MX2

ARNHEM (Netherlands) – 20th August 2026 – From the rocky cliffs of Uddevalla in Sweden, the 2026 FIM Motocross World Championships head to the billiard-table flat sandpit of the Motorsportpark Gelderland Midden, near the Dutch city of Arnhem, for the MXGP of The Netherlands, the 16th round of the series and the final stop in mainland Europe this season!

For the fourth straight year, the local Dutch fans will arrive at Arnhem with the anticipation of seeing victories for several of their home heroes in the Grand Prix classes, and they will be particularly keen to see if the undisputed greatest Motocross rider from the Netherlands, Jeffrey Herlings, can continue his unbeaten run at this circuit as he carries the MXGP red plate for Honda HRC Petronas!

After a practice crash ruled him out of the inaugural GP here in 2023, “The Bullet” has lived up to his name by winning all three races across each weekend here since then.  Over the 18 Grands Prix he has started in his home country, the five-time World Champion has won 16 of them, with 31 Sunday race wins from 35 started!  It’s mathematically impossible for him to seal the world title here this weekend, but he could put himself into a very strong position to tie it up in Türkiye!

Herlings has a 116-point margin over the 2023 Arnhem GP winner, Romain Febvre, who would dearly love to take his first Sunday win of the year for Kawasaki Racing Team MXGP, while Tim Gajser has risen to third in the Championship for Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP.  After taking last year’s MX2 victory here, Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Kay de Wolf will also be looking for a good day in front of his local fans.

The MX2 Championship momentum swung in a different direction last time out in Sweden, and while Guillem Farres still leads for Triumph Racing Factory Team, his advantage was cut virtually in half by a double victory on Sunday from the resurgent Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider Sacha Coenen!  With just 24 points now in it, the Belgian is likely to bring many travelling fans with him from across the border, and his sand skills are without question!

The same could be said for third-placed Triumph Racing Factory Team sand-fly Camden McLellan,  who enjoyed a perfect weekend in the deep sand of Lommel just three weeks ago, and the South African will still count himself as a title contender with just 21 points between himself and Coenen, and 45 up to his Spanish teammate with the red plate.

Local hopes in MX2 lie with their top rider in the series, Kay Karssemakers on the Dixon Racing Team Kawasaki, while Scott Smulders had a good day at Lommel and will get plenty of support on his SixtySeven Racing Husqvarna.

The FIM Women’s Motocross World Championship resumes this weekend, with the points battle at the top incredibly close between the FontaMX Racing GASGAS of Kiara Fontanesi and last year’s Arnhem winner Daniela Guillen on her RFME Team Spain GASGAS!  Just two points separate the pair as the Italian holds the red plate for the first time since September 2018, when she won her most recent world title!  Guillen will feel confident after her victory here in 2025, while Courtney Duncan could also be a factor for Dixon Racing Team Kawasaki after finishing second here in 2024.

Shana van der Vlist is the top Dutch girl in the series, lying fourth on her Peter v/d Laar Yamaha, although many fans will also get behind reigning double World Champion Lotte van Drunen, who has had a rough season for De Baets Yamaha, but after maximum victories here in 2023 & ’24, she will be going all-out to avenge last year’s loss to Guillen. Seventh in the series so unlikely to retain her title, it will be all about this weekend’s glory for “The Queen of Sand”.

The EMX250 European Championship holds its penultimate round this weekend, and series leader Francisco Garcia returned from injury to continue his winning ways last weekend, giving him a strong chance of clinching the title for BUD Racing Kawasaki in Arnhem, where he won a race last year! Unless he loses 13 points in race one to Team SixtySeven Husqvarna Racing’s Nikolaj Skovbjerg, then the Spaniard will be Champion on Saturday! His teammate Jake Cannon will be keen to clinch a medal position in third, which he will do if he outscores Gabriel SS24 KTM’s Dutchman Gyan Doensen, who should be strong in what could be his last Dutch round in this class!

With the crowd tightly packed around the circuit, the atmosphere at Arnhem promises to be electric as their home heroes fire up the crazy Dutch fans to make the maximum noise possible!  This one could get wild!

Main Photo: Jeffrey Herlings; Top Photo: MXGP Start Arnhem 2025

Jeffrey Herlings’ domination in the past few rounds has seen him rack up his first four-GP winning streak since his unbelievable 2018 title season. “The Bullet” was unstoppable in the sand of Lommel three weeks ago, and while there have been worries about his machine in the sand, he was able to nurse it home in Belgium, and the Dutch circuit is known to be a little more flowing and, only slightly, less punishing on the machinery. His aim of clinching the title at the MXGP of Türkiye will be helped if he can make significant ground on the rest this weekend.  He has only failed to win GPs twice in the 18 events he has raced in his homeland, once after being landed on at Oss in 2021, winning race one with a broken shoulder blade before heading to the hospital and missing race two.  The other was his first attempt in the MXGP class, when he took second overall behind Gautier Paulin while still less than 100% from a pre-season injury.  He lost only one of twenty individual GP races in his MX2 career, to Thomas Covington at Assen in 2016!

