MXGP

BEHIND THE GATE – THE INTERVIEWS: RUBEN FERNANDEZ

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 11th 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.

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Date: 
Wednesday, April 29, 2026
Author: 
Infront Moto Racing - Ben Rumbold

HERLINGS AND IMPROVEMENT

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.

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Date: 
Thursday, April 23, 2026
Author: 
Geoff Meyer

MXGP AND PROX RACING PARTS RENEW PARTNERSHIP FROM 2026

MONACO (Principality of Monaco) 22nd April 2026 – Infront Moto Racing is pleased to announce the renewal of its partnership with ProX Racing Parts, part of the Race Winning Brands group, starting from the 2026 FIM Motocross World Championship season.

Following a strong and long-standing collaboration, this renewed one-year agreement will see ProX Racing Parts continue to benefit from global visibility across MXGP events, further reinforcing its presence at the highest level of off-road racing.

Founded in 1975 and headquartered in the Netherlands, ProX Racing Parts has become a globally recognised brand in the powersports industry, with distribution in over 70 countries worldwide.

Specialising in high-quality performance replacement components, ProX offers an extensive portfolio of parts designed to meet or exceed OEM standards, including pistons, connecting rods, crankshafts, valves, bearings, and a wide range of additional wear components.

With more than 8,500 part numbers across over 70 product categories, ProX continues to expand its range, ensuring riders and teams spend more time on track and less time in the workshop; an approach that perfectly aligns with the demands of elite motocross competition.

Through this renewed collaboration, ProX Racing Parts will focus on strengthening its brand exposure within the MXGP platform, connecting directly with a global audience of fans, riders, and industry professionals.

Infront Moto Racing looks forward to continuing this successful partnership and supporting the ongoing growth of ProX Racing Parts within the motocross world.

For more information about ProX Racing Parts, please visit: https://www.pro-x.com

 

LINKS

Infront Moto Racing

FIM

ProX Racing Parts

 

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Date: 
Wednesday, April 22, 2026
Author: 
Infront Moto Racing

MOTOCROSS GP OF TRENTINO - SUNDAY - MONSTER ACTIVITY

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Italy
Date: 
2026
Event date: 
Sunday, April 19, 2026
Event category: 

MOTOCROSS GP OF TRENTINO - SUNDAY - MIX 2

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Italy
Date: 
2026
Event date: 
Sunday, April 19, 2026
Event category: 

MOTOCROSS GP OF TRENTINO - SUNDAY - MIX 1

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Italy
Date: 
2026
Event date: 
Sunday, April 19, 2026
Event category: 

MOTOCROSS GP OF TRENTINO - SUNDAY - MXGP

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Italy
Date: 
2026
Event date: 
Sunday, April 19, 2026
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HERLINGS AND SACHA COENEN ARE THE KINGS OF THE MOUNTAINS AT THE MXGP OF TRENTINO!

PIETRAMURATA (Trentino, Italy) 19th April 2026 – The noise, the atmosphere, the cliffsides, and the chaos – it can only be the MXGP of Trentino, and the fans of all nationalities rocked the slopes of “Il Ciclamino” for round five of the 2026 FIM World Motocross Championships at one of the most iconic venues of the whole series! The riders responded with maximum effort, throwing their all into the GP races which turned into suitably spectacular affairs!

Although rain was expected, it came as a shock when it poured down just as the first MX2 race was lining up, but after the morning sunshine and crosswinds gave the organisers work to do in their battle against the dust, the circuit was in prime condition for great racing, which it delivered in spades!

With below average starts and countless passes in two battles through the pack, Honda HRC Petronas’ megastar Jeffrey Herlings took his 114th Grand Prix victory, his sixth at this circuit and incredibly his 19th in the nation of Italy!

