for them to enjoy in the afternoon’s Qualifying Races!

Many riders in both classes wore “TB9: Stay Strong” stickers in support of Thibault Benistant, the Team Honda Motoblouz SR Motul rider who is still recovering from his injuries from last weekend in France.  The entire Paddock misses him and wishes him well.

Reigning World Champion Romain Febvre took his first chequered flag with the #1 plate today for Kawasaki Racing Team MXGP, holding off a determined race-long challenge from Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP’s Tim Gajser. Championship leader Lucas Coenen was third for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, adding to his points advantage by a small margin.

In MX2, there was joy for the Triumph Racing Factory Team, who took their first ever Qualifying Race win thanks to a strong ride from Camden McLellan, who finally ticks off that QR Win box on his resumé! There was also a career-best result for Janis Reisulis, who grabbed second place for Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 ahead of Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing’s lone warrior Liam Everts.

As usual, the smoke flares and the chainless chainsaws from the ebullient German fans made for a crackling atmosphere around the Talkessel, and the revised circuit was well received by riders.  With a possible change in conditions for tomorrow’s racing, there could be some totally different results tomorrow, and the Championship pictures in both classes are totally open to radical change!

MXGP Start Teutschenthal 2026

With the MXGP field over-subscribed this weekend, the OAT riders were separated from the Wildcard riders for the practice sessions, and the OAT Free Practice saw Tim Gajser at the top of the timings, with his oldest adversaries right behind him! Jeffrey Herlings was second for Honda HRC Petronas, and Romain Febvre set the third best time.

That top three was almost repeated in the Time Practice session, with the Slovenian holding a gap of three quarters of a second over the Dutchman, but then Lucas Coenen took third ahead of the Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing rider Kay de Wolf, with Febvre fifth.

The Frenchman got a great jump from the gate in the Qualifying Race, however, and as Gajser survived some brief contact with Herlings down the start straight, the Kawasaki emerged in front by a wheel from the Yamaha! Alberto Forato was in a great third round the first corner for Fantic Factory Racing MXGP, but Coenen and Herlings were instantly all over him, and up to third and fourth as they exited the second corner from the start! The tall Italian gave up places as a result of their passes, finishing his first lap in tenth behind his fellow Italian Andrea Bonacorsi from the Red Bull Ducati Factory MXGP Team.

Kawasaki Racing Team MXGP’s Pauls Jonass held a strong fifth early on, and battled with last year’s MX2 winner here, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Andrea Adamo, while De Wolf and the second Honda HRC Petronas of Ruben Fernandez rounded out the top eight.

On lap four, Adamo put a great move on Jonass around the outside of a fast downhill, and De Wolf was able to add to the Latvian’s disruption with a quick pass soon after, then Fernandez advanced to seventh a lap later.

The eight-wheeled freight train of the front four was turning into a real cat-and-mouse battle, and Gajser made several attempts to get past Febvre, the most eventful coming at the top of the hill by the entrance road, and the fans held their breath as Romain jumped across the front of Tim from the outside, and two of the most experienced racers in the field needed all their skills to avoid what could have been a violent crash!

With three laps to go, De Wolf tipped over as he attempted to get onto terms with Adamo, and the Italian took fifth ahead of Fernandez, a recovering De Wolf in seventh, then Jonass, Bonacorsi with his best Qualifying finish yet on the Ducati, and Forato rounding out the points scorers.  Sadly, Tom Vialle pulled in early on the Honda HRC Petronas machine, with the pain from his French GP injuries proving to be too much to bear.

While Herlings made advances on Coenen, he couldn’t make a pass, so the teenager pulls out a single point on the veteran to make the gap at the top a mere three points heading into tomorrow’s GP races.  Febvre’s first win with the #1 plate helps him pull slightly away from Gajser, who will carry strong pace into tomorrow!

The start will be super-important on Sunday but anything is possible on this classic circuit, so be sure not to miss tomorrow’s Grand Prix races from the Talkessel!

Romain Febvre: "It was a tense race, but happy to win that one. After a good start, I took the holeshot, which on this track makes my life much easier. Gajser was trying to catch me some sectors, yeah, I did some good lines but I could hear him coming. I was trying to change lines but it's not so easy because sometimes you come to a corner and you have 10, 12 lines and you don't know which one to pick. I'm happy to have won that one and I have a good gate pick for tomorrow, hopefully for the same result."

Tim Gajser: "I'm okay. The track was quite sketchy. I had a solid start, I was behind Romain and I was just working, trying different lines. I feel like I was faster but it was just not enough to pass him, so I settled for second. Happy with the speed, happy with how today went. I was not sure until Thursday if I was going to line up, so happy with how it went and hopefully tomorrow we can do the same."

Lucas Coenen: "Honestly, it's hard to be in the middle because you get attacked and you also want to attack. The start was quite good but me and Jeffrey [Herlings] banged bars and we hit each other in the first corner. After that I managed to pass him and I was trying to be safe out there, it was easy to make a mistake. P3 is positive. I did some good lines, I tried to ride smooth but when you're being attacked from behind it's kind of hard, but I think I did good."