Romain Febvre was able to take advantage of Herlings’ absence to win overall here in 2023, and also took the Qualifying Race win that weekend.  His other victory in the Netherlands came as defending Champion back in 2016 at Valkenswaard.  Tim Gajser is 44 points behind the Frenchman in third, just nine ahead of the injured Red Bull KTM Factory Racing pilot Lucas Coenen, who again is facing a battle to be fit for a GP which he terrorised last year!  The Slovenian has won Dutch GPs in 2021 at Oss, and in MX2 in his first title season of 2015.  The Belgian teenager took MX2 victory in 2024 here at Arnhem.

The battle for fifth in the Championship is dead level, with Ruben Fernandez officially placed there for Honda HRC Petronas due to a best result tie-breaker, while Andrea Adamo, who celebrates his 23rd birthday on Saturday, is on equal points for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing. Neither rider will be relishing the sand ahead of them, although the Italian has an MX2 Qualifying Race win and two podiums here in his record, while the Spaniard has yet to break into the top ten at this circuit.

Also close is the battle for seventh in the Championship between two Frenchmen who obviously would have wished to be higher.  Tom Vialle’s podium in Sweden for Honda HRC Petronas put him ahead of the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP of Maxime Renaux, but only by five points.  Vialle has yet to race at this circuit, but won his most recent Dutch GP outing back in 2020, his first MX2 title season.  Renaux was second to his countryman that day, which is his best in the Netherlands, and has a best of sixth in MXGP, at Arnhem in 2023.

Ninth in his rookie MXGP season is Kay de Wolf, after taking a dominant 1-1 victory in MX2 here last year.  He might have the most hope out of anybody of defeating Herlings, but it will take a monumental effort, especially with a few niggling injuries which have welcomed him to life on a 450!

Rounding out the top ten is Kawasaki Racing Team MXGP’s Pauls Jonass, who made a fine return from injury with fourth overall in Sweden and is no stranger to success in the Netherlands.  Perfect GP wins at Valkenswaard in 2017 & ’18 have not been replicated in the premier class, but the Latvian is in good form and starting well recently.

Red Bull Ducati Factory MX Team rider Calvin Vlaanderen, the South African with a dual nationality, flies the Dutch flag against his name for his “second” home GP of the year, and will be on the line despite suffering a big hit in Sweden, trying to advance from 12th in the Championship. 

MRT Racing Team Beta rider Jago Geerts is another trying to recover from a crash in Sweden, and is awaiting medical confirmation before lining up.  The Belgian is one of eight men in the class to have tasted GP success in the Netherlands, his win coming in 2021 at Oss in MX2.

Dutch veteran Glenn Coldenhoff makes a wild card appearance at Arnhem, on a private Yamaha after finishing third overall here last year, saying that it could be his last ever home Grand Prix. Herlings and De Wolf, as well as Vlaanderen and Venrooy KTM Racing star Rick Elzinga, will be joined by four other local wildcards besides Coldenhoff as the crowd will have plenty to cheer for around the Gelderland Midden circuit!

         
1. Kay de Wolf; 2. Calvin Vlaanderen

MXGP - World Championship Top 10 Classification: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, HON), 735 points; 2. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 619 p.; 3. Tim Gajser (SLO, YAM), 575 p.; 4. Lucas Coenen (BEL, KTM), 566 p.; 5. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, HON), 483 p.; 6. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), 483 p.; 7. Tom Vialle (FRA, HON), 454 p.; 8. Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 449 p.; 9. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 375 p.; 10. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KAW), 312 p.

MX2 Start Arhem 2025

The issues for Guillem Farres in Sweden, despite his heroic riding with severe-looking facial injuries, opened the door for Sacha Coenen to close the gap in the Championship, and the pair are now just 24 points apart, with the diminutive Belgian taking his first GP win since Montevarchi in June.  Sacha rode well here to claim third on the podium last season, after finishing second to De Wolf in the Qualifying Race.  Meanwhile, Farres was only eighth in his first ever Dutch GP.

Camden McLellan is likely to be the favourite after his performances at Lommel, but the South African would be happier with better starts this time to make his job a little easier!  Fourth overall in both of the last two GPs at Arnhem do not tell the story of his speed in the soft stuff, and he will look to take big chunks out of his Championship rivals ahead as he fights from being 45 points behind the leader.

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s defending World Champion Simon Längenfelder is another 16 points behind McLellan, putting him more than a GP distance off the lead. His Sunday in Sweden was bizarrely below par, and piles on the pressure for this weekend, at a track where he took third overall in 2023 with a first race victory.  Sixth last year might be the more meaningful result to use as a guideline for his form at this venue.

Liam Everts, winner of that inaugural MX2 GP at this circuit, has over 40 points either side of his fifth-placed tally, and is the only rider in this year’s MX2 line-up with a GP victory here.  The Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing ace has been third in all three Qualifying Races here, and fifth in the last two GPs here since his win.  With the title out of reach, he will be keen to get travelling Belgian fans behind him amongst the trackside Dutchies!

The Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 teammates and brothers Janis and Karlis Reisulis are next up in the Championship, as Janis tries to replicate the form that won him the EMX250 overall here last year!  By comparison, Karlis didn’t even make the Sunday races after a crash in Warm-Up, but both Latvians know they have good pace in sand.  They could even be outside bets for the podium this weekend!

