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Moto News Weekly Wrap
April 8, 2025

What’s New:

• Courtney Duncan misses Sardinia due to pericarditis
• GASGAS UNITED IN DIRT is back for 2025
• KTM to fuel MX65 Futures class in 2025
• Antonio Cairoli to replace Guadagnini at MXGP of Trentino
• Yamaha riders head to Gilman SA MX
• 2025 FIM Trial World Championship kicks off with TrialGP of Spain
• 2025 AMA Supercross Round 12 – Foxborough Rider Quotes
• 2025 AusEnduro Round Three & Four – Team Wraps
• 2025 AusEnduro Round Three & Four – Rawson Report
• FIM Women’s Motocross World Championship Report from Sardegna
• 2025 MXGP of Sardegna – Round Four Wrap
• 2025 Racing Calendars

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Courtney Duncan misses Sardinia due to pericarditis

Four-time FIM World WMX Women’s Motocross Champion Courtney Duncan missed the first round of the 2025 championship in Sardinia this week due to illness. The successful Dunedin-based racer woke up around eight weeks ago with severe chest pains and was rushed to hospital. After several weeks she was diagnosed with pericarditis, which is swelling and irritation of the thin, saclike tissue surrounding her heart.

Courtney Duncan

“The past eight weeks has been tough. I was initially unable to do anything physically. Slowly over the past few weeks, I’ve been trying to do a little bit of low intensity but am struggling to get through that at the moment. You realise how important your health is, that’s for sure. There’s nothing to say that it’s not curable and I will get back to 100 per cent. The downfall is we don’t know how long that’s going to take. It’s all dependent on different people. It can take longer for some and shorter for others. It’s the opposite of having an injury where you work harder and you make sure you come back stronger and you are ready to go. This one is unpredictable and has the opposite effect, you have to do less to get better. The more you do, the worse the symptoms get and it prolongs the recovery, which we have found out over the last few weeks. It’s pretty tough to accept. We are even struggling to get through a 30-minute session at the moment with low resistance. Reality shows that I wouldn’t even be able to get there.”

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GASGAS UNITED IN DIRT is back for 2025

GASGAS Australia is fired up for the UNITED IN DIRT Tour, which is making its big return in 2025, teaming up with the epic crew at Transmoto events to give riders the chance to throw a leg over the off-road line-up at three tour stops in New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria.

Following its success in Europe, South Africa, and now Australia, UNITED IN DIRT is all about getting more riders on GASGAS bikes and giving them a taste of the brand’s character. For 2025, the tour will run on Saturdays at selected Transmoto events, giving riders across the East Coast the chance to enjoy the full Transmoto event experience – alongside the opportunity to test ride the GASGAS range.

2025 United in Dirt Tour Dates

• May 3 – Transmoto Narrabri, NSW
• May 24 – Transmoto Miva Station, QLD
• September 6 – Transmoto Eskdale, VIC

Three ride sessions will be available at each location, including a dedicated session for women riders: Morning: 9:30am – 11:00am, Midday (Ladies Only): 11:00am – 2:00pm and Afternoon: 2:00pm – 3:00pm.

To join the UNITED IN DIRT experience, riders must be entered in a team for the corresponding Transmoto event, aged 16 or older and bring appropriate motorcycle riding gear. Otherwise, there is no cost to participate – just sign up in advance and let them know you’re keen to ride.

GASGAS experts will be on hand at every stop to assist with bike setup, answer questions, and chat all things off-road.

For full event details and how to register, click here.

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KTM to fuel MX65 Futures class in 2025

For the second successive year, KTM, Husqvarna Motorcycles and GASGAS will unite to support the MX65 Futures class at Traralgon (May 25), Nowra (July 6) and Queensland Moto Park (August 2-3).

Open to riders aged 9 to under 12 on any brand of 65cc motocross bike, MX65 Futures provides a stage for young talent to showcase their skills and compete for glory. Each round will crown a winner, with an overall series winner to be celebrated in the final round at QMP.

Participants will enjoy an immersive race team experience, including guided track walks, exclusive access to KTM Racing Team and Raceline Husqvarna Racing Team riders, and an MX65 Futures goodie bag.

This unique opportunity allows young racers to experience professional-level motocross racing, helping them prepare for the 2025 Australian Junior Motocross Championship in Gillman (SA) from September 29 until October 3.

Entries for the 2025 MX65 Futures will be available via the ProMX website, opening approximately one month before each round.

Kyle Blundenb – KTM Group Australia Motorsport Manager

“We are excited to once again support the MX65 Futures class, reinforcing our commitment to junior racing. Nurturing the next generation of racers is at the heart of our mission, and through our partnership with ProMX, we’re providing a platform for young talent to shine. With a diverse range of products designed for future champions, there’s no better place to showcase them than at Australia’s premier motocross events. Our team has done an incredible job, and we can’t wait to see the MX65 riders back on track in 2025, experiencing the ProMX Championship alongside the factory racing teams.”

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Antonio Cairoli to replace Guadagnini at MXGP of Trentino

Antonio Cairoli will race alongside Jeremy Seewer in the Monster Energy MXGP of Trentino, scheduled for April 12 and 13 on the “Il Ciclamino” circuit at Pietramurata. The nine-time world motocross champion, will replace Mattia Guadagnini, who was injured in training last week in Sardinia.

Antonio Cairoli

“I enthusiastically accepted Ducati’s request to race in MXGP at Pietramurata as a replacement for Mattia Guadagnini, to whom I extend my best wishes for a speedy recovery. Even though I wasn’t expecting to return to racing so soon this year, I will use these few days that separate me from the Trentino GP to train and be in the best possible condition on 12 and 13 April. It will also be the perfect opportunity to greet all my fans and Ducati’s fans on the occasion of the launch of the production Desmo450 MX.”

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Yamaha riders head to Gilman SA MX

Many of the Yamaha ProMX regulars made a quick trip over to Gilman, South Australia to contest a round of the SA MX championships on the track that will host round three of the ProMX. Jed Beaton, Ryder Kingsford and Jayce Cosford all went over to get some valuable track time on the circuit in preparation for the coming round.

Beaton took victory after three hard fought motos with rival Kyle Webster. Beaton finished the day with 1-2-1 results against Websters 2-1-2 finishes and as usual, the pair were never more than a few bike lengths apart.

Kingsford started out the day strongly with a win in the first MX2 moto and was in a battle for the lead for race two with Brodie Connelly when had a rock jam in his front sprocket causing him to slow down and nurse the bike home. He didn’t contest the final MX2 race as it was his sixth race of the day, and he elected to sit it out.

He was on double duties and racing the MX1 class as well and racked up 4-4-6 results in a good hit out.

Cosford also did the MX1/MX2 double and was consistent all day. He finished with 4-3-3 results in the MX2 class and then 13-6-5 results in MX1.

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2025 FIM Trial World Championship kicks off with TrialGP of Spain

Defending champion Toni Bou (Montesa) kicked his quest for a nineteenth consecutive TrialGP crown off to a commanding start at day one of the TrialGP of Spain – round one of the 2025 Hertz FIM Trial World Championship – as Andrea Sofia Rabino (Beta) seized an early points lead in TrialGP Women, Billy Green (Scorpa) dominated Trial2, Matilda Arbon (Sherco) narrowly topped Trial2 Women and Jonas Jorgensen (Beta) claimed victory in Trial3.

Day two then saw Bou and his title rival Jaime Busto (GASGAS) trade wins and second-placed finishes in the TrialGP class, as home heroine Berta Abellan (Scorpa) scored a pair of victories in TrialGP Women, but no competitors were able to establish clear dominance in Trial2, Trial2 Women and Trial3.

TrialGP Day One

The start of any new season always brings added excitement, but with a reworked event format – including a crowd-pleasing ‘Power Section’ contested against the clock to end the day’s competition in the elite TrialGP and TrialGP Women classes – adrenalin levels were running extra high in the Spanish town of Benahavis.

