Yamaha clinch AMA SX Manufacturers Championship
Jett Lawrence might have claimed the major title for Honda, but in a season that saw Cooper Webb and Eli Tomac at the pointy end of the 450 cc division on their YZ450Fs, and a plethora of Star Yamaha riders contesting and podiuming in the East and West Cost 250 cc championships, Yamaha has won the manufacturers championship for their results in the 2024 AMA Monster Energy Supercross Championship.
The on-track success matched in the showroom with the YZ250F now the highest selling motocross bike in 2024 not only in Australia but now the US. And number two on the Australian sales charts for motocross bikes is the YZ450F.
2024 Yamaha Ride with the Stars
The Yamaha Ride with the Stars day in Western Australia on Monday June 3 continues to gain momentum with Yamaha Australia’s Parts and Accessories division offering a range of prizes for lucky riders on the day, including 15 x $250 giftbags, and one door prize valued at over $1000.
For more information see: Yamaha Ride with the Stars locked in for June 3 in Western Australia
Kevin Benavides injured in training
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Kevin Benavides is recovering following a training incident at the Mantillo MX Park near his home in Salta, Argentina.
The 2023 Dakar Champion was taken to hospital with a fracture to his left arm and head injuries. The accident rules Benavides out of his upcoming home race, the Desafio Ruta 40, which is scheduled to be held in Argentina from June 1-7.
Andreas Hölzl – Rally Team Manager
“Obviously, this is a massive setback for Kevin, made even worse by the fact it comes right before his home race in Argentina. Training for the upcoming Desafio Ruta 40 had been going really well, with the whole team working hard on the run up to the event. Thankfully, his injuries are not too serious and although he is still being monitored closely, he’s improving day by day. It’s not clear how long Kevin will be out of action for, but all at Red Bull KTM are behind him and wish to see him back with the team soon.”
AJMX 2024 to Bunbury this September
The 26th edition of the Australian Junior Motocross Championship (AJMX) will be held in Bunbury from September 24-28.With continued sponsorship from KTM Australia, juniors from all over the nation and abroad will descend on the port city in Western Australia to contest the AJMX over 12 championship classes, spanning from the entry-level 50 cc auto category up to 15-year-olds on 250 cc four-stroke machinery. There are also two dedicated classes for girls on the action-packed family-friendly program.
The AJMX is without peer as the biggest junior event on the Australian motorcycle racing calendar, with over 300 riders expected to contest the 2024 Bunbury Motorcycle Club-hosted event with wide-ranging industry support.
Tam Paul – KTM Group National Sales Manager
“KTM Australia is excited to welcome all riders and families to the scenic southern Western Australian region and specifically the fantastic motocross facility that is home to the Bunbury Motorcycle Club. With the KTM AJMX returning to this venue and Western Australia for the first time since 2015, the challenging sand-based track will ensure a week of extremely hard fought racing that will certainly deliver deserving Australian junior champions across over 12 classes. The state teams’ trophy is also up for grabs with reigning champion Queensland certainly nervous after a narrow victory over Western Austraia in 2023. We can expect the home turf advantage to play a major factor in this action-packed 2024 battle of the states. We look forward to seeing you trackside in September!”
2024 Australian Senior Dirt Track Champs date change
Following a request from the promoter, the Whitsunday Dirt Riders Club, the 2024 Australian Senior Dirt Track Championship will now be held on the weekend of October 5-6 instead of July 20-21. With a stacked state and national dirt track calendar in July, the decision to move the Australian Championship back was made to maximise rider participation. The Queensland event will take place over the King’s Birthday long weekend at Drays Park in Gunyarra. For more information on the Whitsunday Dirt Riders Club, click here.
EoI open for 2025 Australian Trials and A4DE
Motorcycling Australia (MA) is now accepting expressions of interest from suitably qualified clubs and/or promoters which are interested in hosting the 2025 Australian Trial Championship and 2025 Australian Four-Day Enduro (A4DE).The expression of interest applications, which include more information about Australian Championship requirements, are availablehere.Expressions of interest close on June 7, 2024.