“The Bullet” was unable to stop Tim Gajser in race two, however, as the Slovenian sent his many fans into raptures with the second race victory, his first for Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP, and his first since this very round last year!  With his beautiful Valentino Rossi tribute livery, he would have done “The Doctor” proud! Tom Vialle endured a tough day at the office to land the second Honda HRC Petronas machine on the podium, but Lucas Coenen continues to hold the Championship lead, despite once again being unable to land on the podium at this venue!

It was a happier day for the other Red Bull KTM Factory Racing twin, Sacha Coenen, who completed a perfect 1-1-1 weekend to claim the fifth Grand Prix victory of his career in fine style, with Triumph Racing Factory Team rider Guillem Farres taking second overall ahead of Kawasaki Racing Team MX2’s French star Mathis Valin.

It was yet another incredible GP at the Pietramurata venue, full of mixed fortunes for all the major players, sending the MXGP season into a four-weekend break with some incredible memories, and the promise of many awe-inspiring races to come!



Main Photo: Jeffrey Herlings; Top Photo: MXGP Start Trentino 2026

Determined to show some pace in the morning Warm-Up, Jeffrey Herlings set the top time ahead of reigning World Champion Romain Febvre on his Kawasaki Racing Team MXGP machine. Maxime Renaux was third for Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP, but Lucas Coenen didn’t seem too worried as he warmed up in just 22nd place.

Even though Febvre was denied a chance of a fourth straight Qualifying win at Trentino on Saturday with a mechanical issue, he managed to find a good start position, and rocketed out of the gate to claim his second Fox Holeshot Award of the season in race one!  It was briefly a French 1-2 as Tom Vialle held second, with Tim Gajser getting his many fans excited as he started in third!

Mattia Guadagnini had hit the ground in the first corner and had to start from the back on his Venrooy Racing KTM, but he would do well to claim 18th at the finish.  Meanwhile, Lucas Coenen worked quickly from a fourth-place start to get past Vialle in the middle of the circuit, then dived to the inside of Gajser in front of his own Slovenian fans to take second place!  With title rival Herlings outside the top ten off the start, it looked good for Coenen, but suddenly that Trentino voodoo, that seems to affect him at this circuit, struck again as he crashed spectacularly on the exit of the corner after Pit Lane!  He had to restart in 17th position, but a further mistake took him back to 26th at the end of the first lap!

Behind Febvre, Gajser, and Vialle, MXGP rookies Andrea Adamo for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing and Thibault Benistant for Team Honda Motoblouz SR Motul were running well in fourth and fifth. On lap two, as Renaux blocked off Kay de Wolf in a move that put the Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing man on the floor, Herlings popped past them both to suddenly appear in sixth place, but with a mountain to climb as high as any of the surrounding Dolomites.

Oriol Oliver was also in the top ten for Gabriel SS24 KTM Factory Juniors, ahead of Kawasaki Racing Team MXGP’s Latvian rider Pauls Jonass and the third Honda HRC Petronas rider Ruben Fernandez.  Renaux was able to squeeze past his countryman Benistant for sixth place on lap six, but Herlings began to haul in the leaders as he surprised Adamo with a pass at the top of the first uphill of lap seven!

Closing in on Vialle, the two teammates then both caught Gajser, with the Frenchman taking a neat inside line to overtake the Slovenian on a downhill section for second on lap 11. By this time, De Wolf had managed to get up to seventh behind Oliver, and Coenen had worked back up to 13th, but had a gap to close in on the riders in front.

With the fastest lap of the race on the 13th circulation, Herlings suddenly dived past Gajser for third, then pulled a fantastic move on Vialle, jumping to the outside of his teammate into the penultimate corner of lap 14 to take second!  Two laps later, he used the same move to close on Febvre and lunged into the lead through the s-bend before Pit Lane!