Valerio Lata has had a tough Championship in eighth, and the Honda HRC Petronas rider is starting his second GP here after finishing 11th last year. He’ll be hoping for an up-turn in form. The injured Mathis Valin is still out of action for Kawasaki Racing Team MX2, and is likely to be overtaken in the points table by Julius Mikula, although the Czech rider will need a better day here for Osička Racing KTM than he managed last year, when he failed to score points entirely! The top non-factory rider needs just 12 points to overhaul Valin for ninth.

Kay Karssemakers is hoping for a good weekend at his home round after showing good pace in Sweden with a career-best of sixth in the Qualifying Race.  It’s close between him and Maddii Racing Honda ABF Italia man Maxime Grau for 11th in the series, but you gotta fancy the Kawasaki man on home sand!

The MXGP of The Netherlands promises to be a packed-out event as the local fans hope to celebrate some home success, and they will make their presence felt as they get behind their riders!  Don’t miss the last GP in mainland Europe of 2026, as the sand of Arnhem awaits the MXGP elite for a spectacular weekend of Motocross!

     
1. Kay Karssemakers; 2. Sacha Coenen

MX2 - World Championship Top 10 Classification: 1. Guillem Farres (ESP, TRI), 701 points; 2. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM), 677 p.; 3. Camden Mc Lellan (RSA, TRI), 656 p.; 4. Simon Längenfelder (GER, KTM), 640 p.; 5. Liam Everts (BEL, HUS), 595 p.; 6. Janis Martins Reisulis (LAT, YAM), 552 p.; 7. Karlis Alberts Reisulis (LAT, YAM), 441 p.; 8. Valerio Lata (ITA, HON), 381 p.; 9. Mathis Valin (FRA, KAW), 352 p.; 10. Julius Mikula (CZE, KTM), 341 p.

WMX - World Championship Top 10 Classification: 1. Kiara Fontanesi (ITA, GAS), 141 points; 2. Daniela Guillen (ESP, GAS), 139 p.; 3. Courtney Duncan (NZL, KAW), 100 p.; 4. Shana van der Vlist (NED, YAM), 89 p.; 5. Malou Jakobsen (DEN, KTM), 88 p.; 6. Lucy Barker (GBR, KTM), 87 p.; 7. Lotte van Drunen (NED, YAM), 85 p.; 8. Amandine Verstappen (BEL, YAM), 84 p.; 9. April Franzoni (FRA, HON), 73 p.; 10. Lynn Valk (NED, TM), 57 p.

EMX250 - European Championship Top 10 Classification: 1. Francisco Garcia (ESP, KAW), 402 points; 2. Nicolai Skovbjerg (DEN, HUS), 315 p.; 3. Jake Cannon (AUS, KAW), 288 p.; 4. Gyan Doensen (NED, KTM), 237 p.; 5. Mads Fredsoe (DEN, KTM), 224 p.; 6. Nicolò Alvisi (ITA, HON), 199 p.; 7. Tom Brunet (FRA, YAM), 177 p.; 8. Francesco Bellei (ITA, KTM), 160 p.; 9. Liam Owens (AUS, KTM), 152 p.; 10. Jekabs Kubulins (LAT, YAM), 149 p.

All the photos from the MXGP of The Netherlands will be available HERE.

You can find the complete results HERE.

TIMETABLE

SATURDAY:
08:10 WMX Free Practice, 08:40 EMX250 Group 1 Free Practice, 09:10 EMX250 Group 2 Free Practice, 09:50 WMX Qualifying Practice, 10:30 MX2 Free Practice, 11:00 MXGP Free Practice, 12:20 EMX250 Group 1 Qualifying Practice, 13:00 EMX250 Group 2 Qualifying Practice, 13:40 MX2 Time Practice, 14:15 MXGP Time Practice, 15:00 WMX Race 1, 15:45 EMX250 Race 1, 16:35 MX2 Qualifying Race, 17:25 MXGP Qualifying Race.

SUNDAY:
09:40 EMX250 Race 2, 10:25 MX2 Warm-up, 10:45 MXGP Warm-up, 11:30 WMX 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 The Netherlands

Team Latvia has announced its three-rider line-up for the 2026 FIM Motocross of Nations.

Representing the Latvian team will be Pauls Jonass, Janis Martins Reisulis and Karlis Alberts Reisulis.

The experienced trio will represent Latvia at this year’s Motocross of Nations at 3rd and 4th of October in Ernée, a legendary circuit known to all the motocross fans!

MONACO (Principality of Monaco) 18 August 2026 – The 2026 FIM Motocross World Championship is gearing up for the sixteenth round at Arnhem track for the MXGP of The Netherlands on the 22nd and 23rd of August.

The WMX Women's Motocross World Championship is back to the action for the 4th round in the sand of Arnhem and the EMX250 rising stars will complete the program with their penultimate 2025 round.

Check out the Timetable and Entry Lists for the MXGP of The Netherlands below:

TIMETABLE

MXGP ENTRY LIST

MX2 ENTRY LIST

WMX ENTRY LIST

EMX250 ENTRY LIST

DARWIN (Australia) 18 August 2026 – With just one month to go before the highly anticipated MXGP of Australia presented by Sitzler returns to Darwin from 18–20 September, a huge off‑track program has been unveiled. The world’s premier motocross series is set to take over the Top End, transforming Hidden Valley into a festival‑style experience featuring sand pits, reptile encounters, helicopter flights, kids’ entertainment, outback shows and interactive motocross zones, delivering an unforgettable weekend for visitors and locals alike.

