MX2

KEGUMS (Latvia), 6th June 2026 – The shifting sands of the Motocenter Zelta Zirgs resounded with the rumbles of thunder last night, but thunder of a different kind reverberated around the Kegums venue today as the Qualifying Races saw the opening salvoes for the top riders at the MXGP of Latvia!

Round eight of the FIM Motocross World Championships is the last of a three-week run of events that have tested the riders thoroughly from one end of Europe to the next, and after two hardpack venues, this Baltic battleground provides a sandy surface with a hard base to reward any riders with all-round skills, and the track got drier through the day to make the ground even firmer by the time it came to the Qualifying Race for MX2 and MXGP.

The twin terrors, that are rampaging across the Motocross world right now for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, struck again with victories for both Lucas Coenen in MXGP and Sacha Coenen in MX2, the fifth time they have cleaned up in Qualifying, and the third time this year.

Lucas did the business after passing Kegums record win holder Jeffrey Herlings, who took second for Honda HRC Petronas ahead of fellow Dutchman Kay de Wolf, who continues to progress in his MXGP rookie season for Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing.

Sacha also had to make a pass on a Honda HRC Petronas pilot who was fastest in Time Practice, this time in the shape of Valerio Lata, as the Italian scored his best Qualifying Race result of the season so far in second place.  Reigning World Champion Simon Längenfelder took third for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, but lost ground to Coenen in the series, trailing the Belgian by five points heading into the GP tomorrow.

The big question for tomorrow is if the twins, that both hold the red plates in their respective Championships, are finally going to bring home the double GP win that everyone feels must be coming soon!

Main Photo: Lucas Coenen; Head Top Photo: MXGP Start Kegums 2026

The man with the most remarkable record at Kegums was eager to show that his pace has not lessened from his nine prior victories at this circuit. Jeffrey Herlings came in with a late effort in both Free and Time Practice sessions to top the tables both times for Honda HRC Petronas. He finished the session, that counted for gate pick, with a time just shy of four tenths of a second faster than fellow sand master Kay de Wolf. Championship leader Lucas Coenen took the third spot, while home hero Pauls Jonass excited his fans with fifth for Kawasaki Racing Team MXGP, just behind the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP machine of Tim Gajser.

Coenen pulled a classic Holeshot at the start of the Qualifying Race, as the Red Bull Ducati Factory MXGP Team rider Calvin Vlaanderen picked up his bike from a first corner tangle! However, Herlings tucked inside turn one rapidly and powered past the teenager into the second corner to take command at Kegums as he has done so many times before!

De Wolf gave chase in third, ahead of the Kawasaki Racing Team MXGP team leader Romain Febvre, who has been a disappointed 11^th in Time Practice but gated well in front of the second Honda HRC Petronas teamster Ruben Fernandez. Jonass held down sixth place ahead of the fast-starting Gabriel SS24 KTM of Oriol Oliver.

Maxime Renaux had not started well, and just like his Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP teammate Gajser he was outside of the top ten at the end of the first lap. He suffered a broken front wheel on landing from a jump and was sent spectacularly over the handlebars! Meanwhile, Gajser moved into the top ten between two Italians, Red Bull Ducati Factory MXGP Team’s Andrea Bonacorsi in eighth and Fantic Factory Racing MXGP’s Alberto Forato in tenth. 

Coenen seemed to be keeping Herlings just within reach, then on lap three he struck with an outside sweep around a right-hander that was as sudden as it was shockingly fast!  The Belgian immediately put the hammer down to march away from the opposition.  De Wolf was briefly troubled by Febvre but managed to pull a gap on the defending Champion.  On lap five both Bonacorsi and Gajser moved up a place due to a mistake from Oliver.  The Slovenian then passed the tall Italian on the way to the uphill triple jump to move into seventh, which is where he would finish.

Sadly for Bonacorsi, he then caught his foot on the take-off ramp of a corner jump at the end of lap nine, and crashed heavily out of the race.  We hope he is healthy enough to take the start tomorrow. 

This promoted Oliver to eighth, his first Qualifying Race points finish yet, with Andrea Adamo working up to ninth for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, and the remarkable Vlaanderen recovered strongly from his first corner crash to claim the final point for tenth!

There was no catching Coenen out front however, and he eased off in the final laps to bring it home from Herlings, De Wolf, Febvre, and Fernandez, who moves past stricken Honda HRC Petronas teammate Tom Vialle into seventh in the series. Local hero Jonass, in his first Latvian GP since 2022, scored his best Qualifying Race result of the 2026 season so far, moving himself past Forato into tenth in the Championship!

Coenen stretches his points advantage over Herlings to 32, and eyes up the chance to dethrone the King of Kegums in tomorrow’s GP!  Will he succeed, or will “The Bullet” bite back in the Baltics? You need to be tuning in tomorrow to find out!

Lucas Coenen "Honestly, the start was good, but I was running too hard on the inside, and Jeffrey, like every year, he turns quite good on the inside, so he got me on that one. We were together, full pace in the beginning, but managed to take the pass over Jeffrey and just enjoy the riding out there. The track's pretty sketchy, you know, it's really hard underneath, so I hope tomorrow I can make some more lines to test. But yeah, it was good."

Jeffrey Herlings "I made a slight mistake just before and I thought he was going to come inside but he came outside instead. Anyway, he was a bit faster than I was. I felt a bit slower the first 10-15 minutes but the last 10 minutes I kind of matched his speed. I don't know if he was still pushing hard or whatever, but if you look at the gap compared to the other guys, we were still pushing in the end. Just need to work a bit overnight to see where we're losing it and keep working for tomorrow. I have a good gate position next to my main rival so yeah, I'll try to do the best tomorrow."

Kay de Wolf "I was feeling quite good. I felt pretty good with the pace in the beginning, then Lucas went around Jeffrey. I tried a few laps to pass Jeffrey but I felt like I couldn't really go around. I didn't know Romain was still behind me, so he caught me a little bit off guard the last three laps, but just made it a small sprint for a lap and managed that gap. So yeah, I felt really good out on track and hopefully we can have a good day tomorrow."

