MX2

LACAPELLE-MARIVAL (France) 23rd May 2026 – MXGP fired back into life today as the sixth round of the series saw hot sunshine bathe the passionate fans at the Circuit Georges Filhol, and the Qualifying Races delivered equally hot action as the MXGP of France once more brought out the best in both the riders and the crowds in attendance!

In the first MXGP event for five years at Lacapelle-Marival, in the south-west of the country, the French fans who came in for Saturday were rewarded with a home win in the MX2 class for Mathis Valin, taking the second Qualifying Race victory of his career, and his first this year for Kawasaki Racing Team MX2!

In MXGP, it was the 2021 GP winner at this venue, Jeffrey Herlings, who took the victory today with a commanding display for Honda HRC Petronas, ahead of a frantic battle between Kay de Wolf and Lucas Coenen for second place, and it was the Dutchman who took second place on the final corner for Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing! The Belgian maintained the Championship lead by just two points for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing.

Behind the ecstatic Valin in MX2 was Liam Everts, scoring his best Saturday result of the year for Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing, and Janis Reisulis, enjoying his career best Qualifying Race for Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2!

With more strong sunshine and hot conditions looking likely for tomorrow, the riders will face a serious test in a raucous atmosphere during Sunday’s GP races. It’s great to be back!

The top riders were keen to show that they were coming back to play with great speed in their pocket, and Jeffrey Herlings put in a late burst to take top spot in Free Practice, by half a tenth from series leader Lucas Coenen! Herlings’ Honda HRC Petronas teammate Tom Vialle was third quickest to give his home fans some hope.

However, it was all change in Time Practice as Kay de Wolf claimed the top spot, less than a tenth of a second ahead of a last-lap effort from Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP’s Tim Gajser!  Coenen was still right there, just another two tenths back, with Herlings in fourth ahead of another French hope, Gajser’s teammate Maxime Renaux!

From just the seventh gate pick for the Qualifying Race, Tom Vialle drew a roar from the crowd as he fired into the lead with a clear Holeshot, but Herlings was right with him as De Wolf battled the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing machine of Andrea Adamo for third.  Coenen was only down in eighth position, just ahead of reigning World Champion, Kawasaki Racing Team MXGP’s Romain Febvre!

Jeffrey wasted no time in getting to the front, knifing inside his teammate to take the lead through the inside of the fourth corner.  The third Honda HRC Petronas machine of Ruben Fernandez briefly held fourth place behind De Wolf, as Gajser and Coenen quickly got past Adamo on the opening lap. 

After a couple of nasty moments, Vialle didn’t heed the warning signs and suffered a spectacular crash as his bike swapped sideways through the waves, sending him in a flat spin through the air!  He was lucky enough to be unhurt, and would recover to claim 13th place at the finish.  Coenen then got around Gajser to put himself into fourth behind Fernandez, eventually passing him for third on lap five!

As Herlings eased away at the front, looking in perfect control through the many difficult rutted sections, the battle raged for fourth place throughout the second half of the race, as Gajser and Renaux both passed Fernandez on lap eight, and Febvre also fought forward two laps later.  Adamo, the Kawasaki Racing Team MXGP rider Pauls Jonass, and Red Bull Ducati Factory MXGP Team’s Calvin Vlaanderen rounded out the top ten, until Vlaanderen came to a stop and dropped out. Jonass was overtaken by a late charge from Team Honda Motoblouz SR Motul pilot Thibault Benistant, celebrating his home GP with his first Qualifying Race points in the class for ninth place.  Fernandez and Adamo finished seventh and eighth.

Coenen started to attack De Wolf for second, and the battle between the former teammates was enthralling! Gajser made a mistake to suddenly drop behind Renaux and Febvre with two laps to go, giving the home riders fourth and fifth at the flag.  Meanwhile, Lucas Coenen got right to the back wheel of De Wolf, and after trying a pass on a corner after a downhill for two laps, got it done perfectly as the Dutchman lost traction and second place on the final lap!  However, the Husqvarna man was not done, and pulled an amazing pass on his old rival, around the outside on the final corner to take the runner-up spot by just 0.075 of a second!

By then, however, Herlings had crossed the line to win by nearly four seconds, and halves the Championship lead to just two points heading into the Grand Prix races tomorrow!  The fighting French riders will be out to please their fans while the title battle rages on, so we are set for a stunning Sunday to match a spectacular Saturday!

Jeffrey Herlings: “It was fun out there. It got quite sketchy and quite rough by the end, but I think that’s actually good for the racing. The track prep was really good today we got some nice lines opening up. I took a good start, went second, then managed to get past my teammate in the second turn and led the rest of the race. I felt good, felt in control. The track prep was really good for Race 1 and I hope they can repeat that tomorrow. Looking forward to it.”

Kay de Wolf: “It felt really good. Lucas [Coenen] gave me some good pressure so it was a fun race, I really enjoyed it. This is exactly what I wished for, to battle with these guys, because they’re at the top of the championship right now, they’re the best. I just wanted to fight with them and that’s what we did. We had some clean racing in the last lap. I’m sure Lucas will try to get me back tomorrow, but that’s all good. Looking forward to it.”

Lucas Coenen: “Honestly, I wasn’t feeling great. It wasn’t the best start, I was quite far down in that first lap and had to make some passes to get back in the mix. On this track if you take the holeshot you’re almost home, so it’s a bummer I didn’t get that. But I reeled Kay [de Wolf] in and my speed was there, I just made a small mistake in one corner that gave him the gap on the inside on the jump. I tried to get him but I couldn’t. It’s only a qualifying race though, tomorrow is the day. If I can nail the start and pull the holeshot, we can win.”

     
1. Lucas Coenen & Kay de Wolf; 2. Maxime Renaux

MXGP - Qualifying Race Classification: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, Honda), 24:57.638; 2. Kay de Wolf (NED, Husqvarna), +0:03.846; 3. Lucas Coenen (BEL, KTM), +0:03.921; 4. Maxime Renaux (FRA, Yamaha), +0:13.973; 5. Romain Febvre (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:15.345; 6. Tim Gajser (SLO, Yamaha), +0:17.317; 7. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, Honda), +0:24.802; 8. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), +0:34.445; 9. Thibault Benistant (FRA, Honda), +0:37.718; 10. Pauls Jonass (LAT, Kawasaki), +0:41.049;

MXGP - World Championship Classification: 1. Lucas Coenen (BEL, KTM), 239 points; 2. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, HON), 237 p.; 3. Tom Vialle (FRA, HON), 206 p.; 4. Tim Gajser (SLO, YAM), 203 p.; 5. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 197 p.; 6. Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 185 p.; 7. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 153 p.; 8. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, HON), 150 p.; 9. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), 141 p.; 10. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, DUC), 110 p.