Also new for 2025, each ‘lap’ has been relabelled as a ‘race’ with championship points scored at the end of both races and with a dramatically reduced time limit in each section – down from ninety to sixty seconds – ensuring no let-up in intensity, competitors faced a series of tough new challenges.

As we have seen so many times before, Bou relishes a new challenge and the 38-year-old Spanish superstar rose to the occasion, winning Race One on a score of just eight, half that of his second-placed team-mate Gabriel Marcelli and thirteen clear of Aniol Gelabert (TRRS) with Jaime Busto (GASGAS) a further mark adrift to complete the all-Spanish top-four after winning a tie-break with Italian veteran Matteo Grattarola (Beta).

The world’s best riders faced a stiff challenge from the get-go. The first section – on a precariously steep, rock-studded hillside – took maximums from all aside from Bou and Gelabert in the opening race. It was every bit as challenging at the second attempt when only Bou and Busto made it to the end and section two was even harder with a huge step from a minimal run-up proving to be impossible for all TrialGP competitors in both races.

After Bou cruised clear to win Race One, it looked like a case of more of the same in Race Two with the reigning champion holding a comfortable advantage. However, a surprise maximum on section ten that snaked its way up, down and around a rock-strewn open hillside slashed his lead and brought both Marcelli and Busto back to within striking distance.

With the final section the decider, first Busto kept his hopes of winning alive with a cool clean, then Marcelli produced a faultless ride to move to the top before both saw their chances of victory dashed by Bou’s precise clean that gave him a final score of ten, two clear of Marcelli and three ahead of Busto.

Toni Bou

“I’m very happy with how this first day in Malaga went. Two wins in two laps isn’t easy due to the new regulations, which put a lot of pressure on you to avoid mistakes. Everything happens very quickly, so tomorrow will also require close attention. I expect changes to the sections on Sunday, as if it doesn’t rain tomorrow, the sections will be even easier for everyone. I’m happy with the start, but we remain fully focused to be able to repeat the results on the second day.”

Grattarola improved a place to fourth on eighteen with Gelabert completing the top five on a total of 29.

TrialGP Women – Day One

With defending TrialGP Women champion Emma Bristow retired, home favourite Berta Abellan (Scorpa) started the day as the rider to beat, but Italy’s Rabino clearly had not read the script and the eighteen-year-old produced a commanding performance to win Race One with a loss of fourteen, four ahead of Britain’s Kaytlyn Adshead (Sherco) who has clearly gelled quickly with her new machine.

Czech rider Denisa Pecháčková (TRRS) – the Trial2 Women champion in 2022 – was a solid third on nineteen after winning a tie-break with Italian Alessia Bacchetta (GASGAS) with Abellan a surprise fifth on twenty.

Abellan struck back in Race Two, but it was a tight and nervous performance and the twenty-five-year-old from Barcelona was only assured of victory by three marks when Rabino incurred a maximum on her second visit to section eleven where Abellan went clean.

Britain’s Alice Minta (Beta) put in a great performance to end the Race in third, just three marks behind Rabino, with Pecháčková fourth on twenty after winning a tie-break with Alycia Soyer (TRRS) from France.

At the close of competition the TrialGP and TrialGP Women riders then faced the new ‘Power Section’, plotted across a reworked section twelve with eased routes for both classes putting the emphasis on speed.

With an additional three championship points on the line for the winner, two for second and one for third, what was excellent entertainment for the big turn-out of spectators was deadly serious for competitors and Bou won from Marcelli and Busto while Abellan edged out Rabino and Pecháčková. However, due to technical issues it was agreed between all interested parties that points would not be awarded on this occasion.

Trial2, Trial2 Women, Trial 3

With reigning Trial2 champion Jack Peace (Sherco) moving up to TrialGP this season, British rider Green – champion in 2023 – got his bid to regain the title off to a winning start with victory in both Races.

The 23-year-old won the first race on a total of nine after defeating electric motorcycle-mounted 2022 champion Sondre Haga (GASGAS) from Norway on a tie-break. Britain’s Harry Turner (Sherco) was a fantastic third on twelve, one clear of French former TrialGP competitor Benoit Bincaz (Electric Motion) with Spain’s Arnau Farré (Sherco) fifth on fourteen.

With the sections fully dialled in, Green dropped his score to a solitary dab to win Race Two with his compatriot Harry Hemingway (Beta) improving to second on two marks lost after ending Race One a disappointing eighth, one position behind his younger brother George Hemingway (Beta) who was making his class debut after taking back-to-back Trial3 crowns in 2023 and 2024.

Bincaz improved to third on four with Spain’s Miquel Gelabert (Honda), who was giving the new RTL Electric its FIM Trial World Championship debut after dropping down from TrialGP, climbing the leaderboard to fourth on seven, one ahead of Britain’s Jack Dance (GASGAS).

The highest-placed finisher in last season’s Trial2 Women class in action today, Italy’s Sara Trentini (TRRS) kept to the form book to win Race One on twenty-eight with Swiss series newcomer Aylen Scalvedi (Montesa) taking second on thirty-one after coming out on top of a three-way tie-break with the British pairing of Arbon and Sophie Bailey (GASGAS).

In another incredibly close contest, Race Two saw Arbon win a tie-break with French rider Margaux Pena (Electric Motion) on twenty-five, one clear of Trentini, to take the series lead tied on points with Trentini.

Trial3 saw Norwegian Jonas Jorgensen (Beta) win Race One on ten, five ahead of a tie-break for second between Jin Kuroyama (Sherco) from Japan and Britain’s Harison Skelton (Scorpa) before America’s Ryon Land (Sherco) picked up the pace in Race Two, parting with just four marks to win by seven from Jorgensen and eight from Skelton.

TrialGP Day Two

A surprise top performer on the day in Trial2 was George Hemingway (Beta), last year’s Trial3 champion, who ran two-three over both races as Benoit Bincaz (Electric Motion) and David Fabian (Beta) shared the wins while Sara Trentini (TRRS) added a victory and a second to her record in Trial2 Women and two-one race results allowed Jonas Jorgensen (Beta) to extend his Trial3 advantage.

After winning both his races yesterday, Bou started the day in the scenic town of Benahavis, around twenty kilometres north-west of Marbella, in confident mood and established an early lead when he became the first and only rider over both days to conquer the massive step of section two, escaping with a brilliant single dab.

With his rivals all incurring a maximum, it was an advantage that the eighteen-time champion maintained all the way to the end of Race One with his total of four handing him victory ahead of Busto by a commanding fourteen marks with Aniol Gelabert (TRRS) matching his finish in yesterday’s opening race on twenty-eight to complete the all-Spanish top three.

Following his pair of second-placed finishes on Saturday, Bou’s team-mate Gabriel Marcelli slipped to fourth on thirty-three, two clear of Italy’s Matteo Grattarola (Beta).

It was all change in Race Two when a refreshed Busto, who was disappointed with his pair of third-placed finishes on Saturday, took full advantage of a mid-race dip in form by Bou who picked up two maximums in the space of three sections to briefly drop to fourth behind Marcelli and Grattarola.

Leading Bou and Marcelli by eight marks with three sections to go, Busto then scored a maximum on the twisting rocky maze of section ten, but just one more mark lost over the final two sections ensured the 27-year-old ran out winner by three marks on a total of seventeen.

An additional two marks on the final section dropped Grattarola to fourth on twenty-six, one behind Marcelli who signed off with a clean, as Britain’s Jack Peace (Sherco) completed his debut weekend in TrialGP with a fighting fifth on thirty-one.

The result means Bou leaves Spain having already opened up a ten-point lead over Busto with Marcelli a further five points behind.