    
1. Jeffrey Herlings; 2. Kay de Wolf

MXGP - Qualifying Race Classification: 1. Lucas Coenen (BEL, KTM), 24:32.861; 2. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, Honda), +0:03.917; 3. Kay de Wolf (NED, Husqvarna), +0:14.861; 4. Romain Febvre (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:20.214; 5. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, Honda), +0:32.329; 6. Pauls Jonass (LAT, Kawasaki), +0:38.622; 7. Tim Gajser (SLO, Yamaha), +0:41.441; 8. Oriol Oliver (ESP, KTM), +0:48.234; 9. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), +0:49.741; 10. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, Ducati), +0:59.942

MXGP - World Championship Classification: 1. Lucas Coenen (BEL, KTM), 354 points; 2. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, HON), 322 p.; 3. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 270 p.; 4. Tim Gajser (SLO, YAM), 260 p.; 5. Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 251 p.; 6. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 231 p.; 7. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, HON), 222 p.; 8. Tom Vialle (FRA, HON), 219 p.; 9. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), 213 p.; 10. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KAW), 145 p.; 

Sacha Coenen

It was no surprise to see the winner of the last two MX2 events here, Sacha Coenen, top the timings in Free Practice, but the big hope for home success, Janis Reisulis, declared his intent with second place for Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2! Surprising everyone in Time Practice, however, was Honda HRC Petronas’ flying Italian Valerio Lata, who pitched in with a brilliant lap to take the first gate pick away from Coenen by nearly nine tenths of a second!  Janis was still third ahead of the Triumph Factory Racing Team pairing Camden McLellan and Guillem Farres.

It was a different factory KTM than usual that led out of the first corner, as Simon Längenfelder celebrated with a fist-pump past Pit Lane, while Lata and Coenen followed in his wake!  The Champ’s lead would not last long, however, as he got it wrong heading towards the uphill triple, which had nearly claimed him in Time Practice and was tough on a 250cc machine. He had to back off and only double it, allowing Lata to pass him into the following corner, and Coenen capitalised on the confusion to dart to the inside of the German and relegate him to third!

Frenchman Mathis Valin, winner of the German GP for Kawasaki Racing Team MX2, held fourth ahead of Janis Reisulis, Farres, and the Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing machine of Liam Everts.  Privateers Kay Karssemakers for DRT Kawasaki, and Jens Walvoort of the SB Racing KTM Team, were inside the top ten ahead of McLellan at the end of the first full lap.

The South African fought forward rapidly from there at a position a lap until he caught his teammate Farres in sixth.  Meanwhile, Janis Reisulis pressured Valin, but was unable to make a move and seemed to lose momentum.  On lap eight McLellan finally made his way around Farres, then he passed the teenage Latvian, who had only just finished his final school exams on Friday morning, on the following lap!

Fifth was as high as McLellan would get to, while Liam, who had overtaken Farres for seventh on lap nine, battled with Janis over the last two laps, passing each other twice on the final lap!  The Belgian won that scrap to take sixth ahead of “The Killer”, with Farres a disappointed eighth ahead of Karssemakers and Walvoort, the final points scorer today.

Lata led Coenen for most of the race, but the Belgian finally made the move in dramatic style with three laps to go, over-jumping at the end of the longest straight and saving what could have been a big crash whilst taking the lead at the same time! Lata’s second place was the best of his year so far, and it helped Coenen to pull out another two points from Längenfelder, who took third ahead of Valin. 

Things are close between Everts and McLellan for fourth in the series, with just two points separating them, while Lata’s score helped him pull away from Karlis Reisulis, who finished 11^th for Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2.  Karssemakers needs just seven points to move into the top ten in the series at the expense of the absent Osička KTM rider Julius Mikula.

So will it happen? Will all of those “Twins take both wins” headlines, that journalists have had ready for a year and a half, finally be used after tomorrow’s four Grand Prix races?!  Many on track want to stop it from happening, but it could be inevitable!  Join us and find out live tomorrow!

Sacha Coenen "It was a good one. I found the right moment, but I overjumped completely in the corner.., almost went on the ground! But overall a good one. Had the race win and yeah, really happy."

    
1. Valerio Lata; 2. Simon Längenfelder

MX2 - Qualifying Race Classification: 1. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM), 25:12.939; 2. Valerio Lata (ITA, Honda), +0:06.768; 3. Simon Längenfelder (GER, KTM), +0:08.358; 4. Mathis Valin (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:10.151; 5. Camden Mc Lellan (RSA, Triumph), +0:10.704; 6. Liam Everts (BEL, Husqvarna), +0:20.471; 7. Janis Martins Reisulis (LAT, Yamaha), +0:24.278; 8. Guillem Farres (ESP, Triumph), +0:26.369; 9. Kay Karssemakers (NED, Kawasaki), +0:45.172; 10. Jens Walvoort (NED, KTM), +0:46.519; 11.

MX2 - World Championship Classification: 1. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM), 330 points; 2. Simon Längenfelder (GER, KTM), 325 p.; 3. Guillem Farres (ESP, TRI), 304 p.; 4. Liam Everts (BEL, HUS), 286 p.; 5. Camden Mc Lellan (RSA, TRI), 284 p.; 6. Mathis Valin (FRA, KAW), 271 p.; 7. Janis Martins Reisulis (LAT, YAM), 256 p.; 8. Valerio Lata (ITA, HON), 198 p.; 9. Karlis Alberts Reisulis (LAT, YAM), 188 p.; 10. Julius Mikula (CZE, KTM), 144 p.

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

You can find the complete results HERE.

TIMETABLE

SUNDAY:
09:40 EMX125 Race 2, 10:25 MX2 Warm-up, 10:45 MXGP Warm-up, 11:30 EMX250 Race 2, 13:15 MX2 Race 1, 14:15 MXGP Race 1, 16:10 MX2 Race 2, 17:10 MXGP Race 2.