Mathis Valin
 

The packed banks of French fans were given an early reason to make some noise as their biggest hope in MX2, Mathis Valin, took the top time in Free Practice, over half a second ahead of Triumph Factory Racing Team’s Guillem Farres in second. However, reigning World Champion Simon Längenfelder got the better of the Frenchman in Time Practice to grab the first gate pick for the Qualifying Race, with his fellow Red Bull KTM Factory Racing pilot Sacha Coenen behind Valin in third.

Despite their great gate picks, both of the top two riders in the Championship started well outside the top ten, and Sacha Coenen’s unbeaten run of Qualifying Race wins this season was already certain to be over!  It was Valin who led through the first corner to the delight of the local fans, and the pack tore into the valley to a noisy crescendo!

Farres was right on Valin’s tail, however, after quickly passing the Honda HRC Petronas rider Valerio Lata, and before they started the first full lap the Spaniard got better drive from an inside rut and took the lead from the Frenchman!

Liam Everts was also quickly past Lata, and Janis Reisulis took another lap to get past the Italian.  However, Farres fell in the same corner where he took the lead a lap before, and remounted in sixth place, putting Valin back in a leading position as the fans howled their approval! One of the riders to pass Farres was his countryman Francisco Garcia, making his MX2 debut for BUD Racing Kawasaki in an off week for the EMX250 Championship, which he currently leads! The youngster kept Farres back for three whole laps before the Triumph man finally got a good run to pass him.

While the top three stayed in position for the rest of the race, the battle was joined behind as Längenfelder and Coenen recovered from their poor starts while fighting each other!  The young Belgian made a good inside pass on his German rival on lap five, but the Champ hit his stride later in the race as the track got more technical, re-passing Coenen on lap ten!

Lata held onto fourth until Farres came through on lap nine, and then sadly for the Italian the floodgates opened on the final two laps as Camden McLellan joined his Triumph Racing Factory Team stablemate in the top five by the finish.  Längenfelder also passed Lata on the penultimate lap to rescue sixth place and actually build his points lead to four over Coenen, who came home in seventh. 

Garcia took points from his very first MX2 Qualifying Race with a fine eighth, with Beddini Racing Ducati Factory MX2 Team’s sole MX2 rider Ferruccio Zanchi taking ninth after some strong racing with the two factory KTMs, while a disappointed Lata collected the final point in tenth.

Reisulis got to within a second and a half of Everts at the close, but the Belgian held onto second to level with Farres for third in the Championship going into tomorrow, still both 38 points off the leader.

All the crowd noise was for Valin though, who celebrated in typical goofy style as he crossed the line with the widest smile in the south of France!  The crowd and his team will hope for more of the same tomorrow, but for sure the top Championship contenders will not be giving up without a fight!

Be sure to join us for the MXGP of France main races tomorrow, it’s looking like an absolute scorcher!

Mathis Valin: “I had a good start, finally! It’s been a long time since I was out front like that so I’m really pumped. The track is not easy but I’m so happy to be up there in front of this crowd. I just kept pushing and managed to hold it together. Let’s see if we can do the same tomorrow, thank you to everyone for the support today.”

    
1. Liam Everts; 2. Janis Reisulis

MX2 - Qualifying Race Classification: 1. Mathis Valin (FRA, Kawasaki), 23:46.460; 2. Liam Everts (BEL, Husqvarna), +0:04.517; 3. Janis Martins Reisulis (LAT, Yamaha), +0:06.002; 4. Guillem Farres (ESP, Triumph), +0:09.815; 5. Camden Mc Lellan (RSA, Triumph), +0:10.663; 6. Simon Längenfelder (GER, KTM), +0:14.359; 7. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM), +0:15.983; 8. Francisco Garcia (ESP, Kawasaki), +0:18.256; 9. Ferruccio Zanchi (ITA, Ducati), +0:18.910; 10. Valerio Lata (ITA, Honda), +0:23.332

MX2 - World Championship Classification: 1. Simon Längenfelder (GER, KTM), 249 points; 2. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM), 245 p.; 3. Guillem Farres (ESP, TRI), 211 p.; 4. Liam Everts (BEL, HUS), 211 p.; 5. Camden Mc Lellan (RSA, TRI), 191 p.; 6. Janis Martins Reisulis (LAT, YAM), 178 p.; 7. Mathis Valin (FRA, KAW), 169 p.; 8. Karlis Alberts Reisulis (LAT, YAM), 150 p.; 9. Valerio Lata (ITA, HON), 134 p.; 10. Kay Karssemakers (NED, KAW), 114 p.

All the photos from the MXGP of France 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 EMX125 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

LACAPELLE-MARIVAL (France) 22nd May 2026 — The MXGP of France took off in great fashion on Friday afternoon as many great riders of the FIM Motocross World Championship gathered at the Lacapelle-Marival circuit for a fan signing session following the Blåkläder Start Practice sessions, giving the passionate French crowd a first up-close look at their heroes ahead of what promises to be a spectacular weekend of racing.

With the summer sun blazing down on the Lot region, the atmosphere was nothing short of electric. Fans of all ages queued in numbers, posters and programmes in hand, for the chance to meet the stars of the 2026 FIM Motocross World Championship, and the riders did not disappoint.

Leading the charge on home soil was reigning MXGP World Champion Kawasaki Racing Team’s  Romain Febvre. Alongside him were fellow French fan favourites Honda HRC Petronas’ Tom Vialle, making his highly anticipated debut season in the MXGP class, Maxime Renaux from Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP, Team Honda Motoblouz SR Motul’s Thibault Benistant also enjoying his first campaign in the premier class, and MX2 rising star Maxime Grau from Maddii Racing Honda ABF Italia, who has been showing great riding this season.

Adding an international flavour to the occasion were Belgian powerhouses Lucas and Sacha Coenen from Red Bull KTM Factory Racing  the two brothers fighting for their first title in each class this year, along with the legendary Honda HRC Petronas’ Jeffrey Herlings.

The session buzzed with energy as signed posters, photos and moments of genuine connection between riders and fans were shared across the paddock area. For many supporters, young and older, it was a memory to treasure long after the gate drops.

With temperatures soaring and the mercury climbing across the Lot, the scorching heat seemed only to add to the sense of occasion, setting the scene for what is shaping up to be an unforgettable Grand Prix weekend.

Stay tuned for all the action, LIVE on MXGP-TV.com.

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

You can find the complete results HERE and on Sportity App (Password: MXGP2026)

TIMETABLE

SATURDAY

08:15 WMX Free Practice, 08:50 EMX125 Group 1 Free Practice, 09:20 EMX125 Group 2 Free Practice, 09:50 WMX Qualifying Practice, 10:30 MX2 Free Practice, 11:00 MXGP Free Practice, 12:20 EMX125 Group 1 Qualifying Practice, 13:00 EMX125 Group 2 Qualifying Practice, 13:40 MX2 Time Practice, 14:15 MXGP Time Practice, 15:00 WMX Race 1, 15:45 EMX125 Race 1, 16:35 MX2 Qualifying Race, 17:25 MXGP Qualifying Race.

