MXGP

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Romain Febvre

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    
1. Tom Vialle; 2. Maxime Renaux

MX2 Start 2026

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    
1. Mathis Valin; 2. Maxime Grau

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

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

TIMETABLE

SATURDAY

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

SUNDAY

09:45 WMX Race 2, 10:25 MX2 Warm-up, 10:45 MXGP Warm-up, 11:30 EMX125 Race 2, 13:15 MX2 Race 1, 14:15 MXGP Race 1, 16:10 MX2 Race 2, 17:10 MXGP Race 2.

LINKS

Infront Moto Racing

FIM

FIM Europe

MXGP France

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

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

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

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

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

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

Photo: Start MXGP of Andalucia 2026

LINKS

Infront Moto Racing

FIM

Tickets 2026 MXGP of South Africa

As the Behind The Gate crew filmed with MRT Racing Team Beta for Episode 5 of the 2026 season, “Dogfight”, we finally got to talk to the enigmatic and eternally quiet Jago Geerts.  For each of the last two years, your humble writer’s first in the Paddock with the duties of planning and writing the framework for Behind The Gate, we were unable to get Jago into the studio for interview, as a rash of injuries struck in what turned out to be his last two years in factory Yamaha colours.

Seeing the Belgian struggle has been one of the most painful sides to working in the MXGP paddock since the start of 2024.  A prodigious talent from a young age, winning EMX85, EMX125, and 125cc Junior World titles before he turned 17 years old, he took an FIM medal from the last five of his six years in MX2. This included a run of four straight years as runner-up, a feat only matched by Pekka Vehkonen from 1987 to 1990, although the Finn had already taken a world title in 1985.  If justice was to be served, Jago would have been a dominant rider on his switch to the MXGP class. After all, he had matched Tom Vialle and even Antonio Cairoli with 24 GP wins in MX2, just outside of the all-time top 20 in all classes and officially the most of any rider not to win a world crown.  The most painful Championship loss was 2022, when a split-second decision to take the same rut as a crashing Vialle in the final race of the year in Türkiye saw him also on the floor, losing out in a winner-take-all scenario. Belgian fans, to this day in their longest ever wait for a World Champion since Sven Breugelmans in 2008, were still unable to celebrate an MX2 title for the first time.

At the end of 2022 he raced a 450 at Red Bud for Team Belgium in the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations, and shocked the world with an MXGP Qualifying Race win over American talisman Eli Tomac, on similar YZ450F machinery.  Following that with second behind ET in the opening race on Sunday, just over three seconds back and ahead of established 450 men Maxime Renaux, Jeremy Seewer, Jorge Prado, Cairoli, and Glenn Coldenhoff, he had thinking that the quiet man could be a real force in the big class, even though he decided to have one last crack at the MX2 world title in 2023.

He took eight Grand Prix wins in that following season, but injuries from crashes in France and Finland kept him away from a real title shot, although he won the last two rounds to lift himself up to yet another silver medal position.  Sadly, his MXGP career started with disaster with an elbow injury in the very first Qualifying Race of 2024 in Patagonia, after finishing Time Practice between Jeffrey Herlings and reigning Champion Jorge Prado.  He has never truly got back to the top, apart from a single Qualifying Race win at the 2025 MXGP of Spain at Lugo, and a best of sixth overall at Kegums, a circuit where he has won three GPs.

So, it was intriguing to see the Belgian now, to ask how he is dealing with a decidedly different career in MXGP, one that has seen him hit the reset button by signing with the factory Beta squad for the 2026 season.  In a much more open interview than we expected, he told of his position as we spoke to him on the Friday of the MXGP of Trentino.

BTG:  Jago, it’s great to finally get you in here for an interview. It’s been a complete change for you now, with a different factory for the first time in your whole pro career, I believe.  How did it come about to go to Beta?  Did they contact you?  Please tell us what you can about that, like how the change happened, and how are you feeling with it?

JG: Yeah, for this season I changed to Beta.  I think it was my manager that had contact with them last year.  For the first time in Türkiye, I think, and then immediately after the season, after the final race in Australia, I went to the team to try the bike, and after that it was quite fast that we signed the deal, because I was happy with everything and I think it was one of the best options that I had, so it was good.

BTG:  Nice one, and how different is it for yourself in terms of being on a Yamaha for so many years, how different is this bike and what's been the thing you really needed to work on to try and get it to the level you want?