On Friday, 18 September, following a full day of State Challenge racing, the Darwin Waterfront will once again host the exclusive MXGP Rider Signing Session from 4.30pm to 7pm. From 5.30pm, fans can meet the sport’s biggest stars from the MXGP and WMX categories, get autographs, have merchandise signed, and snap photos with the MXGP championship trophy. Across the weekend, Hidden Valley Motorsports Complex will come alive with world‑class racing on a purpose‑built 1.6‑kilometre circuit, but this year, the off‑track entertainment will be bigger than ever.

Families can explore the new Superior Sands Sandpit, delivered in partnership with Superior Sands, offering electric trucks, diggers and toys for kids to dig, build and play like real operators. A treasure‑hunt element will see giveaways and prizes hidden throughout the sand. The PROTRAXX Chill Zone will immerse fans in the world of motocross with start‑gate reaction challenges, mini track‑building stations using official MXGP dirt, e‑bike test rides, a giant inflatable ride track, and the Track Designer Challenge with daily prizes. Custom Tiny Track Co tables will encourage creativity and hands‑on fun for young riders.

Golden Guitar winner Tom Curtain will delight fans with the Katherine Outback Experience, delivering three high‑energy shows each day featuring working dogs, liberty horses, whip‑cracking, sack races, barrel races, goat‑rounding displays and Tom’s signature crowd‑interactive performance, riding a horse while singing and playing guitar.

Spectators can take their MXGP experience to new heights with Kakadu Air scenic helicopter flights over the circuit and Darwin city, offering a breathtaking bird’s‑eye view of the racing action and the Top End landscape. Reptile Territory will introduce fans to baby crocodiles, pythons, lizards and selected endangered species, with handlers roaming the precinct and hospitality areas to create memorable photo opportunities and educational encounters.

A dedicated Kids’ Entertainment Program will feature roving entertainers, balloon twisting, face painting, sensory play and photo opportunities across the site, while the expanded Students Program returns on Friday. The iconic double‑decker Big Bus will once again transform into the Best Seats in the House, offering elevated views across the circuit.

Last year marked the historic return of the FIM Motocross World Championship to Australia after a 24‑year hiatus, with Darwin hosting the season’s electrifying finale. Delivered by Tourism and Events NT in partnership with MXGP rights‑holder Infront Moto Racing and Motorcycling Australia, MXGP of Australia remains one of the must‑see events on the Top End calendar.

Returning in 2026 is the Valley View Terrace, an 18+ premium hospitality experience with unrivalled views over the valley, Pit Garages and finish line. Guests will enjoy an air‑conditioned marquee, premium seating, an outdoor terrace and six hours of premium food and beverage service. For race details and to purchase tickets visit mxgpaustralia.com.au.

Quotes from Tourism and Events NT Executive Director of Events, Aimee Luxton:

“With just one month to go, excitement is building as the MXGP of Australia prepares to roar back into Darwin. This year’s event delivers world‑class racing alongside an incredible off‑track program that showcases the Territory’s unique culture, food and experiences.

“Hosting the MXGP strengthens our position on the international motorsport calendar and highlights why the Territory is a must‑visit destination for major events. We’re proud to support this global spectacle and look forward to welcoming the world’s best riders, and thousands of fans, to the Top End to experience everything the Territory has to offer, from great hospitality to adventure on the water and encounters with our famous crocs.”

Quotes from Infront Moto Racing Representative:

"One month from now, the 2026 MXGP season will reach its conclusion in Darwin. Twelve months ago, we came back to Australia after 24 years and the Top End delivered a Grand Prix that people are still talking about. Hidden Valley has earned its place as the venue where our season ends. MXGP, MX2 and WMX, three days, and the last word of the year."

Quotes from Katherine Outback Experience, Tom Curtain:

“We’re excited to bring the spirit of the outback to MXGP of Australia. Our shows mix working dogs, liberty horses, whip cracking and live music — and yes, I’ll have a crack at riding a horse, singing and playing guitar all at once.

“With three performances a day and plenty of hands‑on fun for families, we’re proud to add a true Territory experience to the action off the track.”

Quotes from Motorcycling Australia CEO, Peter Doyle:

“As one of only two locations in Australia to host world championship motorcycle racing, Hidden Valley Motorsport Complex already holds a special place in the local sporting landscape. And after a highly successful first staging of the FIM Motocross World Championship in 2025, to be on the cusp of hosting number two is tremendously exciting.

“We’ve got so much to look forward to in Darwin as the three star-studded world championship classes crown new champions, while there will be over 100 Australians competing either as wildcards or in the MA Motocross State Challenge – opportunities that simply didn’t exist before FIM world championship motocross returned to Australia.

“Fierce competition, family-friendly activations and the renowned Top End hospitality will make for a compelling three days of entertainment.”

LINKS

Infront Moto Racing

FIM

MXGP Australia 

Uddevalla (Sweden), 16th August 2026 – The rocky terrain around the Glimminge Motorstadion circuit, near the town of Uddevalla in south-western Sweden, was barely visible today as thousands of fans in horned headwear gathered to cheer on their heroes at the MXGP of Sweden! It was a record-breaking attendance figure of over 28,000 fans who created a crackling atmosphere to the Uddevalla cliffsides!

With more sunlight than yesterday, the track baked even harder than usual, and all of the riders across the classes were struggling for traction on the slick surface that demanded to be ridden with respect.