SUNDAY

09:45 WMX Race 2, 10:25 MX2 Warm-up, 10:45 MXGP Warm-up, 11:30 EMX125 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 France

LACAPELLE-MARIVAL (France) 22nd May 2026 – After a four-weekend break, the 2026 MXGP FIM Motocross World Championship fires back into action this weekend at the Circuit Georges Filhol, within the village of LaCapelle-Marival in the south-west of France.  For the first time in nearly five years, the MXGP of France will tear into this grassy circuit that saw a stunning day of racing and brilliant atmosphere back in 2021!

The Honda HRC Petronas pairing of Jeffrey Herlings & Tom Vialle, both victorious here during the last visit to this circuit, have drawn closer to series leader Lucas Coenen, who now leads the MXGP World Championship for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing by just four points! Vialle can count on some huge home crowd support this weekend, as will reigning World Champion Romain Febvre for Kawasaki Racing Team MXGP, and Swiss GP podium man Maxime Renaux for Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP!

The MX2 class was also left in a precariously close position, as reigning MX2 World Champion Simon Längenfelder has been caught by his fellow Red Bull KTM Factory Racing pilot Sacha Coenen, the gap between them reduced to just three points with the Belgian’s win in Trentino!  The local fans will be getting behind Mathis Valin, who took a podium for Kawasaki Racing Team MX2 behind Coenen and Guillem Farres for the Triumph Racing Factory Team.  The Spaniard is third in points and urgently seeking his first GP victory.

LaCapelle-Marival also sees the opening round of the FIM Women’s Motocross World Championship, with Lotte van Drunen wearing the #1 plate for the very first time on her De Baets AIT Yamaha, although she will be strongly challenged by last year’s fellow medallists Kiara Fontanesi and Daniela Guillen, especially as he Italian legend won the first and only previous WMX round at this track back in 2011!

The WMX Championship is gaining more and more interest from international broadcasters, with Spanish network TV3 Catalonia continuing their coverage, joined by NOS in the Netherlands who will broadcast dedicated highlights each weekend.  CBS Sport Network in the USA will continue to broadcast the second race each weekend, and for the first time TV3 in the Baltic nations will showcase all of the WMX races LIVE on both Saturday and Sunday!

There will be massive coverage in France for the entire event, with Automoto TV La Chaine showing the whole four hours of LIVE action on Sunday with their onsite crew and French language commentator.  La Chaine l’Equipe will show the second MXGP race LIVE on their free-to-view channel.  Eurosport 2 will also show all four races live on Sunday.

Below you can find a list of all TV channels worldwide that will air LIVE and delayed action of the MXGP of France, as well as the 26-minute Behind The Gate magazine show featuring the best moments from the races, exclusive interviews and more.  Saturday’s Time Practice sessions will also be broadcast live as the team of Paul Malin and Lisa Leyland bring all the action to you as always, and all of this footage, plus the action from the hectic EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing series will be available on MXGP-TV.com and via our TV magazine partners following the Grand Prix.

As always, MXGP fans can follow the races LIVE throughout the weekend. All you need to do is log onto www.MXGP-TV.com Saturday and Sunday, from wherever you are in the world.  We know you’ve been missing us, so feast on the action from la belle France this weekend as you would the tastiest of croissants!

USA CANADA

CBS Sports Network

Sunday 24 May 2026 – MXGP Race 2 – 11:00 ET – LIVE

Sunday 24 May 2026 – MXGP Race 2 – 16:00 ET – Delayed

Sunday 24 May 2026 – MX2 Race 2 – 17:00 ET – Delayed

Sunday 24 May 2026 – WMX Race 2 – 18:00 ET – Delayed

BRAZIL

Bandsports

Sunday 24 May 2026 – MX2 Race 1 – 13:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 May 2026 – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 May 2026 – MX2 Race 2 – 16:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 May 2026 – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 CET  – LIVE

CENTRAL AMERICA

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

FOX ONE

Sunday 24 May 2026 – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 May 2026 – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 CET  – LIVE

TUBI

Sunday 24 May 2026 – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 May 2026 – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 CET  – LIVE

Tubi México

Sunday 24 May 2026 – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 May 2026 – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 CET  – LIVE

LATIN AMERICA(Except Brazil)

Youtube “Somos FOX”

Sunday 24 May 2026 – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 CET – LIVE Streaming

Sunday 24 May 2026 – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 CET  – LIVE Streaming

EUROPE

Eurosport 2

Monday 25 May 2026 – MX2 Race 1 – 07:00 CET – LIVE

Monday 25 May 2026 – MXGP Race 1 – 07:45 CET – LIVE

Monday 25 May 2026 – MX2 Race 2 – 08:30 CET – LIVE

Monday 25 May 2026 – MXGP Race 2 – 09:15 CET  – LIVE

MAX

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

Sunday 24 May 2026 – MX2 Race 1 – 13:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 May 2026 – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 May 2026 – MX2 Race 2 – 16:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 May 2026 – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 CET  – LIVE

BELGIUM 

PLAY SPORTS 3

Sunday 24 May 2026 – MX2 Race 1 – 13:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 May 2026 – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 May 2026 – MX2 Race 2 – 16:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 May 2026 – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 CET  – LIVE

ESTONIA

Go3 Sport Open

Saturday 23 May 2026 – WMX Race 1 – 14:50 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 May 2026 – WMX Race 2 – 09:35 CET - LIVE

Sunday 24 May 2026 – MX2 Race 1 – 13:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 May 2026 – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 May 2026 – MX2 Race 2 – 16:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 May 2026 – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 CET  – LIVE

Go3

Saturday 23 May 2026 – WMX Race 1 – 14:50 CET – LIVE Stream

Sunday 24 May 2026 – WMX Race 2 – 09:35 CET – LIVE Stream

Sunday 24 May 2026 – MX2 Race 1 – 13:00 CET – LIVE Stream

Sunday 24 May 2026 – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 CET – LIVE Stream

Sunday 24 May 2026 – MX2 Race 2 – 16:00 CET – LIVE Stream

Sunday 24 May 2026 – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 CET  – LIVE Stream

FINLAND

MTV MAX 

Sunday 24 May 2026 – MXGP Race 2 – 18:00 Finnish timing  – LIVE

FRANCE

LA CHAINE L’EQUIPE

Sunday 24 May 2026 – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 CET  – LIVE

Sunday 24 May 2026 – MX2 Race 1 – 13:00 CET – LIVE Stream

Sunday 24 May 2026 – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 CET – LIVE Stream