LINKS

Infront Moto Racing

FIM

FIM Europe

MXGP Latvia

KEGUMS (Latvia) 5th June 2026 –The 2026 MXGP FIM Motocross World Championship completes its first three-weekend run of the season with the annual trip to the Baltics for the MXGP of Latvia at the challenging Motocenter Zelta Zirgs venue of Kegums!

The local heroes should get the crowd worked up in every class, as the sole Latvian World Champion, Pauls Jonass, is set to take the start at home for the first time since 2022, while brothers Karlis and Janis Reisulis are fired up to challenge at the very top of the MX2 division!

Lucas Coenen holds the series leader’s red plate for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, and is looking for his first victory in this part of the world. In contrast, Jeffrey Herlings, who lost points last weekend in the title chase for Honda HRC Petronas, is on the hunt for his tenth GP victory in this country!

The MX2 class has a new leader, and it’s the twin brother of the MXGP class leader! Sacha Coenen starts a Grand Prix with the red plate for the very first time, and he has won the last two GPs here in MX2 for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing! Simon Längenfelder is only three points behind though, and keen for his first win at this venue, which he was denied with a late crash last year.  This weekend should be red hot in MX2!

Below you can find a list of all TV channels worldwide that will air LIVE and delayed action of the MXGP of Latvia, as well as the 26-minute Behind The Gate magazine show featuring the best moments from the races, exclusive interviews and more.  The team of Paul Malin, Lisa Leyland, and Ben Rumbold will bring all the race action to you, with Saturday’s Time Practice sessions also being broadcast LIVE, and all of this footage, plus the action from the hectic EMX250 European Championship, and the EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing series, will be available on MXGP-TV.com and via our TV magazine partners following the Grand Prix.

As always, MXGP fans can follow the races LIVE throughout the weekend. All you need to do is log onto www.MXGP-TV.com Saturday and Sunday, from wherever you are in the world.  The battle of the Baltics promises to be a thrilling one in all classes, so come and join us!

USA CANADA

CBS Sports Network

Sunday 7 June 2026 – MX2 Race 2 – 09:00 ET – LIVE

Sunday 7 June 2026 – MXGP Race 2 – 10:00 ET – LIVE

BRAZIL

Bandsports

Saturday 6 June 2026 – EMX 250 Race 1 – 14:40 CET – LIVE

Sunday 7 June 2026 – EMX 250 Race 2 – 10:25 CET – LIVE

Sunday 7 June 2026 – MX2 Race 1 – 12:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 7 June 2026 – MXGP Race 1 – 13:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 7 June 2026 – MX2 Race 2 – 15:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 7 June 2026 – MXGP Race 2 – 16:00 CET  – LIVE

CENTRAL AMERICA

Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Panama and Mexico

FOX ONE

Sunday 7 June 2026 – MXGP Race 1 – 13:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 7 June 2026 – MXGP Race 2 – 16:00 CET  – LIVE

TUBI

Sunday 7 June 2026 – MXGP Race 1 – 13:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 7 June 2026 – MXGP Race 2 – 16:00 CET  – LIVE

Tubi México

Sunday 7 June 2026 – MXGP Race 1 – 13:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 7 June 2026 – MXGP Race 2 – 16:00 CET  – LIVE

LATIN AMERICA(Except Brazil)

Youtube “Somos FOX”

Sunday 7 June 2026 – MXGP Race 1 – 13:00 CET – LIVE Stream

Sunday 7 June 2026 – MXGP Race 2 – 16:00 CET  – LIVE Stream

EUROPE

Eurosport 2

Monday 08 June 2026 – MX2 Race 1 – 08:30 CET – Delayed

Monday 08 June 2026 – MXGP Race 1 – 09:30 CET – Delayed

Monday 08 June 2026 – MX2 Race 2 – 10:30 CET – Delayed

Monday 08 June 2026 – MXGP Race 2 – 11:30 CET  – Delayed

MAX

Andorra, Belgium, Bosnia Herzegovia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech republic, Denmark, Faroe Islands, Finland, France, Hungary, Kosovo, Macedonia, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden.

Monday 08 June 2026 – MX2 Race 1 – 08:30 CET – Delayed

Monday 08 June 2026 – MXGP Race 1 – 09:30 CET – Delayed

Monday 08 June 2026 – MX2 Race 2 – 10:30 CET – Delayed

Monday 08 June 2026 – MXGP Race 2 – 11:30 CET  – Delayed

BELGIUM 

PLAY SPORTS 3

Sunday 7 June 2026 – MX2 Race 1 – 12:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 7 June 2026 – MXGP Race 1 – 13:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 7 June 2026 – MX2 Race 2 – 15:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 7 June 2026 – MXGP Race 2 – 16:00 CET  – LIVE

ESTONIA

Go3 Sport Open

Sunday 7 June 2026 – MX2 Race 1 – 12:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 7 June 2026 – MXGP Race 1 – 13:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 7 June 2026 – MX2 Race 2 – 15:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 7 June 2026 – MXGP Race 2 – 16:00 CET  – LIVE

Go3

Sunday 7 June 2026 – MX2 Race 1 – 12:00 CET – LIVE Stream

Sunday 7 June 2026 – MXGP Race 1 – 13:00 CET – LIVE Stream

Sunday 7 June 2026 – MX2 Race 2 – 15:00 CET – LIVE Stream

Sunday 7 June 2026 – MXGP Race 2 – 16:00 CET  – LIVE Stream

FINLAND

MTV MAX 

Sunday 7 June 2026 – MXGP Race 2 – 19:00 Finnish timing  – LIVE

FRANCE

LA CHAINE L’EQUIPE

Sunday 7 June 2026 – MX2 Race 1 – 12:00 CET – LIVE Stream

Sunday 7 June 2026 – MXGP Race 1 – 13:00 CET – LIVE Stream

Sunday 7 June 2026 – MX2 Race 2 – 15:00 CET – LIVE Stream

Sunday 7 June 2026 – MXGP Race 2 – 16:00 CET  – LIVE Stream

Eurosport 2

Monday 08 June 2026 – MX2 Race 1 – 08:30 CET – Delayed

Monday 08 June 2026 – MXGP Race 1 – 09:30 CET – Delayed

Monday 08 June 2026 – MX2 Race 2 – 10:30 CET – Delayed

Monday 08 June 2026 – MXGP Race 2 – 11:30 CET  – Delayed

AUTO MOTO TV

Sunday 7 June 2026 – MX2 Race 1 – 12:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 7 June 2026 – MXGP Race 1 – 13:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 7 June 2026 – MX2 Race 2 – 15:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 7 June 2026 – MXGP Race 2 – 16:00 CET  – LIVE