It was business as usual for Jeffrey Herlings in MXGP, who completed another perfect 1-1-1 weekend to extend his winning streak, including Qualifying Races, to 11 straight race victories for Honda HRC Petronas, taking his first Sunday race wins in the MXGP class at his venue!

Romain Febvre consolidated his second position in the Championship with second overall for Kawasaki Racing Team MXGP, while Tom Vialle made it two Frenchmen and two Honda HRC Petronas teammates on the podium with third overall.

The MX2 class was won today by Sacha Coenen, claiming his first GP victory for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing since Latvia over two months ago, with perfect timing as his Championship rivals struggled with various issues. Liam Everts enjoyed his best GP of the season so far in second for Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing, as Camden McLellan extended his podium streak to four in a row with third overall for the Triumph Racing Factory Team.

It was a tense and tough GP on the slippery Swedish hardpack, and it tested every single rider’s skill, patience, and experience!

MXGP Start Sweden 2026

Keeping the pattern of putting his name at the top of every single session across the weekend, Jeffrey Herlings shot to the top in Warm-Up by nearly a second and a half from the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP machine of Tim Gajser, with Romain Febvre just a tenth further back in third.  There was hope for Norwegian near-home hero Kevin Horgmo with fourth place for Team Honda Motoblouz SR Motul, ahead of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Andrea Adamo.

It was Adamo who claimed just his second Fox Holeshot Award of the season in race one, but the two Hondas of Herlings and Tom Vialle immediately sneaked to the inside of the Italian, who also lost out to the returning Kawasaki Racing Team MXGP rider Pauls Jonass.  The Latvian, who missed two GPs after his big crash at Foxhills last month, was in a feisty mood as he cut across Vialle to take second on the exit of the left-handed third corner in front of the cliffsides of fans!

Febvre was hassling Adamo for fourth, but followed his inside line before a jump, allowing Gajser to rail around the outside and pass him for fifth, very nearly clipping Adamo’s rear wheel on the downhill landing!  Behind the top six were the third Honda HRC Petronas of Ruben Fernandez and the second Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP of Maxime Renaux.  The crowd’s attentions were on the battle for ninth, however, as home hero Isak Gifting pushed his JK Racing Yamaha towards the back wheel of Jan Pancar on his TEM JP253 KTM. The Slovenian slipped down the order with a mistake on lap two, promoting the Viking to ninth ahead of the Venrooy KTM Racing Team leader Jeremy Seewer.

The other Slovenian in the field, Tim Gajser, tried to make a move on Adamo on lap three but made a series of mistakes in trying, the last one putting him on the ground hard!  He was able to pick himself up quickly in ninth behind Gifting.  A couple of laps later, Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Kay de Wolf, struggling with a small thumb injury from mid-week training, got past Seewer for tenth, before the Swiss veteran suffered a big crash on lap nine!  Out of the race immediately, he was unable to complete in race two despite taking the start, pulling in early on.  It was a rough weekend for the three-time Uddevalla winner.

Herlings was disappearing into the distance, but the battle for second became an eight-wheeled freight train as Jonass kept Vialle at bay on his few attempts to close the gap, while Febvre had more frequent attacks fall short against Adamo!  Fernandez held sixth to the flag, ahead of the Yamaha trio of Renaux, Gifting, and Gajser.  De Wolf rounded out the top ten.

Febvre finally forced his way past Adamo into fourth with two laps to go, on the same corner as he was famously passed on by Gifting last year!  Vialle’s third place put him within three points of Renaux for seventh in the Championship, while Pauls Jonass earned his best race finish since his 2-2 scores won him the MXGP of Portugal over two years ago!  Herlings put in a stunning 1:49.587 lap time on the very last circulation, two seconds faster than anyone else managed all race long, just to put an exclamation point on a 21-second race victory!

Race two began with a bang, which was the sound of riders hitting the floor on the entry to the first corner.  Gifting tangled with the Red Bull Ducati Factory Team rider Calvin Vlaanderen, who fell hard as a result, also bringing down Fantic Factory Racing MXGP man Brent van Doninck. The Belgian came off worse with rib injuries that still need analysing, while the South African was also sidelined but no worse than shaken up by the impact. We wish them both a speedy recovery.  Gifting fell into the barriers but was able to get back on track, the crowd urging him on at every turn. He would recover to 14th, just outside the top ten on the day with 11th overall.

At the front, Vialle took the Fox Holeshot Award, putting himself to the top of the series table with eight, one ahead of the absent Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider Lucas Coenen.  However, the Frenchman also ran wide, placing sixth into turn two, as Febvre emerged with the lead ahead of Gajser, Herlings, Jonass, and Fernandez!

Herlings struck immediately, darting to the inside of Gajser on the third corner, then cutting into an inside rut to pass Febvre for the lead before half a lap was completed!  His teammate Fernandez also displaced Jonass for fourth, as De Wolf ran seventh behind Vialle but in front of Adamo, Andrea Bonacorsi on the surviving Red Bull Ducati, and Renaux.

Vialle made good progress on lap two, getting ahead of Jonass on that third corner, then making an inside pass on Fernandez in the middle of the circuit to claim fourth and put himself into podium contention.  Herlings was a little more patient in this race, setting the fastest time on the sixth lap, although it wasn’t quite as fast as his Acerbis Fastest Lap from race one. Gajser attacked Febvre briefly but was unable to make a move for second.