JG:  Yeah, obviously it's a completely different bike to the Yamaha.  The frame is different, it's a steel frame, and also the power in the engine, the delivery is completely different. So, it was not too difficult to set up, like I said before I quickly had quite a good feeling on the bike, so we didn't have to change that much and I could start good, like quite fast with doing real training on it. Then it was nice, to set it up quite quickly, and obviously a bit later we made some more changes, closer to the season when I was coming into better shape, but in the end, we didn't have to do that much testing.

BTG:  You say about being in better shape, did you have many injuries in 2025?  You had the big crash at Lommel, were there any injuries that you were still dealing with coming into winter or are you pretty much 100% now?

JG:  No, they were all quite small injuries and they healed quite fast.  I took a few weeks of rest after the season and then I was feeling 100 % again, so I could start again to train physically and then ride the bike.  Luckily, I felt quite good immediately, and the injuries are all gone now so that's the most positive. 

BTG:  I know you've been set up in the Monaco area for a few years now, so has this changed much for Beta?  Are you just going to Italy more now, or have you moved there?  What's happening in terms of your base, where are you living and training etc?

JG:  Yeah, I'm still living in Monaco, but the team is based close to Rome, so in the winter I spent a bit more time with the team, and did some more training in Italy.  After Trentino, next month we will move also to Belgium for a bit, to do some training there. So, it's still mostly the same, just in the winter it's a bit more time of riding and training in Italy.

BTG: We’ve not had you in here before, so I get to ask you the number question for the first time!  We know that Lucas Coenen likes the number 93 because of Marc Marquez, but you have it reserved for MXGP, so what is your reason for running that number?

JG:  Yeah, it wasn't my first number actually.  I had a friend that I always rode together with, when I was young.  He was riding with 93 and then I took his number, and after that I kept 93 until now.  For a few years I couldn't run it, because someone else had it, or in the European Championship 85cc we had to run a number that started with a five, so then I couldn't run it, but for the rest of my career I've always used 93, and I would like to use it until the end. 

BTG:  We got some good footage of you guys at the beach house that was set up in Sardinia by the team there.  So, how nice was it to have this kind of set up around the Sardinia GP?

JG:  Yeah, it's really nice, it always is, the GP in Sardinia.  It's close to the beach and it's a really nice region.  I enjoy going there.  The track looks also a bit like the beach.  So yeah, it's really fun.

BTG:  On the track, with some riders we’ve been talking about the difference between the Belgian and the Dutch sand compared to Riola Sardo, so yeah, what are the main differences for you between those two types of sand and which do you prefer?

JG:  Yeah, the sand in Riola is a bit different than in Belgium or Netherlands, let's say.  In Riola, the sand's really soft, there's like no base actually, and the bumps get really deep, but they are nice.  It is difficult, let's say, you have quite a flow to it, compared to the tracks in Netherlands or Belgium, the bumps there are more sharp, and they are a bit more technical, let's say. I enjoy both to ride, but for sure I enjoy it more in Netherlands or Belgium still.

BTG:  How do you view your season so far, compared to what you expected?  Were you hoping to be higher up than you have been?

JG: Yeah, the season so far, it didn't go to plan yet. I feel that I'm improving every weekend, but the results haven't shown it yet.  Obviously, I crashed in Argentina.  I hit a rock on the landing and I hurt myself quite bad.  So, it was not the best start of the season, but now, since Spain, I've been slowly getting better and better, and I feel like now I should make a step again this weekend.  I think I should be ready to fight for the top ten, I think it's possible.  We just have to keep working and try to get closer and closer to the top ten.

BTG: Looking at your career, you had so many GP wins in MX2, one of the most in the class, the same as Vialle and even Cairoli, so a pretty crazy number.  Going from there and obviously going to MXGP, straight away you had such a horrible GP to start your 450cc career in Argentina.  Do you have hopes that you can get back to winning races, challenging at the front?  What's going through your mind now when you're looking at just a top ten as a goal?  I’m sorry to ask a difficult question but I’m intrigued, what is it like for you racing now, when you're not in it for the win, as such?  Do you think you've got much chance of getting there, to be honest?  What are you thinking it will take to get back there?

JG:  Yeah, for sure, I still believe that I can fight for podiums and for wins, even in the MXGP class.  I already showed it at the Nations in Red Bud a few years ago, so I know I can do it.  The injury in Argentina at the first GP, two years ago, was quite hard for me. The elbow, that was like every bone was a bit broken in it, let's say? So, it was hard to come back from that, and then last year was also not the best season, a few too many ups and downs.