GREAT BRITAIN

TNT Sports 8

Sunday 7 June 2026 – MX2 Race 1 – 11:00 GMT – LIVE

Sunday 7 June 2026 – MXGP Race 1 – 12:00 GMT – LIVE

Sunday 7 June 2026 – MX2 Race 2 – 14:00 GMT – LIVE

Sunday 7 June 2026 – MXGP Race 2 – 15:00 GMT  – LIVE

ITALY

RAI Sport

Sunday 7 June 2026 – MX2 Race 2 – tbc

Sunday 7 June 2026 – MXGP Race 2 – tbc

Rai Sport Play

Sunday 7 June 2026 – MX2 Race 2 – 15:00 CET – LIVE Stream

Sunday 7 June 2026 – MXGP Race 2 – 16:00 CET  – LIVE Stream

LATVIA

Go3 Sport Open

Sunday 7 June 2026 – MX2 Race 1 – 12:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 7 June 2026 – MXGP Race 1 – 13:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 7 June 2026 – MX2 Race 2 – 15:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 7 June 2026 – MXGP Race 2 – 16:00 CET  – LIVE

Go3

Sunday 7 June 2026 – MX2 Race 1 – 12:00 CET – LIVE Stream

Sunday 7 June 2026 – MXGP Race 1 – 13:00 CET – LIVE Stream

Sunday 7 June 2026 – MX2 Race 2 – 15:00 CET – LIVE Stream

Sunday 7 June 2026 – MXGP Race 2 – 16:00 CET  – LIVE Stream

LITHUANIA
Go3 Sport Open

Sunday 7 June 2026 – MX2 Race 1 – 12:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 7 June 2026 – MXGP Race 1 – 13:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 7 June 2026 – MX2 Race 2 – 15:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 7 June 2026 – MXGP Race 2 – 16:00 CET  – LIVE

Go3

Sunday 7 June 2026 – MX2 Race 1 – 12:00 CET – LIVE Stream

Sunday 7 June 2026 – MXGP Race 1 – 13:00 CET – LIVE Stream

Sunday 7 June 2026 – MX2 Race 2 – 15:00 CET – LIVE Stream

Sunday 7 June 2026 – MXGP Race 2 – 16:00 CET  – LIVE Stream

NETHERLAND

NOS

Sunday 7 June 2026 – MXGP Race 1 – 13:00 CET – LIVE Stream

Sunday 7 June 2026 – MXGP Race 2 – 16:00 CET  – LIVE Stream

SLOVENIA

Sport TV1

Sunday 7 June 2026 – MX2 Race 1 – 12:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 7 June 2026 – MXGP Race 1 – 13:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 7 June 2026 – MX2 Race 2 – 15:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 7 June 2026 – MXGP Race 2 – 16:00 CET  – LIVE

SPAIN

TVG2

Sunday 7 June 2026 – MXGP Race 1 – 13:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 7 June 2026 – MXGP Race 2 – 16:00 CET  – LIVE

Agalega.gal

Sunday 7 June 2026 – MXGP Race 1 – 13:00 CET – LIVE Stream

Sunday 7 June 2026 – MXGP Race 2 – 16:00 CET  – LIVE Stream

ASIA

Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand
 

EUROSPORT ASIA

Monday 08 June 2026 – MX2 Race 1 – 08:30 CET – Delayed

Monday 08 June 2026 – MXGP Race 1 – 09:30 CET – Delayed

Monday 08 June 2026 – MX2 Race 2 – 10:30 CET – Delayed

Monday 08 June 2026 – MXGP Race 2 – 11:30 CET  – Delayed

JIOSTAR  - Jio Cinema

Sunday 7 June 2026 – MX2 Race 1 – 12:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 7 June 2026 – MXGP Race 1 – 13:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 7 June 2026 – MX2 Race 2 – 15:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 7 June 2026 – MXGP Race 2 – 16:00 CET  – LIVE

CHINA

TikTok China

Sunday 7 June 2026 – MX2 Race 1 – 12:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 7 June 2026 – MXGP Race 1 – 13:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 7 June 2026 – MX2 Race 2 – 15:00 CET – LIVE

Sunday 7 June 2026 – MXGP Race 2 – 16:00 CET  – LIVE

AUSTRALIA

STAN SPORTS

Sunday 7 June 2026 – MX2 Race 1 – 20:00 AEDT – LIVE

Sunday 7 June 2026 – MXGP Race 1 – 21:00 AEDT – LIVE

Sunday 7 June 2026 – MX2 Race 2 – 23:00 AEDT – LIVE

Monday 08 June 2026 – MXGP Race 2 – 00:00 AEDT  – LIVE

All races on VOD

26min Behind-the-Gate Magazine Partners:
 

AMERICA

Latin America              You tube Somos FOX              Thursday after each MXGP 8:30pm

Mexico                        FOX ONE                                 Thursday after each MXGP 8:30pm

Central America          FOX Tubi                                  Thursday after each MXGP 8:30pm

                                    FOX ONE                                 Thursday after each MXGP 8:30pm

USA                             RACER                                     tba

EUROPE

Albania                        GP1                                         Thursday after each event at 20:15

Austria                        GP1                                         Thursday after each event at 20:15