Coenen was only able to pass the Red Bull Ducati Factory MXGP Team rider Calvin Vlaanderen to claim 12th at the flag.  Benistant scored his best of the year so far with tenth behind Fernandez, while Oliver took his best MXGP race finish yet in eighth!  Renaux made a move on Adamo to take fifth, with De Wolf behind them in seventh.  Febvre tried to counter-attack but Herlings eased away to win by over five and a half seconds from the reigning Champ, with Vialle third and Gajser fourth.

 

For the second race, Febvre wasn’t able to get any further in than gate 38, just two in from the far outside. He would emerge from the first full lap in 23rd place, and could only get up to 12th at the flag. Duking it out for the Fox Holeshot Award this time were the old MX2 adversaries De Wolf and Coenen, with the Dutchman claiming the first of his MXGP career!

Gajser, Vialle, Renaux, and Jonass completed the initial top six, with Herlings on the edge of the top ten.  “The Bullet” worked up to seventh at the end of the first full lap, with Fernandez, Oliver, and Tom Koch of the Sarholz KTM Racing Team rounding out the top ten.

Herlings picked off Jonass with his penultimate corner line from race one, then passed Renaux in the middle of the track to claim fifth by the end of lap four.  Meanwhile, De Wolf had lost traction on a steep uphill to allow Coenen to drive past and into the lead, with Gajser also forcing past the Dutchman later that lap on a downhill double jump. 

It took until lap seven for Herlings to overhaul Vialle for fourth, after which the Frenchman got the corner at the furthest end of the circuit badly wrong, dropping it over a ledge and having the bike beat him up in the process! He did well to restart in seventh behind Renaux and Jonass, but he would only be able to repass the Latvian to claim sixth at the flag. 

Fernandez would also pass Jonass to take seventh, with Vlaanderen fighting forward to take ninth ahead of Oliver.  This put the Spaniard into the top ten for the first time in MXGP with ninth overall ahead of Jonass, and just behind Fernandez.

Just a lap after Herlings powered past De Wolf into third over the Monster Energy triple jump, the race turned on its head as Coenen crashed out of the lead on the corner at the top of that hill! The crowd exploded as he did so, because this put Gajser in the lead for the first time on his new factory Monster Energy Yamaha! The Belgian was able to remount in third, nearly losing a place to De Wolf, as Renaux also closed in!  Recomposing himself, Lucas was able to keep third place, putting him seventh in the Grand Prix behind Febvre. Renaux’s two fifth places gave him that spot overall, losing a tie-breaker for fourth with De Wolf.

Herlings closed in on Gajser, and the Slovenian seemed under genuine threat, but with two laps to go the Rossi replica was pulling away, and eventually won by just over four seconds, saluting his massed fans on their usual hillside! As well as breaking the drought for “Tiga” himself, it was also the first race win for Yamaha since Benistant’s MX2 win here last year, and their first in MXGP since Renaux in Argentina 13 months ago.

Vialle’s brave ride gave him his third podium of the season, and keeps him third in the Championship. However, his teammate Herlings took his sixth overall victory at the circuit, which equals Gajser’s record here, and puts the Dutchman just four small points away from the lead of the Championship.

The old guard did strike back on Sunday, but the young guns are far from done! The Battle of the Ages will continue in France on the penultimate weekend of May!

 

Jeffrey Herlings: “I think the results don’t really show the speed I had this weekend, especially after the crash yesterday and a small issue with the bike. I had to come through the field in both races, from around fifteenth to first in the first one and again pushing hard in the second. I felt like I had the pace, but once you get to the top guys it’s not easy to find a way past, especially on a tight track like this. Overall, a 1-2 on the day is good for the championship and I’m really thankful to the whole team for the work they put in.”

Tim Gajser: “I’m super happy with this weekend, especially coming in with some broken ribs from last week and riding in a lot of pain. I didn’t expect much, so to come away with a race win and a podium means a lot. In the second race I just gave everything I had, even though I was really feeling it physically. A big thank you to the team and the fans, because they really helped me keep pushing all the way to the end.”