Now I just have to regain my confidence, I think that's the most important thing at the moment, to get the confidence back like it was before, and ride like I know I can ride. Until now, in the races it doesn't really come out yet, so I want to start to ride in the top ten again.  Don't put the bar too high, I want to just take it really step by step, and come back slowly to my level again.  And yeah, that's the goal until now.  And for sure, it's not so fun to ride in 15th, 17th place at the moment, but I'm happy if I gave my everything at the end of the weekend and I did everything that I could.  So yeah, that's the most important thing.

BTG: Thank you for answering that so honestly. I was surprised when somebody told me that you're a massive Metallica fan, or something like that? So, I've got to ask, do you go to a heavy metal gig, get in the mosh pit, beating people up, do you get into all that? 

JG:  Yeah, I like a lot of different kinds of music, but Metallica is one of my favourites.  The mosh pit, no, not really.  That's not my style!

Epilogue: After issues that kept him from completing a lap in the Qualifying Race at Trentino, Jago fought from a difficult starting position in each race on Sunday, not helped by a lap two crash in the opener. He fought well to get a point in race two, and sits just outside the top twenty in the series, just two points behind Jeremy Seewer on the factory Ducati.  World Championship Motocross is impossible without confidence, but if the quiet Metallica fan can “Ride the Lightning” again, he might one day again be able to “Seek and Destroy” the opposition! 

At the MXGP of Sardegna, the Behind The Gate crew filmed with MRT Racing Team Beta, featuring their two new riders Rick Elzinga and Jago Geerts.  The Press Officer for the team actually comes from the island, and had arranged for a beautiful beach-house apartment for their riders to stay at between the days at the track – an idyllic location for escaping the stresses of the Paddock, and it made for some great videography of the area for Behind The Gate, as well as giving us the chance to show two of the more reserved characters in MXGP, in a much more relaxed mood.

The Dutchman Elzinga, a complete MXGP rookie after finishing an injury-riddled final MX2 season in 13^th place for the year, with the highlight a P3 result in the final, rain-affected race in Australia.  The 2022 EMX250 European Champion turned 23 years old in November last year, so was happy to sign with MRT Racing Team Beta for 2026, although further injury in the winter hampered his preparations.  The Sardegna event wasn’t great for the team, with two DNFs for Rick himself.  We’ll let Rick pick up the story, after he adjusted to our new studio setup for 2026…

RE: This seat is in a new direction.  [Laughs] I'm intimidated!

BTG:  Intimidated? It’s OK man, just speak to our camera guy there, we’re all good!  One blue light, one red one, to match the bike, is that OK for you?

RE: Yeah it’s nice, eh? Just looking to the camera? OK…

BTG: Perfect! First of all, Rick, moving into MXGP this year, how did the move to Beta come about? Who started the conversation there, and how did it come to be that you are now a Beta factory rider?

RE: Yeah, you know, last year I got approached by Beta, they asked if I wanted to try the bike because both my and their ideology was quite similar.  There was quite a good feeling in that, quite a good connection.  You know, they were trying to find a younger guy for a longer time.  And for me, I was trying to find a 450 seat because last year was a kind of a difficult year for me with injuries and everything.  So yeah, you know, like this, it just fitted quite nicely.  I thought, ‘I want to try the bike’, and it was quite good, you know, in the first instance, not too bad, and yes, just a good fit overall. 

So, yeah, that made me quite happy, because usually if you are not in the factory seats, it's quite… you know, like a chair dance.  It’s a bit of an uncertain world, but yeah, Beta was quite solid in wanting this, so that gave me some trust with them.  Whereas other teams were a bit, ‘maybe yes, maybe no’, they're switching a lot, so I was just choosing a certain role, basically.  And that's how I ended up with Beta.

BTG:  Nice one, thank you.  Now obviously, you had injuries last year, I mean, not to go back to bring up lots of pain, but yeah, what were the problems last year?  And then was it a carryover from that, that you could not do the first few rounds this year, or was that like a new injury for you?

RE: No, last year was just a bit difficult.  It was difficult to get in connection with the bike, you know, it was just that I felt always on the limit with the bike, so it was difficult to avoid those problems, because everybody is going so fast these days, you have to push the limits.  They weren't the biggest crashes, but every time I got hurt. I broke my pinky finger twice, and then a collarbone also.  So they were just very unfortunate accidents. 

And then in the winter, actually the first test with Beta, I had a big crash.  Still, it surprised me, it was a bit of a freak accident.  I broke my kneecap, which took like two, three months to heal, two and a half months.  Then I was happy, because I was still back around New Year's, that I would be back on the bike, you know, I had a couple of days.  Knee wasn't 100 percent, but it was, you know, it was okay.  Then we went back to testing suspension. 

