MXGP

Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing confirms that Kay de Wolf will miss the upcoming MXGP of Portugal following an ankle injury sustained at the MXGP of Italy in Montevarchi.

Following further medical evaluations, the decision has been made for the Dutchman to focus on his recovery before returning to competition. As a result, de Wolf will sit out upcoming rounds of the FIM Motocross World Championship while the team continues to monitor his progress.

The injury interrupts what has been an encouraging rookie MXGP campaign for the 21-year-old, who currently sits inside the top five of the championship standings and recently celebrated his second MXGP podium finish of the season in Latvia.

Further updates regarding his return to racing will be communicated in due course.

#74 - Kay de Wolf: “It’s obviously a real disappointment because the crash was completely out of my control, especially when we had built some good momentum over the last few rounds. Right now, the focus is on recovering properly and making sure everything heals as it should. We still have a few more checks to go through and take some rest. From there, I want to keep building and put myself in a position to fight for a podium at Lommel. I’ll do everything I can to come back fit, healthy and ready to go.”

Rasmus Jorgensen – Team Manager, Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing: "This is a very frustrating situation. Kay had built some great momentum and was learning a lot with every race. Injuries are unfortunately part of this sport, but for it to happen in the way it did makes it even tougher to accept, especially for Kay. As always, we are fully behind him, and together we will do everything in our power to make sure he returns as soon as possible."

The Behind The Gate documentary series, which is produced after every GP and aired immediately on MXGP-TV.com, focused on the MXGP of Trentino for Episode Six, “Making The Break”, which came before a five-week break in the schedule prior to the MXGP of France.  We went behind the scenes with Venrooy KTM Racing and their MXGP rider Mattia Guadagnini, who was racing at the Italian Motocross mecca of Trentino for the first time in three years. We were fortunate enough to have the two-time GP winner, and former MX2 red plate holder, show us the trophy cabinet at his home in Italy, then follow him to a local practice track as he prepared for Trentino.

After equalling his best Qualifying Race result with seventh on the Saturday at Pietramurata, the likeable home boy struggled a little with his starts and came in 17^th overall, leaving him 14^th in the Championship after the first five rounds.

Sadly, the luckless Mattia aggravated added another injury to his left shoulder, which was already far from a hundred percent due to continuing problems over the last few years.  We were able to speak to him via video call from his home in Pieve del Grappa, less than two hours’ drive from Trentino, and he explained the latest setback in what has been a troubled MXGP career so far.

BTG: Mattia, thanks for joining us remotely at his time.  We will obviously go through things as we talk more, but how are you now, it must have been such a disappointment to get injured yet again.

MG: Yeah, it feels quite bad to be out again and that I need to stop, to be here at home watching the races again. But I also know that with how bad it was, it didn't make sense to try to survive and be back. So, the surgery is the best thing I can do. And I will take my time, to really be back at 100% and work hard to be competitive, as soon as possible. I also know that rushing things at this time, at this point it doesn't make sense. We'll take this time to really put some training in and focus on the shoulder, and be back at my 100 % as soon as possible.

BTG: So, just to rewind to Trentino, when we followed you for Behind The Gate, how were you feeling with the new team, with the season up to that point?

MG: So, the season so far had been quite good. I had a really good feeling with the team, and it didn't show so much on the results, but I felt really confident on the bike. I had a really good winter working with the team and the bike and I got that feeling back, from racing last year, and it really took a little bit of time to re-adapt to the KTM, but after that it went really smooth and I really had a good feeling. I think I was building up in the first few races, to get the feeling to be confident, and at this point I really think I can put everything together and show that there's a good potential. I was really confident to go into my race, my home GP and show what I was capable of.

BTG: Yeah, because Sardegna was also your first home GP for a few years, really, apart from Maggiora in 2024, because you had injuries the two years before. So it must have been exciting to finally get back to Sardegna, and then, of course, Trentino is so crazy anyway. I mean, I know last year you enjoyed getting in the crowd, we saw photos of you with the fans, revving chainsaws and everything, so that was good fun, but it must have been better to actually be on the bike this time.

MG. Ha ha ha, yeah, exactly. Trentino is my real home GP, because it's really close to my home. It's one and a half hours from where I live, and every year so many fans come to the race. So, it's a really special race. I didn't race there for the last two years because I was injured. So, racing in Sardegna was good, but of course, Trentino is a bit more special for me and I was really looking forward for my real home GP, to be there with all the fans. I went there last year to enjoy the show, but of course to be part of the race is a completely different story.

BTG: Yeah, for sure. I can imagine it was just a massive improvement for you. So, talking about Trentino itself, how was it for you? I mean, we can see that the results weren't amazing, but you had a good seventh in Qualifying, matching your best of the year. So, how did you feel after Qualifying?

MG: Yeah, I'm gonna talk about Saturday because it was really good! Yeah, I didn't show anything else in the end. I mean, the results were not the best but Saturday was really, really good. I had a good feeling coming into the race. I really wanted to put everything together and be there, and show everybody, to finally be there for my home GP, so that was an extra motivation to really give my best in every session of the weekend, and Saturday went quite well. I didn't have the best time in Time Practice but then the Qualifying Race was a different story. All the crowd really pushed me through the race and I didn't have the best start, but then I made some early passes in the moto, and then I was really, like, feeling it. I was enjoying it so much, to be out there racing, and that for sure helped a lot. I was able to make some passes and stabilise myself in seventh position, which was really, really good honestly. Especially going into the Sunday races with that feeling, that I was able to put a good moto together, to be in a good position for Sunday. Of course, there was also that happiness, that warm feeling from the crowd after a good result on Saturday, it really helped me to go into Sunday with even an extra motivation, to be even more hungry, to really be there, put together the races, and bring home a really good result.

BTG: Yeah superb, I can only imagine that you definitely feel the crowd behind you at that race, can you actually experience the noise from the trackside fans, do you get that for yourself, do you feel it when you're coming past them?