Toni Bou – P1

“It’s been a positive weekend for us. We’re leaving here with a ten-point lead in the standings, which is the most important thing. We missed out on winning the second race due to me making a few more mistakes. We already know what the new regulations are like, and we have to learn to adapt to these more risky circumstances. We can take away the consistency from the first race, which was practically perfect, and the comeback from the second, as we started quite far behind in the early sections. It’ll be a tough year, but we’re leaving here happy.”

TrialGP Standings after Round One

TrialGP Women

After slipping to a surprise fifth in Saturday’s TrialGP Women opening race, Abellan recovered to win Race Two and the 25-year-old carried this momentum into today’s first race when her winning total of five was half that of Italy’s overnight class leader Andrea Sofia Rabino (Beta).

Continuing to adapt well following her switch to two-stroke power over the winter, France’s Naomi Monnier (Beta) was third on twelve, one ahead of Britain’s Kaytlyn Adshead (Sherco) with Czech rider Denisa Pecháčková (TRRS) fifth on fifteen.

Abellan held a slim lead for the first half of Race Two before a maximum on section eight handed control to Pecháčková. However, the seventeen-year-old dropped a five on the penultimate section and when Abellan went clean her second victory of the day – along with the championship lead ­– was assured with her score of six putting her four clear of the talented Czech rider.

A solid seventh in Race One, Britain’s Alice Minta (Beta) was third on thirteen – three adrift of Pecháčková – with Rabino losing ground in the championship in fourth on fourteen, one clear of Monnier.

Trial2, Trial2 Women, Trial3

Trial2 is always close and competitive and following his pair of race wins yesterday, Britain’s Billy Green (Scorpa) had a much tougher day. It was Bincaz, who this year has dropped down from TrialGP and gone electric, who won Race One on a tie-break from seventeen-year-old George Hemingway with Green one mark behind on fifteen followed by Harry Hemingway on sixteen and Spain’s Arnau Farré (Sherco) on eighteen.

Only twenty-ninth in Race One, Czech rider Fabien staged an amazing comeback to win Race Two on a score of twelve, one ahead of Harry Hemingway and three clear of George Hemingway who won a three-way tie for third with Green – who retains the series lead – and Spain’s Miquel Gelabert (Honda) who is looking for consistency on the new RTL Electric machine.

Among the pre-season favourites in Trial2 Women, Trentini started the day tied with British rider Matilda Arbon (Sherco) before the Italian claimed a commanding win in Race One on a total of twelve, seven clear of Spain’s Daniela Hernando (Beta) who won a tie-break from Margaux Pena (Electric Motion) as Arbon struggled to ninth.

Race Two saw Pena finish on nine to take a comfortable win from Trentini on seventeen and Britain’s Sophie Bailey (GASGAS) on nineteen and in a class where consistency will be key this season, Trentini now leads Pena by ten points with Arbon – who was seventh in Race Two – another eleven points off the pace in third.

Setting the pace yesterday in Trial3 with one-two finishes, Norwegian Jonas Jorgensen (Beta) had to settle for second in the first race of the day after losing a tie-break with Japan’s Jin Kuroyama (Sherco) after the pair finished locked together on sixteen, four ahead of Britain’s Euan Sim (Sherco).

In Race Two he reestablished his dominance and extended his championship lead with a score of fourteen giving him victory by a single mark from the USA’s Ryon Land (Sherco), winner of Saturday’s second race, who emerged on top of a three-way tie-break with Spain’s Oriol Garcia (Beta) and Harison Skelton (Scorpa) from Britain.

Global focus now moves to Viana do Castelo this coming weekend (11-13 April) for the TrialGP of Portugal where all five classes will again be in action.

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2025 AMA Supercross Round 12 – Foxborough Rider Quotes

The open-air Gilette Stadium presented AMA Supercross competitors with what could only be described as a quagmire.  Moist and muddy in Massachusetts! The track, what was left of it, was modified throughout the evening to try and cope with the conditions. The schedule was also changed multiple times throughout the afternoon and even the Mains were affected with the 250 Main reduced from its normal 15-minutes to only eight-minutes.

250 Main Report

With the state of the track and the shortened eight-minute race distance the start was going to be even more crucial than ever.

RJ Hampshire shot out of the gates and was determined to take the early lead but the front end trowelled and then folded on the Husqvarna which pitched Hampshire into the ooze. Seth Hammaker had nowhere to go and came down on Hampshire’s machine, as did a few others but it was hard to identify who as they were all covered in mud.

Taking the early lead in what was his first ever 250 Main was Dayton Briggs ahead of Trever Colip. The first of the heavy hitters was Chance Hymas in third who had chosen to take a safe outside run towards turn one in anticipation of a melee, the likes of which had unfolded with Hampshire.

Briggs stayed in front for half of the 250 Main before getting caught out. There to take advantage was Chance Hymas, who, at half-race distance, led a Honda 1-2-3. RJ Hampshire had got back up to 11th only to go down again and drift back through the field.

Tom Vialle was in fifth place at this halfway juncture and looked set to take a handy championship lead, only to go down and get stuck in the mud while trying to pass a lapped rider with less than two laps to go and ended up with zero points.

Chance Hymas paddled around the track the best to go on to take the win by over 30-seconds. His first win and the 25-points catapuled him forward into championship contention as now only ten-points cover the top five.

Cullin Park and Gage Linville completed the podium ahead of Justin Rodbell and Daxton Bennick.

After spending a fair bit of time horizontal during the Main, Seth Hammaker still managed to claim ninth place and with it an important 13 points that saw him draw level with Vialle at the top of the points table.

RJ Hampshire spent even more time horizontal and upside down, yet still claimed eight points for his 14th place finish to leave Foxborough only two-points behind the championship leaders.

The opening six rounds of the 250 East Championship have seen six different winners.

Chance Hymas – P1

“My night at Foxborough was amazing—my first ever Supercross win, which is such a great feeling! The track was a complete mudder, and it was insane, but I kept it on two wheels. The team did an amazing job getting me prepared for it. I’m so stoked right now, and looking forward to next weekend.”

Seth Hammaker – P9

“Overall, today went pretty well,” said Hammaker. “It started off with some changes–they cut all the practices, so we only had one 10-minute qualifying session. I ended up P1, but I got docked for jumping on a red cross flag, which dropped me to fifth in the A group and 17th overall. I just took what the session gave me and did my best. In the heat race, I got off to a solid start, had one fall but managed to recover and finished second. The main event started out great for me. RJ [Hampshire] came from the outside, washed his front end, and I ended up hitting his bike and going flying. That was pretty unfortunate, but I got back up and worked my way through the field. I went down again in the race and had some trouble getting my bike back up, but I kept pushing and stayed on two wheels. In the end, I finished P9. So overall, not a bad day. We’re tied for the points lead, and that’s really exciting. I’m stoked about it.”

RJ Hampshire – P15

“This one was a complete mudder, one of the worst ones we’ve had,” commented Hampshire. “The goal coming in was just put it in the Main Event and try to make up some points toward the championship. This is probably the best 15th I’ve had in my life! I pulled a massive start and then just hydroplaned into the first turn, went down four or five more times, but clawed back some points in the series, and now we’re only three down with four [rounds] to go. I feel I’m in a good spot and ready for Philly next weekend.”

Tom Vialle – P22

“We finished up in Foxborough and it was a really rainy day here. I managed to win my Heat Race, and then the track was really challenging for the Main Event. I had a bad start and came back to fifth, and then had a crash with two laps to go, which kept us from finishing the race. I’m now tied with Seth [Hammaker] in the championship and it’ll be a good fight with four rounds to go until the end.”

250 Main Results

250 East Championship Points

450 Main Report

Justin Cooper scored the holeshot in the shortened 450 Main ahead of Shane McElrath, Ken Roczen, Justin Barcia and Cooper Webb. Mud expert Aaron Plessinger made short work of most of those as he forged his way forward in conditions that suited him down to the ground.

Plessinger was up to second no time and looking for a way around Cooper, once a line opened he wasted little time in moving through to the lead and from there he was never headed.