Then even without crashing, I just put my foot on the ground to step a bit, not in a crazy, or not in a wrong way, but I just felt immediately at the first touch of the ground that it just spread apart again.  Yeah, I still don't know why, because it was a bit of a, like I said, it was a freak accident, because, I'm not so silly that I will try to do stuff when I can't.  I listened to my body and it felt alright.  And also the medics, you know, they told me it was fine and strong enough so I could ride again.  So it was strange that it broke again, and yeah, breaking it for the second time makes it a lot worse in recovering, so since then I'm still recovering with this, probably I am now at 60 to 70% I feel like, with the knee.  The knee is fine, it's just that the muscles around are really weak because I took like four months off everything, so yeah the body needs to get used to it again, I'm just far behind, so it's just clawing back I guess.

BTG:  Yeah for sure, and obviously it’s not ideal now, that it's coming right when you have to change class, you go to a higher level of competition, a bigger bike.  Just to think from that side, before we talk about the racing there, the actual riding on the bike, the 450, how do you feel with the bigger engine, the bigger bike?  Did you try a 450 much, before you moved to Beta even?

RE:  I would say I'm a 450 guy because I'm quite tall and heavy.  Of course, I'm heavy because I'm quite long in the limbs.  But yeah, last year and the years before I had a 450 for training, and I just really loved it.  It was just nice to ride on it and I really enjoyed it.  Also, my style is a bit like that.  I like when the bike has a lot of power and I can use it, instead of like pushing and pulling on the bike, you know? That's what I like less to do. So yeah, I was really happy to move to 450. I still do, but yeah like I said, I'm still clawing back from an injury and I haven't tested much on the bike, so I just need time, I guess, to get into it, because at the moment the results are not good, and for me it's the first time that I get lapped in my life, and all I do is get lapped! So I'm really far behind. I would say I just need to keep working, and I need some time, and then I will be around the top ten. I suppose that's what my goal is, and what I think I can do, so that's the goal.

BTG:  Something that was said in the Paddock was that you went to get the number 4, and you basically stole it from Liam Everts.  He really wanted number 4 and he couldn't because you had it!  Why go for number 4?

RE:  Actually, Liam and me talked about it in Tenerife.  We were cycling there in the winter a year ago, and he told me that he wanted to have number 4 as well, before getting the 26.  And I always wanted it because it was my youth number, you know, I grew up with number 4.  So I always tried to get it.  I never could.  In EMX some other rider had it, then in MXGP Tonus had it and he kept it for a long time, even though he only did one race a year! 

So, you know, I was pushing the people from Yamaha, like, please get me number 4, please get me number 4.  And we finally did!  So I was really happy, and then Liam told me like he also wanted number 4, but we were just quicker! So I was really happy with my people, that they did it and now I have number 4!

BTG: So just to talk about Sardegna, first of all, you guys you had a nice setup there with the beach house, how did that come about?

RE: Well, you know, Sardegna is a nice place, especially when you're not there in the winter like we usually are.  So we go there in, for me, it’s Summer time! Italians will say it’s Spring but for me it was already like Summer, but yeah, just a good time.  We're on the beach.  It's very calm, you do your training, and somehow it just gives you more peace, so I just love being there.

BTG:  So Sardegna is your second race back, because you came back in Switzerland and then going to Sardegna, obviously you've raced there before, but now on a 450. What was it like for you, just give us a story of your weekend, and how it was to try and race there on a 450 for the first time.

RE:  Well for me, I was just busy with testing basically, because I still hadn't had the chance to test, so I was just trying to fix that, not race too much, because I'm just not there yet. So, you know, I tried to find the fastest way to get myself into shape and to my potential, so just testing, and then yeah we had some recurring problems with the bike. So we have to address those, and then yeah be better this weekend in Arco.

BTG: Is it a brand-new bike or are you kind of working on what Ben and Tom had last year?  Are you developing the bike at the same time or just trying to get it suited for yourself?

RE:  Yeah, we are just continuing to work on what they left behind basically.  So for me, I need to figure out the suspension and for me a new frame of course.  But yeah, definitely we are evolving on what they had.  So yeah, we're just trying to get it better.

BTG:  You were based around, I guess, the whole Yamaha base in Lommel, obviously, in Northern Europe.  Have you changed completely now?  Have you moved to Italy, closer to the Beta factory?  What's your setup like at home compared to what it was like before?