Baltics                          TV3 Sport Open                      Thursday after each MXGP

Belgium                       Play sports                              tba

Bosnia                         GP1                                         Thursday after each event at 20:15

Croatia                        GP1                                         Thursday after each event at 20:15

Finland                        MTV MAX                                Wednesday after each event 18:00                                                               Finnish timing

Hungary                      GP1                                         Thursday after each event at 20:15

Kosovo                        GP1                                        Thursday after each event at 20:15

Montenegro                GP1                                         Thursday after each event at 20:15

Northern Macedonia  GP1                                         Thursday after each event at 20:15

Portugal                      SPORT TV                                Tuesday after the event        

Romania                      Look Sport                               Wednesday after each event

Serbia                          GP1                                         Thursday after each event at 20:15

Slovenia                      Sport TV                                  Thursday after each event at 20:15 

Turkey             TRT                                          tba

INDIA and Subcontinent (Bhutan, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Maldives)
 

JIOSTAR                                                                       Wednesday after the event

INDONESIA                  Champions TV

AUSTRALIA

Australia                      Stan Sport                               Wednesday after each event

WORLDWIDE

Worldwide                  YouTube – MXGP TV               16 days after the event.

Worldwide                  Fuel TV                                   

LIVE TIMING – WEEKEND SCHEDULE

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

Catch all the racing LIVE on MXGP-TV! 

Saturday’s Time Practice (MXGP/MX2), the Qualifying Races (MXGP/MX2), and Races from all classes will be broadcasted LIVE on MXGP’s streaming service www.MXGP-TV.com, while results throughout the weekend will be available  HERE.

LINKS

Infront Moto Racing

FIM

MXGP Latvia

KEGUMS (Latvia) – 4th June 2026 – The 2026 FIM Motocross World Championships prepares for its third GP in as many weekends, taking us to the eighth round of the series at the challenging Motocenter Zelta Zirgs venue, near the town of Kegums for the MXGP of Latvia! The general description of this track is always to say that it’s sandy, but there is definitely a harder base than the sand of the Benelux countries, meaning that good hardpack riders can find something for themselves to perform on as well!

Motocross World Championship action has been seen here since 2005, when Belgian Sven Breugelmans won his second Grand Prix on his way to that season’s MX3 world title.  The full MXGP series first came here in 2009, won by Antonio Cairoli, also on a KTM, with Potugal’s Rui Goncalves taking victory in MX2.  We have been back to the Zelta Zirgs, named after the “Golden Horse”, Latvian mythology’s symbol of strength and bravery, every year since then, with the standout event being the Motocross of Nations in 2014.  We even came here for three GPs in eight days to restart the Championship after the Coronavirus suspension was lifted in 2020. 

This year the MXGP World Championship is being fought out between the top two riders here in last year’s GP. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing lead the way with their teenage prodigy Lucas Coenen, and after problems for Honda HRC Petronas rider Jeffrey Herlings in Germany, the Belgian now holds a 31-point advantage over the Dutch legend, who is going for an amazing tenth Grand Prix win at the circuit! Fifty points further back is Kawasaki Racing Team MXGP’s reigning World Champion Romain Febvre, who has yet to win here but is always a contender!  His teammate Pauls Jonass, Latvia’s only Motocross World Champion to date, finally makes it to his home GP after missing it through injury for the last three seasons! He sits just two points outside of the series top ten and will be fired up for his home round!

For the first time in Motocross history we have twin brothers, or indeed brothers of any age difference, leading two World Championships at the same time, as Red Bull KTM Factory Racing flyer Sacha Coenen wears the red plate at Kegums, holding it for the first time at the start of a race weekend. The title chase is closer in MX2 however, as defending Champion Simon Längenfelder is only three points behind the Belgian for Red Bull KTM Factory Racinng, but will be mindful of the fact that Sacha has won the last two MX2 GPs at the Latvian venue!  19 points off the lead is Spaniard Guillem Farres of the Triumph Factory Racing Team, but the home fans will be looking to the Reisulis brothers, Janis and Karlis of the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 squad, to be challenging for their first Grand Prix podium, especially as the younger of the two, Janis, has been getting closer to that top three throughout his rookie season!

The EMX250 European Championship sets up for its sixth round, which will mark the halfway point of the season for them, and the Venum BUD Racing Kawasaki pairing of Francisco Garcia from Spain and Jake Cannon from Australia lead the way, 30 points apart, while Danish rider Nicolai Skovbjerg holds third for Mx-Handel Racing Husqvarna. Local man Jekabs Kubulins has had an up and down season for JK Racing Yamaha, and has pace far better than his 14^th place in the standings might suggest!

The EMX125 European Championship Presented by FMF Racing fires into the second half of its series this weekend, and the Norman KTM Factory Rookies squad are dominating with their two Austrians, Moritz Ernecker and Ricardo Bauer, leading the way. Frenchman Sleny Goyer is still giving chase in third for Yamaha Europe Monster Energy MJC, and while there are no Latvian points scorers in this Championship so far, there should be a healthy dose of local support for the prodigious KTM MX Futures Estonian Lucas Leok, as he fights from tenth in the series!

The MXGP of Latvia often delivers some fantastic racing as the shifting sands test even the toughest of competitors, so don’t be missing this intense weekend of Motocross ahead of us!

Pauls Jonass

Lucas Coenen looked immaculate with his double victory at last weekend’s Liqui Moly MXGP of Germany, and for sure his main rival Jeffrey Herlings will be hoping that their respective past records in Latvia hold true for another season!  The Belgian has finished second across multiple races at the Zelta Zirgs, including all three races in MXGP last year, for second overall, and in two of the three races in MX2 back in 2024, again claiming second overall! He even took a second in the only Sunday race he finished back in 2023!