Australian Supercross returns to Moreton Bay this October
The Fox Australian Supercross Championship will return to Queensland, with the opening 2024 round to be held in the City of Moreton Bay at Kayo Stadium in Redcliffe, on Saturday 12th October after a five-year hiatus from the Sunshine State.
Kelly Bailey
“Our Queensland fans have been patiently waiting and we’re thrilled to return the championship to Queensland where we’ve always been so incredibly supported with an established fanbase. Australian Supercross has had strong past success in Queensland – from 2019 in Brisbane to Coolum, Jimboomba, and Toowoomba to name a few locations. Timings have aligned to secure a boutique venue like Kayo Stadium, where we believe the location, shape and size will produce a world-class track and allow for a bumper crowd, atmosphere, and weekend for fans in the City of Moreton Bay. We anticipate the Saturday event selling out, which may leave the door open for another day of racing action.”
Lawrence brothers confirmed for 40th Paris Supercross in November
2024 marks the 40th anniversary year of the Paris Supercross, with the first ever edition way back in March (14/15th), in 1984). On November 16 and 17, at the Paris La Defense Arena, the stadium will welcome the event, with Jett Lawrence already confirmed, returning as new US Supercross champion, reigning King of Paris and arguably the biggest sensation in the world of Motocross.
Brother Hunter, who managed to get a win over Jett last year on the Triple Crown format and ended up second overall for the week-end is also confirmed, and both Lawrence’s participation will be supported by Honda’s American and France’s divisions.
Cooper Webb, who pushed Jett Lawrence to the last race and finished runner-up in the US 2024 SX season, winning 4 rounds along the way, will be also back in Paris to defend Yamaha’s chances.Malcolm Stewart, another French crowd favorite, has accepted the invitation and will represent Husqvarna. Along with Webb, Stewart has raced in all three historical venues that held the Event : Paris-Bercy, Lille and La Défense Arena.The partisan French fans will have someone to “extra-root for” in the 450 class as, for the first time since 2019 (and his mix of 4 US titles, between SX and MX, 250 and 450), Dylan Ferrandis will be back to perform on home soil.
In the 250 class it will be between the new 250 East division SX champion and French hero KTM’s Tom Vialle, and the reigning Prince of Paris – Jo Shimoda, who is Lawrence’s teammate at HRC Honda.
Dakar Rally 2025 sneak peek!
The sixth edition of the Dakar Rally has been confirmed for Saudi Arabia and will be held from January 3 to 17 on a course stretching from Bisha to Shubaytah.Shubaytah marks the gateway to the vast desert of the Empty Quarter has returned for the last two editions as the base camp for an ever more daring exploration of the sea of dunes. This time round, Shubaytah will mark the end of the adventure.
The concept of a long stage divided between two days in which the competitors have to spend the night in one of several bare-bones bivouacs scattered across the desert was a big hit with racers and viewers alike for 2024, as well as amping up the drama and sowing chaos among the title contenders. A souped-up version of the same idea is returning for the 2025 edition, now clocking in at 950 km and on more varied terrain. The riders and crews will face this challenge in the opening week. There will be plenty of opportunities to open up a gap, which may be aimed at adding a bit more volatility in the rankings in those late stages.
The next edition is expected to be a tough one, featuring the return of the 48h chrono, a traditional marathon stage and a three-day adventure in the Empty Quarter, where the race will come to an end.
At least five stages of the 2025 Dakar will take place on separate courses in order to reduce the number of times that cars have to overtake motorbikes and similar situations. In addition to boosting safety, this places car crews at the front of the field and forces them to navigate without the benefit just following of the riders’ tracks!
2024 TrialGP of Japan Report
Defending champions Toni Bou (Montesa) and Emma Bristow (Sherco) dominated the TrialGP and TrialGP Women classes on day one of the Taisei Rotec TrialGP of Japan – the opening round of the 2024 Hertz FIM Trial World Championship, while in Trial2 former champion Sondre Haga (GASGAS) claimed a historic first win at this level of competition for an electric motorcycle.