RE:  Yeah, so in previous years when I was with Hutten Mettaal Racing, I lived at home because I live twenty minutes from Hutten, in the north-east of the Netherlands.  So, that was a change this year, moving to Italy.  The team will move to Belgium in a couple of weeks, so then I will be back at home, working from there, which is for me the best, because I have all my people there.  It's just a new way of working with those guys because yeah, they are working in the Italian way. It's a bit more relaxed and a bit more, yeah, just a different way of working, you know? I am quite strict with every time and date, I like to have a schedule and they are more relaxed, you know? Like we will figure it out, and they will, but for me, it's just a different way of working.

BTG:  Yes I know, [nodding to our Italian cameramen] Italian timing is different! So to summarise, can you please tell us your hopes for the year, where you want to be?

RE:  Yeah, my hopes for this year are just, you know, get back to fitness, get healthy again with my knee, figure out the bike together with the team and then just find my potential and hopefully secure a good ride for my next year in the MXGP class, which is where I would love to be.  So yeah, I have the one-year contract to make it what it is and I'm here for it.

Epilogue: Rick was able to get through the Trentino Qualifying Race without being lapped, and only the very top men put him a lap down in Race 1, before an early crash put him out of race two.  The upbeat Dutchman would have benefitted from the break in the schedule, and will no doubt score his first points of the year very soon.  If you like to cheer for an underdog, you could do worse than keep your eye out for this rider who has had so much misfortune in recent years.  Make some noise for the number 4 whenever you can!

Entering the sixth round of the MXGP World Championship, in a week time, Tom Vialle will go with some confidence, having won at the Lacapelle Marival in the MX2 class in 2021 and he has already won the French GP on two occasions in his short career. It seems racing in front of his fellow Frenchman is a big motivation for the HRC factory man.

Vialle already a two-time world motocross champion, has somewhat surprised a lot of people with his strong performances so far in 2026. Having raced the MX2 class his whole career, the move to the bigger more powerful 450 was something many questions, but any questions have been answered.

Vialle, who already had a Grand Prix victory on the bigger bike, with his win in Switzerland, with a 1-6 result, and another Race win in the opening race of the season, when he captured the qualification race in Argentina, it is clear, Vialle is the real deal.

The last GP in Trentino was something of a disappointment, but he still remains third in the championship points with 206 points. His Trentino run of 2-3-6 might not have been what he was looking for, but it did show, even under tough conditions, he could score major points. He started the Trentino weekend with a second-place finish on Saturday.

“Saturday was a good day on a track that I really enjoy riding,” Vialle said. “Third in timed practice gave me a good gate-pick and I almost got the holeshot but got forced a bit wide. This allowed a rider through on the inside, and I ended up chasing him the entire race, finishing behind him by less than a second. It’s always been a tricky track to make moves on, so the aim is to get the holeshot and try and lead from the beginning and make my life a lot easier.”

Sunday saw Vialle with good speed, but a crash made sure another Grand Prix win wasn’t possible. In typical fighting spirit, he did make the podium, finishing third behind Jeffrey Herlings and Tim Gajser.

“I had a bad crash right after the wave mid-race and lost a lot of time and lost some positions and that made things tough. I had to really work hard for this podium in that second race, and I didn’t know that I had managed it when I crossed the line. Overall, I had a lot of fun overall on the weekend, it was a slow track but technical and that’s something I enjoy. Now we have a bit of a break from the GPs, and I hope to keep this season going well for when we return.”

Now, heading to his home Grand Prix at the Lacapelle Marival, it is clear a GP victory would be on his mind and give his beloved countrymen something to cheer about. Vialle has won in France in 2022, his last full GP season, and also taken victory at his home GP in 2021 and this victory came at the same circuit they will race in a week time (Lacapelle Marival).

Photo credit: Bavo Swijgers

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

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

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

Antti Pyrhönen

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mathis Valin

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

MONACO (Principailty of Monaco) 11 May 2026 – After a five-week break, the 2026 FIM Motocross World Championship is gearing up for the first GP of a triple header in Lacapelle-Marival for the MXGP of France on the 23rd and 24th of May.

Lacapelle-Marival will host the french Grand Prix for the first time since 2021. Additionally to the MXGP and MX2 World Championships, The FIM Women's Motocross World Championship 2026 season will kick off in the south-west french quarter as well as the EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing series will complete the action with their 5th round.