Sunday 24 May 2026 – MX2 Race 2 – 16:00 CET – LIVE Stream

Sunday 24 May 2026 – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 CET  – LIVE Stream

Eurosport 2

Sunday 24 May 2026 – MX2 Race 1 – 13:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 May 2026 – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 May 2026 – MX2 Race 2 – 16:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 May 2026 – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 CET  – LIVE

AUTO MOTO TV

Sunday 24 May 2026 – MX2 Race 1 – 13:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 May 2026 – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 May 2026 – MX2 Race 2 – 16:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 May 2026 – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 CET  – LIVE

GREAT BRITAIN

TNT Sports 6

Sunday 24 May 2026 – MX2 Race 1 – 12:00 GMT – LIVE

Sunday 24 May 2026 – MXGP Race 1 – 13:00 GMT – LIVE

Sunday 24 May 2026 – MX2 Race 2 – 15:00 GMT – LIVE

Sunday 24 May 2026 – MXGP Race 2 – 16:00 GMT  – LIVE

ITALY

RAI Sport

Sunday 24 May 2026 – MX2 Race 2 – 16:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 May 2026 – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 CET  – LIVE

LATVIA

Go3 Sport Open

Saturday 23 May 2026 – WMX Race 1 – 14:50 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 May 2026 – WMX Race 2 – 09:35 CET - LIVE

Sunday 24 May 2026 – MX2 Race 1 – 13:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 May 2026 – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 May 2026 – MX2 Race 2 – 16:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 May 2026 – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 CET  – LIVE

Go3

Saturday 23 May 2026 – WMX Race 1 – 14:50 CET – LIVE Stream

Sunday 24 May 2026 – WMX Race 2 – 09:35 CET – LIVE Stream

Sunday 24 May 2026 – MX2 Race 1 – 13:00 CET – LIVE Stream

Sunday 24 May 2026 – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 CET – LIVE Stream

Sunday 24 May 2026 – MX2 Race 2 – 16:00 CET – LIVE Stream

Sunday 24 May 2026 – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 CET  – LIVE Stream

LITHUANIA
Go3 Sport Open

Saturday 23 May 2026 – WMX Race 1 – 14:50 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 May 2026 – WMX Race 2 – 09:35 CET - LIVE

Sunday 24 May 2026 – MX2 Race 1 – 13:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 May 2026 – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 May 2026 – MX2 Race 2 – 16:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 May 2026 – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 CET  – LIVE

Go3

Saturday 23 May 2026 – WMX Race 1 – 14:50 CET – LIVE Stream

Sunday 24 May 2026 – WMX Race 2 – 09:35 CET – LIVE Stream

Sunday 24 May 2026 – MX2 Race 1 – 13:00 CET – LIVE Stream

Sunday 24 May 2026 – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 CET – LIVE Stream

Sunday 24 May 2026 – MX2 Race 2 – 16:00 CET – LIVE Stream

Sunday 24 May 2026 – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 CET  – LIVE Stream

NETHERLAND

NOS

Sunday 24 May 2026 – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 CET – LIVE Stream

Sunday 24 May 2026 – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 CET  – LIVE Stream

SLOVENIA

Sport TV1

Sunday 24 May 2026 – MX2 Race 1 – 13:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 May 2026 – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 May 2026 – MX2 Race 2 – 16:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 May 2026 – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 CET  – LIVE

SPAIN

TVG2

Sunday 24 May 2026 – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 May 2026 – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 CET  – LIVE

Agalega.gal

Sunday 24 May 2026 – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 CET – LIVE Stream

Sunday 24 May 2026 – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 CET  – LIVE Stream

TV3 – Cataluna

Saturday 23 May 2026 – WMX Race 1 – 14:50 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 May2026  – WMX Race 2 – 14:50 CET – Delayed

ASIA

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

EUROSPORT ASIA

Monday 25 May 2026 – MX2 Race 1 – 07:00 CET – LIVE

Monday 25 May 2026 – MXGP Race 1 – 07:45 CET – LIVE

Monday 25 May 2026 – MX2 Race 2 – 08:30 CET – LIVE

Monday 25 May 2026 – MXGP Race 2 – 09:15 CET  – LIVE

JIOSTAR  - Jio Cinema

Sunday 24 May 2026 – MX2 Race 1 – 13:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 May 2026 – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 May 2026 – MX2 Race 2 – 16:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 24 May 2026 – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 CET  – LIVE

AUSTRALIA

STAN SPORTS

Sunday 24 May 2026 – MX2 Race 1 – 21:00 AEDT – LIVE

Sunday 24 May 2026 – MXGP Race 1 – 22:00 AEDT – LIVE

Monday 25 May 2026 – MX2 Race 2 – 00:00 AEDT – LIVE

Monday 20 April 2026 – MXGP Race 2 – 01:00 AEDT  – LIVE

All races on VOD

​

26min Behind-the-Gate Magazine Partners:
 

AMERICA

Latin America              You tube Somos FOX              Thursday after each MXGP 8:30pm

Mexico                        FOX ONE                                 Thursday after each MXGP 8:30pm

Central America          FOX Tubi                                  Thursday after each MXGP 8:30pm

                                    FOX ONE                                 Thursday after each MXGP 8:30pm

USA                             RACER                                     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)

JIOSTAR                                                                       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!

SCHEDULE - CEST Time (UTC +2)

Saturday 23rd May

Sunday 24th May

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.

You can find the complete results HERE and on Sportity App (Password: MXGP2026)

LINKS

Infront Moto Racing

FIM

FIM Europe

MXGP France

France has long been a mainstay for Grand Prix motocross. One of the most passionate countries, with a long list of champions coming from that era of Europe. But it isn’t just the riders from France who attract a lot of attention when it comes time for a French GP, as the French know their history and it is a history that is rich of many circuits and legendary performances.

Back in 1957, Leslie Archer became the first ever winner of the French 500cc Grand Prix. The British rider took victory at the Montreuil circuit and Archer scored another win in 1959, this time at Mayenne. It was the era of British motocross domination with John Draper winning in 1960 at yet another circuit, which was Cassel.

From those early days of the French GP has moved around to many different circuits, too many to mention, and in that 500cc class, the first 12 GPs held in France were not once held at the same facility, from 125cc, 250cc and 500cc rounds.

Slowly some circuits started being favoured, with Pernes les Fontaines running rounds in 1962, 1963, 1966, 1970, 1972, 1976, 1987, and 1997. The event in 1997 was won by none other than Frederic Vialle (father of Tom), as he took victory in the 125cc class.

St Jean D’Angély arrived on the GP scene in 1984 in the 250cc class, then ran again in 1989 and 1995. Of course, today, the St Jean circuit is a constant on the MXGP calendar. Of course, St Jean often shares the French GP with Ernée, Lacapelle-Marival or Villars-sous-Écot.