Tom Vialle: “I had a pretty big crash in the second race that cost me a lot of time and a few positions, so I really had to work hard to come back. I felt good on the bike all weekend and the starts were strong, which helped a lot. The track was very technical and quite slow, so you had to be creative and adapt all the time so I really enjoyed it. In the end, I’m happy to be on the podium after that crash.”

Lucas Coenen (Red Plate): “Honestly, I didn’t expect too much coming into this weekend because the track doesn’t really suit my style. I had a couple of crashes in the first race and another small mistake in the second, so it wasn’t the easiest weekend. Still, I’m happy to be here, healthy and taking some points, because that’s on your bad days that  you win championship. Now we have a break, and I’ll go back to work and come back stronger.”

 

    
1. Tim Gajser; 2. Tom Vialle

MXGP - Grand Prix Race 1 - Top 10 Classification: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, Honda), 35:03.552; 2. Romain Febvre (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:05.685; 3. Tom Vialle (FRA, Honda), +0:07.859; 4. Tim Gajser (SLO, Yamaha), +0:15.090; 5. Maxime Renaux (FRA, Yamaha), +0:25.581; 6. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), +0:31.942; 7. Kay de Wolf (NED, Husqvarna), +0:33.611; 8. Oriol Oliver (ESP, KTM), +0:43.087; 9. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, Honda), +0:45.214; 10. Thibault Benistant (FRA, Honda), +0:46.366

MXGP - Grand Prix Race 2 - Top 10 Classification: 1. Tim Gajser (SLO, Yamaha), 34:26.948; 2. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, Honda), +0:04.278; 3. Lucas Coenen (BEL, KTM), +0:19.270; 4. Kay de Wolf (NED, Husqvarna), +0:21.010; 5. Maxime Renaux (FRA, Yamaha), +0:22.608; 6. Tom Vialle (FRA, Honda), +0:57.033; 7. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, Honda), +0:58.796; 8. Pauls Jonass (LAT, Kawasaki), +1:03.198; 9. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, Ducati), +1:05.968; 10. Oriol Oliver (ESP, KTM), +1:09.010

MXGP Overall - Top 10 Classification: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, HON), 47 points; 2. Tim Gajser (SLO, YAM), 43 p.; 3. Tom Vialle (FRA, HON), 35 p.; 4. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 32 p.; 5. Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 32 p.; 6. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 31 p.; 7. Lucas Coenen (BEL, KTM), 29 p.; 8. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, HON), 26 p.; 9. Oriol Oliver (ESP, KTM), 24 p.; 10. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KAW), 23 p.

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.

MXGP - Manufacturers Classification: 1. Honda, 278 points; 2. KTM, 247 p.; 3. Yamaha, 224 p.; 4. Kawasaki, 207 p.; 5. Husqvarna, 144 p.; 6. Ducati, 113 p.; 7. Fantic, 108 p.; 8. Triumph, 35 p.; 9. Beta, 28 p.


MXGP Podium Trentino 2026

 



Sacha Coenen

The MX2 Warm-Up session saw Qualifying Race runner-up Guillem Farres at the top of the timings, with Mathis Valin looking fast in second ahead of home hero Valerio Lata, who took third for Honda HRC Petronas.

The heavens opened over the Il Ciclamino circuit for the start of MX2 race one, but Qualifying Race winner Sacha Coenen barely felt it as he fired to his third Fox Holeshot Award of the year, and made a mockery of the conditions as he powered away at the front. Valin gave chase initially, and Venrooy KTM Racing’s sole MX2 rider Noel Zanocz was a great third to start with, before being passed quickly by Farres and Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Liam Everts.

Championship leader Simon Längenfelder was way down the order, ending the first full lap in just 12th position for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, and his challengers were looking to capitalise while he struggled with the slippery circuit.  Sadly for Triumph Racing Factory Team rider Camden McLellan, he was even further back in 14th and took until half-distance to pass the German.