    
1. Tim Gajser;  2. Lucas Coenen

MXGP - Qualifying Race Classification: 1. Romain Febvre (FRA, Kawasaki), 25:27.569; 2. Tim Gajser (SLO, Yamaha), +0:01.192; 3. Lucas Coenen (BEL, KTM), +0:02.238; 4. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, Honda), +0:04.011; 5. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), +0:28.641; 6. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, Honda), +0:31.113; 7. Kay de Wolf (NED, Husqvarna), +0:36.153; 8. Pauls Jonass (LAT, Kawasaki), +0:38.076; 9. Andrea Bonacorsi (ITA, Ducati), +0:43.008; 10. Alberto Forato (ITA, Fantic), +0:43.848

MXGP - World Championship Classification: 1. Lucas Coenen (BEL, KTM), 294 points; 2. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, HON), 291 p.; 3. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 241 p.; 4. Tim Gajser (SLO, YAM), 232 p.; 5. Tom Vialle (FRA, HON), 219 p.; 6. Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 218 p.; 7. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 191 p.; 8. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, HON), 182 p.; 9. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), 177 p.; 10. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, DUC), 126 p.;

Camden Mc Lellan

The practice sessions saw the usual hardpack lovers come out to play at the top of the tables, although the speed and commitment of Sacha Coenen was breath-taking as he set the top time in Free Practice for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing.  Triumph Factory Racing Team’s Guillem Farres was second, ahead of last year’s Qualifying Race winner Valerio Lata, looking good immediately for Honda HRC Petronas.

Coenen took the top spot in Time Practice, too, a full second faster than Janis Reisulis, with Liam Everts right there in third.

Coenen pulled a classic Holeshot, with Everts right alongside him into turn one, but Janis tucked towards the inside of the Belgian to out-drag him up the big Liqui Moly mountain towards the second corner! McLellan was fourth initially, but a brilliant run around the second and third corners put him instantly past both of the riders in front of him to fire back across the start straight in second place!

Home hero Simon Längenfelder, holding the number 1 red plate for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing and sporting his nation’s traditional colours, was initially in fifth spot, but dropped back behind last year’s Qualifying Race winner Valerio Lata on the Honda HRC Petronas machine, and Guillem Farres of the Triumph Racing Factory Team.  The Spaniard then passed the Italian in a tight left-hand corner before the end of the first full lap.  It got worse for Längenfelder as Kawasaki Racing Team MX2’s Frenchman Mathis Valin made a pass over the new “Dragon’s Back” jump at the start of lap two!

Suddenly on lap three, Coenen dropped the bike under braking for a right-hander, and picked it back up in fifth, just as Valin passed Lata for sixth.  Karlis Reisulis was also hounding the Champ for Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2, while Osička KTM MX Team rider Julius Mikula was lurking in tenth.

McLellan inherited the lead after Coenen’s crash, with Janis Reisulis a solid second.  Farres initially gave Everts some pressure, but the Belgian responded to hold on, and the top four stayed constant until the finish.

Mikula passed Karlis Reisulis to take ninth at half distance, and they would finish there to round out the points scorers.  Coenen fell again to gift Valin fifth place on lap ten, with Lata finishing behind the Belgian in seventh.  Längenfelder’s eighth place means that Sacha still closed in by two points in the Championship, leaving him six points back, but Farres is now just ten further behind in third!

McLellan took the win by just over two seconds, finally claiming the first Saturday win for both himself and the Triumph factory, and is now just ten points behind Everts in fourth.  Janis Reisulis’ highest Saturday finish in second moved him past Valin by a single point for sixth in the Championship. 

The MX2 series seems to have the top five all condensing to be closer to each other, and it could be a fantastic fight between all of the top contenders tomorrow! 

The riders in all classes will be watching the weather apps to see what they have to deal with tomorrow, and it could lead to some unpredictable racing across the board! Come and join us for what should prove to be an epic Sunday at the Liqui Moly MXGP of Germany!

Camden McLellan: "Tough conditions, really, really technical track. Sacha [Coenen] was pushing in the first couple of laps and I tried to stay with him, but the risk was not worth the reward, let's say, so I held back in second and then he made a mistake and I kind of just brought it home. It was really, really easy to make mistakes, so I was focusing on just doing my laps. I think I still have some improving to do tomorrow, but starts are awesome, riding is awesome, bike's awesome, so I'm looking forward to the weekend."

    
1. Liam Everts; 2. Janis Reisulis

MX2 - Qualifying Race Classification: 1. Camden Mc Lellan (RSA, Triumph), 25:40.417; 2. Janis Martins Reisulis (LAT, Yamaha), +0:02.270; 3. Liam Everts (BEL, Husqvarna), +0:04.242; 4. Guillem Farres (ESP, Triumph), +0:07.066; 5. Mathis Valin (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:13.166; 6. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM), +0:15.166; 7. Valerio Lata (ITA, Honda), +0:18.643; 8. Simon Längenfelder (GER, KTM), +0:29.100; 9. Julius Mikula (CZE, KTM), +0:32.332; 10. Karlis Alberts Reisulis (LAT, Yamaha), +0:46.433;

MX2 - World Championship Classification: 1. Simon Längenfelder (GER, KTM), 284 points; 2. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM), 278 p.; 3. Guillem Farres (ESP, TRI), 268 p.; 4. Liam Everts (BEL, HUS), 253 p.; 5. Camden Mc Lellan (RSA, TRI), 243 p.; 6. Janis Martins Reisulis (LAT, YAM), 218 p.; 7. Mathis Valin (FRA, KAW), 217 p.; 8. Karlis Alberts Reisulis (LAT, YAM), 168 p.; 9. Valerio Lata (ITA, HON), 160 p.; 10. Julius Mikula (CZE, KTM), 132 p.

All the photos from the Liqui Moly MXGP of Germany will be available HERE.

You can find the complete results HERE.

TIMETABLE

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

MXGP Germany