The FIM Motocross World Championship swings into its third spherical on the traditional French venue of the Circuit du Pay de Poursay at Saint Jean D’Angely, a circuit with real elevation change and spectacular sections, practically all of it seen from the spectator banks that needs to be filled with passionate French followers longing for some early season MXGP motion!
Over 50 circuits in France have hosted Grand Prix Motocross in some kind all through its historical past, and St Jean has hosted greater than another within the nation, with 18 occasions and two Motocross of Nations, in 2000 and 2011. Its first World Championship occasion in 1984 was received by the Austrian Heinz Kinigadner, though many native followers keep in mind the day for French legend Jacky Vimond profitable the opening race, the primary of what can be a distinguished and celebrated profession.
In 2024 the venue hosted the Monster Power MXGP of France, with changeable situations proving difficult in each courses, which had been received by Lucas Coenen and Tim Gajser, though dwelling hero Romain Febvre celebrated on the MXGP podium earlier than studying {that a} penalty to a different rider had altered the general consequence. For certain the decided Kawasaki Racing Group MXGP rider might be desperate to make amends for his adoring followers!
The MXGP class noticed a dominant French 1-2 on the opening spherical in Argentina, with Maxime Renaux taking the win for Monster Power Yamaha Manufacturing facility MXGP forward of Febvre, however finally weekend’s MXGP of Castilla La Mancha it was Gajser who had an ideal weekend for Honda HRC. He now holds the crimson plate and a 20-point benefit over Febvre, with Renaux only a additional level behind after a troubled Grand Prix! For certain the two-pronged French assault may have full vocal help at St Jean!
In MX2, it’s Kay de Wolf who holds the crimson #1 plate for Nestaan Husqvarna Manufacturing facility Racing, with a six-point lead over his teammate and Cozar winner Liam Everts. The French crowd might be cheering for final week’s Qualifying Race winner Thibault Benistant, who was injured at this circuit in apply final 12 months and might be searching for higher recollections as he tries to climb from sixth within the sequence for Monster Power Yamaha Manufacturing facility MX2. Reigning EMX250 Champion Mathis Valin may even hope to be match after hurting his wrist in Spain, however he’ll attempt to line up for Kawasaki Racing Group MX2 for his first GP on dwelling soil.
The one Frenchman with a crimson plate at St Jean might be EMX250 European Championship chief Adrien Petit, and the 250cc two-stroke Yamaha rider will get loads of the general public behind him after his shock win within the mud final weekend Some pre-season favourites might be searching for redemption after a torrid time at Cozar, though final 12 months’s EMX125 Champion Noel Zanocz, who received a race right here final 12 months, is second for JM Honda Racing and simply three factors again, with Mads Fredsoe one other three behind for Cat Moto Bauerschmidt Husqvarna. Paolo Maschio and Alexis Fueri may even be eager for higher outcomes than final week in entrance of their dwelling followers.
The EMX125 Championship Offered by FMF sequence additionally has its second spherical this weekend, and is at present led by Jarne Bervoets of the Yamaha Europe EMX125 squad, with Niccolo Mannini second for TM Moto CRD Motosport, simply six factors behind. The main French child is reigning EMX85 Champion Sleny Goyer, who completed seventeenth within the mud of Cozar, though Mano Faure is one other Yamaha rider trying to carry out on native floor, as he did with a podium right here final 12 months!
The MXGP of Europe ought to ship an unbelievable day’s racing on the west coast of France!
After a full season of zero GP victories for the French nation, their keen followers would have been mightily relieved to see a French 1-2 on the YPF Infinia MXGP of Argentina, and though Maxime Renaux has misplaced the crimson plate resulting from a crash-affected MXGP of Castilla La Mancha, he has definitely proven himself able to working on the entrance as soon as extra, though his kind at St Jean d’Angely has not been stellar, with a better of fifth total in 2022. He missed this observe final 12 months via damage.
Romain Febvre’s file right here is unquestionably superior, with total victory in 2016 and two podium finishes in 2022 & 2024, final 12 months’s consequence outstanding after choosing up a thumb damage in Free Apply that will finally end his title hopes. Redemption will definitely be on the Kawasaki man’s thoughts.
Tim Gajser, nonetheless, has received the final three GPs right here, in 2019, ’22, and ’24, and has by no means completed off the MXGP podium, with a complete of 5 race wins in addition. Solely Jeffrey Herlings, sadly nonetheless out injured for Pink Bull KTM Manufacturing facility Racing, has received extra right here. Tim’s fiftieth Grand Prix win at Cozar final weekend additionally gave him a twenty-point benefit, and the Slovenian isn’t the form of character to let that slip simply.
Glenn Coldenhoff earned Fantic Manufacturing facility Racing’s finest GP consequence final weekend with 2nd total, however St Jean has by no means been the kindest to him, with a better of sixth total right here – thrice! Behind him, fifth within the factors, is Pink Bull KTM Manufacturing facility Racing’s rookie Lucas Coenen, who appeared quick in Spain earlier than crashes ruined his weekend, however he has an incredible historical past at this observe, with a double victory in MX2 final 12 months, in addition to a double victory in EMX250 again in 2022. So he has solely ever tasted victory across the slopes of St Jean! Will his streak be damaged, or may the teenage Belgian really kickstart his marketing campaign this weekend?!
One other rider with comfortable recollections of this weekend’s circuit is Aruba.it Ducati Manufacturing facility MX Group rider Mattia Guadagnini, with an EMX125 victory in 2018, and one other podium in 2019. He might be hoping to bounce again from a disastrous Cozar, which dropped him from fourth to tenth within the standings.