Jonass wasn’t quite able to hold the pace after his race one efforts, and dropped behind De Wolf, Adamo, and finally Bonacorsi, who took eighth with three laps to go.  Ninth for the Latvian was still good enough for fourth overall, his best result since that 2024 Portuguese win!  Kevin Horgmo came out on top in a fantastic back-and-forth battle with Renaux for tenth, earning him tenth overall behind the Frenchman. 

Meanwhile, Fernandez was able to hold De Wolf back, helped by a small slip-off by the Dutchman which limited him to sixth ahead of Adamo, but the Italian would finish seventh overall ahead of De Wolf.  In sixth overall, Fernandez did enough to draw level with Adamo for fifth in the Championship! 

Gajser’s third put him into fifth overall for the day behind Jonass, but that was sufficient to lift him above Coenen into third in the Championship.  Vialle’s fifth podium in the premier class raised him above Renaux for seventh in the series, but Febvre was unable to get close to Herlings, who ultimately won by over six seconds.  The Frenchman’s second place was the 200th top three race finish of his career.

The race was cut short with two laps to go by a red flag, as MX-Handel Husqvarna rider Kevin Brumann came together with the MRT Racing Team Beta of Jago Geerts on a downhill jump, and was lying still on the track for a few moments.  The Swiss rider did get up, albeit a little wobbly, but the Belgian has suffered a leg injury which has been announced as being in plaster, but still needing assessment by his doctor back home.  We all wish them both the very best in their recoveries.

Herlings’ 121st career GP victory puts him 116 points clear of reigning World Champion Febvre, and the Dutchman heads to his home GP next week with high expectations of building that lead further!  If anyone can stop “The Bullet”, it will be a remarkable achievement, but the atmosphere at Arnhem is bound to be electric!

Jeffrey Herlings: "I feel like I am riding well and I feel really good on the bike, also at tracks like this one. My whole career I struggled with starts and now they have got better again. In the first race Tom and I were both fighting into the first corner, and in the second one my jump off the gate was not the best, but I came out third, made the passes early and then had a comfortable lead. With the sun so low it felt a bit sketchy, so I did just enough. We won every session, led every lap and won both races, so I am super happy. Now I really look forward to my home GP."

Romain Febvre: "It was a good GP overall and my race speed was okay. The first race was the tricky one: my start was not bad, but I touched with another rider in the first two turns and lost places, so I had to come back through the pack. Then I was stuck behind Andrea [Adamo] for a long time, I could not find a spot and only got him with two laps to go to finish fourth. The second race was much better. I almost got the holeshot, Jeffrey passed me on the first lap and I could ride my own pace, so to finish that close to him is a really good ride. I am happy to be back on the podium."

Tom Vialle: "I had a pretty good day. I was struggling a little bit yesterday in the qualifying race, we made some changes on the bike this morning and I felt a lot better straight away. The first race was frustrating because Pauls [Jonass] was riding really good and I was stuck behind him for 35 minutes without finding one spot on the track to pass. I had a better start in the second one but went a little too wide and lost a few positions, so I had to come back through again. The track was easy to make a mistake on, but I am happy to be on the podium."

     
1. Romain Febvre; 2. Tom Vialle

MXGP - Grand Prix Race 1 - Top 10 Classification:  1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, Honda), 35:13.146; 2. Pauls Jonass (LAT, Kawasaki), +0:21.392; 3. Tom Vialle (FRA, Honda), +0:22.049; 4. Romain Febvre (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:24.220; 5. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), +0:27.045; 6. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, Honda), +0:28.460; 7. Maxime Renaux (FRA, Yamaha), +0:31.140; 8. Isak Gifting (SWE, Yamaha), +0:32.233; 9. Tim Gajser (SLO, Yamaha), +0:33.422; 10. Kay de Wolf (NED, Husqvarna), +0:33.544

MXGP - Grand Prix Race 2 - Top 10 Classification:  1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, Honda), 29:32.199; 2. Romain Febvre (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:06.226; 3. Tim Gajser (SLO, Yamaha), +0:11.356; 4. Tom Vialle (FRA, Honda), +0:15.227; 5. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, Honda), +0:21.246; 6. Kay de Wolf (NED, Husqvarna), +0:33.653; 7. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), +0:39.734; 8. Andrea Bonacorsi (ITA, Ducati), +0:42.304; 9. Pauls Jonass (LAT, Kawasaki), +0:45.861; 10. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, Honda), +0:54.934

MXGP Overall - Top 10 Classification:  1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, HON), 50 points; 2. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 40 p.; 3. Tom Vialle (FRA, HON), 38 p.; 4. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KAW), 34 p.; 5. Tim Gajser (SLO, YAM), 32 p.; 6. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, HON), 31 p.; 7. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), 30 p.; 8. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 26 p.; 9. Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 24 p.; 10. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, HON), 21 p.

MXGP - World Championship - Top 10 Classification:  1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, HON), 735 points; 2. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 619 p.; 3. Tim Gajser (SLO, YAM), 575 p.; 4. Lucas Coenen (BEL, KTM), 566 p.; 5. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, HON), 483 p.; 6. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), 483 p.; 7. Tom Vialle (FRA, HON), 454 p.; 8. Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 449 p.; 9. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 375 p.; 10. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KAW), 312 p.