Bou and Bristow went on to maintain their perfect starts on day two in Japan, with winning performances in the premier TrialGP and TrialGP Women classes, while Jack Peace (Sherco) finished on top in Trial2.
Day One
The majority of sections at the Mobility Resort Motegi were laid out on a super-steep wooded hillside with a mixture of imported boulders and natural rocky outcrops providing a tough test for the world’s best riders. Warm weather resulted in dry conditions which left grip in short supply as the loose soil was dragged onto the imposing rocks studding the near vertical climbs and descents.
Bou – who is chasing his eighteenth consecutive TrialGP title this season – started the day looking strong and as the Trial progressed the Spanish superstar continued to build, taking command of the premier class and cruising clear as the challenge of his rivals fell away.
With a rule change allowing riders to stop and go backwards in 2024, Bou only fell foul of the new ninety-second section time limit once, adding a mark to the twelve penalties he collected on observation on his first lap, but that still saw him nine clear of his team-mate Gabriel Marcelli – who picked up four time penalties – at the halfway stage.
Veteran Spaniard Adam Raga, making his TrialGP debut for his new team, held third following the first lap on twenty-eight after reeling in France’s Benoit Bincaz who was two marks further back.
Bou’s miserly second-lap total of just one mark put the result beyond doubt as Marcelli added another sixteen to his score for second ahead of Raga who reduced the deficit to his young compatriot to just three with Spain’s Aniol Gelabert moving into fourth ahead of Matteo Grattarola from Italy.
At the start of the day Jaime Busto, TrialGP vice-champion for the last two seasons and winner of the opening event of 2023, was expected to provide Bou’s main opposition. However, after cleaning the first section a suspected fuel problem put him at a severe disadvantage and the Spaniard was forced to push his bike to the end of the lap, picking up a series of maximums that left him at the bottom of the leaderboard at the beginning of lap two.
Fighting all the way until the final section, his second lap total of fourteen was only good enough for him to claw back one position and he ended the day in ninth.
After tasting defeat at the opening round of 2023, Britain’s Bristow – who is bidding to make it ten TrialGP Women titles in eleven years in what she has stated will be her final season of top-level competition – started the day in a determined mood. A pair of early maximums looked to be expensive, but she still caught and passed Berta Abellan to lead by a single mark at the end of the first lap before taking control.
Adding just five marks on her second lap, Bristow’s final total of nineteen saw her finish sixteen ahead of Andrea Sofia Rabino from Italy who took full advantage of a series of maximums by Abellan on lap two to take second from the Spaniard by a single mark.
France’s Naomi Monnier ended the day in fourth a further twenty-two marks adrift with British hopeful Alice Minta claiming fifth on a total of sixty-five.
Trial2 champion in 2022, Norwegian star Haga ensured the new GASGAS TXE made an impressive debut in top-level competition as he led home an electric motorcycle one-two from France’s Gael Chatagno with Alex Canales from Spain completing the podium. A pair of dabs were Haga’s only loss on the first lap, putting him seven clear of Chatagno and Canales. Losing a single mark on lap two, Haga made sure of victory as Chatagno went clean to break free of Canales who picked up an additional four.
Britain’s Jack Peace also recorded a faultless second lap as he advanced to fourth on a total of fifteen which put him three clear of Arnau Farre from Spain with defending champion Billy Green from Britain slumping to a disappointing tenth.
Day Two
With the severity of a number of sections at the Mobility Resort Motegi slightly increased following Saturday’s opening day of action, record-breaking Bou – who is attempting to win his 18th straight TrialGP crown this season – put on a masterclass in front of a huge crowd of 12,000 spectators.
While rain threatened, the day remained warm and dry resulting in similar conditions to yesterday with grip still a rare commodity on the near-vertical climbs and descents and over the huge imported boulders that featured in the majority of sections, but the Spanish star took everything in his stride.