MG: Yes, I mean the crowd was crazy. It's always been crazy in Trentino, but of course when they are cheering for you and for the Italian riders, you can feel it closer. You can feel like, I don't know, you're racing and every time you pass by the crowd at the last corner before the finish line jump, it's just like, yeah, I need to... well, to give my best, I need to put together my 100%! If it's not for me, it needs to be for them also. So even when it's a bit difficult, when you find yourself in a difficult position or you're struggling in the moto, it's just like an extra motivation. They remind you that it makes sense to give your best and you need to make it.  It's really special. I don't know if everybody can experience this on a home GP. I think for an Italian, to race Trentino is really special. It's not an everyday thing. Like for me, it has been like really, really cool. I don't know, just like a really special moment of my life.

BTG: Fantastic, it’s great that you got to experience that and especially after two years out. So, sorry to ask the difficult question, but please tell us what's happened since, you obviously had an injury there. Could you talk us through how it happened again, I know it's an old injury that's come back, but for people who don't know the situation, what has happened?

MG: Yeah, after Trentino, I was really motivated to use the one month of the break to really put together the work, to be back in a stronger position, to really use this break to train, to test, to be in a better spot when we all came back in France.

I was really motivated to put it together every day, and I went straight to Belgium and the Netherlands to test with the team. I was doing suspension tests, and we had three really good days. And at the last day in Lommel, I was maybe a little bit tired. It was at the end of the day, but I still wanted to push, to make the best use of the time to work, and then go back home to do some more training, but with a good feeling on the bike.

And yeah, they were just the last few laps of the day, and I had a big, big crash. I got sideways on a straight, like after one jump? So, I took one bump, and the bike went sideways, and I had a massive crash, like a big, big one. And of course, yeah, I felt there was something strange from the beginning. I had a really big concussion on the head, which was really taking off the focus on the body. After I was feeling a bit better in my head, I felt straightaway that there was something strange on the shoulder, on my left shoulder, which I already had like six or seven injuries on before. And then, yeah, I have an old plate on the collarbone and I got an injury just on the side of that. So, it was a strange fracture, and in the next few weeks I had some medical checks, some different opinions, and I finally went to a doctor who knows me really well from my previous injuries, and the final decision was to have surgery.

My shoulder situation is quite bad, and every time I get an injury it's getting worse and worse. So, I was trying to survive, not lose time in the last few years, but it was really difficult. I had like 50 % of the power on the left shoulder compared to the right one, which is quite crazy to think about, for riding a Motocross bike.

BTG:  Yeah that is pretty crazy, it must have been tough to ride through that every time you went on track, especially on the more brutal tracks!

MG:  I didn't talk much about it, but it was a really difficult time in the last few years, and every time I got injured it was more and more difficult. At this point with this new injury that required surgery, I will take this time to fix also some other things, which is good for my future, because honestly it was really difficult to keep on going like this.

On the other side, it will take some more time. So, I'll be off for a few months. I still don't know the exact time, but we will see after the surgery. It will be in two weeks [from the end of May]. So I need to wait, be patient a little bit. And then after the surgery, we can decide and see how the situation is. On one side, I know it's really the best for my future, for my health, and to really put together the work and the rehab, to be at my 100 % again, which I have not been for a long time now. Of course, it feels really bad to be out again, to lose many races of the Championship, especially with the beginning of the season where I was feeling better, I was feeling strong. I really believed that I could put everything together and be in a strong position soon during the season.

BTG: Yeah, because at 100%, you know, you've won GPs before in MX2, and you've stood on the podium in MXGP. So, you know the ability is there. It's just getting over the physical side of it, of course. So, I mean, is that the sort of thing that keeps you going through the darkest times? Like, yeah, I've got podium potential, I can compete at the top level. You know, is that something that just sort of burns in you to help you get through this? I can't imagine what it must be like for you.

MG: Yeah, I mean, I did some really good things in the past, not so long ago, so there's still something there. I did podiums, I won GPs in the MX2, I got the podium in the MXGP.  So, I know what I'm capable of, the last few years have been quite difficult with all the injuries going on, and every time, it’s like taking my time to be back, to put together training. Every time it takes like two or three months to be back in a decent position, and then do some more races and take time to be back at a really strong point. Like every time in the last three years I was feeling OK, then I got another injury. So that makes it really difficult, to have the strength to be back every time. And of course, I was never at my 100%, not physically, not mentally, not with, like, my physical situation. I know that I was really far from what I'm able to do.

That's a bit difficult on one side, but that's a really positive thing to keep in mind, to work hard and try to be back there where I belong. Even mentally, I was racing the last two, three years since the injury in France in 2023, I got some shoulder problems and that made it more and more difficult every time I got a new injury, because it was always on the left shoulder, it's like really weak, and every time I crash I got injured there! After that it has been quite difficult, and also mentally it has been quite difficult to go racing, knowing that I'm not at my 100 %, knowing that I don't have the strength at my 100% to control the bike.  MXGP at this level is not a joke, so you need to be really at your 100% to be competitive and I was not for a long time, so I will take this time also to work on many things, to really be back safe and strong and be on a good level, not just be there trying to survive or trying to compete. I want to be back at my highest level, so that's the real goal.

BTG: You seem to be in a decent spot with the Venrooy team, I guess? I mean, obviously they must be disappointed, but yeah can you say if things are good for next year, or is that still undecided yet?

MG: Well, I don't have a contract for next year, so that's really not an easy situation, to stay out for a long time. I spoke with the team, and we'll see. I mean, there is a chance to keep working with them. It would be really good for me, because I had a really good feeling. I also know it's a difficult position for them at the moment, like not having a rider for many races. So we will discuss this when I have some more news and to see when I can come back and we will discuss also for the future. So for the moment, not anything confirmed at the end of the day.

BTG: OK, thank you so much for speaking to us and yeah, we all hope that you get well soon. We miss you at the races and yeah, we hope you have a good recovery and can come back at something close to your best.

MG:  Thank you so much. Hope to see you soon. Have a good weekend!