In contrast, Herlings is coming to one of his best ever circuits. Literally, in terms of GP victories, his nine wins here are only matched by his nine at Valkenswaard, a venue we haven’t raced at for some time.  He’s been on the podium at Kegums 12 times from his 15 attempts, including his last six visits! Winner of the last three GPs here, and seven of the last nine individual races, his record here is nothing short of ridiculous, stretching back to only his second career victory anywhere, back in 2010.  Does this make him the favourite, or do we think of the sheer pace of Coenen this season, especially in the softer going of Sardegna?  There’s no way that the King of Kegums is going to give it away without a fight!

Romain Febvre has been a solid podium contender for almost as long as “The Bullet”, with six top three results in 13 visits, including third overall last year and third in the Qualifying Race. He hasn’t won an individual race since his first title defence in 2016, but one of the best sand riders ever from France cannot be discounted!

Neither can Tim Gajser, who is seven points back from Febvre for Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP, and he has four GP wins and six race wins to his name here, as well as his last attempt at a Qualifying Race win in 2024.  His teammate Maxime Renaux, just five points further back from the Slovenian, took a double race win here in his MX2 title season of 2021, but only a best of fifth in the premiere class.

Kay de Wolf continues to march up the points table for Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing, moving up to sixth place after Germany thanks to the injury-enforced absence of Honda HRC Petronas’ Tom Vialle.  The Dutchman won his first ever overall GP here in 2023, and has either crashed or won in most of his outings since. The former MX2 World Champion will be hoping for nothing less than another podium result, while Vialle is uncertain to be riding at the site where he won a single GP back in 2020, but was third on his last visit in 2022. The Frenchman’s  Honda HRC Petronas teammate Ruben Fernandez, still eighth but closer after his German GP podium, has a surprisingly good record here, with fifth overall last year and a podium in 2022.

Another who enjoyed his first 2026 podium in Germany was Andrea Adamo, and the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing pilot will be looking for his first top three result of any kind at Kegums. His fellow Italian Alberto Forato moved into the series top ten with a sixth in Germany, and although he got an EMX250 podium here in 2019, sixth overall with a 4-9 scorecard in 2022 is his best in Latvia at GP level.

The other Kegums GP winner lining up in MXGP is Jago Geerts, who won three times in MX2, and took his best Sunday result yet in the MXGP class here with sixth overall last season.  The MRT Racing Team Beta rider will be hoping for something similar to lift himself from 19^th in this year’s Championship, while home hero Pauls Jonass will initially be happy just to be here after three years of missing out on his local fans’ adulation! He actually took second overall the last time he lined up at the Zelta Zirgs, with three second places across the weekend in 2022. Just a single race win in his MX2 title season of 2017, plus an EMX125 victory in 2013, look likely to remain his only victories from home territory, but the Kawasaki Racing Team MXGP man can certainly dream of more!

Be prepared for a stunning showdown this weekend in the MXGP class!

    
1. Lucas Coenen; 2. Kay de Wolf

MXGP - World Championship Top 10 Classification: 1. Lucas Coenen (BEL, KTM), 344 points; 2. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, HON), 313 p.; 3. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 263 p.; 4. Tim Gajser (SLO, YAM), 256 p.; 5. Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 251 p.; 6. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 223 p.; 7. Tom Vialle (FRA, HON), 219 p.; 8. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, HON), 216 p.; 9. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), 211 p.; 10. Alberto Forato (ITA, FAN), 142 p.

MX2 Start Kegums 2025

The timing could not be better for Sacha Coenen to wear his first ever red plate, apart from those earned on a Saturday, as he returns to the site of his first ever GP victory in 2024, which he repeated last year!  The Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider was helped by a last lap crash from the lead for his teammate Simon Längenfelder in the 2025 GP, so the German can pick up the pace here to try and reverse that three-point gap between the two! He took last year’s Qualifying Race win, as well as podium trophies from each of the last two visits to Kegums. He needs to dig deep again this weekend!

Guillem Farres didn’t have a great GP in Germany, and he took eighth overall from his only visit to Latvia last season.  From fourth in the Championship, Liam Everts will be looking for his first Kegums podium for Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing as he tries to claw back the 20 points to Farres.  He will likely be challenged by the other Triumph Racing Factory Team rider Camden McLellan, who is only three points behind the Belgian and stronger in the sand than his sixth here last year might indicate!

Mathis Valin is riding high from his first ever GP win last weekend for Kawasaki Racing Team MX2, and is on a three-GP podium streak as well, so he will be looking to repeat his 2023 EMX125 victory here and press forward from sixth in the Championship.

Behind him, though, is his successor as EMX250 Champion and absolute home favourite Janis Reisulis, and the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 rider pushed to this limit to enjoy a perfect day in EMX250 last year, sending the fans into raptures, and they will make intense noise for both him and brother Karlis, who also had a great weekend with his best ever Qualifying result of third last season. Valerio Lata is currently a point ahead of the elder brother for Honda HRC Petronas, and the Italian will be looking to remember his race win here in EMX250 two years ago, rather than his double DNF of last year!

Rounding out the top ten is Julius Mikula, and hopefully the likeable Czech racing for the Ošicka KTM Racing team has recovered well enough from his big crash of last weekend to defend that spot, although Kay Karssemakers will fancy his chances in the sand for Dixon Racing Kawasaki.

With all of their home heroes to cheer on in both major classes, the Latvian fans should generate another fantastic atmosphere around the Zelta Zirgs circuit, and we look forward to a brilliant GP as the top riders battle in the Baltics!

    
1. Janis Reisulis; 2. Karlis Reisulis

MX2 - World Championship Top 10 Classification: 1. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM), 320 points; 2. Simon Längenfelder (GER, KTM), 317 p.; 3. Guillem Farres (ESP, TRI), 301 p.; 4. Liam Everts (BEL, HUS), 281 p.; 5. Camden Mc Lellan (RSA, TRI), 278 p.; 6. Mathis Valin (FRA, KAW), 264 p.; 7. Janis Martins Reisulis (LAT, YAM), 252 p.; 8. Valerio Lata (ITA, HON), 189 p.; 9. Karlis Alberts Reisulis (LAT, YAM), 188 p.; 10. Julius Mikula (CZE, KTM), 144 p.