A maximum on section six when he was adjudged to have rolled backwards with his foot down was the only major blot on his opening lap of ten that gave him a four-mark advantage ahead of a revitalised Adam Raga with Gabriel Marcelli, who was second yesterday, completing the all-Spanish top three at the halfway point on fifteen.
Trial fans are used to seeing Bou soak up the pressure in close events before turning up the heat on his opposition and he did not disappoint with his second-lap total of nine putting victory out of his rivals’ reach.
At 42 years of age, two-time champion Raga is the veteran of the class, but his change of teams and machinery over the off-season has clearly motivated the veteran and by adding just eleven more to his score on lap two he secured a comfortable second place – his best finish since 2022 – as 24-year-old Marcelli collected an additional sixteen.
Marcelli’s hopes of catching Raga were effectively ended on section ten where he was desperately unlucky to collect a maximum on lap two when he punctured, although this late drama never threatened to drop him off the podium and he was still seven clear of his compatriot Aniol Gelabert at the end of the day.
The top five was completed by French rider Benoit Bincaz who finished one position higher than yesterday on a total of forty-three after reeling in Italy’s Matteo Grattarola in the tense closing stages.
There was more misery for Jaime Busto, the TrialGP vice-champion for the last two seasons. Technical problems restricted the Spaniard to ninth on day one and he struggled again, slumping to a below-par seventh that is a major blow to his hopes of dethroning Bou at the end of the season.
Bristow is aiming to close her career in the top-flight with a tenth TrialGP Women title in eleven years and the thirty-three-year-old British star, who plans to retire at the end of the season, claimed her second win of the weekend – although it was a close-run thing.
Spain’s Berta Abellan put in a sensational opening lap of just two to lead the defending champion by eleven before suffering technical problems at the halfway stage of the second lap. As Bristow picked up the pace, adding just five to her total, Abellan piled up the marks in the final seven sections of the Trial and she slipped to third on a total of thirty-seven, ten behind Andrea Sofia Rabino from Italy.
Completing an identical top five to yesterday, Naomi Monnier and Alice Minta ended the day in fourth and fifth, although this time around the French rider’s score of forty-three put her just two ahead of the twenty-year-old British talent.
Trial2 is always a close-fought class with multiple title contenders and today it was British rider Peace who staked an early claim to the crown with a narrow three-mark win ahead of Alex Canales from Spain with France’s Gael Chatagno a further one mark behind in third.
Peace broke free from the chasing pack on the first lap with his total of three putting him five ahead of yesterday’s winner Sondre Haga and eight clear of Canales. It proved to be a decisive advantage and despite three maximums on lap two Peace was able to defend his lead from Canales and Chatagno as Haga dropped out of contention and back to fifth behind Britain’s Jack Dance who failed to finish yesterday.
The result sees Peace lead the championship on 33 points, just one ahead of a two-way tie for second between Chatagno and Canales with Haga another point behind in fourth.
The focus now shifts to Sant Julià de Lòria, high in the Pyrenees, for the TrialGP of Andorra – round two of the 2024 Hertz FIM Trial World Championship – on 7-9 June where the competitors in TrialGP and Trial2 will be joined by the rising stars of the Trial3 class.
Toni Bou – P1 (TrialGP)
“Things are going very well for us, both in the outdoor and indoor series. The two victories are very special because they were at Honda’s home round. The first lap was very good and on the second I made a small mistake at Zone 3 when looking for a clean. I feel very good and confident in my riding. I’m being very constant, which is the goal. I want to thank the team for their work because without them this would not be possible. We have to continue this run of good results.”
Gabriel Marcelli – P3(TrialGP)
“The day went quite well. I had a small mechanical problem at Zone 10 that hurt us, but we still took third position and another podium. The weekend has been very positive and I felt good on the bike. I want to thank the team for their work leading up to and over the weekend. For the next race we will have to have that bit extra and go for the victory, but we are on the right track.”
Jaime Busto – P7(TrialGP)
“It’s been a difficult weekend for me, but I’m already looking ahead and excited for round two. We had some problems with myself and the bike yesterday, so I tried my best today to get a better result for the team. It’s not the way we wanted to start the season, but we’re all really motivated now to come back even stronger in Andorra and get back on top.”