Epilogue: The Venrooy KTM team have been able to take on Rick Elzinga as a stand-in for Mattia, after the Dutchman had struggled with his previous team.  He was able to score his first points of the year with 17^th overall at his first race with the team, the Liqui Moly MXGP of Germany. 

We wish Mattia Guadagnini all the best with his recovery, and that the ever-cheerful but deceptively tough Italian is able to bless the circuit with his unique style and flair on a motorcycle again soon, because at his best he is a joy to watch.  Thanks to Mattia and the Venrooy KTM Racing team for their help with the episode.

MONACO (Principality of Monaco) 23 June 2026 – The 10th round of the 2026 FIM Motocross World Championship crosses the Portuguese border once again for the MXGP of Portugal in Agueda.

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

TIMETABLE

MXGP ENTRY LIST

MX2 ENTRY LIST

EMX250 ENTRY LIST

EMX125 PRESENTED BY FMF RACING ENTRY LIST

MONTEVARCHI (Italy), 21st June 2026 – The temperatures stayed high, and so did the incredible atmosphere at the Crossdromo Miravalle, and the classic Italian style hard-pack circuit above the city of Montevarchi delivered some pulsating action for the MXGP of Italy, a true celebration for local fans who have not seen this level of racing for two entire decades!

The track was prepared to combat the dust that naturally happens when a circuit is baked as much as this one has been, and on the day of the Summer Solstice it gave us some red-hot racing, even though some rain came down between the first set of races and the second, just adding a little extra difficulty with traction for the MXGP elite!

The MXGP class saw the all-time master Jeffrey Herlings climb to the top step for Honda HRC Petronas, taking his twentieth Grand Prix victory on Italian soil, and 116th in total, with fighting 1-2 finishes that clawed a few points back on series leader Lucas Coenen, who scored a brace of third places to take second overall for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing. It was a great weekend for Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP, as Maxime Renaux claimed third overall for his second podium result of the season, and Tim Gajser, after suffering unfortunate damage to his bike in race one, won the second race as he kept a charging Herlings at bay!

In MX2, it was a measured performance through the day that took the overall victory for Sacha Coenen, keeping the red plate on his Red Bull KTM Factory Racing machine with solid 2-2 race finishes, although the Triumph Racing Factory Team collected the race wins for themselves, Guillem Farres the first one on his way to second overall, while Camden McLellan dominated race two to clinch third overall on the day.  The duo are now second and third in the Championship behind Coenen!

On a decidedly different race track to most modern venues, there were many fantastic moments for the full hillsides of fans to enjoy, and all riders must be commended on the skills that allow them to ride so fast on such a slick surface!

MXGP Start Italy 2026

In the morning Warm-Up session, Jeffrey Herlings put in a late quick lap to finish as the fastest ahead of his old foes of the last decade-plus, yesterday’s Qualifying Race winner Tim Gajser, and Kawasaki Racing Team MXGP’s #1 plate holder Romain Febvre.

The Honda HRC Petronas duo of Herlings and Tom Vialle, returning from injury this weekend, closely disputed the race one Fox Holeshot Award, which just went to the Dutchman for the second time this season as he tore up the first hill with his teammate in his wake, followed by Maxime Renaux, the sole Red Bull Ducati Factory MXGP Team rider Calvin Vlaanderen, and home hero Alberto Forato in fifth for Fantic Factory Racing MXGP.

Caught in a vice in the first corner between Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Andrea Adamo and the TEM JP253 KTM of fellow Slovenian Jan Pancar was Gajser, and in the hustle and bustle a foot peg played havoc with the front wheel of the factory Yamaha, and he had to pull into Pit Lane for a hasty wheel change, putting him nearly a lap down and with no hope of repeating his success from yesterday!

His teammate, though, was on a mission, carving to the inside of his countryman Vialle to take second on lap three, and he looked extremely threatening on the back wheel of Herlings for most of the first half of the race!  Meanwhile, Forato had been displaced by Pancar and the Gabriel SS24 KTM of Oriol Oliver, with the Red Bull KTMs of Adamo and Lucas Coenen in eighth and tenth, either side of Febvre!

Coenen immediately began his march through the field, although it was executed with supreme patience for a 19-year-old with the MXGP red plate, and he picked off Febvre, Forato, and Oliver on successive laps.  Only two laps further on he was to squeeze past Adamo, then on to Pancar just another lap later for fifth by lap seven! Vialle meanwhile, re-adjusting to life at the sharp end of MXGP after his four-week break from racing, had been demoted by Vlaanderen with a smart inside move by the Ducati man through a sharp left-hand turn. 

Further back, Oliver would just be moved out of the top ten by Kawasaki Racing Team MXGP’s Pauls Jonass, who finished in tenth behind Forato, with Pancar eighth.  Febvre was unable to get any further forward than sixth, which he took from Adamo with two laps to go.

On lap nine, Lucas took a double portion as he passed both Vialle and Vlaanderen to move up to third.  And he wasn’t done there! As Vlaanderen put in his best finish yet for Ducati in fourth, holding off a counter-attack from Vialle, so Coenen charged up to the rear wheel of Renaux, urging the Frenchman up towards Herlings again!  The leading three did finish in that order, less than three seconds covering all of them!  It meant that “The Bullet”, with his 220th GP race win, and 35th on Italian territory, clawed back five points from the teenager’s series lead.

To the roar of his home crowd, Andrea Adamo started race two by claiming his first Fox Holeshot Award in the MXGP class, but Gajser was immediately in his wheel-tracks, desperate to make up for the first race when he finished less than a second from scoring points after fighting from the very back! Vialle, Coenen, and Renaux were also in contention, but Herlings showed incredible aggression in the first half-lap to get to fourth, although he survived a big moment in the waves while trying to pass his teammate Vialle, just after bolting past Coenen!  The points leader himself then made his own mistake to allow the Dutchman back in front of him, and by the end of the first full lap Herlings had made the move on Vialle for third.

Renaux was behind Coenen in sixth, with Pancar, Oliver, Febvre, and Jonass in an orange and green train behind them!  Oliver dropped behind the two Kawasaki men, and a fired-up Vlaanderen, who got into the top ten on lap three.