Cooper Webb went down momentarily on lap two. Malcolm Stewart also went down on lap two and had his leg stuck underneath his machine for 30 seconds or more. Justin Cooper then also got caught out and lost a number of positions.

At the halfway point of the allotted time Plessinger led McElrath, Barica, Sexton and Rocen. Webb had got hung up in the mud again was in eighth place. Barcia lost that third place to Sexton on the following lap as he became another victim of the mud but was back up and running while still in fourth.

Then Sexton went down on the face of a jump and could not get his KTM hooked up to get out of the hole he was in, slipping back to fourth, as Ken Roczen leap-frogged both Barcia and Sexton to move up to third.  Cooper Webb was up to sixth with two-minutes left on the clock.

At the last lap board it was Plessinger a mile in front of McElrath, who in turn had a handy buffer over Ken Roczen, Justin Barcia, Chase Sexton and Cooper Webb.

The front pair retained those positions all the way to the flag but a mistake by Roczen saw him usurped by Cooper Webb, whose last lap charge saw him extend his championship lead over the sixth place finishing Chase Sexton to 15-points.

Ken Roczen fourth, Justin Barcia fifth.

Justin Cooper copped a penalty for cutting the track which saw him lose two positions, demoting the Yamaha man from ninth to 11th in the final results.

Aaron Plessinger – P1

“I was nervous [in the lead up]! In a mud race, you never really know what’s going to happen – you can be as confident as you can be, but when that gate drops, you never really know. We pushed to the front as soon as we got out of the first turn clean in the Main, managed to keep it on two wheels and tried to cruise it on in, but it wasn’t an easy cruise by any means. It was tough, but I had a lot of fun! I’m stoked for the team, who never stopped believing in me even when things were tough at the beginning of the season. I can’t thank them enough for that.”

Shane McElrath – P2

“It’s definitely been a challenging road. There were a lot of questions and doubts, but after five tough years, I’ve found a team where everything just clicks. I joined Quad Lock Honda last year for WSX and Australian Supercross, and right away, I saw how committed they were. This result is just the beginning—we’re building something together. Martin and I talked after a great week, and we agreed not to touch the bike—repetition and consistency have been our focus. I felt good. We’ve also been doing a lot of mental work—being race-ready, even for practice days. Tonight was muddy, sure, but I was prepared. Tuesday’s training was tough too, and I think that helped sharpen me for this result.”

Ken Roczen – P4

“We only had one practice, which I’m totally fine with, but I have been aggravating my ankle [that I injured in the same] crash when I hurt my shoulder, and it’s becoming more of a problem,” Roczen said. “I re-aggravated it in practice really bad. I wasn’t even sure if I was going to race. These conditions are just terrible for an ankle [issue]. I ended up racing and we ended up making a night out of it for sure. The conditions were just next level brutal. I worked my way to third somehow for most of the race. Everything was going pretty smoothly until the last lap. My bike was slowly starting to act a little funny, and basically I stalled it twice. But I was able to get it back running and I was able to finish. My bike was on its last leg yet able to finish it in fourth. I wish we could have been on the podium, that would have been amazing, but at the same time we take what we can get. We need to figure out the ankle to be back 100%, and then I feel like I’ll have a legit shot at getting another win.”

Justin Barcia – P5

“Supercross in Gillette Stadium was a good day for me! I qualified P1, which was an absolutely awesome way to start things off. A few crashes in my Heat Race weren’t ideal, so I luckily qualified through there as it was a bit nerve-wracking. Later on, I got off to a good start in the Main Event and was right there with the leaders throughout – I was around or in a podium spot at different stages, but ended up bringing it home in fifth-place after a super-challenging day. I’m looking forward to getting back to work and getting after it next weekend.”

Chase Sexton – P6

“The round started off well for me. P2 in qualifying, then won my Heat Race, but got docked those positions. That led to a bad gate pick in the Main and a terrible start, but overall, not a great Main Event. I fought as hard as I could and we’ll get ready for next weekend to rebound stronger.”

Colt Nichols – P8

“Foxborough was a much better night for me. It was a condensed schedule and we only had one practice, so we had to make the most out of that,” reported Nichols. “In the heat race I got a really good start in third. I ended up crashing on the first lap and went back to 20th, then caught all the way back up to fifth. I didn’t quite get the start in the main event but rode up to an eighth-place finish. Overall, I’m really happy. It was a very big step in the right direction for me. Now on to next weekend to try and do it all over again in the mud.”

Austin Forkner – P12

“We knew it was going to be a mudder. It was wet all day! The biggest positive to take away from tonight is that my starts were finally good. I started third in the heat race; I tipped over in a turn and then someone ran into me and got their bike stuck on top of mine. I then holeshot the LCQ – the track was just destroyed. I made a couple of mistakes and ended fifth. It is a huge bummer, but my starts were better today. This was all about survival and I made too many mistakes in the LCQ – that is on me.”

Malcom Stewart – P13

“Rain or shine, we’ve got to go out there and do our job,” Stewart reflected. “Heat Race went decent, managed to get second in that one and qualify for the Main Event, and then in the Main, got a decent start and was pretty composed, honestly. We were in the battle, no big deal, but we know how it goes in the mud, it’s just tough. It stopped raining, which made it sticky, and I ended up going down several times and kept finding myself on the ground, but I salvaged 13th at the end of the day. It’s not ideal, but it’s the way these go sometimes and I’m stoked to be moving into Philly in a nice little points battle for fourth place overall.”

Kyle Chisholm – P21

“I ripped the holeshot in the LCQ and ended up second; just kind of rode it smart. I wanted to win but I didn’t want to do anything silly and crash or throw it away,” said Chisholm. “Then in the main I had an issue with my clutch and wasn’t able to finish… The mechanics, everybody worked their butts off to keep everything going and we just had that issue and it was just a bummer… It’s racing though, and things happen. We’ll get everything fixed up and be ready for Philly next week, have a good week of practice, hopefully we’ll have a little bit better track… and get out there and have some fun.”

Joey Savatgy – DNS

“No excuses. I just made too many mistakes. The conditions were tough, races were shortened, and once you go down, it’s hard to come back from it. I’m really disappointed for the team and our sponsors. It’s good to be back racing, but this wasn’t what we came for. We’ll regroup and be ready for Philadelphia.”

450 Main Results

450 Championship Points

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2025 AusEnduro Round Three & Four – Team Wraps

ShopYamaha Off-Road Team

In perfect conditions, off road titans Wil Ruprecht and Daniel Milner, resumed their battle at rounds three and four of the Australian Enduro Championship (AEC) in Rawson, Victoria, with the duo again splitting round victories. With some lead up rain making for amazing conditions, the planned formats of a three-hour Cross-Country event on Saturday and Sprints on Sunday went ahead with huge number of riders in attendance.

Ruprecht was looking to rebound after the opening weekend that saw him win day one but finish behind Milner on day two but that looked at look odds moments into the start of the Cross Country when Ruprecht stalled the bike and dropped an enormous amount of positions. Somehow, he was able to get the bike fired again and by midway through the opening lap, found himself back into contention in fifth place and within sight of the lead. He then moved his way passed Milner, before moving into the lead less than a lap later, but Milner was in his shadow. Less than a couple of seconds separated the pair for the first half of the race, but Ruprecht dropped the hammer and pulled a cap on his rival and by the time the checkered flag came out, Ruprecht and his ShopYamaha WR450F won by 38 seconds to take honours in the E2 and Pro Enduro classes.

But the weekend wasn’t over, and they all returned for day two weary but knowing the intensity was about to go up a notch on the already rough and hammered course. Ruprecht just couldn’t find his groove on Sunday and wasn’t able to match Milner. With Milner taking the day win and Ruprecht second in class and fourth Pro Enduro, left the former world champ frustrated by determined to make amends when they meet again at rounds five and six.