Sondre Haga – P4 (Trial2)
“Day one was incredible, I felt really good all day and made barely any mistakes. It’s amazing to come here and take the win after so much work so I am really, really happy! Fifth place for day two is frustrating because we were so close to the podium all day. But overall, I’m really happy with this weekend and it gives me a lot of confidence that we’re fighting for the championship already. We will keep pushing from here and hopefully stay on top for the rest of the season.”
TrialGP Standings
| Pos | Rider | Nat. | Team. | Points |
| 1 | BOU Toni | SPA | Repsol Honda Team | 40 |
| 2 | RAGA Adam | SPA | Sherco Factory Team | 32 |
| 3 | MARCELLI Gabriel | SPA | Repsol Honda Team | 32 |
| 4 | GELABERT Aniol | SPA | TRRS Factory Team | 26 |
| 5 | BINCAZ Benoit | FRA | Sherco Factory Team | 21 |
| 6 | GRATTAROLA Matteo | ITA | Beta Factory Racing | 21 |
| 7 | BUSTO Jaime | SPA | Gas Gas Factory Racing | 16 |
| 8 | GELABERT Miquel | SPA | Vertigo Factory Team | 16 |
Trial2 Standings – Top 4
| Pos | Rider | Man. | Points |
| 1 | Jack Peace | Sherco | 33 |
| 2 | Alex Canales | Sherco | 32 |
| 3 | Gael Chatagno | Electric Motion | 32 |
| 4 | Sondre Haga | GASGAS | 31 |
2024 SpeedwayGP Qualifying kicks off this week!
The fight for a coveted place behind the tapes at the 2025 FIM Speedway Grand Prix World Championship (SGP) has gotten underway with Qualifying rounds staged in Abensberg in Germany and Debrecen in Hungary on Monday and in Lonigo in Italy and Žarnovica in Slovakia next Saturday (25 May).
A total of 72 competitors will line up across the four events with the top four riders from each transferring to the FIM Speedway Grand Prix World Championship Challenge event at Pardubice in the Czech Republic on 4 October.
The action kicked off at Abensberg in Germany in the Wack Hofmeister Speedway Stadium where Denmark’s Rasmus Jensen started his afternoon with victory in the opening Heat race and following the first block of racing he was joined on three points by experienced Australian Max Fricke, home hero Kai Huckenbeck and Italy’s Felipe Nicolas Covatti.
Covatti’s hopes of winning a place behind the tapes at Pardubice ended with retirements in his second and fourth Heats as Poland’s Dominik Kubera took his place in the all-important top four with a victory in his second Heat.
Huckenbeck, a three-time national champion who is currently lying eleventh in this year’s SGP series, was in fantastic form and the thirty-one-year-old added three more victories to his scorecard. His sole defeat came in his fifth and final Heat when he finished second to Kubera, but this was easily good enough to secure the top step of the podium and send him to the Czech Republic in October.
The remaining three transfer positions were fiercely contested. Having dropped two points each in their first four Heats, Jensen, Kubera and Fricke – who won an SGP round in 2020 and again in 2022 and was a member of Australia’s victorious team at the 2022 FIM Speedway of Nations – needed to sign off with strong performances and all three rose to the occasion, booking their places in Pardubice with wins in the fifth block.
Tying one point behind Huckenbeck on thirteen, the trio then contested a Run-Off to decide the podium places with Jensen emerging on top from Kubera and Fricke.
Starting two hours behind Abensberg, the Perényi Pál Salakmotor Stadion in Debrecen was the scene of a titanic battle – although the winner in Hungary was, just as it had been in Germany, clear-cut with Poland’s Przemyslaw Pawlicki producing an identical scorecard to Huckenbeck.
After sweeping to victory in his first four Heats, the thirty-two-year-old – who made his SGP debut all the way back in 2010 – was second in his final race of the afternoon, but his accumulated points were sufficient to place him on the top step of the podium and send him to Pardubice.