Adamo resisted Gajser with the fans urging him on, but the Slovenian took his first half-chance to carve inside the KTM at the top of the track, and the move forced the Italian wide, over-balancing further to head off the side of the track briefly, but long enough to allow both Herlings and Coenen past as well. There followed a thrilling sequence of laps where the two five-time World Champions and the series leader showed considerable intensity, but no passes could be made as their fortunes ebbed and flowed with every attempt at an overtake!

Behind them, Adamo showed great tenacity to hold onto fourth until the flag, while Febvre put a determined move on Renaux for fifth with three laps to go.  Vialle dropped from fifth to ninth with a small crash a lap earlier. Pancar and Jonass were beneficiaries to claim seventh and eighth, while Vlaanderen held tenth, just behind Vialle at the finish line.

Gajser’s race win, his second for Yamaha and the 99th of his career, put him ninth overall ahead of Jonass, and two points behind his fellow Slovenian Pancar in eighth overall, matching his best of the year from the previous round in Latvia!  Vialle’s seventh was a solid return from two GPs away, and Vlaanderen, in his last GP before turning 30 years old this week, took his and Ducati’s best result of the year in sixth overall.

Adamo was to finish a point ahead of Febvre on the day in fourth overall, but Renaux was very happy with his second podium of the season, as both he and Honda HRC Petronas’ Ruben Fernandez, beaten up after a crash on Saturday and struggling to 13th overall today, jumped ahead of the absent Kay de Wolf in the Championship, after the Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing man had to sit out the GP due to injuries in the same incident as the Spaniard.  Renaux is now back up to fifth in the standings ahead of Fernandez.

Coenen was delighted with second overall on a track which he didn’t much fancy from the outset, and Herlings’ victory puts him a little closer to the Belgian, now 56 points down as we approach the halfway point in the series.

The red dirt of Agueda beckons the MXGP elite to the shores of Portugal next weekend, and it should be another wide open, fervent affair!

Jeffrey Herlings: "I had the speed to win all weekend long. Yesterday we missed the start and had to fight through the pack with Romain [Febvre] and Lucas [Coenen]. Today I took a gamble, going to the gate twice next to the box, and it paid off, especially in the first race where I got the holeshot and could lead. It's not easy leading with pressure all race, first from Maxime [Renaux] and then from Maxime and Lucas. In the second race I had a better start, then was behind Maxime until about six or seven minutes to go and I knew if I kept Lucas behind me, I’d win the overall.
That's another GP win, my fourth of the season. Credit to Honda, Gariboldi and the whole HRC Petronas team, they've worked so hard through the good and bad. We had two tough weekends in a row with DNFs, that cost us around 40 points in the championship, but we keep charging, and we're at the halfway point now. Racing against Lucas is good as he’s a fair, clean rider to pass, he's never done anything dirty to me, and racing him like that, he'll hopefully have a long career”

Lucas Coenen: "I'm happy to be standing here on the podium. Coming from the US, I wasn't expecting much here. When I went out for the first lap I looked at the team like, this isn't going to be good. In race one I had a bad jump and was almost last into the first corner, but I made some good passes and worked my way back to the front. In the second race I had a better start, and Jeffrey and I were battling back and forth. You don't want to make a big mistake, you have to be smart and play it cool, and that's what I did. At the end I had a small issue with my goggles, but I was happy to finish third with those two guys ahead of me."

Maxime Renaux: "Latvia was a disappointment, two technical issues, so it was a pretty dark weekend. We put that behind us and came here motivated to get some points back. I felt alright from the first day, even with the heat. I'm struggling a bit with my health at the moment, so it was hard physically. In the first race I pushed hard on Jeffrey trying to find a way past, then Lucas came flying at the end, so I had to give everything on the last lap, I think it was my best lap of the race. In the second race I had a good start but hit neutral in a corner and lost a couple of positions. From the fourth lap I was really struggling physically, but finishing on the podium is a good step forward for the season and the championship.
The battle with Jeffrey was intense. The first fifteen minutes we had a really good pace, we pulled away from everyone, then I realised I wasn't sure I could make the pass, I was getting tired from the heat. I backed off a little and followed his pace. Then I saw Lucas closing on the board, so I woke up because he was coming. By the end we'd caught Jeffrey and were right on his wheel. It's hard to follow someone that closely, you're a bit blind, and then you've got Lucas trying to find a way past. It was a really entertaining race, hopefully we'll have more like that this season."

     
1. Lucas Coenen; 2. Tim Gajser

MXGP - Grand Prix Race 1 - Top 10 Classification: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, Honda), 33:57.754; 2. Maxime Renaux (FRA, Yamaha), +0:01.384; 3. Lucas Coenen (BEL, KTM), +0:02.949; 4. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, Ducati), +0:17.603; 5. Tom Vialle (FRA, Honda), +0:19.324; 6. Romain Febvre (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:21.057; 7. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), +0:33.720; 8. Jan Pancar (SLO, KTM), +0:44.597; 9. Alberto Forato (ITA, Fantic), +0:48.005; 10. Pauls Jonass (LAT, Kawasaki), +0:59.290

MXGP - Grand Prix Race 2 - Top 10 Classification: 1. Tim Gajser (SLO, Yamaha), 34:15.987; 2. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, Honda), +0:06.941; 3. Lucas Coenen (BEL, KTM), +0:13.334; 4. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), +0:23.352; 5. Romain Febvre (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:26.296; 6. Maxime Renaux (FRA, Yamaha), +0:27.649; 7. Jan Pancar (SLO, KTM), +0:28.358; 8. Pauls Jonass (LAT, Kawasaki), +0:29.119; 9. Tom Vialle (FRA, Honda), +0:44.442; 10. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, Ducati), +0:45.696

MXGP Overall - Top 10 Classification: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, HON), 47 points; 2. Lucas Coenen (BEL, KTM), 40 p.; 3. Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 37 p.; 4. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), 32 p.; 5. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 31 p.; 6. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, DUC), 29 p.; 7. Tom Vialle (FRA, HON), 28 p.; 8. Jan Pancar (SLO, KTM), 27 p.; 9. Tim Gajser (SLO, YAM), 25 p.; 10. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KAW), 24 p.