Checkout the Timetable and Entry Lists for the Monster Energy MXGP of France below:

TIMETABLE

MXGP ENTRY LIST

MX2 ENTRY LIST

WMX ENTRY LIST

EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing ENTRY LIST

With the 2026 MXGP Championship five rounds in, you just know that fireworks are about to happen, when we arrive at round six in France in around a months’ time. As teenager, Lucas Coenen of the Red Bull KTM factory team leads the series points on 231-, and five-time world motocross champion, Jeffrey Herlings of the Honda HRC Petronas factory effort, just four points back on 227, those two will be ready to battle it out at the hard pack of Lacapelle Marival.

For Coenen, who has shown ridiculous speed in a handful of races so far this season, he was more than happy with getting out of the Trentino round and move forward. With the red plate attached to his KTM, he knows that he is still in the driver’s seat, and he knows that he will need to be well prepared for France, if he wants to battle Herlings, Tim Gajser and Tom Vialle again.

“Overall,” Coenen said. “I’m happy that I’m healthy and fit. I didn’t have high expectations for this track because it’s not really [suited to] my style. Two crashes in the first race and I had to pass a lot of people. In the second I tried to settle in and keep cool but paid for that little mistake. At least I had good pace, so I have to be happy and look forward.”

Of course, Herlings already has five world titles to his name, three in MX2 and two in MXGP, but his move to Honda has given the always motivated Herlings, even more motivation and drive to get that world title number six. You can see from the body language, that Herlings is enjoying his time on the red machine.

“At the last race at Arco,” Herlings said. “We had over 80 people from Honda there. Our team picture was insane! With all of the technicians flying over from Japan, I do personally think Honda has the biggest budget in MXGP. They come out there with five trucks and all these vans and all these people. Quite simply, when a team has the maybe the most budget, they’ll be able to give you a good bike and good people around you. That’s what they do over here in Europe. It’s quite special.”

Without question though, the bright light from Trentino was the race victory by another five-time world motocross champion, Tim Gajser, who swapped his red Honda for a blue Yamaha. It has taken the Slovenian some time to get the right feel for the Yamaha, but in Italy a couple of weeks ago, the feeling was victory in the second race in Trentino and he loved it.

“I’m almost speechless,” Gajser said. “I’m super happy with this result. Coming into the weekend I knew it was going to be a difficult one because I was still in a lot of pain after the crash last week in Riola, but I gave everything I had. The fans really helped push me on, especially in the second Race, so a huge thank you to everyone who travelled here and supported me. I also want to thank the whole team and everyone around me, from the physios to the staff, because we worked so hard during the week to get me ready to race. It makes this result even more special. Now we have a break, which gives me time to recover properly, and then we’ll be ready to go again in four weeks.”

While you need to add the names of Tom Vialle, Maxime Renaux and defending MXGP champion, Romain Febvre to riders possible of winning at the French Grand Prix, we all know, that the young Belgian will at least have these two five time champions wanting to put a little pain on him, and create their chance for a sixth world championship to become not just a dream, but a reality.

Our Behind The Gate series on MXGP-TV.com is designed to give fans a deeper look into the world of MXGP, meeting the characters that make the paddock what it is and revealing the personalities behind the athletes that give all they have towards attaining success on track. 

While the programme is full of insight, incredible action videography, and deep analysis of each Grand Prix, it would be impossible to show the complete interviews with riders who give up some of their free time on a Friday to come and talk to us.  A lot of these interviews reveal an even deeper look into their mindsets and backgrounds, so for 2026 we will be featuring the full transcript of the conversations we have with the stars of our sport.  We hope you enjoy them as much as we do in the studio.

For Episode Three, “Ruling The Waves”, we followed Ruben Fernandez at his home GP for this year, the MXGP of Andalucia, and he was interviewed on the Friday before the MXGP of Switzerland presented by iXS, at our mobile studio on the edge of the circuit at Frauenfeld.  Ruben finished 11^th overall at Almonte, with 12-11 finishes while suffering with a stomach bug. Here’s what he had to say:

BTG: At the MXGP of Andalucia, did you know of the track before the weekend, or was it something you knew about?  Did you know it was sandy, or were you surprised when you saw it?

RF70: Yeah, I didn't know anything about the track, I had never raced there, it was my first time actually.  I only saw a few videos on the internet, on social media and stuff. Especially, I heard there was a race last year, they did a race.  It wasn’t a part of a Championship, it was just one international race, and a lot of Spanish guys were riding there. Like I said, I only saw a few videos and I hear it was a little bit sandy, which was strange because we are not used to sand tracks, or even less sand races, in Spain.  But yeah, I thought it was going to be a nice track and it actually was, something different to what we are used to in Spain.