Wil Ruprecht

“The Cross Country went exactly to plan, well apart from that stall at the start of the race, where I was able to maintain a good pace and then step it up when required but today, I was just a bit off all day. No excuses at Daniel rode amazing, but I lost time in the grass track style areas of the track, so it’s something I need to go back and do some work on before we get to the next rounds. Again, the team did a great job, and the bike was good all weekend. Just need to clean up a few things and get back on track for the coming rounds.”

It was a consistent performance from teammate, Will Dennett, but not quite at the level he was wanting. Looking to capitalise on a great start to the season, Dennett was hoping to be at the pointy end all weekend and close the gap down between himself and the lead pair. He wasn’t able to make that happen but banked solid points finishing fourth in the E2 class on both days and seventh outright on each occasion.

His Cross Country was marred by a heavy fall that saw his bike able to continue, but badly damaged as he nursed it home after three hours of racing. But Sunday Dennett didn’t have his usual spark and will be looking for more when the AEC hits South Australia.

Will Dennett

“I took a pretty big hit on Saturday which damaged the bike and took some wind out of my sails,” Dennett begins. “I didn’t really injury anything, but generally pretty sore so I just went into damage control to reduce any more crashes or have the bike stop because of the damage. I got a little better as the day went on during Sunday but not where I wanted to be. I dropped a couple of positions in the Pro Enduro class, and I need to get them back.”

The championship now heads for the softer soil of South Australia and the ShopYamaha Team will hard at work in the lead up to get things back on track.

KTM DM31 Racing Team

KTM DM31 Racing Team’s Daniel Milner kept the pressure on his rivals at Rounds 3 and 4 of the 2025 Australian Enduro Championship (AEC) in Rawson, delivering a 2-1 performance across the weekend. After a consistent second-place finish in Saturday’s Cross Country, Milner came out swinging on Sunday, dominating the Sprint format to take both the Pro Enduro and E2 Class victories.

Teammates Jonte Reynders and Korey McMahon were also in fine form at the Victorian venue, with Reynders unstoppable in E1, topping the class on both days and finishing as runner-up outright in Pro Enduro on Sunday. McMahon took the E3 win and third in Pro Enduro on Saturday, before backing that performance up with second in class on Sunday.

Much like the season-opening rounds, team owner/rider Milner was made to work for it on Saturday, finishing second in both the E2 Class and Pro Enduro aboard his KTM 450 XC-F. True to form, however, he bounced back in remarkable fashion on Sunday, storming to the outright and class wins with over a minute to spare on the rest of the field.

Daniel Milner

“I was pretty disappointed in my result yesterday in the Cross Country – I lost a little bit of sleep over it last night actually, but I came out swinging today. I made sure I got out there first thing this morning in the first test and put down a good time and tried to make them chase me all day. It was another solid weekend for our team, with both Jonte and Korey having class wins and outright podiums across both days!”

In the E1 Class, KTM DM31 Racing Team’s Reynders continued his upward trajectory after pushing through the opening two rounds while injured. Now back to full strength, Reynders was untouchable in the quarter-litre category, powering his number 14 KTM 250 XC-F to back-to-back E1 victories and an impressive Pro Enduro podium of P2 in Sunday’s Sprint round.

Reynders went into the final Sprint near six seconds down on the runner-up overall, but put down a scorcher to cap-off Round 4, becoming the lone rider to edge Milner for the day with the fastest time in that last loop of the weekend to secure second in Pro Enduro. Between Milner, Reynders and McMahon, the KTM DM31 Racing Team trio went 1-2-3 across the final three Sprints of Sunday afternoon.

Jonte Reynders

“I was able to put down some really solid times in at the end of the weekend, and got a nice test win there to finish the day second outright and first in E1. I’m really stoked with how the weekend went for me, winning in class on both days!”

And equipped with the KTM 500 EXC-F, McMahon also showed that he’s going from strength-to-strength as he rebuilds from a pre-season injury. He topped the E3 Class and claimed third outright in Pro Enduro during Saturday’s Cross Country, then backed it up with second position in E3 on Sunday, rounding out another consistent and competitive weekend for the KTM DM31 Racing Team.

Korey McMahon

“Today, I was feeling really good again. I just had a few tests there where I was on the ground and losing way too much time. We ended up going 1-2-3 as a team across the last three tests, which was awesome. I’m happy with my riding and really looking forward to this little break that we get to work on a few more things and come out swinging in South Australia.”

Beta Australia Enduro Team

The Beta Australia Enduro Team headed to the Victorian town of Rawson over the weekend for Rounds 3 & 4 of the Australian Enduro Championship.

Jye Dickson rode well throughout the day aboard his Beta RR 480 RACE 4T, sitting in fourth place outright for a majority of the race, but lost a place in the final laps to take second place in the E3 class, and fifth place in the Pro Enduro (outright).

Andrew Wilksch had a tough start to the day, with a crash in the first lap costing him valuable time and plenty of positions, but the Victorian rider came back strong from deep in the mid-pack of riders, and rode to sixth in the Pro Enduro, and third in the highly competitive E2 class aboard his Beta RR 430 RACE 4T.

Queensland based rider, Ebony Nielsen had a stellar start to round three, taking the lead in the EW class on the first lap. Unfortunately a crash saw her drop back to third, but she continued to push throughout the rest of the race, swapping positions with the top riders and finally finishing up in third place in the EW class on the Beta RR 350 RACE 4T.

Sunday saw riders greeted with great weather conditions, racing across seven tests in sprint format on slick, rough tracks. The 2024 AORC E3 Champion, Jye Dickson come out swinging for round four showing plenty of speed across the seven tests that saw him take second in the Pro Enduro in tests two, three and four. The Newcastle native delivered throughout the day with consistent results and came home with first place in the E3 class and third place in the Pro Enduro.

Andrew Wilksch had a good day, securing third in five of the seven tests in the E2 class, but couldn’t push further up into the Pro Enduro pack following a small crash that cost him valuable time. Wilksch came away with third in the E2 class, and sixth in the Pro Enduro.

Ebony Nielsen came home fourth in the EW class, following a tougher day on the track.

Yamaha-supported Riders

Over 450 riders converged on Rawson in Victoria for rounds three and four of the Australian Enduro Championship. With rain on Thursday and again on Friday night, conditions started a little slick on the surface, but soon gave way to an ideal weekend of racing that saw riders contest the a three hour Cross Country on Saturday, followed by the spring format on Sunday.

It was another winning weekend for the women of Yamaha with Jess Gardiner and Madi Simpson splitting round victories again. Gardiner, in her element with a three-hour Cross Country overcame a few crashes and hairy moments to take the win and show she has no intention of giving up her position as the queen of off-road racing.

Her rival and fellow Yamaha mounted racer, Madi Simpson, faced some challenges in her first Cross Country at pro level and could only manage a fourth-place finish.

But come Sunday and back into the Sprint format, it was all Simpson as she charged to the top of the leader board on the first test and never surrendered the lead for the remainder of the day. She went on to take the round win ahead of Gardiner who continued to throw down the challenge to her younger rival but just couldn’t match the pace on Sunday.

Both riders have now won two rounds each and while Gardiner holds the series lead with some more consistency. This battle will go the full twelve rounds.

In the E1 class, it was a mixed bag of results from the three Yamaha BLU CRU Supported riders. Cooper Sheidow finished the weekend with a pair of third places in class and racked up solid points, while Fraser Higlett missed the podium on Saturday with a fourth but bounced back strongly on Sunday to finish second.

Jett Yarnold had an off weekend and was ninth and seventh, respectively. His hands blistered during the Cross Country and from then on he had to preserve the little grip strength he had to make it through the weekend.

In the E1 championship points, Sheidow sits in second, third is Higlett with Yarnold now in fifth.