A French favourite, Ernée made its first appearance on the GP calendar in 1990 with a 125cc round, but didn’t run often for the next decade, with 250cc and 500cc rounds in 1994, 1998 and 1999. As the new decade arrived, the French GP started making a serious change, as circuits like St Jean d’Angély and Ernée were the mainstay of that country’s involvement with the Grand Prix series.

Of course, the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations has also been held in France on a number of occasions. The first in 1988 at Villars-sous-Ecot, then St Jean d’Angély in 2000, Ernée in 2005, with St Jean d’Angély again in 2011, Ernée in 2015 and finally, Ern2e again in 2023. Ernée will also host this year’s event.

As for riders who favoured the French round of the championship, Stefan Everts won in France on nine occasions, including his three GP wins in one day at Ernée in 2003. Jeffrey Herlings has eight wins in France, Eric Geboers and Georges Jobe won in France on five occasions, Torsten Hallman, Joel Robert, Andre Malherbe, Rolf Tibblin, Joel Smets all won on four occasions.

This weekend the MXGP championship heads to Lacapelle-Marival and no doubt, Herlings will be trying to add another French GP to his name and get a little closer to the tally of Stefan Everts and try and take another record from the legendary Belgian.

One thing is guaranteed, not only do the French present us with beautiful old school circuits, but the spectator involvement is maybe the best in the calendar, with thousands and thousands lining the picket fences, with airhorns blowing and maximum volume.

LACAPELLE MARIVAL (France)  20th May 2026 – Haved you missed us?!  After four weekends of waiting, the 2026 FIM Motocross World Championships fire back into life as we head to one of the most passionate nations in the sport with the MXGP of France, returning for the second such event at the Circuit Georges Filhol within the Lacapelle-Marival commune in the south-western quarter of the country, two hours north of the city of Toulouse.

The circuit, which holds the pitch for the local Union Sportive Marivaloise football team within its boundaries, previously held the MXGP of France in 2021, a COVID-affected season that saw round twelve of the year held in October.  The crowd enjoyed a stunning battle between home favourite Romain Febvre and Jeffrey Herlings, with the Dutchman just taking the verdict with 2-1 finishes for his 95th career GP victory.  The MX2 class delivered a French winner for the patriotic fans with a double win for Tom Vialle. 

Both of those previous winners line up in the MXGP class this weekend for the Honda HRC Petronas team, currently sitting second and third in the World Championship behind Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s talisman Lucas Coenen, but the Belgian teenager only holds a slender four-point lead over the five-time World Champion Herlings. “The Bullet” has won eight GPs on French soil, the most recent being that victory at this venue in 2021, while Lucas has taken a single win in this country back in 2024. 

Vialle, winner of the MXGP of Switzerland on similar grassy hardpack, is just 21 points behind his teammate, so the crowd will be hopeful of a home winner, especially with Kawasaki Racing Team MXGP spearhead Febvre holding the #1 plate, and Maxime Renaux also in the top six of the series for Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP!

The MX2 class is precariously poised in an even tighter battle at the top, with just three points separating Red Bull KTM Factory Racing pilots Simon Längenfelder and Sacha Coenen!  Coenen took the victory in Trentino before the break, giving him the momentum with the German missing the podium for the first time all season.  Guillem Farres lies in third for Triumph Factory Racing Team, but French spectators will have been enthused by the podium result for Mathis Valin at Trentino, and he will be keen to go even better than that for Kawasaki Racing Team MX2 in front of his adoring supporters!

The venue has also held two MX3 GPs, in 2009 and 2011, with the latter event also featuring a round of the FIM Women’s Motocross World Championship, and the fastest racing females will return to the track for the opening round of their season this weekend!  Kiara Fontanesi was the winner at this circuit 15 years ago, and the 32-year-old has finished on the podium after each of the last eight WMX rounds on French soil, including that victory and one in 2015 at Villars-sous-Écot!  The Fonta-MX GASGAS rider is still fired up to become the first ever mother to become a Motocross World Champion!

The WMX class is over-subscribed with 45 entries for its opening round, with the #1 being worn for the first time by double World Champion Lotte van Drunen on the De Baets AIT Yamaha, who took fourth overall in the last visit to France for this series back in 2023.  Third on that day was Daniela Guillen, who will fancy her chances on hardpack for the RFME Spain National Team, while April Franzoni was the top French finisher in 2025, and returns for the Team Honda Motoblouz SR Motul squad to lead the charge of seven French ladies in the race. 

The EMX125 European Championship Presented by FMF Racing reaches its halfway point this weekend, and runaway points leader Moritz Ernecker holds a 40-point advantage over his Norman KTM Factory Rookies teammate Ricardo Bauer in an Austrian 1-2 after four of the ten rounds! Frenchman Sleny Goyer took a race win in Sardegna for Yamaha Europe Monster Energy MJC, and lies third in the series ahead of Fantic Factory Racing EMX’s Dane Bertram Thorius. Liam Bruneau will be alongside Goyer as a fan favourite for home glory, as he took a race win in Switzerland for TMX Competition KTM.

It’s the start of three straight weekends of MXGP action as the passionate French fans will pack out the venue to get close to the action! We’re back with a bang, and you are all welcome to come and join us!

Romain Febvre

The MXGP World Championship has been hailed as a “Battle of the Ages” between the new generation of young talent coming into the class, and the multi-titled past masters who still do not want to be beaten.  The first five rounds came out almost even between the two factions, with a pair of GP victories each for series leader Lucas Coenen and his main chaser Jeffrey Herlings.  Tom Vialle has tipped the balance with the overall win in Switzerland, while Tim Gajser scored a first race win for his new Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP squad last time out in Trentino.  With many more still likely to join the party, the battle has only just begun!

Lucas Coenen, who speaks French as his mother tongue, has a great record in this country, taking the Qualifying Race win and a podium result from each of his last three GPs here. Only a determined pass from Romain Febvre denied him a perfect weekend at Ernée a year ago, and with the 2024 MX2 victory plus the 2022 EMX250 victory at St Jean d’Angely, he is a proven force on French terrain.  He raced in EMX125 the last time we were at Lacapelle Marival, and scored just his second podium in the class with 5-3 finishes.  The pressure will be applied by Herlings, but Lucas still holds that red plate and deservedly so.

Herlings has a mighty record in France with four GP victories at St Jean d’Angely, two at Villars-sous-Ecot, and one at Ernée, but his 2021 victory at this weekend’s track was his most recent here.  As usual, “The Bullet” has barely taken any break at all with race wins in multiple countries between GPs, and fortunately he is still fighting fit and right in this title chase.

His teammate Vialle may be 21 points further back in third, but in his first MXGP class home round he cannot be counted out, especially as he won the last three GPs he contested on French soil, including a perfect Sunday here in 2021.  As he again proved at the 2023 Motocross of Nations at Ernée, the French fans bring out the best in him, and they will be delighted to see him back in front of them at a GP!