MXGP - World Championship - Top 10 Classification: 1. Lucas Coenen (BEL, KTM), 449 points; 2. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, HON), 393 p.; 3. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 347 p.; 4. Tim Gajser (SLO, YAM), 329 p.; 5. Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 305 p.; 6. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), 281 p.; 7. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 273 p.; 8. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, HON), 264 p.; 9. Tom Vialle (FRA, HON), 249 p.; 10. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KAW), 200 p

MXGP - Manufacturers Classification: 1. Honda, 476 points; 2. KTM, 469 p.; 3. Yamaha, 410 p.; 4. Kawasaki, 372 p.; 5. Husqvarna, 278 p.; 6. Fantic, 196 p.; 7. Ducati, 189 p.; 8. Beta, 78 p.; 9. Triumph, 57 p.; 10. GASGAS, 4 p.

MXGP Pofium Montevarchi, Italy 2026

Sacha Coenen

In the morning Warm-Up session, Guillem Farres gave further proof of his pace with the fastest lap, while Liam Everts took second for Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing.  Another rider whose Qualifying Race was affected by the first corner pile-up, Janis Reisulis, took third for Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2.

After their Qualifying Race problems at the start, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing duo Sacha Coenen and Simon Längenfelder made amends by firing into the first corner together, and this time upright! The Belgian made a mistake on acceleration, however, and the German claimed his second Fox Holeshot Award of the season ahead of the Osička KTM of Julius Mikula! Coenen did hold onto third initially, but then ran wide in the corner in front of Pit Lane and lost a lot of places!

Honda HRC Petronas’ sole MX2 rider Valerio Lata was in a strong third initially, but Farres was quickly on his case, and Janis Reisulis was also in the top five.   Coenen recovered to sixth by the end of the first full lap, ahead of Maddi Racing Honda ABF Italia’s Maxime Grau, on a weekend where the local team and their rider enjoyed sleeping in their own beds between days at the track!

Farres started to advance on lap three, disposing of Lata with a rapid inside move on an uphill corner, then passing Mikula on lap four put him in a prime spot to close on the reigning Champion.  The job was done with an opportunistic move in one of the slowest corners of the track, and from there the Spaniard was not to be challenged on the way to his fifth win of the season.

Coenen had done great work to advance to third, but took his time to get onto terms with Längenfelder, which he eventually did by simply outpacing the German under braking with four laps to go! 

Meanwhile, Everts took advantage of his throttle control to advance to fourth, and looked within range of Längenfelder on the final lap, while Qualifying Race winner Mathis Valin also fought from an average start to get to fifth at the flag for Kawasaki Racing Team MX2.  Sixth was a fine return to action for Mikula, while Camden McLellan had to overcome an early crash to finish seventh, passing Janis Reisulis with two laps to go. Grau finished behind the Latvian in ninth, and local boy from nearby Florence Ferruccio Zanchi, hampered by a last gate pick for the Beddini Racing Ducati Factory MX2 Team, did supremely well to fight up to tenth.

After a brief rain shower before the start of race two, Längenfelder again took the Fox Holeshot Award by half a wheel from Coenen, although the lighter Belgian powered into the lead up the first big hill! Valin, Everts, and Lata gave chase, and the Champ made life difficult for himself by running wide in turn three, also struggling by Pit Lane, and dropping back to eighth by the end of the first full lap!

McLellan had a much better getaway this time, and was sat behind Valin and Everts while Sacha tried to streak away to secure the overall win.  With Farres struggling outside the top 15 initially, the South African kept the Triumph team on edge as he skilfully passed Everts on lap four, then closed in to take advantage of a Valin mistake, moving into second on lap nine! They had all caught up to Coenen after the Belgian slid sideways exiting the waves, and McLellan needed only one lap more to find a way to blast around the outside of the Belgian and into the lead!

Coenen rode a controlled race, safe in the knowledge that the overall victory was his, and that he was ahead of his biggest Championship rivals. Everts out-braked Valin to take third with three laps to go, while Farres recovered to a brilliant fifth to claim second place overall behind Coenen. 

Lata only dropped as far as sixth this time, the best of the home contingent in ninth overall.  Behind him in the race was Grau, matching his best race finish of seventh and his best career result of eighth overall! Mikula’s eighth overall was good enough for seventh on the day, while Janis and his brother Karlis Reisulis rounded out the top ten in race two for Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2.  Janis claimed tenth overall.

Mysteriously, Längenfelder could manage no higher than 12th in race two, putting him sixth overall and leading to him dropping to fourth in the Championship.  Everts and Valin finished just off the podium in fourth and fifth.

It was joy for McLellan, however, who finally took his second race win of the season after his victorious day in Spain at round two! It lifted the South African to third in the Championship, as well as third in the MXGP of Italy.

However, the day belonged to Sacha Coenen, who showed great patience to win overall with a 2-2 score-line for the first time in his life, and claim the seventh GP victory of his career! His advantage over Farres is now 35 points as we head towards the halfway point of the season, with McLellan just another 17 further behind.  The Triumph guys have momentum, but Coenen is also looking strong.  Who will prevail at the MXGP of Portugal in just six days’ time?

The Coenen twins and the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing squad maintain a firm grip on the red plates, but the leading contenders are still in the hunt as we head to Agueda! See you out there!

Sacha Coenen: "It was a difficult weekend, but it was the same for everyone. Even though a couple of riders were faster than me today, I managed to finish second and second and take the overall win, so I'm pretty happy with that. I also took some time to find my rhythm. In the first race I had a good start but messed up in a corner and dropped back, then made a mistake before the pit lane and lost more places. I had to fight back, and finished second behind Guillem, with my best lap coming as I passed Simon [Längenfelder], so I had good flow at the end. I was trying to be safe out there because there were a lot of riders to get past, so I just focused on racing smart this weekend."