It was a consistent weekend for Jeremy Carpentier who finished with seven, eight results on the weekend to maintain sixth place in the E2 championship. Carpentier wasn’t quite at the level he was for the opening round, but with years of experience under his belt, he was able to stay strong through the weekend and keep piling on the points each day.

In the Junior Classes, JGR Yamaha’s Lorna Lock lead the way winning the Junior Girls class both days on her YZ85. It was an impressive weekend for Yamaha’s latest young gun, and she now leads the championship after four rounds.

Marcus Nowland had some issues on Saturday which led to a fourth-place finish in the J4 class, but things were soon back to Standard Operating Procedure on Sunday when he returned to the head of the field to take the round win on his GYTR Yamaha Junior Racing YZ250F. He maintains a health points gap over second place in the championship after four rounds.

Harley Hutton had a rare off weekend. He finished fourth and fifth over the weekend and now sits fifth on the J3 championship but that won’t sit well with Hutton and be sure to see him come back swinging at the next round in South Australia.

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2025 AusEnduro Round Three & Four – Rawson Wrap

The third and fourth rounds of the Yamaha Australian Enduro Championships played out at Rawson over the weekend.

Overnight rain ensured plenty of challenges for the field on Saturday morning. Wil Ruprecht mastered the slippery and hard-packed terrain early on to build an advantage. Daniel Milner and Korey McMahon rounded out the top three on Saturday’s round three.

The weather gods smiled on Sunday for round four. Riders were greeted with perfect conditions, setting the stage for an exciting day of Sprint racing. Ruprecht was eager to reassert his dominance, but Milner was determined to make a statement and went on to hold off a hard charging Jonte Reynders for the overall win. Jye Dickson rounded out the leading three on Sunday ahead of Ruprecht.

Round Three – Saturday
Pro Enduro

The battle for Pro Enduro supremacy continued between Wil Ruprecht (Shop Yamaha Off-Road Racing Team) and Daniel Milner (DM31 KTM Racing Team) on Saturday at Rawson with Ruprecht edging ahead in the points race once the dust had settled.

Korey McMahon (DM31 KTM Racing Team) made an impressive start, staying in the top three for the majority of the race and fighting hard against the leading duo, but had to settle for third.

Jonte Reynders (DM31 KTM Racing Team) fought back after a poor start, finishing fourth, while Jye Dickson (Beta Australia Enduro Team) rounded out the top five in fifth.

Pro Enduro Round Three Results – Top 15

E1

Reynders secured victory in the E1 class after a dramatic contest on Saturday. Despite a challenging start that saw him positioned 20+ spots back, Reynders fought through the field to post lap times that rivalled the leading Pro Enduro riders at the end of the three hour race.

Stefan Granquist (Triumph Australia) finished a strong second after consistent battles throughout the race.

Cooper Sheidow held on to third place, stacking valuable championship points. Fraser Higlett (Yamaha) and Ryan Hayward (KTM) completed the top five.

E1 Round Three Results

E2

Milner got off to a lightning-fast start to claim the holeshot on Saturday, while prime rival contender Wil Ruprecht found himself nearly last in his group through the final turn. Despite a mistake from Milner that saw him drop to second, the two riders battled it out throughout the race, rarely more than five seconds separated the pair.

Ruprecht surged ahead after the pit stop, eventually stretching his lead to 38 seconds and the win. Milner held onto second, with Andrew Wilksch (Beta Australia Enduro Team) fighting through to finish in third after an early crash left him deep in the field.

Will Dennet (Shop Yamaha Off-Road Racing Team) and Tom Buxton (GasGas Australia) rounded out the top five.

E2 Round Three Results

E3

Korey McMahon was in a class of his own in E3 cross country. He grabbed himself a fantastic start and was deep in the battle of top three in Pro Enduro. This pace saw his E3 lead grow lap by lap.

A small mistake late in the race saw him dial down the pace a little to finish out an exception class performance.

Equally impressive was Jye Dickson (Beta Australia Enduro Team) who was in fourth on the opening couple of laps. He would maintain his place on track until late into the race and finishing second in E3.

Riley McGillivray (Husqvarna Australia) had a quiet race in third, fourth for Joshua Whitehead and Max Rikys in fifth

E3 Round Three Results

EW

Ebony Nielson (Beta Australia Enduro Team) quickly moved into the lead early as the girls came to grips with the tough conditions. Jessica Gardiner (JGR Yamaha Off-Road Racing) and Madi Healey were the next two riders in line who all had a turn at leading the race at one stage or another.

Madi Simpson (Yamaha) found herself deep in the pack trying to make her way forward. These riders would trade positions all the way to the finish with Jess Gardiner landing on the top step, Madi Healey returning to the series with a solid second place and Ebony Nielsn home in third.

Madi Simpson worked her way through to fourth with Monique Simioni rounding the five.

EW Round Three Results

EJ

Another strong start from Kogan Lock positioned himself in the lead early and never looked back. Throughout the day he continued to extend his lead to 15min at the close of the day.

Coming home in second was Bjorn Cardenas who had troubles of his own, riding a majority of the race with evidence of a fall and no peak.

Fletcher Tucker kept the pressure on for the entire race, leaving no chase for Cardenas to ease off, finishing just 20 seconds behind after nearly three hours of racing. Will McInnes and Jackson Rossi closed out our five for the day.

EJ Round Three Results

Round Four – Sunday
Pro Enduro

The opening test on Sunday saw Milner quickly close the gap on Ruprecht, who had led out the riders, and by the end of the test Milner was practically on his back wheel.

KTM’s defending champ was in top form, winning six out of the seven tests, with the final test being narrowly taken by fellow KTM rider Jonte Rynders by just 0.097 seconds.

Jye Dickson was also in the mix, finishing strong with second-place finishes in tests two, three, and four.

Ruprecht, struggling to find his rhythm, had to settle for a spot in the lower end of the top five alongside Korey McMahon.

Milner claimed a dominant win. Jonte Rynders second and Jye Dickson rounding out the podium in third ahead of Ruprecht.

Pro Enduro Round Four Results

E1

Reynders came out swinging in the Sprint races, dominating the early tests. Fraser Higlett (Blu Cru Yamaha) and Eli Tripcony set their sights on the top spots, stamping their names as contenders with impressive performances in the second test.

Ryan Hayward also impressed with the third-fastest time in the third test. Cooper Sheidow (Blu Cru Yamaha), after a solid cross-country podium finish, took a few tests to settle into his rhythm but improved throughout the day.

Tripcony continued to shine, finishing second-fastest in the sixth test. However, Reynders was untouchable, securing the E1 win and solidifying his place as a major contender in Pro Enduro. Fraser Higlett maintained his pace to finish second, with Cooper Sheidow securing third.

E1 Round Four Results

E2

Ruprecht led out the riders in E2, but by the end of the first test, Milner had surged ahead, finishing 12 seconds faster than Ruprecht and the rest of the field.

McMahon, Wilksch, Dickson, and Reynders started strong, with only seven seconds separating the five riders after the first test. Tom Buxton (GasGas Australia) stayed competitive, finishing fifth in the second test.

Andrew Wilksch (Beta Australia Enduro Team) displayed consistent confidence on the track, securing third place in five of the tests. Milner’s impressive performance saw him take the overall win, while Ruprecht managed to secure second despite struggling with his pace. Wilksch finished third, rounding out the podium.

E2 Round Four Results

E3

McMahon came out strong in the shorter sprint races, but Jye Dickson was ready to challenge for the top spot. The battle was tight, with only three seconds separating them after the first test.

Dickson found his stride, taking wins in tests two, three, and four, but McMahon fought back to win the fifth and sixth tests.

However, Dickson’s early success was enough to secure the overall win for the day. McMahon finished second, and Riley McGillivray (Husqvarna Australia) maintained his consistency, earning third.

E3 Round Four Results

EW

After a tough cross-country round in Rawson, Madi Simpson returned with a vengeance in the sprints. Despite some early grip struggles on Saturday, she dominated the tests on Sunday, securing six wins and the overall victory.