MXGP - Manufacturers Classification:  1. Honda, 823 points; 2. KTM, 732 p.; 3. Yamaha, 661 p.; 4. Kawasaki, 648 p.; 5. Husqvarna, 408 p.; 6. Ducati, 293 p.; 7. Fantic, 281 p.; 8. Beta, 160 p.; 9. Triumph, 138 p.; 10. GASGAS, 4 p.

Sacha Coenen

Janis Reisulis showed his enjoyment of the Uddevalla circuit as he took the top time in Warm-Up for Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2. Liam Everts was not far behind in second place, ahead of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Simon Längenfelder.

Sacha Coenen got back to his old tricks of rocketing to the Fox Holeshot Award, and held it well around the early corners from Everts and Janis Reisulis, while Camden McLellan got away well in fourth ahead of Längenfelder.  From an unfavourable gate pick, Camden’s Triumph Racing Factory Team stablemate Guillem Farres was outside of the top ten, with facial scarring from his heavy crash in Saturday’s Qualifying Race.  It would be a day of pain endurance for the Championship leader.

Dutchman Kay Karssemakers had enjoyed his career-best Qualifying Race for Dixon Racing Team Kawasaki, and he made a surprise pass on Längenfelder in the opening lap to hold fifth place from the defending Champion!  Behind them came Husqvarna Scandinavia’s Norwegian rider Pelle Gundersen and the Maddii Racing Honda ABF Italia of Maxime Grau, with Farres able to climb to ninth at the end of the first full lap, ahead of home hero Nike Korsbeck for Triumph Racing Nordics!

Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 rider Karlis Reisulis had tangled with the Honda HRC Petronas of Valerio Lata in the third corner, putting them to the back, while Julius Mikula pushed his Osička Racing KTM past Korsbeck.  Gundersen made a mistake on lap three to drop down the order, keeping the Swede inside the top ten until Karlis caught him on lap six.

Farres recovered well from a mistake in the same second corner which caught him out on Saturday, and got up to sixth with a pass on Karssemakers on lap nine, a lap after Längenfelder had passed the Kawasaki.  The Champ and the red plate holder stayed in those positions ‘til the flag, with Grau seventh, Mikula eighth, and Karssemakers dropping to ninth ahead of Karlis Reisulis.

McLellan made several attempts to get past Karlis’ younger brother, but until the Latvian ran wide on the first corner of lap 13, he wasn’t able to get the job done.  He needed no second invitation to capitalise on that mistake! The top four circulated within three seconds of each other at one point, but Coenen kept back a spirited charge from Everts, who set the fastest lap of the race on the penultimate lap, making it a Belgian 1-2 ahead of McLellan and Janis Reisulis.  It was Sacha’s first race win since Latvia in June, and he was suitably pumped as he passed Pit Lane after taking the chequered flag!

The diminutive Belgian clearly fancied more of the same, and took another Fox Holeshot Award in race two, bringing his total to 13 for the year, eight clear of the next best in that table!  Längenfelder was right behind him on the first lap, and the German was expected to make a move after his Qualifying Race win and his previously perfect podium record at Uddevalla!  Everts, McLellan, and Mikula gave immediate chase, but Karssemakers passed Mikula into the second corner!

Everts did not want Sacha to get away from him again, and made an audacious sweeping move around the outside of turn five to take second from Längenfelder! Meanwhile, Farres was initially twelfth across the first timing beam, but made some inspired moves to get to sixth by the end of the first full lap!  Ahead of him was Janis Reisulis, as Mikula crashed down the order, and Karssemakers had made an optimistic passing attempt on McLellan which resulted in a dramatic crash over the handlebars!  The unfortunate Dutchman would then pull into Pit Lane with too much damage to either his bike or his body.

Farres was far from done, fighting through the pain to move inside Janis Reisulis for fifth on lap two. Lata and Karlis Reisulis ran seventh and eighth, while Noel Zanocz was ninth for Venrooy KTM Racing, ahead of local boy Korsbeck!  Both the Swede and the Hungarian would succumb to a late charge from Mikula, who got through to a fine ninth position by the flag, ahead of Zanocz, who held off Grau for tenth.  Ahead of them, Lata took eighth in the race to put himself tenth overall, behind Grau in ninth and Mikula eighth overall.

The Reisulis brothers would come home in sixth and seventh in race two, Janis in front of his older sibling, who took seventh overall.   The remarkable Farres made a sweeping pass around the outside of Längnfelder for fourth on lap three, sealing the deal with the Acerbis Fastest Lap of the day in MX2 on lap four! The positions would stay set from there as riders struggled for traction on the slick surface, and Längenfelder’s fifth put him between the Reisuli in sixth for the day, his first ever visit to Uddevalla that didn’t finish with a podium result.  Janis claimed fifth overall behind the dogged Farres, who nearly hunted down his teammate for third mid-race!

McLellan’s fourth podium in a row, and tenth in all, moved him to 16 points up on Längenfelder in the Championship, but 21 behind Sacha Coenen.  Again, Everts was frustrated in his efforts to pass his countryman finishing just under two and a half seconds behind Coenen, who simply would not buckle under pressure. It was his first ever podium in Sweden, and his eighth career GP victory!  It puts him right back in the Championship chase, nearly halving the gap to Farres from 47 points at the start of the weekend to just 24 now!