Other than Renaux and Febvre, there are three different French riders on the entry checklist, together with Tom Guyon, who may make historical past as the primary Triumph rider to compete in MXGP. He additionally recorded a 1-1 in EMX125 at this circuit, again in 2019.
Final season’s MXGP races right here had been filled with twists and turns, and there’s no purpose to assume that 2025 might be any totally different!
MXGP – World Championship Prime 10 Classification: 1. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 108 Factors; 2. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 88 Factors; 3. Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 87 Factors; 4. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, FAN), 79 Pts; 5. Lucas Coenen (BEL, KTM), 57 Factors; 6. Andrea Bonacorsi (ITA, FAN), 56 Factors; 7. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, HON), 55 Pts; 8. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, HON), 53 Pts; 9. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KAW), 53 Pts; 10. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, DUC), 52 Pts;.
The MX2 World Championship, prefer it did for a lot of final season, has been much more wild than the outcomes would possibly counsel. Many would have picked defending World Champion Kay de Wolf to be main the sequence, however he has not had all of it his personal method in any respect, with a 1-5 card being sufficient for the general win in Argentina, and consistency in Spain paying its dividends to present him a six-point lead over his Nestaan Husqvarna Manufacturing facility Racing teammate, Liam Everts.
Everts is turning into often known as the grasp of the mud after his win in Cozar, and the climate forecast isn’t utterly clear for this weekend, so will he be doing his finest rain dance to assist his fortunes? With little pre-season bike time resulting from his 2024 accidents, it’s unsure if dry situations can be as beneficial, however the powerful Belgian has bought his enamel into this season now and won’t surrender with out a battle! Neither Nestaan rider has received right here earlier than, though Kay was second to Lucas Coenen final season.
Simon Laengenfelder sits third within the Championship, the place he has completed on the finish of every of the final three years. It appears unusual that the German has by no means climbed the rostrum at St Jean d’Angely, however fourth in 2024 is the very best he has achieved right here. His Pink Bull KTM Manufacturing facility Racing teammates, Sacha Coenen and Andrea Adamo, are tied on 71 factors for fourth within the sequence, after each holding the crimson plate following the Saturday races this season! The Italian 2023 World Champion stood on the rostrum right here final 12 months, and is happier with the bike in 2025, so could possibly be one to observe!
Thibault Benistant will really be the one to observe for the French followers, with a superb file round this circuit previous to his unlucky apply crash right here, that ended his title hopes for 2024. The Monster Power Yamaha Manufacturing facility MX2 rider took a race win and third total right here in 2022, and EMX podium finishes in each 2019 and 2018. Winner of Saturday’s Qualifying race in Cozar, he’s the best positioned Japanese bike rider within the MX2 class, 34 factors down in sixth, and eager to not drop any additional again.
For the Honda HRC workforce, Ferruccio Zanchi took his first profession race win and total podium at Cozar, the primary podium for Honda since Stephen Rubini in 2022, and the primary race win since Calvin Vlaanderen received in Sweden in 2019! Capitalising on a Fox Holeshot and holding on within the mud for his race win final weekend, will probably be fascinating to see how this consequence boosts the younger Italian’s confidence, after capturing him as much as eighth within the standings.
French passport holder, albeit initially from Réunion island within the Indian ocean, Quentin Marc Prugnières holds down tenth within the sequence for WZ Racing KTM, and stood on the EMX250 podium right here behind Lucas Coenen in 2022. Final 12 months’s EMX250 winner at St Jean, Mathis Valin, is hoping to be match to carry out at GP degree in entrance of his dwelling followers for the primary time, and his 18th within the sequence isn’t a mirrored image of his pace for Kawasaki Racing Group MX2!
The MXGP of Europe ought to see an unbelievable environment in entrance of a passionate crowd in south-western France! Elevate a glass of best Bordeaux classic to a tremendous weekend of racing at St Jean d’Angely!
MX2 – World Championship Prime 10 Classification: 1. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 97 Factors; 2. Liam Everts (BEL, HUS), 91 Pts; 3. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, KTM), 78 Factors; 4. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM), 71 Pts; 5. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), 71 Pts; 6. Thibault Benistant (FRA, YAM), 63 Pts; 7. Cas Valk (NED, KTM), 61 Pts; 8. Ferruccio Zanchi (ITA, HON), 53 Pts; 9. Guillem Farres (ESP, TRI), 46 Pts; 10. Quentin Marc Prugnières (FRA, KTM), 43 Pts.
TIMETABLE
SATURDAY:
07:35 EMX125 Group 1 Free Apply, 08:00 EMX125 Group 2 Free Apply, 08:25 EMX250 Group 1 Free Apply, 08:50 EMX250 Group 2 Free Apply, 09:15 EMX125 Group 1 Qualifying Apply, 09:50 EMX125 Group 2 Qualifying Apply, 10:25 MX2 Free Apply, 10:55 MXGP Free Apply, 11:55 EMX250 Group 1 Qualifying Apply, 12:35 EMX250 Group 2 Qualifying Apply, 13:15 MX2 Time Apply, 13:50 MXGP Time Apply, 14:35 EMX125 Race 1, 15:25 EMX250 Race 1, 16:20 MX2 Qualifying Race, 17:10 MXGP Qualifying Race.
SUNDAY:08:45 EMX125 Race 2, 09:25 MX2 Heat-up, 09:45 MXGP Heat-up, 10:30 EMX250 Race 2, 12:15 MX2 Race 1, 13:15 MXGP Race 1, 15:10 MX2 Race 2, 16:10 MXGP Race 2.
For extra information try our devoted MXGP/MX2 Information web page
Or go to the official MXGP web site mxgp.com
©Phrases/Photos are from an official press launch posted courtesy of www.mxgp.com