The battle for second place came down to the wire, with Jessica Gardiner managing to claw back from 21 seconds behind Madi Healey to finish second overall, just 14 seconds ahead of Healey.

EW Round Four Results

EJ

Kogan Lock (GasGas) returned to winning form after a strong performance the previous day, taking five of the seven test wins and extending his championship lead with a dominant overall victory.

Ryan Jordan never finished outside the top four, steadily improving his results, and clinching a win in the final test. Will McInnes, with his consistency and a win in test six, secured second place overall, while Ryan Jordan finished third.

EJ Round Four Results

2025 Yamaha Australian Enduro Championship Standings after Round Four

Pro Enduro Standings

E1 Standings – Top 10

E2 Standings – Top 10

E3 Standings – Top 10

EJ Standings – Top 10

EW Standings – Top 10

The championship will now head to Tintinara, SA for rounds five and six of the championship on May 31-June 1.

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FIM Women’s Motocross World Championship Report from Sardegna

The 2025 FIM Women’s Motocross World Championship roared to life in Sardegna with two races at the iconic sandy circuit of Riola Sardo. A true test of physical and technical skill, the weekend delivered everything from dramatic crashes to stunning comebacks — and at the centre of it all was Lotte van Drunen.

WMX Race One

The Race 1 began with Shana van der Vlist grabbing the holeshot, while Van Drunen and Guillen slotted in closely behind, already showing strong pace through the opening lap. The deep sand of Riola Sardo — a favourite among winter training tracks for many WMX riders — proved to be the perfect stage for a high-speed showdown between the series’ top contenders.

As the front group of Van der Vlist, Van Drunen, Guillen, and Lynn Valk began to break away, Home hero MXFontaRacing’s Kiara Fontanesi also started making her presence known, working her way into the top five with a charge that saw her pass Amandine Verstappen.

By lap four, Guillen made an assertive move past Van Drunen to move into second, clearly signalling her intent to dominate the weekend. One lap later, she dived down the inside of Van der Vlist to snatch the lead and began building a gap, setting the fastest pace of the race and looking untouchable at the front.

Behind her, Van Drunen refused to give up. After reclaiming second on lap eight with a clean pass on Van der Vlist, the Dutch star set her sights on Guillen, whose lead hovered around 2.5 seconds. Meanwhile, Valk continued her strong ride, moving past Van der Vlist into third and applying pressure as the race entered its final stages.

But with just over a minute and two laps to go, disaster struck. Guillen, pushing hard, caught a rut before a jump and crashed that left her unable to restart the bike immediately. What had looked like a sure win suddenly turned into a costly error, as Van Drunen surged past into the lead.

Guillen eventually rejoined the race but dropped down to 10th but got disqualified for for accepting outside assistance which isa heartbreaking starting race for the Spanish star who had controlled much of the race and looked set to take a decisive win.

Out front, Van Drunen maintained her composure, holding off a late charge from Valk, who was just 2.5 seconds behind on the final lap. A backmarker ultimately blocked any chance of a last-second challenge, handing Van Drunen the win with a margin of 3.6 seconds at the line. Seeing the Defending World Champion very emotional to get the win after her injury at the end of last year. Further back, SYE Racing Team 423’s Larissa Papenmeier who, incredibly is riding her 20th WMX season finished in the top 10 in 8th.

WMX Race Two

Race 2 bursts into life with a lightning start from Lynn Valk, who took the holeshot and looked poised to control the pack. Lotte Van Drunen tucked into second, but was quickly passed by Shana van der Vlist, who began to build early momentum. Meanwhile, Daniela Guillen, determined to rebound from her Race 1 heartbreak, made quick moves through the pack after an average start and was already into sixth on the opening lap.

Kiara Fontanesi also enjoyed a strong launch, riding inside the top five alongside Sara Andersen, who slotted into fourth. At the end of lap one, the running order was Valk, Van der Vlist, Van Drunen, Andersen, Fontanesi, and Guillen — a stacked front group full of the season’s favourites with everything to play for.

But the race turned on lap two. Valk crashed out of the lead, handing first position to Van der Vlist, while Guillen surged past Fontanesi making a superb pass around the outside of Fontanesi to take fourth, showing incredible traction and speed; and soon found herself pressuring Andersen for third.

By mid-race, Guillen had set her fastest lap and was under a second from Andersen, but a small mistake dropped her back to four seconds behind the Danish rider. Moments later, Valk — on a mission after her early fall — regrouped and stormed past Guillen on lap seven, reclaiming third in a brilliant display of resilience.

At the front, Van Drunen had been shadowing Van der Vlist lap after lap. With just under two minutes plus two laps to go, she launched a perfectly timed attack over the finish jump, taking the lead in style. Once in front, Van Drunen pulled clear instantly, showing once again why she holds the #1 plate.

With two laps to go, Valk repeated Van Drunen’s move — this time on Andersen — to grab third. Andersen, solid all race long, narrowly missed out on the podium, while Fontanesi’s hopes faded after a late crash.

Van Drunen claimed her second victory of the weekend to open the 2025 FIM Women’s Motocross World Championship with a perfect score. The defending World Champion showed patience and precision for a well-earned first round after not being sure she could even line-up after being sick during the week. The Queen of Sand has started the season with a bang!

Lotte Van Drunen

“This was perfect for the Championship! It’s been a very tough winter I can tell you that and not just the last one but over the past 3 years too but to win again is unbelievable and I’m really looking forward to the next round. We’re gonna train on hard pack now because we haven’t done it in the winter. Thanks to everyone around me and on to the next one!”

WMX Round One Results

WMX Standings after Round One

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2025 MXGP of Sardegna – Round Four Wrap

See full results here:
Febvre wins MXGP of Sardegna – Kay de Wolf blitzes MX2

Crossodromo Communicale “Le Dune” played host to the MXGP of Sardegna over the weekend, marking round four of the FIM World Motocross Championships. The shifting sands delivered cooler race conditions and close racing.

The MXGP class saw a combination of youth and experience at the top of the field, with rookie Lucas Coenen winning race one. It was the veterans who prevailed in the end, however, with Romain Febvre clinching his first Grand Prix victory since August 2023. Glenn Coldenhoff second overall for Fantic ahead of Tim Gajser.

The MX2 class was another mighty tussle with many twists and painful turns, although the result was the expected one as reigning World Champion Kay de Wolf took his second win of the campaign with a perfect 1-1 Sunday to reclaim the Championship Leader’s red plate.

Monster Energy Triumph Racing took their first trophy of the season with Camden McLellan finishing second overall ahead of Andrea Adamo, who scored his first podium in Sardegna for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing.

MXGP of Sardegna Highlights Video

 

MXGP Race One

Febvre and Maxime Renaux both lost ten points to Gajser in Saturday’s Qualifying Race, but they quickly jumped to the top of the morning Warm Up timesheets, the Kawasaki man fastest.

Race one commended under gloomy skies, Jeremy Seewer the first rider to score his second Fox Holeshot Award of the season, just clear of Kevin Horgmo, with Lucas Coenen on pace. Gajser and Febvre were on the fringes of the top ten, Renaux dropping his bike in turn one.

Lucas fired around the outside of Seewer to lead at the start of the first full lap, the Swiss rider making a mistake that dropped him down the order. At the end of the first lap, four of the first five were first- or second-year MXGP riders, as Isak Gifting held third behind Coenen and Horgmo, with Coldenhoff and Andrea Bonacorsi giving chase.

Gajser, Febvre, and Ruben Fernandez were running from sixth to eighth, and unable to move forward for several laps, while Coenen stretched out an amazing nine second lead over the first two circuits.

By lap five the two Fantic men had moved past Gifting, who still held Gajser at bay until lap seven. Then it was the turn of Horgmo to yield to first Coldenhoff, then Bonacorsi for second and third, as the younger rider pit pressure on his veteran Dutch teammate.