The show of bravery from Farres cannot be underestimated, but after being impaired by his injuries from the USA, Coenen looks back at full strength again, and with plenty of local support ready to get behind him at Arnhem, the MXGP of the Netherlands could give us a storming showdown between the two!  McLellan is likely to be strong in that sand as he was in Lommel, so the MX2 class should provide fireworks next weekend!

The crowds will gather for round 16 as we close off August’s GP action in some deep Dutch sand, so don’t forget to find a way to watch one of the most entertaining events of thee MXGP season!

Sacha Coenen: "I am really happy with this one. It has been a long time since I won a GP and it was not easy today, so it means a lot. I did what I needed to do in both races. Liam [Everts] was really strong behind me and pushing me the whole way, which was good for me, I was just trying to keep a small gap and I managed to do it. Two races out front made it a nice day. We have four GPs to go and I am just trying to have fun every weekend on the track and do my best, so I am looking forward to the next races."

Liam Everts: "I was there all weekend, I felt really strong and really good, and I just came up one second short. We were riding a high pace all weekend, but unfortunately for me Sacha did not make the mistake I was hoping for. I kept pushing until the end and ended up second in both races. It has been an up and down season, struggling with the bike and with myself, and with things happening outside of my control, but we made some changes on the bike and definitely improved this weekend. Now I am looking forward to Arnhem, the last sand race of the year, and I hope to make it a good one."

Camden McLellan: "It was not a bad weekend. Results wise I think there was a little bit more on the table in both races, but my riding was really good and that is the main thing. The races were pretty intense and the track was really flat and very difficult for passing. Sacha is known for his speed and Liam was very good today as well, so they were far ahead in the second race. I charged at the end but could not really do anything about it, which was a bit of a shame. Third is not too bad, some good championship points and good vibes, and this weekend shows it is not over until it is really over."

     
1. Liam Everts; 2. Camden McLellan

MX2 - Grand Prix Race 1 - Top 10 Classification: 1. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM), 33:45.306; 2. Liam Everts (BEL, Husqvarna), +0:01.264; 3. Camden McLellan (RSA, Triumph), +0:11.257; 4. Janis Martins Reisulis (LAT, Yamaha), +0:14.197; 5. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, KTM), +0:29.037; 6. Guillem Farres (ESP, Triumph), +0:35.800; 7. Maxime Grau (FRA, Honda), +0:37.229; 8. Julius Mikula (CZE, KTM), +0:38.223; 9. Kay Karssemakers (NED, Kawasaki), +0:59.047; 10. Karlis Alberts Reisulis (LAT, Yamaha), +1:11.390

MX2 - Grand Prix Race 2 – Top 10 Classification:  1. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM), 35:19.455; 2. Liam Everts (BEL, Husqvarna), +0:02.442; 3. Camden McLellan (RSA, Triumph), +0:09.849; 4. Guillem Farres (ESP, Triumph), +0:30.681; 5. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, KTM), +0:34.913; 6. Janis Martins Reisulis (LAT, Yamaha), +0:39.632; 7. Karlis Alberts Reisulis (LAT, Yamaha), +0:44.675; 8. Valerio Lata (ITA, Honda), +0:45.290; 9. Julius Mikula (CZE, KTM), +1:21.804; 10. Noel Zanocz (HUN, KTM), +1:29.257

MX2 Overall – Top 10 Classification:  1. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM), 50 points; 2. Liam Everts (BEL, HUS), 44 p.; 3. Camden McLellan (RSA, TRI), 40 p.; 4. Guillem Farres (ESP, TRI), 33 p.; 5. Janis Martins Reisulis (LAT, YAM), 33 p.; 6. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, KTM), 32 p.; 7. Karlis Alberts Reisulis (LAT, YAM), 25 p.; 8. Julius Mikula (CZE, KTM), 25 p.; 9. Maxime Grau (FRA, HON), 24 p.; 10. Valerio Lata (ITA, HON), 23 p.

MX2 - World Championship Classification:  1. Guillem Farres (ESP, TRI), 701 points; 2. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM), 677 p.; 3. Camden McLellan (RSA, TRI), 656 p.; 4. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, KTM), 640 p.; 5. Liam Everts (BEL, HUS), 595 p.; 6. Janis Martins Reisulis (LAT, YAM), 552 p.; 7. Karlis Alberts Reisulis (LAT, YAM), 441 p.; 8. Valerio Lata (ITA, HON), 381 p.; 9. Mathis Valin (FRA, KAW), 352 p.; 10. Julius Mikula (CZE, KTM), 341 p.

MX2 - Manufacturers Classification:  1. Triumph, 807 points; 2. KTM, 798 p.; 3. Husqvarna, 608 p.; 4. Yamaha, 592 p.; 5. Kawasaki, 472 p.; 6. Honda, 439 p.; 7. Ducati, 153 p.; 8. TM Moto, 87 p.; 9. GASGAS, 65 p.; 10. Fantic, 8 p.

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

You can find the complete results HERE.

MXGP OF SWEDEN QUICK FACTS:

Circuit length: 1645m

Type of ground: Hard Pack

Temperature: 22˚

Weather conditions: Sunny

Crowd Attendance: 28,500

LINKS

Infront Moto Racing

FIM