Two of the elder statesmen, Gajser and Febvre, sit fourth and fifth in the Championship, having both been hit with big crashes in the opening rounds, and no doubt would have welcomed the time off to recover before round six.  Gajser has taken four French GP victories, all at St Jean d’Angely, while Febvre has taken three top trophies on home ground, all on different circuits, including his very first win in the MXGP class back in 2015, as well as last year’s success at Ernée.  His battle with Herlings here in 2021 was fantastic, and he needs to rise to the occasion again if he is to recover ground in his defence of that #1 plate.

Another with high hopes will be Maxime Renaux, who took a podium in Switzerland and lies sixth in the standings.  His third overall at LaCapelle during his title year in MX2 remains his only podium on home turf, apart from his Open class victory at the 2023 MXoN.

Ruben Fernandez continues to impress for Honda HRC Petronas as he lies seventh in the standings, but he has Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing team leader Kay de Wolf just two points behind him, and looking good after a victory over Herlings on home sand last weekend.  Neither man has enjoyed much success in France, but are very keen to change that situation!

In contrast, Andrea Adamo took his most recent GP victory in this country, at Ernée last year, so in his first French round in the MXGP class for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, he could be a factor, especially in the Qualifying Race as he has not finished outside the top three in his last three French GPs.

Calvin Vlaanderen is behind Adamo, tenth in the Championship for the Red Bull Ducati Factory MX Team, and while his teammate Jeremy Seewer took a podium for the Italian manufacturer at Ernée last year, the team have struggled to get back up there so far in 2026.  It will be intriguing to see how much they have improved with a four-week break to work on the machine.  Seewer himself has taken two GP wins in France, and was fourth overall in his last trip to LaCapelle-Marival.

The other French points scorer so far this year is Thibault Benistant, who took his most recent MX2 GP victory at the 2023 MXGP of France, and won the MX2 Qualifying Race at St Jean last year, so with his French Team Honda Motoblouz SR Motul outfit enjoying their home round, he will be feeling fired up to get his first top result in the big class this weekend!  There is also a return to action for Frenchman Benoit Paturel, standing in for the injured Isak Gifting at JK Racing Yamaha, and the former GP winner has stood on the podium twice on home ground in the MX2 class, so will also be keen to perform well on his return!

With a fired-up local crowd getting behind three real contenders, a pitched Championship battle re-igniting, and a tight circuit in which to tame the 450cc monsters, the MXGP class should prove to be thrilling at LaCapelle-Marival!

MXGP - World Championship Top 10 Classification: 1. Lucas Coenen (BEL, KTM), 231 points; 2. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, HON), 227 p.; 3. Tom Vialle (FRA, HON), 206 p.; 4. Tim Gajser (SLO, YAM), 198 p.; 5. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 191 p.; 6. Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 178 p.; 7. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, HON), 146 p.; 8. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 144 p.; 9. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), 138 p.; 10. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, DUC), 110 p.;

    
1. Tom Vialle; 2. Maxime Renaux

MX2 Start 2026

The MX2 class will see a resumption of the battle at the top between the factory Red Bull KTM pilots Simon Längenfelder and Sacha Coenen, which tightened up to have just three points in it after the MXGP of Trentino!

Defending MX2 World Champion Längenfelder returns to French ground after a dominant perfect Sunday at Ernée last season gave him the red plate for the first time in his title year.  Despite Coenen’s win in Italy, the German knows that his best chances to make points are likely to be on circuits such as this one, and his home GP the weekend after.

Coenen himself will also know that, and despite a much more difficult history on French ground than his brother, he will carry that momentum from Trentino, especially after his podium last year at Ernée.  It could be the chance for the young Belgian to make a statement!

Guillem Farres was a solid second overall at Trentino to lift himself up from fifth to third in the Championship, and the Spaniard is crying out for that first career GP win, despite only taking nineteenth and ninth overall in his two French GPs so far.  Just two points behind the factory Triumph man is Liam Everts, whose precise throttle control should make him a threat for Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing, especially if the weather becomes a factor.  Having scored just a single podium on French soil, back in 2023, he will be determined to hit the front after taking the chance to recover from a foot injury during the break. Bizarrely, Everts and Farres finished seventh and eighth overall in the EMX250 class last time we came to LaCapelle-Marival!

The Triumph Factory Racing Team will be hoping that Camden McLellan will improve on his French form, with a best GP of only eighth so far in this country, but from fifth in the points the South African will have rested from his big Swiss crash to possibly be a major factor in the class again.

The Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 teammates Janis Reisulis and Karlis Reisulis sit sixth and eighth in the series, with the younger brother finishing on the EMX250 podium in both French rounds last year, including a double victory at St Jean! The rider between them, however, Mathis Valin, will be the main focal point for the crowd in MX2 as he goes for his first GP win after landing on the podium at Trentino for Kawasaki Racing Team MX2. The teenager has won twice before on home ground in the EMX ranks but didn’t have the best GPs in France last year.  He could send the fans into raptures if he can challenge at the front!

Honda HRC Petronas’ Valerio Lata and DRT Racing Kawasaki’s Kay Karssemakers round out the top ten, and the Italian won the EMX125 class overall at the last visit to this circuit with 2-2 finishes. Taking fifth overall at Ernée last year, he is always at his best on these hardpack circuits. The Dutchman lines up for his first GP in France for over two years, and will have to hold back the challenge of Czech star Julius Mikula, only a point behind him for the Ošicka KTM Racing team after a career-best fourth overall in Trentino.

Local fans will also be cheering for the Maddii Racing Team Honda of Maxime Grau, who had his career-best race finish with seventh in Trentino, and there will be a host of wildcards and even GP debutants from across Europe as the EMX250 series takes a weekend off before returning in Germany.

The MXGP of France promises to deliver a weekend of thrills and spills on a circuit that suggests no obvious favourites!  Be sure to join us across the weekend on MXGP-TV.com as we return to action at LaCapelle-Marival!