BTG:  I mean, we can't ignore the fact that, yeah, you had physical problems at Almonte, so can you please describe what your problems were, how tough was it for you, and the fact that this hit you at your home GP, when everything is so busy for you, how bad was that all for you?

RF70:  Yeah, it was a really difficult weekend for me, it was really, really tough, being sick and I had some problems with the stomach, had to go to the toilet a lot and stuff like that.  I really had a bad time going through the weekend, especially because, you know, racing in Spain you have your home GP and you want to do good! You want to show a good level there in front of all the Spanish fans, and you also want to pay attention to all of the people that come to see you, which I did as much as possible, but the energy levels were really low.  I even struggled to do the GoPro Lap, I was even suffering there.  The fever and stuff didn't really allow me to be on my maximum potential, let's say, but yeah, like I said, you know, I just got to do the best with the situation I had, and that's what we did.  You know, I did the maximum I could, but yeah, of course, obviously I had a bad time and I suffered a lot during the weekend. 

BTG:  Just talk us through the GoPro lap if you could please.  I mean, you've done these a few times now, do you normally enjoy doing them?  Please tell us what it's normally like to do the GoPro Lap, and then how much worse was it for you because of your issues this time?

RF70: Yeah, I mean, it's normally not a problem, you know, to do a GoPro lap, it's just one extra lap for the camera.  It's never a problem, you know, you just end the Free Practice and you go straight there and do one, maybe two laps and that's it.  This time, you know, I was struggling in the Free Practice already and then I had to stop to do the GoPro lap.  You know, my head was kind of turning a little bit, so I just really wanted to take my helmet off and go and take some rest under the tent of the team.  It was not ideal, but you know, it's just something quick actually.  I got through it, that's the main thing.

BTG:  We can only thank you so much for that, as well! So then in the races, race one you got caught up in the start, the first corner crash?  What happened there from your side?  What did you see?

RF70: Yeah, I was struggling every time I went out on track, so my times in practice were not the best, they were not ideal, so I was already behind on the start gate, I didn't really have a great position.  So I got a bad start, and then when a rider crashed in front of me, I just couldn't avoid his bike so I had to crash as well with him, and yeah it was also not ideal, because you know, I didn't have energy at all.  So, I had to use it ongoing, as much as possible to get to the front and passing all the riders. It was not ideal for me in that situation but I had to get the best out of the situation.

BTG:  Nice one, and when you got to the second race, you got to 11th, so you got through the race, how was the second race for you?

RF70: The second race was better, I had a better start and I was riding with some of the guys in front and actually it was an OK sensation, but I think I came up to seventh, and when I was riding there, I think with a few laps to go, I just couldn't hang up there.  I dropped positions back to eleventh, I think.  I had a group of riders behind me, four riders, and the pack was quite close, one from each other, and I just couldn't fight with them so yeah, I was going well until the last five minutes.  I couldn't give any more so I had to drop positions.  I knew it was a tough weekend for me, so I just wanted to take as many points as I could, and I didn't want to take any risk because actually my condition was not the best.

BTG: Could you please explain a little bit more, what it's like to actually ride a bike at this level of competition, when you are sick like you were in Spain.

RF70: Yeah, you can imagine it's not ideal. I think we can all agree, Motocross is one of the toughest sports, maybe on Earth, and actually it takes a lot of work and a lot of physical condition.  So, when you are not 100%, especially when you have to race against other riders that are healthy, you know already before the beginning that you are not well.  So already in your head, you know, it's a lot going on.  Especially when you are not healthy and you're feeling bad, you go on the bike and your head is not on the track.  When I jumped into Free Practice, like I didn't know what I was doing really, then later during the day I got to feel a little bit better, but the beginning on Saturday especially, I was very lost on track. My head was not there also, because physically I was not feeling well, and you know it's tough, just to jump on the bike is tough, but even more to compete on a high level. So yeah, it's what it is, when it’s like that you just gotta take what you can and then move onto the next one. 

BTG: So how bad were the pants afterwards?

RF70: (Laughs) No the pants were good, just had to be quick going to the toilet, that's all.  I kept it cool.

BTG:  How impressed were you with the fans in Almonte?  I mean, there was such a good atmosphere there, how was it for you as a Spanish rider with the fans?  Did you feel the support and, with the event in general, what did you think of it?