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

You can find the complete results HERE.

TIMETABLE

SATURDAY:
07:40 EMX125 Group 1 Free Practice, 08:10 EMX125 Group 2 Free Practice, 08:40 EMX250 Group 1 Free Practice, 09:10 EMX250 Group 2 Free Practice, 09:50 EMX125 Group 1 Qualifying Practice, 10:30 MX2 Free Practice, 11:00 MXGP Free Practice, 11:50 EMX125 Group 2 Qualifying Practice, 12:25 EMX250 Group 1 Qualifying Practice, 13:00 EMX250 Group 2 Qualifying Practice, 13:40 MX2 Time Practice, 14:15 MXGP Time Practice, 15:00 EMX125 Race 1, 15:45 EMX250 Race 1, 16:35 MX2 Qualifying Race, 17:25 MXGP Qualifying Race.

SUNDAY:
09:40 EMX125 Race 2, 10:25 MX2 Warm-up, 10:45 MXGP Warm-up, 11:30 EMX250 Race 2, 13:15 MX2 Race 1, 14:15 MXGP Race 1, 16:10 MX2 Race 2, 17:10 MXGP Race 2.

LINKS

Infront Moto Racing

FIM

FIM Europe

MXGP Latvia

The Behind The Gate documentary series, which is produced after every GP and aired immediately on MXGP-TV.com, continued with Episode Six, “Making The Break”, which focused on the MXGP of Trentino, before the five-week break in the schedule prior to the MXGP of France.  We went behind the scenes with Venrooy KTM Racing, and their MX2 rookie Noel Zanocz, who was even treated to a fine dining experience at the Arciduca Ristorante in Arco with his girlfriend Paula, which the teenager enjoyed, maybe a little too much! It all made for great content for the programme.

We interviewed Noel on the Friday of the MXGP of France, as Noel sought shelter from the surprising heat of the Lacapelle-Marival sunshine to give his views on his rookie season so far, after finishing 15^th overall at Trentino and holding that position in the Championship.

As always, these interviews have to be edited to fit within a 26-minute programme, but here is the full transcript of what Noel said to the Behind The Gate cameras.

BTG: [Before the cameras roll] Just for sound-check: do you know any more famous people with your name? Noel Gallagher? You know who Noel Gallagher is? Oasis?

NZ: No, I don't know them. Christmas! It's Christmas in French.

BTG: Wow, I wasn't going to go there! I wasn't going to be that unkind to you! So, Noel, coming to Trentino, you’ve had a few decent results in the past there. What are your thoughts on Trentino, and for our recording, tell us about your season so far before that weekend. How are you feeling about being in MX2, for your first season so far?

NZ: Yeah, so I had a pretty rough pre-season. I had a thumb injury, and a ligament problem in my knee. So, I'm still struggling with that, but we tried to make the best out of it. We made a little progress, Sardegna was one step ahead, and yeah, just crossing the fingers to survive Trentino. It’s not been so easy for me there in the past, and yeah, just try to get some feeling on the track, and putting in the hours on the bike to get the feeling, and basically, that's the plan for the weekend.

BTG:  Obviously, you've gone up from EMX250. Not too many of you starting this year compared to before. You know, yourself and Janis Reisulis are really the main two that have moved up there. So, how has it been for you? You know, you're now going from two races across two days to three races instead, you know, one and then two on the Sunday. What's it like for you? How are you finding it? How are you dealing with it? And have you made much changes to your training, for example, to cope with it?

NZ: Yeah, so far it has been quite a big change. Also, as I said, my winter was not so easy, so I'm not fully prepped yet. I'm struggling with many, many things. Also, I'm not super confident yet in myself, and yeah, it's also been a big change. Like, we have way more riding time, so it's a little bit hard, let's say, physical-wise, to really see where you must push or not. Already from Time Practice, it's quite important, I think, to have a good gate pick in the Qualifying Race, and from then on, obviously, we are racing for points, and that's already a big difference from EMX250. But I'm excited to learn, and I'm really here to get the experience this year.

BTG:  Now, you're on the team, obviously, the Venrooy KTM team with Mattia Guadagnini. How are you finding the bike, and how are you finding the team with Mattia as your teammate? Is it good for the atmosphere, and how much contact do you have with him as part of your whole life in the team?

NZ: Yeah, so obviously, the KTM is a really good bike, and I have been enjoying riding it. It's really cool to have Mattia as a teammate, and he has obviously a lot of experience with the KTM group. Yeah, he has a lot of, let's say, nice advice for me on the racetracks and everything. He has been a factory rider, so he knows what it takes to be up front, and he can share his opinion. We spent time together with the team in the pre-season in Sardinia in January and it was going really well. Then, yeah, he was also helping a lot, like just in general. So, yeah, it was a really nice time with him.

BTG: So, yeah, going through to Trentino itself, obviously, you scored points and you had your best Qualifying Race yet to get there on the Saturday. So, how are you feeling before the actual start of the race? The Sunday, you're good with the track, the bike’s dialled in, how's it looking for you before the start?

NZ: Yeah, so actually it was better than what I expected on Saturday. And yeah, I had a good feeling, but the track was really, really dry and sketchy. So, that was tricky, but I could manage it, I think, quite good. I had quite a nice start, and then yeah, I could ride a little bit my race. So, I was excited for Sunday as we saw the weather podcast. Maybe it's gonna be a little bit rainy in the first race, but yeah, normally the weather should be fine.

BTG: You had a great start in MX2 Race 1, right towards the front, it was absolutely amazing for you. You got a great start from that side of it. Obviously, a lot of riders came past you, and I guess that's tricky to deal with. But yeah, how did that feel being up there on the first lap? And was it more stress because you had more people around you, or how did all that feel with the start?