MX2 - World Championship Top 10 Classification: 1. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM), 35:01.180; 2. Guillem Farres (ESP, Triumph), +0:06.047; 3. Simon Längenfelder (GER, KTM), +0:09.299; 4. Julius Mikula (CZE, KTM), +0:10.923; 5. Karlis Alberts Reisulis (LAT, Yamaha), +0:12.939; 6. Janis Martins Reisulis (LAT, Yamaha), +0:18.121; 7. Mathis Valin (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:19.875; 8. Kay Karssemakers (NED, Kawasaki), +0:28.441; 9. Liam Everts (BEL, Husqvarna), +0:31.715; 10. Valerio Lata (ITA, Honda), +0:41.796;

    
1. Mathis Valin; 2. Maxime Grau

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

You can find the complete results HERE and on Sportity App (Password: MXGP2026)

TIMETABLE

SATURDAY

08:15 WMX Free Practice, 08:50 EMX125 Group 1 Free Practice, 09:20 EMX125 Group 2 Free Practice, 09:50 WMX Qualifying Practice, 10:30 MX2 Free Practice, 11:00 MXGP Free Practice, 12:20 EMX125 Group 1 Qualifying Practice, 13:00 EMX125 Group 2 Qualifying Practice, 13:40 MX2 Time Practice, 14:15 MXGP Time Practice, 15:00 WMX Race 1, 15:45 EMX125 Race 1, 16:35 MX2 Qualifying Race, 17:25 MXGP Qualifying Race.

SUNDAY

09:45 WMX Race 2, 10:25 MX2 Warm-up, 10:45 MXGP Warm-up, 11:30 EMX125 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 France

The wait is over! Tickets are officially on sale for the MXGP of South Africa as Johannesburg is set to host the event, at the Terra Topia Motocross Track, on 4–5 July 2026, bringing the FIM Motocross World Championship back to the African continent.

This is marking a major addition for the championship, giving to Camden Mc Lellan and Calvin Vlaanderen the opportunity to race and Grand Prix on their homeland for the very first time.

This return represents a significant moment for MXGP, renewing a long-standing connection between the series and South Africa. The country first welcomed the World Championship in 1985, when a 250cc Grand Prix was held at Corobrik Park near Johannesburg, won by Jacky Vimond. MXGP later returned with three consecutive rounds at Sun City between 2004 and 2006, producing Grand Prix winners such as legends such Stefan Everts, a rising Antonio Cairoli, Josh Coppins and Mickael Pichon.

The most recent MXGP event in South Africa took place in 2008 at Nelspruit, featuring MX1 and MX2 racing, with victories claimed by Jonathan Barragan and Tommy Searle.

Tickets for the 2026 edition are now available HERE, offering fans the opportunity to witness another thrilling weekend of world-class racing in the heart of France.

Secure your tickets now and be part of an unforgettable weekend at Terra Topia.

Photo: Start MXGP of Andalucia 2026

LINKS

Infront Moto Racing

FIM

Tickets 2026 MXGP of South Africa

The Behind The Gate documentary series, which is produced after every GP and aired immediately on MXGP-.TV.com, continued with Episode Four, “Derailed”, which focused on the MXGP of Switzerland presented by iXS, and followed the Kawasaki Racing Team MX2 squad, with Team Manager Antti Pyrhönen and sole MX2 pilot Mathis Valin joining us in the studio at the MXGP of Sardegna to talk through their weekend, the KRT MX2 project, and their thoughts on the MX2 field for 2026.

Valin had suffered a frustrating weekend at Frauenfeld, with a crash on the second corner taking him out of the lead of Saturday’s Qualifying Race, followed by a chain derailment in the first race on Sunday, happening again when he was leading, this time by some distance.  He salvaged some points with fifth place in race two, but it was a small return for his obvious pace at the Swiss circuit, which he seemed to like more than most.

As always, these interviews have to be edited to fit within a 26-minute programme, but here is the full transcript of what both Antti and Mathis had to say to the Behind The Gate cameras.

Antti Pyrhönen

BTG: Hi Antti, thanks for joining us again. The first thing I want to ask you, is that obviously Mathis had the problem in the Qualifying Race in Switzerland: a great start, but then dropped it. How do you deal with that as the Team Manager?  How do you speak to Mathis between the races, and what was his reaction?

AP: Yeah, actually at the Swiss GP, Mathis had a really, really good run.  So he put in some incredible riding and to be honest, almost his best riding so far of this season, and even from last year.  So, he had really amazing rides also last year and the podium in the Czech Republic, so that was really good, a really good result.  But in Switzerland, you know, he was on that same level, capable to put it all together with the Holeshots, but still, you know, in my opinion, even more maturity to manage the races. So he was doing extremely good, he felt good with the track, but yeah, in the Quali Race, a Holeshot, then straight away, unfortunately, a crash on the second turn.  But he was really able to put frustration and even anger into focus and to the track, you know, like he really came through the pack, in a Quali Race, from last position to P5.  And it was a difficult track to pass on so it was an incredible job.  And I said to him, actually, after the race on Saturday, I said that with this pace and if you put it together, you will fight for the win.  And that's actually what he did on Sunday.

BTG:  So then, talking about Sunday, of course, such a disappointment after having the race under control.  From your side, again, how were you dealing with that disappointment after race one and before race two?  What were the conversations like in the paddock between the two of you?

AP: Between the first and second moto, of course it was a huge disappointment.  It would have been Mathis' first ever MX2 World Championship race win.  And also for us, for KRT MX2, it would have been our first race win.  So, to have this rock in the rut, derailing the chain, you know, it was a huge disappointment.  Mathis was on a solid ten-second-plus lead, with only less than ten minutes to go.  So yeah, it was a very big bummer, huge disappointment.  The only thing I said to him between the first and second moto was that for me, you were the winner.  He had everything under control.  He was the fastest man on track, and the only thing I said was, “You won the moto, you were the winner”, so that was the only comment.

BTG: I just wanted to ask you in general about the MX2 project.  How much extra work is it for you?  Are you guys OK with the scheduling and things like this?  How much is it affecting you?  And yeah, what do you see for the future of this part of the team?

AP: Yeah, for sure, to run two teams, which is the KRT MXGP team and KRT MX2, for sure it's an additional effort.  And especially the 250 class, it's very competitive.  It's a 250cc bike, very similar to 450, that you keep working on, you keep searching for extra performance,  but on the 250 side even more, you know? Like you try to push the limits, find more torque, find more power, and the more power you are finding, sometimes you get little setbacks.  It is for sure a lot of work, very demanding technically to manage the bike.  I don't deny it, for sure, my hands are full, but we have incredible staff, you know, like our KRT MXGP staff, they have so much experience.  They know exactly what to do.  So that one is really turning, almost on its own.  Very, very experienced riders there, you know, Romain and Pauls.  So that one is really working, a hundred percent like it should work.  Only some fine adjustments, work on the starts and trying always to find those little bits to be able to win.

MX2 for us is a new project, new team, new staff members.  So that one requires even more, you know, extra attention, but on the other hand, they both support each other.  The staff, they get along really well, plus also they support each other.  Anything we find on the 250 side, oh, maybe this is also benefitting on the 450 side, and vice versa.  I see that as a great challenge for both of the staff, for both of the technical crews.  And even with the extra load it brings, extra work it brings, I see that as a win-win situation, that both teams can challenge each other, both teams can push each other.  So for us, it's beneficial. 