Getting his afternoon underway with a pair of second-placed finishes, thirty-nine-year-old Brazilian-born Swede Antonio Lindbäck – who has scored twelve podiums including three victories in an SGP career stretching back to 2004 – then put together a run of three successive wins to claim second overall, but behind him it was too close to call with three riders locked together on twelve points following the fifth Heat.
With the final two Qualifying positions on the line, Latvia’s Andzejs Lebedevs, Kacper Woryna from Poland and dynamic Dane Frederik Jakobsen took their places behind the tapes for the deciding Run-Off. Lebedevs, who is contesting the SGPseries this year, made no mistake to take the chequered flag in front for third overall with Woryna edging out Jakobsen for the final place in the Czech Republic in early autumn.
Junior e-Motocross kicks off in France
Lucas Bos has secured the overall win on home soil at the opening round of the 2024 Junior e-Motocross series after winning race one and finishing as runner-up in race two. Competing on a KTM SX-E 5, the young French rider put in a commanding performance all weekend on the hillsides of St Jean d’Angely at the Monster Energy MXGP of France.
The technical St Jean d’Angely circuit in France hosted the 2024 Junior e-Motocross season opener, where a near full gate of riders took to the line. Beginning with a timed practice session on Saturday morning followed by the first of two seven-minute-plus-one-lap races, eager young riders from twelve different countries took on the iconic MXGP track. It was France’s Lucas Bos who topped the timesheets for the first time over the weekend on his KTM SX-E 5, ahead of Mathis Negre and Ryan Gabriel.
The first race of the series provided no shortage of entertainment, with some impressive battles happening throughout. Keeping his momentum from timed practice, Lucas Bos took the lead on lap two and maintained it for the rest of the race to secure his first victory.
Just behind Bos, a three-way battle for second place was ongoing between Ryan Gabriel, Alexander Bihimann, and Vitus Horseborg. Ultimately, it was Austria’s Gabriel who clinched second place on the final lap aboard his Husqvarna EE 5, with Alexander Bihimann rounding out the top three on his GASGAS MC-E 5.
Race two saw a new victor emerge as Jonas Moutin took the win over Lucas Bos, also on home soil. The French pair traded places for the duration of the race, but it was Jonas, on his KTM SX-E 5, who took the lead on the final lap, leaving Lucas in second.
Germany’s Vitus Horsebog had an excellent start, going into lap one in fourth, which he managed to one-up by the finish line, going third-fastest in race two just five seconds behind Moutin.
The Junior e-Motocross series drew plenty of spectators, with the fan-favourite track suiting the enthusiastic young riders and demonstrating the impressive capability of their machines.
After a thrilling opening round, the 2024 Junior e-Motocross series continues in two weeks’ time at the Liqui Moly MXGP of Germany in Teutschenthal on June 2-3.
Lucas Bos
“I’m really happy to have won overall, especially after winning yesterday. I loved racing in the championship last year so to win now is amazing. Thank you to my family and my sponsors for helping me get here, I can’t wait for the next races.”
Junior e-Motocross Overall – Top 10 Classification
- Lucas Bos (FRA, KTM), 47 points
- Jonas Moutin (FRA, KTM), 39
- Vitus Horsebog (DEN, GAS), 38
- Alexander Bihlmann (GER, GAS), 36
- Ryan Gabriel (AUS, HUS), 36
- Mathis Negre (FRA, KTM), 34
- Naïm Aouadi (FRA, KTM), 26
- Cesar Lagut (FRA, KTM), 26
- Jules Alemany (FRA, GAS), 21
- Roan Calado Reyes (BEL, KTM), 21
Junior e-Motocross Championship – Top 10 Classification
- Lucas Bos (FRA, KTM), 47 points
- Jonas Moutin (FRA, KTM), 39
- Vitus Horsebog (DEN, GAS), 38
- Alexander Bihlmann (GER, GAS), 36
- Ryan Gabriel (AUS, HUS), 36
- Mathis Negre (FRA, KTM), 34
- Naïm Aouadi (FRA, KTM), 26
- Cesar Lagut (FRA, KTM), 26
- Jules Alemany (FRA, GAS), 21
- Roan Calado Reyes (BEL, KTM), 21
EMX250 and EMX125 at the MXGP of France
The fourth round of the EMX250 and fifth of EMX125 took place in St Jean D’Angely during the Monster Energy MXGP of France.The French round going perfectly for Mathis Valin in EMX250 with a 1-1 – grabbing the Red Plate for the first time this season, giving the the home fans a lot to cheer on in the incredible atmosphere. In EMX125 a back to back overall win for Simone Mancini placed him as a serious contender for the championship.