It took until the 15-minute mark for Gajser and Febvre to break into fourth and fifth, with the Frenchman working past the Slovenian in the dunes to peg back two precious points. Horgmo dropped to seventh behind Fernandez at the finish, while Ben Watson put in his best ride of the season to put his Beta in eighth.

Gifting had fallen out of the top ten, as Valentin Guillod claimed tenth on his private Yamaha, behind the sand specialist Roan van de Moosdijk. Seewer dropped to 15th position, still two better than Renaux, while the final point went to the returning Jeffrey Herlings, still on his fightback from injury.

Coenen had stretched out a considerable lead and was cruising, while Bonacorsi got close but couldn’t shake Coldenhoff from second. The pair suddenly had hopes of a 1-2, however, when Coenen dropped his bike in a tight left-hand corner, distracted by a yellow flag for another fallen rider.

Picking the bike up still in front, the teenage Belgian got back on the gas fast enough to take his first ever full-length race win in the MXGP class. Fantic Factory Racing were very happy with another 2-3 race result.

Jeremy Seewer – P14

“We’re here to work and develop, and there are many positive things to take away from this race. First of all, the two holeshots and leading the first lap for Ducati but the most important is that we made great progress this weekend, even though Riola is one of the toughest tracks of the season. In the first moto, we had a small issue, and I had to stop to fix it. But in the second moto, we turned it around and finished P9, finding good feelings. Overall, we had good speed, made big improvements and took a significant step forward and I think it will also work well on hard pack. I can’t wait for Arco di Trento, and I’m really excited to race alongside Tony.”

Jeffrey Herlings – P15

“We decided at the last minute to come to this race and use it as the best practice. Yes, a P20 can hurt but…I think it was just my sixth day on the bike after six months. So, for the circumstances I think it was quite good today. It was the first time I’d done a 35-minute moto! We got some points and finishing 7th in the second moto was quite good. Now just to build and get better every single week. Step-by-step now.”

MXGP Round Overall

MXGP Championship Points

MX2 Race One

Sacha Coenen topped timesheets in the morning Warm-Up for MX2, as he had in every session across the weekend, with Cas Valk showing his sand skills in second.

The diminutive Belgian fired his Red Bull KTM Factory Racing machine into the lead for his third Fox Holeshot Award of the year, with De Wolf and a rapid McLellan giving chase, as the South African swept past Adamo on the opening lap.

Rick Elzinga started well, gaining momentum in his recovery from a pre-season elbow injury. However, Liam Everts moved past the Dutchman on the third lap, swiftly followed by Saturday’s Qualifying Race winner Simon Laengenfelder.

The German pushing forward impressively, determined to stay in touch with Everts and De Wolf in the Championship chase.

Further down the pack, David Braceras showed his training at Lommel to come home in tenth position, as Karlis Reisulis took ninth, Valk holding steady in eighth. Elzinga settled for an eventual seventh behind Everts.

It took until lap thirteen for a patient De Wolf to make a decisive move on Coenen through the difficult wave section, launching into them with a massive leap and keeping his momentum to the jump.

The Belgian did try to retaliate, but landed awkwardly from a big jump and got spat over the bars. He bounced to his feet, and salvaged fifth position behind Adamo in fourth and a determined Laengenfelder in third.

McLellan, loving the venue where he took his first career podium last year, now took his career best race finish of second, even catching De Wolf to make the Champ push on the final lap, winning with a margin of just 1.809 seconds at the finish line.

The leading four in the series were still mighty close going into race two, just 13 points separating them all, but it was Laengenfelder who led by two points from De Wolf, who was one ahead of Everts, who was ten ahead of Adamo.

Ferruccio Zanchi – P11

“I had a good start in race one, but then crashed in the first turn so I had to come through the pack. I started off well, picking off some riders but I couldn’t keep the momentum and in the end I only came 12th. Then in race two I got a horrible start and was once again last so I had to do the same thing. It went a bit better as I finished 10th but I’m not really happy with how this weekend went and it gives me a to work on for the future sand rounds because that isn’t the level I want to be at.”

Valerio Lata – P12

“I hoped that my first race in the sand with the team would go better, but unfortunately I never really felt a good rhythm on this track and here in Riola, that is really important. The only good thing is that I’m fit and healthy and got through both races without any major mistakes, however my speed wasn’t good enough and that’s what I definitely need to work on.”

Thibault Benistant – P15

“Over the winter I didn’t ride too much in the sand, so I started the weekend a little bit tight. But by the Qualifying Race I was up to speed and finished fifth, so that was a good result. In Race One today I crashed in the first turn and then crashed again while coming through the pack so that was a difficult race. Then in Race Two I had a bike issue and couldn’t finish. But I’m remaining positive and I’m forward to being back on the hardpack next weekend.”

MX2 Round Overall

MX2 Championship Standings

EMX125 Race One

Katona became the first rider this season to secure back-to-back race wins following his triumph at the last Round of Europe. The race kicked off with Ryan Oppliger taking the holeshot, while Niccolò Mannini slotted into the front group. Chaos erupted in the opening corner, however, with Seth Priem, Yamaha Europe EMX125 MJC Yamaha’s Levi Townley, and others getting caught up in a first-turn incident.

As the field scrambled to recover, Nicolò Alvisi charged forward to take third from Mannini. At the front, Mano Faure and Oppliger fought for the lead — until Katona entered the mix, slicing through the pack with precision. A crash for Alvisi while leading handed control to Katona, who took full advantage, grabbing the lead on lap 6 and never looking back.

Behind him, Alvisi regrouped to take second, while Faure dropped to third after pressure from Dani Heitink.

Despite a crash that knocked him outside the top 10, Cole McCullough recovered brilliantly to finish fifth. Mannini faded dramatically in the latter stages, ultimately crossing the line 15th — a result that opened the door for Katona to launch a serious bid for the red plate.

Levi Townley never recovered from that opening crash.

EMX125 Race Two

The momentum intensified in Race 2, and as the gate dropped, Townley stormed into the lead with a perfect holeshot, chased closely by Riccardo Pini and Jekabs Kubulins. McCullough also started strong in fourth, while Katona — buried outside the top 10 — began another relentless comeback.

By lap two, Katona was already into the top 10, clearly the fastest man on track. Mannini, meanwhile, continued to struggle in the Sardinian sand, eventually slipping to 19th. Up front, a fierce battle ensued between Townley and Kubulins, with both riders swapping positions in a tense showdown. Behind them, McCullough overtook Pini to claim third, setting his sights on the leaders.

Katona charged past Francesco Bellei and Pini by lap five and soon dispatched McCullough with a precise outside-in move. With just under two laps to go, he launched a decisive attack over the finish jump to pass Kubulins and instantly pulled a gap, cruising to a commanding third straight race win. Townley crashed on lap eight while fighting with Katona for third and had to finish the race in 19th place despite his great start.

Kubulins held strong for second, while McCullough’s third earned him his first podium of the season. Late-race drama saw Faure falling out of podium contention, allowing Bellei and Alvisi to secure top five finishes. Alvisi’s consistency over both motos was enough to seal second overall on the day, while McCullough’s comeback rewarded him with the final step of the podium.

In one of the most electrifying rounds so far, Katona delivered a perfect 1-1 scorecard in Sardegna, showcasing his prowess in the sand and extending his winning streak to three. With 50 points secured in Riola and 115 overall in the standings, the Hungarian now holds the red plate heading into the next round — and looks like the man to beat in this year’s EMX125 championship.

Aron Katona

“It was pretty hard and again not the best start so I will definitely work on it. But I kept the flow and my speed. I had so much fun and it’s such a beautiful track. Thanks to everybody supporting me especially my team! What a feeling it is to be the leader of the Championship!”

EMX125 Round Overall

EMX125 Championship Standings

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