Maddi Racing Honda ABF Italia rider Maxime Grau was looking fantastic in fifth place, ahead of the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 machine of Karlis Reisulis. The DRT Kawasaki of Kay Karssemakers held seventh in front of Lata, with Zanocz dropping to ninth at the end of the first full lap.

In the early laps, the only rider moving forward was Ošicka KTM MX Team’s Czech flyer Julius Mikula, who climbed from tenth to seventh by lap six, just after which the reigning Champ lifted himself into the top ten. Both he and McLellan were able to get past Lata, but the German stayed in tenth until the flag, while the South African made one more pass to get to eighth ahead of Karssemakers with a nice move through the “Gajser” corner. 

Mikula advanced still further by passing Grau for sixth, but seventh was still the Frenchman’s best ever GP race finish. Apart from that, the front five of Coenen, Valin, Farres, Everts, and Karlis Reisulis stayed in place through most of the race, although Everts got within a second and a half of the Spaniard at the close.

 

Coenen followed up his six-second-plus victory with yet another Fox Holeshot in race two, and amazingly Grau and Mikula were right with him in the top three, while Längenfelder was fourth ahead of Everts, until the Husqvarna man got the waves after the triple jump wrong, crashing down the order and holding up the Beddini Racing Ducati Factory MX2 Team rider Ferruccio Zanchi, Karssemakers, and Valin!

Mikula was soon second after a move on Grau, with the Champ followed by Farres and the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 rookie Janis Reisulis, although for once the Latvian didn’t have the pace of his elder brother, who passed him for sixth on lap three after a little back-and-forth action!

Grau started to slip down the order, sadly crashing out of the race on lap ten.  It took Farres and Längenfelder until lap 11 to truly dispose of Mikula, and the Czech rider held on to further improve his best ever result to fourth position, both in this race and the GP!

Sacha was in supreme control, until a small crash on lap 15, at the furthest corner of the circuit, reduced his advantage by around five seconds.  Valin recovered well with several passes to finish seventh in the race, behind the Reisulis brothers and ahead of Karssemakers, another recovery from Everts to ninth, and a disappointed Lata taking tenth.

McLellan fell in a tight right hander to leave him 11th in the race and tenth overall, with Janis Reisulis ninth in the GP behind another solid showing from Karssemakers.

Längenfelder’s first non-podium result of the year became sixth overall with the second race third position, and Everts was equally underwhelmed with seventh on the day.  However, Karlis Reisulis enjoyed his best result of the year with fifth overall behind Mikula, and Valin’s great comeback took him to the overall podium, his first of the season and only the second of his career after the Czech Republic last year!  Farres rose back up to third in the standings, two points ahead of Everts as he took second overall again, but Coenen’s fifth career GP victory puts him just three points behind the defending Champion!

For sure this Championship has many twists and turns ahead of it when we return in five weekend’s time, and riders in both classes will rest, recuperate, and build for the restart in France!  We will miss the action, but it will then come thick and fast for the rest of the year!

Set the date in your diaries, as the season returns on the 23rd and 24th of May at Lacapelle Marival in the south-western heartland of France, with what is sure to be another boisterous crowd ready to bring the noise!  We will see you all there… missing you already!

 

Sacha Coenen: “I’m really happy to win all three races this weekend, it’s the first time I’ve done that. In the first race I got the FOX Holeshot and managed the gap, and in the second one I felt even better with my flow. I made a mistake near the end and crashed, but I could still control it and take the win. This kind of consistency gives me a lot of confidence.”

Guillem Farres: “It was a solid weekend overall and I’m happy with the points we scored in every race. The track was really difficult, especially for passing, and in the first race I got stuck behind Mathis [Valin] and couldn’t find a way through. In the second one I had a bad start and had to work really hard to come back to second. By the time I got there, the gap was already too big, but we salvaged good points.”