EMX250 Race One
Several riders were involved in a crash on the first corner, including Maximilian Werner and Ivano Van Erp.The one that came out on top after the first turn was Luca Ruffini, Mads Fredsoe followed in 2nd but not for long as he made a mistake with his feet slipping off the peg and allowed home rider Mathis Valin to pass him.
Meanwhile, two of the strongest challengers, Cas Valk and Valerio Lata both had a terrible start. Valk managed an exceptional comeback from 25th on the opening lap to 7th while Lata had issues and would only finished 24th.
Valin, surely pushed by the home fans, rode to the occasion and kept charging to take the inside of Ruffini on lap four and take the lead. Ruffini had another local rider after him on the same lap with Maxime Grau perfectly executing his move outside-inside to go second.
Saad Soulimani was another great performer as he took a good start and moved up to 4th by the lap eight. Soulimani kept attacking and passed Ruffini for third on lap 13 of 15 to get a good position for the final podium with Ruffini settling or fourth in the end.Local rider Toni Giorgessi rode very strongly to finish sixth.
In the end it was a French 1-2 with Valin comfortably winning in front of Grau giving the passionate fans something to hope for in the second race.
EMX250 Race Two
Race 2 saw Ruffini make the holeshot once again, and Valin passed him for the lead once again but this time in the opening lap. Valk moving up to 2nd.A multi-rider crash in the first turn included Grau who made a herculean effort to claw back up to 9th on lap 4. Meanwhile Karlis Reisulis was third showing some good speed and the fastest rider lap on lap 2.
Behind the top three, Fredsoe and Van Erp managed to pass Ruffini who faded in the race. Grau found himself 6th on lap 6 and he started to push Van Erp for 5th. Valin meanwhile pulled away in the lead increasing the gap with Valk to 5.2 seconds.
Fredsoe dropped down to 6th on lap 9 as Van Erp and Grau made clever passes with better lines while 2nd place was under threat, Valk making a couple of nervous mistakes with an aggressive Reisulis closing on him.
A fiery Reisulis committed on his line with a better drive to pass Valk for 2nd in the eleventh lap and clocked the fastest lap at the same time. Reisulis kept the momentum going and began the close the gap with Valin but it was time for the French rider to pick up the pace and keep a comfortable cushion.
It wasn’t the red plate’s day as Lata had trouble at the start again which made it difficult to get good results. He finished in 13th position but lost the red plate to Valin and was passed in the standings by Valk too.
It was the perfect home weekend for Valin who grabbed the maximum point to win his first overall of the season and the red plate at the same time, on home soil. Grau was the other incredible rider in France after coming back from the last position in race 2 to finish fourth four second overall. Valk closed out the overall podium with 7-3 that leaves him in the second place of the Championship, 23 points behind Valin.