BTG: Last one for you, Antti, just to sum things up.  Switzerland still saw a good second race for Mathis and he got good points on the board there.  So yeah, what was your reaction to how he rode there, and what are the hopes for the rest of the season?

AP: Yeah, Mathis' second race in Switzerland was incredibly good from a medium start, on a difficult track to pass.  He was P5 at the end, so he rode really good considering, you know, the disappointment he had from the first moto, so I'm quite sure if he won the first moto, he would have won the overall with the way he rode.  So no, his second moto was really a solid performance considering what happened in the first one.  So overall, it was a great round for us.  Unfortunately, the DNF in the first one was bad luck, but generally it was a round that definitely showed the potential that Mathis has.  We take the positives of that and go for it here at Sardegna.  We have a five-week break after Arco, after the MXGP of Trentino, so we will definitely work hard to be very strong for the second and last part of the Championship.

Mathis Valin

BTG: Mathis, great to speak to you. Before Switzerland you had a decent start to the year, and then you go to Frauenfeld, you missed the GP there last year, but you had good results in EMX before that.  So, how was your feeling with the circuit in Switzerland?  Are you confident?  Are you feeling good?  What are your thoughts?

MV: Yeah, so about Switzerland, I love the track.  I mean, from where I grew up, tracks are a little bit like that, like tiny corners and the dirt is quite the same.  So yeah, it's quite a small track, but I mean, I think I'm the only one that loves it!  It's making big ruts and everything, so every time when I go to Switzerland, I'm really happy about it.  And yeah, when I did my first race in EMX125 there in 2023, I won, and then, yeah, also when I went the year after in EMX250, I won also.  So yeah, every time is a good moment to go back there and, yeah, I enjoy it a lot.

BTG: I hate to bring up the disappointments, of course, but yeah, in the Qualifying Race you had such a good start, and then what did happen? First of all, please tell us about the crash, and then tell us how you fought through because you really came past a lot of people.

MV:  Yes, about the Quali Race, we have been working a lot on the start, because since the beginning of the season, we are struggling quite a lot, but yes, I got the Holeshot, and it's been a while since I started in front.  So yeah, it was quite different! I was a bit excited, I think, and I was like a kid doing his first MX2 race, because last year I didn't get a Holeshot, and this year also, so yeah, I was a bit too excited, I think, and then I fell in the second corner. I was quite nervous, but yeah, I just take it how it was, and then I come back to P5. I was really, really fast, so yeah, it would have been a win if I stayed on my wheels, I think, but it is what it is.

BTG:  So in race one, you were obviously in great shape, please tell us how you felt in those laps as you were leading.  Obviously, you were much calmer, but yeah, tell us how you felt from that side and also then what were your feelings when the chain first came off?  How did it feel to you?  Was there a noise?  If you can describe please what it was like when you came to a stop, and no swearing if you can help it!

MV:  Yeah, so the first race was really nice.  I mean, I got the start, I got the Holeshot, and I didn't make the mistake of the day before, so I was really happy and yeah, I could manage my flow. I was getting the pace I'm having in training, so I would say I was enjoying myself a lot on the track, and then every time when I went into that corner [turn three], the rut was deeper and deeper.  When I just came in the rut, this one was the deepest, I think, on the whole track.  I came in and then I came out.  At the beginning, I was thinking I hit neutral, so I tried to put the gear in and everything stopped, so it wasn’t that.  Then after I was thinking, the back just like... stopped, but then I looked at the chain and it just jumped off.  So yeah, the feeling was like, everything doesn't want to go in! Yesterday I crashed and today I have this, so yeah it was a really tough moment, but we do a mechanical sport so everything can happen. It is what it is, just the feeling I was having after was really, really bad, but then when I checked the MXGP race, I was not the only one, so I was feeling a bit better after that. 

BTG: So, Antti then said that you won the race, that’s how he put it to you, so what was your reaction to that, to how Antti dealt with it?  Was this a good thing for you to hear, that as far as he was concerned, you still won that race?

MV: Yeah, for sure.  For me also, I think I won the race, but yeah on the paper I don't win, so it's always different. We said, for me, I won, but I didn't win, so that's hard to say also. 

BTG: And then in the second race you came through, had a good one, obviously brought some points home which is the main thing, and you’re currently seventh in the Championship, not far behind some of the others.  How are you feeling about this season?  Are you feeling like you're a stronger part of the pack, or is the level similar to last year?  Where do you feel your place is now that you're in your second year?

MV: Yeah, so now I feel that I'm in the group to fight for the Championship.  I mean, for the moment, I am not at the best.  We saw that I fight more in the fourth or fifth place, and sometimes, in some races, with the top guys.  I know that if I ride like how I ride in training, I know that I have the speed, I know that I can stay in front with the top guys.  In the MX2 class, we said the start is the most important, because the first laps are really intense, and it's making, we think, 80% of the races.  So, yeah, we just need to work on the start, and after that I think I have the speed.  The physical part I have also, so yeah, just need to work on the start and everything, and yeah, I think I can fight for the Championship. 

BTG: We filmed you training before the races.  Can you please explain what you do?  There was some kind of boxing, can you explain that part? 

MV: Yeah, so just before the moto, I'm having my routine, I would say. So I start with cycling, then I just have a boxing ball, I don't know if you know, but you will see on the video, I just do the thing with a little ball on a string, like elastic, from my head, and hit it like a boxer!  I'm quite good at it, and I teach Romain [Febvre] a bit also, and he's doing it now, he bought one! So now it's always fun, and it's good for the concentration and for the focus.  After I just do the normal stuff, and then also prepare my goggles to give to the mechanic because yeah, they are so important in Motocross.  We never know if the rain is going to come, if we have a red flag or something.  So yeah, I just take some with roll-offs, two sets of tear-offs and everything.  Then we are ready to go, just need to put gas in and that's it!

BTG: In terms of the bike, obviously the second year in the MX2 class, and you had another year before this in EMX250.  Is the 2026 bike much different?  Have they advanced much?  Are you involved with moving the bike forward as well? 

MV: Yeah, so actually, the bike stayed quite similar to last year.  We didn't do many changes because I was quite happy with the bike.  I proved also last weekend that with the bike, we can start in front.  So yeah, we said the bike is really good.  I feel good and I enjoy every time when I go on the track with the bike.  So, yeah, we make a good job, I think, with the team.

Epilogue: The frustration continued somewhat at Sardegna for Mathis and the team, with an early mechanical failure in race one, but another bounce back to take sixth in race two. However, Trentino saw a superb weekend for the Frenchman, after once more taking sixth in the Qualifying Race, as he did at Riola Sardo, the teenager took his second career podium after a career best second place finish in race one.  He sits seventh in the points standings with his home GP next up at Lacapelle Marival.  He has taken two EMX overall victories in his home country, and would dearly love to send the crowd wild with a similar result in his first race at that venue.