Mathis Valin: “Yesterday was quite difficult with the track being tough for everyone. Today was better with the rain and I felt more comfortable, especially in the first race where I had a good flow and could stay near the front. In the second race I got blocked after the start and had to fight back to seventh. I’m not fully happy with that one, but it’s still a podium and we keep building step by step.”

Simon Längenfelder (Red Plate): “In the second race I started to feel better again after struggling a bit with the setup and traction earlier in the weekend. We made some changes and I could finally push and get back to my normal speed. The first race was really strange because I didn’t feel comfortable at all and couldn’t ride the way I wanted. Still, I had to push hard in the second one to get those important points for the championship.”

 

    
1. Guillem Farres; 2. Mathis Valin

MX2 - Grand Prix Race 1 - Top 10 Classification: 1. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM), 35:25.210; 2. Mathis Valin (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:06.364; 3. Guillem Farres (ESP, Triumph), +0:11.713; 4. Liam Everts (BEL, Husqvarna), +0:13.112; 5. Karlis Alberts Reisulis (LAT, Yamaha), +0:50.262; 6. Julius Mikula (CZE, KTM), +0:54.674; 7. Maxime Grau (FRA, Honda), +0:55.678; 8. Camden Mc Lellan (RSA, Triumph), +0:56.046; 9. Kay Karssemakers (NED, Kawasaki), +1:11.117; 10. Simon Längenfelder (GER, KTM), +1:15.315

MX2 - Grand Prix Race 2 – 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

MX2 Overall – Top 10 Classification: 1. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM), 50 points; 2. Guillem Farres (ESP, TRI), 42 p.; 3. Mathis Valin (FRA, KAW), 36 p.; 4. Julius Mikula (CZE, KTM), 33 p.; 5. Karlis Alberts Reisulis (LAT, YAM), 32 p.; 6. Simon Längenfelder (GER, KTM), 31 p.; 7. Liam Everts (BEL, HUS), 30 p.; 8. Kay Karssemakers (NED, KAW), 25 p.; 9. Janis Martins Reisulis (LAT, YAM), 24 p.; 10. Camden Mc Lellan (RSA, TRI), 23 p.

MX2 - World Championship Classification: 1. Simon Längenfelder (GER, KTM), 244 points; 2. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM), 241 p.; 3. Guillem Farres (ESP, TRI), 204 p.; 4. Liam Everts (BEL, HUS), 202 p.; 5. Camden Mc Lellan (RSA, TRI), 185 p.; 6. Janis Martins Reisulis (LAT, YAM), 170 p.; 7. Mathis Valin (FRA, KAW), 159 p.; 8. Karlis Alberts Reisulis (LAT, YAM), 150 p.; 9. Valerio Lata (ITA, HON), 133 p.; 10. Kay Karssemakers (NED, KAW), 114 p.

MX2 - Manufacturers Classification: 1. KTM, 287 points; 2. Triumph, 254 p.; 3. Husqvarna, 202 p.; 4. Yamaha, 188 p.; 5. Kawasaki, 183 p.; 6. Honda, 153 p.; 7. TM, 87 p.; 8. Ducati, 25 p.; 9. GASGAS, 13 p.; 10. Fantic, 8 p


MX2 Podium Trentino 2026

 

 

 

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

You can find the complete results HERE.

 

 

MXGP OF TRENTINO QUICK FACTS:

Circuit length: 1560m

Type of ground: Hard Pack

Temperature: 18°

Weather conditions: Cloudy

Crowd Attendance: 36,500

 

 

LINKS

Infront Moto Racing

FIM

FIM Europe

MXGP Trentino

 

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Date: 
Sunday, April 19, 2026
Author: 
Infront Moto Racing

MOTOCROSS GP OF TRENTINO - SATURDAY - MIX 2

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Italy
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2026
Event date: 
Saturday, April 18, 2026
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MOTOCROSS GP OF TRENTINO - SATURDAY - MIX 1

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Italy
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2026
Event date: 
Saturday, April 18, 2026
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