Guillem Farres: "I felt okay yesterday, I had a good pace and felt comfortable. I had a small crash in qualifying and had to work hard to get back to second. Today, in the first race, I didn't get the best start and had to work my way up again, I had some good opening laps and made some good passes. In the second race my start was terrible, and unfortunately, I crashed on the first lap and was buried at the back. From there I tried to salvage some points but could only get back to fifth.
It's not only about the race win for me. I felt like I had good pace this weekend, it's frustrating to crash on the first lap, that was all on me, my own mistake. Still, it was a solid weekend, around fifty points, so it's not too bad. We know we belong and we're in the fight every weekend, which makes me happy, but it's frustrating to lose my chances like that in the first lap. We'll learn from it and keep going."

Camden McLellan: "I was pretty annoyed after my first race, and honestly after the whole weekend. I was half asleep until the gate dropped yesterday, then I had a moment of reflection and started riding well. So I was already fired up yesterday, and today I felt good from warm up. I'd been riding at about eighty percent all weekend, I wasn't willing to risk it the way some other riders were, and it was working. The first race was tough, I got a bad start and crashed on the first lap, my own mistake. I was frustrated and knew I'd already ruined my chances of an overall. Speed wise I felt really strong, and I backed it up with a good second race, I was fired up and wouldn't have accepted anything less than a race win, so I'm happy I delivered on that.
For sure, riding on Triumph gives extra confidence. Already on Friday's track walk we know what we've got and which conditions might suit us, and I think this was one of them. I quite liked the track, I thought it was easy to make passes on. I came from way back yesterday and again today in the first race, and we worked our way through. I think that's part of what makes it interesting, you have to be smarter about the risks you take, and that's what the world championship is about, different circuit, different terrain each week. I'm happy with it, I think they did a good job with the track today."

    
1. Guillem Farres;  2. Camden Mc Lellan

MX2 - Grand Prix Race 1 - Top 10 Classification: 1. Guillem Farres (ESP, Triumph), 34:45.276; 2. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM), +0:02.860; 3. Simon Längenfelder (GER, KTM), +0:05.485; 4. Liam Everts (BEL, Husqvarna), +0:07.077; 5. Mathis Valin (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:19.954; 6. Julius Mikula (CZE, KTM), +0:21.997; 7. Camden Mc Lellan (RSA, Triumph), +0:24.723; 8. Janis Martins Reisulis (LAT, Yamaha), +0:30.710; 9. Maxime Grau (FRA, Honda), +0:32.717; 10. Ferruccio Zanchi (ITA, Ducati), +0:35.969

MX2 - Grand Prix Race 2 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Camden Mc Lellan (RSA, Triumph), 35:05.882; 2. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM), +0:01.910; 3. Liam Everts (BEL, Husqvarna), +0:03.607; 4. Mathis Valin (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:10.818; 5. Guillem Farres (ESP, Triumph), +0:36.870; 6. Valerio Lata (ITA, Honda), +0:40.882; 7. Maxime Grau (FRA, Honda), +0:43.234; 8. Julius Mikula (CZE, KTM), +0:46.866; 9. Janis Martins Reisulis (LAT, Yamaha), +0:50.725; 10. Karlis Alberts Reisulis (LAT, Yamaha), +0:54.818

MX2 Overall – Top 10 Classification: 1. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM), 44 points; 2. Guillem Farres (ESP, TRI), 41 p.; 3. Camden Mc Lellan (RSA, TRI), 39 p.; 4. Liam Everts (BEL, HUS), 38 p.; 5. Mathis Valin (FRA, KAW), 34 p.; 6. Simon Längenfelder (GER, KTM), 29 p.; 7. Julius Mikula (CZE, KTM), 28 p.; 8. Maxime Grau (FRA, HON), 26 p.; 9. Valerio Lata (ITA, HON), 25 p.; 10. Janis Martins Reisulis (LAT, YAM), 25 p.;

MX2 - World Championship Classification: 1. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM), 431 points; 2. Guillem Farres (ESP, TRI), 390 p.; 3. Camden Mc Lellan (RSA, TRI), 373 p.; 4. Simon Längenfelder (GER, KTM), 372 p.; 5. Liam Everts (BEL, HUS), 354 p.; 6. Mathis Valin (FRA, KAW), 352 p.; 7. Janis Martins Reisulis (LAT, YAM), 310 p.; 8. Karlis Alberts Reisulis (LAT, YAM), 244 p.; 9. Valerio Lata (ITA, HON), 241 p.; 10. Kay Karssemakers (NED, KAW), 181 p.

MX2 - Manufacturers Classification: 1. KTM, 488 points; 2. Triumph, 466 p.; 3. Kawasaki, 376 p.; 4. Husqvarna, 354 p.; 5. Yamaha, 339 p.; 6. Honda, 274 p.; 7. Ducati, 95 p.; 8. TM, 87 p.; 9. GASGAS, 27 p.; 10. Fantic, 8 p.

MX2 Podium Montevarchi, Italy

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

You can find the complete results HERE.

MXGP OF ITALY QUICK FACTS:

Circuit length: 1680m

Type of ground: Hard Pack

Temperature: 34°

Weather conditions: Sunny / Rainy

Crowd Attendance: 25,000

Catch all the racing LIVE on MXGP-TV! 

Replay from all classes will be broadcasted LIVE on MXGP’s streaming service www.MXGP-TV.com, while results throughout the weekend will be available  HERE.

LINKS

Infront Moto Racing

FIM

MONTEVARCHI (Italy) 20th June 2026 – The temperatures climbed to the high thirties in the Tuscan hills above the city of Montevarchi as the Crossdromo Miravalle venue presented an old-school, hardpack circuit that challenged riders’ throttle control and skills of finding traction, making the Qualifying Races for the MXGP of Italy a tense and therefore thrilling spectacle!

A combination of poor starts and first corner crashes hindered the progress of leading title contenders in both classes, and we saw some unusual names at the front of the field, which led to some great racing as the fastest men fought to recover and score the most points possible!