RF70:  Yeah, I knew there was going to be a lot of people going there.  You know, in the south of Spain, I believe the people are a little bit more passionate, let's say?  And I heard there was going to be a lot of people there.  They sell a lot of tickets, I think.  Of course, it was going to be full and actually it was, a lot of people there.  Actually, I didn't get to enjoy it as much.  I didn't get to realise it at all because a lot of stuff was going on during the weekend.  Of course, I felt the support from the people and the fans, but it was difficult for me to... get to enjoy it, yeah. 

BTG:  This year the team had big changes, obviously the bike looks massively different, you've got the new big sponsors on board and of course, two big riders have joined you, you're used to running with Tim but now you have Jeffrey and Tom, what's it like for you as the guy that's staying there with all these changes, and do you think it's going to be tough to get yourself to a higher level amongst those guys?

RF70: I don't think anything has changed, really.  I used to be with Tim, he's obviously a high-class rider.  So yeah, it's nothing different.  At the end I just got to focus on myself.  I just try to keep on doing that.  Of course, a lot of change has been made on the team, new sponsors as well, and a lot of things going on.  Bike has changed, everything has changed.  Just trying to focus on myself and just trying to build from here.  We just started this season and you know, the second round in Spain I was also sick, so that was not ideal to build on.  But yeah, hopefully this weekend I can start getting myself into a better position, and each of us coming better and better. 

Since the interview: Ruben did indeed get better results in Switzerland, taking sixth overall with third in race one and tenth in race two. He was then fifth overall in Sardegna and eighth in Trentino, and he currently sits in seventh place in the MXGP World Championship.

Five-time Motocross World Champion, Jeffrey Herlings knows a lot about losing championship for not being in the long game. Dozens of injuries have cut is title chase on probably half of his seasons racing in the MXGP or MX2 seasons and despite the fact he is already a legend of the sport, he continues to want to improve.

Now, at 31 years of age, the man many once called the fastest man on the planet isn’t looking at lapping complete fields, beating opponents by minutes, but just getting the job done and not pushing himself to a limit, even he cannot sustain.

In Trentino last weekend, the Dutchman came back from two poor starts to go 1-2 and win his 114th Grand Prix and while his opening race was the Jeffrey Herlings we all remember from his MX2 days and early MXGP career, but the second race it was about being smart and backing it down when a race win wasn’t on the cards.

“I just looked at it like,” Herlings said. “This is an endurance race. We have like 57 Races and you have to be there every single time. I don’t want to disrespectful to Romain, but Tim was leading the championship and Lucas was faster, but Romain was the guy who won the championship, because he was always there. That is how Ryan Dungey won so many championships. You don’t always have the be the fastest and I feel I had the most speed today, but there are days like Sardinian, where I am not the fastest and I have to just go 2-2 and go home safe. Some races I can get a poor result and some Lucas might have that.”

Of course, there is one element of his victory last weekend, that probably stopped him from getting the 1-1 and that was his starts. On a circuit that doesn’t allow quick passes or making up quick time, Herlings had to find lines nobody else was riding, and make up ground, that only Jeffrey Herlings could make up.

“I need to work on my starts but otherwise my speed was really good all weekend. I came from 15th to first in the first race and 10th to second in the second race, so it was good. I found a good flow and had some good lines in both races and even though it is a small track, I had to be creative. It was really good to pay back all the hard work from all of Honda HRC Petronas, they’ve all worked really hard to put me in the position to win and it was important to get these points for the championship standings, even though we have a lot of racing to go.”

Having won more Grand Prix’s than anyone else in the sports history, nobody needs to tell the HRC man how to do much of anything, yet still, coming from behind at 31 years of age, against youngsters like Lucas Coenen, Kay de Wolf or Tom Vialle is only getting fast and for sure, when those guys can all pull a start.

“I just manage to get a good flow and find some good lines. I was in traffic the whole time and you start to pick up some good lines. At one point I just had a good flow and was two or three seconds quicker than everyone else. It gets difficult when you get to say the top four it gets difficult to pass, when you have these guys next to me. I think I have a good fitness, and I work out every day. If I had starts like Tom (Vialle) or (Jorge) Prado, I would have even more wins. That is one of the only things from my career and the injuries (that is bad). My starts have not always been great, but now I have a great bike, so I need to make myself better.”

One thing is for sure, Herlings will race nearly every weekend leading into the French Grand Prix, at Lacapelle Marival on May 24 and 25, and amazingly, despite being something of a veteran in the class, Herlings still feels he can improve and maybe add to his already record breaking 114 wins.