NZ: Yeah, I've been always a really good starter when the rain came down, so it might be because of my weight or I don't know. Just why, with the rain, I always love to ride in it, but yeah, the track didn't turn out to be that bad, like what I expected. I thought it's gonna be way more slippery, so I really tried to take it easy and calm in the first couple of laps, but it didn't really pay off because I dropped back really quickly, so I was quite disappointed in that. But yeah, tried to ride a little bit my race, let's say, and just gaining the hours on the bike.

BTG: Were you feeling it much with the thumb injury? Is that pretty much now behind you? You got through Trentino, okay?

NZ: Yeah, I would say the knee is more of a struggle. After the pre-season races, I got injured with my knee. Several ligaments were not completely torn, but a little bit screwed up, let's say. And yeah, I try to survive. I thought ‘Now we're gonna have one month of break. I will really try to use that time to get back my fitness and also a little bit more confidence with the knee, make it stronger, and really just put in the hours on the bike and also off the bike to be fit again’.

BTG: Great stuff, and obviously, we can see there that you're 15th in the Championship right now, and you've only got a few points ahead of you to get past guys like Scott Smulders and Jens Walvoort, and of course, Cas Valk is now out as well. So, you’ve got a chance there of getting in the top dozen in the world. Was this the kind of aim at the start of the year to get up there? I mean, what did you have your sights on at the start of the year?

NZ: Yeah, so actually, till November, I felt really good, and then I had an unfortunate thumb injury in a practice. What I've been struggling with for three months, and it was really hard to get back the trust in it. I've been to many doctors, everyone said different things, and some said some bone injuries, some said the ligament problems. And in the end, they never really could find out the real problems, so that has been a little bit difficult. And then, yeah, I mean, till that moment, I was really hoping for, let's say, a top eight finish, be in the mix with the factory guys, and try to put decent results in every weekend. And now, with the injuries and everything, I had to change a little bit, because it was unrealistic. Now, I really want to take each race as it comes and really to take this year for learning as much as I can and put in the work and see where we end up. I'm still pretty convinced that I can do good in the second part of the season, and I will do everything to get there.

BTG: Just to find out a bit more about you, you ride with the number 716, you have for as long as I've seen you riding. So, yeah, talk us through the number. How come it's 716?

NZ: Yeah, so in Hungary we say always when you're born, you start with which year you're born, then the month, and then the day. And because I was born in 2007, January 6th, I took the 7 of the 2007. January is obviously the first month of the year, and then the 6th when I was born that's how my number came!

BTG: You said about Hungary there. Obviously, there aren't many riders or professional athletes in motorsport at the very top level from Hungary. So, how did you make your way to this point? Did you just start winning everything in Hungary, then went further afield? Tell us please about going through the youth ranks and how you started, and where you started to race through to this level.

NZ:  I started really, really young. When I was three, I was already on a bike. And yeah, I think when I was five, I did my first race in Hungary, when I was a five-year-old on a 50cc. And then for two years, I finished last in every race that I started. And then, yeah, obviously, that was not so easy to move from there! I didn't really want to ride back then. My dad always had to, let's say, motivate me with some different kinds of things to keep me on the bike. I really wanted to play football back then, but yeah, I started to get some decent results in Hungary. Then we started to go to the Czech Republic on the 50cc. I started riding really good there. So I moved up to 65cc pretty young. I think I was 10 years old when I won Free Practice in EMX65, in Loket, that was really good. But then, yeah, the races didn't really end up how I wanted. And then I moved up to 85cc really, really young. I rode the 85s for four years, I believe I did some races in the ADAC, and obviously EMX and the Junior World Championship. Then moving up to 125, that was really the time when we started to travel a lot, winter camps in Italy and just do all the series. And my first year I did only a couple of rounds and the Junior World Championship. So, then in 2024, it was the first year when I really got the chance to be a part of a factory team, and then last year with Jackie on the Honda. I had two really decent years, results wise, and everything. Now we are here in MX2! It's kind of a big deal. I don't really remember when was the last time, or if anyone from my country has rode in the past in the MX2 World Championship. So it's really a big thing from Hungary.

BR:  Nice, and there's a few of you coming through as well, like Aaron Katona, for example. So, are these guys riders that are following your way, or has there been a new wave of riders from Hungary that we are likely to see in the future?

NZ: Yeah, I think this opened a lot of doors for kids, just to see that it's possible. And I really hope that we are going to have some other talents from Hungary, because it would be really nice for the sport and everything.

BTG: One last one for you, just a bit of a different one. Can you say, so far, what has been your very best day in the sport? What was the day that you can remember going away from the track, being absolutely full of it, buzzed up? What's your very best moment in motocross, basically?

NZ: That's a difficult one. I have three top ones. Like, obviously, winning the World Junior Championship in Heerde [The Netherlands, 2024], that was something amazing, being the first Hungarian to win a world title, and it was just amazing. Then again, the same year, but in Spain, when I win the European EMX125 title, it was just amazing. I was leading the Championship for the whole year, but then in Switzerland, the penultimate round, I had a broken engine and I dropped back into second place in the Championship. So, arriving there, knowing that, yeah, I have to give my all to make sure that I can win the title, and in the end, it paid off. So, that was really an amazing day.

And a little bit different, yeah, one that was good, was 2022, the Motocross of Nations in Redbud. I had the opportunity to ride with FIM Team Europe there, and I was just 15 at the time. To race the Open class on a 250 bike, and battling with my idols like Dylan Ferrandis, it was just an amazing experience. So, yeah. That was a really, really cool one.

Epilogue: The progress continued for Noel with his best GP yet at Lacapelle-Marival. Fifteenth again in the Qualifying Race was followed by twelfth overall from 13-12 results on Sunday, advancing him to fourteenth in the standings.  Just 14 ahead of him is the injured Cas Valk, who will be unable to compete for most of the season, but the Hungarian is only two behind Maxime Grau before the Liqui Moly MXGP of Germany, so a place in the top dozen in MX2 is well within his grasp. Massive thanks to him for being great with us in Trentino, and to Venrooy KTM Racing for getting him organised!