In MXGP, Tim Gajser took his first Qualifying Race win for over a year, and the first one with his new Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP team!  Incredibly, he led a Slovenian 1-2 as TEM JP253 KTM Racing privateer Jan Pancar claimed a career best second place, ahead of former MX2 World Champion Andrea Adamo, who was third for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing!

The MX2 class was dominated by Mathis Valin, as the second-year French teenager took his third career Qualifying Race win for Kawasaki Racing Team MX2.  After fighting through from first lap adversity, Triumph Racing Factory Team duo Guillem Farres and Camden McLellan took second and third, a result which put the Spaniard up to second in the Championship heading into tomorrow’s Grand Prix races!

Sunday should see the fightback from some of the top Championship contenders, but it won’t be easy against those who have already found their pace on the slick surface of Montevarchi!

MXGP Start Montevarchi 2026

In Free Practice, it was a Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP 1-2 as five-time World Champion Tim Gajser led his French teammate Maxime Renaux, with Kawasaki Racing Team MXGP’s Romain Febvre in third.

In an action-packed Time Practice session, Febvre came in with a great late charge to grab the first gate pick for the Qualifying Race, as the Honda HRC Petronas machine of Jeffrey Herlings came up to second place ahead of Gajser, Renaux, and surprise package Jan Pancar!  There was a little concern for the Championship leader, as Lucas Coenen was down in 13th for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing. 

At the start of the Qualifying Race itself, it was Tom Vialle, returning from injury with Honda HRC Petronas, that looked to have got the lead, but the Frenchman ran wide and allowed Pancar to sneak into the lead from an unshakeable inside line! He was followed by Fantic Factory Racing MXGP’s Alberto Forato, sending his home crowd into raptures!  Vialle was able to recover for third, but it wasn’t long before Gajser was able to dive into that position with an aggressive move in front of Pit Lane! 

The Slovenian then made short work of Forato to take second, and Adamo also moved forward past his countryman into third place!  Behind them, Renaux had forced past Vialle, while Calvin Vlaanderen gave chase for the Red Bull Ducati Factory MXGP Team.

You may have noticed that we still haven’t mentioned any of the series top three! Coenen, Febvre, and Herlings finished the first lap together from 11th to 13th, and on the busy, slick surface weren’t even able to advance from there for at least another lap!

Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing’s MXGP rookie Kay de Wolf and Honda HRC Petronas’ Ruben Fernandez had been involved in a big incident in Time Practice, as the Spaniard crashed heavily, and the Dutchman then hit his fallen machine.  Both tried to race and started in the top ten, but would both succumb to the pain from their injuries and are doubtful for tomorrow’s races.

It took until lap four for Gajser to get past Pancar, which he did with a slick inside move at the top of the circuit above the grandstands, but Adamo was not able to catch the two Slovenians out in front!  Meanwhile, Forato was holding station in fourth, and came under relentless assault from Renaux!  As Coenen, Febvre, and Herlings all moved forward, they were able to get past Vialle, and benefit from a small crash for Vlaanderen, putting them in sixth to eighth positions by the end of lap nine.  In a five-rider freight train, they stayed that way for a further two laps before Renaux finally put an inside move on Forato to take fourth!

Then it was Coenen’s turn to make his attempt, but as he was pinched to the inside of a downhill right hander, the opportunistic Febvre blasted round the outside of the Belgian to take sixth!  The Champ followed this up with a clever outside-to-inside move past Forato on the penultimate lap, then the Italian finally gave way, dropping to eighth at the flag.  It was still the Fantic rider’s equal-best of the year so far, and he finished ahead of Vialle and the second Kawasaki Racing Team MXGP bike of Pauls Jonass in tenth.

Febvre caught up to Renaux but could not pass his countryman, as they finished fourth and fifth, then came Coenen in sixth, making another one-point gain over Herlings in the Championship standings. 

After a tough few GPs, Gajser coasted to a popular win, and Pancar didn’t look like getting caught for second spot, bettering his previous career high of fourth from Germany last year. Adamo’s third place equalled his best in the class so far, matching his scores from Argentina and Trentino, and it moved him up in the Championship past the unfortunate Fernandez for seventh.  Renaux is now within striking distance of De Wolf, just five points behind the Husqvarna man in fifth.

Will the Coenen versus Herlings battle for supremacy from previous rounds be back in play tomorrow, or will we see this unusual circuit deliver more shocks and surprises on Grand Prix Sunday?!

Tim Gajser: "I'm so happy. The first qualifying win with Yamaha is special, and to do it here in Italy. I was feeling good all day long. The track was not the easiest, so the start was really important. I got a solid start from the inside and then made a pass quite quickly at the beginning. Jan was riding really good, but once I made the pass I pushed for a couple of laps to make the gap, and that's what I did, then just controlled the race. Tomorrow is going to be a hot one, but I'm really looking forward to it."

Jan Pancar: "You could nearly say it was a Slovenian national championship out there. But yeah, I'm really happy to be in front. I got the holeshot. I was always saying I needed that start to be up front, and today I got it. The riding was good."

Andrea Adamo: "First of all, congrats to Jan, who's a privateer, txo finish P2 so close to the Tim. That's amazing, so congrats to him. My race didn't have the best start. I had a good jump, but in the first corner I didn't make the right choices and had to fight my way back from P6 to P3. After that I had a solid race. Looking forward to tomorrow."

    
1. Jan Pancar; 2. Andrea Adamo

MXGP - Qualifying Race Classification: 1. Tim Gajser (SLO, Yamaha), 25:07.852; 2. Jan Pancar (SLO, KTM), +0:04.855; 3. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), +0:07.065; 4. Maxime Renaux (FRA, Yamaha), +0:10.800; 5. Romain Febvre (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:11.947; 6. Lucas Coenen (BEL, KTM), +0:14.911; 7. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, Honda), +0:17.335; 8. Alberto Forato (ITA, Fantic), +0:18.302; 9. Tom Vialle (FRA, Honda), +0:18.623; 10. Pauls Jonass (LAT, Kawasaki), +0:23.083;

MXGP - World Championship Classification: 1. Lucas Coenen (BEL, KTM), 409 points; 2. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, HON), 346 p.; 3. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 316 p.; 4. Tim Gajser (SLO, YAM), 304 p.; 5. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 273 p.; 6. Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 268 p.; 7. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), 249 p.; 8. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, HON), 247 p.; 9. Tom Vialle (FRA, HON), 221 p.; 10. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KAW), 176 p.