EMX250 Overall – Top 10 Classification
- Mathis Valin (FRA, KAW), 50 points
- Maxime Grau (FRA, KTM), 40
- Cas Valk (NED, KTM), 34
- Saad Soulimani (MAR, YAM), 33
- Karlis Alberts Reisulis (LAT, YAM), 31
- Mads Fredsoe (DEN, GAS), 31
- Luca Ruffini (ITA, HUS), 24
- William Askew (GBR, KAW), 23
- Ivano Van Erp (NED, YAM), 22
- Nico Greutmann (SUI, HUS), 20
EMX250 Championship – Top 10 Classification
- Mathis Valin (FRA, KAW), 171 points
- Cas Valk (NED, KTM), 148
- Valerio Lata (ITA, GAS), 147
- Ivano Van Erp (NED, YAM), 114
- Saad Soulimani (MAR, YAM), 107
- Francisco Garcia (ESP, GAS), 100
- Maxime Grau (FRA, KTM), 97
- Nico Greutmann (SUI, HUS), 78
- Karlis Alberts Reisulis (LAT, YAM), 71
- Magnus Smith (DEN, YAM), 60
EMX125 Race One
Filippo Mantovani took the holeshot with blistering start but it was a clever move in the inside from Simone Mancini in the second turn that put him in the lead with Mano Faure close behind. Mantovani landed 3rd with Salvador Perez 4th after few turns.
Then with the ruts deepening riders started to encounter difficulties, Mantovani nearly falling, Jarne Bervoets clipping his front wheel while trying to take him on the outside on lap 3. Mantovani then losing his momentum, while Bervoets could only manage 5th place by race end.
Noel Zanocz was on the charge after an average start, taking on Mantovani on lap 3 for 4th and then 3rd on lap 6 when Perez completely went off track after losing control. Perez would come back to 4th where he would stay.
While Mancini was cruising at the top of the race, Faure crashed out of second, Zanocz benefitting for the same spot. However, the young Frenchman was feeling the track and came back to overtake the Hungarian red plate for 2nd on lap 9 and held that place until the end. Zanocz eventually securing third.
It was an up and down race for another contender for the Championship, Gyan Doensen who, despite starting well had to settle for 8th in the end after never really finding his rhythm.
Italian star Mancini took the overall win.
EMX125 Race Two
Zanocz had the strongest start, teammate Mancini second and slotting into Faure third. A handful of riders going down after a couple of turns with Perez and Bervoets involved. Doensen managed to stay in the mix in fourth.
Following his misshape, Perez climbed his way back up quickly, having been outside the top 20 on lap 3. Markuss Ozolins was 5th early on but was soon threatened by Cole McCullough who whittled the gap down as the race went on. On lap 9 McCullough crashed and let Ozolins off the hook.
Francesco Bellei made an excellent come back from 11th to 5th to claim fifth overall. The top 4 settled into their positions until two laps to go, when Faure went down, Doensen benefitting with third overall for an important podium at his home round. Race winner Zanocz missed out on the overall but finished second and held onto the red plate.
It was a strong 1-2 for Mancini that put him on the top step of the overall podium for the third time this year and a good double for Fantic Factory Racing. Mancini asserting himself as one to watch for the Championship.
Simone Mancini
“I’m so happy with two in a row, and my third win. Today the track was very difficult with the mud, I passed second in the first lap but couldn’t catch Noel (Zanocz) in the second race. It was not easy as the track was softer but the staff and the team made a great work and congratulations to everyone. Now see you in Latvia!”
EMX125 Overall – Top 10 Classification
- Simone Mancini (ITA, FAN), 47 points
- Noel Zanocz (HUN, FAN), 45
- Mano Faure (FRA, YAM), 40
- Gyan Doensen (NED, KTM), 33
- Francesco Bellei (ITA, KTM), 24
- Douwe Van Mechgelen (BEL, FAN), 23
- Filippo Mantovani (ITA, KTM), 21
- Salvador Perez (ESP, GAS), 21
- Brando Rispoli (ITA, TM), 17
- Alessandro Gaspari (ITA, KTM), 17
EMX125 Championship – Top 10 Classification
- Noel Zanocz (HUN, FAN), 190 points
- Gyan Doensen (NED, KTM), 173
- Simone Mancini (ITA, FAN), 166
- Mano Faure (FRA, YAM), 159
- Salvador Perez (ESP, GAS), 150
- Francesco Bellei (ITA, KTM), 147
- Dani Heitink (NED, YAM), 104
- Aron Katona (HUN, KTM), 103
- Markuss Ozolins (LAT, GAS), 100
- Jarne Bervoets (BEL, YAM), 86
