As Glenn Coldenhoff visited the Fantic Motor HQ in Italy to celebrate an incredible bronze medal a few days ago, we sat down with “The Hoff” to look back on a history-making MXGP season for the 34-year-old Dutchman and the Italian brand, and to relive the special memories that came with it.
Glenn, first of all, how are you after the heavy crash that put an early end to your MXoN appearance in the US?
I’m fine! I did some more checks back at home, which ruled out any serious injuries. Obviously, I had a big back injury in the past, and after that crash, I was pretty banged up. Also, I’m not the youngest anymore, so it takes some time to recover (he smiles). But I’m all good now. I’ll need a few more weeks to be fully fit again, but I have time now.
Obviously, it was a very unfortunate end to an otherwise amazing season. Looking back at everything you’ve been able to achieve together with Fantic and the whole team, how do you feel about it?
It was a really nice season. I think nobody expected me to have such a great year after a tougher one in 2024. But the team and Fantic did a really good job listening and setting up the bike exactly how I wanted it. The bike was so good and I liked it so much that it brought joy to my riding again. I even enjoyed all the training sessions more, not just the races. During the week, I was happier and able to really focus on my training. That definitely helped me get those results. Actually, from the first test, we didn’t change anything on my bike all year long. If you look at my career, I used to get stronger toward the end of the season. This was actually the first year I was there from the beginning, which was quite special. Also, if you’re riding the same bike since November without major changes, you get to know it better and better. That’s also why I felt good most of the time, and why we had such a great season.
It truly was a great season – you kicked it off with another win at Hawkstone Park, followed by six GP podiums, a maiden MXGP race win for the Fantic XXF 450, seven holeshot awards, and the cherry on top, third place in the final MXGP championship standings.
Yes, all the podiums were definitely highlights. Starting with Cozar – that was a really nice one, together with my teammate [Andrea Bonacorsi]. At just the second GP, two Fantic riders stood on the podium. That was incredible. Before that race, Fantic had never made a podium at MXGP level, and then suddenly two riders were on the box. It was special for the brand and really good for the team and the atmosphere. It proved that we did something right over the winter. That was really nice.
And for you personally, was there a podium that stood out? What was your favourite moment?
I think Loket, even though I finished third. Having my family there and bringing my daughter up to the podium was special – even though she started crying and had to leave (he smiles). But looking at the pictures now, those are some really great memories. And of course, the win in Great Britian, with that big whip over the finish jump. I mean, it’s all about winning, right? Even though I didn’t win the GP, I won a race, and that’s what you wake up for every morning – to try and achieve that. It’s not easy, and it’s good to know that I was still capable of winning. That’s also a really nice memory.
For Fantic, it was a historic first-ever win in an MXGP race. For you personally, it was the fifth brand you’ve won with. Do you ever think about stats and history-making results?
No, not at all. I’m just living in the moment. I don’t really care about those things, but for sure it’s nice. Fantic isn’t the biggest brand, so to achieve something like this is really big. We did it all together with a small group of people, which makes the enjoyment even greater.
It’s great to hear that you really enjoyed this season.
Yes, this is probably the year I enjoyed the most in my career, also thanks to my teammates. We had a really nice team with “Bona” and Brian [Bogers]. We got along really well. Also with our team trainer, Kevin Strijbos – he’s a good guy, and we had a good balance between working hard and having fun. The atmosphere was amazing. I think you could see that easily from the outside. Everything was on point. We had everything we needed to perform at our best, and that’s part of the success.
The teamwork made the dream work – and it really seemed like a dream when you first moved up to third in the world championship standings, after your second podium of the season, at round 4 in Sardinia.
Yes, I almost won the GP there. Okay, “almost” doesn’t bring you anything in the end, but still – it was a podium, and any podium was good. Actually, I feel like we deserved two more, especially in Finland, where I crashed in the second race but definitely had the speed to at least finish on the podium, maybe even win. I ended up fourth overall, with the same points as second, which was a shame. I was pretty disappointed.
You just missed out on a GP win with Fantic, which was the goal you set going into this journey two years ago. But visiting the Fantic Motor HQ with a bronze medal is maybe an even bigger achievement?
Well… I think we should be happy, and we can all be proud of what we achieved together. Still, it’s a little disappointing not to have reached the goal of a GP win. But on the other hand, the goal was also to be consistent in the top five, and maybe, with a little bit of luck, to finish third in the championship. In the end, we achieved one of those goals. It was an ambitious goal, but we made it work. It’s a big reward for everyone and for all the effort. What we achieved together with Fantic is incredible – this might just have been the best season of my career and it’s definitely a year I will never forget. I still need to see what is next, what is best for me, but for now, I’m just really thankful and proud of what we did together.
Photo Credit: Fantic Motor
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