Mathis Valin

Guillem Farres topped Free Practice in the morning, by over half a second from Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Championship leader Sacha Coenen, while very local ace Ferruccio Zanchi looked good in third for Beddini Racing Ducati Factory MX2 Team.  Sadly, the rider from nearby Florence had a painful crash in Time Practice that hampered his efforts for the rest of the day, made worse by a technical problem on the start line that prevented him from even competing in the Qualifying Race.

Coenen restored normal order to grab first gate pick from Time Practice, although a late charge from Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing ‘s Liam Everts got close, making it a Belgian 1-2 in front of Farres, the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 rookie Janis Reisulis, and Camden McLellan in fifth.

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s reigning World Champion, Simon Längenfelder, looked to have started well, but slid to the ground in turn one, starting a chain reaction that claimed Coenen, Farres, Everts, and Janis Reisulis, to put many leading contenders on the floor immediately!

Briefly in the lead was a 16-year-old Italian, EMX125 graduate Andrea Uccellini, a surprise stand-in rider for TM Moto CRD Motosport, doing their beautiful special home livery proud!  From his 11th gate pick, however, Mathis Valin tucked into the lead through turn two, and proceeded to march away from the competition.  Behind Uccellini, Jens Walvoort of the SB Racing KTM Team led Hungarian Noel Zanocz from Venrooy KTM Racing, and another surprise early runner was Italian Morgan Bennati on the Fly Over Competition Triumph!

Sacha Coenen’s recovery was quite brilliant, fighting through to tenth at the end of the first full lap, and Farres was not far behind in 12th, while Everts and Längenfelder languished in 22nd and 27th positions respectively! 

Uccellini was swiftly shuffled back, and was no doubt still delighted with his 14th position at the flag.  Walvoort and Zanocz stayed in second or third until a rampant Farres, who had pulled a brilliant move on Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 man Karlis Reisulis, among others, fought past them both in a glorious seventh lap for the Spaniard.

While Farres had passed teammate McLellan on the way through, the South African also made rapid progress to claim third at the flag, while Coenen’s progress was stunted by a rear end slide-out in front of Pit Lane.  He still picked it up very quickly and was able to recover to fourth place, passing Zanocz and Walvoort with three laps to go, in a fashion that disrupted the Dutchman enough for him to also lose a place to the Hungarian, who was elated with fifth, his first ever points on a Saturday to improve his career best by a considerable margin!

Walvoort was denied the chance to match his career best Qualifying Race by a last lap pass from Janis Reisulis for sixth, while Karlis took eighth ahead of Everts, and the DRT Kawasaki of Kay Karssemakers. Längenfelder did pick up the pace but couldn’t get into the points, winding up 11th.

Valin held perfect form to hardly lose any time to the chasing Farres until the closing laps, and as a result he moves past Everts into fifth in the standings.  Ahead of them in the table, Farres moved past Längenfelder to rise to second in the points chase, backing up his claims that he is a genuine title threat! He is now 38 points behind red plate holder Coenen, and if those two get out of the gate well tomorrow it could give us a titanic tussle between them!

As always, MX2 is wide open and unpredictable for tomorrow’s races, and it’s gotta be said that MXGP feels like that as well after today’s results! It’s one you do not want to be missing, so tune in on Sunday for the MXGP of Italy from Montevarchi!

Mathis Valin: "Timed practice and free practice were horrible for me today. And just before going into the gate I had a problem, so it was tough. That's why I was a bit far back, but I managed a good start and took the holeshot, so I'm really proud of that. It was a good, consistent lap. I had to manage the race a bit because the heat is quite crazy and we need to save energy for tomorrow. See you tomorrow."

    
1. Guillem Farres; 2. Camden Mc Lellan

MX2 - Qualifying Race Classification: 1. Mathis Valin (FRA, Kawasaki), 25:09.572; 2. Guillem Farres (ESP, Triumph), +0:02.887; 3. Camden Mc Lellan (RSA, Triumph), +0:04.002; 4. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM), +0:16.035; 5. Noel Zanocz (HUN, KTM), +0:20.380; 6. Janis Martins Reisulis (LAT, Yamaha), +0:21.235; 7. Jens Walvoort (NED, KTM), +0:23.273; 8. Karlis Alberts Reisulis (LAT, Yamaha), +0:30.071; 9. Liam Everts (BEL, Husqvarna), +0:32.516; 10. Kay Karssemakers (NED, Kawasaki), +0:37.917

MX2 - World Championship Classification: 1. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM), 387 points; 2. Guillem Farres (ESP, TRI), 349 p.; 3. Simon Längenfelder (GER, KTM), 343 p.; 4. Camden Mc Lellan (RSA, TRI), 334 p.; 5. Mathis Valin (FRA, KAW), 318 p.; 6. Liam Everts (BEL, HUS), 316 p.; 7. Janis Martins Reisulis (LAT, YAM), 285 p.; 8. Karlis Alberts Reisulis (LAT, YAM), 226 p.; 9. Valerio Lata (ITA, HON), 216 p.; 10. Kay Karssemakers (NED, KAW), 162 p.

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

You can find the complete results HERE.

TIMETABLE

SUNDAY:
08:50 EMX250 Race 2, 10:25 MX2 Warm-up, 10:45 MXGP Warm-up, 13:15 MX2 Race 1, 14:15 MXGP Race 1, 16:10 MX2 Race 2, 17:10 MXGP Race 2.

Catch all the racing LIVE on MXGP-TV! 

Races from all classes will be broadcasted LIVE on MXGP’s streaming service www.MXGP-TV.com, while results throughout the weekend will be available  HERE.

LINKS

Infront Moto Racing

FIM

FIM Europe

MXGP ITALY